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personasintro · 1 year ago

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Mutual Help | #35

↳ 𝐬𝐲𝐧𝐨𝐩𝐬𝐢𝐬; in order for you to pretend to be his girlfriend, he helps you with your sexual desires ⏤ he calls it mutual help

⇢ 𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠: jungkook x reader

⇢ 𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: fake dating au, fluff, angst, smut, slow burn

⇢ 𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬: explicit language

⇢ 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭: 9.9k+

⇠ 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐯. | 𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐱 | 𝐧𝐞𝐱𝐭 ⇢

It's been a little over a week since Jungkook has seen you, nine days to be exact. The lack of contact the two of you had, apart from the messages Jungkook spammed your phone with, suit you. You've missed him, especially on those lonely evenings you'd usually spend with him watching movies or one of his stupid games he loves to play in his free time. Of course, if he's not working out or doing something else as productive.

Jungkook has really tried his best, even asked to hang out during a week but you politely declined making an excuse which usually had been that you're tired or busy with work. It's not like you lied to him, you had been busy and tired too. But usually none of those things mattered when it came to you and your best friend hanging out together. Empathic as always, Jungkook completely understood your lame excuses and always made sure he texted you during the day. Even if it was just some stupid TikTok videos or meme picture that made you laugh.

As much as your lame excuses were partly right, there are two more reasons you've decided to spend your free time alone. One, is that your bruise hasn't been completely healed yet. You didn't need Jungkook to go crazy about the ugly colors your bruise managed to sprout into. Of course, maybe you're being just too dramatic over Jungkook's reaction, which would be just as equally dramatic, but you don't really yearn for his scolding all over again. The second reason is mostly about you and doesn't involve Jungkook at all.

Two days since you and Yoongi dishonored Yejun's office, nicely said, it took you some time to fully let it sink in, the fact you had Yoongi's dick in your hand while he went down on you. Who would've thought something like that could happen? You surely didn't. You both went in the same cab home that night and even though you felt a little bit weird about sitting next to him, considering he had his mouth on you just a few minutes ago, things went back to normal. The two of you never spoke about it, there's no reason to.

You were a little nervous about today, being the first day to see him since that happened, but today proved to you there's no reason to overthink it or worry about it. You went back to normal and at the end of the day, you're just two people who needed to get each other off. You drank, had fun and that's it.

So when Jungkook texted you today, wanting to hang out with you you agreed. Since you've settled your thoughts in your mind, you've realized you missed him and you don't want stupid things to keep you from living your life outside work.

Rather than Monday being one of those evenings that you just hang out, eating food and sprawling yourselves either on your or Jungkook's couch, Jungkook has prepared a fun evening for you. He's always been the one more adventurous.

Ice skating, it is for tonight.

God, you can't remember when was the last time you wore ice skates. Probably when you were around seven when your uncle took you to the nearest lake in the middle of winter. You can still remember him laughing at you when you fell on your bum, embarrassed since there were other people around. That was the first and last time you ice skated.

Quite frankly, it's hard to do any activities with Jungkook because he's good at everything and if he doesn't know something or has never done something before, he gets the hang of it quickly and is a pure professional. It's annoying. You're not sure if you're ready to embarrass yourself in front of him and everyone else. You wouldn't care (about the part of embarrassing yourself in front of Jungkook) but you already know he's good at ice skating. You can already hear his devilish laugh laughing at you, even though you know he's not evil at all. Maybe just a little bit.

From a distance, you can already see Jungkook leaning against the railing of the ice rink with a phone in his hands. He's wearing a black padded jacket, the same one he wore that night of your accident. However, there's a black bucket hat covering his hair and face, but still not enough not to let you notice the slight frown he's got. Just as if he could sense someone's eyes on him, he looks up his phone and scans the crowd of people. There are more people than you expected, considering it's Monday but Seoul never sleeps.

It's until you're a few meters away from him that he sees you, putting his phone into the pocket of his black cargo pants. He flashes you one of his gentle smiles, already outstretching his arms towards you as you chuckle, hugging him as soon as he's close.

"Waiting for me?" you laugh, voice muffled by his chest.

"Who else, I'm always waiting when it comes to you." he teases, poking you in your ribs as you pull away from him with a displeased frown.

Okay, maybe you're late sometimes. But not always! And it always is Jungkook who waits for you. It's his fault he's always on time.

Jungkook's teasing grin fades as a soft look spreads over his features. "Let me see," he murmurs, angling your head to the side so he can see the fading bruise.

You catch the displeased frown on his face again, his brows furrowed in worry but instead of saying anything else, he simply sighs. "Does it still hurt?"

It does. Not like in the beginning, but you can definitely feel it when you lay on the side, pressing the bruise on your soft pillow. "No," you tell him bluntly.

However Jungkook looks at you with an impressed look, swiftly touching your temple and the bruise as he presses his thumb against it. "Ow, are you insane?" you exclaim, slapping his hand away as he looks completely unbothered by your sudden outburst.

"Don't lie to me." he says simply, even has the audacity to shrug as if he didn't just hurt you. Okay, it didn't hurt that much but it shocked you.

"You didn't have to press so hard," you mumble, feeling like a little kid as you gently pat around the bruise. "When's Jimin coming?" you ask instead.

Jimin is supposed to hang out with you today but he's coming a bit later, so in the meantime you hope you'll get the hang of ice skating so you won't embarrass yourself in front of him too. Hopefully, Jungkook will teach you how to ice skate properly by then.

"Maybe in an hour? I don't know, he said he'll meet us here." Jungkook shrugs, stuffing his hands into the pockets to hide them from the cold.

The first step is to get ice skates, renting two pairs for you and Jungkook, in the nearby stall where you wait a few minutes in the line. You take that time to look around, admire the colorful lights all around the ice rink. It looks almost magical, adding just the right atmosphere for winter and sets everyone in the mood to ice skate. Scent of mulled wine and cinnamon flows in the air from the other stalls. When it's finally your turn, Jungkook is the one who speaks and tells your and his foot size, the two of you thanking the young lady who hands you the ice skates. You watch Jungkook pay, telling him you'll pay him back for your half but he dismisses you by waving his hand.

You both scurry to the bench next to the stall to sit down and put on the ice skates. There's a little girl sitting next to you, her mom crouching in front of her as she puts the little ice skates for her. She's mesmerized by the lights, her face glowing with excitement and interest as you can't help but smile at her cuteness.

"I'll suck at this." you comment, voicing out your thoughts especially when you look at people ice skating so effortlessly. There are a few struggling, most of them being children which sets your stomach into a nervous ball.

"We can get you one of those penguin aids, if you want." Jungkook says with all seriousness but as you look at him, you notice his lips twitching while he's trying to hide a grin.

"Fuck off," you nudge his shoulder, growing annoyed at him. He's making fun of you. He looks so excited while putting on his ice skates, almost like a little kid.

Remembering there has been one sitting next to you and you openly cursed at your best friend, you look beside you with breath hitched in your throat. You sigh in relief when you notice her mom already putting her in the ice rink, her innocent ears in a safe distance from your big mouth.

"You're annoying." you murmur, sulking in your seat as you prolong putting on your ice skates.

Jungkook notices that, cackling beside you as he's all done, putting his boots in one of the lockers. He takes your shoes, the only chance of you actually running away from here, and puts it in the same locker. You watch him locking it and putting the key into his pocket. He turns to sit down beside you and waits, noticing your puzzled look.

"Hey, I'm here," he says, smiling as he slightly nudges your shoulder with his own in encouragement. Oh, fuck you feel like a little kid. Even a little kid is more excited than you're. You're not sure why you're suddenly so unsure about this. And Jungkook already knows you need a little nudge and encouragement. "I'll teach you."

"What if I fall and break my... I don't know, leg or arm?"

He snorts at your question, seeing your little grin but he knows you're not just joking. "I won't let you fall." he says simply, shrugging as if it's not a big deal.

You glance at him skeptically before you tie your ice skates. Jungkook is the first one to stand up, grinning excitedly as he helps you to stand up too. He has a tight grip on your hands, slowly leading you towards the ice rink which takes just a few steps. You're holding your breath the whole time, watching Jungkook glide against the ice completely effortlessly as he turns to you, still holding your hand.

"Come on," he turns his head towards the ice rink, nudging you to move as people behind you are waiting to get into the ice rink as well.

There is no time to hesitate. Fuck it, you tell yourself as you get onto ice. You stumble a little, Jungkook luckily is there to catch you as he grins down at you, scrunching his nose.

"See? It's not that hard," he says, earning a roll of your eyes from you. What could you possibly reply to that? It is not easy either. "Come on, let's move a little further." he says, gently tugging you in the direction as you're forced to ice skate.

Your steps are a little too stiff, even you can tell but it's all because you're trying to hold your balance without actually falling. When you allow yourself to relax, Jungkook is still holding your hand firmly with his own, you find that it's not that hard and you're not too bad at ice skating. You grow more confident with each glide you take, fully realizing Jungkook is ice skating carefully and slowly to match your pace.

"See? You're doing great. You could be a little ice skater." he coos at you, stopping as you shoot him a glare.

"Stop talking to me like I'm a kid." you scold him, still gripping his hand as he looks at your hands and chuckles.

"You were pouting like one just a few minutes ago."

"No I wasn't!" you argue. You probably were. Jungkook had always noticed things about you you hadn't. But you keep that to yourself, fully aware that Jungkook probably knows that too.

He lets go of your hand, cackling when he sees your widened eyes. "You can do it. Just go slow. You're actually good at this." he encourages you, skating in front of you as he turns around to face you. He's outstretching his arms, silently telling you he's there and will catch you if you fall.

You adjust your beanie, just a reaction to deal with your unsureness. "Okay, here I go," you sing out lightly, chuckling at how nervous you actually sound. You're about to take your first step, stopping as you look at Jungkook who's been waiting for you to finally move. "Actually, can't we take a round before I go all by myself?" you ask, waiting for him to laugh at you.

All he does is smile in return as he outstretches his hand towards you again, nodding in response. You clasp your hand into his, letting your ice skates glide against the ice with Jungkook by your side. Him holding your hand gives you more stability and confidence, your steps bigger and much smoother. He distracts you by having a casual conversation with you and even though most of the time you're quiet, too focused on ice skating, it's working.

Just like Jungkook said, and now you believe his words, you're actually ice skating without doing it stiffly. It's not perfect, nowhere near his ice skating, but it's enough. The nearby cries of children that fall fills the place but you're too distracted grinning at yourself for doing an actual good job at this. You finish the round somehow quickly, Jungkook's hand letting go of you as he's standing in front of you, a good meter separating you.

The music playing from the outdoor speakers gives you more joy as you excitedly start dancing (or more like trying to), moving your arms and hips as Jungkook laughs at you. "Stop, you're gonna fall."

"I won't, I'm good at this." you joke, gliding against the ice as you skate forward.

Jungkook follows you, scolding you when he sees you wiggling your arms excitedly. "Y/N, you're gonna fall."

You roll your eyes, "I won't." you repeat, doing the same thing just because you're stubborn and excited that you're good at ice skating. Just as you finish your sentence, the right ice skate gets caught onto ice a little causing you to stumble, but you quickly hold your balance.

"See? I told you," Jungkook scolds you, ice skating next to you as he makes sure you're alright.

"I told you," you mock him, "I just stumbled, gosh, relax Jeon I'm not gonna--"

You probably got overconfident with your own skills, trying to prove a point to your best friend as you overestimated yourself. You're not sure what you've done, probably glid your leg wrong because you stumble too much, both legs stumbling as you prepare yourself for the hard impact. Instead, there are strong arms wrapped around you, your ice skates bumping into Jungkook's a little too harshly but he holds his balance and has a strong grip around your body.

"Stupid," he scolds you, "You could've hurt yourself."

You wouldn't die of falling. Maybe of embarrassment, yes.

"You said you'll catch me if I fall." you tell him stupidly, grinning while staring up at him. He's close, his warm breath hitting your face as he disapprovingly shakes his head at you, squeezing your waist a little bit too much.

"Just be careful," he murmurs as the two of you pull away, Jungkook eyeing you warily as if you'd fall any second. "Stupid." he whispers, shaking his head again as you give him a toothed grin.

Both of you ready for the second round while you'll try not to run over any kids, pushing one of those penguin aids. You look like a freaking amateur next to Jungkook, his feet practically flying on the ice as the blade of his ice skates brush perfectly against the clear ice.

You still find yourself to have more fun than you expected. The little you is proud of yourself for not falling on your bum this time. Unfortunately, back then you didn't have Jeon Jungkook to hold you when you were seven.

Jungkook was right. Ice skating can be fun. There's not much place for conversation, you keep it brief as you simply enjoy ice skating with your friend by your side. After a few rounds of your ice skates glazing over the ice, the two of you decide to grab something to drink and eat. You scurry to the very corner where a special stall is standing, selling some food.

Your choice is a warm tea called 'Christmas time' which should remind you of the very special holiday with its taste. The black tea is enriched with a hint of cinnamon, orange peel and safflower – indeed reminding you of one of the usual smells of Christmas. You and Jungkook decide to get out of the rink to properly sit down, rest your legs for a bit, and drink your tea in peace.

Jungkook hums at the taste of the tea as he has ordered the same one. You sit in silence for a bit, simply enjoying each other's presence as you're watching people ice skating with music playing in the background. The tea warms up your cold hands, your fault for not bringing gloves.

It's the moment when Jungkook takes off the bucket hat to ruffle his hair, that you finally notice the change that makes you dramatically gasp before you can realize your loud and natural reaction.

"You got a haircut?"

Jungkook's doe eyes crinkle at the end as he chuckles at your reaction. "Yeah, it got too long."

"I loved it." you pout not hiding your disappointment, staring at the fresh undercut and shortened hair that is parted in the middle, still showing his forehead. It's a little messy, considering it's been hidden underneath the bucket hat for some time. Still, Jungkook makes it work and looks annoyingly good.

"I can always grow it out," he says simply, tone light and a smile still attached to his lips.

This means no man bun. This is not fair.

"Don't I look good either way?" he jokes, nudging your side slightly as you snicker.

"Oh, shut up." He looks good and he knows it. His cocky and confident grin says it all. There's no need to feed his ego.

In times like these you wonder again, why can't your best friend be less handsome? You almost snort at your thoughts. During ice skating, you noticed a lot of girls staring his way – obviously appreciating how he looks even with barely showing his face. Even a few guys turned around. It's not annoying to you though. You've got used to people staring at him whenever you go out somewhere. He's always the center of attention. Actually, all of your good friends are. Taehyung is a freaking model, could easily do it as his profession if he wasn't so in love with art and working in an art gallery. Jimin can be cute and handsome at the same time, showing so many different sides of him. Deep down you know he's a flirty shit that loves all the attention. Both women and men. He enjoys catching someone else's eyes.

