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medusapelagia · 2 months

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This is my contribution to the Harringrove Relay Race

Thank you @thatgirlwithasquid for preceding!

Perfectly Misaligned

written for @harringrove-relay-race Rating: Teen and Up Relationship: Steve /Billy TW: violence (Billy slaps Steve), hurt/comfort Word Count: 6859

Now also on AO3

Going camping seemed like a nice idea, at least at the beginning.

The few happy memories Steve had as a kid were when his father wasn't the world's most famous heart surgeon and instead of traveling around to save lives he used to take him camping for a night or two just after school ended. It was their “boys' time”, as his father used to call it, winking at him while he giggled at the comradery between the two of them. And Steve loved every second of it: from the moment Richard Harrington announced that they were leaving for the weekend, to the moment the man parked his car back in the garage. That's why, as soon as Steve and Billy were released from the hospital, Steve asked Billy to go camping and he agreed on one condition: that they would go camping in California.

And that is exactly when the problems started.Even if Steve was somewhat familiar with camping areas around Hawkins, he never went camping in California so he didn't know where the best areas were and they definitely didn't have time to plan ahead where they would go. The second big problem was that Steve's and Billy's ideas of camping were really different. Steve loved the idea of the two of them alone in the wild, sleeping in a tent under the stars, lighting their own fire, making some s'more together, getting cozy by the fire while stargazing, and maybe sharing some personal stories while cuddling a bit far from curious eyes, while Billy insisted that he wanted to sleep in the campsites with all the amenities the park could offer; picnic tables, showers, water supply, and a cleared area for the tent, but definitely no privacy.

Not wanting to fight, Steve agreed to sleep in the designated area of the park, making small talk with their neighbors. But even though it was fun, it wasn't what Steve was expecting from their trip: he wanted to sleep so close to each other in their sleeping bags that they would awake almost entangled in one another, drink some beers, finally declare his love to Billy and, who knows, maybe even kiss under the stars, but being surrounded by so many people made all his dreams impossible.

The only aspect of their trip that was exactly as Steve imagined was the long hours in the car.

The only moments they have spent alone since they decided to go on this trip together were the ones in the car, but even those moments were far from pleasant for Steve. They rented a car at the airport in San Francisco and Billy hated it from the first moment he saw it, complaining that it wasn’t as good as his Camaro. But Steve didn’t complain, letting Billy put the pedal to the metal and blasting his rock music as loud as the stereo would let him, even if it gave Steve a terrible headache.

The only thing Steve asked, once he saw a picture in the park visitor center, was seeing the Alamere Falls; a beautiful waterfall that fell into the ocean was something you only see once, and after renouncing his dream trip he knew that Billy couldn't refuse him.

That's how they find themselves packing two backpacks with the essentials: maps, sunglasses, hats, jackets, flashlights, a first aid kit, matches, food, and water. Steve tries to pack their tent too, but it is too heavy and, in the end, Billy convinces him that they would not need it.

"What if it starts to rain while we are getting back?" Steve asks, looking at their tent, unsure if he should insist on bringing it with them or not.

"Come on, pretty boy! Look at the sky! Do you see a cloud? No. It's just a little hike! We will be back in no time."

"It's a thirteen miles trail, Billy!" Steve insists, while the blond guy starts to mock him for being too anxious. Steve is almost ready to remind him that being too unprepared is exactly what almost got him killed in a secret Russian base, but he doesn’t want to remember what happened at the mall and how it was sheer luck the Mind Flayer didn't kill them all, so he sighs and shrugs, ready to leave with Billy. Before walking to the car he turns toward the nice family that has the tent just next to theirs and tells them that they are going hiking to Alamere Falls.

"That sounds nice," Sarah, the young mother, replies while holding little Darla who is desperately trying to get into Steve's arms "Have fun boys!"

Steve nods and finally walks to the car.

"Took your time, huh Harrington? What was that? Are you flirting with moms now?"

Steve doesn't reply, getting in the car and ready for Billy’s jealousy. As if on cue the other boy starts the car, letting the engine roar as he drives way too fast for a little parking lot in a park. Steve doesn't complain, though, instead his mind goes to the waterfall he saw in the brochure. He wonders if he should have brought a pair of swim trunks too, but he quickly decides that, if they get in the mood, they can always swim in their underwear. After all, they have shared lockers for years.

***

They take the wrong turn twice, all Steve's fault in Billy's opinion because he is the one holding the map. Steve raises an eyebrow, not commenting on the fact that the California boy turned left even if Steve told him to turn right so now he is using his hands to show where to go. turn here, hand to the left, turn there, hand to the right.

Steve is already pissed when they get to the parking area, saying that they should go back to camp and maybe even back home, after all this vacation was a disaster from the beginning, but Billy is adamant.

"You want to see the waterfall so we will see the waterfall," Billy declares, closing the discussion by throwing Steve his backpack and putting on his own.

They start walking, Steve's eyes fixed on the map he is holding until Billy snatches it from Steve's hands.

"Stop looking at the stupid map and look around you! The view is beautiful and the colors are so vibrant! Can you hear the waves roar? I bet I can get to the waterfall faster than you!" He winks, but Steve shakes his head.

"I'm not going to take your bait, Hargrove. I ran enough for a lifetime in that fucking Russian base, and now I want to take a walk and enjoy the view, if you want to go faster I'll see you at the waterfall, or at the car if you are so fast that you get around before me." He replies calmly, and Billy's shoulders relax for once.

"I guess I'll keep you company, I don't want you to get lost."

Steve chuckles a little and follows Billy. "Have you already been here?" He asks, seeing how confident Billy looks.

"California is big, pretty boy, I haven't seen all of it and I have never been here, but this is the only trail I see so it's not hard to follow it."

They walk in silence, avoiding tree roots and low branches, breathing in the warm scent of the earth.

"I missed this," Steve whispers so low that he is surprised when Billy turns toward him and asks him what he is referring to. "Walking around the woods and not feeling anxious, or scared," He replies, getting closer to the other boy. "I used to go camping with my dad as a kid, and when I got older I started bringing my dates to the woods. I'm the one who made Skull Rock a cool place for hooking up, did you know that?" Steve asks and Billy shakes his head "I liked it. The scent of the earth, the brightness of the stars, I really loved those woods, but that was before..."

"The Upside Down?" Billy intervenes, giving words to the thoughts Steve can't express. Steve nods, avoiding the other boy’s stare and looking at the sunlight that shines through the leaves.

"It feels like it took something from me, you know?” He continues, his eyes still fixed on the horizons. “I will never be the person I was before and I'm not talking only about the nightmares, the night terrors or the migraine attacks. I'm talking about the way I look at the world. I loved those stupid woods, and now I fear them because I know what they can hide, and some nights I go on patrol, with a flashlight and a makeshift weapon, just to check that there aren’t any demodogs lingering around. And I would never take a date to Skull Rock anymore, and I miss it. I miss laying my jacket on the ground and sitting on it while watching the stars, pointing at the few that I know and then sharing a kiss, or maybe more if I’m lucky,” Steve chuckles, then he lets out a sigh, “I miss the idea of taking my son camping, lighting a fire together, and falling asleep under the stars while I tell him a story like my father used to do."

Billy's reaches into his pocket to retrieve a cigarette that he lights under Steve's judgemental look, "Your father doesn't sound shitty as mine, but, I didn't see him in the time we were in the hospital."

As soon as he received the call from the hospital, Richard Harrington made sure that his son and his friends had the best care Hawkins Hospital could provide but he remained in Singapore, where he was working on a new model of artificial heart.

"He is a famous doctor,” Steve explains, getting in front of Billy. “He travels the world to save lives, he doesn’t have time to lose on stupid things like that. I was fine."

Billy snorts, "You almost died, Harrington. They put you in a coma for two days to help your swollen brain and you are still going through the aftermath of that. Do you think I didn't notice that you squint when you have to read a road sign? Or that you have spasms in your hands? Why do you think I insisted on driving?"

Steve stops, staring at the other boy, wondering if it’s clear to everyone how affected he is from the injuries he sustained even if he tries his best to hide it.

"I don't..." he tries to deny in a lower voice, but Billy's brazen voice cuts him off.

"You don't what? Don't try to deny it, Harrington, we both know that it's true! And even if I'm sure things will get better once you buy a fucking pair of glasses and start taking the medicine that you are hiding in your backpack, at the moment you are a fucking mess!" He growls back at him, stepping in front of him and starting a staring contest that Steve is not going to lose.

"And what about you, Hargrove? You got possessed by an interdimensional monster! You killed people! How do you cope with that?" Steve rebukes, feeling raw and exposed to the other’s icy stare, trying to find an escape from those unforgiving eyes.

"How do I cope? I go to therapy, fucking moron!” The California boy replies, stepping even closer so that Steve and Billy are almost chest to chest. “I don't try to pretend that everything is fine and I make the government pay for every fucking thing I need! I already have a little apartment near Brown University waiting for me as soon as the semester starts and I try to accept that there are things that I cannot change but that they do not define me," He barks back. "Those things are things that happened to me and I was a fucking victim! Like Heather and her parents! And when I wake up, feeling that I deserve to die, I call the emergency number my therapist gave me and we talk for hours until I feel better," Billy takes a deep breath, giving his shoulder to Steve. "Things will never be as they were, Harrington. As you said, the Upside Down took something from us, but the only way to keep going is to accept that it's going to be part of us," Billy tells him, staring into the pretty boy’s eyes, then he takes a step back and starts following the little path again. All Steve can do is stare at his back, taking some deep breaths to calm himself before following him on their hike.

That was the longest conversation they have ever had.

It was harsh, and so real.

For the first time, Steve realizes that he and Billy are fighting the same fight, only in different ways. Steve keeps trying to pretend that everything is fine, that he doesn't need any help, and that the part of him that he lost the night he first hit a Demogorgon didn't change him, while Billy is trying to direct his anger toward the people who should have protected them, or at least warned them about what was coming. He is taking taxpayers' money with no shame because he feels it's his right, and even if he is troubled, maybe even more than Steve, he is not going to let all that happen define him as a person and Steve is impressed. All that Billy ever knew was the fight, and now he is fighting his personal demons. What's braver than that?

Steve follows Billy's lead, his red t-shirt stands out between the green of the leaves and the brown of the ground, while cursing himself for choosing a yellow t-shirt that attracts every kind of insect, especially mosquitos, as all the red bumps on his arms can prove. The more they venture into the woods the more the path becomes smaller and harder, and when Billy almost slips down a cliff, Steve dares to ask Billy if he is really sure that they are on the right path.

"How should I know?" He retorts, glaring at him. "I told you I have never been to this stupid waterfall before!" He reminds him, as Steve stares at him in astonishment.

"But you... you threw away my map!" He yells, feeling the panic getting to him. He didn't pay attention to their direction, and he didn't take notice of landmarks that could help him find their way around, they are going to get lost in the forest and he hasn't brought the tent, and the animals will find them, and all they have is one little pen knife, and maybe he should give it to Billy, he is stronger than him and his hands don't tremble so maybe he might have a possibility to survive and...

"Hey, pretty boy! Look at me."

Someone is talking to Steve but his vision is tunneled and his heart is beating so hard that it feels like it's going to jump out of his chest, and he can't breathe and...

"Steve! Look at me!"

The voice insists and in his blurred vision he sees a pair of ice blue eyes staring back at him with intensity.

"Steve!" The voice calls again, "You have to slow your breathing or you'll pass out!"

How could he slow his breathing if it feels like the forest is closing in on him like a monstrous green mouth that will devour them both and...

Steve's cheek burns while he takes his first big breath. He puts a hand to his face and realizes that he was slapped.

"What the fuck?!" He yells, but Billy is standing in front of him, holding his t-shirt in a tight grip and with a hand in mid-air, ready to slap him again.

"What the fuck?! You gave yourself a panic attack, idiot! I tried to talk you out of it but guess what? The King doesn't listen to anyone! So I slapped you, and it worked! So stop complaining and keep breathing like a fucking normal person!" Billy yells back, finally releasing Steve's t-shirt but leaving the cotton crumpled from the force he was holding it.

"I'm breathing..." Steve replies, meekly, ashamed about what happened.

"Thank god..." The other mutters, keeping his eyes pinned on Steve. "Why the fuck did you do that? You were the one that wanted to see the stupid waterfall, weren't you?"

Steve would like to explain to him that yes, he wanted to see the waterfall, but that he wasn't ready to get lost in the forest, but he knows that Billy will probably make fun of him so he whispers his apologies for the inconvenience of almost blacking out in the middle of nowhere and keeps following Billy, who now seems to be walking slower and is just a couple of steps ahead of him. They walk through a narrow maze of tall shrubs and vines that makes them both shiver because it reminds them too closely about the Upside Down.

They finally get to a clearing only for their glee to suddenly die when they see that they will have to go down a narrow eroding cliff.

"We can go back..." Steve suggests but Billy shakes his head.

"We are almost there and we are not going to give up right now!" He hisses, almost slipping while he tries to go down the cliff. Steve holds his breath till he sees him safely on the sand.

"Come on, pretty boy! Are you going to make me wait forever?"

With a big sigh, Steve begins his descent, scratching his hands on the sharp rocks, complaining with himself for his stupid idea, and when he finally gets to the shore he finds Billy smoking another cigarette.

"What? It's good for my health!"

"Smoking is definitely not good for your health," Steve snorts.

"My mental health!" Billy insists, dragging some smoke with his plump lips.

When they finally get to the falls they rest a bit, eating Steve's granola bars and drinking some water.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Steve asks, looking in amazement at the energy of the water that falls to the ground with a humid mist that fills the air.

"It is," Billy agrees. After a long moment of silence, he asks "What were you worried about?" Steve stares at him blankly, trying to understand what he is referring to. “In the forest. When you panicked.”

"I didn't panic! I... I got a little anxious," Steve tries to deny, ignoring Billy's scoff. "I was anxious because I was scared we got lost, ok? Going hiking is fun but it can be dangerous too, there are so many things you should keep an eye on."

"Like what? Where do you put your feet?" Billy mocks him but Steve nods.

"Yes. And not just that,” He says, pointing to the beautiful nature around them "In a place like this you must pay attention to the tide, to the ocean... and the animals too! There might be coyotes, bobcats, and mountain lions."

Billy lifts an eyebrow, "Never knew you were a nature nerd, Harrington."

Steve doesn't reply. He is not a nature nerd, he is just the kind of person that wants to come prepared, and after all they have lived through with the Upside Down shit, Billy should get it more than anyone else.

"Ready to get back to the car?" Billy asks, his hands on his knees while he gets up like an old man, suffocating a whimper. Steve feels guilty because he forced Billy to join him on this journey while he is still recovering from his injuries too. For a moment he wonders if he should offer to help him, but Billy is too proud and Steve knows that he will get offended, so he gets up quietly, staring at the clouds moving in the sky, wondering if they'll manage to get to the car before the storm starts.

***

If climbing down wasn't easy, climbing up is even harder. Steve's feet slip on the friable ground and he almost falls back just before getting on the top. Thankfully, Billy grabs his arm and drags him toward safety, but they both fall to the ground in an entangled mess of libs.

"You ok?" Billy asks him, and for a moment the California boy seems almost worried about him.

"I'm fine. Sorry, I slipped," Steve murmurs, hiding his blushing face in the crock of Billy's neck for a moment, breathing in his familiar and comforting scent.

"I noticed. Now get the fuck up. You are squashing me!" Billy protests and Steve quickly gets up, offering him a hand that Billy slaps away before getting up on his own. "A storm is coming, we better get moving."

Now that the sky is getting darker, following the same path they followed before is harder. Billy keeps saying that they are almost at the car but Steve is sure that he saw that strange red rock at least twice.

"Billy, stop it! We are going in circles!"

"We are not!" The other protests, continuing to go toward what he says is the right path.

"Listen to me! We have to stop before we get even more lost!" Steve insists, but Billy keeps ignoring him, so he catches up to Billy and grabs his arm. Billy spins around, his eyes shining with fury. "We are fucking lost in the middle of the forest! A storm is coming and we don't have a tent! We need to find shelter and we need to find it now!" Steve hisses.

The blond boy is seething with rage but he can't deny that Steve is right, so he gives him a little nod and frees himself from Steve's grip before turning and starting to look for a place where they could wait for the storm to pass.

"That tree seems big enough." Billy says, pointing toward a big tree a few feet away.

"You don't want to wait for a storm under a tree, trust me," Steve says, looking around. He remembers seeing a little cave somewhere and he really hopes that it's near. Retracing their steps, Steve tries to follow their path backwards, smiling at himself when he finds the same red rock he saw before.

"We are going backwards," Billy protests, but keeps following Steve until they find the little cave.

It is hot and humid inside but there aren't any animals so it's the best place they can be. Steve goes inside and removes his backpack, then he turns toward Billy, "Get inside. I'm going to search for something to use to make a small fire to keep us warm."

Steve doesn't wait for a reply and leaves the blond in the cave while he looks around for anything that might be useful. These are not Hawkins woods but some things are the same, so he tries to avoid poisonous plants and wild animals and gets back with a few branches while the sky begins to rumble.

After a few moments, the storm starts and it rains heavily, while they are safely inside the cave.

"Are you going to start this stupid fire or what?" Billy protests, but Steve shakes his head.

"It's not too cold and there is still light, I want to save the wood for as long as I can because with this rain all the rest of the wood will be soaked and we will not be able to get more," Steve explains to him, while holding his leg to his chest and staring at the rain. It's not too bad, he thinks to himself, they have water, a little bit of food, shelter and even fire if they need it. He also made sure that Sarah, their neighbor, knew where they were going so Steve is not too worried, just a little pissed. Not only is the vacation not as he expected it to be, but thanks to Billy's reckless behavior they are stuck in a stupid cave, waiting for the weather to get better.

"What?" Billy growls.

Steve turns toward him, his blue eyes shine in the darkness and he looks like a snake ready to bite. "I didn't say anything."

"You are a really expressive guy, Harrington." He replies, taking a cigarette from his pocket and lightening it, and that's the straw that breaks the camel's back. Steve snatches it and throws it outside "What the fuck?!" Billy complains furiously.

"Take another one and I'll throw away the entire packet of cigarettes," Steve threatens him.

"You wouldn't."

"Try me."

They glare at each other in a staring contest that neither wants to lose and in the end, it is Steve that looks away, trying to get to the farthest part of the cave, but it's so small that their legs bump before he finally gets on the opposite side of the cave.

Steve turns toward the opening of the cave, trying to hide the tears in his eyes. Nothing has gone as he wished and he is starting to think that he got everything wrong; that Billy hates him for real, and that he accepted coming with him only out of pity not because he was really willing to spend some time with him.

Stupid, stupid Steve!

How could he believe that someone could have ever fallen in love with him? It wasn't love that got them closer while at the hospital, it was the trauma, and now that Billy is doing far better than Steve they have nothing more in common.

Billy must sense the shift in Steve's attitude because when he calls his name his voice is way kinder than before.

"Steve?" He calls again, getting closer to him.

Steve can't take it anymore and runs out into the rain, trying to escape his feelings, but his bleeding heart aches so badly that he knows there is no cure. He will survive, he is sure of it, but nothing will be the same, not after he made a fool out of himself. Thank god he didn't confess his feelings to Billy. He would have mocked him cruelly for his stupid crush.

Because it was a crush, ok? Just a crush! Nothing more! Not... love.

He slips and falls to the ground, hitting his head on a rock while he gets mud everywhere.

For a moment he remains still, lying in the mud while the rain keeps pouring down on him. He wonders how he got there, crying in the rain, with his face in the mud, but then there are hands helping him up and blue eyes staring back at him.

