#the two of them settle into banter and call-and-response exchanges immediately | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

favoniuscodex · 3 years

Text

limerence [childe x gn!reader]

prompt: limerence - noun - the state of being infatuated or obsessed with another person, typically experienced involuntarily and characterized by a strong desire for reciprocation of one's feelings pairings: childe x gn!reader word count: 2.6k warnings: check tags for tws, but overall sfw. neither angst nor fluff. a/n: best read going in blind! :) but TWs are in tags if you’re worried. absolutely nobody requested this and this was a completely self-indulgent fic simply due to my desire to write a full scenario for childe.

the russet-haired harbinger spots you that morning, like every tuesday morning, in liyue harbor. your back is turned to him, but he can recognize your figure anywhere. he watches your shoulders and hair move with every articulated word and as the distance closes between the two of you, he can hear your frustrated words. every tuesday, you come to the market for your groceries and, every tuesday, you haggle with the shopkeeper over the price of potatoes in a rather aggressive manner.

to those unfamiliar with your antics, you and the shopkeeper are wordsmiths, crafting your weapons and going to war against each other. petty insults are thrown, ones that have no weight, a complete display of unprofessionalism on both you and the shopkeeper’s behalf. nonetheless, everyone near the two of you continues on their merry way, ignoring the spectacle unfolding before them. because, childe knows, the two of you do this every week. there’s no need for childe to intervene. not only does he know this is just friendly banter with a shopkeeper you’ve known your whole life, but, when it comes to verbal conviction, your words can sway nearly anyone. it’s just… not quite as effective on those who have known you for a majority of your life.

childe rounds the corner, two of his northland bank underlings trailing behind him. his presence unsettles the shopkeepers nearby, but you pay him no mind. now able to view you from the side, childe takes advantage of the several-meter distance between the two of you to get a good look at you. a wooden lattice basket rests in the crook of your elbows, shaking ever so slightly as you gesticulate widely, determined to win your squabble. the shopkeeper, having noticed childe’s presence from afar, blanches for a brief second, but the derisive, wide grin that crosses childe’s face at the sight notifies him that the harbinger has not yet arrived to collect his debts.

you, on the other hand, take no notice of the ginger, your eyebrows furrowing even further upon realizing something had distracted the shopkeeper. childe stifles a laugh upon seeing you snap your fingers at the man, redirecting his attention. even if you weren’t as captivating to everyone else in the way you were to childe, you still knew how to demand attention from those around you. tartaglia wishes nothing more than to wrap his arms around your waist and surprise you while you’re hard at work, mastering the art of haggling, but unfortunately for the both of you, duty called for childe as well.

harbingers had very little time to rest, but he desired to spend every free moment he has with you.

---

the harbinger pads softly into your room, his socks muffling the noise of any footsteps. it had once been a challenge for him to do such an action as your bedroom door had been quite squeaky but after fixing it once you had gone to work one day, childe was now able to join you in bed without disrupting your sleep. for the harbinger, this had been important as he knew how little sleep you got and his odd work hours would often lead to him disturbing what precious little shuteye you managed to obtain.

childe had no desire to focus on issues of the past, rather desiring to focus on you, who laid asleep and vulnerable in front of him. he lays down on the other side of your bed, making sure to shift his weight in a soft manner, not wanting this action to wake you up either. he inhales sharply upon seeing you shift in your sleep, electing to hold his breath until you settle back down. fortunately for him, it didn’t take very long and the shift in your breathing pattern let him know that you were once again deep within the forests of dreamland.

he smiles softly at you, propping his head on his hand to look at you while laying on his side. moonlight filters in, weaving through the gaps of your curtains, to softly illuminate your face -- just enough light to give tartaglia a good view of of your face and he admires the way the shadows fall upon your cheeks, the oh-so-faint shadow your eyelashes cast upon your undereyes, and the disappearance of the usual worries that plagued your face.

childe always wonders why such lines form on your face, why your brows furrow with a faint sadness and anger whenever you get lost in thought, unaware anyone is watching. he’s not sure what you have to worry about when he’s always there for you. what better protection than a fatui harbinger, especially one as skilled in battle as he?

but for now, he’s content with the peaceful expression that graces your face and elects to softly brush a loose strand of your hair away from your face. while it was amusing to watch it shift with each breath you took, childe figured you’d be more comfortable if there were no hindrances to your sleep. Nonetheless, he traces a finger from the back of your ear and down your jawline, admiring the feel of your skin under his featherlight touch. i’ve been considerate enough with your sleep, he thinks. please forgive me for letting me indulge myself with you this once.

he leans over, placing a soft kiss on your forehead. tartaglia’s heart swells as he sees your lips subtly twitch in response to his gesture of love. if he can bring you happiness even within your dreams, then his duty is fulfilled. while his body is sworn to the will of the tsaritsa and his brain sworn to the protection of his family, his heart is bound to yours in an unbreakable oath, for you have locked it within your grasp and thrown away the key.

despite you whisking away all hope for the harbinger to fall in love with someone else, tartaglia wouldn’t change it for a thing, for you were the one he truly desired. he had always been bad at telling you such things during the day, but when the night coated the two of you in her blanket of darkness, tartaglia would feel the words spill from his mouth in murmured poems, trying to accurately describe how he felt about you. he was happy with such events, as the two of you communicated best within the comforting familiarity of the night’s shadows.

---

tartaglia watches, hidden in the shadows of your hallway, as you dance around the kitchen, cooking yourself some saturday morning pancakes for breakfast. you’re singing to yourself, sliding around the slick floor in your socks as you pretend you’re a world-famous idol. in your fantasies the world is your oyster, but, more importantly, the spatula in your hands is your microphone. you’re belting out the words to a song childe recognizes to be your favorite.

he doesn’t enter the kitchen, afraid of causing you to be mortified that he caught you doing such a thing, and instead leans against the wall, appreciating your singing. these vulnerable states is when childe realizes he truly loves you. the way your eyes sparkle with delight at the thought of entertaining massive audiences, yet your goofy grin still remaining as you pause your chaotic set of songs to flip the pancakes, is a sight the harbinger wouldn’t trade for the world.

however, this vulnerability worries childe. he’s not always around to protect you and he knows how irresistible you are in his eyes, so the harbinger can’t help but worry what misfortune would fall upon you if someone nefarious set their sights upon you. the tsaritsa won’t always have him stationed in liyue, so if you are in danger, it will take longer for him to come rescue you. such thoughts cloud his mind easily, but in moments like these, tartaglia also embraces his love for you, for he knows that if you were not remarkable, these thoughts would not plague his mind. you are like a small animal, precious to those who see the value in you, but fresh meat for those wanting to slaughter.

as you dance within the confines of your abode, childe secludes himself from your vision, wishing to allow you to explore your reveries in peace. he wishes not to taint the innocent moments he wishes he could still have and instead chooses to stand watch over you, protecting from the shadows of the hallway as you glide around in the radiant, warm sunlight, for he is your knight and you are the royalty in the tower he must defend until his last breath.

---

tuesday rolls around again and the harbor is bustling more than it was last week. childe watches as you weave through the crowd, empty basket in tow, ready to begin your weekly tuesday morning routine of bartering with your favorite quarrelsome shopkeeper. the shopkeeper quickly notices you and the two of you exchange friendly greetings, before immediately launching into this week’s point of contention: tomato prices.

however, it’s different for childe this week. today, he is not bound by the will of the tsaritsa, a rare lull in his usually ceaseless obligations to the throne. for today, the harbinger has a day off and he wishes to spend it with the person he loves most. a nervousness swells in his chest. tartaglia had not told you that he had been granted with spare time and he feared your reaction upon learning this news. would delivering the news end in rejection and you being angered that he’s intruding upon your free time, not having notified you of such an event earlier on? no, he chastises himself. i know you, you would never do such a thing.

he navigates through the crowd with ease, noting how those who are aware of his reputation within the town easily make way for him to get through. but today, he arrives not as a harbinger, but as the man who loves you most. he sneaks up behind you as you barter, relishing in the fact that you remain blissfully unaware to his presence.

“i think you should lower the price of each tomato by 10 mora!” you insist. the shopkeeper opens his mouth to reply, but closes his mouth and gives a nervous smile, noticing the man that stood behind you. tartaglia smiles sardonically at the man as you stare at the shopkeeper, confused by the sudden mellowing of his attitude.

“how much are tomatoes going for?” childe asks, interrupting the conversation. your eyes widen upon realizing someone else is perusing the same stall and you turn to look at the man that towers over you.

“one-hundred and twenty mora each,” the shopkeeper responds, doing his best to keep his voice level in the presence of the fatui harbinger.

“ah,” childe responds, lifting an arm up to scratch the back of his head. “no wonder you’re being haggled with! do you think you could drop the price to 50 mora for my companion here?” the words exit his mouth as a question, but one laced with a firm resolve that only demanded for the shopkeeper to comply with his words.

“y’know, i’m feeling pretty gracious today,” the shopkeeper stammers, eyes flitting between you and the man behind you as you watch the interaction, bewildered by the shopkeeper’s change in tune when it came to pricing. “how about i sell the tomatoes to you, forty mora each?”

you stare at the shopkeeper, mouth falling open in shock. “r... really?” you squeak with a hint of excitement to your voice, before pausing to think about the situation. “that’s quite generous of you, are you sure you can handle such pricing?”

the shopkeeper’s eyes dart to childe and the harbinger crosses his arms and nods at the shopkeeper with a pressed smile, narrowed eyebrows, and folded arms while nodding his head slowly up and down. in return, the shopkeeper nods his head quickly.

“of course! think of it as a reward for being a frequent customer!” the shopkeeper insists, all while you’re oblivious to his sweating of bullets at childe’s presence. he hurriedly hands you the tomatoes you desired. “thank you for being a fantastic customer!”

“oh!” you state, shocked, but taking the tomatoes and placing them in your basket.

childe drops the malicious expression and instead beams a toothy grin at the shopkeeper, his intimidating aura all but dropped. “thank you for cooperating, sir! i’ll be quite sure to take note of such generous deeds!”

the shopkeeper, seemingly understanding that he’s been reprieved of having to deal with childe’s presence, lets out a long exhale of relief before turning to sell to another customer. as you situate the produce you purchased in your basket, you realize that your produce pricing hero is about to turn away and you can’t let him escape without thanking him!

“w... wait!” you say, tugging on childe’s sleeve. he turns back and looks at you with a mischievous, knowing smirk.

“oh?” he asks coyly.

“thank you!” you state, briefly clasping your hands around one of his as a gesture of appreciation. “that was amazing! i’ve never been able to purchase tomatoes for such an inexpensive price before!”

childe revels in your kind words and praise. he shouldn’t take pride in such a frivolous thing, but the way you stare at him, eyes blown wide with adoration and awe, causes his heart to skip a few beats faster. as your sworn protector, such actions should only be routine for him, but seeing you bat your eyelashes at him and ignite his skin as you brush your fingertips over it makes him want to evoke any and all forms of praise about him that he can get out of your mouth.

however, his daydreams and desires come to a screeching halt after you utter your next few words.

“i have to ask, what’s your name? i’ve never seen you around here before?” you say excitedly, eager to get to know the harbinger.

his cheerful mood falters for a brief moment as he’s forced to face reality. despite all of the nights he’s spent with you, all of the favors he’s done for you, all of the times he’s watched over you, the two of you had never truly spoken. as a cool oceanic breeze brushes over the two of you, childe holds back a shiver of discomfort as he’s faced with the reality that he loves you far more than you love him, that he knows far more of you than you know of him, for the knight protecting the tower is always a stranger to the royalty sheltered within.

despite the fact that you bring him to his knees, you have no idea of the effect you have on the harbinger, for the two of you have never exchanged words until this moment. all of childe’s declarations of love to you have been one-sided, whether it be words or actions. his resolve is shaken to the core, but, in a split second, he steels himself and returns the smile to his face, for what good is a knight who gives up when faced with reality?

“i’m tartaglia, but you can call me childe, if you prefer,” he croons, extending a hand out to you for a handshake.

as you grasp his hand firmly and shake in return, childe isn’t sure if he ever wants to let you go.

1K notes · View notes

peachyysugaa · 3 years

Text

blood castle i. || enha 02z

♚──────────────────────────♚

♜ main pairing: vampire! 02z x gn! reader

♜ genre: hogwarts au, mystery, fluff/angst

♜ wc: 2k

♜ warnings: mentions of blood (pg13), purposefully lowercase

♜ other pairings: lisa x namjoon, slight rose x jungkook

♜ a/n: disclaimer that i don't actually ship these pairings, i just find it fitting for the story :] also kinda boring chapter but we're setting things up <3 also hearts at the end of each chapter to keep track of how oc gets along with 02z hehe lmk what you think!

♜ index: teaser | next | masterlist

♚──────────────────────────♚

i. make the most of it

"what will i do when you're both gone? jennie just left and you two are next!" you pout in your train seat as your best friends exchange teasing smiles. as you get closer and closer to hogwarts, you can't help but keep thinking about rose and lisa inevitably graduating this year.

"i don't know y/n, maybe find some friends your age?" lisa teases. you groan outwardly, tilting your head back.

rose, the ever-exemplary hufflepuff, extends her hands out to yours on the table and grabs hold of them. you stop your obnoxious groaning to stare back at her kind smile. "lili has a point, y/nie. it wouldn't hurt to branch out this year so that lisa and i don't have to worry about you."

your eyes widened. "worry?! what's that supposed to mean?"

rose lets go of your hands to cover her mouth as she laughs while lisa is losing it. the gryffindor 7th year is wiping joyful tears out of her eyes, which isn't helping your case.

you sit, pouting once again and waiting for them to explain.

"two words, y/n," lisa begins while holding two fingers up in a peace sign that you know is anything but peaceful. "you're. clumsy."

"am not!" you defied. your best friends exchange looks once again before raising an eyebrow at you. "tell me one time when i was clumsy!"

"remember that time you tried to shut a mandrake up by putting your hand on its mouth and then it bit you?" rose asks.

"oh! that was so funny!" lisa says, trying to hold back her laughter. "my favorite is when she made a lizard instead of a mini dragon in transfiguration but then it burned her eyebrows off!"

as they share your most embarrassing moments, your ears begin heating up and all you want to do is transfigure yourself into the train seat.

"i stand corrected..." you mumble out unwillingly.

"we love you, y/nie. we only want someone to look out for you when we graduate," rose says as lisa nods.

"fine, fine. i get it, moms."

"you love us."

"yea, yea, i love my two moms who come after my clumsiness all the time."

"as you should, now let's get changing. the train is almost at school."

the older hufflepuff was right. you could see the tall towers of the second home you've come to love in the distance as you glance out the window. this year may be bittersweet since the last of your friend group would be leaving you behind, but you were determined to make the most of it with them and perhaps make some new friends this year.

"i'll stay to keep our spot, you two go ahead," lisa tells you and rose.

"going to text your joonie?" rose teases. the gryffindor's ears have a red tinge at the sound of her nickname for her boyfriend.

"just go before the changing rooms fill up," she mumbles. but as you close the door to your shared booth, you can see that she has already pulled out her phone with a cheeky smile as she waves hi on facetime with namjoon who is slightly older than her and currently working as a magizoologist for the ministry.

you smile to yourself, remembering their relationship when you were just a first year. "come on, yn!" rose calls out.

you break out of your daze and see her several feet away from you. "sorry, eonnie!"

you take your hand off the handle, which you didn't register it was still on, and start to move towards her, carrying your blouse, tie and skirt. before you could reach her, you bump into a hard chest.

you hear a deep oof noise from the figure as you rub your forehead.

"i am so sorry!" you hurriedly whisper.

"you're alright, y/n." you recognize the voice and look up to see sim jaeyun from your house and year. "did you hit your head too hard?" he kindly worries.

"i—"

"yn!!" rose shouts.

"sorry, jaeyun," you apologetically smile as you brush past him. "coming, eonnie!!"

you could've sworn he said something like it was nice to see you, but you were far too focused on not letting rose wait any long. she's definitely amicable like most hufflepuffs, but like most hufflepuffs, you probably don't want to see them angry. you should know since lisa says you're already bad hangry.

it's a quick in and out of the changing room and back to your booth where lalisa waits, staring out the window and watching the castle come closer. it's like a wrestler tag team as you and rose high-five her on your way in and her way out. immediately, the two of you settle down and as you get comfortable in your seat, you notice that she's smirking with you, her eyebrow raised.

"why are you looking at me like that, eonnie?" you ask hesitantly. your fingers look more interesting picking fights with each other.

"oh, nothing," she replies, not giving up her smirk. "just wondering when you and jake were close."

"he's literally the same year and house as me. i can't go a year without a class with him."

she hums like she doesn't believe you. "really?"

"really, really."

"really, really, really?" you groan at her response as she starts to giggle.

"do you wanna talk about your crush on jeon jungkook then, eonnie?" she shuts up then and there, and it's your turn to smirk. "thought so."

"that's hogwarts' idol right there, yn. everyone likes him one way or another, so hush!"

"hush about what?" lisa asks as she slides the door open.

"nothi—"

"jeon jungkook." rose glares at you.

"ohh, rosie's crush of 6 years?" your other friend confirms as she closes the door.

"the one and only."

"you know, he and i are co-captains this year for quidditch. you should just come to our practices."

"will he even notice me? i mean..." your focus on their conversation starts to waver as you glance through the door window. outside your door is the familiar trolley witch with all her pastries and drinks, and you can't help but have a craving for your favorite chocolate frogs. you also can't help but notice the other figure with the trolley witch: the very same sim jaeyun you bumped into earlier.

"eonnies, i'm going to buy some chocolate frogs. do you want any?" you ask, keeping an eye on the figures outside your window.

"cauldron cake for me please!"

"let's have every flavor beans for old time's sakes!"

"alright," you say as you slide the door open and close. they go back to their conversation about a plot to get the hogwarts idol that you're sure is bound to go wrong.

"7 blood lollipops please." you hear jake order. you recall him having a large group of friends across different houses and different years, but for all of them to like blood lollipops is quite unheard of.

"you're not going to have all of those, are you?" you ask him, approaching the trolley.

"y/n," he greets with a smile and a shake of his head as he hands his coins to the witch. "no, my friends and i all really like them. i think i would have a headache if i were to eat all 7."

"2 chocolate frogs, bertie's beans, and a cauldron cake please," you order before turning back to him. "does it really taste like blood, or is it just to trick people into thinking you're vampires?"

jake's face pales though it's hard to see because he's already on the pale side and you're counting out your coins to give to the trolley witch. "personally, i think it tastes like cherry."

you hum as you gather your goodies together, and jake is thankful that you're not paying too much attention to how he reacted. "i'll take your word for it."

the trolley witch moves along, doing what she's done for many years and more to come. you're finally focusing on him more now that you have all your snacks and accomplished being a good citizen by paying the fees. your eyes search his face, go past his sharp jawline, and make their way to the shiny prefect badge on his black and gold robes. the prefect engraving is hard to see against the blinding gold of the hufflepuff badge, but it's hard to miss.

"oh, are you a prefect?" you ask curiously.

"yup, so don't stay out too late. i might have to write you up," he teases.

you playfully roll your eyes at him. "please, when am i not a model student?"

"i would say right now because we're about five minutes away from the castle, and you still don't have your robes on, miss l/n," he jokingly tsks at you.

"ahh, but you see, that's not my fault there, mr. prefect," you banter back.

"oh? then maybe i won't have to give you the first detention?"

"well, mr. sim, i was only taking care of my precious eonnies and buying them snacks. i paid my fees and also engaged in conversation with my fellow classmate, so i've been a little preoccupied," you acted out, playing the role of an innocent student.

"hmm.. engaging in conversation with your classmates on the first day does seem to follow the rules," he lightheartedly agrees. jake is about to add more, but his friends call out to him.

"hey, jake, what's taking so long?!"

"you'd better go take care of your friends, mr. sim," you tease. "be a good hyung, won't you?"

his beaming smile causes your heart to skip a few beats. "alright, miss l/n, but make sure not to let me catch you out of uniform." he waves before hurrying to his own booth.

when you open the door to yours, a chorus of oooh's from your eonnies is what you receive. you roll your eyes at them before shutting the door and grabbing your robe. you can see theirs were already on, the equally shining, gold head girl badge pinned on rose's robe.

"i think she'll be just fine on our own when we're gone, rosie," lisa teases as you slip your arms through your sleeves and tuck your wand in your pocket.

"just don't keep one of my prefects distracted, y/nie," rosie adds.

"so long as you aren't distracted by your head boy, rosie," you tease back.

"no way, jeon jungkook is head boy," she gasps at you.

"i don't know, but i just caught you simping in 4k!" you stick your tongue out at her as she whines and lalisa throws her head back in laughter.

"there really is only one choice though, so it probably is him," lisa affirms.

"i swear, if you two are wrong..." rose pouts.

"but if we're not, you'll get to spend more time with him and get to know him instead of just admiring him from afar like everyone else!" you console.

"well, we'll find out soon enough. we're here," lisa announces as she grabs her trunk from the top rack, helping you get yours and rose hers.

"thanks, eonnie! so glad your long legs are so useful!" you thank.

"yah! they'll be useful for kicking you too, ungrateful brat," she jokingly chastises.

"oh no, lisa eonnie is going to kill me!" you shout dramatically. "rose eonnie, save me!"

"it's going to be a long year," she sighs with a smile keeping close behind as you run off the train and lisa chases after you.

jake's expression mirrors rose's as he watches the trio run off to the nearest carriage. a crack forms in his blood lollipop as he sucks on it harder, the sweet taste of blood running across his tongue. "hyung, come on. let's get in the carriage," jungwon calls to him, his own sucker making his words slightly muddled.

"coming," he mumbles, securing his trunk and stepping into the carriage where his 6 friends wait for him.

their fangs are dripping with the blood of the lollipops.

♚──────────────────────────♚

jake: ♥ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ (lvl. 1)

jay: ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ (lvl. 1)

sunghoon: ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ (lvl. 1)

#enhypen #enhyphen #enha #enhypen x reader #enha 02z #hogwarts au #enhypen jay #enhypen jake #vampire au #enhypen fanfiction #blood castle #enha x reader #kpop fanfic #hp au

151 notes · View notes

theartofdreaming1 · 3 years

Photo

Slightly paraphrased, but Peeta talking about that moment he developed his crush on Katniss is just too sweet 😊

As usual, my thoughts regarding this week’s prompts and random thoughts on chapters 22-24 are below the cut (sprinkled in some psychology thoughts again).

heart

Honestly, I think the people in Panem would perceive the whole everlark storyline the same way we perceive and react to our ships on tv (desperately wanting to reach through the screen, shoving the characters forcefully together, screaming “And now, kiss!”); especially the Capitolites who barely recognize the tributes (or people in the districts, in general) as people. The people in the districts would definitely view the whole thing more under a “reality tv” kind of lens, questioning how much of the relationship is real or not (we know that Finnick certainly thought that the entire thing was just a spiel, until Peeta hit that forcefield). The time spent in the cave must have been pretty convincing, though.

mind

I think that Katniss is still torn here - On the one hand, she kind of wants to believe that Peeta is actually into her (remember the happiness she felt when Peeta told her how his crush on her began, and it all added up and seemed so real), but on the other hand she’s terrified of that possibility because A) lingering trauma from her mom’s depression in response the Mr. Everdeen’s death, B) Katniss never even considered falling in love, so that’s a sudden unexpected thing to deal with, and C) maybe it’s just for the sake of the Games; and wouldn’t that hurt, getting your hopes up only to learn it was only for show? (How about we ask Peeta about that?)

soul

Yeah, that quote about Peeta only eating stale bread also struck me as quite sad. It just further adds to his understanding how there should be more to life than just survival, though. (One day, I’ll make that post about Peeta, Katniss, and Maslow’s pyramid of needs, I swear! I’ve already gathered some research material)

Chapter 22

My mother’s hand strokes my cheek and I don’t push it away as I would in wakefulness, never wanting her to know how much I crave that gentle touch. How much I miss her even though I still don’t trust her. - Ugh, I can’t... Katniss misses her mom, misses being cared for😢 I’m so glad we’re going to see her patch up her relationship with her mom in CF... On a different note, Katniss craving that gentle touch just perfectly illustrates why she’s so drawn to Peeta, who is generally such a gentle soul (I mean, he’s literally the person stroking her cheek here 😊)

He [Peeta] doesn’t seem angry about my tricking him, drugging him, and running off to the feast. Maybe I’m just too beat-up and I’ll hear about it later when I’m stronger. But for the moment, he’s all gentleness. - As I was saying... 😉

“I’ll go hunting soon,” I say. “Not too soon, all right?” he says. “You just let me take care of you for a while.” - I love them so much😊🥰 And then Peeta makes sure she’s well-fed and hydrated, he rubs her cold feet and tucks her into the sleeping back... and she let’s him! 💗

“He [Thresh] let you go because he didn’t want to owe you anything?” asks Peeta in disbelief. “Yes. I don’t expect you to understand it. You’ve always had enough. But if you’d lived in the Seam, I wouldn’t have to explain,” I say. “And don’t try. Obviously I’m too dim to get it,” he says. - Oof. This exchange here is interesting in many ways: 1) it highlights their different experiences, tied to their different socioeconomic backgrounds, basically, and 2) that Katniss is very much aware of this difference, but we also see hints of her own ignorance here - because Peeta didn’t have to starve in his childhood, she thinks that he can’t possibly understand this level of hardship; but there are other ways in which one can suffer/lack fundamental needs, which brings us to 3) Peeta’s response about being “obviously too dim to get it”; I think this is a clue to his mom being also verbally abusive towards him: she called him “stupid creature” when he burnt those loaves of bread for Katniss and when he’s losing it in the attic of the Justice Building in D11 in CF he is mad that Katniss and Haymitch keep things from him “like [he’s] too inconsequential or stupid or weak to handle them”, which - to me - sounds like he’s tired of being treated that way (i.e. the way his mother treats him)

“I want to go home, Peeta,” I say plaintively, like a a small child. - God, this is a teenager in a murder-arena who feels like wanting to go home is a childish notion instead of a totally legitimate wish for anyone in that situation, regardless of age 😢

It’s not that Peeta’s soft exactly, and he’s proved he’s not a coward. But there are things you don’t question too much, I guess, when your home always smells like baking bread, whereas Gale questions everything. What would Peeta think of the irreverent banter that passes between us as we break the law each day? Would it shock him? The things we say about Panem? Gale’s tirades against the Capitol? - Geez, Katniss, give Peeta some credit here! A) It’s not like Peeta can walk around District 12 talking publicly about the injustices happening there - she and Peeta hadn’t even talked with each other before the reaping, whereas Gale is her best friend who rants to her while they are outside the confines of D12 and B) Peeta is literally the one who introduced the whole “not a piece in their Games”-idea to her; why would he be clutching his pearls over Katniss and Gale’s irreverent banter?! Just because Peeta didn’t live on the brink of starvation (she again brings up how his house smells like bread and - at this point - still thinks that the family running the bakery actually gets to eat what they produce just like that), doesn’t mean he doesn’t see how shitty life in D12 is - he can still want better conditions for those who are worse off than him!

