#(just have the same name as other 500+ au outside)

[forestofmirror]

since m friends decided to revive their au this year... lemme do something for peopl still here even after this many years:)

[all-about-kyu]

Summary: You decided to surprise San at the office, and things get a bit… out of hand… Pairing: Dragon!San x fem bunny hybrid!reader Tropes: hybrid au, poly au (background) Genre: smut Rating: R 18+ Warnings: language, pet names, reader has blue eyes due to being a bunny, magic usage Smut Warnings: kissing, oral (f receive), psuedo exhibitionism, possessiveness Word Count: 2,527 Note: Happy (very late) birthday, Topaz @sanjoongie! I hope you enjoy!!

Cotton Tails and Simmering Fires Masterlist

Before You Interact

“Where are you off to?” A rather nosy pink-eyed dragon asks.

“Well,” you start, “I know Sannie’s been stressed with this merger he’s working on… I was gonna go to the office to surprise him.”

Although you’re not particularly close with Wooyoung, he’s been nothing but welcoming and kind. That only shows more when he flashes a bright smile at you, his sharp fangs showing as he does so. The bar through his eyebrow glints in the kitchen lighting as his eyebrows scrunch slightly with the intensity of his smile.

“Well, I’m finishing up some lunch, and if you want, I can pack some up so you can take it to him. It’s nothing special, just a bulgogi bowl, but I’m sure he’d appreciate it.” the white-scaled dragon offers, “I can pack some rice and veggies for you, too. If you’d like that!”

You smile at him, ears perked up on top of your head. “I’d really like that, actually, thank you.”

Wooyoung nods at you and immediately starts preparing two boxes to transport the food in. As you wait, you look at the purple-haired man in more detail than normal. Not in any way other than to observe him. He practically lives in his dance studio, so to see him now, you know you should keep a visual log of him. A tattoo of lightning strikes stands out against the skin of his neck and disappears beneath the collar of his slightly too big long-sleeve shirt as he meticulously packs the food he offered earlier. You stay silent as he does so. The silence isn’t awkward, though. With some of the Thunder, you do feel a bit of tension. With Wooyoung, though, you’ve never felt uneasy. When he hands you a small bag with the containers, he offers you another smile with a giggle laced into it.

“Have fun on your adventures! I’ll tell your other boyfriends where you’re off to in case they ask.”

You shake your head, “Jongho is with a client, Yeosang is dead asleep after trying to pull an all-nighter, and Seonghwa is booked solid. I doubt any of them will be looking for me any time soon. I appreciate the offer, though. Bye, Woo!”

And with that, you’re out the door and heading toward San’s office. It’s much too far to walk, and although your boyfriends never let you drive, you can do so. The drive isn’t horrible… until you get into the heart of the city where San’s company is housed. Among the concrete jungle, his starkly black glass skyscraper stands out. The traffic around the area leaves much to be desired. Sitting in the same spot, not even 500 feet from the entrance to the parking garage below the building, for nearly ten minutes is a form of torture you’d never wish upon anyone. Once you get to the entrance of the garage, the security simply sees the car and then your face and lets you pass. With how often you’ve shown up (typically accompanying San), the most important staff members know who you are. 

While the ride up to San’s top-floor office is long, you find yourself more excited with each floor you pass. Your tail wiggles beneath the length of your cardigan as a way to expel some of that excited energy. A few of the chairmen say hello to you in passing once you do exit the elevator. It seems that San must’ve just gotten out of a meeting with a few of them based on how many you saw. Then, stopping outside his office in front of his secretary’s desk, you lean forward toward the deer hybrid. With one elbow on top of the ledge, you rest your chin on your palm.

“Hey, you.” You call playfully.

“Oh! I didn’t know you were coming today! If I had known-”

“Somin, calm down,” you giggle, “I didn’t tell you or San I was coming. I’m surprising him. Play along?”

The other prey hybrid nods and smiles softly. You watch as she presses a few buttons on the intercom before it starts ringing. After about three rings, you hear San pick up the other end of the line. You step past her desk and stand by the large dark cherry wood doors that lead to your purple-scaled boyfriend.

“Yes, Somin?” He asks. You can hear that he’s preoccupied with some paperwork just by his tone.

“You have someone here to see you.” The deer hybrid says calmly.

“Somin…” A warning tone in his voice sends a chill down your spine and settles between your legs, “I just started my lunch break. Why would you-”

You push open the door and walk right in. A bright smile radiated from your lips, and your tall white ears stood high with joy.

“If you don’t want home-cooked food from Wooyoung or to see your favorite bunny, just say so.” You tease.

San’s pending annoyance instantly simmers, and he whisks you up in his arms. His silver lip ring stands out against his plump, pink lips as they grow into a smile. You giggle as he lifts you up and hugs you tight against his body. Typically, he doesn’t show much physical affection while he’s in his office. Him picking you up and holding you tight against his muscular frame has your heart and stomach flooding with butterflies. You feel him take a few steps back into the office before nudging the door shut with his foot. He puts you down and takes the small bag with the food from you.

“You didn’t even let me say bye to Somin.” You say with a pout.

“You’ll see her on your way out.” San reminds you, “I want to take up as much time as I can with you.”

You make your way over to the black leather couch, plop down, and wait for San to join you to eat. Normally, he eats at his desk, drowning in papers as he eats. He makes an exception with you here and sits with you on the couch. Despite the office being very formal, the couch is framed by two tall bookshelves. There’s a mix of different genres. Of course, he has some boring books that pertain to his career. But fantasy, classical, mystery, and many more books are on the shelves. San sits down beside you and pulls out the containers before placing them side by side on the glass coffee table in front of you.

“How were your morning meetings?” You question once he starts opening the containers.

“Not bad… Mr. Kim tried to tell me how to run my company again.” He starts to grumble at the end.

“And you’ve never let him.” You remind him before taking a bite of your veggies and rice. “You do an amazing job, and we both know that.”

He nods, his slitted pupils dilating when he looks at you, “It was nice of Wooyoung to make you a veggie bowl.”

“Yeah, he actually stopped me on my way out and offered to send me with the food. I think he just made too much, honestly.” You giggle.

You and San float through conversation as you eat. At some point, you whined about your food getting a little too cold for your liking. San instantly takes the container from you and heats his hand just enough to warm your food back up. As your time together progresses, you end up practically on top of your silver-eyed boyfriend. You’re tucked under his arm, legs curled up on the couch while you finish the last few bites of your food. His typically neat button-up is slightly wrinkled, and a bit of your snow-white fur has found its way onto the black fabric.

“Treasure.” San sighs, placing both containers on the table after you finish eating.

“Hmm?” you hum back, looking up at him, “Is everything okay?”

“Come sit.” He tells you while patting his thigh.

You don’t waste a second. You move from being tucked under his arm to straddling his lap. His hands fall onto your hips, rubbing his thumb against your left one in small circular motions. You normally can’t smell your scent, but now, you smell yourself clearly and smell how sweet your scent has become. A smirk touches San’s lips. You see a small tendril of smoke escape his lip. The smoke curls around his lip ring before disappearing into the air.

“You smell so good right now, Treasure.” He practically growls, “It’s taking everything in me not to jump you right now.”

“What’s stopping you?” You challenge.

A curl of smoke escapes the corner of your boyfriend���s lips, and his pupils sharpen; you can hardly see them. He’s trying so hard to maintain his composure, but you both know he’s weak to you. His large hands press harder into your hip bone, hoping to remain composed. He snaps when you whimper, and your nose starts twitching as a response to the predatory hybrid. You find yourself spun around and bent over the couch he had been seated on moments ago.

“I’m so happy you chose to wear this dress today, Treasure.” He practically growls as he kneels down, running the pad of his finger against your clothed folds, “You’re already soaked, and I’ve barely touched you.”

On a normal day, San makes you melt into a puddle. Something about doing this here in his office with the city below you makes you practically vibrate with excitement. You feel the heat of his lip ring against the back of your thigh. His kisses trail higher and higher until he’s pressing barely there kisses against your clothed heat. His lip ring burns hot through the fabric. Just when you think you may go insane from the thin barrier between your core and San’s lips, he tugs the material. A rip sounds through the office.

“You don’t need them here, Treasure. No one’s gonna see you like this but me.” he practically growls.

Before you can formulate any response, San’s tongue delves into you. The pink muscle is normally warm as is, but he seems to have heated it more. The hot feeling of his tongue deep inside you makes your thighs twitch. Your head falls forward against the back of the couch; your ears flop forward in front of your face along the leather.

“Sannie,” you whine, grinding back on his tongue more.

“Hmm?” San responds, and the vibration of his voice sends tendrils of pleasure through your body.

You can’t even think of what you wanted to say to him mere seconds ago. Instead, you grind back against his face more. Your silver-eyed boyfriend has other plans, though. You swear you can feel him smirk before letting a hand trail along your thigh. His nails scrape against your skin just enough to leave thin red marks in their wake. The fingers trail around between your thighs just in front of his face and start gently grazing across your clit. Just enough for you to be aware of the stimulation but not enough to give you any release.

“Do you want something, Treasure?” He mumbles before continuing to lap at your folds.

“Sannie,” you whimper, “want- fuck- want-” You cut yourself off with a moan.

You try to push back against him again, only to have his other hand grip your tail. You let out a loud moan and tremble at the contact. Your orgasm comes out of left field, and you crumble against the couch as your boyfriend helps you ride out your high. The moment you come back down, you find yourself limp over the back of the couch. Your thighs are still trembling, and your snowy ears twitch slightly.

“Treasure.” San calls with authority in his tone, “You didn’t answer my question, I’m afraid-”

His words get cut off by the sound of his desk phone ringing. You hear a huff before he strides over. Rolling so you lay against the cool leather. San clearly is hard inside his dress pants but focuses on getting to the incessant ringing phone. He throws himself back in his large office chair and presses the button to allow the call to be on speaker.

“M-Mr. Choi,” It’s Somin, “The officials from-”

The sound is cut off from your ears when San picks up the phone and brings it to his ear. You glance at the scraps of your panties on the floor and kick them under the couch before quietly walking up to your boyfriend. His eyes follow you as he listens to his secretary.

“You mean to tell me that they’re an hour early? They aren’t supposed to be here until 3pm.”

You don’t hear Somin’s response, but San’s silver eyes dart to the clock on the wall. It is 3pm. Your pale blue eyes meet San’s silver ones before you step closer. You push his shoulder just enough to move his chair back. The chord of the phone stretches just a bit but not enough to strain it.

“What are you doing?” The purple dragon mouths to you.

You hold a finger up to your lip. You kneel down and shimmy your way under his desk. His pupils are thinly slit again. Seeing the shift from how dilated they were moments ago sends shivers up your spine. His eyes stay trained on you as you run your hands over his strong thighs. Another curl of smoke escapes his lips. He’s trying so hard to hold back.

“H-huh? Yes, Somin, I heard you. Yes, yes-”

San takes a sharp breath when your hand runs over his clothed member. You can feel the small hard bubbles that run up his member. Your mouth waters like a Pavlovian response to it.

“They’re downstairs, you said?” San asks, trying to maintain his composure. “Yeah, send them up.” he tells her, a fire burning in his eyes as he watches you. “She’ll be leaving shortly, it’s okay.”

You give him big, innocent eyes, and ears back against your hair as you start to play with his belt buckle. He leans forward and places the phone back on the stand. A small flicker of flames is visible as he pulls his hand back from the device. He gives you a burning stare, his pupils practically swallowed by the metallic silver swirling in his irises.

“Behave yourself.” He bites, “If you can behave while I have this meeting, you’ll be forgiven from enduring that punishment I was about to dole out.”

You nod, “Can’t I have a bit of fun, though?” You bat your eyelashes at him, hoping to sway his choice.

“After they’re seated.” He caves, “And you’ll take whatever I give you. No funny business, understand?”

“Yes, sir!” You respond with a slightly teasing giggle to your tone.

A growl, followed by a tendril of smoke from his nostril, escapes him. He looks as though he’s about to correct your rather sudden bratty behavior before a knock sounds on the dark cherry wood door. He doesn’t say a word to you, but his eyes speak for him. ‘Behave yourself and stay quiet, or you’ll pay the price.’

COPYRIGHT STARLITMARK 2023© ALL RIGHTS RESERVED — reposting/modifying any fic or piece of original writing posted on this blog is not allowed. Translations are not permitted. 

Networks: @monsterfvckersunited @kwritersworld @k-vanity @cultofdionysusnet

Tag List: @sanjoongie @jaehunnyy @ericssmile @anyamaris @almondmilkeu @shinestarhwaa @northerngalaxy

[munsonfamilyband]

500 Follower Special!!!! I still cannot believe that I've hit 500 followers on this blog, it seems surreal honestly. I know it's cliche, but I never expected really any followers but you guys seemed to like what I write enough to follow and I cannot thank you all enough.

This is a companion piece to my Different Meeting AU, it can be read on it’s own but I would recommend reading at least the first part for the context.

———————————

Wayne Munson hadn’t always lived in Hawkins, Indiana. In fact, he grew up in Louisiana, so Hawkins was very far from home, but after the war, he needed a change of scenery. He bounced around awhile, moving around in the south and midwest before finding Hawkins.

Before moving to Hawkins, Wayne had lived only a couple blocks away from his brother and his family - not that he ever saw his brother, but he saw his wife and son plenty. Eddie was an energetic kid but he had so much joy in him that it made it all okay, until his mother died. Wayne never really got the full story about what happened, just that she was gone and his brother was going to jail. After that day, Wayne packed up Eddie and took him back home with him. Eddie was going into the 8th grade and his hair had yet to grow back from when his father had shaved it all off, so Wayne promised himself that he would help Eddie succeed.

Eddie didn’t thrive in the ways Wayne expected but he took to playing guitar like breathing and he found good friends who all played that nerd game with him. Unfortunately, with how small Hawkins was, Wayne had learned quickly that they were both outsiders - and he learned who wasn’t. He heard the Harrington name all over town and it meant that he was prepared when Richard Harrington and he ran into each other for the first time. The man was cruel, that was the only way to describe it, and he looked at Wayne like he was dirt on his shoe. That short interaction was enough to convince Wayne that the Harringtons were awful people who were not to be trusted. His opinion on the Harringtons didn't improve when Eddie was in high school and their son, who was a year younger than Eddie, became a common talking point at their dinners. Eddie complained about how the kid walked around like everyone was beneath him, rarely even talking to anyone. Instead he let his flock harass and humiliate people like Eddie. Wayne did notice that the bullying and harassment stopped for Eddie shortly after he started his junior year, around the same time the trailer started to stink of weed. He knew that there would be no way to fully control what Eddie did in his spare time, but Wayne did warn him about getting mixed up with drugs; he told him about how his brother had been using all the time. That at least got Eddie to be safer, and he seemed to avoid using anything but weed so Wayne could be okay with that.

In ‘83 things in Hawkins started to get weird; kids dying and coming back to life, entire fields of crops dying overnight and Wayne was worried but without any information he had no idea what was really happening. Then in ‘85 the mall burned down and 30 people died, sending a shockwave through the entire town; even Eddie was quiet in the few days after. But about a week after the fire Eddie started acting more like himself, but still odd. He only got weirder when asked what was going on, but Wayne found out what was happening with Eddie two weeks after the fire when he came home to his kid sitting on their coffee table in front of another boy. Another boy with bruises all over his face and a split lip, but more importantly with very identifying hair - Steve Harrington was in his home. It may have been his own distrust, but when Wayne saw Steve flinch, he didn’t think about how awful his father was and how likely Richard Harrington was to hit his own kid. No, he thought about how his father looked at Wayne like he was less than nothing, and he assumed the worst in Steve, that he was reacting the same way. Eddie had turned to look at Wayne, oddly staying where he was by Steve.

“Wayne, you’re home early. Steve just needed some help, his-“

“I’m okay, I should probably get going anyway. Thank you for helping me, Eddie. I’ll see you tomorrow.” The boy cut Eddie off mid sentence and then ran out of the trailer like it was on fire. Wayne couldn’t help but think it was typical that he would want to get out of there, it was beneath him after all.

“What’s with that look, old man? Steve is a friend and he needed help so why do you look like I shit in your coffee?” Wayne looked back at Eddie, who was cleaning up the first aid supplies on the table.

“Since when are you friends with people like him?” He realized after he said it that the wording could have definitely been better, but it was too late by then to take it back.

“What’s that supposed to mean? What, because he’s rich I can’t be his friend?”

“Eddie, you know what I meant. You know what his daddy is like, and all the sudden you’re hanging out with his kid? Harringtons are no good, nasty people, you agreed with me on that.” Eddie scoffed in response, even rolling his eyes, which Wayne thought was a bit much but Eddie was always dramatic.

“Yeah, I know exactly what his dad is like, Wayne. Look, I probably shouldn’t even say this but if it will stop you from glaring daggers at Steve… the whole reason he came here was because his dad hit him and he needed someone to help clean him up, okay? So, yeah, I know what his dad is like.” Wayne was forced to then reassess the moment Steve flinched when he entered the trailer, it wasn’t because of who Wayne is, it was because he was an adult man entering unannounced.

“Alright, then I’m sorry for assuming. But still, kid, you complained about him all the time last year, so I’m a little surprised that you’re hanging out with him.”

