Latest Posts by dazecrea - Page 3

folded ✸ jww

JAEiS valentines special 🩰 idol!wonwoo x f!reader

You post a slightly delusional tweet about your bias, not thinking much of it—after all, you’re just a fangirl. It’s all fun and games until Wonwoo, your bias, sends you a DM in response to that tweet. Turns out, he’s been lurking, and now he wants to test the truthfulness of your tweet.

ACT I

the start of it all (o_o)

to be added…

mi9yuz, 2024

( 🖇️ ) RELATIONSHIPS WITH HYUNG LINE ⌅ .

기키 + 승철　／　KICHEOL

🍒 ── 99% ... old married couple *for real*

everyone can see they love each other

he can be the sea and she’ll be the ship that floating on it

every time he needs to play the 'scary eldest' role, she always felt sorry bc she knew she can’t do it ( she’s too pacifist for that )

kiki is his no.1 listner for whatever his thoughts are

they basically tie the knot already *blinks*

his parents basically adopts her lol

the reason why they have such a strong bond is not only they share the most trainee days with another

but they keep fighting to protect the group and members before and after the debut

seungcheol: *being sulky*

kiki: *judging side eye*

honestly she wasn’t totally sweetheart for him from the beginning ( not in the public eye i mean )

more like teased and pretended like judging him

but after he got into hiatus in 2019 ( it was HER darkest time too ) she just went like “f*ck that, i won’t stop expressing my love for him anymore”

well it’s always appearant that he goes down on her knees like-

not only within the group but recognized as one of the strongest ships among the kpop industry

the ‘knights line’ 1/3 - such a protective of her all the time

기키 + 정한　／　KIHANI

🐰 ── 80% ... devils roll the dice, angels roll their eyes

kiki in the most of gose : IM WATCHING U YOON JEONGHAN *in mute*

she pretends like she was offended by his cheating in the contents

but she’s the one who always cheers him and giving compliments

“u got this jeonghanna!” “u did so well~ i’m proud of u :)”

she always trust him through the trainee era, support him for both dancing and mentally

she knew he’s kinda type to get nervous often

so she always has his back, says something nice, holds his hands

and is she his soft spot? OBVIOUSLY

he always treats her meals and little gifts like sweets, cosmetics and accessories

she really takes care of his long hair bc if she doesn’t who does

late night walks, hanging out at the park

mostly she’s kinda ‘good girl’ type but when with him, her ‘devil mode’ would be activate ( and seungcheol would cry at the end )

jeonghan: *speaks japanese*

kiki: *proud mom*

personal space [ 404-not-found ]

well he kisses to her cheecks ... and forehead ... and top of the head ... and back of the hand ... ( and list continues )

when he turns low buttery mode, he goes towards her and either leans on her shoulder or rests his head on her lap ( mostly be witnessed in the concerts )

sometimes they are the completely opposite, but the other time share the same energy

기키 + 조슈아　／　KISHUA

🦌 ── 85% ... the mf soulmates

like i said, SOULMATES. that’s it, that’s the tweet

they’re like puzzle pieces ⸺ get along well bc it’s different

he brings out her active energy

she learned the guitar from him

and handles his silent chaotic energy pretty well lol

they always make plans and daydream abt trips they want to go

sometimes josh stans confirm he’s alive through her social media

joshua: *planning something crazy*

kiki, whispering: DON’T ( he’ll do it anyway 🤷🏻 )

cafe dates, drive dates, movie nights

his mom lowkey hopes for kiki to be a daughter-in-law which is never gonna happen lmao

he came up with ‘kit kat’ as her nickname

and yes, the treatment is sweet as the treat ;)

he normally acts like a twin but never forgets the gentle behavior as the gentleman should

especially in the beginning, she prefers not to be treated exceptional cuz she’s the only female member, but his manner and considerate changed it slowly ( and surely in a good way )

he’s kind of the friend who doesn’t say the words such as “oh r u okay” “i’m worried about u” out loud often but always there for her and take her to the night driving when she got stuck

기키 + 준　／　KIJUN

🐱 ── 70% ... the cat and the lion ( aka the owner )

they have the most pure kind of love

he has always been her protector in the airports and clouds

THE VISUAL

she really looking forward to go to shenzhen one day and visit all the places he wants to take them

she’s always so proud abt his acting career and calls him the movie star, now she’s too

and her secret dream is to costar with him one day

he never forgets to escorts her in the award shows and concerts, helping her in stairs, no hesitation to do arm in arm, lends her jacket if he worries she’s revealing too much of her bare skin for gowns ( in his eyes )

many skinships !!

they always share a bite to the other, both LOVE to have tasty foods and willing to let the one try

his little brother always wanna talk to her when he was a kid ( lowkey childhood crush ) then now he’s totally shy about that past and tries to avoide her when jun did the facetime and let the lil bro talk to her just to tease him

he won’t say anything until she went too far and overwork through days, but once he felt okay that’s enough he’ll just kidnapp her to the bedroom and tuck her in bed and like SLEEP

the ‘knights line’ 2/3 - he behaves like a cat playing with dearest owner and sending a nonverbal message to people around them like “ don’t look at her like that she’s OURS ”

기키 + 순영　／　KISOON

🐯 ── 70% ... conqurer of the stage

everybody clear the way, the MAIN DANCERS are coming thru

but they really are THE all rounder, multi talented, just good at everything

they created their own handshake

she’s a secret no.1 supporter of horanghae

but she also LOVES his hamster pelsona, enjoys silently when it popped out randomly

in fact he is the reason that she determinded to be an idol for sure ⸺ she entered to pledis without firm belief about her future profession, but after his entry she was so impressed by his skills despite the gap of dance training experience. moreover, he was so sure about his future, to becoming the idol as his dream, and she just woke up as if she’d been slapped on the cheek like “what the hell i was thinking, of course i’ll be the idol too”

and he always admires her as a dancer and the respective person. he dreamed of not just being an idol, but standing on stage next to her since they met

surprisingly they quarrel most among the ship of kiki and members, but all of them are professional argument as they are in charge of choreographing and stage creation

and they always made up at the end of a day by eating ice pop side by side

he’s the one who encouraged her to do it when the other idol group reached out to her for their choreography production cos he believes in her talent more than anyone just as she does

both have hUGE gap between on and off stage, when they go hard it’s HARD 🔥🔥🔥 but otherwise they can be softest marshmallows

기키 + 원우　／　KINWOO

🐈‍⬛ ── 85% ... the book fairies

he’s nearly worshipping her *ships tea*

it’s not a big secret that she’s his first love ( at first sight )

and after all these years, she’s still the woman of his dreams

yall know wonwoo wasn’t really talkable person at first but more shy and quiet

well same things can say to her

so she understood his silent and calm yet passionate personality

and kiki really stood by his side and just being his comfort space

she listens to him well, even he express his thoughts into words not that much

she always recommends his glasses and he’ll buy her choice without HESITATION lol

they can spend whole time together without chattng, just reading or sleeping alnogside

and it’s so CUTE

he gave the camera to her for the birthday present, and it made her enjoying to take photos more than ever and he loves the influence he made on her

art museum date, hanging out in the night town and ww just keeps taking photo of her

they have a ritual as they go to the night walk when the group is off to the overseas in tours, strolling the town and find the cozy cafes

she can notice whenever he is stressed or gets nervous and so does he, she often pats his back in those situation and it comforts him really well

u can see ww stares her a LOT in behind contents or gose ( he literally gave up to hide his affection at this point )

tries to teach her how to play pc games but fails everytime

기키 + 지훈　／　KIHOON

🍚 ── 55% ... the vocal boss and the dance queen

trust me, they ARE strong. it’s just not as aloud as others

woozi found japanese beatuful at first bc it’s the language she spoke

and kiki loves the words and lyrics he weaves, his korean is like a poet to her

he doesn’t wanna admits outspokenly but it’s hard to say she hasn’t owned the special ( and soft ) place in his heart

even makes him to do slightest physical contacts: pinches her sleeves, fiddles with her hair, plays with her earrings... and the list continues

kiki’s the one takes care him when he starts to get stuck in the studio for the work

takes him to the short walk, late night drives, make him foods and be sure he gets rest

sometimes they just sit together in the universe factory and chats about the song, anime and composing stuffs, eats takeouts and sessions or duets randomly

she joins as a recording direction besides him time to time, esp in the jp songs recording: she’s the lyricist of the jp songs is one of the reasons but also she has the good ears and able to hear the subtle difference like he does

woozi: *points out the differences* others: okay but WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE kiki: ??? wasn’t it obvious...???

well apparently she’s the closest female to him on the planet ( except his family ofc )

he rarely calls her noona but mostly just calls her kiki, there’s no paticular reason it’s just what it is

(    📁    )   :   NAVI   :  MASTER LIST     

( tag list / open ) : @smh-anon

˖ ࣪ 🍦‹ kwonienana⁺˖🏹 ⸝⸝𓏲 ๋࣭ ࣪ ˖🎐

➤ UNSENT <<part 1/3>>

producer ! woozi × reader

ִֶָ𓂃 ࣪˖ ִֶָ🐇་༘࿐

➤ 🍥 taglist : nothing to see here yet 𓍼

ᶻ 𝗓 𐰁ᶻ 𝗓 𐰁

｡𖦹‧.☘︎ ݁˖🖇 likes comments and reblogs are appreciated

we can't be friends l fc43

summary: after a drunk hookup with your best friend, franco, you find out he has a girlfriend, leaving you alone and pregnant

song inspo: ₊‧₊˚౨ৎ˚₊‧₊

masterlist 1k celebration

yourusername

liked by francolapinto, yourbff and 12,424 others

yourusername summers almost gone :(

tagged yourbff, francolapinto

view all comments

user franco being on this three times🤨

user prettiest girl

francolapinto THE LAST PHOTO??

yourusername your mom just showed it to me last night and we laughed for like 5 mins

francolapinto te odio😐

yourusername 😘

user i am once again asking for you two to admit youre in love with each other

user chat why is nobody freaking out? this feels like a soft launch

user noooo they've been best friends since they were kids, they always post like this

user man i wish this was a soft launch, they need to get together already

user drop the photo franco was taking omg

user childhood bffs to lovers trope about to go crazyy

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yourusername posted stories

seen by francolapinto and 34,249 others

user winning the idgaf war ily

user wheres franco?

user i can finally call u my favorite wag!!

user we know ur dating franco just hard launch already😩

user we better see you at the australia gp!!!

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f1gossip

45,352 likes

f1gossip Looks like we were wrong about Franco dating his best friend, Y/n Y/l/n. He was spotted leaving the Australian GP holding hands with another woman and according to sources closer to him, he's been seeing this woman for a few weeks now.

view all commments

user please say sike rn

user NOOOOOOOOOO

user franco you had ONE JOB

user he really made f1twt freak out over nothing

user wait a damn minute- if they've been dating for weeks, does that mean he cheated on her with y/n????

user honestly i support that.

user or maybe y/n and franco really are just friends🤷‍♀️ they never confirmed anything

user y/n deserves better bye

user whys this making me mad, i need to touch grass i fear

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yourusername posted a story

seen by francolapinto and 14,204 others

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f1gossip

10,329 likes

f1gossip Following rumors about a love triangle with best friend, Franco Colapinto, Y/n has removed followers and gone private on all social medias.

Franco and his family were removed as followers as well.

view all comments

user so this basically confirms the rumors, franco is a two timer.

user she also blocked franco😭 shes no longer tagged on any of his posts

user how did we go from thinking they were dating to this...

user removing his family is crazyyyy considering she grew up with them but you do you girl

user i was one of the followers removed💔

user girl we were all removed, im gonna miss her💔

user imagine dropping your lifelong best friend for some random 30 year old woman i-

user poor girl, seems like she just wants to be left alone

f1gossip yup. this is probably our last post about her! the franco and y/n lore was fun while it lasted

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🔒yourusername

liked by yourbff and 419 others

yourusername one last night in argentina🩵

view all comments

yourbff posting yourself drinking out of a wine glass then the next slide being a baby announcement is hilarious

yourusername OMG IT WAS JUST SPARKLING WATER I SWEAR!!

user STOP IM GONNA MISS U SO BAD

user wdym my favorite blonde and brunette duo are leaving me🥲

yourmom ya te extraño♥️ i already miss you

yourusername mamiii te visitare todo el tiempo🥹 ill visit you all the time

user this baby is gonna have the coolest mom ever <3

user motherhood already looks good on u baby

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notes: i hit my image limit so ill end it here ig. also i just realized it sounds like im giving the reader a lesbian arc towards the end omg didnt mean to do that. anddd as always this is not proofread lol

STAN TWT REACTION TO CHEOLRI’S ENGAGEMENT.

all rights reserved © svt-nari, 2023

Enraptured {I}

Emperor Geta x Innocent Acacius!Reader request: no gif credits: @freckledjoes divider credits: @arcielee Summary: Geta becomes enraptured with Acacius' innocent daughter Y/n. A dangerous obsession begins to take over. Warnings: 18+, MDNI, sexual thoughts, seduction, obsessive nature, possesive!geta, mentions of oral sex (f receving), dry humping, feelings?, sweet talking, manipulation, geta does have a heart (if you squint), jealous!geta Word Count: 4.7k Disclaimer: I don't own Gladiator II or its characters, nor do I claim them as my own Comments, likes and reblogs are always adored and appreciated xx this fic is inspired by: Florence and the Machine - Howl

If you'd like to, you can also listen to the ambient music that I listened to, which helped me write the story. Preferably in the order I've listed the music, it helps create a more atmospheric reading mood <3 palace gardens (day) palace gardens (night)

oof, i wrote this over the span of three nights at 4am, hope you all enjoy it <3 part II coming soon

Geta took the throne following his father's death, alongside his ill-fated brother, Caracalla. Both twins ruled with a ruthless desire for control—a desire for true power. But instead of focusing solely on politics and war, his mind found itself increasingly occupied by the image of a girl he'd only seen fleetingly. Her name was Y/n, the daughter of General Marcus Acacius, a man whose loyalty to the empire was as unwavering as his reputation was formidable. He had seen her at the victory parade beside her father on their chariot when the General returned from his recent victory conquest in Numidia. It may have only been a brief glimpse, but it had been enough. Y/n was a striking beauty in a bold and ever-changing Roman society. However, she possessed a softer charm, a quiet grace that drew Geta in like a moth to a flame. She was an oasis in the desert of scheming courtiers and ruthless assassins to seek refuge, and Geta fell toward her with such intensity bordering on desperation. Dying of a quenching thirst he had never known until he had laid eyes upon her. Geta, though, was prone to fits of tyrannical rage, yet, beneath the surface, a flicker of softness occasionally surfaced, a vulnerability he fiercely guarded. It was only ever reserved for his brother to ease his own fits due to his illness. No one else had that privilege. However, the constant weight of bearing the whole of Rome on his shoulders and monitoring Caracalla at times grew too much for him to handle. 

That is how he found himself in the palace gardens one day, where he found her. The object of his hidden affections, the reason for his thoughts to drown out the senate's boring words. The very woman who created his obsession to take over his entire being. Geta approached her from behind, listening to her hum a gentle tune. The ever-so-soft breeze blew her strands of hair as her fingers brushed the flowers delicately. A butterfly flittered above, and she held out her finger for the flying insect to land Y/n smiled. “Hello, my friend. What a marvellous day for an adventure.” A light giggle emitted from her plump lips. Geta’s eyes glittered with adoration and masked the lingering hunger inside him before making his presence known.

“It’s not often I find myself in the company of an ethereal goddess like yourself, my lady.” His voice startled her; the sudden sharp movement in her body made the butterfly leave her finger. Her doe eyes found Geta with a frightened stare. Geta immediately realised his mistake, rushing toward her with a hand raised to show he meant no harm. “My sincere apologies, my lady. Do not be afraid.” He smiled. Y/n softly gathered her skirt as she moved away from him slightly. “Emperor Geta.” She bowed her head in respect, loose strands of her hair falling beside her face; the immediate response of obedience made Geta’s heart swell. Tilting her chin to face him, his fingers lingered on her skin longer than he intended. Y/n’s lashes fluttered as she smiled timidly, and a light blush appeared on her cheeks.

Geta removed his fingers, and a soft hum filled his chest. “So…tell me, are the gods displeased?” He smirked, and the glint in his chocolate eyes made her release a light-hearted laugh. “I couldn’t know what you mean; I’ve never met them, Emperor.” She answered with a light tease. Geta’s smirk widened as he leaned forward to whisper. “I believe they would be jealous that you’d rather spend your time here than with them.” Y/n, too, leans forward slightly; her gaze also flickers downwards briefly before meeting Geta’s gaze again. “Why are we whispering Emperor?” She asked. Geta chuckled, looking over his shoulder and then up to the sky. “I may be a vessel for the gods, but that does not mean they would take it lightly; their most beautiful goddess is occupying her time with me.” The tip of his nose caressed hers gently; the sudden close contact made Y/n retract, and her breathing grew heavy. Geta smiled, his fingers tracing her palm before his thumb traced over her pulse in her wrist. “You needn’t be so nervous around me. But perhaps you're a nymph; I’ve read how timid they can be.” He murmured. The compliment made her blush even more. “Your father speaks of you often; my brother and I have asked him to bring you to our festivities; he always seems to have an excuse not to bring you.” He told her with a light pout appearing on his face. 

Y/n took in a small, sharp inhale. “I apologise, Emperor. It’s not my father’s doing entirely; I’m inexperienced with court life. Also, Lucilla and I spend most of the days together. Reading and walking.” She explained to Geta; his head tilted, and the corner of his lips tugged into a grin. “Ah, yes, Lucilla. Between her and your father, they’ve kept you in a gilded cage. Such innocence must be preserved, I understand. But little nymph…” His voice trailed off, and his bronze irises stared into hers. His gaze heated and filled with an intense fire. The sight made Y/n’s breathing falter slightly; the deep crimson eyeshadow around Geta’s eyes made his stare more penetrating. He leaned in a little more, their lips almost touching as if he were teasing her with the promise of a kiss. “Do you not wish for more? To see more? 𝐅𝐞𝐞𝐥 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞?” He breathed heavily, his fingers caressing her jaw and moving up to her cheek. “I-I do not know what to say…” Y/n’s words fell short, and the combination of Geta’s touch, words, and closeness overwhelmed her. “Emperor Geta.” Y/n moved away and stood quickly, brushing her hands over her dress. “You must forgive me, I-” She began, her breathing growing uneven as she stepped away. “My father, if he were to find out about this exchange…it’s improper. Whispers will be said about us.” Geta’s brows furrowed, his eyes narrowed, and his jaw clenched as he stood. “Should anyone feel the need to whisper anything about their Emperor and the General’s daughter improperly, Caracalla has always expressed an interest in servants participating in our games.” He gave a broad smile Y/n still kept her distance as she heard her name being called in the distance by a guard. “Lady Acacius, your father has requested we bring you home. The evening will be upon us soon.” Y/n smiled at her guard, turning to face Geta curtising gracefully. Geta observed her through hooded eyes, flickering down to her body as she stood to her full height, her gaze still on the ground. Geta released a light chuckle before once again tilting her chin up. “Oh sweet nymph, your innocence is most…𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠.” 

⋆。˚☽˚。⋆⋆。˚☽˚。⋆⋆。˚☽˚。⋆

Geta rested his hands on his marble terrace, hearing the loud chatter of his brother entering his private chambers. “Brother! The games begin today, and I am ready to command blood to be spilt!” Caracalla clapped. Geta entered his chambers, a soft smile upon his face at his twin brother. Nodding, he sipped his wine and pointed to Caracalla with a maddening grin. “The gods, they seem quite unmerciful. I can feel it.” They both laughed, and the manic look in their eyes matched the others. All the gladiators would have to pray that today could be their last.

While in the palace, lively chatter and excitement filled the halls and chambers alike, and the joy of the gladiator games took place to honour General Marcus Acacius. Not the same could be said in the home of the Acacius’ home. Marcus fiddled with the ring on his finger as Lucilla adjusted his cloak with a warm smile on her facial features. Marcus’s soulful eyes softened at his wife, finally feeling at peace and being back in her warmth. “Y/n and I have missed you dearly, Y/n more so. As much as I worry and long for your return and safety, your daughter fears the most out of us both. She lost her mother; she does not want to lose you.” Lucilla’s soft-spoken voice made Marcus’ heart clench at the memory of losing Y/n’s mother. “If something were to ever happen to me, she has you. She adores you Lucilla.” Marcus smiled; his brown eyes shined with love. Lucilla’s smile widened her fingers, delicately resting the Acacius brooch on her husband’s cloak. Her eyes looked over Marcus’ shoulder, and her face brightened once again. “Y/n, dear, you look beautiful.” Y/n nervously fiddled with the dress, made from the finest silks and gold embroidery—a gift from Geta. “I’ve never seen that dress before. Is it new?” Marcus asked Y/n nodded as she spun in a circle. “A gift from Emperor Geta. Isn’t it wonderful? Lavender is my favourite colour. Today, he even gifted me my favourite poems by Virgil. He told me it brings him joy to see me happy. However, I do not know how he found out about these things. Perhaps he heard from you, father.” She giggled softly as she ran out of the lavender dress flowing behind her. Y/n’s innocence filled Marcus with dread; his sweet daughter was unaware of Emperor Geta and his true intentions. Marcus felt helpless. To move against an Emperor, especially one as mad and a tyrant as Geta and Caracalla, then Marcus would surely pay with his life. “Lucilla. We must move forward with our plans with the Senate. Y/n is now involved; whatever web Geta has weaved her in, I can not- I will not let him entrap her.” He let out a shaky breath. 

The night festivities Geta loved as much as the games, the loud laughter of the senate filling their body with endless wine and food. The music played as concubines, slaves, and whores danced for entertainment. Geta observed carefully with a heavy glare as Caracalla spoke with Y/n, the two laughing at one of Caracalla’s playful remarks about one of their servants. Geta’s hand gripped his throne, trying to hold his composure. Seeing Y/n in her new lavender dress, which he had gifted her, made her body look even more heavenly and beautiful, even if it were even possible. His eyes constantly raked over her figure, imagining tearing the fabric from her body. Adjusting himself in his throne, he felt his cock harden at the thought of having his way with Y/n. He could see her underneath him, moaning and writhing in pleasure. His gaze darkened further as Dondus jumped up and down on Caracalla’s shoulder, his tiny blue linen dress bouncing in tow. “And this is?” Y/n gestured to Dondus with a bright smile. Caracalla held out his arm for Dondus to approach Y/n, and the capuchin happily rubbed his head on Y/n’s open palm. “This is Dondus, my closest friend and trusted ally.” He expressed with a giggle.

“Aww, he’s so sweet. Does he always embrace strangers so quickly?” Caracalla shook his head. “It seems you may be his new favourite. For that, you may never be able to leave the palace now.” Before laughing, Y/n laughed too as Dondus hopped onto her lap, spinning in circles and clapping his hands. “He’s putting on a show for me. Aren’t you charming?” Y/n cooed. Caracalla turned to Geta with a snide grin. “He dislikes Geta; he’s always peeing on him. Be careful; brother Dondus may do so if you get too close to Y/n now.” Y/n fluttered her lashes over to Geta, smiling at his brother’s comment. Her breath hitched in her throat, seeing Geta’s hungry stare upon her.

“Oh, I’m sure Dondus will understand. The three of you can share me. There’s plenty of love to go around.” She nuzzled her nose against his. The capuchin chittered, climbing up so Y/n could hold him in her hands. Geta smiled, licking his lips as he narrowed his eyes before sipping his wine. After he sat his goblet down, he leant over. “Dondus would think twice about committing such an act toward me, brother. He knows the boundaries. But as our dear Y/n said, I’m sure we can share her. Though it’s fair to say, she’ll become more fond of my company.” He flickered his gaze to Y/n, a wicked grin on his face, standing from his throne.

“Would you like to retreat somewhere quieter, my little nymph?” He bowed with his hand stretched out. Y/n looked up with a nod of her head and stretched out her arm for Dondus to climb back to Caracalla. Slipping her hand into his waiting palm. Geta helped her stand as she bowed to Caracalla. “It was lovely speaking with you, Caracalla. I’m sure we are going to be great friends.” Y/n kissed Caracalla’s ring. The younger twin grinned happily and nodded enthusiastically. “And it was my pleasure becoming acquainted with you, Dondus.” The monkey jumped up and down, spinning in a circle again before posing with his hands in the air. Y/n clapped softly. “Bravo, my dear friend.” She giggled as Geta pulled her to his body with a possessive grip, his jealousy becoming apparent.

If you could only see the beast you've made of me. I held it in but now it seems you've set it running free.

Caracalla smirked knowingly whilst giggling to himself, kicking his feet while doing so. Seeing his brother jealous was the icing on the cake for the evening. Something Caracalla always liked most was making his brother envious; Geta glared at his twin fire burning in his eyes. “Not. A. Word.” He pointed to his brother, removing himself and Y/n from the festivities; Caracalla's distant laughter made Geta’s jealousy burn brighter. The crackling of fire and cicadas filled the night. Geta led Y/n to his private garden near his chambers; the distant sound of a lyre playing created a serene, calming atmosphere. Y/n looked at the blanket of stars glittering in the sky.

“The stars are especially bright tonight. My father and I have always loved observing them and seeing the constellations. The stories of the gods. Do you agree-” Y/n turned to face Geta, whose eyes were only fixed on her. Geta raised his hand to her face, tracing his knuckle along her cheek and ran his fingers through her hair, twirling some loose strands. “If it’s possible, you're even more beautiful in the evening, little nymph. Lavender is your colour; 𝐢𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮, 𝐬𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐚𝐧 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐲.” Heat spread across her cheeks at his compliment. “You flatter me, Emperor.” She replied, eyes cast down, and her nervousness began to show.

Geta laughed lightly; his fingers touched her chin, tilting her face to look at him. “You may call me Geta when we are alone, my dear.” Geta murmured Y/n’s heart began to race. Both were leaning into one another, their noses brushing, the building infatuation between them growing more apparent with each passing moment. Being this close to a man, let alone an Emperor, made her feel dizzy. “Geta…” Her voice was weak as Geta rubbed his cheek along hers, breathing in the sweet scent of her jasmine bath oils. “I-is this allowed?” She blinked, looking around to see if anyone could be watching. “Mmm, it’s quite alright.” His voice was sultry thick with lust, sending goosebumps all over her body. Geta wrapped an arm around her waist, holding her tightly. His lips found her pulse point, his nose brushing along the side of her throat. Y/n let out a soft moan, her eyes fluttering closed at the sensation. Geta grinned, sweeping his hand up her thigh and moving aside the dress at its slit, exposing her leg. 

The coolness of his rings soothed her heated skin, and Y/n’s body involuntarily moved closer to Geta. The dull ache between her legs made her whine lowly, the unknown sensations in her body making her mind hazy with confusion. “Can you keep a secret?” Geta’s voice was low and intimate, his breath fanning her cheek, his tongue darting out to wet his lips. The tip traced the edge of her lips. A little whimper emitted from her parted lips. “What kind of secret?” Feeling weightless in his embrace, Geta pulled her leg over his waist, and Y/n held onto his shoulder for support. “The very kind that could change your life. I have desires, Y/n—dark ones.” Y/n swallowed, and a tremulous breath escaped her brows furrowed slightly in confusion. “Desires?” She whispered, the word heavy with a sense of curiosity. 

Screaming in the dark, I howl when we're apart. Drag my teeth across your chest to taste your beating heart.

Geta’s eyes darkened, and the heat in his stare made her feel like an animal caught in a cage. “Would you like me to show you?” His fingers trail over her exposed collarbone slowly toward her chest. He smirked at her little gasp, leaning in to graze his lips along hers, their breathing heavy with anticipation. “If I were to slip my fingers between your legs…” He whispered, moving his hand further up her thigh, dangerously close to where she ached for him the most. “I believe I would know all I need too.” Y/n blinked the moon reflecting in her eyes, making her even more sinless to him. “And what would that be?” She asked him, desperation filling her voice. The young Emperor laughed, biting his lip, his Adam’s apple bopping heavily. “That your body wants me as much as mine wants yours.” Y/n’s lips parted, and a choked moan tumbled out as she adjusted herself to sit on his lap fully. Feeling brave, Y/n licked her lips and pressed her lips to Geta’s; it was all the consent Geta needed; a deep growl rumbled in his chest, and the sweet, innocent kiss soon turned heated. A clash of teeth and tongues melting into one another. A startled moan fell from her lips, allowing Geta to slide his tongue into her mouth. Gathering his robes into balls in her palms, Y/n rolled her hips experimentally, feeling his hard cock press against her aching core. Peppering kisses along her jaw toward her neck, Geta placed his hands on her hips in a deathly hold; the possessive grip made Y/n gasp, clutching onto Geta’s shoulders. “𝐆𝐞𝐭𝐚…” Y/n tried to speak, her voice failing her as Geta breathed heavily, his lips finding hers, silencing her with another hunger-filled kiss. “𝐘/𝐧…” He groaned between pants as she melted into him, the warmth of his body igniting a desire she never knew existed but now setting them alight. Yet with every kiss, every heated touch, the intoxicating thrill of the forbidden. She let herself be swept away, lost in the depths of his chocolate eyes, the rough yet tender touch of his hands upon her body, the promise of something more. Whatever spell he had put her under, Y/n surrendered willingly. Geta’s eyes shined at the uncorrupt girl above him; her angelic sounds made him grow harder. Her flushed cheeks and porcelain-like skin glowed under the moon’s brightness. “You are making it troublesome for me to withhold myself from ravaging you, 𝐬𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐭 𝐧𝐲𝐦𝐩𝐡.” His tongue darted out to slide along Y/n’s bottom lip, their pants of breath filling one another’s mouths. “You speak so boldly, my Emperor.” Geta smiled, running his fingers through her hair and tugging the strands gently yet firmly. “Boldness is necessary in my position. Those who seek power must be. But with you, I find myself wanting to be more than bold. To be impulsive. Reckless. To… 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐞.” He murmured, resting his head on hers, pushing her dress further up her leg to her hips. “Consume?” She whispered, intoxicated by the alluring promise in his words. 

Draping her wrists over his shoulders, rolling her hips faster, the idle yearning inside creeping to the surface at a rapid pace. She knew it could be wrong, forbidden to be involved with a man that is not her husband. Let alone an Emperor. But for so long, she had been sheltered away from the society of Rome, where concubines roamed the streets and delighted in orgies—the violent games filled with spilling of gladiator’s blood—the dangers of being lured into a web of deceit and power-hungry ego-filled men. Y/n understood why her father and Lucilla kept her away from it all, but to keep her away from all of that, they kept her away from Geta. Someone who, the moment she met, she felt an instant pull and attraction. How could you possibly stay away from him now?

“Is that a threat or a promise?” Y/n pulled him closer, her fingers slowly working through his ginger locks. The gold laurel shone from the moon’s beam as she removed it from his head. Geta watched her movements, and a wolfish grin spread across his lips. “A promise, of course, my sweet Y/n. Though perhaps to others it can be seen as a threat.” He replied, his intense and unwavering. No matter how often they shared a gaze, each one grew more fervent than the last. “Consuming something can be dangerous.”

Y/n spoke with a shaky breath, her nerves growing unsteady. Silence fell between them as Geta thrust his hips upwards Y/n cried out, the jolt of pleasure rippling through her.

Kissing the column of her throat, Geta moaned lowly, arms looped around her back, pressing their chests together. He could feel the wetness of her arousal seeping through her undergarments and into his robes. “Will you allow me?” He guided her hips to move harder Y/n moaned, clutching onto his robes, her legs shaking at the contact of her body moving against his. “I can give you everything you’ve ever dreamed of. Whatever your heart desires, it’s yours. Allow me to have you, all of you. And in return, you will have all of me.” Geta released a broken moan Y/n shivered, nodding wordlessly; she threw her head back as Geta’s eyes gleamed darkly; his hands tugged and pulled at her dress, sourcing any part of skin he could grab. Grunting through his bared teeth, Geta rolled them over, pining her beneath him as he rutted his hips between her parted legs. Y/n arched her back, leaving Geta to assault her with rough kisses and teasing love bites littering her skin—marking her as his.

My fingers claw your skin, try to tear my way in. You are the moon that breaks the night for which I have to howl.

“That’s it, sweet girl. So pretty spread out under me; how would the gods feel to see their precious nymph being seduced by the Emperor? Helplessly watching as she succumbs to his dark charms.” He panted their moans, filling the air, the rustling over the clothes rubbing against each other, Y/n’s whimpers ringing through Geta’s ears and leaning into the whisper in her ear, pressing his body firmly to hers. “I can only imagine how you would look sprawled on my bed, my head between your legs as I feasted on your cunt.” He groaned, his eyes falling closed, imagining the scene in his mind Y/n gripped his hair harder at his words. “Or perhaps you would prefer first I take you with my cock, claim your virtue for myself. Steal you away from your father, bind you to me. Lavish you with jewels, the finest dresses fit for an Empress. We can lay in bed to our heart's content, making love until the early hours of dawn to the late hours of the evening.” He rested a hand on the globe of her ass, wrapping a leg around his waist. “Your heart will be safe with me. I will protect you with my life. Without you, I am nothing.” His voice was laced with temptation and desperation. “This feels…I want it. I want you.” She confessed, eyes wide with wonder and blown with lust. A shattered moan broke free her body, shaking waves of countless pleasure spread through as she came undone. Geta groaned, he too, reaching his release; their bodies grew still. “Good.” He said, a sinister grin spreading across his face. 

⋆。˚☽˚。⋆⋆。˚☽˚。⋆⋆。˚☽˚。⋆

The following morning, Y/n awoke in an unfamiliar bed as she rolled onto her side, her hand falling on a warm chest. The soft breathing of another reached her ears. Raising her head slowly, she saw Geta sound asleep, his features gentle and warm. The early morning sun peeked through the curtains, casting a relaxing glow. His eyes blinked open, sensing he was being watched; he stretched his arm out, fingers running over her cheek. “Mmm, this is a sight I could get used to.” He grinned Y/n blushed, running her fingers through her hair before tracing patterns on his chest. “Did you mean anything you spoke of last night? I do not know much of such emotions and how men and women show affection to one another. But I’ve never felt these feelings until I met you in the gardens that day. Tell me, am I risking my heart being broken by you, Geta?” She murmured, fear and uncertainty swirling in her eyes.

Geta sat up, resting on his elbow; he frowned, his thumb pulling her lip gently before swiping down her chin. Y/n caught his wrist; her nervous breathing caught his attention. He narrowed his eyes, tugging her forward. Y/n gasped as he held her hips firmly, pressing her to his body. The corner of his lips curled into a slight smirk, capturing her lips in a breath-stealing possessive kiss Y/n’s inhibitions melted away, feeling Geta cradle her cheek with his hand. After a few moments, Geta pulled away. Y/n chased his lips, and a dreamy sigh was emitting from her. “Does that answer your question, my love?” He purred as Y/n was about to answer, but they were interrupted when Caracalla burst into Geta’s chambers. “Brother! What is taking-” He shouted before pausing in the middle of the room, a wide grin forming.“Oh, have I interrupted your and Lady Y/n’s morning delights?” Geta glared at his twin, shielding Y/n protectively under his bedsheets. “Caracalla, leave now; give us some privacy!” He shouted Y/n tucked her face in Geta’s chest, embarrassment flooding over her as Caracalla snickered, clapping his hands. “Do not be embarrassed in front of me, Lady Y/n. I am…well acquainted with a woman’s figure.” He licked his bottom lip, and a teasing laugh fell from the twin Emperor’s lips.