“I did do the right thing,” I say. “No! Just don’t, Katniss!” His grip tightens, hurting my hand, and there’s real anger in his voice. “Don’t die for me. You won’t be doing me any favors. All right?” - Well, we’ll see this song and dance again in CF...

And while I was talking, the idea of actually losing Peeta hit me again and I realized how much I don’t want him to die. [...] And it’s not about what will happen back home. And it’s not just that I don’t want to be alone. It’s him. I do not want to lose the boy with the bread.” - I wish CF Katniss would remember this moment when she is questioning her motives about saving Peeta’s life in the arena - You. Care. For. This. Boy! You. Value. Him. For. Who. He. Is!!!

This is the first kiss that we’re both fully aware of. [...] This is the first kiss where I actually feel stirring inside my chest. Warm and curious. This is the first kiss that makes me want another. - Whoo! Is it hot in here or is it just me? 😉

I’m struck by his immediacy now. As we settle in, he pulls my head down to use his arm as a pillow; the other rests protectively over me even when he goes to sleep. No one has held me like this in such a long time. Since my father died and I stopped trusting my mother, no one else’s arms have made me feel this safe. - He makes her feel safe in a murder-arena!!! 😭 This is the kind of stuff that makes everlark just a top tier romance, tbh

Peeta telling Katniss about his crush starting on their first day of school 🥰😭 - and her reaction to it... For a moment, I’m almost foolishly happy - yes, because you have a crush on him, too! - and then confusion sweeps over me. Because we’re supposed to be making up this stuff [...] So, if those details are true... could it all be true? - YESSSSSSSS!!!

“You have a... remarkable memory, “ I say haltingly. - as a severely socially awkward person... I felt that lame response in my bones 😅

“You don’t have much competition anywhere.” And this time, it’s me who leans in. - God, this would be such an amazing moment if it didn’t get tainted by that immediate sponsor gift, which just serves to muddle Katniss’s feelings with her sense of survival, further complicating her relationship with Peeta... *sigh*

Chapter 23

“What was that you were saying just before the food arrived? Something about me... no competition... best thing that ever happened to you...” “I don’t remember that last part,” I say, hoping it’s too dim in here for the cameras to pick up my blush. “Oh, that’s right. That’s what I was thinking,” he says. - Peeta is the master of being a cheeky little shit and adorable flirt at the same time

“So, since we were five, you never even noticed any other girls?” I ask him. “No, I noticed just about every girl, but none of them made a lasting impression but you,” he says. - I appreciate that while Peeta has had a crush on Katniss forever, he clearly didn’t spend the entire time pining after her, oblivious to the rest of the world - he has a life outside of Katniss Everdeen, but ultimately, it all lead back to her

A disturbing thought hits me. “But then, our only neighbor will be Haymitch!” “Ah, that’ll be nice,” says Peeta, tightening his arms around me. “You and me and Haymitch. Very cozy. Picnics, birthdays, long winter nights around the fire retelling old Hunger Games tales.” “I told you, he hates me!” I say, but I can’t help laughing at the image of Haymitch becoming my new pal. - Laugh all you want, this is going to end up being your future anyway 😄

He [Haymitch]’s at something of a disadvantage because most mentors have a partner, another victor to help them whereas Haymitch has to bready to go into action at any moment. Kind of like me when I was alone in the arena. I wonder how he’s holding up, with the drinking, the attention, and the stress of tring to keep us alive. - Katniss is already worrying about her “new pal”, I see ;)

Maybe he [Haymitch] wasn’t always a drunk. Maybe, in the beginning, he tried to help the tributes. But then it got unbearable. It must be hell to mentor two kids and then watch them die. - Honestly, that sounds absolutely awful...

Poor, Katniss, when she learns of Thresh’s death :( - But no one will understand my sorrow at Thresh’s murder. - It’s horrible how compassion and basic human decency gets construed as ‘weakness’ in the world of Hunger Games (esp. the Capitol)

Then I escape into sleep, comforted by a full belly and the steady warmth of Peeta beside me. - Honestly, I think a word analysis of THG-series could be interesting; how often does Katniss mention “warmth”, “steady/steadiness” “safe/safety/security” in connection with “Peeta”?

“We make a goat cheese and apple tart at the bakery,” he says. “Bet that’s expensive,” I say. “Too expensive for my family to eat. Unless it’s gone very stale. Of course, practically everything we eat is stale,” says Peeta [...] Huh. I always assumed the shopkeepers live a soft life. And it’s true, Peeta has always had enough to eat. But there’s something kind of depressing about living your life on stale bread - Katniss is starting to realize that the lives of the merchants isn’t a cushy as she thought; also, in a way, we see a “prettier” version of how Panem treats the districts overall -> feeding the districts just enough that they can do their work (plus/minus a couple of people who’ll die of starvation, but at a small, for Capitolites insignificant margin), but not so much that they are in good shape to rebel; here, the merchants of D12 have just enough that they can live a “decent” life (they know it could be worse -> the Seam), but they don’t have enough to live a free, comfortable, self-determined life either. This also just further drives a wedge between the inhabitants of D12 (the merchants won’t want to rebel because they don’t want to get ‘demoted’ in their lifestyle, starving like the people from the Seam, and the Seam folk feel resentful towards the merchant people, while also not having the resources to rebel, due to their awful socioeconomic conditions)

What would be my life like on a daily basis? Most of it has been consumed with the acquisition of food. Take that away and I’m not really sure who I am, what my identity is. - It’s so sad who Katniss has been so consumed with ensuring that her most base needs are fulfilled that she barely has had the time to really figure out who she is and what she wants from life (If we’re talking Maslow’s pyramid of needs, Katniss would primarily be stuck on the lowest tier 😢)

At least, we’ll be friends, I think. Nothing will change the fact that we’ve saved each other’s lives in here. And beyond that, he will always be the boy with the bread. Good friends. - Honestly, Katniss counting on being good friends with Peeta after the Games is the highest honor she can bestow on him at that moment (she’s so into him, lol); of course, knowing that their relationship is going to be a bit rocky once they’ve come back makes this thought a little sad... but we also know they’ll make up (and out ;) in the future

Peeta licking his plate and blowing a kiss out to Effie is such an adorable goofball-moment 😊

I cover his mouth with my hand, but I’m laughing. “Stop! Cato could be right outside our cave.” He grabs my hand away. “What do I care? I’ve got you to protect me now,” says Peeta, pulling me to him. - This moment would be so cute (also, Peeta’s so confident in Katniss’s skills to protect him, which is adorable - toxic masculinity who?) but... Ugh, he’s just so giddy here, it kind of breaks my heart for when he learns later that (at least some) of Katniss’s reactions were just for show

“If we want food, we better head back up to my old hunting grounds,” I say. “Your call, Just tell me what you need me to do,” Peeta says. - Love how Peeta’s always ready to follow Katniss’s lead :)

Ideally, I’d dump Peeta now with some simple root-gathering chore and go hunt [...] “Katniss,” he says. “We need to split up. I know I’m chasing away the game.” [...] “Show me some plants to gather and that way we’ll both be useful.” - Teamwork! If it weren’t for Katniss worrying for Peeta’s safety, they’d be on the same page here

“What if you climbed up in a tree and acted as a lookout while I haunted?” I say, trying to make it sound like very important work. “What if you show me what’s edible around here and go get us some meat?” he says, mimicking my tone. - I really like how Peeta’s challenges Katniss here; he doesn’t just go along with everything she says, while still being quite reasonable

I feel like I’m eleven, again, tethered not to the safety of the fence but to Peeta, allowing myself twenty, maybe thirty yards of hunting space. [...] I allow myself to drift farther away, and soon have two rabbits and a fat squirrel to show for it. - I don’t know, but Katniss feeling tethered to Peeta makes me think of Mary Ainsworth’s attachment theory, according to which children with a secure attachment to their primary caregiver use their “attachment figure as a safe base to explore the environment”... Of course, Ainsworth’s Strange Situation was conducted with young children, but attachment styles are supposed to influence the relationships we form with people in our later lives as well (including romantic relationships)... I dunno, just a random association that popped into my brain 😅

Chapter 24

Peeta’s a whiz with fires, coaxing a blaze out of the damp wood. - Heh, Peeta sure knows how to handle fire, huh, Katniss (or should I say: Girl on Fire?) 😏

I order him into the sleeping bag and set aside the rest of his food for him when he wakes. He drops off immediately. I pull the sleeping bag up to his chin and kiss his forehead, not for the audience, but for me. Because I’m so greateful that he’s still here, not dead by the stream as I’d thought. - Aww, this is so sweet (and domestic)!

It’s funny. I feel almost as if it’s the first day of the Games again. That I’m in the same position. [...] But no, there’s the boy waiting beside me. I feel his arms wrap around me. - They are a team! Katniss doesn’t have to face the horrors of the Games alone anymore! It keeps boiling down to this.

#thgagain #thg #hunger games #katniss everdeen #peeta mellark #thg meta #my sketches and drawings #everlark

89 notes · View notes

luniellar · 3 years

Text

The Union: Chapter Two - Sebastian Stan X Chris Evans X Reader

Summary: This fictional story takes place between the three kingdoms that hold great power in the untouchable lands located in Europe. Despite the modern developments in the other countries, these three kingdoms, Callisto, Europa and Io, exist hidden from the rest of the world and embrace the cultural customs shared for centuries from the early human civilizations.

You are the daughter of the Europa Kingdom led by your father, King Jovian. This year you reached the fruitful age of 21, meaning that it’s finally time to fulfill your duty as the princess of Kingdom Europa. The arranged marriage between Kingdom Europa and Kingdom Callisto has been something that your father planned for a long time to finally bring peace between the three kingdoms. Whether you like it or not, you are the key piece to it all. King Stan of Callisto is who you will be sharing the honor of the arranged marriage. He is known by all as a man of savage fighting nature and very few words. You know there is no hope wishing for the passionate love your father and mother shared, but will you be able to bring peace to this land to fulfill your father’s last wishes?

Link: Prologue | 1 | 2

Warnings: SMUT (18+ WARNING) & Language

Word Count: 1.8K

“Damn it,” he muttered. “You have no idea how long I waited for you.”

You pulled apart from his forehead in confusion. He continued to hold your hands against his lips. But as you looked up, he looked down at you meeting in the middle.

“You waited for me?” You confronted him and he made a shy smile back.

“I did.”

You waited for more.

“I waited three years for this moment. We were supposed to get married when you turned 18, but your father begged me to have you stay with him longer,” he admitted. “I don’t blame him, you are a beautiful sight to treasure.”

Butterflies fluttered in your stomach as you felt the heat from your cheeks radiate around your body from the unexpected compliment. The sight of his body didn’t help with any of the feelings you were feeling right now. You wanted to kiss him again.

“I didn’t know…” You trailed off and he gently let your hand go.

“You really don’t leave that Castle of yours. I couldn’t even catch glimpses of my bride before the wedding.”

“I heard you were busy… I had no reason to be out if it wasn’t Europa business.”

“Is it bad if I admitted that I’m strangely turned on by that comment?”

You chuckled and he genuinely smiled at you. It was strange to see a hard exterior like his smile with so much heart. If they didn’t meet under these circumstances, what would it have been like? Would a guy like him even given you a chance?

“Yes, my king. That is quite strange,” you replied and he nodded.

“You can call me Sebastian,” he replied. “In return, I will also call you by your first name.”

“I don’t think I can do that.”

“I think you forgot that I was the King here.”

As you exchanged banter with him the space between you and him became non-existent. He looked down and moved the loose curls from your face. He gently kissed your forehead, cheeks, lips, chin, jaw and made his way to your neck. His stubble grazed on your exposed skin as he sucked in your skin with his teeth. A soft moan escaped your lips. He pulled away to admire the tender marking he left on your skin.

“Are you ready to do this?” He asked cautiously.

You came into this thinking that it was duty, but now your heart was desiring more. You wanted this more than you thought you did.

You nodded in response.

“You have to tell me,” he hesitated. “Once we start, I won’t be able to stop myself.”

“Yes. I want this.” You replied back, slightly scared of the words that left your mouth.

His bluish-green eyes got dark with lust as he started to tear the reception gown with his bare hands. The dress fell into pieces without any resistance against his strength. You watched as his biceps flexed effortlessly as the diamonds from your dress scattered across the carpet.

The cold air felt nice against your hot skin as you stood in front of him in a lacey white bra and matching panties. You watched him as he placed his against your skin for the first time. His warm, calloused hands grazed against your arms and traced the sides of your body with fire in his eyes. You were starting to realize what he meant by how he couldn’t stop himself.

In one motion, he picked you up and moved you to the bed. He pushed against you with his body until you were completely laying down on the satin sheets. His body was stretched over yours with one knee on the bed. He skillfully unclipped your bra and bowed his head and started to kiss your breasts. Another surprise moan escaped your lips as he moved on your nipple. You didn’t realize how sensitive your nipple was until he started to nibble on them with his teeth. Your reflexes went wild underneath his body and he quickly held your body in place with a firm grip.

“Relax,” he said in between the kisses on your nipples. “You need to relax.”

“Ah-” One moan after another escaped your lips as you gripped onto the sheets. Then, you felt a strange sensation between your thighs. His finger traced the wet outline of your panties before pushing a finger inside. Unfamiliar wet sounds came as he slowly moved his finger in and out.

“Mm, you are so wet.”

You couldn’t describe this feeling. There was a strange sensation of pain and bliss mixed together as he used his finger to explore your insides. Several times, you tried to push his hand away when it hurt more than it felt good, but he continued on until you felt all your muscles tense up and with a loud scream everything released.

“Your first orgasm officially belongs to me.”

He got up and quickly lowered his pants and briefs revealing a body part you never saw in person. Today was a day of many first. He was large and hard. You could see the thick veins bulging and eager. He made his way back over you and looked into your eyes. You felt the heat of his part radiating on your lower body.

“This is going to hurt, Y/N. Try to breathe.”

You closed your eyes and you heard him chuckle. His lips and tongue landed on yours as he slowly entered you. You screamed into this mouth and his mouth muffled the sound. Nothing but pain was on your mind as he invaded you with his part. You felt your insides crush as it didn’t know what to do with the foreign invader. You fiercely gripped his wrists as he settled in.

He pulled from the kiss and let out a string of profanities. “Fuck, you are so tight.”

You screamed at him like a deer that’s been shot through the throat. He looked down at you like a hunter admiring his dinner.

“My king,” you begged through the tears forming around your eyes. You felt warm liquid leak from your body. He quickly pulled out to check the crimson liquid that stained the white covers.

“I can’t wait any more…”

He drove his part back inside you as your body reacted like a fish out of water. You were both covered in sweat as he pushed deeper inside you with each thrust. You cried out with each thrust and started to feel lightheaded and exhausted. Tears and sweat dripped down your face. His body was too much to handle. You noticed as his breathing got heavier and harder. Sweat dripped from his body onto yours and his hot breath hit your skin.

“Fuck...”

He grunted as you felt a warm liquid enter your body. You blinked in and out of consciousness as you felt him move out of you and the warm liquid gushed out with him. Your eyelids became heavier and you barely caught his velvet voice somewhere between the real and the dream world.

“Sweet dreams, my queen.”

✧✧✧

Water.

You needed water. Blinking your eyes open, you dragged your body to the edge of the bed and reached your hands out towards the end table. Your hands felt a thin glass cup and you gulped the clear liquid down. Your dry throat rejoiced as the liquid traveled through your body. You felt like you were hit by a truck overnight as your body started to wake up.

Your eyes widened as the memories of last night replayed in your head like a broken film. You quickly searched across the white bed covers to look for the blood stains. You let out a sigh as you didn’t see anything out of the ordinary. The crisp white sheets looked as if it was new, it even smelled like a field of jasmine flowers.

There was no sight of the King around the suite. You were also wearing a white silk sleep gown that barely covered your body. It was very short and showed off your cleavage. You had no memories of putting this on. Did he put this on you last night?

There was a loud knock on the door and you hastily covered your body with the bed sheets.

“Queen Callisto, are you awake?”

The voice was not familiar to you, but you felt like you had to answer back. The sun was already coming into the room and you could only guess that you overslept.

“Yes! I’m awake!” You blurted back.

“Great, I’m coming in-”

“Wait- What- Hold on!”

The doors swung open before he could hear you finish protesting back otherwise. Duke Evans walked into the room and the moment your eyes met you saw his eyes shift towards the rest of your body. His face turned beet red and immediately turned his back.

“Oh gosh! Um- I’m so sorry!” He said as he stared at the doors with his back faced towards you. “I thought you were awake.”

Could this day start off any more embarrassing? You got up from the bed with the sheets draped over your body.

“No, no. It’s fine! I mean not fine, but I’m so sorry you had to see that.”

“The king is requesting your presence for an early dinner in an hour. He wanted me to drop and see if you were awake so he could send your servants in to get you ready.”

“Yes! I didn’t realize how late it was. Please send them in.”

“Right, I’ll send them in right away.” The Duke fidgeted with the door handles before eventually getting them open. He looked adorable from the back as he grunted like a little kid with his large muscular arms. Was it a requirement that all men of Callisto had to be so muscular and well built? With a loud thud the door busted open and he quickly darted outside.

- - - Evans POV

He stood outside the door of the king’s suite. His mind tortured him as it replayed the image of her innocent, flushed face staring back at him like a deer in headlights. He even remembered her milky skin and dainty fingers as she hugged the bed sheet close.

“Fuck,” he breathed softly.

He didn’t know how he got here. All he knew for certain was that he remembered her, but she didn’t remember him. Pushing his hand through his hair in frustration, he took a deep breath.

His watch vibrated on his wrist with a notification. He tapped on the ear piece in his ear to play the message.

“Was she awake?” Seb asked.

Tapping on his ear comms again, he replied. “Reply to Seb. She’s awake, I’m calling her servants now.” A flat note played confirming the message has been delivered.

He waited for another second at the door before walking off to the servant’s quarters.

87 notes · View notes

cpd5021 · 3 years

Text

Love Drunk

Happy almost Valentine’s Day! Here’s a long, annoyingly fluffy Upstead one-shot inspired by the song Afterglow by Ed Sheeran. Written for the “Upstead Valentine's Love Songs Challenge” on @upsteadofficial. Enjoy!

Hailey slumped back in her chair, rubbing at her face and never feeling so thankful that it was a Friday. The past week had been long to say the least and Intelligence had been hammered with case after case. But finally their work week was over and she was about to go home. She glanced over to Jay’s desk, only to find him already looking her way with a soft smile spread across his mouth.

“What?”

She mouthed quietly, squinting her eyes at him when his smile increased. He shrugged and shook his head before shutting down his computer and standing to stretch. They made their way into the locker room and found Kim and Adam exchanging a playful banter over the fact it was Valentine’s Day this weekend. Hailey rolled her eyes, laughing when Adam made a comment about the discount candy he’d be buying on Monday. Every time she looked Jay’s way she caught him looking at her, an almost mischievous look behind his eyes.

Finally they made it out to his truck, Hailey jogging to get out of the freezing wind and letting out a sigh of relief when she was tucked into the warmth of his cab. Jay climbed into the drivers side, sending her another grin as he pulled them out of the lot.

“You’re up to something.”

She stated, eyes boring into him. He shrugged again, reaching to adjust the heat and giving her a wink.

“Can you make sure my bag is back there?”

Jay asked, motioning towards the back seat. It wasn’t an odd request, seeing as they usually packed a bag to stay at the others house on the weekends. But when Hailey turned to look into the back seat she spotted not only Jay’s but hers as well. She shifted back around and stared at the side of his face.

“It is. And it would appear mine is as well.”

She watched his mouth creep up into a grin again and he sent her another wink.

“Huh...weird.”

He shrugged again and she playfully smacked his shoulder.

“Why is my bag in the back Jay?”

She pushed when he wasn’t going to answer.

“Well, it’s your overnight bag.”

He stated simply, turning them into the parking lot of Portillo’s to grab them some dinner.

“Yes, thank you. But why do I need it?”

She tried to sound annoyed but really her tone was light and held a hint of excitement.

“Because you’re staying somewhere overnight.”

He grinned her way once more before pulling up and ordering their usual.

“Somewhere? So not your place?”

Hailey angled in her seat to fully face him now, becoming more curious by the second as to what he might have planned.

“Not my apartment…”

Jay paid and passed the bag of food her way, then pulled into a spot for them to eat.

“So where?”

Hailey asked, handing out the meals. Jay chuckled her way and she rolled her eyes in response.

“You ask a lot of questions, you know that?”

It was Hailey’s turn to chuckle as she shook her head at him.

“Just trying to catch up.”

She shrugged, opening her sandwich wrapper.

“How about… you just enjoy the surprise.”

He kissed her mid sentence and she smiled into him before he pulled away. Hailey gave him a hesitant nod and they settled into eating. Once Jay was done he pulled them back out of the lot and pointed them in the direction of the expressway, only peaking Hailey’s curiosity more but she did her best to keep quiet. Jay turned on the radio after a while and Hailey settled back into her seat, letting the soft lyrics of Ed Sheeran fill her ears as the lights of the city began to fade from view. After a while she felt her eyes getting heavy and rested her head on her hand, propping it up against the window. Jay’s hand reached over and took her free one, tracing lazy circles over the back of her hand and the gentle touch lulled her to sleep.

Hailey woke when the truck came to a halt. Rubbing her eyes she glanced at the clock on the dash and felt disoriented when it read just after 10pm. Jay’s hand squeezed hers and she looked his way before letting her eyes finally take in the sight before them. They were parked in front of a cabin, seemingly in the middle of the woods, with a string of white Christmas lights illuminating a covered porch. Her gaze drifted back to Jays and she smiled back at him when she saw him grinning her way.

“Come on…”

He nodded and jumped out of the truck. Hailey climbed out of her side and met him at the front of the truck. Jay came to stand behind her as she took in the small house, unable to contain her smile at the almost magical sight before her. His hands rested on her hips and he placed a kiss on top of her head. Hailey leaned back into his touch, placing her hands over his as they wrapped around to her abdomen.

“Jay…”

She couldn’t finish, still in awe over his surprise. She assumed this was his family's cabin, something she had heard about once but never seen.

“I know it’s kinda cheesy, but I wanted to do something nice for you for Valentine’s Day and you don’t seem like the candy and teddy bear type.”

She laughed against him, squeezing his hands in hers. She definitely wasn’t that type. But this? This was perfect.

“Are we here all weekend?”

Hailey turned in his arms to face him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders as she spoke.

“If that’s okay with you.”

He smiled, looking relieved that she was appearing to like his surprise.

“The whole weekend, just us...no interruptions?”

Her voice dipped lower as she spoke and his eyes darkened in response. Hailey stretched up onto her tiptoes to give him a kiss and his arms pulled her in tighter to deepen it. They stayed locked together for a moment, letting their lips dance together in a slow pace, before Hailey pulled back to look up at him.

“Can I see the inside?”

She bit her lower lip, grinning when he moaned a little at the sight. He took her hand in his and led her up to the steps of the cabin. Snow was starting to fall around them and the sight of it under the glow of the string lights was beautiful.

Inside the cabin, Hailey found herself awestruck once again at the beautiful simplicity laid out before her. Worn down furniture, an old handmade quilt draped over the back of the couch and a brick fireplace that was screaming to hold a crackling fire. She turned to face Jay and pulled him into another slow kiss. When they separated, he pressed his forehead against hers, his eyes beaming with happiness.

“Thank you.”

She whispered against his lips before placing a quick kiss against them and then pulling away.

“For what?”

He asked, following after her as she trailed around the small room.

“For this surprise. It’s perfect.”

She grinned his way as she went on to explore the tiny kitchen, just enough room to cook a meal and perfect for her and Jay.

“You’re perfect.”

He sent her a cheesy grin when she rolled her eyes at him. Jay stepped back out to grab their bags from the truck and tossed them onto the dining table when he returned.

“How about you take these to the bedroom and then take a hot shower and I’ll start a fire.”

Hailey quirked an eyebrow at him, trying to picture Jay bent over the fireplace. It was almost something she wanted to stay and witness but instead she gave him a nod and took the bags down the hall. For such a small, simple cabin Hailey was surprised when she stepped into the bathroom to find it completely remodeled, huge walk in shower and a soaker tub big enough for two included. She located some towels stacked in a closet and then turned the water of the shower on, quickly undressing and then stepping into the hot stream. Her body began to melt instantly and she was pretty sure she could happily stay in here for the rest of the weekend.

She half expected Jay to join her but when he hadn’t appeared by the time she was done, she shut the water off and wrapped a towel around herself. Padding into the bedroom, Hailey smiled when she noticed what appeared to be another handmade quilt laid over the bed. She rummaged through her bag in search of pajamas but came up empty handed.

“Hey Jay, did you pack me some of my sleep clothes?”

She called, jumping slightly when his response came from the doorway of the room.

“No.”

He smiled, making his way across the room and digging into his own bag.

“I packed you mine.”

Hailey couldn’t help but grin up at him because it was usually his shirts she was sleeping in anyway. Once dressed, she followed him back out into the living room and they settled onto the couch together. Jay leaned back into one corner and Hailey tucked herself into the side of his body, letting his arm pull her in closer. They stayed silent for a while, just enjoying the crackle of the fire.

“I gotta be honest, fire starting isn’t a skill I pictured you having.”

Hailey teased, dancing her fingers up and down his chest. He scoffed underneath her, causing her to chuckle.

“I’ll have you know, starting fires is something I’m very good at. It being in the fireplace is just an added bonus.”

Hailey laughed against him, resting her head against his chest and letting her eyes flutter close when he kissed the top of her head.

“This really is perfect.”

She said after a while, feeling herself completely relaxed now.

“We’ll have to run into town in the morning for some groceries. I didn’t want to wake you up until we got here. But the town is kinda cool so we can walk around a bit if you want.”

Hailey tilted her head up to look at him, smirking when he met her eyes.

“Building fires and grocery shopping. I’m learning all sorts of things about you now.”

He scoffed again and rolled his eyes down at her.

“Come on, you gotta give me some credit…”

He tried to give her an annoyed look but it fell flat when she smiled up at him.

“I’m just saying, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you go shopping. Any other hidden talents you want to share with me?”

Hailey’s voice lowered as she finished speaking and she watched as Jay’s eyes darkened, immediately picking up on her train of thought. Without saying another word he shifted them on the couch and then scooped her up, carrying her down the hall and into the bedroom as she squealed with the sudden movement.

****

When Hailey rolled over she noticed she was alone in the bed. After a quick stretch she climbed out of bed and pulled her discarded shirt on from the night before. She found Jay in the kitchen, standing over the small stove and cooking what smelled like bacon and eggs. She walked up behind him, wrapping her arms around his bare torso and pressing a kiss into his shoulder blade.