“Yeah, me too, honestly. But, he came to see me last week for some…stuff. He was in the mall fire and he couldn’t sleep. We’ve been talking since then and he’s actually a pretty okay guy.”

~~~

After that night, Wayne saw a lot more of Steve Harrington and with each meeting Wayne noticed things that were pointing him towards a new understanding of the kid. The first being how jumpy the kid was, and not just around him. Wayne knew the signs of abuse, he saw plenty of them in Eddie and his ma for years, but with Steve it seemed like... more. He had a look in his eyes that was too close to the looks in Wayne and his fellow veterans' eyes, like he had seen too much of something he shouldn't have. The kid flinched whenever the lights flickered and he stared at the woods like there was something in there waiting to come eat him. When he started sleeping over at the trailer, the few times that Wayne was home to see it, Steve would wake up screaming multiple times during the night. He would listen to Eddie calm him down and then Steve would start speaking to other people, probably using the walkie talkie he always had on him.

The second thing Wayne noticed was the way he and Eddie acted around each other. Now, Eddie had never come out and said anything about his preferences, but Wayne had spent enough time in the military, and in the south growing up, to recognize when someone is trying to hide their attraction to other men. It had never been a problem in Wayne's mind, but with Eddie he did worry about his safety, especially with that disease that started in California. Point was, he knew Eddie liked men - Wayne wasn't even surprised that Eddie seemed to like Steve. What did surprise Wayne was that Steve seemed to like Eddie back. The two of them always sat as close as they possibly could together, sharing meaningful looks when they all had dinner together. Hell, Wayne had come home to them curled up on the couch together while the TV was still on, clearly having fallen asleep watching a movie together. He had no idea if they knew about their mutual attraction but he wouldn't pry, it was better if Eddie was allowed to tell him himself.

The final thing Wayne noticed about Steve, the one thing that settled Steve into a permanent spot in his heart, was how he seemed to collect people like Eddie did. The first one of Steve's friends that he met was the Robin girl. When she first showed up, Wayne was nervous that she was Steve's girlfriend and they were about to break Eddie's heart, but then he saw how they interacted. Her and Steve seemed to be extensions of each other, the same brain in two bodies. They bickered like siblings and defended each other just as fiercely, even from each other. He had overheard multiple conversations where she went from teasing him to relentlessly complimenting him all because he got too self deprecating. Steve did the same for her, including talking about the girl she liked - Wayne definitely wasn't supposed to hear that part, but he was happy that Eddie had more people like him to talk to. The next people he saw Steve collect was, somehow, Eddie's band. He's not sure how it happened, because those boys complained about people like Steve just like Eddie did, but suddenly they were all friends with Steve and he and Gareth were talking about hair care (if Wayne heard them plotting to get Eddie to care for his hair, he didn't say anything). The last of Steve's friends came in pieces. It started with the Mayfield girl across the way from them; Wayne saw her and Steve sitting on the steps of her trailer one morning when he came home from work, Steve had his arm around her and she was leaning into his space. They weren't talking, they were just sitting together, soaking up the other person's presence. He heard other names mentioned - Wheeler, Sinclair, Henderson, even Byers - but he didn't see Steve with any of them for a while. When the school year started, with Eddie going back for attempt number 3, he came home a week into the year and announced that he had found new members for his little club. When Steve showed up that night for dinner, Eddie told Steve that he had found his kids and the look of relief on Steve's face was hard to look at. He started seeing Steve with the kids after that, whether it was picking them up from something with Eddie or just driving them around town. He saw how Steve cared for those kids, and that cemented Steve's place in Wayne's heart.

Here was this kid who had been put through hell, with a clearly abusive father and an absent mother, who had seen things no teenager should have seen. This kid who had ever right to be cruel and mean to the world that had been nothing but cruel and mean to him, and he was caring for kids that he had no reason to care for, who stared at his kid like he was gifting Steve with his time. Wayne decided that Steve was part of his little family now, whether he liked it or not.

Around the start of October, Eddie and Steve sat him down and Wayne instantly knew what was about to happen, but he refused to interrupt - this was important for them to do, together. But when they finally told him that they were dating, and had been since August, he nearly cried with how happy he was for them. He told them how much he loved them both and he told Steve that he would always have a place as a Munson, whether he and Eddie stayed together or not.

[bluesylveon2]

Hello! I have read your work and just fell in love with it! You feel the characters so well that I'm even jealous, hehe. Congratulations on 500 subscribers and I look forward to your creative development and further <3 I hope requests are open for people like me) /this is my first request, I'm a little worried/ May I ask you about Idia+Reader? Where Idia and the reader are very good friends and always tease each other and are not afraid in terms of each other, but they do not understand the feeling of "love" until they are told about it directly. Thanks and sorry for the trouble! Good luck to you <3

Hi and thank you!! I am so sorry for the wait! Don't worry about it being your first request. I made it in the same world as the royal au I have. I tried to get everything you asked but I got most of it! I hope that you enjoy it though. Btw this is long lol

Summary: Watch the love story of Idia Shroud and Yuu Ceres

Note: royal au, childhood friends to lovers, OC's (Alcides is twst Hercules, Demetra, Fira), both Idia and Yuu are implied to be demigods or are related to the Greek gods/goddesses, fluff, some angst, mentions of Ortho's backstory, some tech, and slightly based on Hades and Persephone

Warning: not beta read and possible ooc characters

Word Count: 3.8k

Masterlist: here, Series Masterlist: here

Idia and Yuu age 5

A young boy with pale skin and flaming blue hair wandered through the forest following a shiny light. He had noticed it float by while his father was busy at an annual conference hosted by the Ceres family. Curious about the light and bored from doing nothing, the boy decided to follow it.

"Hey! Wait for me!" The boy called out. The light continued moving farther and farther. His breathing started becoming heavier the more he ran. Suddenly, the light stopped, stood next to a tree, and gave Idia an expected look. Idia ran until he got a glimpse of what the light was. "A fairy.." He said breathlessly. Idia had heard of fairies from his mother and how they can come in many shapes and sizes. This fairy was small and emitted bright light. Nothing like the famous prince from Briar Valley the boy had heard about. 

"Who are you? How do you know my friend?" A new voice asked.

"AH!" Idia screamed and found a girl sitting behind the tree the fairy stood by. The girl wore a dress, and her eyes were red from crying. 

"I'm Idia. I saw this fairy fly by, and I followed it. What's your name?"

The girl smiled sadly. "Yuu Ceres." The girl turned to the fairy. "Thank you, Fira." She then turned to Idia. "I think she was looking for someone to cheer me up."

Idia sat down next to the girl. He pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket and handed it to her. "What happened?" he asked with curiosity. 

"My mom. She is always so overprotective and expects a lot from me. She won't let me have fun."

"Why don't you just tell her or run away?"

"Because she won't let me leave. Even if I did, I don't know who to turn to since everything I hear about the outside world is through books." Fira frowned and said something, although all Idia could hear were bells. "Yes, I have you and the other fairies, but I can't go to your world with you."

Idia hummed in thought until he got a lightbulb. "I know! My dad wants me to come with him to these meetings. Why don't we meet again and play the next time I come?"

"Really?! Do you mean it?"

Idia nodded shyly. "Yeah."

Yuu grinned and pulled Idia in for a hug. "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!"

Idia blushed before slowly hugging Yuu back. Little did the two kids know that this moment set the foundation for the precious friendship between Idia and Yuu. Their friendship would last for a lifetime. 

Idia and Yuu age 6

"Five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten! Ready or not, here I come!" A 4-year-old Ortho giggled. Meanwhile, Yuu and Idia were hiding closely together behind a giant boulder. 

"Hehe, he is not going to find us now." Yuu laughed as she watched the boy go in the opposite direction from their hiding spot. Her eyes were so focused on Ortho that she did not notice Idia's hair turning slightly pink. 

"Maybe, but he will find us if you keep laughing like that."

Yuu stuck her tongue out playfully at Idia. "Please. We'll be fine."

Idia checked the area before turning to Yuu. "We should split up so Ortho would have difficulty finding us." The boy moved to stand up but was stopped by Yuu grabbing his hand.

"Wait! We should go together!"

"But it is better for us to divide and not stick to one spot."

Yuu slowly let go of Idia and sighed. "I just don't want you to leave me." She looked up at Idia's yellow eyes. "You are my best friend. If we go down, we can go down together."

Idia lightly blushed, and he looked away from Yuu's adorable eyes. How dare his crush be so cute. "I-"

"I FOUND YOU, BIG BRO AND BIG SIS!"

"AHH!" Idia and Yuu immediately clung to each other and screamed.

"Let's run for it!" Yuu exclaimed.

"I agree." Idia nodded, and the two made a run for it. 

All three children ran through the forest without a care in the world. Their innocent laughter filled the air, unaware of the change about to occur.

Idia and Yuu age 10

Yuu sat humming a tune in her designated tree. She was waiting for her best friend, Idia, to return for their annual meet-up. Yuu thought that their first meeting five years ago was not out of luck. She finally felt something similar to freedom by spending time with the Shroud brothers. Her mother was not constantly eyeing her or strict teachers nagging about her mistakes. Yuu could finally be around people besides her fairy friends who did not care about these things.

"I'm so excited, Fira. I can show Idia how my magic has been improving." Yuu smiled as she conjured a tiny daisy from the ground. Fira's bell voice made Yuu laugh. "What? I want to show off my magic."

Fira rolled her eyes.

"Fine. I mostly want to see him. I like seeing his hair be pink when he thinks I don't notice." Yuu giggled while she eyed the flower. "I wonder what it means…" Fira's voice jingled, causing Yuu to look at her in shock. "You think he likes me? There's no way he does, Fira. He only sees me as a friend." 

Yuu traced her fingers along the grass, causing more flowers to grow. It was something to pass the time as she waited. She just had to be patient and wait. 

Minutes passed.

Hours passed.

Finally, the sun was setting. 

Yuu sat there waiting on Idia, only for him to not appear. Fira watched her friend in pity as she left stood up to leave. 

"It's okay. Things happen. Maybe he will come tomorrow?" Yuu said with hope as she walked back home. The girl felt an unsettling weight on her chest with each step. 

Yuu let her feet guide her, and soon enough, she was at the long dinner table eating with her mother and the conference attendants. Usually, this is where she would return to her quiet self but speak to Idia with a code they made up. 

The girl scanned the crowd until she spotted a familiar mop of blue fire hair, only to find one from Idia's father. Despite that, Yuu felt hope that he would return tomorrow. She made a promise to return to their spot to wait for him.

Only to find out he never did, even after the conference ended. 

Idia never returned for years; it was like he was never there. 

Yuu felt the uncertain feeling grow as the years progressed. It was after many years that she realized what it was: heartbreak.

Idia and Yuu age 18

Yuu lay on a sofa reading a book in peace. It was one of the rare moments when her mother was on a trip for days, leaving Yuu to her own devices. Yuu was reading a story about a faraway city in a desert when she heard a knock on the door. She listened to the butler open it and some talking nearby. It was an unfamiliar voice that Yuu was not used to, so she ignored it instead. The girl continued reading until she heard footsteps heading her way.

"My Lady, you have a guest. His name is Idia Shroud."

Yuu dropped her book and turned to the butler. There, standing next to him, was her old childhood friend. He now grew very tall, wore a grey outfit, had long flame-blue hair almost touching the floor, and had a nervous look. His yellow eyes looked at anything but Yuu. 

"Thank you, Mecon. You can go now. I want to speak to him privately." 

Mecon bowed and stepped out, leaving Yuu and Idia alone to sit silently. Yuu had a neutral look while Idia continued to look at the walls. Yuu took a few steps towards Idia and stopped in front of him.

"Hi."

"Why?" Yuu's hands curled up in fists, and she took a deep breath to fight the urge to punch him. "Why did you disappear and not tell me anything?"

"Yuu, I-"

"Let me finish," Yuu responded sharply and glared daggers at Idia. "You left me for years and suddenly showed up just like that? I thought that we were friends?"

 "I know sorry is not going to fix this, but I had a reason." Idia looked away and sighed. "There was an accident at the Isle of Woe, and Ortho did not make it."

Yuu felt her anger mostly drain away, and shock took its place. "I'm so sorry."

"It's alright. The accident caused me to lock myself in my room because I wanted to help rebuild my brother." A small smile graced Idia's face, and he turned to Yuu. "You should see him now. He has become a technomatic humanoid and can now make his own decisions. I can bring him for you if you want."

"So Ortho is now a robot?"

"Initially, but now he has advanced so much that he is more human-like. He did that all on his own." Idia shifted his weight before he spoke again. "Yuu, I know neglecting you was not the right thing to do. However, I know Ortho misses you, and I-" Idia stopped himself. "want to fix our friendship."

Yuu looked at Idia in confusion, but she did not question him. "You know that may take a while.”

Idia looked at Yuu with confidence. "I am willing to take the risk."

---

"WHY DID I SAY THAT?" Idia cried the moment he entered his room. Meanwhile, Ortho closed his book and looked at his brother in curiosity.

"How did your meeting go with Big Sister?" Ortho could recall meeting the girl from his old memories and still referred to her with that nickname despite never meeting her. There was a reason the previous Ortho called Yuu that, and Idia never figured it out. 

"Well, she got mad at me, as she should, and then I made a mistake."

"What did you do?"

Idia sighed and looked at his brother. "I did not tell her I missed her and said I wanted to fix our friendship instead. How lame of me for not admitting it!"

Ortho set his book aside and floated to his brother. "That is still a good start! An important step to a healthy romantic relationship is friendship."

"ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIP? Where did that come from?"

Ortho only giggled. "Big Brother, my old memories show you always blushed around Yuu. That means that you like her!"

"Ortho, I was a kid at the time. It was basically puppy love. Besides, she did not like me that way."

"Your heart rate is increasing."

"Because I am being a laughing stock right now!"

Ortho sighed. "There is nothing wrong with having feelings. Your research notes always included Yuu one way or another."

Idia looked at Ortho quizzingly. "You looked at my notes?"

"So you should focus on being her friend and then see where it goes. It could help rekindle your relationship."

Idia sighed. His friendship with Yuu was practically at level 2 and not level 100 after many years had passed. It would be hard, but he needed to work to save it. 

Idia and Yuu age 24

A few years passed since idia and Yuu reunited, and they rekindled most of what they had lost. Both had changed in their own unique ways. In fact, Yuu thought that Idia's shy personality was adorable. Gone were the annual visits. Instead, Idia made an effort (shocking, right) to send in a drone that looked like a bird with a hologram attached so they could keep tabs on one another. 

Yuu was surprised by the number of inventions Idia made during their time apart. He always continued to surprise her at each visit. His latest one was currently a surprise for Yuu. 

"Where are you taking me, Ortho?" Yuu asked. She was currently being led somewhere by Ortho, floating behind her with his hands on her shoulders. A cloth was tied around Yuu's eyes, so she could not see anything. 

"It's a surprise from Big Brother!" Ortho said gleefully, causing Yuu to giggle. Seeing how her friend had grown ever since they first met was nice. Both Yuu and Ortho continued walking until Ortho stopped putting pressure on Yuu. "Okay, we're here." The boy said and proceeded to remove the blindfold. 

Yuu squinted her eyes as bright light entered her vision. She blinked until her eyes became adjusted to her surroundings. She was in the middle of a field, with trees lining up the border, and in front of her was no other than Idia standing next to an odd-looking contraption. 

"What's that?" Yuu asked, pointing to the machine next to her friend. 

Idia's eyes widened, and he twiddled his fingers together. "It's your birthday gift." He replied shyly, pink covering the tips of his hair. 

Yuu examined the machine. "Really? What does it do?"

"Just watch." Idia pressed a button, causing a dome to project from the machine and appear around the field. The machine spilled out various seeds, scattering them amongst the grass. Once it was settled, Idia's hands glowed. Yuu watched as he murmured a spell, causing a variety of flowers to grow. Light fairies appeared like fireflies and flew to each flower, illuminating each one in multitudes of colors. Meanwhile, Ortho flew around like Yuu's fairy friends.  

Yuu's mouth opened in shock as she inspected a few. "Are these marigolds?" She pointed at another nearby, "And is this a snowdrop?" She turned to her friend in amazement. "How did you do this? These two should not grow in the same season."

Idia looked away from Yuu. "Well, it was not hard. This dome creates a greenhouse effect, so you can grow various flowers here. They also stay alive longer." He slowly turned to Yuu. "Do you like it?"

Yuu felt touched for the first time in her life. She felt her heart grow light and tears form in her eyes. "Idia," She wiped the tears out of her eyes. "I love it. This is the best thing you could have ever given me."

"I know how much you love flowers."

"And I cannot thank you enough." Yuu suddenly hugged Idia and rested her head on his racing heart, causing him to let out a small eep. "Thank you, Idia. I love it."

Ortho and the other fairies watched as Idia's hair became pink, and he slowly hugged Yuu back. The two looked like lovers stuck in their own little world. 

"They are definitely in love."

The fairies jingling voices agreed.

---

Two individuals lay in their beds that night, deep in thought. 

"Fira?" "Ortho?"

"What is it?" both replied in their own ways. 

"What is this feeling I'm experiencing? My heart keeps racing when I think of Yuu/Idia. I want to see her/him smile and be around her/him all the time."

"Oh, Yuu/Idia, you are just in love."

A blush filled their faces, and they smiled gleefully. They felt warm in their chest at the thought of the respective crush. It felt nice, like a flame infamous in the Shroud family. 

Both the fairies and Ortho knew what they needed to do. 

---

"Mother, I need to talk to you," Yuu said, entering her mother's study.

Demetra set her wine glass down and looked at her daughter. "What is it?"

Yuu took a deep breath and confidently walked up to her mother. "It is about my marriage. I found someone I am interested in."

Demetra raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Who is the lucky suitor?"

"Idia Shroud."

Suddenly, as soon as the name left Yuu's mouth, the room felt icy. Yuu questioned whether or not her mother had an affinity for ice for that brief second. 

"What?"

"I said that the man I want to marry is Idia Shroud."

"No."

"But mother!"

"No, Yuu," Demetra said, standing up. "The Shrouds are nothing for troublemakers. They deserved their punishment after they rebelled against the Jupiter family."

"But he did nothing, Mother! That was all in the past!" Yuu exclaimed. Her eyes burned in fury as she recalled her dear friend's shy personality. 

Demetra scoffed and shook her head. "Their family does nothing more than play with monsters. I heard that Shroud, whom you love so much, even turned his brother into one after an accident. I've seen your loved one's father shy away ever since."

Ortho's face comes to mind, how he still smiled despite not being the original Ortho. "Don't you dare say that about Ortho! Idia loves him as a brother!" Yuu said with tears in her eyes. 

"Or what? The family is cursed, and if you run to him, you will suffer too. You will be stuck on an island surrounded by monsters." Demetra remained indifferent as she watched her daughter cry. "Yuu, I am doing this for your own good."

"Doing what? I love him!"

Demetra tsked. "You need to get over your puppy love. Besides, I found someone suitable for you."

Yuu froze and looked at her mother. "What do you mean?"

Demetra smiled, the first good emotion during the whole conversation. "I spoke to the head of the Jupiter family, and he agreed that you are to be arranged to marry Alcides Jupiter. He is smart,  handsome, and in line to take over his family. A perfect match for you."

Yuu felt her world collapse as she herself fell to her knees. She knew of Alcides, but she could not imagine being tied down to him because of her mother's doing. She wanted the freedom to go out and see the world outside the little bubble she had been stuck in for 24 years. Sure, she might be stuck on the Island of Woe, but she would have more access to the outside world than she was now. 

Demetra kneeled down and patted Yuu's shoulder. "You will get to meet him next week. Trust me, Yuu. Everything will work out in the end. As they say, mother knows best." She walked out of the room, leaving Yuu by herself. 

Yuu wiped her eyes with her hands. Her eyes wandered to the walls and their flower designs around her. She felt like the walls constricted her and trapped her in a glorified cage. Yuu's eyes caught on an orange light floating in a window. She looked at the light with determination. 

She needed to get out now. 

---

A few days later, at night, Yuu made her move. Packing only a few necessities, Yuu opened her window to find her fairy friends around her. 

"Do you have everything you need?" Ortho asked as he floated to Yuu's window. 

"Yeah, I made sure to" Yuu turned to Ortho, who was wearing a black suit and had a robotic dog beside him. "Ortho? What are you doing here?'

Ortho giggled. "Your friends reached out to me and told me your situation, and I am here to bring you to the Island of Woe." Fira nodded and spoke something that came out like bells. "Fira also wants to come along too."

"But what about your friends? Won't you miss them?" Yuu asked, and her friend smiled. Her bell voice made a sound that sounded something like reassurance. As if she was telling Yuu that she would be okay with it. 

"Alright, I will let you tag along." Yuu smiled as Fira flew to her shoulder. 

"Now that is settled, let's head out before sunrise." Ortho motioned to the robot dog. "Yuu, you will ride Cerberus 1 while I fly us out. I'll make sure to use my magic to cover our tracks."

Yuu nodded and took one last look at her room. That room was full of memories since her childhood. The walls had seen Yuu grow with her mother and late father, cry over strict lessons, and talk to her fairy friends about Idia. Yuu felt a heavy sensation in her chest and turned to Ortho. 

"What about my mom? She would know I went to you to the Island."

"My parents and my grandmother will vouch for us. Don't worry; we will ensure you get the freedom you deserve."

Yuu nodded and hopped on Cerberus. "So long, Mother."

---

"Psst. Big Brother. Wake up."

Idia groaned and turned away from Ortho. "Five more minutes."

"You have to wake up! I have a surprise for you."

"Can't it wait?"

A female voice laughed, causing Idia to wake up instantly. "You want me to wait?" 

Idia threw his blanket off and sat up. Yuu's amused face filled his vision, causing Idia to blush at his embarrassing predicament. "Yuu? When did you come here?"

Yuu laughed. "An hour ago. Ortho gave me a tour of this place and led me here. Thank goodness he was with me, or I would have been lost. I must get used to this place if I plan to stay here long."

"What do you mean?"

"My mother wanted me to marry Alcides since I uhh," she turned to Ortho. "Can you step outside while I explain the next part to your brother?" 

 Ortho smiled, and Idia noticed something in his eyes like his brother kept secret. "Alright. I will show Fira around some more." Said fire fairy magically appeared and followed Ortho out the door. 

Yuu took a deep breath now that she was alone. "My mother told me about the arranged marriage because I-" She looked into Idia's eyes. "Said that I was in love with you."

Idia.exe froze. His body stiffened, his heartbeat increased, and his hair turned pink. "W-WHAT? Are you sure?"

Yuu nodded. "Yes, I am sure." She sat down next to Idia. "You have been my friend for a long time, Idia; even after you shut yourself out, we connected like nothing happened. I want to be by your side doing more than hiding out in a forest. Of course, if you will allow me."

Idia felt as if he was going to burst. "But what about that Alcides guy?"

"I don't know him, but I know you more. My mother could throw many guys at me to marry, but it would not sway anything. I would still choose you." Yuu said, intertwining one of her hands with Idia's.

Idia felt elated despite the very obvious blush on his face. Luckily, Yuu ignored it and rested her head on his shoulder. "That was the cheesiest thing I have ever heard." Idia laughed and squeezed Yuu's hand.

Yuu squeezed back in response, and a smile graced her face. "Yes, but you never said you didn't like it."

"I don't."

A/N:

Demetra is inspired by Demeter in Greek mythology and Fira is based on the fire fairies in twst.

Ceres is Demeter's Roman name.

Yes this part of the royal au, but I hc that the Island of Woe is more advanced in technology than the whole world.

Disclaimer: I do not own Twisted Wonderland and its characters. Those belong to Aniplex, Walt Disney Japan, and Yana Toboso.

©: This story belongs to bluesylveon2 2020-23. DO NOT modify, republish, or plagiarize my work.

[harmonica-demon]

Oh, Summer Child

Wowww, have I got a treat! I wrote a fic that has more than ~500 words. It's my au where Eddie has a 10 year old half-sister, I figured I've written enough of them that Chloe deserves an introduction. Can be read as a standalone fic, takes place in the same universe Enjoy! ...

There was something behind that thing people say about the only constant in life being change. Chloe Munson knew this deep in the fiber of her being. Her life was that constant. A whirlwind she could rarely comprehend herself.

The first seven years of her life were spent with her mother. Amelia Crowder wasn’t a terrible woman. But she wasn't prepared to be a mom in any sense. Chloe's memory of that time mostly consisted of the smell of alcohol, being left alone in shabby motel rooms and wondering a million things. Why was her mom gone so much? Why couldn’t they live in a house? Why were their last names different? Why didn’t she have a dad? Some of these questions were answered in a rather unfortunate way when Amelia Crowder bought an apartment near Vegas and decided she didn’t want to tote a kid around anymore. So the year Chloe Munson turned eight, she was dropped off in an unfamiliar place with a man she didn’t know while her mom traveled across the country. Without her. The transition was foggy in her memory. Al Munson was different from Amelia Crowder and Chloe's memories of time with him mostly consisted of learning. Though the lessons from him were different from ones she might’ve learned if she was in school.

She learned not to cry, she made that mistake in front of this man that was supposed to be her dad once.

She learned to appreciate her mom. She didn’t get angry when she drank.

She learned she was a mistake. Al had a habit of reminding her.

She learned to take care of herself, to stay out of trouble and avoid attention whenever possible.

Everything she learned added another brick to a wall she slowly built around herself. The number one thing she learned. She learned how to protect herself. Even if that meant going along with whatever her dad said.

Maybe it was another cruel irony of the world when her dad got arrested on her tenth birthday. He had been gone all day, but that wasn’t unusual. She sat in the yard, fiddling with an old radio she scored from the dump. She was curious if she could get it working again, an old woman had given her ten dollars once for fixing her TV.

When the police car pulled up, she suspected something was wrong. It was when the policeman asked, “are you Chloe Munson?” that she knew something was wrong.

It was personal.

After that, everything was a blur. She remembered phone calls, going to a weird smelling building with other kids and adults, social workers. That was the day she learned about her Uncle and her half-brother, who a social worker, overly chirpy, said she would be going to live with.

Worst Birthday present ever.

And that's how she ended up on a car ride to a town she had never heard of to live with people who shared the same descriptor as the town.

That’s how she ended up in a trailer, holding a trash bag with nearly all her worldly possessions and looking at this old man they called her Uncle. Uncle Wayne.

It wasn’t the first time she wished her mom cared enough to raise her own daughter, but now it was like a wave crashing into her, pushing her to the floor and dragging her into cold, dark water.

“So, you’re Chloe.”

She didn’t respond. Her fingernails still had dirt under them from her time outside and it was starting to bother her.

The man sighed, “right… Well, Eddie should be home real soon. You two got the same eyes, you know.”

Chloe hated her eyes. They reminded her of her dad.

“Actually, you remind me a lot of him when he was your age.”

When she was little, sometimes people would stop her and her mom when they went somewhere together.

“She’s your mini-me,” they’d say or, “she looks just like you.”

It was their hair, maybe. The same puffy dirty blonde hair. Or the freckles, constellations dotting near everywhere on her and her moms skin.

When she lived with her dad, well, she couldn’t escape her similarities to him.

Now it was just the same with this Eddie. Her brother. Half-brother.

Another relative to be measured against.

There was a pause, long and uncomfortable. But Chloe refused to break it, almost like a challenge.

She counted it a little victory when her supposed Uncle broke it instead, “you’re free to look around and all. Make yourself at home.”

Home. Right. Like this was her home. She had never had a home, not really. 