Geta’s jaw clenched, his grip growing unbearably tight on Y/n’s body. Wincing slightly at the pain, she wriggled in his grasp. “𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐚. 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐞. 𝐍𝐨𝐰.” His voice fell dark and threatening. Caracalla giggled, then sighed dramatically as he left the chambers. Geta’s grip loosened, much to Y/n’s relief. “Would you like to join me as my guest for today’s games? It’s about the naval wars, quite exciting.” He smiled Y/n hesitantly and nodded whilst taking a breath. “I must apologise in advance, Geta. I do not stomach blood and violence well.” Geta nuzzled his nose against her cheek. “That’s quite alright; you will not dishonour me if you turn away. It’s more of a plea to keep you by my side.” With a playful glint in his chocolate eyes, Y/n giggled, her fingers fiddling with Geta’s robes, his eyes cast down to observe her quietly. “I truly make you nervous, don’t I?” Y/n’s lashes fluttered so she could meet his eyes, a beautiful smile spreading across her lips. “Perhaps. Is that common to feel that way when you…” She trailed off, and a shuddered breath tumbled out. Geta raised his brows, silently beckoning her to continue. “Express your feelings for one another?” She whispered, blushing at her own words. Geta laughed. Y/n tilted her head as she slapped his chest, playfully laughter also escaping her. “Yes, it is. But do not worry; in time, your nerves will leave you. The more time we spend together, the more comfortable we will become around each other. It’s only natural.” Geta slapped her thigh, a mischievous smirk playing on his lips. “Now we must dress; a glorious day awaits us; we do not want to keep the gods waiting.”

tags : @chloe-skywalker @everandforeveryours @bel0ved-heretic @doodle-with-rhy @happysparklingshadows @hutx45oovujj @ro-sa-le-en @ladynoonwraith @jakesullyswhore @sociopathic-winchester @flowerdarkx @joyfulyouthlover @i-padfootblack-things @ajourneyforjoy @sst0txx @simsiddy @multific @eddiesxangel @lovebugism @slaytheusurper <3

Rockabye Baby (j.ww)

Wonwoo x fem!Reader

"First-time dad Wonwoo trying to navigate the ropes of parenting while missing you"

genre: fluff, humor; rating : 16+ word count: 2.1k warnings: none! credits: the littol menace @svtiddiess for helping me with the banner and beta reading author's note: this is set in the same universe as 'Bun In The Oven', but it can be read independently. written from wonwoo's pov! send an ask to be added to the tag list (better see an age in the bio)! tagging : @jenoslutie, @chugging-antiseptic-dye, @gyubakeries , @skzbangchanniee, @ariananotgrandeee, @wonufos masterlist here, domestic seventeen masterlist here

If at first he fainted upon hearing the news of the soon-to-be arrival of his offspring, he is now beyond frantic, doom scrolling in the wee hours of the morning on Reddit through multiple ‘First Time Dad’ posts. When he thinks Y/N can’t hear him, he lifts her shirt and begins to talk to his baby, he cannot be caught alive thinking he believes that shit and lose his ‘macho man’ facade. All lies, Y/N can never sleep at night, and is desperately holding her giggles at her husband’s constant whining to their baby about how mean their mom is to him. 

His aunt has given him some herbal medicine that runs in the family, vital for new mothers and despite Y/N’s bemoaning, he holds her by the neck and forces that ‘disgusting shit’ down her throat. ‘It’s for the baby Y/N’ he reminds her for the umpteenth time although he gags a little at the odd smell, that stuff is not for him, no thank you. 

At work, he is frantic, nervous, and excited all in one. When Jeonghan caught him tearing up at the back of the makeup room, rocking himself, arms tightly wound around, trying to stop his steady flow of tears, he finally confesses that he doesn’t think he will be a good father. “I never cared for children much hyung, I don’t think I have those paternal instincts to look after a newborn. I am scared I will run out on my child.” He sobs into his hyung’s arms who holds him tight and consoles him.

 “When the little one comes, you will forget all your fears. You’re not the type of person to give up on something you care about, especially not your child.” Jeonghan rubs his back gently, trying to soothe his distress. “You may not feel ready now, but you’ll rise to the occasion. Every parent has doubts, and that’s okay. It doesn’t mean you’re not going to be an amazing dad. You’ll figure it out as you go, and your love for your child will guide you through it.”

 Wonwoo freaks out when his wife thinks she is some sort of daredevil, trying to climb on the countertop to grab a jar. “Are you crazy?” he shrieks out.

“I can’t always keep asking you to attend to every beck and call of mine. Besides, it’s not that high,” you try to reason with him, but he has no chill, pushing you gently toward the bedroom and getting you back in bed, propping your feet up on the extra set of cushions he ordered from Amazon just for you.

“I don’t care,” he counters firmly. “Until you pop out that baby, you are on lockdown. No leaving the bed, and absolutely no scaling countertops for a mason jar of pickles. I’ll get it for you—just call me. That’s why I took time off, so you don’t have to risk anything, especially not now,” he says, his voice steady but laced with concern. He smooths the blanket over you, making sure you're comfortable before settling beside you with a deep sigh.

It seems the baby isn’t the only thing he’s freaking out about—he’s also on high alert to make sure you’re okay, every step of the way. Why must you do dangerous acts this far in your pregnancy?

“I am pregnant Wonwoo, I can still walk and do things, ‘m not a doll.”

“Never said you can’t do things, baby,” he says softly, smoothing the crease in your brow with a gentle peck. “It’s just to reassure me, for my peace of mind. I don’t want you pulling any stuntwoman moves just days before Little Bun gets here. So please, for me, at least?”

He looks at you with those pleading eyes, the ones that always seem to get to you. Till the baby comes, he’s hopefully the cutest person you’ve ever seen, the one you can never say no to.

“Fine.” You huff out. “But grab me a jar of mayonnaise to go with the pickles.”

“Mayo-? With pickles? H-ho?” he sputters, absolutely stumped at your taste buds.

“Is there a problem Mr Jeon?” your brow is quirked, amusedly staring at your befuddled husband's face.

“No, no, stay right there. Mayonnaise with pickles coming right up,” he says, still in shock, but resigned. He silently prays that Little Bun arrives quickly, before his wife loses herself in yet another round of bizarre food combinations.

“And sprinkles too!” you holler from the bedroom, your voice carrying.

“Lord, give me strength,” Wonwoo mutters to himself, shaking his head as he makes his way to the kitchen, shuddering at the disgusting combo.

The day of your labor arrived very anticlimactically, if Wonwoo could call it that. There was no sudden gush of water, no dramatic screams or threats hurled at him. Just a quiet morning, like any other day. If not for him glued to your side, he daresay he might have missed it altogether. The moment you felt discomfort, he was already rushing you to the ER, completely ignoring your reassurances that it was just a false alarm.

He probably needed to celebrate this victory with a cake that said, “I Told You So,” because, yes, he was right—the little one did arrive that very day, though not without a few bumps along the way. None of the dad books had prepared him for the fact that the scrubs handed to him in the labor room were supposed to go over his clothes. After a certain amount of confused stripping, a shrieking nurse, and a hollering wife, he learned a very important lesson. There can only be one naked person in the OR—and that person was definitely not him.

The jitters came when his daughter came into the world, unperturbed and squinting angrily at him, like she didn’t want to be there. He can pity her sentiments. But the baby was not crying. Sure she was breathing, but where is that high-pitched wail the books taught him?

No amount of parenting manuals could prepare him for this moment, to see his little one clutching tightly to his pinky finger, staring at him with your eyes and his nose, and the feeling of love encompasses him. Is this someone he created? He holds you extra close, trying to hold the tears at bay. Gratitude, pure and raw, fills him—thankful for you, for this little one, for the family he has.

Some sort of humor is brought in by his mate Soonyoung who arrives at the hospital, all ready to see the newborn in a new tuxedo to make ‘ a good impression’ “This is a baby Soonie”. “First impressions matter Won-Won.” He leaves it at that, knowing deep down his mate's plan was to bag the ‘best uncle’ title.

It’s never without its mishaps however- he cannot understand the hospital staff when they give him the green light that it's time to go home. 

“Are you sure?” He persistently asks, there is no way he can ensure the safety of a being that came into the world just a few hours ago and now he is entrusted to make sure this thing is alive and flourish. What are they thinking?

Seeing that familiar tick of annoyance on your face, he supposes he has been asking that question way too many times and reluctantly picks up the baby carrier, although he is scared shitless, out of his mind with fear. He does not want to place the baby in a car seat, to your utter confusion.

“She was slimy and squiggly, what if she slid right out? He ponders. 

Assuring him that the baby will be “fine and protected,” and to further calm his nerves, you sit in the backseat too, keeping a watchful eye on your little one as Wonwoo starts the engine for the long drive home. He is not the only first-time parent here.

It took a whole day and a half before the secret was out in the open. “Wonwoo, I need to grab a bite, here hold Nabi for a second.” You hold the child in mid-air expectantly waiting for her father to pick her up.

“Just place her in the crib, she's safer there.” 

“Wons, that’s in the other room, what are you so afraid of holding your child?”

He waits for the realization to dawn on you. “Wait a minute, have you held her even once?”

“I brought her here in a baby carrier?”

I meant holding her Wonwoo, not in a carrier or rocking the crib.”

His guilty face speaks enough. “She’s just so tiny Y/N! And her head is wobbly. What if I drop her?” Why can’t you understand his sentiment? He will move heaven and earth for his daughter except maybe hold her and risk dropping her.

"Wonwoo, you're not going to drop her. Babies are fragile, but you're not going to break her just by holding her," you explain, taking a deep breath to stay patient with his nerves. You reach out, gently placing your hands on his shoulders, making him look at you. “Extend your arms”

He does, in slight trepidation.

“Wonwoo, Nabi is a full-grown newborn now, not a watermelon! Seriously, how small do you think she is? A little bigger gap won't hurt. Just trust yourself," you soothe, noticing his hesitation. 

Very gently, you place the tiny baby into his arms, and he holds his breath, afraid that if he so much as breathes, Nabi will blow away. This time, he cannot stop the tears that fall freely, privileged at the fact that she made him a father.

Yes, he knew about the lack of sleep and the constant need to change his baby. But what he did not know was that he would miss you this much. Around the clock, you both took shifts to watch the baby and rock the baby to sleep.But nothing prepared him for how much he’d miss you. The number of times he’s woken up in a state of panic because you weren’t there when he felt around to bring you closer and into his arms, only to be comforted when he switches on the night lamp and watches you half asleep, feeding his little girl. On tiptoes, he’ll pick his daughter up, the little gremlin who’s staring wide-eyed at him, and walk around the room with her, to give you a moment to rest. When you wake up in pursuit of your husband and child you see a snoring Wonwoo, holding little Nabi to his chest, both blissfully unaware of the mini heart attack they’d given you. 

Wonwoo has come to the conclusion that it's in those little moments—those quiet, fleeting moments—when he gets to have you all to himself. Three months after Nabi's arrival, he finally gets a taste of that luxury, when the little one is fast asleep, her soft breaths the only sound filling the room. Nabi is finally sticking to sleeping through the night, after listening to his fathers croons. When he returns to the living room, he finds you slumped against the couch, utterly exhausted. Your hair is stuck to your forehead, and the exhaustion is clear on your face, but there's something else there too—a quiet peace that tells him the chaos of midnight feedings and diaper changes has finally settled into a rhythm... for now. He’s not going to jinx it.

Silently moving you, hushing down your sleepy murmurs, gently lifting you, and placing you against his chest, he starts to rub your head in hopes you get back to sleep, a trick he learned early on to calm his daughter down. In this quiet, he can finally hear himself think, something he has never been able to do the past few months. His heart still thumps excitedly like it did the first time he laid eyes on you. To watch as the girl he once fell for, eons ago is now his wife and he gets to share a child with you, with the promise of having eternity by your side, he sleeps easy tonight, murmuring a quick ‘I love you’ and thank you’ as he places one more soft kiss on your cheek, forever elated that you’re his.

Alas, rest is not for the wicked. A sudden phone call on his cell has you both startled and wide awake as you rush to silence his phone.

“Why is it not on vibrate Wonwoo?” You start, angrily scrambling to sit on the phone in hopes of shutting it off, all rationality flying out the window in your sleep-deprived state.

“Shh, Nabi has still not woken up, which means she probably didn’t hear the phone ring,” he whispers as you both hold hands and painstakingly wait in agony for the jurisdiction of your child’s wailing. You are in luck, after all, she has still not woken up.

A glance at his phone has him jump up excitedly, “Yes, I won the bet to Mingyu, he owes me two tickets to see IU next month.” Unfortunately for him, his enthusiasm runs short tonight, for there comes the familiar cry from your baby’s room and a murderous look from you. “JEON WONWOO”

Uh.Oh.

Reblog, comment to share your thoughts! Goes a long way!

STARVE

Summary: You lost your husband some time ago while he served as a gladiator for Emperors Geta and Caracalla. General Acacius saved you from becoming an object of pleasure for the emperors. Since then, he has taken you as his mistress. In your free time, you became a disciple of Ravi, the healer, dedicating yourself to tending to wounded gladiators. All seemed to be in perfect harmony until Hanno, a gladiator driven by a thirst for vengeance, crossed your path.

Author's Note: And the gods said: Starve will be a multi-chapter fanfiction (I hope readers will follow it all the way through). Without further ado, the characters belong to Ridley Scott's Gladiator II universe, though there will be significant deviations from the film. Historical accuracy regarding life in the Roman Empire may not always be strictly observed, so I hope you can overlook that. Yes, this story revolves around a love triangle, but I will strive to satisfy everyone. This fanfiction will include adult content, violence, and potentially coarse language. Enjoy!

two

THREE

Something ominous looms on the horizon. For days, you have been meticulously avoiding both Acacius and Hanno—a strategy that, while effective thus far, has been anything but easy. The rumors reaching you suggest that Hanno has been pestering Ravi incessantly, demanding your presence once more. Ravi, clearly exasperated, has taken to openly complaining about being forced to mediate between your "amorous entanglements," as he puts it, since your self-imposed distance began.

You had thought your withdrawal would carry no real consequences, yet this morning proved otherwise. A messenger from the emperors arrived at your doorstep, summoning you to attend the games at the Colosseum. Apparently, Emperor Geta himself wishes to extend his gratitude for your exemplary work in tending to the gladiators—his and his brother's greatest source of entertainment.

"If you wish, I could say you are unwell," Ravi murmurs as the two of you make your way toward the Colosseum.

"I cannot risk displeasing the emperors while my standing with Acacius remains fragile," you reply, touched by Ravi's unwavering support.

"You should consider mending things with one of the men in your life, for your own sake," Ravi suggests, his tone serious, ever the wise counselor.

"Hanno remains tethered to the memory of his late wife, while General Acacius refuses to release me from our former arrangement. It seems there is no simple resolution," you respond, your voice carrying the weight of your predicament, as the imposing silhouette of the Colosseum looms ever closer.

"It would be far simpler if you weren’t so stubborn. General Acacius may no longer be the ideal choice, but you and Hanno share more in common than you’re willing to admit," Ravi says with an irritating air of wisdom.

"It would be far simpler if you ceased your obstinance. General Acacius may no longer seem ideal, yet you and Hanno share far more in common than you are willing to acknowledge," Ravi remarked, his tone laden with that infuriating wisdom he so often wielded. However, the truth stands—your union with your late husband was forged more upon the bonds of friendship than the fires of passion. Before his commitment to you, he was entangled in an affair with Emperor Caracalla. That, above all, is the most profound distinction between yourself and Hanno. You grieve the loss of a cherished companion who became your husband by circumstance, whereas Hanno mourns his wife, who was, perhaps, the great love of his life.

"I shall take your counsel into consideration, my old friend, yet I beg of you to help me survive at least this day," you say, casting an apprehensive glance toward Ravi. He halts before you, placing a gentle kiss upon your forehead.

"Years ago, I vowed to your husband that I would care for you, and I shall not falter now. May the Gods watch over us," Ravi murmurs solemnly, his voice a quiet prayer as the two of you resume your path toward the arena, where the gladiators are already assembling for the commencement of the games.

Your gaze instinctively searches for Hanno, betraying a desire you would rather not acknowledge. His eyes, almost alight amidst the throng of gladiators, lock onto yours, his expression that of a man consumed by fury. You and Ravi did not take the same path as the gladiators, so it would not be prudent for you to approach him. Yet, from afar, you watch him with a quiet intensity. The courage you lack to bridge the distance is overshadowed by the boldness he possesses to close it himself.

"I shall give you a moment," Ravi murmurs, stepping aside as if sensing the gravity of the encounter. "Do not forget—Hanno may not leave the arena alive today. Be mindful to show kindness, for this could be your last exchange with him." Before you can fully process Ravi's warning, Hanno reaches you with surprising swiftness, all but sweeping you away with his commanding presence.

Hanno swiftly seized your waist with firm hands, nearly lifting you off the ground, and guided you to a secluded corner. His fury was unmistakable, reflected in the dominant grip he maintained on your waist, his hold firm enough to suggest he had no intention of letting you escape. "Have you lost your senses?" you demanded as he pressed you back against one of the great columns of the coliseum.

"I could not allow you to slip away from me again," Hanno replied, his voice low but resolute, his eyes scanning your surroundings with the precision of a predator ensuring no one dared approach.

"Our separation was necessary," you say with some difficulty, the closeness of Hanno's body to yours a maddening temptation that clouds your thoughts.

"Your master forbade you from interacting with me, and you simply obeyed, didn’t you?" Hanno says in a low, furious tone. His anger is not just visible but palpable, almost suffocating.

You seize his face with your hand, your nails pressing dangerously close to his neck. "Say once more that Acacius is my master, and I shall tear your throat out," you threaten, your voice laced with an inexplicable fury. Yet, Hanno seems to relish this, for he steps even closer, his lips curling into a wicked smile.

"I missed you, healer," Hanno replies, his eyes holding an unusual tenderness just moments before he claims your lips in a tumultuous kiss. It is as though he is consuming you, devouring you with his kiss, seeking to capture you entirely while his hands map your body with desperate reverence.

If the two of you were caught, it would mean your undoing, the end of both your lives. Yet, some part of you whispers that it would be worth it. In truth, if death awaited you for this, a kiss alone would not suffice. Each second his tongue dances with yours stirs a longing so deep it borders on madness. You yearn for him to take you, right here and now, for the feel of him within you seems the only desire worthy of risking everything. "Do not die today, gladiator," you murmur against his lips as they part, allowing you both to catch your breath.

"It will not be I who dies today, healer," Hanno says, his voice steady, before capturing your lips once more, this time with tenderness rather than desire. His grip on you tightens, as though he wishes to sink his hands into your very being, to keep your body close to his for all eternity.

"I only hope you can forgive me for what I am about to do," he murmurs, his breath warm against your ear. Before you can respond, one of the gladiators calls his name, and he steps away. An unease settles in your chest, fear creeping in as you wonder what he might be planning. Yet, the weight of your obligations presses against your thoughts—you must make your way to the emperors without delay.

"For what reason is the healer present here?" Lucilla, seated beside Acacius, questions sharply as you approach the section where they, the emperors, and other guests await the spectacle.

"The healer is my guest, Lucilla," Emperor Geta interjects swiftly, extending his hand toward you in expectation. Dutifully, you step forward and kiss it. Moments later, Emperor Caracalla mimics his brother’s gesture, and you lean in to kiss his hand as well.

As you rise, your gaze catches the familiar figure of Dondus, the small monkey, bounding toward you with recognition in his bright eyes. Memories of the time you were compelled to remain near the emperors, so Caracalla could indulge his desires with your late husband, flood back unbidden. "He still remembers you," Caracalla exclaims, his voice carrying an unusual note of delight as he grasps your hand.

"It is an honor to be here," you reply evenly, though the weight of his touch stirs emotions you work hard to suppress. Behind your composed words lingers the haunting memory of the cold efficiency with which Caracalla and his brother had ordered your husband's death—right here in this very arena.

"We have been separated by the misfortunes imposed upon us by the Gods, but I believe a new chapter is now opening for us, as your skills as a healer have not gone unnoticed. Hands as talented as yours deserve to care for the well-being of emperors, my dear," Geta declares, his gaze lingering on you with a fervent intensity that borders on desire. You struggle to mask the fear swirling within you, wondering what fate the Gods have in store for you next.

The weight of his words settles heavily on your chest, but before you can gather your thoughts, General Acacius rises abruptly and moves toward the two of you. Your hand lightly grazes the fabric of his attire, halting his approach. "Is there a matter of concern, General?" Emperor Caracalla inquires, his tone laced with an air of amusement, as his fingers idly stroke Dondus, who appears entirely at ease in his presence.

"There is no matter of concern, Emperor Caracalla," General Acacius responds, his hand firmly clasping yours against his chest beneath the folds of his vestment, his piercing gaze directed at the two emperors with the weight of an unspoken warning.

“Our most illustrious general appears perturbed that we extended an invitation to his mistress to grace these games in our company without first seeking his counsel,” Emperor Geta declares with an air of calculated provocation, his words laden with mockery. The faintest smirk curls his lips, as if relishing the tension he seeks to sow.

"Ah, brother, such concerns would trouble him only if he were entangled with her. Yet rumors abound that they no longer seek solace in each other's embrace and that she is no longer charged with tending to the wounds of our noble General," Emperor Caracalla remarks, his words clearly meant to provoke. However, his statement seems to have unsettled Lucilla, who shifts restlessly in her seat.

"Brother, remember that we ought not lend credence to idle gossip," Emperor Geta interjects, rising with an air of authority. "If our esteemed General Acacius insists that we disregard his lover, let him convince us that their bond remains intact. Otherwise, let him return to his rightful place beside his wife, and allow my brother and me the honor of tending to the fair healer." As Geta’s words echo, Acacius turns his gaze toward you, his eyes locking with yours in a silent exchange. Without hesitation, he pulls your face toward his, as though intending to kiss you before the eyes of all assembled.

"Do not sacrifice your marriage for me," you murmur, your voice trembling as the weight of the moment threatens to bring tears to your eyes. The inevitability of what you feared is now unfolding before you—Acacius can no longer shield you.

"You are worthy of such a sacrifice, mea domina," General Acacius murmurs near your ear, his hand gently caressing your face. His touch carries a tenderness that momentarily threatens to weaken your resolve. Yet, you grasp his hands, steadying yourself, and move them away from your face, refusing to yield to the moment. There is a depth to your bond with Acacius, a connection forged in unspoken understanding, but you cannot bring yourself to jeopardize him.

"Perhaps it would be wiser to let the healer decide where she wishes to remain," you say, your voice steady, masking the longing within you to leave this place with Acacius. Turning toward Emperor Geta, who now sits observing the exchange with keen interest alongside his brother, Caracalla. Without hesitation, Geta seizes the opportunity, pulling you onto his lap with a self-assured ease that leaves no doubt of his authority.

Your gaze meets that of General Acacius, whose displeasure grows ever more evident. His clenched fists and the tension in his posture betray the storm brewing within him. "I believe the games are about to begin, dear General Acacius," Emperor Geta states with a sly smile, his hand firmly resting on your waist to solidify his claim. "It would be most appropriate for you to take your seat and enjoy the spectacle." His words carry a subtle provocation, a challenge cloaked in politeness.

Acacius lingers, his body taut with restraint as though weighing the consequences of striking an emperor in defense of his pride. Just as the tension threatens to boil over, Macrinus approaches, his demeanor lively and oblivious to the undercurrents. "Ah, are we all ready to witness the might of my beast? My gladiator returns to the arena today!" Macrinus exclaims, his excitement cutting through the charged atmosphere like a blade.

Acacius hesitates, his head tilting as though he is torn, unwilling to move from your side while you remain seated on Emperor Geta’s lap. Yet, Lucilla intervenes, her steps measured as she approaches her husband. She takes his hand with a quiet resolve, guiding him back to her side. A flicker of disappointment stirs within you, faint but undeniable. What else could you have expected? Acacius has always belonged to her, to duty, to the empire. He has never truly been yours.

The tension lingers only a moment longer before the spectacle claims everyone’s attention. The gates to the coliseum creak open, and the gladiators march into the arena. Yet something is amiss. Their faces are obscured, smeared with what appears to be blood, masking their identities. For those with inattentive eyes, it becomes nearly impossible to distinguish one from another. But not for you. No, Hanno’s eyes—those piercing, tempestuous eyes—are burned into your memory like the sharp point of a blade embedded deep into flesh. Even amid the chaos, they find you, unyielding and unforgettable.

"Macrinus, what are the gladiators scheming?" Emperor Caracalla asks, his words slurred as he drinks from his goblet, already appearing too inebriated to speak coherently.

"My esteemed Emperor Caracalla, I have no knowledge of their schemes, but I trust it is all in service of your entertainment," Macrinus responds, his gaze fixed intently on the gladiators below. He observes them with a sharpness that contrasts Caracalla's indifference, his expression unreadable.

Your eyes instinctively seek out General Acacius, silently willing him to understand that something is amiss. He meets your gaze, his brow furrowed as though catching the silent warning you convey.

"You seem unsettled, healer," Emperor Geta murmurs into your ear, his voice sending a shiver down your spine. "I am not accustomed to watching gladiators face one another, Emperor," you reply, steadying your voice. "I am more familiar with mending their wounds when they survive." The truth, however, weighs heavier on your mind—Hanno is planning something, and whatever it is, it may cost Acacius his life. A fate you cannot allow.

"Do not fret," Geta coos, lifting your chin with a deliberate gentleness that feels almost mocking. His eyes search yours, a predator relishing his control. "Guards, increase vigilance near the gladiators!" he commands suddenly, his voice sharp and resonant, slicing through the murmurs of the spectators.

"Emperor, it may not be wise to leave yourself so unguarded," General Acacius interjects, his tone firm yet controlled as he observes the guards dispersing to obey Geta's orders.

"And what greater protection could Rome offer than you, General?" Geta retorts with a smug smile, his grip on you tightening slightly, as though to assert his dominance. The tension is palpable, yet it is quickly eclipsed by the spectacle unfolding in the arena. The gates groan open once more, and three lions emerge, their emaciated forms a testament to their hunger. Their roars echo across the coliseum, a feral sound that sets the crowd alight with excitement. The gladiators ready themselves, their movements deliberate, each one measured and precise.

Your heart tightens as Hanno shouts to the other gladiators, "Remember our plan! Our enemy lies far beyond the arena!" Surely, he is plotting something, yet his precision in leading the gladiators against the lions is extraordinary. It is as if Hanno is channeling his spirit animal, his movements instinctive and deliberate.

Blood is everywhere—some gladiators brutally slaughtered by the lions. Two of the beasts have already been defeated when a revolt begins, chaos erupting as the third lion aids the gladiators in breaking through the arena gates. Suddenly, the tension in the air thickens. Panic spreads as the guards scramble to escort the emperors away from the scene.

Caught in the fray, you find yourself swept along with Emperors Geta and Caracalla, fate conspiring against you. In the madness, you lose sight of Acacius amidst the swarm of guards and gladiators. The tumult escalates into full-blown chaos until a voice pierces through the din, crying out, "Protect the Emperor!"

Before you can react, you feel the sharp pain of a blade slicing through your skin—or perhaps plunging into it. You cannot tell. Dazed, you glance down to see your blood staining your garments, and when you lift your gaze, you meet the eyes of your assailant. Hanno's eyes. You are certain.

The attack meant for Emperor Geta has struck you instead, delivered by the very man who has awakened feelings you dare not name. Tears well in your eyes as you feel your strength waning, your consciousness slipping into darkness.

⭑ Domina Mea Series Masterlist ⭑

⊹ ࣪ ˖ Warnings for overall fic: Death, alcohol consumpion, diseases, corruption, +18 content and smut, angst and obsession.

⊹ ࣪ ˖ Summary: After years you returned to Rome to visit your father, General Marcus Acacius, to celebrate his recent victory. However, when the Emperors Caracalla and Geta get you in their sights, they will not let you go so easily.

✧ Chapter One: When in Rome

✧ Chapter Two: The Battle of Salamis

Divers by: (Could not for the life of me find the creator)

Header Image by: Me

All rights to this fanfiction belong to me, no copying or claiming as your own, as well as the header image. The characters Aurelia and Edas are both made up by me as well as 'The Aurelian Estate'.

⭑ When in Rome ⭑ (Domina Mea, Chapter One)

Masterlist

Chapter Warnings: Death (gladiator fight)

Summary: After years you returned to Rome to visit your father, General Marcus Acacius, to celebrate his recent victory. However, when the Emperors Caracalla and Geta get you in their sights, they will not let you go so easily.

Word count: 3.3k

Your fathers victory stretched far and wide, as did the people's love for him. This provided you with an opportunity, a chance to leave one of your fathers estate’s and visit him in Rome after all these years. You were fairly young when your mother died of the horrible antonine plague. It had struck many and even your noble family was not safe. 

It took years for your father to overcome his grief, little by little he started to show pieces of his old self again. And it was Lucilla ‘the mother of Rome’ who fully healed him, you hadn’t spent that much time with her but you knew she was a good woman. You were happy for your father even though after your mothers death he had sent you away for your own safety.

The Aurelian Estate was grand and well protected, it was lonely too. Your mothers death left a gaping hole in your heart, and with your father being the general, he was needed elsewhere. The estate had made you grow bored and even though Rome was still unsafe with the twin emperors in power, you longed to see your father.

Knowing well he would refuse your visit, you lied to the household guard. You informed them how you were to visit your father and attend the games with him at the colosseum, all to celebrate his victory in Numidia. They were hesitant as they had not received orders from the general himself, but agreed after your promises. 

The road to Rome was long but durable, the stench of the city came closer and it made your face contort in disgust. Beggars were divided on each side of the road you were travelling and it made you uneasy. Your father had told you many times why Rome was grand but fragile as well, it was ridden with disease and plots, as well as two emperors who were as unpredictable as they were mad. 

Still, it intrigued you, the last time you were in Rome, you were young and you barely remembered it. The walls of the Aurelian Estate being carved into your mind deeper, while Rome eroded. One of your servants handed you a cloth on which she had poured some lavender oil, she gestured to hold it to your nose. 

You thanked her and glanced out of the carriage again to notice the Capitoline wolf upon the gate of Rome. Your fathers voice echoed through your mind upon recalling the legend that was behind the statue. Soon after passing it, Praetorian guards halted the carriage, demanding to know who you were.

When your name left the lips of Edas, your personal guard, the Praetorian muttered an apology and barked around to make way for the carriage. You had almost forgotten how respected your father was and kept in mind how useful it could be, being his daughter. 

You had, however, not thought about what your father would say or do upon your sudden arrival. It was safe to say he was not pleased that you lied to the household guard and travelled all the way to the most dangerous city without his knowledge. Lucilla however was a bit more enthusiastic, giving you a warm welcome. 

Standing in the inner courtyard of their estate in Rome was like a dream, even though you were born there, it didn’t seem real to you. To be back after all these years. Lucilla guided you to a table where fruit and wine was spread out, while your father continued lecturing you. 

“You know how many times I have warned you of this place, it is not safe! Especially not now these mad-” Marcus stopped himself when he noticed one of the servants being a little too interested in what he was about to say next. 

“You should not have come.” He said now calmer. “Father, I have not seen you in three years. How could you blame me for seeking you out? I miss you.” His expression softened at your words, Lucilla gave your hand a squeeze on the table and smiled at you. “She will be safe here, with me. Nobody would dare lay a hand on my daughter.” 

It was still a bit weird to hear her say that, but you had gotten more used to it a long time ago. You returned her smile and your father seemed to come to terms with your arrival. “I- I’m just afraid of losing my only child, it’s safer for you outside of Rome, protected by thick estate walls and our own men.” 

Lucilla offered him a sympathetic smile, understanding all too well after having lost her own son. “She is here now, safe in our estate. If she stays here, nothing will happen to her.” Marcus gave in and let one of the servants show you to a guest bed chamber. After your servants had unpacked your belongings, you finally got to get some rest.

The next morning you woke up feeling happier than you had in a long time. The dangers of Rome did not seem too much of a concern to you. No, being reunited with your father was what you needed to regain your spirit. 

Lucilla made you realise how much you missed your mother but she made sure you had a maternal figure in her, as she showed you the whole of the estate the next day. You shared stories, meals and laughs with her as you regained your energy from your travels, when evening fell, that peace was shattered. 

A messenger came, announcing during supper how Marcus was commanded to be present at the games in the colosseum on the morrow, alongside his wife… and child. Your father was furious, abandoning his food to isolate himself with his anger. How did the emperors find out you were in Rome?

You had only been ‘home’ for two days, nobody except for the household guard and your fathers own men knew you were here. In truth you were excited to see the colosseum and witness the well loved gladiator battles. “I do not understand how they know, and why they want you there. Oh sweet child, it is not entertainment for a young lady such as yourself.” Lucilla expressed.

You wondered why it was so bad for you to go, of course you knew of the stories surrounding the two ‘mad’ emperors but you were sure that with your fathers station they would not harm you. Your title as step-daughter of a princess and daughter of a loved general made you already liked by the people, you were untouchable, right? 

Sleep evaded you that night, you were excited yet afraid. What Lucilla said haunted you, were gladiator battles really that gruesome? And she was right, why did the emperors want you there? Lucilla told you it was probably in retribution of your fathers ‘rude’ request of taking leave to see his family, but how would they know your father didn’t want you there? 

You were awake early, only having caught some hours of sleep. And so you had already eaten and bathed before your parents were ready. When Marcus and Lucilla at last emerged to leave, the dreadful ride to the colosseum began. Your father didn’t speak a word the entire way. You knew exactly what he was thinking, that it was your fault, if you hadn’t come, you wouldn't be about to be face to face with the sick men that ruled Rome. 

Upon your arrival at the colosseum, your father left the carriage first, helping Lucilla out before he helped you. The ginormous building was riddled with praetorians and onlookers, to your surprise they not only chanted your fathers name but also yours and Lucilla’s. The grand entrance took your breath away, before you were grounded when your father pulled you towards him.

You hadn’t even noticed the man that had walked up to your father and Lucilla. “Daughter, you were asked a question.” Marcus said. The man in front of you looked at you expectantly, he almost looked royal himself, although you did not recognise him at all. “Forgive me, I was distracted by the grandeur of the colosseum, it has been so long since I’ve been in Rome.” 

“Do not worry Lady, I do not fault you. I merely wished to know how your travel had been, no complications I hope?” You shook your head. “No, it was fairly smooth. I am sorry, what was your name?” The man smiled at you and took your hand before kissing the back of it. “Macrinus my lady. Again, no need for apologies.” 

You felt Lucilla’s hand on your back and you were suddenly grateful for her presence, the man seemed kind but your intuition was telling you otherwise. “Thank you, Macrinus, for your warm welcome.” He gave you yet another smile. “Shall I escort you to your seats? The emperors are already there, I’ve heard they are- eager to meet your daughter General.” 

Your fathers lips thinned at Macrinus’ words but before he could snap back the man gestured you to follow him, Lucilla’s hand never left your back, your father keeping a fierce grip around your shoulder. Macrinus led you through the guarded halls and stairs of the colosseum until you noticed the light atop the last staircase. 

It was the emperor's box, nerves suddenly overcame you but you felt the reassuring and protecting grip of your father on your shoulder. As you reached the top, Macrinus greeted the emperors before moving out of the way, so you were face to face with them. 

Your father greeted them first. “Emperor Geta, Emperor Caracalla.” He said as he bowed, letting go of you for but a short moment before his protective grip returned. However the emperors barely paid attention to him or Lucilla as their eyes burned into yours. 

You were speechless for a moment before Lucilla placed her hand on your lower back, recentering you. “Your Majesties.” You spoke while curtsying. Everyone had always spoken of their madness, their ruthlessness, but no one told you of their beauty. You were taken aback by how handsome they were, though they had a mad look in their eye.

Emperor Geta spoke first. “General, you have quite the beauty at your side. Where have you kept her all these years?” You almost winced as your fathers grip tightened. “After Aurelia’s death, I sent her to a safe estate that was built in honor of her mothers memory. Rome was such a dangerous place to be at the time, your Majesty.” Geta hummed in response and Caracalla simply laughed.

“Mm, of course, what a delight that she has come to visit you then. No doubt wanting to join the celebrations, am I right Lady?” Caracalla spoke, both their voices made your heart thump louder in your chest. “Yes Caesar, that is right.” You answered respectfully, lowering your gaze. 

“Tell me, have you ever witnessed a gladiator battle before Lady?” Geta then asked. “No your Majesty, I have not.” He smiled at your answer and you were relieved that you seemed to please them so far. No one could tell what they would do if you failed. It was then that a tiny monkey appeared on Caracalla’s shoulder, holding on to his hair. 

You smiled brightly at the sight, never had you seen an excotic creature like that before. The only ‘creatures’ at your estate were horses, hounds and birds. Caracalla noticed your sudden change in demeanor. “Have you also never ‘witnessed’ a monkey before Lady?” Your cheeks burned red at his words, they must think you were stupid with how they spoke.

