Hello~

Inspired by XO by Beyonce

After a loud and long argument with Zuko, you decided to sleep in the guest room. You grabbed the things you’ll need and moved into the guest room. No help from the maids, no help from Zuko, just you and your strength. Zuko didn’t know you had left; he was too busy in the throne room handling political business to care about what you were doing. 

Once you have settled into the guest room, you take off your royal clothing and put on more casual clothes. You walked out to the courtyard to admire the flowers that you grew, specifically the coral lily. It was a beautiful, bright red, and you grew it with Zuko’s mom. 

Later that night, you were helping with preparations for the nation's party being held at the palace. You wanted to make sure that the garden was being well taken care of and that the courtyard was to be washed. Then you saw a bison flying over the courtyard. Down came Aang and Katara. 

“Y/N!” Katara exclaimed, running up to you for a hug. 

“Katara!” She threw herself at you, and you caught her. “I’ve missed you two so much!” 

“Hello Y/N. How’s the palace?” Aang asked, putting a hand on your shoulder. 

“It’s perfect. I’ve never been more at peace with the Fire Nation than ever.” You commented. 

“Where is Zuko?” Aang asked. You flinched at the mention of your husband. 

“He’s in the throne room. Doing whatever to get his mind off of priorities.” You made the snarky comment. Aang didn’t catch it, but Katara surely did. 

“What’s going on between you two?” Katara asked as soon as Aang walked off. 

“We got into this huge argument earlier this afternoon, and since then, we haven’t been talking. He disappeared into the throne room, and I haven’t seen him since.” You sighed. It was difficult trying to communicate with a Fire Lord, especially since he grew up not knowing how. There were always these hiccups in the road. 

“Why don’t you be calmer when talking to Zuko? I know that you both are firebenders, but there’s no need to be so hotheaded all the time.” Katara suggested. She was watering the plants with her waterbending. 

“Yeah, that’s true.” You agreed. Communication was something that came naturally to you, but you were always hot-headed during arguments. 

“I think you guys will be okay. You just need to be more understanding with his slow progression of change, especially since he became Fire Lord rather quickly.” Katara reminded you. You were playing with fire, lost in thought. 

Meanwhile, in the throne room. “Flameo hotman!” 

“Aang!” Zuko perked up from his throne. Zuko climbed down the stairs to hug Aang. 

“How are you, buddy?” Aang asked. 

“I’ve been good. Just trying to distract my mind.” Zuko commented. 

“Why? What’s on your mind?” A soldier pulled up two chairs for them. 

“I just got into this huge argument with Y/N. She was going off about how I’m not communicating with her, and that she would like to stay in the loop of the political choices I’m making. She would like to have a say in some of my decisions. But I’m the Fire Lord! I’m not supposed to ask her for help.” Zuko threw his arms up in the air. 

“Why don’t you want to ask her for help?” There was a table of finger foods right in front of them. 

“Because I’m the Fire Lord. I’m supposed to handle all of the political decisions; it’s my nation. But, I do agree that I could have more open conversations with her.” Zuko sighed, hanging his head low. Aang went for the egg tarts that were staring him right in the face. 

“Just because you’re a Fire Lord doesn’t mean you cannot lean on your wife about important decisions. Being a Fire Lord is also a big decision, and you still consulted her before you became Fire Lord. You consulted with her about getting married, and you still consult with her before you come out to help me.” Aang had an incredible memory to bring up all these moments. Zuko started to think about it, and Aang was right. Zuko always went to you about big decisions, and political decisions were just as big as becoming Fire Lord. 

“Besides. What if she was just worried about you this whole time? You do look worn out.” Aang looked intensely at Zuko. Dark eye bags, small pieces of hair falling out of his bun, and the unkept robe. 

“Did she really notice that?” Zuko asked, looking down at his robe and feeling his bun come loose. 

“Of course! Our ladies always notice the things we think they don’t notice. On top of that, Y/N seems to be an amazing communicator. She’s really patient with you, still trying to learn to communicate your feelings.” Aang noticed. He shoved the last egg tart in his mouth. 

Later, Sokka and Toph arrived for the night party. You were getting ready for the night party and had to wear the most extravagant outfit. “My lady.” One of your maids came in. 

“Yes?” You turned around. 

“Lord Zuko is having trouble with his clothing. He is requesting your assistance.” The maid kept her bow. You put a hand on her shoulder to let her know that she could raise her head. 

“Is there a problem with the maid that was supposed to help him?” You asked, coldly. 

“No there isn’t. Lord Zuko specifically requested you.” You nodded your head and let her go. You finished up your last couple of touches and made your way back to your shared bedroom. 

The door was closed, so you knocked on it. “If it’s another maid, I don’t want her!” 

“Jeez, how many times did you request for me?” You walked in. Zuko stopped in his tracks and quickly turned around. He saw you walk in with the most beautiful dress on, and he swore you could’ve never looked better. Your hair was neatly done, and you walked with elegance. 

“Y/N… ahem… I need your help.” Zuko awkwardly walked towards you. 

“Yes, yes. I heard. How many times did you request for me?” You asked him before stopping him so you could fix his robe. 

“One too many times. Did you tell the maids not to listen to my requests?” He asked, suspicion written all over his face. That made you smile. 

“I didn’t, but I did tell them not to bother me as I was getting ready.” You answered. You straightened out his robe and popped the collar. “Your hair is a mess.” 

“I told the maids to do it for me.” Zuko lied. 

“Don’t lie. You did it yourself.” You snickered. You always did his bun in the morning. 

“I miss you.” Zuko blurted as you were fixing his bun. 

“What makes you say that?” You asked, trying not to show emotion on your face. 

“I didn’t like how you weren’t in the room and that you took everything out. I didn’t like how you didn’t talk to me all day, but you were so happy talking to everyone else. I only want you to be happy to talk to me.” Zuko confessed. As soon as you were done with his bun, he turned around to look at you. His eyes were pleading for you to reciprocate his feelings. 

“We’re going to be late.” You walked out of his room. 

At the party, you were mingling with everyone and enjoying yourself. You were talking about your flowers to anyone who asked. It was time for the royal dance, and honestly, this was the one thing you were trying to avoid for the night. You came out into the middle of the courtyard, and you didn’t see Zuko at all. You kept looking around, searching through the crowd, and there you spotted Zuko. He was making his way through the crowd, but looked nervous while doing so. He finally made it through the crowd, and behind him was a huge vase with red camellias and hibiscuses. Your eyes went wide. 

While Zuko was going through the crowd, he was looking around frantically for you. He was looking for your eyes and your beautifully done hair. When he finally found you in the center, his eyes lit up, and he quickly made his way towards you. With his long robe, he tripped, and you caught him. 

“I love you so much, Y/N.” Zuko held your hands. “I wouldn’t know what to do without you. I couldn’t have asked for a better wife to understand me and go through all my tough times with.” 

You started to tear up. “I love you too. You big dummy.” He pulled you in for a big hug. You started to sob into his chest, and he tried to muffle your cries so no one suspected anything. 

You two shared a dance, and the party ended. Team Avatar was going to stay in the guest rooms that you guys prepared for them, and you moved your stuff back into the shared bedroom. You started to slip out of the formal wear and into sleepwear. 

“Are you going to say that you miss me back?” Zuko asked. His arms swiftly wrapped around your waist, and his chin found your shoulder. You looked down at him and chuckled. 

“I miss you, too, you big goof.” You kissed his forehead. 

Inspired by Notice Me by PNB Rock 

You were walking around Republic City with Aang. You were a non-bender, working with children who needed help with navigating their energy. Aang loved seeing you work with children and how you helped them reach full potential when it came to bending. He would stand next to you as you were talking to the children who attended your academy. 

“My love, we should get going.” Aang gently reminded you. 

“Oh yes! Sorry, children, I will see you all tomorrow, and you can show me what you’ve all learned.” You put your hand on their heads and stood up to continue walking with Aang. 

There was a reservation at a nice restaurant that you two have been wanting to go to. But to make sure that you guys are being treated like everyone else, you put down a fake name. When you two got there, the lady checking you two in was shocked that you guys used a fake name! 

“I’m so glad that we could finally eat here. I feel like it’s been forever since we had a day off.” You sighed, relaxing in the chair that Aang pulled out for you. 

“I’m glad I can finally take out my pretty girl.” Aang held his hand out for you. You reached over and held his hand. 

Once your meals came out, Aang started devouring his food, but to be fair, he ordered a lot. You chuckled at the amount he ordered, but you knew that you were going to help him if anything. After dinner, you both strolled back to your house. It was practically a mansion, considering how big it was built for both of you. You really took your time walking, digesting the food, and enjoying the city lights. 

“You’re so beautiful under the night lights,” Aang whispered down to you. 

“Thank you, my love.” You kissed him on the cheek. 

Once you both arrived at home, you got ready for bed. You slipped into your night gown and let your hair down. You climbed into bed next to Aang and chatted with him for a little longer before drifting off to sleep. When you woke, your back was towards Aang while his heavy arm was draped over your hips. You slowly got out of bed to get ready to go to the academy, but while you were getting up, you woke up Aang. 

“Did I wake you?” You turned around to look at him. 

“Mmm,” he groaned. You chuckled and leaned down to kiss him on his head. 

You were opening up your academy, getting ready to see the children and hear about their adventures over the weekend. What you didn’t notice was Aang watching you from outside the building as you worked. Many of the children would arrive with their parents, but many of the parents who dropped off their children were the fathers. They would always stay behind to talk to you. 

“So what’s it like working here at the academy?” One father asked. 

“It’s fun! I love working with the children; they have such bright futures ahead of them.” You answered. It was as if this were a documentary. 

“Does your husband come around often to the academy?” One father commented, snarkily. 