Looking around the place, she decided this wouldn’t last a week. This would never be her ‘home’.

That’s when the door opened.

She turned as soon as she heard the footsteps coming up to it. She didn’t need the introduction her Uncle was giving, she already knew who this was. Some guy with dark curly and dark brown eyes looking right at her. He was right, she and Eddie did have the same eyes.

It must’ve been a shock to come home to a new sister. Half-sister. Chloe could recognize that. It was a shock to be moved to a home with a new brother. Half-brother. She wished he’d stop staring at her, anyways. It made her feel like the bugs she used to collect when she was little, being held in a jar to be observed.

She didn’t really pay attention to the conversation. She didn’t really care what the explanation was for her being there. She busied herself looking around the trailer. Better than being caught examining the people. It was… homey. Small and cluttered, but more in a lived in way than a really messy way. She kind of liked it, if she was being honest. She wouldn’t tell them that.

Chloe only started paying attention when she heard her name, she looked at Eddie, the one who said it, “huh?”

He smiled at her. It was weird, “I asked what you like to do. You know, your passion.”

She blinked. It felt like a trick question. She didn’t want to answer wrong, but she didn’t know what the wrong answer was. She looked at the ground and hoped for the best, speaking quietly, “I fix stuff.”

She figured this was true, no one could accuse her of lying, and it was a useful skill. A reason to keep her around. So there was that.

He cocked an eyebrow at her, “fix stuff?”

She shrugged and glanced between the two men from under her brow, “TVs, radios, cars…”

Uncle Wayne spoke up in surprise, “cars, huh?”

She nodded, “actually, I like cars most. Their insides are so interesting…” She trailed off, forcing herself to resist the urge to ramble on about engines and batteries. She had learned when to shut up.

“You know, that’s pretty cool, you must be smart.” Eddie smiled at her again. She felt the compliment in her stomach, making it flip around. But she quickly had to deny it, shaking her head harshly. Because she wasn’t. Anyone who had ever commented on her intelligence had only used words like ‘dumb’, ‘slow’, ‘stupid. She appreciated Eddie trying to be nice, but she wished  he wouldn’t lie to her. Or at least know to lower his expectations. She didn’t want to disappoint him so early in their meeting.

“I’m not,” Chloe insisted, “I just like cars.”

Eddie made a face, he looked like he wanted to say something about it, but he didn’t. She was grateful for that at least. 

Chloe tugged on the cuff of her flannel shirt. It was too hot for any kind of long sleeved shirt, but it made her feel less exposed. So there was that. Not that anyone really cared to notice what she was wearing unless it was to make fun of her.

“There’s a bedroom.” Eddie said, Chloe caught him glancing at Wayne when she looked up.

“Huh?” she tilted her head, unsure why he was bringing this up.

“There’s only one bedroom, I mean. Mine.”

“We’ll make it work,” Wayne said gruffly.

“I don’t need nothin’. I can sleep anywhere.” Chloe insisted hurriedly.

“You can have the bed. I’m not kicking you to the couch.” Eddie argued.

The two glared at each other. Chloe stood her ground. She didn’t want to owe these people. She didn’t even know them. She wasn’t taking favors. 

But the strange thing was, Eddie stood his ground too. He didn’t jump at the opportunity to not have to give up his own space for her. Someone he just met.

Eventually, Wayne stepped in. “Sleep’s still a ways off. We’ll get it worked out. Don’t you wanna put that bag down, Chloe?”

The weight in her arms hadn’t bothered her until he suggested it. Not that it had that much in it. She supposed the few tools she stuffed in there were a bit heavy. Not that she had much of those. Or anything.

So she shrugged.

Eddie nodded towards the hallway, “you can put it in the room.”

Chloe thought about this for a moment. She figured it wouldn’t do any harm. Her stuff would be here anyways. It didn’t really matter what room she put it in. So she nodded. And Eddie showed her the room while their uncle said he’d start dinner.

The first thing she thought entering the room was that she liked it. Not that she’d tell him that. But it felt distinctly lived in, similar to the rest of the trailer. Posters of people, names and images she didn’t recognize lined the walls, including a large banner with ‘Corroded Coffin’ written in large spiky letters. It was cool, even if she didn’t know what it meant. But the best thing was the guitar. She snuck glances at it as she carefully tucked the trash bag in a corner where it wouldn’t bother anyone. 

“You like music?” Eddie asked. Maybe she hadn’t been as discrete with the looks as she had intended.

She shrugged.

“Is that an ‘I don’t know’ or a ‘I don’t want to talk to you’ shrug?”

“I don’t listen to a lotta music,” she muttered.

He grinned at her. She was starting to wonder why he kept smiling at her like that, “don’t worry, little sister, I’ve got the best music in all of Hawkins. I’ll introduce you to the gods of metal.”

It felt nice to have someone promising to help her. In any way, really. Even if it was a bit silly. And it felt nice for him to call her his little sister. Not that she’d tell him that. So she stayed silent.

“Not much of a talker, I’ve gathered,” Eddie said after a moment.

Chloe shrugged. She realized about two seconds later when he laughed that it wasn’t helping her case. She opted to glare at him to stop him from laughing. It only half worked.

“Well, anyways, you’re probably hungry. Let's go see what’s for dinner, yeah?”

She nodded, she didn’t really care either way. But she was hungry.

Pasta was for dinner, apparently. Spaghetti and meatballs. She passed on the sauce, never having liked tomatoes much.

It was a quiet dinner, but she liked it that way. No shouting, no fighting. Just a few simple questions she answered as quickly as possible. It was nice, really. She liked having dinner with these people, she liked the food well enough, too. Not that she’d tell them that.

“Suppose you’ll be wonderin’ ‘bout sleeping arrangements,” Wayne remarked, looking at Chloe.

“I guess,” she said before shoving a forkful of food in her mouth.

“Well, we don’t got an extra bed for you yet…” Chloe cut in, “I can sleep on the couch or somethin’,” she offered again quickly.

“I told you, you can take the bed, really,” Eddie rolled his eyes.

Before she could argue, Wayne interrupted, “well, I’ve gotta work tonight. You know, there’s a fold out bed in the livin’ room. You’re welcome to take it while I’m away, until we can get you somethin’ more permanent,” he nodded to Chloe, “if you’d like.”

She  thought for a moment, “you don’t need it?”

“Not tonight,” he sighed.

“Okay, maybe,” she nodded. It felt odd, but she was almost disappointed. She kind of liked her Uncle. It was hard to imagine him leaving so soon when they had just met. He seemed to be able to look into her head like she could look at a car engine. She wondered dully as she ate if he might be able to fix her brain while he was in there.

From there, things seemed to pass far too quickly to Chloe. She didn’t really know how to react when she was left alone with a brother she barely knew. She didn’t really feel like talking to him or answering questions. She wished she still had the radio she was fixing this morning. Something for her hands to do, for her mind to slip into. But she didn’t have it, so she let Eddie talk when he wanted to. Otherwise she just sat in silence, imagining the parts in her mind, rearranging them until she could pretend it was fixed, even if just in her head.

At one point, Eddie looked up at the clock and asked something that confused her, “do you have any pajamas?”

She blinked, “huh?”

He turned to look at her, “just getting kinda late. I don’t think Uncle Wayne would appreciate me keeping you up too much. You got pajamas for bed?”

“I just kinda wear my clothes to sleep,” she admitted.

“That won’t do,” he exclaimed, “wait here, I’ll grab you something.”

Chloe was hesitant about this idea, but obediently stayed put anyway. She was curious to see what he’d bring back, in any case.

Although she had to admit, what he did bring back slightly confused her. A simple pair of clothes, a shirt and what looked like running shorts. The shirt said ‘Iron Maiden’ on it, which she had gathered was a band.

“Here, they might be a little big… but they’re comfortable anyways. Shouldn’t fall off,” he shrugged and held the items out to her.

She didn’t take them. Not yet. “For me?”

“Duh, who else? Come on, you’re not even sleeping on a real bed. Might as well have some good pajamas. Well, more comfortable than those jeans, I’m sure,” he gestured with one hand to her pants.

They weren’t the best to sleep in, that much was true. When she hesitated longer to take the clothes, they were unceremoniously shoved in her arms, to her surprise.

“Take them,” Eddie insisted.

Maybe, if they weren’t already in her arms, she wouldn’t have wanted to put them on. But, as it was, she found herself on the little fold out bed in the living room, wearing the shirt and shorts she was given. They were soft. Much more cool than her previous flannel and jeans. And though in the back of her mind it was weird to be wearing these clothes that didn’t belong to her, they felt too nice for her to care. She was starting to think, maybe, Eddie didn’t think she was just an annoying bug taking up space. Maybe he really was just nice.

He poked his head into the living room just then, “you ready for lights out, kid?”

Chloe looked up at him, for the first time she wondered if maybe he liked having a sister. She nodded, “yeah, I’m ready.”

“Need me to tuck you in?”

She glared at him, “I’m ten, not two.”

He held his hands up in defeat, “fine, I get it. Lights are going off now, then.” He flicked a switch and she sat in darkness.

“Goodnight, Chlo.” He called.

“Goodnight,” her reply was just loud enough to hear in the quiet night.

She heard footsteps and the creak of a door. She flopped back onto the bed, letting her leg dangle over the side, staring at the ceiling. Feeling her breath going in and out. Imagining she was in sync with Eddie. And maybe Wayne too. Just the three of them breathing at the same time without even realizing it.

As she lay on the little fold out bed in this unfamiliar trailer with the faint sound of crickets outside, she thought. And in her head she told herself that, maybe, she’d try and stay here more than a week. Maybe, just maybe, it wouldn’t be so bad. She kind of liked it here. It was stable.

She rolled over and closed her eyes, feeling more at peace than she had in a long time.

Chloe Munson was home. ...

Thanks for reading!

More with Chloe:

Dead of Night 

Haircuts

School Struggles and Safe Havens (Uncle) Wayne

[qqtxt]

[🍬] still the one [🦊]

[!] this is for the 500 followers mini fics. click here to find out more! ✿ pairing: yeonjun x reader / idol!txt / non.idol!you / fluff / cinderella-ish!au (lmao feel like cinderella 내가 변해–) / 675 words ✿ request: “don't be a stranger, okay?” + yeonjun ✿ note: uh... again, i don’t know where these ideas are coming from but they’re the first thing i think of whenever i see these combos so... i hope they’re enjoyable! :”) [main masterlist 🌸] / [event masterlist] / [tag: #qqtxt: 500] / @kflixnet​ ✨

the night was panning out to be as perfect as you had imagined. it’s been... months since this day was marked on your calendar. the one person you’ve been talking to; the one who knows the real you, who claims you know the real him. days of texting each other, nights of occasionally staying up to call one another but today; at the masquerade party of your university’s hosting was where you two finally met.

and it’s as breathtaking, feet-sweeping, heart-racing as you would’ve hoped. he spent the entire night by your side, getting you drinks, dancing with you on the dance floor, making you smile and hearing you be happy despite the masks covering your faces.

then, the night escalates with you two drifting off to be by yourselves outside of the ballroom. your arm immediately linking with his for the taking (the second you two step out towards the garden, he juts out his arm for you to take). step by step following each other until you two stand under a gazebo with twinkling lights for your taking; the muffled music coming from the ballroom seemingly a universe away.

he has you in his arms, lightly swaying to the giddy smiles you two have for one another, embraces intertwining; so, so well-fitted. it’s only when you two come to a stop and he leans in to rest his forehead on yours, the masks being the only barrier that restricts you two from acknowledging one another’s presence.

his hands carefully leave your waist, brushing over your arms and reaching the sides of your masks’s restraints. he gazes into your eyes, watching as you lean away so he can remove it. he gapes the sight of your face; right in front of his. so close, so... so pretty. he stiffens when your hands reach the sides of his and he lets go of your mask to lap your hands over his by the sides of his face.

“d-don’t...” he swallows thickly, “don’t be a stranger after this... okay?”

with an assuring smile, you nod.

he lets you undo his mask and when you move it from his face, he watches as surprise fills your system... close to mortification when you process who he is. he’s desperately holding onto your hands before you can move away, your mouth dropping, feet moving back and–and–”txt... you’re choi yeonjun...”

“i–”he clears his throat–”i still don’t know your name,”

“the whole world knows your name,” he hates how soft your voice sounds, how meek you’ve become. the person earlier and the days before this; constantly matching his energy with boldness or is able to quiet him down with soft, tranquil moments; has dissolved. it scares him. 

“it doesn’t matter,” he refuses to let your hands go, keeping you firmly rooted as he looms over you with pleading eyes, “s-stay with me, please.”

he watches how fast you’re breathing, how nervous, how... oh god, you were afraid. of the repercussions, the uncertainty that holds to being with someone like him.

“i’m still the same guy you know,” he whispers, a hand leaving yours just to pillow against your cheek, “the same idiot who can’t stop thinking about you even when i shouldn’t.” 

“so please,” the small crack in his voice is what makes your gaze soften, your hands now willingly relaxing in his hold, “p-please stay with me?”

although yeonjun knows nothing is certain, he’s able to breathe when you give him a nod. it’s a pausing silence; filled with shallow breathing and deep thoughts. then, it falls to the familiarity of just being in one another’s company. yeonjun realises he’s still able to hold onto your hand, rubbing the back of your hand with his thumb and you speaking is what brings him back to reality.

“y/n,” he blinks, processing that you were telling him–”y/n’s my name,”

again, nothing is certain, but what he’s certain is the way he’s able to hug you and keep you close... maybe that was more than enough to promise him you weren’t going away.

[mossfeathers]

Thank you for answering and welcoming my questions! ^^ (I sorta tried to pre-organize my thoughts so I hope the formating of this isn't too strange, sorry if is.)

Your sirens are very neat, I think. :3 I enjoyed reading about them. I'll definitely be ready when more info on them sprouts up. 

And ooo yes sweethearts is a very cute duo name for them. I like that a lot. ^^

I haven't actually played Stardew but I did grow up playing games in the series that inspired it so I think I'm picturing the vibe right, I feel like it could be very Harvest Moon, HM: Animal Parade especially. (I liked fishing too ^^ tho idk if it was so much a skill as it was just something you can do for recipes and money and got better at w/ better fishing rods)

& the setup overall seems like fun. Love the complete oblivion to start.

And since you welcomed my questions last time and said you'd like to hear if I have any more, here's some more questions! 

Can we hear a bit more about the dynamics the characters will have with each other so far? It'd be fun to here about, if you want to share that of course. ^^

You mentioned before that Scar & B are brothers in this au and that it'd also be a whole other post. Is that anything you can share with us yet? Or is it future info, It's fine if it is.

Oh but otherwise can I ask how you decided on a lionfish for Scar?

Also, are the others(like Lizzie & them) around as less important townies and seafolk?

Thank you for your time and sharing your ideas!

HI ANON I FORGOT TO RESPOND TO THIS IM SO SORRY OMG Literally always makes my entire day and week and month and also year tbh when you send in an ask and I love you so much (/p)

I've never checked out Harvest Moon before, I'll be sure to try and find a letsplay or something like that. From what I looked up of it, it looks adorable and I can totally see how it inspired Stardew :)

I think Grian and Jimmy are closer to their livestream/non-traffic dynamics, the main difference just being Grian cares a little more for Jimmy outside of the life series (apart from limited life). Grian bullies Jimmy but would do anything for him, Jimmy despises Grian but would do the same. Plus they make each other 500 times sillier and goofier. They're just really close friends, likely either grew up together or met in their late teens and were roomies for a while. Classic bullying friendship. Grian's quick to blame Jimmy, but quicker to take the actual blame if need be. Jimmy's quick to get frustrated with Grian but they're usually fine by the end of the day.

Grian and Scar are close to third life, Grian being exasperated with his attempts to scam him and Scar just being a silly little menace. Oddly enough, I haven't thought of many specific interactions, but based on Grian and B's first in-universe interaction I'd imagine Grian just threatens Scar if he ever tries to use his voice on him and that stops Scar from using it real quick. Doesn't mean that he won't tease G a lot. They're best friends. I gotta catch that grian+scar disease so I can more thoroughly think about them, I can only make them besties and happy forever. That doesn't slide in this AU, unfortunately.

Grian and B are really interesting, actually. In their first interaction (at least I think), Grian makes a very close threat on B's life if he ever uses his voice. He's rather aggressive in this au, but this is only because of the fact that sirens don't have a super awesome reputation and also because, in the context, Jimmy is missing and Grian suspects it's to do with sirens. I think. But after that, they bond a lot over their dumbass siblings and just the fact they like each other so much. Grian's oddly fanboy-ish over B in a really silly way and B just thinks Grian is awesome.

BIGB AND JIMMY!!!!!!!!! They're so incredibly underrated. They are SO silly. They just click with one another. I'm going to try to incorporate their super long friendship by just making them hit it off straight away when they first meet (in the life series, especially, they just constantly bring up inside jokes from hanging out, especially irl. they're absolutely adorable. i'll be genuinely shocked if they don't team next life series). They really like each other, and one of the main things about their dynamic is that Jimmy just thinks B is plain cool, and B thinks Jimmy is absolutely the funniest man alive. Really liking how Jimmy, quite possibly the most clueless man alive, is besties with the sirens. Very fitting.

I can totally talk about Scar and B being siblings! One of the reasons I didn't answer this in your previous asks (sorry about that btw) was just I didn't really know how to word it? Again, this au is very self-indulgent and I just really like the Scar and Bigb dynamic, and also really like weird sibling dynamics where they don't quite like each other and probably wouldn't be besties if they were allowed to not grow up together. But they did. And they're besties. And don't quite like each other. Except it's even more weird than this because B doesn't quite like Scar but absolutely loves him but also would really rather prefer to never interact with him ever (one of my favorite clips of them is b hanging out in third life, hearing scar's voice in the distance, and instantly saying 'oh no oh no oh no i gotta get out of here'. then scar comes to swindle him. a very similar thing happened in last life but scar didnt even come to swindle him, he just showed up at the shadow tower after the fairy fort burned down and b just runs and hides behind a little stone box. bugs to me). And Scar loves B soooo much but even more than that he loves teasing him. 'Life series best friend' has been referenced every single life series. And most of those times has been during a moment B is not red and Scar is. Very untrustworthy man. But at the same time I just know in my heart of hearts that given the chance (forcing them on a team together) they would be SO dynamic and interesting with a more haphazard trust and confused devotion type thing going on. So yeah: Guys who would absolutely never talk to one another again in their life if not for the fact they're siblings, but since they are they absolutely love each other. Oddly, that's inspired by how my mom talks about her and my aunt (her sister), and kind of how I feel about my own sibling. I haven't really thought out parental/other family ties, and i'm leaning towards either just having siren culture be very independent from parents or just never explicitly addressing it, as I don't really think it's that important, even though B and Scar's childhood is (I do not know what the details of their childhood are yet. i am such a good storyteller. clearly.)

Being completely honest, I chose a lionfish because I think they're cool, I just kinda got Scar vibes from it, and I associate him with orange. As with all good decisions, it was completely random and I'm actually super happy with it! I guess it also plays into his dangerous side, with the toxic needles and all that. If you happen to have any ideas for what B's tail could be (doesn't need to be blue tbh i'm just trying to get an idea), I would LOVE to hear it!

As for side characters, I have a few townsfolk planned out and kind of forgot to think of more seafolk. I think Gem and Impulse run a bakery (impulse bakes, gem decorates), Martyn and Ren co-own a pub (look up the stardrop saloon from stardew valley, kinda looks like that but they have little shows and a stage and all sorts of little entertainment things in it), Pearl has something to do with spirits and the supernatural (I'm toying with the idea of having an arc where she gets possessed and there's a whole red pearl thing with an angry spirit), and a number of other hermits/lifers (?) are villagers. Since the town is built on fishing and farming due to how rural it is, that's a lot of their occupations. Still, very few choose to live on the beach, as we know. In terms of merfolk, I just know that Etho is a sea slug and Iskall is a manta ray. Sorting some people into 'categories', Scott, Skizz, and Cleo are merfolk (sirens or not, undecided) and Bdubs, Tango, Joel, and Lizzie are townsfolk. I kinda want to explore other "supernatural" creatures (hence Pearl's potential ghost arc), so I might make a few of the villagers some other creatures. That's all up to fate, though.

I hope you don't mind, but i'll be leaving your other ask in my inbox just so I can go back and look at it easily. Thank you so much for the kind words and interest in my silly little au! More questions and ideas are always welcome!!

[mithrilhearts]

Please may I request, Barduil treat, for the Trick or Treat writing prompt?

Yes!!! Absolutely my friend, you can!! Goodness, I've not written Barduil is almost a YEAR, and let's just say, I wrote three different things for this, didn't like them, but have settled on some good ol' modern au!! I went a little above that 500 word mark, but I couldn’t stop myself. I hope you enjoy it!!

Bard hadn’t realized just how much time had passed since he’d gotten saddled up at the bar after his shift. Working the docks made for a tiresome work schedule, and with his kids nicely nestled in the homes of others for various sleepovers, it meant time wasn’t of great importance. It was one of those rare weekends where he was without his children, much as he loved them, but being a single father of three was tiresome. Just as it made him feel secluded from the outside world.

A careless evening of sitting at the bar, sipping away some drinks and munching on food he normally would have taken home, but something kept him rooted to his seat. Or rather, someone, but that didn’t matter. He had nothing but time.

He’d seen the blond in here a time or two, typically with a glass of red wine in hand, and he oozed elegance. There was just something so proper and so pristine about the man who Bard didn’t even have a name for as he kept stealing glances from across the room. Was it the long blond hair that had him ensnared? Those captivating blue eyes? Or perhaps it was how the blond fellow practically glowed anytime he laughed.

It was always such a soft sound, drowned out by the sounds of a lively neighborhood bar, but Bard picked up on those sounds all the same. Once, he’d even made eye contact with the gentleman, and locking with those striking blue eyes had been a mistake. A flush of mild embarrassment rose high on the bargeman’s cheeks, turning back around to tend to his drink that he’d been nursing for the past twenty minutes, before it all led to empty disappointment. Save for a few ice cubes.

“Pathetic,” Bard huffed to himself, giving the ice in his glass a little swirl as he focused more on the cup than his surroundings, at least until the barstool next to his was scooted out, and a thin wine glass entered his peripheral vision. A wine glass filled nearly to the rim with red.

“I hope you don’t mind.” That calm and yet vaguely familiar voice broke through whatever concentration on anything else that Bard had, forcing the bargeman to look up from his empty glass towards the man he’d been ogling for some time now.

“Oh, no, please, go ahead.” It was the polite and friendly thing to do, though that focus on being friendly withered away in favor of confusion as another long stemmed glass appeared before him.

“Red or white?” The bartender asked expectantly.

“Excuse me?” Bard’s brows rose a bit as he shifted his hand to push the glass away. “I didn’t order this–”

“He did.” With a small nod signaling to the tall blond that had seated next to Bard, the bartender scooted the glass back. “So, what will it be, red or white?”

Bard bit the inside of his cheek for a moment as one brow arched, his eyes flickering between the glass and he who ordered it. “Red, then.” To better match his new company. As soon as his glass was filled and the two were left in silence, Bard finally found a few less fumbled words to leave his lips. “Thank you, that wasn’t necessary–”

“I know, I wanted to.” The blond took a sip from his glass, the crystal shadowing a bit of whatever small grin he was sporting. “Thranduil, and you’ve been watching me for a greater portion of our evening, Mister…?”

“Bowman,” Bard blurted quickly before clearing his throat. “Bard Bowman, and I wasn’t staring, there was a television right over your head, the game was getting good.”

“Mhm, who was playing?” Thranduil asked with an arched brow of suspicion. “Ah, no peeking.” Shifting a bit so that he could block Bard’s view, the dark haired man came up with no reasonable response, leaving Thranduil to chuckle lightly. “Don’t mistake my words, I’m flattered, not offended. If I was offended, I wouldn’t be sitting here buying you a drink of all things.” Mister Bowman was quite easy on the eyes as well if Thranduil did say so himself.

“That makes way more sense than being offended and trying to charm me with wine,” Bard sighed, rolling his eyes, but finding his faint laughter joined with that of Thranduil’s.

“Then it’s working.”

“What?”

“I’m charming you.”

Bard bit his lower lip for a moment. It was hard to argue that, especially considering the flush still on his cheeks and the butterflies roaring in his stomach that he hadn’t felt since his school years. “It’s nice to meet you, Thranduil,” Bard spoke while lifting his wine glass and holding it over towards the blond in a toast-like-manner. When Thranduil slowly complied with the gesture and their glasses clinked, Bard truly couldn’t have been more grateful for tonight’s fast-paced turn of events. “And yes, you’re charming me.” Easily.

And despite the fact that he wore confidence well, Thranduil himself had nerves fluttering about in his chest, and the fact that his bold behavior to do something about those longing stares from across the room bore fruit, made all those stomach knots worth it. “Well then, tell me about yourself, Bard Bowman. If you have the time, I’d love to hear everything.”

Luckily for both of them…

“I have nothing but time.”

[wincore]

romeo roulette | jung yoonoh

pairing: jaehyun x fem!reader

summary: if finding your soulmate is the same as a damn game of russian roulette, you are determined to not pull the trigger at all. except, you know who your soulmate is and he doesn’t—and given a choice to pretend, you find that jaehyun is the lesser of the two burdens to bear.

genre: soulmate au, office au, fake dating, fluff (a lot), angst (a little), romcom, magical realism (??)

words: 21.2k

warnings: language

song recs: playlist here !

a/n: behold ! a kdrama compressed in a fic ! ok i was lying there was more than a little angst but all in good fun <3 i have never experienced working in an office (thanks to the panny) but i tried making it as accurate as i could !! hope you have fun with this <3

It’s not that you’ve never been looked at with a lover’s gaze, it’s just that whatever look Jaehyun has been giving you is mildly uncomfortable. It’s not supposed to be that way. Hell, even his hand clasping yours are a little too clammy for your liking.

Jung Yoonoh. Get your act together.

You wish he were a better actor than this. For someone used to eyes on him in each and every room he’s in, he’s not very good at making eye contact. You’ll be saving this performance. Not to stroke your own ego but at least you know how to behave under strong gazes.

There are three people staring at the two of you and your fingers intertwined, scrutinizing your postures and the expressions on your faces. Maybe Jaehyun should face them instead of glancing at you wordlessly. He’s a terrible liar for someone who acts so smooth. 

You look up with a short smile. The aforementioned three are your coworkers—former class rep at uni and your current boss Doyoung, your friend Soojin and Jaehyun’s friend Sicheng from IT. None of them look happy—like it concerns them. If there was a competition for nosy coworkers, this entire group would be winning awards left and right (and that’s including you). 

They’re going to find out, an annoying voice giggles inside the quiet corner of your brain. Like hell, they will. You didn’t take up acting lessons in college for nothing. You just need to focus on the details.

This whole charade dates its beginning to a week ago. 

If someone were to tell you Jung Yoonoh from marketing is your soulmate, you would most certainly either laugh or take it as a genuine insult. Hence, you were glad when you found that he isn’t. 

It was an accident. You had glimpsed at his soulmark, right below his collarbone, at a particularly wild office afterparty—and somehow, you thought it was fitting that his tattoo was a little red heart. For someone born on Valentine’s day (which you know from a night out with coworkers, not because you’re remotely interested), if his soulmark was not something as disgusting as a heart, it would be the textbook definition of irony. But then again, fate is a funny thing. Your soulmark is a heart roughly the same size, with a little more intricacy in the form of a piercing arrow.