"How's working in the club going? How long are you planning to work there?" Jungkook changes the topic, reminding you that he hasn't been pleased with you working in a nightclub from the very beginning. It's okay, you were skeptical too and if you didn't have to (and your finance would allow you) you wouldn't have a part-time job.

Luckily, Yejun is an amazing boss and eased your nerves. Everyone working there is nice and you actually feel like you can do this until the end. It's always good to save up some more money.

"Good," you answer, "I'm not sure. Maybe a few more months." you shrug, still not sure about that decision yet. In two months, you could probably have enough money to buy a better car. And it's always nice to have your Saturdays free and not having to spend your Sundays sleeping it off, trying to relax at least one day without working.

"You were working on Saturday, right?" Jungkook asks, recalling one of your texts where you mentioned something about still working in a club too after your accident. He didn't comment on it but fuck, he wanted to tell you to take a day off to fully rest. Unfortunately for him and his usual care, he knew you wouldn't listen either way.

The mention of Saturday makes you dryly gulp, the face of Yoongi and his body pressed against yours pretty much clear in your mind. It's been only two days. You don't find your voice, simply nodding in a fear he could've heard the slight discomfort in your tone if you were about to speak. However, knowing you for some time he can easily tell when you're trying to play it cool. And you take the sight in front of you as a distraction. But Jungkook can see right through you and scans the side of your face that you're desperately trying to hide from him.

"What?" he chuckles, causing you to glance at him as you give him a look of confusion. Another way to play it off again. "What are you not telling me?"

The way your eyes widen is enough to tell him that yes, his suspicion has been right but he's already had a hunch.

"Nothing." you shrug, keeping your answer brief and short in hope he'll drop it.

"Oh, come on! Don't lie to me." Jungkook teases lightly, even lets out a light laugh but something snaps at you (maybe the discomfort of Jungkook knowing) that words and tone are spoken out of your mouth before you can control yourself.

"Me not telling you something isn't me lying."

He looks genuinely taken back by your outburst, doe eyes widening a bit before he clears his throat and recovers from the shock. "Okay, you don't have to tell me." he says softly, almost awkwardly staring at the floor.

You curse at yourself once again, feeling like an idiot for snapping at him. Jungkook is not the only one used to you telling him almost everything that's been going on in your life. You're used to it too and it goes the other way as well. It must feel weird to him to see you hiding something and not wanting to tell him that, but of course, as a good friend he respects it and drops the subject. Still, you see him slightly confused and a little bit baffled by your reaction which again, makes you curse at yourself. The reason behind your outburst is pure panic that you've felt and are still feeling.

Sighing, you shake your head and glance at Jungkook. You'd probably tease him and coo at him for looking like a lost little boy, sitting next to you with a slight pout and a soft frown.

It's not that you're ashamed of yourself for what you've done with Yoongi. You accepted that it happened and you don't regret it, even though you know you both acted recklessly. The alcohol and your conversation played a huge part there as well. As much as you're fine with it (because there's no reason you wouldn't be) you still catch yourself thinking 'Wow, have I really done that?'. You've never slept with anyone that's not close to you. You'd say with anyone that you weren't dating but you already broke that with Jungkook. You weren't dating him too (at least for real) and you both had sex, something more than you and Yoongi did. But there was a deal and it had been under different circumstances. You can't really compare that.

"I hooked up with Yoongi." You let it out of your chest, eyes already set upon Jungkook that seems to freeze for a second before he looks at you, letting out a light chuckle.

"Come again? I thought I heard you saying you hooked up with someone." Something about him staring at you like that tells you that he heard you perfectly, and looks alarmed. Almost as if he wishes you'd just burst in laughter and tell him you're joking.

"You heard me right," you murmur, eyes dropping to your lap. "I hooked up with Yoongi on Saturday."

You take this time to look at him again, wanting to see his face even though there's a part of you wanting to just stare at the floor instead, just in case you'd see something negative on your friend's face. Mostly, you don't care what others think about it. But it's different when it's Jungkook. Of course, there are things that you're determined about and no one can change that. Not even Jungkook. However, this current situation is in a way weird for you too.

"Yoongi? Isn't he that guy...?" he trails off, brows pinched in confusion as he recalls you complaining about him constantly teasing you and getting on your nerves. He looks nothing but confused. Trust me, Jungkook... you're not the only one who's shocked, you think.

You still can't believe you hooked up with Yoongi out of all people.

"Yeah," you clear your throat, scratching the back of your neck with a nervous chuckle. "We were just talking and I stayed to have a drink, but I wasn't drunk!" you explain quickly, not wanting him to think Yoongi took advantage of you because you just know that thought would cross his mind at the mention of you having a drink. "And then he joined me and we actually talked, like we had a conversation, without biting each other's heads off? Can you believe that?" you let out a nervous chuckle, already feeling yourself ramble. "And then--"

"Y/N," Jungkook chuckles, but it's so faint that you barely hear it. "I'm not sure if I wanna hear how you hooked up with him."

Oh.

Your cheeks flame with embarrassment, your throat tight as you barely can swallow your saliva.

"Okay?" you ask with an awkward chuckle. That makes Jungkook set his eyes on you, searching your face. "Don't look at me like that, please."

"Look like what?" His eyebrows lift up, confused again.

"Like you're judging me."

At this, Jungkook's features soften. "Y/N," he says softly, "I could never judge you."

You stare into his dark brown eyes, the lights around you shining in them as you see nothing but honesty and understanding in them.

"I guess, I'm just shocked. I didn't think you'd just... him out of all people. It's just too much to process for me, but I can assure you I'm not judging you. Hey, look at me," he calls out softly when he notices you staring into your lap instead, his fingers tapping you on the tip of your nose. "Do you regret it?"

You shake your head. You did get a good orgasm indeed and partly got rid of your sexual frustration which a man sitting next to you is kind of responsible for. It's his fault for showing you how good sex can be when you're doing it with the right person. Your standards for your future partner and sex life has gone way upwards thanks to him.

"Good," he says, "You're an adult. It's your choice and no one can judge you for that."

You're not sure whether he's telling you that because he feels like you need to hear it and is being a typical supporting and caring Jungkook, or because he really means it from the bottom of his heart. And you're not too eager to figure that out, simply just going along with his words because you do need to hear them.

You're an adult. It's your choice and no one can judge for that. That's right. Still, he doesn't need to hear any details about your sex life. It probably wouldn't be too comfortable for both of you. He doesn't talk to you about how he pounded Kiko into his mattress before they both went separate paths for tonight's evening. He knows it's not something you'd be interested in hearing, nor would he be interested in saying such a thing.

"Come on, let's drink this up. Jimin will be here any minute, I'm sure he'll want to ice skate as soon as he comes." Jungkook says, lightening up the somehow stiff and weird atmosphere.

Nodding in response, you rather take a sip from your hot tea than saying something. Still, you can't shake off how Jungkook seems to stay quiet for the rest of the time you sit, drinking your tea in silence.

Jimin really comes by the time you've finished your tea, flashing you with his toothy and big smile as he hugs the two of you. He squeezes your body tightly, ignoring your protests since you can barely breathe as he enjoys being with his friends. It's been a while since you got to spend some time with him as well.

"Tae's not coming?" you ask, curious about your other friend. Usually, where Jimin is, there is Taehyung too. Those two are like inseparable twins, always together.

"No," Jimin says once he pulls away from the hug, a frown settling on his face. "That idiot doesn't listen when I tell him he dresses in too thin layers. He got sick."

You and Jungkook chuckle at seeing Jimin so angry over Taehyung being simply irresponsible. However, you do a mental note to check on Taehyung later to send him a message.

Just like Jungkook said, Jimin doesn't want to waste any time and quickly goes to a rental stall to get ice skaters. And just like Jungkook, Jimin is just as amazing at ice skating, skating smoothly while you keep complaining about it for the whole round. Jimin's bubbly laugh resounds around the rink, his eyes crinkling at your grumpy face as he takes your hand to help you keep up with their pace.

After a couple of rounds, even Jimin has concurred that it's best to take a little break, so the three of you stand in the corner of the rink leaning against the railing. Jimin's cheerful personality and mood brought up a little light, especially after the conversation with Jungkook. You can't help but shake off the weird feeling inside you from telling Jungkook about Yoongi. You've this urge to clarify that you haven't had sex with him, not that it matters that much.

As if Jungkook could sense your thoughts and uncertainty on your face, he gives you a soft smile while Jimin is talking about upcoming Christmas and his stress to buy presents.

"Oh, is your car fine now?" Jimin asks as if he just remembered something, specifically you mentioning to him that your car got broken again, and just like that Jungkook's smile drops and he frowns.

"Uhh, yeah, it's getting fixed." you let out a nervous chuckle, avoiding Jungkook's dark eyes while Jimin looks at your bruise.

"Ow, you poor thing. I'm glad you're alright." Jimin says, eyes staying on your bruise for a moment, "Well, I'm gonna grab something to drink. You guys want something?"

The two of you shake your head, your non-verbal answer just enough for Jimin as he nods and makes his way towards the stall, ice skating effortlessly. Thanks Jimin, you think. You wouldn't tell him about your car (not because you wanted to keep it a secret or something) but because you don't need another person to worry about you. However, Jimin heard about your car accident from Jungkook and then somehow in the conversation, you mentioned your car being fixed because it stopped working again.

Obviously, Jimin is innocent in this. He thought Jungkook already knows about it and the thought of you not purposely telling that to your best friend hasn't crossed his mind. He expected Jungkook to be the first person you told him about your car.

"Your car, huh?" Jungkook breaks the silence, staring at you with raised brow. "It broke again?"

"Isn't that obvious by now?" you murmur. You already know what's about to happen.

"Y/N!" he exclaims, not even surprised by your ironic remark

"What? What?" you exclaim back, using your hands to show your frustration. "Why are you getting so worked up over this?" You know why, you just don't understand it. Some part of you may agree with Jungkook, yet you know he's being dramatic all over again because his judgment is clouded with worry.

"Because you're being reckless. How have you been getting to work? To the club?"

Fuck, you feel like a parent is interrogating you.

Pursing your lips for a while, you stare with a guilty look on Jungkook in hope he'll let go of this but his features only harden and cocks his brow at you. Sighing, you lick your lips before you say; "By bus? Sometimes I call a cab--"

"Jesus, Y/N," Jungkook exclaims, staring at the sky as he rubs his temples. "Do you know what could happen to you? Especially during the night?"

You'd rather not think about it negatively, even though you realize the risks. On the other hand... What is the big deal? Countless people are using public transport too because they've no other choice. It all depends on which side you look at it. Jungkook is obviously thinking about your safety and well-being, which warms your heart, but he's starting to piss you off with this neverending worry when it clearly doesn't help you.

"Worry about your girlfriend, Jeon." you snap at him, growing even more irritated by his attitude. You know he means no harm, yet he just keeps scolding you like a fucking kid.

"I don't have to, she's not this stupid." he snaps back, your jaw dropping as you gape at him before another wave of anger rashes through you and you act on impulse.

"Yeah, just stupid enough to cheat."

Rather than Jungkook looking angry at your jab, his features twist with hurt even though he's trying to hide it by just glaring at you. Guilt washes over you, knowing how sensitive this topic is for him. It doesn't matter you've a point, it was simply said out of purpose to anger him.

"Jungkook..." you sigh, pinching the bridge of your nose with your cold fingers as it's not the only thing that got cold.

"You know, I just wish you'd stop bringing this up. I know you don't agree with me getting back to her, but at least you could be more considerate and stop bringing that up." he tells you coldly, scoffing under his breath.

"I didn't mean to--"

"No, you did mean it. I don't need you to keep reminding me of that," he snaps, shaking his head. "I'll leave the key from the locker room at the stall." he informs you, your mouth opening and heart racing.

"Jungkook, where are you going?"

"I'm gonna go home. It's late and it's getting colder." he mocks, ice skating to get out of the ice rink before you can utter a single word.

You see Jimin looking confusedly as he skates towards you, frown settled on his face. "Where is he going? What happened?"

Your face says it all. Something went wrong and your eyes filled with sadness is enough for Jimin to put a hand over your shoulder in comfort.

"Home," you sigh, "He went home."

"Okay, what the fuck is wrong with you two?" Jimin asks, staring at your widened eyes.

"I wish I knew," You know it's not what Jimin asked about, but for now it's the only answer you can give him. "I just said something hurtful to him while he was just being worried about me."

"You wanna talk about it?" Jimin asks softly, eyes scanning your saddened features.

"Can we get out of here first?"

"Of course."

Just like Jungkook said to you, he really left the key for you to get your shoes as you took it from the young woman at the stall with a tight and forced smile. You clearly hurt Jungkook and you knew you'd be hurting him by bringing Kiko, most importantly her cheating, into your conversation. Jimin stays quiet for most parts, simply walking beside you as your thoughts and guilt consume you. You admit to him what you said to Jungkook, not forgetting to mention you feel guilty because all he did was show you how worried he is about you.

Jimin's pitiful gaze says it all. He doesn't say it, but he surely thinks you fucked up. Everyone knows how touchy the subject Kiko is. Everyone out of those people who know about her cheating.

"You know how he gets. Jungkook has always been protective over you. I'm sorry for bringing up your car, I didn't know he didn't know about it."

"It's not your fault, Jimin," you sigh, "And exactly... I know how he gets and that's why I didn't tell him. He just doesn't understand that I had no choice and he's being so freaking irresponsible too. He offers me his own car, can you believe that?"

"I think I can do, actually," Jimin chuckles softly, "Jungkook always puts others first."

You know that. And that's why you feel guilty even more.

"I fucked up... he was so hurt when I said it."

"I think you should apologize and talk to him about it. You know he can't stay mad at you, it'd drive him crazy to be on bad terms with you."

"I was about to apologize but he stormed off." you reason, sighing as your shoulders sulk.

Jimin giggles, putting his arms over your shoulders as he pulls you closer and rubs his hand over your forearm. "You guys will work it out. It's just a stupid fight."

"Yeah, I hope so..." you murmur, "But when it comes to Kiko, I feel like everything changes."

"Oh, is that jealousy I hear?" Jimin teases, laughing when you roll your eyes at him.

"Piss off," He laughs even more. "Why would I be jealous?"

Jimin lets go off you, stuffing his hands into warm pockets of his jacket as he shrugs. "I don't know... because you dated?" He chuckles as if it's obvious but all he's met is your loud sigh and a little scoff that follows after.

"Okay, spill it out. What really happened between you two? One second you're acting like you weren't dating at all and the next you're arguing about something dumb." You were dumb in this. It's your fault that you and Jungkook had a fight but you're glad Jimin doesn't mention that.