“Morning.”

She whispered sleepily against him before going to perch herself on the counter by the kitchen window. Jay turned around, handing her a cup of coffee that she happily accepted. He stepped back towards the stove but his eyes were locked on her, watching as she sipped from the mug. Hailey felt her cheeks blush under his intense stare. He walked back over towards her, reaching up and tucking a loss strand of hair behind her ear, his eyes tracing all over her face.

“What?”

She questioned, darting her eyes down towards her mug, suddenly feeling self conscious. Jay placed his fingers under her chin, tilting her head back up to look at him.

“You’re beautiful.”

He gave her a quick kiss and then went back to finishing their breakfast. Once they ate, Hailey found herself staring out the window above the sink as she cleaned up the dishes. The sight of freshly fallen snow against the forest backdrop was truly breathtaking. Jay came up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist and resting his head against her shoulder. She grabbed the towel and dried her hands before turning in his embrace and sliding her arms up around his shoulders. They kissed slowly, both content with a lazy pace as they had no fear of being interrupted. Eventually though, Hailey trailed her hands down his bare chest and into the waistband of his grey sweatpants, escalating the moment into something more.

Sometime later, Hailey was once again laying in bed but this time Jay was with her. His fingers trailed patterns over her bare back and her eyes were closed, just enjoying the touch. Her stomach let out a tiny growl and she felt Jay laugh beside her.

“Hungry?”

Hailey grumbled into the crook of her arm before replying.

“A little. But we just ate…”

Jay laughed again and she picked her head up to shoot him a look.

“Well...in one context, yeah. But breakfast was a while ago.”

Hailey smacked his chest, shaking her head at him as she hauled herself out of the bed. She made her way over to where their bags were and pulled out some clothes.

“As fun as it would be to lay here all day and listen to your amazing jokes...I really am hungry. For food. And I believe I was promised a Jay Halstead shopping trip last night.”

She pulled on some jeans and a blue flannel button up as she watched him get out of bed and dig his own clothes out. Once they were both dressed and her hair was pulled into a ponytail, they made their way outside and scrambled into his truck.

The drive into town was surprisingly short. Hailey felt like they were in their own little world so to realize that they weren’t actually that far from civilization made her chuckle. The town itself was quaint to say the least, with a few stores littered here and there and only one stoplight hanging in the middle of it all. Jay pulled them into the parking lot and Hailey jumped out, eager to see what shopping with Jay was actually like. He picked up on her excitement, playfully rolling his eyes as they made their way into the building. She decided to let Jay push the cart and he followed along after her as she trailed up and down the isles. Hailey had made a loose mental shopping list on the way and plucked the things they needed off the shelves, tossing them into the cart as Jay pushed along behind her. She turned to add a few things to the cart and caught him picking up a box of fruit snacks, giving her a sheepish look before letting them fall in with the rest. They wandered up and down the rest of the isles before Hailey decided they had everything they needed. Jay took a quick detour down one of the isles and returned with a box of hot chocolate. She raised an eyebrow at him but he simply winked in return before they headed to checkout.

“So, was shopping with me everything you had hoped for and more?”

Jay teased once they were back in the truck. Hailey shook her head at him, letting out a chuckle and refusing to answer. The whole shopping trip had felt oddly domestic, something she wasn’t quite used to with him yet but something she had enjoyed every minute of. Jay drove them down the main street, pointing out the little shops here and there. He nodded towards a tiny diner, the only restaurant in town and his eyes shined with fondness.

“We’ll come get lunch here tomorrow before we leave. My mom used to take Will and I there every time we came up. They have the best pancakes.”

Hailey glanced at the diner before looking back at him, smiling at him inadvertently sharing something about his childhood. Fond memories weren’t something either of them seemed to have many of but she was happy he held onto some good things from his past.

“Pancakes for lunch?”

She teased, breaking the silence they had fallen into and pulling Jay back into the moment.

“Well, I have zero intentions of getting out of bed early tomorrow and they serve breakfast all day.”

He sent her a wink and then pointed them back towards the cabin.

As Jay hauled their few bags of groceries in, Hailey found herself wandering around the back of the cabin looking around in awe at the scene laid out before her. It truly was a little piece of paradise, their own little corner of the world. She pictured a younger Jay and Will running around the yard playing and felt a smile tug at the corner of her mouth. Lost in thought, Hailey jumped when Jay came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her.

“It’s pretty great, isn’t it..”

Jay stated, placing a gentle kiss on top of her head. She leaned back into his embrace, nodding against his chest.

“Did you come here a lot growing up?”

She felt Jay let out a slow breath behind her before he answered.

“Yeah, we’d come up a few times a year. I’ll bring you back in the summertime. There’s a little pond over there that’s perfect for fishing.”

Hailey smiled and turned in his arms to look up at him, her arms finding their place around his shoulders.

“You fish?”

Jay’s head fell back slightly as he chuckled and when he looked back down there was a playful glint in his eyes.

“I’m just full of surprises. It’s almost like you haven’t known me for all these years.”

His tone was teasing and Hailey smirked up at him before darting her eyes back down.

“Yeah well...this is kinda different.”

Jay tilted her head back up so she met his eyes, a quizzical look on his face.

“How so?”

Hailey played with the buttons of his shirt, feeling suddenly embarrassed by the conversation. Not that she really had reason too, but the last two days with Jay had her mind wandering to the future and it was something new for her and it left her a little uncomfortable.

“Just...us. I don’t know. We don’t get time alone like this, it’s nice.”

Jay dipped his head down to look at her, giving her a small smile.

“She says with uncertainty.”

He spoke in a light tone but she could tell there was some unvoiced worry under his words.

“I love you Jay.”

She wasn’t sure what made her say it so suddenly. It wasn’t the first time they had said it, but as the words left her mouth she felt something inside of her shift and she knew then that he was the one. The one she wanted to spend the rest of her life with, to wake up every morning with and go to sleep next to every night. She glanced back out into the yard and suddenly it wasn’t a childhood version of Will and Jay running around but her own children, their children. The thought overwhelmed her and she felt tears gather in her eyes. Jay cupped her face between his hands, kissing her forehead and lingering there before pulling back to meet her eyes, letting her know he understood exactly what she was thinking and feeling without her needing to say another word.

“I love you too Hailey.”

Hailey pulled him down into a kiss, smiling against his mouth as his strong arms wrapped around her. They stood like that, frozen in time and completely lost in each other, until Hailey felt huge clumps of snow hitting her head. She pulled back, smiling up at him again as more snowflakes danced around them. Jay took her hand, leading her back towards the cabin. They made it about halfway before Hailey had an idea, dropping Jay’s hand and quickly bending to scoop up some snow. Jay sent her a warning look but was unable to control the smile from reaching his eyes when she chucked the ball of snow in his direction, hitting him squarely in the chest.

The only sound was their crunching boots in the snow, mixed with squeals and laughter as they battled it out, tossing snow back and forth until they were both soaked and freezing. Eventually Jay conceded, holding his hands up in surrender and making her send him a smug look. They hurried into the cabin, pulling their soaked clothes off and draping them by the fireplace. Hailey headed down the hall, intending to take a hot shower to warm up but Jay scooped her up from behind and raced her down the rest of the hall, tossing her onto the bed and immediately hovering over her as their lips melded together once again.

When Hailey and Jay re-emerged from the bedroom darkness was falling outside. Hailey glanced out the window and was surprised to see how much snow had accumulated over the last few hours. Jay was in the kitchen, turning the radio on and letting it play softly as he pulled out the stuff for dinner. Hailey joined him, working beside him to chop up the produce and then making her way to the stove. They worked around the kitchen like it was the most natural thing and Hailey found a smile on her face that seemed to be a permanent feature now. They leaned against the counter, waiting for dinner to finish cooking and Hailey heard a song playing on the radio she recognized as something by Iron & Wine. Jay came to stand before her, taking her hands and surprising her when he pulled her away from the counter and started moving them together in a slow rhythm.

“And now we’re dancing?”

Hailey grinned up at him, shaking her head playfully.

“And now we’re dancing.”

Jay replied, tucking her head under his chin. Hailey let her head rest against his chest and her eyes wandered to the kitchen window. She could see the snow coming down hard as they swayed back and forth. She listened to the soft music and the steady beating of his chest, feeling that no matter what was going on in the world around them that she would be okay as long as he was here with her. Whether they were tucked into this little nook of the world or back in Chicago, it didn’t matter as long as Jay was by her side. Jay was the reward for everything she had gone through in the past, the breath of fresh air when she felt like she was suffocating, the light at the end of the tunnel, and the safe place to come home to when nothing else was right. Jay was home.

#Upstead #jay and hailey #upton #halstead #upstead fic #upsteadofficial #upsteadlovesongs2021

114 notes · View notes

peaches-writes · 4 years

Text

meeting points

description: because overcoming heavy traffic is the new crossing oceans for people member: jisung / han genre: fluff, college au, not-so-long distance au, city life au, best friends to lovers au word count: 9.4k warning: explicit language, drinking, suggestive, food, traffic, heights, a clown note: i want to throw fists at han jisung but like with affection y’know

one - a new cafe

For almost 2 years now, you and Jisung have what Seungmin has once referred to as a semi-long distance friendship—only semi since you attend universities literally 20 minutes away from each other when there’s no traffic and friendship because, well, you’ve been best friends since high school. It’s not that you don’t have other friends who attend SNU like him or vice versa (but Yonsei University); rather, it’s that Jisung is the slowest replier in the world and you’re the second clingiest person in the world (just behind Hyunjin). Seeing each other in person as much as you can is an absolute must in order to keep Jisung from fully becoming one with his dorm, you sane from the academic pressure of tertiary education, and your overall friendship afloat. College students need to stick together somehow.

Unless it’s a bigger hangout with your mutual friends, you alternate locations depending on who has a heavier deadline to attend to afterward. When Jisung finds himself struggling to finish a song or needs to be at the campus radio station with the rest of 3racha later on, it’s you taking the bus to his university dorm; when it’s you slumped on term papers for your core subjects or on visual props your club needs, Jisung convinces Minho to let him carpool (since his night part-time job is on the way to your university).

But even then, it’s more often that you make the tedious travel. Like today.

On this particular day, it’s you seated on a bus and looking outside the window to pass the agonizingly slow time, sighing for the nth time at the evening rush hour. It’s only 6:20 PM on your phone and your bus is already on the connecting bridge but the endless sight of cars behind and ahead of you, against the darkness of the Han river and the bright city lights, doesn’t make you feel like you’ve crossed any distance. Jisung’s last text was a simple “stay safe” almost an hour ago when you got on the bus from the nearest stop outside your university.

The two of you are you supposed to try the new cafe inside his campus for dinner since your recent hangouts have only been inside his dorm (with Hyunjin too since they’re roommates), watching old movies and eating take-out until Jisung accidentally falls asleep from power working beforehand. It’s nearing the semester break and everyone’s been sort of busy at SNU, but lately, Jisung’s been actually making an effort to make time for you and insisting that you hang out at the expense of his sleep.

Backwards thinking but okay, you shrug one shoulder at the thought. You’ve talked about it once on call when his sudden initiative to meet started since you’re concerned about his well-being and that you have all the time in the world once break starts but Jisung unexpectedly fell asleep halfway and Hyunjin had to end the call. Two days later, Jisung texted you that he rented the movie you wanted to watch at the cinema for the weekend with an apology for falling asleep and assurance that he’s almost finished with his deadlines and that he’s asking you to hang out responsibly.

It’s not like you don’t like it, you are already on the way to SNU, after all. Besides, you’re still very much free from heavy academic and club activities since your professors scheduled their deadlines after the break and your club is not as active lately. Have fun now, suffer later as Seungmin and Changbin have told you when you told them your worries about Jisung’s sleep schedule.

After a while of trying to count the cars on the bridge as your lane moves a little faster now, you open your phone and message Jisung to pass the time. You don’t always expect that he replies but it’s always the most reassuring when it’s him you’re contacting, even when it’s just casual.

y/n: don’t u have radio tonight? [sent 6:32 PM]

You’ve heard 3racha’s campus radio show on the several times you hung out at SNU during the day. They air live on Friday nights, Saturday if most of the all-student crew are busy, but the meetings are rather frequent when nearing holidays so you’re careful of leaving on time even on a non-Friday weekday like this.

y/n: just crossed ynghwa

y/n: bus is driving steady now!!! aaaaak

jisung: almost typed ‘arent u supposed to be looking at d road’ then i rmmbr that u don’t have a car LOL [sent 6:56 PM]

y/n: so do u have a meeting later?

jisung: no

At their dorms, Hyunjin is out for the night to god knows where but Jisung is quite certain it’s not for studying since he was dressed to the nines. When he got a text from you, he slowly but surely forced himself to stand up from his work area to get dressed. Though he’s the one who insisted on hanging out, it doesn’t change the fact that leaving his work is hard when he’s in his ‘zone’ but he has to since the new cafe’s apparently a 3-minute walk from his dorm but he has to meet you at the bus stop first.

y/n: ur probs not even dressed yet

y/n: close that laptop nerd

Jisung couldn’t bring it in himself to reply because he was already preoccupied avoiding getting dissed by you again whenever he wears his favorite Supreme t-shirt.

You arrive at the bus stop at around 6:50 PM, just as Jisung arrives, panting heavily from running the remaining distance when he received an ‘almost there’ message from you. You offer him a bottle of water you forgot to take out from your backpack and he quickly swipes it from you, chugging down the contents as if his life depends on it. “Woah there, haven’t seen you in a long time. Drink slowly and breathe.” You rub his arm comfortingly as the two of you stand on the empty sidewalk. Behind you, your bus drives away. “You didn’t have to run, you know, I could’ve just met up with you wherever you are.”

He then stops drinking just to breathlessly say, “But it’s dark and there could be creeps out.”

You’re touched but still concerned. “Still. I have you on speed dial, remember?”

When Jisung’s fully recovered, the two of you walk to the cafe together, catching up on what’s happened in your own lives in the past week since you last met. There’s not much, actually, since Jisung really doesn’t go out often unless it’s for classes, the radio show, or some of his other friends insisted and you’re almost always with your dorm mates, Lia and Ryujin, or with Changbin, Seungmin, and Jeongin.

“Minho says they have good Americano.” Eventually you arrive and Jisung immediately points to the several posters on the window, showcasing the cafe’s specialty.

“And how many days have you been running only on Americano?” You point out in an almost scolding tone. You approach the counter now where there are barely any people in line since most customers are already seated.

“Not that long!” He holds up his hands in the air. “Just 2 weeks!”

“Jisung!”

He imitates you dramatically with,“Y/N!” to which you only roll your eyes to.

“Good evening, how may I take your order?” The barista asks.

Jisung opens his mouth to speak but you hold an arm in front of him and turn to the barista, “One pesto, one lasagna, the chicken wings for sharing, two glasses of water, one cheesecake, and one strawberry cake, please.”

“Y/N, this is a cafe, where their specialty is coffee.” Jisung teases dryly as the barista takes note of your order, a last attempt at getting himself another cup of Americano.

So without turning to him, you tell the barista, “Also, can you add an additional Americano—?”

“Finally—” “Two shots for me, not him.”

The barista only laughs at your banter. “Name please?”

“Y/N.”

While you’re conversing with the barista, Jisung shoots daggers to the side of your face, dramatically declaring, “I’m stealing your Americano.”

But you only drop your arm in front of him as the barista says, “That would be 12,000 won.”

“Oh, he’s paying.”

Either way, Jisung reluctantly pays with the sole motivation to get a sip from your iced Americano.

“Seriously, though, cut the Americano for a little while, maybe until finals.” You point out as you settle on a nearby table that has just been cleaned by staff. “Do you even know what a water dispenser looks like at this point?”

“I drink water.” He pouts, opting to sit down next to you to show that he really has all intents to steal your Americano. “It just doesn’t give me ideas for my projects.”

“You have one practical project due before the break. What about the other times you do work?”

“I do them quickly.”

You sigh in defeat. “Ah, seriously?”

When the barista calls for your name at the counter, Jisung holds you down by the shoulder and makes a run for the counter, taking a long sip of your Americano until you caught up to him.

“Success!” He exclaims, proud of himself, as he takes one of the two trays.

“Satisfied with your Americano?” You take the other tray in defeat, walking back to your table with him.

“Hm, I don’t knoooow.” He teases in sing-song, sitting next to you again instead of across from you as he would usually do. “You might finish everything before even finishing your pasta.”

“I’m not too much in a coffee mood, actually.” You scrunch up your nose. The two of you then proceed on taking your respective orders off the tray, setting the trays aside.

“But after the break, you will be.” He states matter-of-factly. “How many projects do you have due after the break?”

“I can only remember six because I really don’t want to think about them right now.” You steal a small slice of cheesecake from him as an unwritten exchange for his unlimited share of your iced Americano. “As Seungmin and Changbin once said, ‘have fun now, suffer later.’“

“Oh, I’m fun?”

You turn to your side to look at him, finding him looking back at you with a triumphant smile. “You’re not letting me live this down, won’t you?”

“No, it’s getting added to my list of Y/N compliments!”

You roll your eyes, taking another slice of cheesecake. He reiterates with his now third sip of Americano—you’re not even sure anymore because you’re pretty sure he’s already drank half of it.

“I said drink your water, jeez.” You slide him his glass of water, barely a quarter empty. You take the Americano from him, taking your own long sip of the drink.

“I will, I will! Just one last si—” “Han Jisung, let me drink my damn coffee!” “Okay, fine, let’s exchange!”

You leave the cafe when it’s nearing 9 PM. Somehow, when you’re with Jisung and food, you barely check the time, much less your phone, since your table gets messy from stealing each other’s dessert plates and, for tonight, Jisung drinking most of your Americano. You and Jisung also had a lot to say about your respective classes in a full-on rant session since there’s only 2 weeks left until everyone is on semester break.

“There’s not much traffic at this time, isn’t there?” Jisung asks you as he walks you back to the bus stop. He holds a paperbag containing your take-out cakes for your roommates. “You might fall asleep and miss your stop again.”

“Says the guy who sleeps on people during calls.” You tease with an elbow to his side. He tries to slap you back on your arm but you walk ahead enough to be out of his reach, sticking your tongue out at him. “There isn’t much traffic now, though, it’s only Thursday.”

“Y/N.” He laughs while calling your name, covering his mouth. “It’s Friday.”

Your eyes, of course, widen in surprise. “It is?” He only nods at this, finding amusement in the way your expression quickly turns into that of horror. “Ah, shit, I told my roommates we hang out tomorrow!”

“Why, do you have to do the dishes or something?”

But checking your phone, you only find a ‘wya’ message from Ryujin. Almost as quickly as you started panicking, you calm down again. “Oh, it’s fine.” You conclude, shoving your phone back in your coat pocket. “It’s just that they sometimes think I died at the library or something and end up making a big scene about it. Last time, our batch FB group got spammed.”

“Wow, then you judge me for always being cooped up in the dorms?”

“That’s different—I actually go out and walk. I’m surprised you can even run to the bus stop a while ago.”

Jisung threatens to swing your take-out bag at you. You only take it lightheartedly by holding your hands up in front of him, laughing.

But all jokes and banter aside, you give him a hug before boarding the bus. “Text me when you get home.” He recites his constant line when it’s you leaving. “Or when you miss your bus.”

“Shut up.” You mumble on his shoulder, punching his back hard before pulling away. “I hope you trip on your way back.”

“‘Night, Y/N.” “See you when I see you, nerd.”

two - a park

After a month of living off of ramen and iced Americano, barely seeing the sun, and hearing the same chords and melodies on repeat, Jisung passes the song he’s been working a week later. Besides this, he only has three papers left to tweak before he can fully enjoy the semester break without any sort of guilt.

To celebrate, it’s you inviting him this time to ride bicycles so he can move around but also relax. You picked the park at Ichon that’s on your side of the Han river but still far away from university so you don’t think of schoolwork the entire time.

On this particular hangout, you took the same bus but at different times. He boarded the bus first before you, arriving some 30 minutes after you’ve arrived at your nearest stop. Since it’s a Saturday morning, the traffic’s not too heavy.

“You look nice.” Jisung nudges you with one shoulder as you take a seat on the spot he saved you. The bus is not full since the rush hour had just gone.

“It’s just a t-shirt and shorts.” You reply flatly, hiding the fact that you actually thought a lot about your outfit last night. You even wore your good sneakers and denim jacket today.

“Yes, but it’s your other other favorite graphic shirt.” He points out. “The one for when we’re outdoors.”

Oh, so he noticed.

“Yes because someone has to look cute.” But you actually think Jisung looks nice even when he wears the same Supreme shirt like today—you’re just too in deep with the teasing to compliment him.

“I compliment the rainbow shirt you always wear when we sightsee but you diss my Supreme shirt.” He rolls his eyes. “Ah, people these days.”

“Because you’re always in and out of university in that.” To emphasis, you tease him further by scooting away. “Do you even wash that?”

“Of course I do.” He confidently and lightheartedly answers, putting an arm on your shoulder and pulling you back. “While it’s in the laundry, I wear my other Supreme shirt, or my other other Supreme shirt—“

“Yikes.” You tsk at him, crossing your arms. “This is what staying inside all day does to you.”

“That’s why you’re here, my Y/N, to take me out.”

“I was reduced to the role of babysitter.”

“I was going for hangout or date but you called yourself babysitter.”

Arriving at Ichon park, you make a quick snack stop at the nearest convenience store first. Since it’s your turn to pay, Jisung makes sure to buy all of his favorites (sans an iced Americano this time as your only condition to pay for him). You fill an entire basket with snacks and drinks both for when you ride a bicycle and for when you settle down for a picnic later at lunch.

“By the way, did you bring the mat?” You ask Jisung as you walk to the renting station, remembering that he and Hyunjin have the picnic mat you and your bigger circle of friends use for outings like this.

“Of course I did, what do you take me for?” He unzips his backpack to show you the blue gingham pattern Seungmin picked out two years ago. Aesthetic, he said. “I’m not the one who mistakes dates.”

“And I’m not the one who had to ask what the picnic mat looks like the other night despite having it for 4 months now.” After a few more steps, you arrive at the renting station. “I was just making sure.”

You then rent two bicycles, both with baskets for your belongings.

“Y/N, wear a hat.” Jisung reminds you while putting in his.

You frown. You did bring a cap but you also put a lot of effort on your hair today. “It’s going to ruin my hair.”

“The sun’s going to burn your hair if you don’t.” He takes your cap from your hands and gently places it on top of your hair before you can even reiterate, a small smile gracing his face at your speechless expression. “There.”

The fuck is he on? Still, your heart beats erratically at his sporadic gestures. Being Jisung’s best friend is a bit of a rollercoaster.

Especially lately.

Before you know it, Jisung’s already on his bicycle, urging you to do the same. Half-dazed, the two of you leisurely circle the entire stretch of the park, pointing at random landmarks across the river and eating your snacks.

Since this hangout’s also meant as a celebratory one, you let Jisung let loose and yell, “I’m done with my projects!” while extending his hands out as he cycles. You think to yourself that you have the rest of the year having a heart attack over that.

The park is full of families, friends, and couples on a Sunday that you almost couldn’t find a spot to lay your picnic mat on when the two of you got too tired of cycling around. You couldn’t consider sitting on a park bench since Jisung was getting sleepy as well, a result of not having a proper sleep schedule and a half in the past weeks.

So, after almost twenty minutes, you managed to secure a place from a couple who was just leaving for the nearby Namsan tower.

“Thank you so much again!” You thank the couple who even helps you set up the picnic mat while you let Jisung temporarily rest on the bare grass with his backpack as a pillow, sleep quickly catching onto him.

“No problem.” The woman says with a smile.

“Have fun on your own date.” The man adds, placing an arm on his date’s shoulders.

“Oh we’re not—“ But before you could even finish, the couple’s already walked away. You sigh, squatting down to Jisung’s eye level this time. “Jisung wake up, mat’s ready.”

He scrunches his nose with a groan, about to roll over to the opposite direction until you stopped him and rolled him towards the mat. His head lands soundlessly on the ground, forcing him to open his eyes.

“Damn, I thought I was going to land on your lap.” He rubs the area on his head that hit the grass.

You sit down next to him, taking out the sandwiches you bought from the convenience store. “Who do you think rolled you over, dumbass? For a genius, your sense of direction is quite questionable.”

“But can I?” He looks up at you now, poking your bare thigh. “Do you need like a blanket or something?”

You remind yourself that this is the same guy who threatened to smack you with a box of cake last week and dropkicked you once (but that’s another story). “Fine, go ahead.”

As if he woke up just a little with wide eyes and a genuinely happy expression on his face, Jisung scoots over while laying down (which makes you stifle a giggle because he looks like a worm doing it) until his head lays on your lap. You push a bottle of water and two bags of sandwiches next to his shoulders. “You have to eat later, though, okay?”

Looking down at him, you surprise yourself by finding him with his eyes still open. He busies himself with lazily getting his phone and earphones from his bag, putting on an earbud and offering you the other. “I saved my project for you to listen to.”

“Didn’t you say you were going to sleep?” Nevertheless, you take the earbud just as the music starts to play.

“Yeah, but I’m suddenly hyper-aware and awake.” He shrugs, taking the sandwich on his side. “You know, like when kids get put to bed from sleeping somewhere else.”

“So you do think you’re a kid?”

“Shush, this is the good part in the song.”

You chuckle, opting to not reply vocally to enjoy the song you’ve been hearing fragments off for the past month. The two of you then eat and listen in silence, that is until he asks you for comments at the end and the two of you discuss it for a while then it’s back to comfortable silence again but with different music as you scroll through your phone and Jisung tries to nap again.

Jisung falls asleep once he has a good look at you without your phone in the way.

At the end of the day, around 4 PM so you don’t get stuck in rush hour traffic, you take the same bus again but this time, it’s you leaving first.

The only problem is that despite a year and a half of frequenting your side of the Han river, Jisung still can’t seem to memorize bus stops well, forcing you to stay awake the entire ride.

“Y/N—“ “No, Jisung, we’re still three stops away.”

You don’t even have to look up from your phone to know that Jisung’s still looking out of the window as he’s had for the past 20 minutes, trying to gues your stop. At hearing your answer, he decides to stop, turning his head to the other direction as you text your groupchat.

“What’s up?” He rests his head on your shoulder casually to get a better view of the messages you’re skimming through, sending a shiver down your spine.

You try shrugging him off his shoulder but he shows no initiative to move. “Everyone’s starting to talk about the annual Halloween party. You’d know if you check the chat often.”

Away from your view, Jisung frowns. “I get ideas of what you’re talking about from how Hyunjin reacts to them, especially to the memes, thank you very much.”