Despite all, however, if someone were to ask you if Jung Yoonoh is the worst person to be your soulmate, the answer is no. You can name at least five coworkers off the top of your head that you’d choose him over. You would choose him over Doyoung (and especially his nagging), you would choose him over Taeyong because he’s too hot and you also don’t like men in a higher position than you are, you would choose him over Jungwoo because you suspect he’s secretly a furry. Jaehyun is certainly better than your deskmate Dongmin who, despite an angelic smile, is: a) too distant to make actual conversation with, and b) in a relationship despite being your soulmate. Sweet-tempered Dongmin doesn’t even know it’s you. You’d love to be the bearer of bad news but this one—you’re not exactly ready for it yourself.

So that’s the explanation for why you hunted down Jaehyun and in a desperate attempt to not seem pathetic, coerced him into a role that has carefully picked benefits for either of you. You just have to bite the bullet sometimes.

“And I get what out of this?”

“Me? Temporarily, that is.”

Jaehyun laughs in amusement and you drop your smile, almost offended. If you were a gift, you’d certainly be an attractive, spicy, hot one—he doesn’t have to look at you so incredulously. In a neat business suit, Jaehyun is as kempt as ever though his tie could do with some more work.  As an HR assistant, his appearance pleases you. However as a person, the perfection annoys the hell out of you. He could show himself to be more human. It would make your job (both the actual and the metaphorical) easier.

“I’m leaving,” he announces with a nonchalant exhale. “You keep messing around during work hours like this and people are going to think you’re jobless.”

“Wait!” 

You jog up to him and block his path, crossing your arms as you huff at his indignance. 

“I said no,” he repeats, and when he tries to evade you, you push him back with your palm flat against his chest. Jaehyun doesn’t show any more discomfort than usual, biting the inside of his cheek.

“You haven’t found your soulmate, right?” you say, taking a deep breath. If you have to resort to psychological warfare, so be it.

His smile wavers and he straightens, no longer leaning against the printer desk. “No. How does that matter?”

“It matters because you’re going to be my pretend-soulmate. Now, don’t be a pussy.”

He opens his mouth and closes it, furrowing his eyebrows. “You can’t always trick me into doing what you want.”

“I’ll ask Doyoung if you say no.”

“See—enough with the tricks, they don’t work anymore. I’ve known you for two years.”

“I really will ask him.”

“Not convincing enough. You don’t even talk to Doyoung outside work.”

You groan into your hand, taking a few moments to come up with another plan. How is your obvious charisma not enough? You certainly can’t tell him how rejected you feel with the whole Dongmin situation even if his rejection hasn’t officially come yet. It’s too embarrassing for a grown adult to go through. You don’t mind being lonely for the rest of your life if you’re successful. There’s a price tag on each decision you make anyway.

“I’ll treat you to lunch every day. I’ll pay.”

You cross your arms, tapping your foot in anticipation. They say the way to a man’s heart is through the stomach. Besides, Jaehyun hates spending his lunch money on himself. This ought to do something.

Jaehyun places his hand in front of his mouth in mock surprise. “Oh no, out of your beloved paycheck? That’s kind of scary, honestly.”

“Jaehyun. Stop messing around. I’m being serious.”

He purses his lips, hesitation across his face. You don’t like the way he thinks, with quiet, lost eyes and no clear giveaways on his lips.

“Okay. I’ll do it.”

You smile in relief though you try somewhat to not let it show on your face. 

“On one condition.”

Your eyes dart across his face, nothing that tells what he might suggest next. You hate when you don’t get to decide on things.

“You have to come visit my family next month and pose as my soulmate—”

“No way.”

“—and when this whole game you’re playing is over, you’re going to say I rejected you.”

You stare at him, weighing the odds. 

“Fine,” you say finally, voice pitched in slight annoyance.

Jaehyun shrugs.

“But I tell my parents that I rejected you. Or they’ll come after you with a task force or something.”

You mutter the last part.

He grimaces, holding his breath for a good few seconds and then letting it go.

“Alright. It’s not like mine and your parents know each other—or will ever meet.”

“Fine then,” you say. “We have an agreement.”

“We have an agreement,” he repeats.

Now, back to more pressing matters. The people in front of you aren’t a stupid lot—even if you've seen Doyoung spend $500 on plush toys, seen Sicheng absentmindedly walk into a desk and pretend to not be in pain for the next five minutes and Soojin somehow convinced a senior to get her coffee because she thought he was an intern (in her defence, it worked). 

The only way is to act through. You clear your throat.

"We… we discovered it last week. Our signs match."

Technically, you drew an arrow with a permanent marker over Jaehyun's tattoo in an attempt to resemble yours. It's not awful, but perhaps not perfect. 

“Discovered? Like just happened to find out?” Doyoung asks.

“Isn’t Jaehyun’s on…” Soojin leans in to whisper hurriedly in your ear. “On his butt? Did you guys sleep together?”

You contort your face in disgust. “The what? What? Who told you that? And no.”

Soojin makes an ‘ah’ sound and leans back. “I should stop listening to office rumours then.”

"You should." You glare at her.

Sicheng is the only one without questions at the tip of his tongue but the look on his face worries you most. 

“I’ve never seen your tattoo, now that I think about it,” he muses, turning to Jaehyun. “Although we’re roommates.”

Jaehyun clears his throat, looking around with shifty eyes. "Why is… why is everyone looking so suspicious?"

"It's just… so sudden," Soojin says, looking around at the others.

"Yeah," Sicheng mutters.

"Soulmate fraud is a big deal too, you know that right?" Doyoung informs. "You could get put in jail."

You throw up your hands in exasperation. "Why would we pretend? We don't have any reason to. And, uh, you're sure about the jail thing?"

You look at Doyoung, hoping your question didn’t come off too squeaky. 

"You’re right,” he says, sighing. “It’s so unlikely for soulmates to work in the same company, let alone the same building.”

“Oh, yes, I’m so lucky,” you mutter under your breath.

Doyoung sighs. "Look, we're happy for you. It's just that… it's a little sudden."

"Literally what I just said," Soojin says.

"Literally what she just said," Doyoung agrees quickly, not wanting to pick a fight. Sometimes you wonder who the real boss is.

"Look, just because we don't even acknowledge each other or find each other remotely attractive or wouldn't even be each other's office Christmas card candidate—"

Jaehyun nudges your side with his elbow and gives you a look that seems a lot like "You're making it worse".

You clear your throat. "That's what happens to most soulmates! You think you're going to land the perfect one and boom. You get a chump from marketing."

Jaehyun makes a sound of protest. "I didn't want a snob from HR either."

The two of you glare at each other, and you find that clenching his jaw makes Jaehyun slightly (around 0.05%) more attractive, or at the very least more bearable to look at.

Doyoung gasps. "Okay, I get it. You're having adjustment issues. I know a guy for that. He's helped every newly found soulmate couple adjust with each other."

"We don't need that," you interrupt, offering your fakest smile.

"You do," Doyoung responds, his smile equally fake. "I'll drive you this weekend if you're free. He’ll give you one free session. No more, because we all know how capitalism works."

People have got to stop copying your fake smile. You wish you could have it copyrighted because after all, it’s the same smile that tricks interviewees into thinking they got the job. It’s not evil if you say it isn’t. You open your mouth, look at Jaehyun doing the same and when you can't come up with an excuse, give up and nod. 

"Don't look so resentful," Doyoung says, tone slightly complaining. "I'm not doing this as your boss. We were friends in college and I'm just doing you a favour. A friendly favour."

Soojin hums in deep thought. "I feel like this is some sort of nepotism."

"I feel like you should open a dictionary once in a while," Doyoung mutters, only to get a vaguely threatening look from Soojin.

"Anyway," Sicheng diverts, eyes curious when he turns to Doyoung. "Why did you call us here?"

"Ah." Doyoung's eyes widen. "I heard promotion rumours."

Sicheng lets out a loud huff of annoyance. "You summoned us here for company gossip?"

Doyoung crosses his arms. “So, you’re not interested?”

“Who said that?” Sicheng responds quickly, leaning in.

The five of you huddle closer in a circle, looking as conspicuous as a cult. 

“You guys know that Jinyoung’s leaving, right?” Doyoung starts.

Soojin gasps audibly only to get a smack on the arm from Doyoung. “Why’s he leaving? He's like employee of the month every month. ”

A few chuckles pass through the group at her discontentment from months of losing out on the title.

“I heard he found his soulmate. Lucky ass gets tax benefits too now,” Sicheng complains. “Why is he leaving?”

“Oh, look who’s interested in gossip now,” Soojin coos.

Sichengs turns red in the face and looks away, clearing his throat. “You’re gonna answer my question, Doyoung?”

“Oh! Right.” Doyoung looks up from a text. “He got rejected by his soulmate.”

Soojin covers her mouth this time when she gasps and you can’t say your jaw doesn’t drop as well. 

“Rejected? Like our picture-perfect Jinyoung got rejected?” you repeat, trying to process the information. “Please don’t tell me he decided to be an idiot and sign a mutual rejection.”

“No, he didn’t lose his senses,” Doyoung responds with a duh undertone. “He’s getting the compensation money.”

You sigh. “Man, I feel bad for him.”

Jaehyun hums in agreement. There’s a hush over the group and you feel fear rise in your chest. You don’t want to be rejected. You’ve seen how happy Dongmin looks with his girlfriend—he’d reject you in a heartbeat. Of course, you could just receive the compensation money from the one-sided rejection and get it over with but you refuse to. It hurts to not be wanted. It hurts to not be wanted by someone who’s supposed to want you. To be specific, it hurts your pride. Every time you see the damn arrowed heart on Dongmin’s wrist, which he tries so hard to cover with his watch, you feel like throwing up. You’re glad yours isn’t as easy to spot—resting right above your hip bone.

“Anyway, someone’s getting promoted to that HR specialist position.”

You gasp. “Is it me? It’s me, right?”

Jaehyun rolls his eyes and you elbow him. “What’s with you?”

“Don’t get too excited,” he says, shrugging. “Isn’t it stupid to get your hopes up over a rumour?”

Doyoung breathes out. “Wow, (name) really sucked the life out of you, Jaehyun.”

You glare at him when Soojin breaks into a fit of laughter. “You- you know what that- you know what that sounds like, right?”

Your face contorts into disgust and you shake your head. “Let’s be more professional, alright, Soojin?”

She clears her throat and straightens her clothes, like a teenager being reprimanded. “I’m your senior. It’s embarrassing when you say that to me.”

Jaehyun speaks up and turns to you. “I think lunch break is almost over.”

You raise an eyebrow. “So?”

“You’re forgetting something.” He smiles, dimples showing, but his eyes come off menacing.

“Fuck,” you mutter under your breath. You forgot about that stupid lunch promise. 

“Hey. Professional,” Soojin warns.

You groan and link your arm through Jaehyun’s, making him bite back a smile. What is it with men and getting weirdly happy about lunch?

“We’re gonna go get lunch,” you announce.

“Ooh, (name)’s ditching quality time with coworkers for dates now,” Soojin coos.

You roll your eyes and exit the office, stopping to wait in front of the elevator.

“I think that went well,” Jaehyun says, shrugging lightly.

“Shh. What if they hear us?”

“Do you think they’re X-men? We’re a long corridor and closed doors away.”

You huff, crossing your arms. “Still…”

Jaehyun’s smug smile makes you want to smack it right off and this isn’t the first time you’ve felt this way with him. You swear he’s not as bad as some of the guys you’ve met but Jaehyun is simply annoying. An A grade nuisance. You can trust him though. If Soojin says he’s a reliable guy, you’ll believe her—she doesn’t bluff when it comes to seeing right through men, though she does have a tendency to believe stupid rumours.

“Your acting was shit though,” you snipe.

Jaehyun lets out a low sardonic laugh. “At least I was subtle when I was messing up.”

You cross your arms and huff. “You know what? You can take the next elevator ride.”

“Huh?”

You step into the elevator just as the doors open and quickly jam your finger to the close doors button. The look of betrayal on Jaehyun’s face is subtle but it’s enough to satisfy you. As the saying goes, when one door closes, another one opens—it’s very applicable to elevators. He can take the other one.

However, almost immediately after, the elevator doors open and you groan, opening your mouth to send a sarcastic congratulations to Jaehyun for pressing the button on time.

Your words hitch on your tongue. Dongmin greets the two of you with a smile, standing beside Jaehyun, who has his eyes averted from you.

“Hey,” Dongmin greets. “Congratulations. I heard the news.”

“Thanks,” you croak, clearing your throat with a bit of heat on your cheeks. Jaehyun looks like he might burst into a fit of laughter any moment and you shoot him a subtle glare.

“Where are you headed to?” You ask.

“Oh, I’m going to grab a sandwich from the cafeteria.”

“We’re also headed to the cafeteria,” Jaehyun declares, with a smile that’s almost devilish.

“No, we’re not,” you say quickly, making Dongmin raise an eyebrow. You hold back a groan. If only Dongmin weren’t raised to be the politest man you know and a little bit more of an asshole. 

You hum and turn to Jaehyun. ���I told you about that new cafe. Remember, honey?”

Dongmin makes an ‘o’ with his mouth. “Nicknames, already? Ah, I’m so jealous. It must be great to get along with your soulmate.”

Oh, the sweet summer child that Dongmin is.

Jaehyun furrows his eyebrows. “Oh, won’t it take too long, darling? We have—”

He makes a show of checking his Rolex, a gift he received from his superior that he spares no chance to flex.

“—Around ten minutes left.”

You hold back a groan and plaster on your smile. “Come on. Now is the best time.”

“That sounds like a load of—”

You elbow Jaehyun hard in the gut and a restrained sound dies in his throat, eyes widening in the sweet look of discomfort taking over his features. You smile triumphantly and turn to Dongmin with an immediate change of expression.

“I’ll see you in office later,” you say, bowing slightly.

Dongmin nods and gets off on the fifth floor. You watch in quiet relief as the elevator door closes and turn to your dear companion, irked.

“Did you have to do that?” Jaehyun asks, voice raspy with pain.

“You deserved it. Don’t you dare make this a bigger mess than it already is.”

“You came up with it.” Jaehyun straightens, finally. Apart from the few loose strands of his neatly parted hair, he doesn’t seem all that disgruntled.

“And we’re going to set some ground rules,” you declare, closing your arms.

Jaehyun straightens to his full height, the space between the two of you diminishing. 

"Okay," he agrees. "Then we both get a say in it. It's a contract, after all."

"Fine. First rule, no being weird around Dongmin."

Jaehyun chuckles. "I think you need to be more careful about that than I do."

You pat his cheek. "Focus. Just don't- don't be around him for too long."

Jaehyun purses his lips. "Why are you so uncomfortable around him? I thought you were doing this because you didn't want to reject him."

You glance away, feeling uncomfortable. "It doesn't matter. I just don't want him to know."

Jaehyun hums. "Fine. My turn. No calling me a chump."

Your cheeks puff up as you try to contain your laughter. "It bothered you that much, huh?"

Jaehyun furrows his brows. "No one's ever called me that before. It's always 'oh my god, he's so handsome, who is he?' or 'ooh, I might faint from how hot he is'."

You giggle. "Alright, handsome."

Jaehyun exhales, his puffed cheeks making him look like a resentful five year old instead of a grown man with a professional job. You pause before you get back on track.

“No nicknames,” you blurt. “It’s weird when you call me something endearing. And your flirting feels kind of threatening.”

“What do you mean, baby?”

“See! You’re doing it again.” You cross your arms at the look on his face; anything close to victorious over Jaehyun’s features is unbearable to you.

He raises his arms in exasperation. “How are we supposed to make this work if we act like we don’t care about each other. Guess why Doyoung’s taking us to couple therapy?”

You huff, slightly pissed off. “You’re saying it was my fault?”

“I’m saying we could have avoided that with better acting.”

“You think you’re so—”

The elevator door opens with a ding on the first floor and you turn to find a bunch of interns back from their lunch break. It would be much less of an awkward affair if you and Jaehyun weren’t well into each other’s personal spaces, noses almost touching and with a mutual glare which could be easily mistaken for a look of something more sensual. You jump away from Jaehyun and leave the elevator as fast as you can, feeling far too conscious of yourself. With long strides, you exit the corporate airs of the building to a sunny, fairly populous sidewalk. 

Jaehyun catches up to you, bending and trying to catch a glimpse of your face with an incredulous smile over his.

“Don’t say a word, Yoonoh.”

“Ooh, you’re saying my name now.”

“This isn’t funny!”

“I find it plenty funny.”

“That’s because of your trash sense of humour.”

“Mhm.”

“Don’t look so smug.”

Mondays are the days that make you want to scream in agony, not Thursdays—though they are pretty high up on the worst days of the week list. Maybe this was a bad idea. Maybe pretending to be in love with someone you simply cannot be in love with is an awful idea. 

Soulmates don’t need to be in love with each other, you think to yourself. There’s plenty of soulmates who are just in it for the financial benefits; you can just pretend to be one of them. This dilemma is starting to fray your nerves and Jung Yoonoh, with his lax disposition and dimpled cheeks, is making it worse. And to top it off, you now have to take him to your favourite (kind of secret) cafe in the name of the lies that slipped your tongue. It was supposed to be a quiet comfort spot for you.

You blow a puff of air out and dismiss the thought. Comfort spots aren’t real anyway when you’re all grown. There’s bound to be a breach. 

However, you will not let the (lacking) romance department of your life get sorted out by someone who doesn’t even know you. Lady luck would be an acquaintance to you at most. If fate is a game of chance after all, you might as well be the one spinning the roulette. You look at Jaehyun, piecing together the perfect plan for this seemingly frivolous play-pretend. The game is in your hands now. 

You blink at the figure of Jung Yoonoh under February sunlight on a modestly busy sidewalk. It’s not something to be surprised at—however, the stark contrast in attire makes you stare longer than you intend to. Wearing a black graphic hoodie and pair of worn out jeans, Jaehyun looks about as casual as you can bear. It’s always weird to see coworkers out of formal clothing.

“Are you just going to stare at me till Doyoung comes and picks us up?” he asks. 

You roll your eyes. 

“You look nice,” he says, and you glance down at your outfit with a flush of heat over your cheeks. It’s just a short A-line skirt, stockings and a sweatshirt. This is as basic as you get. What’s worse is that his comment didn’t sound sarcastic.

“You- You look nice too. I guess.” Once in a while, you will say something extremely stupid and pretend it never happened. The frequency increases around Jaehyun for some damn reason.

“You guess? I’m pretty sure I look more than nice.”

“And how long did you look at yourself in the mirror and practise catchphrases this time?”

Jaehyun’s ears turn the shade of cherries and you press down your smile. You knew that time you caught him talking to himself in front of a car window would play to your advantage. 

“What’s that you’re holding?” you ask, eyeing the plastic bag he’s holding.

“Ginseng,” he answers, staring blankly at the cars passing by. “I heard the couples therapist is in his sixties so he might find it useful.”

“Oh, old people stuff,” you muse quietly. “That’s quite thoughtful of you.”

You should’ve brought something, you think for a moment before realizing that couples probably don’t give separate gifts. 

“Thanks,” you mutter.

He raises an eyebrow. “For what?”

You shake your head. “Anyway, we might as well kill some time. Twenty questions. Let’s go.”

He laughs. “What are we, in college?”

You wrinkle your nose. “Don’t make us sound like we’re thirty. I bet you’re the kind of guy who has his retirement plan figured out.”

“Wrong,” he emphasizes, face leaning closer. 

“Fine. I’ll start the questions, you unsalted block of butter. How many relationships have you been in?”

Jaehyun opens his mouth and closes it, ears turning red. “That’s your first question?”

You roll your eyes. “Okay. I’m guessing it’s single digit and on the lower side.”

He rolls his eyes. “How many relationships have you been in?”

You shut your mouth. There’s a moment of silence, a breeze passing you by, carrying winter away in its arms to make room for spring. 

“Never found a relationship worth it,” you mutter, glancing away. 

Jaehyun hesitates before opening his mouth. “Me neither.”

“Good thing for us, eh? Love makes people crazy.”

Jaehyun faces you with a clipped smile. Never did you think Jaehyun from marketing would be relating to you on a personal matter.

“Oh, but I’ve had enough hookups and I can bet you’re mediocre at best in bed.” 

Jaehyun glares at you. “I am not and I can prove it to you.”

“Is that an invitation into your bed? No, thanks.”

He opens his mouth to retort but is interrupted by the Hyundai Grandeur pulling up to the sidewalk and rolling down the driver window to reveal Doyoung. He looks as overworked as usual, but his eyes are more tired, a bit of makeup covering the dark circles. You’ve heard his soulmate is a makeup artist for an idol group and wonder how they even came to be. Does fate throw darts randomly and pick its choice?

“Get in. Quick,” Doyoung instructs. “I have to drop you off and head home. My family is visiting. I didn’t even get a warning and they think I’m in a gay relationship with Taeyong because we still have our friendship rings from college.”

You want to laugh and agree but Doyoung looks rather pissed off so you hold it in. The two of you do as told, getting in the backseat and shutting the doors in sync. The car smells rather leafy mingling with the scent of fresh clothes and you eye the jar dangling from the rear-view mirror. You open your mouth to ask what scent that is when Doyoung’s voice rings out.

“What’s that?” Doyoung signals to the bag with Jaehyun.

Jaehyun looks down. “Ginseng extract.”

“Oh, the gift pack?” Doyoung asks. 

Jaehyun nods and Doyoung chuckles, shaking his head. “If that’s for Mr. Lee, forget it. He hates gifts. Something about inward appreciation and shit.”

Jaehyun groans, massaging his forehead. “What do I do with this then? Is this guy a priest?”

“Give it to Doyoung,” you suggest. “His family’s visiting.”

You hear an audible hum of approval from the driver seat and turn to Jaehyun making a face of reluctance. Maybe he isn’t so magnanimous after all, you think smiling.

“You’re both quite tame today,” Doyoung remarks, just when the silence is starting to swallow the inside of the car. “Makes me wonder if you need Mr. Lee after all.”

“We actually don’t…” You shake your head. “We’re here and it’s free so why not?”

Jaehyun shoots you a questioning look. It’s not like you can cancel when you’re in Doyoung’s car and already on the way. You’ve known your boss long enough to know the wrong answer to his questions. You look outside at Seoul streets and sigh. 

Jaehyun looks at you, your focus elsewhere and wishes this would end already. He has no idea what overcame him to accept your ridiculous offer but he must be just as ridiculous. At the very least, he finds you quite lovely to look at—not that he’d ever admit it to you. The foundation to this weird bickering friendship (if he can call it that) would be ruined by that. His ego, however, has been boosted up a few notches from the fact that you called him for help. He looks outside the window, holding back a smile. It’s a sunny day.

The therapist, Mr. Lee’s office building is a fancy one with an even fancier lobby. Baby pink leather couches cushion your bum nicely as you wait for your appointment. The architecture is that of a corporate firm and you feel quite at home with the large glass walls by the revolving door. This therapist guy must be rich as hell. The receptionist wears a formal uniform; her blouse is light pink with a grey pencil skirt and you like the look of it. You wonder if asking her where she bought it is time-appropriate. More couples sit around you and you, unfortunately, have to scoot closer to Jaehyun as a result. You do not want to catch that disease they all have. Why are they even here for therapy if they’re smiling at each other in that sickly enamored way? 

Now that you’re here, you’re starting to feel that this arrangement was ill-decisive. You should’ve done a better job of acting. You wonder if you can get a refund for that college course on acting, pouting as the ticking wall clock gets on your nerves. Even the marble floors are pink; the walls are mahogany red and there’s a heart-shaped wall clock, and should you glance around more, you’re going to nauseate yourself. This guy certainly takes his job seriously—or just really likes pink-red themes.

A woman in her early thirties exits the elevator and announces your names, and you click your tongue at the fact that she used Jung for your surname. It sounds distasteful. 

You follow her, starting to get nervous. You really hope this Mr. Lee isn’t as good as Doyoung says he is. Your fraud falling apart within three days is too embarrassing a defeat, not to mention bordering on illegal if found out. What the fuck does the government care about broken hearts and beneficial relationships? It’s so nosy. You understand the financial situation in case of happily bonded soulmates but apart from that, there really shouldn’t be this much discrepancy in the name of love.

Love drives people crazy. You’d rather not lose your good sense in the name of something so inane. After all, money makes the world go around, not love. 

Restricting a gag at the deep red heart on the door, you push them open with Jaehyun to find an old man sitting on a similar baby pink couch as in the lobby. He gets up to greet the two of you, the wrinkles on his face deepening when he smiles. Despite everything, he has a sort of grace to him, the one that comes with growing old elegantly. An upbeat song plays on a record player attached to the wall, although at a very low volume, and the tune reminds you of Animal Crossing. 

“Doyoung told me about the two of you,” Mr. Lee says, gesturing at the two of you to sit down. “How long has it been since you found out?”

“Six days,” you answer at the same time Jaehyun answers, “Four days”.

The two of you look at each other.

“Four-Six days. We didn’t keep track.”

“Ah,” Mr. Lee says. “How do you propose to celebrate your anniversary?”

You hesitate opening your mouth and declaring that you don’t really need to do that crap. Mr. Lee notices your expression and breaks into gentle laughter. 

“I’m kidding. Anniversary dates don’t matter,” he laughs. “It’s okay to celebrate your 100-day on the wrong day. Don’t worry.”

You purse your lips. To your dismay, Jaehyun isn’t as bothered by the sickly pink environment and Mr. Lee’s relaxed demeanour.

“I have a hundred percent success rate,” Mr. Lee assures the two of you, looking directly at you.

“That’s what I’m worried about,” you mutter under your breath and get a nudge from Jaehyun, who has his politest smile on.

You can’t believe Jaehyun has a better customer service mode than you do. If you didn’t know him, you’d be fooled into thinking he’s the nice guy character every office has. Unfortunately, that one goes to Dongmin. You hate getting stuck with nice guys (unless they offer financial stability).

“I think Doyoung might have been exaggerating,” Jaehyun explains calmly. “Whatever he told you.”

“He told me the two of you have a bickering problem. And staring at each other when the other isn’t looking.”

You cough. “That is not true. The staring part.”

Jaehyun narrows his eyes at you. “I knew you were checking me out,” he mutters.

You roll your eyes. “Keep dreaming, Jaehyun.”

Mr. Lee laughs. “Your bickering seems to be quite affectionate. I don’t know what that boy was worried about.”

You press your lips together into a thin smile, annoyed that anyone would ever describe your interaction with a man as affectionate. It makes you feel like an idiot. You were always better off alone—the universe was wrong to assign Dongmin to you. Maybe you needed to see the apparent love of your life clearly in love with someone else to snap you to reality.

“However, what is a playful lover’s fight in the beginning can turn into real fights.”

“Right,” you mutter. “It’s all fun and games in the beginning.”

“The two of you have almost no animosity—you’ve known each other before you discovered the soulmark, right?”

The two of you nod, having already reconciled yourselves to this session. It’s a one-time thing, you tell yourself. It will be over soon.

“The soulmate information shouldn’t influence the relationship you already had. If anything, it should be drawing you closer. First time awkwardness is common.”

He’s starting to sound a lot like your high school sex ed teacher. You get the idea to pretend to be sick and get out of this early.

“Company policy too,” Jaehyun mutters. “Unofficial company policy makes office romance out to be some sort of sacrilege.”

“You know, I was the CEO of your company so I do know the policies,” Mr. Lee says, smiling in the confident, reserved way senior citizens offering wisdom do. 

You choke on the water you were taking a sip of, a coughing fit overcoming you and Jaehyun hesitates before awkwardly patting your back.

“Huh? CEO? I’m sorry?” you manage. 

Mr. Lee lets out a loud, hearty laugh. “I stepped down two years ago.”

“That’s when I joined,” you and Jaehyun say at the same time.

Mr. Lee smiles at the two of you wordlessly. “I have an idea for the two of you. Why don’t you try turning your ‘I’s into ‘we’s? Do some activities together and when you talk about it, you’ll find yourself much closer.”

You narrow your eyes. “You know, Mr. Lee, I’m a little curious about your relation with the company—”

“My recommendations won’t help you get promotions faster.”

“Dammit.”

Jaehyun chuckles beside you but a glare from you turns it into a suppressed smile. The one thing that wouldn’t be a waste of time opened its door and closed it right back. 

“But you know how promotions work,” you press, leaning forward.

An alarm rings, so pleasant in tone that you know it’s a Samsung. Unfortunately, it’s the ugly flip model and you question Mr. Lee’s taste (and wealth).

“Oh, look, time’s up,” Mr. Lee announces, and you think you catch a hint of nervousness in his voice. 

Jaehyun springs up before his ears turn red, embarrassed by the gusto with which he himself got up and looks at you expectantly. You get up, sighing.

“Next time, Mr. Lee,” you warn. “I will get those details.”

“I charge by the hour.” He smiles.

“Stop threatening the therapist,” Jaehyun mutters to you, taking your arm and turning to leave.

“Oh, and,” Mr. Lee calls. “It’s always better to be honest than to pretend.”