"Steve! Fuck! Are you ok?!" Billy is kneeling at his side, cradling his face like it is the most precious thing in the world. "Don't move! Let me check your wound." He scolds him, brushing away his hair "You are bleeding a little, but it doesn't look serious. How do you feel? Lightheaded or what?" Steve stares blankly at Billy while the boy gets anxious. "Maybe I'm wrong and it’s worse than it looks. You should see a doctor. Don't worry I'll take care of everything. I can find the car, I know I can, and then I'll drive you to the closest hospital and..."

"I'm fine,” Steve replies, pushing him away. “I just don't understand what you are doing here."

Billy studies his face for a moment, "Maybe you hit your head harder than I thought. We were hiking, Steve, do you remember?"

"Of course, I do, dickhead!" He hisses, punching him in the shoulder. "I'm just confused because I don't understand why you are here, with me, in the rain, while you could have stayed in the cave where it is warm and..."

"Steve! You bolted out of that fucking cave without saying a word! I was fucking worried, ok?!"

"Why?! You hate me! You agreed to go on a trip with me out of pity and..."

One moment Steve is staring at Billy, trying to understand why the boy followed him, and the next thing he knows is there is a hot mouth on his shushing him and taking his breath away.

"Billy..."

"Can you shut the fuck up for a moment?" Billy asks, his icy blue eyes still pinned on Steve's chocolate one. "I'm sorry for the way I reacted. I really thought that I could have guided you to the waterfall and back and I'm so fucking angry with myself that I can't cope with that and I have to give the fault to someone else, and the only other person here it's you and... It wasn't fair, ok? We would be in deep shit if you didn't pack our bags and had brought water, food, and everything we might need. And I'm sorry for criticizing you and trying to get into a fight, ok? I'm sorry." Billy takes a deep breath, closing his eyes for a moment before adding, "Fighting is still the first answer to anything that happens to me and I'm very sorry that you have to deal with all my shit, but when I saw you run into the rain for no reason I worried, ok? I thought you were having an episode or something, and I followed you and now... god... now I really hope I haven't made the biggest mistake of my life because if these feelings are not mutual then I'm not really sure I want to get back to the car," He concludes with a cackle.

"Feelings?" Maybe Steve did hit his head really hard because this can only be a dream, even if it's the saddest dream ever; he is shivering with cold under the rain, has mud on his face and his clothes, and a nasty bump on his forehead.

"I have feelings for you Steve, I always did, since the first time I saw you on that basketball court." Billy tells him, their faces so close to each other that Steve can feel his breath on his skin.

"You do?" Steve asks again, brushing some wet curls away from Billy's beautiful face.

"I do." Billy bites his lips before daring to ask, "Do you?"

"I do," Steve replies with a beaming smile. He leans forward to kiss Billy again, slowly, taking the time to savor Billy's taste on his tongue. Steve sinks his fingers deep into the blond curls, holding him tight like he was worried that he could disappear at any moment.

They are wet, cold, and dirty, but none of that matters when Billy's tongue licks Steve's lips, asking for permission that the pretty boy gladly gives him, opening his mouth and letting Billy explore and taste as long as he likes, shivering in pleasure.

It's their first real kiss and it has nothing to do with the romantic image that Steve had in his mind when he started to plan this trip, but it doesn't matter because that was just a fantasy, while this is real.

One kiss turns into two, three, four. They would have probably kept kissing if it wasn't for the rain, so when Billy suggests getting back to the cave, Steve begrudgingly nods and follows him. Luckily, their backpacks are dry, so the first thing that Billy does is help Steve out of his wet clothes and give him some dry ones, then he cleans the cut on his forehead and covers it with a band-aid, before kissing it better and finally takes some dry clothes for himself too.

They look a little bit silly in their underwear and wind jacket while the t-shirts and the pants are discarded in a corner of the cave. Steve suggests lighting a little fire to keep them warm and try to dry the clothes and the blond boy looks at him astonished while he lights a fire in a few calculated moves.

"You are full of surprises, aren't you, pretty boy?"

Steve feels his cheek blush and tries to hide his face, but Billy is quick and grabs his chin between his fingers. "No hiding from me, baby," He whispers while the flames shimmer in his eyes.

"Sorry..." He murmurs back.His apologies are welcomed with a big smile and a soft peck on the tip of his nose.

"Tell me, little boy scout, how long do you think this storm will last?" Billy asks, getting closer to Steve. He puts an arm around Steve’s shoulders, and the rich boy relaxes against the broad chest.

"Don't know, but I don't think it will last for long, the clouds are moving pretty fast so it should be short. I'm more worried about how we will get to the car with all that mud, but I imagine we will find a way," He replies, getting more comfortable and letting himself be held for the first time in years.

They must doze off because when Steve opens his eyes the sky is dark and full of stars. He frees himself from Billy's arms and slowly goes outside. The trees obscure the view a little, but there are so many stars looking down at him that he can't complain. Maybe he will not be able to point to some famous constellation, but the view is still breathtaking.

"Are you already trying to run away from me?" A sleepy voice asks. When he turns Billy is brushing his eyes, yawning.

"Look," Steve says, pointing at the sky but keeping his eyes pinned on Billy to see the expression of wonders that paint his face.

"That's... incredible," The blond boy whispers. "I used to go to some bonfires when I was younger, to drink a couple of beers and flirt with some girls. I thought I saw a lot of stars on those nights, but I was wrong."

"You were probably too close to the city lights," Steve explains, regretting that the ground is still wet and they can't lie and look at the stars. Another part of his plan gone wrong.

"Do you want to try to go back to the car?" Billy asks, interpreting his sad expression in the wrong way.

"No, it's better if we stay here at least till dawn, it's too dangerous to try to get back by night even if we have the flashlights."

Billy nods, it's the sensible thing to do, and it has nothing to do with the opportunity to share more kisses away from prying eyes.

When Steve feels that his hunger for kisses has been satisfied he dares to ask "So Brown University, uh?"

"It's far enough and it's a very good university," Billy replies, playing with Steve's hair. "I was ready to move to Antarctica if I needed to." Billy's father... Well, Billy's father is not a good father and Steve can see why he is trying to get away from him. "I'm worried for the shitbird," He adds after a long moment of silence. "But Neil never beat a woman before and I'm pretty sure that Susan is clever enough to get a divorce and take the house, so I guess they will be fine."

Rhode Island. So fucking far from Indiana.

"What about you? Are you going to scoop ice cream all your life?"

"Actually... Robin found us a job. Family Video. Nothing fancy but it pays the bills."

Billy snorts "You live in your parents' house and have no fucking bills to pay! What the hell are you talking about?!"

"Well, my father is trying to teach me a lesson about responsibility and..."

A loud laugh interrupts him “Responsibility? Your father? The one that sends you money and leaves you alone in that enormous house?"

"You don't know him! He is a very famous surgeon and..."

"I don't need to know him, Steve. I know you! And I know he wasn't here when we fought and you got that concussion and I know that he wasn't at your bedside when you woke up from the coma! And you know how I know?! Because I was there!" He yells and Steve tries to make himself smaller and hide from Billy's anger. "Sorry... I'm... I'm sorry. But I don't get why you keep defending him when..."

"He doesn't know," Steve replies, avoiding Billy's stare.

"What?!"

"When I got the concussion Owens' team took care of me so there is no trace that it ever happened and I never told my parents," Steve sighs, staring at the embers of their little fire. "Hopper kept an eye on me, and I was fine, so there was no need to worry them. And this time... I'm nineteen years old, legally an adult, so I signed a document stating that I didn't want them to talk about my conditions with my parents if it wasn't a life or death situation and I'm still here, so it wasn't so bad after all."

Billy groans loudly, and the hug he gives Steve is almost violent.

"I fucking hate this self-sacrificial shit you are up to, you know that, right? No, don't interrupt me. We are not fine Steve, none of us are, and you don't have to deal with all this shit alone." He turns Steve's face toward himself, "Come with me. The apartment is big enough for the two of us."

"And what am I supposed to do, Billy? I'm not a genius like you! I hardly graduated!" He protests, trying to get away from him, but Billy holds him tight.

"You are a fucking war hero, Steve! I’m sure that with some government help we could bend the rules and get you enrolled with a full scholarship in no time! Once there I'll help you with your studies, and if you really hate it there, you could always get back to Hawkins."

Steve raises an eyebrow, “Are you really willing to live with me and help me with my studies?"

Billy smirks, "Well, the idea was to do something more than just help you study, you know?"

Steve bursts out in a loud laugh, "That wasn't subtle, like, at all!"

He is still giggling when they hear voices in the night calling their name.

"What?" Billy asks, confused, while Steve rushes to get their pants and tries to get dressed as fast as he can.

"I told Sarah where we were going and she told us to get back soon. I think she was worried when she didn't see us back to our tent." For a moment Steve curses himself and his way of trying to be prepared for every emergency. "Billy... What will happen when we get out of this forest? I mean... When we get back to Hawkins?"

Billy grabs him by his arm and yanks him against him, kissing him with passion.

"Does that answer your question?"

Steve would reply that he needs more, just to be sure, but the rescuers are almost there so they split apart and get out of the cave, waving their flashlights.

When the rescuers finally reach them, they blame them for not having a map with them.

“I fucking hate that trail,” one of the park rangers complains, “I wish they’ll close it once and for all. It always gives us a terrible headache.” he says, then he turns toward the boys, “You are lucky you didn’t injure yourself too badly.” he adds, glaring at them while guiding them back to their car.

The sun is shining when they finally get back to their tent. Sarah is so relieved that she hugs them both tight and scolds them once more before leaving with her family because their vacation just ended.

Billy stares at their tent for a long moment before asking, "Would you like to sleep in a motel? I saw one just a few miles before the park. We can come back tomorrow to pick up our stuff." And if Steve wasn't already in love with Billy that would probably be the moment he falls for him. He nods eagerly and gets back to the car, ready to rest in a real bed after their little adventure in the forest.

The motel is seedy and smells really bad, but Steve doesn't care; all he wants is to get some sleep but all the emotions from the day make it hard to fall asleep.

Billy is resting on the bed next to his with his eyes closed but Steve can tell that he is not sleeping at all.

"Billy?"

"Yeah?"

"Were you serious?”

“Huh?”

“ Were you serious when you asked me to come with you?"

Billy turns to Steve, staring into his eyes, "I was. Are you thinking about it?"

"Maybe."

Billy gives him a smug smile, "Maybe is enough. We still have a few days of vacation and I'm sure I can transform that maybe into a yes if you will give me the opportunity."

Steve smiles back and in his heart, he already knows that he will agree, but for the moment they rest while holding hands for the first time.

Please look forward to the amazing work from the next contributor: @callieb

#harringrove relay race #Billy Hargrove #Steve Harrington #Harringrove #Billy x Steve #Stranger Things Fanfiction #Harringrove fic #medusapelagia fanfic #stranger things fanfic #my fanfic #medusapelagia #Perfectly Misaligned

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avenging-fandoms · 5 months

Note

OKAY NAHHHH NOW U GOTTA WRITE SOMETHING ABOUT THAT FRIENDS TO LOVERS BUT ITS TOO LATE TROPE

**i forgot who this was originally requested for so i’m gonna pick pedrito<3

Idk i kinda hate this

**fem pronouns

“I can’t believe you’re getting married.” Yn sighed with her arms crossed, admiring Pedro as he adjusts his tie with a bright smile. “I always thought we would have to use our pact.” Yn half jokes. Pedro turns aroud with knitted eyebrows.

“What pact?” He questions and Yn’s heart breaks a little.

“The pack we made when we were 16, if we didn’t getting married by 50 we’d marry each other.” She reminds him and he snaps, nodding.

“I totally forgot about that. Well we probably wouldn’t have worked out anyway.” Pedro chuckles and sits to re-tie his shoes, Yn fidgeting with her bridesmaid dress nervously.

“How would we know if we never tried?”

She tried to be quiet but saw Pedro stop tying his shoes in her peripheral as she looks at her hands.

“Dove..” Pedro sighs and she sits next to him, holding his arm and looking at him through tears while he rubbed his eyebrows with his eye closed.

“Pedro, I fell in love with you years ago, and when I went to tell you you told me about Heather, so I didn’t tell you. But now I’m telling you right before you marry her.” Yn realizes what she’s doing.

“Right before I marry her!” Pedro exclaims, standing up quickly and Yn jumps. “Why not telling me in the beginning when it’s easier to end and I loved you back?” Pedro yelled.

Yn inhaled sharply and stared Pedro down, tears falling. “You loved me?” Yn couldn’t raise her voice higher than a soft whisper, and Pedro laughed in her face.

“Yes, Yn, I did. Before I fell in love with my soon-to-be-wife.” Pedro sighed and groaned loudly as he ran his hands down his face, looking at Yn who stood slowly, unable to make eye contact.

“Good luck with your marriage, Pedro. I wish you nothing but the best.” Yn nods and opens the door. Pedro’s eyes soften and widen, quickly heading to the door and trying to get her to stay. Yn didn’t respond to anything he said and quietly took herself away from his grip and racing to her car.

As she quickly drove away Yn couldn’t helped but sob. She couldn’t blame Pedro for how he felt but she was still upset, her heart was tightening with every breath and it was getting harder to breathe.

Yn couldn’t have stayed - she was a bridesmaid. To stand next to the woman the man you love is marrying sounds like an absolute nightmare, so she finds a few hours away where no one could find her. With the alcohol for the after party and her night bag, Yn bought a room for the weekend.

She turns off her phone and turns on the TV to find something random and cracking open the bottle of Tito’s.

Every sip she thought of Pedro and Heather. How they were exchanging vows, their first kiss. Once Yn turned her back on she was going to delete every app of social media she had so she sees nothing from the wedding.

Yn locks the door all the ways she can and grabs her laptop, her vodka and her pajamas as she heads to the bathroom. Yn closes the door and starts the bath, getting it hot before taking off her makeup and dress.

She angrily threw the dress in the trash with a sob, taking a drink of her vodka and submerging herself in the hot water, putting music on her computer. Her hand draped over the edge of the bathtub with the vodka bottle loose in her grip, eyes closed and lip syncing to the music before it stops.

She was getting a FaceTime call. From Pedro.

Yn took a big sip and answers, groaning as it burns going down.

“Dove, what the hell?!” Pedro was in a quiet room and Yn took a breath.

“What’s up, how’s the wedding?” Yn slurred terribly. She didn’t realize how drunk she was and Pedro was worried as Yn barely drinks.

“Yn, where are you?” Pedro asking angrily to which Yn shrugged.

“A guy’s house, Jackson. I called him sad and now I’m naked in his tub.” Yn giggles as she lies but Pedro just thinks she’s drunk giggling.

“He didn’t try anything did he?” Pedro’s tone of voice was low and his eyes were dark, and it sobered Yn up a bit.

“What do you care, married boy? You don’t love me anymore. Bye.” Yn hung up and put her laptop on Do Not Disturb so no more calls came through and she could enjoy her back.

She set her alcohol down, dunking herself under the water for a few minutes before coming back up, gasping as she wipes her face and runs her hands over her hair. Yn brings her knees to her chest, resting her cheek on her knee bone, staring at the drain as she thought.

She thought of Pedro, of Heather, of Jackson, of everything she could think of. Eventually the water got cold and Yn sobered up a bit. Yn stood up slowly and wobbled a bit while wrapping the towel around herself. She brushed her teeth and changed into her pajamas before climbing into bed.

Yn finally turns on her phone and sees a few texts from Pedro, friends, and a bunch from Jackson talking about how Pedro showed up looking for her and threatened him. Yn sighed and texted him back, telling him she was very sorry and she’ll take him to dinner to explain; he agreed.

Yn took a few deep breaths before calling Pedro who answers in 3 rings.

“Where the hell are you?!” He scolds.

“You showed up to Jackson’s house? Pedro, I’m sorry if what I said messed with you, but you got married. Stop worrying who or where I am. Worry about you wife.”

“You did mess with me!” Pedro’s throat burns as he tries not to shout too loud for others to hear, his eyes glossy as he swallows. “Why did you do that?” Pedro asks as his lip softly trembles and Yn sighs, running her tongue over her bottom lip as she looks at the ceiling while tears well.

“I.. I don’t know, Pedro. It was selfish. I’m sorry. You’re a good man, a married man now. Please.. worry about your wife.” Yn’s voice broke.

“It should’ve been you, huh?” Pedro asks, sniffling.

“It’s too late to try.” Yn answers.

#pedro pascal #pedro pascal x reader #pedro pascal x you #pedro pascal imagine #pedro pascal blurb #pedro pascal fic #pedro pascal fanfiction

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wonwoosthetic · 7 months

Text

Amour-Haine & Co. | Chapter 18 |

series masterlist

word count – 15k

warnings – mentions of sex, mentions of sa (I tried to keep it brief and not mention it an unnecessary amount of time), cursing, screaming, law enforcement related things

a/n – I have nothing to say other than thank god this finally made its way onto tumblr😭 I’m still not 100% satisfied with it but I feel like if I edit it any more, it’s only gonna get worse😭😭 pls enjoy this, thank you for everything🫶🏼 BTW: this chapter includes A LOT of law enforcement and court terms and scenes, but since I am no expert in that field, please be prepared for inaccuracy! If any one you have more experience in either one of these subjects: please let me know!! If I can make it any more realistic, I’d love to do so!! Also: thank you to the anon who inspired me for the Jeonghan turn🫶🏼🥰 when I first outlined the story, this was definitely not planned but after seeing their request in my inbox a few months ago, I just knew I had to include it, so I hope you enjoy it🤍

fyi – not much lovey y/n x wonwoo in this chapter, but don’t you worry bc there will be more than enough in the next ones ˙ᵕ˙

“I’m proud of you.”

"Mmmm," Binna's enjoyable moan echoed through your ear as she took the first sip of her second cocktail that night - she had downed the first one within the first 10 minutes of sitting. "Long day at work, don't wanna talk about it," she commented on it as soon as she found your questioning, and slightly concerned, gaze on her.

You couldn't help but chuckle as you continued to sip on your first cocktail of the evening, your food still untouched next to you. By now the steam had already evaporated, and the ice in your drink had melted, watering down the burning taste of too much alcohol the trainee bartender had graciously given you.

Your eyes were fixed on her and the lowering level of liquid in her glass as it went down and down with every sip, coming to a halt just right to make it half-full. "Are you sure, you're okay?" You questioned her carefully.

She hastily nodded, wiping her hands, now covered in salt from her fries, with a white napkin. "Yeah, yeah," she brushed you off before placing both of her palms on the surface of the table, slightly leaning forward with a smirk. "Now tell me, how's playboy-turned-loverboy doing?"

"Good. I think," you slyly answered, reaching out for a fry, which was interrupted by a harsh slap on the back of your hand, making you wince as you snatched it back. "OW!"

"Don't fucking say 'I think' as if you don't see him at work all the time and sleep over at his place every second day," Binna snapped at you. What you hadn't told her was that Wonwoo had also asked you to come over that evening, but you decided to cancel, remembering the date you and your best friend had already agreed on.

With wide eyes, you shrugged, "Yeah- well- I don't know. I think he's doing well." You knew the unknown was making her even more giddy, and only more questions would spill out of her.

"I think he's doing a little very well if he gets to sleep with you, don't you think?" She always had her way with compliments.