“Not as often, but this academy is my responsibility.” Aang didn’t like that question. 

“Oh really? I wouldn’t let my wife handle such a huge responsibility by herself. I’d always be in the building helping her and supporting her.” The father scoffed. 

“Well, my husband trusts me and knows I can handle this huge responsibility.” You tried not to sound upset. Aang, on the other hand, was on the edge of going all Avatar on him. 

“If you need any help, then just come ask me.” The father winked at you. That’s when Aang stormed in. 

“Okay! Hello, children and fathers.” Aang chuckled, as calmly as possible. His sudden appearance surprised you, and you knew that it wasn’t for no reason. 

“Can you come and check the children in, please!” You called out to one of your assistants. You grabbed Aang’s hand and led him to your office. “What’re you doing here?” 

“I wanted to come watch you at work, but I didn’t know that you were getting flirted with all the time at the academy!” Aang exclaimed. “If I knew this was happening, I’d be here every day!” 

“But I don’t need you here with me every day, Aang. I could handle all these fathers; their wives typically come in smacking them anyway.” You commented. 

“But I don’t like them flirting with you, love.” Aang grabbed your hand. 

“Then would you like to be here every day?” You asked, stepping closer to him. “Or would you like something special so you don’t have to worry?” 

“Stop teasing me!” Aang whined. “I love you and just want you to be safe.” 

“I love you too, silly.” You chuckled and kissed him on the cheek. 

“We’re in a private setting, you don’t need to hide it,” Aang commented. He lifted your chin and smacked his lips against yours. He was hungry. 

“Mmm, Aang. I’m still at work.” You pulled away. 

“I can’t help it. I just don’t want anyone else to flirt with you except for me.” He sat down in one of your chairs. You walked in between his legs, and he wrapped his arms around your legs. He was giving you those big puppy dog eyes. 

Inspired by Jealous Type by Doja Cat 

You came back from a stroll around the palace. You were walking into the throne room, where Zuko was located as he was doing business. You stopped at the end of the stairs before you spoke. “My lord, how are things going here?” 

Zuko’s ears immediately perked when he heard your voice, and his head snapped in your direction. “My love. Why are you standing down there? Come up here!” 

You chuckled at his response and swiftly made your way up to his throne. Your’s was neatly placed next to his, but when you got closer, he grabbed your wrist and pulled you into his lap. You were sitting on his lap, and he pulled your legs up so they were now hanging off the armrest. He quickly positioned himself so that he was holding you and buried his face in your neck. 

“Sir, we must complete this. Can you please hold off on the PDA?” His captain was asking him. 

“We can wait for tomorrow. I want to take a stroll with my wife.” Zuko deadpanned at his leading captain. 

“Huh? Isn’t this important?” You asked, then you were swiftly picked up in bridal style. 

“Not important enough.” Zuko started walking down the stairs. He lifted you as if you were a doll and didn’t let you down until he reached the end of the stairs. You couldn’t say you hated it because you were able to feel his biceps against your back. 

You both were out in the courtyard, looking at flowers together. The sun was beaming down on you, so you took off your royal covering and handed it to Zuko while you went to look at the blooming torch flowers. Zuko was watching from a distance when he got distracted by a letter that the Avatar sent him. While he was reading the letter, you were being flirted with by a foreigner. At first, it was a harmless conversation starter that turned south real fast. 

“What is a fine fire nation lady like you doing out here in the hot sun?” He whispered in your ear. You moved away from him and started making your way towards Zuko. 

“I’m okay.” You started to walk faster. 

“Aren’t you worried about a tan? A lady as precious as you should be covered up.” He took off his covering and threw it around you. Before you could do anything, the covering was burnt to ashes. 

“What do you think you’re doing to the lady of the Fire Nation?” Zuko towered over you. He slipped your cover around you, and the royal symbol was printed right on the back. You instinctively hid behind Zuko, but you were still able to see the foreigner cower in fear. 

“I-I’m sorry, Lord Zuko. I did not know she was your lady.” The guy fell to his knees and ran off after apologizing. 

Zuko turned around and looked down at you. “Why did you take off your cover?” 

“It was hot. The sun is beaming down, and it’s the peak of summer. I’m not trying to keep my cover on all day.” You explained, putting your cover back on properly. 

“Well, when you don’t wear your cover, then things like that happen. I want you to be able to walk around the courtyard without the cover, but I also don’t want to worry about boys like that.” Zuko sighed, walking past you. You were walking behind him now. 

“But I always wear my covering when I’m not with you. I didn’t wear it this one time because you were with me. It’s not my fault that you got distracted.” You huffed, knowing that he was acting upset and jealous. 

“It was from the Avatar.” He didn’t address anything else. 

“Besides, we’re the Fire Nation! It’s always hot here! Why do royals always have to wear these layers and layers of clothing?” You pretended to cry. 

“Do you want me to adjust your clothing attire for you? I can make it so that they’re lighter.” Zuko suggested. You knew he’d do anything for you. 

“No. I’ll just go back to the room and wash off. I feel gross.” You took a sharp turn into a different hallway that led to your room. Zuko halted in his steps and frantically turned around to follow you. He was practically tripping over his own two feet just trying to catch up to you. 

“Wait! My love!” Zuko caught up next to you. He was looking down at you with worry in his eyes, and you were humming a tune. 

You both walked into the room, and you threw off the royal robe. Zuko did the same, and you went to the bathroom to grab a washcloth to wipe off all the sweat on your body. You started to take off your heavy clothing and slip into something easier to breathe in. You walked back into the room and saw Zuko sitting on the bed, shirtless, but he looked defeated. 

“What’s wrong, my love?” You asked, wiping his face and neck. His hair was let down, and you were removing it from his face. 

“Can I just keep you in the palace forever?” He asked with his puppy dog eyes. You would’ve folded right then and there, but you had to hold back. 

“But if you do, then who is going to go on those crazy excursions with you?” You asked, teasing him a little. You put the washcloth on a bedside table, and he wrapped his arms around your waist. He pulled you in closer, his face resting on your stomach. 

“I don’t want random men to look at you. I don’t even want you running the nation while I’m away. What makes you think I want these unsightly men to look at you?” Zuko whined. His grip around you tightened. 

“You don’t have to worry about that, love. I married you for a reason. You’re the only sight I want to see.” You winked down at him. You moved closer to sit on his lap, more like one thigh. Thighs were so thick you were able to sit on one comfortably. 

“You didn’t just marry me for the title, right?” He whined. 

“If I did, then I would miss everything right in front of me.” You kissed his forehead. “Would you like to nap or do you want to get back to work?” 

Inspired by Steady by Bella Kay 

It has been a year since you and Jax left the game. You managed to find each other and finally embrace each other in the warmth that had always been craved. You two slowly found the others, but some were harder to find than others. At six months, Jax was fixated on finding Pomni. It wasn’t something foreign to you, as Pomni was someone he got close to while stuck in the game. 

You would spend days and nights looking for someone he cared about. It wasn’t like he wasn’t helping you look; he just made you put in the same amount of effort when your heart wasn’t in it. Zooble was helping out too, but Jax didn’t care if she helped or not. Zooble was actually doing it more for you than for Jax. 

Eventually, you started going to bed by yourself. Jax used to come to bed with you after long nights, but eventually it turned to sleeping on the couch after a while. “Why haven’t you been coming to bed?” 

“It’s just easier to sleep out here so I can get started right away.” Jax was files deep into finding Pomni. You just nodded your head in response and turned around towards Zooble, who was making her morning coffee. 

“Did you want a cup?” Zooble practically whispered. 

“Yeah.” You breathed. 

Zooble left for work, and so did you. Jax was still sitting there on his computer, trying to look for anything or anyone. 

The first couple of months with Jax felt like heaven on Earth. Like you really found your person. It wasn’t until you two found Zooble by accident that it made him think that everyone could be closer than it seems. You remember that right before the game crashed, Jax was having a good conversation with Pomni. They were always on rocky terms, but they cared for each other nonetheless. I mean, that’s what friends are for, right? 

Jax then started to do a little digging about everyone who was stuck in the game with them. It started with Ragatha, then Gangle, and finally Pomni. It started small, looking at missing people reports, then breaking news headlines, and then it became an everyday thing. Jax never ignored you, or so you’d like to think. He still came to bed. He still held you. He would whisper sweet nothings into your ear… when you called him out on it. Zooble then came to live with you guys. She was a great help with the bills around the apartment, and she served as someone great to talk to when you were unsure of where your heart was. 

When you came home, you saw Jax knocked out on the couch. He was taking one of his naps, and you went over to kiss him on the forehead. You saw his dark circles under his eyes, how furrowed his eyebrows were, and how pale he looked. You just wanted to hold him, and he held you. It was only in his sleep and subconscious that he recognized you as his girlfriend. When you climbed on top of him and rested your ear against his chest, you heard his heartbeat start to slow down. It gave you some form of reassurance, but it just wasn’t enough. 

When Zooble came home and saw you two on the couch together, she smiled. His arms were wrapped around your back, and you looked so peaceful, but Zooble knew that it wouldn’t last long. Zooble knew too much. 

“Are you okay, Y/N?” Zooble gently touched your shaking arm. 

“Huh? Of course I am.” You quickly responded, closing your laptop halfway. 

“Are you sure? I won’t tell Jax.” Zooble reassured, this time she held your wrist. There was a moment of pause. 

“I don’t think Jax loves me anymore.” You confessed, looking at her. 

“What do you mean?” Zooble held your hand this time. You squeezed her hand before responding. 

“I just think he’s consumed with finding Pomni that there isn’t any room for me. He didn’t even come looking for me; I looked for him.” You anxiously told Zooble. She just stared at you. 