You blink in surprise when Jaehyun tugs at your arm, bowing in thanks and leaving the room with you.

“Was it just me or did he see through us?” you whisper to Jaehyun.

He shakes his head, whispering back, “There’s no way he could tell. He’s probably referring to something else.”

“Like what?”

Jaehyun doesn’t answer.

“Tell me, are you always so domineering towards strangers even?” he asks. “I just thought you liked to press my buttons because I’m easygoing.”

You scoff. “Don’t flatter yourself. You’re not as cool as you think you are, especially since you get so hot and bothered by me.”

“It’s just you,” he whispers earnestly and your pulse rises. “No one else.”

You cough to kill the awkward silence and walk faster to the elevator. Jaehyun follows at a leisurely pace and it’s never occurred to you before but the sound of someone’s footsteps can also be annoying, proof currently standing beside you.

The elevator doors open, and much to your appallment, a young couple happens to be full blown making out inside the elevator, hands where there certainly shouldn’t be in broad daylight. Jaehyun whips his face away, clearing his throat loud enough for the couple to detach themselves from each other and hurriedly exit, fixing their clothes on the way.

“So he wasn’t lying about the success rate,” Jaehyun states quietly, a look of resigned horror on his face.

You can’t even respond for a few moments, following him into the elevator and shaking your head to get rid of the thought that inevitably jams itself inside your head. It might have a point, however.

"Maybe we should kiss too," you think out loud.

Jaehyun stiffens, looking at you with wide, fearful eyes. "No."

"We have to kiss, we're dating!" You exclaim, hands on your hips.

"We're not actually—ah, whatever. It’s not worth bickering with you."

"Why? Afraid you'll fall in love with me?”

Jaehyun shakes his head, and you’re suddenly aware that your bickering keeps drawing you closer to each other, your faces nearer than you’d realized.

"If anything," he starts with a confident smile. "You better not fall in love with me."

"Oh, please. You're taking this way too seriously."

"You're the one that wants to kiss me."

Your cheeks heat up. "You're- I- That's not—argh, fuck you."

Jaehyun looks smug, and you have the unstoppable urge to punch it off his face. You take a deep breath. Violence is not the way, (name).

“If we were a few years younger, you’d be begging for mercy under me,” you seethe.

Jaehyun’s eyes shift over your face in confusion, ears burning bright red with each passing second. Before he can open his mouth, you let out a short yell.

“Not like that, you pervert,” you say, leaning away from him. 

“I didn’t even say anything. On an unrelated note, were you a delinquent in school?”

You roll your eyes. “Kind of. I had a temper and a sharp tongue.”

“And now you’re a people pleaser. That’s quite the development.”

You smack his shoulder. “You’re getting on my nerves, punk.”

He makes an ‘oh’ with his mouth before smiling. “You totally did the delinquent accent.”

“I’m guessing you were the shy, little boy who flushed red at conversations about kissing.”

Jaehyun clears his throat in annoyance. “I was not. I was quite popular in high school and college, you know?”

“Yeah,” you mutter. “It’s that face of yours.”

“Sorry, what? I didn’t catch that.”

“Oh, look, we’re on the first floor.” You exit the elevator, leaving a puzzled Jaehyun to follow in stumbling steps.

“I don’t think Doyoung’s picking us up,” you state. “You take the bus? Or do you have a car to flex? I don’t ride in anything below a Tesla, unless it’s Doyoung because he’s technically my boss.”

“You’ll have to do with good old rented Hyundais,” he answers.

You exhale. Maybe he’s getting used to you. The bus stop is opposite the building, the structure squeaky clean and a bunch of people waiting on the seats. It’s a busy place and you wonder if the scammy-therapist-slash-your-former-ceo’s business has anything to do with that. You sit the first chance you get, shoulders pressed against Jaehyun’s for the lack of space and admiring the passing traffic. Seoul really just depends on the lenses you see through. Work days make the screen tinted grey and blue and you hate them often but some days, it’s good to experience those. Weekends are brighter, sunny and usually not with Jaehyun but he doesn’t really put a damper on them either.

You scan his side profile, a little envious when you realize that his confidence isn’t misplaced. You might have trained yourself to be more of a pleaser over the years but he’s the sort of person people come to like naturally. Moreover, his skin is perfect and his hair is always looking styled even in a mess. Fate and Life are partners in crime when it comes to being unfair.

Jaehyun turns to look at you and you snap your head to your lap, turning on your phone and staring at the homescreen for a good few seconds.

“Twenty questions,” Jaehyun announces. “Let’s play again. I’ll go first. Do you check me out when I walk away?”

“What is this, playing my own cards against me?” You scoff. “You’re so full of yourself.”

“So, yes or no?”

“Sometimes,” you mutter. “But it’s not the good kind of checking out. I’m checking out how terrible you look with your mess of a tie.”

Jaehyun laughs, the sound a hearty rumbling sort and you can’t help but smile back at that. It’s kind of cute when he laughs—the sound of it and the way his cheeks are dusted pink.

“My turn,” you say with a cheeky smile as you lean in to whisper. “Have you ever had a wet dream about me?”

Jaehyun chokes on air, coughing out the surprise as he stares at you dumfound. You stick the tip of your tongue out and throw him a wink, thoroughly enjoying this victory against him. It feels great to fluster someone like Jaehyun.

“No,” he says with clear emphasis. 

“Even the night you said I was so unbearably hot very loudly to Sicheng?”

Jaehyun leans back sighing, covering his face with his hand. “I was tipsy. And it was my first night out with coworkers. Give me a break.”

You giggle. “Honestly, it wasn’t that bad. There were worse incidents that night. An intern threw up on Doyoung’s shoes—I can’t even imagine the horror the poor girl experienced.”

Jaehyun shakes his head, smiling through his hand. 

“Have you ever sent nudes?” you ask, wiggling your eyebrows.

He sighs. “Maybe. Have you?”

“Oh, wouldn’t you like to know?”

He curls his lips. The answer seems to be no but you’re at least seventy percent sure he would be attracted to you in a world where your personality traits weren’t being nosy and annoying.

“Do you think you’re a good kisser?” Jaehyun asks, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees.

“Definitely.”

He scoffs, a smile tugging at his lips.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” You cross your arms.

He shrugs, leaning in slightly as though flirting (if he had the audacity). “We could test that.”

You feel your cheeks heat up. “What happened to no kissing in the contract?”

“It’s not officially there.”

You roll your eyes, glancing away. “You know, I’m starting to believe you were some sort of desperate fuckboy in college.”

“I- I was the hottest dude on campus and if we went to the same college, you would be pining after me. I literally had the Campus Prince title and girls would follow me to see me in class.”

He crosses his arms, a frown tugging down his lips.

“Ooh, Jung Yoonoh’s getting fired up,” you say in a monotonous voice. “Wonder how many girls you pulled with your chewed up fuckboy dialogue.”

Jaehyun scoffs but he clearly finds your accusations amusing, as hinted by his unbothered smile. He asks a question again.

“What’s more important to you—truth or happiness?” 

The question catches you off-guard. Jaehyun’s eyes are delicately curious, nothing too strong and even so, you find yourself holding your breath under his gaze.

“Huh?”

“Twenty questions. We were playing?” Jaehyun raises an eyebrow.

“Right.” You clear your throat, rubbing the back of your hand. “I… I’d choose happiness, I think. I’m… I’m not sure.”

“Really?” He doesn’t look too hellbent on taking apart your answer so you breathe out. He’s starting to pry into you finally. “I think the truth will make you happier.”

“That’s not- that’s not always true.” You look away, hoping the quietness of your voice ends the conversation there. You don’t know how to talk about it—you never really have. You’ve ugly cried over the lack of your love life to a stranger after five shots of whiskey but you don’t think you can talk about things like this sober. You don’t even know why you answered. Jaehyun makes you feel oddly comfortable.

Jaehyun shrugs, getting up when the next bus halts in front. 

“What did you major in?” you ask, following him.

“Business,” he answers before thinking. “Kind of hated it. But I started out with IT and that was somehow worse.”

You gasp, taking a seat beside him on the bus. “I started with IT too! It was a nightmare. You took that Database Management course?”

Jaehyun smiles. “It was like the course equivalent of reading the back of a Wi-Fi Router.”

You laugh. Maybe he isn’t so different after all. 

“You know, you do look like a business major,” you hum, furrowing your brows as you pretend to scrutinise him.

“So, you’re indirectly saying I either look like a rich kid or a jackass.” Jaehyun raises an eyebrow.

“They’re both the same thing.”

The laughter from the two of you makes an old woman behind you grunt in displeasure and the two of you apologize. It’s nice to talk like college kids again. The Seoul sunlight shines on Jaehyun’s face and you bite back a smile when his dimples appear. They aren’t all that bad. If you get along like this, there’s no reason to worry about fate and the universe and other superfluous things offered to you on a boring old ceramic plate. It’s a smooth ride.

Your eyes drift to Dongmin’s workspace instinctively and you shake your head. This is exactly why you were avoiding him and even started the entire fake relationship with Jaehyun. You’d choose fake dating a (good-looking) chump from management over embarrassment and possible heartbreak any day.

You groan internally before glancing again and find the desk empty. Surprised, you blink and turn only to scream at Dongmin’s figure behind you.

“Shh!” he says urgently. “Don’t move. And don’t panic when I say this but there’s a bug on your shoulder.”

“What the fuck? Get it off, please,” you say, voice choking up.

Dongmin rolls up a stack of papers and you let out a low screech. “Don’t kill it on my shoulder!”

“Sorry,” he says and your eyes soften as he gently pushes the paper against your shoulder and takes it away. You breathe a sigh of relief and he signs you a thumbs up as he wiggles the paper in the air outside the window. 

“You saved me,” you say, smiling.

He returns it, his most beloved eye smile making you wonder if you made the right choice. Wouldn’t it be fun to just crash everything and watch it burn? You know you want to. Benevolence and grace were never your style. However, it’s his smile again that stops you. Maybe you don’t really want to be the bad guy after all. You’re sparing him from confusion and dread.

You’re sparing yourself from rejection and inevitable loneliness (yay).

It’s been a week, discussing details with Jaehyun before the both of you collectively decided to just wing it and hope you’re not caught. After all, there’s no real way to prove you’re not soulmates if you’re careful enough (the same way you can’t prove someone’s cheating if they’re careful enough but that’s quite a depressing analogy). Perhaps if you renounce the soulmate benefits (and Dongmin didn’t smile as often at you), it would be less morally taxing. You, however, are greedy. When you want something, you’ll do anything to get it.

You stare at the computer screen and sigh, cross checking the employee records for incorrect data and your eyelids start to droop. Of all the days, you just had to be assigned the most boring task on a Friday. You also should’ve gotten sleep instead of getting mad at Jaehyun’s dry responses to your plan of action. It was perfectly viable; unnecessary, but perfect nonetheless.

Soojin rolls her chair backwards into yours. “We’re going drinking tonight. Wanna come? You can bring your boy-toy too.”

You roll your eyes. “As much as I’d love to call him that, he’s still the chump from marketing for me.”

“Or,” Soojin emphasizes. “Your actual soulmate. How lucky is it that you work in the same building, in the same company?”

“I’m not sure if you’re being ironic.” You scroll through the database with trained eyes.

“I’m not. A lot of soulmates don’t even get to see each other because of their line of work. It’s so tragic.”

You’d be glad if you didn’t get to see Dongmin ever too. But you’ll keep that to yourself. You hum in response and hear a sigh from behind you.

“Let’s have fun,” she whines. “Is Jaehyun that much of a downer? He’s one of the hottest dudes in the building. I thought you’d be cheery.”

You pause and think to yourself. She does have a point. You’re definitely supposed to look happier. Your soulmate has the looks of a model and fifteen year old you would fawn over him no doubt.

“It’s the work,” you answer. “I’m working overtime to compensate for my rent.”

You work overtime anyway because you hate heading home to an empty apartment. 

“Ah, you signed a new lease, right? Near Songpa?” Soojin looks at you with pity and pats your shoulder. “You know what? I’ll treat you to drinks tonight. You deserve a day off, missy.”

You smile. “Thanks, Soojin.”

“And,” she adds in a singsong voice. “The love of your life is here.”

You furrow your eyebrows before tilting your head and almost sighing in exasperation at the figure of Jung Yoonoh outside the glass door. He may not show it, but you know distress when you see it. You’ve seen enough squirming undergraduates at company interviews. 

You quickly get up from your seat, praying that he didn’t mess something up. However, you find it cute when he looks like this, the urge to fluster him even more presenting itself to be rather tempting.

“I think you have a sick obsession with me, Jaehyun.” You cross your arms after closing the door behind you.

He exhales, closing his eyes for a moment before taking your arm and pulling you away from the door. 

“Woah, this isn’t high school. You can’t just pull me into a corner to make out.”

Jaehyun’s ears flare hot red and he clears his throat. “You’re in high spirits today.”

You weren’t, actually. Somehow, teasing Jaehyun gives you the same rush as caffeine. You just love when the nonchalance on his face turns into discomposure.

“I came to give Doyoung these files. Or you, since you’re practically his assistant.”

You ignore his comment. “There’s clearly something else.”

“The team sports event is coming up,” Jaehyun starts, hesitating. “I’m not managing it this year. I have to participate.”

“So?”

“So Dongmin has a higher chance of finding us out. What if he sees my mark in the changing room and it all goes to shit?”

“Great! He’ll think you’re his soulmate and I’ll be spared from this nonsense.”

“I’m being serious. It’s already difficult living with Sicheng and having to change with my doors locked. It’s kind of suspicious.”

“Do you guys sleep naked with each other or what?”

“No, but I do sleep with my shirt off.”

“Ugh. Why would you give me that image?” you complain. The image isn’t bad per se but it’s not what you need right now.

“You clearly liked it,” he mutters. 

You furrow your eyebrows. “You’re not doing this just to give me a load of unnecessary anxiety, are you? Do you know how swamped with work I am?”

“No, of course not,” he answers, no indication of which question he answered. “Also, is there a reason Soojin’s glaring at me?”

You wave your hand in dismissal. “It’s just the haven’t-warmed-up-to-coworker’s-new-boyfriend glare. Don’t worry about it.”

He doesn’t seem too relieved but you have more anxious thoughts invading the privacy of your Friday evening. You have to keep up your composure. It could happen one way or another, perhaps in a situation better than a team sports activity, but you have to figure it out. You reject your soulmate anyway—the same way he would.

Glaring at Jaehyun one last time, you get back to your desk. Jaehyun looks at your receding figure and finds himself checking you out, the largest blow he’s taken to his dignity. He shakes his head, breathing in and out. This is so not like him. He’s supposed to be the suave, handsome guy who people can’t seem to get to and yet—yet, you do it so easily. It’s unfair. He swallows his heart and tells himself he’s too old to feel this way. He’ll just drown himself in work and pretend love is a commodity like everyone else with a corporate job is supposed to. 

“You know,” Soojin starts when you get back. “Jaehyun kind of looks high if you look at him long enough. Weed is illegal though but who knows? Maybe he’s a bad boy deep down after all.”

“Which rumour have you been paying attention to now?” You sigh deeply.

Soojin laughs. “It’s funny to hear everyone’s opinions. Even if most of them turn into scandalous tall tales.”

“Anyway,” she continues. “I’m clocking out. I’ll get Jaehyun to take you to the sake bar.”

You look at her, puzzled.

“You’re a matching set now,” she follows up and you groan.

“Don’t give me that cr—”

“Toodle-oo! Let’s have some fun before we’re grey and old, eh?”

You sigh and nod. Maybe you should look into a caffeine fix, even if it costs you a mental power outage at the end of the rush. It’s not like you to be so down on a Friday but alas, Fate is as miserable a woman as you are. The sake bar is starting to sound good.

Or, you could always watch a few ASMR cooking videos instead of staring blankly at the employee records. Either way, this Friday better improve by tonight.

“This is going great,” Soojin says, louder than she probably intended after her fourth shot.

“Of course it is,” you mutter. 

You haven’t yet had a chance to drink more because of two reasons: one) Soojin is hogging the alcohol and two) it would be embarrassing to get drunk in front of Jaehyun. Adding to your misery, Soojin has been gushing over her soulmate and the way she always makes breakfast for Soojin, listing off every single recipe she’s made. You would love to listen but you’re a tiny bit past your limit.

“Wooh, Jaehyun, you look hot,” Soojin whistles, in more of an older sister manner. “I can almost see your tattoo. Why don’t the two of you show us at the same time and we can take a commemorative picture?”

You cough loudly. “Mine’s on my waist, Soojin. I’m not ready to expose skin.”

“Right. Sorry.” She turns back at lightning speed to bother Dongmin with her stories, who smiles at her politely. It seems so genuine that you’re slightly enamored with it for a moment. There’s Jungwoo from marketing beside him, some more HR employees and thankfully, no interns. Doyoung is the only one partly miserable in the lot, talking into the phone for half an hour now. 

“Shit.” Jaehyun nudges you and whispers, “I forgot about the tattoo. This T-shirt makes it very visible.”

You look at him, alarmed. You fix his jacket, startling him, and pull the zipper all the way to his neck, making sure to backhand him on the chin.

“There.”

“It’s hot in here.”

“What do you want me to do about it? God, you’re like a child.”

“I’m like a—okay. Just cover my tattoo with foundation or something.”

“You think I carry around a whole bottle of foundation?”

Jaehyun blinks, deeming it safer to keep his mouth shut. 

“Okay. Fine. I have an idea. Come to the washroom with me.”

“Oh my, this isn’t your making out in the corner type of thing, right?”

You glare at him and he shuts up, following you quietly to the surprisingly clean restroom. The fact that it isn’t gendered makes you very glad. You make Jaehyun sit on the low enough basin counter and push your knee against it to balance yourself as you take out a permanent marker from your bag.

“I hope Doyoung doesn’t fire me for sneaking away,” you mutter angrily. “He didn’t even make me receive his calls all day.”

Jaehyun scoffs lightly. “Please, Doyoung adores you and your work ethic. He talks about it more than what I need to overhear. That and Taeyong’s detailed aquarium maintenance rules.”

“He does?”

Jaehyun clears his throat and you hold back bombing him with more questions till you’re done with painting an arrow into his tattoo.

“Isn’t it weird?” He looks at you with round, curious eyes. “Yours is a heart. Mine’s a pierced heart.”

“Hm. Funny coincidence.”

“Do you have to sit on my lap for this?”

“I’m not sitting on your lap,” you hiss. You are kind of close. You train your eyes on his collarbone as you pull his neckline down. 

It would be so embarrassing to be caught like this. You’d rather be caught making out with someone in the broom closet. You hold back a pained sigh. Jaehyun has some nerve speaking to you when you’re already annoyed with him. Couldn’t he just have worn his business attire? Why does he get to go home early? Taeyong is far too lenient a boss. You start swearing internally, getting nervous when you think about the consequences of your actions.

“Has anyone ever filed a complaint against you?” Jaehyun asks, and you nudge his chin upwards to draw the line on his tattoo.

“For what? Being perfect and successful?”

“For that attitude. The ‘take what I want’ attitude.”

You roll your eyes. “No. You’re saying it like I’m awful to the core for trying to take what I want. I haven’t got such a bad soul, you know, as souls go. You wouldn't write articles about how good a soul it is but… it’s well enough.”

Jaehyun raises an eyebrow and you avert your gaze from his eyes. This sort of proximity shouldn’t be bothering you, you shouldn’t be rambling.

The door opens right then and in a fit of panic, you do the unthinkable. You press your lips to Jaehyun’s and pray that whoever walked in has no idea who you are and more importantly, can’t see the permanent marker in your hand. 

“I’m so sorry!”

You know that voice. You half regret it when you hear it. Dongmin exits the bathroom as quickly as he entered and you pull away to look at the empty space. Beside you, Jaehyun stays so still that you forget he’s there for a moment. You breathe out in relief though part of you still feels a heavy ounce of regret.

You turn back to Jaehyun and find his doe eyes soft and lost in thought.

“I get it now,” Jaehyun whispers. “It must hurt. That he doesn’t care about the system.”

“What are you talking about?”

“That he’s so reckless about discarding you.”

You separate yourself from him further, standing up and brushing your clothes. “You’re overstepping.”

“Sorry,” he responds quietly. 

There’s a pause.

“Did you just kiss me right now?”

“Shut up. I didn’t want him to see us and especially this.” You wave the marker in front of his face.

“You just kissed me in a fit of panic. That’s the first time I’ve seen someone respond to panic this way.” Jaehyun looks a little too smug.

“What are you implying?” 

“You wanted to kiss me.”

You scoff. “Don’t get too ahead of yourself.” 

You want to knock the smile right off his face but you stick to flicking his forehead, his yell of surprise satisfying. This Friday night was supposed to get better. In fact, you are going to make it better if life won’t. The soju won’t drink itself and you deem that Soojin has had enough. 

Ignoring Dongmin’s confused look, you order far too many soju shots to be considered healthy. As you promised yourself, you are going to make this Friday better.

//

You just had to go and get drunk. Jaehyun stares at you, blinking slowly and wondering just how much you can embarrass yourself before it becomes a burden for him. He has to get you home; you’re practically a matching set now. But are the halves of a pair supposed to take care of the other when they get drunk?

“You know what, guys?” You announce, standing up abruptly and immediately getting pulled back to your seat by Jaehyun. It doesn’t stop your mouth however.

“I hate the stupid system,” you continue. “To tell the truth—”

He smacks his hand over your mouth. Jaehyun has had enough of the silent mini heart attacks you give him. The rest look at him with puzzled looks and he can’t even bring himself to give them a polite smile before dragging you out of the bar. The night breeze is cold enough—maybe it’ll sober you up.

"You're so annoying, Jaehyun," you mutter, massaging your forehead. "Did you know that?"

Or maybe it won’t.

"Never heard that before."

"How do you always keep to yourself and still be the center of attention?" You cling to his arm for balance. 

"Have you considered that maybe a polite man isn't as scheming as you think he is?"

You curl your lips. "Stop using big sentences. I hate that I barely know you, and I know everyone."

Jaehyun purses his lips. "You just enjoy the power that comes with figuring people out. Don't you?"

"Whatever you say. I want life to be a nice and smooth ride but then again, I can't even face my soulmate." You let out an airy laugh. "I didn't really need one though."

Jaehyun laughs in disbelief. "You look like you're dying of loneliness."

"Ooh, that's a big claim, Yoonoh."

"You say I keep to myself but what about you? You like hiding, don't you?"

You laugh. "Is this the part where I say we're nothing alike?"

He purses his lips, shaking his head in dismissal. He's just tired of chit-chat with someone who smells like she robbed a liquor store in Itaewon.

“You must think I’m some sort of selfish, vapid, work-obsessed overachiever,” you continue, tilting your head with a blank look in your eyes.

“Well, not exac—”

“But guess what? Your opinions are invalid, Jung Yoonoh. You’re just some chump from marketing. A very good-looking chump but still.”

Jaehyun swears under his breath as you fling your arms open in the same manner a speech-giving patriot fighting for freedom would. Unfortunately, the freedom struggle is private in this day and age, and you just smacked him in the nose instead.

You sigh deeply and he looks at you again, warily now as he holds his nose.

“You’re not exactly wrong either. I’m so empty. Like a bottle of soju with no soju. Could you bring me some?”

Jaehyun massages his temples and solidifies his resolve. He’s had enough stares from people on the sidewalk. With delicate concern, he holds you up with one arm around your waist, balancing your weight evenly so you can stand. Promptly, you bury your face into his neck and an embarrassing, high-pitched squeak evades the filter of his mouth. You’re just so adept at making his days (and nights) worse.

Jaehyun tries his best to carry you to the parking lot without any signs of struggle but good lord, are you uncooperative. Once he’s down lugging you to the passenger seat, he breathes out in relief at long last and makes sure you don’t fold in over yourself dozing off the seat. Getting you to sit up, he finds himself smiling the slightest bit at your smudged lipstick. Even like this, you’re quite pretty. 

Realizing what thought came over him, he shakes his head vigorously as if he’s committing a horrible crime. He just has to get you home—Soojin had texted him the address prior to the outing just in case—and then he can go back to pretending whatever he even is supposed to.

The sports event is really just HR and Management trying to one-up the other in a more quantitative way. You’re not really fond of the sweat and heavy breathing that comes with physical exertion if it’s for the sake of competition. Competition is such a childish, masculine way of handling things, especially emotions.

HR is leading in wins, however and that means you have something to rub in Jaehyun’s face. You hate participating but you’re not allowed to opt out without a medical certificate. At least one competition, and you had to choose the three-legged race. All these potential partners, and Dongmin had to choose you.

“I’ll win,” you tell Jaehyun, stopping by him once you exit the changing room. The indoor stadium is usually a recreational facility for senior employees but on sports day, it’s closer to a gladiator arena. The seats are green and occupied by grinning employees, most of them glad for a day off but also upset they don’t get to attend their personal affairs in it.

Jaehyun stops himself from rolling his eyes. “Shouldn’t it be a ‘we’? You need a partner. Oh, are you sad you can’t pick me?”

“Not at all.” You cross your arms, annoyed at his mock pity. 

Right then, Dongmin jogs up to you in a blue tracksuit. His hair sticks to his forehead because unlike you, he takes sports very seriously. Jaehyun, on the other hand, just seems to enjoy the competition. As a guilty pleasure, you’d like to see the two of them compete one day. That would be a competition worth betting on.

“I’ll have to borrow your soulmate.” Dongmin laughs. “The race is starting.”

Life strikes again with its poorly timed irony.

“Don’t mind me,” Jaehyun says politely.

The race is easier than you thought it would be considering most of the other employees struggle with teamwork. You’re the HR team for a reason. But then again, you feel a certain hollowness pervade you while you’re pressed to Dongmin’s side. Wouldn’t it be nice?

All you can think is that Dongmin and you are perfectly in sync. The realization comes off as sad despite your victory and the wide grins on both of your faces. 

Jaehyun purses his lips and gives the two of you a nonchalant look. He’s avoided getting caught in the changing room quite well. For some reason, he’s glad that you’re winning but also dissatisfied about it. He would certainly feel different if he were participating in that race, wouldn’t he? He would win. Losing a competition is a huge blow to his ego. Lately, he seems to be losing a lot of races. The two of you have been growing closer and he doesn’t mind late night discussions about flawed systems and childhood memories; but the fact that you’re growing on him is something for him to be on edge about. He’s never felt so close to someone, and still so far.

“Oh, they have good chemistry, don’t they?” Doyoung comments beside Jaehyun, before taking a sip from his bottle.

“What chemistry?” Jaehyun snaps and Doyoung almost chokes on the water.

“Chill out, man.” Doyoung eyes Jaehyun’s figure in concern. “She’s like officially yours.”

Jaehyun refuses in a series of sputtering responses. “That’s not what I meant. I’m not jealous. I’m not that kind of man.”

“I didn’t paint you as that kind of man either,” Doyoung mutters before speaking up. “But love, Jaehyun. Love’s a weird thing.”

Jaehyunn ignores his comment and walks down to the grounds, jogging up to you. He immediately forgets to say anything at all. Smooth move, Yoonoh.

You just stick out your tongue at him subtly.

“I told you we’d win,” you say.

Jaehyun crosses his arms. “Congratulations. I thought you, quote, hate this stupid competition for dunces.”

You clear your throat and Dongmin laughs beside you. Before he can offer his bottle, Jaehyun offers his own in a rush. You raise an eyebrow but don’t question it.

“You guys really are a perfect pair.” Dongmin laughs. “Sometimes I wish Mijoo was my soulmate.”

You give him a pitiful smile. There go your happy feelings of victory.

“But I’m happy this way.” Dongmin nudges your shoulder with his. “Don’t give me that look.”

That is not the look he thinks you were giving. You smile. 

“What about this? We can go on a double date! Those are fun, right?” Dongmin muses, crossing his arms.

“No,” you and Jaehyun refuse in a panic, and Dongmin blinks in confusion at the overwhelming response.

“I'm more of a homebody,” you explain.

“Yeah, me too,” Jaehyun agrees.

It makes Dongmin laugh aloud. “Oh, fate didn’t go wrong with the two of you.”

Your smile wavers. Did it go so wrong with you and Dongmin? Jaehyun’s hand brushes yours and you look at him. A perfect side profile and flushed hot cheeks with dimples to die for. You wouldn’t mind being in love with him. You don’t mind love much at all. 

Shaking off the thought, you watch as Dongmin leaves the two of you to run to the changing rooms. Eyeing Jaehyun’s red team sweatshirt with “Management” in big typography over the chest, you look back up to his face. 

“Why did you jog over here so desperately?” You wiggle your eyebrows. “Jealous?”