There's really no way out of this. Jimin already knows something's up and you feel guilty all over again, knowing you've been lying to your friends. Even though Jimin seems to have caught onto something, he still gives you space to tell him the truth. You've got two options here. Either you lie again, make up some lame lie which he could see right through but just accept it, knowing you're lying. Or to tell him the truth.

"Y/N, you're okay?" He notices your puzzled look, stopping when you do the same thing and he's met with your too serious look.

"See... me and Jungkook," you start, gulping as he nods in understatement but you can tell how curious he is what you've got to say. "We never really... dated."

It's out. You finally tell him, those words coming out of your mouth freely and it's easier than you thought. You do feel some kind of relief now that he knows, his eyes widening as he stares at you.

"You what?" he laughs, genuinely confused. "You never really dated?" He keeps laughing, almost as if he can't believe it but then he notices your serious and guilty look that his smile drops, big eyes staring at you.

So you explain everything to him, the deal and how Jungkook found out about Kiko cheating in the middle of it. And by everything you mean telling him that the two of you were simply physical, and somehow became friends with benefits with this twist of the deal being involved. You don't go into much detail, simply informing your friend that yes, you've had sex with him. You purposely skip the part about how many times you've had sex. That's not important.

Jimin looks stunned for a second, if it weren't for his occasional blinks you would've thought he's not alive anymore.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" he shrieks, mouth opened in horror as you cringe at his loud tone.

"Shhh, we're in public." you shush him, looking around just to find only a few people in the alley, barely paying you any attention.

"Oh, don't you shush me," Jimin scoffs, rolling his eyes. "You two are so fucking dumb. Why would you ever agree to that?"

"I know it sounds ridiculous--"

"Because it is," he interrupts you, met with your glare. "Sorry."

"I didn't agree at first but then I thought... why not. I know it sounds fucking stupid of us but we're fine!" you assure him, seeing him raising his brow at you.

"Yeah, I can see that."

"That has nothing to do with our deal. Our fight was because I mentioned Kiko cheating. Really, Jimin... me and Jungkook are fine and we're friends like we used to be. It's not weird between us, I know it's hard to believe but remember when we hung out? Or when we went to karaoke with Tae too? You couldn't believe we're just back to normal when we were 'dating' but that's the thing. We never were dating." you explain

Jimin looks exhausted, closing his eyes for a moment as he lets your words sink in. "Still... you and Jungkook hooking up. I don't know Y/N... I think you were risking a lot considering how protective you've always been about your friendship. Weren't you guys laughing in our faces when we mentioned you and Jungkook having sex? You both practically cringed at the thought of that."

You get it. He's confused and it's hard to process such information.

"We did... but we had a conversation and I mentioned Haechan and then the idea of our deal came up... it doesn't matter now. We can still be friends even if his dick had been inside me."

"Y/N!" Jimin exclaims in outrage, letting out a scandalous gasp as if he wasn't just devil himself underneath that angel-like face. "So, what? The two of you are just fine and went back to normal?"

"Pretty much," you shrug, "We were always normal, the difference was we were fucking at that time too."

"Freaking god," Jimin groans, looking at the night sky for a moment before glaring at you. "You've no filter."

"When have I ever had one?"

"Touché." Jimin murmurs, earning a punch to his arm from you.

"Oh, fuck!" you almost scream, head thrown back in pure ecstasy as your walls contract around his thick length.

"You like that, huh?" The deep voice meets your ear, the lips brushing against your earlobe as he keeps hitting the same good spot. You're so close.

Jungkook's pelvic bone keeps hitting your one, sweat trickling both your bodies but you don't care. Your hands are all over his muscular back, pushing him even closer to you as he grunts. It feels so good. But then it's like with a snap of fingers something comes up your mind and you're mumbling Jungkook's name, hands slowly pushing his chest to stop him moving.

You're met with those doe eyes staring at you innocently as he's nothing but curious why you stopped him.

"What are we doing?" you ask, chest heaving as you sit up, his length slipping out of you as you already miss the feeling of his thick cock stretching you.

"Fucking." Jungkook shrugs, ready to lean to kiss you but you push against his shoulders gently and shake your head.

"No... I mean, the deal is off. You're dating Kiko now. What are we doing?" There's panic inside of you, the instant disgust that it's not caused by Jungkook but the fact you're having sex with him when he's dating someone else. This is wrong. This is so wrong.

"What are you talking about, baby?" he chuckles, cocking his head cutely at you as he laughs with confusion written on his face. "The deal is not off. I'm not dating anyone."

He frowns but smiles at the same time, the same confusion still attached to his morning bare face as your heart starts beating fast. You can feel it pumping in your chest until Jungkook fades all of a sudden and you snap your eyes open.

The first thing you notice, other than the street lights slightly shining through your closed blinds, is how hot your body is. With breath quickened, you stare at the plain ceiling with your heart beating fast in your chest. You take a moment, replaying the dream that felt surreal and real at the same time, guilt hitting you when you realize that Jungkook came into your dream mostly from the fact you both fought. You've been thinking about him even until Jimin dropped you home, checking your phone just in case.

You had sent him a message, asking if the two of you could talk but he still hasn't replied which means you'll come to terms with the reality that he's simply ignoring you. Jungkook would always reply within minutes, there's no chance he hasn't checked his phone since he left.

Sudden blush creeps on your warm cheeks, embarrassed by the dream. Why did you have to dream about that exactly? Sighing, you check the time. Great. You woke up an hour before your alarm.

Damn Jeon Jungkook. He won't even let you sleep in peace. However, this time you're more guilty than he is.

You hadn't slept that much after that, kept tossing around in your warm bed which had become annoying and you had decided it's better to start your day. You still had a bus to catch.

The day has dragged slowly, keeping your mind mostly occupied but you'd lie if you said you hadn't checked your phone a few times, waiting for a message from a certain someone.

Not even the beautiful snow coating every surface outside has helped your soar mood. By the time you're clocking off with Yoongi by your side, ignoring his usual teasing, it's still snowing. As you're walking out of the building, your eyes are attached to the stairs in hope you won't fall on the slippery pavement.

"...we should get a raise, at least I should." Yoongi grumbles beside you, complaining about Junho's work ethic once again and doesn't forget to boost his own ego while doing so.

Simply rolling your eyes, you look at the dark sky while snowflakes fall down onto your nose. You've to hurry, you've a bus to catch and if you don't want to stand at the bus stop while the snow is getting thicker and thicker, you should move your ass. However as you look down, still walking with Yoongi you notice a car parked directly in front of you just a few meters away from you and Yoongi. Not just any car.

Jungkook's black Mercedes is hard to miss, the sleek black color catching everyone's eyes as Jungkook himself is standing and leaning against it. The hood of his jacket is draped over his head but you would recognize him anytime. It's a weird coincidence, Yoongi's car parked right beside his as you're walking to him with Yoongi by your side.

However, your co-worker seems unaware of Jungkook's presence until you're almost a meter away from him, his sharp eyes glancing at Jungkook who's already staring at you.

"Hey," You decide to say, not hiding your surprise and confusion by his presence. Jungkook just nods your way in silent greeting, your lips pressed tightly as you feel annoyed by the lack of greeting. It's just your ego acting up, you know that... yet, you wish he'd at least say hi. "What are you doing here?" you ask, stopping in front of him as you pull your coat closer to your body.

Instead of answering, Jungkook looks at Yoongi who seems to be standing next to you, watching the scene in front of him with almost an amused smirk. However, Jungkook looks nothing close to being amused and you see the slight glare he's giving Yoongi.

Yoongi decides to take the matter into his hands, chuckling underneath his breath as his monotone voice fills the awkward silence. "I'm Yoongi."

"I know who you are," Jungkook almost snaps, glancing at you as he's met with your furrowed brows. "Jungkook." he grumbles in return.

"I know who you are," Yoongi simply says in return, purposely provoking him maybe as he grins at you. Jungkook clenches his jaw, but keeps his mouth shut. "I gotta go. See you tomorrow."

All you can muster is a simple nod as you see Yoongi walking to his car from the corner of your eyes. It doesn't take long for him to drive from the parking lot, leaving the two of you completely alone as you stare at Jungkook who barely seems to look into your eyes, instead focusing his eyes elsewhere.

"Why did you come here if you're ignoring me?" Surprisingly, your voice sounds nonchalant as you stare at your best friend with a raised brow, not breaking your stoic facial expression even when he looks at you.

The truth is, it was never his plan to drive to your work. He's seen your message but wanted some time to think, mostly focused on the hurt your words caused him. It's certain you feel guilty, he knows you and saw the guilt on your face as soon as you said those words. That doesn't mean he's not hurt and should be okay with it. He was driving, thinking about your message and how guilty he felt for not replying. It's already dark, he thought, knowing you're about to take public transport. Bus or train, he's not sure. But he didn't, still doesn't, like the idea of you walking to the bus stop late and when it's dark.

Guilt eating him out, he started driving towards your work company knowing he has to put his pride aside for a moment. He cares for you. And you wanted to talk anyway. It's killing two birds with one stone.

He rolls his eyes, actually rolls his eyes at you as his tongue pokes his inner cheek, staying silent for a second. "You wanted to talk," he says simply.

"You haven't replied to my message." you point out, licking your dry lips.

"I'm here, aren't I?"

"You are," you hum, staring at your friend who seems to be interested more in falling snow rather than you. "Jungkook, why did you really come?"

He averts his eyes to you, searching your face as you notice him trying to act as neutral as he can. "I told you, you wanted to talk so I'm here."

That doesn't make much sense. He didn't have to come all the way here just to talk with you, especially when he barely even glances at you. You can feel the hurt and battle he has with himself just from standing in front of him.

"You could've just texted back." you point out, corner of your mouth twitching knowing you're provoking him at this point. You could be glad he came to you. You're the one who hurt him. And you appreciate it, yet you want him to speak openly with you rather than being silent and ignoring your presence. What's the point of that, right?

"Is your car still not fixed?" He ignores your remark, glaring at you when he sees your lips twitch in amusement, realization hitting you like a ton of bricks. Oh, that's why he came at this time. He's worried about you going home this late, using public transport. It all makes sense and you can't find the smile off your face. Your heart warms up at the realization, even more when Jungkook is ignoring your obvious reaction.

You shake your head, confirming his thoughts as he clenches his jaw for a moment, before he says; "Hop in, I'm driving you home."

He doesn't wait for your reaction, turning around to go inside the car. You listen to him, biting your lower lip as you can't seem to shake off your smile. When you get into the car, Jungkook doesn't say anything and simply lets the music turn on. He drums his fingers against the steering wheel, the other one resting against the arm rest as he picks on his bottom lip. Apology is ready to burst out of your mouth, but you stop yourself. You want him to look at you when you're saying it, there's a small part of you worrying you'll just make it worse. Still, you've to address the problem and apologize because you're fully aware you've hurt him.

Maybe Jungkook expects you to be the first one to say something. You feel like an idiot too. He came all the way to pick you up and drive you home, yet you're the one who fucked up this time. It makes you feel even more guilty.

As Jungkook parks in front of your apartment building, he stays in the car as you let out a loud sigh staring at him. "You wanna come upstairs?"

In other situations, the two of you would laugh at how bad it sounds and someone could get the wrong impression if they heard you. You can practically hear your and Jungkook's giggle but all you're met with right now is pure silence. Instead, he unbuckles his seatbelt and gets out of the car. Sighing, you do the same thing as you walk around the car to stand in front of him.

"Jungkook, I'm sorry," you tell him, waiting for him to look at you. And he does. He looks empty, just his way of hiding him being hurt. "I know what I said was wrong. I shouldn't have done that, I know I hurt you. I also know you don't have to be reminded of what happened between you and Kiko," You try your best not to let her name sound bitter. "It was insensitive of me to throw that in your face."

"It was," he agrees, "Is this how it's going to be? Whenever there's an argument behind the corner, you'll throw that in my face?" He doesn't sound angry, a little bit bitter yes, but he also sounds curious.

"No, of course not," you sigh at yourself, "I know you care about me and it wasn't right of me to bring that up while you were worrying about me... or ever." you murmur.

He nibbles on his bottom lip, looking innocent and cute with his doe eyes.

"I don't deserve you, Kook."

"Stop," he sighs, "This is not about that."

"It is. If it helps, I've been feeling like a bitch ever since we fought."

At this, he lets out a light chuckle but it's not the same one he lets out whenever he's purely amused.

"I know you don't agree with me, Y/N," he starts saying. Something tells you you don't want to hear what he has to say simply just from the fact it'll make you uncomfortable. And it does. But the least you can do is listen to him, knowing he's right. "But I need you to respect my decision. This is why I was talking to you about her in the first place. I can't stand between you two, choosing only one of you."

You nod, biting your lip since you're not sure what to say. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry."

And you hug him, wrapping your arms around his frame as you inhale his scent. Meeting the soft scent of his cologne that you've missed more than you'd ever admit to him. You've never used to fight like this before. Like serious fights, not just the stupid ones that ended with the two of you cackling with one another.

"Hug me back." you whine, voice muffled by his sweatshirt as the zipper of his jacket brushes against your nose.

Jungkook's arm stays limp beside his body, not doing any movements to grant your wish. "I don't want to hug you." he murmurs childishly, causing you to slightly pull away with arms still around his frame.

You meet his eyes, your pout evident as you look at him with puppy eyes. He averts his eyes between yours as he nibbles on his bottom lip, letting out a loud sigh at the end as he pulls you closer. His arms are wrapped around you, hugging you this time too as he gently squeezes your body.

"I'm sorry."

"You already said that." he murmurs.

"I know," you murmur back, "I hate when we fight."

"I hate it too." he admits, rubbing your back slightly.

"I'm sorry I hurt you. I should've been more considerate, I said it without thinking which of course doesn't excuse my behavior."

"It doesn't," he sighs, "But I know you regret it. I just need you to be more understanding. I'm aware of your opinion about me and Kiko, in a way I understand why you don't agree with it. You want to protect me, I'd do the same thing for you. I just really need you to trust me and be more understanding. I know what I'm doing."

Sometimes, we think we know what we're doing but it ends up being an exact opposite. However, you keep your mouth shut and just let him hold you. Maybe it's how vulnerable and hurt he sounds, or it's the way he's hugging you, enveloping your body with his big one, but you blink away the tears that spill away nevertheless. Jungkook is completely oblivious to a few tears sliding down your cheeks, until he hears a soft sniffle that makes him pull away to look at you.

You look at him defeated, embarrassed that he sees you crying. "No, why are you crying?" he almost cries out, cupping your cheeks as he wipes the tears with his thumbs.