The liquid of your drink got stuck in your throat as you covered your mouth, giggling at her sudden comment. "Jesus, Binna," you shook your head as she joined your laughter. "I think he's doing well because this whole Chanyeol situation is finally coming to an end." You reminded the both of you of the hopefully last time you'd ever come face to face with the man of the hour. The day was coming closer, prayers were being said each night, quietly just hoping to make it stop.

Your best friend gave you a nod in understanding. "When are you seeing Jihoon again? Tomorrow, right?" You nodded. "Then we can finally stop talking about this piece of shit. He's been occupying your mind a little too much." Just like most of the time, she was yet again right about that. The following day would be the last consultation you'd have with Wonwoo's lawyer before your court date on Friday - Payday.

"Yeah, well," you sighed in frustration, leaning back in the wooden chair, "Can you blame me?"

"No, no, of course not," she quickly reassured you, patting your hand. "But at least you also got some other things to keep your mind occupied with." Wiggling her eyebrows to underline her question. Even without her antic, you would've known what she was implying.

"You mean Wonwoo?" You chuckled, to which she excitedly nodded, biting down on her lips to hide the grin that was daring to escape. "But even there's Chanyeol involved! Do you know how much we've talked about him?"

"Ugh," Binna faked a gag, "Can we just agree to not say his name out loud anymore? Let's just call him... Grapefruit." That woman and her codenames. Ever since she had started working as a teacher, this became a thing of hers to do with all of the men she shared a bed with. At first, it was only to be able to talk about them in front of the kids, since some of those stories may have included a single father or two of the kids in her class, but she had let it seep into her everyday life. Explaining why you'd now find yourself calling a thirty-something-year-old grown man "bookshelf", just because of the way his haircut looked from the side. Grapefruit would be added to the list.

"Grapefruit?"

"Yeah," she nodded, taking another sip, "I hate Grapefruits. Anyways-," she waved it off to change the subject. "What do you mean you talk about Cha- I mean, Grapefruit?"

"Well- like, about the entire situation. You know, some evenings we spent going through court stuff or looked through what he's been up to." Jihoon had mentioned to 'always know who you're going up against'. And Wonwoo and you took his advice to heart. There were multiple nights spent together in the office, sometimes along with Mingyu, or even at his place, going through the files the court had published to you about Exodus' Entertainment. You had stalked his Social Media presence and analyzed his public outings. The smiles he would fake, the words he would lie with. You knew this man inside out, having spent three years with him did come in handy. Even after all this time, he took up more time inside your brain than you would've liked to.

While continuing your story, you motioned around with your hands on the table. "It even all started with him. Sometimes... I mean, I don't always bring it up with Wonwoo, sometimes it's just in my mind. To myself. But... yeah..." Pressing your pointer to a random spot on the wood.

"Hold up-," Binna raised her hand to stop you, "He started it all? What is 'it'? You and Wonwoo?"

You already knew you'd regret your answer before it had even left your lips, but who else could you be the most honest with, if not your best friend since primary school. "Kinda..."

"Alright, you're stupid." She simply stated, staring blankly right at you.

"No, wait-" You scolded her, but she just shrugged.

"What? You're an idiot. Why would you think that? How could that asshole have anything to do with what's going on with you two now?"

You sighed, shaking your head slightly, knowing you'd have to choose your words wisely "No, no, look. I mean," you sighed with an annoyed undertone, trying to get your eyes off her. "I know he doesn't have any effect on me anymore whatsoever, but you can't deny that because of what happened, Wonwoo and I got closer. The break-in started a whole chain reaction-"

"That's idiotic to think about-" Before she could finish, you cut her off.

"No, it's not. It's what made us talk more to each other. Why we started to actually interact and realise that we would have to work with each other and not against each other like we did before." The two of you knew, your words held some truth.

Binna violently shook her head, her bob moving along, "Maybe for you, but most definitely not for him."

You scrunched your eyebrows at the slightly slurred words from your best friend. "What do you mean?"

"He invited you to that event thing before all that shit went down. For God's sake, Y/N!" She shouted into the room, immediately making you jump up to cover her mouth from across the table. You sent her a wide-eyed glare, hoping to make her understand to shut her mouth. Binna nodded as she grasped your hand to pull it down, continuing her exclaim in a quieter volume. "He bought you a fucking dress! And not a cheap one!"

"I know that! But keep it quiet," you snapped at her, sitting back down to continue nursing your drink which was now close to getting empty. God, you should've just ordered two at once, just like Binna did.

"You're not listening to what I'm saying-"

"You're not listening to what I'm saying. I don't think that nothing would've ever happened, but it did speed things up A LOT."

"I thought we went over this. Stop overthinking all of this. Be happy for yourself for once in your goddamn life! You've been fucked over by so many men in your life that don't even deserve to know about your existence. Your father included by the way," she pointed out, making you nod. "And now you found a man that would burn down the entire world for you, and you're still thinking about that shit-eating sorry excuse of a man from your past that doesn't even know how to do his own laundry?" The reminder made you almost chuckle, but the truth was too painful.

To think back on the fact that you once had your hands down his laundry basked and washing machine, because he didn't know how to make use of it, sent a shiver down your spine. "He did actually not know how to do that."

"That's what I'm saying," she sighed out desperately, throwing her head back with a groan. "All of them were such a waste of your time and patience and kindness. So... just enjoy what you have with Wonwoo now. So what if Grapefruit sped up things for you two? If anything, that's a good thing."

"I... I know what you mean. And... I... UGH-" You groaned under your breath, covering your face with your hands before running your fingers through your hair, an exhausted huff of air leaving your lips. If you could, you would've already punched yourself. Just like Binna did after you had told her what happened in Wonwoo's apartment after your quick trip to the Monbebe - she left a bruise that didn't go away for four days and Wonwoo had quite a few questions about that.

"He's not the reason for anything but misery in your life, alright?" The casual use of the nickname made you chuckle. "Wonwoo would still be knees deep for you, he'd still be this big fucking simp, and you'd also still have a crush on him that you, even now, don't want to admit to."

You interfered after hearing her comment as she slyly continued eating some of the fries in the middle of the table. "Hey! That's not true." You huffed out, mumbling the last part of the sentence.

"Oh, it's not? Have you ever said, you know what, 'I like him'? Or 'I have a crush on him'? " Binna nagged, knowing eventually she'd get something out of you.

You decided to stay silent, desperately hoping she'd just drop the subject but both of you knew better than that.

"Exactly." She pressed her lips and eyes tightly together, her fingers digging into her temples. "You don't know if you have a crush on the man you've been spending the past three weeks with? Non-stop." Binna opened her eyes again to meet yours. "You don't know if you have a crush on the man that has been sending you flowers and food every single day at work? You wanna tell me you don't have a crush on the only man that has been actually able to make you come for the first time in-" Her continuous ranting made you groan out loud.

"OKAY! I like him, alright?! Fine! You win! I like him." With a last deep breath, you stunned her. "There. I said it. I like him, Binna. I really do. I'm scared, yes, fuck it, I'm terrified even, but whatever is going on right now feels really good and I really don't want to fuck it up."

You had decided to let yourself give into him, slowly but surely. The final decision must've happened way earlier in your brain. After yet another hot and passionate session of yours, late at night, cuddling into his side as he subconsciously was still grazing his fingers over your skin while slowly giving into the sleepiness that had overcome him.

You couldn't help it. The more you tried to fight it, the more Wonwoo was willing to fight. A fresh set of flowers on your desk every single week, pastries from the bakery Binna and you had recently found and started to love every morning by the front desk at the office, heck even the car keys you hadn't been able to get rid of yet. By now it had basically turned into a game of you trying to leave them in his apartment or office, only for you to find them inside your bag later that day again. It made you chuckle each time. He was a stubborn one, that Jeon Wonwoo. Whenever your own thoughts were starting to catch up with you, trying to remind you that he was indeed too good to be true, and every man would eventually turn out to be the same, the CEO made sure to be right there, keeping your mind clean and ensuring you of his not-always-so-inocennt, yet pure intentions with you. The few sleepless nights the two of you had been spending together were proof of just that.

With wide eyes and a smug smile on her lips, Binna leaned back, crossing her arms in front of her chest. "Well done. I'm proud of you."

Sulkingly, knowing she had finally gotten what she wanted, you crossed your arms. "Leave me alone."

The woman in front of you continued to gaze at you, her lips sealed as she took in your sunken-in frame. A sad smile was starting to form on her face. "You don't have to pretend to be all cold and cool about this. He's pretty cute. With all the stuff he does."

You wish you could've stopped the blush spreading on your cheeks, but it shined so proudly, lighting up your entire face as you bit down on your bottom lip.

"I know," you mumbled, taking a fry to fill your mouth with, trying to distract yourself from the situation and hoping your body would stop naturally reacting like that.

A second of silence passed between the two of you before Binna's chuckle interrupted it. She let her forearms rest on top of the table, leaning in to catch your gaze.

"I haven't seen you blush like that in years," she commented softly, reaching to pet the back of your hand. "You deserve this, Y/N. Enjoy it."

Slowly, you raised your head, still almost too shy to lock eyes with her directly. Your gaze quickly fell to your hands touching before chuckling, finding your own thoughts ridiculous, but as embarrassing as it may have seemed to you, you couldn't and didn't want to hold back.

"I really do like him."

Your best friend nodded, "I know," a proud smile decorating her face. Happiness had never looked and felt so good.

The plain white walls were starting to dawn on you. A waiting room so sterile, with two paintings being the only splash of colour in the entire corridor, would do that. Even after all the times you had spent sitting there, you were still not used to it and weren't planning on it any time soon. The hope of not having to return all that much ever again had not yet vanished.

A heavy sigh tumbled from your lips as you sulked even deeper into the grey-cushioned seats Jihoon had chosen for his law firm. The past twenty minutes had started to feel closer to an hour with the hollowness of the room. The only sound echoing through your ear was the rushed typing of his assistant around the corner, who hadn't stopped ever since you had arrived. Not even your phone could entertain you enough anymore, time was just moving too slowly.

Wonwoo, with whom you came, had just gotten off the phone with God-knows-who when he directed his attention to you. Amusement made his lips curl up as he put his phone into the inside pouch of his suit jacket before hiding his hands in his pockets.

"He likes to take his time."

Your exclaim of a breath told him everything he needed to know. He took a quick peek at the still-closed door to the lawyer's office. A door you had been staring at for at least ten minutes.

You took a deep breath in desperation. "Yeah, a little too much time." Your comment made Mingyu, who was sitting opposite of you chuckle. You had to hold back any snarky remark, remembering that he was your last bit of hope and you were supposed to give him all the time he could possibly need. He was a busy man after all and you were most definitely not his only clients.

Wonwoo's laugh rang through your ear as he got closer to your seated position. "Well, look who's suddenly the impatient one." His comment made you roll your eyes but made the slight smile playing on your lips almost impossible to hide. The past few weeks with him must've done something with you.

Ever since that late-night event after your not-so-pleasant visit to the Monbebe, the dynamic between the two of you had changed. Drastically. It was less about built-up anger and frustration, not even about hidden tension anymore. Much rather was it now about appreciation, care, and gentleness and... even enjoyment. In all this mess, the two of you had found a way to enjoy each other's presence and forget about the daunting events that were still haunting you.

You two had spent more nights together since then. More than your old self would probably like to admit. But your new self?... She enjoyed it. Not only did those nights end in sex. No, some were just filled with late-night talking - some work-related, others not. He had started asking questions. Quite a few even. About you, and your childhood. Wonwoo had wanted to know what your favourite season was, what your favourite memory of your school time was, and which celebrity you'd bring back from the dead if you could - questions no other ex had ever even entertained to wonder about. Some questions you hadn't even ever asked yourself. And you answered him. You gave him an answer to every single one of his questions. In return, you had found out about his childhood best friends, about him being his grandmother's favourite grandchild, and about what he'd do if he could go back in time. You got to get to know Wonwoo. Not hot-playboy-CEO-bachelor Jeon Wonwoo, but the Jeon Wonwoo, who graduated top of his year at Seoultech University. Wonwoo, whose discovery of stage fright in middle school shattered his dreams of becoming an actor even before his father could drag him into the family business. Wonwoo, who would kill and die for his friends and family and who might look and act like the coldest asshole to walk the streets of the city, but could be deeply caring about the ones most important to him at the same time. You had almost forgotten about the person you had always thought he had been as you got to meet the real side of him.

The side that called his mum at least once a week whenever she wasn't in town to keep up with the latest gossip she had to tell him. He'd roll his eyes while on the phone with her, sending you looks of apology while you continued to sip on the wine he had poured for you, chuckling at the sight in front of you as he walked around the apartment, nodding along to whatever his mother was ranting about. The side that would never forget your dinner reservations at 8, already thinking about what you'd be wearing and what flowers to get you to match your outfit while listening to yet another uneducated business partner and throwing him out of the room as soon as one wrong comment would fall from their lips. He cursed their existence and the entirety of the corporate world while promising to make his own office and company a place where employees would enjoy coming to work.

He'd sit in his office, checking his wrist every few minutes, counting down the time and catching glimpses at you talking to the other employees, desperately waiting for the work day to end, so he could be at home, doing the dishes he had left in the sink in the morning, still needing to change the bedsheets before you'd arrive with the food you had promised to pick up on the way. How domestic of you two.

There were no obligations, no rules you had to follow. You were just enjoying yourself. Enjoying your time with him. The words he had trusted you with had branded themselves onto your heart and brain, reminding you every single day of what you were getting yourself into. You started to trust him. You were starting to fall. It was crazy. You couldn't help yourself, you couldn't hold back. You didn't want to. Falling was something so inevitably impossible to stop from happening. Whether you're falling over, falling down, or... falling in love.

You had caught yourself looking at him already. Multiple times in the last few weeks. Commenting to yourself, he's facial structure, the tilted line of his jaw, and the bridge of his nose were just aesthetically pleasing. No one would deny, that you were correct in your assumption. But that was not the reason you couldn't help yourself from looking at him. You had ignored the tingle in your stomach and the warmth spreading in your chest. But there was only so much time that you could tell yourself it was nothing until it did become something. And the end of that time arrived sooner than you could've prepared yourself for and hit you like a wall.

You had repeatedly thought about those nights you had spent with him, sitting by the dining table, snacking on the takeout you had decided on for that evening while reading out loud letters from the courthouse, the judge, Jihoon, Jeonghan, and even Chanyeol. Statements from Sehun were rarely ever in the mail you received, he opted for texting you privately, promising to stand with you and support the decisions you would make. But those evenings had led to the current scene unfolding. Another appointment in the Lee Jihoon law firm. The, hopefully, last official time you'd meet here for the haunting reason of Park Chanyeol.

Wonwoo grunted as he threw himself onto the empty seat next to you, "I swear to God, once we're in there, I'm gonna-"

"You're not gonna do anything," you interrupted him, looking to your left to find his side profile as he was still glaring at the closed door. His patience was running thin, you could tell. With a smirk and a scoff, he leaned back and turned to the side, his eyes meeting yours.

"You don't believe me?" He teasingly wondered.

"Oh no, I do believe you," you assured him with a similar smile, "But I also know that you know better than to anger your only friend that can get us out of this."

"Can you maybe not flirt right in front of me?" The younger CEO cringed as he looked towards the door, trying to divert his eyes from the two of you.

Before Wonwoo was able to talk back, a snarky remark already playing on the tip of his tongue, the white door suddenly opened, revealing the slightly messy head of wavy hair.

"Am I interrupting something?" Jihoon joked as he looked into the hallway, his eyes immediately finding you two and your faces that had subconsciously moved in closer to each other.

With a quick move, Wonwoo pushed himself up from the cushion, his hand already awaiting yours to help you up as well. "Yeah, I was just talking about breaking in your door." You ignored his helping hand, opting to stand up yourself, only to feel his gentle grip on your elbows. Was he really helping you? No. Did you still enjoy the soft touch? Yes.

"Hilarious as always." Jihoon nodded, walking back inside, leaving you to let yourself in.

Before walking ahead, you snatched the two thin folders you had brought yourself into your hands and let yourself get led by Wonwoo's hand on your lower back. Something else, you had learned about him was his love for physical touch. Secret little touches had become a standard when standing or sitting next to him. Wonwoo was by no means a man attracted to any form of PDA, he enjoyed it very much privately though. But no one could deny his love for keeping his hand or even just a finger on you. He took pride in doing this as secretly as possible, making no one else notice it. Mentioning physical touch being his love language only got you a roll of his eyes, you recall, and a comment about Yeri, his cousin, nagging him about doing tests like them on the internet, as well as an MBTI test, so he'd 'have it much easier to find a suitable partner'. Later that day, he did admit those tests revealed that his love languages were, in fact, physical touch, as well as, words of affirmation and gift-giving. And his MBTI was, to his last knowledge, INFJ.

Mingyu closed the door as he was the last one to enter, and all four of you in your designated seats in Jihoon's office - him behind his big desk, you right opposite of him, with Wonwoo to your left and Mingyu on your right. The room matched the entire floor perfectly. Pearl-white walls locked you in, and every door matched the colour of the walls. Each piece of furniture was fitted to the cool tones he had decided on. The floor continued to be dark grey, reminding you of a modern doctor's office. Everyone had their own taste, but you were thankful your office looked much different.

You handed him the last piece of content he'd need for the final trial tomorrow. During the past weeks, Jihoon and Jeonghan had consultations with the judge privately, as well as publicly. None of you were supposed to be there as it was only between the lawyers, and he was yet to update you on the progress he had made.

"Okay," the lawyer looked through the printed-out document you had brought along. "This is everything Sehun has texted you? Every single thing. Every word, every picture he sent, every single emoji? Everything."

You nodded along with his questions.

"Everything. I promise. I didn't change anything. I just, copy and pasted it," you swore to him as you spoke the truth.

Jihoon thanked you. "I'll get this to the judge before the trial tomorrow. She won't read it out loud while we're in the courtroom unless it's one hundred per cent necessary so that nothing will happen to Sehun."

"Thanks," you smiled at him. You had kindly asked him to do just that. With everything going on, and Chanyeol already hating enough people, his anger being on a 10/10 most likely, you didn't want to throw Sehun under the bus and call him out for helping you and doing the right thing. What he'll do after this shitshow was done was his issue to deal with and not your place to be involved in.

"So," Wonwoo decided to lead the following conversation. "Where are we right now? How are things looking so far?"

The younger man leaned back in his chair, throwing the pieces of paper back on his desk. He took a deep breath. "Good, I'd say."

"You'd say? That was a yes-or-no kind of question," The CEO stated, his facial expression strict and cold, just like the rest of the world knew him.

"Well, Wonwoo, I can't guarantee you anything. These people are unpredictable. They always have something up their sleeve, like literally constantly, and I'm trying my damn best here-"

"Then do better-"

"Wonwoo-" Mingyu tried to stop the two.

"Wait," you interrupted them before their fight could explode. "What do you mean? What happened last time?" Your eyes were trained on the lawyer as he pushed his chair to turn around, getting a brown file out of his cupboard before turning back, and throwing it to land right in front of you.

Once you got your hands on it and opened the file, you let your eyes rake over each line written in what seemed to be a university document from Seoultech. With your eyebrows scrunched together and your mouth slightly hanging open, you lifted your head to glance at Wonwoo.

"You cheated on your final exams and plagiarised your dissertation?"

"What?" He quickly got a hold of the piece of paper, reading it for himself, and opened his mouth, ready to raise his voice as he stood up. "That's-"

"Bullshit, I know," Jihoon stopped him calmly. "Don't worry, I called them and got statements from your professors."

Wonwoo looked at his friend in confusion, "But most of them are retired," who just walked over to him to get the file back into his ownership, a smirk proudly presented on his lips.