“Well, at least you’re a bit better than Changbin when it comes to being online.” You say, more to yourself than to Jisung. “Anyway, you, Hyunjin, and Chan are in charge of the guest list. Chan just suggested that you squeeze it in your next radio show this week since the party’s the next night—maximum of 50 people!”

“Oh, yeah, we can do that.” He nods. “Any news on the venue?”

At this, you release a sigh of frustration. “Seungmin and Changbin booked a rooftop in Itaewon of all places.”

“Isn’t that cool? Why are you sighing?”

“Speak for yourself, Jisung. Remember last year?” You close your phone now but Jisung’s head still remains on your shoulder. “I don’t want to deal with a lot of drunk college kids again—especially not on a rooftop and not when I really deserve a drink.”

“Nah, I’m sure it won’t be as bad as last year.” He tries to say dismissively but the two of you know exactly know crazy it was last year, especially for Jisung.

“Which is why I told Minho that we buy the alcohol together on Wednesday—so no one does anything too stupid.” You shrug Jisung completely off of your shoulder now since you’re nearing your stop and he complies, caught off-guard with the way you said you and Minho are doing something together. “Okay, Sung, this is my stop.”

You stand up and Jisung almost does the same in his absentminded state. “So are you carpooling with Minho on Saturday?”

“Yeah, I need to do something for my club before going to the party but we’re sending the drinks early in case we’re late.” You say quickly. “Okay, I gotta go. See you this break?”

“Hm, see you.”

When the bus moves again, there is a sinking feeling in Jisung’s stomach until the view of you walking back to your university disappears.

three - a supermarket

You invited Lia to help you and Minho to buy liquor at the nearby supermarket after Minho’s classes, only to find out that Minho brought 3racha along.

“It’s not that I don’t trust your box-carrying skills but I don’t trust your liquor-handling skills.” Minho explains when he sees your surprised expression at seeing Chan wave at you and Lia from the front passenger seat. “That goes literally and figuratively.”

“I mean, I feel the same which is why Lia’s here but, really? You trust Jisung and Changbin with liquor?”

“Hyunjin’s out with someone again and Jeongin might get carded again.” Changbin shrugs from the open passenger seat window.

“Seungmin? Jeongin? Felix?”

“Do you think we’d actually let them touch alcohol until Saturday?” “Right.”

“I’m sure it’s going to be fine. We’re buying for around 50 people right?” Lia asks Minho as the two of you squeeze in the back seat of his car.

“Yeah, so that’s about 6 boxes since the venue’s also providing some drinks.”

“What about snacks?” “Covered by the venue too.”

“How many bottles can fit in 1 box?” You mumble to yourself but Jisung, sitting very closely next to you, hears.

“Around 10 to 15, probably.” He says, startling you.

“Aren’t you supposed to be finishing papers?”

“I already finished them waaaay back.” He smirks at you coolly. “While being a ‘cave man’ at the dorms like you said. You’re supposed to be proud I’m voluntarily going out today.”

He’s too prideful to admit that he finished his remaining work in the 3-day window you didn’t see each other so he can tag along today.

At the supermarket, you split up in teams, each with two baskets to fill. Changbin and Lia head off to the liquor store outside the main supermarket while Minho and Chan go to the liquor aisle inside the supermarket. You and Jisung, on the other hand, stick together, browsing the other aisles instead after being in the same liquor aisle but at different sections with Minho and Chan. No reason, you both just felt like it.

“Do you think we have enough budget to sneak in a bag of candies?” You think out loud, holding a bag of mint candies from the shelf. “I’m not sure if I want this one but Minho likes it.”

“Minho probably wouldn’t notice—maybe he’ll even think he put that in himself.” Jisung says, standing really close to you and examining the candies himself. Your two baskets of alcohol bottles are half-forgotten to the side. “Why do you even want to buy candies for him? If you want it, though I can buy it for you.”

You give him a skeptical look, only then noticing how easily your shoulders brush against each other. “Why are you standing really close?” You voice your observation out loud, making him turn his head to you with a pout. “I mean sure go ahead but you’re literally blocking the light.”

“I can’t?” To emphasis, he leans some of his body weight to you, just enough to make you hold onto him by his arm at the feeling that you’ll tip over if you don’t. Succeeding, he smirk triumphantly and takes your hand off of his arm so that he can put in on your shoulder. “Y/N, I missed youuu.”

“We saw each other 3 days ago.” You huff, more to yourself than to him because he really is making you nervous. “You’re so clingy today, that’s my job!”

“Sus, I can’t miss you after 3 days now? When it’s already my break and you’re still attending some classes?” He pouts, holding his arms open. “Come here.”

“What? Why?” At this point, you’re just getting a serious whiplash from his sudden clinginess. That’s my job, how dare he?

When you don’t budge, eyes still narrowed at him, he moves forward himself, trapping you in a hug. “I want to hug you, idiot.”

“What if I don’t want to?” “I’m still hugging you.”

You simply give in this time, the two of you just standing there until Chan passed by to get Minho candies.

“Dudes, come on, we’re buying alcohol.” He reminds with an amused smile, snatching the bag of mint candies from your grasp. “Get moving, lovebirds.”

“We’re n—“ “We’ll be right there.”

You pretend on swinging a bag of gummy bears at him. When he asks you why, you only run back to the liquor aisle to meet Chan and Minho.

More bickering, some alcoholic jokes, and the woman at the check-out counter asking for your I.D.s later, the 6 of you rest and eat ice cream at a parlour near the check-out before leaving, your boxes of alcohol carefully placed together at the end of your table.

“So how many people are actually going?” Lia asks Chan over her chocolate ice cream.

“Around thirty-people already responded to the invite.” Chan answers. You wince every time he bites his ice cream. Every person to themselves but biting ice cream is just a no for you. “When the Friday show airs, hopefully more people go.”

“We had 100 people last year, right?”

“That’s because these geniuses thought they can handle a hundred drunks at a house party.” You recall the chaotically eventful party last year. “We’re cutting in half since we’re at a rooftop party and I don’t want to see people jumping off the 4th floor.”

“Also since not a lot of people dress up.” Jisung frowns. The party has always been a costume party when it started 3 years ago but somehow, a lot of the guests you’re not particularly close with always show up in the bare minimum.

“Ooh, what are you guys dressing up as this year?” Minho asks, suddenly excited at the topic of costumes.

“Might just go as a vampire again this year since I won’t have much time preparing this Saturday.” You frown.

“Hey, I wanted to go as a vampire!” Chan complains.

“You already went as a vampire last year! Can we not match again?”

“What about you Minho?” Lia asks, disinterested in your bicker with Chan.

“I haven’t decided yet.” He shrugs. “Ask Jisung.”

Lia turns to Jisung who enthusiastically answers, “It’s a surprise!”

“It’s probably the horse head again.” You roll your eyes, knowing his enthusiasm very well. “But we’re just going to pretend that it’s a surprise on Saturday.”

“You better do.” Jisung pouts.

“Have you even washed that horse mask since last year?” Minho narrows his eyes at the younger boy.

You yourself didn’t even expect that he’d keep it for this year especially after what happened.

Yikes.

“Minho, you know I do! I take it out sometimes to scare Hyunjin’s dates!”

You head to the events place in Itaewon after. From the photos in your groupchat, it’s an average-sized building in relation to the others in this particular district, holding a convenience store on the first floor, a BBQ place on the 2nd floor, and miscellaneous offices on the 3rd—one of which rents the rooftop for events.

“So why did we have to buy drinks at the supermarket again?” Changbin asks, still trying to catch his breath from carrying so many boxes of alcohol.

“Because supermarket alcohol is slightly better than convenience store ones.” You answer matter-of-factly. “It’s semester break and Halloween. Indulge a little, Binnie.”

“Y/N has plans to get wasted.” Jisung spoils to everyone, making you call out his name from the front seat. You asked to exchanged seats with Chan after loading the boxes at the back of the car so you can have a run through of the food and drinks. Throughout the whole ride, he’s been hell-bent on exposing you.

“Then it’s counterproductive to buy those hard drinks.”

“Who says I’m sharing them?” You chuckle. You didn’t expect that anyone but Jisung would notice that you bought smaller drinks for yourself.

Then the car is quiet for a while sans the music playing from Jisung’s phone which you immediately recognized as one of the playlists 3racha played on a broadcast before.

When you get stuck in temporary traffic on the last intersection before the venue, you then turn to Minho. “Minho, aren’t you afraid of heights? Is 4 floors okay?”

Glancing at Minho for a response, he nods while still looking at the road. “The place’s really nice in person. I went with Seungmin yesterday.”

“If you say it’s nice then I’d probably feel guilty of letting people trash the place this weekend.” Because it’s true, if Lee Minho calls something nice or pretty, it’s really really nice or pretty.

“It’s really spacious so you don’t have to stare at the ground below all the time, lots of picnic chairs and tables with the big-ass umbrellas, fairy lights, and a sound system when people want to karaoke or need mics.”

“Ah, yes, very much of Seungmin’s aesthetic.”

“I’d like to be acknowledged too, thank you.” Changbin says from your rear view mirror view.

“Thank you Changbin.” You tease him with a laugh. “What did you like about the place?”

And before Changbin could even answer seriously, the rest of the car answers in chorus, “There are lots of glitter and foil decorations.” before breaking into laughter.

“There are beach props too! There’s fake grass and everything so it looks cheerful!” Changbin defends but to no avail because you only end up laughing. “Seungmin didn’t like it but I insisted that we borrow it for the party.”

You arrive at the building afterward, handing the alcohol to the staff on their 3rd floor office and finalizing the food you’re going to have on the party.

“We’ll see you on Saturday night, then?” The owner of the building confirms once you’ve covered all the inquiries you have.

Chan nods. “Me and the guy who booked the place, Seungmin, will be here first on Saturday night around 6 PM.”

“What are you doing at 6 PM that you have to be late on Saturday?” Jisung whispers next to you, diverting your attention from looking at the view next to you to him as he looks at you expectantly.

“Cramming a poster while waiting for a club meeting.” You frown. “Not everyone had their school day on Friday.”

“Can’t you skip?”

“Hm? Why?” You nudge his shoulder, as if trying to take out the pouty expression he wears on his face. “I told you I’m carpooling with Minho on that day so it’s fine.”

“But stiiill. I won’t save your alcohol.”

“No need, I already asked Seungmin to do it...and even asked Felix to watch you before I get here.”

“What did you bribe those two with?”

“Tickets to Lotte world.”

Jisung narrows his eyes at you but he’s thoroughly impressed. “You’re too smart.”

“I have to outsmart you somehow when it comes to doing something stupid.” You shrug with a chuckle. “Plus, traffic’s really heavy on Saturday since everyone’s going home that day.”

“You really should just ditch club.” He shrugs. “It’s the last day anyway.”

“I can’t, dumbass, that’s part of my grade. Really, it’s fine, at least I’m with Minho on that day so we can be late together.”

Before Jisung could argue further, however, Lia approaches the two of you. “Ready to go, guys?”

four - a rooftop party

Sometimes, you hate it when Jisung is right. Turns out, the meeting you had for your club was relatively pointless and could’ve just been discussed over e-mail or your club groupchat. Still, it ended at around 9:15 PM because most of your club mates arrived later than the 7:35 PM you agreed on and the stubborn president didn’t want to start the meeting until everyone was there.

Still, you passed your posters (which you definitely crammed at the school library prior) and made a lot of suggestions during the meeting which felt rewarding enough to make up for the frustrations you can’t vocally tell your seniors over causing a lot of inconveniences to your meeting. Just think that’s going to be you in a few years, Y/N, so try to understand, you think to yourself as you return to an empty dorm. Ryujin already informed you over text that she and Lia already left with Yeji to pick up Chaeryeong from her university.

“Now, for costume.” You mumble under your breath, heading straight to your room.

After much thought on which black clothes to wear, you got dressed quickly to attend to your make-up faster. Since you’re a vampire again like last year, you have to put in more effort on your hair and make-up—you’re definitely not winning best costume but at least you look decent (and definitely not wearing the same clothes from last year) for the endless pictures Hyunjin’s going to take of everyone later.

When you’re already halfway to your make-up, Minho decides on spamming you, your phone lighting up and displaying 9:58 PM. Shit.

minho: here!!!

minho: traffic still heavy

minho: chan asked for reinforcements btw

minho: so were stopping at d mart

minho: pls don’t tell me ur putting make-up blood on ur face [sent 10:03 PM]

You groan, typing a quick “i am” reply to his last message before quickly finishing your make-up and heading out.

y/n: ok otw [sent 10:06 PM]

You quickly spot Minho’s car right outside of your dorm, his tinted windows rolling down as you approach. Opening the car, your eyes widen in brief surprise before crinkling into a laugh as you get in and close the door. “W-what the...what the fuck, Minho?”

“Don’t.” He holds a threatening finger up in front of your face, putting his hand back on the steering wheel as you drive away from your dorm. But even he stifles from his own laughter. “The kids asked that we buy 10 more bottles of the whiskey Chan picked out since Hyunjin made cocktails with it and a lot of people want more.”

“W—wh...sorry, it’s just that I can’t concentrate when you’re looking like this.” You end up laughing for the rest of your first 2 minutes inside the car and almost forgetting what you were going to ask.

This year, Minho is a Korean traditional woman for Halloween.

“So,” You start when you’ve recovered, holding a hand to your chest to steady your breathing. “So, are you going out to the mart or do I have to sacrifice myself?”

“You can air drop the pic of the whiskey brand on your phone.” He answers.

You sigh, putting on a jacket you find on the back seat to cover your exposed torso for when you go out to the supermarket.

At the supermarket, people only gave you brief stares because of the fake blood dripping from your chin to your collarbones before their attentions turned to another person (probably from another Halloween party) dressed as a literal YouTube video picking up snacks. Though you’re relieved, you made your exit quick after your purchase, pushing the cart as fast as you can to the nearby parking spot Minho’s car occupied, because your phone suddenly started ringing from consecutive messages from Jisung, of all people.

jisung: y/n where r uuuu

jisung: party started at 6! 6!

jisung: seungmin playing truth or drink

jisung: changbin singing at karaoke

jisung: also i drank ur mules

jisung: n ur peach sojus

jisung: but i shared w felix! [sent 10:25 PM]

You sigh, particularly at reading the last message after successfully loading your box of whiskey at the back of the car. You were too hopeful trusting even Seungmin and Felix.

y/n: otw w minho [sent 10:25 PM]

“Jisung’s really drunk again.” You inform Minho once you’re on the road again. “I can’t even trust Seungmin or Felix now.”

“Well, you’ll have to keep texting him because the traffic going to Itaewon doesn’t seem to be moving.” Minho sighs. “You know he’ll sleep dehydrated if he’s that bored by himself to text you.”

You groan. “No shortcuts?”

“Even the shortcuts are flooded. I swear, everyone’s travelling home or partying tonight.”

You lean back on your seat, taking a few deep breaths. If there’s anyone that shouldn’t be left alone at a party, it’s one Han Jisung.

At the party, Jisung sits at the bar, accompanying Hyunjin as he re-discovers his drunken talent of mixing cocktails. He scrolls through his phone absentmindedly with the occasional sips of the peach soju he’s been struggling to finish for 20 minutes now, having no motivation to join Changbin and Felix at the karaoke or Chan, Jeongin, and Seungmin playing more drinking games with most of the guests.

“Jisung, you’re sulking.” Hyunjin points out as he gives another guest his new cocktail recipe.

“No, I’m not.” Jisung frowns and hiccups through his big horse mask even when the older boy can’t actually see.

“You’ve been in there for the past 20 minutes.” Hyunjin knocks on Jisung’s horse mask for emphasis. He’s no better, actually, dressing up as a big giraffe head since Felix decided to be the Joker this year. “Literally the last time I saw your face, you were texting Y/N.”

“Y/NNNN! Why aren’t Y/N and Minho here yet? I want to see Y/NNNNN!”

“Well, it’s traffic out.” At the very end of the bar, Hyunjin can see the heavy traffic below. “Everyone’s going home or eating out tonight.”

“But I want Y/NNN!” Jisung is fumbling around now, narrowly missing his bottle of peach soju since the horse mask doesn’t have a good view from the weird eyes. “Where is Y/N?”

Though his friend is incredibly drunk now, the tipsy Hyunjin still tries to keep a decent conversation so Jisung doesn’t accidentally fall asleep on his mask again. “You saw each other a lot the past weeks, though? Unlike when it’s a regular school week and you barely reply to them on chat.”

“But that’s because I’m not as busy then as I was this semester.” Jisung manages to slur after a while before momentarily taking his horse mask off just enough for him to take a long sip of his peach soju with a metal straw he found somewhere in his backpack a while ago. “I miss Y/N when I’m busy.”

“What about when you’re not busy?” “I also miss them when I’m busy.”

Hyunjin sighs. “Just say you have a crush on them and go.”

And he’s not sure if Jisung actually heard him but the boy replies with a muffled sigh. “Having a crush from people in different universities is hard!”

You open your phone to check the time, the twelfth time you’ve done so in the past hour since you’ve been stuck in the now moving traffic. Eleven-twenty PM on the dot, the party could either be still in full swing with everyone drunk off their asses or dying down with everyone drunk off their asses—either way, most of the liquor are probably gone now (even the one you asked Seungmin to guard for you) and the reinforcement’s probably not a good idea already. Next to you, Minho sighs, “Not that it’s annoying but you keep checking your phone and frowning every time you do. It’s scary, especially since you look more like a depressed vampire than a slutty one.”

“Thanks, Minho.” You roll your yes, closing your phone and putting it down on your lap.

“You’re really that excited much to see your boyfriend?”

You glare daggers through his side profile. “He’s not my boyfriend and I’m more worried than excited because he’s really bad at drinking. Remember last year—”

“It wasn’t that b—”

“Minho, he was crying because he thought his mask was stuck on his head.”

“But—” “He also tried drinking soju while crying and wearing his mask.”

Knowing he’s on the losing side of the argument, Minho waves his hand dismissively, eyes still on the road. The traffic’s moving steady now. “Anyway, there’s 50 people there someone has to be sober-ish somehow.”

“Uh huh, sure, someone is.” You reply dryly. Though this party has a larger attendance list than your friend group’s usual hangouts since it’s your annual Halloween party, you can’t help but remain distrustful. Your friends aka the worst drunks ever are hosting, for God’s sake.

“Why don’t you text someone so you’d feel less nervous?” Minho suggests after a while.

And this time, you actually listen to him and open your phone again, opting to text Chan.

y/n: y’all still alive?

y/n: we’re about to turn right to the venue [sent 11:28 PM]

chan: shit’s lit!!!!!!

“Yup, even Chan’s drunk.” You conclude, closing your phone as Minho pulls up to the building. Minho sighs for probably the nth time tonight, exiting the car when you do. “Come on, ahjumma, we’re checking if our friends are still alive.”

Arriving at the party by the service elevator the staff kindly showed you, you almost kicked the box of whiskey bottles you placed on the ground in surprise once the doors opened and Chan greeted you dressed as a clown. “Finally, you’ve arrived!” He exclaims through his semi-faded white make-up and red nose, completely ignoring the way you just had the shock of your life. “Here, let me help you with the whiskey.”

You recover quickly, helping Minho and Chan lift the box to the nearby bar where Hyunjin is still busy mixing drinks. “Chan, why are you dressed as a clown?”

“Twitter poll.” He answers nonchalantly. “You should see Jeongin, he’s a life-size bread.”

Carefully setting the box on the ground for Hyunjin (who is more than grateful that the whiskey finally arrived), your expression returns to that of concern. “So, where’s Jisung?”

“Oh, he said he was going to take pictures by the railings with the good view.” Hyunjin shrugs. Panic sets on your face. “Don’t worry! There’s like a lot of people there right now! And I gave him water a while ago!”

You swip a bottle of peach soju and a bottle of water you saw hidden expertly under the counter from your view on the ground, sighing. “I swear to God, you guys are the worst hosts ever.”

And so you set out to find Jisung amidst the most random crowd of costumes ever. You spot Changbin dressed as Kim Shin and a Joker Felix still competing for higher scores on the karaoke and passed by baguette Jeongin and sunflower Seungmin who are now hosting a very drunken Whisper Challenge with your seniors, Younghyun who wears a big report card on his neck, Jae who’s dressed in Chicken Little’s clothes, Snow White Sana, and a pirate Jeongyeon.

If it’s any consolation, at least people dressed up better this year compared to last year.

“Ryujin, have you seen Jisung?” You near the viewing area on the other side of the rooftop where the light gets progressively fewer.

“He’s over there.” Your roommate points to an empty area with only a few tables and outdoor lights.

“Where?”

“Oh, he’s laying down somewhere. He’s still wearing the horse mask if that helps.”

“Thank you!” You part ways as you open your phone, turning on the flashlight to find Jisung.

From your area of the rooftop, the EDM music Chan mixed for this party already sounds faint and the traffic below sounds louder. You point your flashlight on the ground but also look ahead for any shadow of a horse mask.

“Han Jisung.” You call for him in a loud whisper, in case he fell asleep since he’s sound-sensitive when drunk. “Yah, I swear to God, we’re not hosting another party again if you’re dead somewhere.”

You repeat this a few times, changing baseless threats in hopes that it alerts him, until you find him raising a hand up in the air. “Here.” He responds tiredly to you, his voice not muffled by a mask this time as he’s long set it down next to him. He spots you immediately, illuminated by the garden lights. “You look pretty.”

“Thanks?” You approach carefully, pointing your flashlight away from his face and kneeling beside him. “Why are you laying down on the ground?”

You contemplate on laying down next to him but then you remember that you left your jacket in Minho’s car at the thought that the denim doesn’t go with your all-black ensemble. The bare floor’s already cold on your bare legs, how much more on your exposed back? “Anyway, drink this water later.”

But Jisung seems to ignore you, pushing you gently away by your arm. “I’m looking at the stars, Y/N, move over.” He groans. “Turn the light off too.”

You scoff. “You can’t see the stars—” But as you look up at the purple night sky, you see countless of twinkling stars. Caught off guard, you turn your light off. “—here. Oh.”

“Do you want to lay down?” When you turn to look back down at Jisung, he’s already sitting up slowly. Moving away a little so that you’re not in his way, he then takes his jacket off and places it on the ground. “You can use my jacket. It’s fine.”

You hand him your water bottle and place your peach soju next to his horse mask. “Sure...” Reluctantly, you lay down on Jisung’s jacket.

Jisung chugs down half of the water before laying down again, next to you this time.

“Aren’t you cold?” You ask, sparing a glance in his direction as you do so. Jisung only shakes his head.

“I thought you’d never come.” He pouts, still looking at the stars. He’s slowly sobering up now, making it harder to look at you in the eye.

“Traffic.” You heave a long sigh. “Hyunjin also made Minho and I buy extra drinks.”

It’s silent for a moment, you glance at Jisung for the second time to check if he’s fallen asleep again but you see a very concentrated expression on his face as he looks at the stars. “Are you still drunk?” You shake his arm, immediately getting his attention.

“Do you like Minho?” He suddenly blurts out, catching you off-guard. What makes matters worse is that he didn’t even spare you a glance while.

“What?!” You exclaim. At this point, you just regret not drinking your peach soju before joining him.

“Do you like him? Like like-like as in...hold on, the word like’s getting too redundant here...” In the darkness, Jisung turns beet red the more he looks away from you, not even realizing that you’re equally flushed from trying to hold in your laughter.

Where is this going? You can only think to yourself as he was rambling.

“Jisung, I only like Minho when he offers carpool and free drinks when we hang out.” You sit up this time, extending your hand out past him to your soju bottle. You’re definitely drinking to this unusual conversation. “Why did you suddenly think I like him?"

You don’t remember doing anything with Minho that would make Jisung think this way.

Leaning even more towards Jisung’s direction, you see a faint glimpse of his embarrassed expression—his hand covering his eyes as he curses under his breath. You drink a little bit more of your peach soju before nudging him with the bottom of the bottle. “What made you say that?”

“No.” He replies as calmly as he can, hand still covering his face. At that moment, he wishes he could put the horse mask back on quickly so he can run away while hiding his face.

You try prying his hand away but to no avail. He looks at you on his own accord a moment later but even then he doesn’t hold eye contact for long.

“It’s silly, just the soju.” He waves his hand dismissively. “Can you lay down again so I don’t have you see your face? Not that the make-up is bad, it’s just really embarrassing when you’re looking down on me like this.”

You chuckle, amused, but comply eventually when you’ve had enough of your soju. Instead of looking up at the stars, however, you turn your body to the side so you’re facing Jisung this time.

“Yah—”

“You said lay down again, I’m laying down.” You tease in between laughs. “Are you seriously not looking at me in the eye?”

“No!” He whispers loudly in a dramatic fashion, taking his horse mask and balancing it on his face to hide from you.

You shrug, flicking his horse mask away easily. “Why are you so embarrassed? Best friends talk about this all the time, it’s normal.” You shrug as you say this next, trying to act nonchalant about it as possible. Internally, you’re still processing where this conversation could go. “I’m just wondering how you came to that conclusion? It sounds weird and gross: Minho and I, I mean.”

Jisung only looks at you quietly for the next 2 minutes, clearly contemplating. “It’s just...” He starts and you hold your breath, realizing that your faces are really close when he turns his head to your side. “Seriously, it’s silly!”

You shrug, as nonchalantly as you can seem. “I want to know, it’s n—”

“Ilikeyou.”

“Hm?” You feel lightheaded, and you definitely feel like you need to pee. Soju works fast that way.

“I like you...” He says, slower and trailing off this time. He thinks you didn’t notice but you caught the way he glanced briefly down at your lips before going back up to your eyes. “Like really really like you; but we’re always running on different schedules since we entered college and we’ve only ever hung out when my deadlines aren’t heavy enough to make you feel guilty to come over until recently.”

“...Is that why you’ve been asking to hang out more this semester?” Jisung nods at the simple question. “You wanted to see me that much?”

“Well, don’t get too cocky now.” He chuckles nervously. Suddenly, he’s overthinking everything, trying to pick apart any hint from the tone of your voice. “Because this would be really really awkward and embarrassing if you keep acting like that then turn me down later.”

Your heart skips a few beat, you’re sure it’s Jisung now and not the soju kicking in. “Who said...who said anything about me turning you down?”

Jisung’s thoughts malfunction at this. Suddenly, he’s taking too slow to process anything again. You roll your eyes at this. “Do I have to say it?”

“...yes?”

You scrunch up your face in distaste but Jisung doesn’t laugh, making you sigh. “Fuck it, fine.” You take a deep breath, slowly following your words with, “I like you too, Jisung.”

You look at him expectantly and he returns your gaze with one of disbelief. “R-really?”

“I just said it, didn’t I?” You flick his forehead.

“Can I—”

He leans forward but you stop him with a hand in between the two of you. “You smell like alcohol.” You whine, pushing him away slightly.