“Yes. I am irreparably in love with you.”

He leans in quickly and you flinch, making his dimples show up.

“Asshole,” you curse. “I’ll file you for harassment. Don’t do that again.”

“Isn’t it harassment when you feel me up while you draw—” Jaehyun leans in to whisper. “—the soulmark?” 

“I would never have my hands near your greasy existence if I could,” you huff, scandalized. 

But the thing is, Jaehyun is getting better at this game of flustering each other and you don’t like it one bit.

“Hey, you know Dongmin’s girlfriend?” he asks suddenly. 

You nod. “Kind of. I’ve seen her pictures on Instagram.”

Jaehyun pauses before humming in realization.

You cough. “Not that I was stalking them or something. Obviously.”

Jaehyun gives you a knowing smile but doesn’t question anything, much to your aggravation. It would’ve been better if you had a chance to prove you weren’t stalking them but then again, that is exactly what you were doing.

“Well, we went to the same college. Same major too.”

“Are you serious? Wait, how do you know? Does this mean you stalked their Instagram too?”

“Too?”

“Shut up.”

There’s a beat of silence. 

“She’s not exactly the evil homewrecker type,” he says.

“I know that,” you snap. If anything, you feel like the evil homewrecker even if Dongmin’s supposed to be your soulmate.

They’re so reckless. Jaehyun was right—you do blame them in a way. They don’t care who they trample under their nauseating parade of romance. But then again, that parade is better than a personal rejection.

“I’m just saying… don't hold it against them.”

“I don’t remember asking for advice, Jung Yoonoh.”

Jaehyun shrugs, dropping the issue. The preparations for the next race is starting and it has something to do with passing balls from basket to basket—you get bored already when you see Doyoung stretch before shaking hands with Taeyong.

“Wanna get ice-cream? We funded the food truck this year.” Jaehyun looks expectantly at you.

“Sure.” 

You contemplate holding his hand for a moment but let that thought bury itself. You don’t have to pretend right now. 

Much to your despair (or delight) however, Jaehyun takes your hand absentmindedly as he walks towards the exit. It’s not that you’ve never held hands before, it’s just that Jaehyun’s skin is soft against yours.

“I can’t believe you and Mijoo were in the same course.”

It seems she’s ahead of you in every direction you look to tread on. Of course, you will not be telling Jaehyun that. You don’t exactly feel jealousy—can’t feel jealousy when your life is perfect as it is. And for Jaehyun? You hate to admit it but you’d trade places with Mijoo any day.

“Well, she didn’t really like socializing back then so I didn’t know we were in the same program either.”

You chuckle, glancing down at your intertwined fingers despite your best efforts. It feels nice like this. It feels nice to be wanted by someone—even if it’s a lie.

“Do you think- Do you think they’re brave?” You ask. “They didn’t even hesitate to disregard the system.”

“I think people in love are always brave.”

You hum, looking down at your feet. All the more reason the system fucked up. You were never even supposed to be partnered up. You’re not brave—the face you put on is. The idea of love seems to get further and further away from you.

Just then, Jaehyun tugs at your hand, walking slightly faster and making you complain as you jog to catch up with his long strides. The food truck is fairly large, on the street outside to the stadium entrance. February is catching up with its heat and you curse at global warming for this hot winter day.

“You can take up to five scoops of different flavours,” he informs you, grinning sheepishly. “I guess the cups aren’t large enough for beyond that.”

“I didn’t know you were this passionate about ice-cream,” you say.

“Sicheng rubbed off on me.”

You laugh. IT must have given Sicheng enough stress to develop a sweet tooth. You love the HR Department when you look at the others in your company.

Jaehyun has a nice smile. You don’t know why you think that but you do and now you can’t focus on anything apart from the pink dust sprinkled over his cheeks and the handsome dimples that accompany. You don’t want to stare but clearly, Jaehyun must have been blessed by some divide being if not for fate. Maybe he’s a mess up like you. As far as you know, his soulmate doesn’t exist. That little red heart is so simple that none of the soulmate designs match it.

A rather repulsing part of you is happy about it. You like the feel of Jaehyun’s hands. You like the way he looks at you. You wouldn’t mind it if he were yours.  

Jaehyun’s house is as cosy as his mother makes you feel. It’s been a while since you’ve been home and if you were perhaps less emotionally constipated, you would have tears welling up in your eyes. There’s quite a few relatives too but then again, every Asian family jumps at the chance to celebrate something as mediocre as engagements and marriage and soulmate findings. Apparently, hormones are perfectly fine to them once you’re not teenagers anymore.

This isn’t so bad. What was so scary about meeting parents again? Jaehyun’s dad did challenge you with a questionnaire but lucky for you, you know exactly how interviews work. You’ve got enough information on Jaehyun from the man himself for this visit. The briefing he gave you was boring though; you already know what you need to know about Jaehyun.

You sit at the table, while most of the other guests work in the kitchen. Jaehyun’s mother asks you questions about your life, friendly and welcoming in every way possible. Mothers are truly god-sent. You wonder how she produced someone as far from divine as Jaehyun. (Except in looks, perhaps.)

You say that out loud and get a sharp quip from Jaehyun, his mother’s eyes lighting up at your childish interaction.

“Oh my, fate is never wrong!” She remarks with a wide smile. “I’ve never seen Jaehyun open up so much with anyone before. He was such a shy boy in school, you know? All the girls would send letters and confessions and he would just turn red in the face.”

“Mom.” He smiles all too sweet at her but you can see the panic in his eyes.

She rolls her eyes before turning to you. “Darling, you have no idea how proud I feel to see him this at ease. I was honestly getting tired of all the ‘your son is so polite and well-mannered’ comments. Some bickering ought to do him good.”

“Mom,” he repeats, straightening. “I think auntie needs some help setting up the table.”

“Don’t shoo me away yet. I have to tell (name) about the time you were elected class representative in middle school. And all those sports and acting awards.”

“You don’t have to advertise me, Mom,” he says, dropping his face into his hands to rub at his eyes, already growing tired. “I’m already- I’m already hers.”

His mother coos and apart from the expected deep red flush on Jaehyun’s skin, you find yourself feeling hot in the face too. Jaehyun’s aunt calls for his mother right then and you watch as she makes her way to the kitchen entrance, the two women glancing at you and giggling to each other over some shared words.

Jaehyun takes the opportunity to grab your hand and walk away to a more obscure part of the house upstairs. With significantly less relatives, it should be a good hiding spot unless discovered by his giggling cousins that he refuses to introduce you to. 

“Aw, what a shy baby,” you coo, smiling at the thought of a younger, easily-flustered Jaehyun.

His ears are bright red and you think that he’s still easily flustered. He just doesn’t show it much anymore—there’s only one dead giveaway.

“Forget everything my mom said,” he instructs. “It’s not important information.”

“Oh, no, darling. Your mother is a gold mine of vital information. You know what? I’m going to go chat her up right now. I’m sure you were quite the teenage dream I should know about.”

Jaehyun grips your wrist before you can escape, pulling your closer.

“Don’t.”

You don’t know if it’s the proximity or the fact that there are most definitely a few family members that could walk in right now—but you find yourself embarrassed as you look at his face. It’s very pleasant, handsome even, and the strands of his hair look irresistibly soft from this distance. You reach your hand out and brush the hair out of his eyes, almost instinctively. 

“You have nice eyes, Jaehyun,” you say out loud, not sure why. He doesn’t fluster this time but it makes you all the more aware of your nearness.

Your eyes glance at the bottom of the staircase to see a little girl, around nine, hiding from behind the wall that separates the dining room and the kitchen. You return your gaze to Jaehyun with a smirk.

"We should kiss right now. Your little cousin's watching."

Jaehyun looks mildly disgusted. "Why would I want to kiss you in front of my cousin?"

You roll your eyes. “You don't get it, do you? The fastest way to convince a family is through rumours.”

Jaehyun raises an eyebrow. "So?"

"Oh my god, you're an idiot. Nosy cousins are the most effective way to spread rumours."

"Ah." Jaehyun looks enlightened enough for you to continue.

"Okay, but first you need to have these mints." You take out the emergency mints from your purse.

"What? I don't need mints. I have nice smelling breath.”

"Everyone needs mints, Jaehyun. Especially men."

Jaehyun sighs heavily. You take the opportunity to grab his wrist and pull him into a corner. 

"Have this mint or else."

You hold his face between your thumb and forefingers, cheeks squishing under the pressure as you force a mint in. He lets you do it for some reason, looking lost as he gazes at you. 

You raise an eyebrow. "Oh my, you're enjoying this. Pervert."

"Wha—what? You have to stop thinking you're hot shit, oh my god. I just got distracted for a bit."

"By me, right?"

"No! I just zoned ou—you're enjoying this."

You bite down your smile but a giggle escapes you anyway. Jaehyun rolls his eyes though he smiles, looking far too close to irresistible when his dimples show.

"You can't keep teasing me," he says, voice low.

"I've been doing it for two years. I'm pretty sure I can do it for at least two more."

Jaehyun scoffs, laughing at your statement. "You know what? I'm going to get back at you from now on. I've been so lenient."

You snort before pressing the back of your fingers to your nose. "You? You're going to get back at me? You’re good at lip service, Jaehyun."

“Huh. You might be right about that.”

There's a beat of silence and you look at him expectantly. In the next beat of your heart (or lack thereof), he cups your cheeks and presses his lips to yours, surprising the life out of you as your back hits the wall. It's not just a touch either, his mouth moves over yours and when your knees feel weak, you reluctantly admit that the rumour about Jung Yoonoh being a good kisser is true. Maybe his body count isn't a lower-end single digit after all.

He pulls apart with a short smile tugging at his lips. "Satisfied?"

You sputter out a response before clearing your throat. “I- I don’t think anyone really saw us in this corner.”

Jaehyun makes a low humming sound. “Or you could just say you want me to kiss you again? I know I’m a good kisser.”

“Fuck off.” You punch his chest, eliciting a quiet grunt from him.

You move away from him, peeking from behind the wall. Oh, she saw it alright. The giggling gives it away and the fact that a few more younger cousins have gathered. This is ridiculous. The fact that you wouldn’t mind more is even worse.

You turn back to Jaehyun with steel-set eyes. “No more kissing. Ever. Never again. Kissing is officially banned.”

Jaehyun looks perplexed. “I thought that was a good kiss. Did you not enjoy it? What do you mean no kissing?”

“And I take it back.” The heat on your face is still burning steadily. 

“Oh, I see. You liked it so much that you’re embarrassed.”

“You’re such a pain in the ass.”

“So I’m right?”

You roll your eyes and quickly walk down the stairs, a few words of complaint left hanging in the air as Jaehyun follows behind, stumbling over the steps.

Jaehyun likes how comfortable this is. He doesn’t mind glaring daggers at each other but this is fun too. It’s like he doesn’t have to be careful about the lines he might be crossing—there aren’t any damn lines at all. He can’t call it love, at least not by definition, but something is there. Something that is solid enough and heavy enough. Something he would be ready to hold on to.

You laugh at a joke Jaehyun’s dad makes. A family is the only place to feel at home. It might not be yours but maybe at the end of the night, you can convince them to disown Jaehyun and adopt you as their child instead. His cousins seem to be interested in the same things you were as a high schooler and it surprised you. Your job lets you advise the older cousins in a fairly friendly fashion. The little ones seem to like your dress and you find them far too adorable with their pink cheeks and dimples, much like Jaehyun’s. Speaking of which, he definitely got them from his dad. You look around and wonder how Jaehyun has so many female cousins and not an inkling about how women work. 

It doesn’t hurt anymore that Dongmin discarded you so recklessly.

He’s wrong. Jaehyun’s wrong. It doesn’t hurt—didn’t hurt right now at the very least. When Jaehyun kissed you, you didn’t think of Dongmin or his girlfriend or anyone else. You thought that Jaehyun’s skin is somehow always the right temperature. 

You shake your head. Jaehyun drives your getaway car and you shouldn’t get too comfortable in its worn-out leather seats. This shouldn’t be any different to you; you aren’t supposed to find love in every corner. This was all a survival instinct. 

The more stories Jaehyun’s mother shares with you over dinner, the more you find it comfortable to be here. You don’t feel this welcome in your own apartment (although, there isn’t exactly anyone else living there but you and the goddamn pigeon that wakes you up at six in the morning). The more the night progresses, the more you want to believe in this lie. Jaehyun glances at you from time to time, his gaze neither uncomfortable nor harsh and you smile at him when he does. Right now, there is no loneliness and the air is warm and smells of freshly cooked food; the way familial love works is such a mystery. You feel content.

“Why are we doing this again?” you lean in and ask Jaehyun, eyes focused on the TV as he tries to fix it.

“Because I need to get out of work, and fulfilled soulmates get a day off on Valentine’s day.”

You nod. “Your apartment kind of stinks. I feel sorry for Sicheng.”

“This is clean,” he defends, pointing at the lack of any visible mess in his room. His work table, however, has too many items scattered over it to be called neat. There’s a fairly large TV attached to the wall and you’re a little jealous about it. You only ever watch shows on your (quite beloved albeit small) laptop. The blinds aren’t fully closed, the evening city lights trying their best to pry their pervasive fingers in and add something more to the peach hue of Jaehyun’s room.

The doorbell rings just in estimated time for food delivery, a sigh leaving your mouth along with a ‘finally’. His place is strangely comfortable and much less of the war zone that you expected. There’s no reason to feel awkward, really, or even the bubbling in your stomach. You’re not seventeen, in your crush’s house. Jaehyun isn’t even someone you like that way.

It’s just two friends hanging out and watching a movie and doing other friendly activities. Two friends hanging out on Valentine's day. Two friends who have kissed more than once.

What do lovers do anyway?

This thing with Jaehyun has turned into clandestine smiles at the office building, subtle texts of ‘did you eat?’ and ‘good morning, idiot’, racing hearts at brushing hands on the occasional off-work hangouts (you refuse to call them “dates”) and overall, a lot more pink hearts floating over his head when you see him. It’s positively appalling. 

You don’t mind it one bit.

“Happy Valentine’s Day!” The delivery man wishes as he leaves and you feel a sudden rage bubble up in you. 

“Ah, does he think every couple celebrates Valentine’s day? And just because we’re in the same apartment means we’re a couple? Wow.” You cross your arms, scoffing. “Who’s he to wish me?”

“Why… Why are you getting mad?” Jaehyun asks quietly, slightly confused.

You glare at him, your anger not quite dissipated and walk back into his room, placing the box of confectionaries on the bedside table with a loud thud. Jaehyun follows, placing the drinks rather clumsily beside it. He gives you one last look of concern before settling down on his bed.

You let out another huff of complaint.

"Does everything have to be heart-shaped?"

You stare at the nauseating display of baked goods delivered in a pretty heart-shaped box. The brownie is in a clear plastic box that has a tiny bouquet of hearts atop it, the coffee cups have heart stickers around the rim, and the pastry itself is heart-shaped or rather, two halves of a heart. One of them is strawberry pink and the other chocolate brown.

“You seem… suddenly fired up,” Jaehyun comments quietly.

You don’t really care if you look crazy to him right now; he’s already seen the worse parts of you. You’re just so annoyed at all this red and pink that was delivered. Aren’t cafes supposed to stick with that beige-cream palette? 

While you contemplate, Jaehyun tears the little sugar packet and attempts to open the lid of the cup at the same time, your blood pressure rising at the sight because you were half sure he’d spill the drink. After much difficulty, he shakes the packet trying to get just enough sugar but of course, like the clumsy oaf he is, he misses almost entirely, spilling sugar over his coffee table. It’s oddly endearing but that’s a thought you’ll keep to yourself.

He turns to you with a sheepish grin and you give him a look of distaste.

“You are a sorry excuse of a person, Jaehyun.”

“Look me in the eye and tell me you wouldn’t mess this up.”

You turn to look him in the eyes, the honey shade alluring under warm apartment lights. They really are pretty. 

“I, and every other sane human being, would not mess up adding sugar to a cup of coffee.”

“You faltered for a moment there.”

That was not the reason you faltered. You roll your eyes and look away, taking a sip of your drink and sighing at the taste.

“How do you even like Americanos? Don’t you like a bit of cream and sweetness?”

 “I don’t really care for bitterness,” he answers.

“Wow, you must be a masochist.”

“And it’s quite obvious you’re a sadist.”

You snicker. “That makes us quite the pair.”

“I would like that sentence in a non-BDSM context, thank you.”

Jaehyun turns on the TV and the Netflix logo animation pops up. You raise an eyebrow at his ‘Continue Watching’ list, eyeing Bridegerton and Sweet Home, and wondering if he could be any more of an enigma. You can’t possibly figure him out at this point. You groan when he picks a title.

“Ugh. Do we have to watch a romantic comedy?”

“What? They’re funny. And I thought you liked those 2000’s movies.”

You believed in unicorns and sock goblins and love back then too. These days, you hate to see other people in love, especially when it’s fake. The movies you loved are now the movies you hate. The couples you eyed with delight at parks and cafes are now the bane of your existence. In fact, you’d go as far as to say that you enjoy the digital fireworks from a couple having a massive online breakup. Things falling apart are entertaining when it’s not happening to you.

You purse your lips. Can't you see other people happy without wanting to tear it down for yourself?

“Fine. But I’ll pick the 2000’s romcom.”

Jaehyun shrugs and hands over the remote. You see Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds on the poster and click on it immediately. The Proposal has a good enough comedy to romance ratio, in your opinion.

“I’m kind of surprised you came,” he says quietly.

“Why?” You raise an eyebrow. “Is it because of the suggestive nature of visiting someone’s apartment on Valentine’s day? Did you think we’d be doing something… more fun?”

You lean in and bat your eyelashes suggestively, although you’re clearly joking.

“I think you should know better than to get mouthy with me,” he answers as he leans in further, making your heartbeat hike at the proximity. Maybe he’s figured you out. Wouldn’t it be so nice to figure each other out at the same time—like puzzle pieces fitting together?

You move away from him. “Well, it’s not like I can go anywhere else. And I didn’t want to stay in my own apartment.”

“Maybe you enjoy my company?”

“Look, I would be sipping my coffee at a perfectly aesthetic cafe if it weren’t Valentine’s day.”

He raises an eyebrow at your nonsensical declaration and you sigh, trying to explain yourself.

“Cafes just terrorize the single folk on Valentine’s day. You should always go with Netflix,” you say.

“And chill?”

“Do you even know what that means?”

“As I’ve told you so many times, I am not stupid.”

You inhale, an idea presenting itself.  

“Hey, since we’re technically a couple, shouldn’t you be sharing your Netflix password with me?” you ask, pressing your lips into your cutest smile.

“No.”

“You’re so stingy,” you mutter. It was worth a shot.

Jaehyun laughs, your hand reaching out to poke his dimples but you stop yourself. You weren’t supposed to get this comfortable. This wasn’t your place to be. Lost in thought, the moving screen leaves you unfazed and you can’t look at him anymore. However, Jaehyun reaches out right then and wipes at the space beside your lips, your focus lifting from the beginning scenes of The Proposal and latching onto Jaehyun’s lips.

There’s a pause, your head clearing itself of thoughts when you make eye contact with him. Soft hair, doe eyes, full lips and dimples—he’s so damn attractive, it hurts your existence. Does he have to be this close to you? You have mixed feelings about that look in his eyes.

“Can I kiss you?” he whispers suddenly.

“Yes,” you answer.

If you look from a rational point of view, you should not have said that. You should have said anything but that. But you don’t want to think right now. Jaehyun’s touch is warm over your skin as his hand rests under your jaw and the other on your waist.

You should not have said that. But you feel loved.

Somewhere along, you find yourself parting only to kiss again, the feeling of skin so delightful in a way you’ve never experienced. Your shirt hikes up and you see Jaehyun eye the little heart with the arrow—the sign you so despised with a gentle smile.

“It’s pretty,” he whispers.

It’s pretty but it isn’t his. He doesn’t have to look at you like that—he’s come a long way from nervous glances and now he’s the one making you nervous. Just say it isn’t love and it will be alright.

You part, sobering up for a moment and you disentangle your limbs to sit at the side of his bed.

“What’s- What’s wrong?” Jaehyun whispers.

You exhale.

“All my life, I wait and when it comes, it’s all wrong,” you say, staring at your lap. Self-pity is the most disgusting kind of pity to feel. You’re past crying at things like this. You’re past crying for an ounce of romance, every time you listen to a love song on the radio or look at an Instagram post of a couple or pass by lovers on the sidewalk content with each other. You don’t even have cats to return home to. Modern loneliness is wearing you down but you can’t believe in fairytales anymore.

He scoffs, smiling bitterly. “I don’t even know if this is worth losing my dignity over.”

“Jaehyun—”

“We can’t pretend anymore—I can’t pretend anymore,” Jaehyun exhales. “I want you enough to forget the system. Give me an answer. Please.”

You don’t mind forgetting the system right now. Jaehyun’s lips are always the right temperature; the warmth of his body seeps through his shirt as you press yourself to him in a hug. He’s perfect and right now, you want to believe he’s perfect for you—even if he isn’t, you want to believe it into existence.

You cup Jaehyun’s cheeks, unsaid emotion in his doe eyes, and kiss him. This time, you mean it with every ounce of your being. There’s no more flustering each other, just the hot flush of intimacy when you feel skin that doesn’t burn you. It’s just the right feeling. There’s no way this can be wrong. 

Aren’t you getting ahead of yourself? You wish the voice would pipe down. It’s a coward, fearing fate just as everyone else does. But you are better than that, and this feeling is too enjoyable to let go. You don’t want this to fade.

Just then, Dongmin’s face comes to mind and you think that maybe if you kiss someone else with all you have, you don’t have to think of your shortcomings ever again.

Jaehyun pulls apart and you miss the warmth.

“You’re not… You’re not thinking of me, are you?” he asks. 

You don’t answer, even if the silence is overwhelming.

“I’d rather not have you close your eyes and think of someone else when I’m in front of you.”

“I’m sorry” is all you can say.

“You can at least pretend to love me.” His voice is a hoarse whisper. “Could. It’s not like this was ever supposed to work out.”

You gulp, looking away. “Jaehyun, come on. That’s not like you. We were- we were just… having fun.”

He takes a deep breath. “It hurts to not be wanted by someone you want. You know that. So why are you doing this to me?”

Because misery likes company.

“I’m sorry.”

It seems the phrase you barely uttered when you were younger is tumbling out of your lips in a mixture of grief and pity. Perhaps it’s karma. Perhaps it’s fate. Perhaps it’s just the consequences of your mistakes.

Jaehyun parts his lips, a sigh departing. He leans in again, pushing away all of his thoughts. A little more hurt won't kill him tonight. How and when did you bring him down to his knees?

However, he's stopped by your hands against his shoulders, his lips hovering over yours.

"Let's stop," you say. "You're right."

"Isn't this what you wanted?"

“I don’t- I don’t know. I don’t know anymore.”

You wish you could be brave enough to burn the instruction pamphlet from destiny. But right now, you need to get away from Jaehyun, away from any more misery business.

“I’ll get going,” you say, gathering your stuff. 

Jaehyun hesitates but doesn’t stop you. He would never stop you, can’t stop so how could he even dream of stopping fate? This can never work out. It felt right in the moment but you don’t know anything more than that. You can’t close your eyes and pray everything disappears. No one else will solve your problems for you, you know that.

It’s time you start fixing the mess you made. You leave with a polite goodbye and hear a loud sigh behind you once the door is closed. Blinking away the urge to walk back in, you take long and quick strides to the elevator. You’re going to fix this.

Maybe if Lady Gaga’s ‘Poker Face’ wasn’t blasting at full volume at this stupid office party, you could be thinking a little straighter.

He was right. You can’t pretend anymore. There were thousands of ways this could have gone better. You didn’t have to pretend to be soulmates when you’re not. You could’ve discarded your belief in the whole system like Dongmin and Mijoo and dated someone out of spite. You didn’t have to drag Jaehyun into your sorry mess. You need to take out the nail you hammered into your own foot.

It’s the first time you’ve visited the rooftop restaurant from the company’s subsidiary chain of high-end restaurants but you imagined it would be bigger. It’s the news’ fault for making this place seem like a football field. However, you might be feeling that way because the distance between you and Jaehyun is suffocatingly small as is the distance with Dongmin. You don’t need to see Jaehyun tonight.

You don’t intend to make your confession a public affair and you certainly don’t believe in tack things like atonement. However, improvement begins with a step in the right direction. Maybe you’ll be a better person after this. Maybe you’ll still be as annoying and pushy as ever. You need to get it off your chest so you can proceed with the already tedious journey that comes with a soulmate rejection. You wonder why there’s so many man-made laws about soulmates when fate has made it complicated enough as it is. Love is the same as legalese when it comes to this system.

You flit about the crowds, smiling and greeting people and swerving away from Jaehyun every time he tries to approach you. You’re trying to make a good decision for once. He better not intrude. You’re wearing pink too, for the first time in a while: a satin shirt, pants and blazer set in dull pink.

“Dongmin,” you say, pulling him by the sleeve of his blue tux, and away from the rest of the HR team. “I have to show you something.”

“Hm? Show me?” He blinks at you. 

You get him to follow you to the inside the premises, stopping when you’re far into a 

“Uh?” Dongmin looks around before leaning in to whisper. “You’re not plotting to murder me, are you?”

You blink, and he laughs at you incredulously. “Why are you so serious?”

“I was lying,” you rush. “With Jaehyun. He’s not my soulmate. You are.”

Dongmin blinks in confusion. “Are… you joking? That was a weird joke but it could pass as funny—”

“Dongmin.”

You pull out your shirt from your pants, exposing the tattoo on your hip. It’s the little arrowed heart that has been plaguing you for years but now when you look at it, you feel no animosity. After all, it’s been through the same things you have. 

Dongmin’s face falls into stunned silence, eyes fixated on your waist.

“That’s- That’s my—what is this?”

Russian roulette is certainly not the same without a gun.

“I lied, Dongmin,” you answer, fixing your shirt back in. “I was so afraid of your rejection that I made an even larger fool of myself.”

His initial shock seems to have partly subsided.

“You… Why didn’t you tell me?” He looks momentarily hurt.

“You have Mijoo, Dongmin. I can’t ruin something like that.”

A love that doesn’t need fate to fix it.

Dongmin glances away in guilt and sighs, though the sound is croaky. This must be more than what he can take.

“I’m sorry,” he says, haltingly. “I hurt you, didn’t I? When I thought I was being brave, I hurt you instead.”

You smile bitterly. “We all hurt someone, Dongmin. I still have to fix that one for myself.”

He scans your face, lips trembling slightly as unspoken words die on them.

“We’ll tend to the legal stuff later, hm? No compensation. We can file a mutual rejection.”

“But—”

“Shh. I’m happy enough as coworkers and I get paid more than enough for this job. Might get a promotion soon too.”

You wink at him with an added finger gun, trying to play it cool. Despite everything, a weight feels lifted from your shoulders. Now that you are truly alone, you might as well embrace this growing loneliness crawling under your skin. Discomfort could be something you can get used to. 

When you get back to the warmly lit rooftop, the HR team looks at you curiously. You have the most self-destructive thought you’ve had in a while and tell yourself, you might as well if you've come this far. This is it. This is your social death. Honesty is the best policy, unfortunately.

“Dongmin and I have the same soulmate mark,” you announce. “We’re soulmates but we’ll sign a mutual rejection.”

Doyoung looks almost like he’ll faint and Soojin’s mouth is so wide open, you could practice throwing some mini basketballs in. This is your team—almost a second family, and it’s time you stop trying to hide yourself or disguise your feelings as something they’re not. They’ll get over it, as will you.

“J-Jaehyun?” Soojin looks to your side and you turn to find Jaehyun frowning.

“You could’ve discussed this with me,” he says, an odd sound of relief in his laugh. 

It hurts to look at him but you muster up your strength.

“I’m sorry,” you say, facing him. “I didn’t want to drag you into this hell with me.”

Into this loveless hell made for you.

“(name).”

It’s so painfully quiet in this corner; there are so many eyes on you and only the hurt taking shape in Jaehyun’s eyes knock some sense into you. 

“I’ll leave first,” you say, bowing as you take your leave.

You brisk up your pace and exit the venue as quickly as you can and into the building corridor.