"I'm sorry." you cry out, trying to push his hands away but he holds you firmly. He's looking at you with a frown but it doesn't take a long for his expression to soften.

"Don't cry," he murmurs softly, "I hate seeing you cry."

You know that. Yet, you can't control your emotions as you sniffle again.

"Okay." you whisper, looking down at your boots as Jungkook snickers at your current appearance. You look so cute even when you're crying.

"Why crying all of a sudden?" he giggles, wiping your tears again as he adjusts your beanie.

"I don't know," you shrug, "I think my period is coming."

"Well, that explains everything." he points out, chuckling when you punch him in the stomach.

"Shut up, I really am sorry." you sniffle, hating how cold your cheeks feel like when Jungkook pulls his hands away from your face.

He's grinning at you amusingly. "I know." he says softly at the end, poking your nose in the process while he earns another punch from you.

#networkbangtan #ksmutclub #ficswithluv #btswritingcafe #bts angst #bts smut #bts fluff #bts au #jungkook x reader #jungkook au #jungkook fanfic #jungkook x you #mutual help #personasintro

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x1nanzhua0 · 7 days ago

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Saw this trend on twitter and my first thought was — I need to do this with the gang so here we go

Deja and Cam join Juniper (my winter!mc) doodling all over her notes!

I don’t have much time to draw my MC and do her profile properly yet (blame my college quiz and assignments), I will tho, someday.

But, I did write down some basic facts and some random things about her :3

Starting w/ the basics — Juniper Clarke (she/her), 20 (DOB : 12 September/Virgo). Law major and Theatre minor. Korean.

and fun facts below the cut

12 Fun (?) Facts about Juniper Clarke

Is adopted by a gay couple, her pa is a lawyer and her dad works as a screenwriter.

The middle child; has an older brother (23) and a younger sister (8).

Got a Korean name from her pa (who is also Korean) that no one other than her family knows, even Deja and Cam.

Low spice tolerance. She once ate the buldak ramen and added a whole pack of the sauce, then ended up crying so hard that Deja started to feel sorry for her and got her some bobas.

Former child actress! (only got the supporting roles tho)

A mother of 3 children cats; Aurora (F), Apollo (M), and Anneliese (F)

Dyed her hair calico color to match Aurora because she is her first pet and raised by herself since 15. (yep she has her favorite but still loves all of them anyway)

No dating experience, nor has she ever felt any attraction to anyone in particular. However, she doesn’t mind dating and thinks about having a partner sometimes. There were some who tried to approach her but their approaches are ALWAYS either annoying or disgusting.

Musically gifted; has an angelic voice and plays many instruments (guitar, bass, piano, violin — the list goes on). Oh! She also likes dancing.

Learned foreign languages just to sing songs in that language perfectly.

Black belt in Taekwondo. It’s best to not mess with her or touch her without consent ;)

Dislikes bugs, but not as afraid of them as Deja is, she only avoids encounters as much as possible — Funny story; she accidentally stepped on a cockroach without noticing, but her two best friends saw everything (panicking even) and hesitated whether they should tell her or not. (they did, and Juniper almost fainted)

Juniper is my one and only MC for keyframes and I have no plans to create more. I ALSO can't choose which LIs I want to pursue but I'd like to see how things go and let future Juniper and the cast decide themselves (even though I kinda drew a meme about her and Jamie in a relationship *cough*). I'm a sucker for slow burn anyway! (Still, I like her chemistry with Percy and Jamie the most lol)

#keyframes vn #keyframes mc #keyframes fanart #deja lamarre #cameron molinares #keyframes cameron #keyframes deja #OC : Juniper #secretlyshippingjunipercyandjunijamie

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more-than-a-princess · 2 years ago

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@awesomeuchuu asked: ⛄️- from Kanata :D

The Winter Date - Accepting!

With a hillside of freshly fallen snow between them near the idol talent agency Kanata called home, Sonia Nevermind shot him a look of disbelief. Not doubt, she never really doubted him. In fact, she should've come to expect such a request.

Request, yes. But the execution of it all would be something else indeed. At least, upon her arrival to their meeting that day, had managed to ensure Kanata was thoroughly bundled and protected from the elements. It wasn't as if Japan didn't have snow, but it was simply in her nature to do so, to look out for everyone else when given the chance. And the more she could do so as a friend rather than a princess, all the better. Besides: he seemed enthralled by it all. Had he never played in snow before? Even the Princess of Novoselic, who had grown up so sheltered that she'd based her views of Japan, or even normal interactions between humans, mostly on books and what she'd seen on screens, had been given the opportunity to enjoy winter's seasonal delights: ice skating, skiing, hot chocolate, and yes, building a snowman. Except Kanata didn't seem to want to build a snowman.

"W-well, I suppose we could try to build a snow-dolphin," She began. After all, her friend was an accomplished craftsperson: he made those adorable keychains she kept in her bag wherever she went. He could make up for her own deficiencies where art was concerned: she had excellent stamina and was clever when it came to puzzles, mathematics, and memorizing various details. But art, like cooking and cleaning, eluded her. "But it's much easier to start with a snowman first. They aren't too complicated to build: just three large balls and any old clothes or bits of nature we can find. Like stones for eyes, or a carrot for a nose. Does the building have a spare carrot they might be able to give us? I would guess that it's got a kitchen, to feed all of the idols in residence."

This could possibly be his first snowman, and she didn't want to deny him the traditional experience. Then again, was anything about Kanata terribly traditional? His love for water, now frozen water it seemed, paled in comparison to most interests from most people she'd encountered. And thus, Sonia had an idea: a snow-person, with an affinity for water.

"I've got an idea!" She exclaimed, glancing from the fresh piles of fallen snow to her friend, rubbing her gloved hands together. "Why don't we try to build a snow merman? We can create all sorts of physical details and what a snow merman might want to have. Maybe a necklace made of seashells, perhaps? Do you have spare shells to give him, Kanata-san?" It was a guess, but considering how much her friend adored water and all of the creatures that lived within it, he might be a shell collector. It would be easier to create that than, say, a snow trident for their project. Not that Sonia wasn't willing to try, of course: she just couldn't guarantee it would resemble a trident in any way by the time she was done.

#more-than-a-princess answered #awesomeuchuu #Non-Despair AU: Hope's Peak Academy verse #(The Winter Date meme)#(I may have taken a few liberties with this but I couldn't resist)#(I could only guess that Kanata would want to make some sort of marine life out of snow)

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shygirl4991 · 8 months ago

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Trapped in a Bleaky Winter

All art belongs to @lizaluvsthis thats right me and Liz are at it again enjoy our collab fic for snowtrapped anniversary!

Summary: Mario looks at the calendar and notices it's been eight years since the igloo incident. Seeing that his friends are still not together, Mario decides to take things into his own hands by helping them confess their hidden feelings.

Tags: Love confession, snowtrapped, fluff, igloo, angst

Mario kicks down the door to the castle like he does every visit to his best friend's home, feeling hungry he decides to get more spaghetti from his friend's fridge. He walks to the kitchen and notices a circle around tomorrow's date, normally the plumber would ignore what day it is for his love of pasta but this date was different. He remembered the date well, it was eight years ago when his two best friends SMG3 and SMG4 were rivals. They always fought and SMG3 was known to steal the other man's content to gain popularity, on that date the pair got stuck in the igloo and went crazy. Mario chuckles at the memory of what he walked in on, since that day he had hoped the two would notice their feelings.

He opens the fridge shaking his head as he reaches for the pasta, one sniff of the plate gives the avatar an idea. The anniversary was tomorrow, if Mario could get the pair alone together they might finally talk about their feelings. With this on his mind he runs to his brother's shop to get help, kicking down the flower shop doors he runs up to the counter smacking the bell. Luigi sighs as he stares at his twin, he keeps hitting the bell until Luigi gently moves the bell from his hand “Yes Mario?” the plumber looks up at his younger twin excitedly “Mario needs help with a sneaky gay plan!” Luigi stares at his brother confused waiting for an explanation.

Mario hands two envelopes and paper “Mario needs some letters written!” Luigi looks at the paper unsure what his role was in the plan. Mario leans up whispering what to write to Luigi only to get a nervous nod, he writes the letters handing them back to his older brother “Mario, what is this all about?” with a wink as an answer, Mario runs off to help two dumb gays get together. He runs up to SMG4, the meme guardian is outside the castle recording some memes that Mario didn't care to look at. He slides up to four startling the man “AH! Oh hey Mario, everything okay?” He gives a concerned look to the other man, Mario gives him a bright smile and hands him a letter. Taking the letter SMG4 smiles widely “Tag6 wants to go on a date with me, a girl? This is the best news…wait Mario if this is a prank I swear to all the memes in the kingdom I'm kicking your ass!” Mario shakes his head “No! The letters were left by the castle doors!”

SMG4 lets out an excited giggle accepting Mario’s excuse, Mario smiles watching SMG4 run to the castle to get ready. Once out of sight, he turns his attention to the second target, walks up to the cafe, and knocks on the door. An annoyed Three walks out “What do you want Mario, if you don't remember you’re not allowed here for scaring my customers last time!” Mario shows off a letter with a smirk. Three blinks taking it from Mario and reading it “Some fan wants to meet up on a date? Hm I don't go on dates with fans but this Aster sounds interesting, they could help bring more people to the cafe!” with that Three shoos off Mario and slams the door.

After a few hours, with the help of Luigi who still needs clarification about what this is all for, built an igloo at the date location. Mario throws his twin away from the area as Three makes it to the location first “It said to meet….here?” he blinks, staring at the igloo before him. Flashbacks of what happened last time he was near one came back to him, getting nervous he was going to start walking away until he heard something behind him. Next thing he knew he was being thrown into the igloo “AHHH!” screaming he landed inside seeing the place decorated for a dinner date “MARIO! LET ME OUT!” with a giggle Mario hid again. Four appears and hears screaming inside the igloo, he looks around nervously given what happened last time he was near one. Seeing no one else around he walks to the door, and with a smirk, Mario shoves Four in. The man flying forward opens the door landing on top of SMG3, pleased with the results Mario covers the door.

SMG4 groans, opening his eyes, his face goes red seeing he is on top of SMG3. Three held his breath as his ruby eyes looked into Four sapphire-colored ones, after the shock wore off SMG4 got up letting out an awkward laugh “Hahah sorry about that!” Three shakes his head getting up “Blame our idiot avatar.” Four looks at the exit then at Three “WAIT MARIO!?” he runs to the door attempting to open it. He feels his face go pale at the realization “No…NO OH GOD- NOT AGAIN!?” Three watches as SMG4 starts to have a mental breakdown. With a sigh he walks up to the door and places a bomb “Poor idiotic Four, this is why you always carry emergency bombs!” hearing this four gets up in a panic “You dumb ass this is an igloo! WE HAVE NOWHERE TO ESCAPE THE BLAST!” Three blinks as his eyes shrink looking at the lit bomb “Oh.”

The bomb goes off shaking the igloo, without a second thought, Three grabs Four pulling him close to protect him from anything dangerous that could land on him. Four holds on to Three until the shaking stops, they both turn their head to see the exit completely covered in snow. Three nervously looks at Four “You…uh think Mario will save us again?” Four lets out a sigh looking into Three’s eyes and giving him a nervous smile “Yeah I mean he did it last time!” realizing how close they were they pulled away from each other.

Four sighs looking at the decoration of the igloo, he shouldn't be surprised that no girl wanted to be on a date with him. From the look of the igloo, Four could guess this must have been another weird trend Mario was following. He remembers how the last one made him and Three kiss, the memory causes his face to become red he was sure he could be mistaken for a tomato. He needed to relax, maybe it was the igloo making him panic. Reminding himself that things were different between them, he turned around to see three sitting on the floor. He decides to sit next to him “Mario got me here with a fake date, how about you?” He handed his other half his letter to prove his work. Three takes the letter reading it, he rolls his eyes understanding what happened “Same handwriting as mine, Mario was trying to set us up. Well, look where that landed up!” Four glares at Three “Sure Mario got us here, but who was it that blew up the igloo in the first place!”

Three blushes looking away, he then remembered something as he started to look around. He searches different drawers and then pulls out a blanket “We need to keep warm, so here.” He tosses it at four before sitting back down. Seeing there's only one blanket Four light blushes as he wraps it around them both, Three gets closer causing Four’s heart to beat fast. This was getting to be too much for the guardian “Hey um Three, isn't it funny how easy it is now to share body warmth…compared to last time?” Three nods getting closer to Four “That’s cause we hated each other, now we are friends and im fucking cold so shut it!” They sit there silently before Four speaks up again “Why do you think Mario did this?” Three scoffs “What other reason besides he thinks we…have feelings for each other.” They go silent again as Four thinks over his words, feeling nervous he turns ready to admit his hidden feelings only to catch the man crying “Three?” he reaches out, wiping the tears off the man's face. SMG3 lets out a bitter smile “This whole thing is stupid, I only accept this date to move forward. Now we moved backwards cause of course I will be stuck with you again! Why would you even notice someone as worthless as me…”

Four’s eyes go wide upon hearing his words before glaring at him, he grabs the man's face staring right into his eyes “Shut it, you’re amazing Three. Have you seen all that you have done? You have had so many jobs and built so many amazing things, you're amazing!” Three could only stare in shock hearing his words, his heart beating fast. Four lets out a soft giggle “You supermemeguardian3 you’re amazing, it's why…I got so confused, ..let me show you.” he leans forward pressing his lips against three.

Three didn’t know what to do feeling the other man's soft lips on his, four pulled away now crying “I'm the one who shouldn't get your time… I have hurt you so much, I understand if you don't feel the same.” They both stay silent before Three grabs Four pulling him into another kiss, this one filled with his love for the other man. Four hums closing his eyes and returning the affection, they stay kissing for a while only to be broken apart when they hear screaming outside. The pair pulled away to see Meggy dashing in “OH THANK GOD!” She runs up to the pair hugging them, after the hug they walk out of the igloo glaring at Mario. The avatar smiles at the two “Did the date work?” They smack Mario and stomp away annoyed with the plumber “The nerve asking something that stupid!” Three couldn't help the outburst given the fear he had if they stayed any longer. Four smiles softly taking Three’s hand ignoring Meggy and Saiko yelling at Mario, sure the plan didn't go the way Mario expected it to. That didn't matter to him when he caught the pair holding hands smiling, Four leaned in close “I Love you three,” the other man blushed looking away “Baka! Saying something so casual…I… I love you too.” They both let out nervous giggles excited to see where this next chapter takes them.