“But we’re in the dark, under the stars, sorta drunk at a Halloween party; naturally, the next thing that follows is—”

“Ew, Jisung, gross!” You push him away completely but he only resists, managing to hug you with one arm.

“You can say that all you want but you already said that you like me too.” Slowly, he gains his confidence back which only just makes you squirm more.

“Yeah, but you said it first.” You give up from squirming in his grip, realizing that it’s warmer than letting your torso be exposed to the cold for another second. “If anything, I actually have the upper hand here.”

He shrugs. “So? I actually like saying it. I like you, I like you, I like you...” You open your mouth slightly to comment but he takes this as an opportunity to press a long kiss to your lips. “I like you. There.”

582 notes · View notes

nanagoswife · 3 years

Text

Please, Don't Go. - Chapter 17

Summary: More steps are made towards finally ending the years of torment.

W/C: 1.9k

Warnings: mention of torture, angst, mention of death

A/N: I am so sorry for the wait😅 and I apologise for this unedited piece of writing. I know that a certain part could've been written in more detail, but I can't explain why, no matter how hard I tried, I just couldn't get it right, so I shortened it. You'll all probably figure out what I mean when you get there. Still, I hope you all enjoy😊

- - -

“How soon do you think this will happen if Anakin agrees?” Although you were happy for this to finally be over with soon, you couldn’t help but worry. The fact that Palpatine has even been able to hide his secret this long showed how dangerous he is and that’s without the horrifying stories Obi-Wan had told you. How he had been tortured repeatedly for any mistakes he had made. You didn’t want to think of it.

“I’m not sure. It really depends on the council and what they will say about it.”

You turned your attention away from him to the kettle that you were preparing for tea. It was partially so that you could do the task, but mainly to hide the concern that filled you. Even though it was useless, you didn’t want him to see it as well as feel it.

“Oh, darling,” he moved from his spot beside you so that he stood behind, wrapping his arms around your middle, placing a kiss on your cheek. “It will be fine,” he said quietly, softly.

“I just don’t want to lose you again,” you said shakily. Tears began to fill your eyes.

Ever so slightly, he pulled you closer to him for comfort. You could feel his heart against your back, steady and strong.

“You won’t ever lose me, no matter what. You know why?”

You shook your head, afraid of what your voice would sound like if you spoke.

“Because not even death will keep me from you. I will forever be with you. And if you ever feel like I’m not, take the kyber crystal and hold it as that will always be a part of me that will never leave.”

The tears that you were trying desperately to hold back now fell. Obi-Wan turned you around and easily wiped your tears away with the pads of his thumbs.

Closing your eyes, you placed one of your hands over one of his and took a moment to truly memorize the feeling.

“I promise this, Y/N,” Obi-Wan said as he rested his forehead against yours, “and this promise will not be broken. I love you, dearest. For as long as you are here, as long as Aldoken is here, I will never leave my family again.”

You nodded against him before you closed any distance and buried your face into his neck.

“I love you too.”

When you looked over at Obi-Wan, his leg couldn’t stop bouncing as a seemingly worried expression and blank stare filled his face. Although you had reassured him that Anakin would be thrilled to see him, Obi-Wan couldn’t stop. His hands were fisted together, creating a prop for his head.

“Obi,” you gently called out before crouching beside him. His attention snapped to you almost as if he was being caught daydreaming.

When you placed a hand on his bouncing knee, he put one of his own overtop, keeping his other hand fisted under his chin as the bouncing stopped.

His eyes immediately softened when they met yours but, like always, they still showed you everything. The worry, the nervousness, the excitement, the fear.

“Obi-Wan, my love, what’s wrong?”

“Are you sure he doesn’t hate me?” He said it so quietly that you nearly missed it. The blue ocean was trapped in a hurricane of emotions that seemed would never cease.

You gave him a comforting smile and brought your other hand to cup his cheek, his beard lightly tickling your skin, “I’m sure. He’s been burstin with impatience to see you, Obi-Wan. He misses you.”

Obi-Wan leaned into your hand and closed his eyes with a deep, shaky breath. When his eyes opened, the storm had died down and he no longer seemed as anxious as he was moments ago. Refusing to move the hand that was on top of yours on his knee, he used his other hand to take your hand to kiss your fingers, your palm, and then the pulsepoint on your wrist.

“What would I do without you?” he whispered against your delicate skin.

Before anything else could be said there was a knock at your door, drawing your attention to it.

When you looked back to Obi-Wan, you were surprised to see nothing but calm in his eyes. The only thing that gave away how he truly felt was the tension in his shoulders. Besides that, he looked composed and fearless.

“Ready?”

Drawing his gaze away from the door, he looked into your eyes. There was nothing but certainty as he gave you a small nod.

With a comforting smile, you stood, bringing Obi-Wan to his feet with you. Entwining your fingers with his, you lead him over to the door. This visit was for them, not you, so you gently nudged him ahead of you as you approached the door.

Obi-Wan looked back at you one last time before pressing the code for your door. When it slid open, Anakin and Obi-Wan both froze for a moment, a look of relief flooded Anakin’s face.

Before you knew it, Anakin was crushing himself into Obi-Wan’s arms. Obi-Wan easily returned it and held onto his former padawan like he would vanish into thin air. With how Anakin was gripping him, Obi-Wan knew Anakin felt the same.

“I knew you would come back,” Anakin said in a whisper which caused a light grin to cross Obi-Wan’s face.

After another moment, Anakin peeled himself away so that he could survey Obi-Wan. It always seemed to be like this every time. If he was hurt, then Anakin would always insist that he go get some form of treatment.

“Black doesn’t seem to suit you well, old man,” Anakin teased, which caused a relieved laugh from Obi-Wan. He had been so worried that Anakin would be mad, so this pit him at ease. The old banter was a comfort that he never knew he needed.

“Well, the light robes never really suited you either,” Obi-Wan retorted. Both laughed comfortably as Anakin agreed.

It didn’t take long before the two were back to the way they used to be. From your spectation, you noticed that Anakin wasn’t bringing up any dark memories too quickly, which was a good thing. You knew that you couldn’t push Obi-Wan yet, even if it seemed like he was back. If the wrong nerve was hit, he would shut down and perhaps never tell you.

The mood was light and enjoyable. You knew, as well as Obi-Wan, that it wouldn’t last too long. There was a matter that needed to be discussed.

After a comfortable silence after a couple of ours, you knew that was when it would be brought up. What gave it away was how Obi-Wan had grabbed your hand and met your eyes for a moment for reassurance, which you nodded to.

Anakin was looking slightly confused as he watched the exchange, “Anakin, I need to ask you something. A favour.”

“You want help to defeat Sidious,” Anakin stated, looking the most serious he has since he arrived.

Obi-Wan nodded slowly, averting his eyes to the floor in fear of the possible rejection. You squeezed his hand in an attempt to comfort him, which earned you a small, grateful glance.

“I do, but it’s going to be hard for you to hear who it is,” Obi-Wan finally said when no one broke the silence. “And it will be even harder when I show you the proof.”

Anakin had been thrown into a stunned silence that had made Obi-Wan uneasy. By the way he shifted beside you, you could tell.

To your slight surprise, Anakin didn’t seem as surprised as you thought he would be. You knew that he was close to the Supreme Chancellor, yet you had noticed that, once Obi-Wan had turned, that he hadn’t gone to the man nearly as often. Had Palpatine said something wrong?

In the end, after some more discussion, Anakin had agreed to help and said that he would present this to the council.

You noticed Obi-Wan give a shutter of both relief and nervousness. Although you knew he was happy to be moving closer to finally stopping the Sith, you also knew that he doubted whether they would actually help or not. Obi-Wan was going to do this one way or another, but he wanted to make sure it would be done.

That had been nearly ten minutes ago. Anakin was gone which left you and Obi-Wan by yourselves. Aldoken was having a rare sleepover with Cody and some of the 212th. You knew Waxer was definitely one of them.

Obi-Wan had gone and sat down on the couch once again. Like he was just before Anakin had showed up, his leg was bouncing as his elbows rested against his knees, his gaze unfocused as his chin rested on top of his clasped hands.

Instead of calling out to him, you settled for sitting beside him. Being careful to not startle him, you placed a gentle hand on his shoulder.

His leg stopped as he let out a sigh, closing his eyes as he relaxed at your touch. There was so much that was going on that you knew that Obi-Wan could only think of all of the possibilities. He was always prepared for anything to happen.

Now, though, he needed to relax. Although you always tried to stay positive, you couldn’t help but think that these will be your last days with him. So, you wanted to just forget everything and enjoy being together while you could.

After a moment, Obi-Wan moved so that his head was pressing against your chest. Instinctively, you wrapped one arm around his back while cradling his head with the other. To help further calm him, you stroked the familiar line through his hair which gained an immediate response of a contented sigh as he relaxed further.

“Do you think I’m being too rash about this,” he muttered to you suddenly.

For a moment, you froze, stopping your ministrations as the question surprised you. He tilted his head just enough to look up at you and you could see the doubt swirling in his eyes.

Before you spoke, you resumed your movement through his hair which earned a deep breath of comfort from the man you love.

“No,” you started quietly. “I know you, Obi. I know you’ve put a lot of thought into this and you wouldn’t have asked Anakin for help if you didn’t need it.”

You tilted your head enough so that you could just meet his eyes from his resting place against your chest. This time, the doubt was duller but it was still there.

“I believe in you, Obi-Wan. I love you. And I know that you can do this. All you need to do is believe in yourself. That’s what will help you win.” You stayed silent for a moment before continuing, “Whatever you do, at least don’t lose hope.”

Obi-Wan took another deep breath as he nodded against you. When you caught a glimpse of his eyes, there was no more doubtful twinge. Just warmth and love radiating from them as he briefly met your gaze.

- - -

@stardancerluv @where-fantasy-meets-reality @jaydenwoo @madmax2003 @mackycat11 @generousrunawaydonut @imabeautifulbutterfly @animalgirl05

31 notes · View notes

peachesndreamss · 4 years

Text

Drops of Jupiter

Pairing: Pietro Maximoff x female reader

Warnings: None! Lil angst if you squint, some language. Lots of fun avengers dialog, because Idk I love the team dynamic

Summary: You just got back from being away for six months in Africa, and your team has missed you! But you're unsure about a certain someone, who you left behind because he broke your heart.

Word count: 5.9k :)

When you stepped out of the quinjet, the first thing you noticed was the sound of snow crunching beneath your boots. That, and the immediate windchill, turning the tip of your nose pink. The pilot had told you to put your coat on... and for good reason. It had been so long since you'd come back here, you'd almost forgot how cold the winters on base could get. You turn your head to the sky and notice it's still snowing. The snowflakes were falling, hitting your skin and melting almost on impact, settling in your hair. This feeling, it was so familiar to you that it made you smile.

Now that she's back in the atmosphere, drops of Jupiter in her hair

It had been at least six months since you last set foot on this landing pad. It had been at least six months since you had last set foot on this landing pad. Six months since you'd last lived here, six months since you'd been without your team. Six months since you'd been without him. Your heart lurches at the thought, though you can't tell whether it's from excitement or dread.

Six months ago, you left for Africa to do work there under SHIELD's relief program. You had heard about them before, but never took the initiative to join until then. Fury had introduced you to the job opportunity a while before you took the offer, saying you'd be a hell of a good fit for it. And even you had to admit, you had fit quite well there. The people you worked alongside were kind, as were the people in the villages you helped.

Before you were a part of the Avenger's initiative, that would have been your dream job. It was always your dream to help people the way you had been the past six months. You wanted to make a difference, make good on everything you had learned in your training.

But of course it all changed when you became an Avenger.

Every footstep you took crunched with the snow underfoot, and it set your mind a little more at ease. The snow made you happy. After being in hot dry weather for so long, you hadn't realized how much you missed the cold. The way it settled onto your skin, the chill of the crisp air as it blows through your hair. The pure enjoyment you get out of sitting by the fire to warm your bones, cup of hot chocolate in between your cold hands. The love you feel for your team when they're gathered by the fire with you, sharing stories and laughing together after a long day in the frigid weather. That was the part you enjoyed the most.

Becoming an avenger had turned your world upside down, more than you could have ever expected and in more good ways than bad by far. You had found family in a group so diverse and different from eachother, but so alike at the same time. You had found home in newfound friendships, strong bonds strengthened over long missions and near death experiences and trust so unbreakable it could stand the test of time.

Or so you thought.

A door opens across the landing pad and out steps a very familiar face, one you found you had missed very much. A million dollar smile splits your face, one to rival that of the playboy himself, but even he seemed happy to see you.

Tony had been your very first friend when you joined the team. You formed a bond instantly, though you never quite figured out what brought you so close, considering you were two very different people. He was like the big brother you never had, a shoulder to cry on, someone who no matter what could bring a smile to your face.

"Tony..." you breathe, almost a relieved sigh as you cross the short distance of snow to wrap him in a hug, which he gladly reciprocates.

"Good to see you too, kid." He hums, and a laugh bubbles up from your chest, genuine and warm. He grips your shoulders gently and pulls back, giving you a once over and grinning.

"Look at you. Six months away from home and you haven't changed a bit." He muses and you roll your eyes good naturedly.

"Oh please, I couldn't change it up too much! Then you'd hardly recognize me. I might show you up." You retort, which causes him to snort.

"You wish. I'm happy about it!" He points out, putting an arm around your shoulder as he leads you inside, away from the cold. He continues, a satisfied smirk on his face and it causes your brow to arch just like it used to when you'd banter back and forth.

"I made a bet with Nat. She said you'd either cut or dye your hair, change your appearance somehow before you got back. I said you absolutely would not, and now she owes me fifty bucks." And then you starts to laugh.

"I cannot believe you made a bet about that! As if you need fifty from Nat anyways, mister billionaire playboy philanthropist." You muse. He shrugs in response, closing the door behind you, engulfing you in warmer air inside.

"It's all about principle. Bottom line, I was correct." He seemed so proud of himself... you didn't want to burst his bubble just yet with the tattoo across your back, so of course you let him have his moment.

You slip your coat off over your shoulders and hang it up, gloves coming off next. They were wet from the snow, and it was much too warm to keep them on anyways. This left you in a long sleeved gray shirt and some jeans, and you were already feeling at home again.

On the plane ride back you were worried about not quite fitting in anymore... it had been six months after all. Things change, people change of course. But the greeting from Tony and the playful banter? It felt just like it used to.

"C'mon, I'm sure the team has missed their resident tie breaker." He comments, which makes you laugh again. It was true. Often there would be team disputes, and you were always the deciding factor. Mostly because several people were impartial, like Vision and Wanda. So naturally, you, ever opinionated, became the deciding factor. You were anxious to see them again, your friends. Your family.

You could hear the warm chatter of voices down the hallway, and your steps faltered a little. Tony notices your hesitation and looks at you curiously.

"Hey, what's got you all nervous? I promise they've missed you. Tin man hasn't shut up about you coming home since yesterday. He said something about having movies to watch." That makes you smile. Bucky was your movie watching buddy. He was the only one with the attention span to sit through your favorites with you, to actually listen to you explain the lore and history involved with the actors and the way they were filmed. He was a film nerd you both had discovered, much to your delight. You were really looking forward to seeing him again too. But he wasn't why you were hesitating.

"Does he know I'm coming?" You ask meekly. Tony's brows furrow in confusion, not quite catching what you meant.

"Of course. I just told you! Your hearing going out? Because I can start calling you old instead of the walking museum exhibits in there." He quips, talking about Steve and Buck, and you hit him lightly on the shoulder, causing him to scowl.

"Not him, Tony." You snap, but there was no real anger behind it. It was more like... fear. Apprehension at the exchange that was bound to happen.

"Oh... him. Yeah, Wanda told him a day or so ago. He hasn't said anything about it though, and he doesn't know when." He replies, tone a little softer than before. Tony was a handful, sure, but he knew when to be sensitive to emotion. And in this situation, that's exactly what you needed. Tony notices the way the tension slips into your shoulders and he purses his lips.

"Hey, it'll be alright. I'm sure he missed you too. Who wouldn't miss you! You keep this team together." He says, his voice gentle yet firm in his statements, and a small smile tugs at the edge of your lips.

"If he isn't happy, that's his problem." He continues, speaking your name with an air of comfort that washed over your nerves. "Truth is we've all missed you. And if he hasn't, then he's stupid and he can stay in his room until he gets over it." He concludes. You couldn't help but smile.

"You always know just what to say, don't you?" You hum, and he chuckles.

"I pride myself in it. Now come on, everyone's been waiting all day. I'm not even sure if they know you're here yet."

You could never say no to him. Even when something inside you knew damn well there was one person that might not have missed you at all, you were still going to see your team. Tony was right, even if you'd never admit it, lest it go to his ego. You'd be damned if one man would make you reluctant to see your family.

The sounds of voices got louder, and you could clearly hear what they were talking about. Well, more like arguing about. That definitely hadn't changed a bit.

"Why'd you have to say anything about it, I'm just trying to enjoy my evening!" You hear, and instantly recognize the voice as Bucky. He sounded whiny, and you had to hold back a snicker.

"How could I not! That mug is damn ugly. It's my duty as a citizen to tell you that." Now that was Sam, another one of your boys you'd missed dearly. One of the first things you'd noticed when you went to Africa was the silence... the lack of arguing from Bucky Barnes and Sam Wilson.

"It is not your duty as a citizen, it's your duty as an asshole." Bucky gripes, and Sam's laughter rings through the hall. You felt the need to stay where you were out of sight just to listen to them.

"I dunno, Buck. It is pretty ugly." Steve chiming in as usual, always deriving enjoyment out of getting Bucky riled up like that. He liked to see him mad sometimes. As prim and proper as everyone thought Steve Rogers was, he sure did love to instigate.

"Well, his word is law." Sam continues. Bucky groans.

"He's not god, you know!"

"As a god I can confirm. The mug is atrocious." The deep voice calls from a different point in the room. Thor was here, which made you even more excited. He was back and forth a lot, but when he was here you really did enjoy his company.

"Everyone is against me and my coffee mug. I don't see what's so ugly about it." Bucky retorts, and Sam is quick to jump on that.

"It's neon green with pictures of cartoon cats all over it. How can it not be called ugly."

It dawns on you that you had bought that mug for Bucky actually. You two had been on a mission in Yosemite, and it had caught your eye because it was, in fact, the ugliest cup you had ever seen. But when you showed it to Bucky he had absolutely loved it. Why, you had absolutely no idea.

"You just have shitty taste in mugs. All of you." He decides, and that makes several people groan. Bucky Barnes was stubborn, that everyone knew. There was no getting through to that man once his mind was set.

"Oh, don't be so bitter, Buck. We're just being honest with you." Steve tries to reason, and the outraged sound that falls from Steve's mouth immediately after along with Sam and Thor's laughter meant one thing. Bucky had flipped him off.

You turned to Tony and found that he had already walked into the room, leaving you behind in the hall. He must have known you wanted to surprise them. Besides... who would Tony be if he didn't give his two cents in the argument.

"What is the married couple fighting about this time?" Tony asks, even though he had been listening right alongside you.

"Sam has told Bucky that his mug is ugly. And everyone agrees." Thor informs him, to which Tony looks at the mug, pretending to mull it over.

"I dunno... it isn't that bad. I've seen far worse ones in my cabinet." He says, and Sam makes a face.

"There is no way in hell there is a mug uglier than that one in the cabinet."

Tony smirks. You already knew which mug the bastard was going to bring up, which also happened to belong to you.

"Have you seen that Captain America mug in there? Tacky as all hell." He says, and Bucky almost spits his coffee. Steve became red in the face

"That's not even mine! I don't even know how it got there!" Steve defends.

If there was one thing Tony was good at, it was bothering Steve. That, and making entrances... which you realized was exactly what he was doing for you. Setting up an entrance. That sly bastard. You take a deep breath and decide that this was a better time than any. And if you didn't take this chance, Tony would complain that he set that up perfectly for weeks.

You step into the doorway and cross your arms over your chest, amusement dancing across your features.

"I leave for six months, and you boys bash my mug taste? Maybe I should have stayed in Africa." You sound your opinion and heads turn to see you standing there for the first time

She acts like summer and walks like rain, reminds me that there's time to change

It was the cutest thing, seeing the surprise on their faces turn into the biggest smiles, accompanied by happy exclamations of your name. You couldn't help but mirror the expression. Steve was the closest, and he was always a hugger so of course you find yourself wrapped in a strong hug much sooner than you expected.

"We didn't know you'd be getting in today!" He exclaims, and you laugh.

"Well, I couldn't pass up an opportunity to surprise you guys since it almost never happens." You point out. Steve pulls away and rubs the back of his neck, still grinning that million dollar smile.

"Yeah, you've got a point." He admits. Pulling a surprise over the eyes of assassins and superheroes and gods was quite the task, so you relished in the reactions.

You walk further into the room, and Sam beams over at you.

"Been a while! And to think we were talkin' shit on your mugs." He teases

"I know! Gonna have to teach you guys a lesson. I got Bucky that mug as a gift, you know." You inform, and Sam scoffs.

"I stand by my statement."

"Good to see you too, Sam." You reply warmly, giving him a huge grin.

Bucky was up off the couch, mug forgotten on the coffee table as he came over to greet you.

"Did you hear them being mean to me and my mug? The nerve of these assholes." He quips and it makes you giggle.

"Oh I know. Such mistreatment, Bucky, how did you ever survive without me here." You muse, pouting playfully. He gives you a hug too, giving you a good feeling as he tells you it was good to see you again.

Tony pours himself a drink at the bar, and Thor tips his own glass of something your way.

"My Lady, it has been too long." He rumbles and you put your hands on your hips, tilting you head backwards a little to meet his eyes better. The tall bastard.

"It has indeed... more than six months I believe." And it really had been. Thor hadn't been there when you left, important business in Asgard regarding his brother and you completely understood. There was no way you could be upset with someone who was the embodiment of a giant teddy bear. He sets his glass down, wrapping you in a close to suffocating bear hug, squeezing a laugh out of you.

"Dear friend, how we've missed you. Are you here to stay once more?" He asks, letting go of you so you could meet more than expectant faces. Truth was, you hadn't told them you planned to come back permanently... Tony knew, but they weren't entirely sure. You didn't want to tell them in case you changed your mind.

But the warm greeting really reminded you why you loved this place, why you loved these people.

"Of course I'm here to stay. How could I keep away from my favorite team?"

The cheers and the hugs that followed made you so absolutely beyond happy, you could hardly take it. It had been so long since you'd felt this loved, so at home. Africa had been wonderful, but here was where you felt you truly belonged.

♡♡♡

Bruce and Clint had made their appearance later, giving the same warm greeting of course. Everyone had settled around the couches and chairs, wanted to catch up with you, talk about your experiences. And to continue the debate about Bucky's mug, much to his discontent.

Nat had popped in at some point, and that had been a warm welcome just the same. She settled in next to you on the couch and handed you a mug of coffee, and you'd never felt more at home, at peace. You were so warm, legs folded beneath you with comfortable socks and friendly conversation among friends. But of course it doesn't take long for that to crash in on itself.

You heard the familiar rumble of a landing quinjet before you even had time to panic and hide away somewhere. The team hardly seemed to notice, too busy being wrapped up in their heated debate. It had moved on from Bucky and his ugly mugs to a better topic of conversation: why Titanic was a better movie than Jurassic Park. The only person who noticed the way you tensed was of course Nat, who was sitting so close. But she could have noticed that from across the room.

She squeezes your knee, a silent reassurance. You'd need all the help in the world right now to get through this.

You could hear the familiar slam of a door from outside, the sound of soft accented voices in the hall. Steve had told you the twins had gone on a short mission... that they might not be back until the end of the week.

Apparently they got home early.

Everything about your posture screamed I don't want to be in this room when he comes in. But you know you should be... if you were going to stay for good, then damn it you could stay if you wanted. Besides... he was the one that broke it off in the first place.

Since her return from her stay on the moon, she listens like spring and she talks like June

Wanda emerged from the hall first, always better at packing up her stuff on the ship before her brother. He always took his damn time, that much you remembered. It used to annoy the hell out of you.

She puts her bag down and breathes out a long sigh, turning her head towards the commotion in the living space. She only takes notice of you when she was halfway to sitting on the couch, and she has to do a double take.

Wanda was like a sister to you, and you really did try to keep in touch, but after what happened it had just been so difficult. But she smiles at you, and you're not so worried about whether or not she forgives you anymore.

"I knew you were coming, but it still managed to surprise me a little." She admits, and you can only laugh. You wanted to drum up a good reply for her, but it dies in your throat at the sound of heavier footsteps coming down the same hall. Everyone else was still engaged in heated conversation, but it was white noise to your ears when he entered the room.

He looked as good as ever, even when he had that mission-worn expression on his face. His silver hair was pushed back off his face, which was smudged in dirt, sharp jawline peppered in stubble aside from his usual facial hair. He wore his tactical suit, which clung to him in all the right ways so it wouldn't get in the way when he ran. You used to love when he put that damn suit on... it made you hot under the collar. It still did, and you realize this with a bit of resentment.

You could tell he was tired, and you almost felt bad for being here because you knew once he realized you were sitting on the couch he'd get ten times more exhausted. But it was too late to hide away now.

Normally he would have noticed you right away, but his exhaustion seemed to be overwhelming his vigilance. He knew you were supposed to show up, he just didn't know when. That's what Tony had said at least.

Speaking of, Tony casts a glance over to you, a sort of brotherly reassurance. He wanted to make sure you were alright. You send him a barely-there nod in confirmation.

Pietro groans and throws his stuff down on the floor alongside Wanda's things, scrubbing a hand through his hair. That's when Tony decides to speak up.

"Welcome back, speedy. You missed an enthralling debate, and we'd love your input. Titanic or Jurassic Park? There's only one side to this that's correct, so choose wisely." He calls over, and Pietro looks at him quizzically.

He seems to ponder it for a moment as he makes his way towards the couches, not quite looking your way because Tony had already captured his attention, drawing him in so he couldn't run off. Clever man.

"Jurassic Park. No question." He decides, and there's a collection of groans from certain team members. You felt just a little pride bubble in your chest. Jurassic Park was your pick too. Tony was among those who groaned.

"How dare you choose a dinosaur movie over the cinematic masterpiece that is Titanic! This team lacks taste." He gripes, and Bucky is quick to jump his case, protesting something like 'the movie is historically inaccurate and there was enough room on the door for both' and then Tony called him a fossil. So on and so forth.

Pietro laughs, a sound that made your heart ache, and he makes his way over towards the couch to sit down, towards where you were sitting. Which makes sense... you sat in the spot he normally occupies on the couch. You were just so used to sitting there alongside him that you forgot it was his spot.

Tell me, did you sail across the sun? Did you make it to the milky way to see the lights all faded? And that heaven is overrated?

He casts his eyes up to the seat, maybe ten or so feet away, and he stops dead in his tracks as his eyes lock onto yours. For a moment, you forgot how to breathe. That gaze, steely blue, flooded with emotion caught off guard like that? It could bring you to your knees. It has before.