“No, your Majesty.” Caracalla giggled at that and guided the monkey into his arms. Geta’s piercing gaze never left you as Caracalla came closer. It was only then you noticed the weird scratches on his face. “Would you like to meet Dondas?” He giggled. “It would be an honor Caesar.” Your father reluctantly let go of you, as did Lucilla.

You caught Macrinus watching in the corner of your eye. Caracalla then led Dondas into your arms, you couldn’t help the big smile on your lips as the monkey made some adorable noises before holding onto the expensive fabric of your toga. Dondas inspected your necklace for a bit before he climbed around your shoulders and back into the Emperor's arms. 

“He likes you!” Caracalla exclaimed excitedly, followed by a fit of giggles you already secretly found adorable. You smiled at him. “Well I like him too your Majesty, you have a very sweet monkey.” He grinned widely and his golden tooth met your eyes, why did it suit him so well? 

“Since you have never witnessed a battle such as this before, Lady, why don’t you sit at the front, with us?” Geta spoke, although he rather commanded it then asked. You looked to your side at your father, who tried not to show his fury, Lucilla looked down. It seemed you had no choice, even though that did not bother you as much as it probably should.

“Of course Caesar, how thoughtful of you, thank you.” You answered politely, and relief washed over you once more when he smiled brightly. He commanded servants to move one of the large luxurious chairs to the front, between the thrones of the emperors. Then he gave the signal that the speaker could announce their arrival and that of your father.

“Emperor Caracalla! Emperor Geta! Citizens of Rome!” The speaker's voice echoed through the colosseum as the emperors now stood all the way up front of the box, in clear view of the audience. “These sacred games are in honor of General Acacius’ victory in Numidia!” Loud cheers and applause came from the audience. 

“Acacius.” “General.” The twins gestured for your father to join them so the citizens could see him. He raised his hand and loud cheers filled your ears once more. “Speak to them.” You could faintly hear Geta say. Your fathers words faded in your mind as you took in the colosseum. 

When he returned to go to his seat, he gave your shoulder a loving squeeze before taking his place. Lucilla was then announced and she too was welcomed with a loud applause and cheers from the crowd. Then both the emperors gestured for you to come forward, as you stood between them, the speaker's loud voice boomed through the colosseum again. 

“In attendance today is the beloved daughter of General Acacius himself!” Your brows furrowed as people chanted your name. It confused you, they did not know you. Nor had you conquered lands or won battles like your father. It showed you how much your parentage could mean. 

Lucilla had already taken her seat and after you too had raised your hand to the crowd, you took your seat just like the emperors on either side. The speaker then announced the gladiators, the slaves from Numidia, before announcing the gladiator of Geta and Caracalla themselves. 

The gladiators had taken their place in the low arena of the colosseum before a giant gate opened. Your mouth parted at the sight, an animal you had never seen before with the gladiator standing on his back entered the arena. You didn’t even notice both the emperors grinning at your reaction. Neither did you notice the sharp gaze of your father.

You leaned forward a bit and watched as the big animal came closer. It then stopped before the gladiator greeted the emperors. “Heil Caesars!” He roared, his low voice sent a shiver down your spine, he looked terrifying and you couldn’t help but feel bad for the ‘slaves’ from Numidia. 

Geta and Caracalla raised their hands in response before their gladiator made his first charge, the arena beneath you seemed to shake with the animal's heavy strides. The gladiators jumped out of the way at the last moment, except for one, who was launched into a nearby pillar and died upon impact. 

Your eyes widened at the scene, you were slightly frightened but also intrigued. Maybe you understand now why people like the games. Both Geta and Caracalla clapped beside you, feeling victorious through their warrior. You were on the edge of your seat as you watched how the large animal and its rider turned back around.

One of the gladiators caught your attention as he stuck his sword in the ground before clasping his hands together to cup some sand. He then waited for the animal to charge, let it come closer, before releasing the sand into the air, creating a dust cloud. When it seemed he would get hit by the animal's large horn, he jumped out of the way, causing the animal to crash into the wall. 

The audience as well as the emperors jumped from their seat, the animal was injured badly and the gladiator had been launched from his seat. You joined the emperors to see how the gladiator got up to fight the slave from Numidia. 

It only took a little while before the gladiator had taken the sword from the Numidian and already raised his arms to excite the crowd. You moved back to your seat before Geta spoke. “Brother, it’s that poet is it not?” You had no idea what Geta was talking about. “I can’t remember, that night was a blur.” Caracalla responded before taking his seat as well. 

“The gates of hell… are… open night and day- smooth- I forget-” Your brows furrowed, you knew that poem, Lucilla had once read it to you the night after their wedding, as she wanted to bond with her new daughter. “Smooth is the descent, easy is the way.” You answered. 

Geta looked at you and seemed pleased, thank the gods. The slave had gotten up again in the meantime and fought back against the gladiator with a shield, they fought back and forth until the gladiator had picked up the Numidian and launched him over his shoulder, causing his back to collide hard with the ground. 

The gladiator pointed his sword and looked up expectantly at Geta, the crowd chanted ‘mercy’. It seemed the emperors got to make the decision on who eventually got killed in the arena. Geta looked at Caracalla who almost immediately said ‘blood’. “My Lady, shall we show mercy?” You did not expect Geta to ask your opinion.

You did not want the poor Numidian to die at your hands. “Mercy.” You nodded, Geta smiled before turning to the crowd to raise his hand. While lowering it he balled it into a fist with his thumb out, before pointing it up. “No mercy!” The Numidian yelled. “Your life has been spared by the gods-” 

“I would rather face your blade than accept Roman mercy!” You almost cringed at his words, he was clearly stupid to ignore such a presence as Emperor Geta. He then rolled over to grab a blade from the sand before launching it into the gladiator's chest. It was then he looked at the emperors expectantly instead, to which Geta gave the crowd what they wanted by pointing his thumb down.

The Numidian slave then beheaded the gladiator, leaving the emperor's champion defeated. Caracalla stood and clapped his hands loudly while Geta, on the other hand, stormed out. You turned in your seat to look at your father, who gestured that it was time to go. You stood, and curtseyed to Emperor Caracalla, “Your Majesty.” He gave you a nod, and you joined your father and Lucilla towards the exit.  

When you had gotten back to the estate, your father retired to his rooms, not saying a word the entire way back either. You were relaxing in the garden with Lucilla, when that man, Macrinus, from the colosseum arrived. To your disappointment Lucilla requested you take a bath after all that happened and you left the two alone. The whole time you were bathing you couldn’t get the emperors out of your mind, neither the man that had won that day.

Knock, Knock, Bang.

“Open the damn door, Y/N.” Seungcheol’s voice was sharp, almost a growl, cutting through the muffled noise of the music playing in your penthouse.

You leaned casually against the other side of the door, sipping your glass of wine with a sly smirk. “What do you want, Seungcheol?” you drawled, knowing your tone would only aggravate him further.

“I said open the door,” he snapped, fists hitting the hardwood again, harder this time. The sound echoed through the hallway. You could practically feel his frustration seeping through the air, thick and unrelenting.

“I’m busy,” you said nonchalantly, swirling your wine like you didn’t have a care in the world. Inside, your heart raced, but you’d never let him know that.

“Busy doing what? Posting stories with Mingyu?!” His voice cracked with raw anger. “I saw it, Y/N. You think I wouldn’t see it?” Another bang, louder this time. “You’re such a goddamn child sometimes.”

Your laugh was dry, mocking. “Oh, now I’m a child? Was I a child when you were flirting with that blonde at the event? What was her name again? Oh right—”

“Stop it.” His voice was a low growl now, dangerous. “You know damn well nothing happened.”

“Do I?” you shot back, finally stepping closer to the door. You pressed your palm flat against it, almost as if you could feel his energy radiating through the barrier. “Because it sure looked like you were enjoying yourself.”

“You’re being ridiculous,” he spat. The banging resumed, more frantic this time. “Y/N, open the door, or I swear to God—”

“Or you’ll what, Seungcheol? Break it down? That’s not very idol-like of you,” you teased, the smirk evident in your tone.

“Don’t test me,” he warned, his voice dropping an octave. “You don’t want to see what I’ll do if you keep this up.”

“You’re already here making a scene. Might as well go all in, right?”

“Y/N!” His fist slammed into the door again, a guttural growl escaping him. “You blocked me everywhere. You ignored my calls, my texts, everything. And now I see you out with Mingyu, laughing, drinking, looking like you don’t have a single thought about me—”

“Maybe I don’t,” you interrupted coolly, though your heart twisted at the hurt laced in his voice.

“Liar,” he hissed.

The silence hung heavy between you for a moment, only the sound of his ragged breathing and the faint hum of the city beyond the windows filling the space.

“You’re right,” you finally said, voice tinged with venom. “I did block you. Because I don’t have time to deal with your… antics. If you want to flirt with women at business events, that’s fine. But don’t expect me to stick around and play the fool.”

“You are playing the fool, Y/N,” he retorted, voice sharp. “You think Mingyu gives a damn about you? He’s only in it for the chaos. Meanwhile, I’m the one standing here, pounding on your damn door, because I actually give a shit.”

You hesitated, your fingers brushing against the doorknob. His words cut deep, but you weren’t ready to give in. Not yet.

“And what exactly do you want me to do about that, Seungcheol?” you asked, your voice icy.

“I want you to stop running,” he said, his voice softer now, though the frustration still lingered. “Stop running from me. From us. Open the door, Y/N.”

You leaned your forehead against the door, closing your eyes as his words washed over you. The tension crackled like a live wire between you, both of you too stubborn to let go of the fire you’d ignited.

“Say it,” you whispered.

“Say what?” His voice was impatient again, tinged with desperation.

“Say you’re sorry,” you said, your tone laced with a cruel challenge. “Say you won’t look at another woman like that again.”

He laughed bitterly. “You think this is about me? You’re out here playing games with Mingyu, posting stories just to get a reaction out of me, and I’m supposed to apologize?”

“Exactly,” you said, your smirk returning.

“Unbelievable,” he muttered. Another bang on the door. “You’re impossible.”

“And yet, here you are,” you countered.

Another silence. Then, softly, “Open the door, Y/N. Please.”

Your heart wavered at the crack in his voice, but you held firm. “Not until you prove you’re serious.”

“Serious?!” he exploded. “I left a room full of people to come here the second I saw that story. I’m standing in the hallway of your penthouse building, looking like a complete idiot, begging you to talk to me. And you think I’m not serious?”

You hesitated, your fingers tightening around the glass in your hand.

“Y/N, I’m not leaving until you open this door,” he said, his tone final.

You sighed, taking one last sip of your wine before setting it down. Slowly, you unlocked the door, but you didn’t open it fully. You left just enough space for his dark, burning eyes to meet yours.

“I’m not done being mad at you,” you warned.

His gaze dropped to your lips before snapping back to your eyes. “Good,” he said, stepping forward and pushing the door open wider. “Neither am I.”

And then he was inside, and the air between you combusted.

Part 2

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐚𝐲𝐧𝐞´𝐬 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐢𝐬 𝐅𝐢𝐥𝐦𝐞𝐝 𝐁𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐚 𝐋𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐨 𝐀𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞.

In the 1950s, the Wayne family arrives at their new home on the outskirts of Gotham City. As the family settles in, the children—Dick and Jason—seek adventure and cause trouble while their mother tries to keep the house standing for the visit of special guests, all while also trying to hide her magical abilities.

Can they get through the first day of their new life while the father of the family is away on business?

chapters: 1 (you are there) - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - epilogue.

English is not my first language, please be patient. Update 1/25/2025: I did a review and correction of this chapter because I was starting to feel embarrassed, and it seems that you like this story because today I receive notifications of the publications. So I'm going to do a review of all the parts so that if you reread it, it will hurt your eyes less. Thank you very much for the love and I hope to improve with these corrections!!!

WORDS: 7243

𝐅𝐀𝐍𝐅𝐈𝐂 𝐌𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐓.

You looked at your youngest son, Jason, smiling at you from under one of the trees on the new property your family had just moved into. You smiled back at him, genuinely happy, and held out your arms to him. The little five-year-old ran to you immediately.

That tree—you had to get him away from that tree.

“Mom, this new house is huge,” the boy said happily as you rested him on your hip, without worrying about ruining the neat ironing of your beautiful dress.

“It is,” you began. “Your father and I learned our lesson about you and your brother's incompatibility with small yards after the Halloween fire incident,” you explained, and the audience laughed at the past antics of the Wayne children. Jason smiled innocently as he thought about the incident, even if he didn't remember it. He had been very young at the time—surely that was why. “So, your father made sure there was plenty of room for both of you to run around in this new house.” You turned on the spot, starting to walk toward the house.

The scene changed, and you both appeared walking in through the kitchen door immediately. You walked over to the island and sat Jason there. He immediately reached over to grab the glass cookie jar in the center of the surface, eager to eat one of Alfred's famous cookies.

“Don’t eat too many of those, young Master,” the butler said as he appeared from an unidentified door. You smiled at him as he came to stand next to you in front of little Jason. “Tonight, we have guests, and I’m preparing some of the family’s favorite dishes,” the man commented while confiscating the cookie jar, leaving only the one cookie the boy had managed to grab before his appearance for him to eat.

You frowned in confusion.

“Guests?” you asked, puzzled, as you didn’t remember planning anything. Alfred, on his way to hide the cookies, turned to look at you.

“The guests Mr. Wayne asked us to entertain in his absence, Mrs. Wayne. Do you remember, ma’am?” the butler questioned before leaving through the door that led to the living room, without waiting for an answer.

You stood in place, bringing your hand dramatically up to your face as if deep in thought. Jason decided to interrupt his eating to mimic your expression, prompting laughter and tender sighs from the audience. Seeing him, you laughed too and leaned closer to your child.

“Do you remember which guests Alfred is talking about, my boy?” you asked, narrowing your eyes.

“Nope,” Jason replied sweetly, shrugging his shoulders, eliciting even more tenderness from the audience. You couldn’t help but feel a sudden urge to hug your beautiful baby tightly while kissing his cheek, and your son just laughed happily at your actions.

Alfred walked back into the kitchen as you lowered the boy from the counter to stand on the floor next to you. The scene momentarily blinded the audience before they saw the little boy run out of the kitchen with his cookie in hand, brushing past the butler and causing him to smile.

“I guess we have to prepare for those guests then,” you said, resting your hands on your hips and sighing dramatically. “Do you already know what you will cook for our guests, Alf?” you asked, intending to help.

“Don’t eat too many of those, young Master,” the butler said as he appeared from an unidentified door. You smiled at him as he came to stand next to you in front of little Jason. “Tonight, we have guests, and I’m preparing some of the family’s favorite dishes,” the man commented while confiscating the cookie jar, leaving only the one cookie the boy had managed to grab before his arrival for him to eat.

You frowned in confusion.

“Guests?” you asked, puzzled, as you didn’t remember planning anything. Alfred, on his way to hide the cookies, turned to look at you.

“The guests Mr. Wayne asked us to entertain in his absence, Mrs. Wayne. Do you remember, ma’am?” the butler questioned before leaving through the door that led to the living room, without waiting for an answer.

You stood in place, bringing your hand dramatically up to your face as if deep in thought. Jason decided to interrupt his eating to mimic your expression, prompting laughter and tender sighs from the audience. Seeing him, you laughed too and leaned closer to your child.

“Do you remember which guests Alfred is talking about, my boy?” you asked, narrowing your eyes.

“Nope,” Jason replied sweetly, shrugging his shoulders, eliciting even more tenderness from the audience. You couldn’t help but feel a sudden urge to hug your beautiful baby tightly while kissing his cheek, and your son just laughed happily at your actions.

Alfred walked back into the kitchen as you lowered the boy from the counter to stand on the floor next to you. The scene momentarily blinded the audience before they saw the little boy run out of the kitchen with his cookie in hand, brushing past the butler and causing him to smile.

“I guess we have to prepare for those guests then,” you said, resting your hands on your hips and sighing dramatically. “Do you already know what you will cook for our guests, Alf?” you asked, intending to help.

“Don’t worry about a thing, Mrs. Wayne,” the butler commented, walking over to you and standing behind you to begin pushing you towards the door where Jason had disappeared with his cookie. “I’ll take care of everything, and nothing will go wrong tonight. You just relax and spend some time with young master Jason.” When he reached the door, Alfred stopped pushing, expecting you to make it the rest of the way out of the kitchen alone, but you turned around and insisted.

“You don’t want any magical help; it will be easier this way. Besides, I already have my apron on,” you said, smiling and pointing at your outfit while making a gesture to emphasize your powers at the same time.

“Goodbye, Mrs. Wayne,” Alfred said as he pushed you through the kitchen door.

You walked out with a push, but as you crossed the threshold, you didn’t stumble; instead, you walked calmly into an unmarked hallway and entered the living room. You looked back, confused by the strange change, but all doubt was erased from your mind when you saw your little one sitting in front of the television in one of the armchairs. You sighed loudly.

“That man has always been very territorial about his kitchen,” you commented, and the audience laughed. As you walked toward the armchair, Jason looked at you when he heard you approaching. “Jason Peter Wayne,” you exclaimed without any aggression, more amused by the chocolatey mess on your son's face than angry. He looked at you with puppy eyes in response. “My little boy and his precious chocolate cookies,” you said accusingly. With a dramatic gesture of both hands, Jason's face was clean again, the crumbs on his lap and the armchair disappeared, all accompanied by a sound of bells to represent magic.

“My mother and her magical magic,” the child said mischievously, prompting the audience to laugh again as you shook your head at his behavior, not stopping to look at him lovingly. You had missed him, which was strange because you didn't remember being separated from him much since he had come to you.

“Jason, honey,” you began, realizing that something was missing from the scene. “Do you have any idea where your brother went?” you asked, suddenly worried about the fate of your eldest son.

“I saw him looking for his comics in his new room a while ago,” Jason answered, and at that instant, a knock was heard, followed by a childish cry. Alfred appeared down the hall, attracted by the noise, while you quickly marched towards the threshold on the other side of the room, leaving Jason with the butler behind.

You entered a sort of entrance hall, featuring the main door of the house, some decorative furniture, and a coat rack with four coats perfectly hung—one for each member of the family, the largest being Bruce’s. Bruce was on a business trip. On the other side of the threshold were stairs leading to the second floor, where you found your eldest son, his comic book abandoned at the foot of the last step, and him curled up with a bleeding knee a little higher up.

“Dikie, my dear,” you quickly approached him, crouching down in front of him while you examined his wound. “What happened?” you asked while sitting next to him to hug him against your side. Seeing that his crying did not stop with your presence, he did not answer immediately and kept sobbing. “Alfred!” you called, not too loudly because it was not necessary, and it worked. Immediately, Alfred crossed the threshold through which you had just come. “Bring the first aid kit,” you told him, and he nodded before disappearing again.

While all this was happening, Dick's mind was racing a thousand miles an hour. He didn’t understand the world around him, its size, and its lack of colors. Why had he been running up the stairs in the first place? He couldn't remember, and that scared him. Contradictory ideas of what had happened crossed his mind until he finally saw the comic lying at the foot of the stairs, and it occurred to him.

“I-I found my—my comic and…” he began to say between sobs, but he was unable to finish piecing together the events of the day. Realizing this, you decided to finish the sentence for him while you caressed his hair affectionately.

“And so much excitement in one day made you decide to run down the stairs?” you asked, and the boy pulled away from you to nod as he wiped his tears with the sleeve of his extremely expensive wool sweater.

“My knee hurts,” he commented with a soft voice, looking where his hand was, which was where he assumed there must be a wound. As if summoned by his words, Alfred appeared with a small medicine briefcase.

“Here you are, Mrs. Wayne,” he said as he handed you the object, which you were sure was red but wasn't.

"Let's see what we have here," you said, and as you opened it, you found just what you needed: a bandage with drawings of birds. "Perfect," you said, smiling as you left the now-empty suitcase to proceed to put the bandage on the wound. Dick didn’t see any blood or a wound at all; his mother wouldn’t let him get hurt. Still, he went along with the story and looked at his mother.

You were beautiful. He had always thought you were the prettiest mother in the world, along with… another person. His father couldn’t agree more, and if he saw you now, he would probably drool, which he and Jason made fun of him for. Jason, his little brother.

What had happened to Jason?

As if Dick's thought were an alarm, the little boy with curly hair and a cheerful smile entered through the same doorway Alfred had come through, looking at his brother with a worried expression. A sudden wave of relief washed over Dick because Jason was there, safe and sound, walking quickly toward him when he saw that his older brother was distraught. But it was strange to see him like that, so young, that for a moment he wondered if it was really Jason. But looking into his eyes, it was unmistakable that this five-year-old boy was his younger brother. There was no doubt.

"Are you feeling better, Dikie?" you asked affectionately when you noticed how your older son’s body relaxed when his younger brother appeared in the room. You mentally chastised yourself for not having brought him earlier; surely Dick had been worried that his brother was okay. You caressed his back as you looked at him carefully.

"I..." Dick was silent for a moment. He looked at you and then at his little brother, and then he realized something. "I'm fine. Everything is fine, Mom," he finally said, looking at you, feeling completely comfortable being there and happier than he had been in a long time.

You smiled at your son when you realized that the three of you were finally together, with Alfred watching from the doorway with a mixture of emotions that he didn’t let you see.

Dinner was underway; Alfred, as always, was on time for the arrival of the guests, while you were in Jason's room, helping him finish putting on his elegant sweater for the occasion. Dick came through the door already fully dressed. The eight-year-old boy didn’t need your help getting dressed, but no doubt you had helped him choose his clothes—that’s how you always did.

“Mom,” Dick called while in his brother's room, somewhat confused by the situation but not letting that feeling of relief and heady calm go. He liked that feeling.

“Yes, honey?” you turned around, causing the new dress you had put on for the occasion to flourish in the air with elegance. As soon as you laid eyes on your eldest son, you had to contain a small “aww” at how cute your little man looked. “Look at you, my little bird.” You approached him, bending down to adjust his jacket so he could hide the suspenders, leaving only a little of the shirt visible. “One day you are going to be a heartbreaker,” you commented, wrinkling your nose with tenderness.

“Mom,” Dick grumbled sheepishly, looking down as his cheeks turned pink, though no one could see the color yet.

“Is Dick going to be a jar breaker?” Jason asked from where he was sitting on the bed, causing the audience to laugh.

"No, Jaybird," Dick began, turning away from his mother and walking over to his brother's bed to sit next to him. "Heartbreaker, as in hearts," he explained patiently as Jason watched him intently, hanging on every word his older brother said. It reminded Dick of when he used to look at him while they both... they used to...

"That means," you sat across from Jason, watching as your son left his place inside his mind to return to the moment, "that your brother will have a lot of girlfriends and boyfriends one day," you explained to him while you tucked a rebellious strand that had fallen on the forehead of your youngest son back in its place.

"Is that good?" he asked, confused. "Because Alfred always gets mad when we break his jars." The innocent tone caused the audience, you, and Dick to laugh. As they did, Dick remembered why he had gone to find his mom in the first place.

“Mother?” he asked. You stopped laughing and gave him that look you always give when you want to say: Tell me anything. You can tell me anything and ask any question without fear. “What's so important today?” he asked curiously.

“Oh!” you exclaimed as you put your hands on your lap, thinking about what to say because the truth is you weren't very sure what tonight's dinner was about. “Well, it's a very important dinner for your father,” you commented with confidence.

“Why is this dinner important to Dad?” Jason asked, now concentrating on the reason for the conversation because he wanted to know too. He puzzled you with the question as well, because you weren't too sure either.

“Well, your father invited some very important people to dinner,” you stated as confidently as you could. If you showed that you didn't know what was going on, your children would panic, and you wanted them to feel safe. They were safe as long as they were there with you.

“Who are the guests?” Jason asked, immediately followed by his older brother.

“And why are they so important?” Dick spoke. Jason nodded at his brother's question, showing his approval.

“Well…” you weren't sure what to say.

“Is it for a birthday?” Jay asked.

“No, it's not anyone's birthday,” you clarified, more to yourself than to the children, trying to fit the pieces of the puzzle before explaining to your children the importance of the occasion.

“Is it an anniversary?” Dick asked now.

“No, it's not that either,” you said, putting your hand to your chin while you thought. The audience laughed.

“A holiday?” the elder asked again.

“Is it because of the ‘adult business’?” Jason asked, disappointed. He hated the adult business meetings they had when Bruce was home, and immediately a light went on in his head.

“Yes,” you said, happily soothing, looking back at the children. “It's certainly a business meeting, so you must behave yourselves.” You bent down and finished arranging your youngest son's hair. “Okay?” You looked at them seriously; your children had a habit of getting into trouble when these meetings happened, mainly because they were bored.

“Yes, Mom,” they both said in chorus, which brought a smile to your face. 

“Okay,” you finished the conversation about dinner. “Dick, can you help your brother put on his shoes while I go prepare the table for our guests?” you asked, and the boy silently nodded in response. “Perfect, I'll see you when you're ready,” you said as you left the room.

Dick and Jason stood there in silence for a moment. Dick wasn't sure what to do, first because he didn't know where you kept Jason's shoes, and second because he felt lost without you there; you were the main story of the show, so he wasn't sure what was next. Jason was the one who would be in charge of guiding him quickly.

“Dick,” called the younger brother.

“Yes, Jason?” asked Dick, somewhat confused by the mischievous gleam in his little brother's eyes.

“I saw Alfred go with the cookie jar back to the kitchen to hide it,” he began, as a smile spread across his face. Dick smiled back as he nodded at the silent implication of that phrase. He now knew what they must do.

In the dining room, a room with a large window facing the patio and a table with eight chairs, you used your magic to make the plates fly to the table, followed by the utensils and the wine glasses. You were preparing only five places at the table because Alfred had insisted on not being part of the dinner tonight so that he could attend to the important guests in the best possible way, and you were not one to argue against the butler's wishes.

You had barely convinced him to let you set the table for dinner. He was very adamant that you should spend time with your kids for some reason; he probably just wanted to rest from the stressful move. Yes, it was probably just that.

DING DONG.

“The guests are here,” you said to yourself, making sure to place the last flowers in the vase on the head table. They were white roses, and then you smoothed down the front of your dress before walking into the room.

You were nervous because you still didn't know who these guests were and what they wanted, but you were confident that if Bruce had sent them, it would be fine. So, you smiled as you entered the entrance hall to receive the couple. It was a plump, white-haired couple in their fifties, but they seemed to be in good shape, and particularly the woman looked like she had a lot of energy; her print dress complemented her image. The man seemed serious, like all businessmen; he didn't even smile when you greeted him and invited them to sit in the living room while dinner finished preparing.

“It's a pleasure to have you here, Mr. and Mrs…” you paused in your sentence when you realized that you didn't know the names of your guests.

“Mr. Hart and I are very happy to be the first guests invited to your new home, Mrs. Wayne,” Mrs. Hart replied as everyone sat on the couch.

“Where is Mr. Wayne?” Mr. Hart asked seriously. “You can't have a business dinner if the businessman isn't in the house,” he complained, waving his arms around to show the room. You laughed nervously at his insistence; he wasn't the first person that day to ask where Bruce was and make you uncomfortable for some reason.

“Well, my beloved husband had a last-minute business trip,” you started explaining. “But he left me and our children in charge to receive you for dinner,” you said, smiling and trying not to show your lack of certainty about the totality of the situation.

“Oh, the Wayne kids!” Mrs. Hart exclaimed dreamily. “I'm so excited to meet you!” She took your hands and squeezed them comfortingly.

Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Alfred had gone to the dining room to set up the table with the appetizers, leaving the place unattended where two small pairs of feet entered without making much noise with a precise aim: to cause trouble.

“I adore children, even though Mr. Hart and I never had our own,” the woman explained wistfully, looking at her husband, who instead of sharing his story was looking around with a frown. But she paid no attention to him and continued talking to you.

In the kitchen, Dick was helping his younger brother up onto the counter next to the stove, where a pot of hot soup was ready to be served. Once Jason was firmly on his feet, he quickly took it upon himself to climb up as well to stand next to him, and they began opening the cabinets for cookies.

“Tell me: What are their names? And how old are they?” Mrs. Hart asked, excited about the topic of conversation.

“My oldest son is Richard, but everyone calls him Dick,” you started to explain.

“Children can be cruel,” Mr. Hart commented candidly, and the audience laughed. The joke took you by surprise, but you decided to ignore it and continue.

“He's eight years old; he'll be nine in December,” you continued. “And Jason, he'll be six in August,” you finished with a smile, thinking about how your youngest son would be another year older.

Dick opened one of the cabinets on the stove, stood on tiptoe as he maneuvered the cabinet door open, and peered inside for the cookie jar, but he began to lose his balance just as Alfred set the appetizers down on the table and started on his way to the living room to announce that dinner was ready.

“They sound adorable; I can't wait to meet them!” Mrs. Hart enthused.

"They are adorable, and they are very good kids too," you said with a bright smile.

BAAM.

Dick ended up losing his balance while trying to close the cupboard door again, and the pot of soup crashed to the floor, staining the entire kitchen with its creamy texture, including your two children, who were now covered in food, ruining their clothes and staining their faces.

“Mrs. Wayne,” Alfred called, successfully hiding his concern, which you couldn't do very well because, at the sound, your eyes widened at the multiple scenarios running through your head about what could have caused the noise.

“Yes, Alfred?” you answered with a small voice.

“What was that?” Mr. Hart asked irritably.

“I think it's time to guide our guests to the table and go find the young masters,” he commented calmly, to which you quickly jumped out of your chair.

“YES!” you yelled. “Great idea, Alfred.” You turned to the guest couple, who looked more than confused. “Mr. and Mrs. Hart, follow Alfred into the dining room and enjoy the appetizers while I go find the kids, who I'm sure are somewhere in the house being on their best behavior,” you said, and the audience laughed.

“Everything is alright?” Mrs. Hart asked as you left the room.

“Yes, yes, everything is in order; nothing to worry about,” you answered a little too quickly before running out of the room.

Jason and Dick looked at each other, knowing that nothing good could come of this. But when they tried to get down, the younger one slipped on the soup that had stained the counter under his feet. Dick rushed to try to catch him, but he also slipped on the ground. As both children fell, all their weight rested on the refrigerator, which, in turn, tipped sideways to hit a piece of furniture that fell forward and pushed another piece of furniture full of fine china that fell sideways, causing the door to lock and letting all the plates and glasses crash to the floor, creating even more noise.

CRASH.

You leaned your whole body against the door as you reached it, only to find that it wouldn't open in the slightest; something was blocking it.

“Boys?” you called through the door. “Boys, are you there?” you asked.

“Here we are, Mom, and we're fine,” said Dick from his place still on the counter. They couldn't get down now; the floor was not only slippery but also covered in sharp glass. He wouldn't risk Jason getting hurt.

“We tried Alfred's soup,” Jason said. “It's delicious.” The audience laughed, but you were anything but amused by the situation.

“Oh dear,” you sighed, visualizing your children covered in soup at a less-than-opportune moment. “Why can't I open the door?” You tried to push, but whatever was blocking your way was too heavy for you.

“A large piece of furniture fell in front of the door, and the floor is full of glass. We can't get close,” Dick explained regretfully. They didn't want to cause such a mess; they just wanted the cookies, and they hadn't even found them.

“What happened?” Alfred asked, coming to your side.

“A piece of furniture is blocking the door, the soup is on the floor, and the crockery has now turned into very expensive confetti,” you quickly explained, turning to look at him.

“Okay, Mrs. Wayne, it's time to use your magic and solve this problem,” he said.

“But you don't like magic being used in your kitchen,” you replied, confused.

“Considering that the crockery has been smashed, the soup is used as a rug, and the young masters are still trapped in there, if we don't open the door right now, there probably won't be any kitchen to take care of tomorrow, Mrs. Wayne,” he explained quickly, and that made perfect sense to you.

“Good point,” you said. The audience laughed as you got into position to use your magic, but when you moved your hands, nothing happened. You tried again, and still nothing happened. “It doesn't work,” you repeated the movement in a desperate attempt, but again nothing happened. “What's going on!?” you asked desperately.

“I told you to rest today, Mrs. Wayne; it's probably the stress,” Alfred said quickly, consoling you.

“Oh, this is not good,” you said.

“Ms. Wayne?” Mrs. Hart yelled from the dining room.

“Just a second,” you replied with a fake cheerful tone before looking back at the butler. “What are we going to do?” you asked.

“Don't worry; I'll look for the keys to the door that leads to the patio while you distract the guests,” Alfred said and walked in the opposite direction. You went to follow him, but you realized that you had to go the other way, so you turned to walk to the dining room. The audience laughed.

In the living room, you sat at the table with the guests, starting to eat the appetizers. They tried to pretend that nothing was wrong, but Mr. Hart was suspicious, and it was clear by the way he looked at you. His wife was more than happy to ignore it. 

“And the children?” Mrs. Hart asked as she bit into one of her meatloaf pies.

“Oh, they're finishing up their toys before they eat,” you explained as you finished pouring some wine into your glass.

“But you should eat first,” said Mrs. Hart sweetly.

“Nonsense, my dear,” interrupted Mr. Hart. “Two children with a father not present for business; these two need a steady hand, or they will become good for nothing. It's fair: if they don't pick up their toys, they don't eat.” He stuffed a whole canapé into his mouth roughly.

“I wouldn't say they don't eat,” you defended. “But if you have to order before eating because they definitely won't do it later, they always get sleepy.” You finished explaining and drank from your glass of wine. “Also, most of the time, they are very well-behaved children,” you added.

“Most of the time?” questioned Mr. Hart suddenly.

Alfred entered the room quietly. He passed behind you, giving you a meaningful look: you had to keep distracting the Harts because he still hadn't found the key.

“Well, they are children; you know how they are,” you commented, laughing, but the serious face of Mr. Hart told you that the man did not enjoy jokes much, so you continued, “All children have their moments of curiosity.” Alfred walked out of the room back into the hallway. “And that curiosity can get to—” BAM! CRASH! The butler had to use force to pry open a particularly jammed drawer. “Accidents; something always ends up breaking.” You let out a nervous laugh.

“Ms. Wayne,” Alfred called as he stood in the doorway.

“Yes, Alfred?” you yelled, unable to stop looking at Mr. Hart, who was watching you suspiciously.

“The young masters want you to confirm that their toys are tidy and that they are free to sit down to dinner,” he said neutrally, but you knew right away what he meant.

“Of course, you have to see those toys,” you joked as you got up from the table.

“Make sure it's neatly arranged in alphabetical order,” demanded Mr. Hart, and you couldn't help but give him a look for that.

“Don't talk nonsense,” his wife told him. “Go find them,” he told you happily. “I can't wait to meet those little angels,” he encouraged you.

“I'll do that,” you answered with the same enthusiasm and walked down the hall with Alfred until you reached the kitchen door.

“The keys to the patio door are nowhere to be found,” he began to explain, “and I'm afraid the cabinet is too stuck in front of the door to try to push it.”

“Oh dear, oh dear,” you started to babble.

“Mrs. Wayne, you need to calm down,” Alfred requested.

“The children are locked in the kitchen, along with the food, and our guests are waiting in the dining room,” you pointed out. “I think it's a good time for a little panic, Alfred.”

“Panic is not going to get us out of this situation,” Alfred pointed out, which caught your attention, and you looked at him, but the man ignored you. “Getting the children out requires us to be focused,” he clarified, and you decided to ignore his mistake; it wasn't that serious.

“Maybe one of the windows,” you suggested hopefully.

“No, they were all closed,” he said.

“Mrs. Wayne!!” you heard Mrs. Hart as she got up from her chair and walked toward you in a suitably slow manner.

“Oh no,” you groaned in anguish. “We need an entrance, an entrance, an entrance to the kitchen.” As if they were connected, you and Alfred looked at each other as the solution came to your mind.

“The unidentified door!!” you both yelled and started running.

As you rounded the corner at the end of the hall, you suddenly found yourselves walking through the unmarked door into the kitchen, which Alfred had appeared through that morning, just like that. You still didn't know what the point of the door was, but you were thankful for it because Mrs. Hart was coming to the door.

“Ms. Wayne,” called the woman, dangerously close to the door. You ran to the opposite side of the covered door and approached your children. “Where are they?” She was almost in front of the door, so you made a quick movement with your hands: the soup disappeared from the floor and returned to its place in the pot, the children's clothes were cleaned, as were their faces, and both furniture and glass returned to their places in the expensive crockery that Bruce had inherited from his parents. Mrs. Hart came through the door at that moment to find you carrying your youngest son on your hip, Dick sitting innocently on the island, and Alfred stirring the soup. “Here you are,” she exclaimed.