"I told you, I'm good at my job." Making the CEO scoff and roll his eyes.

You were still in a twilight zone, not able to follow every detail you had read and the conversation happening between the two men.

"But if it was so easy for you to debunk it, why did they write something like that?" Mingyu wondered, gaining back the lawyer's attention.

He sighed before shrugging and settling back into his chair. "I guess they just wanted to try. They claimed Wonwoo to be a master in faking documents, not realising that if I were to find the real ones, they'd be accused of doing the exact same thing. At this point, they have almost nothing else to lose because they're already so close to losing this entire lawsuit."

"Well," Wonwoo jumped in, choosing to continue standing up, "Then what's gonna happen tomorrow? Anything we need to be prepared for?"

Jihoon looked down at his desk as his fingers had started to play with a pen, occupying himself as he talked.

"Before I brought you guys in, I sent them some final stuff. Some of the statements Sehun got us, and the security camera footage from your office. I think it was Vernon, but he was able to zoom into the face and de-pixel it, which was revealed to be one of Chanyeol's employees who I had mentioned already last week in front of the judge. So, they'll go over that and comment on it tomorrow. They'll probably ask you guys some more questions about the night of the break-in. Like, where you were, what you were doing, how did you find out, and so on. Just be honest about that. Try to stick to the version you guys have told me, that would make my life a lot easier, thank you. They'll also question Park about it, probably also Sehun." He fell quiet for a second before continuing. "Everything else is pretty much done. They reached out to some of the women, but most of them declined to show up in court personally and chose to send in videos and written statements. It would be smart to read them out loud, but I don't know if they will or if they'll protect the identities of those women. My plan would be to win your lawsuit tomorrow and let them handle the sexual assault cases alone without us involved. And I don't know how that will play in for us... I mean- they've seen all of Yoon's tricks, and they're really not impressed by him from what I could tell."

"Good," Wonwoo commented in the middle of it.

"But they also haven't forgotten about your little fight, remember that." He pointed a strict finger at the oldest one in the room.

Another reason, why Jihoon and Jeonghan had been asked to be seen in front of the judge alone was 'for their own safety'. After the last encounter all of you had in court ended in Wonwoo and Chanyeol almost beating each other up, the judge, Miss Kang, had sent out individual emails, asking the lawyers to visit her on their own. The last sitting would be with everyone again though.

"I have the feeling that the jury is definitely on our side, but the judge might ask about the fight and possible anger issues," Jihoon continued to explain.

Wonwoo scoffed as he ran his fingers through his hair. "What do anger issues have to do with any of this?! And if anyone has anger issues, it's that fucking idiot Park, alright?!"

The younger one of the two and you looked at each other in silence, also sharing a quick look with Mingyu, before turning towards the CEO. A tight smile made its way onto your face, but the awkward silence hung heavily in the room. Wonwoo glanced at Jihoon first, before desperately looking at Mingyu and you. With a deep breath, he decided to sit back down.

"I have anger issues only when it comes to him."

Getting into Wonwoo's car the day of the last court sitting almost felt like every other time you had done it. The sequence was the same. He'd text you, he was on his way. Once he arrived, he'd ring the number of your apartment and you'd let him in. You'd leave your front door open, so he could come in once he reached your floor while getting your bag ready and possibly doing some finishing touches on your makeup. Days where you had spent the previous night at his place were slightly different. After having breakfast together at his dining table, and brushing your teeth, Wonwoo would get ready in the morning to chauffeur you to your apartment. He'd patiently wait in your living room while you got ready in your bedroom. He had offered to keep some things at his apartment already, yet you declined, assuring yourself of not moving too quickly by still getting ready for the day in your own room. Having a toothbrush and stuff to sleep in at his place was enough for you for the time being.

Your focus was solely on your phone as you texted Mingyu your whereabouts, asking him if he had already made his way over to the courthouse. Nervously, you had also texted Jihoon, keeping him updated with every street you got closer and closer.

The sudden touch of a hand on your knee made you look up. "Stop." Wonwoo had put his hand on you, stopping your leg from violently shaking. "You have no reason to be nervous, we got this."

"That's easier said than done," you scoffed. "They could destroy us. They could've something planned and we wouldn't know."

"Could you check the glove compartment, please?" Wonwoo got your attention, making you raise your head at his sudden question after enjoying the silence in the car.

"Hm?" You hummed.

With a quick glance at you and a nod towards the storage unit in his car, he repeated his question. "The glove compartment. I got a letter from my mum yesterday, and I put it in there. She texted me and said it was for both of us." With a swift one-handed move, you rounded the corner.

"For us?" You wondered confused, reaching forward to open the compartment.

He shrugged. "I don't know."

You got the letter in your hands, immediately noticing the pastel pink envelope, chuckling to yourself. Jeon Chaewon's role as one of the most feminine old-fashioned ladies you had ever met was no joke.

Careful not to destroy the paper too much, you opened the letter, getting the piece of paper out of the envelope when two extra pieces fell into your lap - slightly smaller than the letter itself. You decided to take a look at them first. After turning them around, you gasped. Your hand fell to your mouth before a chuckle erupted from your lungs.

"What?" A quick glance at Wonwoo made Wonwoo's eyebrows shoot up, only to calm down again once he noticed your amusement.

You couldn't help but bite down on your lip as you showed him the plane tickets. "Your mum's sending us to Paris?" Throwing the question into the room as you were still confused, now directing your attention to the letter, reading through the lines she wrote.

"Oh," you exclaimed. "There's a business even in Paris. She wants us to go." Reading the last sentence got another chuckle out of you. "She said, P.S.: If you want to take Mingyu along as well, I can get you another ticket, but think about that carefully."

"Aaah," Wonwoo nodded, stopping at a red light, letting his elbow rest by the window as he glanced to your side. "She told me about this before she left." He reached out to read through the letter himself. "But I didn't know she already booked tickets for us."

"And a hotel," you added.

"A hotel too?" He wondered, looking at you as you leaned over the middle console to point towards the sentence where she had mentioned the hotel you'd be staying in.

Wonwoo sighed, "Jesus..." With his focus still on the handwriting of his mother, he forgot about the illuminating lights ahead of you.

You glanced up as the green light hit your eyes. "It's green," you pointed out, snatching the letter out of his hand, so he'd put his focus back on the road.

Wonwoo noticed you had gone quiet, while your eyes were on the tickets and the letters. "Do you want to go?" He asked.

You looked up at him, putting all the pieces of paper back together into the envelope. "I think now is not really the right time to think about a Paris trip, to be honest."

"But it's a business trip."

"Yeah," you chuckled. "But to Paris." You continued to look at him, waiting for him to meet your eyes. He exchanged glances with you for a short moment, his lips curling up the slightest amount.

"Yes. As a business trip," he repeated, making you chuckle. "So, do you wanna go?" He asked you again, keeping you in his view as you reached another red light for a few seconds.

With a deep breath in, you shrugged your shoulders, keeping the envelope in your grip as your bag was still in the backseat. "Sure, why not. We should do it for your mum if she requested it."

"For my mum?" Wonwoo chuckled, making you nod.

"Yeah," you cleared your throat. "I mean, if she already booked everything, it would be rude not to go. And like you said, it's a business trip for an event, so... that would be good, right?"

He nodded. "Right."

For a second, you stayed silent before speaking up again, noticing how much closer you had gotten to the courthouse.

"Should we ask Mingyu if he'd want to come as well?"

"God no," Wonwoo was quick to answer with a huff. He took a quick look at you, a grin already spreading on his lips. "Somebody's gotta keep the company in check while we're gone, right?"

With a smile, you nodded along with him. "Mm, you're right." Before both of you fell into another round of comfortable silence while the smile never left your lips, biting down to hide it.

You turned your head to glance outside of the window, watching the buildings pass before Wonwoo took the last right turn to enter the parking lot.

Exiting the car and walking towards the main entrance of the courthouse, you were suddenly attacked by a group of men and women clinging onto their notebooks.

"Miss Yoon! Do you think, you will win!"

"Mister Jeon, are you confident for the trial today?"

"Is it true that Mister Park was a bad ex-boyfriend?"

"Is this all a publicity stunt to get more attention and build up your company, Mister Jeon?"

"Was the judge bribed by Mister Park and Mister Oh?"

With shock written all over your face, you came to a sudden halt, the grip on your bag strap tightening. Wonwoo, who was right behind you, hot on your heels, was quick to reach around you, pulling you in closer towards his body as soon as he heard the first words being shouted at the two of you. The cold glare of the CEO didn't stop the journalists from coming closer, pestering you with even more questions. The sudden attention overwhelmed you as you stumbled up the stairs towards the main entrance, where Jihoon was already waiting for you, holding the door open, and ushering you to move faster. As soon as your feet crossed the ledge, he closed the doors.

"Get a life!" He shouted at the mass, as they groaned in synch, turning back around and separated into individual groups again.

Still in shock, you turned around, not noticing the hand still on your body, not meaning to let go any time soon.

"What the hell was that?!" You exclaimed, brushing through your hair the wind had messed up slightly.

Jihoon groaned, walking past you, making the two of you follow him together as he started explaining. "I don't know who called them. Last week only two of them were here, but Jesus..."

"But why are journalists so interested in this? It's not like this is a national scandal-"

"Not national, but within the corporate world, this is quite big. Park's company might be about to break, and everyone wants in on that," Jihoon explained as you were catching your breath again, finding Mingyu's tight smile as he stood by the door of the courtroom, patiently waiting for you.

"Or maybe they're here to watch the Jeon empire collapse." A sudden all-too-familiar voice caught you off guard. Turning around, you were met with the mischievous eyes you've known for oh so long. "How tragic would that be," Jeonghan smirked at you three, his hand deep in his pocket as he casually walked up to you.

"We'll see about that," the lawyer snapped back.

Seeing the cheeky smile that had been haunting you for weeks made your heart race in anger as you bit down on your tongue, knowing every word you'd give off yourself could be turned against you. Without another comment, you turned around and rushed over to Mingyu in quick steps, greeting him with a hug, forgetting about Wonwoo and Jihoon, who decided to join you, leaving your cousin in the middle of the corridor before he disappeared around the corner again.

"Where's he going?" The younger CEO wondered, nudging his head towards the direction Loki had just left in.

Wonwoo shrugged, "Who knows."

"Probably consoling Park and Oh about some last-minute stuff," Jihoon took the word, glancing at you three. "Is everything clear with you guys? Any questions?"

Mingyu and you shook your heads as the oldest answered for all of you.

"No, let's get this shit over with." Speaking from your soul.

The four of you were directed towards your designated table on the left side of the room with Jihoon on the far right, closest to the middle of the room, followed by Wonwoo to his left, then you, and Mingyu was seated next to you. The rest of the room was empty, apart from the court reporter who was setting up her station and the security man by each door. As the trial was private, no public interests were allowed in the room. Even with the silence filling it, neither one of you even dared to open your mouth, knowing better than to let anything get to you.

The entrance door opened, the voices of the three people entering immediately bounced off the walls. They may have tried to whisper, but God knows they were terrible at it.

"Good morning," Jeonghan bowed to each security guard with a smile on his face, his followers copying him. As they passed your group, your cousin also sent a grin towards you, Chanyeol opted for a smug nod of his head while Sehun was seen with a genuine tight smile.

Exodus' CEO leaned back in his chair as soon as they all sat down, a loud sigh coming from him, making you close your eyes and take a deep breath in annoyance.

"Aaah," he moaned. "What a beautiful day today is, right guys? How terrible it would be to ruin that for someone." He took a quick look at your table, meeting Wonwoo's glare, but it only made Chanyeol chuckle.

You continued your prayers inside your head to let this pass quickly, followed by praying for his downfall and that he may please rot in a cell and never feel the touch of another human being ever again. He deserved nothing else.

Paranoid, you turned around to make sure your bag was still hanging over the back of your chair. After finding it right where you left it, your train of thought was interrupted.

"The jury will now enter!" A voice echoed through the room, making all of your heads look straight ahead to where the door opened. You could tell, not one of you had thought the trial would start so suddenly. The people who would make up the jury and would eventually be part of the reason for either your victory or downfall today entered the room. None of them even dared to lock eyes with any of you. Everyone kept their heads down until they were seated.

"All rise!" The voice spoke up again, making all of you act responsively as you stood up in synch, the sound of your chairs screeching against the floor slashing through your ear canal.

The door on the very far right side in front of you opened, revealing Miss Kang, the judge that had been assigned to your case. She greeted everyone in the room with a kind smile, making her warm presence light up the room. She was one of the good people within the law enforcement sector of the country, you just knew it. She'd trust you. Right?...

Judge Kang sat down on the big leathered chair, organising the stacks of paper in front of her, before taking a deep breath.

"This court is now in session, you may be seated," she called out into the room. Each person followed her demand, taking a seat again, nudging their chairs closer towards the table in front of them.

"We've got quite beautiful weather today, so let's not make this complicated, alright? I think we all want to enjoy the few rays of sunshine," she tried to lighten up the aura of the courtroom, clearly noticing the heavy tension daunting on all of you. Quiet chuckles could be heard, following her comment, smiling faces gazing up at her.

She looked down at her papers. "Alright, we call the case 7.4.2-8 in which Oskan & Co. has been charged with theft and stolen copyright by Exodus Entertainment. Is the plaintiff ready?" She directed her eyes to the right table.

"Yes, Your Honour," Jeonghan answered her politely. The pitch of his voice could send a shiver down your spine almost in an instant. Laced with pretentiousness. You had to remind yourself not to react. Not even the smallest muscle on your face was supposed to move.

Unfaced, she then turned towards you. "Is the defence ready?"

Jihoon nodded confidently, "Yes, your honour."

"Good," she smiled again. "We'll first hear the opening statement from the defence, just to freshen up everyone's memory since it's been a while since we have all gathered here, right? Defendant lawyer, Lee Jihoon, please lay out the facts."

Breaks were forgotten. The trial was in full motion. One after the other was asked to come forward, sit down and get questioned by their own lawyer, followed by getting torn to shreds by the lawyer of the opposite party. Judge Kang had let Jihoon decide whether he'd want to start questioning one of you first somebody from the plaintiff - he chose to bring out Mingyu. 'Let's start with a defence, not attack', you remembered him saying.

Jeonghan followed by questioning Wonwoo. Picking people apart psychologically was one of his strongest character traits, he was raised by one of Korea's greatest manipulators after all. But his new approach confused you. Unlike the way you had seen him before, he was soft-spoken with the CEO. Nudging his answers out one by one while keeping a low tone. He must've known just how much Wonwoo would usually react to somebody talking to him like he was as stupid as they could come, but he kept it cool. It surprised all of you. He continued nodding politely, excusing himself every now and then, keeping his sharp tongue in the back of his throat, and never declining Jeonghan's accusations directly. Just like you had practised. The words 'No, this didn't happen' never once fell. Wordings like 'Not exactly', 'As far as I know', and 'To my understanding', were the only ones to ever hit your ear. If all calculated correctly, it must've left a good impression on the judge and jury.

Jihoon opted to get Chanyeol out of his seat next. What Jeonghan could do, he could only do better. He had the receipts.

He started out civil and collected. Asking questions about his whereabouts the night of the break-in, followed by general questions about the company, as they were slowly diverted to subject his private life. His hobbies, and how he would spend his weekdays and weekends if work was out of the question. Jeonghan tried his best to object to each question that wasn't concerning the case directly, but you better bet Jihoon had the perfect explanation for each of his statements ready to roll off his tongue. Every time your cousin shot out of his chair, his voice echoing through the room loud and clear, he was asked to sit down just as quickly.

Chanyeol was asked to stay seated as Jeonghan switched places with the other lawyer in the room, opening his mouth to defend his client as best as he could. If only it wasn't for Jihoon doing a much better job in the first place.

You let your eyes glide across the room. Focused on Miss Kang, you watched her take note after note, marking her own thoughts and questions down as the trial proceeded. Further on the right, the jury seemed invested. Some nodded along with each word coming from Jeonghan, while others scrunched up their faces as soon as Chanyeol would even just take a breath before coming up with an answer. It almost made you chuckle. You couldn't see Sehun unless you'd lean back, but you decided against it. It might direct unwanted attention to your action. You were about to glance at the security guard on the left side of the room when the sound of your name hit your ear.

Your head shot towards Jeonghan.

"To my understanding, you were in a committed relationship with one of the defendants." His steps came to a halt right in front of Exodus' CEO. Before he could even open his mouth, Jihoon hastily pushed his chair back.

"Objection, your honour! Privilege! To my understanding, we had decided to leave private relationships out of this trial if not directly connected." Each one of you knew that there was only a hint of truth in his statement since you were all convinced most of this trial was indeed directly connected to the bon you had once shared with the other man.

Judge Kang nodded. "You are correct about that, Mister Lee." She turned her attention to her left, but Jeonghan took the first word.

"Your honour, but doesn't the defendant being a past lover of my client not seem like a direct connection to the case? The fact that Mister Park's work has been stolen by the company partially led by a grieving past significant other must look like less of a coincidence and more like an act of revenge." How dare he use the words 'significant other'.

Miss Kang couldn't help but sigh as she took a quick look at Jihoon, an apologetic expression daunting on her face before she nodded. "Yes, Mister Yoon. You may continue. But try to keep emotional descriptions out of your statements, please," she advised him.

Jihoon lowered his head, taking a deep breath, "Shit." His mumble suddenly got your heart to skip up. You could feel it starting to pump much harder than before. In no possible way was his reaction a good sign. Wonwoo immediately noticed the change in atmosphere, turning towards you, to catch your side profile as you had closed your eyes and held your head down, trying to block out any of the words coming from Jeonghan or Chanyeol.

"The relationship was mostly very peaceful. I mean, just like every other couple, we had our quarrels and misunderstandings, but not much more than that." With a fake sigh, he looked at the jury, trying to paint his eyes with as much pain as possible before he continued. "Towards the end... it did get bad though... you know, I was always told that jealousy was healthy, at least a little bit, but it became quite extreme."

"From Miss Yoon?" Jeonghan nudged him.

"Yes," Chanyeol nodded. "I think me deciding to end things possibly left her in quite a hole-"

Jihoon shot up again. "Objection! Hearsay, your honour."

The judge nodded, "Sustained. Mister Park, please don't interpret any of the defendant's emotions. Just answer Mister Yoon's questions directly." Her reaction made the CEOs smile. She nodded at Jihoon as he sat back down with a quick bow.

Jeonghan took a deep breath. "I would just like to ask the jury to take Mister Park's side of this story into consideration."

"I'm sure they will, Mister Yoon." Miss Kang sent him a tight smile before leaning back in her chair.

Jeonghan dismissed himself as Exodus' CEO was asked to sit down by the table again.

It was now or never.

Only a year ago, you would tell yourself it wasn't worth it to fight back. That Chanyeol was much more powerful than you. Whatever you'd say would be just pushed under the rug. No one would care what you'd have to say. But not now. You had three people right next to you, ready to support whatever you would be stating out there. You had a judge who would patiently listen to you. There was an entire jury that was possibly still undecided. But most importantly, you had yourself and the truth. You had the facts. You knew what was right and what was wrong. Why should the bad guys win just because you didn't even dare to stand up? Too many times, people have let moments like these just pass. Not again. Not now. They couldn't win. You wouldn't let them win. This was for all the women he had hurt. Each woman that decided against facing him in court, but was strong enough to give their statements. You couldn't let them down. They helped you to get so far, now it was your turn.