Tony had been watching the exchange with baited breath, seeming to sense the rising tension. He wasn't the only one who had caught on, several teammates were watching now, anxious to see what would happen. They knew your history, remembered the sounds of explosive arguments from the past. Before anything could escalate too quickly, Tony decides to do something.

"Alright, guys! Movie room, asap! We'll watch both movies, and decide which one is better than the other then. Mandatory team bonding! C'mon, let's go." He quips, and as a few teammates start to protest he shushes them.

"And people who have been traveling and recently got back are excluded." He adds. Thank god for Tony Stark.

Everyone rises and starts to leave the room, save for you and Pietro, who were still locked in a silent staring match, both a little too caught in the moment to say anything. Natasha gives your knee a little squeeze before she goes though you hardly register it, leaving the two of you alone in the room.

The air felt suffocating, even moreso following the silence that engulfed the room when they were gone. No one has said a single thing yet... you didn't know what to say to him. So many thoughts were running around in your head, emotions you had bottled up and shoved deep down. Thankfully, after a long while of agonizing silence, he takes the liberty upon himself.

He says your name, softly, like it hurt him to form the syllables at all. His voice was rough around the edges, raw and so quiet that if anyone else had been in the room you wouldn't have heard him. You still say nothing, even if the was he sounded knocked the wind out of you.

"I uh... didn't expect you back today." He continues, trying to find some semblance of control in his emotions. It didn't seem to be working.

"...Yeah. I didn't think you'd get home today either." You reply, and the faltering of your own voice surprises you. God, you hadn't even been here with him more than an hour. His effect on you was ridiculous.

He sighs, though his posture was still rather tense. "Recon mission, ended early." He mumbles, and the way he shifts from foot to foot portrayed his anxiety with the situation. He was nervous... but you didn't blame him. You felt as if your heart would leap out of your chest, even though he caused you so much pain the last time you were with him.

You simply nod, watching him closely. He seemed to be thinking over his next words, long and hard. Like he wasn't sure what to say at all, which was so unlike him. Pietro Maximoff, who always knows what to say, always having a sharp reply on the edge of his lips for everything, a charming smirk to follow. Finally, he speaks.

"I missed seeing you around, you know." The way he said it was so tender, like he really meant it. But the phrasing made you surprisingly angry, and your hands ball into fists in your lap.

"You don't get to miss me." You say, tone even but laced with hurt and venom. He broke you. He doesn't get to pretend it wasnt his fault you left.

The words strike him like a punch to the stomach, and his brows crease. You expected him to argue, but he almost looks resigned to the matter.

"I... I know. I wanted to call, but..." he begins, but you feel your temper flare. All the pent up anger, and hurt, and sadness you felt when you left were finally rising to the surface, settling in your chest and lighting a fire that refused to be put out.

"But you didn't. No call, no text, not even a letter or a post card. I got nothing from you for six months, so I don't expect anything now. You don't get to apologize because you're guilty. You meant what you said before I left, own up to it." You snap. He could hear the way your voice rose towards the end, knew you were angry. You had every right to be.

"Come on, you know I'm sorry-"

"No, I don't. I don't know that. Not once did you say you were sorry before now." Your voice was rising, and you didn't care. You just didn't care. He hurt you, and he needed to feel it damn it.

"I know I let you down, but please, just hear-" he starts, voice rising with an air of desperation but you cut him off again.

"I don't want your apology. I want you to leave me alone." You retort, trying to edge your voice with finality. You didn't want to open yourself to be hurt again. Not by the man who broke your heart so completely. Not by the man who once owned it, dominated your mind with his laugh and quick wit and impish smile. The man who still owned it.

"You know I can't leave you alone. I could never leave you alone, even if I wanted to. Believe me, I've tried." His voice cracks towards the end, and you meet his eyes again. He looked so... broken. But so were you.

Just leave me alone! I had to pick up the pieces of what you broke, I don't want to have to do that again. I-I... I'm still healing... Let me heal. Leave me be..." You plead. Even if you were so damn angry, you were tortured by this. You didn't want to listen. But he kept talking anyways.

"I... after you left, I just couldn't get over you. I couldn't get you out of my mind, how much I missed you. I missed you, damn it." He says, and the way he spits his words out makes you want to believe him so badly. You bite your tongue so hard, you think it might bleed.

"I missed everything about you. Waking up to you in the morning. Hearing your laugh. Making you smile. The way you'd wrinkle your nose when I said something that you thought was stupid. I never realized how completely and utterly in love with you I was until you were gone. And fuck, I love you. I love you so much it hurts." He sounded so desperate to get his point across, so hopeless and anguished. You hadn't noticed you started to shake. He notices and starts towards you, closing the distance slowly with paced steps, gauging your reaction. When you don't protest, he doesn't stop coming closer.

You had never heard him say that before. That he loves you. You told him you loved him for the first time about six months ago, in his room laying on his bed. You meant it so wholly, with every beat of your heart you loved this man. And as soon as the words left your lips, he closed himself off to you. You'd never felt that rejected in your life, that alone.

He'd broken up with you a week later... said that it wasn't working for him anymore with no other explanation than that. That's why you took the job in Africa and up and left a week later. Being around him every day, knowing he'd brushed off your declaration like it was nothing was too much, caused too much pain. You couldn't deal with that. So you left, leaving him behind so you could heal in peace.

Sitting in front of him here, with him pouring his heart out to you, you just didn't know if you had the strength to withstand it. Not when you still loved him with everything you had.

"I should have told you then, I know. I've felt it since the first day I met you, and god it scared me, and I really fucked up. It scared me to love someone like this... the way I love you. And I know, I don't even deserve to talk to you right now, but I just wanted you to know. I'll tell everyone in this tower, damn it. I love you."

He was in front of you now, watching you with eyes so stormy they were more grey than blue. You take in a shaky, gasping breath, and his hands twitch like he wanted to reach out and touch you, comfort you the way he used to, but he doesn't. He doesn't know where the relationship stands now, and honestly, you don't either.

You sniffle quietly, on the verge of tears, just staring at him trying not to cry. You didn't like to cry, not in front of anyone. He used to be your shoulder to cry on other than Tony, but now you just didn't know.

"I-I want to forgive you so... so bad, Piet. But you... you really hurt me. You broke me. I wasn't ready to say goodbye to you." You say quietly, the words meddling together as you try to get them out. You wanted them to come out strong, firm, but the crying didn't help. Instead they were hushed, broken up in between as you tried to breathe. You felt like you couldn't breathe.

His face falls even further, and then he does something that makes you feel so utterly helpless to stay angry. He falls to his knees in front of the couch, like he was begging. And technically, he was.

"Baby, please. My love. My princesa. My everything, please." He whispers with soft urgency, eyes so wide and anguished. He was baring his soul to you, and it made your resolve crumble. He'd never been this emotionally vulnerable before. His hands reach out slowly, testing the waters, and when you don't recoil he takes your hands in his own. They were warm, steady, unlike yours which in the moment were ice cold and shaky. He lifts them to his lips and kisses each finger, and god if that didn't melt your heart. Damn this man.

"Please come back to me. I'll never hurt you again, I promise. Please."

You had half a mind to say no, out of principle. But damn it, he was looking at you like you hung the moon, and you find that you really really missed him. You missed him so much, and here he was, apologizing and saying he loves you and touching you the way he used to, and you just couldn't.

You manage to give him a watery smile, the gesture making tears fall and streak across your cheeks. His hands reach up to cup your face, thumbs brushing them away, waiting for your response with baited breath.

"Pietro Maximoff, if you break my heart again so help me god I'm going to kill you." You mumble, and his face lights up like a christmas tree. It makes your heart trip over itself.

"I won't! Never again my love. I wouldn't dream of it." He whispers quickly, and when you nod in response, still smiling he surges forward in a very Pietro-fashion to kiss you with everything he has. Everything that says he loves you and missed you and that he was wrong, lips kissing you senseless. His hand drifts to the back of your neck, and somehow your own find themselves gripping onto dirty blonde locks of hair.

He was kissing you so deep and passionately, conveying just how much you mean to him, a hidden language only spoken through touch, and god have you missed this. Missed feeling so openly and wholly loved by someone. By him.

Missed feeling at home.

And did you miss me while you were looking for yourself out there?

#fanfic #marvel #pietromaximoff #avengers #fanfiction #writing blog #writing #pietro maximoff fanfic #pietro maximoff x reader #pietro maximoff #peach writes

101 notes · View notes

rouiyan · 4 years

Text

𝘚𝘏𝘖𝘞 𝘔𝘌 𝘛𝘏𝘌 𝘓𝘖𝘝𝘌 [ 𝘭.𝘫𝘯 ]

⧏ part of the before i met you collective ⧐

synopsis: after an accidental leak, the news of you and jeno’s relationship becomes the talk of the world. to satiate the incredible curiosity of fans and news outlets alike, the two of you take on a variety show, knowing brother. will this bold move prove to everyone that your relationship is more than just a publicity stunt?

✧ lee jeno x (fem.) reader ✧ idolverse au, knowing brother au, established relationship au

✧ genre : fluff ✧ word count : 1.9k ✧ disclaimers : minor swearing, i talk about eyes a lot lol

✧ author’s note — was supposed to be a short drabble but i got carried away and ended up going into so much unnecessary detail. super fun to write; this idea expertly fought my incoming writer’s block.

you let out a suppressed laugh as jeno profusely denies the apologies that come his way from the girl that just recently joined the makeup team. she had used a much thicker brush than needed on his lips and in turn, they’ve grown almost twice the size, the natural mauve color spilling over the edges. he gives you a pointed look but it’s taken with less seriousness than he’d like, his lips clearly making the expression funnier than intended.

“stop, y/n,” he mumbles, though his face is more of a pout as you crane your neck to watch him, the same girl now fussing with makeup remover blocking your view of him. as she leaves to grab a thinner brush, jeno turns to look at his reflection in the mirror and you make your way across the room to stand next to where he is seated. the both of you stare at each other’s reflections in the mirror, smiles filled with soft adoration. “you nervous?” he speaks, eyebrows shifting up ever so slightly. you swear the way the lights of the vanity reflect off his pupils make it look like he holds the stars in his eyes (and you're sure he does). nodding, you express to him the pressures you’ve been facing, “i hope we do well.”

he hums and removes his stare from the mirror to the actual you, looping his arms around your waist loosely. “we will, babe. we’re unstoppable when we’re together, you know?” he feels more than hears the soft chuckle that you let out and he raises his head to look you in the eyes. “i guess you’re right.”

it’s been a little over a year since jeno asked you out, right outside the convenience store a few blocks down from the nct dream dorm. a chilly two a.m. snack run where jeno had spontaneously been gifted with the confidence to tilt your head up with his index finger and swoop in for a kiss after his heartfelt words were received with tired enthusiasm. he thinks about that night a lot more than he’d ever admit.

he also thinks about a similar night, only three weeks ago from now, outside the same convenience store, this time at three a.m., when his hands intertwined themselves with yours on instinct and when you looked up at him with that pretty little smile of yours. he can still hear the shuffling of feet behind him, the click and flash of a camera following. he can still feel the way his heart stopped as he drew his and your hats lower, turning over his shoulder to be face to face with a camera peeking through the shadows. he can still remember the way his hand unwinded from yours, instead wrapping around your whole frame, bringing you closer to his chest and further away from view. he could still hear your heartbeat against his, erratic, and he still remembers praying to dear god that they didn’t catch your face. he stills feels the guilt gnawing at his gut when he found out that it was too late. what was supposed to be a simple first anniversary was turned into a day of phone calls, pr meetings, frustrated managers, and even worse, angry sasaengs camping outside both of your dorms.

he knows it’s not exactly his fault, though he did admit that to the higher ups much to your dislikes, but he can’t help but feel responsible for all his desperate fans going after your reputation, your job, group, family and friends, and most importantly, you. in all honesty, he also received plenty of backlash from your fans as well but it aggravated him much more than it should’ve that people would dare talk shit about his girlfriend.

making headlines, your relationship with jeno was widely labeled as sm’s bid for attention and monetary gain, however untrue that was. most fans were in denial because of countless other situations where a rumored couple would be later revealed as a publicity stunt, especially since you and jeno were of a big company and from popular groups. of the many game plans that were presented to the two of you, he found this one the most effective. to go on a variety show together and show the compatibility and chemistry between the two of you, to verify your relationship as real and deserving of humanly respect.

jeno is brought back to reality as a colored brush is applied to his lips once again. he looks up to gauge what had happened whilst he was spaced out and sees that you are talking animatedly to the manager that had accompanied you here today, a bright look on your face as your fingers fiddle with a water bottle lid. after getting his makeup done, properly this time, he stands and stalks over beside you, half listening to the conversation about mic settings. with a pout, you hand the water bottle to jeno and he immediately unscrews it, neither of you looking at each other, the act seemingly a casual exchange.

jeno corners you before going on set, hands on your shoulders, to tell you that, “we’re going to do great, princess.” the nickname rolls off his tongue with ease and leaves a pink dust across your cheeks, blooming under the blush that’s applied on top. he gives your shoulders a reassuring squeeze and slips in a few more encouraging compliments (“so pretty,” tucks strand of hair behind your ear, “i got quite lucky didn’t i?”) before the two of you are called on set to start filming.

the cameras start rolling and as the hosts go about their usual introduction banter, you slip a finger into the indent in the door and on cue, slide it open, revealing your smiling face, jeno’s secure hand on your back, reminding you that he is there with every step into unfamiliar territory. the hosts turn and gape at the pair, having not met backstage to save the guests as a surprise. hodong, is the first to talk coherently among all the commotion, “wah, the power couple of the century is here today!” chuckling at his comment, you and jeno take your places behind the podium at the front, wary of their stares on you. for a second, you feel as if you are in an actual classroom, introducing yourself on the first day of your transfer with an uneasy feeling settling in your stomach.

“hi, it’s nice to meet you, i’m y/l/n y/n, from sm high! please take care of me!” your nose scrunches at how cringy the school name sounded in comparison to when you and jeno were making it up back in the dressing room. jeno follows with his introduction after you politely bow, “hi, i’m lee jeno, also from sm high! please take good care of us!” a chorus of applause echoes around the three-walled setup and you feel jeno’s hand move from the small of your back to rest upon your shoulders; unconsciously you lean into his frame, his warmth inviting you in ways you don’t even process.

“so the rumors are true, huh?” you look over at soogeun, one of the hosts that you had chosen to sit next to. he’s kind from what you can tell, and almost exactly like the person you see on tv. the other hosts are busy chatting with jeno and you look over at them before settling on the man speaking to you. “yeah,” your voice is soft, “they’re true.” a smile adorns your face as you say this and the little moment that’s caught on camera is enough to melt the audience, (or so the editors think as they go through the tape after filming).

the hosts inform you that instead of the ‘ask about me’ segment they’re going to, instead, ask the two of you questions, more or less about your relationship. you figure that this has a lot to do with the whole reason you're here and you feel comfortable knowing that you get a chance to explain, to clear the air of assumed rumors.

the first to ask is janghoon, a simple question to start the segment off, “how did you guys first meet?” jeno and you take turns answering the questions, jeno taking the lead on this one. “it was… january of 2015, i think. like, one year before i debuted and y/n was new to the company. i remember that she was chosen to be in a debut group almost instantly after she joined and some of the other boys in my group were talking about how talented she was.” he takes a second to look over at you, seeing the way your eyes light up when they meet his, “i first talked to her at a showcase, i think. she was already pretty close with mark and haechan, from my group, because they trained together for a bit. even then, i remember her being probably one of the prettiest girls i had ever met. and it wasn’t just the looks though, she- y/n’s always been a kind girl and i guess that i always thought she was too good for me… i still do, for the most part.”

your eyes are slightly wide when he finishes and he gives you a questioning look. “wow, i don’t remember talking to you until that one halloween party…” the room falls to silence before everyone laughs at jeno’s bewildered expression, clearly baffled at how you didn’t even remember when the two of you first met.

the show moves on good-naturedly before heechul pops the big question, “do you guys love each other?” he says it rather sarcastically, in case you are uncomfortable in answering, but you take it upon yourself to make this situation into a bit of a turning point in all the fun. “of course, jeno’s a big part of my life. whenever i’m not onstage or working, he’s always the one i’m with. this job, it really isn’t the easiest. besides getting to do what we love we also have to be watched constantly, but it’s okay for me at least, having someone like him by my side makes it all okay.” you can almost imagine the cameras showing jeno’s face at this moment, the little hearts edited into the frame of the captured scene, his expression a mix of shy smiles and lovesick eyes. it’s easy to say when you mean it and you know that it’s also easy for jeno when he simply wraps you up in his arms, with content coating his embrace and without care as to the cameras shooting in all directions.

it’s safe to say that the episode went viral, only a few hours after its airing. most fans gushed over your relationship with jeno, sharing screenshots of you in his arms. jeno loves how some fans are even shaming those who look down upon your relationship and he's even happier that he’s allowed to take you out on dates, to add you as a plus one to special events, and to finally be able to call you his, loud and proud.

(bonus: jaemin is beyond excited to watch the episode right when it comes out, popcorn and lights dimmed in preparation. he even dragged a poor renjun to watch it with him, claiming he needed a shoulder to cry on if you guys were being too sweet. he didn’t actually cry, but renjun practically vomited as he watched jeno hoist you up upon his shoulders to reach the basketball hoop during the game segment. he hurled towards the trash can.)

#nct #nct fics #nct jeno #nct jeno fics #rouiyan fics #rouiyan writes

146 notes · View notes

clintbartonswife · 4 years

Text

inundated with the fated thought of you

Pairings: Geralt of Rivia x Jaskier, Yennefer x Triss Summary: the group travels to Kaer Morhen, Ciri finally understands the meaning of ‘chosen family’ and Jaskier sings once again Notes: mentions of injury, recovery, confessions. thank you @kazeetease for beta reading this chapter <3 masterlist || one || two || three || four || five || six ||

“Ciri! Geralt wants you outside!”

The princess turned away from Jaskier, the bard leaning against the wall for stability, fixing Yennefer with a curious look, “Now?”

“Yes now, he wants to teach you how to properly tack a horse, especially now that we have the extra one.”

Jaskier perked up at this, smile widening, “A new horse? Who would that be for?”

“You - you’re in no state to walk far distances and we can’t exactly leave you behind.” Yen replied, fixing Jaskier with a mock glare.

The bard smiled sagely, relaxing into the familiar banter, “You should know by now that I’m too hard to shake, witch.”

“A tragedy, really.”

Triss scoffed from her seat at the table, packing away potion ingredients with care, “You’d both be lost without each other, just admit it. You wouldn't know what to do if you didn't have someone to lovingly insult everyday.”

Jaskier and Yennefer looked at each other with fake disgust, lasting a few seconds before erupting into laughter.

“I guess you’re not so bad.” Yen huffed, nudging him gently with her shoulder.

“Same has to be said for you,” Jaskier grumbled mockingly, “I guess you did save my life twice now.”

“And you’d be smart not to forget it.”

Jaskier shook his head fondly, watching as she all-but strutted away, averting his eyes back to Ciri who had been watching with obvious amusement.

“You’d better go see what our Witcher wants, princess.”

Ciri just smiled, running outside, calling for Geralt as she went, her light footsteps receding. As soon as she was out of earshot, he slumped further against the wall, a pained sigh escaping his mouth.

“You know,” Triss said from the kitchen, voice surprising Jaskier, “You shouldn't keep pushing yourself so much.”

“I can assure you, my dear, I’m not pushing myself too hard,” Jaskier smiled, shifting into a slightly more upright position, wincing as a sharp pain shot up his spine, “You healed me excellently.”

The sorceress laughed, “Flattery will get you nowhere, bard. I know I’m still drained,” she stood from her seat, bags all packed, “I can only apologise I couldn't get rid of the lasting pain.”

“In pain and alive is better than dead.”

“That it is.”

The two of them exchanged smiles, Triss offering her arm in aid.

“I should be alright to walk to the horses,” Jaskier replied good naturedly, “Besides, I’ve got to get used to walking unaided if we’re to be travelling to Kaer Morhen”

“Sing us a song, Jask. Please?” Cirilla asked, walking beside the horse (recently named ‘Pegasus’ - much to Geralt’s chagrin) and gazing up at the bard hopefully.

Jaskier spared a glance at Geralt, only to be met with another hopeful look, a warm feeling of happiness building in his chest at the Witcher’s acceptance, “Alas, I am without my lute little one. I’m afraid it won’t be my best performance.”

“Your lute?” Geralt repeated, “Oh Jask I’m so sorry - I must’ve forgotten to give it to you.”

Tears sprung to Jaskier’s eyes almost immediately as Geralt removed his instrument from one of his packs, passing it to Jaskier with a tentative smile, “Yennefer went back for it when we rescued you.”

The bard hugged the lute to his chest, the familiar weight of the instrument settling something within himself that he hadn't noticed was there.

“I can’t tell you how much this means to me,” he whispered, hands trailing over the markings, “Thank you, truly.”

“No need to thank us bard, just play us a song,” Yennefer smirked, walking ahead of the two horses hand in hand with Triss.

“Okay,” Jaskier nodded, a smile firmly set on his face, “I - this is one I was working on before... everything happened.”

Ciri grinned at him encouragingly, eyes shining with barely restrained glee.

Clearing his throat, shuffling slightly in the saddle, Jaskier began to sing.

“The wrinkles and bricks that we’re left with at last

And drink will fix all those questions unasked

Who died and made you king of it all.”

Geralt frowned slightly, reading into the lyrics, frown deepening as he continued through to the chorus.

“Cause these plates they smash like waves

And the wine stains hide the tears

But that

Breathing you hear don't mistake it for sighs

Don't you realise? They’re just battle cries dear.”

“Jask-”

Ciri cut Geralt off with a sharp glare, “Shh, let him sing.”

Jaskier snorted a laugh, pausing to reach down and ruffle the princess’ hair before readjusting his seating and re-starting his strumming, making direct eye contact with Geralt as he sang the last few lines.

“And these lines aren’t wrinkles, dear heart

They’re just dollops of paint on a new work of art

And as I

Walk away, I know I’ve been through the wars

But that creaking you hear in my bones is not pain, it’s applause.“

He set his lute down across his laps with a smile, hands aching slightly at the sudden use, “That’s as far I’ve got so far.”

“It was beautiful,” Triss said, her soft voice breaking the awed silence that had fallen over the group, Yennefer nodding in agreement.

“I loved it!” Ciri breathed, watching him with newfound curiosity, “Could you teach me to play?”

Jaskier felt himself smile at her enthusiasm, “I’m sure we could find some time in between your other lessons once we get to Kaer Morhen?”

He aimed the question at Geralt, hunching himself inwards slightly, as if anticipating a less than enthusiastic response. Instead, he was met with the softest expression he had ever seen on his friend’s (lover’s? he wasn't quite sure what they were) face, “We’ll find time”

At that, Ciri cheered, walk changing to a skip, “I can’t wait to learn as much as I can - ooh! ooh! You’ll have to teach me to play Toss A Coin so I can annoy Geralt. Then we’ll -”

Ciri’s excited babbling faded into the background as Jaskier focused on Geralt’s face, the seemingly bottomless affection reflected in his eyes shocking him. The soft smile, barely noticeable to those who didn't know the Witcher well, speaking volumes.

“Do you have another you could play?” Geralt asked, “Perhaps the one about the Selkie?”

Jaskier burst into a grin and, ignoring the slight aches in his hands, picked his lute back up, “Of course, dearheart.”

By the time dusk had set, Geralt slid off Roach, directing the group to a small clearing in the woods.

“We can rest here for tonight,” he announced, moving to assist Jaskier off of Pegasus, “We’re far away enough from the road and there’s a stream just a few miles north from here”

Ciri nodded, already moving to collect some twigs and fallen branches for kindling, hiding a smile as she watched her pseudo-father all but lift Jaskier from the saddle and place him gently down on the forest floor.

“Seems as good a place as any,” Yennefer agreed, surveying the area with a neutral expression, “It’s warm enough to use our bedrolls - we can save the tents until we get nearer to winter.”

Jaskier watched as the four of them worked in tandem to set up the temporary camp, only Triss’ slight lagging behind showing that she was newer to the dynamic.

Trying not to feel so useless, Jaskier untacked the horses, stroking over Roach’s muzzle with a smile. He had missed the horse almost as much as Geralt himself, the amount of times the two had waited together for Geralt to come back from a hunt creating an almost unbreakable bond that Jaskier had never experienced with an animal before.

Roach, sensing that he had begun to get lost in his thoughts, nudged his chest gently.

“Ah, thank you girl,” he smiled, slipping a sugar cube from one of the saddle bags and offering it to her, “It’s nice to be back.”

By the time he had finished tending to the horses, the camp had been set up, Geralt waving him over with soft eyes, an empty space between him and Triss by the fire.

“- just need to get to the summit and then we can portal to Kaedwen, leaving only a trace that should dissipate before Nilfgaard can track it,” Yen said, “Then it should only be a two days ride to the valley.”

Geralt nodded, absentmindedly pulling Jaskier to rest against his chest, relieving the tension of the bard’s body, “From then it should only be a few days to make it up the pass. We should be safe there.”

Jaskier hummed in acknowledgement, his aching body relaxing into the warmth of the Witcher’s embrace, eyes fighting to stay open as the conversation faded into background noise, lulling him to sleep.

Geralt watched Jaskier fall asleep with a soft smile, slightly tightening his arms to ensure he didn't slip out of his grip, current conversation forgotten as he made sure the bard was comfortable.

“-alt. Geralt.”

The Witcher looked up at the sound of his name being called, eyes refocusing onto the two sorceresses.

“We lost you for a moment there,” Triss teased lightly, nodding at Jaskier in his arms, “Did you hear the plan?”

“Portalling to Kaedwen tomorrow,” Geralt grunted, ignoring the heat that rose to his cheeks at the realisation that he had zoned out of the conversation just from watching his bard, “Then a two days ride through to the Blue Mountains.”

“Yennefer asked you how long it takes to get up the pass,” turning his head to look at Ciri, he was met with a cheeky smile from the young girl, “you were just staring at Jaskier and didn't answer.”

Cheeks now blazing, Geralt cleared his throat, avoiding eye contact with all three of the women, “The pass generally takes me two days to clear, with all of our gear and you four it will probably take us three to four days.”

“And you’re sure we can’t just portal to the top?” Yennefer sighed, distaste clear in her expression.

“You’d trigger the wards placed around the mountain, it’s better to just walk.”

Yen sighed, nodding sharply before standing up, offering her hand to Triss, “Well if you don't mind we better be getting to bed. We’ll need our strength for the portal.”

Geralt hummed in acknowledgment, watching as the two women laid their bedrolls next to each other, Yennefer holding Triss protectively against her chest.