“I… if you think so, then I’m not going to doubt you. What do you want to do?” Zooble asked, squeezing her hand back. 

“I’ll wait and see if he comes back to me.” You sighed, loosening your grip on her hands. 

“I’ll support you all the way through,” Zooble reassured. 

When you awoke from your nap, you were on the bed with a blanket over you. You swore you knocked out on the couch, and when you walked out of your room, Jax was on the computer again. “Did you carry me to the room?” 

“Oh! I did. How was your sleep?” He quickly got out of his seat to kiss your temple and then went back down on the chair. It was always those small gestures that pulled at your heart. 

“It was good. What did you want to eat?” You hummed, turning away. 

“Doesn’t matter to me.” Jax dully answered. There it was. 

You threw whatever you wanted together, told Zooble to eat, and the three of you were at the table, but only two of you were talking to each other. Jax quickly finished his food, put his dish in the sink, and disappeared into the office for a while. You sighed at his actions, and Zooble helped with the chores. 

Then your anniversary came around. You two actually didn’t know the date you officially started dating, but you two remembered the day you escaped the game. You specifically remember telling him to have this day reserved for you because you wanted to plan something. You didn’t have a lot of money to do anything, but you kicked Zooble out of the apartment for the day so that you and Jax could spend time together. 

“Where did Zooble go?” Jax asked, sitting on the couch, laptop in his lap. 

“To a friend's house.” You answered, sitting next to him. You rested your head on his shoulder and looked at his screen. “What’re you looking up?” 

“Just watching the headlines again.” Jax quickly responded. 

“Can you put it down so we can spend time together?” You asked, reaching your arm out to the screen. 

“No!” He rushed to grab your hand. You lifted your head off his shoulder and looked at him. “I’m sorry, baby.” 

“Huh?” You were so confused. 

“I just really want to find Pomni. You know this. I just want to know that a friend is safe.” Jax put the laptop on the coffee table. He had pleading eyes, hoping that you’d understand his situation. 

“I get that, but there was no reason for you to grab my wrist like that.” You explained. 

“I’m sorry, baby. I really am.” Jax’s whole body was turned towards you. 

“Do you even know what today is?” You finally decided to ask. 

“Not anything important?” Jax responded. That was your final straw. Except you weren’t mad. 

“I think we should take some time apart.” You decided. 

“What’re you talking about? You were just talking about today’s date, and now you’re talking about taking some time apart?” Jax was so confused. 

“Well, if you really looked at the date and kept track of time, you’d know that today is our anniversary. A day that I told you to put off and you told me that you would.” You explained, a sigh of disappointment leaving your mouth. 

“OMG, baby, I’m so sorry. How can I make it up to you?” Jax pulled your body into his embrace. He always did this.

“You can’t. I think I’ve had enough. I can’t keep sitting here hoping you’d put the same effort into me like you’re doing, searching for Pomni.” You pushed him off of you, but he wasn’t budging. 

“What’re you talking about, babe? You’ll always be my number one, and you know that.” Jax just held you tighter. 

“No. I’m not. I’m sorry, Jax.” You pushed him away with all your might, and he did let go. 

“What’re you talking about?” Jax had tears forming in his eyes. 

“I… I can’t stay with someone who spends more time looking for a different girl than looking at his actual girlfriend.” You had to look away. 

“But, I love you and only you, Y/N.” Jax held your hands in his. It took everything in you not to scream at him and get emotional over this. 

“I love you too, but it’s no longer the same Jax. You don’t look at me anymore; you look at me through the mirroring of the screen. You don’t come back to bed; you’d rather just sleep on the couch next to your laptop, which is always open.” You finally looked at him. He was crying. What did you expect? 

“We’re just not meant for each other, Jax, and that’s okay. We spent so much time together already when we were stuck in that circus. I was all you knew in there.” 

“But that’s the point. You are all I know.” Jax sobbed. 

“Yeah. But it’s time to know other people, and I think that other person might be Pomni. I see how you look at your screen when you remember a memory about Pomni. I know how dedicated you are to looking for her. Who am I to stop you?” 

“Why don’t you stop me! Why didn’t you stop me?! Why didn’t you mention this earlier?!” Jax held your hand to his heart. Tears now streaming down your face. You never thought about why you didn’t stop him. You always thought it was just because you didn’t want to come between something he was dedicated to. 

“You know, I think it’s because I started to look away from you. We were both stuck in that circus for years, Jax. It only makes sense that we naturally fell for each other because of proximity. I knew when I was inside that circus, I loved you.” This time, you brought your hand up to his cheek and wiped away his tears. 

“But what good comes out of that circus if I can’t have you?” Jax looked like he just wanted to be held and told that everything was okay. “I don’t want to lose you, Y/N. I’ll stop looking for Pomni, I’ll stop looking for the others, and I’ll just dedicate myself to you.” 

“That’s not the point, Jax. If you were dedicated to me, you wouldn’t have to look for Pomni. I would’ve been enough. But that wasn’t the case, and that’s okay! I think it’s time for us to go our separate ways because we are dedicated to different things now. I will always love you as the boyfriend who was there for me at the most confusing time of my life.” 

“I can’t just be your forever person?” Jax asked, sniffing. You wrapped your arms around his neck, pulling him down to your shoulder. 

“You’ll forever be an important person in my life, but not in this chapter of my life.” You kissed him on the cheek. 

“I love you, Y/N.” Jax pulled away. You both were crying now and laughing at how ridiculous each other looked. 

Inspired by Whiplash by 2hollis 

You were getting ready for another day full of lousy adventures from Caine. You were the first one to sit in the main room, and it was awkward because Caine was just staring at you. Then Pomni showed up, and you let out a sigh of relief. 

“Hi Y/N.” Pomni waved in your direction. 

“Thank goodness you’re here!” You cried out dramatically. 

“What’s wrong?” Pomni asked, sitting next to you on the couch. 

“Nothing, but just being here with Caine is so awkward. I know I’ve been here for a while, but it’s always so awkward.” You tried to whisper over to Pomni. 

“What’s awkward?!” Caine shoved himself between you and Pomni, giving you both digital heart attacks. 

“Caine, what the hell!” Pomni exclaimed. 

“So how are we feeling about today’s adventure?! I have one cooking up, and it’s going to be super fun!” Caine was back in the air. He was going on and on about the adventure he had planned for today. The others started to pile in and ignore Caine. 

“What’s short stack and shorter stack talking about?” Jax set his arm on Pomni’s head. 

“Get off of me, Jax.” Pomni shoved his arm off of her head. 

“Already feisty and the day hasn’t even started yet.” Jax wore the obnoxious smile that he always has on when messing with the others. 

“ALRIGHT!” Caine shouted, getting everyone’s attention. There was a moment of awkward pause. “Let’s talk about today’s adventure!” 

Today’s adventure was a liminal space. The world would be empty of NPCs, and it would take place during the night in a city. Everyone had free will to do whatever they wanted; there were stores, houses, and other basic city buildings for them to explore. When they all teleported to the area, everyone wanted to travel together. 

“We should stick together until we get out because who knows what Caine put in here. There could be monsters that send us to a different liminal space.” Zooble suggested. 

“Yeah, I agree with Zooble. It’s also just dark, so it’ll be hard to find each other if we split up.” Pomni added on. Everyone looked at those two, and everyone agreed, except for you and Jax. 

“I think we should play hide and seek!” You exclaimed, finger in the air like you were going to explain something. 

“I agree with Y/N. Caine said there wouldn’t be any NPCs, so what are the chances of him adding monsters? Probably none.” Jax reasoned. 

“Yeah, but the chance is still there, dimwit,” Zooble commented. 

“So? It’s a chance worth taking, can’t live life like we’re going to die all the time, Zooble.” Jax chuckled. 

While everyone was going back and forth about what to do with the space. You walked to the nearest gas station, you took a look around, and the shelves were stocked! You grabbed a bag of chips and opened it up to see if you could eat. It ended up being digital chips, so they didn’t have a taste. 

You grabbed a couple more bags of chips, with drinks, and a pack of cigarettes. You never smoked before, but in a fake digital world, anything can happen. You walked out with all the items, and everyone just stared at you as you had a lollipop in your mouth. 

“What?” Your voice was slightly muffled because of the lollipop. 

“See! Look at Y/N taking advantage of the space! She’s already ransacking and stealing.” Jax crossed his arms like he was proud of himself. You stood there blankly for a minute.

“Look! Cops!” You shouted, pointing behind them, and they all scattered across the map. You ran far away, laughing to yourself because you couldn’t believe that they believed you. You settled behind a building to set all of your snacks down and start organizing them to see what you’d want to eat first. 

You started chomping away when you heard footsteps. You knew that you ran in a completely different direction from everyone, so who could be approaching you? Or did Caine actually add monsters? You stood up slowly and walked in the opposite direction, holding your breath so you wouldn’t make any noise. When you didn’t see anything there, you turned around to walk the other way to see if there was anything in your spot. 

Jax had found a building as he was running away from Zooble and Ragatha, who were going to kill him because he said there wouldn’t be anything to worry about. But he heard chomping coming from behind the building, so he decided to creep up to it before settling behind the building. When he turned the corner, he didn’t see anyone but a row of snacks laid out on the ground. He then proceeded to walk on the other side of the building to examine his surroundings. 

You both scared each other, but you let out a shrieking scream. Jax practically hopped in front of you to cover your mouth. One of his hands was behind your head, and the other one was covering your mouth. “Goodness, Y/N. If there were a monster in here, you’d be the monster.” 

You pried his hand off your mouth. “Why would you scare me, asshole!” You pushed him away from you. 

“I didn’t mean to scare you, jeez. I just wanted a hiding space from Zooble and Ragatha, who are actually trying to kill me if you even cared.” 