Unfortunately for you, you recognize the pair of footsteps that follow you—both of them having their timings wrong. Boys don’t chase after the girl when she’s walking away. Boys should leave a girl alone when she feels like she’s about to cry.

You turn to face two men and groan internally. This is the worst possible situation—you’d rather crawl into a hole than look at either of them. The corporate light shines harshly on either of their faces but the look on them is so earnest, you want to close your eyes and scream. You don’t mind being alone. You were overstepping when you wished you weren’t.

“(name),” Dongmin starts. “I’m sorry it turned out this way. If you’d told me, we could have talked this out.”

A light scoff leaves Jaehyun and Dongmin purses his lips. It’s kind of funny watching both of their tall frames in hesitant postures and you cross your arms. You’re going to deal with this quickly like you always should have. If you’re dealing with fate, you need to have a clear head—and fortune doesn’t favour fools. Being with Jaehyun was nice but he is not yours. Dongmin may have been assigned to you but you’d rather not ruin someone’s relationship.

“What would we have talked about?” you ask. “Compensation charges? Apologies?”

You see a hint of positivity on Jaehyun’s face and turn to face him, frowning.

“And you. Don’t look so smug. You’re the reason I realized this crap. It hurts. Like hell.”

He opens his mouth but no words come when he’s far too taken aback. He can’t offer consolation now, not after everything. You knew this would happen. You would undoubtedly end up wishing you didn’t fall in love with him on the day you leave.

“(name). Listen to me,” Dongmin calls again, voice gentle.

Jaehyun sighs. “We’re both fucking this up, dude.”

Dongmin takes a sharp breath.

“You know, soulmates can be platonic,” he reasons, looking only at you. “People are made for each other differently and maybe you and I—”

“You’re just making her feel worse,” Jaehyun cuts him off.

“How do you know that?” Dongmin asks, finally turning to him. “Because you’ve spent a month or two with her? I’m her soulmate.”

“I think a month or two is much better than a stranger with the same damn birthmark.”

“Oh come on,” Dongmin scoffs. “The system exists for a reason.”

“I don’t give a shit about the system. The same as your girlfriend—oh, sorry, did you forget about her already?”

“It’s not like that.” Dongmin quietens. “We’ll figure something out.”

You pinch the bridge of your nose. They’re worse than you are—honestly, you don’t know what you expected from the timid emotional maturity of men. Both of their polite facades have melted and you’re starting to miss their sweet-tempered work demeanour.

“Come with me,” Dongmin tells you.

He wraps his hand around your wrist and tugs, Jaehyun visibly tensing up at the gesture. He presses his tongue against his cheek in annoyance but refrains from doing anything rash. You feel sorry when you look at him.

“Dongmin,” you whisper. “Can we- can we have a moment?”

Dongmin nods in understanding and exits the hallway to cool off with a few splashes of water in the washroom.

“Would you go with him?” Jaehyun asks, jaw clenched. “An acquaintance as most? Are you willing to run into the arms of fate that you hated so much?”

He looks bitter and you can’t think of a sugar-coated response. You’ll just have to tell him how you feel.

“I need to sort things out, Jaehyun. This—”

You point from him to yourself.

“Couldn’t work out thanks to fate. Dongmin and I will never work out because he’s braver than I am. You know he’s doing all of that just so I don’t get hurt, right? He’s not suddenly in love with me.”

Jaehyun purses his lips, looking down to his feet. Is it so bad that he let jealousy get the best of his mouth? Envy isn’t so awful. He looks from your eyes to lips and wishes he were young enough to believe in fairytales.

“You don’t have to be brave,” he whispers. “You don’t have to be so brave to fall in love. You don’t have to be brave to stay with me.”

“We tried, Jaehyun. And we can’t cheat fate. That, at the very least, requires bravery.” 

You press your lips into a thin line. It hurts. It hurts so bad to look at him and face the consequences of this flawed design. It’s unfair. It’s unfair that you have to follow the rules even after trying your best to break them. 

“You wish you never met me, don’t you?” you whisper. “I made a mess.”

Before he responds, you bow in a short goodbye and walk towards the elevator. There’s no footsteps behind you, no Prince Charming. It’s just you and your high heels clacking against the cold marble as you head back to an empty home. You always thought freedom would feel different, that distance would give you perspective. It just feels awful when no one is around you at all. When you have no one to pick up morning calls from, receive texts from asking if you ate, spend time in peace without uttering a single word—are you free or are you lonely?

The rules state that the two of you are different. It is true. You are as different as love in real life and love in the movies; and neither of them have happy endings now.

You wish you drank some more last night if you were going to embarrass yourself like that. Thankfully, it’s the weekend and you have two more days to figure out how to face your coworkers. You frown when you think of Jaehyun. Were you wrong to tell him that you simply couldn’t choose him? What if fate is right and it falls apart? You stir your morning coffee, the will to drink it fading slowly. It’s already fallen apart—and it wasn’t fate who did that, it was you. Should you have taken his stupidly warm hands and asked him to follow you? You don’t understand how it works at all.

Centuries of questioning what love is, poking and prodding at it like a lab sample, and there’s still no perfect answer. Love is blind. Love is cruel. Love is a fever. Love is temporary insanity. Love is acceptance. Love will set you free. There’s just too many variations. You can never tell if fate is meant to make it easier or worse. 

No one questions you at the office and you're not sure if you’re glad or aggravated. Only Doyoung shoots you a pitiful look which you brush off and immediately get into work. Embarrassment is only real if you acknowledge it. However, every time Dongmin tries to talk to you, you ask for space and even alone in your thoughts, you don’t get it. They just have to drift to Jaehyun.

You wonder if what he said was true, that he wanted you enough to forget the system. It’s clearly ruined now. The spiral of thinking has you zoning out during work more often than not and even Doyoung ends up reprimanding you for your lack of focus. Sometimes you want to snap but other times, you’re just hopelessly reciting the events over and over in your head. This was supposed to happen, wasn’t it? You don’t even have the strength left in you to blame it all on Jaehyun.

You pace in the corridors after work, contemplating popping by the Marketing Department. What could go wrong? Sure, it was a little dramatic of you to leave like that but everything can be fixed, right? You groan. What you were supposed to be fixing, you made worse. Are your hands cursed or something? You shake your head, returning to your desk to gather your belongings and head home.

Unfortunately, the sight of Doyoung sitting in your chair alarms you and you stop a foot away. 

“If you’re going to reprimand me for watching cat videos instead of checking the employee records, I can assure you my efficiency is still top-notch.” 

“You’re—what? Never mind.” Doyoung shakes his head. “Can you give this ginseng pack to Jaehyun? I owe him.” 

Oh no. You know where this is going.

“You know I’m going to keep that for myself, right?” You make a face. “I’d rather die than face Jaehyun right now.”

Doyoung shrugs. “Who knows? Maybe he’ll be the one running to you. This is in case of an emergency.”

You give him a fake smile and Doyoung shakes his head. “Good to see you’re still great at pretending to be fine.”

You sigh. “Thanks for looking out for me, bossman.”

Doyoung blinks, hand covering his mouth when an audible gasp leaves him. “Woah. I think that’s the first time I’ve heard you thank me. But don’t call me bossman ever again.”

“Noted,” you say, taking your bag and leaving with a short goodbye. You’re lucky he lets you off work early, even if you never took it. Employees usually can’t leave until their superiors does and if you were a senior employee, you’d be giving your juniors quite the hell.

You seem to be good at concocting hellscapes. Perhaps, you should look for job openings in the underworld. One last thought of Jaehyun exits your head and you take the bus home, admiring the city you live in and the warmth of people and their relationships. You don’t feel jealous; you just bask in them for the time—be it a mother and her son or two bickering sisters or a lovely old couple. That’s how it’s meant to be, then. That’s how love works.

Jaehyun smacks his head against the sofa armrest for the fifteenth time in a row.

“Dude. You’re going to permanently ruin the fabric.” Sicheng says, eyes trained on his laptop screen.

“I should’ve said something more.” Jaehyun’s voice is so zombie-like, he thinks he should cast himself in the Train to Busan sequel as an extra.

“I’m glad I’m not you,” Sicheng mutters.

“Can you give me some sort of consolation, at least?”

“That’s not what I’m your friend for.”

Jaehyun sighs and resumes smacking the back of his head against the armrest. He really needs to figure this out. After all, he can’t really Google the solution to this.

“One thing doesn’t make sense,” Sicheng says, finally looking up from his screen. “Why do you have the same mark as (name)’s if you’re not soulmates?”

“You’re so incredibly—but adorably—stupid, Sicheng. She drew it in with a permanent marker. She kissed me too! It was sudden and weird but I didn’t mind it.

“Yikes.” Sicheng makes a face. “So… you didn’t take a shower for how long now?”

Jaehyun furrows his eyebrows. “What?”

“The ink hasn’t washed off. I heard you singing in the shower yesterday, how could you not have washed that off? Ugh. Don’t tell me you miss her.”

Jaehyun’s eyes widen as he jumps up and rushes to the washroom. Looking into the mirror, the tattoo poking out from his T-shirt resembles yours a lot more than his. The arrow is still drawn in. Jaehyun’s shoulder slumps. He doesn’t know what he was expecting. Turning the tap and letting the water flow, he wets his hand and rubs at his collarbone to remove the arrow.

Except it doesn’t budge. His skin turns painfully red from the rubbing but the ink, which usually washes off in less than five minutes has no intention of leaving. Did you use a different brand of marker the last time? When was it anyway? 

Jaehyun breathes out, firming his resolve. He needs to be with you.

Sicheng blinks in surprise as Jaehyun grabs his car keys, not even bothering to change from an all-black getup of a T-shirt and jeans like some emo teenager, and shuts the front door behind him. Not even a ‘goodbye, I’m leaving!’

Sicheng sighs. Love makes people crazy. He’s not falling into that trap when his soulmate literally doesn’t exist, the same as his soulmark. It seems the contestants in this game are full of exceptions.

You hit your head against your pillow. To visit Jaehyun or not to. You haven’t left your bed since you woke up around seven in the morning, and now it’s ten. Your bedsheets are a mess because you’ve rolled around too much on them (in despair, not with someone unfortunately).

You need the quiet sometimes to let your mind rest, to let your heart rest. You needed time. But maybe it’s been long enough and now you’re just searching for excuses to hold on to your last shred of dignity.

You lift your head up and glare at the box of ginseng on your table. Should you? You reluctantly get up, feeling a sting of pain in your back for lying in that awkward position for so long. Right when you’ve put on your slippers, the doorbell rings and you groan. How did the package you stress-ordered last night arrive so early? These deliveries are getting faster and faster.

You walk to the front door and open it thoughtlessly, freezing up at the sight. Your first reaction is to cover yourself. You’re not exactly your best-looking version at the moment. Jaehyun’s dark circles almost match yours but he’s better dressed than you are—in a black T-shirt and jeans while you’re wearing a Gudetama pajama set.

“We’re not just friends,” he blurts. “We’re not soulmates but we’re not just friends.”

“Huh? Oh my god, this is the most embarrassing I’ve looked.”

Jaehyun furrows his eyebrows in a question look. 

“That’s not important! Look—”

He pushes you inside, closing the door behind him. His hair is so disheveled and messy, he barely even looks like the same well-maintained marketing employee you know. 

Jaehyun tugs at his T-shirt, pulling down to reveal his tattoo—albeit with your marker-drawn arrow through it. He does have a pretty well-built chest, you note before chiding yourself for getting distracted.

You raise an eyebrow. “Do you, uh, need help scrubbing it off or something?”

“No.” Jaehyun lets out a huff of exasperation. “It won’t wash off. If it’s what I think it is—”

“Miracles don’t happen to people like us, Jaehyun,” you say quietly.

He gulps. “I don’t know about miracles but… I just needed an excuse to see you, I guess.”

You look up, a rose blush over Jaehyun’s bare face, and run your finger over the tattoo, sighing at the warmth of his skin. Your hand travels up to his cheek, resting atop it while you muster enough courage to look Jaehyun in his chocolate brown eyes.

You pull away. This isn’t the time. You still have an internal crisis to sort out. Are you even deserving of love? It makes much more sense if the answer is no. 

However, Jaehyun pulls you in by the waist, his right palm warm against your cheek.

“I don’t care what anyone says.” He runs his thumb over your cheek in a painfully fond manner. “You’re worth more than the price I pay for this.”

He leans in and presses his lips to yours swiftly, your head clearing of thoughts almost immediately. It feels so right, you can feel the spark, the red thread around your skin, hear the bells. This kiss was far more perfect than it was supposed to be.

You part, gasping. Jaehyun blinks at you, breathing heavily.

“Kiss me again.”

Jaehyun does as told and you might just believe in miracles this way. With his hand around your waist and in your hair, his lips over yours and the low rumbling laughter that parts the two of you—you might just believe in miracles. You might just believe that love isn't something you deserve by earning.

“I like this,” Jaehyun comments. “I like the way this is.”

You press your finger to his lips. “I think you should shut up and kiss me some more.”

Jaehyun rolls his eyes. “I know you’re sexually repressed as of now, but that’s no reason to take advantage of me.”

You scowl, punching him on the shoulder and moving away from him.

“Come back,” he complains in a quiet voice.

“I am not going to do that.” You cross your arms.

“Come on,” he mutters, inching closer as you inch away, till your back hits the couch and you tumble backwards onto it, your legs on the headrest. Jaehyun laughs at your position, leaning in to keep his hands on either side of you, a doting look over him.

“Hey, did you know if I kicked my leg up, it would hit you in the balls?”

“Please don’t do that.”

You giggle, Jaehyun’s nose rubbing against yours in a bunny kiss. 

“Is your place usually this much of a mess?” Jaehyun raises an eyebrow. 

You sigh heavily. “I was having a bad day, okay? Or… a bad weekend.”

“Do you even have food?”

You look away, crossing your arms. Jaehyun sighs and shakes his head.

“We should go grocery shopping. How do you live like this?”

You scoff. “Oh, spare me the lecture. I’ve heard enough horror stories about your room from Sicheng. You can’t hide from me by sweeping your clothes and belongings into his room.”

“Snitch,” he mutters under his breath.

You can’t help the giggle that erupts from your mouth and you immediately cover it. Jaehyun smiles at you fondly and you look away, unable to bear that gaze of his.

“It really won’t wash off, by the way,” Jaehyun states, scratching at his collarbone.

You narrow your eyes, smacking his arms away to roll off the couch. Taking his wrist, you walk into your bathroom and turn the tap on. Something’s strange. But also strangely right.

“Look, I already tried—ow! Don’t rub that hard!”

You blink in confusion, trying again despite Jaehyun looking like his soul already left him. It doesn’t work. Your marker isn’t even that permanent. At least his regenerating skin cells should get rid of that arrow. Unless the ink was deep enough to pierce all the layers, as in a soulmark.

You gasp.

“You were right!”

“I told you s—”

"That's the point, isn't it?" you say, realization dawning as your eyes widen. "To see if people will question the system at all."

Jaehyun shrugs. “Maybe.”

"Oh, all those unhappy marriages that could have been saved," you say as you exhale. 

Jaehyun chuckles lightly. "I think that the point was, people can be happy without their soulmates. It's whoever you make one out of. Or I Googled too many articles on anti-soulmate propaganda."

You smile, leaning in to press a kiss against his cheek. Watching his ears turn bright red is the cherry on top.

“Okay, fake-boyfriend-turned-real-soulmate.” You give him a cheeky smile. “Did you rethink your decision about sharing that Netflix password with me? I get the girlfriend free pass, right? Right?”

“I didn’t even share it with my mother.”

You whack his arm, him possibly used to it by now, judging from his lack of response. 

“Idiot.” You cross your arms. “We can Netflix… and chill then. God, I can’t believe I said that.”

Jaehyun breaks into a chuckle. “You’re so pushy.”

 “And you like being pushed around, nerd.”

“Who said that?”

Jaehyun wraps his arms around you, spinning you so that your back hits the door. He leans in to kiss you again and you smack your palm over his pouted lips. You laugh at his face, his eyes brimming with confusion.

“You’re in my apartment. I make the rules here. Think twice before you start a game with me, Mister.”

His shoulders droop. “Fine. Can you at least let me kiss you four times a day?”

“Five times, if you ask.”

He laughs before leaning in again. “Can I kiss you now?”

“Wasn’t it obvious?”

“You are one hell of a woman. Emphasis on hell.”

You laugh and grab his collar, pulling him in for the kiss that seals this deal.

You realize a few things in the moment: a) You don’t have to play roulette to find love, b) You don’t have to pick your poison to find love, and most importantly c) Love is right where you make something of it. Fate is still not in your good books but if it bends to you this way, you don’t mind at all. If Jaehyun kisses you like this every day, you don’t mind one bit. 

[raslolin]

(Y/n) = reader.

God creator = reader’s clone?

(Warning : it’s full of shit.)

I just got into this fandom and this cult creator god au. And this idea suddenly pops in my mind.

Because I don’t like them all worshiping the creator blindly and forgot what happened to their loved ones.

Just thinking about imposter (y/n) hit the characters with a hard reality.

Like “Why worship them so blindly? Did you forget about war?” Blah blah.

Kids aren’t safe from the reality either. (Y/n) bullies them lmao and kids aren’t nice in this au either, they throw shit at us.

I mean come on the creator are the highest of all the gods aren’t they? Why did war happen? Tradition? A nonsense one at least?

And (y/n) won’t just stop reminding them about the past and future. (Let’s just say reader’s a new player that already search the whole story and lore. And the game already finished.)

Let’s talk about characters view on the creator.

Especially Dainsleif we know his view on gods. So I don’t think he/abyss order/fatui will worship the creator.

Especially their past with Celestia. But what about the archons and their nations?

I think Liyue will blindly worship creator the most, no matter what they did. (It’s a cult literally.)

But soon will be hit with a reminder.

Zhongli is literally (y/n)’s victim. Will be hit with a Guizhong card.

“Why worship them when they’re the one that planned to kill her.”

Inazuma will be depending on what kind of people are they. If it’s Ei, I think her reason of worshipping is everlasting and her twin sister. It won’t be a cult like Liyue but more like a religion.

Mondstadt is a cult too like but a better one? They won’t kill you if you have the same face or similarities to the creator. It would be called as luck unless the creator said so.

Venti is a two faced twink bitch boy. The end.

(About other nations are up to your own imagination. We don’t have much hints/informations right now. So I won’t say anything about it. Unless the game update it’s next patch.)

And I don’t think the traveler (Lumine/Aether) will worship them. Ngl why some people made them worship the creator in this au when one of the creator’s people (sustainer of heavenly principles) literally attacked them and their sibling. And prison them between 500 years apart.

The abyss order will be more likely hate the creator and tried to kill every them at every step. That’s doesn’t mean they’re allies to (y/n) tho unless they make a useful tool of themselves. Having the same face can means death.

Fatui’s the same but however they probably less hostile to (y/n).

Childe will probably annoy (y/n) to death and it’s not a nice way. Literally he could be talking about blood gore rape and shit about what will happen to (y/n) if they decide to leave Fatui protections from the outsiders. Lucky (y/n), they can stop him by just saying his real name.

He won’t bother you anymore. That doesn’t exchange your guarantee safety (from him), still better than nothing right?

Now let’s talk about the creator themselves.

In my au this is the “real” creator and (y/n) the imposter.

I won’t make them a nice person who lives in lavender fields.

In a theorist’s theory. (It’s on YouTube. I forgot which one,sorry.)

Was said that about the unknow god (sustainer of heavenly principles) must be ordered by someone higher than her. Who is it? The creator, of course the one who created Teyvat possibly?

But I got other idea. What if the creator god is just a title they got from war? What if they’re able to hold other gods power? And the real creator is somewhere outside Teyvat. Or died during war but no one knows since they prefer identity to be a secret. (Remember Teyvat it’s a continent.) But in this case the real creator doesn’t look like (y/n) and have their own face. (No more clones okay.)

So who is this starved attention whore bitch then? Another unknown god who people wouldn’t know they exist until the war ended.

Only the higher ups/Celestia would know they aren’t the real one who create everything.

And that would explain in my au why everything is out of control.

It’s just a contract, this god just love attention and offerings until the real (y/n) comes.

(If any of you want part 2. Tell me ideas. I will open my inbox.)

[the-best-tomato]

Out of all my little au’s about pokemon, this is one of my favorites that I like to replay in my head from time to time.

It starts with the reader just suddenly ending up in the world of pokemon, doesn’t really matter how it happened, you just one day appear on a bench in Monostoke with a text message from god along the lines of, “Yeah, I kinda made a mistake bringing you here, but I can’t exactly send you back. Best I can do is give you a working ID and 500 poke dollars, good luck.” 

As a reasonable person, your only kinda majorly upset at the news of this, but realizing that your going to make the best out of your situation, so you quickly check up on where you exactly landed plot wise, only to find that you’re at just before the main plot starts. A new goal then presents itself to you, DON’T MESS UP THE PLOT. It’s a simple goal really, you don’t want to some how mess up someone catching Eternatus and have it go on to destroy the region, where would you live then, you can’t exactly afford a ticket out of the country at the moment. 

So you find a job in Wyndon, the last place that the protagonists go and find a job at a Battle Cafe. You find the job to be quite entertaining, watching people battle for seating while serving them sweets while business is slow, but when in the middle of a rush, you tend to zone out, barely being able to remember your regulars faces. This is also where Leon enters the picture. He’s your hundredth or so customer during the rush so you’re not paying too much attention any more, although you do find it odd the way he’s dressed, a face mask, grey hat and sweater to match. Then his order’s even stranger, just a small black coffee, no sugar or milk. He even refuses the free cookie on the side, what a weird guy. But because you’re rushing, you don’t leave much more to that thought and misspell his name on his coffee cup as Lee. 

The second time he comes along is when the end of your shift is nearing, and you’re tired from the rush that happened not too long ago. He comes in with the same outfit as before, minus the face mask, but very much wet from the rain outside. As you’re also cleaning up the shop however, you don’t really pay much attention to that fact, or to his face for that matter. But you do engage in small talk ranging from the rain, to pokemon battles that you both had recently seen to the strange news of pokemon gigamaxing outside of power spots and the wild area. 

You finally get him his drink after half an hour, the same black coffee from before, and when you ask him his name to write on the cup, he chuckles a bit, and says “Lee, just call me Lee.”

The third time he comes by is at the beginning of your shift, and this is the first time where you actually recognize him for who he is, the champion, Leon. Of course, not to make things too awkward, you just pretend you still don’t know who he is. He even asks you if you watch the gym challenge on tv, and you to save yourself, say no, you don’t even watch that much tv or follow any sports. 

This surprises Leon, but he’s quick to change the subject after that. Probably so you can both talk about something you would both know, but in the back of your head you can’t help but think that it was possibly because he just wanted someone to talk to that would treat him like a normal person, not the champion. 

You two hang out like this a bit more, at the starts and ends of your shifts a few times before another gym leader tags along, Nessa. Of course, when you take their orders, she tells you her name is Nessy, (Oh wow), but you all get along nicely. And when they leave you see her shove his arm in a playful, teasing matter.

This happens a few more times with various other gym leaders before Raihan follows Leon in. You begin chatting them up almost instantly, and you immediately get hit with Raihan openly flirting with you. Trying to keep your innocent and oblivious persona going, you out right ignore him doing so, and before too long you feel the tension in the room rise as you pour them both coffee, your back turned so you don’t see Leon absolutely staring daggers at Raihan. They leave shortly after you hand them their drinks, making you a bit confused in the end, as they had only been there for 5 minutes, and Raihan had stopped flirting after a few attempts of his had failed. 

This event probably would have caused you to worry a bit more, but literally the day afterwards, the darkest day occurred, and you got a few days off of work, before getting back to the grind. You realized after your second day back that Leon still hadn’t shown up, but with him still being the champion for a few more days, it wouldn’t surprise you if he was helping repair damages from the darkest day, and also trining to find Ex- Chairman Rose. 

It was in the newspaper, one of the days that you actually bought it as you walked to work. As you walked through the streets, ducking into an alleyway as a shortcut, the news caused you to short circuit for a second. 

Leon had once again kept his wining streak, getting to be champion for at least one more year. 

This wasn’t supposed to happen. As you struggle to figure out why this occurred, with your nose buried in the paper,  you bump into someone, and as you look up to apologize, you freeze, it’s Leon, in his champion attire at that. And when he looks at the paper you’re holding, seeing his face on the cover, his face contorting from happy to see you to... whatever that was, you run. 

He calls after you, but you run. You don’t know why.

You get on the train, stopping after 30 minutes because of a flock of wooloo, when it hits you.

You fell in love. And that happy little pretend bubble you both loved so much just popped. There couldn’t be anymore pretending anymore. You would have to talk to him eventually, if he even tried to talk to you. You would have to go back.

But ... you’re a coward, so you just called in sick.

Wandering around Hammerlocke, you pretended to be a tourist. Looking through all of the old buildings and structures is quite nice as you avoid any digital build boards with his face. You sit on a bench, looking out onto the wild area, when Raihan passes you by, on the phone. He takes a double take, before ending his call and turning back to you to say hey. 

He sits down, and talks about the view for a bit before asking you if you know who the champion is.

“Yes, yes I do.”

Tears begin to fall down your face, turning onto a flood, as Raihan tries his best to comfort you. You began to spill, that you had known for awhile now, but you didn’t want to bring it up because you didn’t want to make things awkward or disappoint him or lose him or-

“Oh Arceus, what happened?”

There he was, in the flesh, again. Leon. He looked disheveled, like he had run a marathon, yet he was still wearing his champion outfit from earlier. He rushed over to you, taking off and draping his cape over you as he asks if you’re alright. 

You aren’t alright, but you say yes as you continue to tear up and stare at the setting sun. 

Leon begins to say how sorry he is that he didn’t tell you that he was the champion, but with a soft murmur about how you’ve known for a while now. He quiets down, and as you two just sit there, not knowing what to say next, Raihan slips out of there. 

Not too long after, he takes you back to Wyndon by way of Charizard and you spend the night at his apartment in the city, just watching random shows you find on late at night. 

And when you make up in the morning, it’s to the news going on how the champion might have found someone else, rather than any challengers to give a champion of a time to, followed by what you could see of his phone. Hop and his mother, and a few other numbers sending a few variations of the text, ‘When did you get a girlfriend Mr. Workaholic!’

Oh... well at least you aren’t interfering with the plot anymore.  

[I’m sorry if it seemed a little rushed at the end, it’s my first time really writing down something like this, there were also a few plot lines I skipped in order for the story to be a bit more cohesive.]

[formidxble]

▸ 𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲: the 2 times bang chan tried to confess and the 1 time he almost did.

▸ 𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠: bang chan x female reader

▸ 𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: fluff and humor || CEO x Secretary AU

▸ 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭: 5.8k 

▸ 𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭: @meow-minho @bxngchxn @fairy-of-shampoos @hyunsluvv @bobateastay @http-hyxnjxn @poutypoutybin @fizzydrink698 @minniehohos @the7thcrow @vanishingboots​ @qtieskz @arohabangtan @willwriteforhugs @mbbykh @helpsplease @freckledquokka @jisungcherry @crazyoverghosts @changlix-mp4 @asweeetdisposition @lixesque

▸finally !! this took so long, but this takes place before the events of “my house” ! you don’t have to read this in order to understand “my house” and vice versa. i’d also like to say that chan in this fic is 28 years old !!! 

▸ before i forget, thank you for 900 followers! crazy how i posted “my house” as a gift for 500 followers, but now we’re here!! ahh, thank you! i hope you enjoy this, dear reader!