“You should be going to sleep as well, Ciri.”

“I’m not tired yet,” she groaned, a yawn ruining her pretence.

The Witcher raised an eyebrow, an unimpressed look on his face. The princess sighed dramatically, standing up from her seat by the fire and walking over to her bedroll, placed in between Yennefer and Geralt’s.

As her breathing levelled out, Gerat allowed his attention to once again return to the delicate bard in his arms, the position becoming familiar. A warmth in his chest spread across his body as he finally allowed himself to embrace the feeling of love, compassion and protection that Jaskier inspired within him, the blind show of trust something that no one other than Ciri had ever shown him.

The fire spat as the embers began to die, but Geralt didn't want to move in case he woke the bard. Eventually, as the light began to fade, Geralt braced himself to stand, slowly moving so as not to disturb his sleep.

The Witcher moved across the clearing to the bedrolls, kneeling down and placing Jaskier gently onto the mat. He knelt there for a second, waiting for any negative reaction to the change of scenery, before pulling away, going back to reignite the fire.

“Geralt...”

The voice was quiet, almost inaudible even to his enhanced ears. Turning away from the now burning fire, he locked eyes with a sleepy Jaskier, arms outstretched towards him.

He was moving within seconds, eyes searching for any distress. Sensing this, Jaskier shook his head with a tired smile, hands pulling Geralt into the bedroll and into an embrace. The Witcher stiffened in surprise, before slowly relaxing into the bard’s body heat.

“Sleep better with you.”

The hushed confession caused Geralt’s heart to skip a beat, the older man turning around to face Jaskier.

“I don't know how to do this.”

Jaskier frowned, his sleep-addled brain not fully comprehending Geralt’s confession, instead moving to place his head on his chest with a low hum, “Just hold me, dearest.”

Evened-out breaths indicated that the bard had fallen back to sleep, the affection welling in Geralt’s chest almost overwhelming the man. He knew he would panic about that later, but for now he was content to hold his bard and sleep.

It was early morning when Jaskier finally awoke, the birds’ chirping a welcomed sound to his ears that still rang with the aftermath of his nightmare. Realising he was the first awake, the bard slipped out of Geralt’s arms, restarting the fire and setting off to collect some river water to boil.

“I can be useful,” he assured himself, ignoring the strain on his legs as he walked down the bank, copper pot in his hand, “Just as useful as I was before.”

Dipping the pot into the water, he caught sight of his reflection, the morning sun illuminating the angry red scar with alarming clarity. Wincing, the bard avoided his reflection, standing up and quickly making his way back to camp, desperately banishing the whispers of his torturer that tried to once again assault his mind.

Stumbling back into the clearing, he came face to face with a frantic Witcher, amber eyes searching him wildly.

“Geralt-?”

“Where were you? I woke up and you were gone! I-”

Stomach dropping, Jaskier quickly placed the pot of water down before cupping Geralt’s cheeks, pressing their foreheads together, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry dearheart but you were asleep and I didn't want to wake you. I just went to the stream to get some water.”

Geralt exhaled, shoulders drooping, “Jask.”

“I know, I won’t do it again. I didn't think what it would look like.”

Despite the panic at seeing his Witcher distressed, a twisted part of him revelled in seeing the Witcher so worried over him. Choosing to ignore the confusing feelings for the moment, Jaskier instead focused on calming Geralt down, moving his forehead away slightly before placing a quick but firm kiss on his lips.

The action, no matter how hesitant Jaskier was in making it, seemed to relax the taller man, so he leaned in again. This time as their lips connected, Geralt moved his hands to rest on Jaskier’s hips, the hold gentle.

Pulling back with a smile, Geralt ducked his head, “Do we... do we need to talk about this?”

Jaskier breathed out shakily, hands still cupping the Witcher’s cheeks, “I don't think there’s much to talk about.”

Before Geralt’s expression could fall, Jaskier took a deep breath and released the confession that he had been holding within himself for just over two decades, “I am in love with you after all, I’ll take whatever I can get.”

Amber eyes met blue, both equally shocked.

“You love me?”

“Aye, have for ... well going on twenty two years now.”

A wounded noise escaped Geralt as he recaptured Jaskier’s lips in another kiss, this time more desperate than the last.

“I love you too” he breathed, words uttered against his lips like a prayer, “Jask-”

It was only as Geralt wiped his face that Jaskier realised he was crying, the happy tears leaking from his eyes outshone by the massive smile on his lips.

“You don't know how long I’ve waited to hear you say those words to me, my love,” he laughed, voice thick with emotion.

“Too long.”

“Just kiss me again you oaf.”

The journey through the Blue Mountains was about as pleasant as one could expect a hike to be.

Ever since the night of confessions, the three women had been teasing the new couple almost non-stop, Ciri seeming especially happy with the new situation.

On the first night travelling up the pass to Kaer Morhen, Ciri sat in between Jaskier and Geralt with a thoughtful smile, “Does this mean I have two dads now?”

Jaskier, who had been drinking some water at the time, promptly choked, spluttering in surprise as Geralt shifted uncomfortably in his seat. Yennefer and Triss, sitting opposite them behind the fire, began to laugh uncontrollably at their reactions, Ciri looking slightly confused but proud at making the normally stern woman laugh.

“Pardon me darling girl?” Jaskier wheezed, “but did I hear that right?”

“Yes. Do I call you papa now that you’re dating my dad?”

Geralt, being bombarded with emotions - not only being referred to as ‘dad’ as the first time, but also finally accepting the idea of Jaskier as his partner - went to speak, but instead only made a strangled noise which made the two sorceresses laugh even harder.

“I think you’ve broken him, dear girl,” Yennefer smirked, clearly enjoying his struggle.

“Do you - do you not want me to call you dad?”

Ciri’s voice came out quiet and shuttered, her eyes dropping to the floor.

“Ciri - no, of course I would - the fact that you think -” Geralt fumbled for the right words, desperate not to upset the girl. Eventually, he gave up, opening his arms for a hug, “I think of you as my daughter.”

The princess released a happy giggle, leaping into his arms with a large grin, “So I can call you dad? and Jaskier papa?”

The bard cleared his throat, dislodging the lump that had formed from holding back tears, and offered the girl a soft smile as she looked at him over Geralt’s shoulder, “I would be honoured.”

The girl returned to her seat, the moment seemingly passed, when Jaskier spoke up from her side, “Does that mean you see Yennefer and Triss as your crazy aunts?”

The atmosphere lightened with everybody’s laughter, Triss looking delighted - Yennefer hiding her smile behind a tactical sip of water - as Cirilla declared that she indeed saw them as family as well.

Geralt met Jaskier’s eyes over Ciri’s head, an unspoken promise passing between them. They were all a family now, and they would protect the little girl until their last breath.

______________________________________________________________

@kittynannygaming @fillingless-piee @nanazlovese @anotherunoriginal @baron-von-wilderpants @whumpeeee @rainwaterapothecary @mazydog @vandersummer @puer-de-infinitate

66 notes · View notes

thenamesreader · 4 years

Text

If I Could Tell Her

Prompt: “So you do have feelings after all.”

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

For the time Katherine Howard had known Anna of Cleves- both pre- and post-reincarnation- she had been the one to be neutral on most things. She was pretty chill and wasn’t one for drama. She exchanged witty banter with Anne every now and then and the two would come up with pranks together when they were in the mood.

Otherwise, Cleves didn’t show- well, it wasn’t to fair to say no emotions. Just rather little emotion when it came to certain things. From the few times Kat tried to talk about some rather intimate subjects or when the others tried to settle debates, Cleves didn’t have much to say.

So, when Kat had noticed Cleves being unusually flustered when around her, lately, it was more than off-putting. Kat had only seen her flustered once and that was after Anne had pulled a prank on her. She was quick to cover that up with a laugh and smile.

That smile that brightened up the whole room...

I’m getting off track, Kat told herself as she doodled in her notebook. She had been writing ideas for a song but she had tiny sketches of puppies and flowers in place of words, now.

“Kitty!” Anne’s voice called. “Dinner’s ready!”

“Coming!” Kat called back, before closing her notebook. She’ll figure out what was going on with Cleves later.

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

“Why are you looking at me like that?” Kat asked.

She and Cleves had been left alone and Kat had decided to bake some cupcakes. Cleves had offered to help and was now looking at her while they baked in the oven with the softest look on her face while Kat cleaned up .

As soon as Kat spoke, Cleves’ face went red and she scratched at her chin. “I was just... thinking,” she answered, unusually hesitant.

“You shouldn’t scratch like that,” Kat responded, grabbing the German queen’s hand with both of her own as she noticed the nervous tick. “Is there something you wanna talk about?”

Cleves only glanced down at the floor. “Um, maybe later,” she told her.

Kat gave a small smile. “Okay.”

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

Volleyball was one of Kat’s favorite sports. Especially when they went to the beach. Sure, it was almost rare with how far away it was from their home. But, it was summertime and that meant beach volleyball. And of course Anne had to know this. She was her older cousin after all.

She was playing 2v2 with Cathy (it was almost a wonder how she was coerced from reading) on one team while Kat played with Cleves on the opposing team. The German Queen proved to be rather competitive and a formidable player. Kat wasn’t that great at volleyball but what she lacked in skill she made up with sheer enthusiasm. It helped to beat Cathy and Anne in the game.

Anne complained about cheating, which Cleves and her younger cousin denied. The quarrel probably wouldn’t have been settled if Cathy hadn’t dragged Anne away to Jane and Aragon were.

“They cheated,” the beheaded Queen complained.

“Mhm,” was Cathy’s only response as she turned the page in her book.

Anne pouted before laying her head in Cathy’s lap. Cathy started to comb her fingers through Anne’s hair, relaxing her as Anne found Cleves and Kat back on the volleyball court. It seemed the German Queen was teaching Kat how to better her skills in volleyball with the way she was demonstrating the correct ready position. Kat copied her but apparently wasn’t still doing it incorrectly- Anne couldn’t see that well since she was too far away- since Cleves placed a hand on her back to correct her. Anne’s eyes narrowed as she noticed that her hand lingered a little too long before she moved away.

“What’s that face for?” Cathy asked as she closed her book.

Anne gestured to where Cleves and Kat were, the two now doing passing drills. She could hear Cleves shouting some type of encouragement as they played.

“What am I looking at?” Cathy inquired, seemingly confused.

“Watch,” was Anne’s only response.

The two were quiet as they watched the two other Queens as they passed the ball to each other. That wasn’t strange. But, then, Kat tripped as she went to go and pass the ball as it went out of the court and Cleves immediately went to help her up. That wasn’t strange, either. Cleves always helped Kat when something happened. Or tried at the very least. It all depended on the situation.

But, then, Cleves held Kat’s hand for too long. There was no reason for her to be holding her hand for how long she did after she helped Kat up.

“I don’t think I’m following,” Cathy spoke up.

Anne gave a sigh. “You can’t see that they’re smitten with each other?” She asked.

“Are they?” Cathy responded.

Anne chuckled as she leaned up to kiss her girlfriend on the cheek. “I love you, Cathy, but you can be so oblivious.”

Those two were madly in love and Anne was gonna prove it.

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

Katherine had had enough. Apparently, everyone else had, too, considering that they had shut her and Cleves in a room together.

Cleves was continuously banging on the door, shouting what sounded like expletives in German and how much she was gonna kill them once she got out.

“They’re not going to let us out,” Kat told her.

Cleves growled. “They will if I have anything to say about it,” she huffed as she attempted to open the door again. After only a few minutes, she gave up and went to sit down next to Kat.

The two were quiet for a few moments, Cleves laying on her back as she stared up at the ceiling. It was interrupted as the German Queen started tapping her foot in a slow rhythm and humming to herself.

She had told Kat that she did it to psyche herself up when she got nervous after Kat had a nervous breakdown after one of their shows. Kat had tried it herself and it really did take her mind off of whatever was making her nervous. She knew in a moment that Cleves would start speaking to her.

“Can I talk to you about something?” She called just as the thought passed in Kat’s mind.

“What is it?” Kat turned toward her, laying on her stomach to be level with her.

She took notice of Cleves’ cheeks lighting up with a blush. “Have you... have you ever been in love before?” She asked.

Kat chewed on the inside of her cheek as she thought. She had been young when she had died and all the... well, it wouldn’t be fair to call them partners or anything other than abusers. She wasn’t sure if she had any romantic attraction to any of them in her young innocent mind. She remembers having crushes on some others about her age between them all but that was it.

Come to think of it, she hadn’t experienced the rush of romantic attraction that Anne seemed so passionate about until she got reincarnated.

“Not before coming back,” she answered. “Why?

Cleves gave a sigh. “There’s this girl, okay?” She started.

Kat nodded for her to continue, feeling a bit of jealousy that someone else took Cleves affections. She squashed it down. It was unfair and unnecessary. She should be happy for her friend.

“She’s smart. And pretty,” Cleves continued. “She’s a bit of a gremlin, too.”

That sounded a lot like Anne. But, Anne was with Cathy. Maybe it wasn’t her. Maybe it was someone else she didn’t know that reminded her of Anne.

“I think she gets it from her cousin. But, that’s besides the point,” the German Queen said. “The point is I don’t know how I can tell her that I’m in love with her.”

Kat hummed. “I think you should just say it out right,” she told her. “The worst thing she can say is ‘no’.”

Cleves seemed to think before she turned over and looked down at Kat. “Katherine Howard, I don’t know I can say this any other way but I...”

She lowered her voice, mumbling something. An uncharacteristic trait for Anna. She was actually pretty loud. “I’m sorry. What was that?” Kat asked.

Cleves took a deep breath. “I said I’m...” she started mumbling again.

“Still can’t hear you.”

Cleves’ face became red with a blush as she clenched her eyes shut. “I said that I’m in love with you!”

Kat felt time stand still as she processed the words. That was why Cleves had been acting weird? That was why she was acting more flustered than usual?

“You’re in love with me?” Kat asked.

Cleves didn’t look at her as she nodded.

“Me?”

Cleves nodded again.

“Katherine Howard. Who is me. You’re in love with me.”

Cleves gave a small laugh. “Yes, you. I don’t know about any other Katherine Howards out there.”

“So, you do have feelings after all.” Kat whispered.

Cleves tilted her head a bit confused. “I don’t know if I should feel insulted by that or not.”

Kat turned over to look at the ceiling. “Hold on,” she told Cleves. “I need a bit more time to process.”

“Take all the time you need,” Cleves responded.

Wow. Everything made sense, now. She didn’t have to be jealous of anyone (even though she shouldn’t have in the first place). She didn’t have to wait anymore.

Kat steeled her resolve before turning back to look at Cleves. “Alright,” she said. “I have something to tell you, too, but you’re going to come closer.”

Cleves looked confused but she followed Kat’s instructions. Kat took a deep breath before she leaned in close to Cleves ear. “I love you, too,” she whispered.

“Really?” Cleves responded, seemingly shocked. A wide smile split her face as Kat nodded. She gave a very uncharacteristic girlish squeal- something Kat knew she would never get enough of anytime soon- as she wrapped her arms around the other girl and fell backwards, pulling Kat with her.

The two laughed with each other, delirious from their overwhelming feelings before stopping to stare in each other’s eyes. Cleves’ eyes searched Kat’s before she spoke again. “Can I kiss you?” She asked.

Kat already felt like she was falling more in love with her. “Go right ahead.”

Cleves hesitated a bit more looking Kat over a second time. From this, Kat knew she was making sure that she wasn’t uncomfortable.

Good God, this woman was gonna be the death of her.

Cleves, finally, leaned forward and pressed her lips to Kat’s. It was soft- almost cautious in a way. Kat liked it. It was better than- was it fair to call all those others in her previous life kisses really?

Cleves pulled back and Kat was amused that she was the one with a dazed look. “Wow,” she breathed out. “That was the most amazing thing to happen in my life.”

Kat gave a small chuckle as she laid her head on Cleves’ chest. She was just content to lie in her embrace.

But, the moment was ruined as someone slammed the door open. Kat sat up to look up at the offender and found Anne standing in the doorway with Jane, Cathy, and Aragon.

Anne blinked, slowly. “Oh,” was all she said.

“Why did you bust down the door?” Cleves inquired, sounding a bit irritated as Kat was.

Aragon rolled her eyes as she gave a sigh. “Anne said you two should’ve come out by now and wanted to know what was going on.”

Kat narrowed her eyes at them. “How were we supposed to get out if we were locked in?”

“Spare key in one of the drawers,” Anne answered as she pointed at the dresser. A Cheshire-esque spread over her face as she looked them up and down. “You two seemed to have worked out your feelings. Aragon and Cathy owe me £16.”

“I thought we established that there would be no gambling in the house,” Jane scolded.

Anne gave a “tsk”. “We’re grown women, Jane. We can do whatever we want with our money.”

“I refuse to hand my money over to you,” Aragon muttered, not going unheard by Kat.

“You were betting money on us?” Cleves asked, sounding incredulous.

“Unfortuanately,” Cathy grumbled, seeming particularly grumpy about it. Her mood was changed as soon as Anne gave her a peck on her cheek.

“You’ll win next time, babe,” Anne told her.

“How come I didn’t know about this?” Cleves asked, sitting up with her arms still wrapped around Kat.

“Why would we tell you we were betting on you?” Anne retorted. “Kinda ruins the secrecy.”

“I probably would’ve confessed sooner if I knew my money was on the line.”

Anne gave a melodramatic gasp. “Is that all you see my little cousin as, Anna of Cleves?” Anne dramatically fell into Cathy’s arms. “Just a cheap prize to be won? The shame.”

Kat obviously knew she was joking but Cleves didn’t seem to get it as she began to panic. “Wait- I didn’t mean- that’s not-” she stuttered.

Kat gave a small smile before giving her a small peck. “She’s just messing around,” she told her.

Cleves calmed down but she looked embarrassed. “Right,” she murmured. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Kat reassured her.

“Let’s leave them alone, now,” Jane told the others. “I think they’ve had enough of us for one day.”

Cathy picked Anne up as she stayed in her arms. “Up you go,” she muttered before carrying her away. “Congrats, you two.”

“We still have stuff to talk about, Cleves! This isn’t over!” Anne yelled from down from the hall.

“Pipe down, Anne,” came Aragon’s sharp quip.

“Bite me, Catherine.”

“Please, don’t fight. It’s ten o’clock at night.”

Kat shook her head. Anne really was something else. She gave a small yawn. She hadn’t realized how tired she was. Today was a bit wild.

“Hey,” Cleves called, Kat looking up at her. “Let’s go to sleep, yeah?”

Kat yawned again, not fighting as Cleves guided her to lay back down. “Sounds fun,” she mumbled. “Good night.”

Cleves gave her a kiss to the top of her head. “Good night, love.”

Kat gave a content sigh. This was going to be a wonderful, wonderful experience.

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

Prompt swap with: @theatergirl06

A/N: Fact: This went through three title changes before I settled on the title. Also, I’m sorry in advance if the ending feels rushed to you. I’m not good at ending things.

#six the musical #six the musical fanfiction #katherine howard #anna of cleves #anne boleyn #jane seymour #catherine of aragon #catherine parr #parrlyn #katanna

109 notes · View notes

bokutos-eyebrows · 4 years

Text

It’s a Match! pt 2

Part two of my asahi college au <3 Read Part 1 here

Asahi Azumane x Fem!Reader

College AU

Warnings: light cursing

Word Count: 2,099

You finally come in contact with the tall, long haired, cutie in your class! Will the conversation be as good offline as it is over text?

Hey stranger, how’s your spring break going :)

You stared at the tinder message from Asahi in complete shock. There was no way this was actually happening. 12 minutes had passed since he sent the message and you scrambled to find the words to text him back.

It’s going a lot better now :3 I hope you’ve been enjoying the time off!

You cringed at your message as you read it over but decided to be bold(ish). I mean worst case scenario he gets creeped out, unmatches me, and I drop out of school out of pure embarrassment right? You hit send and tossed your phone down onto your bed, dancing around out of excitement and anxiety to see how the situation played out.

Hahaha! That’s good to hear. :D I stayed on campus to work on some projects I really needed to finish.

Asahi had texted you back immediately, causing you to nearly choke on your own spit out of excitement. The conversation was flowing super naturally. He told you about his major and what classes he was taking. You found out he shared your passion for manga and anime, even having some of the same favorite series.

Before you knew it, it was nearly dinner time, and you had been chatting with Asahi the entire day. You wondered what to make when you saw his latest message.

Hey, since we both dorm, I was wondering if you wanted to come over to my place for dinner? No pressure or anything :) I’m cooking carbonara and flatbread!

You froze in panic. A date with Asahi? Well not necessarily a date just hanging out over dinner but still.. Before you lost your sudden burst of confidence, your fingers started typing frantically.

Wow that sounds amazing I would love to :)) What time should I come?

It’s getting darker out so I’ll come pick you up and walk you to my building around 7 if that works with you? Also do you have any dietary restrictions I should know? :)

You smiled at your phone. “HOW IS THIS MAN SO CUTE?!?!? AND RESPECTFULLLLL!” you yelled out loud while typing up a response to your soon to be date. You had an hour and a half to get ready and while it felt like an eternity, it also felt like not nearly enough time.

You tried on multiple outfits, stressed about whether you were under or over dressed for the occasion. Finally, you settled for a pair of tight, ripped, light wash jeans, a form fitting floral top, and your favorite oversized cardigan. As you put the finishing touches on your hair and makeup, your phone lights up with a new tinder message.

I’m outside your building! I didn’t want to cause a disturbance by coming in or knocking! Take your time to come out :)

Your heart swelled as you read the text. He is such a considerate and kind person I can’t believe this is even happening! You told your roommates where you were headed and stepped out to meet Asahi.

“Y/n!” He waved to you, flashing you a smile, “It’s so nice to see you!” He was dressed in a fitted pair of dark denim jeans and cream turtleneck sweater, with his hair up in a loose bun. It took all your self control not to blurt out every compliment that was going through your mind.

“Hi Asahi!” You shared a semi awkward hug. “Thanks for coming to pick me up!”

“Of course! It may be a short walk but, I’d prefer making sure you were safe!” He was beaming, “I really like your outfit!”

You blushed slightly, “Thank you! I actually really like yours too! But that’s such a compliment coming from you Mr. Fashion Designer!” The two of you continued with the light banter until you made it to Asahi’s dorm apartment.

“My rowdier roommate, Nishinoya went home for the break, so it’s only me, Daichi, and Sugawara, my two good friends, here tonight.” Asahi mentioned as he unlocked the door and held it open for you.

“DAICHI THEY’RE HERE.” You heard a yell in the apartment as a gray haired boy came running to the front door to greet you. “Oh my god she’s even prettier than the pictures.” He blurted out.

“Suga, please shut up.” Another boy appeared behind Sugawara. “Hi y/n, I’m Daichi! Please ignore this idiot.”

You laughed as Daichi scolded Suga and turned to Asahi. “So I take it you showed them my profile?” You smirked, silently enjoying making the 6’2, soft boy squirm.

“W-Well it’s more like they took my phone and looked for themselves.” He stammered.

Sugawara covered his mouth with his hands to hide his laughter as an annoyed Daichi dragged him back away with an “It was nice meeting you, have fun!” And you were left to enjoy your dinner date.

Asahi plated the meal beautifully. Jesus he’s hot, respectful, and can cook?!? You mused to yourself while taking a picture of his carbonara and flatbread dish. “This is going on instagram.” You stated, your seriousness making Asahi laugh.

“I’m honored, y/n.” He smiled, “I didn’t know if you drank alcohol so I didn’t get a wine to pair or anything but help yourself to anything in the fridge!”

“Actually I make really good margaritas!” You light up suddenly feeling bold, “If you want, you can come to my place tomorrow and have drinks with me!”

Asahi’s cheeks were tinted pink at the prospect of seeing you a second night in a row. “If it’s not a bother I would love to, y/n.”

The two of you continued dinner, chatting away about your hobbies and interests. Neither of you mentioned the elephant in the room; your shared class and the incidents of the previous class meetings but you didn’t mind. That was a chat for another day.

After you ate, Asahi suggested you both move to the balcony to enjoy the starry night sky while you chat. You still couldn't believe you were really in his apartment, on a casual date with the man you’d been ogling all semester.

“You’re really cute, y/n. I hope that’s not too forward.” Asahi giggled after you had said something that made him burst out in laughter. You beamed at him, “You’re really cute too, Asahi. I’ve always thought so.”

He scooted closer to you so your shoulders were touching as you continued your conversation. Occasionally he would grab your hand and play with your fingers. The night grew colder so you made your way inside. It was approaching midnight but you were hoping the night wasn’t over for you and Asahi yet.

“Do you want to start a new anime together? We have some common ones on our watchlists.” Asahi sat on the couch and patted the seat next to him. You purposefully sat as close as possible, thighs touching Asahi’s. “Yeah! That sounds good!”

The two of you decided on an anime that was currently airing, there were only 5 episodes out so far. Asahi put his arm up on the top of the couch behind you, avoiding actually putting his arm around you. He’s so sweet. You mused, leaning into him as if to give your permission to hold you. Asahi smiled and draped his arm around your shoulders. The two of you stayed like this snuggled up, your hand intertwined with his.

Asahi absentmindedly rubbed your hand with his thumb rhythmically as he focused on the episode. You felt him squeeze your hand when the action scenes got intense. God, he’s so adorable.

The night crept on and you found yourself getting sleepy, your head nodding off on Asahi’s shoulder. You felt Asahi’s warm hand cup your cheek.

“Y/n,” he whispered gently, “I’m sorry to wake you,”

“Hmm?” You sat up, slightly embarrassed that you’d dozed off.

“I paused the show when you fell asleep so you wouldn’t be lost next time we watch!” Asahi laughed, “It’s getting late and I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable like I trapped you here or anything.... I also was worried your neck would get sore if you slept like that too long, I’m sorry..”

“Thank you for caring so much, Asahi,” you hugged his side, “I appreciate you, I’ll get going now so I can sleep and have enough time to prepare our date tomorrow.” You stretched your arms. Oh shit did I just call it a date? You started to panic.

“I’ll walk you back to your dorm, let me get you one of my jackets, it’s really cold out! I can’t have you getting sick before our second date.” Asahi squeezed you reassuringly and went to fetch the extra coat. You looked at your phone. It read 2:39 A.M. Time had gone by so much faster than you’d realized. It had felt like you and Asahi were in your own little world the entire night.

Asahi returned with a black fleece sweater, blushing as you put it on over your outfit. “Y-You look really cute in my jacket.” He stammered, causing you to giggle at this cute flustered mess.

“Thank you for lending it to me!” You smiled and grabbed his hand. The two of you walked out quietly, so as to not disturb Suga or Daichi. Though the walk to your dorm building was short, you enjoyed every second of it.

Asahi stayed close to you to share warmth, finders intertwined with yours. You walked slowly to be able to spend more time with him, even if it was just seconds extra. He walked you all the way to the door of your dorm apartment.