“I don’t?” You looked up, and your finger was pointing to your cheek. Like the monkey meme. 

“Wow. What a friend you are.” Jax scoffed. You both went back to your stash, and you shared your snacks with him. You kept the box of cigarettes in your pocket. 

“Why are they trying to kill you?” You asked, shoving your face with more chips. 

“They’re just mad because I was playing a prank on them. But they completely overlooked your prank!” Jax threw his arms in the air. “Your prank was actually good and startled everyone, even me!” 

“Thanks.” You flipped your hair. 

“What even made you think of that prank? As long as I’ve known you, you wouldn’t have played that prank in this kind of situation.” Jax asked, opening a lollipop. 

“To be honest, I just wanted to get a reaction out of them. I knew Caine didn’t put anything in this adventure because he was rambling about it to Pomni and me. I kind of wanted to split us up to see how we’d handle the liminal space.” 

“What an… interesting look for your prank?” Jax didn’t expect you to have put so much thought into your prank. “So it wasn’t just to see how terrified they look?” 

“No. I didn’t even get to see their faces. I ran when everyone else ran.” You looked down at your snacks, stars in your eyes at the great finds. 

“Do you like snacks that much?” Jax asked, looking right at your eyes. 

“Of course! I loved snacks when I was still in my human body, and luckily, these are all the snacks I like. Granted, they don’t taste like anything because it’s all digital, but it’s nice to live in the nostalgia.” You looked over at him with a smile. 

“JAX! Y/N!” You both heard Zooble shout. 

“Fuck, that’s them. We need to make a run for it.” Jax grabbed your hand and pulled you up. You both started running down the street, to who knows where. 

You guys got far enough away from the group and were catching your breath. You both looked each other in the eyes and started laughing. You guys walked into the gas station, grabbed drinks, and started chugging them. Jax was taking a look around the gas station, and you were staring directly into one of those circular mirrors, which was a secret camera for Caine. 

“Jax! Let’s take a photo!” You turned around, excited. 

“A photo? With you? I don’t want to seem like we’re a couple or anything.” Jax scoffed, still looking through the fridges. 

“Welp, I don’t really care. Get your Polaroid out and let’s take a damn photo!” You shouted. 

“Fine. Fine. But you’re keeping it, I don’t care to keep anything with no memorable memories.” Jax commented, walking over to you. 

“Whatever. All you do is talk, do a lot more taking pictures.” You grabbed inside his pocket to grab the Polaroid. 

“Whoa, whoa, whoa! Invasion of personal space, little lady.” He held his hands up like he was being held at gunpoint. You managed to find the camera and started taking mirror photos. 

“Strike a pose~!” You sang, and the two of you took tons of photos. 

You guys were outside the gas station now, leaning against a bike rail, and looking through the photos. It was mainly for your own entertainment, but Jax saw one where you were smiling big. “I want that one.” 

“This one?” You held out, looking up at him. 

“Yeah. This one.” Jax took it and shoved it in his pocket. You shrugged it off and put the rest of the pictures in your pocket. 

“You know, it would be nice if this were real.” You sighed. It was a sigh of relaxation. 

“Yeah? Did you use to do this all the time?” Jax asked. His legs were crossed and his hands folded together as he looked down at you. You were fiddling with your fingers. 

“Yeah, I used to do this all the time with my friends. They didn’t go to school, so they had the chance to waste away the night like this. I was in college, but I was still chasing the high with them.” You told him and looked down at your fingers. 

“So was this adventure one you requested?” Jax asked, holding your hands, to calm you down. 

“No. I actually requested a school-like adventure. This one was solely Caine’s idea. Though liminal space is supposed to be a psychological kind of horror.” You started to nerd out about liminal spaces and how they affect one’s mental sanity. 

“You sure know a lot about a bunch of junk.” Jax sighed like he was getting an unannounced math lesson. 

“Do you wanna chase a high with me?” You looked up at him with big eyes.

“Are you going to teach me how to chase a high that I’ve been chasing ever since losing Ribbit and Kaumfo?” Jax sounded condescending. 

“Didn’t have to put it like that.” You pouted. 

You both sat in the silence for a moment before you decided to start running off. Jax just watched you run off, confused, but he wasn’t going to chase after you. You were now on the road running, looking back at him with a huge smile, and he ignored you because all of his attention was on the huge abstracted monster in front of you. 

“Y/N!” Jax shouted, running after you. You were running closer to the beast, and he grabbed your wrist and pulled you back into him. When he looked up again, the beast was gone. 

“What’s wrong?” You asked him. You saw the fear in his eyes, like he just seen the worst thing in all of humanity. You turned around and didn’t see anything, just a long road with street lamps. 

“I-I saw an abstracted.” Jax shakily answered. He quickly looked back at you and checked if you were fine. Which you were. 

“What’re you talking about? There isn’t one here.” You told him, getting up, dusting your knees off. 

“There was! You were running right into it!” Jax shouted, still sitting on the ground and pointing to the space behind you, which was still empty.

“Um, no, I wasn’t. I’m pretty sure I would’ve known if I was running into an abstracted.” You commented, holding your hand out for him to grab. He didn’t grab it. 

“Whatever. Let’s just get the fuck out of here.” Jax rubbed his eyes and went back towards the gas station. He crouched in front of the door because the adrenaline had finally worn off. 

“Did you wanna smoke?” You crouched next to him, pulling out your pack of cigarettes. 

“How long have you had those?” Jax asked, almost surprised that you had them. 

“Since the first time I raided the gas station. Do you want to light one up and share?” You pulled one out and pulled out the lighter you stole. 

“Have you ever done this before?” Jax asked as you started to light it. 

“Nope!” You exclaimed cheerfully. You took a puff and quickly released it. “But my friends used to all the time, and I would just watch.” 

“Then why are you doing it now?” Jax asked, taking the cigarette from you. 

“Because why not. Nothing is real here.” You chuckled. Jax shrugged and tried it anyway. He started hacking his lungs away, and you were laughing at him. 

“It’s not good, huh.” You chuckled. 

“Yet you look like a natural.” He scowled. 

Pomni and Kinger saw both of you from the other side of the street. You both were laughing and enjoying your time together like there wasn’t anyone else in the world that could come in between. Pomni felt a sense of reassurance for Jax. He always seemed like he was in pain, but whenever he was around you, the pain was never to be found. 

“I can’t believe I tried something so bad.” Jax stuck his tongue out, trying to get the flavor off his tongue. 

“Haha! It’ll be a while before it goes away!” You bumped into his shoulder, and you just kind of stayed there. Then you rested your head on his shoulder. 

“God, how much longer are we going to be in here for?” Jax threw his head back to look up at the sky. He didn’t mind your head on his shoulder because it made him calm, and his mind didn’t sound so loud anymore. 

“Jax. What if I said that I liked you?” You asked, hypothetically. 

“Are you saying that you like me?” Jax then asked. The cigarette is now in your hand, and you took a puff. 

“I’m not sure. Maybe it’s because of the trauma that we share, or I genuinely feel an emotional connection to you, but I’m too scared to admit it.” Another puff. 

“Well. If it helps, I like you, and that’s on an emotional connection. You’re the only thing that gets me by most days, and you’re the only person I can talk to like this. And surprisingly, you’ve been on my mind a lot, especially since you came here.” 

“Really now?” You looked up at him. Your chin is on his forearm, and no particular emotion is shown on your face. 

“Yea really.” He took the cigarette this time and looked down at you. 

Inspired by Michelle Pfeiffer by Ethel Cain ft. lil aaron 

“I won’t even miss you tomorrow.”

It was one of those days in the circus. Caine had sent all of you on a crazy adventure that traumatized you more than it was supposed to be fun, and the worst of it all? Jax. He was actually more annoying than usual, and even though you were dating him, he showed you no mercy. 

The adventure this time was a competition. There were chances to team up because Zooble and Gangle were on a team. Hell, even Kinger was on a team with Pomni and Ragatha! But no. When you asked your OWN boyfriend team up with you, he literally pushed you aside and said it’s all for one. You didn’t know if he was trying to put on a front or if he actually just didn’t care about you. Ever since you guys started dating, it’s like he did everything to make sure that the others didn’t even have a thought that you two were dating. It was pissing you off more than you’d like. Ragatha and Pomni already knew you two were dating. 

“Are you okay, Y/N?” Pomni asked, holding her hand out to you. You grabbed it and pulled yourself up. 

“Yeah. Let’s just get this s#!% over with.” You had a glare in your eye. 

Once the adventure was over, you swore that you lost your life in there. 

“See, it wasn’t so hard doing it by your-” You pushed Jax out of the way just to get to your room. He blinked a couple of times before he watched you turn the corner. “What’s wrong with her?” 

Ragatha and Pomni looked at each other before settling on a shrug. “Did you mess up again?” Zooble asked, walking over. 

“Can’t mess up when there wasn’t anything to mess up,” Jax clicked his tongue, following you. 

“Is Y/N okay?” Gangle asked. 

“I think we should just sit out here for now,” Pomni suggested. They all decided to get comfortable on the couch and Kingle in his fort. 

You walked into your room, slamming your door shut behind you. You made sure to lock your door, so if a particular bunny decided to walk in, you’d at least hear it. You flopped on your bed, fighting back tears because what purpose would it serve when the one person you’re upset with won’t even notice. The slam was loud enough to make Jax jump when he was down the hall. The walk towards your room seemed longer than normal, and he wasn’t sure if he was walking slowly or if you purposely made your room the last one.

You heard a knock at the door, then followed a rattling on your doorknob. You covered yourself with your blanket and tried to dry your tears as fast as you could. But when Jax walked in and saw that you were under the covers, he didn’t think anything of it and just tore the blanket off. “What’re you crying for?” 