#smg4 #smg3 #smg34 #shygirl4991 #smg4 smg3 #lizaluv #smg43 #smg34 fanfiction #Trapped in a Bleaky Winter #the girl in fatal lavenders #the chains of a fragile soul

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mortallydeepestobservation · 24 days ago

Text

The holiday pretense- Chapter 1

Summary: Namjoon has never been a fan of the holidays. In fact, he could list more things that sucked about ‘The most wonderful time of the year’, than things that brought him joy. Yet, beneath his cynicism, a flicker of hope appeared this year, as the faint scent of homesickness hung in the air.

Unfortunately, there’s one tiny little thing that keeps him from calling home- his lack of a girlfriend.

But fear not; this holiday season, Namjoon’s smart mouth gets him in a situation where he has no choice but to approach you- his longtime friend and roommate- with an unexpected request.

Pairing: Namjoon x f.reader Genre: fake-dating, friends to lovers/roommates to lovers au; crack, smut, fluff. Rating: explicit. Minors do not interact. Warnings: every single trope in the book; but with a twist. Dialogue heavy. OC is really bad at lying, anddd… I didn’t write in literal years so yeah, this is gonna be fun. And I know I am literally that meme rn, the: summer is over-skips straight to Christmas. But do you have any idea just how slow I write? Yes. It is a warning. Smut warnings: to be added~ Word count: Chapter 1-9k Credits: this was literally one of those ‘if no one is going to write this, I will’ because there are not enough friends-to-lovers Namjoon fics out there. And none (that I know of) where the main character feels bad for lying to his family when pretending to date him. This work would not have been possible without the very kind and patient @callmenoona25, who not only helped me beta-read but also served as a guiding light during those moments when I wanted to rage-delete everything. Thank you for all your help! (and please keep helping me coz idk what I’d do without your constant encouragement) Author's note: again, I didn't write in 8-ish years, so this is very very scary. Add in a dash of 'English is not my first language' and you get whatever this is. enjoy. Merry Christmas.

Ah winter, the most wonderful time of the year.

The season when the air is crisp, and the city gets blanketed in thick, white snowfall. When the satisfying sound of crunching snow accompanies every step and every word transforms into nothing more than a puff of steam dancing through the chilly air.

When Mariah Carey’s voice echoes in literally every store for an obnoxious 24/7, as if she has some kind of personal vendetta against silence…

When the heating bill increases by 37%, and it takes an extra 15 minutes for the heater to kick in and for the hot water to grace the showerhead. Ergo, Namjoon now has to wake up half an hour early if he wants to take a shower and not freeze half to death during the day, because the landlord was adamant that there was nothing to be done about the situation.

But it wasn’t all bad.

Sure, Namjoon was never one to possess the so-called Christmas spirit. In fact, he was known to be a bit of a grinch among his friends.

Jin, in particular, enjoyed telling anyone who would listen about their first Christmas at college, when Namjoon adamantly refused to help him decorate the tree after begrudgingly lugging it to their shared apartment.

And most years Namjoon’s lack of enthusiasm for the season was palpable. While his friends reveled in the cheerful atmosphere, he somehow managed to remain detached and aloof, his grinch-like demeanor becoming a defining characteristic, much to the amusement of his companions.

However, there were still aspects of the holiday that Namjoon couldn’t help but secretly enjoy. The food, for instance, was undeniably good. Although the movies were mediocre and the music overplayed, he still found himself humming along to Winter Wonderland whenever it played. And the energetic buzz that seized his friends was no doubt contagious;

This year, before he could even process it, he was dubbed designated fairy-light fixer, the judge of the ugly sweater contest (solely because he had the audacity to show up wearing a black hoodie) and somehow promised Jungkook to help him pick up gifts for his mom, his cousin, and girlfriend.

And now, with the holidays looming just around the corner, and the entire city buzzing with chatter about family feasts, romantic rendezvous, and the art of gift-giving, Namjoon couldn't help but feel a little pang of longing. It had been a solid two years since he last set foot in his hometown, and the melancholic urge to return home seemed like the only logical response to it all.

Or maybe he just needed a vacation…

But there was just one thing that kept Namjoon, a logical being, from making that phone call home.

He knew that part of the reason behind his mother’s question was for organizational purposes, yet he couldn’t help but notice the mischievous twinkle in her voice each time she sweetly asked:

“And are you coming alone?”

Few things managed to irk him as much that specific question in that specific context. And even with countless nights analyzing the emotions it stirred within him, Namjoon found himself very stupidly replying with:

“Uhm, no actually-” despite being painfully single, and fully aware of it.

Following that, the hope of regaining any sensible thought was gone as a chorus of ecstatic comments erupted form his mother’s end of the phone. With a hurried, “Can’t wait to see you, yeah, love you too,” he was left in the suffocating silence of his bedroom, with a new predicament he needed to solve.

Now, let’s not forget, Namjoon is no ordinary man. He possesses a brain that could rival Einstein’s, and he knows all too well that he could simply call back and clarify that his plus one is as real as Santa Claus.

But Namjoon doesn’t half-ass anything. He full-asses it.

That and showing up alone would undoubtedly result in his mom’s attempts to play matchmaker. And if he were to show up alone, after lying about it, well, he might as well prepare for an arranged marriage.

Namjoon sighed as he looked at his phone. He couldn’t understand why his mother had this new found obsession with his relationship status. Especially after she witnessed just how bad his last one ended. Now sure, he may have taken the whole ‘healing-era’ to a bit of an extreme, seeing as he had no relationship, no situationship and no inclination to entertain any romantic thoughts whatsoever. But this was getting ridiculous. Lying to his own mother?

Perhaps he could ask his assistant to pretend to be his girlfriend for the week? No, that wouldn’t work. She mentioned she was hosting the Christmas dinner this year. And it would involve more explanations to HR than it’s worth…

And he couldn’t overlook the fact that her fiancé would most certainly not be amused by that idea.

Just as he was about give up and plunge into another rabbit hole of despair, the solution to his problem came accompanied by the familiar sound of glass smashing in the kitchen.

You.

You would be perfect.

Most people already assumed you two were dating, seeing how seamlessly you fit yourself into his life after moving in.

And last he checked you couldn’t make it home because of some pesky law-jargon issues that required your presence at the office. And changing your flight to a few days later cost you an arm and a leg, while changing it to January was completely free.

And last he checked; you were just as chronically single as he was. (He knew because your last date was so disastrous that he had to abandon his gaming night and rescue you from the restaurant).

Another crash in the kitchen summoned him back into action. Swiftly snatching his hoodie from the designated clothes chair and making his way to you, detouring only to retrieve the medical kit from the bathroom.

He was quick to spot you, still clad in your work attire, crouched besides the counter, diligently sweeping the stray glass shards of what used to be an ugly mug. His eyes involuntarily wondering towards your ass, once again marveling at how flawlessly you wore that office skirt before snapping himself out of it.

“And I believe that evens out the score, seeing as I only broke a plate, and you killed two mugs this season” he declares, ensuring you weren’t bleeding before abandoning the first aid kit on the counter to fetch the trusty vacuum cleaner.

It was standard procedure by now.

“You also managed to break the microwave, so the title remains yours,” you grumble as you rose to your feet, a smile unconsciously tugging at your lips when you caught sight of his charming dimpled face. “Hey there.”

“Hello,” he replied, giving you a swift once-over in case he missed any hidden hemorrhages “what happened?”

“It just jumped out of the cupboard when I opened it,” you gestured towards the dust pan, as if to prove the cup suddenly acquired acrobatic skills before its untimely demise, causing him to break into a grin “I’ll get you a new one.”

“No worries, it was a gift form an ex, and it was hideous anyway.”

As he vacuumed the area, you disposed of the glass, making sure it wouldn’t slice through the trash bag like last time.

Once the kitchen was safe again, you returned to your previous task, grabbing a new cup and casually turning your back to him.

" Do you want to try an unreasonably expensive hot chocolate with me?" you playfully suggested, catching his eye as he noticed the purple tin on the counter, adorned with a big red bow, alongside a very generic Christmas card.

"Secret Santa?" he inquired back, picking up the card, already aware of the answer to your question.

Unconsciously, he began mentally listing reasons why you would make a good fake girlfriend. Topping the list was your uncanny ability to understand him without lengthy explanations. And it was all quite digestible, wasn't it? Two long-time friends and roommates, thrown together by chance, suddenly discovering hidden feelings for each other?

All his friends seemed to have unanimously agreed that the two of you would make a splendid pair, back when you met, when his roommate, Jin, started dating your roommate, Myeong.

On their inaugural date, Myeong, in a fit of paranoia, asked you to tag along, in case her potential lover turned out to be a serial killer. And Jin, ever the considerate soul, felt compelled to invite Namjoon, not only to spare you the agony of being the third wheel, but also in the hope of pulling Namjoon out of his dating slump. Not that you would ever notice, as you were knee-deep in exam session, sleep deprived and buried in a mountain of law books.

Poor Namjoon somehow ended up carrying the weight of being third and fourth wheel simultaneously.

But you eventually made up for it, once your exams were over and had a proper 18 hours of sleep.

In no time you wiggled your way into his heart, transforming those awkward double dates into enjoyable hangouts. You’d spend countless hours discussing everything from books to the latest plot twists in popular dramas, to sharing dreams, fears and hopes.

As Myeong and Jin’s relationship blossomed, they gradually faded into the background of your outings, until they were eventually excluded all together. And neither of you seemed to mind, as you found it easier to focus on your conversations without their constant chatter.

That and they couldn’t be quiet in movie theatres like decent human beings.

It was during one of these outings that Namjoon realized just how alluring he found you. The way your eyes lit up when you laughed at one of his jokes made his heart race. Your sharp mind and wit were a match made in heaven for him. And your ability to render him speechless was both infuriating and exhilarating.

But Namjoon also knew that you were deeply committed to your studies, and he didn't want to do anything to distract you from your goals. So, he held back, admiring you from a distance and hoping that someday things might be different.

And as time passed, and he graduated, he came to terms with the fact that you two would never be more than casual friends.

Little did he know that the universe had its own wicked sense of humor. When fate decided to play its sly hand and leave you virtually homeless, because your respective roommates decided to take the next step in their relationship and move in together.

It was only logical, then, for the two of you to shack up as well. After all, you were friends, both neat freaks, and most of all, desperately in need of a roommate.

“The roommate switch”, as Jimin so eloquently put it.

And thus began the most wonderful living arrangement Namjoon ever experienced. Not that he would never tell Jin that.

Suddenly, his bathroom cabinet resembled a Bath and Body works store, and your pink pots and pans had taken over his kitchen. But he wouldn’t mind, seeing that the cooking interdiction was extended, once Jin started recounting all the times Namjoon almost turned their previous apartment into a bonfire during your housewarming bash.

However, you never scolded him for his butterfingers because, truth be told, you had your own healthy dose of clumsiness, (the cup chilling in the trash an indisputable witness to it).

It was quite refreshing to find someone who shared his knack for dropping things.

And he made up for all the free meals by taking care of the dishes. He even went above and beyond by meticulously following the odd care instructions for your fancy pots.

And the rest of your household chores fell into perfect harmony.

He willingly handled all the ironing, including your own, simply because you couldn’t be bothered. In return, you would dutifully clean the lint tray in the dryer, even when it was his turn to do the laundry, because he found it absolutely disgusting, and you couldn’t resist the opportunity to gross him out.

It suddenly dawned on him why all his friends were convinced that you two were together. He was smitten with you, after all.

But again, time has worked its magic! His infatuation had been long departed, so he could proceed with his plan and not let it affect your friendship in any way, shape or form!

“You know, I never quite understood the purpose of Secret Santa,” you confessed, pulling him out of his thoughts. “I mean, sure, it makes sense in a small group where you can actually get to know the person and buy them something nice. But in a corporate setting, where you’re thrown together with people from different departments, it makes absolutely no sense!” you spoke with passion, even stirring the milk a little harder, causing an impish smile to dance across his face.

“Because you end up with situations like this, where creepy Greg from the watercooler suddenly feels the need to win my graces and splurge on stupidly expensive hot chocolate.”

Namjoon was familiar with your HR endeavors involving Greg, especially after he hit on one of your colleagues.

“Do you want to know how much this monstrosity costs?” you asked, trying to contain your amusement at the sheer absurdity of it all. Pouring the cocoa into the milk and placing the mugs in front of him, you couldn’t help but grin.

“Surprise me,” Namjoon took a sip, which he regretted because he choked once you answered,

“Sixty dollars!”

“That’s absolutely ridiculous” he coughed, once he regained control of his lungs.

The hot chocolate was nice, but nowhere close to justifying the hefty price tag. For all he knew, it could have been dollar store cocoa. But your contagious laugh made it all worthwhile, and he couldn’t help but think that maybe Greg deserved to lose his Christmas bonus on overpriced cocoa that you both would mock.

“Tastes like cardboard” you concluded after a mouthful, “maybe it was meant for that hideous mug your ex gave you,” you teased, earning a puzzled look. “This has horrible taste,” you tack on, noticing his raised eyebrow “just like your exes.”

“I’m not sure if I should be offended by that,” he replied, feigning offense.

“Well, they did break up with you, so clearly their taste is questionable,” You ruffled his hair as you walked past him, your cocoa abandoned on the table.

This wasn’t uncommon in your friendship. Afterall, you were his biggest supporter, as he was yours. But now, with the odd favor he was about to ask you; he couldn’t help but ponder your words for longer than usual. Until he heard the door to your room close and he realized he was left alone in the kitchen.

“Any updates on that flight of yours?” he asked, shooting a glance towards your door. Perhaps the universe would take pity on him and spare him the embarrassment he was dreading.

“Still in January!” you hollered back, your voice muffled by the commotion in your room.

“Ah, cool, cool…” he muttered under his breath, more to psych himself up and gather the courage needed to go over and make a complete fool of himself.

“Are you still planning on heading home?” your voice was barely audible amidst the movement, so he walked over and propped himself against your door to keep the conversation going.

“Yeah, that’s the plan.” He replied absentmindedly massaging the back of his neck.

Not unless he can find a girlfriend for the week. “Hey,” he continued, his voice devoid of any moisture, “can I ask you a favor?”

The door swung open, almost causing him to stumble, to reveal you, wearing pajama bottoms and a black tank top, clutching one of his sweaters.

“Depends.” You answered flatly. “Mind if I borrow this?” you gestured towards the sweater, awaiting his nod of approval before slipping it on and sauntering past him to claim your usual spot on the couch. With your feet cozily tucked under the cushion, you scrolled through your phone, probably looking up another horrible movie you’d force him to watch. Oblivious to the fact that you ticked off another item on his mental checklist: looking damn good in his clothes.

“Okay” he took a deep breath and settled down beside you, his posture impeccable and his gaze fixed on the blank tv screen. You glanced over intrigued by his sudden shift in behavior.