"Well then," Miss Kang's voice glided through the room. "If there's nothing else to say anymore, I-"

"Excuse me, you honour." Suddenly you could feel each pair of eyes on your form. Each member of the jury had their face turned towards you. Judge Kang's eyebrows raised at the surprised interruption. Sehun, Chanyeol, and Jeonghan unexpectedly looked up, shock written all across their face. Mingyu and Jihoon had lifted their heads to look at you while Wonwoo's hand subconsciously had reached out right, ready to pull you back, unsure of what you were getting yourself into and surprised by your sudden exclaim.

"Yes, Miss Yoon?"

You swallowed the forming gulp in your throat. "I... I still would like to say something. Mister Lee still has to question me."

She nodded. "Of course, would you like to come out?" With her palm, she motioned to the witness stand seat to her left, to which you agreed, pushing your chair back gently before getting the bag off the back. Opening it, the folder you were looking for was already smiling at you. You got it out, opened it to get what you needed and made your way forward. As you passed Jihoon, who had stood up, you came to a halt.

"Ask me everything," you met his eyes. "Every little thing you need to know to win this, okay?"

Your eyes may have fooled you, but you could almost see fear forming in the man's eyes as he took the paper you had given him, nodding at you as he still tried to comprehend what you were asking of him. With big steps and a proud stance, you held your shoulders straight and made your way over to the witness stand seat.

You took a deep breath as soon as you sat down to calm your nerves that, you were sure, would not vanish any time soon.

"Miss Yoon," Jihoon's voice made you straighten your back as you looked up. All eyes were on you. Your heart was threatening to pump out of your chest at this point. You ignored all the other people in the room. You tried to. Keeping your eyes on the lawyer, that's what he had told you. "How would you describe your relationship with Mister Park?"

"Objection!" Jeonghan shot up from his chair. "Asked and answered."

"Not from Miss Yoon," Jihoon turned towards their table as the Judge agreed with him.

"Overruled. The defendants have yet to speak about this matter. You were given the opportunity, now it's their turn." Explaining the definition of fairness. "Mister Lee, please continue."

"Thank you, Your Honour." Jihoon sent in an encouraging smile. "So Miss Yoon, how would you describe your relationship with Mister Park?"

"Pretty normal in the beginning. Quiet. Private."

"In the beginning?"

You clutched the edge piece of one of the papers in front of you. "Yes."

"Could you please go into detail why only in the beginning?"

"Objection!" Jeonghan called out once again. "Leading question-"

"Overruled," Miss Kang interrupted him before he could even continue. "The defendant specifically mentioned 'in the beginning', so Mister Lee has the right to question her further. Please continue, Miss Yoon." Making the other lawyer sit back down with a sigh and you nod.

"Well... ehm...," you were well aware of your pauses possibly only bringing negative attention onto you, yet you couldn't help it as you tried to form the right sentences in your head. "It seemed like a perfectly normal relationship at first, but... I noticed that his behaviour started changing."

"Changing? In what way?"

"Objection! Compound question."

Judge Kang sighed into the microphone. "Overruled. Mister Lee repeated one word, then followed up with his actual question. Please continue."

You took a deep breath, waiting for Jihoon's assuring nod to answer.

"At first, it started out as jealousy. Or so I thought... later on, about a few months into the relationship... it turned into... something more controlling."

"Could you elaborate on that?" He wondered kindly.

"Yes...," you answered, glancing down at the pieces of evidence you were holding in your hands. Copies of which Jihoon had in his own grip. "At first, he asked me to not leave the house without him- I'm sorry, I meant the apartment we shared." Jihoon nodded along. "Whenever I wouldn't obey to that or... other times when I'd get home later than expected from work... he...," you took a pause. Gulped. Took a shaky breath. Not here. "He would get... really angry."

"How would he show his anger?" He was asking you each question softly, carefully. Understanding the sensitivity as soon as his eyes had landed on the file.

Almost bored, Jeonghan raised his hand, "Objection! Relevance."

Jihoon turned towards the judge. "I think, if we hear my client out, we'd see how relevant her answer is in comparison to Mister Park's comments about their past relationship."

Judge Kang nodded. "I agree. Overruled. Miss Yoon, please continue."

Another unstable breath left your lips. "It was- I mean, differently. At first... it was screaming. Then..." You hadn't even bothered putting on nail polish, so you only had your nails left to pick at. "Then... he'd start to... get physical... sometimes... yeah," you whispered at the end.

"Was there any time you felt truly threatened by Mister Park?"

"Yeah...," you admitted. If some jury members had lost interest in the case, at least by now, everyone's attention was back on track. You could hear a hairpin drop. Each breath you took shook the entire room. "There were... occurrences... when I had to go to the hospital. Because... ehm... he..." careful with your words. "He touched me... without my consent."

Biting down on his lip, Jihoon was careful with each word. "Do you have any evidence of this?"

You decided to only nod, as the security kept a close eye on you, noticing you lifting the papers you were clutching onto with your entire being. He went up to you to take them out of your possession, handing them over to the judge as she asked you to continue while going over the doctor's letter. It was the one piece of hospital evidence you had kept from that time. Everything else seemed irrelevant to you as most of the bruises you had showed up with to the hospital could be explained by hitting your knee or arm against furniture. But not this. But there was a second page to it.

"Miss Yoon," Jihoon started again. "You were admitted to the hospital once before, is that correct? Due to a car crash, if I'm not mistaken."

"Yes," you spoke out loud.

"Who was driving the car at that time?"

"Mister Park," you answered honestly, knowing that he was reading every piece of evidence off the paper you had handed to him.

Jihoon nodded, now turning to the woman sitting on the highest chair in the room. "Your honour, if you turn to page two of the piece of evidence you were just handed, you can see the doctor's findings, as well as the police report on page three, after the car crash, involving Park Chanyeol and Yoon Y/N. The police stated it was a crash caused by a drunk driver, that being Mister Park. In which he sustained a mild head injury, while Miss Yoon had to be transported to the hospital due to a broken rib and a bruised leg." After a quick look behind him, he turned back to the judge. "If I'm seeing correctly, this document was signed within the walls of this very courthouse. And yet... it has been deleted completely from Mister Park's file."

You decided to stay quiet. You had done your job. You couldn't even look up, knowing disappointed eyes were probably just waiting for you. You had lied to him. Lied to Wonwoo about the scar on your rib. You had mentioned it was due to an injury from falling at the playground as a kid. He brushed it off to be never spoken about it again. And now this.

"So, the all so happy relationship, Mister Park swore to have had with the defendant... doesn't seem to have been all that peaceful after all. That was all, thank you." He bowed before walking back from his spot, joining Wonwoo and Mingyu by the table again.

The all-along so quiet room suddenly shifted as the jury turned to each other to speak at a normal volume, ignoring the room they were still sitting in. Even Jeonghan, who had held back with his objection towards the end, was quick to turn to Chanyeol, who was already raising his voice, standing up to defend himself.

Before it could all escalate too much, Judge Kang got a hold of her hammer, pounding it against the wood to calm the room. "Quiet!" Each person reacted instantly, getting back into their seats, with their eyes on her.

"We will take a ten-minute break. In the meantime, I will go over these documents. The jury is advised to console each other, but not yet come to a conclusion. We will go over everything after the short break, okay? You're dismissed." With one final hit of the hammer, almost everyone stood up. The jury left the room immediately. Chanyeol had pushed himself off the chair aggressively, rushing out as Jeonghan was hot on his heel. Miss Kang passed you quietly while you stood back up, trying to find your breath to face your group of people again.

Before you had even reached them, Jihoon was already in front of you. "What was that? Are you okay?" But you only nodded. "Are you sure?" He asked again. This time, you smiled.

"Yeah..." a faint whisper left your lips as you could suddenly feel your chest lifting again. The tears that had formed vanished all of a sudden, leaving you with a lighter chest and satisfaction rushing through your body.

"Wh-" Mingyu tried to jump into the conversation, but the lawyer stopped him.

"We should maybe continue this outside."

You all nodded along with him, getting ready to leave the room for the break when a voice behind you made you turn around.

"Y/N." Sehun called out for you. He leaned against the desk slightly awkwardly, not knowing what to do with his hands as he took a deep breath. "I'm sorry." If only he knew how much he had helped you. With two big steps, you stopped right in front of him, not even giving him a second to react as you threw your arms around him, pulling him in. He seemed to be taken aback, but you quickly felt his hand patting your back, making you lean back, leaving him to breathe freely again.

"Thank you," you smiled at him before turning back to the three other men who were patiently waiting for you.

The three of you had been standing and sitting around in the hallway of the courthouse for the past three minutes and Wonwoo was yet to say something. Jihoon had exclaimed his concerns for you, Mingyu had asked you around ten times if you were truly okay and after assuring him that you had truly never felt better, he had decided to sit down next to you. The CEO was still standing by the wall, looking straight ahead while not really focusing on anything in particular.

As the lawyer and the second CEO had fallen into a conversation, you chose to leave them alone and join Wonwoo. Standing up, you patted down invisible creases on your blouse, getting closer and closer to him with each step you took. Instead of joining him by standing at his side, you stopped right in front of him.

Looking up, he didn't even dare to meet your eyes. He just continued to stare straight ahead. There was an unreadable expression on his face, making you want to step around him as carefully as possible to not disturb whatever was going on in his head. As cold as the entire building of the old courthouse was, the only chill rushing down your spine was due to his glance.

As soon as you tried to open your mouth, he beat you to it.

"Why didn't you tell me?" At the same time, he lowered his gaze towards you, meeting your pleading eyes, begging him to talk to you. "About what he did."

With a sigh, you let your head hang as you looked to the ground. With a deep breath, you got the courage to speak to him as you interlocked your glances. "I told you, I wanted to forget everything involving him."

"Yeah, but you can't just forget something like that."

"Well, I tried, okay?!" You suddenly found yourself with a raised voice, surprising both of you, as well as Mingyu and Jihoon, who took a quick look at the two of you but continued their conversation once Wonwoo's cold eyes met theirs. "You really think I want to dwell on such a horrible memory of a man? He was a person I once trusted, and he used that trust and misused me! Of course, I'd want to forget that!" You hissed a breath in and out, lowering your voice again. "But what kind of person would I be if I had just let him portray himself as a victim while fifteen other women made a statement about him sexually harassing them... huh? I was able to live with what happened to me, but he... he hurt SO MANY other women... I- I couldn't just let that pass. If none of them wants to face him, fine. But I have the chance, and don't take it?..." With a sigh, you ended your rant. "I couldn't live with myself after that."

He let the silence linger between you for a short moment as he straightened his back, looking at you again. "How long have you planned on doing this? Why didn't you involve me? Or Jihoon at least? Or for whatever reason maybe even Mingyu?"

"Up until that idiot opened his mouth to talk about me, I wasn't even sure that I was going to do it. But... I had to. And I had to do it alone. Do you know how good that feels now?" A chuckle of relief tumbled from your lips as you couldn't hold back your smile. "They have every piece of evidence they need to... fine him, take away his company, put him behind bars or God knows what."

"Come here," he whispered as he took a step forward and opened his arms. You didn't move though. You continued to stand still, your arms crossed in front of your chest as you glanced up at him.

"I don't want a hug." Your comment told him that you would still be mad at him for not understanding your reasoning. But that didn't stop him. With another step, he had invaded your room, engulfing you in the warmth of his arms you had come to find comfort in during so many nights. Once he noticed you weren't moving, he leaned down just a slight bit closer to your ear.

"I'm proud of you," he spoke quietly, making sure only you would be able to hear those words he had chosen for just you. "But I was worried."

With a sigh, you gave in, wrapping your arms around his slim, yet muscle-packed, torso, getting a relieved sigh from him in return.

Before any of you were able to truly enjoy the short moment of intimacy, Mingyu's loud voice rang through your ears.

"Group hug!" With heavy steps, he rushed over to you two, throwing his big arms over your shoulders, underestimating his weight, making you grunt out loud. You could feel Wonwoo's annoyance radiating off him, to which you couldn't help but chuckle, which was quickly joined by Jihoon doing the exact same.

"You don't even know if we won and yet you're celebrating." He approached you with his hands hiding in his pockets, watching you with bright eyes and a wide grin.

"Who cares if we won," Mingyu commented, almost getting interrupted by his best friend, who opened his mouth but was stopped by the slightly bigger man. "Y/N got to say what she needed to say. Park will get what he deserves. Whether that involves our case or not, I really don't care at this point, to be honest."

With a deep sigh, the older man nodded. "That's very cute and I understand that, and Y/N, you know that I support you, but I still have a job here to finish and if we don't win this case... you can fire me."

"We won't fire you," Wonwoo, now behind you, with his palm once again placed comfortably on your lower back.

"No, no," Jihoon glanced at him. "I am begging you to fire me if we don't win this, do you understand me?" Getting a roll of his eyes from the older CEO, while Mingyu just chuckled, patting the smaller man's shoulder assuringly.

Your exchange of words was interrupted by one of the security men that had been standing inside throughout the entire sitting, who was suddenly standing in the hallway.

"Judge Kang is asking you to come back inside, we'll continue." The four of you nodded in synch, each taking one last deep breath in. One last time. Hopefully.

But before any of you could even take one step forward, a shrill voice called out.

"Hold on! Just a minute!" Jeonghan rushed towards you from around the corner, your eyes quickly finding his. "Y/N, a word, please." Motioning at you to follow him.

Your eyebrows shot up at the sudden demand. In what world did he imagine you'd go out of your way to suddenly follow his lead.

"Whatever you have to say to her, you can say here as well." Wonwoo's deep voice vibrated through your entire body. You noticed the microscopic step he took closer as you felt his chest brush against your arm.

Jeonghan shook his head, clearly irritated by the men surrounding you. "Could I please talk to my cousin in private?" Looking straight at the man behind you, expecting another snark from him, when you spoke up.

"No." You crossed your arms in front of your chest in defence. Your body knew which stance to take in right away.

He had betrayed you. You hadn't heard from him in years before you met him in the courtroom again. And out of all the people there were in the world, he chose to support the man you had sworn off your life. The man with the name you had tried to scratch out of every piece of skin on your body that he had touched. A betrayer, a traitor, and a manipulator. That's who Jeonghan was. Quite fitting to Chanyeol. Two fucked-up halves that would make a deadly whole.

"I'm sorry."

...

With quiet stares, each one of you looked straight ahead. No one was fully sure of what words had just hit their ear. The movement of his mouth could've possibly been an illusion. That seemed more likely than an actual apology coming from his lips.

"What?" You were the one to break the silence. Instinctively, Wonwoo's hand travelled to the left, his fingers gently curling around your waist.

The step Jeonghan took forward was welcomed as none of you decided to move backwards, letting him know he could continue.

He sighed. "I... I didn't know... about... you know... that." With a stressed breath in, he continued. "When I took on this case, he told me the exact same thing he had told you and the judge. With our history, it didn't take much convincing for me. I knew you and him were... yeah- anyways- but... I swear, I had no idea."

Still unphased by his apology, he resumed his ramble.

"I know you don't think much of me, but not even I would go this low to support someone like that.. and I know that... that- this apology or whatever probably won't mean anything to you-"

"Good that you know that," Wonwoo commented, but Jeonghan chose to ignore him.

"But I mean it. He just confessed everything to me. This is the first time I'm hearing about all of this... and... I can't- and I won't support that. I don't need you to forgive me, I know that won't happen instantly. But I swear to God, Y/N, you can think whatever you want of me, but please don't ever think I'd ever support a guy like that." He took another step forward. "When the accident happened, I heard that you got hit by a drunk driver. Not that... he was the drunk driver."

Still, no words from you, nor Mingyu or Jihoon.

"Anyway," Jeonghan sighed and got ready to turn around, the open doors still waiting for all of you. "I'm sorry." With those last words, he disappeared again, leaving your party in the cold hallway. In silence.

"Oh, wow..."

You couldn't hold back your scoff as you took a step forward, letting Wonwoo's hand drop to his side.

"He didn't mean any of that." You rolled your eyes.

"Huh?" Mingyu's eyebrows shot up as he glanced at you, his puppy eyes reflecting the light perfectly.

"You can't believe anything coming from that guy's mouth." You explained, still not entertaining the possibility of there being any good intentions behind your cousin's actions.

The younger CEO was still confused. "Then why did he say he was sorry?"

"To manipulate us maybe? Make us feel guilty? Give in?" Jihoon thought out loud, joining you and turning around to face the other two men. "Y/N, I wouldn't believe anything he said. She would know." Everyone nodded in synch.

Wonwoo nudged his head towards the door, where the security man was still waiting for you. "Let's get this over with."

Each person involved was back in the room. Exodus Entertainment was on the right table, while you and the guys were sitting on the left one. The jury of the very far right side, sitting along the wall was already gazing at you - excitement and interest radiating off them. Judge Kang was back in her seat, her glasses low on the bridge of her nose as she quietly went through the papers in front of her again, which seemed to have gotten more over the break.

If you thought your heart had been pumping hard earlier, while you were seated on the witness stand, it was safe to say, it was about to explode once you had entered the room again. Right where you had left your fear behind.

"Alright," Miss Kang started, taking off her glasses with a deep breath as she let her fingers rake through her hair. "Before we start, does the plaintiff or the defendant have anything to say? You may speak now."

You exchanged glances with Jihoon, who shook his head, telling you to keep low, but your attention was quickly taken away once Jeonghan left his chair to stand up, buttoning his suit jacket and raising his hand.

"Your Honour."

Miss Kang sighed with a forced smile. "Yes, Mister Yoon?"

"May I come forward?"

"Yes, you may."

Each pair of eyes in the room followed him as you abandoned the confused faces of Sehun and Chanyeol, making his way to the middle of the room and the podium. Either time moved painfully slowly, or he moved in slow motion, but either way, the pace was too slow, and you could feel the scream of frustration boiling up in your throat.

Jeonghan cleared his throat and straightened his back. Here we go.

"Your Honour. After consoling my client, we have come to an agreement that I would like to exclaim now."

"Please do," the judge commented on his statement.

"My client, Exodus Entertainment, would like to withdraw their lawsuit against Oksan & Co."

The room fell quiet. This lasted for a second before the next round of tumult rushed through it.

"Excuse me, Mister Yoon?" Miss Kang raised her voice in order to speak over the hushed sounds coming from the jury on the right side. Your eyes were frantically moving from side to side, trying to catch any reaction so you'd know which one to share.

"With immediate effect, Exodus Entertainment takes back each claim made against the defendant Oksan & Co."

Your head immediately shot to Jihoon who kept his gaze straight on Jeonghan, his mouth slightly agape as he was still trying to grasp the situation.

"What's going on here?" You could hear Mingyu whisper from your left, only to be interrupted by the loud voice of Chanyeol slashing through the uproar.

"Your honour-"

Jeonghan cut him off. "My client, Park Chanyeol, also pledges guilty to the charges made against him-"

The sudden knock of wood-on-wood, thanks to the Judge's hammer, let the room calm down again. Chanyeol chose to keep standing up while Sehun leaned back in his chair, a faint smirk making its way onto his face. The jury immediately quieted down along with your group, who still had to let more words drop than Mingyu just had. Jeonghan stood still on the podest.

"Mister Yoon," with the hammer still in her hand, Miss Kang started talking. "Are you aware of what you are doing right now? This will have an immediate effect."

"Yes, your Honour. I am very sorry for the waste of time and patience."

"Your Honour!" Chanyeol raised his hand hastily. "May I speak to my lawyer for a second?"