“Thank you again for walking me, you really didn’t have to.”

“It’s late, and I wanted to make sure you made it home safely,” Asahi put his hand on the back of his neck, “And I wanted to spend a little more time with you, too.” He confessed.

You beamed at him, “I can’t wait to see you tomorrow, or should I say later today.” You laughed.

“I’m looking forward to it too. I also was wondering…”

“Yes?”

“Could I have your phone number? I don’t really use tinder often, you’re the only person I talked to on there...so I figure...it would be easier...if we just texted?” Asahi blushed.

“You’re the only person I’m talking to on Tinder too,” You confessed, “I actually only made the account to try to find you. I hope that’s not weird?”

“That’s a relief!” Asahi sighed happily, “I actually did the same thing. I didn’t know how else to approach you!”

You both laughed at your mutual awkwardness and exchanged phone numbers before Asahi took his leave for the night.

“Goodnight, y/n. I’ll see you later” Asahi pulled you into a tight hug. You breathed in his scent, enjoying the warmth his strong arms engulfed you in.

“Text me when you get back to your place okay?” You mumbled as you reluctantly let him go.

The two of you parted ways and you were greeted by your worried roommates.

“We were worried about you!”

“Y/n we were 10 minutes away from calling the police! Next time, text us!”

You giggled at them and proceeded to recount the events of the night. A few minutes went by before your phone buzzed with a text.

I’m so happy we both swiped right :)

✾✾✾✾✾✾✾✾✾✾✾✾

Asahi closed his apartment door quietly behind him, leaning back against it and sighing happily. His moment of silent bliss was soon interrupted by the loud patter of footsteps running towards him.

“ASAHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII” Suga yelled at the top of his lungs, Daichi chasing behind him. “Tell. Us. Everything.”

Asahi jumped, spooked by the sudden yelling. “I could see you spying from the hallway, Suga.” He laughed, “I’m sure you know most of what happened.”

Daichi groaned. “Suga I told you not to do that...” he scolded.

“Okay but I know something must have happened when you walked her home right?? A kiss maybeee???” Sugawara prodded eagerly.

“N-No I’m not a creep!” Asahi stammered. “But I did ask her for her phone number...and we both confessed we only talked to each other on tinder.....and she told me she only made her account to find me....” the long haired male mumbled.

“yeSSSSSSSSSS!” Sugawara yelled, earning a smack from Daichi.

“Well, it seems you two are a match made in heaven. I’m happy for you Asahi!” Daichi exclaimed, patting his friend on the back.

“Yeah, I think we make a good match too.” Asahi beamed.

NOTES: Thank you so so much for reading! Part 3 will come in the next few days! I hope u love Asahi as much as I do!

Tag List: @yeet-these-hoez

#asahi azumane x reader #asahi x reader #asahi azumane #haikyuu scenarios #haikyuu imagines #haikyuu headcanons

101 notes · View notes

0nez1 · 3 years

Text

7th Oct 2019

Narrative essay.

Write a story about someone who had a narrow escape.

Describe how it happened and what has that person learned from the experience.

Begin your story with: "Let me out of here at once! ..."

0_______0

"Let me out of here at once!" With rage in her eyes, the woman demands her immediate release.

What began as a bizarre sight to both prisoners and guards alike had readjusted itself as a norm in their everyday life in the dungeon. It was a repeated occurrence that the she-beast refused to abandon. Others had long forgone their resolution to escape. Escaping from the wall of the empire was unimaginable. Still, the spitfire rage on.

The guard only rolled his eyes and grunts, "Shut up, woman."

Isabella scoffed back, annoyed at the same response. Even under the dimly lighted dungeon, her long reddish locks and evergreen eyes were fairly visible to be seen. It was clear she belongs to a noble heritage for only the powerful had such colouring. Yet strangely, there was no jewellery nor a speck of luxury on her person. Only a plain white rag to wear and shackles clasps to her wrists. Mana resistance shackles, to be precise.

Her scowl deepens at the thought. It felt uncomfortable to not have mana flow evenly in her vein, being unavailable at her fingertips to use. It was like a part of her was forcible stripped away from her and never to be seen again. Isabella swore to get them back. She refused to come out of this disgusting place incomplete.

To achieve this, Isabella went back voicing her demands, uncaring of her increasing parches throat. She whines how unbearable it was to be put in a dirty environment and be surrounded by commoners of all people. Do they not know who she was!?

Moments later, the guard stationed stood up, decided to have enough of his fill and gave her a nasty look before going outside. Isabella made a point to do a final shriek to make his day even better. Hearing the metal door shut with a loud click, she instantly drops her previous demeanour.

Other prisoners perked up, like their favourite show was about to start, whereas she was the first act. They watch her with a strange fascination, always amaze the extreme differences her two personas were.

Isabella resists a snark and ignored them as always. They never bothered her nor tell-tale her to the guards. The least she could do was to let them keep their means of entertainment. Isabella settles herself in her little corner and it was no lie how disgusted she found the cells were. Hygiene would be the first on the list for the new lord to oversee if she had anything do with it.

If, the revolution went successful that is.

Speaking of which, she opens up her palm to reveal a crumpled scrap of poor-quality paper. No use complaining, it would be a waste to use them on such occasion anyway.

'All going according to plan.' It wrote. She sighed and leans back, closing her eyes in prayer. For freedom, for glory, for peace to the kingdom. Isabella swore in her family name to carry on her act and have the mission complete.

It was three months ago, the final preparation for the upcoming rebellion was going well in the process. Away from the imperial search, for rebels outside the kingdom's walls. No one would have guessed said rebels were discussing their plans in a hidden room underground at a local tavern. It was truly a sight to behold. Various species from all sort of social standings gathered. From humans to beastmen, a noble or a commoner. It was a gathering of the century to bespeak.

The meeting went on smoothly, most issues were settled with ease. Then, there was a bump on the road. The plan needs a decoy. A sacrificial pawn goes unspoken between them. The atmosphere turned cold. The shared silence implied a crack in the group. It was unsurprising with suspicion and distrust still held them tightly like a leash. After all, they come together for a similar cause, not due trust. Oh no, there was too much bad blood to speak such a thing.

Isabella, herself had attended the meeting and was quite unimpressed by the whole ordeal of it. She did not come here to witness some children's squabble. Enough yapping and wake up, they were going to war. Sacrifices were bound to be made in the process. Seeing unwilling to take the task, Isabella volunteered herself. Consequently, chaos followed afterwards.

Rebukes of her participation were heard; they were fully against it. It was both ironic and amusing she was the cause of their current united hearts. Isabella refrains from scoffing, and instead calmly explaining her reasons. She was only but a placeholder. A common fact throughout the whole kingdom. She neither have any real value to any party so why not use it to their advantage?

Isabella vowed in her family name, a name even in disgrace still holds recognition from others. His grace will not suffer any loss if she fails and only received benefits if she succeeds. It was a winning deal. It was only a slight miscalculation on her part, to her surprise, someone spoke up for her.

Isabella narrows her eyes, watching the person in suspicion. Elaine Gurn, a fairly famous missionary and also a fellow friend of the rebelling prince. She had also been the one to raise her hand and volunteered to join her. A laugh and a mischievous grin, the female missionary managed to have the others on board with it. Isabella did not know what to make of it nor the intention of herself being elected as the leader for the mission. There was a mission onhand now, that was all that matters to her.

It was a pleasant surprise to find the dynamic between her makeshift team turns out well. They listen to her orders, adding their own two cents and it was just so... Nice. There was a strange glint in their eyes, something Isabella could not decipher as to what exactly. What was clear though, like, in the previous meeting, the experience she was feeling now was all thanks to her apparent second-in-command.

"You have my gratitude, Miss Gurn." Isabella whispered, awkwardly taking a seat beside the missionary.

It was the night a week before the mission to commenced, the team decided to throw a celebration. Never one for the crowd, Isabella slip out to the roof exchange for some fresh air. There she awaits, the usual mood maker, sitting alone under the starless night sky. It makes a good cover for those in need to keep a low profile.

Elaine smiles, not saying a word and turns her head overlooking the sight of the town. It might be their last too if they failed to succeed. It was then, it dawned to her how heavy the burden she was carrying. Her life did not hold much meaning with her family increasing declining, but her teammates were another thing as a whole. Family and friends await for their survival. This was not about her. Never was.

Was this how Father felt all those times long ago? Isabella wonders in nostalgic. Her grip on her cup tightens and her resolve steels. Then, the harsh training he made her gone through would do her good. She will make sure it would.

A beat. Two.

There was a shout. It was faint, but the world turns madness following it. Screams, explosion and orders all-around mix in the chaos, the prisoners tensed, asking themselves what happens outside.

It was time.

Evergreen meets dull brown and suddenly the ceiling went crashing down.

Elaine took cover, like every other prisoner done the same. Amidst the dust and debris, she could make up a silhouette of three people.

"What took you so long?" Jack, another comrade of her group, joked casually as he came out from his hiding place. Despite his habit of playing the fool, he has a sharp mind and survival skills to make up for it. Not to mention, his experience as a real commoner made it easier for her blend in.

There was a sound agreement Isabella would fail without back-up. She didn't argue nought. It was foolish because she knew, knew even her patience has its limit. Only meeting with another comrade's eyes did she remember the weight she carries. The lives in her hands. It was the only thing that kept her act from cracking after its overdue curtain call.

"Enough." Isabella bark, cutting off the friendly banter short. The ambush was successful but that doesn't mean their work was done.

She felt satisfied as she watches her group straighten themselves and listened to her orders. Hers. It was a good feeling. A rare few moments in her life. Especially when the cuff on her wrist was removed and power hums at her fingertips.

"Ready for some actions, leader?" Elaine asked, eyes twirling with amusing.

To her, Isabella might as well look like a child who got her toy back. It can't be helped after all; her mundane experience is nothing to compare to hers. It was time like this Isabella questions why had she appointed her, out of all people, as the leader?

Elaine has always had the charisma. The will, the strength. So why—

Focus. A voice brought her back to reality.

"We follow as planned." Isabella coolly said. "Scattered into two people's team and make way to each assigned checkpoint. You know what to do next."

The rest of her team nod and scatter they did, leaving Isabella alone in her steps to the outside field. Another group of the rebels ran past her, if she remembers correctly, was assigned to transport the prisoners to a safer place, preferably away from the chaos of the battlefield. They ignored her, not she would find offended of said actions, since they were wise to do so.

As the skies darken and let out a rumbling groan, a gleefully smile stretch across her face, just as feral and dangerous as one could imagine.

It was time after all. Once again, her family's name would be whispered with respect and fear throughout the lands.

Power flow collectively as Isabella lift one hand. She could feel its humming, excited to what they might become and with one swift movement, she brought it down.

The skies roar on her command.

#school assignment #Medieval fantasy! Trope?#Because I like adding spice to homework #1/?#Because I never finish it to this day #I think I only submit 2-3 essay that year #But hey! I still passed it with flying colours #And my teacher still think me as a promising student #Wanna share because why not?

1 note · View note

cpd5021 · 3 years

Text

How to Save a life...

Hello again! I’m back with another multi-chapter fic! I told myself I was going to finish writing this whole story before I posted it, but we all know I don’t have that kind of self control. So instead, here we are with chapter one of my music inspired fic. Long story short, I found an old iPod of mine with lots of old, somewhat angsty music and it led to me writing this fic. Worth noting is that teenage me was OBSESSED with the early season Grey’s Anatomy soundtracks, so if you’re familiar with them at all, you’ll quickly notice a theme. Anywhoo, this fic is going to be full of angst, just fyi. Eventual Upstead, but this starts out as a pretty Hailey centric fic. Although Jay will be right beside her every step of the way. Buckle up, she’s a long one. Here we go!

Chapter One:

Where did I go wrong,

I lost a friend.

A Tuesday morning that started like any other, except it was only my second day back from New York. Yesterday had been filled with paperwork, debriefings, an hour with Platt where I wasn’t really sure what was accomplished, and finally, an evening at Molly’s with the whole unit. It felt good to be back and I was already settling right back in, almost as if I had never left. Everyone had been excited to welcome me home and of course the teasing about me turning into a Fed ran rampant throughout the night. But I was home, with my people, and that’s all that mattered to me. I woke up early this morning, quickly showering in an attempt to rid myself of the remnants of last night's multiple rounds of tequila and popped two aspirin before I headed downstairs. I found Vanessa in the kitchen, her upper body sprawled across the counter as she waited for the coffee to finish brewing and the sight brought a smile to my face. She had celebrated my return probably harder than anyone and I had no doubt she was feeling it this morning. I made my way over to the cupboard just above her and rested my hand on her back as I grabbed two travel mugs from the shelf. She groaned in response before pushing herself back into a standing position, rubbing at her eyes before squinting at me in the dim morning light.

“You know, I’m pretty sure I told you to stop after that third shot.”

I teased, filling each of the mugs. She groaned again, feigning annoyance at my words.

“Yeah yeah, I was just happy you were back.”

She took the mug from my hand and moved to the table to grab her things. I followed after her, grabbing my phone and keys from their spot before heading out the door behind her. We climbed into my car and she immediately shifted the seat back slightly to recline herself, draping her jacket over her face to block the sunlight.

“I’m pretty sure you would be more happy this morning if you had listened to me.”

I teased again, earning another groan and a middle finger. I laughed at the sight and started the car, shifting into gear and pointing us in the direction of the district.

We made the journey to the 21st in what felt like record time, probably because I was happy to finally be making this drive again, and I found myself grinning once again as Vanessa rolled herself out of the passenger seat, grumbling as she made her way towards the building. A familiar voice sounded behind me as I followed after her and I turned to see Jay jogging to catch up with us. Vanessa didn’t stop, instead settling for a slight wave of her hand as she continued her way into the building.

“She seems pleasant this morning.”

Jay nodded in her direction before looking down at me with a grin. He knew exactly how much she had drank last night and that she would be suffering today.

“I told her she should have listened to me.”

I shrugged, starting my walk towards the building as Jay fell in step beside me.

“Ouch. You gave her an ‘I told you so’? Harsh.”

He grinned down at me as I playfully smacked his shoulder. Kevin and Adam lingered by the front door, with Adam looking about as rough as Vanessa and Kevin seeming just as amused. I pulled the door open and they all trailed in behind me, bantering as we made our way into the main lobby. Platt, sat at her perch and peering down at us as usual, snapped her paper closed as she saw us approach.

“Well if it isn’t goldilocks and her three bears. Looking a little rough this morning…”

Her attention was on Adam who merely nodded her way, his sunglasses still settled firmly over his eyes. I sent a small smile towards Platt and then headed up the stairs, my three bears in tow. We filed into the bullpen, finding Vanessa already sat at her desk, digging for medicine in her drawers and I made my way over to my own desk, plopping onto my chair and wiggling the mouse to wake my computer up. I shrugged out of my coat, draping it on the chair behind me and went to log in to my emails before Voights gruff voice filled the office.

“Upton. A word.”

He said before promptly turning back into his office. I exchanged a quick glance with Jay who sent me a shrug and a confused look before I walked into the office, shutting the door behind me. Voight could sometimes be a hard man to read, but his current body language with his arms crossed over his chest and his jaw set in a way that made me think he was holding something back, instantly had my nerves on edge. He nodded for me to sit down and I followed his lead, watching as he leaned forward in his own chair, resting his elbows on the desk and letting his head fall into his hands as he rubbed his temples. This wasn’t going to be good, I could already feel the pit growing in my stomach. We sat in silence for longer than I was comfortable with, but I didn’t want to be the first one to speak.

“We have a problem.”

He spoke softly, rubbing at his chin while his eyes bore into mine. I wasn’t sure how to respond to that so I settled for a nod of my head, urging him to go on.

“Gael got a real good lawyer. They found a flaw in his ‘open and closed’ case. Gael is being released, today.”

His words hit me like a freight train. My body instantly went cold. Gael was the whole reason I was in New York, the lines I had crossed to put him in jail, risking my career and this unit's future...to learn that it had all been for nothing had my heart sinking. I wanted to argue, to yell that it wasn't fair and that he should never be let out, but I knew I didn’t really have a leg to stand on.

“That’s not the problem.”

Voight’s words threw me for a loop, how could that not be our problem? I tilted my head, sending him a confused look.

“Word on the street is, Gael knows that the drugs were planted in his car by police and there’s a damn good chance he’s figured it out. Or thinks he’s figured it out.”

His nod towards Vanessa was subtle but enough to sink me even more.

“None of this is on her. She doesn’t even know.”

I shook my head, clenching my fists as my blood began to boil.

“I know.”

He said calmly, in a way that angered me even more.

“How are we going to get him off her back? We can’t let him get to her.”

I swallowed hard, my nostrils flaring as the emotions coursed through me. Voight leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest once again as his eyes never left mine.

“We start by clueing her in to the whole story.”

Everything in me screamed at the idea. Not only would that put her job in danger, it would crush her to know what I had done. I couldn’t stand the thought but couldn’t see another way. Voight watched the range of emotions play out on my face before he stood from his chair, pulling his office door open just enough to call for Vanessa. I wanted to turn to look at Jay, to have him somehow tell me this wasn’t all my fault, even though it was and I knew it, but I couldn’t bring myself to turn around. I heard Vanessa shuffle into the room, closing the door behind herself and instantly sitting down beside me. I couldn’t look at her either, even though her eyes were boring into the side of my face before darting to Voight and back.

“Vanessa, we need to explain something to you so we can figure out our next steps.”

Voight spoke, drawing her attention away from me for just a moment before her eyes quickly returned to me.

“Next steps for what?”

She asked, sounding genuinely confused, her stare only increasing. I couldn’t look at her, I was barely holding it together as is and I knew if I saw her face when she heard the news that I would crumble. I furiously blinked away the tears that threatened to gather in my eyes, hoping she wouldn’t notice. But under her intense look, of course she noticed. Her hand came to rest softly on my forearm, giving it a reassuring squeeze and causing me to have to swallow hard as my throat began to burn with tears.

“Gael is being released from prison. His lawyer found a loophole and his case is being thrown out.”

Voight began, his words confusing her even more and her gaze finally shifted to him, her hand never leaving my arm.

“So what? We need to go after him again? Build another case?”

She asked, instantly shifting into cop mode, a fact that would have normally made me smile with pride at the officer she was becoming. But instead it only made my heart sink more.

“No. We won’t be doing anything. Other than keeping you safe.”

At his statement, I quickly closed my eyes as I felt wetness gather there, knowing they would spill at any moment.

“Me? Sarge, I don’t understand…”

I knew she was looking at me again but I kept my eyes clamped shut, waiting for him to drop the bomb.

“Gael somehow knows that the drugs they found in his car were planted there by police. He knows you were personally tied to the case so he’s linking you to this whole situation.”

Her grip on my arm tightened and when she spoke I could hear some fear trickle into her voice.

“Sarge, I didn’t...I would never.”

She stammered, trying in vain to prove her innocence.

“I know it wasn’t you.”

He said softly, trying to reassure her. The room fell silent for a moment and I could practically feel her putting two and two together. Her grip on my arm faltered slightly and I finally forced myself to open my eyes, still avoiding meeting hers.

“Hailey…”

It came out as a mixture of a question and a statement. She wasn’t stupid and had instantly realized what had occured, but I knew she was having a hard time believing it. I couldn’t respond, I didn’t know what to say to explain myself. I had never meant to cause any issues, I just wanted to get a bad man off the streets and if that meant helping out a friend in the meantime then so be it. I had never in a million years expected this to blow up and I had really hoped after my stint in New York I would be able to put this all behind me.

“Vanessa we’re going to have you lay low until we can figure out a plan. We might be able to set another case up to get him put away, but it’s going to have to be by the book. Gael’s not stupid and if we come at him again he’s going to fight back.”

She nodded at Voight’s instructions but her eyes were once again glued to the side of my head. I swallowed hard and pushed myself to meet her gaze, seeing a mix of anger and hurt behind her eyes once they reached mine.

“Why would you...how could you?”

She stammered out her words, shaking her head slightly as if still in disbelief.

“I’m sorry Vanessa..I just thought-”

She cut me off before I could continue, standing abruptly from her spot beside me.

“No. You didn’t think. That’s the problem.”

And with that she stormed out of the office, slamming the door shut behind her. I stayed firmly planted in my seat, reeling from the blow I had just received. It had been well deserved but that didn’t make it hurt any less.

“I’ll have you grounded here too until we can figure this out. I don’t want you anywhere near this case, is that clear?”

He asked, waiting for me to make eye contact to assure I was listening.

“Yes sir.”

I all but whispered, my voice thick with emotion. I stood then and slowly pulled the door open, immediately turning down the hall towards the locker room before anyone could see my face. I stormed all the way to the back, towards where the bathroom stalls were and briefly debated locking myself inside to fall apart. But I knew if I let myself do that then I would have a hard time coming back out. Instead, I headed towards the sink, running the cool water and splashing some on my face. I looked at myself in the mirror and felt disgusted with the person looking back. How could I have let this happen, how could I have done this, crossed these lines and put everyone at risk. It made me feel sick. Just as I was drying my face off with a paper towel, I heard footsteps come up behind me and turned to find Jay standing there, looking concerned.

“Everything okay?”

He asked, taking another step closer. I tried my best to put a smile on my face but I knew he would see right through me.

“Nope. And I don’t know how to fix it.”

I waved my hands up in frustration, feeling the emotions once again gather at the back of my throat.

“Is there anything I can do?”

He asked, his voice genuine and filled with care. I couldn’t handle this right now. I couldn’t handle Jay being Jay and looking at me like I couldn’t do anything wrong. He knew the story, I had told him the night Voight sent me away. I figured I at least owed him an explanation before I disappeared off to New York. But I had hoped it would be the last time we had ever talked about it. I shook my head, dipping my head slightly before sending him an empty smile.

“No. This doesn’t involve you and I’m not bringing any more people into it.”

With that, I brushed past him, ignoring the way his face displayed some hurt from my words, and made my way back out into the bullpen.

Only a short while after I had settled into my desk, aimlessly scrolling through emails I wasn’t actually reading and ignoring the concerned looks from Jay, Voight came out of his office.

“Alright listen up, we have a case. Rojas and Upton, I’m pulling you. I want you two to go sort through some case files Platt left downstairs. Stay put until I tell you otherwise. I stood from my desk immediately, warding off all the looks being sent my way as I rushed from the room. I could hear Vanessa right behind me but didn’t dare turn to face her. We entered the rollup, finding a stack of boxes on a table in the corner and settled into our task silently. I didn’t know what to say to her to fix this, I didn’t want to upset her more or push her further away. After a while though, I couldn’t stand the silence any more.

“Can I explain?”

I asked quietly, hoping she wouldn’t immediately shut me out.

“I don’t think you need to. I know you well enough to know what happened Hailey, I just can’t believe it.”

Her words were cold and harsh. My throat felt tight once again.

“I only did what-”

I started, only to be cut off with a raise of her hand.

“I know what you did. And why. You planted the drugs to get him the deal, for me. You jeopardized your career, all of our careers, for me? I guess I should be honored or something. But Hailey, you could have been fired. Or worse, sent to jail. And then the whole time you’re in New York I was over here thinking you’ve been given this amazing opportunity because you’re just that good...and it was really just a punishment? Over something that could have ruined all of us? I just...I don’t get it.”

Before I had the chance to reply, she stood angrily from her perch beside the table and stormed out of the room. I hesitated for a moment before I slowly followed after her. I made it all the way up the stairs, my eyes scanning the empty bullpen for her when I spotted her small frame hovering over Kevin’s computer. Her eyes darted to mine for a moment before she jogged past me, heading back down the stairs into the roll up. I wanted to follow her again but the look on her face had me curious as to what she had found on Kevin’s computer. I rounded his desk quickly, looking at the screen which held a pinged address, the name under the small picture of a building read Gael and my heart sank. Not only was my unit headed there for who knows what, but I had no doubt that Vanessa intended to follow them. I turned and raced down the stairs, hoping to catch her before it was too late. Luckily, Vanessa didn’t have a car of her own and leaving with a UC or patrol car would require her to check in with Platt whom I’m sure was all too familiar with our grounding. I found her lingering by the side door, looking panicked as she considered her limited options. Her eyes met mine once again and I saw a determination within them that frightened me.

“Vanessa...you can’t.”

She let out a cold laugh, shaking her head as she looked at me.

“So now you wanna stick to the rules?”

She challenged, making my blood boil just a bit.

“Yeah, I do. I already messed this up enough. We sit tight. They have this.”

I tried to reason with her, while at the same time talking myself down from racing out the door and doing the same thing she wanted too. The look on her face told me she was leaving one way or another and I wasn’t going to win this battle.

I knew the repercussions of what we were doing was liable to get us both in some hot water, but that didn’t stop me from pulling my car up behind Jay’s truck and shutting it off. Vanessa immediately jumped out, with me hot on her heels. The team was nowhere in sight and I assumed they were all inside the large warehouse, I just didn’t know how long they had been there. I followed closely behind her, trying to quietly draw her attention to the fact that we couldn’t just barge in without the risk of our own unit shooting us down. But Vanessa was on a mission and my words never reached her ears. She found a door at the back of the building and pushed her way inside. I drew my gun, blindly following behind her into the dimly lit room. We travelled down a hallway that ended with a flight of metal stairs leading up to a second level and without hesitation she was climbing up them at a rapid pace. I followed behind, pausing when a step protested loudly under my weight and when I looked back up she had disappeared from view. I took a few more steps before I heard footsteps behind me, I turned just as a beam of light hit my face. When the light lowered I was met with Jay’s eyes looking confused and angry at my presence.

“I could have shot you! What are you doing here?”

He hissed, closing the distance between us.

“Vanessa.”

I nodded up the stairs, letting him know I wasn’t alone in this awful idea. His jaw clenched as he followed my nod, before we quickly made our way up the steps. As we cleared the landing, voices sounded from down the hall. I heard Vanessa’s voice, trying to reason with whoever she was talking to. My heart sank when a man responded and I recognized the voice as Gael’s. My eyes shifted back to Jay’s, sharing a look of panic before we made our way down the hall, guns drawn. Just as we approached the doorway where the other two were, I heard Vanessa’s voice again.

“No!”

She screamed, seconds before a gunshot sounded from the room. Jay whipped into the room, instantly firing off two shots of his own. I rounded the frame just behind him and felt my body go ice cold as I took in the sight before me. My body moved on autopilot as I raced to her side, her body limp on the ground as a pool of blood rose from her chest. My hands pressed into the blood, trying in vain to stop the flow but I could feel it rushing out around my fingers. Her face was pale as she looked up at me with a terrified expression and my world closed in around me as I watched the life begin to fade from her eyes.

#chicago pd #halstead and upton #jay halstead #hailey upton #halstead #jay x hailey #upstead #upton #vanessa rojas #rojas #song fic #angst

30 notes · View notes