“Here we are,” you said, smiling. You lowered Jason from your hip and grabbed his hand. “Alfred,” the man looked at you, “it's time to serve the main course to our guests.” 

“Right away, Mrs. Wayne,” Alfred answered calmly and you shared a knowing look before he answered.

At the dining room table, the end of the table was left empty because it was Bruce's place, while you, Dick, and Jason sat on one side, in that order, with the invited couple seated across from you, Mr. Hart directly opposite you.

“Well,” Mrs. Hart said as she put her napkin on her lap, while Alfred poured juice for the children. “Where do you come from? How long have you and Mr. Wayne been married? And do you plan to have more children?” she asked, beginning to taste the soup, hitting you with her questions closely one after the other.

“Oh,” you laughed, “Bruce and I have been together for so long it feels like we've always been this way.” You paused, “And we come from…” you were at a loss. “We come from…” you didn't know.

“We come from another city,” said Dick. “From…” he was cut off, bewildered, but he quickly looked at you for help, surely you knew. “What was the name of the city, Mom?” he asked you, curious.

“The city, of course,” you said, trying to start your sentence again. “We come from…” Again, you had nothing; that made no sense.

“AND?” asked Mr. Hart, frustrated. You looked at him and tried to smile to appear normal, but you quickly lost it, and he noticed.

“Let them think, dear. They are putting together their story,” Mrs. Hart defended, smiling sweetly as Alfred poured him more wine. At that moment, you looked at him, but he didn't look at you; he was suddenly serious, with a lost look as he poured his glass, and he seemed tense.

“Our story, yes, of course,” you continued, again trying to get back on track. “We come from, from a city, from…” You failed again.

“Where from?” asked Mr. Hart, flustered.

“Arthur, leave the poor woman alone,” Mrs. Hart scolded him, eating quickly, her tone sweet, but in her posture, there was something else; she was not calm or happy as she wanted to seem.

“Why?” her husband defended himself. “It's a perfectly normal and simple question: Where do they come from?” The table fell silent; for a few seconds, no one moved or made a sound. “Damn it. Where does it come from?” He slammed the table roughly, making the plates jump. Dick looked at him; he could hear the anger in his voice and even fear, but he didn't understand why. “What do you want? What do you want—” His words were cut off, as was his breath. You watched him intently as he brought his hands to his throat; he was choking.

“Oh, Arthur, stop it,” his wife said naturally, her tone not losing the cheerful and casual air it had until now, but Arthur Hart kept choking, and nobody made a move, not even you. Only Jason kept eating his soup. Your eldest son looked at the guest, confused. Dick felt that he should do something, but he also felt he shouldn't at the same time. “Stop it,” Mrs. Hart repeated. “Stop it, stop it, stop it.” She stopped looking at her husband when he fell to the ground, very close to the feet of Alfred, who looked at the situation without leaving his place, with the wine jug in hand. You looked at him, and he looked at you this time; he seemed worried, even anguished and fearful. “Stop it,” Mrs. Hart looked at you this time; she was talking to you. “Stop it,” she repeated.

“Mom,” Dick called worriedly when he saw that the guest's pleas were directed at you now. He grabbed your hand on the table to try to get your attention, but he kept looking between Mrs. Hart and the drowning man on the floor.

“Mrs. Wayne,” this time it was Alfred who called you. “Mrs. Wayne” was a silent request.

“Please, stop it,” Mrs. Hart continued. A buzzing invaded your ears; suddenly, two unknown voices filled your ears. What they were talking about was inescapable, but they were close because their minds were connected.

“Ms. Wayne,” Alfred called you with more urgency.

“Mama,” Dick called, shaking your hand at the same time, but the voices had your full attention. You wanted to know who they were and what they were up to.

“Mommy.” Suddenly, the voices were forgotten. Dick and Mrs. Hart fell silent. You looked at your youngest son, who was looking at you, confused by the situation, and you immediately reacted.

“Alfred, help him,” you said seriously, the butler quickly putting down the wine pitcher and proceeding to help the man on the ground, quickly getting him to spit out the piece of meat that had been stuck in his airway. Mr. Hart gasped for air as he started to try to get up quickly. In a hurry, Alfred helped him to his feet.

“Careful, Mr.” he said as they both finished standing in their places.

Mr. Hart finished standing up and ran his hands over his jacket, lost for a second and not knowing what he was doing, but quickly found the watch on his wrist and looked at it.

“Look at the time,” he said matter-of-factly. “We'd better head home.” He pointed and smiled, suddenly becoming more likable than he had been throughout dinner.

“You're right, dear,” Mrs. Hart agreed in her well-pitched, sing-song tone. “It was a pleasure meeting you all,” she commented as you and your children stood up from your seats. She approached you friendly, and you took a few steps to meet her halfway. “Your children are adorable, Mrs. Wayne, and your house is charming,” she stated before giving you an impromptu hug, which you returned.

“Tell Mr. Wayne I can't wait to do business with him,” Mr. Hart said, smiling as you separated from his wife and walked over to shake his hand. “And you two behave, young men,” he motioned to your sons as they both stood beside you. You ran your hand through your youngest son's hair to make sure he was there, and Dick leaned against your side with his head resting on your hip. “Your mother is a unique woman, and there is nothing she wouldn't do for you. Appreciate her,” he told them honestly, which brought a smile to your face. You looked down to meet Dick's unsure eyes and patted his back quickly to reassure him.

“Yes, Mr. Hart,” Jason said as his older brother decided to speak.

“We'll take care of her, always,” Dick added.

“I'll walk you out,” Alfred said, smiling, happy that everything had turned out well.

You and your children went to the living room, ready to watch some television before going to sleep.

“Well, that was an adventure, without a doubt,” you commented while sitting in the middle of the couch.

“It was to be expected when your family is like ours,” Dick jokes, smiling at you conspiratorially as he sat next to you, leaning his head on your shoulder.

“Next time, Alfred should serve ice cream for dinner,” Jason pointed out. “Everyone loves ice cream,” he explained when you looked at him, prompting you and your oldest son to laugh along with the audience. Jason settled with his head in your lap, and you put your hand in his hair to caress it, as he liked so much, while Dick wrapped his arms around your waist. You put your arm around his shoulders to hug him closer to you.

“After that disaster, I need a drink,” Alfred commented, entering the room and sitting in one of the individual armchairs. “Although it could be compensated with a raise,” he joked, and they all laughed together again.

“What can I say?” You looked at Jason, seeing how his eyes were slowly closing in sleep. “We're a bit of a peculiar family,” you stated.

“Just a bit?” Dick teased again. You kissed his head as the lights dimmed, and the credits began to roll, the show ending with the image of your beautiful family sitting in the living room.

Seeing that image, Bruce couldn't help but notice that it was the happiest he had seen you in months…

MY EVERYTHING — KWON SOONYOUNG

SYNOPSIS — To Hoshi, you’re everything but his official girlfriend. So, of course, he will have to change that no matter what it takes… starting off with his long awaiting confession (and constant pestering from his dance mates).

PAIRING — best-friend!hoshi x crush-fem!reader (ft. performance unit of seventeen)

GENRE(S) — mini smau (27 photos), somewhat friends with benefits, friends to lovers, fluff, crack, angst if u squint (like seriously), and non-idol au but they are still dancers.

WARNING(S) — swearing, friendly fire, kys jokes (and threats), hoshi is a big loser over y/n like big, and minghao is harsh as hell but it’s funny.

PLAYLIST — the cutest pair by regina song, take a chance by wimy, everything by the black skirts, i’m in love with you by the 1975, all i need to hear by the 1975, soft spot by keshi, and bad by wave to earth.

NOTE — i was writing and listening to everything by the black skirts then this was formed…. purposely chose a svt member just for rhin so 🤣 enjoy… pls (and pretend i didn’t post four works in the last two days k thanks)

SEVENTEEN PERM TAGLIST — @macapunoz

© JUYEOZ

by my side masterlist

♡ summary: Working as a fast-food worker was already stressful enough, but throw in a group of talented singers along with an unnecessarily large friend group and you have yourself a new lifestyle; one that includes providing at least 75% off for the hamburger and fries meal.

main masterlist

pairing: ??? x yn

genre: fluff, comedy

started: 4.9.2020

ended: 26.10.2020

a/n: welcome to a brand new series !! i hope you all enjoy reading and keeping updated with this one :) as always timestamps don’t matter

send an ask or dm to be put onto the taglist !!

Keep reading

retrouvailles ❦ | mlist

💌 reunion (eng) - the happiness of seeing someone again after a long time.

⤷ happiness? are reunions always happy though? when you are reunited with someone you want to see the least, does it make you happy?

Season 1:

profiles 1

profiles 2

one two three four five six seven

eight nine ten eleven twelve thirteen

fourteen fifteen sixteen seventeen eighteen

nineteen twenty twenty-one twenty-two

twenty-three twenty-four twenty-five

twenty-six twenty-seven twenty-eight

twenty-nine thirty thirty-one thirty-two

Season 2:

announcement🙈

profiles 1

profiles 2

prologue one two three four five six seven

eight nine ten eleven twelve thirteen

fourteen fifteen sixteen seventeen eighteen

nineteen twenty twenty one twenty two

twenty three twenty four twenty five twenty six

twenty seven twenty eight twenty nine thirty

thirty one thirty two thirty three thirty four

thirty five

epilogue 1 & 2

[completed]

Fan Letter | idol!Dk x reader | fluff

Y/N had never thought much about the contents of the shoebox tucked away in the corner of her closet. It was a relic from her teenage years, filled with old posters, concert tickets, and faded memories of a time when she was just another fan in a sea of glowing light sticks.

But apparently, DK had other plans for that shoebox.

“Y/N,” his voice rang through her apartment as he stepped inside, waving a crumpled piece of paper in the air. His expression was a mix of confusion, amusement, and something else she couldn’t quite place. “What is this?”

Y/N blinked, completely caught off guard. “What are you talking about?”

He held up the paper, and her stomach immediately dropped. The handwriting was unmistakable, it was hers. A letter she had written years ago, when she was just a fan who never thought she’d actually meet the man who had inspired her so much. And now, here he was, standing in her living room, holding the very letter she had hoped no one would ever see.

“Where did you even find that?” she asked, her voice a mix of panic and embarrassment.

DK grinned, tilting his head in that way he always did when he was teasing her. “You told me to grab a blanket from your closet, so I might’ve… accidentally opened a box.”

Y/N groaned, covering her face with her hands. “Seokmin, you weren’t supposed to see that. It’s so embarrassing.”

But DK didn’t seem embarrassed at all. In fact, he looked almost… touched. “You wrote this to me? Like, for real?” He glanced back down at the letter, reading it aloud with dramatic flair. “Dear DK, I don’t know if you’ll ever see this, but I just wanted to say thank you. Your voice has helped me get through so many tough days.”

“Stop it!” Y/N lunged at him, trying to grab the letter, but he was too quick, holding it above his head and out of her reach.

“Whenever I feel like giving up, I listen to your songs, and it feels like I can breathe again. I don’t know how to explain it, but you make everything feel a little lighter.” He paused, his expression softening as he lowered the letter and met her eyes. “You’ll probably never know who I am, but I just wanted to say thank you for being you.”

Y/N froze, her cheeks burning as she tried to think of something to say. “I was young, okay? I didn’t think you’d ever read that. It’s… it’s just stupid.”

But DK shook his head, folding the letter carefully and slipping it into his pocket. “It’s not stupid. Not even a little.”

“Seokmin…” she started, but he cut her off, stepping closer.

“Do you know how much this means to me?” he said, his voice quieter now. “To know that I could make someone feel like that? To know that I made you feel like that?”

Y/N looked up at him, her embarrassment slowly fading as she saw the sincerity in his eyes. “You really helped me,” she admitted softly. “Back then, when I was going through a lot, your voice… it made things feel less heavy. It made me feel like I wasn’t alone.”

DK’s smile grew, and he reached out to take her hands in his. “And now you’re not alone. Not anymore.”

She let out a shaky laugh, trying to lighten the mood. “You’re never going to let me live this down, are you?”

“Nope,” he said with a laugh, pulling her into a hug. “But seriously, Y/N, this is one of the nicest things anyone’s ever said about me. And the fact that it came from you makes it even better.”

She relaxed in his arms, her head resting against his shoulder. “I still can’t believe you found that.”

“Believe it,” he teased, gently swaying them side to side. “But hey, if you ever want to write me another letter, I wouldn’t mind. Maybe something like, ‘Dear DK, you’re the best boyfriend in the world.’”

Y/N rolled her eyes but couldn’t help smiling. “You’re impossible.”

“And you’re the reason I keep singing,” he replied softly, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.

As they stood there, wrapped in each other’s arms, Y/N realized that the boy she had written to all those years ago had turned out to be even better than she could have ever imagined.

————————————————————————————-

bleeding blue | apocalypse au

part thirty —other parts

pairing: Simon “Ghost” Riley x fem!reader words: 3.8k tags: death. blood and gore. zombies of course. AFAB reader. single dad ghost. enemies to lovers. SA and implication of child SA (very subtle). summary: After losing your companions, you run into a skull-masked man and his daughter. They are your last hope for survival. a/n: this chapter is all from Blue's perspective. if anything regarding the abuse or suffering of children triggers you do not read. though it is really not graphic at all (imo) and the SA is EXTREMELY implied and subtle (just a woman looking/potentially touching Blue's private area to check for virginity). I wanted to tell you so there are no surprises.

B

Blue hasn’t been without her father for more than an hour in over five years. There were moments when she'd imagined him disappearing, especially when he said no to her, when he could annoy her, push her too hard, or withhold the words she craved. And yet—now, with her head resting in Twix's lap, she can only long for him. The thought of his absence fills her with cold dread. The kind that erupts goosebumps on her arms despite the stuffy air in the room. Twix’s fingers gently stroke the back of her scalp, but it does little to ground her as her mind drifts to Ghost. He’s alive, that woman said. But it's been over a day, and he still hasn’t come for her.

"Do you think he will come soon?" she asks quietly.

Twix's fingers pause at the top of her hairline. "I think... I think he is doing everything he can to find you."

Blue is old enough to know that is a non-answer.

She knows, deep down, that Twix doesn't think he'll be coming, either.

"I will figure something out, okay?" she promises.

"Okay," Blue whispers noncommittally.

"Hey." A faint smile. "I've done pretty good at getting us out of shit in the past, right?"

Blue mumbles, "I guess so."

But this time felt different from those times. No matter how many times she catches Twix squinting around the room, murmuring things to Nereida, even Blue knows that a bright idea won’t magically appear. Not in here, where there is nothing except the three beds, the bolted cell, and the out-of-reach door that Ghost has yet to barge through.

When Blue's fingers instinctively search for her wrist, Twix’s face softens, and she gently encloses her palm over Blue's knuckles. "Alright. I want you to close your eyes and imagine that beach you showed me once. The one with white sand, and super blue water." Blue plays along with a deep sigh, closing her eyes as she feels a callused thumb brush her cheek. "Almost as blue as your eyes. See it?"

"I guess."

"Good. Now, I want you to imagine that you are lying on the sand, eating all the Twix bars and Nutella you want. Oh, and Grim is there. He was trying to make a sandcastle but got his head stuck in the sand."

Blue's lips twitch despite herself. "This is dumb."

"Dumb? Well, I don't think Grim finds it dumb. He can hardly breathe right now so you better stop eating chocolate and haul his ass up."

Blue snorts quietly, eyes screwing tighter as she imagines it; pulling the bunny out of the sand, giggling, the waves crashing. She falls back onto the sand with him in tow, but he darts away from her hands, toward the water. When she looks over, sun glaring, someone else is there. It's her father, and for a moment she is ready to jump on his back and beg him to play in the waves with her. That's when she notices he is keeled over, ripped apart, bloodied and battered.

Blue jolts, inhaling sharply. When she reopens her eyes, the image is still there. 

"What's wrong?" 

"I just saw—" she rubs her eyes profusely, but he's right in front of her. Blood begins to spurt from a sever in his throat. His head snaps forward, hanging by a thin thread of tissue. "I see him! H-his head is..." 

She jerks upright from Twix's lap, her eyes blinking rapidly as if trying to shake off the vision. When that doesn't help, she buries her face in the pillow, but the image remains too real to ignore. The thread snaps, and her father’s head rolls away silently.

Twix’s voice cuts through, her hands gently shaking Blue’s shoulders, but it feels distant, like a shadow compared to the sickening thud of her father’s headless body hitting the ground. Thick blood pools at her feet, and she tries to move, but her muscles won’t obey. The blood rises and rises, suffocating her, until she can’t breathe.

"Blue, it's just... you're imagining it."

"I can't... I can't..."

Someone flips her over on the bed and hugs her shoulders.

Twix's chapped lips press into her cheek.

"Please, Blue. I'm here."

The touch is enough to drain the blood and free her lungs. Her father's dead body floats away. She gulps for air, cold sweat clinging to her neck, and curls into the body beside her. Lingering panic races through her heartbeat, but then, after a minute, it begins to slow considerably. A new feeling washes over with the force of a tidal wave; fatigue.

Blue suddenly feels so tired that she can't keep her eyes open. It’s as though the terrible images have drained her entirely, leaving only murky water in their place. Her mind begins to float, and the edges of the world blur. Twix's face is in front of her yet feels so far away. Her lips try to part for words to come out, but it takes three tries just to manage: "I feel strange."

Across the cell, Nereida whispers, "I do, too."

Weight shifts on the mattress as Twix tries to sit up, leaning against the wall. Her head dips slightly, then snaps back up. A shaky inhale. "That... that fucking bitch. The oatmeal!"

The oatmeal? Blue’s thoughts latch onto the warm meal they’d been forced to eat, but the memory slips away before she can hold onto it. The slow descent snowballs. Twix’s voice distorts, blending with the chirping of birds outside the window. Her body slides down the wall, crumpling back beside Blue. She tries to hug Twix again, but her arms won’t cooperate.

Minutes later, or maybe hours, Blue hears the metal screech of the cell door swinging open. Veiled ghosts drift in. She can do nothing to run from them. Murmured voices, speaking words she doesn't understand, bleed through the heavy blanket of fog lying over her.

"Vous avez dit que celui-ci était intact?"

"Oui, Maman."

"Nous offrirons son corps pur au Seigneur. Les deux autres seront aptes à avoir des enfants."

"Mais elle est une... Je veux dire, oui, Maman."

She feels something cold and sinuous lifting her—snakes. No, not snakes. Hands. Cold, unfamiliar hands. Twix shouts something slurred. Then Blue is dragged by her feet, her spine no longer supported by the bed. She tries to squirm free, but her limbs feel heavy, useless. More hands clamp down on her arms.

No, no.

She wants to call for Twix, but her voice is muffled beneath a palm, the sound dying in her throat.

A weathered voice coos in her ear. "Sweet child. There is nothing to fear."

She can't scream.

All she knows is Twix is no longer the one beside her.

Cold fear surges through her veins, and she claws at someone’s arm. The retaliation is swift—a prick to her neck.

The strike of pain intensifies her dizziness, the last fight in her body fading away. They're dragging her again. The hard floor beneath her feet melts into soft grass, and the stark white ceiling shifts into a blue, cloudless sky before everything fades to black.

A gentle melody repeats in her subconscious until she rouses.

The same three-note tune, over and over.

Peeling her eyes open against the buttery sunlight, the first thing she notices is an open window above her head, its thin white curtain dancing in the light breeze. Upon the windowsill sits a small, cooing bird with pearly grey feathers and a black ring around its neck. Its head tilts almost mechanically, two little black eyes regarding her. She stares for a long moment before her eyes fall closed once more, lulled by the familiar call. Only when the bird quiets does she truly come to her senses. The sudden silence jolts her upright.

This isn't the same room she was in before. There hadn’t been a window in the cell, and certainly not one left open. The air there had been thick with the scent of old wood and lingering dust. But here... here, the air is different. It smells of fresh flowers, of the tall grass she used to wade through with Ghost while hunting. 

The bird calls once more before flittering away, leaving her reeling.

"A collared dove."

Her gaze snaps to the right where an old woman sits in a mahogany chair, knitting needles in hand. Without looking up from the red yarn she weaves, she explains idly, "They are very common. Lovely, but common."

The accent of her old voice is nothing like Blue's Mancunian one. But she understands each word.

Her voice pulls through her teeth with great effort. "I don't... Where am I?"

The old woman's brow furrows as if she is deep in thought, but it smoothes over after she undoes a stitch and loops it again, hands moving with an unnatural slowness. "You had them in England, yes? They are very common there, too."

Blue's fingers spread into the fine linen, her pulse ticking as she blinks a few times to sharpen her vision. The woman before her is older than anyone she has seen in a long time, though there is a faint resemblance to a woman deep in her memory who she believes was her grandmother. Unlike the woman who visited their cell with food, this one does not wear a veil over her face. Long wisps of gray hair fall over her shoulders. Wrinkles etch around her eyes and lips. She is still cloaked in white, but around her neck hangs a red cord beaded with a cross dangling at the end.

Her fingers clench. "I don't care about the-the stupid bird. Why am I here? Where are my friends? You..." she swallows the feel of sandpaper in her mouth, "You put something in the food. You made me lose control of myself again!"

Finally, grey-blue eyes flicker up beneath a questioning brow. "Oh, sweet child. You are so full of fire." With an unsettling calmness, the woman sets down the knitting needles on a carved side table. Pressing a palm to the surface of it, she rises slowly, then laces her hands in front of her. "Come, and perhaps your questions will be answered. Though, I wouldn't try to run." She moves toward the door, her gait shuffled but steady. A glance over her shoulder beckons. "Your friends are under my care."

The mere mention stiffens Blue's spine. She forces herself to her unsteady feet, swaying slightly, bare toes digging into the wood planks. Each small step feels lighter than the first time she woke up from being drugged, though her body still protests. Ahead, the woman is already walking away. It wouldn’t take much to catch up, but Blue lingers, her eyes sweeping the room with deliberate caution—always stay aware of your surroundings.

For a moment, she considers grabbing the knitting needle and stabbing the woman. But then what? Everyone, her father included, is under her care, and any misstep could mean their deaths. Ghost always told her to never act without some type of plan—to wait for the right moment. Blue doesn’t even know where the others are.

As she hesitantly steps out of the small house, the realization hits her. There are more people here than she’s seen in a long time. Almost like a town, but not really. Smaller than that, but more than her group. The building they just left is a small, home made of light grey stone. To her right are more homes, smoke billowing from the chimneys. She counts at least four of them. Straight ahead of her is gravel road. This is where the woman heads, with Blue trailing behind her. To the left is a stretch of green lawn, bright and lush. She has the itch to sprint over it, but a voice ends that idea.

"Catch up, girl." 

Gravel bites her toes as she walks to the woman's side. She is still only dressed in the simple, white slip. She hasn't worn a dress before.

"Where are you taking me?"

"There are some things I wish you to see." 

"Why... why can't the friends I was with be here to see them, too?"

From the corner of her eyes, Blue catches the woman smile lightly. "What do you think of France?"

Blue digs her nails into her palms, swallowing down her frustration at the non-answer. "It's... nice, I guess." It isn't a lie. The beautiful beach they left from, the fields of wheat and flowers, were things she'd only imagined before. 

"Good. My husband was from India but owned this land. I never wanted to leave it. France is the most beautiful place. I knew I wanted my son to grow here." She exhales in a quiet appreciation. "My husband said this land would thrive, even after the plague. He was right. The Lord spared it. He did not spare Ashwin, though."

Blue doesn't know what to say to that. If she should feel sorry for this person or not. She didn't state her husband's death in a sorrowful way, merely factual. As they walk, they pass a few men hunched over tree stumps, chopping wood. The smell of fresh earth and spilt sap wafts up her nose. The men glance up, their gazes lingering on Blue a moment too long, making her shift uncomfortably. Then, they lower their heads respectfully toward the woman. She speaks to them in French, and their chuckles follow her words.

Under a warm afternoon, they approach what looks like a large barn, bordered by wooden fence posts strung with taut wires. Inside the fenced area, Blue notices a white horse, smaller than Cherry, along with four cows. More men are working nearby, some tending to the animals while others, farther off, wield sickles to harvest stalks of wheat.

When they stop in front of the fence, Blue can't stop herself from asking, "Where are all the girls at? Like the one who fed us? I've only seen guys so far."

The woman doesn't look at her. "Our community is built around the roles God intended for us. Men have bodies made for working under the sun. Women, like those beautiful young ladies you traveled with, are vessels to be cherished, protected. Especially in these times when they have become rather scarce."

A few of the words fail to make sense to Blue, never having learned them from any of the books Ghost read her. "Um, is that why you separated the girls in my group from the men?"

She hums, a slow sound. "Women are kept in their own quarters with the infants."

"Okay," Blue rocks on her feet and grips the hem of the dress before the light air can catch it. So is her dad one of those men working, then? She quints, confused, and shakes her head. No; if he was anywhere out here, he would've come to her. He must be locked up, too. A wave of anger buzzes in her chest, louder than the cicadas. "That still doesn't explain why you are holding Twix and Nereida prisoner. If women are so special, why are they locked up and I am out here? And where are all the men from my group?" Her mind briefly flashes to the others; Kyle, Price, and... Ari. 

"None of them are prisoners, child. They are merely being readied for the role their bodies were created for, by God."

Blue grits her teeth. "You're not really answering my questions. What about me? Why did you bring me to," she glances back at the working men, who haven't stopped to look at her like the others had, too engrossed in the strenuous labor. "A fucking farm. What could you possibly want to show me here?"

"There is someone I need here before our next stop." She leans closer to the barbed fence and calls out, "Pierre! J'ai besoin de toi et de trois hommes pour nous accompagner jusqu'à la cale. Apporte les chaînes."

A man—Pierre, she guesses—strikes one of the cattle's hindquarters, wipes sweat from the back of his neck, then shouts in French to three others following behind him. They unlatch a gate in the fence and slip inside a small shed for a brief moment, emerging with rusted chains in hand. They approach, causing Blue to falter and step back. An old, strange woman is one thing, but three strong men are another. A fissure of terror cracks through her, and she inhales shakily.

"You need not be afraid."

She blinks up at the woman, who for a moment, conjures something similar to a comforting expression. Blue nods, and then they are walking again, with the four men trailing behind them. The sound of the chains dangling in their grasp makes her feel uneasy. What are they for, and why are they coming with them? She is ready to build the bravery to ask when the woman ghosts a hand on her shoulder.

"What is your name, child?"

"It's... um, Blue."

A soft chuckle. "The English and their strangeness. This is not your real name, is it?"

For some reason, Blue finds the truth stuttering out of her. "No, it's—the name I was born with is Amelia."

"Amelia. Much better. Tell me, Amelia, did your mother have blue eyes?"

Blue nearly chokes, her footsteps halting in the grass as she flinches away from her hand, curling her fingers into fists. "What the fu—why are you asking me that?"

The woman stops beside her and clasps her hands together, the long sleeves of her gown falling over them. She is small woman, hardly taller than Blue, and can't be any stronger than she is, but something about her emits control. Blue can't look away from her eyes, even as her jaw tightens, stomach swirling.

"They are many answers to questions that can be discovered on their own if one simply looks for them. I know which one of them is your father—"

"How could you know?" Blue demands. "I haven't even said any of them was my dad."

Thin lips twitch at the side. "A daughter gets the shape of her face from her father." A bony finger reaches to trail the edge of Blue's cheek, and she trembles from the cold feel of it. "But the features are all from her mother." She looks away and continues walking, speaking over her shoulder, "A little dove might have also told me he was asking for you."

When the men step forward, Blue is forced to continue walking. It feels hard to breathe, even though the canopy of trees offer fresh, rich air. "Then why are you asking about my mother?"

"Your eyes are blue, but your father's are not. I was simply curious."

"My mother is dead," Blue finds herself gritting out. 

"I figured. Neither of those women were her, and many mothers have been lost. A very terrible thing. A child needs its mother. You will call me Maman, Amelia. This is what French children call their mothers."

"I am not going to fucking call you that. Tell me where we are going," Blue presses, swallowing as she looks back at the farm behind them. Through the gaps between the men's shoulders, she sees that it is rather distant now, along with the small homes. She looks back ahead; nothing but overgrown vegetation. Even the flowers have grown sparse over here. It is quiet and still. She can hear the thrum of her own heart.

"Your fire is admirable, but you need to learn respect." For the first time, Maman's voice carries an edge, one that sends a shiver down Blue's spine. A foreign bird call echoes through the leaves, and the woman holds up a hand, signaling for everyone to stop and listen. "Ah. That’s the Bluethroat, if I’m not mistaken. Much rarer than the dove. You won't often find those in England."

The bird calls again—a trilled chirp—as they crest over a small hill, and the air suddenly grows heavier, more pungent. A smell Blue knows well makes her freeze, but a strong grip on her arm keeps her moving toward the source of the stench: an old, smaller building made of much darker stone. The sharp rustle of wings through the trees fades into the distance, but the tension in her body doesn’t ease.

"You, too, are rare, Amelia," Maman continues, voice steady and unhurried. "A pure, young female like you—so virtuous—carries more favor from God than any other. Your friends have their purpose, and you have yours. Each of us plays a part in shaping the new vision of God's children."

The men move in front of them now, except for one who continues gripping Blue. The tremble in her body intensifies, and a cold pit grows unbearable in her chest, thundering. She is forced to stand about four meters in front of the large door, where one man grips the handle while two others, including Pierre, stand beside it, their hands ready with chains and their stances wide. It’s now, through the stinging film that grows over her eyes, that Blue notices large metal muzzles attached to the chains.

Blue is too stunned—too confused, yet frightfully aware—to move a muscle when Maman procures a knife from inside her robe. Pierre shouts something in French, but Blue can barely hear him. Her senses are fixed on the bead of sunlight glinting off the knife, and on the scratching and snarling she hears from the other side of the door.

"Please—" she gasps, unable to finish the thought.

Maman ignores her in favor of snatching hold of her wrist. Cold fingers force her arm to extend, and a burning pain cries out when the knife slashes a laceration from her elbow to the rim of her palm. 

"Une seule coupure pour les attirer."

The blood weeps, and the door shakes from the ignited frenzy behind it.

Tears finally escape Blue’s eyes just before the door opens. She feels it—the sensation of her body being torn apart beneath rotten teeth. She squeezes her eyes shut, thinking of Ghost, when she hears more shouting and the harsh sound of chains being whipped through the air. When she opens her eyes again, the men are wrestling two Greys into the muzzles.

"Deux c'est bien!" Maman orders, and the door is slammed shut over the others that threaten to spill out toward the fresh wound. 

Blue is alive.

Her arm numb and bleeding. 

Maman yanks something else from her robe—a strip of cloth. She wraps it roughly around Blue's forearm, then issues another command. Without warning, Blue is hoisted from the ground and callously tossed over the shoulder of the man who had held her in place. They start heading back the way they came, the leashed Greys trailing behind them, and finally, a scream rips from Blue’s throat.

"You said this one was intact?" "Yes, Maman." "We will offer her pure body to the Lord. The other two will be fit to have children." "But she is a… I mean, yes, Maman." "Pierre! I need you and three men to accompany us to the hold. Bring the chains." "One cut to attract them.” “Two is good!”

ʚིᵋ ⋆ NANA TOUR ࣪ ! ˓ ౨ৎ ࣪˖ ─── episode 1-2.

Nana Tour with SEVENTEEN

synopsis: Episode 1-2! Off to Italy. Get on the plane, into the rhythm. Here they go, Italy! SEVENTEEN is beyond excited for the vacation that they simply couldn’t control themselves at the airport and on the plane.

SURPRISE!!! i know i said i will be focusing on publishing all the one-shots in my drafts before i continue my other series’ but i simply couldn’t help myself!! it’s been a month since i started nana tour and i know you guys have been waiting and are excited for more so… here it’s is!! episode 1-2 is relatively shorter so i will be adding additional scenes (this will be the norm for shorter episodes), so send me ideas you potentially want to add and see that weren’t in the final episodes!! enjoy and happy reading, my loves 🤍💙

╰ ౨ৎ LUNA-VERSE MASTERLIST

╰ ౨ৎ fan reactions ╰ ౨ৎ nana tour masterlist

[added captions are in brackets] ღ

bold dialogues are spoken in english ღ

The members began climbing into the bus one by one, their chatter filling the crisp evening air. The vehicle’s interior buzzed with energy as they settled in, each of them moving toward the back section where the seats surrounded two small tables. Despite the chaotic shuffling, the laughter and teasing were lighthearted as they began claiming their spots.

[Party bus for SEVENTEEN]

Jeonghan entered just behind Joshua, glancing at the seating arrangement. Woozi had taken a seat facing the table directly, but Jeonghan raised his voice over the noise. “Woozi, scoot over one seat, please,” he said gently but with purpose, pointing to the side. “Jiyeonie’s going to get car sick if she doesn’t face forward.”

Woozi blinked up at him but complied, shifting over without much protest. “Okay, okay,” he muttered as he slid across the seat.

“What’s going on?” Dokyeom asked, amused as he plopped down next to Jun.

“Jeonghan’s setting up the seating plan,” Vernon teased as he leaned back in his chair. “Vice leader vibes.”

[Jeonghan: Vice Leader of SEVENTEEN]

Jeonghan simply hummed, turning back toward the bus door as the rest of the members shuffled and rearranged their spots. Once everything was more or less settled, their attention turned to the two figures still lingering outside the bus— Luna and Seungcheol.

Luna stood hesitantly, clutching her red bunny plushie, Cherry, tightly in her arms as she looked up at Seungcheol. Her expression wavered between reluctance and disappointment, her brows slightly furrowed. After a hesitant farewell to Seungcheol, who gently encouraged her to board, Luna finally nodded. She climbed onto the bus, her plushie tucked protectively against her chest.

[Bunny Luna with bunny Cherry a.k.a bunny S.Coups]

As soon as she stepped inside, the back section went quiet for a moment as everyone turned to her, amusement flickering in their eyes. Her slightly pouty lips and furrowed brows made her emotions clear— she didn’t like it when their group wasn’t complete.

“She’s disappointed,” Joshua cooed, a teasing smile on his face.

The rest of the members nodded knowingly, their chuckles soft as they watched her.

Luna stopped by the aisle, looking at the seats. “Where do I sit?” she asked, her voice small but curious.

Jeonghan, already prepared, pointed to the empty seat between Mingyu and Minghao. “Over there, Nana-ya,” he said softly, motioning toward the forward-facing seat. “You’ll feel better sitting in that direction. Go on.”

Luna nodded, shuffling down the narrow aisle and stopping by the designated seat. Minghao and Mingyu shifted slightly, making space for her to slide in. Carefully, she maneuvered between their legs before slumping down into the seat, letting out a small huff as she adjusted Cherry on her lap.

“Aigo… I’m tired already,” she murmured, brushing a few stray strands of hair from her face. Without hesitation, she leaned her head on Minghao’s shoulder, her breath light and warm as she rested.

Minghao chuckled, tilting his head slightly to accommodate her. “You barely got on, Jiyeonie.”

[Low power]

The others laughed softly at her antics, their chatter resuming as they prepared for the trip ahead.

Hoshi, seated by the window, suddenly perked up and moved the curtain aside. “Guys, our CEO is outside,” he announced, his tone half-surprised, half-amused.

Everyone turned their attention to the window, peering out to see their CEO standing there, waving enthusiastically at them.

“We’ll be back safely!” Dokyeom called out, his voice cheerful.

Meanwhile, Mingyu, Luna, and Minghao giggled as they watched their CEO repeatedly bow and apologize to Minghao by the window.

“The8, I love you,” their CEO said earnestly, earning a soft chuckle from Minghao.

“Okay,” Minghao replied, calm as ever.

“I’m really sorry,” their CEO continued apologizing, he repeated again as if to plead.

[Apologizes for the lies]

“No, no, no,” Minghao reassured him, raising a hand. “Schedule it for me later.”

Mingyu burst into laughter at Minghao’s deadpan tone, and even Luna, her head still on Minghao’s shoulder, giggled softly. “Hao, you’re funny,” she said, her voice warm with affection.

“He asked them to schedule it later,” Mingyu repeated, still laughing as he told the others.

The bus erupted into laughter, the mood light and lively as they watched the scene unfold outside.

“The staff are apologizing to Minghao,” Woozi noted dryly, shaking his head slightly in amusement.