“This is going to be weird, and you can tell me to fuck off any moment this makes you uncomfortable. And I promise I’ll never bring it up again, and we can pretend this never happened,” he stumbled over his words, a stark contrast to his usually calmed and composed demeanor.

Your mind raced, conjuring up the worst-case scenarios as you slowly set aside your phone, captivated by every word leaving his mouth.

Was he about to kick you out?

That only seemed to aggravate whatever Namjoon was on, as he continued to mumble, insisting that you didn’t have to agree to it if you didn’t want to. Which didn’t make any sense, because if he was going to kick you out, he should at least have the balls to tell you straight forward.

You gently collected his hands, causing him to halt abruptly. His wide eyes finally locked with yours as you softly uttered “Just tell me.” You peered up at him, bracing yourself for the worst, and completely unprepared for what was to follow.

“Will you please do me a solid and pretend to be my girlfriend for a week?” he stammered, unable to maintain eye contact, his voice fading into a whisper towards the end.

“What?”

“I might have told my mom I’m in a relationship, and now I desperately need a stand-in girlfriend for the next few days” he confessed sheepishly, quickly adding, “But seriously, if you’re uncomfortable with this, just say the word and we can erase this whole conversation from existence.”

“Oh my goodness, Namjoon,” you breathed out in relief, a laugh escaping your lips as you rested your head on his lap, leaving him even more perplexed. “I thought you were kicking me out.”

“What?” he chuckled, watching you raise a few seconds later, rubbing your eyes before fixing your gaze on him, contemplating his request.

“How can you be so brilliant and so dumb at the same time? Just call your mom back…”

“No, you don’t get it. I can’t do that. If I do, she’ll set me up with the neighbor’s daughter again” Namjoon explained, clearly not in the right mindset to entertain that idea again.

“You want me to lie to your mother?” you asked incredulously.

“Please don’t phrase it like that.” he covered his face, deflating completely besides you.

“This is essentially what you are asking me to do... I don’t know how that makes me feel. Your mom, by the way, is an absolute sweetheart…” you trailed off, observing him intently as he brushed away the hair in his eyes.

You didn’t get to know her too well, but the last time she visited she made sure to stock up your whole fridge with homecooked meals. And to top it off, she even baked cookies especially for you once Namjoon mentioned he had a new roommate.

The discussion, however, took a bit of an unexpected turn when she realized the roommate was you. A girl and not another frat guy. But she quickly developed a fondness for you. Or at least, that’s what you believed when she gave you the tightest hug goodbye.

“I know. It’s a stupid idea.” He muttered, rubbing his face a bit harder than necessary. Then he locked eyes with you and continued. “I am well aware of how dumb this is. And that is exactly why I need you there with me.” His statement left you dumbfounded, completely unable to find any words. “I just want to go home and relish in the fact that I am there without constantly worrying about being single.” he took a shaky breath before continuing,

“I can’t comprehend why my mom is so fixated on this matter.” He paused for a moment, gathering his thoughts. “I just need someone to navigate this absurdity with me for the holidays, and then we never mention it again.”

His little speech left you stunned, and before you knew it, you were actually considering his proposal.

Your Christmas plan was already ruined, and agreeing would mean that you would not be confined to your couch, enduring cheesy Hallmark movies and crying alone on Christmas eve.

Moreover, you were convinced that you had moved on from the little crush you had on him back when you met. Refusing still to admit that you’ve always had a soft spot for the gentle giant that slowly became a staple in your life, and that spending the holidays with him would be the best scenario that could ever happen.

But could you make it through this without getting your heart trampled and your friendship going up in smoke? As these thoughts started to swirl in your mind, your eyes began to wander aimlessly. From his eyes to his chiseled cheekbones and strong jawline, down to his neck and collarbone, and finally to his impressively muscular chest that seemed to only have grown since he started attending the gym religiously with Jungkook. And not to mention those arms that give the most incredible bear hugs. It was strange to allow yourself to notice his physicality in such detail, as if you had been willfully blind to his newfound buffness until now.

“Forget it, I’m sorry I asked,” he said, sensing your hesitation and preparing to end his suffering. But you stopped him in his tracks.

“If we are going to do this, we need a plan.” His eyes light up, color returning to his cheeks, before he squeezed you in a tight embrace “and just so you know, you owe me,” you laughed once he released you.

“Yes, yes, of course, whatever you want.”

“You take out the trash for a month,” he was too quick to nod “and I want you to take me to that bakery you and Jin always rave about.”

“Ajumeoni’s bakery?” he smiled at your request. That was the bakery Namjoon visited with his sister every Friday as a child, and every other day with Jin, on their way to school, because the milk bread was to die for. “Of course. It’s already part of the commute, so consider it done.”

“Good. We have a deal then,” you extended your hand as if sealing a business agreement, instead of setting yourselves up for a disaster. He reciprocated with a firm shake, and you swiftly retrieved your notepad from the coffee table. “So, what’s the plan?”

“Well, let’s establish a few key details about us. We need to become well-acquainted with each other’s personal preferences, so it doesn’t come across like we are just… pretending” he looked over at you as you scribbled.

“I mean, it’s a digestible story already. Two oblivious roommates, suddenly realizing they have feelings for one another after living together for years.” You mused, only to be met with his response.

“And once this is all over, we can simply tell everyone that we figured out we were better off as friends than lovers,” he pondered aloud.

“Right,” you replied, looking up from your notebook “How long have we been dating?”

“Anywhere from three to six months” he promptly answered and you jot it down before firing off your next question.

“And why haven’t we told any of our friends and family?”

“To avoid the inevitable ‘I knew it!’ and because we like the trill of keeping a secret.”

“Fair enough,” you chuckled “So, how did we get together?”

“You finally realized how charming I am and just couldn’t contain yourself?” he flashed a cheeky smile and you playfully deflect by giving his chest a gentle push.

“How about your birthday party?” you offered “We were both buzzed enough to share a kiss and then you confessed?”

“Why do I confess?” he whined, peering over at your notebook page where you already wrote down your version of events.

“Because I’m shy about that kind of stuff” you mumble, burying your face in the cozy confines of his sweater, avoiding any potential eye contact.

“That’s adorable,”

“Shut up.” You chuckle “Alright, is there anything I should know about you?”

“I’m not a big fan of PDA, especially when we’re out and about, so don’t expect me to be all over you.” He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “But since we’re going home and pretending to be a couple, what level of affection are you comfortable with?”

“Well, I’m comfortable with you,” you cleared your throat, that bit of information being more truthful than intended “we can hold hands, and do normal couple stuff.”

“How do you feel about kissing?”

“Well, yeah, sure,” you responded nonchalantly, eyes fixating on the notepad in your hands.

A mischievous grin played on his lips as he teased, “Good, because I happen to be quite fond of leaving hickeys.” That broke you out of your little spiral, rolling your eyes at his poor attempt.

As if you weren’t already aware of this tidbit from his past conquests during your college days, before you two became roommates.

“You do know this is all pretend, right?” you retorted, refusing to take the bait.

“Oh, but baby, we’ve got to make it feel real,” he insisted, his tone dripping with charm. However, it did nothing to sway your logical approach to it.

“Right, ‘baby’” -you said it as if it was a legal term, “any preferences for pet names?”

Your serious charade did little to detour him. “Just promise me that our interactions won’t be like Jin and Myeong’s.” He smiles, eyes twinkling with mischief. “And surprise me, I’ll be putty in your hands.”

“So, you are not set on honorifics. I can call you Oppa if you want,” little did you know, your innocent suggestion struck a hidden chord within him. A new kink that needed further assessment later on, preferably after this week was over.

“That won’t be necessary,” he said, clearing his throat and reclining against the couch. “Anything I should know about you?”

You pondered his question for a few seconds, allowing a sly smile to play your lips. “I don’t like feet.”

“No duh!” he laughed, shaking his head in disbelief, before regaining his composure. With a meticulous air, he went over all the details once more. “Ah, you need a new background on your phone.”

Swiftly, he snatched your phone form the coffee table, catching you off guard, and planted a quick kiss on your cheek before snapping a selfie. “Perfect,” he declared, a proud smile spreading across his face as he set the picture as your home screen and background, leaving you to gather your frenzied thoughts.

“But wait, you also need a new photo,” You retorted, only to find him already one step ahead, pulling out his phone from his pajama bottoms and scrolling through his camera roll.

“Done.” He announced, turning his phone towards you to reveal the horrendous picture he had chosen as his own home screen.

A candid shot he took during your last year at college, on one of those late-night noodles runs to the local shop next to the library. You were draped in an oversized hoodie, greedily slurping a mouthful of noodles. With eyes blissfully shut, you savored every bite, as it was your first meal of that day, completely oblivious to his hidden photography skills.

It wasn’t until you accidentally stumbled upon your caller ID that you saw it and naturally, grabbed the nearest pillow and hurled it at him, demanding an immediate change. But he stood his ground, claiming it was his favorite photo of you.

Claim proven yet again as now it was Namjoon’s home screen.

“I hate that photo.”

“I know.” He gave a smile, before safely tucking his phone back in his pocket, and rose to his feet, stretching leisurely. “I think we are good to go, girlfriend,” he said it in such a way that sent a swarm of butterflies fluttering in your stomach. “I’ll go book our train tickets, and you better start packing soon,” he playfully pointed at you, before gracefully disappearing into his room to retrieve his laptop.

“Oh, wait, I need to get a present for your mom!”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Before the train even arrived in the station, the sky was threatening to unleash upon you. The air filled with delicate snowflakes, determined to bury you, Namjoon, and your luggage. But it was yesterday’s conversation that still lingered in the atmosphere, weighing heavy on both your minds.

The darkness of the night had given you both time to process what was about to unfold. Your only anchor on reality being Namjoon’s surprisingly warm hand clasping your freezing one, and tucking it away in his warm coat pocket.

And the fact that he looked like he just strolled out of the latest winter Vogue edition for men didn’t help. While you attempted to make a lasting impression, donning a cream knitted dress, black stockings and boots, topped off with a cream coat, that was far too flimsy for the weather, Namjoon effortlessly sported a navy-blue hoodie, snug jeans and a stylish black trench coat, and even a matching beanie that made his hair look absolutely flawless.

But beyond his impeccable fashion sense, he also proved to be quite the gentleman. Not that you ever doubted it, but now he seemed determined to showcase his chivalry. He wouldn’t even let you lock the door to your own apartment. It was a miracle he allowed you to carry the bottle of Chardonnay you insisted on getting his family, despite his protests that it wasn't necessary. You slightly regretted it now, seeing as your other hand was enduring the elements, instead of being intertwined with his.

“You have snow in your hair,” you pointed out, stating the obvious with the brilliance of a water-is-wet revelation.

“As do you.” he looked up from his phone, where he was engrossed in checking the train’s schedule for any potential delays. “And your lips are blue.” with a swift motion, he untangled his scarf and gently draped it around your freezing form. Something he had done many a time before, anytime he saw you slightly cold, but never before had you considered this gesture to be more than your friend looking out for you.

But today, things were different. Today you were pretending to be his girlfriend.

The sudden surge of warmth that enveloped you left you wondering if it was due to all your blood rushing to your cheeks or his scarf possessing some sort of magical heating abilities.

“It says here that the snow storm shouldn’t intervene with the scheduling, so the train will be here in a few minutes.” He looked up again, a cheerful grin appearing across his features as he caught sight of your pink face. “Aw you’re blushing again,”

“Shut up.” you retorted with the quick-wittedness of a third-grader.

“If I would have known it was this easy to make you flush, I would have made my fictional moves much sooner.” His voice did that thing again, where it went slightly deeper and, only the look in his eyes ticking you off to his teasing.

Your only response was to nervously nibble on your lip. Again, the realization that you are about to deceive not only his mother, but his entire family nestle in your chest, squeezing at your heart like a snake wrapped around it.

“Namjoon, I’m not sure about this.” you confessed, pulling the scarf closer to your face. It was a bit late to be getting cold feet, but this was your last opportunity to speak your mind before embarking on this little ordeal. “I don’t think I can pull this off.”

“Come on now, aren’t you an intern at a law firm?” he raised a playful eyebrow, attempting to ease the tension, but you only glared at him.

“I can’t lie.” You stated firmly “I’m the absolute worse at it. That is why I always find alternative ways of convey the truth. That’s what lawyers do. We don’t resort to lies.”

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that," he quickly apologized, before falling silent for a few seconds to ponder a solution. "Okay, listen. You don’t have to say anything."

"What do you mean?" you looked up at him, a hint of skepticism in your voice.

"I can take care of all the relationship talk, and I won’t say anything unless prompted.” he replied, trying to inject a touch of wit into his response. “Afterall, you are just my friend that just happens to be a girl.” He playfully wiggled his eyebrows at you “And I want you to spend Christmas with me and my family instead of being alone at home.” Namjoon gave you a sincere smile, and you couldn’t help but smile back, feeling the grip on your heart slightly loosen.

“Okay,” you gave a small nod “Thank you Joon.”

The nickname slipped by unnoticed, but you noticed the way Namjoon reacted, rekindling your burning cheeks.

“So, no Oppa?”

When your train arrived, Namjoon swiftly took charge, effortlessly carrying all the bags to your seats, settling in comfortably for the four-hour journey ahead.

He had come prepared, armed with at least three books to keep himself entertained, while you had grand plans of getting a head start on your work, perhaps even sneaking in a personal lecture and a quick power nap. However, much to your surprise, the allure of a nap quickly surpassed all other ambitions, your head found a cozy resting place on Namjoon’s shoulder, and you drifted off into a blissful slumber for the remainder of the journey. A sleepless night imagining what it would be like pretending to date your roommate could do that to you.

Only stirring awake when you were less than a few minutes away, because Namjoon was constantly shifting in his seat, half of his body numb from your weight on him.

“Oh hey,” he whispered, swiftly stretching his legs as soon as you moved off him. “I just spoke to Minhi, she said she’d come pick us up from the train station,”

“Oh, that’s nice.” you yawned, rubbing away any remnants of sleep from your eyes “You could have told me to move, you know.”

“Yes, but you looked so peaceful. It felt almost wrong to disturb you.” He grinned, fully aware that he also indulged in a little nap, using your head as a pillow just half an hour ago.

“Shut up,” you whispered, poking his thigh and retrieving your makeup bag to quickly fix your face before the train pulled up in the station.

The frigid air pierced through your very bones, sending an instant shiver cascading down your spine as you stepped into the snow filled air. You pull your coat tighter around yourself, trying to ward off the cold as you looked around for Minhi, seeing as Namjoon was on luggage duty again.