“Hello to you, too, Jax.” You looked up at him and got up. 

“So are you going to answer the question, or am I left to figure that part out?” Jax asked, sitting down on your bed. Something was irritating you about how casual he looked.

“Right. So, do you actually want to keep dating?” You ignored his question to ask yours instead. 

“What’re you even talking about?” Jax was confused about where this was coming from. 

“Well, you know, I’m wondering if you actually want to have an emotional tie together or if you just want a body to hold at night?” 

“What is even striking this, Y/N? Is it because of today's adventure?” Jax pushed his ears back as if they were hair he was pushing back. 

“What’s striking this? There are many reasons why we are having this conversation! But one thing's for sure its you asking me out and then proceeding to act like we aren’t even dating? It’s crazier because even at night, you don’t care to make it known that you care about me. Hell, even like me!” You were starting to raise your voice. 

“What’s wrong with not wanting everyone to know your business. It’s not their place to know, and the only people who should care to know are you and me.” He tried to sound logical. 

“Right, right, but the thing is, you don’t care to know.” You walked in front of him. 

“What makes you think that I don’t care?” He sat at the edge of the bed, getting ready to stand up. 

“You treat me like everyone else in this circus! You sit there acting like an idiot and pushing me off to the side like I'm some side character in your life! You don’t even think about me!” You pushed him down on the bed. 

“Of course I care about you!” He stood up. “If I didn’t care about you, then I wouldn’t be carefully trying to dodge the fact that we’re dating-”

You cut him off. “There. That’s it right there. You’re dodging the fact that we’re dating. DODGIN IT!” 

“So that no one gives you unnecessary attention! Caine can be cruel in these adventures, and if everyone knows that we’re dating, then he’s going to make us go against each other!” Jax shouted, pushing you back. 

“SO WHAT?! You’re already pinning us against each other, don’t you see how you’ve been treating me in these adventures?!” You shouted, getting in his face. 

“I-” 

“NO?! Let me remind you then! When we did that horror adventure, you left me ALONE! So that you can go and torture the others! When you know that I can’t handle horror, being alone was already torture! When we went on that adventure to save the princess, you put me in her place in that jail cell! When we could’ve just left it empty! Today’s adventure, everyone was teaming up, but you couldn’t even spare a helping hand.” 

You were out of breath. 

“So you tell me how Caine will keep pinning us against each other. You just want me as a body to sleep with so you don’t feel guilty. I bet you don’t even think of me at all.” 

“I know… I know I treated you poorly during the adventures, but you were always a vital part in winning them. I always included you so that we could win!” Jax was trying to save his ass. "Besides, today was just to test your independence. I can't have you depend on me for every adventure."

“Winning is all you care about. I would even lend a helping hand towards you if it meant I lost, but I should’ve just let you fall.” You crossed your arms, walking around him so that you didn’t have to look at him anymore. "And quit it with all that independent bull, you're the least independent person I know in this whole circus."

“What are you even trying to imply here, Y/N?” Jax asked, but he didn’t sound sorrowful. Instead, he sounded like he was trying to instigate something. Mockery. 

“We’re done. I don’t want to get treated like s#!% when all I do is care about a stupid boyfriend. You can stop worrying about me. You can stop caring about all the unneeded attention I’ll receive, and you can go find something else to hold at night.” You turned around to look at him, but his back was still towards you. 

“Why do you even want all these people to care if they know that we’re dating or not? We’re stuck in this circus with the same five people!” Jax spun around, throwing his arms in the air. 

“Because Jax. You don’t know when someone else is going to enter this circus and fall for you the same way I did. You don’t know if an NPC will get hooked on you, and you’ll have to kiss them to end the adventure.” 

“Who cares! I’ll reject them anyway! Why don’t you trust me?! How is any of this my fault when it’s really your trust issues?!” You didn’t even bat an eye at what he was claiming. 

“Welp, then I have trust issues. I trusted you to treat me like a girlfriend, like someone worth caring about. I trusted you to stand next to me. I trusted you to love me.” You saw his pupils change. It was the look of trying to disassociate because he couldn’t be bothered to care about it right now. 

“Whatever. I don’t care about this anymore.” He threw his arm out like he was swatting a fly away. 

“Cool. Then get out of my room.” You pointed towards the door. “And I promise, I won’t even miss you tomorrow.” 

~~~~ 

The next day, you all walked towards the main lobby to see what Caine was planning this time. You were talking to Pomni and Ragatha when Jax walked into the room, and he didn’t interact with anybody. Kinger tried talking to him with the nonsense that he’s always on about. 

“What’s wrong with Jax?” Pomni asked you. 

“I don’t know. Ask him.” You responded coldly. 

Caine popped into the room just right before Pomni could move her feet. He decided to take a suggestion from the suggestion box, and to your surprise, it was a suggestion you had asked for. It was to go clubbing, something you used to do in your human life. 

“HOW FUN! WHAT FUN!” Caine laughed as if he didn’t want to grant us this adventure. But in the blink of an eye, everyone was teleported to a nightclub. 

It was one that you were familiar with. Everyone was in different clothes, and you were in an outfit that complemented your figure. It was a denim mini skirt with black tights, a black long tube top, and a chunky brown belt that wasn’t holding anything in place. You were in black knee-high boots and a brown leather jacket. Your hair was even styled perfectly. 

Jax, on the other hand, was wearing a pair of baggy jeans with a black chunky belt, a white tee, and a chunky black leather jacket. You guys all walked into the nightclub, and the music was loud, the laser lights were everywhere, and the NPCs were everywhere. Zooble ended up being the bartender. 

“Oh my Y/N. You look like a real stunner.” Zooble flirted. Jax kept looking over at you like he was expecting you to come and talk to him. 

“Thank you.” You smiled. You placed your drink order, and Zooble delivered. 

“I haven’t done this before,” Pomni commented, looking at the dance floor nervously. 

“Then I’ll teach you the ropes, Pomni.” You chuckled. Pomni and Ragatha put their drink orders in, and once they got their drinks, out to the dance floor! 

Kinger was playing bouncer; it was dark enough for him, so he was actually able to do his job. Calling the fake police and everything when there were fakes. Jax just hung out at the bar with Zooble and Gangle, the two people who didn’t want to hang out with him. 

“You’re not gonna go out there and wreak havoc?” Zooble asked, cleaning a glass cup. 

“Why? It looks soo fun out there.” Jax definitely wasn’t having fun. 

“What’s got you in a slump?” Zooble followed up. 

“Y/N and I broke up.” He flatly stated. 

“Damn. I would’ve thought that you two would last a little longer.” Zooble was making a drink now. 

“Wait. You knew that we were dating?” Jax turned to look at her. 

“Yeah. Ragatha spilled the beans when Y/N told those two. Kinger only knows because Gangle was talking about it, but he wasn’t all there.” Zooble placed the drink in front of Jax. 

“You knew but didn’t tease us about it?” Jax asked. 

“Well, duh. Not everyone is as cruel as you, Jax. We actually saw that Y/N cared about you and wouldn’t do anything to make you uncomfortable. So that’s why I’m surprised that she stayed this long putting up with your bull s#!% but also surprised that you guys didn’t last longer.” 

“M-me too!” Gangle chimed in. Jax turned to look back at the dance floor and saw that you were just having fun with your two friends. Probably something that you missed from your human life. The same way that you probably wanted someone to care about you, because in the end, they were all still human. 

“Too bad she doesn’t even want me anymore.” Jax looked away. 

“Well, that sucks.” Zooble didn’t want to give him any advice. 

You were starting to get hot on the dance floor, so you went back to the bar to get another drink and leave your jacket with Gangle. Jax took it from Gangle when you weren’t looking and decided to keep it safe instead. Zooble saw this but chose not to say anything. 

As the night (adventure) went on, you were increasingly starting to feel the alcohol in your system. Jax was casually sipping on his drink, so he wasn’t as drunk as you were. As you lost track of Pomni and Ragatha, you were dancing with the NPCs now. It was pretty clear that they were guys, and your arms were around one of their necks. Jax looked to see if Pomni or Ragatha were in the area, but Pomni was busy getting it on with Gumigoo, and Ragatha was yapping to Kinger. 

When Zooble looked up from the drink she was making, she saw Jax swipe your jacket and walk towards the dance floor. “Is he finally going to loosen up?” 

Jax gently tugged on your arms from the NPC’s neck and pushed the NPC away. “You know, you look a lot like hic some bunny hic I know.” Your words were starting to slur. 

“Yeah.” Jax looked away from you. Without even knowing, his hands were on your hips to keep you stable.

“My! You even sound like him! Too bad, hic he doesn’t care about me. He’d rather win these stupid games, but too bad! He can’t win this one!” You laughed maniacally. Then the song changed. “Oh, this is my jam!” 

You started jumping up and down, almost hitting Jax. Jax was trying to hold you in place so you wouldn't hit anybody else. You really couldn’t see anything; everyone’s faces were just a blur, and all you cared about was getting rid of the hurt in your heart. Even though you said that you weren’t going to miss him, you cried all night because, for the first time in a long time, someone made you feel human again, even if it was a negative emotion.

“Let’s go get a drink! My friend makes some really good drinks!” You shouted up at who you thought was an NPC. Jax looked down at you while you had the biggest smile on your face, and memories started flooding in. He can’t believe that he let his own pride and ego get the best of him. When the one person who would have listened to anything he had to talk about was right in front of him, but was no longer his. 

Zooble looked at the drunken you as you were dragging Jax along. Zooble chuckled to herself, and she made the drink upon order. “Thank you, Zooble! You’re the best!” 

“Anything for your gentleman here?” Zooble asked, playing along. 

“Nothing for me,” Jax answered. 

“Don’t you think he kind of looks like Jax, Zooble?!” You shouted over the counter. 

“Really? I don’t see it.” Zooble looked at Jax, who was irritated. 

“Yeah! Too bad he isn’t Jax, though! I would have enjoyed this night with him if we were still together. But his pride and ego are too far up his a#$ to care about anyone but himself!” You still found a way to diss him even in your drunken state. Jax was feeling a mix of guilt and irritation because why were you actually putting him in his place? 

“Y/N. I think you should stop drinking.” Jax grabbed the cup out of her hand. 

“How do you know my name?! Did Pomni tell you my name?!” Your eyes went wide, looking up at the bunny. 

“No. It’s me, Jax. Let’s stop drinking and get out of this nightclub!” He shouted loud enough for you to hear. 

“Jax?! Hell no! Why the h$#% am I holding your hand?!” You threw his hand and grabbed your drink back. You decided to chug it to rebel against him. But as soon as the alcohol had set, you collapsed. 

“F#$%,” Jack swore and caught you. One of his arms under your back and the other supporting your head so you wouldn't puke.

“I think it’s time to leave, Caine!” Zooble shouted, panickily.

Caine snapped you guys back into the circus, but he was nowhere to be found. Jax was still holding onto you, and the drunken effect was still lingering. He lifted you bridal style and brought you back to your room. Just as he was going to pull away from setting you down on the bed, your arms wrapped around his neck. 

“I miss Jax so much.” 

That was the last sentence that came out of you for the night, and it was keeping Jax up all night. Jax decided that in the morning, he would talk to you. 