"Oh," your cousin lowered his head slightly, his voice loud and clear echoing through the speakers. "With immediate effect, I am also withdrawing from my role as Mister Park's lawyer. Thank you." Without another word, Jeonghan took a step back and turned around. After a quick glance in your direction and a tight smile, he passed your tables, only to take a seat on one of the benches behind you, usually preserved for public interests.

Judge Kang didn't even try to hide the amusement making her lips curl into a grin.

"Wow," she chuckled lowly, "Well," she cleared her throat, intertwining her fingers on top of the wooden surface. "Mister Park, you don't seem to have a lawyer to talk to anymore. Anything else you'd like to say?"

You zoned out whatever sorry excuse of an answer he gave her as you turned around, finding Jeonghan's eyes already boring a hole into your head.

"What are you doing?" You whispered, hoping he'd be able to read your lips. You only got a small smile and a nod in return.

"Mister Park-"

"This is a shitshow! What kind of fucking bullshit is this here?!"

"Mister Park, let m-"

"How the fuck is he even allowed to do that?!"

"Mister-"

"I swear to God, I will fucking sue every-"

"Security!"

Miss Kang's final string of patience officially broke as she called out for one of the men on the side to step in. They acted quickly as two rushed up to each side of Chanyeol's big form which had made its way to the middle of the courtroom, getting dangerously close to the judge.

"You can't do-"

"I can, and I did," she simply told him, making him shut his mouth immediately before she quickly continued, putting her glasses back on as she read out loud. "Mister Park, I will see you again in five days as you will be facing twelve charges of sexual harassment, four charges of sexual assault, forgery of state-protected documents, as well as now contempt of court." She sent a smile his way. "We will speak again. Get him out of my courtroom." Before he was pushed out of the room through a door on the left wall.

Only then were you able to realise what had just happened. You could feel everyone take in a deep breath as soon as he had left the courtroom.

"What... what just happened?" Jihoon hushed underneath his breath, his hands placed on the top of his table as he glanced around the room.

"Well," the judge smiled into the crowd. "Each day, you experience something new." She paused for a second before continuing. "May the defendant please rise."

Still slightly out of it, you felt Wonwoo's tug by your elbow, pushing you to stand up. You joined the other three, staring straight ahead as Miss Kang spoke to you.

"With immediate effect, you are acquitted as the lawsuit of theft and forgery filed by Exodus Entertainment has been dropped." She glanced up from her notes to smile at you. "You are excused. Congratulations."

What was she congratulating for? You didn't win...

You didn't lose, but yet you didn't win... at least it didn't feel like you did. This was the end. The end of it all. Why didn't it feel like it?

You must've overheard Jihoon thanking the judge as you were suddenly escorted out of the room, your bag not even on your shoulder, but in Wonwoo's grip as you left the room altogether. Each bench you passed, and even walking through the doors, back into the hallway could almost be described as a fever dream. The sudden turn of tables and twist of fate felt too good to be true and too much for your own body to handle. It didn't feel right.

"What the fuck was that?!" Wonwoo immediately exclaimed the second you had left the room. "What just happened?!"

Jihoon raised his hands in defence, just as speechless as everyone else. "I- I wish I could tell you."

"What was that move from Yoon?" Mingyu interjected, only getting shrugs in return. "So did he mean what he said?" Another round of shrugs.

A nudge on your arm brought you back. "Hey, you okay?" It was Jihoon. You nodded.

"What the hell happened?" You could only repeat what everyone else was also thinking. "Wh-" You stopped yourself as you were still pretty much unable to form full sentences.

Each one of you had their eyes on different corners of the hallway. Mingyu was focused on the wall, his hand continuously running through his hair. Wonwoo had his arms crossed in front of his chest as he walked up and down a short distance along the side. And Jihoon had chosen to sit down, his head in his hand as he took deep and clear breaths in. You were leaning against the wall, eyes switching between each person while you still tried to find the grasp on reality again.

"From my understanding now," the lawyer started. "Jeonghan turned his back on them... I guess... he maybe wasn't lying in the first place?"

"That's impossible," you scoffed.

"Why?" Jihoon wondered.

You shrugged. "Because that's not who he is."

"Is that what you think of me," your cousin's familiar voice made you turn to the side, taking a step back instantly to create a bigger distance between you two. He shook his head with a chuckle. "I know we've never been on good terms, but God... I wouldn't wish stuff like that upon my worst enemy. Why would I celebrate it happening to my cousin?"

"I'm not saying you celebrated it," you stated.

"Alright," he took a step to the side. "And I'm not going to support a fucking asshole as stupid as him." He found your eyes. "I meant what I said. I'm sorry." Maybe one day you'll be able to believe that he's not the total asshole you had always thought he was. Maybe. Just maybe.

He turned around, bowing his head to each one of you before making his way down the hall, leaving the hell of a building in the past.

"Jeonghan!" You stopped him by the call his name, making him turn around. You pushed yourself forward, stopping right next to Wonwoo.

"Thank you." It may not have been much, but at that point in time, it was all you could've given him.

A smile and a nod later your cousin vanished out the doors, the group of journalists you had already forgotten about immediately swarmed him, leaving almost no room to breathe.

It wasn't a lot, but it was a start. A slow one, but a start. With the memory of the past still in the back of your hand, you were able to thank him for what he had done, but that was about it for now. Yes, there was no deeper reason as to why he had done what he did, at least that from where you stood, but the past would still haunt you for quite a while. A past you no longer had to share with the devil himself though. He was brought to justice. You did it. Not you alone, you were very well aware of that. You saw what a group of united people could do. You watched justice get served. The right decisions were made.

"Well then," Wonwoo sighed out loud. "What does that mean for us now?" The question was clearly directed at Jihoon who had made his way to stop in front of you.

He shrugged. "There's still definitely a lot of paperwork due. All the claims were dropped, but I'm gonna make sure there's no involvement of any of you in his future charges, especially with Y/N." You thanked him with a nod. "But for now," he took a deep breath as his lips curled. "I'd say we did it."

"Why doesn't it feel as satisfying as it should be?" Mingyu suddenly wondered as he showed up on your left.

"Once you see him on TV being escorted behind bars, you'll feel it," the lawyer assured him, getting a chuckle from each of you in return.

"Alright," the older CEO clapped his hands after handing you back your over-the-shoulder bag. His eyes travelled to Mingyu, glancing at him over your head.

"Drinks?" The younger one threw into the room, getting a groan of satisfaction from Jihoon in return.

"Oh, fuck yeah!" Shocking you with his choice of words.

You chuckled at the reaction that followed from the others, watching the pep in his step with amusement.

A hand on your shoulder made you look up to your right. The usual so cold eyes, suddenly turned warm, were already looking at you.

"Drinks?" His voice in his usual depth, sent a wave of warmth into your cheeks.

You bit down on your lip, trying to hide the smile on your face. A faint thought erupted from the depths of your memory. Something you had almost dared to forget.

"There's one more thing I'd like to do."

Thank you for reading my loves🫶🏼

Taglist: @nctxtrash @leicy0756 @hoe4wonwoo @jeonwonhi @nothingbutadeadesceane @smileywoo @angelarin @onewoowonderboy @goodforgyu @kavvs @sugarmilkchan @sweetheart-gs @wonforgyu @lilactangerine @meltinghershey @wonw00t @soonchanshua @jayswifeuwu @allorysayshi @shaurenlaw @drama-1998-girl @yoonren07 @malakasae @sseuyeon @venusprada @jeminiepabo @billboard-singer @safsaf1980 @monmarguerite @ji-jii-visha @renjunphile @haogyuslut @destinyg237 @taestrwbrry @renkkuri @travelleratheart101 @love-svt @sunshinein17 @morklee02 @wonuziex @pwwarkjisung @hokuuu @clvudisan @awyunh @restlesswritings @woohaosworld @caratlove10 @woo8hao @misssugarlips @heednpy @yogurttea @sigillaria-svt @seungcheolsblog @s-xoups @orujinkoo

#wonwoo #Wonwoo x reader #amour haine & co.#imagines #series #fluff #smut #seventeen #svt #x reader #jeon Wonwoo

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judgementdaysunshine · 6 days

Text

Jumped in

Pairing: Buddy Matthews x Fem reader x Rhea Ripley

Description: You and your partners are on a date when you do an action to save someone that leaves them terrified

A squeal could be heard as you squirm in Buddy's grip after he picked up and slung you over his shoulder while Rhea jogged ahead of you with a bag of snacks and drinks. The three of you decided to have a date together after the long hours of traveling and wrestling and barely having time to spend with each other, bright pink and calm orange paints the sky as you all listen to music and share kisses in between sips of soda along with water and bites of fruits for the next hour and a half until you get a wave of dread and anxiety about the cliff just a few feet in front of the three of you that wouldn't go away which lead to you standing a few feet away while carefully looking over the cliff only to see hands waving from the water and distanced yells that made your heart jump to your throat and stop all at once. "What's wrong possum?" you turn to them before quickly setting your phone down beside them and stripping down to your bra and underwear, "Baby what the hell are you doing?!" you ran and jumped down into the water below which made the two scream as they looked over the cliff only to see the water below with no sign of you anywhere in sight before their hearts dropped and ran down not knowing about what you saw that made you jump and what you were doing as you swam in the water for the next five minutes before you were on shore twenty minutes later, the two ran down only to see you on the beach with a pale topless girl who was very scared and hurt while she choked and coughed up water as you softly talked to her, "Hey it's okay, you're alright" the two immediately ran back to the car where they had blankets since it would be late when you all left. You immediately wrapped her in them and sat with her as the heat blasted in the car which warmed you up along with buddy's body heat since he wouldn't let you go after you put your clothes back on, you all took her to the hospital where you and her were treated for hypothermia learning that she had been swimming only to get swept further and unable to swim back to shore for ten minutes until you had jumped in and took her to shore before she was a few seconds away from passing out due to the exhaustion and onset of hypothermia, you learned as the two of you became friends that her name was Amelia and she had been on the beach with a few friends which ended up leaving her while she was swimming which pissed you off that they had just left without checking to see if she was on shore with them or even okay at all. You're released from the hospital the next morning while amelia stayed to be treated for a case of pneumonia after she gives you the ring she was wearing that would remind you of that day as you noticed that buddy and rhea had been very quiet since your stay in hospital which confused and worried you until every thought that they had poured out later that night in the comfort of your shared bedroom while tangled and intertwined together, "You scared us to death" buddy's voice made you tear up knowing that you worried them in the moment of your choice but you didn't know just what it did to them by seeing you jump off the cliff and not seeing you in the water at all as rhea's words only made your heart shatter to the floor "We...we thought you wouldn't come back or that your...body was on the beach" the tears flowed and cries are let out as you kissed both of them and held onto them tightly, "I love you both so much and I promise you that I would never do anything to purposely lose you" the hours felt like years as you held each other in the domestic silence until soft words are spoken that leave you tearing up again after telling them that you wouldn't forgive yourself if you had just left her in the water without trying to save her, "We're so proud of you for what you did".

#buddy matthews x reader #wwe #wwe x reader #rhea ripley #aew #rhea ripley x reader #buddy matthews #aew x reader #rhea ripley x reader x buddy matthews #buddy matthews x reader x rhea ripley

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wonderland-productions-blog · 26 days

Text

Drinking Games: An Orc Erotica Pt. 3

NSFW Warning; Sexual Themes & Content

Word Count: ~ 6,000 (~10-15 min read)

Fem Human X Male Orc

Size Difference | Slight Praise Kink & Dom/Sub | Shower Stuff

AO3 Link Here:

Alone, again. Bur-uke was back to work after gracing me with this quick time together during his break. It’d been hours and I’d done enough to entertain myself. All the chores my room required and all the hobbies and projects that fit in my luggage had distracted me as long they could. Still I could hardly get my mind off of him. Every spare second was filled wishing he was filling me. I sigh, hoping a drink for the early evening could clear my mind.

I sip away at my drink, in the lively tavern reading a book I’d brought from my room. A booth tucked toward the end of the room have a couple uproars, though nothing that elicited more than a glance across my shoulder every now and then. A few tables and booths had filled since I sat down, with passerby coming and going filling the bar stools at any given moment.

I hear the booth mention a girl, with one gesturing toward the front of the room. I look around, finding there to be no other women about, even the servers must have been busy elsewhere. I shrug it off, until I hear it again followed by snickering.

I get up and they fall silent, only solidifying that it was me they’d been discussing. “Can I help you boys?” I sneer, looming over their booth. I slam a hand onto the tabletop, their beer bottles and tankards clinking as everything shifts.

“Figures he’d like ‘em feisty,” A drunken man mutters with a giggle, sinking into the booth.

“Excuse me?” I raise my voice.

“Ah, ignore him. Absolutely sloshed. We just noticed you chattin’ with one of our lads is all,” One man says waving a hand, trying to diffuse the situation.

“Good to see him back in the saddle after so long,” Another chimes in.

“Settle a bet and tell us if he paid you, would ya?” the drunken man snickers.

“Like he needs to pay me,” I smirk.

One of the fellows elbows another, each of them chuckling amongst themselves. My face reddens, realizing what I’d said.

“He’ll be ready for you soon, showerin’ now,” the man sunken in the booth mutters, gradually becoming more incoherent.

So he’s in the shower, huh?

“Sorry about him,” one of the more sober men apologizes. “Hope to see ya around again,” he smiles and waves, attempting to silence his friend making a fool of himself. The drunken lad makes a remark about watching me go, though improperly recited and articulated worse. I roll my eyes, heading straight out the tavern doors after the embarrassing encounter.

I set my book on the porch fence, running my hand down the wood post. My eyes lock with the ground, watching the wooden porch steps turn to loose, powdery earth. I trace a footpath woven in the sand for a few moments, happy to find shade soon in the heat. I look up to find what is providing the shadow I retreated in. I’d led myself to the bathouse. My breath hitches. I am a few feet from the men’s entrance.

My heart pounds, and I look around. My hand trails down the door on instinct, shaking as soon as it makes contact with the handle. I slink my way into the bathhouse, shoving the hefty door open and carefully shutting it behind me. My fingers run down the door handle, twisting the lock to ensure my privacy. I do my best not to make a sound, though the water running should muffle any minor noise. My heart was racing; maybe this was a mistake.

“I’ve made it this far,” I remind myself, deciding to push onward. I could see steam billowing out above only one stall that is tucked away in the very back corner. After fetching a folded towel from a stack, I begin stripping off my clothes. Forcing the fabric into a small balled-up clump, it makes its new home for the time being on a bench near the entryway. I fasten my towel around my body and carefully make my way over to the stall in use.

Stopping just before the closed shower curtain, I kneel down, attempting to steal a peek beneath. On the pale tile flooring, I caught a glimpse of two firmly planted evergreen feet. This was undoubtedly Bur-uke. I take a deep breath, attempting to steady my shaky nerves as my fingers grip the thin fabric between us.

Flinging it open, my eyes lock onto Bur-uke for a mere moment before my vision becomes blurred. A breath escapes my throat as pressure is put against it, as well as the length of my back. Bur-uke’s gaze meets mine, and I see his eyes soften. His grip on my throat loosens, though does not completely lift.

I straighten my spine, feeling my towel come loose with the motion. I reach for it, knowing I won’t be able to grab it in time. It hits the floor, instantly growing darker as it saturates. A sigh escapes me. I kick it over against the wall with a wet thud. My fingers find their way to the curtain once more, drawing it shut.

I make sure not to break eye contact with Bur-uke as I do this; watching his eyes widen makes my heart pound faster. He takes me in for a moment, looking me up and down with his mouth slightly agape. I make the first move, cupping his face in my hands and pulling him closer. He hesitates a moment, trying to hide his shaky breath. He plants his hands on my waist before pressing his lips against mine.

He stumbles back a couple of steps, putting us beneath the running shower. Hot droplets of water glide down our bodies, and all the while Bur-uke hadn’t stopped kissing me. He pulls back for a breath before planting one more kiss on my lips. He begins a quick trail of kisses down my cheek, eventually burying his face at the nape of my neck. His canines once again graze my skin, provoking a strange flurry of excitement and fear.

A hushed moan is pushed from my lips as he kisses my neck, only giving him more reason to persist. I run my fingers through his hair, settling halfway through with my other hand braced on his shoulder. His hands slide down my waist, and I feel his fingers kneading my hips for a moment. A gruff breath escapes him, and his hands travel down, cupping the back of my thighs. In one swift motion, he’d pressed me up against the wall. My legs had already found their way around his hips, and my grip on his shoulders tightened.

His gaze was intense, and his cheeks had shifted to a darker, more vibrant green. “I missed you,” he finally says, breaking the silence between us.

“I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you,” I breathe. His grip weakens for a second, and I slide down his torso. After steadying myself, something stiff finds its way between my thighs. Bur-uke readjusts me, pulling me up closer and smearing a kiss on my forehead.

“Think you’ll be okay?” He asks, planting his hands across my haunches. He rubs against me, and I am only able to respond with a quick nod as I catch my breath. I feel his hard tip prodding and sliding up and down my slit. He lets out a breathy groan, feeling the first few inches of his member becoming slick. My fingers curl, bracing onto his shoulders as I feel him spread me.

My gasps and groans cloud the air with the steam rolling from the hot shower. Slowly I sink onto his cock, feeling him fill me inch by inch. I do my best to force down a couple of winces, knowing I just needed time. Bur-uke presses his hips against mine, and pushes deeper into me. My knees lock up around him, and a moan escapes through my clenched teeth.

Again, another thrust. This time a bit faster, and I feel him practically forcing against my cervix as gravity pulls me onto the base of his shaft. Another, and another. Each time my body bouncing and gliding on his. He keeps his pace, lifting me with every thrust as if I weigh nothing.

Bur-uke lets out a breathy groan between thrusts, leaving just enough time to make me shiver before shoving his way back into me. His brows furrow, and he shudders. His hand covers most of my forearm and he gives me a small tug, forcing me to grind down further onto him.

Pain and pleasure swirls in the bottom of my stomach and I know in either way I’m pushing my limits. I pull myself up a bit, burying my face in the crook of his neck. I can only plant a few kisses on his neck before Bur-uke goes even faster. I feel tension ramping up inside of me. Each quick thrust both pushing his member deeper in me and forcing moans out of me. My shakey arms wrap around his slippery body, and I know I can’t take much more.

“What do you want?” He asks in a silky voice. His pace slows, teasing me.

I bite at my lip and let out a begging whine. My cheek falls to his shoulder, and I let out a huff with every leisurely thrust. His steady, rhythmic pace leaves me wondering whether it is the shower water or drool pooling on his shoulder.

“You’re going to have to tell me what you want,” he says, lifting me off of him.

I can hardly think while watching him pull me off, his cock bouncing back up as soon as I am off. I try to speak, though nothing but a breathy moan rolls from my lips. He grabs my wrists, holding them both in one hand, his thumb and middle finger touching to secure his grip. My wrists are pinned behind my back and he turns me around.

“Tell me or I’m going to have to guess,” He teases, pressing me against the shower wall. Bur-uke plants a hand on one of my hips, gently kneading my skin as he lets out a breath.

“Come on, beautiful…” he takes my chin between his thumb and forefinger with his spare hand. He drifts his hand down my neck and braces it around my collarbone. He frees my hands, which find their way pressed flat against the tile. I stick my ass out more, partially to get closer to him, but also because I felt my knees grow weak for a moment. I fail to realize that with my feet now on the floor I’m exactly at ideal height. Something glides along my spine and tailbone, forcing a gulp down my throat.

He trails a finger up and down my slit, only teasing me for a moment before pressing his way in. A winey moan escapes me, though I still can’t muster a response.