“Goodbye!” a familiar voice called out from outside. It was Seungcheol, standing a little behind their CEO, his hand raised in a wave.

“Aigo… Cheollie… bye-bye,” Luna said, her voice tinged with a hint of sadness as she waved back at him through the window.

[Leaving S.Coups makes Luna sad]

“Okay! We’ll be back!” Hoshi told Seungcheol, grinning brightly.

As the bus engine roared to life and began moving, Luna turned back to the window. She caught sight of Seungcheol still standing there, his hands moving deliberately as if he were writing something in the air.

[?]

“What?” Luna mouthed, furrowing her brows in confusion.

Seungcheol repeated the gesture, his lips forming the words “My letter.”

Luna blinked, still unsure of what he meant but nodding anyway. “My letter,” she read his lips again, her brows knitting slightly as she gave him one final wave.

[What could it be?]

The bus pulled away, leaving him behind as they set off on their journey.

The bus hummed softly as it cruised along the highway, carrying the members of SEVENTEEN toward the airport. The early morning light filtered through the windows, casting a golden glow over the group. Most of them were still waking up from the rush of getting on the bus, their chatter muted and interspersed with soft yawns and quiet laughter. The absence of Seungcheol lingered in the air, but the members tried to lift the mood with their usual antics.

“Wow, we are really going on a trip to Rome for a week?” Jeonghan asked, his voice carrying a touch of lazy amusement, though the glimmer of excitement in his eyes betrayed him. He leaned back in his seat, head resting against the window as he gazed out at the moving scenery.

“It’s awesome,” Hoshi said, his enthusiasm evident. His eyes darted around the bus, taking in the crew members and his fellow teammates.

“This is a memory. Should we take a picture?” Dino asked suddenly, leaning forward in his seat as the idea struck him. His smile was bright, filled with the kind of energy that was contagious even in the subdued atmosphere. He pulled out his phone and waved it in the air before handing it to Seungkwan.

Hoshi accepted the phone, turning it around to position it for a selfie. He extended his arm out as far as it could go, adjusting the angle to fit everyone in the frame. “Alright, get ready. One, two, three…”

The camera shutter clicked as they smiled, each of them wearing expressions ranging from bright grins to subtle smirks. Hoshi glanced down at the phone, grinning. “One more! One, two, three…”

This time, their expressions and poses shifted—peace signs, exaggerated pouts, and playful winks. Another click echoed through the bus.

“One more, one more!” Hoshi said, his enthusiasm sparking laughter from the group. They leaned into each other, pulling faces and throwing up random gestures. “One, two, three…” The final shutter sound snapped through the air, marking the end of their mini photo session.

From the front of the bus, one of PD Na’s producers chuckled softly, catching the group’s antics as they reviewed their pictures. “Your poses are just an automatic reflex,” the producer remarked, his tone light and amused. The rest of the crew watched the scene unfold with smiles, their cameras capturing candid moments of SEVENTEEN’s camaraderie.

[Idol reflexes]

As the laughter settled, PD Na’s voice broke through the hum of the bus. “Customers, you guys all got on, right?” His tone mimicked that of a professional tour guide, filled with exaggerated formality.

“Yes!” came the resounding chorus of responses from the members, their enthusiasm almost synchronized.

“Thank you so much for using ‘NANA TOUR,’” PD Na continued, his delivery earning a round of applause from the group.

“Thank you so much,” he repeated, pausing briefly before launching into the next part of his announcement. “Once we get to Italy, we have some pocket money that we are going to use. Everything is included once you get there, so you don’t really need pocket money…” His words trailed off, his tone hinting at something left unsaid.

Luna, seated comfortably beside Minghao with her head resting on his shoulder, let out a soft giggle. She absently fiddled with Cherry the bunny that sat on her lap, its soft plush fur comforting under her fingers. Her giggle drew Minghao’s attention, and he glanced down at her with a curious smile.

“What’s so funny?” he asked, his voice low enough that only she could hear.

She tilted her head slightly, her smile widening. “I just know he is going to make us play for money at some point.” she whispered back, her amusement clear.

[Maybe…]

PD Na, oblivious to her quiet commentary, continued speaking. “Still… you personally might need money you need to spend— a small amount of pocket money will be given.” His voice carried through the bus, commanding the attention of the members.

“100 euros per person for pocket money. We prepared 1,400 euros for now. That’s roughly around 1.5 million won,” he explained, his words met with nods from the group.

The hum of the bus persisted as PD Na’s voice cut through the light chatter. With the members’ attention drawn toward him, he continued with his usual composed yet playful demeanor.

“If you pick the person you trust the most as the manager, we will give that person the money,” PD Na announced.

The group fell into a brief silence, exchanging looks as they deliberated. Hoshi was the first to break the silence, leaning slightly forward with a grin.

“Dino is the manager,” Hoshi declared confidently, his tone leaving no room for debate.

“Yes,” Woozi agreed almost immediately, his calm and concise tone adding a layer of finality to Hoshi’s statement.

Luna, who was still comfortably nestled against Minghao’s shoulder, simply nodded, her agreement clear.

Dino sat up straighter in his seat before nodding in agreement. “Between our parents… that… out of the managers… parents… my parents do it.”

[???]

The bus fell silent again, but this time it was filled with confusion. Dino’s words hung in the air like a puzzle no one could quite piece together. His stammered explanation hinted he might still be half-asleep— or perhaps still a little tipsy— left both the crew and PD Na blinking in bewilderment.

PD Na, ever the professional, attempted to process the nonsensical statement. But the confusion quickly gave way to laughter as the realization set in that there was no understanding what Dino had just said. PD Na chuckled, his shoulders shaking lightly as he tried to decipher the jumbled words.

Luna, however, was quicker to react. She shifted, lifting her head from Minghao’s shoulder and straightening her posture. With an expression as deadpan as ever, she turned toward Dino. “Wah… I wanna see what you just said written on paper.”

Her sudden retort was met with immediate laughter. PD Na let out a loud, hearty laugh, leaning back in his seat as the absurdity of the situation hit him all over again. The crew joined in, their chuckles mingling with the laughter of the members, who had now all turned to look at Luna.

“Channie… you made no sense whatsoever. Are you okay? Are you still drunk?” Luna continued, her tone calm but laced with a teasing edge as her lips curled into a small smirk. The members doubled over in laughter at her casual jabs, and even Dino couldn’t help but laugh at himself.

[Effects of drunk freestyle rapping whilst sleep deprived]

Still grinning, Luna reached over and lightly pressed her palm against Dino’s forehead as if to check his temperature. Dino, too busy laughing at his own slip-up, didn’t even react to the gesture.

“Our parents’ meeting manager are Dino’s parents,” Wonwoo suddenly clarified, his tone dry but helpful. His calm explanation cut through the lingering laughter, drawing a series of “Ahh’s” from PD Na and the crew.

“Why does it still sound so confusing? Is it because it’s early in the morning?” Luna furrowed her brows in mock frustration, her thoughtful expression earning another round of chuckles from those around her. Determined to simplify things, she leaned forward slightly, addressing PD Na as though she were explaining a complicated concept to a child.

“All you have to know is that whenever our parents have a meeting, Dino’s parents manage it,” she explained slowly, her tone laced with humor and exaggerated patience.

[Got it]

The crew erupted into laughter at her delivery, and PD Na couldn’t hold back another chuckle as he shook his head. Even some of the members, who were used to Luna’s dry wit, found themselves laughing all over again.

“Noona…” Seungkwan muttered between laughs, reaching over to lightly slap her shoulder. Luna giggled at his playful reprimand, the sound light and carefree.

“Good job,” Jeonghan said gently, his soft voice carrying over the laughter. His expression was calm, but the amused sparkle in his eyes revealed how much he enjoyed Luna’s antics.

“Alright. Thank you, Luna,” PD Na said, finally composing himself as he turned back toward Dino. He motioned toward the youngest with a smile. “Then, our youngest Dino…”

“Should we have our youngest do it?” Woozi interjected, seamlessly finishing PD Na’s thought.

“We will have him be the manager… okay then,” PD Na finalized with a nod, the decision now official.

“I will cherish it carefully,” Dino said, his tone serious as he reassured the group.

PD Na retrieved a pouch that contained the money and handed it over to Hoshi, who was still sitting at the end seat of the row. Hoshi took it with both hands, inspecting it briefly before passing it down the line. The pouch made its way from member to member until it finally reached Dino, who accepted it with a wide grin. He adjusted the strap and wore it around his neck like a sling bag, the pouch now resting securely at his side.

“It’s a million won per person, and we just added S.Coups’,” PD Na explained, his tone clear and steady.

“Thank you,” the members chorused in unison, their voices blending together.

“You can think of it as S.Coups giving you the million won,” PD Na added with a small smile.

“Okay,” Woozi responded succinctly, his calm tone bringing the moment to a close.

“Second thing is that there’s a schedule,” PD Na announced, his voice carrying a tone of amusement, knowing this was about to spark some opinions among the group.

From the front seat, PD Na reached into a folder and pulled out neatly printed sheets of paper. “I will give this out to everyone, so take a read,” he continued, holding the stack up before passing it to Hoshi, who was closest to him.

Hoshi took a sheet, glancing at it briefly before turning to his right and handing the rest to Seungkwan, who did the same, passing it along the line. The papers made their way around the bus, with members unfolding them and scanning the itinerary for their week-long adventure in Italy.

“I’m a P, so I like going around comfortably,” Seungkwan remarked, breaking the silence, his tone light yet purposeful. His comment referred to his MBTI type, one that favored spontaneity over strict planning.

“I’m a J,” Mingyu interjected, clearly enjoying the thought of a structured schedule. He held the paper up, studying it with genuine interest, as though he were preparing for a quiz.

“Me too,” Jeonghan chimed in lazily, though a faint smirk tugged at the corner of his lips, hinting at his agreement with Mingyu.

“I’m a J too,” Wonwoo added, nodding solemnly as if this was a matter of great significance.

“Me too,” Luna echoed, her eyes scanning the paper in her hands with a satisfied expression. “Seeing a written schedule puts me at ease,” she told PD Na with a small, sincere smile that made the staff in the front grin at her remark.

“I’m a J too,” Woozi said from his seat, his voice calm but with a hint of irritation creeping in. “I’m a super J. This situation is kind of… this situation is kind of annoying. There is not much planning at all. It wasn’t even in my expectations,” he admitted, shaking his head slightly. His blunt honesty drew laughter from the crew and PD Na, who were no strangers to Woozi’s meticulous tendencies.

“Me too,” Wonwoo and Luna said in unison, glancing at each other briefly before chuckling.

“It’s not easy,” Woozi continued, his voice tinged with mild frustration.

“I need to cancel my plans too,” Wonwoo added, his tone calm but laced with subtle sarcasm.

[The introverts struggle]

“Wow… six nights and seven days is crazy,” Mingyu marveled, his excitement shining through.

“‘More than 20 years of travel experience leading group tours,’” Seungkwan read aloud from the itinerary, his tone skeptical as he squinted at the line. He raised his head, his expression thoughtful. “I need to see first if the cell phone number is real,” he said, reaching into his pocket for his phone.

“There’s a phone number there,” one of the writers seated in the front informed them, amused by the group’s antics. “You can contact the guide throughout 24 hours.”

“Really?” Mingyu asked, looking up from the paper with a mixture of curiosity and mischief.

“I hope that you don’t bother me when I am sleeping,” PD Na replied, his tone teasing but with a hint of seriousness that made the members chuckle.

“Is this Young Seok’s actual phone number?” Woozi asked, his brow furrowed as he stared at the itinerary, referring directly to PD Na.

“Yes, it’s my real number,” PD Na confirmed with a grin.

“Wow, I got his number,” Mingyu said, his tone filled with mock astonishment, as though he’d just obtained the contact information of a celebrity.

“I got a celebrity’s number,” Woozi added dryly, his expression stoic but his comment drawing hearty laughter from the crew and members alike.

For a few moments, silence settled over the bus as the members, one by one, reached for their phones. The faint sound of fingers tapping against screens filled the air as they diligently saved PD Na’s number into their contacts.

“If you look at the first thing in the beginning, included are optional tours and pocket money. We give you all meals. All dorms are included. We sometimes play with you too, and there’s even free time,” PD Na explained, pausing briefly to gauge their reactions.

“When we arrive in the afternoon at Rome, we will sleep for a night and then head towards Tuscany countryside the next day,” he continued, glancing down at his notes.

“Crazy,” Mingyu sighed, leaning back in his seat, his excitement palpable.

“Is there anyone who has heard of Tuscany countryside?” PD Na asked, scanning the group for any reactions.

“Yes,” Luna said, her voice calm as her eyes stayed glued to the paper in her hands, scanning every line.

“That’s the birthplace of wine,” Jeonghan suddenly chimed in, his voice filled with faux seriousness, as if sharing a well-kept secret. Luna’s lips twitched into a smirk as she spotted that very phrase written on the paper in front of her.

[Correct]

“It’s written here,” Dino pointed out, lifting his own paper and holding it up slightly to emphasize his words. The way he deadpanned it made Jeonghan snicker, knowing he’d been caught red-handed.

“He’s just showing everyone he can read,” Luna teased, her smirk growing as she leaned back comfortably, giving Jeonghan a playful side-eye.

[Correct again]

Jeonghan turned to her with a faux look of offense before leaning across Dino, who was seated between them. “Yah, you’re going to regret that,” he murmured under his breath, his tone dripping with mischief.

Luna barely glanced at him, her smirk unwavering. “Oh, am I?” she whispered back, keeping her voice low but laced with amusement. “Because right now, it just sounds like you’re salty you got caught.”

Jeonghan’s grin widened, and without missing a beat, he reached over and poked her side. The sudden jab made Luna squeal and squirm in her seat, batting his hand away as she laughed.

“Stop it,” she hissed between giggles, her eyes narrowing at him in mock annoyance. “You’re such a child.”

“And you’re too confident for someone who screams that easily, Nana-ya,” Jeonghan retorted with a teasing lilt, leaning back into his seat as if he’d won the exchange.

Their playful banter earned a few chuckles from the other members, and Luna rolled her eyes, muttering, “Whatever helps you sleep at night.”

Jeonghan simply smirked, clearly satisfied with himself.

PD Na cleared his throat, drawing their attention back to him. “So if you go to Tuscany, we rented out a country farm that is surrounded by a wine farm,” he continued, his tone growing more enthusiastic as he described their accommodations. “We are going to stay there for three nights. There’s a swimming pool at the dorm, and so that you guys can work out… there’s workout equipment.”

“There’s workout equipment?” Mingyu repeated, his tone rising with excitement as he perked up in his seat. His energy was infectious, and most of the members clearly shared his enthusiasm at the mention of exercising equipment.

“I’m so happy,” Woozi said, his voice quiet but genuinely pleased as he and Mingyu huddled next to each other, their excitement palpable.

[Equipment excites them the most]

“Cute,” Luna said with a chuckle, watching the two of them with a fond smile.

“And once the trip is all finished,” PD Na said, his tone taking on a sly edge, “PLEDIS will come back when we put you all in a hotel. They are going to take over from there.”

The reminder of going back to work made the members groan lightly, their faces shifting from excitement to reluctant acceptance.

PD Na chuckled at their expressions before adding, “They are going to take all of you to film your music video.”

[Tokyo > Incheon > Rome > Budapest]

“I don’t want to go. I don’t want to go,” Wonwoo said, chuckling softly as he shook his head.

“I really don’t want to go,” Dokyeom echoed, his dramatic delivery earning a round of laughter from the group.

“Take a read and please ask if you have anything you’re curious about,” PD Na said, gesturing for them to review their schedules further.

The group obliged, their eyes darting back to the sheets of paper in their hands.

After a moment of silence, Dino raised his hand slightly. “But the thing I am curious about the most… on the fourth day, after we come back to the dorm and have dinner…” Dino trailed off, glancing at the paper as if unsure how to phrase his question.

“Talent show,” Luna said, cutting in smoothly. She didn’t even need to look at Dino to know exactly what he was about to ask, her tone confident.

“It says talent show,” Dino confirmed, nodding in agreement before continuing, “I am thinking that this talent show will be a lot of fun.”

The members chuckled, clearly intrigued by the concept. The lighthearted nature of the trip was already getting to them, and the mention of a talent show only added to their growing excitement.

“It’s ‘Talent Show,’ parenthesis ‘Get your airtime,’” Seungkwan translated, emphasizing PD Na’s not-so-subtle motive with an exaggerated tone that sent the group into laughter.

“Yes, we have all participated in a talent show when we were in elementary and middle school,” Dino said, his nostalgic comment drawing nods of agreement.

“It’s so nice,” Mingyu said, his excitement still evident as he grinned.

“I’m excited,” Luna chuckled, her voice warm with anticipation.

“I think it’s going to be a lot of fun,” Dino said again, his tone thoughtful.

“It’s so nice,” Mingyu repeated, practically glowing.

“It’s really so nice,” Seungkwan added, his voice filled with exaggerated enthusiasm.

The members were clearly buzzing with excitement, the sudden trip to Italy and the promise of fun-filled activities rejuvenating them. They hadn’t had a proper vacation in a while, and it showed in the way they talked over each other and laughed more freely.

“I really thought it was my birthday. All of the members come in on my birthday, but then I realized not everyone was there,” Jeonghan said, chuckling as he reminisced about their chaotic wake-up call earlier that day.

“Other than that day, there is no need for them to come in,” Woozi added, his tone matter-of-fact, which only made the others laugh.

“Yes,” Dino agreed, nodding sagely as if he were speaking from experience.

“‘Is it my birthday?’” Jeonghan re-enacted what he thought earlier, scrunching his face in mock confusion and rubbing his temple as though he were trying to recall the date.

[It isn’t]

Luna burst into laughter at his impression. “Cute,” she said, her laughter bubbling over. “I can imagine your face trying to remember if it is your birthday.”

Her laughter slowed as she suddenly deadpanned, “I thought I was actually gonna get kidnapped.” Her comment immediately drew roars of laughter from the group as they remembered the chaos of earlier that morning— her scream, her phone flying across the room at PD Na, and how she’d fallen off the bed, right onto Jeonghan.

[Confusion everywhere]

“It’s been a while since it’s been fun,” Hoshi said, his voice warm as he smiled. The group nodded in agreement, the atmosphere on the bus growing lighter with every passing moment.

Soon, the bus rumbled softly to a stop in front of Narita Airport in Tokyo, its hum dying down as the doors hissed open. Na PD’s crew began moving first, organizing their equipment and signaling for the members to file out. Inside the bus, the members stirred from their seats, gathering themselves in varying states of excitement and curiosity.

Jeonghan stood first, stretching his arms before turning to Luna, who was still seated. “Ready, Cherry’s mom?” he teased, nodding toward the bunny plushie she was holding.

Luna smirked, adjusting the plushie in her arms. “Let’s go, Cherry’s dad.” Her voice was light, filled with humor.

The group began stepping off the bus one by one, their chatter filling the crisp air of the airport drop-off area.

Luna walked in between Jeonghan and Wonwoo, linking her arms with theirs as the three joined the rest of the group heading toward the terminal. Na PD and his crew led the way, occasionally glancing back to ensure everyone was following.

“Then, did you fool us with our plane time too?” Dokyeom asked as they walked, his curiosity piqued. He turned to the crew, his eyes narrowing slightly in mock accusation.

“Right,” Wonwoo agreed, glancing at Dokyeom before looking ahead. His voice was calm, but his expression hinted at amusement.

“That’s exactly what happened,” Luna said matter-of-factly, her tone teasing as she glanced at Dokyeom with a knowing smirk.

[More lies]

“Yes, since the time we are leaving is completely different,” Jeonghan added, his voice smooth as he leaned slightly closer to Luna.

The group moved as a unit through the terminal, their steps echoing in sync on the polished floors. Some of the members were talking amongst themselves, their voices overlapping in excitement. Others were simply taking in the surroundings, marveling at the fact that they were, once again, heading off on an unexpected adventure.

“It’s nice because it’s not confusing,” Jeonghan remarked as he and Luna walked in tandem. He held onto one hand of Cherry’s plush paw while Luna held the other. The two of them swung the plushie mindlessly between them, a small, unspoken rhythm that reflected their easy chemistry.

“Yes, it’s neat. Really neat and smooth,” Woozi chimed in, walking on Jeonghan’s other side. His voice was quiet but appreciative, his eyes darting between the bustling airport and his groupmates.

“That’s because we have nothing with us,” Luna pointed out, her tone laced with dry humor.

“Right. It’s because we have no luggage,” Dokyeom agreed from a few steps behind her, laughing softly.

“It’s the quickest airport procedure of our lives,” Luna chuckled, shaking her head in disbelief.

“It’s kind of really nice,” Dokyeom said again, as if savoring the simplicity of the moment.

“It’s comfortable because we didn’t bring anything,” Jeonghan added, his hand still swinging Cherry’s paw along with Luna’s.

“It reminds me of our rookie days,” Luna said, glancing between Jeonghan and the other members, a fond smile tugging at her lips.

“Right! Kind of like our debut days. It kind of feels like we’re going to do our reality show during our rookie days,” Dokyeom said, his voice carrying a nostalgic tone.

“That feeling is strong right now,” Mingyu agreed, his steps quickening slightly as excitement bubbled up in him.

The members nodded and hummed their agreement, a subtle wave of nostalgia washing over the group as they continued toward their gate. The ease of movement, the lack of baggage, and the sense of spontaneity took them back to their earliest days as a group, stirring a shared sense of camaraderie.

Soon, the group transitioned from the bustling terminal to the jet bridge, the narrow tunnel leading to their plane. The sound of footsteps reverberated in the enclosed space, a blend of sneakers and boots padding against the floor. Na PD’s crew followed closely behind, carrying their cameras and equipment, ready to capture every moment.

At the back of the group, Hoshi held a GoPro, his mischievous grin evident as he aimed it toward Jeonghan and Luna, who were walking at the front. The two were still holding Cherry’s plush paws, mindlessly swinging the bunny up and down as they led the group.

Hoshi tilted his head slightly, his voice low as he muttered to the camera, “It’s mom and dad.” He couldn’t hold back a quiet snicker, clearly amused by the scene unfolding in front of him.

He lifted the GoPro a little higher and called out, “Mom! Dad!”

Surprisingly, both Jeonghan and Luna turned at the same time, their synchronized movement almost comical. Jeonghan raised his eyebrows, his expression playful as he waved at the camera, while Luna smiled softly, lifting her hand to wave as well.

Hoshi burst into laughter behind the camera, clearly pleased with their reaction. “See? Perfect synchronization,” he muttered, angling the camera back toward himself for a brief second before returning it to the pair in front.

[Bunny telepathy]

Jeonghan and Luna exchanged a quick glance, sharing an amused smile at Hoshi’s antics before continuing down the jet bridge. The group followed closely behind, the air buzzing with anticipation as they prepared to board the plane.

The cabin of the plane was bathed in a soft glow as the members of SEVENTEEN filed into the business class area. The plush, spacious seats seemed to call to them like a siren’s song after their hectic schedules. Each member took their assigned seat, a blend of quiet murmurs and rustling filling the air as they settled in. The exhaustion from the concert the night before, the early morning spontaneity of the trip, and their general lack of sleep over the past few days hung over them like a heavy blanket.

Almost as soon as they sank into their seats, many of the members began to drift off.

Mingyu was the first, his head lolling to the side, eyes fluttering closed. Woozi, seated next to him, barely made it to buckling his seatbelt before slumping against the window, his breaths evening out. Jun let out a soft sigh, his hands tucked beneath his head as he leaned back, his eyelids heavy.

One by one, most of them succumbed to their exhaustion, the hum of the plane’s engines serving as an unintentional lullaby.

In the middle of the cabin, Luna was seated beside Jeonghan. Her head rested on his shoulder, her eyes half-closed as she fiddled with her phone, finishing a text to her mom. Jeonghan, meanwhile, held his phone to his ear, speaking softly into it. His voice was low and soothing, a stark contrast to the lively energy he had displayed just hours earlier.

“Yes, Mom,” Jeonghan said, his tone warm as a small smile tugged at his lips. “We’re about to board. Well, we’re already seated, but we haven’t taken off yet.”

Luna shifted slightly against his shoulder, listening to the gentle cadence of his voice as her own exhaustion started to catch up with her.

“Oh, that’s good,” his mom replied on the other end, her voice audible enough for Luna to catch the affection in her tone. “How are you? Are you eating well? You’ve been so busy.”

“I’m fine, really,” Jeonghan reassured her, his voice soft. “I’m eating enough, sleeping when I can. Don’t worry too much.”

“And Jiyeonie? Is she there with you?” his mom asked, her voice carrying a hint of curiosity.

Jeonghan glanced down at Luna, whose head was still resting on his shoulder, her phone now dark in her lap. A faint smile crossed his face. “Yes, she’s right here,” he said.

“Let me see her!” his mom exclaimed eagerly.

Jeonghan chuckled quietly, already switching the call to a video call. “Okay, okay, hold on.” He adjusted his phone, angling the camera toward Luna.

Luna, who had been close to dozing off, blinked and turned her head toward the phone. “Hmm?” she murmured, her voice drowsy but curious.

Jeonghan nodded, holding the phone steady. “She wants to see you.”

Luna straightened slightly, her smile sleepy but warm as she waved at the camera. “Mom, hello,” she said softly.

“Ah, Jiyeonie!” Jeonghan’s mom beamed through the screen, her voice bright with affection. “It’s so nice to see you. I miss you! Are you taking care of my son?”

Luna chuckled softly, her cheeks tinged with a faint pink. “I’m trying my best,” she replied. “He’s doing well, though. You don’t have to worry.”

“I still worry,” Jeonghan’s mom said, shaking her head with a fond smile. “You both look so tired. Are you getting enough rest?”

“We’re okay, really,” Luna said, her voice gentle. “We’ve just had a busy few days, but we’ll get some rest now.”

Jeonghan’s mom nodded, her expression softening. “Good. Take care of each other, okay? And don’t forget to eat. Jeonghan-ah, you make sure Jiyeonie eats too!”

“I always do,” Jeonghan said, his tone teasing but affectionate.

After a few more exchanges, Jeonghan’s mom ended the call with a warm, “Stay safe, have fun, call me when you can, and don’t worry about the dinner— we’ll reschedule it with you guys. Love you both!”

“Love you too, Mom,” Jeonghan and Luna chorused before ending the call. He placed his phone on the tray table, turning to Luna with a faint smile.

“She loves you more than me at this point,” he teased, his voice soft.

Luna let out a quiet laugh, leaning back against his shoulder. “Well, I am lovable,” she replied lightly, her voice tinged with drowsiness.

Jeonghan smirked, his gaze softening as he looked down at her. “That you are,” he said quietly.

For a moment, the two sat in comfortable silence, the hum of the plane and the soft snores of the other members surrounding them.

“Are you going to fall asleep like this?” Jeonghan asked, glancing at her head resting on his shoulder.

Luna hummed in response, her eyes already closed. “Might as well. You’re comfy.”

Jeonghan chuckled softly, shifting slightly to make her more comfortable. “I’m honored,” he murmured.

“Good,” Luna mumbled, her voice fading as she drifted off.

Jeonghan leaned his head back against the seat, his hand brushing against hers as they both succumbed to the quiet, shared exhaustion.

The plane began to taxi down the runway, but neither of them noticed, already lost to sleep.

The flight from Tokyo to Incheon had been brief, allowing the members a chance to catch some rest, though it didn’t do much to diminish their exhaustion.

[Tokyo > Incheon]

Once they landed at Incheon International Airport, the group made their way to the waiting lounge for their connecting flight to Rome. The lounge was spacious and quiet, with large windows offering a view of the tarmac where planes taxied to and fro under a pale morning sky.

SEVENTEEN, Na PD, and his crew spread out across the lounge, everyone settling into their own routines.

Some of the members were on their phones, scrolling through social media or messaging friends and family. Hoshi, Minghao, and Wonwoo were sitting off to the side with PD Na, quietly chatting about the upcoming shoot, their voices blending with the hum of the air conditioning. DK and Mingyu had just returned from a quick run to the café, arms laden with cups of coffee, which they distributed to the group. Joshua accepted his cup with a grateful smile before promptly burying himself in his phone, while Woozi was already sipping his, his gaze distant as though lost in thought.

Luna was seated in a plush chair by the windows, her legs crossed as she leaned back, phone in hand. She had been unusually quiet, content to let the energy of the group swirl around her as she texted Seungcheol to update him on their whereabouts. Her messages were simple and to the point:

“We just landed in Incheon. Waiting for the flight to Rome now. Miss you already 🩷”

Luna knew he was probably already asleep due to their hectic morning, so she set her phone down for a moment, stretching her limbs as she yawned.

Jeonghan, who had been deep in conversation with Seungkwan a moment ago, glanced over and noticed Luna’s silence. Finishing his sentence with Seungkwan, he strolled over to her, his movements languid and unhurried. He came to a stop behind her chair, placing both hands on the armrests on either side of her, effectively trapping her in place. Leaning forward, he rested his chin lightly on top of her head, his breath warm against her hair.

Luna didn’t flinch at his closeness, already used to Jeonghan’s habit of invading her personal space with casual ease. She was scrolling through Instagram out of boredom whilst Jeonghan watched from his place. The two of them didn’t speak at first, simply existing in the same space, her calm energy complementing his presence. Jeonghan’s warmth seeped into her, grounding her in a way that words couldn’t.

After a few moments, Jeonghan moved— one of his hands left the armrest to cup the front of her neck, his fingers gentle but firm as he tilted her head back to look up at him. Luna found herself staring at him upside down, her sleepy gaze meeting his mischievous one.

“Hello,” Jeonghan said softly, his lips quirking into a faint smile.

“Hi,” Luna replied, her voice just as soft, a small, sleepy smile spreading across her face.

Jeonghan studied her for a moment, his sharp eyes taking in her posture and the faint pout tugging at her lips. He tilted his head slightly. “Bored already?” he asked, his tone a perfect blend of teasing and cooing.

Luna gave a small, upside-down nod, her hair brushing against the back of the chair as she moved.

Jeonghan let out a soft laugh, his fingers tracing along the side of her neck before moving to brush a stray strand of hair away from her face. “You’re so impatient,” he murmured, his voice gentle but laced with teasing. “We’ve barely even started, and you’re bored?”

“It’s not my fault,” Luna replied, her voice nonchalant but carrying a hint of a pout. “There’s nothing to do.”

Jeonghan’s lips twitched into a smirk, and he leaned down a little further, closing the distance between them. “Nothing to do?” he echoed, his tone mockingly scandalized. “You’ve got me here, don’t you? I’m plenty entertaining.”

Luna raised an eyebrow, her lips twitching into a small, sleepy smile. “Are you now?”

“Of course,” Jeonghan replied smoothly, his voice dropping into a soft murmur. His fingers lightly trailed down her arm, the touch comforting and intimate as he let them linger near her wrist. “You should know by now that I’m an excellent distraction.”

Luna’s smile widened slightly, and she tilted her head just enough to nuzzle against his wrist where it rested near her neck. “I guess you’ll have to prove it,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

Jeonghan chuckled, the sound low and warm. His fingers brushed against her jaw before sliding back down to her shoulder, his touch light and deliberate. “You’re impossible, you know that?” he murmured, his words carrying no real weight as they lingered in their shared bubble of calm.

“So are you,” Luna retorted, her voice soft but teasing, her gaze still locked with his.

For a moment, neither of them spoke, the connection between them palpable as they remained in that position, his hands gentle and reassuring against her. The hum of the lounge faded into the background, leaving only the sound of their quiet breathing and the occasional soft rustle of movement.

Finally, Jeonghan shifted, his hand sliding down to intertwine with hers. He straightened, gently pulling her up out of her seat with an easy tug.

“Come on,” he said, his voice light and teasing as he gave her a small smile. “Let’s find something to entertain you before you drive both of crazy.”

Luna let out a soft laugh, letting him lead her away as they disappeared into their own little world.

With their hands intertwined, Jeonghan effortlessly picked up the GoPro that had been handed to them earlier, his movements relaxed yet deliberate. With a quick glance around the lounge, he noticed no one seemed to see that he and Luna quietly slipped out, their departure so seamless that even the crew failed to catch it.

[Bye-bye]

Jeonghan couldn’t help but smirk to himself as they strolled toward the shops just beyond the lounge, their fingers still laced together while Luna cradled Cherry in her other arm.

He powered on the GoPro, holding it up to capture them both in the frame. His voice was light and playful as he began his commentary. “Hello, everyone,” he started, his tone smooth yet mischievous. “We’ve escaped. The others don’t even know we’re gone.” He tilted the camera slightly to focus on Luna, who was already glancing at the shops around them with wide eyes.

[Starts his own vlog]

“And here we have our Jiyeonie,” Jeonghan continued in a faux-serious tone, adjusting the camera to show her from a flattering angle. “As you can see, she’s clutching her precious Cherry in one hand, and in the other…” He panned the camera to their intertwined fingers for a moment before swinging it back up to their faces. “Well, she’s stuck with me. Poor thing.”

[The ‘poor thing’ got dragged]

Luna, entirely unfazed by his narration, was too busy eyeing the displays of the shops they passed. Her attention flicked from one store to another, her curiosity piqued by the gleaming windows showcasing everything from luxury goods to quirky souvenirs.

Jeonghan chuckled, zooming in on her distracted expression. “Ah, look at her,” he mused, his tone now resembling that of a nature documentary host. “She’s spotted her prey— shiny shops filled with items she knows she can’t buy at the moment.” He pointed the camera toward the storefronts before swinging it back to Luna. “Why, you ask? Well, dear viewers, because we don’t have any luggage, and if we come back with bags, PD Na will murder us both.”

The comment made Luna snap out of her trance. She turned to him with a pout, her lips jutting out in a way that only made Jeonghan grin wider. “You’re so mean, Han,” she murmured, her voice soft yet carrying a playful edge.

Jeonghan lowered the camera slightly, his grin softening as he leaned down to meet her gaze. “Don’t worry,” he reassured her, his voice significantly gentler now, a soothing contrast to his earlier teasing. “You can shop all you want in Italy, hmm? We’ll have plenty of time there. I promise.”

Luna held his gaze for a moment, the pout on her lips easing slightly as she nodded. “Okay,” she replied softly, her voice barely above a whisper.

But before she could say anything else— or before Jeonghan could continue his commentary— her eyes lit up, brighter than they had at the sight of any of the luxury stores they’d passed. Without warning, she let go of his hand, her entire being leaving the frame as she dashed toward one particular shop.

[Dash]

Jeonghan blinked, momentarily caught off guard, before he followed her line of sight. A fond smile spread across his face as he saw where she’d gone.

Adjusting the GoPro, he pointed it toward the store’s sign: LEGO.

“Of course,” Jeonghan said with a chuckle, resuming his commentary. “Of all the shops, this is the one that catches her attention the most. I never thought I’d meet anyone who loves LEGO more than me, but here we are.”

He stepped closer, the camera capturing Luna as she stood just inside the store, her eyes scanning the shelves like a child in a candy store. Her gaze flitted from one set to another, her expression a mix of awe and delight.

[She is in love]

Jeonghan moved into the frame, angling the camera to show both of them. “This,” he said, gesturing toward her with an exaggerated flourish, “is what pure joy looks like. Forget diamonds and designer bags— Luna’s heart belongs to little plastic bricks.”

Luna, who had been admiring a particularly intricate set, turned her head slightly toward him without taking her eyes off the shelves. “I can hear you, you know,” she said, her tone nonchalant yet laced with sass.

Jeonghan grinned, zooming in on her face. “You were supposed to,” he replied, his voice lilting with amusement. “But you know we can’t get the big ones, right? There’s no way to get them to Italy.” His tone had softened again, now more gentle and coaxing, as if he were explaining to a child why they couldn’t take home every toy in the store.

“I know,” Luna replied simply, still admiring the sets. “I’m just looking.”

Jeonghan chuckled, shifting the camera angle to capture her in profile as she moved from one shelf to the next. “Just looking, she says,” he murmured, his tone now dipping back into his mock-documentary voice. “Like a lioness stalking her prey, she pretends not to be tempted, but we all know better.”

As he spoke, his own gaze wandered, landing on a set that immediately caught his attention. “Oh,” he said, his voice brightening slightly. “That’s a good one. I’ve been wanting that one for ages.”