~~~~ 

When morning rolled around, he quickly came to knock on your door. You opened the door and looked up at him. He let himself in, and the first thing he did was grab your face and slam his lips to yours. You melted into the kiss until the realization hit you, and you pushed him away. 

“What the h$#% Jax!” You shouted, wiping your lips. 

“I’m sorry for everything. I’m sorry about being a bad boyfriend. I’m sorry for not having you by my side. I’m sorry for casting you aside. I’m just… sorry.” He looked at you as if the next thing you said was going to confirm whether or not he lived. "I'm sorry for saying that you didn't trust me when it was actually me that didn't trust myself."

“Did you stay up all night just waiting to apologize to me?” You asked, eyes squinting as you looked at his dark circles. 

“I did. After yesterday’s adventure, it made me realize that I have so much love left for you and that it would be stupid if I didn’t fight for you. I hated seeing you dance with someone else that wasn’t me or flirt with someone else that wasn’t me.” You couldn’t help but soften at his words because that’s all you wanted from him. 

“But that doesn’t excuse what you’ve done, Jax.” You put a hand on his face. He knelt in front of you and started begging. 

“Please Y/N. I need you more than you think, and I care about you so much. I don’t want to keep thinking that I don’t care when all I do is care too much about you.” He was practically sobbing at your feet, and he had the nerve to talk about being independent. “I miss you so much. Please.” 

You took in a deep breath and knelt to him. “All I do is love you unconditionally, stupid bunny.” 

“Does that mean you’re my girlfriend again?” He looked up. His eyes were teary, and you wore a smile. 

“Yes, it does. But no more treating me like a side piece.” He tackled you to the ground, and you felt your shirt getting wet. 

Later, you two walked into the main room, and his arm was around you. “I see you two made up.” 

“Pfft, wasn’t that hard. Little lady is obsessed with me!” Jax exclaimed. You stomped on his foot and smiled. 

Inspired by Trying on Shoes by Tate McRae 

“I don’t move on at your type of pace.” 

You were sitting in your room at Cleaners HQ, and there was a knock at your door. You opened it, and there was Rudo, who looked anxious just by knocking at your door. “What’s wrong, Rudo?” 

“Um, did you want to come on this job with Tamsy and me?” Rudo asked, his hands in front of his body and standing like he was talking to an officer. 

“Why didn’t Semiu ask me?” You asked him. 

“Uhh, she told me to ask you myself.” He was looking down at his hands. You put your hand on his shoulder. 

“Rudo. You’re so bad at lying.” You commented. He looked up at you with pleading eyes. You took a step out into the hallway and saw Tamsy leaning against the wall next to Rudo. “Don’t make the poor boy do your dirty work.” 

You stepped back into your room and closed the door. You could hear what they were talking about out in the hallway. 

“I tried.” Rudo looked up at Tamsy. 

“It’s okay. I’ll just try another way to get Y/N to come back to me.” He ruffled Rudo’s hair. 

It was a free day for you, and you wanted to go out for a little bit, but a certain someone wanted to join you. “Tamsy, do you really have to join me?” 

“Yes!” He exclaimed. Arms crossed across his chest, and his head leaning against your door frame. 

“Don’t come with me. I don’t want you to come with me.” You told him, with no emotion behind your voice. 

“But why~” He whined, walking towards you, but you shoved him out of the way. 

“Get out of my room so I can lock up.” You didn’t spare him a glance, much less a conversation. He walked out with no complaints, and you went about your day. 

Later that evening, when you came back, Tamsy was standing by your door. You took a deep sigh and walked towards your door. You unlocked it and paid no attention to him. As he was going to walk in, you shut the door right in his face, but he then proceeded to pound on the door. 

“Y/N! Can we please talk!” Tamsy shouted through the door. 

“No we cannot! So please leave!” You responded, cleaning up your room. There were flower petals all over the place. 

“Please! Y/N!” He kept pounding on the door. You couldn’t handle the pounding anymore and flung your door open. 

“WHAT! WHAT IS SO IMPORTANT!” You shouted, loud enough for the entire building to hear. 

“I’m sorry.” He looked you straight in the eyes. 

“Bro, if you’re here just to say some stupid shit, then you can leave. Honestly. Fuck off, Tamsy.” You snapped and started to close your door. Tamsy stopped it with his hand and walked into the room. He closed the door behind him and just looked at you with sorrowful eyes. 

“Let me apologize. Please.” Tamsy grabbed your hands, but you were quick to remove them from his grasp. 

“I don’t know what you’re apologizing for.” You replied, looking away from him. 

“I want to apologize for how I left our relationship. I want to apologize for how I treated you until the end.” Tamsy sounded like he was begging. 

“Why do you want to apologize for that? You left that night and made your decision to go to another girl’s side.” You reminded him, pulling out your chair and sitting down. 

“That’s exactly why I wanted to apologize. I realized that was a mistake and possibly the biggest mistake I’ve ever made.” Tamsy was on his knees for you. You took a deep sigh and just looked at him. 

“You made that decision. Whether that was a mistake or not, it was made, and that was the end of our relationship. I cannot reassure you, and no, I’m not going to forgive you.” You stood your ground. 

“Please. Anything. Just anything!” Tamsy begged, his hand held yours, and you didn’t pull away this time. 

“Tamsy. You don’t understand. I felt like you were slowly picking another girl over me. How you had eventually prioritized her before me, and when it came to the biggest night of my life, you ran to her side because she was supposedly more important.” 

Tamsy was no stranger to girls and getting their attention. Apparently, he wanted a whole crowd to look at him, and if not a crowd, then someone chasing after his attention. 

“I’m not going to sit here and listen to all the bullshit you have to spew because, honestly, I’m not over it. I don’t move on at your type of pace, and you know that. I’m not the one who is supposed to be at your side, and that's okay.” You felt the tears welling up. 

Around your room were traces of Tamsy. There was an increasing amount of blue in your room, more than you would like. You convinced yourself that it was because it was a pretty color, but in reality, it was the only thing that made you feel closer to him. As long as you knew what his favorite color was, you were always going to be closer to him. As long as you were the one sleeping in his bed at night, you were always going to be closer to him. 

“But you are. After you left, I was so alone. I didn’t want anyone else’s attention, unless it was yours.” Tamsy begged. As much as you wanted to sympathize and take him back, you couldn’t. 

“I can’t, Tamsy.” There was a moment of silence. He was quietly sobbing in your lap, and you had to shake him off. “Get off of me.” 

“No. I don’t want to!” Tamsy wrapped his arms around your hips. You started pushing him off. 

“Seriously. Tamsy. Get off of me. I can’t have you in here anymore.” You started to get rough with him. He didn’t budge for the five minutes that you were trying to pry him off. You decided to call Gris and Enjin to take him off of you. After that, he disappeared into his room. 

“You looked surprised to see that girl in here,” August commented as he took Zanka’s measurements. 

“Did I really?” Zanka asked, arms out. August looked up at him and noticed that Zanka’s expression didn’t change at the thought of you. 

“It might’ve been my imagination.” August chuckled. 

Later, you and Zanka were in class. You were slowly falling asleep during the lecture, but Zanka tapped on your arm, which was resting on the desk. You were a little surprised, but you looked over to him. Your eyes were fluttering because you were fighting your sleep, but Zanka didn’t know what you were doing. 

“Are you okay?” He whispered. You nodded yes and leaned over to his ear. 

“I’m just tired.” You pulled away, but saw that his ears were a nice pink. 

“Did you want to get some coffee after this class?” Zanka leaned over to your ear. The moment you heard coffee, you perked up. You had a smile plastered on your face and leaned over to him. 

“Are you paying?” You excitedly whispered. Zanka nodded his head, but not with his regular stoic expression on his face. 

After class, you two walked out together, and you were talking about how you were about to fall asleep during the lecture. Then you went off to talk about how good the weather had been lately. You were non-stop talking, and Zanka was listening to it all, involuntarily, but he was still listening. 

“THEN! Riyo was saying how she wants to meet a nice boy!” You exclaimed, linking your arm with his. You were excitedly talking about Riyo and hitting Zanka on the arm as you were laughing. 