“Still can’t think of anything?” He asks, starting a rhythm with his finger.. “Or don’t want to tell me?”

My breath hitches, and my ragged breathing reveals how close I am. He moves onto two fingers, penetrating that much deeper. He picks up speed, and something builds in me. “I don’t want you to stop until you’ve filled me,” I gasp.

“D-don’t say that,” he stutters, shocked at my response. His grip around my collar weakens, and he slides his fingers out.

“Why not? Don’t think I can take it?” I tease. My eyes widen as I feel something different pressing against my slit.

“Are you sure?” He whispers in my ear.

“Oh, yes,” I breathe. Bur-uke presses his body against mine, leaning over me and running his hands over my hips. One hand trails up my side and over my breast, while the other finds its way between my thighs. He slowly guides his way in, spreading me apart with his fingertips. I brace myself against the wall, eager to feel him drive his way into me. Despite how slick I was, Bur-uke still has to inch his way inside me.

He slowly coaxes me further onto him. “I can’t keep my eyes off you… every inch of you looks so amazing” I hear him utter under his breath.

“Every inch of you feels amazing…” I barely manage between breaths. He holds my hips and teases his way in and out of me. Every move pushing him that much deeper, covering his member with my arousal. I feel his fingers knead deeper into my hips, and his breath was ramping. He is still for a moment, and I wonder if he is going to say something. “So tight…” he whispers and swallows. I look back, and see him mouth something. I barely make out “I can’t stop,” before feeling my cheek pushed against the cold tile a moment later.

Pressure thrusts its way through my stomach, and the air is forced from my lungs. A small squeak conveys the slight sting deep inside me.

“S-sorry, I thought your arms were braced against the wall,” he admits, pulling halfway out. My fists had already balled up and found their place on the tile in front of me once more.

“I’m alright,” I chuckle, glancing back. I wonder how much more he would’ve done if I hadn’t hit the wall. I find myself arching my back, and pulling myself onto him again. Those ivy-green hands find their way snugly around my waist, with his fingers nearly touching. A wave of shame and exhilaration rushes over me as I realize just how big an orc can be. I grind against him, pulling myself back until I feel his thighs against mine.

I take a breath, feeling his full length deep inside me. He presses a tiny bit further, and I twitch around him. One of my legs flutters up for a moment and a gasp escapes me. My face is hot, and I find myself waiting for his next move. He starts a slow pace, a mix of his own thrusts and his strong hands pulling me onto his cock.

By this point I am sure I’ve never had more fluid on my body. Between the shower, my sweat, the few tears that had rolled down my cheeks at some point, and the drool running down my chin and throat. Despite this, I still want more. I want him to use me however he wants for how long he wants, and I want him to cum on me everywhere he wants.

He’d sped up his pace, keeping full, fast strokes while refusing to sacrifice any of his length. His breathing has become heavier, and his grunts now resembled a growl more than anything else. He was getting close, I can feel it.

A ragged breath escapes me, and I can hardly keep my eyes open. All I can focus on is his presence inside me, overflowing me with waves of pleasure and pain every thrust. Just as I’m sure I can feel him in the pit of my stomach he shifts to shorter, even faster strokes.

His stamina seems endless, but all I could ask for right now is for him to finish before I can hardly move after this. The stimulation is far too much for me at this point, sending shocks rippling through my body with every movement. I can do nothing but take it, I could hardly keep my head from hitting the wall and my feet on the tile. Every ragged breath feels as if I were on the brink of death, but I never want it to stop.

A hand shifts from my waist to my shoulder, with a firm grip confirming what I anticipated next. He shoves his full length into me, his warm, steady body looming right over mine. He lingers deep inside me, pumping me as full as he can. He sinks his chin into the nape of my neck, planting a small kiss after catching his breath.

He slowly eases out, quickly finding how horrible my balance has become. He catches me before I fully slip. He glances down at my legs, and I noticed his eyes widen. Bur-uke retrieves a cloth and wipes away what had been running down my leg.

“I can clean myself, I just need a minute,” I chuckle.

“It's… it's my fault. It's the least I can do really,” he insists. He looks up at me, pausing for a moment. His eyes catch mine and I can't pull away. He slides his hands up my legs, wrapping them around the back of my thighs. I lift a wet lock of hair from his face and tuck it behind his ear. My hand trails down his jaw, and he rests his head on my chest. He lets out a small huff with a smile, and stretches for our lips to meet.

“Let me wash you off,” he insists. I put my arms over his shoulders, lingering a moment to feel the water cascade over us.

“You don’t need to do that…” I tell him.

“I want to. What if I let you wash me in return?” He reasons.

I can’t help but let my eyes trail down his body. Anything to touch him again. To feel his skin against mine. I shudder.

His touch is gentle, starting at my shoulders he massages and lathers me. Gradually working his way down, he rubs away every sore muscle and washes out any worry I may have. He reaches my legs once more, leaving a trail of suds down my hips and thighs. He suddenly averts his eyes, and grabs my hand. His grip twitches in both hands, squeezing my palm with one and spewing a jet of bubbles from the cloth in the other. He clears his throat.

“You’re bleeding… tell me if I’m hurting you next time,” he sternly tells me. His brows furrow, and his mouth turns to a frown.

“How can I make it up to you?” He utters.

My heart skips a beat. I can’t answer.

Bur-uke’s grip shifts back to my legs, only derailing to hold my haunches, seemingly on instinct. He clears his throat, focusing on the bubbles gliding down my body once more.

“You don’t need to make it up to me, everything else made up for the tiny bit of pain by comparison,” I reason, shaking my mind from all the ways he could make it up to me.

“I insist. Maybe not now, but soon. Let's focus on getting you dried off,”

“Aren’t you forgetting something?” I ask, wiping a few soap suds down his chest.

He chuckles and holds his hand over mine. He passes me the cloth, and I take great pleasure in cleaning him. Bur-uke’s burly shoulders are firm and rugged. Sunburnt skin rubbing off with ease. His face has been covered with dirt and sweat most of the sweltering day, I can’t imagine how relaxing this must feel after construction work.

As I start to scrub his shoulder blades he lets out a relieved sigh. Over and over, I rub his back, with Bur-uke letting out small gruff moans and breaths. “I haven’t felt this clean in a long time… Ironic all things considered,”

“You should bring me into the shower more often,” I laugh.

“Don’t test me. But we should get you out of the men’s section now, huh? Gods forbid anyone tried to shower recently,” he chuckles.

He throws a towel over my shoulders, patting me dry before putting a towel on himself.

I tuck myself into another stall to finish drying and change into my clothes. I pull aside the thin white shower curtain to see Bur-uke waiting for me… Still in a towel.

“Are-aren’t you going to get dressed?” I ask.

“Why would I? You go ahead, I’ll be right behind you. It’ll make it seem like we aren’t together. I’ll just be going back to my room anyway,” he shrugs.

“People will stare,” I smile and roll my eyes.

“Oh, and I suppose you don’t want people looking?” He raises a brow.

My face flushes.

“If you want me all to yourself that’s all you have to say,” He smirks.

“You know that’s not what I meant!” I sheepishly exclaim.

“Mhm,” Bur-uke chuckles, tipping my chin up to make my eyes meet his.

I’ve never felt so small next to a man, so fragile, helpless, yet so safe. He makes my stomach flutter and my knees weak. This wasn’t intimidation, it was temptation.

“I’ll see you sometime after we’re both changed.” He says, sounding more like an order than a request. “I understand if you’re tired, but it would be nice to have dinner with you,” he tells me, sending me off with a kiss.

#monster #fiction #fantasy #write #romance #writer #orc #orc boyfriend #orc romance #monster lover #monster romance #minors dni #size difference #dnd #dnd oc #medieval #fantasy romance

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joelswritingmistress · 10 months

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Oh Captain, My Captain: Chapter 3

Chapter Summary: You join Joel off the beaten path for a clam bake where you spend hours talking. Will the night end as you hope?

Night was creeping in, though the last rays of sunshine glowed on the horizon. You walked side-by-side with Joel toward the beachy dead-end were you had seen the kayakers pulling up earlier. When he abruptly towed you to the left down a narrow path of sand between rows of trees, you acknowledged this was hitting every "no-no" check mark on the list.

A guy you barely knew. Check. Seclusion. Check. A couple of drinks first. Check. Unknown territory. Check.

But it also made you feel.. alive. Your heart was racing, and each time Joel looked over his shoulder it amplified that feeling inside of you. Your eyes met, you shared a smile and off you went into the darkness to parts unknown. What a rush.

You almost forgot his friends were trailing you until one of them laughed at something that the other whispered. A moment later you emerged onto another little beach. The smell of seafood hung in the air and music played from somewhere.

People of all ages were strung about the area in small groups talking around firepits that sat in holes dug out in the sand. Near a row of wooden tables where food was being served there were several kegs and tiki torches surrounding the area.

"What is this?" You asked, looking around.

"One weekend a month in the summer months we do this," Joel explained. One of his buddies parted him on the back and the two guys headed to the food tables.

You soaked it all in. The atmosphere was inviting and had the potential to be romantic. You didn't want to get ahead of yourself. Hell, you thought you were in a bit over your head.

He's so much older than me, you reminded yourself. At the same time, the thought made you shiver with pleasure for reasons unbeknownst to you.

"You like clams?" Joel asked. "If not there's burgers and dogs."

"Clams are good." You nodded and trailed him to get a plate and then filled up a cup at the keg. The two of you settled on a dock that stretched out into the ocean just out of the reach of the fire's glow.

Joel set his plate down and kicked off the flip flops he had on to let his legs dangle off the side. You mirrored his position and felt the cool chill of the water nipping at your toes.

"How long have you lived here?" You asked him.

"My whole life." He smirked and took a sip from his drink then leaned back on his hands with a sigh.

"How about the boat? How long have you worked there?"

"In some way, shape or form since I was fourteen. Started off getting paid under the table in cash," he chuckled to himself, "And then got more formal jobs. I learned how to drive the boats early on." Joel shrugged. "It's not bad."

"Do you get sick of the tourists?" You asked, drawing a chuckle from both of you.

"Honestly?" He turned and you nodded. "Sometimes. But not always. Day-to-day it can be different. Your crew was alright." Joel winked and you tucked a strand of hair behind your ear and smiled. The darkness hid your blush.

He then turned the questions on you. "Why don't you talk to your parents about your career? And your art?"

You scrunched your nose and looked over to him. "Because they wouldn't take it seriously." It was true. They wouldn't. And part of you thought that was okay. Another part of you felt a bit sad.

"How do you know?"

"I brought things up before, more just on a theoretical level, but it was obvious I was talking about myself." You laughed for a second and then continued. "And both my parents just dismissed it. Childlike dreams I think they repeated a few times."

"Tell that to Andy Warhol."

"You know who that is?"

Joel chuckled. "Yes, I know who that is."

"I'm sorry." You shook your head and could see he clearly didn't take offense.

"Don't be."

The two of you sighed at the same time and it caused you to look at one another. Joel was the first to smirk and it made you giggle.

"Why are you here?" Joel asked you now. Again, he took you off-guard.

"Because.." you thought for a minute and the heat fell back into your cheeks. "It seemed like fun."

"Is that all?"

You weren't used to be so put on the spot, but if you were reading the signals right you were sure Joel had the same type of interest in you that you did for him.

"And because of you." Oh no, you knew the word vomit was on its way out. "I was attracted to you when I saw you on the boat, and now that I've actually had a few conversations with you, I kind of like the decision I made to-"

"Stalk me down to the bar?" He teased.

You laughed. "I mean.. I was there first so." It made Joel laugh a little louder.

"Oh, that's right," he played along.

"You don't care that I'm in my early twenties?"

Joel grinned wide. "Do you care that I have some grays in my hair?"

"No." You smiled at him.

"Then I think we're alright."

You were right where you wanted to be. For the first time in a long time you weren't thinking about anything except living in that exact moment. You didn't think about your job or the future or any of the pressures of your daily life. You didn't think about impressing anyone, including the man you couldn't stop talking to for the better half of the night. Things just flowed. You weren't aiming to impress. You were just being you; and that seemed to reel Joel in. It was good enough. More than enough.

In fact, you hadn't realized the number of texts and the several missed calls you had from your family members until midnight was approaching.

"Shit," you said aloud to yourself, "I forgot to check in." You typed away at messages to your brother begging him to lie to your parents and say you were there with him. He agreed without much of a fight and so you managed to take a deep breath.

"Come on," Joel rose to his feet and leaned his arm in your direction. You linked yours through his. "I told you I wouldn't let you turn into a pumpkin."

You didn't want the night to end. You could've stayed there until sunrise without a care in the world. With your parents in such close quarters while on vacation, however, you did feel like you had to be in by a certain time.

Walking back down the wooded, sandy path with Joel had your heart racing again. Fantasies took over your mind again. It was everything from him turning and kissing you passionately to the two of you ravaging one another right there in the sand.

When the street by the bar came into view and none of those fantasies manifested you felt the slightest twinge of disappointment. As if anything like that was about to happen. You almost rolled your eyes at yourself.

"How far is the place you're staying?" Joel asked as the Lamp Post mermaids came into view.

"Oh, it's like two blocks straight away." You pointed down the sidewalk and the two of you continued on.

"I'll just make sure you get there safely. Not that there's a ton of crime in the vineyard."

You smiled and wanted to reach for his hand. You suddenly realized you didn't know if you'd get to see him again. It left a knotted feeling in the pit of your stomach.

Could you ask for his number? You wish he'd ask for yours.

I'll just wait and see, you thought. You didn't know if you were bold enough to ask.

A silence hasn't fallen upon the two of you all night, until the final hundred yards or so of the walk home. That was when your anxiety finally climbed after feeling so content and at ease all evening.

"It's right here," you told him, motioning to the side by side townhouses where your family was staying. You turned to him like you were expecting him to hand you a Christmas gift or something. You wanted so badly for him to ask for your number. You wanted just as badly to kiss him.

"Did you want to do something again?" Joel asked.

Yes! Yes, yes, yes!!!!! Inside you were jumping up and down.

"Yeah, I'd like that." The words came out surprisingly calm despite the tornado of joy that lingered just below the surface.

"I have to work all day but why don't you wander down for the 6:00 cruise tomorrow night. Same thing, it's our last one of the night. On the house, I'll put your name on the list."

You grinned wide and bit your lip before nodding. "Sounds good to me."

"And maybe I could get your number so you don't disappear on me."

Fuck yes. You rattled off your digits and Joel put them into his phone. It was the ending you were hoping for. Well, mostly.

"Alright, well, get inside so I know you're safe."

"Thanks, Joel." You leaned in to give him a hug and closed your eyes when your bodies connected in the warm embrace on the sidewalk. When you pulled back and the two of you were face-to-face you couldn't help yourself. He was too close. He smelled too good. His eyes looked into yours for just a second too long. And so you did it. You leaned in and you kissed Joel Miller.

NEXT CHAPTER

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cherrycoloredfaith · 2 months

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Kiss Off

pt 1 | pt 4

Chapter 5: Five for My Lonely

cw: blood, alcohol

On mid-June early mornings, the sun touched everything in the brightest golden light. The light burned Steve’s corneas, nearly blinding him as he drove to work, but at least he was on time.

He could admit he was looking forward to this week. The crew was getting a new project to build a gazebo in a local park; Steve was ready to learn more and have an easier time getting along with Eddie now that they had gotten to know each other a little better.

Once Steve was parked, he met up with the guys at the steps of the clubhouse; Eddie was towering above them, preparing to address the plans. He was laughing with Gareth at something Jeff had said. Steve opened his mouth to say hello, but stopped when Eddie’s eyes merely glanced over him.

“Okay, now that we’re all here, let’s get going. Everyone needs all their gear today, and I’ve got walkies for us in case we wander off.” He tosses one to Jeff, the other attached to his hip. He still wasn’t meeting Steve's eyes. “We’ll load the lumber onto the trailer first, it’s all in the shed. I’ve got the plans from Wayne, but he’ll drop by later to check up and make sure we’re not fucking it up.” He smiled at no one in particular.

As they walked towards the shed, Steve jogged up to Eddie’s side. “G’Morning. Nice weather we’re having,” he joked. Steve still didn’t have any sunglasses, and he had to shield his eyes with his hand.

Eddie finally looked over after a beat, glancing from his eyes to his hair. “Hard hat, Harrington,” he reminded Steve.

“Oh, yeah, be right back.” He spun around towards the clubhouse. That wasn’t really the response he was looking for. But what was he really looking for? He thought at least they could be friendly after last Friday. Was he actually bothered by Steve’s intrusion that night? Why didn’t he say that at the time?

When they finished loading the lumber and tools they needed, the guys closed the overhead door to the shed. They turned towards the vehicles. “Gareth! You’re with me,” Eddie called. Steve stopped in his tracks while Gareth changed his course and started towards him without a word.

Steve tried to shoot him a questioning look, but Eddie was already climbing into the driver’s seat. He had no choice but to join Jeff.

They got to the park in under a half hour. First was set up, securing the area from passersby with signage, fencing, etc. Eddie instructed Steve and Jeff to handle this while he and Gareth mapped out the spots to dig for the columns. To the side sat what looked like an oversized podium made from scrap pieces of plywood and particle board holding the drawings; Steve caught a glimpse of them. It was a typical octagonal structure, vaulted roof and benches surrounding, steps leading up to the center.

Once the locations were marked, they were all set to start digging. It was hard work; it was early morning, and everyone was already sweating and cursing. Every few minutes Eddie would look at Jeff or Gareth, make a small comment and laugh to each other. He didn’t address Steve in any manner other than to give orders. When 10:00 rolled around and it was time for their break, he sought refuge under a nearby tree, expecting someone to come along as it was the closest shade available. But the three of them leaned against one of the trucks, drinking their waters. Eddie said something to make the others laugh again, and Steve started to wonder what was so fucking funny. He shut his eyes and took a few deep breaths, telling himself the heat was getting to him and everything was fine.

The rest of the day carried on like that. Wayne stopped by at lunch, checking measurements and going over procedures with Eddie as they stood at the drawing table. Steve sat and watched from his tree as Wayne clapped Eddie on the back with a clear smile of pride on his face. He guessed Eddie was doing things right and couldn’t help but feel jealous. Steve couldn’t remember the last time his own father gave him that look.

Steve turned away to instead look out at the park from his perch on a hill, under his tree. He had a lunch sack packed by Max, he was told, and he was finishing his sandwich. He watched the people walking their dogs, the kids out of school, the couples hand-in-hand. When he heard feet approaching him, the dry grass crunching under heavy boots, he didn’t turn, but waited to be addressed.

“You picked a nice spot there, Harrington,” came Wayne’s comforting drawl.

Steve took a swig of water that was slowly warming and looked up to Wayne’s face, squinting in the bright light of the sky. “I forgot sunscreen again, so I had to find shelter,” he joked.

Wayne laughed, squatting down to be eye level with Steve. A prickle of worry formed in his chest, but he just smiled. “Eddie says you’re doing good work, learning fast.”

Steve blinked. “Wait, really?”

“Yeah, says you listen real good. Just wanted to come over and say keep up the good work. And by the way, don’t worry about finding out about Eddie staying at the office, but I’d keep that to myself. It’s no big deal to me, but I don’t think he likes everyone knowin’ his business. Max knows, but I don’t think the other boys do. He won’t hold it against ya.”

Steve begged to differ; as he opened his mouth to reply, Wayne clapped Steve on the back, just as he had seen him do to Eddie minutes before. Wayne finished, “Like I said, you’re doing good, we’re glad to have you on board. I knew you had it in you.” He stood to leave.