From somewhere near the shelves, Luna’s voice drifted back to him, soft but teasing. “You’re no better than me.”

Jeonghan turned the camera toward himself, raising an eyebrow as he smirked. “And there it is, folks,” he said, addressing the imaginary audience. “The pot calling the kettle black.”

Luna’s laughter rang out, warm and light, filling the small store as she turned to look at him. “You’re ridiculous,” she said, shaking her head.

[They are one and the same]

“And yet,” Jeonghan retorted, his grin widening as he gestured toward her with the camera, “you’re stuck with me.”

Luna rolled her eyes, but the smile tugging at her lips betrayed her amusement. “Lucky me,” she muttered, her tone dripping with sarcasm.

Jeonghan chuckled, stepping closer to her as he continued filming, the playful energy between them weaving effortlessly into their surroundings.

Luna drifted over to a wall filled with keychains, her excitement palpable as her eyes lit up at the array of tiny LEGO figures dangling neatly in rows. Her fingers brushed over the keychains as she began browsing through them with eager curiosity, her head tilting as she considered each option.

Jeonghan, ever the dedicated cameraman, kept the GoPro focused on her. His amused commentary continued as he watched her. “And now, ladies and gentlemen,” he announced in a dramatic tone, “we’ve entered the second phase of the Luna Shopping Saga: the keychain section. She’s excited. She’s focused. She’s in her element.”

Luna paused in her search and looked up at him, catching the lens of the camera pointed in her direction. Her dimpled smile appeared, soft and sweet, as she tilted her head slightly. “We should get matching keychains,” she said, her voice gentle yet tinged with excitement.

Jeonghan felt his grin widen involuntarily. He nodded, indulgent as ever, and said, “Alright, pick a good match for us. But remember,” he added with exaggerated gravity, speaking directly to the camera again, “I’m allowing her this one small purchase to hold her over for a while. She has some kind of shopping problem.”

Luna narrowed her eyes at him, immediately catching the teasing tone. “Excuse me,” she said, placing her hands on her hips with a playful scowl. “I do not have a shopping problem, and you’re making it sound like I do!”

Jeonghan chuckled softly, his voice turning warm as he reassured her, “It’s a great problem to have, trust me. You’re allowed to spoil yourself. Now, come on,” he gestured toward the wall of keychains with the GoPro. “Pick one for us. No pressure, but make it a good one.”

[Proceeds to pressure the shopaholic]

Luna rolled her eyes but turned her attention back to the keychains, her fingers dancing over the little figures dangling before her. She started at the top, standing on her tiptoes to examine the higher rows, and slowly worked her way down, pausing every so often to pick up a keychain and inspect it closely.

By the time she reached the bottom row, she crouched down to get a better look, then, without hesitation, shifted to sitting cross-legged on the floor. It was as if she were perfectly comfortable there, oblivious to the cold tile beneath her.

[Plop]

Jeonghan immediately lowered the camera slightly, his voice taking on a gentle but scolding tone. “Nana-ya, don’t sit on the floor— it’s cold and dirty,” he said, though his fond smile betrayed any real disapproval

“It’s comfortable,” Luna replied simply, not even glancing up as she busily sorted through the keychains in her hands.

Jeonghan sighed softly, the corners of his mouth quirking upward as he adjusted his stance. Then, without missing a beat, he brought his feet together in front of her. “Come here,” he said, his tone playful but full of affection, “sit on my shoes instead.”

Luna glanced up, raising an eyebrow at him but still grinning as she shifted forward, settling herself lightly on the tops of his shoes. “Better?” she asked, her voice teasing as she held up two keychains for a closer look.

“Much,” Jeonghan replied, resuming his commentary for the camera. “See, viewers, this is what true friendship looks like. Sacrificing my own feet so she doesn’t freeze her butt off on the cold floor. A hero, really.”

Luna huffed a soft laugh but ignored him, her attention fully focused on her task. After a few more minutes of deliberation, she held up two pairs of matching keychains for Jeonghan to see.

One set featured a pink Fairy Batman paired with a blue Bunny Batman, while the other was a classic pairing of Bugs Bunny and Lola Bunny. She held them out with wide eyes, her voice slightly pleading as she declared, “I want all of it.”

Jeonghan chuckled, the warmth in his voice unmistakable as he nodded. “Alright,” he said simply. You can get all of it.”

Luna’s smile grew impossibly wider as she stood up, tucking the keychains into her hand. “Yay!” she exclaimed, her happiness so genuine it made Jeonghan’s chest ache in the best way.

They made their way to the cashier, the GoPro still rolling as Jeonghan filmed the entire process. When they both reached for their wallets, pulling out their cards simultaneously, they smirked at each other knowingly.

Neither had forgotten how PD Na had explicitly told them not to bring their wallets.

[Both brought the wallets they were told not to bring]

Jeonghan angled the camera to show both of them holding their cards. “This,” he said with a grin, “is why we’re the perfect team. Same brain, same bad ideas.”

Luna turned to the camera, her expression playful as she reassured their audience, “Don’t worry, everyone. This is going to be our last purchase with our own money before the trip, I swear—”

She paused mid-sentence when she caught sight of her card in Jeonghan’s hand. He had smoothly taken it while she’d been talking and was now handing his card to the cashier instead. His smirk was pure mischief as he looked at her, clearly enjoying her reaction.

“Yoon Jeonghan!” she exclaimed, her voice half-indignant, half-amused as she playfully glared at him.

“What?” he asked innocently, tucking her card back into her hand. “You said you wanted it all.”

Luna could only shake her head, though her soft smile betrayed her amusement as the cashier handed over the keychains. She quickly instructed, “No bag, please. We can’t bring bags.”

Jeonghan let out a low chuckle as he pocketed the receipt. The two of them headed back toward the lounge, Luna busy clipping the keychains to her jeans as they walked. She attached the Lola Bunny and pink Fairy Batman to her belt loop, then turned to Jeonghan.

[No bag just style]

“Here,” she said, holding out the Bugs Bunny and blue Bunny Batman. She clipped them to his belt loop with care, her lips quirking into a soft smile as she worked.

Jeonghan glanced down, watching her with amusement. “I feel like I’m being accessorized,” he remarked, his tone light and teasing.

“You are,” Luna replied, not missing a beat. “Now hold still. These need to look good.”

Jeonghan chuckled, his voice softening as he cooed, “Anything for you, my little designer. Do I look cute yet?”

Luna smirked up at him, tilting her head. “You’ve never looked better,” she said with mock seriousness before bursting into a quiet laugh.

The two of them continued walking, their banter easy and filled with warmth, the keychains now swinging lightly from their belts as they made their way back to the lounge.

[No bag just vibes]

Back in the lounge, the members of SEVENTEEN were scattered about, finishing their conversations, sipping on coffee, or scrolling through their phones as the final minutes of their break ticked away.

PD Na, who had just finished discussing something with Minghao, Wonwoo, and Hoshi, glanced down at his watch. He tapped the face of it lightly before announcing, “I think we need to slowly get going. There’s fifty minutes left. They’ve started boarding.”

The members around him began stirring, stretching as they stood up and grabbed their belongings which was literally just their passports, tickets, and phones. Jackets pulled on and coffee cups disposed of in the nearby trash cans.

As the group moved to assemble in one spot, PD Na stepped slightly to the side and started counting the members. His eyes swept over each face, his lips moving as he silently tallied. Halfway through, his brow furrowed, and he stopped mid-count, his body stiffening as he flinched. He counted again, slower this time, his voice just audible enough to reveal his mounting concern.

“Eleven,” he muttered under his breath, blinking rapidly before raising his voice. “There’s only eleven of you. Who are missing?”

[Bunny 1 and bunny 2]

The sudden announcement caught everyone’s attention, and the members, now fully alert, began looking around at one another, their own mental counts kicking in. Having fourteen members meant this sort of thing happened often enough that it no longer surprised anyone, but it always took a moment to figure out who was gone.

Joshua, who had been standing closest to PD Na, took one quick look around the group and answered matter-of-factly, “Jiyeonie is obviously not here… so the other one has to be Jeonghan.” His tone was laced with a knowing amusement.

[Ding ding ding]

PD Na groaned, dragging a hand down his face. “We aren’t even there yet. Did I lose members already?” he muttered, looking at the remaining eleven as though hoping someone would magically produce the missing pair.

“Did they say where they were gonna go?” Seungkwan asked, already pulling out his phone and pressing it to his ear to call Luna.

“No one noticed they left,” Woozi added with a small shrug, though his tone carried no judgment.

Seungkwan’s phone call connected, and the group fell silent as they watched him speak. “Noona, where are y— ah… alright,” he said before hanging up. He turned back to the group with a small smile. “They’re on the way back.”

“Did they say where they went?” Hoshi asked, casually sipping his coffee, clearly unbothered by the delay.

“No,” Seungkwan replied, slipping his phone back into his pocket. “Just that they’re on the way. But knowing noona… she probably went to buy something.”

PD Na let out a wry chuckle, shaking his head as though in disbelief. “S.Coups told me this would happen— said we’d lose her— but I didn’t expect it to happen this fast.”

Mingyu laughed softly, slinging his bag over one shoulder. “We aren’t even in Italy yet. Wait till we get there.”

[…]

As if on cue, Jeonghan and Luna appeared in the distance, walking at an unhurried pace that suggested they had all the time in the world. The two of them had no visible bags or large purchases, but their grins were wide and identical, as if they’d just accomplished something mischievous.

“Where did you two go?” PD Na asked the moment they were close enough, his tone bordering on exasperated.

“Hannie bought us matching LEGO keychains,” Luna said with a proud smile, pointing at Jeonghan as though he deserved full credit.

PD Na raised an eyebrow, folding his arms. “You don’t even have bags to put keychains o—” He stopped mid-sentence when Luna turned slightly, pointing at her own belt loop and then at Jeonghan’s. Dangling from each of their jeans were two pairs of keychains, one set featuring Bugs Bunny and Blue Bunny Batman and the other, a pink Fairy Batman with a Lola Bunny.

[Ta-da!]

The rest of the members burst into quiet chuckles, their amusement filling the lounge as they took in the scene. PD Na sighed heavily, rubbing the bridge of his nose as he let out a small, defeated laugh. “You two are going to be a problem in Italy. I can already tell.”

Before he could say anything further, his head snapped back toward them, a new thought dawning on him. His eyes narrowed as he asked, “Where did you get money?”

[Oops]

At that, Luna’s expression shifted instantly. Her eyes darted upward, pretending to find sudden interest in the ceiling, and she took a small step backward as though to quietly remove herself from the conversation. The sight of her blatant attempt to escape made the members laugh harder, their voices echoing through the lounge.

[Peace out]

“Knowing those two,” Minghao said under his breath, loud enough for everyone to hear, “they brought their own cards.”

PD Na groaned, though the faint smile on his face betrayed his fond exasperation.

Jeonghan, as smooth as ever, simply smirked, leaning slightly toward PD Na. “Don’t worry,” he said in his signature charming tone, “we’re not going to use it in Italy. Promise.”

Luna, still avoiding eye contact, shuffled a little further away, muttering softly, “It was instincts.”

Jeonghan chuckled at her, reaching out to gently tug her back toward the group. “Come on, don’t leave me to take all the heat, Nana-ya,” he teased, his voice light and playful.

PD Na could only shake his head at the two of them, muttering something about how this trip was going to test his patience, while the rest of the members laughed at the predictable antics of Jeonghan and Luna.

A few minutes later, slowly but surely, SEVENTEEN and the production team filed into the jet bridge, chatting quietly amongst themselves as they prepared for the long flight ahead. The earlier flight had been short and easy, but this one was a long-haul international journey, and the members were already settling into a more relaxed mindset.

Once on board, they moved to their designated seats in the business class area, where spacious seating arrangements awaited them. The seats were wide, with plush cushions and blankets neatly folded on each one. Small amenity kits and bottles of water were already placed on their armrests.

Luna found herself seated in between Jeonghan and Hoshi. As she slipped into her seat, Jeonghan took the seat to her right, immediately reclining back and sighing in satisfaction. To her left, Hoshi was fiddling with the control panel on his seat, testing the reclining features and grinning when he was finally comfortable.

Around them, the other members were settling in, their chatter dying down as the reality of the lengthy flight sank in. Blankets were unfurled and draped over laps, earbuds were placed in, and some even pulled out neck pillows for extra comfort.

The hum of the plane was steady, a calm precursor to the hours ahead. With fifteen minutes left before the plane doors closed, the cabin was mostly quiet save for the occasional exchange of whispers or chuckles.

As the members settled into their seats, the cabin was filled with the quiet hum of activity. Some adjusted their blankets, reclining their seats to prepare for the long flight, while others scrolled through the in-flight entertainment. The calm was short-lived, however, when a sudden commotion broke out.

Mingyu, who had been rummaging through his seat, abruptly froze. His movements became frantic as he began looking around in growing panic. His wide eyes darted around the cabin as his face paled— he lost his passport.

Within moments, PD Na was signaling to a few crew members to follow him as he led Mingyu off the plane, presumably to retrace their steps back to the lounge where the passport might have been left behind.

In the meantime, the remaining members, now on high alert, began sifting through their own belongings. Pockets were checked and overhead compartments were double-checked, though all seemed to confirm that their documents were accounted for. Some glanced toward the front of the cabin, their expressions a mix of concern and mild amusement at the unexpected delay, while others leaned back in their seats, trusting that the issue would resolve itself soon enough.

A few minutes later, the tension was broken when one of the producers suddenly appeared in the aisle and announced, “The culprit was Dokyeom.”

The words immediately caught everyone’s attention. Heads turned, and even those who had been half-asleep looked up in curiosity.

“What?” Luna asked, lowering her phone as she blinked in confusion.

Jeonghan, seated next to her, glanced up from his own phone. “What did Dokyeomie do?” he asked, his voice laced with amusement but genuinely curious.

“He had Mingyu’s passport,” the producer said, clearly suppressing a grin.

Luna chuckled, shaking her head. “Really?”

“Dokyeom brought it?” Jeonghan followed.

“Dokyeom was holding two,” the producer clarified, causing Jeonghan to chuckle alongside him.

“At least it’s not actually lost and it was just here,” Luna said, her tone lighthearted.

Her comment earned a laugh from Hoshi, who sat on her other side. “Imagine if Mingyu had actually lost it. That would’ve been a whole new level of disaster.”

[Don’t even try to imagine]

As the laughter subsided, Luna’s eyes drifted to the front of the cabin, where she spotted PD Na standing near Mingyu and Dokyeom’s seats. The producer looked visibly haggard, his shoulders slightly slumped as he spoke with the two members. His exasperation was clear, even from a distance.

Leaning slightly toward Jeonghan, Luna nudged him and pointed discreetly toward PD Na. “Look at him,” she said with a small laugh.

Jeonghan followed her gaze and chuckled softly. “He looks like he’s already had enough of us, and we haven’t even taken off.”

It didn’t take long for PD Na to notice them watching him. He straightened up, giving the pair a look that was equal parts tired and amused before shaking his head. “First those two disappearing,” he began, pointing at Jeonghan and Luna, “then another loses his passport,” he added, motioning toward Mingyu. “And now another is a kleptomaniac,” he finished, referring to Dokyeom.

[#HelpPDNa]

The comment earned loud laughs from Jeonghan, Luna, and the rest of the members who had been listening in.

“We are still in Korea,” PD Na said, turning to the camera crew as if speaking directly to the audience. His tone implied that too much had already happened before their journey had even properly begun.

[That we are]

Once everything was settled and back in order, the members eased into the rhythm of the flight, the earlier chaos a distant memory.

Next to Luna, Hoshi busied himself with the GoPro, the small camera in his hands capturing snippets of their journey. He hummed softly to himself, a lighthearted melody carrying through the cabin. “Vacation, vacation, vacation~,” he sang under his breath, his excitement palpable as his knee bounced slightly in anticipation.

Turning his attention to Luna and Jeonghan, he noticed how the two are starting to drifted off, their exhaustion catching up to them after the long day. Jeonghan’s head tilted slightly to the side, resting comfortably against the seat’s headrest, while Luna’s cheek was pressed gently into the cushion of her seat. Their blankets were pulled up snugly, rising and falling with each peaceful breath. Smiling fondly, Hoshi couldn’t resist reaching over and giving their cheeks a light, playful squeeze, their sleepy faces making him grin.

“This is really exciting. Going on vacation,” he murmured, his voice soft as he turned to Dino, seated at his other side. Dino, just as energized about the trip, leaned closer to chat with him, their quiet exchange blending seamlessly with the ambient sounds of the cabin.

Soon after takeoff, the cabin lights dimmed, signaling the start of the long-haul journey. Half the members, lulled by the gentle hum of the engines, opted to recline their seats fully and surrender to sleep. Blankets were spread across laps, pillows adjusted beneath heads, and soon the soft rustle of fabric and steady breathing filled the space. The calm was a welcome contrast to the earlier bustle.

Among those sound asleep were Luna, Jeonghan, and Hoshi, their trio now completely at rest. Hoshi’s GoPro was abandoned on his tray table, while Luna and Jeonghan remained cocooned in their seats. Their reclined positions, paired with the warm glow of the blanket light on their faces, gave them a serene appearance. The slow rise and fall of their chests matched the rhythm of the flight’s gentle turbulence, a reminder of the calm that had finally enveloped them.

[Peaceful at last]

Meanwhile, the other half of the group, resisting the pull of sleep, opted to peruse the in-flight menu instead. Quiet chatter accompanied the soft clinking of cutlery as the cabin crew moved swiftly to accommodate requests.

For the sleeping members, however, time slipped by unnoticed. Hours passed without interruption, and even as the faint aroma of lunch filled the air, those in slumber remained undisturbed, their bodies and minds recharging for the adventure that awaited them on the other side of the world.

By the time dinner service rolled around, the cabin lights were dim but warm, casting a comfortable glow over the business class section.

Jeonghan was awake, his seat upright as he stretched his arms above his head, the tension of sleep melting from his limbs. A small, serene smile tugged at his lips as he turned toward the camera stationed discreetly in front of them, acknowledging it with a soft, playful expression before glancing to his left.

His gaze landed on Luna, still sound asleep in her fully reclined seat.

Her petite frame was curled up beneath the thick airline blanket, which was pulled snugly up to her chin. In her arms, she cradled her plush bunny, Cherry, its long ears peeking out from the folds of the blanket. Her face was peaceful, her lashes fanned out against her cheeks as her breathing came in soft, even rhythms. The sight made Jeonghan’s smile grow, his heart softening at how impossibly small and endearing she looked in that moment.

Next to Jeonghan, Hoshi leaned over slightly to get a better look. “Are you gonna wake her?” he asked, his voice low but laced with curiosity, as if he too was reluctant to disturb Luna’s peaceful rest.

Jeonghan shifted, his attention never leaving her. “She needs to eat,” he murmured, his tone thoughtful.

His hand moved instinctively, resting gently on her back atop the blanket. He began to rub small, soothing circles between her shoulder blades, his touch feather-light and careful not to startle her awake. He’d done this before— more times than he could count… earlier morning for example— and he found he didn’t mind. Waking Luna had always been a gentle ritual, one he approached with the same patience and care each time.

“Nana-ya,” Jeonghan called softly, his voice warm and coaxing. His hand continued its slow movements, the rhythm steady and calming. “Nana-ya, wake up. Dinner’s here.”

Luna stirred faintly, her brows knitting together as she shifted her head slightly against the plush pillow. A faint hum escaped her lips, followed by a sleepy mumble that was barely audible.

“Come on, sleepyhead,” Jeonghan continued, a tender laugh slipping from him as he leaned in a bit closer. “You need to eat something. You haven’t eaten all day.”

Her eyes fluttered open slowly, her gaze unfocused as she adjusted to the dim light of the cabin. “What time is it?” she murmured, her voice heavy with sleep.

“It’s dinnertime,” Jeonghan replied, his tone soft and patient.

Luna blinked a few more times, her brain slowly catching up as she looked up at him with a dazed expression. “Where are we?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

“Still on the plane, somewhere on Earth,” Jeonghan answered with a quiet chuckle, his hand moving to gently smooth down her hair. “We’re nowhere near Italy yet.”

“Oh…” Luna mumbled, her eyes starting to close again as her head tilted back toward the pillow.

“Ah, no,” Jeonghan teased gently, his hand shifting to lightly tap her arm. “You’re not going back to sleep just yet. Come on, sit up for me.”

With a soft groan of protest, Luna pushed herself up, her movements sluggish and reluctant. Her seat began to rise as she adjusted the controls, her blanket still draped over her lap. As she sat upright, she spotted the camera in front of them, and her lips curled into a small, sleepy smile. Lifting a hand, she gave a slow, lazy wave to the lens, her fingers peeking out from the blanket.

Jeonghan watched her fondly, a quiet laugh escaping him as she rubbed her eyes with her free hand, trying to shake off the remnants of sleep. “There she is,” he said softly, the affection in his voice unmistakable.

Luna looked at him then, her smile widening ever so slightly. “Did you really have to wake me?” she murmured playfully, though her tone lacked any real complaint.

“You’ll thank me when you eat,” Jeonghan replied with a grin, his tone teasing but warm. “Trust me.”

And despite her initial reluctance, the look in her eyes as she glanced back at him said she did.

[Food wakes her up]

Once their dinner trays were placed in front of them, Jeonghan leaned back slightly, his eyes flicking toward the camera. He grinned, his voice carrying a playful tone as he turned to Luna and Hoshi. “I feel like the members are going to get there, take their clothes off, and play in the ocean.”

Luna let out a soft yawn, still fighting off the lingering tiredness that clung to her even after waking. “Sounds fun,” she murmured, her voice quiet as she eyed the neatly arranged meal on her tray. Her movements were slow as she began to pick up her utensils, ready to eat.

Jeonghan’s gaze dropped to Luna’s top, where the small mic had been unpinned during her nap. Gently, he reached over, fingers deftly working to pin it back in place. “Hold still,” he murmured softly as he secured it to her shirt again. Satisfied with his work, he pulled back and smiled.

Hoshi, seated on Luna’s other side, seemed to be in his own world as he peeked down inside his tank top. His fingers tugged at the fabric, pulling it away from his chest to inspect it. Nodding to himself, he looked up at Jeonghan. “My shirt is so droopy,” he commented, matter-of-factly.

Jeonghan glanced over and raised a brow, noticing how the damp fabric clung awkwardly to Hoshi’s frame, weighed down from earlier. “It does look a little loose,” Jeonghan remarked with a faint smirk before returning to his food.

Hoshi shrugged and grabbed his utensils, diving into his meal. He chewed thoughtfully before speaking again. “Rice is good with just seaweed and kimchi,” he announced, his tone betraying a hint of longing as he looked down at his tray.

At that, Hoshi frowned slightly, realizing his meal didn’t include any kimchi. He poked at the rice with his chopsticks before mumbling, “Oh, I want kimchi.”

As if the absence of kimchi was suddenly more unbearable, Hoshi began tugging at his tank top again, trying to adjust it. The fabric stubbornly refused to stay in place, slipping lower as he fiddled with it. Luna, noticing his subtle frustration, glanced over at him.

“Do you want to ask them?” she asked, her voice soft and amused as she subtly gestured toward a nearby flight attendant. Catching the woman’s attention, Luna gave her a polite smile and signaled for her to come over.

When the flight attendant approached, Hoshi looked up, his tone hopeful as he asked, “Is there kimchi?”

The attendant offered him an apologetic smile. “We don’t have kimchi. We have shredded radish. Do you want some?”

Hoshi paused for a moment, considering his options, before nodding. “I’ll take the shredded radish,” he said with a resigned but polite smile. The flight attendant nodded and left to retrieve it.

As they continued eating, Luna couldn’t help but notice Hoshi’s repeated attempts to adjust his shirt. The constant tugging at the back of his tank top had her stifling a chuckle. Setting her utensils down, she reached into her pocket and pulled out a hair clip.

[Fidgeting]

“Hold still,” Luna said softly, leaning toward Hoshi. Before he could react, she took the straps of his tank top from behind and neatly clipped them together, effectively tightening the fabric to keep it from drooping further.

Hoshi blinked, looking over his shoulder at her with a wide grin. “Thank you,” he said, his tone genuinely grateful.

Luna smiled at him, her voice light and teasing. “Your whole chest was out, Shi-shi.” She reached out to lightly stroke his cheek, her gesture brief but affectionate, before she returned to her own meal.

Hoshi’s grin widened as he glanced up, his attention shifting toward the flight attendant who was approaching with his shredded radish. His eyes followed her eagerly, earning an amused look from Luna.

“Cute,” she said softly, her words meant more for herself than anyone else, but Hoshi caught them and laughed quietly.

Almost immediately after the word left her mouth, Luna heard Jeonghan’s playful voice next to her. “How about me?” he asked, feigning the innocence of a child craving attention.

Without missing a beat, Luna, accustomed to Jeonghan’s antics, responded absentmindedly, “The cutest.” Her tone was soft, yet distracted, her attention focused on the food in front of her.

But Jeonghan, ever mischievous, wasn’t satisfied. He leaned closer and poked her side just below her ribs, the action causing Luna to squeal and squirm in her seat, her blanket shifting slightly in the process. She turned to glare at him, her cheeks puffing in mock annoyance, which only made him smirk wider, pleased with himself.

Before she could say anything to scold him, Jeonghan quickly pointed to the screen on his seat, his smirk morphing into an expression of pure delight. “They have Harry Potter,” he announced, his voice slightly higher with excitement.

The words worked like a charm. Luna’s faux irritation melted away in an instant, her eyes lighting up as she turned to him, her tone now eager. “Really?” she asked, leaning forward slightly to peer at his screen. “Can we watch?” she added softly, her excitement tempered only by her shyness in asking him to watch together.

Jeonghan gave her a small nod, his smile gentle now. “We’ll watch together,” he said simply, his voice reassuring and warm.

The smile that spread across Luna’s face at his words was unmistakably genuine. Wasting no time, she pulled up her own screen, quickly navigating through the selection to find the Harry Potter series. She scrolled down until she found the first film, her fingers tapping swiftly but carefully to make sure she didn’t miss it.

Once it was ready on her screen, she glanced at Jeonghan’s to make sure he was on the same page.

Meticulous as ever, Luna leaned closer to his seat, checking his screen’s timestamp to align it perfectly with hers. She adjusted the slider carefully, ensuring both would start at the exact same second. Her brows furrowed slightly in concentration as she tapped to play both screens simultaneously, finally sitting back with a small sigh of satisfaction.

[The dedication]

She reached for her earphones and gently untangled the cord before placing them on her ears. Jeonghan, already settled with his own earphones, gave her an approving look, noticing how precise she had been to make sure their viewing experience was synchronized.

As the familiar opening notes of the iconic Harry Potter theme filled their ears, Luna leaned back in her seat, a small, contented smile tugging at her lips. Jeonghan stole a glance at her, his gaze lingering for a moment as her expression softened into one of quiet joy, fully immersed in the opening scene.

The rest of the cabin was peaceful, the soft hum of the plane’s engines blending with the faint murmurs of the other passengers. The subtle glow of their screens illuminated Luna and Jeonghan’s relaxed expressions as they enjoyed the movie together, the atmosphere between them warm and comfortable.

Outside, the plane continued to soar through the darkened sky, carrying them closer to their destination.

The thought of Italy lingered at the back of everyone’s minds— a new adventure waiting just beyond the horizon.

[SEVENTEEN is on their way Italy]

For now, the members rested, ate, and entertained themselves, their excitement bubbling beneath the surface. Each mile traveled brought them closer to memories waiting to be made, laughter waiting to be shared, and experiences they would hold close long after the trip was over.

[To be continued in Clip 1-3]

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kim mingyu - "i miss my lover."

genre - angst :( ~~in which fans find out you and mingyu are dating, so what happens next? inspired by, "Mr Loverman" by Ricky Montgomery.

on a chilly, rain-soaked eve, mingyu found himself compelled to seek out his beloved y/n, desperate for even a fleeting moment in her comforting embrace. The relentless paparazzi had driven them to this clandestine existence, stealing precious time together whenever opportunity allowed.

as he neared your apartment, his heart pounded with a potent mix of anticipation and dread. slipping inside using the spare key you'd entrusted him, he prayed for a few blissful hours lost in your warmth and love. alas, fate had other plans.

an inquisitive neighbor, spotting mingyu's arrival, wasted no time in alerting the media vultures. before dawn, scandalous images of him entering your apartment plastered every gossip rag and social media platform, accompanied by salacious headlines and wild speculation.

you, oblivious to the brewing storm, was jolted from slumber by an urgent call from her manager. the gravity of their predicament crashed down upon you as you grasped the extent of the damage. meanwhile, mingyu too faced the wrath of his own manager, a man aghast and appalled by his actions.

damage control kicked into high gear, with the agency releasing a statement that confirmed their relationship and announced an indefinite hiatus for the couple. fans erupted in outrage, feeling betrayed and deceived, their disappointment and anger palpable. a scant few voiced support, but the overwhelming majority made their displeasure known.

bound and gagged, you and mingyu could only watch in horror as their world unraveled. separated, phones confiscated, and movement restricted, you were left alone with naught but you thoughts, the weight of their choices, and the dire consequences that now confronted them. the love that once brought such joy now felt like a cruel curse, threatening to destroy all they held dear.

as the scandal unfurled, the couple was forced to confront the brutal realities of their situation. the public reaction was vicious, with hate-filled comments and death threats deluging their accounts. you and mingyu were branded traitors, liars, and worse, every move scrutinized and judged.

the agency, in a desperate bid to salvage their image, imposed strict surveillance and monitored the lovebirds' every action, limiting contact between them. you were dragged before the media for grueling interviews and press conferences, forced to defend your relationship and its love or your group's reputation. .... you sat across from mingyu, the dim lighting of the room casting your eyes, usually so full of love and adoration, were now dull and lifeless, reflecting the inner turmoil that consumed you. you stared down at your hands, folded neatly in your lap, unable to meet mingyu's gaze.

the weight of your choices and his, the consequences of your love, pressed down upon them like a physical force. the once joyful and carefree couple now carried the burden of betrayal and deceit, their every move scrutinized and judged by the unforgiving public eye.

"it's not that i don't want to be with you, mingyu," you said softly, your voice barely above a whisper. "but look at what our love has brought us to. we're drowning in this mess, and i... i don't know if I'm strong enough to keep swimming."

.... weeks after the break up, fans were mad, sad, and happy. mad because why would you break up such a joyful and lovely couple? sad because mingyu and you couldn't be together. happy because some fans claimed you were theirs and mingyu was theirs too. those were all opinions though. but a fact is that: mingyu still misses you. so very dearly.

MUSIC: Mr Loverman, Ricky Montgomery. @min9yu_k: i miss my lover, man. Liked by: ylangelegy, gyubakeries, hanniescookie, etc. COMMENTS RESTRICTED BY OWNER.

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about me: Hi! I’m Anix or Ani, I’m 22F and obsessed with fast cars and pretty boys!

This is my F1 side blog where I post fics. My main is firefirevampire, feel free to interact over there as well (posts tagged # from the archive are reblogged from main)

My favorite drivers are Franco Colapinto, Oscar Piastri, George Russell, and Lando Norris (in that order)

I write smut, so minors DNI! I do not accept requests, but feel free to send thoughts in the ask box and we can chat :)

Pattern in banner from @ soma_fra on twt | moon divider by strangegraphics-archive

☽ Masterlist | ao3 ☾

ex-trainee!reader x idol!seventeen (pt 1)

~~in which idol!svt wants to catch up with you after years apart. members chosen: seungcheol, jeonghan, joshua, junhui, hoshi. (pls ignore the time on the messages <3)

seungcheol:

jeonghan:

joshua:

junhui:

hoshi:

(pt 2 will have: wonwoo, woozi, minghao, dokyeom, mingyu, vernon, seungkwan and dino. basically the rest of the members)

When I go read a fanfic, but then see it was last updated over two years ago

Of course I am requesting emidiatly...

What kind of future by Woozi... with Woozi 🫡

I apologize in advance. Feel like this one is gonna be an agaty one.

although i don't wanna see you, i miss you although i hate you, i miss you i don't understand myself so well

wc <1k. warnings angst, cursing, missed chances, childhood friends to lovers to ??? jay’s musings (´°̥̥̥̥̥̥̥̥ω°̥̥̥̥̥̥̥̥｀) …

You’ve been avoiding your phone all day.

You saw the notifications from high school friends, got the pings on various social medias. Twitter has been going particularly insane about the news, SEVENTEEN’s producer trending with edits of his raw vocals turning into a fully furnished song.

After what felt like the hundredth message from your best friend, telling you to just listen to the goddamn lyrics damnit, you promptly put your ringer on silent and slipped your phone into your bag without a backwards glance.

Trudging into your apartment bedroom, you fall onto your comforter, tears caught in the back of your throat. You hated how you instantly knew what the song was about when you saw the title.

Like, come on—What kind of future? Could he be anymore obvious?

Your eyes subconsciously trail to the sticker-decorated headphones lying on your desk. They taunt you, promising secrets that only you would be allowed to unlock via the key of childhood memories. You huff and sit up.

Fine. You’ll listen to the damn song.

You don’t even realize your body is shaking until the cold settles into your bones, making your teeth chatter with goosebumps prickling your arms. There’s a tense silence that envelopes you in your room.

You’ve done everything you could to stay off his radar: moved cities, started new social media accounts, hell, even gone as far as to block some of the official accounts when you spontaneously gained the courage to. You can’t bear to look at any of them, even when you promised yourself you’d do your best to be happy for him.

Well, you wouldn’t be the only one breaking promises, you think bitterly, sliding your headphones on and connecting them to your phone.

You hit play on the new single before you can convince yourself to do otherwise.

In another world, you like to imagine that things between you and Lee Jihoon would have worked out. That at the end of the day, you’d be the one he’d come home to after a long day at the studio, wired and in need of comforting cuddles and a relaxing evening.

He was your everything, and you were his. You still remember his shy, lingering glances growing up; his small smiles whenever you praised his ever-flourishing musical skills; the feeling of his lips at your shoulder, quick and gentle, before tugging you along to wherever your next adventure was.

Before he belonged to stress, before he was SEVENTEEN’s, Jihoon was yours.

You couldn’t tell if the selfishness you hated was yours or his.

The song is on its second run of the chorus now. You’re caught in place, feeling trapped in a wide open room, biting your lip with so much force your teeth cut into your gums and draw blood.

It’s breathtakingly heartbreaking, his voice.

When Jihoon told you he was being recruited to potentially become an idol, you were ecstatic. You knew deep down this is what he was made for; to create for those he loved, perusing his dreams with no end in sight. You had hugged him tight, peppering kisses to his cheeks and the beauty mark underneath his eye, showering him in good wishes.

What you weren’t ready for, however, was the news that you wouldn’t be able to continue seeing him. The exact words were lost to you, too tuned out to remember entirely. Something about the company being incredibly strict. Something about passing tests, about having incredible self-control and appeal to the media.

“What’s going to happen to us?” high-school you whispered hoarsely; you have the feeling of being held in his arms etched into your brain so effortlessly.

The post-chorus lyrics catch your attention and you choke back a cry. What kind of future comes before us?

“Wait for me,” he had promised. “I’ll become someone you can be proud of. You’re my future.”

You wanted to scream at him back then that you were already proud, that if no one in the world knew and saw and loved Lee Jihoon, it would mean you were wiped from existence. But you were young, and foolish, and you only nodded at him, hope shining in your eyes.

Jihoon left the next day, and you haven’t seen him since.

The headphones are ripped off your head the second the music stops and his voice fades. You furiously dab at your face, clutching your chest with your other hand like you could physically grasp at your heart to stop the bleeding.

But really, what’s there to do when the organ that pumps blood and love to the other parts of your body fails itself, baring your soul to the entire world in the process?

A tear hits the blanket. Then another. And another.

And then, so many more that you’re wiping ugly, thick snot away with your fingers, sobbing violently into your hands.

You hate him.

And fuck, you miss him.

When did the two become the same word?

wanna queue a song?