However, before you could spot her, Minhi’s voice sliced through the chilly air,

“Kim Namjoon, you have got to be kidding me.”

Namjoon’s little sister, all bundled up in a thick winter coat had fixed you two with a piercing stare, her hands on her hips in a classic display of sibling disapproval.

Namjoon’s wonky smile did nothing to deter her piercing gaze, or calm any of your fraying nerves. “It’s good to see you too?”

You feel your heart drop as Minhi's gaze shifts from her brother to you, her expression a mix of confusion and suspicion. Your worst fears are confirmed - she's figured you out and you haven’t even been off the train for 5 minutes. Now Namjoon will be married off to some rich middle-aged woman and you'll never be able to look him in the eye again.

You can feel the heat rising to your cheeks, and you look away, silently praying that the snow beneath your boots doesn’t melt into a puddle while she stares.

But then, unexpectedly, Minhi starts to laugh. At first, it's a quiet chuckle, but soon it grows into a full-blown laugh. She laughs so hard that she has to hold her stomach, and at the end she wiped an imaginary tear from the corner of her eye.

“You two are perfect for each other,” she says still chuckling “Fine, I’ll play along. How did you two end up together?”

“Got drunk one night.” Namjoon casually replied, rubbing the back of his neck before wrapping his arm around you, “Turns out all I had to do was say something, because she was all over me the next second.”

Minhi raised her eyebrow, clearly unconvinced. “Right,” She hugged Namjoon tightly, and then turned to you, surprising you with a warm embrace. She muttered something about Namjoon never confessing his feelings in your coat, but you were too busy drowning in a whirlwind of confusion and relief to register it.

“We'll talk more later about how inappropriate this is." She added cheerfully, beckoning you to follow her towards her little yellow jeep, bright against the snowy backdrop.

You look back at Namjoon just in time to catch him winking in your direction and giving you a thumbs-up that sent your heart whirling in your chest.

The car ride was over faster than you would have wanted. Minhi navigated the snow-laden road while she and Namjoon chatted away about mundane topics—work, rent, the best coffee in town. You sank deeper into the backseat, overwhelmed and lost in your thoughts. Because What the hell was that and If this was how you were kicking things off you might as well turn around now. Was it just fear of ruining the friendship or was an old crush budding again? The way he ‘claimed’ you in front of Minhi clearly ignited something in your chest that was not appropriate for friends or roommates or roommate-friends pretending to be dating.

As if sensing your turmoil from the front, Namjoon caught your eyes, giving you a gentle, reassuring smile before the car came to a halt. He gallantly opened the door for you, his hand grasping yours and squeezing it tightly.

“I got you, baby,” he says, teasingly, but the poorly-timed joke earns him an immediate glare and an elbow to the ribs.

“Oh, come on. They are lovely people.” Minhi interrupts before Namjoon can retaliate, “You should’ve seen the way mom was dancing around the kitchen once she heard Namjoon was bringing someone over.”

You just blink at her, your breath misting in the air as you unconsciously step closer to Namjoon, giving him a small nod of support. His presence radiates warmth, his fingers tightening around yours as you walked towards the small house that looms in front of you. Minhi ambles ahead, dropping her bag near the entrance, while you could practically feel Namjoon vibrating with excitement.

“Someone’s in trouble” She whispers dramatically, letting you both into the warmth of the household, where laughter and the mouthwatering scent of home-cooked food intertwine. You follow her into the kitchen and you see the older couple husting about, half-focused on a pot bubbling over the stove and half on each other.

“Mom! Dad! Look who I’ve brought!” she announces, and the couple turned, smiles blooming as they spotted you and Namjoon.

For a fleeting moment, you felt exposed. Like an exhibit at a museum, thrust into the spotlight. Your breath hitched as Namjoon gently nudged you forward, a gesture both comforting and terrifying, but steeling yourself, you bravely stepped ahead, bowing as a sign of respect.

“I knew it!” The affectionate glow sweeping across Mrs. Kim face relaxed your nerves considerably, “I’m so glad you could make it!” her eyes sparkled with genuine delight, and you suddenly realized that Namjoon inherited his dimples from her. But the thought was quickly squeezed out of you as she enveloped you in that bone-crushing hug.

Namjoon’s father, a tall elderly man with kind eyes, patted him on the back. His approval apparent, before he turned his attention to you, “Welcome to our home,” he said warmly.

“I’m honored to be here.” You managed to respond, your voice quacking slightly but laced with sincerity. You heard Minhi groaning in the background but did your best to ignore her exaggerations and focus only on Namjoon’s parents, as you exchanged the required pleasantries.

“Dinner is almost ready,” Mrs. Kim said, bustling around the kitchen with effortless grace. The contrast between her elegant movements and Namjoon’s clumsy demeanour in the kitchen made you smile inwardly “I hope you’re hungry.”

“Yes, we didn’t get a chance to eat today,” Namjoon added quickly, casually leaning against the counter and stealing a taste from the simmering pot.

“I’ll call you over once it’s done. Go show our guest to your room until then,” Mrs. Kim commanded, expertly shooing him away from the stove and passing plates to Minhi.

“My room?” Namjoon echoed, his eyes widening as if the concept had floored him.

“Yes, dear. I know we are old-fashioned, but we are not under any illusions that you two don’t already share a room.” Mrs. Kim replied, stirring the bubbling pot without sparing him a glance.

Minhi shot you a look that was equal parts amusement and something you couldn’t quite place—sympathy, perhaps? Or pity?

“Yes- No. I just thought that it would be more appropriate to let her have the guest room,” Namjoon articulated, his voice half-hearted in its conviction.

Mrs. Kim merely cooed, waved away his protests with a flick of the wrist. “Minhi and Jackson are staying in the guest room. You can have your room.”

“Come on, Namjoon. You always make everything so complicated,” Minhi chimed in, her voice laced with mischief. “Just accept it. You guys will have an entire night to sort things out, right?”

“Right.” he grumbled, shooting her a glare that softened as he turned his gaze back to you “Let’s get you settled in,” he gestured for you to follow him.

The moment you step into Namjoon's room, a charged silence enveloped you- like the kind that proceeds a brewing storm. The room was exactly as you imagined, a blend of cooler minimalist décor and hints of his personal touch, a few pieces of art and pictures hung up on the wall, all whispering tales of youth, friendship and moments you yearned to know more about.

But all those sweet memories fade into the background as the reality settled in: there was only one bed.

“So, let me get this straight,” you began, the awkwardness hanging heavily in the air “You thought about everything, including phone wallpapers, but forgot you only have one bed in your room?”

“No, of course not.” He lied, that endearing grin spreading across his face. “I just thought it would be polite to let you have the bed… since you’re my guest.” He seemed genuinely proud of the excuse, but that pride melted when you teased,

“Before or after you plan for the guest room fell through?”

“After.” He admitted at last, glancing away, as if the walls held all the explanations he could not muster.

“Don’t tell me you planned on sleeping on the floor too,” for a brief moment the ridiculous image of him curled up on the hardwood floor, blankets draped haphazardly around him pops into your mind, and you couldn’t help but giggle.

“No.” He smiles, “I knew you’d take pity on my lower back,” his dimples deepened and you playfully rolled your eyes at him.

“Very strategic Mr. Kim,” you laugh, walking further into the room and taking a seat on the edge of the bed. The playful banter creating a familiar atmosphere, dissolving any lingering tension. A part of you almost couldn't believe you were in Namjoon’s personal space, taking your sweet time admiring the various little parts of him decorating the room, while another part was acutely aware of his gaze on you, observing you as if he were trying to read your thoughts.

He stepped closer, his expression sincere, drawing you in gently as he took your hands in his. “Are you sure?” The tentative nature of his voice hinted at a deeper question—he was about to add an ‘I was only joking’—but you quickly shushed him.

“Yes, of course.”

There were a few past occurrences where the two of you ended up falling asleep together on the couch, limbs tangled under the fuzzy throw blanket, with a movie playing in the background. Without fail, one of you would wake up in the morning to find the other wrapped around them, as the night was chilly and body heat was a rare luxury. Most of the time it was Namjoon that dozed off first, his head lolling in an awkward position until you gently nudged him into a more comfortable posture, knowing he’d whine about neck and/or shoulder pain come morning time if you didn’t. But his lug of a body was always warm, so you didn’t mind snuggling closer to him when it mattered.

This was more of the same. Just in a bed.

You swallow drily, eyes flickering away for a quick second, “I told you, I’m comfortable with you.”

“Come on, lovebirds!” Minhi’s voice rang through the door, breaking the spell. “Dinner’s ready!”

You shared a hurried glance, perspectives shifting as the familiar nervousness rushed back to you.

“Ready?” he asked, his smile spreading across his face, deepening the dimples in his cheeks as he tugged you up to your feet. You nodded, suddenly buoyed by a sense of belonging.

To your surprise, dinner goes by without a hitch. You may have gone a little overboard on the kimchi, but it wasn’t anything you wouldn’t recover from. However, the warmth of Namjoon’s hand resting softly on your thigh might etch itself into your memory for all time.

Halfway through the meal, Jackson showed up, and you got to observe with amusement as Minhi transformed in his presence, her demeanor shifting from the laid-back hostess to a giddy schoolgirl. The way she playfully nudged Jackson, her eyes sparkling each time she teased him, be it about his late arrival or some inside joke, was a refreshing sight. And you couldn’t help but snicker each time Mrs. Kim would chastise them, before dotting lovingly on anything you and Namjoon did together.

As the lively conversation flowed around you, you leaned into Namjoon’s warmth. It felt easy, and so right to nestle beside him, to let your fingers brush against his with familiarity, each touch igniting tiny sparks. You stole a glance at him, watching as he engaged wholeheartedly in the conversation, his contagious laughter filling the room.

After dinner, you offered to help Mrs. Kim clear up the table, even if it was to get a second to clear your thoughts, but to your surprise, Mr. Kim placed a soft hand on your shoulder, smiling, as he gently guided you back to your seat.

“You’ve done enough, dear,” he said, his tone warm and reassuring “We appreciate your help, but tonight is for you and Namjoon to enjoy.” He gave you a kind nod, and you felt your cheeks warm.

“Yeah, there will be dishes tomorrow too,” Minhi interrupted, getting a heartfelt laughter from her father before he left the room, to join his wife in the kitchen.

You shared a sheepish glance with Namjoon, who watched the exchange with an amused smile. His eyes twinkling in the soft light of the dining room, and you felt your heart pick-up the pace in your chest again. You really needed to get away, perhaps splash some cold water on your face. But just as you felt the urge to excuse yourself, you overheard Jackson's whispered confusion.

“Wait, so they’re not actually dating?” His voice was muted, and laced with confusion as he looked between you and Namjoon, his eyes wide with bewilderment.

“Kyung Min!” Namjoon called Minhi by her full name, which made her owlishly blink up at him.

“What? He asked how long you two have been dating for,” she defended.

“And you couldn’t just say three months, like a normal person?” Namjoon shot back, half laughing, half exasperated and watched as her brows knitted.

“No! He deserves to know.” She persisted, glaring at her brother, and you felt the heat crawl up your neck, trying desperately to remain inconspicuous under Jackson’s incredulous stare.

“So how exactly does this work?” Jackson asked, stopping the siblings from their bickering “Is it like friends with benefits or-?” just when you thought it couldn’t get any more awkward, the sip of water you took ended up going down the wrong way, making you choke and sputter.

“No! it’s nothing like that.” You stammered, trying to form a coherent thought, but all you could manage was a mangled mess of words.

“No babe, they don’t even kiss,” Minhi added, placing her hand over his as if she were breaking some bad news.

But Namjoon reacted with the prove-your-sibling-wrong part of the brain, making you stare at him in disbelief.

“Not that it’s any of your business, but we do.”

And your pulse picked up again when you saw him leaning in, the implication clear in your mind. You steeled yourself, closing your eyes. But to your astonishment, he didn’t press his lips against yours as you had envisioned. Instead, they grazed the curve of your cheek, followed by a loud, exaggerated kiss.

“I’m confused.” Jackson mumbled, looking over at Minhi as she rolled her eyes.

“You’re not the only one.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Why didn’t he just kiss you?

The thought still lingered stubbornly at the edge of consciousness, even as the icy water from the shower jolted you into the present. You fumbled with the knobs, trying to figure out the right temperature, but your mind was elsewhere.

That scene kept on replaying on a constant loop in your head, each time leaving you just as stumped.

What stopped him?

You talked about this- he brought it up! And you agreed, so what was the hold-up? Was he really so uninterested that the mere thought of kissing you sent him into retreat mode?

Frustration bubbled up alongside the steam, and you invertedly cringed at the image of his nervous smile that still haunted you, his eyes darting away. Scrubbing harder at your skin, you wish the shame and embarrassment would simply wash away with the suds.

And the absurdity of getting worked over your friend not kissing you was not lost on you, but at least if he had gone for it, you might have been able to push that nagging question aside ~What would it be like to kiss Namjoon?

His lips looked so soft, like they were meant for more than just talking…

You violently shook that thought away, and with a resigned sigh, you turned the water back to cold in an attempt to wash away your sins. Friends don’t kiss!

And he clearly wasn’t interested, so the sooner you silence these thoughts, the sooner you could go back to being normal. Just four more days of pretending to be his girlfriend. You could manage that. And after, you promised yourself you’d lock yourself in your room and avoid human interaction for rest of your miserable life.

As the water continued its relentless pour, you felt your fingertips start to wrinkle, a reminder that perhaps it was time to step out of this session of self-pity. With one last shudder, you turned the water off, determined to face the world- if only for a little while longer.

When you stepped out of the bathroom, the soft glow of a lamp illuminated the room. Namjoon was already tucked into bed, gold-rimmed glasses perched on his nose as he quietly looked over the pages of a book. Only, in reality he hadn’t been able to absorb a single word in the past fifteen minutes, his gaze lost in a world of his own.

Silently, you made your way to your side, wrapping yourself in the blanket and turning your back to him. A slight shiver coursed through you as you felt the warmth envelop you, the little tremor alerting Namjoon to your presence.

“Why are you so cold?” he asked softly, shifting slightly closer to you.

Your heart thudded at the caring tone, and for a moment, all the questions crowd your mind again.

Instead of answering, you huffed in frustration and turned to face him.

“Why didn’t you kiss me?” the words blurted out before you could stop them, surprising you both with their boldness, but your face flushed when you met his gaze.

Namjoon’s eyes widened, and he froze, the book forgotten on his lap. “I-I don’t know.” He stuttered, his hand running though his tousled hair, the soft strands falling back in place but not hiding the flush creeping up his neck. You watched the muscles in his jaw tense, eyes averted again in a way that tightened your stomach.