When the two of you reached the cafe, you unlinked your arm and started reading the menu. Zanka took a glance down at his arm, which was now feeling cold. You were rambling about the coffee you wanted to order, and when you turned around to Zanka. 

“Were you listening?” You looked up at him. He looked over to you. 

“Huh? Sorry, no, I wasn’t.” Zanka answered, this time looking at the menu. 

“You haven’t been responding to me this whole walk here. Do you have something on your mind?” You asked, turning back around to order at the kiosk that was next to the menu. 

“Yea I do.” Zanka answered, moving closer to you and looking over your shoulder to see what you were ordering. 

“What’s on your mind?” You asked, turning to look up at him. His distance was a shock to you because you didn’t think that he was going to be standing so close. 

“You and all your rambling.” He answered. His arm reached over, and he started ordering his drink. You were now trapped between him and the kiosk. “Here. Pay.” 

He handed you his card, and you paid for the order. You both sat down while you waited for your drinks. You were starting to think about why he was acting affectionate, totally oblivious to the fact that you were linking arms just earlier. “Zanka.” 

He raised a brow in response. “Do you like anyone?” 

His brain malfunctioned. 

“Uh, not at the moment,” Zanka answered nervously. 

“Would you like to like someone?” 

“Huh?” Zanka immediately got confused by your question. 

“Would you like to like someone! Like, do you want to find someone soon?” You were talking with your hands now. 

“Well, sure, of course, I would like to find someone soon. But I think my mind might be consumed by this one person very soon.” Zanka answered, looking down at his fidgeting hand. 

“Who?” It’s not like you were asking cluelessly. He genuinely makes it seem like he doesn’t have any interest in anyone. 

“I’m not sure who yet.” That answer blew your mind away. He said one person, but he doesn’t even know who it is! 

“Then you can’t say that someone is going to consume your mind yet.” You scoffed and crossed your arms. 

Inspired by Eyes by Bazzi (click on song title for Spotify link!)

Bakugou was waiting for you in front of the school. You were inside talking to your professor, and he was getting carried away talking about the material. Once he finally finished, you ran outside and saw Bakugou on his phone. His arms were crossed, but when he saw you walking down the stairs, he naturally opened up.

“Hi my love.” Bakugou pulled your head in to give you a forehead kiss. You looked around and saw all of the girls stealing glances at him. “What’re you looking at?” 

He turned around to see the girls who were staring at him. He turned to look back down at you, and he lifted your face to look him in the eyes. “Don’t worry about them.” 

“I know. But it’s still not a nice feeling knowing that some girls out here will try anything just because you look good.” You grabbed his hand instinctively. 

“I hear ya.” He grabbed your hand and led you down the stairs towards the sidewalk. “Let’s go on our date?” You hopped down the steps. 

You guys were at a park on a picnic date. It was a lovely spring day, the cherry blossoms were out, and the birds were chirping. You were going off about your class and how your professor held you back longer than you wanted. Bakugou was listening, but he couldn’t take his eyes off you. The way you were talking with your hands, how good your skin looks, how your hair shapes your face, and how your eyes glow when the sunlight hits them. 

“Are you listening?” You asked, putting your hand on his knee. 

“Yeah, I’m listening,” Bakugou answered. You went off to talk about your day again. He leaned over and kissed you on the cheek. 

“Is everything okay?” You asked, looking at him with concern. 

“Yeah. I was just happy knowing that you’re my girlfriend.” Bakugou smiled. 

“I’m happy that you’re my boyfriend!” You cheerfully smiled. 

“No. Like. Fate brought you to me at the right time; you were everything I was searching for.” Bakugou wouldn’t break eye contact. 

This time, you were staring into his eyes as the sunlight hit them. It was like you were looking at the future that you had planned since you were fourteen. 

“In another lifetime, I would do everything again, just to fall in love with you again.” Bakugou was holding your hand. You started to tear up. 

“Thank you, love.” You wiped away your tears. “You are the best thing to ever happen to me.” 

Inspired by Been Like This by Doja Cat 

You and Follo have been dating for a while, and he just returned from a mission. You were sitting up on his bed, reading a magazine, and you watched him walk in. He threw his hat on the dresser that he had next to his door and looked at you. He let out a deep sigh and crawled over to you. His arms found their way around your waist, his head on your lap, and you playing with his hair. 

“Today was so tiring, Y/N,” Follo mumbled into your lap. 

“Yeah? I bet it was.” Your voice is soft and sultry. 

“I’m gonna go take a shower, then we can relax.” Follo got up from the bed. 

After his shower, he walked out of the bathroom with only his pants on. His towel was around his neck, and when he looked at the bed, he realized you weren’t there. He looked towards the dresser, and you were in a lace pajama top with pajama shorts. You were running your hands through your silky hair, and the dim lighting was complementing you. Follo threw the towel in his hamper and walked towards you. 

“Hey, beautiful.” He snaked his arms around your waist and rested on your hips. His head lowered down on your shoulders, and he was kissing the exposed skin. The touch of his lips was so soft that it sent shivers down your spine. You leaned into him, you rested your head on his chest. 

“Hi, handsome.” You turned around, slowly bringing your arms up to his neck. You brought him down to kiss you. The kiss was slow. 

“Wanna carry this to the bed?” He asked and led you there. The door was already locked, and as soon as he set you down on the bed, his lips crashed into yours. It wasn’t rushed or needy; it was something freakier. Like he was going to do you all night, but made sure to tell you that he missed you all day and only wanted to see you. He was going to watch as he slowly thrusted into you. 

When you pulled away from the kiss, he had a look of shock on his face. “We can’t tonight, I have an early morning.” 

“Why not?” He asked, with sad puppy dog eyes. 

“Because I’m busy in the morning, love.” You cupped his cheeks. 

“Well then, can we just kiss all night long?” He asked sofly. He leaned in to kiss you some more. You pushed him away again. 

“No, because if we do it’s only going to lead to other things.” You chuckled. 

“Fine, but this was your decision, so just keep that in mind.” Follo got off of you and sat next to you in bed. 

Later, as you two were lying in bed, his hand was resting on your abdomen, and he was making shapes on it with his fingers. It would tickle when he went further down, and you knew that he was purposely teasing you. But this time you gave in. He came up for a kiss, tongues intertwining, and hands exploring each other’s bodies. 

“What a sweet girl.” Follo’s hand lifted your chin to meet him eye to eye. 

“What a sweet boy.” You whispered and went in for another round. 

“What a tease.” Follo’s hand was between your legs, ready to spread them apart for him. His fingers brushed gently against your pussy. 

“Hey, hey, hey.” You pushed him away and looked down at his hand. 

“Eyes on me, okay?” Follo searched for your eyes, and you looked at him with pleading eyes. 

Zanka was hanging out in his dorm with Follo. They were studying for the class that they had together. “Follo, you have a girlfriend, right?” 

Follo stopped in his tracks for a moment before responding. “Yes, I do… why?” 

“I was just wondering what being in a relationship is like.” Zanka didn’t look away from his laptop. 

“Well, I like being in a relationship. More like I really like my girlfriend. She’s smart, has goals, and pushes me to be the better version of myself. Much like how I push her to be the better version of herself.” Follo answered, putting his pencil down and looking up at the ceiling. 

“Did you fall in love after getting to know her more?” Zanka asked, looking at him. 

“Well, I loved how my girlfriend carried herself when I was just first getting to know her. It was only after I realized my feelings for her that I really wanted to get to know her. She’s a pretty open person, so I was always learning something new about her every day.” Follo was reminiscing about the memories that he has with his girlfriend. He loved his girl. He’s a lover boy, I know it! 

“What if all she showed you was the surface level of things that she shows everyone?” Follo looked at Zanka, eyebrows raised in surprise. 

“Why are you so curious about all this stuff?” It was Follo’s turn to ask the questions. 

“Don’t ask, just answer.” Follo was quickly shut down. 

Follo threw his hands up like he was being held at gunpoint. “Well, if all she showed me was a filter of herself, then obviously I wouldn’t have gone for her. It’s like catfishing someone.” Zanka nodded his head in response. Then he picked up the game controller and resumed their game. Studying was thrown to the side. 

You were sitting in the library with Riyo, and you both were taking a break from studying. “Hey Y/N, are you okay if the boys come to join us?” Riyo asked, looking up from her phone. 

“Sure, I don’t care.” You replied, not bothering to look up from your phone. You were scrolling on TikTok. 

“Hey, I have a question.” Riyo quickly sent the text and put her phone down. 

“What’s up?” You asked, putting your phone down. Riyo leaned in on the table for dramatic effect. 

“Do you like Zanka?” She asked, a smirk on her face. You thought about it for a little bit before answering. 

“Mmm, as a friend, yes. But as anything more, no.” You replied, leaning back in your chair. 

“Well, you guys have great chemistry, so I wouldn’t be surprised if you two got together.” Riyo chuckled. 

“I doubt that would happen. I don’t think I’m his type.” You answered. 

“So what you’re saying is that if you were his type and he so happened to like you, you would go after him?” Riyo poked, the smirk turning into a grin. 

“I didn’t say that. I also don’t know him very well; all I know is that he’s nonchalant.” You sighed, sitting up in your seat. 

“Okay, but like what if he was actually a really good guy and treated you really good!” Riyo had her knees up on the seat of her chair and her feet resting on the back of her chair. 

“I still don’t know Riyo. He seems to be following in his family's footsteps, and I don’t want to be the girlfriend that they have to pay to leave their son.” Your head in your hands just thinking about that scenario. 

“Okay, but what if you aren’t! You have so many great qualities, like you’re smart, sweet, charming, and really nice!” Riyo exclaimed. Before you had the chance to comment on her crazy statement, the boys walked in. 

“Hey girls! I hope you don’t mind, but I brought my girlfriend with me.” A popped her head in greeting the other girls. 