From the Ashes Pt.50

Pairing(s): Pairing(s): Rhaegar Targaryen x Lannister!Reader, one-sided!Jaime Lannister x Lannister!Reader, Jaime Lannister x Cersei Lannister

Warnings: slow burn fic, changing povs, MC POV, long chapter ahead, the big 5-0 :)

Words: 6445

Part 1 Part 2  Part 3  Part 4  Part 5  Part 6  Part 7  Part 8  Part 9  Part 10  Part 11  Part 12   Part 13  Part 14  Part 15  Part 16  Part 17  Part 18  Part 19  Part 20 Part 21 

Part 22 Part 23  Part 24  Part 25  Part 26 Part 27  Part 28  Part 29  Part 30  Part 31  Part 32  Part 33  Part 34  Part 35  Part 36  Part 37  Part 38  Part 39  Part 40 Part 41 Part 42 Part 43 Part 44

Part 45 Part 46 Part 47 Part 48 Part 49

When Rhiannon and Ray arrived at Asshai’s harbor, the temple ship was already mostly submerged in the inky black water. A local harbor master had been peering out of his window and saw the whole thing, according to Inniros, who interrogated the slightly scared old man. Darkin didn’t make it a habit to go into the dark city. They stayed in the mountains, but one could tell what they were with one glimpse.

The salted old man told Inniros how giant tentacles pierced through the water and dragged their vessel down, as did whoever was on it. There were no survivors. No planks of wood breached the water's surface in a last-ditch attempt for salvation.

“So it was just some. . . Freak accident?” Jalsolin asks, something of hesitant disbelief crept onto his sharp features.

Loviisa shook her head. “No. It was anything but an accident. The harbor master said there were three hooded figures standing on the dock just before the sea creature awoke. They summoned it.”

Master Batur and Lady Nazneen, who had been sitting next to each other in matching arm chairs, glance at the other. A silent conversation danced in their eyes.

Logs in the fireplace snapped under the intensity of the flames that could never quite warm you enough. Especially now you realize you and everyone else were stranded in the Shadowlands. Unless another ship was procured in the city, if the harbor master had been so hesitant to talk to Inniros and Ray, then others might not be keen to help out foreigners allied with shadow dancers.

“Nothing to note on the way back?” Syzhal asks. The scars that disfigured her face flicker garishly against the orange and yellow afterglow of the flames.

Ray shook his head. “All was quiet. Perhaps a little too quiet but that’s how this whole land seems to be. Like you’re constantly being watched.”

“You are constantly being watched here.” Lady Nazneen taps her ringed fingers against the arm chair’s cushion. Her eyes, the only visible part of her face, are looking far off; like she can see the hidden spy of Asshai that carries whispers and secrets.

Melisandre purses her lips, considering what Lady Nazneen had said. “Do you or Master Batur have an idea of who those cloaked figures were?” She stood next to where Ray sat, her hands clasped in front of her. Weles stands at the fiery priest’s other side, for once biting his tongue. Carefully he observed the master darkins’ faces for any sign of deception.

Batur, with eagle sharp eyes, catch this and he levels his own ice blue eyes against Weles’ ones filled with accusations. “We have an idea of what it can be. Living in the Shadow Hills, we’ve come across many of Asshai’s residences. Both mortal and monsters alike. Creatures like them, they’ve lived here far before us. Far before the city of Stygai’s destruction. Their power is ancient and formidable.”

“From the attack we can ascertain that they know about (y/n). There were other ships still intact in the harbor.” Inniros immediately adds in, circling back to the concern both you and Rhiannon had whispered about before going to tell the masters.

There were many reasons why someone you had never met would want to kill you. Assassins sent by Cersei. Poachers that enviously eyed your beautiful dragon. Terrorists against the Faith of R’hllor. Many more could be added to the list that you weren’t even aware of. These old monsters of the Shadowlands though. . . You wondered what their reason was to maroon you in Asshai.

“Yes, that is certain.” Batur agrees with his pupil’s assessment.

The echoing sound of someone knocking on wood steers attention to mute Ulian. His pale face was full of concern. Right hand in front of face, palm facing him, his index finger and thumb form a small circle. It goes to clench three times before shape shifting with his index and middle finger looking like legs skating on an icy lake.

You still couldn’t decipher what his hand gestures could possibly mean. Always watching intently when he spoke through gestures, you had learned nothing from doing so.

Whatever it was made Syzhal’s nose curl up in disagreement and Qheen straighten his spine like a rod. Syzhal’s small eyes dart to her mistress. “My lady, I understand this girl is Azor Ahai reborn, but to actively go and look for the Morghons-“

“We are well aware of what it means. To make them an enemy would be ill advised but they have threatened the safety of Lady (y/n).” Nazneen silences the argumentative Syzhal.

Morghon. That sounded very close to the Valyrian word for vulture.

Master Batur gets to his feet in such a quick motion that has Inniros, Loviisa and Ulian flinching. His tone is clipped when he announces “The Lady Nazneen and I will search for the three assailants. They couldn’t have gotten very far.”

“Please take one of us with you.” Syzhal hastily looks to Nazneen, not liking the idea of the woman who raised her being in any sort of danger. “While the two of you have more power than any of us, it is still not wise to go in two against three.”

Lady Nazneen regards Syzhal thoughtfully before turning to Batur. “We do lack Ameer’s shadows. It wouldn’t hurt to take two others with us.”

A click of his tongue was the only sign of his acquiescence. Lady Nazneen turns to Syzhal and nods. “You will come along with us. As will Inniros.”

That caused a moment of thick silence as Inniros turns to the darkin masters. “With all due respect, I desire to stay here to protect (y/n).”

Qheen derisively scoffed from under his mask. Batur only stares at the one-eyed darkin. Their pale blue eyes were near identical to the other’s. Their high cheekbones also gave them mirrored features.

Not even Nazneen dares to intervene between master and pupil. Their relationship had always been a tumultuous one since the day Batur pulled Inniros from his dying mother’s arms. It was his mother though to give him up to the darkin master without a fight.

Batur’s lips were pressed hard together as he fought to initially reject this request. He glances over to you though and seems to come to a decision.

All but ignoring Inniros and pretending he had never asked, Batur calls out for Qheen to join them. The masked darkin bows respectfully.

“What do you plan on doing when you find them?” You abruptly ask.

”We will decide when we find them.” Was all Batur had left to say before leaving the room. Lady Nazneen and the picked two follow shortly after.

Weles takes his turn to address who was left, mainly your original group from Volantis. “Are we just supposed to stay here?”

“It’s safer here than out there.” Rhiannon points out. “I’m sure it won’t take long for veteran darkin to find who they’re looking for.”

“We need to send some sort of message to the temple.” Ray murmurs more so to himself but it’s loud enough for everyone to hear. His usual jovial air had dried up leaving his eyes dark and contemplative.

He wouldn’t say what everyone was thinking though: even if a ship was available to them, what would stop the Morghons from doing the same thing.

Jalsolin sighs and leans his head back, making it hang over the chaise lounge. “It’s best to wait for the masters to return. While we haven’t been on friendly terms with them, they respect the power and history of the darkin. There’s a slim chance that Lady Nazneen and Master Batur can talk reasonably with them.”

Ulian grimaces, a flurry of hand motions weaving into a sentence which only the darkin understood. Loviisa offers him a strained smile. “Master Batur knows better than to be surly with them. He can be a diplomat if the occasion calls for it.”

Melisandre’s red skirts flutter as she moves to her feet. “I must look into the flames for guidance.”

The Fiery Priest nods to his female counterpart leaves with her. Melisandre had paused at the door to cast you one last look. You’d been slacking in her training to read flames. You never liked the idea of someone being able to look into the future. Witches in Westeros knew the art of divination and many of those stories never end well for either party. But it was how Thalina found you. R’hllor deemed her worthy and gifted her with the natural born talent of transcribing flames. Her skill was below Alizah’s; the blind girl was able to view full body apparitions, crystal clear.

Turning to the ginger darkin, Loviisa asks him “Any word from Ameer or the other two?”

“You know how long it takes to contact those in the field. They’re good at remaining hidden. I think Syzhal was able to get in touch some way with Osana.” Jalsolin shrugs. “She doesn’t really share any of her methods.”

Loviisa rolls her eyes at Jalsolin and corrects him. “No, you just never paid attention in Master Ameer’s classes.” The darkin, much like the rest of Westeros, used a system of hand raised ravens that lived in one of the towers. These ravens were bred to be specifically larger and more aggressive so that the only people who could ever become into contact with them safely would be other darkin. They wore harnesses with special wards and charms that kept the carnivorous bird on coarse until they reached the destined recipient. To enhance the leather of the harnesses was what took the longest time. A darkin had to bind a bit of their shadow to the leather as well to ensure that they would be alerted when their missive arrived safely. It required patience which Jalsolin had always lacked when it came to his studies.

Ameer wasn’t just a master darkin. Born in the City of the Winged Men. One of Tyrion’s book had mention of the neighboring city and how those who were born there possessed leathery bat wings. His wings, Loviisa stressed, were not the only thing that made him the most prolific darkin in history. Ameer also had a natural talent for magic and alchemy.

Your fingers itch to write to your younger brother. Tell him all the stories he had read as a lonely child were all true.

Weles didn’t care about this legendary darkin. His priorities were to let the Temple know what had transpired. “Then I’ll need to commandeer one of the ravens.”

One of the darkin would need to go with him. Loviisa volunteers and she ushers the Fiery Hand captain down the hall to the set of stairs that led to the ravenry.

Those who had remained in Batur’s sitting room follow you back outside to find Latilth seemingly on edge.

She circled the mountain courtyard, her long neck craning to the sky as if she expected something to pop through the gray clouds. Low trilling noises vibrate deep in her throat. Maybe she was feeding off of your own anxiousness. Whatever it was disturbed the youngling.

When she spots you, she wastes no time in scampering over to you. You hold out your hand and she immediately presses the tip of her snout against your palm. It hadn’t been that long ago that her head had been smaller than your hand. The Asshai’i air seemed to be nourishing her and making her grow exponentially.

“It’s okay.” You tell her. “We’ll find a way back.”

Her startling flame orange eyes close with content and she presses her nose further against your hand.

Smiling, you run your other hand along her sparkling scales of her cheek and along her neck. Latilth shivers in delight, her whole body trembling under your touch.

“She acts like an overgrown dog.” Jalsolin chuckles in amusement. “Can’t say I’ve ever seen a dragon do that.”

“But you have seen dragons before?” Rhiannon asks but keeps her golden eyes on you and your dragon.

“From afar yes. Don’t normally make it a habit of getting up close and personal.”

You turn around and grin at him cheekily. “Would you like to?”

All swagger fled from him and Jalsolin swallows hard. Not wanting to look like a coward in front of Rhiannon, Jalsolin nods and with one foot in front of the other he stands a little behind you.

Latilth’s eyes shoot open from the new scent. She pulls away from you and stands tall on her mighty two limbs. Her mouth opens a little bit in a growl, several sharp teeth poking out that gave a slight hint of the terror hiding inside of her beautiful body. The rows of small spikes that ran from the top of her head down to her tail rustle warily as you move and urge Jalsolin forward.

His legs were stiff as he positioned himself next to you. To show Latilth that he was a friend, you put one hand on Jalsolin’s forearm and stroke it gently. “See Latilth? Friend. Jalsolin is a friend.”

You hear Rhiannon giggle from behind you. It was easy to forget that Latilth was a dangerous creature. Your group had been around her since the moment she hatched. Latilth never showed aggression for those she remembered from being a hatchling.

“Hold out your hand.” You instruct Jalsolin. “And breathe. She can tell if you’re nervous.”

“‘Course. Nothing to be worried about right?” Jalsolin dryly forces out a chuckle to overcome his nerves. “It’s just a dragon. A fire breathing dragon who could decide to eat me at any moment.”

“Don’t flatter yourself.” You could hear the grin in Inniros’ voice. “Latilth has much finer tastes.”

You saw the a slow, shaky breath leave from his chest as he follows your instructions. he raises his left, freckled hand toward Latilth. Keeping your own on Jalsolin’s arm, you nod toward Latilth. “Māzigon, Latilth. Issa raqiros. (Come, Latilth. He is a friend.)”

In response to your soothing tone, Latilth lowers her body into a less threatening posture. Still, she keeps her wings ready to leap into action if she disagrees with Jalsolin. Inside you knew she wouldn’t hurt Jalsolin, at least not while you stood so close to him.

Her heavy steps could be felt from the soles of your feet. You really got a look of how big she’d grown since Volantis. The horns on her head and jawline weren’t mere stubs anymore. They looked deadly like the tips of swords.

Slitted nostrils inhale his scent before blowing it back out in a hot gust of air making Jalsolin’s bright orange hair sweep back from his face. In the spray of his hair you caught the golden gleam of blonde hair hiding among carnelian. His tan cheeks bloom brightly, heating up from Latilth’s natural body temperature.

Before contact could be made, an ear piercing shriek shakes the trees and has everyone wobbling, struggling to remain upright.

Latilth’s scales lift in agitation and she lets out her own roar although it had no chance in outmatching the first one. The Shadow Hills become deathly silent, not even Latilth appeared to breathe. You doubt for a moment that anything ever happened. Then a familiar flap echos in the clouds like claps of thunder.

So slowly the body of a large shape became clearer to reveal a dragon.

Air hitches in your lungs, unable to escape. An image of Balerion’s skull flashed in your mind. This dragon had to be the same size as the Black Dread. Something was wrong with it though. It didn’t fly straight. Gait wavered as if it was intoxicated and couldn’t see straight.

“Will the barrier hold against a dragon that large?”

A few trees bent in the dragon’s erratic path but it was getting closer until you could see a light purple glow atop of its back.

Seafoam green scales were now distinguishable on the dragon.

“AZOR AHAI REBORN.” Someone’s raspy voice could be heard as the dragon settle among the leaf stripped trees, smashing them into mere splinters. It’s deep set eyes were in a hazy daze, large head bobbing from side to side. Such a magnificent creature reduced to a disgraceful state. A nerve in you flares with indignation as it did in Latilth who let out another wail.

You reach for her, not wanting Latilth to get into a fight she could not possibly win.

The dragon lowers its head and three figures with glowing staffs climb off one by one. Hoods on their cloaks were pulled over their faces. You knew who they were though. The Morghons.

You couldn’t really say that the Morghons had faces. Not exactly. Where there eyes and nose should have been was a smear of molten flesh, disfigured by the fires of the Seven Hells by the looks of it. Lips were also missing or if they did indeed have them, then they were very thin. Black lined their mouth though and pulled back to reveal sharp teeth. Their flesh, gray like a corpse, was pulled tight against their skeletal forms.

“You are forbidden from leaving the lands of Asshai.” One of the rasped out, a crooked finger sticking out in your direction. “For we have seen the chaos you will bring upon the world.”

Chaos? No, you were meant to prevent chaos.

A near identical Morghon steps forward as well to speak. “Thanks to you and your dragon, the magic in the world has been renewed tenfold.”

“That’s good though. Why do you have a qualm against that?” Loviisa shouts. The crawling of darkin shadows make the ground almost pitch black as they lurched and wove into one large expanse. They inch like sharp fingers towards the trio of Morghons and the dazed dragon.

Hisses seethe from them at her impudence. They were ancient and compared to Loviisa, she was just a baby to them. She needed to be careful with the way she spoke to them. “Watch thy tongue girl. We can level this pit in mere seconds.”

Just to prove a point, they stamp their staffs agains the ground and the sea foam colored dragon lolls it’s head up. Everyone took a step back as it aims it’s head at the mountain range behind you and releases a furious stream of flames from it’s mouth. The dead trees that clung to the mountainsides immediately took to the flames. Shrubs and whatever other foliage could thrive were set ablaze.

They kept going until the entire western side of the hills was scorched black.

Latilth moves to lunge, but you put a hand on her heaving chest. Her feral eyes turn and acknowledge you as she lets out a shrill whine.

“Because you have submerged the world into one where magic reigns all powerful, the universal struggles for power will be turned upside down.”

“Not everyone should be able to wield powers that divine those like us.” First Morghon motions to their triad.

You still weren’t seeing what the exact issue was. “I don’t understand.”

Third Morghon cackles cruelly. “You don’t understand because you are but a child playing a game she shouldn’t.”

Chillingly, the Third Morghon sounds like a distorted version of your father’s voice. “I’m meant to stop the Others, meant to stop eternal darkness. How is my presence also doom?”

“You, Azor Ahai Reborn, hatched the first dragon in centuries that was not in the Shadowlands. Not just that, you hatched it with your ethereal flames bequeathed by R’hllor.” Second Morghon points an accusatory finger at you. “A union like that sparked the flame of magic into action. It could be used for wars to come in the future.”

Darkly aware of the implications they were leading up to, you grimace but breathe steadily through your nose. If you freaked out, Latilth would feel it and acct without thinking. She was already chomping at the bit and you were highly aware of how obedient she was being. One thing you were always told in stories about them was how dragons could never truly be tamed. The Targaryens learned that early on in their history. Yet there she was, your Latilth, acting like an anxious pup and not a lethal animal. Easily she could have bitten your arm off at any moment.

Weles mimics your breathing style to slow his racing heart. These ancients beings meant to kill you. Not budging an inch, his fingers incessantly drilled against his leg yet ready to reach for his weapons in seconds.

“Why do you care so much?” Questions Jalsolin.

“The pestilence of selfishness and war will bring them to the shores of Asshai. Magic is a child of the Shadowlands. There is nowhere else where magic has been stronger than here.” The Secong Morghon clicks it’s tongue against fine pointed teeth.

That makes Jalsolin bark out a bitter laugh. “So you figure it’s better for the entire world to end than for others to come to Asshai?”

The primary Morghon, nods. “Yes. Better for the world to end. You have not seen what we have.”

You shake your head, unable to believe their words. If what they said was true, theen it was already too late; even if they did kill you. Magic will have already been felt amplified around the known world. Pointing out this flaw did nothing to persuade them.

“You are a beacon of magic. That’s how we found you so easily when you stepped foot in Stygai. All those monsters sensed it too. Wherever you are is where magic will be strongest. We can’t let you leave Asshai and we cannot let such a pure concentration of power reside in this world.”

Latilth, understanding the tone of the Morghons, angrily screams at the trio before taking off after them; flying above your arm. You fell aside from the gust of wind she sent down with her wings.

A wave of their unified staffs had the dragon behind them rousing back into action.

There’s a ringing in your ears thanks to her earlier shriek preventing you from hearing the others scream after both Latilth and yourself. You were on your feet already and running for Latilth. That dragon could easily rip her apart. Here winning any fight against it was hopeful thinking.

You didn’t want to lose her.

You couldn’t lose her.

Inside you, you felt like if you died alongside her, nothing else would matter. As long as you tried to save her. What did the rest of the world matter to you if the one good thing to happen to you is once again taken away?

She was your greatest accomplishment. Your greatest love.

Morghon controlled, their dragon opens its mouth right in the path of not just Latilth, but everyone else that was standing in horror.

The present darkin grabbed the closest people next to them and disappeared into their shadows seconds before the flames came at them.

All you could manage to do was brace yourself and shield your face from the intensity. Instead you feel a wave a nausea take hold as a cold hand grabs your ankle and drags you down into utter darkness. You tumble around in nothingness as the hand still has a grip on you.

You’re spat back out in a flurry of visual confusion. Inniros is next to you, secure fingers gripping your arms and attempting to steady you.

“Latilth!” You cry, adjusting your eyes back and registering your new surroundings. Slim trees go on relentlessly for miles. You don’t know how far you are from the original sight, but when your gaze wobbles up to the skies, you see the emergence of wings above the tree tops a few feet away.

The flapping wings are desperate though as they messily flap and strike down closeby trees. Under you the ground trembles. Fire was spreading fast and smoke was curling upward.

A horned head could be seen though shaking violently; trying to get something off of it. Pale glinting of her scales verified the nuisance as your Latilth, her talons viciously clawing at the Morghon Dragon’s face. She had managed to make one of their eyes raw and bloody. Too small and too fast Latilth flits around it, the large dragon was unable to shake her off.

Inniros quickly pulls you back when you move to go after her again. When you turn you find that his eyepatch was missing, singed remnants fluttering ash. Where another blue eye should have been was a red, empty socket with thick keloid scaring around the rim.“Wait. Wait (y/n)!”

“I can’t wait!” You shortly snap at him. “Whatever happens to me. . . I just need to get to her! That’s all that matters to me right now.”

He arcs his face above to follow where your eyeline had been so glued to. “Do you have a plan?”

“No.”

You knew the Morghons would probably be waiting for you, lurking and hiding easily with their waif thin bodies. They wouldn’t let you escape with your life. But there was no way you could take on whatever they were. Old masters of the Shadowlands should be feared rightfully so. Even you wouldn’t be able to kill them.

“Alright.” Was all Inniros said. “We better hurry then.”

Fervently nodding, the two of you start running toward the furious roars and screeches that followed random flashes of fire as each tried to maim the other. Inniros hooks his arm with your’s and again, you sink below the surface of the earth.

You full the propulsion of your body flying fast through the depths of the universe. A protective arm loops around your front and instinctively you hold on until the blur of trees rights itself into a clear picture where you could see seafoam wings flail and two clawed feet restricted from any movement by thick, black pools. The other darkin were trying to keep it from causing anymore damage. But while they kept it from moving, they were completely vulnerable to attack from the Morghon, wherever they had run off to. You didn’t doubt that they were nearby. Rhiannon and Weles stood off to the side to let the darkin do their thing while also keeping an eye out for the hooded figures.

When spotting you, she picks up the singed hem of her dress and runs to you. Relief has her face relaxing enough for a smile to prosper. You meet her in the middle, returning her embrace. The smell of smoke was perfumed into her hair. “You’re going after her?”

You nod against her shoulder before both of you release. “Not my best idea. I don’t even have a plan but I can’t let her fend off that dragon by herself.”

Rhiannon looks over her shoulder to the three darkin that were doing their best to contain such a large beast. Their brows twitch from the strain and you even see Ulian’s pale cheeks burning from the effort.

In the distance you could vaguely make out two voices.

“Melisandre and Ray.” Inniros knowingly says as he caught up to you. Giving you and Inniros encouraging pats to the back, she lets you pass to get closer to the large talon feet. The leg mujscles in the magnificent beast quiver with its fury. Latilth was no longer in it’s face but had started to peck at the nape of it’s meaty neck. Was she trying to dislodge something?

Cupping your hands around your mouth, you call out her name as loud as you could. She stops her assault, head shooting up in realization that it was you. Removing her nails from the grip she had, Latilth dodges a leathery wing; swooping underneath it. Her snout was a mess of blood but you didn’t see any wounds that would tell you it was Latilth’s blood.

You’re about to reach a hand out to pet the smooth scales on her forehead until Latilth sweeps you off your feet and onto her back. She barely gives you enough time to register what was happening and cling on to her ivory dorsal horns for dear life. You squeeze your eyes tight at the feeling of your body turning upside down, your weight almost ripping you off from Latilth. Things happened in a matter of seconds, your throat couldn’t even muster up a scream.

Her body was sluggish with the extra added weight, but Latilth struggles on until she reaches the top of the dragon that was still thrashing about but growing weary from its attempts for freedom.

Nails dig into the nape of it’s neck and you finally slide off of her while blindly grasping for some support to prevent you from flying off.

Cracking your eyes open and digging your nails into the massive scale under, in front of you is a raw crystal crudely jammed right into dragon flesh. The stone, at first glance appears black in color, but catching the light it turns out to be a blood red crystal. Torn, pink skin was paired with the fresh red of blood from various deep gashes.

Gritting your teeth, you dig your feet and fingers deeper and make your climb up to it. Was that what Latilth had been trying to get at?

Confirming your suspicion, Latilth is once again pouncing on it in with claws and dragon fire which enraged it even more. The crystal was deeply rooted, all of Latilth’s attacks were futile.

A dark energy pulsates against your fingertips when you brush them out, inches from a mirror-smooth surface that whispered of control and pain. Your arm quakes under the pressure of such an aura.

This reeks of Morghon.

That was how they were controlling this stumbling dragon that was mentally fight against their dark magic.

When you try to force through the barrier, a sharp grip immediately squeezes around your arm and Latilth’s ear splitting shriek nearly has you going deaf. She rips your into the air as pain in both your arm and leg have you crying and clawing at Latilth’s leg as you hold on for dear life. You barely catch the image of two of the Morghons on the seafoam dragon; exactly where you had just been.

Clenching your back molars, you manage to swing yourself up on Latilth’s back; almost slipping when she evades the snapping of jaws.

What should have been a momentous occasion, you couldn’t afford to spare a second thought to the fact that you were riding a dragon. Just like the Targaryens of old. No Lannister ancestor could boast that. You would most likely be not just the first, but the only one of the Lannisters to succeed in such a feat.

All you could focus on was holding on tightly for dear life as Latilth has to make a sharp redirection as the flapping of a colossal wing nearly smacks into the both of you.

She was nowhere near big enough to comfortably ride and Latilth wasn’t accustomed to the added weight of your body.

Past the gaps of wind that hisses past your ears, you hear the warning shouts from down below. You dare to look over the side of Latilth to see three figures being propelled away from the Morghon’s dragon and flat onto their backs.

Now untethered, the large body gains wind and propels itself upward. Right to you and Latilth. Legs curl into it’s torso so that clawed feet are aimed and ready to skewer you.

Latilth roars and lets out a stream of fire. Smart to use the distraction to her advantage, she swoops under it’s belly.

At the speech Latilth was flying at, there would have been no chance for her to come to a quick stop even if she had seen a barbed tail swinging toward her.

In slow motion, a green tail descends upon you and Latilth.

Rhiannon watched the whole thing in horror and felt the guttural scream leave her stomach as she watched both (y/n) and Latilth be struck down by the Morghons’ dragon.

Burning tears spring forth and blur her vision when she starts to run in the direction of where they had fallen. She could just hear herself sobbing violently “PLEASE R’HLLOR” in a repetitive chant.

When pitch black envelops her sight and a coldness crept up on her, she thought it was death itself. Rather it turned out to be Inniros shadow dancing them until they sprung back up to the surface. Latilth’s body lay still in a tumble of branches and broken trunks. Deep gashes leak blood over her normally glittering cream scales.

Both Rhiannon and Inniros hurry to Latilth’s body. Inniros instantly goes to check the young dragon’s breathing. All the while Rhiannon holds her breath, hands stuck to her mouth. Wildly she runs her eyes over their surroundings. The dragonling had wrapped her wings around the front of her body in a protective manner.

Inniros’ shoulders sag in relief. He mumbled something in that weird Asshai’i language before switching to Valyrian. “She’s breathing. Latilth is breathing.”

At the sound of his voice, one of Latilth’s eyes opens. Slowly, she unfurls her wings to reveal (y/n), unconscious but otherwise fine.

“Latilth protected her.” Rhiannon gulps down the gross sob she had nearly let loose into the world. Sinking to her knees, she crawls closer to (y/n) who looked like she was sleeping.

The other darkin, having lost control and needing to evacuate the others, appear. They appeared ragged and drained of color from their face. It had taken a lot out of them trying to wrangle in the charmed dragon. Melisandre and Ray take in the sight in seconds and are already next to Rhiannon.

Weles stared, his dark eyes flicking nervously up to the sky.“We need to move her.”

Melisandre shakes her head. “We can’t-“

Weles snapped his dark gaze at the red woman, his nose crinkling like a feral animal. “If we don’t move her, they will find her and kill her.”

Staggering forward, Loviisa addresses Inniros “Take her back to the manor. She’ll be safer there. The wards are strongest there.” Then she turns to regard Latilth. “I’ll try to shadow dance the youngling.”

Rhiannon helps Inniros gather (y/n) into his arms while overhearing Weles ask Loviisa credulously “Are you able to do that?”

“Can’t say if I am, but I’ll try. Jalsolin, you can handle transferring two people at once, right?”

“Yes but-“

“Good.” Loviisa paid no attention to whatever Jalsolin had to say next as she instructs Ulian next. She realized early on that there weren’t enough darkin to get everyone to safety all at once. Ulian was too young to carry more than one passenger and Inniros had his hands full carrying (y/n). Jalsolin might have to dash to get the rest once he dropped off the first two. “Ulian, escort Lady Rhiannon alongside Inniros.”

(y/n) began to rouse from the fall. Her bruised eyelids flutter lopsidedly in her struggle to gain further consciousness. “L. . .Latilth?” She breathed out.

Inniros’ one blue eye softens. “It’s alright. We’re getting the both of you out of here.”

“Latilth.”

Rhiannon crowded next to Inniros. “Latilth’s breathing. She’s still alive.”

Pulling through, (y/n) successfully keeps her eyes open. “Where. . .”

“My lady, please stop talking. Conserve your strength.” Melisandre begged.

Latilth limps up onto her hind legs and hobbles to (y/n) with a coo. Insisting that she be put down, Inniros gently stabilizes her on the soles of her feet. They met halfway, each half of the soul they shared. (Y/n)’s arms wrap around Latilth’s horned head, pressing her forehead against hot scales. A whisper is shared that Rhiannon couldn’t hear but felt the sentiment.

“Hey guys,” attempts Jalsolin once more “we really should get the hell outta here.”

Ray nodded. “Yes, he’s right. Melisandre and I will go with him. Nuha kosh, Inniros is going to take you back to the Manor of Shades. Loviisa says she can take Latilth.”

She broke contact with her dragon and frowned. “But the Morghons. . .”

“There’s no fighting them. Not while they have both a dragon and powers we cannot even begin to fathom. Darkin are not invincible. We are still human.” Loviisa told her patiently.

“They will keep coming though.” (Y/n) replied quietly. “If their goal is to kill me then they will not stop until it is accomplished.”

Uncertainty has Ulian shifting from foot to foot. His hands anxiously move, catching Loviisa’s attention.

“Maybe. If they were to listen to any of the masters, it would be Master Ameer, but he’s not even here right now. Master Batur and the others must have realized by now that they were misdirected and heading back.”

”We thought you stupid, child, but you speak wise words.”

Latilth opened her jaws in a deadly scream and nearly knocked over (y/n) trying to get in front of her. A rebuke from (y/n) once again has the youngling back in line but her teeth are still bared at the three Morghon that abruptly appeared out of thin air. In immediate response, a ring of protective fire sprung forth from the ground by the praying of Ray even if he knew that any and all endeavors were useless.

To her credit, their champion didn’t cower before the ancient ones. Fear kept no home on her features. Green eyes smolder to a violent firey hue and her skin glowed with whispered of divine flames.

“Hand over Azor Ahai, Children of R’hllor.” Nails of ice run down Rhiannon’s back at such a voice. “In exchange we will spare your lives.”

(y/n) pushed back the protesting hands of those who only desired to keep her safe. They shirk away at the sight of determination blazing about her. “Azor Ahai is right here, Ancient Ones.” Easily she passed through Ray’s flames without a sign of scorching on her. “You, who have foreseen the dread I will spread on the world with magic. Yet where is your proof? I cannot simply take your word for what it is.”

They hiss and almost descend upon her with claw like fingers, but somehow they restrain that indignant part of themselves. “You doubt our power?”

“Of course I do. You say one thing while those who have similar powers as yourselves say something entirely different. And so far from what I’ve experienced, they seem to be right on a lot of things.” A risky move to be saying such disrespectful things to the Morghon. Taunting their power was unwise. (Y/n) stood off against them. “Show me then this future that you see.”

Taglist:

@boywivlove

@esposadomd

@domoron

@yentroucnagol

@enchantingcupcakecollectionfan

@bregarc

not for sale 💳 mingyu x reader. (2)

celebrity!mingyu and small business owner!reader. check out 🛒 not for sale's masterlist.

› scroll through all my work ദ്ദി ˉ͈̀꒳ˉ͈́ )✧ ᶻ 𝗓 𐰁 .ᐟ my masterlist | @xinganhao

vernonboxd 🎥 vernon x rockstar!reader.

movie nights are sacred to you and vernon. a little extra for my catch you when i can verse. ♡

ⓘ established/long-distance relationship, fluff, use of pet names, movie 'reviews' as headcanons. referenced this letterboxd list for some movies vernon has mentioned or recommended.

OOO VERNONBOXD.

Recent Reviews of letterboxd.com/11203km

The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014) ★★★★ Watched April 9, 2022

🐻‍❄️ says: visually pleasing, classic anderson. saoirse ronan if u read this im free on thursday night and would like to hang out. please respond to this and then hang out with me on thursday night when i'm free. (jk 🎸 ily)

🎸 says: apology not accepted ^ but i loved the tongue-in-cheek humor & deadpan dialogue. agatha & zero's romance >>> would watch again if i needed to see something pretty.

edited to add: if u need to see something pretty, just look in the mirror. ;) yours, 🐻‍❄️

Spirited Away (2001) ★★★★ 1/2 Watched June 10, 2023

🎸 says: breathtaking, show-stopping, one of ghibli's bests. a crown jewel of animation. incredibly word-building and i will die on that hill despite SOME PEOPLE'S contrasting opinions. i want it on record that i wanted to give this five stars. alas, 4 and 1/2 is a compromise.

🐻‍❄️ says: not arguing w a rockstar. whatever u say beautiful.

Luca (2021) ★★★★ Watched November 4, 2023

🎸 says: andiamo! has all the elements of a feel-good pixar flick. setting, dialogue, friendship. "we underdogs have to look out for each other, right?" need to go to italy. wink wink, nudge nudge.

🐻‍❄️ says: booking that flight rn. anyway: well-paced comedy, stunning animation, reminds me a lot of finding nemo. powerful & moving ending (surprisingly). can also open some discussion re: climate tolerance.

edited to add: wait you're kinda hot for that.. - 🎸

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (2013) ★★★ Watched December 20, 2023

🐻‍❄️ says: one-time watch typa beat. peaked at the cinematography but story, script, and pacing could have been better. loses composure because of how fantastical it is. overall, just ok.

🎸 says: not much to say about this movie, but i did like the quote -- "to see the world, things dangerous to come to, to see behind walls, draw closer, to find each other, and to feel. that is the purpose of life." words to live by.

Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022) ★★★★★ Watched January 21, 2024

This review may contain spoilers. I can handle the truth.

🐻‍❄️ says: can't wait to do laundry and taxes with you in this life. (:

› scroll through all my work ദ്ദി ˉ͈̀꒳ˉ͈́ )✧ ᶻ 𝗓 𐰁 .ᐟ my masterlist | @xinganhao

Eyes of the Gods Masterlist

Pairing - Caracalla x Reader, Geta x Reader, Caracalla x Reader x Geta

Summary - It takes only once for them to notice you. Nothing will be the same after you have caught the eyes of gods.

Warnings - minors dni, 18+, unedited, blood, background character death, gladiator fighting, eventual dub-con, pining, obsessive affection, more to be added

Part One

Part Two

Part Three

I’ve planned for about 10 chapters total

dividers by @enchanthings

pictures from radio times article and google

Last Kiss

Pairing : Billy Hargrove x Fem!Reader

Summary: A freak accident took you away from your boyfriend, and he doesn't know what to do with himself, he's never faced a loss like this in his life.

Warning: Reader death (car accident), lots of suicide ideation (overdose, driving a car into a lake), suicide notes, swearing, Billy and reader are still in high school (entering their senior year), Billy says lots of hurtful stuff to his family (due to grief), vomit, substance abuse (drugs and alcohol), suicide (overdose), no happy ending

Word count: 3,151

A/N : Grab your tissues, this made me cry until I dry heaved. Loosely inspired by Pearl Jam's cover of Last Kiss (X) These are extremely heavy triggers please proceed with caution.

August 12, 1985

Billy laid in his room, cigarette between his lips, exhaling the smoke before doing the same thing. School was starting in three days, he was finally a senior and as soon as he would graduate in May 1986, he'd leave Hawkins with you, going back to California. He was on babysitting duty once again, Neil and Susan were who knows where, and Max was in her room with her weird friend, as he heard them giggling.

Music blared in his bedroom; he didn't even realize anyone was at the door until Max's fist banged on his door. He rolled his eyes, fixing the black shorts on his hips. He got up, putting the cigarette in an old beer can, shaking it a little before putting it in his trash can. He opened the door, "Need money for pizza?" Max shook her head, she looked odd, he noted the way her eyes were teary, Jane in the hallway, looking at Max.

"Chief of police is here, he needs to talk to you." His mind began racing. He was trying to figure out where to hide his ounce of weed. "Tell him I'm not here." Max shook her head, "You really need to talk to him." Billy sighed and nodded, leaving his room, shutting the door behind him. Max went to her bedroom, Jane following right behind her. Billy went to the front door; Jim Hopper was sitting on the railing of Billy's porch. Billy shut the front door and Jim looked up, hit hat off of his head.