“It would’ve convinced Minhi sooner,” your added, your words hanging heavy in the air. Namjoon chuckled awkwardly, running that same hand down his face.

“You want me to kiss you?”

You hesitated, the corners of your mind fanatically searching for a safe answer

“I’m just saying it would’ve made things easier,” you deflected, avoiding his question much like he had done moments before.

He studied you for a moment, gears visibly turning in his mind before his lips curved into a small, daring smile. “Because I can kiss you if you want.”

Your breath caught in your throat, surprised by the sudden shift in tension.

“Now?” you breathed.

“Why not?” he shrugged “We’re both clearly anxious about it, so why not just get it over with?”

Your mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water, lost for words, staring up at him. All the courage from before evaporating into thin air. You quickly searched his features, seeking the playful glint, the laughter behind his eyes, but instead, his eyes just flickered from yours to your lips.

“Do you want to kiss me?” you finally found the words, and his eyes snapped back to your own.

“I think it would make things easier going forward,” he replied, his voice low and earnest.

A heavy silence settled between you, stretching like an elastic ready to snap at any moment, as snowflakes continued to drift outside, dressing the world in white.

You took a deep breath, “Fine.” Ultimately you mumbled, sitting up against the headboard and turning to face him.

“Are you sure?”, The way he phrased it made your stomach flop, as if he were validating a choice that seemed both reckless and somehow still challenged you.

“Yes, now stop talking and just-” The words were lost as the space between you disappeared. But now you knew; his lips were soft, warm and tentative against yours. It felt wonderful, and sent tingles shooting through your veins while your heart tried erratically to catch up. He hesitated for a heartbeat- less than a fraction of a second- before he leaned further in, deepening the kiss, his hand coming up to cradle your cheek. And you soften against him, all the tension melting away. Your hands found their way to his shoulders, gripping lightly as if anchoring yourself amidst the storm of emotions that released once you tasted his mint toothpaste.

When he finally pulled back, both of you gasping for breath, the world resumed its muted noised- the quiet hum of the heater, the faint sound of voices downstairs, Namjoon’s breath against your lips. You could hardly meet his eyes, until you heard the first thing that left his lips.

“I just kissed you.”

Your eyebrow arched, blinking at him as if waiting for the punchline that never came.

“I know. I- was there too.” You replied, a little smile creeping on your face despite the rapid thump of your heart. Namjoon laughed softly; his cheeks still tinged with a shade of pink. “You’re a good kisser.” You added after a few beats of silence, before chewing on your lip, and unintentionally drawing his attention back to them.

“You too,” He gave a curt nod, remembering he has a book on his lap and fumbling to bookmark and put it away.

Another moment of silence followed once he settled back, and your eyes desperately scanned the walls for something, anything to say.

“This isn’t weird, is it?” you settled on the worst option, slightly cringing.

“No!” he answered louder than he anticipated, slightly shocking you which in return startled him. “I mean-” he let out an exasperated breath, “Friends kiss all the time.”

He didn’t believe it. And neither did you. But you still nodded in agreement.

#namjoon x reader #namjoon x you #namjoon x oc #namjoon smut #bts smut #namjoon imagine #namjoon scenarios #knj x reader #bts x reader #bts x y/n #bts x you #bts x fem!reader #namjoon x y/n

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apomaro-mellow · 8 months ago

Text

Hot for Teacher(s) 5

Part 4 / AO3 Link

"It's not even about what they say, I mean it is, it's more about how they say it", Eddie said over the phone. He was in the process of making himself dinner while Steve was on the line.

"Like what?", Steve asked, in the middle of making Shawn's lunch for the next day.

"Like, today Alex said 'barbecue is my favorite' and Brian was like 'your mom!' Like what? What does that even mean, Steve? I ask you, what does that mean?"

Steve laughed on the other end. "Well you know how memes work, right?"

"I'm offended you would ask that."

"I just mean it sounds like that. They're passing around a joke until it mutates and now just saying the phrase, regardless of context, is a joke."

"You're brilliant, you know that?"

"So I've been told~"

"Hey, you're making Shawn's lunch now, right? You know what would be funny?"

"Your sense of humor frightens me", Steve said.

"You tell me everything inside, and then I tell Shawn and act like I'm guessing. It'll blow his mind."

"You're ridiculous", Steve said with a shake of his head. But he ended up telling Eddie anyway.

When he went to bed that night, he dreamt of the day Shawn was born again. But this time it was less sights and smells and more sounds as an alpha rumbled close to his ear.

"You're doing great, beautiful."

"Bet your pup's gonna be the cutest..."

He woke up, feeling slightly disoriented as he remembered that he wasn't a new parent, that Shawn wasn't an infant, and that Billy wasn't sleeping beside him. He released a relieved sigh at that last part and got ready for the day.

Both he and Eddie got really busy as winter break began to near and Eddie wondered if it would be too forward to ask Steve out during the break. For all he knew, Steve might have plans to travel during it. But then again, that sounded like all the reason to ask him out before he went too long without seeing him again.

They talked just about every other night though. And try as they might, the conversation always veered to their students and the goings on of their work lives at school.

"Should you be telling me all of this? As a parent?", Steve asked one night. He was curled up on the couch, tv low in the background.

"As a parent, no", Eddie admitted. "But if you were my boyfriend.... then you'd have access to all the hot elementary gossip."

"....Did you just try and seduce me with student gossip?"

"Don't you wanna know which girl in my class has a crush on Shawn?", Eddie tempted.

Steve let out a long drawn out sigh. "You know I do. But I also think that we should have more dates under our belt before we start calling ourselves boyfriends."

"What have all these calls been?"

"Just talks?"

"Stevie, I call you more than anyone. I think in the past few weeks I've called you more than the rest of my phone contacts all year."

"...Are you busy tomorrow?"

"Nope."

Steve chewed his lip a little before going on. "Come over for dinner. Just you and me, I'll send Shawn over to Robin's."

------------------

Shawn was more than happy to go over to Robin's for the night. She let him put whatever he want on his pizza and let him watch pg-13 movies sometimes. Steve was aware of this, but always warned Robin that she couldn't come crying to him when he got an upset stomach or had nightmares.

Eddie came over just a few minutes after he saw Shawn off and together they put the finishing touches on the dinner Steve had started.

"So this is going to sound weird...", Steve began as they sat down to eat. "But, have we met before?"

Eddie swallowed his mouthful before grinning. "What a line. I'm already in your house, baby. You don't need to use cheesy pick up lines on me."

"I'm serious", Steve said with a roll of his eyes. "Do you think it might be possible?"

"I think I'd remember running into someone like you. Why do you ask?"

Steve picked at his food. "Sometimes you smell familiar. Like, I know I've said you smell safe, but it's like I've smelled it somewhere before."

Eddie swallowed. "...What did your ex smell like?", he ventured.

"Nothing like you", Steve replied quickly. "Even when he wasn't upset I...I just started associating his scent with bad things."

"Well, maybe you just had a very formative experience in a candle shop. They're getting really expressive with fragrances nowadays. Remember that one from a while back? The mountain lodge scent craze?"

"God, how could I forget?", Steve laughed as the conversation changed to candle scents, perfumes, and colognes, and how some brands seemed to be going a bit far trying to imitate certain smells.

After dinner, Eddie offered to help with the dishes so that Steve didn't have to worry about them later.

"You really didn't have to", he said as Eddie handed him a dish to dry.

"Can I be corny for a sec? I've kinda always imagined doing the dishes with someone special. Boring stuff like that."

Steve felt his heart stop and he grabbed Eddie's face to bring him in for a kiss. When they finished, Eddie started perusing the shelf in the living room and immediately found Shawn's baby book.

"Didn't realize you had such a soft spot for him", Steve teased.

"Oh I'm sure he was a cute baby. But I wanna see new parent Stevie", Eddie said, holding it up, asking permission.

Steve sat down on the couch, patting the space next to him. Eddie hopped on like an excited puppy and they started flipping through it. The first few pages showed the ultrasounds and Steve's growing belly.

"I think the weirdest craving I had was turkey sandwiches with crunchy peanut butter. But besides that, it was pretty normal."

"You can't say 'normal' after prefacing it with turkey and peanut butter sandwiches", Eddie said with a grimace.

Steve shrugged. "The only other thing I craved was broccoli for a whole month."

"That explains why Shawn shovels it down during lunch."

There were a couple of appearances by Billy, but Steve didn't talk about him much. It wasn't all bad of course. It rarely is. But when Billy got unpleasant it was really bad. Enough to sour most of the good memories they had made together. The only thing untainted by Billy was Shawn himself, innocent in it all.

Then they got to the day Shawn had been born and the first few were of his teeny wrinkled red face, swaddled up. But after turning the page, Eddie froze on the couch. In the center of the page was Steve lying on a hospital bed, Shawn in his arms. There was a person standing by the bed, arm under the newborn pup, helping Steve support him.

The photo cut off the person's upper body and head, but Eddie knew it was Billy standing there. Steve felt him stiffen up and looked at him confused.

"What's wrong?"

Eddie was gazing at him like he was seeing Steve for the first time. Steve's brow furrowed even more and he took a look at the picture again, wondering what it was. Sure his hair was a mess and his face was pretty red, sweaty, and swollen, but did he really look all that different?

Then he caught the arm helping to hold Shawn, caught the rings on the hand, most different but at least one that was undeniably the same. And if that wasn't enough, caught the tattoos that were visible on the arm.

The same arm that was wrapped around his shoulders right now.

------------------------

"Billy", Steve breathed into the phone, trying to pace himself. "Billy, my water broke. Please call me back. I'll be at Hawkins General Hospital."

Steve hung up and looked to his overnight bag sitting by the door. Even if Billy got his message, Steve wasn't very confident in him getting here on time to drive him to the hospital. And he was pretty sure most rideshares wouldn't want an omega in labor in their backseat. Steve was literally debating whether he should clean up the spill from his water breaking now or just leave it for later.

He wanted to make Billy clean it, the fucking asshole but he also didn't want an argument the moment they returned from the hospital. Mind made up, he leaned over with great difficulty to get the bag and then grabbed his keys.

Steve was never more grateful than now that he lived in a small town and was able to get to the hospital in less than 10 minutes. But it was a very long ten minutes in which he imagined every sort of car accident imaginable.

When he parked, he called Billy again and got his voicemail again. Billy had left the apartment about two hours ago, to do god knows what. He called again after checking in while he was still lucid. As his contractions got closer, he could feel that he was losing himself and his instincts were taking over.

An omega giving birth could be dangerous nowadays. In earlier times, when babies were born in the home, this wasn't much of a problem. An omega would be surrounded by family and familiar scents. But in the sterile, nearly scentless environment of a hospital, they had a tendency to lash out at the hands of strangers trying to help deliver the baby.

If the omega's partner was present, or someone else close to them, this made things go a lot more smoothly. But Steve had arrived completely alone. No one to speak for but himself and the pup inside of him. When asked if anyone was coming, he admitted to calling his alpha several times but not getting a reply.

The nurse stroked his sweaty forehead, giving him a pitying look.

"You poor thing. But you're going to have to start pushing soon. Your pup's about ready to meet the world."

Steve shook his head. "Can't. I can't. It's not time yet."

The doctor gave him an appraising look. "I'm afraid to say that it is, alpha or no. This is what happens when you get pupped up without a bite."

And that was a sore spot for Steve, who had asked for Billy's bite more than once. Even more when he found out he was pregnant. His eyes glassed over with tears from both the pain and the oncoming sensation that he had feared.

"Doctor, watch what you say. I think he's succumbing to rejection sickness", the nurse said, nose catching a hint of it through her mask.

What was worse than Steve snapping at the hands trying to assist would be him feeling too weak to even do anything.

The doctor cursed under her breath. "Nurse, go find a volunteer alpha. No need to make this more difficult than it needs to be."

The nurse scurried out, Steve couldn't tell how long she'd been gone but was deep in a flurry of sensations. Billy didn't want him, he never wanted him, not seriously. Not even to officially mate him. He didn't want this pup either. His baby was coming into the world unloved and it was Steve's fault for being such a failure and-

"Found someone", the nurse rushed in.

"'Someone'?", the doctor raised a brow at the man she brought in.

"He's not official but all the other volunteers are busy."

"This is highly unprofessional, you understand that?"

"I think losing a pup and possibly a patient would be even worse. Do you know what to do, sweetie?"

"Yeah", a third voice said.

Steve rubbed at his eyes, trying to get them to clear but the tears kept coming and the pain was never ending. He felt a hand grab his and wanted to snap but the rumble of an alpha's voice got him to pause. It wasn't Billy, didn't smell like him at all, yet somehow that was better.

"You're doing great, beautiful." The alpha held his hand on one and stroked his hair with the other.

"The pup...", Steve whimpered as the doctor and nurse got to work between his legs.

"Doc's gonna help you out. Bet your pup's gonna be the cutest in the ward. But I think you gotta help push him out."

Steve was panting as he started to push. He had to do this. He owed it to his pup to try. He had been so excited from the moment the test showed positive. He couldn't give up now. He thought about the ten toes and ten fingers and their ruddy face and their wisps of hair and he couldn't wait anymore to see them for himself.

All through it, the alpha gave him words of encouragement, projected a comforting scent, and kept both hands on him, grounding him to the moment. With a big final push, tiny cries filled the room and Steve collapsed onto the bed.

He felt like he dizzy, to say the least and while his pup was cleaned up, he was given a heavy dose of painkillers. Finally, his baby was given to him, all swaddled up and there was that itty-bitty pink face. Steve immediately started to cry again, but this time in joy.

"Gorgeous baby, just like their dame."

"Thank you", Steve breathed out. He put his nose to his pup's forehead. He smelled just a bit of Steve but besides that was scentless. His inner omega longed for the scent of himself and his alpha to cover their babe, marking them as their own and protecting them. Unknowingly, he let out a cooing call and the alpha beside him answered it, reaching out to rub his wrist against the blanket.

"What are you gonna call him?"

"Shawn...", Steve had decided long ago. He let out a very long yawn, which his pup then mirrored.

The alpha stayed with them for at least an hour, covering them both in his scent, turning away respectfully when the nurse came to help Steve nurse for the first time. Steve had still been too out of it to appreciate it but had been grateful later. The alpha had to go soon after, and truly it was perfect timing.

Billy finally arrived about five minutes later, looking relieved at first to see Steve and the baby were fine, but then his nostrils flared when he smelled an unfamiliar alpha on what he deemed to be his omega and his pup. Steve had been tired to fight, just kept his eyes open so that Billy could said his piece before handing Shawn over and closing his eyes.

--------------------

"....That alpha was you", Steve whispered.

"And that omega was you", Eddie replied.

Part 6

Tag Team

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