“Hey! Come in, come in!” Riyo exclaimed. She moved her stuff around so that all of the girls could sit on one end of the table, and the boys could sit on the other side of the table. 

“What were you two talking about before? It seemed like an interesting topic if it had Riyo up on her chair like that.” Follo asked while taking all his stuff out. 

“It was noth-” Riyo cut you off. 

“Just about the types of guys we’re into!” Riyo jumped the gun. You lightly hit her on the shoulder. 

“We weren’t talking about that.” You sighed. 

“Yes, we were! Zanka, what’s your type!” Riyo leaned over the table to get closer to him. Zanka spared her a side look before going back to his laptop. 

“I don’t really have one. I just want a girl who has her priorities right and can stand her own ground.” Zanka didn’t have a second thought as to why he was being asked that question. Riyo glanced back at you, and you visibly didn’t like the response he had given. 

“Are you okay?” Riyo whispered in your ear. You look back at her and smile at her. 

“Are you okay?” Zanka asked suddenly. He gripped the top of his laptop screen just to look at you. You turned to look at him, and his eyes were wide with worry. 

“Uh, yeah… I am.” You replied nervously. You looked down at your laptop, and Zanka leaned back in his chair. 

“If something is wrong, tell me.” Zanka lightly kicked your leg. 

“Are you two dating?” Follo’s girlfriend asked abruptly. Everyone looked at her like she had just asked the forbidden question, even though they all had different expressions on their faces. Riyo had a shit-eating grin on her face. Follo’s eyes were slightly widened at the sudden question. Your eyes were wide and sharp. Zanka’s face was stoic, like he didn’t hear the question. 

“No, we aren’t.” You answered as calmly as you could. 

“Oh. What a shame, you two would be a good couple.” She chuckled and went back to her textbook. You were the first to look away, and you felt your cheeks get warm. All of this talk about crushes and dating was starting to get to your head. 

You were walking in the art building one day, and you ran into the design studio. You knew him as the fashion designer on campus, but he really only designs for his little sister, who just happens to be your age. The door was open to the design studio, so you decided to poke your head in to see what the room looked like. “Are you interested?” 

The sudden voice made you jump, and you turned around to be met with a tall figure and long hair. “Oh no, I was just looking around.” 

“Well, come in! I’ll show you what I’ve been working on!” He pushed you into the room, and you were met with fabric everywhere and crazy designs on mannequins. 

“Whoa, did you make all of this?” You asked, taking a look around the room. 

“I did. Would you like to try on a design?” He asked, taking an outfit off a mannequin. 

“Sure, but I don’t think it’s going to fit me.” You told him. 

“I doubt it, you are basically the same size as my sister.” He chuckled and threw the clothes at you. “The changing rooms are over there.” 

You went to change, and the outfit was a lot harder to put on than you thought. The top was a maroon red long-sleeved shirt, and it was paired with a maroon leather skirt. The outfit included black knee-high socks, fur boots, and a neck scarf. You walked out of the changing room, and August was admiring how the outfit looked on you. “I can definitely make some tweaks here and there, but overall it’s STYLISH!” 

“I’m glad that it’s stylish.” You chuckled. 

“Alright! You can head out now!” August demanded. You stared at him as he was dramatically pointing towards the door. You smiled awkwardly, you walked towards the door, and as soon as you opened it, Zanka was standing on the other side. 

You ran right into his chest. “Oh, jeez.” 

“What’re you doing here?” Zanka asked, looking down at you. 

“I was just trying on some clothes for August. What are you doing here?” You asked, moving out of the way so he could get in. 

You were enjoying your first few weeks of classes. You were able to room with Riyo, your best friend, and you got into your dream school. You really couldn’t ask for anything more. You left your old high school friends behind, and that one boy you didn’t want anything to do with. You were a sociology major, something quite fitting for you, and Riyo was a criminal justice major, something quite fitting for her. 

“Are you going to join Follo and me for lunch today? Follo has someone he wants to introduce us to!” Riyo exclaimed, looking down at her phone as she eagerly texted Follo back. 

“Sure, I don’t mind.” You replied, throwing your backpack on your back. 

“Okay, I’ll let him know then. Are you free at 12?” Riyo looked up at you, and you pondered that request. 

“Yes, I should be.” You answered. 

By the time lunch rolled around, you and Riyo saw Follo standing outside the dining hall, talking to another guy. When you two got closer to the two boys, you already knew who was standing next to him! “Hey Zanka!” 

“Hey, Y/N.” Zanka waved. 

“You guys already know each other?” Follo asked as you all walked into the dining hall. 

“Yeah, he’s in my biology class.” You answered, standing next to him confidently. 

Zanka’s shoulders would hunch over just ever so slightly; it wasn’t enough to notice at just a glance, but when you looked carefully, you would be able to see it. You walked with your posture straight and with big strides, not because Zanka was taller than you, but because that’s how you were taught to walk, with a purpose. 

“How are you doing on the bio homework?” You asked him, as you were both in line for the same restaurant. 

“It’s coming along. What about you?” Zanka asked, looking down at you. 

“Mmm, I think it’s coming along too, but I might need help on it later. Can you help me out later?” You asked, not another thought crossing your mind, you just needed help with your homework. 

“Yeah, I can help you with the homework,” Zanka replied, looking away, and suddenly the wall was the most interesting thing he had seen all day. 

When the four of you sat together, Zanka didn’t talk much, but Follo was quite the yapper today. “What about you, Zanka? How’s your family?” 

You guys were all talking about your families. Since you and Riyo came from the same town, there wasn’t a lot you guys could talk about, but you two were invested in Follo’s hometown stories. Zanka was also from a different town, and you guys were eager to hear his stories. 

“Umm, not much is going on. My mentor took another kid in, though. I think he’s 17? So around the age I was when he took me in.” Zanka casually just dropped a bomb on everyone. 

“A mentor?!” You exclaimed, putting down your spoonful of food. 

“Yeah.” Zanka was eating calmly. 

“Who is the new kid that your mentor got hold of?” Follo asked. 

“His name is Rudo. Some kid he picked up on the street who was going dumpster diving. Enjin is going to find some way to make him realize his worth or something like that.” Zanka nonchalantly answered. You were still trying to wrap your head around that Zanka had a mentor. 

“So you had a mentor this whole time?” You asked. Zanka looked up at your beading eyes. 

“Yes, I do.” Zanka didn’t waver his eye contact with you. You were the first to look away. 

“I never thought you’d be the one to have a mentor.” You went back to eating. 

After lunch, you and Zanka went to the library to work on the biology homework that you were struggling with. Zanka was showing you where you could get your answers, but also tried to apply the assignment to what you guys were doing in class. This was supposed to help you study for the exam that was coming up. 

“Thanks for your help so much, Zanka,” You sighed, stretching your body. 

“No problem. Did you want to grab some ice cream and boba?” Zanka asked while packing his stuff up. 

“Sure! But only if you’re paying for it.” You chuckled. 

“Who else is going to pay for it?” Zanka replied. 

You two walked to the cafe, and there were many different options for both boba and ice cream. You couldn’t just pick one. When you finally made your decision, Zanka went up to order for you and him, while you waited patiently. 

“Zanka, do you have any younger siblings?” You asked, looking at his side profile. 

“I don’t have one. I’m the youngest.” Zanka answered, putting his card away. 

“Really?! I would’ve thought that you had one because you treat me like a little kid sometimes.” You started kicking your feet in your seat. 

“That’s only because you act like one.” He stopped you from kicking your leg. “Stop, you’re going to hit someone.” 

“Oh. Whoops.” The cafe started to get busy. It was near the end of classes, and you just watched people come in and leave. Zanka looked down at you and saw that you were people watching, so he decided to join you on the people watch. 

“Zanka.” You looked up at him. He raised his eyebrows in response, arms crossed, and looking down at you again. “Sometimes, do you wonder if you would find someone who could love you for all that you are?” 

Zanka furrowed his brows in confusion. Why were you even thinking about this? “Why does that matter? And what are you going on about?” 

They called your order, and you guys left the cafe quickly to beat the traffic. You guys were walking back to campus, he was walking on the side of the road, and you were enjoying your ice cream while walking on the inside of the sidewalk. You didn’t even notice that he had done that. 

“So, back to my question! I ask because I’m just curious, is all. Riyo told me that I had lost my spark when I was with my ex, and I noticed so many different things that he did to me that I didn’t like.” You answered. You weren’t sad talking about it; you were more comfortable with the thought that your ex treated you that way, and it was just a learning experience. 

“Well, whether someone loves you for all that you are is a given if someone chooses to love you. If they say they love you and not love you for everything that you are, then they don’t really love you.” Zanka answered, sipping away at his boba. 

“But aren’t you worried that someone might just love what you show on the surface? And that’s all that they want from you?” You asked. Your tone of voice is a little mellower now. 

“I’m not worried about that. I would never date someone who doesn’t know how I really am.” Zanka’s answer was so confident. You admired that he knew who he was, but you still felt like you had a lot of growing to do. “Who was your ex?” 

You were shocked at his sudden question; you never thought Zanka would be the one to care. “It was just some boy from my hometown. He really only liked what I had shown to other people; he didn’t care too much for who I actually was. Actually, he tried to change me to be more like someone he could be around. Which was a quiet, cute girl that didn’t say too much but said enough.” 

“Why would you ever be with someone like that?” Zanka asked, genuinely curious. But he looked disgusted at the fact that you dated him. 

“I don’t know, I was a kid and wanted to have dating experience. I mean, I’m glad that it was a bad experience, so I know better for the future.” You answered, looking down at the sidewalk. Zanka saw a huge group of boys walking towards you guys, and he pulled you closer to him.