"What'd I do?" Hopper shook his head and Billy raised a brow, sitting on the steps of the house and Jim joined him. "My dad and Susan?" Jim shook his head once more, clearing his throat. He reached into his back pocket, grabbing his wallet and he pulled a small clear bag out of it, handing it to Billy.

A bloody picture of you and Billy was in the bag, he looked at it, his stomach churning. He put it down, looking at the grass, trying to contain what he had eaten that day. "I don't know how you guys know each other, but that was in her car. It was a freak accident; a truck driver was falling asleep and didn't see her car." Billy grew increasingly nauseated, Jim putting the image in his head. He began to sweat, pushing his hair back.

"She's not okay, is she," he asked, choking on his words and the bile building up. Jim shook his head, "She passed a few hours ago, her parents didn't want anyone there." Billy leaned over the railing, throwing up in Susan's flowers and Jim put his hand on Billy's naked back, patting gently.

Billy spit a few times, trying to get the taste out of his mouth and he pushed his hair back again, wiping his mouth on his hand, wiping the liquid on the wooden railing. "Is your dad here?" Billy shook his head, "No, I don't know where he's at." Jim nodded. "When's her funeral?" Jim looked at Billy, "I'll come by when I find out." Billy nodded, looking at the picture again.

They were pictures from the Funfair from a photobooth, he remembers exactly how the night went. "Her mom said you were around a lot, even met them." Billy nodded, those were the first and would be the last set of parents he ever met. "Yeah, she was my girlfriend, was gonna be a year in December." Jim nodded and a static voice came through his radio, someone needing him at the station. "Take care of yourself, Billy. If you need anything, you know where to find me or ask my kid in there for our address.

Billy nodded, quietly thanking Jim and he got up, putting his hat back on his head and patted Billy's shoulder and walked to his car. Billy watched Jim leave, looking up at the sky, doing his best to contain his tears. He got up, going back into the house, Max and Jane on the couch. He handed Max money, "For your dinner," he said before going to his bedroom, slamming the door shut and he locked it.

He carefully took the strip of pictures out of the baggy, putting it on his bedside table that held a picture frame of the two of them at prom. He looked through his room, finding the black box that held a locket, his name engraved into the pretty heart locket, your guys' first picture in it. He snapped it shut, hoping you'd have an open casket service so he could put it with you.

He laid back down, letting his mind run rampant with memories of the two of you. Hours must have passed as he saw Neil's truck headlights pull into the driveway. He hoped for his sake that Max had ordered dinner and had cleaned up afterwards. He heard Neil's heavy footsteps go through the house and then he heard Max's door open as he heard her cry, most likely in search of her mother.

He heard a soft knock on his door before he heard Susan's voice, "Billy, I'm so sorry." He heard her soft footsteps leave his door and his brain finally came to terms that you were gone. He curled up, stuffing his face into his pillow as he cried, his body shaking with his cries as he struggled for air, gasping through his hiccups and sniffles.

Almost two weeks after he found out about your death, the funeral was held, Max joined him along with Susan, Neil out of town for his job. Your mom hugged him, rubbing his back and your dad hugged him, something he had never done before that day. It was an open casket and as everyone left the room, preparing to go to the cemetery, he walked to the front of room. He stood above your body, more tears falling, and he held the locket in his hand.

He felt someone's presence, someone was behind him, probably Max or Susan waiting for him since he drove them to the service. He unclipped the locket and put it around your wrist, clipping it back together. He looked down at the silver ring on his finger, something his mom gave him. At this moment, he didn't care, his mom never left a hole in his heart like this, he'd forget about his mom with time, but he'd never forget you and the mark you left on his heart.

He slid the silver ring off of his finger, holding your cold left hand as he slid it onto your ring finger, where the diamond ring he would've bought you, would sit. He looked at you, you didn't look any different than you usually did. He grabbed one of the chairs, moving it closer to your casket and he sat down.

"What am I supposed to do now," he asked, "I haven't gone to school, I think I'm going to drop out. I haven't left my house either until today, because I needed to say goodbye to you. I keep taking it out on Max and everyone else, I've never been this angry before, I think I'll always be like this. I know if you were still here, you'd tell me that you would want me to move on, but I can never do that, no one is going to treat me like you did."

He gulped, trying not to choke on his tears, "I decided to stay here so I can be close to you, I'm gonna come see you every day, just like I did when we were dating." He wiped his face with the back of his hand, "I love you, and I'm gonna love you forever, because you're doing the same for me." He moved the chair back, letting his fingers touch yours, trying not to react to the coldness of your body.

He turned around to leave the room, your mom standing in the doorway of the vast viewing room. "We have something for you." He nodded, following her out of the room, and out of the building, to the car where your dad was standing at the trunk. Billy walked over, wiping his face, his eyes burning from crying so much. Your dad opened the trunk, two boxes in it. "We kept what we wanted to, this is everything that has you two in it, your clothes that she took from you, and other stuff we thought that you would like to have." He nodded, thanking your dad and your mom hugged him again.

"You're still family and welcome to our house whenever, Billy." He nodded and thanked her, and your dad helped Billy take one of the boxes to the Camaro and Billy opened the trunk as your dad put the box into the trunk and Billy shut it, placing the other box in the backseat beside Max. Her hand went to reach out, "No, that's not for you. Keep your damn hands to yourself." He moved the driver's seat back to its regular position as he started the car.

He looked in the mirror, sighing as he saw Max looking out of the window, "Look, I'm sorry, alright? I shouldn't have snapped at you." She shrugged, "It's fine, I get it. That's her stuff." He nodded and he followed the black hearse to the cemetery. They all arrived, and he fixed his black dress shirt, throwing a blazer on and Max and Susan got out of the car. Billy met up with your dad, your brother that was a few years older than you, and other family members that he never got to meet.

Billy didn't want to be a Pallbearer, but your dad had asked him, and he couldn't say no to him. The six of them talked as the funeral director opened the back of the hearse. "Okay, so Billy and I will be in the middle since we're going by height." Everyone nodded at what your dad said.

Your dad introduced Billy to your uncle, grandfather and cousin and he shook their hands. Your grandfather and uncle grabbed the back of the casket as Billy and your father grabbed the handles on the middle and your brother and cousin grabbed the front handles. Your casket moved to everyone's shoulders, their other hands grabbing onto the handles as they all began walking to your grave site.

Susan held Max's shoulders as Max wiped under her eyes. They all put your casket on the contraption and took their seats, Billy sitting with your parents, Max and Susan on the other side of your mom. The funeral director began speaking before your dad got up and gave a speech. Your mom gave a speech as well, along with your brother and Billy stood up as your brother left the podium, your brother putting his hand out and Billy clapped his hand to his, leaning in and their shoulders touched, and your brother sat back down.

Billy grabbed the crinkled, tear-stained notebook paper out of the pocket of his blazer. He pushed his hair back, clearing his throat. "I'm Billy, I'm," he cut himself off, "was her boyfriend." He couldn't bring himself to say your name. "I had a whole speech prepared, but nothing I say will ever amount to how much I truly love her, how she made me feel during tough moments. We met on my first day at Hawkins High, I asked her to be my girlfriend in December and I met her family in January. I had never had a girlfriend before her, she made me feel like everything was okay during family problems, like nothing could hurt me. She was always so happy to see me, there was never a dull moment with her. She was the first person to tell me that they loved me and actually mean it. We did everything together; we were glued at the hip. We would have graduated together in May 1986 and then we were going to move to California and start our new life there, get married and have kids later on in life."

He wiped his face with his index finger, looking at your casket. "The Funfair was one of our last dates, she hated heights, but I was somehow able to convince her to go on the Ferris Wheel with me. She freaked out the first two minutes were on it." Your brother laughed with your dad and Billy chuckled at the memory, "We used to go on late night drives to the diner on the outskirts of town, we'd go to the lake just to go sit on the dock and look at the stars." He looked at your casket one more time, this last sentence for you and you only, "I love you more than I can ever say, I just wish I got to tell you one more time." He cleared his throat, a single tear slipping from his right eye, onto his paper.

He thanked the crowd and sat back down at his seat and your dad put his hand on Billy's shoulder. Everyone watched your casket get lowered into the dirt before someone began covering it with dirt, your headstone showing to everyone the more the dirt pile shrunk. People began leaving, your brother and Billy talking behind a tree as they smoked cigarettes. "You're still my brother, even though she's not here anymore. You need anything at all, you know where to find me." Billy nodded, thanking him.

"Is it hard for you?" Your brother nodded, "Very, I moved out because I couldn't sleep next to her room anymore knowing that she wasn't in there." Billy nodded. "How's school?" Billy hummed, "I don't go, haven't left my house since Jim Hopper came to my house to tell me that she passed." Your brother hummed, nodding in understanding. They finished the conversation and Billy saw Max and Susan at the car, ready to leave. He sighed, not ready. "I can take them back to your house, I know where it's at. Cherry Lane, right?" Billy nodded, thanking him and your brother walked to the girls, and they got into his car.

Soon, Billy was the last one left, and he was to your headstone, sitting right beside it, the dirt still too soft on top of your casket. He took a deep breath, "This is fucked up, I was supposed to go first from natural causes." He put his hand on top of the headstone, rubbing a ridge just like how he used to rub your skin. "I wonder how much these plots are, might as well put my down payment for the one right next to you," he chuckled before sighing.

Many weeks passed and not a day went by where he wasn't high or drunk. He was able to get ketamine, weed, and some type of pills. He was hoping that something would be laced with something that would kill him. He was mean now, to everyone he knew. Max did her best to breakthrough to him, but she ticked him off weeks ago when she said she understood the feeling and he freaked out, leaving his house and ending right back at your burial sight. She didn't understand, no one in his family knew how he felt.

He had gone through loss before, his mom leaving, his grandparents passing away, but nothing fucked him up like your death did. Now, he sat in his bed, weed in his system as he wrote notes, sealing them in envelopes as he wrote names on the front of the envelopes. He wrote one for his entire family, your brother and parents, and one for you. He had dreamt about his death, sometimes when he drove by Lover's Lake, he wondered if he'd be able to crash his car into the water, but determined he was too good of a swimmer to go through with it.

He knew that his drug supplier wouldn't give him anything laced, so it was in his hands. He finished his notes, coming to terms that he wanted to die. He left his bed, putting clothes on and making sure he had his wallet, making sure his driver's license was in it. He made his bed one last time, quietly making his way to Neil's bedroom as he found the high strength pain meds from a past surgery, he hoped they would still work.

He walked back down the hallway, shutting his bedroom door, walking past Max's bedroom, sliding the envelope under her door, leaving Neil and Susan's envelopes on the coffee table in the living room. He grabbed the keys to his Camaro, driving to your parent's house, putting their envelopes in the mailbox before he made his way to your brother's apartment complex, talking to the person at the front desk as they slid it into his mailbox.

Billy made his way back to his car, making his last stop at your grave, wedging your envelope between the vase and the headstone. He rubbed the top of the headstone before going back to his car. He looked at the plot right next to you, hoping that Neil would respect his last wish to be buried right next to you.

Billy made his way to Lover's Lake, the last place the two of you spent time at. He looked at the pill bottle, popping the top and started off with four pills, swallowing them with water from a bottle that had stayed in his car for days. He took more, and more until the bottle was empty.

1 AM

Max walked into her bedroom, seeing the white envelope on her floor and she picked it up before she heard the front door open, hearing Neil speak to someone before the door shut and she heard Neil scream like he was in pain. She tore her envelope open, and her eyes welled up at the opening words.

"I'm sorry for everything I put you through."

She felt sick to her stomach, clutching it as she read the letter as she heard her own mother cry, Neil's cries were the loudest. Someone knocked on her door before it opened, Susan standing in the doorway before she walked into the room and wrapped her daughter into a tight hug. Max sobbed into Susan's neck and Susan tightened her hold on Max's body, swaying them. "He was in pain, baby, he felt like he had no other option." Max cried harder, wishing she had tried harder to help him.

That night, two families were broken, your family dealing with two losses and Billy's family having to come to terms with his death, Max taking it the absolute hardest, because maybe just maybe, they could have been best friends and do what normal siblings do.

Bully - Part 2 of 3

warnings: controlling parents, very brief smut

taglist: @bbyhargrove @whore-of-the-pumpkin-patch @shamidreamer @180-fuck-me @rosey96 @hargrovesswifee @irish-newzealand-idian-dutch

A routine has fallen in to place, Billy’s at your locker every morning with that arrogant smirk on his face and his hand out to ‘steal’ the Hostess snack from you. Little does he know, you started buying two instead of one and more days than not, you buy Snoballs for Billy because you’ve learned they are his favorite of the Hostess variety. You never buy a Ding Dong again, still feeling incredibly embarrassed at the dirty joke he’d made but you switch it up sometimes so he doesn’t suspect you’re buying it solely for the purpose of him. As it turns out, you like the attention you’re getting from him, even if it isn’t very nice attention.

Almost every night the past few weeks, your hand sneaks into your pajama pants as images of Billy flood your mind. You don’t know how to touch yourself, no idea where to even begin but you firmly press your palm against your vagina over your underwear as you think about Billy’s face and his voice. His voice excites you most. You do that until you fall asleep and the stickiness on your thighs has been annoying but not as bed as having to hide your underwear in the morning, afraid of your mother finding it and flipping out about you being a slut or something. You don’t know if liking Billy in this way makes you a slut but you still feel ashamed every time.

“What’s up, loser?” Billy’s voice coats your ears as you begin dialing in your code. The words are meant to be cruel and Billy curses himself for how flirty his tone comes out, glancing around to see if anyone heard.

“Good morning,” you tell him, unzipping your backpack and grabbing the packet of Snoballs and sliding them into his palm.

“You’re like obsessed with these,” he comments, raising an eyebrow. He gives your face another once over and then asks, “What’s that all over your face?”

“It’s called makeup,” you reply, cheeks reddening. You’d put it on in the gas station bathroom and you’d have to wash it off there on your way home.

“You trying to impress some guy?” Billy asks and his tone sounds almost jealous, possessive. It makes your heart beat faster as you think, yeah, you.

“Who is he?” Billy asks pointedly when you don’t respond, looking around like the imaginary suitor could be nearby.

You shrug, taking pleasure in his apparent jealousy though you don’t understand it.

“Probably some other geek,” he snivels, pushing himself up from your locker and retreating down the hall. The interaction leaves you wanting more, craving for him to look at you like that again. It’s odd, though. You can’t fathom why he’s taken an interest in your social life other than to antagonize you for the lack of it.

As you’re walking to class, you see him grope Tina’s ass but his eyes are trained on you and the high pitched giggle she gives hurts your heart. You didn’t even realize they might be a thing. However, she is typically right behind him and making rude comments about your appearance when she can. You force yourself to ignore the jealousy coursing through your blood and get yourself to class.

-

Billy’s outside, smoking alone against the gym wall. He looks up as he hears a vicious laughter and sees you walking with your books pressed tightly to your chest. The laugher is coming from a tall brunette boy behind you, Billy thinks he’s a underclassmen, maybe a sophomore or junior. He takes a drag from his cigarette as he watches on curiously. He wonders if maybe this is the boy you’re wearing makeup for. The kid gets really close to your face, Billy tries to make out what he’s saying but it’s hard to tell from here. He feels jealous, wonders what makes this guy so special. Then the guy shoves your shoulders, causing you to drop all your books to the ground. Billy tenses, it’s like looking in a mirror but instead of the excitement he usually gets from seeing the anguish on your face, he’s incredibly angry. He’s pushing himself up off the wall just as the kids shoving you a second time, however this time, you fall to your knees and hands. Billy barrels over to the bully and you, he grabs onto your elbow and lifts you to your feet before grabbing a hold of the kids collar and shoves him against the wall.

“You like putting your hands on girls?” Billy growls and the kid whimpers and squirms beneath him. “You think you can just push her around?” he seethes, dropping the kids collar.

He winds up his fist, ready to knock the kids lights out when he hears your sniffling. Instead, he shoves the kid and tells him, “I fucking see you even look at her and you’re dead. You hear me?”

“Yeah, yeah,” the kid says frantically, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’ll leave her alone.”

“Now get the fuck out of my sight,” Billy let’s go of his collar. The kid scatters away quickly but Billy doesn’t give him a second glance. He’s stalking over to you and grabbing a hold of your elbow and guides you to the parking lot, ignoring your confused protests. He opens the door to his Camaro and instructs you to sit.

He walks around and pops his trunk open, your eyes following him curiously. Your hearts racing, trying hard not to look at the scrapes on your knee. When you see blood, you panic and you’re already trying to hold back sobs. Billy standing up for you was strange, when you saw him walking over, you’d fully expected him to join in and then when you saw the absolute rage in his eyes. He walks back around and squats down in front of you, lifting a tiny red first aid kit and resting it between your legs. You suddenly feel self conscious, worried that from his angle he can see your underwear so you grab the hem of your skirt and try to cover yourself. Billy pops open the case and grabs out a small stack of antiseptic wipes. He rips open one with his teeth and locks his eyes on yours. Your breath catches in your throat, seeing Billy on his knees between your legs brings chills up the back of your thighs and you choke out a small sob, quickly bringing the back of your hand to wipe away the tears.

“Why are you doing this?” you ask, softly.

Billy begins cleaning up the wounds on your knees, the alcohol on the pads stings the sensitive skin and you hiss.

“Sorry,” he mumbles, “It could get infected if you don’t clean it.”

“No,” you hiccup, “why are you being nice?”

Billy sighs, reaching back into the case and pulling out the tube of Neosporin. He squeezes the ointment on his finger and gently coats the scratches with it. “What do you mean?”

With a sniffle, you continue, “Why do you care? Why did you yell at him?”

“Is that the guy you put all the makeup on for?” Billy looks back up at you, his eyebrows furrowed. He doesn’t get why you’re not thanking him for standing up for you, so he figures that must be why. “That guys a loser, you shouldn’t like him.”

“Huh? What? No, I don’t like him,” you mumble, watching as Billy puts bandages over the cuts. “I just mean, you’re always so mean to me, why are you being nice now?”

Billy closes the box up and looks back up at you, “I’m not mean to you.”

“Yeah, you are,” you argue, “You’re very mean to me. Now you’re acting like you care about me. I don’t understand.”

Billy stands up, looking down at you now. He leans his arm against the side of the Camaro as he peers into your eyes. From his view, the sun catches on your face beautifully even through the shine of your tears, Billy thinks you look gorgeous. He sighs and then mumbles under his breath, “I like you.”

“What?” you ask, unable to hear what he said.

“Nothing,” he groans, pulling you to your feet with a grip on your elbow. “You better get back to class, loser.”

“See?” you shriek, pointing at him. “Mean. You’re being mean, again.”

“It’s not mean,” he seethes as he crosses his arms.

You scoff, feeling your blood boil, “If it’s not mean, what is it? You think it makes me feel good when you call me names or trip me in the halls?”

Billy grins suddenly and it only makes you angrier, you don’t understand him at all. He’s the most confusing person in the whole world. Maybe that’s part of it for him, this is just all a part of his bullying.

“I’m not being mean,” Billy bites his lip and traps you against his car, placing a hand on either side of your shoulders, “I’m flirting with you, loser.”

“Flirt- what?” you look up at him incredulously.

You’ve never experienced someone flirting with you before. You’ve never in your life had a single boy show any interest in you but you didn’t think what Billy was doing was flirting. It kind of makes sense to you, though. Since the teasing had started, you began feeling certain things you’d never felt before, you found yourself looking forward to seeing Billy at school but every girl at this school thought he was cute and you thought so too, so you figured you just liked any attention from such a cute boy. Flirting wasn’t being mean though, was it? That’s not what you’d seen in movies or the romance novels your mom kept hidden in the laundry room. You’d tried to read them a handful of times but always got too embarrassed.

“Flirting,” Billy chuckles, “do you know what that is?”

“Yes!” you fumes, cheeks ablaze. “If you’re flirting with me then that means…”

Billy’s hand drops to your waist, curling around the flesh and squeezing, “Means what?”

You swallow the lump in your throat but it does nothing to help the words climb through. Billy seems to like the reaction he’s getting from you, his fingertips traveling up under your top and ghosting the sensitive skin. You panic, jumping from the touch and pushing his hand away.

“Do you like me?” Billy asks, dropping his hand to his side.

“I don’t know,” you whisper as you look down, embarrassed by the way his touch has made your legs feel shaky.

“You know,” he sings, hooking his knuckle under your chin and urges you to look back up at him. “How does it make you feel when I touch you?”

“Uh…” you swallow hard, eyes darting across the freckles decorating his nose and cheeks. He’s so pretty, his intense gaze has you hypnotized. You don’t even try any further to answer him.

Billy chuckles and steps away from you, “I’m just messing around with you.”

You grab your backpack and scurry off before he can say anything else. You hear his car start up as you’re rushing back to the school, not daring to look back at him.

-

“What happened to you?!” your mother exclaims when you walk through the door.

“Oh, I tripped,” you lie as you try to walk past her. She grabs a hold of your wrist and pulls you back.

“Is that makeup?” she inquires, her tone more sad than angry.

You bring your hand up to your cheek, realizing that you’d forgotten to wash it off on the way home and you’re certain that there’s trails of mascara staining your face. In the daze that Billy had left you in, you’d walked home like a zombie, thoughts clouded with his words, eyes and fingers.

“Momma,” you mumble, “I’m sorry. Some girls at school wanted to put it on me. I was trying to make friends.”

She peels your backpack off and dumps the contents onto the floor, seeing for herself that you were lying as the tube of mascara, lipstick and the tiny compact of blush fall out. Along with the Hostess snack you’d neglected.

“What has gotten into you?” she scolds, “Is it a boy?”

Visions of blonde curls, icy blue eyes and pink lips force their way into your head as you shake it. “No,” you mutter, “I’m just trying to fit in.”

“Acting like a whore is no way to fit in,” she bites back.

You sniffle, tears making their return and you find yourself wanting to run back out the door to find Billy.

“I’m sorry,” you whisper, getting on your knees to collect your school items and shove them back into your backpack. You pick up the makeup and hand them to your mothers expecting hands. Without looking up, you know she’s stomping to the kitchen to throw them away.

“Go to your room,” she orders and you obey without a protest, shutting the door behind you and finding solace in your bed.

Curling under the covers and closing your eyes, wrapping your arms around yourself. You picture it’s Billy’s arms around you and you find yourself finally answering his question.

“Yes,” you whisper to the empty room. “It feels good when you touch me.”

You wonder what would have happened if you’d just answered him, would he have kissed you? His words before you left ring through your ears, I’m just messing around with you.

-

Your mom has started to pick out your clothes before school. The only dresses and skirts you’re allowed to wear are the ones that go past your knees. Billy’s noticed, thinks the way he approached you scared you and that maybe you were ashamed of the way he looked at you. So he does a complete 180, he stops antagonizing you but not only that, he stops talking to you all together. Which in turn has your self confidence plummeting. You assume it’s because you’re no longer wearing what you wanted to wear.

You’re eager to get his attention back. The first plan is to sneak one of your shorter skirts in your backpack and change into it when you get to school. You had to get crafty since your mom had taken to doing backpack checks before you left each morning. You folded it up as small as you could and volunteered to take the trash out, while you were outside you hid it in the neighbors bushes.

However, when you’re at school and you’ve changed into it, Billy’s eyes still don’t follow you like they used to. Even when you’re walking past him and Tommy in the hallway, you drop your pencil and bend over to pick it up but when you turn around, Billy’s not watching, he’s chewing his pinky nail and looks totally engrossed in whatever dumb thing Tommy is blathering about.

Determined, you start hiding skirts and low cut shirts in your locker, along with some makeup you’d purchased at the drugstore. You purposefully start walking by his car during lunch, where he’s lounging with his friends and you hope that his friends say something to you just so he’ll have a reason to look at you. It doesn’t work. Tina and Carol make comments but Billy’s eyes never fall on you. You’re getting more desperate by the day.

You’re beginning to gather the attention of other boys but it’s nothing compared to the way Billy used to look at you. They’re nervous in their approach, fiddling with their fingers and unable to hold eye contact. Billy’s all about eye contact, like he can see something in there. God, you’d give anything to meet those blues again. Still, you attempt to flirt back with the new suitors, trying to at least learn how but none of them flirt like Billy did. None of them make your heart beat so fast you’re afraid it’s gonna jump right out of your sternum. They don’t make your thighs feel warm and tingly. You don’t think of their faces and voices in the middle of the night when you can’t sleep.

Phase two is in order, you decide. Buying a Snoball every morning and placing it delicately on Billy’s desk behind you in English class before he even walks in. Again, he doesn’t speak to you, doesn’t even look up at you but you hear him open the package and eat the sweets. You wish you weren’t so shy, wish you could turn around and demand his attention but him not rejecting the snack is a win, you think.

One day, it starts up again. In English class, you feel a little tug on your hair. First, you ignore it, certain it was an accident. Then, Billy twists a bigger chunk between his fingers and yanks your head back. You yelp, hands moving to cover your mouth the second the sound flies from it. You turn, Billy’s released his grip on your hair and is pretending to be really interested in something on the ceiling.

“Ms. Y/L/N,” the teacher scolds, “Is there a problem?”

You quickly shake your head, “No. Everything is fine.”

Rubbing the back of your head, you know your face is bright red from embarrassment but mostly from excitement. You weren’t sure why, but you were aroused at the feeling of Billy pulling your hair. You figure it must be from begging for his attention for weeks and finally getting something. It felt so good, you push your hair past your shoulders and onto his desk, urging him to do it again but he doesn’t. However, he knocks the book off your desk when the bell rings, turning to lock eyes with you as you bend down to pick it up, that arrogant smirk plastered across his face. You feel warm all over.

-

Billy was freaking out internally, the way your outfits got less and less revealing, he was worried he’d creeped you out so he panics and ignores you for weeks. He wasn’t good with rejection and that’s what this felt like. To be honest, he’d never truly been rejected romantically.

He notices the short skirt the first day you wear it, but he tells himself there’s no way it’s to catch his attention. Especially when he notices more and more boys talking to you. He figures that you didn’t wear it for him, but for some other boy. When you drop your pencil as you’re walking by, suddenly the rant Tommy’s spewing about his and Carol’s latest fight is the most interesting thing he’s heard. He gnaws on his fingernail and forces his eyes to stay glued to his friends face. He swears he hears you huff as you stomp away, but tells himself it’s wishful thinking. Your outfits get more and more revealing by the day and it drives Billy crazy but he’s a strong man, he refuses to let it get to him.

Then there’s a pack of Snoballs on his desk every day for a week and he’s convinced you’re trying your absolute hardest to tell him you like him without actually saying the words. And Billy likes playing games, so he still doesn’t say or do anything. He wants you to get so frustrated that you scream at him.

Little by little, he begins fucking with you. It starts with grabbing the handful of your hair and pulling your head back. It’s much more aggressive than he’d been in the past but you silently beg for him to do it again, pushing your hair over your shoulders and covering his desk with the strands. He pretends he doesn’t notice, folding his hands behind his head and actually listens to the teachers lecture, daring you to turn around and look at him. When you don’t, he decides he’s gotta do something else, a way to let you know he’s back. He pushes your book off your desk, smirking down at you as his eyes fall to the exposed cleavage as you bend over. The smile on your face tells him everything he needs to know.

The next day, he’s waiting at your locker and you weren’t anticipating it so you’re wearing the outfit your mother picked out. It’s a long skirt that goes to your ankles and a floral button up. You blush, seeing him standing there. You avert your eyes, focusing in on the dial and entering the code.

“Morning,” Billy says, “Hiding something?”

You roll your eyes, grabbing the skirt and shirt you’d hid in your locker and shove it into your backpack. “Be right back,” you mumble, rushing away to the bathroom.

When you exit, he’s still waiting by your locker but he lets his eyes drink in your new outfit. He particularly likes the knee high socks and it’s then that Billy realizes you must have strict parents and for whatever reason, that makes this all the more exciting. The fact that you’re breaking rules just to impress him makes his mouth water.

“You hide a closet in your locker?” he asks when you drop your backpack on the floor.

Blushing, you don’t give him the obvious answer but instead open your locker back up and shove the clothes you arrived in behind your textbooks. You pull out the Hostess snack and hand it to him, seeing the laugh rising in his chest before you hear it.

“Ding Dong, huh? You hinting at something?” he pockets the snack and grins at you.

“Maybe I am,” you admit, willing your cheeks to stay pale. You close your locker and lean against it, looking up at him. Billy bites his lower lip and in the moment, he doesn’t care if it looks like he’s chatting up the nerdiest girl in school. Doesn’t care if anyone notices or says anything.

“Can I pick you up around 8?” Billy asks and you almost shiver, stunned that your plan worked but incredibly nervous at the same time.

You jot down your address on a piece of paper, wondering if you’re exactly ready to lose your virginity on such short notice. However, you’re not sure you can go anymore time without Billy’s attention and you’re willing to get it by any means necessary. You wonder if maybe he’s not after that, but your mother says every man is and Billy is exactly like the boys she’d warned you about. Somehow, that excites you and you want to find out if she was right after all.

“I’ll see you at 8, loser,” Billy tugs on your pigtail before pushing himself off the locker and walking down the hall.

The name is becoming endearing, even if it’s not a nice thing to say to someone it still makes your heart swell. Your fingertips move up to wrap around your pigtail and you tug on it like he had, smiling as you watch him saunter away. Now the hard part, how were you going to sneak out of your house at 8 pm? Your parents were still awake then but they stayed in their room to watch TV, your mom would check on you around 9:30 but she never came into your room, just peeked in. You could easily make it look like you were in your bed.

Giddy with excitement all day, you bounce to and from class. Billy beats you to English class and he winks as you walk in, causing your heart to flutter while you make it to your seat. When you sit, he grabs a hold of your pigtail and pulls it.

“Don’t think I’ve seen such a big smile on your face before,” he comments when you turn to him. He rests his chin on his palm as he looks at you under his heavy eyelashes.

You blush, “You have to park like a block away from my house. Eight is kind of past my curfew.”

“Are you gonna get in trouble?” Billy asks, sounds like he’s actually concerned.

You shake your head, “Only if I get caught.”

Billy nods against his hand, his left hand lifts to grab the necklace you’re wearing and you look down as he gently caresses it.

The teacher closes the door and begins her instruction, you turn with her and focus your eyes up front. Billy won’t stop touching you. He fumbles with the collar of your shirt, traces his fingers against the back of your neck and arms. You have to squeeze your thighs together, gripping your pencil even tighter but you don’t want him to stop. These touches are even better, they’re soft and make you melt.

You’re surprised he’s doing this where eyes can catch it. Occasionally when you glance back, the look on his face makes your stomach tighten, he looks entranced. You don’t know it but he’s fantasizing about taking your clothes off and running his fingers along every inch of your body. When he suddenly stops, you turn to see him shuffling in his seat and he exhales softly, averting his eyes towards the clock in the classroom. You’re oblivious to the fact he’s trying really hard not to pop a boner in class.

Billy lingers after the bell rings and he waves to you, “Later, loser.”

“See you tonight.”

ੈ✩ love island (smau) ੈ✩

pairing : lando norris x reader

tw : fluff; suggestive, tiny tiny angst, jealousy love island coupling, mentions of other celebs as cast, kissing pictures

fc : Jung HoYeon

a/n : AHHH! THIS IDEA WAS IN MY HEAD FOR SOO LONG ! also did y’all really think just because s2 is here, we are going to forget the main s1 simp? She is so pretty, I can’t -

·:｡･ﾟﾟ･ ✩ ･ﾟ ･ﾟ·:｡･ﾟﾟ･ ･ﾟ·:｡･ﾟﾟ･ ✩ ･ﾟ ･ﾟ·:｡･ﾟﾟ･･ﾟ·:｡･ﾟﾟ･ ✩ ･ﾟ ･ﾟ·:｡･ﾟﾟ

liked by user1, user2 , lando and 347,387 others

loveislanduk @ lando JOINS US FOR THIS SEASON !!!!

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user1 that's it. I am dead

user2 seeing landhoe being more hoey?

user3 BRO IS DOING EVERYTHING AS A SID E HUSTLE

user4 fuck paddock, I am going on a padi vacation

user5 SHIRTLESS LANDO 25X8 !?!?

user6 does mclaren even know !?

user7 THE SAUCY CHALLENGES YALL !?

user8 so you are telling me, he is going to cheat on Carlos !?

user9 I would love to see the grid’s reaction…

user10 I can imagine max saying simply lovely

liked by user1, jennieruby, user2 and 836,297 others

sojuyn ig survival shows are my thing

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user1 MOTHER IS GOING TO LOVE ISLAND !?

user2 she went to the final of squid games, what’s this for her ? 💀

user3 I just love how her pics are serving like always

jennieruby AHHH! can't wait to see you there xooxo

liked by sojuyn

user4 Y/N, DONT SHOW YOUR SEXY SELF To others 😔

user5 can't believe we can't gatekeep the hottie anymore 😔

liked by charlesleclerc, oscarpiastri and 1,366,872 others

lando Getting that British island 💪🏻💂

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carlossainz55 can’t believe you are going there

lando you have Rebecca !!

carlossainz55 I get it Lando, no need.

maxverstappen1 simple lovely mate

georgerussell getting over the championship defeat ?

lando getting over your gay ass ?

georgerussell it’s called being a diva

mclaren we weren't informed, Lando.

lando random applications i guess 😃

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liked by user1, user2, user3 and 1,357,827 others

loveislanduk the first episode just premiered!

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user1 HELLO THE CAST !?

user2 so you are telling me, Lando, Jude Bellingham, hjevelyn and BRYCE HALL !?!?

user3 HOW DID BRYCE HALL SPAWN HERE !?

user4 HJEVELYN 😍😍

user5 Y/NNNN 😍😍😍😍

user6 I see admin has a favorite, already posting lando and y/n 😃

user7 Is this some sport island season !?

user8 the amount of celebs !?!?

user9 WHY DO YOU HAVE TO TORTURE ME FOR ONE WEEK BEFORE RELEASING MORE

user10 I am here for the drama

liked by user1, user2, user3 and 1,365,467 others

loveisland raise your ya ya ya - heart!. The saucy challenge is only available on episode 2 🤭

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user1 the caption is killing me 🐸

user2 DID WE ALL SEE LANDO AND Y/N!?

user3 LANDO'S HEART ROSE TO 140!?

user4 IS THAT EVEN SAFE !?!?

user5 we could see jude burning eyes into lando-

user6 THE FIRST COUPLING WAS SOGOOD

user7 I think it was obvious that y/n and lando will couple up-

user8 i can sense lando-yn-jude

user9 jude was not happy when lando picked yn

user10 the face when jude had to couple with magui-

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lando hideaway 😗

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loveislanduk @ lando debriefs with the guys, before grabbing @ judebellingham for a quick chat !

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user1 lando said no one messes with my girl

user2 ngl, those two look good together

user3 we seeing a lot of bromance

user4 i feel the connection between them

user5 istg if they dump the girls and be togther -

user6 POWER COUPLE

user7 yn with the richest and handsome men after her

user8 oh to be her 😔

user9 magui is not going to like this

user10 imagine jude coupling with her next week

liked by user1, user2, user3 and 2,463,274 others

loveislanduk the third episode started with drama! @ sojuyn was splashed by @ maguicorceiro for apparently lip locking her couple up @ judebellingham, @ Lando does not look much happy ! Tune in for episode 3 !!

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user1 and i-

user2 LANDO LOOKS ANGRY

user3 not kando turning into max by wearing mclaren merch-

user4 I am not even there but I can clearly see that that's not yn!!

user5 it is jude, but not with yn

user6 ITS EVELYN

user7 oh my gosh, ITS EVELYN AND JUDE!!

user8 YN IS LOYAL TO LANDO

user9 magui really wants lando

user10 just because they both are Asians -

part2...?

let me know if you want to be added or removed to the tg!

permanent tg: @isotopemylove @chair-things @justaf1girl @nichmeddar @bibblemiluvr @blushmimi @nikfigueiredo @amz824 @ivegotparticulartaste @raizelchrysanderoctavius @freyathehuntress @piastri-fvx

fic tg: @sweate-r-weathe-r @jxnellat @loveofmylife12 @budgetcupid @lilaissa @scorpiodiosa @wondergirl101ks @nichmeddar @hoeforlifee @urfavnoirette @lily-ann-b @ilivbullyingjeongin