In his awe, Steve managed a “thank you,” Wayne nodded in response and headed back towards his truck.

Despite the praise that passed from Eddie to Wayne to Steve, Eddie still refused to chat with him the rest of the day. As the afternoon sun hit its peak, their work hours came to an end. When they wrapped up, Gareth climbed back in the truck with Eddie, leaving Steve to ride with Jeff again. It wasn’t that he didn’t like Jeff. They even had a relaxed conversation about the project on the way back, laughing here and there about Gareth tripping into a hole he had just dug. But just what was it about Steve that caused Eddie to push him away? Did he just get special treatment, riding with the boss on his first day?

The next three work days went roughly the same. Eddie joking around with Gareth and Jeff, but Steve remained on the outskirts. Whenever he walked up to join in, Eddie found an excuse to walk away; he needed to go check the drawings, he forgot something in the truck, he had to call the surveyor. The heat didn’t yield, and each day got harder and harder to tolerate. Steve was no longer forgetting his sunscreen, but he had to admit, he was in a terrible mood. The heat only made it worse as the days went on.

By Friday, Steve was on the verge of confronting Eddie.

At this point, the foundation of the gazebo was ready. Wood columns of 6x6s rose up from the ground at eight points, and joists spanned the octagonal shape, awaiting the floorboards. Gareth and Jeff were the quickest with the nail guns, and the crew only owned two with limited power sources in the middle of a park. So there Steve sat, his boots slipping in the mud of the dirt under the foundation, a box of nails to his right as he hammered them one by one. Eddie stood a ways away, his red hard hat gleaming brightly in the sun. He was reviewing the next steps before he came back to pitch in on the effort of nailing the floorboards down.

Gareth and Jeff faced away from Eddie, but Steve faced his back. In Eddie’s moment of distraction, Steve let his hands still and let his eyes roam over the man. He’d grown used to the fact that Eddie would always wear black t-shirts and dark jeans despite Steve not understanding why a fashion statement had to be made as a construction manager. Tattoos crawled up his forearms and biceps that Steve had never taken the time to commit to memory. His skin sheened with sweat and curls clung to his skin from the low bun at the nape of his neck. His hands rested on his hips where his tool belt hung low. Then, he took note of something different about him. A black bandana he’d never noticed before hung from a back pocket of Eddie’s dark jeans. Something itched at the back of Steve’s mind, something Robin had said that he couldn’t quite remember now–

Eddie began to turn, and Steve panicked.

BAM!–went Steve’s hammer, right on his thumb where he fumbled a nail from between his fingers. “Shit!” he cried out, dropping his tools and cradling his hand to himself.

Everyone stopped what they were doing to look at Steve, and he blushed. Looking down at the damage, he saw blood pool in his nail bed. When he raised his head, he saw Eddie rushing over, fresh water bottles and a first aid kit in tow.

“Shit, Steve, what happened?” Eddie asked as he kneeled down on the steps and got to work, pouring the water over the wound to wash away the stubborn dirt. The red dripped down his hand onto the wood boards below. Steve stared. Eddie’s hat had fallen to the ground and lolled around like an upturned tortoise several feet away. His hair was positively wild and his eyes wilder, riddled with concern. Concern for Steve.

“Steve, hey, you with me?” Eddie snapped, pulling Steve from his trance as he really started to register the throbbing pain in his thumb.

“Yes, fuck, I don’t know, I just missed,” he hissed, watching as Eddie worked, sterilizing the broken skin and wrapping it in gauze. His touch was gentle.

“Is it too tight?” he asked, looking to his eyes for validation. Steve shook his head, staring at their joined hands in front of him.

“Can you bend it?” asked Eddie, his eyes flicking between Steve’s and his thumb.

Steve tried tentatively, twitching it back and forth. It wasn’t broken.

Eddie stood and sighed with relief–and exasperation. As if a lightswitch was flicked off, Eddie was back to himself as he had been all week; he glared down at Steve’s thumb with a look of indifference–not meeting his eyes– and said, “Be more careful. Take five. We can’t afford any careless mistakes.” And walked off to view the project drawings again, first aid kit in tow.

Steve cradled his thumb in his other hand, stalking to the ice chest to take another bottle of water before retreating to his tree. He looked back at Gareth and Jeff to catch their looks of sympathy, then quickly turned back to their work. Steve just shook his head to himself, feeling tears sting behind his eyes. He leaned against the trunk, pinching the bridge of his nose with his good hand and blinking them away so they wouldn’t fall.

He watched from afar as Eddie took over Steve’s task, willing himself not to roll his eyes at how much more efficiently he wielded the hammer. It took him two hits to drive the nails home. It pissed Steve off.

When Steve’s five minutes were up, he returned to his work, starting on another side of the gazebo as Eddie had taken over his previous spot. The next time someone spoke, it was Jeff easing the tension with Eddie and Gareth. Steve remained silent.

With the late afternoon sun beating on their backs, Eddie finally called it a day. They gathered up their supplies, and headed back to the trucks. Steve was still riding with Jeff who had a grin pasted on his cheeks; he kept bringing up some game night he was going to tonight, but Steve wasn’t really listening. At least he had something to be excited about. Steve was free to go once the truck was in park, and he wasted no time rushing out. Once his things were put away in his locker, he took one little glance down the hallway at the closed door to Eddie’s room and stormed out of the clubhouse without a word. The jokes and laughter of the guys floated behind him from outside as he climbed into his car. He cranked the volume of the radio to drown out his thoughts as he sped home.

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“I don’t know, Steve, it doesn’t seem like he overstepped any boundaries. Maybe he’s just not looking for any new friends,” Robin reasoned. She was trying on her fourth pair of earrings in a row as she readied herself for her date with Nancy-from-English-class.

“No, Rob, it was ridiculous. He’s totally lonely living out there, and I thought we got along great last week. I think he might even be, you know, cool,” defended Steve.

Robin crinkled her eyebrows, looking at him through the reflection of the mirror. “Like you think he’s gay?”

“No! I don’t know, but he knew the bar we went to last week… And maybe hinted at liking Michael Fox? I don’t even know if I’m remembering that right. There’s something else I’m forgetting, too…”

“Maybe he thinks you’re a stalker, coming into his house at night and searching his things,” she said, assessing the small gold hoops.

“I didn’t know it was his house! Besides, if you wouldn’t have brought someone home, I wouldn’t have been there at all.”

“Hey, I didn’t tell you to go there! I didn’t ask you to leave at all,” she threw up her arms. “...But I did appreciate it.” She looked upwards as she blushed.

“No problem. Just go to Nancy’s tonight, okay?” Steve teased, giving up their argument.

She just smiled in return as she bent to tie her boots’ laces. Steve watched absently with a pang in his heart. On one hand, he was so happy to see her able to freely pursue romances, but he hated to see her go. He was jealous as he knew he had no one else to spend time with.

He had felt the tension of his anger ease the minute she got home but was disappointed to learn that she had a date tonight. Now, he was watching her walk out the door, bag in hand, waving bye and warning him not to get too wasted without her. So, here he was, alone on a Friday night again, feeling the tightness in his chest grow once more.

Moving over to the couch, he tried to watch some episodes of Golden Girls before his mind wandered. He kept replaying the work week over and over, wondering where he went wrong to end up on Eddie’ bad side again. He did absolutely everything he could. Even Wayne claimed Eddie was praising him. So what the hell?

On the couch, Steve dozed off into a fitful sleep, exhausted from the day’s work. When he woke, the first thing he noticed was the smell, dirt and metal that wafted up from his skin and clothes. Steve suppressed a shudder as he moved to go take a shower now that Robin wasn’t occupying the bathroom. Despite his attempt to let the water heat, the water was fucking freezing, barely warming enough keep Steve from worrying about catching pneumonia. And maneuvering his body around without wetting his bandaged thumb was a nightmare. Once clean, Steve stared at himself in the mirror, trying to ignore the uneven farmer’s tan he was developing. He looked miserable, debated letting his hair dry naturally and going to bed wet. He sighed, gave in, and brushed the dripping strands back from his face.

Should he go out? Or keep feeling sorry for himself? Steve no longer knew what to do to make himself feel better. He knew from the clock in the bathroom that it was only 8:30; Robin wouldn’t be back for hours if she’d be back at all tonight. He pushed down the annoyance he felt, pulling out the hair dryer to have something to focus on.

Twenty minutes later, Steve had dry, styled hair with a stubborn flyaway, and a burn on his ear. It’s as if everything was meant to go wrong today.

Pulling on a loose tee and jeans, he asked himself why should Eddie affect him so much. Why should he treat Steve differently from the others? It’s fucked. Wayne wanted him on the team, so he was there. He seemed to value Steve’s contribution, so why didn’t Eddie? What changed between them?

The questions itched in Steve's mind as he registered his pacing. He was walking from the window to the front door and back, over and over, ruminating on how to fix this. Should he have pulled Eddie aside earlier? Is confronting him the answer? As he began to realize he’d have to complain to Eddie about Eddie, dread set in. He was angry now, what if he lost steam over the weekend and ended up not saying anything? He was prone to do that. Steve didn’t want another week like this one. Before he even realized he’d made a decision, Steve had grabbed his keys and was out the door.

It was ridiculous, there was no guarantee he’d even be home right now. Steve missed his exit three times before he convinced himself to just go. It was nearing 9:30 by the time he arrived at the site, parking behind the two pickup trucks out of sight of the clubhouse. He noticed Gareth and Jeff’s cars were still there, along with a few others. It was dark and he watched as the men stepped out of the trailer, boisterously laughing as they filed in line down the steps. He could see Gareth wrapped in what could only be described as a some sort of cape to Steve’s knowledge. Three people Steve didn’t recognize followed suit, but Steve didn’t care. His eyes were on Eddie as he also stepped out. Even from where Steve was, he could tell he pretended to lock the door behind him, wandering down the steps. He waved to the cars and they left, and faked walking over to the parked van Steve had never seen move. He must be keeping up the ruse that he lived somewhere else; but what the hell were they all even doing here in the first place?

Steve stepped out of the shadows just as Eddie turned back towards his home, unaware of his presence behind him. It was then that Steve noticed his stumbling, unbalanced gait. He heard Eddie giggle to himself as he stepped back inside to the dark trailer, immediately turning the lights back on.

Regaining his fire from before, Steve stormed up the steps, banging on the front door with the fist of his uninjured hand. “Eddie!” he yelled.

The door reopened, and Eddie looked down on Steve with a single step height difference between them. His eyes were glazed over, but a crinkle formed between his brows as he slowly registered who was in front of him. He stood in a clean pair of jeans, complete with rips at the knees, a white and black tee, and socks. He had showered, his hair was clean and haloed his head with its unruly frizz Steve itched to fix.

“Oh, goddd,” Eddie groaned. Clearly, he was wasted.

Eddie let go of the door and wandered to the kitchen where he poured himself a shot of… tequila? He knocked it back, blinked, then looked back to Steve. “You’re still there,” he narrowed his eyes as if he had expected him to disappear.

What the hell was this? He treated Steve like shit all week and excluded him on plans with the other guys? Steve took in the scene around him. Strange dice littered one of the tables in the kitchen along with a notebook and game board. Along with several cans of beer. Steve wasn’t sure he would have said yes to joining, but all rational thought was out the window.

Stomping up to Eddie, Steve’s steps reverberated in the little trailer. He turned Eddie to face him and grabbed the front of his shirt, ready to demand answers. “What the hell, Eddie? What’s going on with you?”

“Dude, just chill, it’s just a little D&D. You’re not one of those psychos that think it’s devil worship, right?” Eddie slurred out, flicking Steve’s collar, then seemed to think about it. “No, no, couldn’t be,” he pointed his finger in Steve’s chest, “you went to a gay bar… therefore… not a religious bigot!” He made a sound like he was amazed at his own genius.

“Not the game, dude, why do you fucking hate me all of the sudden? Alienating me at work, excluding me from… whatever this is. Avoiding me. What’s up with that?”

“Ooh, big word, Stevie, nice one,” Eddie smiled as if he couldn’t be bothered by Steve’s fist in his shirt.

Steve stared. This man couldn’t be reasoned with right now, let alone argued with. He let go of his shirt, and Eddie immediately reached for the bottle again. Steve batted his hand away, “Nope, I think you’ve had enough.” He picked up the bottle to find a cabinet to hide it in.

Eddie sighed, but didn’t argue. Then, Steve watched in horror as Eddie stuck his tongue into the shot glass he just used to lap up the last remaining drops of his previous shot. His lips nearly wrapped around the rim, his tongue diving further and further into the little glass. He met Steve’s eyes, and smiled around it. A laugh was pulled from Steve that he failed to hide.

It was embarrassing, but Eddie just laughed along like he was happy to make Steve smile, eventually putting the glass down.

“Why the hell did the guys leave you like this?” Steve asked in disbelief as he caught his breath. They would have thought Eddie was going to drive home.

Once Eddie regained his slight composure, he met Steve’s eyes. “They’ve seen me a lot worse,” he admitted. Steve couldn’t see how that was possible in the state he was in. He wasn’t focusing on anything, and was swaying even as he gripped the countertop tightly. Steve realized what he needed to do.

“Okay, Eddie, well, I’m gonna help you get to bed, alright?” Steve took on the voice he used to use when kids entered the video store back in Hawkins: sweet, light, and wary. He put the tequila in the first cabinet he saw and then moved to Eddie’s side to wrap his arm around his shoulders, leading him back to his bedroom.

“Mmm, what, now you’re not gonna give me a piece of your mind?” he paused again. “‘Cause I woul’nt mind some.” Whatever Eddie meant caused him to giggle to himself. Leaning his head on Steve’s shoulder they made slow progress to the other side of the trailer.

Steve didn’t understand what he was saying as his speech worsened (something about zombies?), but Eddie batted his thick eyelashes up at Steve which he chose to ignore. He could hardly handle his sober teasing.

Steve kicked the door open, revealing Eddie’s office/bedroom. With no real desk in sight, there was one twin mattress in the corner, a bookshelf against the wall, a tv on the ground. Steve was surprised to see curtains hung up, and books were strewn everywhere, making it tough to navigate his and Eddie's footwork towards the bed. Nearly tackling him down, Steve dropped Eddie’s weight onto the gray sheets.

Eddie groaned once he was released, curling in on himself. “Spinnin’,” he said, voice muffled by the pillow in his face.

Steve ignored him and left to get him water and something to eat. He dug through the cabinets until he found a sleeve of crackers and a glass. When he returned, Eddie was struggling to take off his jeans, one leg caught on his foot. Steve approached to assist.

“I… don’t,” he huffed, “need your… help.”

The thought of leaving crossed Steve’s mind, but he decided against it. Someone had to make sure this guy was okay. He waited for Eddie to remove the pants leg himself as Eddie relentlessly kicked, the one leg that was free wildly flailing. When Eddie remained unsuccessful, he turned his face away, pointing his leg to Steve as if the sight of himself asking for help was unbearable. Steve smiled to himself as he set down the water and crackers.

Steve avoided the sight of Eddie in his boxers, only catching hints of black and red in his periphery. Instead, he felt in front of himself for Eddie's leg and came in contact with his skin as his fingers found his calf. Tiny electric shocks, from the strange, brief contact, then Steve’s hands traveled down to remove the pants leg from around Eddie’s ankle. The room fell quiet as the moment seemed to stretch. It finally sprang free.

Quickly, Steve took a step back, occupying himself by putting the jeans right side out and folding them while Eddie covers himself with a blanket.

“Stevie,” called Eddie.

Steve looked down at him, face heating at the nickname as if they were fond of each other, and Eddie reached for him. Taking a tentative step forward, Eddie took a hold of Steve’s thumb, still in the bandage he wrapped earlier that day.

“Y’ gotta change it, dipshit,” Eddie mumbled, followed by a deep exhale, as if speaking took a lot of effort. Gently, he fiddled with the edges coming up where it had gotten wet in the shower.

“Hey, I’ll have to if you keep doing that,” Steve used his other hand to push Eddie’s off; the softness of Steve’s fingers brushed against his more calloused palms. He swallowed down his nerves of being so close to him and turned back to the nightstand. “Here, drink some water for me, okay?”

“You’re not my mom,” Eddie yawned as he turned over onto his stomach, plopping his face into his pillow.

“Please?” he tried.

Only faint “mmfph” in response.

“Pretty please?”

Nothing.

“Eddie, come on, you’re a mess,” Steve chided.

Eddie’s head twisted around, freeing his mouth from the pillow, suddenly speaking very clearly. “Keep beggin’, Stevie, see what happens.” He barked a loud laugh and fell back on his face.

Something snapped in him. Steve wasn’t having it. Propping a knee up on the edge of the mattress, he gently tugged on Eddie's hair, close to his scalp, to lift his head back up, guiding his chin gently with his free fingertips, and Steve brought the glass to his lips himself. “Drink,” Steve ordered this time.

After a beat, Eddie complied, finally drinking the water in big, greedy gulps. Hair fell in front of Steve’s face as he gazed downward while Eddie's eyes were turned up, fixated on each other. His eyes glowed in the gold lamp light, intense and defiant. Their eyes held as Eddie swallowed again and again until the glass was empty. Eddie’s curls brushed the thigh of Steve’s pants with the little movements. Steve was struck by a wave of desire and confidence, steeling himself as he boldly leaned down to his ear, lifting Eddie slightly higher as his hand still gripped his hair.

“Good boy,” whispered Steve as his lips gently brushed the curve of Eddie’s ear, quickly pulling back enough to watch the effect cascade over him. Eddie’s eyes closed, and he exhaled through his nose. His already flushed cheeks deepened their shade from pink to red.

Steve was surprised at this version of Eddie, listening to him, flustered by him.

Blinking out of his haze, Steve let go of Eddie’s head before he could open his eyes again, and it fell right back down onto the pillow. He inhaled as the moment subsided, attempting to slow his heartbeat. Steve grabbed the cracker sleeve off the table and placed it in Eddie’s hands.

“Eat some, Eds,” he said. “I’ll be right back.”

He murmured a high pitched muffled hum in response.

Steve rushed to the kitchen to fill up his glass again, drinking some himself to cool down the heavy flush in his face. Where did that come from?

Okay, maybe they were both attracted to each other. Or Eddie just thought he was cute because he was drunk and Steve picked up on it. But it definitely seemed like Eddie liked guys. And it definitely seemed like Steve liked Eddie based on his current situation downstairs. What did he come here for again? After splashing cold water on his face, he shook off like a dog, not trusting any rags lying around to be clean enough.

When he returned to the bedroom, Eddie laid there on his back, perfectly still, a single cracker clung to his lips, half eaten as his chest rose and fell at a slow, even pace. He had fallen asleep while attempting to eat. Steve was touched that he tried.

He walked over to place the refilled glass back on the table, picking up the crumbs and cracker from the pillow. Turning Eddie over onto his side in case he got sick, Steve prepared to leave, setting him up with anything else he might need in the night.

Under the threshold of Eddie’s bedroom, Steve paused. His eyes were fixed on the softness of Eddie’s sleeping face. It was a little goofy, his mouth agape, drool already pooling in the corner. Somehow, Steve still blushed as he turned away and switched off the light.

The man once again found himself walking out of Eddie’s home late at night. Locking the door behind him, Steve thought about how he came here to confront him and only left with–with what? A crush? Was Steve really starting to have feelings for this guy who doesn’t even like him? His boss?

God, could things be any worse?

#yes at 8 am #more is up on ao3 #steddie #steve harrington #eddie munson #steve x eddie #steddie fic #kiss off fic #eep #stranger things

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