masterlist ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ my house

bang chan’s sure that he doesn’t believe in the concept of falling in love.

it’s not because of the bitterness that surrounded the concept itself, but he assumes it’s because of the position he’s in. while many think that being a CEO of the company entails many benefits, such as mansions, multiple cars, private jets, and tons and tons of women, he knows it’s actually the complete opposite.

maybe it’s because of his work-mindset that deters him from making meaningful relationships or maybe because he’s detached himself from everyone to guard whatever self-worth he still has. whatever the reason may be, he lays in his king-sized bed, alone, in a mansion that barely felt like home.

bang chan’s sure that he doesn’t believe in the concept of falling in love, but for some reason, as he stares at you from his office window, he’s sure he’s proved himself wrong.

he admits that he may have expected a firework or two or a grand celebration, but as he watches you tuck a hair strand behind your ear, he finally understands why people decide to throw themselves in the name of love with no plan, with no questions of how’s and why’s. the question is, is he ready to grab the opportunity, specifically the one that’s right outside his office?

his eyes follow you as you lean back on your office chair, huffing as you cross your arms in front of your chest before your eyebrows scrunch. chan chuckles softly and it’s got him wondering, for the nth time today, how he never noticed how your skin glowed despite being confined in a busy workplace. he’s never observed how pretty your fingers were when you grab a pen from the holder on your desk. and, maybe he was just blind all this time, but when has your hair looked this healthy and vibrant?

his stare is broken by the arrival of an employee who rests her elbows on your desk. chan watches how your eyes light up and how your lips curl up into a smile. he takes in a deep breath as his heart starts to beat faster. thoughts of work disappear and the image of you makes a home inside his mind. suddenly, his day’s a little bit brighter now, he’s not stressed anymore, and with your smile, he feels as if he can accomplish anything. now, he wants you to be the one to fill his days, afternoons, and nights.

and it’s probably the cheesiest thought that’s ever popped up in his business-centric mind, but that’s how love goes, he can only assume. the worst part is that he’s letting it take over him and he can’t find anything in him that’s saying no, that he shouldn’t push through with it, that it’s probably his loneliness playing tricks on him again. but, for the first time in his life, he’s able to say that yes, he’s ready to grab that opportunity, that chance for love, even if it’s uncertain, even if it hurts him somewhere along the way.

chan laughs.

it’s the mundanity of everything that intrigues him and chan wonders how a woman has managed to capture his heart in this manner. would it be selfish to ask for more when he supposedly has everything he could ever need? nevertheless, he rolls his chair back, a soft blush on his cheeks, before standing up and making his way to your desk.

no plan.

no questions of how’s and why’s.

you immediately stand up from your chair to bow and greet him and the female employee does the same, bowing with a small smile etched on her lips. chan grins and he’d be stupid to ignore the way his hands start sweating when you give him one back.

“come eat lunch with me,” he hums, putting his hands in his pockets. you tilt your head, eyebrows scrunching in response. chan chuckles as his head mimics yours. “unless, you have plans?”

you shake your head in response. chan catches the way you give your colleague a look and in his peripheral, he sees her scrambling away, a soft giggle leaving her lips. both of your eyes lock once more and you grin. 

“let me get my stuff, then we can go, sir.”

in chan’s position, it’s always calculated— the probabilities of securing a sale, the percentage of the stock they’ll be able to acquire, and all that business stuff he’d grown accustomed to.

but now, he’s forced to think of all the possible outcomes in a scenario where nothing is certain.

there are many variables that come and interfere with the process of falling in love. feelings and emotions are built up over time and he can’t help but reminisce as the two of you make your way to the cafe. images of him getting angry flash in front of him, partnered with many different instances where the both of you argued in his office. he also remembers the way your eyes turn glossy during said arguments and the way you storm out when it gets too heated.

but, apart from memories like those, chan recalls the soft moments he’s shared with you over the course of the 8 years you’ve been together. the knowing stares, the smiles you share from across the room, the blushes that form on both of your cheeks, and the way the both of your hands absentmindedly reach out for each other when you think no one’s looking.

it’s become a secret language that none of you have consciously created.

and as chan pushes the cafe door open for you, he’s reminded that the line between your work relationship and friendship has been blurred for a long time. the both of you have grown closer to each other ever since you started spending more nights with him in his office. though it’s complicated, he knows that you’re not just his secretary anymore, but you’re someone he can confide in and someone he can trust.

with these, the outcomes that can arise from this conversation with you become hazier than when he started thinking of them.

the phone in his pocket is tempting, but he decides not to call changbin up for this one. he doesn’t know when and how to start, but at the end of the day, there are no rules to falling in love.

before you could fall in line, chan puts a hand on your shoulder. you turn to him as you raise an eyebrow.

“go,” chan tilts his head in the direction of a free table, “i’ll order for us.”

you blink. “but—“

“i insist,” chan chuckles as he rubs the back of his neck. “we don’t usually go out for lunch, so”—he grabs his wallet, holding it up for you to see—“it’s my treat.”

you step in closer, voice hushed only for him to hear, “you don’t have to, chan.”

formalities dropped, like what he’s used to with you in private, but it feels different now, hearing his name out in public. it rolls off of your tongue so easily and he can’t help but feel like he’s on a date.

“i want to,” he responds after a short while, watching as your cheeks turn bright red. “plus, it’s no big deal. we can always eat lunch together in the future if you’re up for it.”  mentally, chan exhales shakily as the words leave his mouth.

you clear your throat as you nod and turn away, walking over to the table with no protests.

chan exhales through his nose as he finds his lips quirking up into a fond smile. his eyes follow you as you take a seat. he forces himself to look away before you could catch him staring, but at the side of his eye, he knows you already knew.

one thought pops up in his mind as he walks over to the table after ordering and paying, how was he supposed to go about this?

it brings him back to the talk about probabilities and being secure in your decision despite the uncertainty that comes with it. there’s a huge probability of him not getting the response he desperately wants to hear. is it enough, the moments you’ve shared, good and bad, for your feelings to grow as much as his did? and did you even have feelings for him in the first place?

he hopes the answer to both questions is affirmative.

chan’s hands start sweating as he grips the chair, pulling it away from the table. he takes a seat, your eyes locking with his as he makes himself comfortable. he had to admit that he has no plan and he has no idea what he’d end up saying, but as he’d come to know just earlier, love is about free falling and trusting the other that they’ll catch you. and one part of him knows, deep down, that your arms are open and ready.

at least, that’s what he wants to believe.

“miss y/l/n,” chan starts, clasping his hands on the table, “i brought you here to—“

your eyebrows shoot up as your mouth opens. “wow,” you chuckle shakily. “so formal. is this serious?”

for chan, it is.

his face heats up as he unclasps his hands, subtly wiping them on his pants. he flashes you a sheepish smile. “i just wanted to talk to you about something.”

you tilt your head, eyes not leaving his. chan’s heart starts beating faster as his lips part, but only a shaky sigh leaves it.

chan prides himself in his public speaking skills. he wouldn’t be called the industry’s Wolf if he didn’t do his job well. he’s spoken to a full stadium, presented in front of the world’s most prominent businessmen, and he’s travelled around the world giving seminars to people who aspire to be like him. but for some reason, he’s in front of a woman and he’s suddenly tongue-tied.

but, it’s not just any woman. it’s the woman he’s in love with. the thought makes him reel. saying it to himself has just proven that he’s madly in love with his secretary, you, y/n y/l/n. the woman who’s been with him ever since the beginning of this god-forsaken journey, the woman who’s seen him at his most vulnerable, the woman who’s stood by him after all these years.

“i—“

“is this about the schedule for this week?” your voice cuts through his thoughts and it scrambles them. chan feels like a teenager at this moment as his shoulders tense up, mind going blank at the melody of your voice.

“no, y/n—“

“i actually wanted to bring it up with you, as well. i’ve noticed that there are some inconsistencies with the schedule at the office and the schedule we prepared,” you grab a folder from your bag, laying it on the table, and opening it. chan blinks and swallows.

his eyes scan the paper in front of him, the surface littered with messy writing with a variety of colours adorning them. it’s hard to read if the both of you settled for this as the official schedule, but somehow, it doesn’t annoy him anymore. instead, his heart aches at the sight of your handwriting, the strokes completely unique to you and the design, if one could call it that, screams your name.

“unless,” you hum, “this isn’t what you wanted to talk about?”

as much as humanly possible, chan wasn’t here to talk about anything work-related. if only you knew the reasons behind his invitation, you wouldn’t be whipping out the damned folder. nevertheless, even as his shoulders fall to his sides, he leans over on the table, trying his best to focus on whatever it is you have brought to his attention.

“it’s fine,” he starts. “tell me about the problems, instead.”

“chan—“

“no,” he dismisses. “it’s nothing important. it can wait.”

this is what he gets for not having a plan in the first place. falling in love is all about falling into the depths of what is essentially the unknown, but it doesn’t mean that he has to dive in head first with no helmet. he groans internally as you flatten the paper on the desk, his confession thrown out of the window that’s beside the two of you.

suppose, it’s not the right time nor is it the right place. if chan was looking for fireworks and a grand celebration for his realization earlier, then maybe he can be the one to give that to the both of you once he actually gathers the courage to tell you how he feels. despite his defeat today, he forces himself to sit in front of you, and listening as you get into the nitty-gritty of the schedule in the office and the schedule you have on-hand.

truthfully, chan’s seen the inconsistencies before you could, but he lets you tell him, the sweet melody of your voice wrapping itself around and in him as he rests his cheek on his palm, eyes not leaving you. 

“chan?”

your voice snaps him out of his trance and he raises an eyebrow. 

“before i go on,” you giggle, “i’m paying the next time we go out, okay?”

chan cracks a smile, heart bursting at the thought of getting to be with you like this again. he hopes it’ll be a more relaxed setting. no more talk of work. just you and him, like he’d envisioned it to be.

“alright.”

hopefully, he’ll get to tell you next time. he’ll hold onto that.

the fateful next time comes rather quickly, just three days after the first one.

it comes in the form of a successful contract, with the client agreeing to it almost immediately. chan could sit back and say that it’s all his doing, that it’s with his charisma and wit that charmed the client, but truth be told, he couldn’t have done it without you.

first, without you, he wouldn’t have known about the company. sue him for not being interested in smaller companies as business partners, but it’s with your exceptional ability to get him to listen that’s made him understand the appeal. second, without you, the process wouldn’t have been as smooth as it was. papers arrived on time, meetings were set without a hitch, and the relationship with the client was amenable enough that it made transactions easier.

of course, all of the things you’ve done are considered to be the behind the scenes of a successful company, but for chan, you’re front and center. and though the success is connected to his name, it’s always also going to be your success.

as chan offers polite goodbyes to the businessmen who were exiting, his eyes drift to the other end of the room and it lands on you, glowing, with a wide smile that’s taking over your lips. your hair’s a bit disheveled, blouse not neatly tucked in, and the bags under your eyes are now more prominent than the last time he’s seen them, but to him, you’re still the most beautiful woman in the room. it’s multiplied tenfold when he sees you speaking to the client, the two of you laughing because of something you whispered.

chan’s heart aches and he knew it was the right time.

this is why he finds himself leading you up to the company rooftop.

chan’s an incredibly simple man when it comes to life’s pleasures. if he wants something, he’ll ask and he’ll get it, as simple as that. but, this is different. if chan wants to get something—get you, he knows he has to exert effort, even if it was as cheesy as confessing while the sun is setting in the horizon.

he has a plan now, a script to follow, and a solution to every outcome that may arise, but why are his hands still sweating in his pockets and why is he feeling light-headed?

chan pushes the rooftop door open, motioning for you to step outside first. he fights the urge to smile fondly when you narrow your eyes toward him. you step out nevertheless and he hears you gasp when you look out to the city’s skyline. he steps out himself, the door closing softly behind him.

the building is positioned perfectly toward the sunset and the light outlines your features. you’re glowing and it’s brighter than the brightest star responsible for this view right in front of him. chan puts his hands inside of his pockets as he stands next to you, watching the way the air ruffles your clothes and your hair from the corner of his eye. how he wishes he could be the wind softly grazing your skin as you looked out to the horizon.

chan lets out a soft chuckle as he shakes his head.

standing beside you, he understands why people say that love brings out the worst in you. chan’s never been the one to open up. used to guarding himself, he was taught to always be strong and to never show vulnerability, especially in public. he had an image to protect, a family legacy to keep going, and being weak won’t help him at all.

but, maybe, you can help him with that. make his worst into his best. chan sighs shakily.

“you did well,” chan starts as he taps his foot. you turn to him with a grin.

“thank you, sir. i couldn’t have done it without you.”

you cough softly as the words leave your lips. both of your cheeks heat up and chan uses this opportunity to move closer to you, the warm, afternoon air flowing around the both of you. just like the first time, the confession he’s prepared in his head is scrambled and he didn’t know when or where to start.

come to think of it, changbin did mention cue cards. chan smacks himself internally.

“yes, well,” his voice cracks slightly, “i didn’t bring you up here just to praise you.” you raise an eyebrow. “you and i both know of your abilities, so i won’t inflate your ego any further.”

“inflate my non-existent ego?” you joke, earning a giggle from chan.

chan turns to face you, wiping his palms on the side of his pants. you mimic him as you cross your arms in front of your chest, your head tilted to the side. your eyes lock and chan’s mouth grows dry. you’re the most beautiful woman he’s ever seen and he wonders why he’s never pieced it together before.

chan takes a step forward before taking your hand into his. he feels you hesitate for a moment, your hand threatening to pull itself away from his touch, but after a while, your fingers relax into his palm, as do your shoulders. your eyes scan his face and chan prepares himself to dive into the depths of love, hopelessly.

“y/n,” he starts. “we’ve been working together for a long time now and—“ chan rubs his thumb on the back of your hand—“i can say that you’re one of the most extraordinary women i’ve ever had the opportunity to be with.” your eyes widen. “and it’s not just about our professional relationship, but it’s also about our relationship outside of it.”

“you’re not just my secretary,” chan pauses to look at you—your eyebrows are scrunched and your mouth is slightly open. “you are my friend, someone i can talk to when i’m alone, someone i can confide to, but y/n…” chan taps his foot gently on the floor as he looks out to the horizon once more, wetting his lips. he hangs his head briefly before letting your eyes meet.

“y/n, i want to be more than that for you. i want to be more than just frie—“

a familiar tune plays in the rooftop and chan recognizes it almost immediately. your ringtone. what amazing timing this has been.

chan blinks as the warmth on his hand disappears. his heart is ringing in his ears, yet he catches your quick apology as you fish your phone out of your pocket. before you could say anything else, chan nods, shoving his hand inside his pocket again. you shoot him an apologetic look before you make your way out of earshot.

chan steps forward to grip the roof railing enough to make his knuckles turn white. he hunches over it as his stomach starts to hurt. he feels as if his blood has been drained from his body and his head becomes light, a stark contrast to the way his chest feels in the moment. he gags softly when the air blows on his face.

he was so close to the edge, both literally and figuratively, but the ringtone had to pull him back to square one. if he thought that his mind was a pain in the ass earlier, it was worse now.

one thing is clear, though. the confession has been eating him up the past few days and if he wanted to feel like himself again, he had to tell you, even if it meant getting rejected and making things awkward around the office.

he could always continue once you come back, right?

but, he learns now that the universe has a funny way of fucking with him. he can’t continue anymore because how could he when you returned to him out of breath, eyes bloodshot, and hands shaky?

“y/n?” chan questions, pitch higher than intended. he puts his hands on your arms to grip them gently as he scans your face. he tries to ignore the panic that’s brewing in his stomach. another thing to add to the list of the things happening in his body.

“did something happen? is there an emergency?”

“my—my sister—“ you stutter, tears flowing down your cheeks. chan prepares himself for the worst.

“y/n, i—“

“she passed her dream university!” you exclaim before bursting out crying again. chan slightly deflates, his shoulders falling to his sides and his chest becoming lighter. he rubs your arms awkwardly before pulling away with a nervous laugh.

“i thought it was—“

“no, chan! you don’t understand how serious this is!” you scream. “we’ve been talking about it ever since she was a kid, now, she’s on her way to college. and not just any college! it’s her dream uni! sure, it’s expensive, but you know, we can make it work! we always do!” you run your hand through your now disheveled hair, a huge smile forming on your lips. “you know that one time i was telling you about my sister taking the exam? this was for that university! the—“

chan sighs internally. if he confessed now, he would be stealing such a monumental moment from you. it wasn’t about him or your relationship anymore, but it’s about your family and your personal life. instead, he lets you ramble as he rests his arm on the railing, watching and listening to you and your stories. chan tilts his head gently, a fond smile on his lips.

next time. 

he’ll get to tell you next time.

lucky for chan, the next time comes exactly the next day during the company’s big blowout party for him.

he finds himself waiting for you in the car and the both of you were running behind schedule, but he knows why. you’ve always wanted to take your time dressing up during formal events such as this. of course, he’d always offered a professional stylist to make sure the schedules don’t suffer from your tardiness, but time and time again, you would decline. the memory makes chan scoff in the backseat, letting out a soft huff after.

“late again, sir?” his driver teases.

chan puts his arm on the arm rest as he replies, “as usual.”

when the front door of your house opens, chan’s reminded of the reason why he’s never pushed the professional stylist offer.

you’ve done your hair in a manner chan hasn’t seen before, but it suited you. your make up’s bold, but elegant, and your dress hugs your body perfectly, leaving nothing to the imagination. he gulps. you’ve always upstaged your looks and tonight’s no different. chan knows you’re definitely going to outshine him in the party later, but you deserved to be seen the way he sees you—not just as his secretary, but as a professional who commands respect in the rooms she walks in.

as chan sharply inhales at the sight of you, his driver chuckles quietly.

he knows deep down that he had to say something tonight, but as usual, he’s ready with the cheesy speech—the ‘you’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me’, the ‘i want to be yours’, but he’s just not sure when to tell you. would it be a good idea to steal you away in the middle of a company event or would it be better if he waited until the both of you were alone?

another day, another dilemma it seems. however, this particular dilemma has no right answer. no matter what he thinks of, there’s always a negative outcome.

before he could delve deeper, he sees the car door open through his peripheral. “we’re late again.”

you hum nonchalantly as you make yourself comfortable in the backseat. “good evening to you too, sir.”

“are we good to go now or are we still on your schedule, miss y/l/n?”

“there’s nothing wrong with being fashionably late, right mr. bang?”

but, as most things in chan’s world, there is something wrong with being “fashionably late”. you and chan are ushered out of the car as soon as you arrive at the company. the staff are muttering something about the crowd waiting for the two of you—for the grand entrance as the others have labelled before.

despite being part of the industry for a long time, chan could only roll his eyes at the formality of it all. it wouldn’t hurt to let loose, but he lets the staff guide the both of you to where you needed to be.

on the way to the event hall, chan unbuttons his black formal polo. he tells himself that it’s for show, but really it’s to let out the heat that has formed throughout his body as the thought of potentially being able to tell you about his feelings takes over his mind, alongside his thoughts of feeling like a teenager again. nevertheless, he tries his best not to look in your direction as you walked beside him.

once you arrive, the staff tell the both of you to wait as they prepare the hall for the grand entrance. chan thanks them as they disappear from sight, leaving the two of you alone. he shuffles awkwardly as he waits before hearing a soft ‘tsk’ leave your lips. he turns his head toward you, but before he could ask, your hands are on his chest.

chan freezes, but he finds it in himself to choke out your name, mouth drying up as he feels the heat from your fingertips through the fabric of his polo.

“buttons,” you mutter, your fingers finding their way to the buttons he unbuttoned only moments before. “you have to look presentable, chan. there are a lot of eyes in there.”

his eyes travel from your hands to your face. your eyebrows are furrowed as you focused on the task at hand and he almost forgets to breathe the whole time you’re on him. your perfume takes over his senses and for a moment, he thinks he’ll float because of the cheesy happiness that has started to bubble in his chest, but he doesn’t. instead, when you raise your eyes to meet his and he sees that sparkle that he’s grown to love, he’s brought back to reality.

and that’s when he realizes, after years of denying it to himself, that it’s not a feeling anymore. chan’s sure that you make him human. around you, he’s not bang christopher chan, the country’s youngest and most successful CEO, instead, he’s chan, the 28-year-old man who’s hopelessly searching for genuine connection in an industry that offers none of the sort.

chan’s on top, constantly, and the others that have come before you have made sure to keep him there, but you’ve grounded him in reality every time the both of you were together. may it be as simple as you answering back to him or as deep as listening to him rambling about god knows what during quiet nights in the office, you’ve always offered him a time and a place to feel human—be human, even for just a few minutes.

chan mumbles your name once more, but you don’t seem to hear as you lightly pat his now-buttoned chest with a smile on your lips.

“there,” you hum. “keep them buttoned for the rest of the night, okay?”

“i—“

“imagine all the articles when you come in there with your chest in full view,” you giggle as you start stepping back to your previous position beside him.

“y/n—“

you playfully cross your arms in front of your chest as you continue, “you have to thank me someday, you kno—“

“y/n,” he cuts you off. “can you please listen to me?” you stop in your tracks as you turn your head, eyebrows raised.

you blink in his direction, lips parting, “i’m listening, sir.” you tilt your head. “what’s wrong?”

chan moves in closer to you as you turn your body towards him, arms falling to your sides. “on the rooftop…”

“yes?”

“i didn’t get to finish my, um…”

your eyes widen. “yes, of course!” you exclaim. “i remember, yes.”

the two of you stand in silence for a moment as chan tries to collect himself, mind a complete and utter mess like the first time he’s faced with this exact same situation. he looks up at the ceiling as he tries to think of a word, a phrase, a sentence, anything else he can say to free himself of the shackles he voluntary put on himself.

your voice cuts through his thoughts as you ask, “did you want to tell me now?” you look at the door in front of you. “we’re due to enter soon.”

“i’m aware,” chan mumbles as he steps in closer to you once more, “but, this won’t take long.”

you nod, eyes scanning his face as your eyes meet. chan inhales, letting out, “how can i—okay. shit.”

this is already a disaster. where’s his cue cards? “i’ll just—“

“chan?” you question, moving in closer to him as well, concern clouding the sparkle in your eyes.

“you’re amazing,” chan blurts out, albeit a little muddled. nothing like the present, yes?

“i—“

“you amaze me,” chan continues. “and you continue to do so after years of us working together and i sometimes wonder”—he grabs a hold of your hand as his starts to shake—“how you do it.” your lips part and chan notices how your chest has stopped moving.

“you’re so charming and just—“ chan lets go of your hand abruptly as he turns away from you, his hand finding its way to his forehead before hanging his head and groaning to himself. he turns back to you, your whole body frozen in place.

“i guess what i’m trying to say is that i l—“

“mr. bang? ms. y/l/n?” one of staff interrupts. you and chan jump away from each other, both awkwardly looking around the hall as blushes form on your cheeks. chan forces himself to make eye contact with the staff member as he rubs the back of his neck. he gives the woman a half hearted smile as he raises an eyebrow.

“we’re ready for you.”

you and chan’s eyes meet as the sentence echoes throughout the hall. he swears under his breath as his shoulders fall, eyes closing as he releases a huff.

“chan,” you mutter, a hint of worry in your voice. he inhales sharply before shaking his head and putting on his best smile for the lady that’s decided to ruin the moment. he nods before closes his fist as he turns toward the door, his jaw clenched. he feels you tug on his sleeve, but he ignores it, heart thumping in his chest as he offers his arm out for you.

“we have to focus now,” chan replies after a short silence. “it’s…it’s not important.”

you don’t say anything else as the atmosphere in the room turns heavy.

for chan, at least.

as the crew finishes up the final preparations around the both of you, you snake your arm around his and chan tries his best not to dampen the mood any further. he straightens his posture, his lips fall in a straight line, and his jaw relaxes as he exhales. and as much as he would hate to admit it, it’s in defeat. yet again.

before he could wallow in his own despair, you ask, “are we dancing tonight, sir?”

it takes a second for him to respond. “unfortunately not, miss y/l/n.”

“not in the mood to show off tonight?”

chan scoffs softly and he hears you giggle. his chest tightens at the sound, yet he appreciates the effort in making the whole situation less awkward than it is. picking up from where the both of you left off, like he wasn’t just about to pour his heart and soul to you.

“i don’t think we need to,” chan plays along. “this party’s for us.”

“us?” you exclaim with a small smile. chan merely nods.

despite the playful banter, he couldn’t help but feel disappointed in himself. why was it so hard to just…say what he needed to say? he can have a ton of scripts at his disposal, but why is it that when he’s in front of you he’s tongue tied? he felt like an idiot, a love-stricken idiot who couldn’t say it straight no matter how much he plans it out.

one question pops up in his slew of thoughts. “if not tonight, then when?”

he may never know the answer to that question. but, one thing is clear to him.

he started this week with some form of optimism that he’ll end up with an actual connection, but now, he feels as if he’s three steps back from his starting position. he sighs internally as he fixes his posture once more. no rest for the weary because the door to the event hall slowly opens and he squints at the light shining right at the two of you.  he feels you squeeze his arm gently and he gives you a reassuring look in response.

chan tunes out his thoughts of his failed confessions and his inner voice saying, “next time.” he puts on another smile for the crowd as the both of you start walking in the event hall, the thunderous applause becoming deafening.

here we go again.

[voxmortuus]

I have a Ivar the boneless request. Ivar and reader are not a couple. They flew into a small town with an airport on the same evening. The weather gets really bad so all flights are canceled and they have to stay at the same hotel. There is a fire or some hail or whatever breaks the readers window so she has to be out in the hall and she can’t go back to her room but it’s late so she’s in her nightgown and Ivar sees her. He offers her to come stay in his room. And stuff…Use this how you like but make it smutty! Please and thank you lady!

PAIRING: Modern!Ivar x F!Reader

UNIVERSE: Vikings AU

WORDS: 1.1k

SUMMARY/PROMPT: See above <3

Trigger Warning(s): Angst | Fire in isolated area | Smut | Unprotected Vaginal Intercourse | Oral Ejaculation | Primal Ivar | Dominant Ivar | PLEASE TELL ME IF I FORGOT ANYTHING!!! I want to make sure readers are fully aware of what they are getting themselves into when they read this…

NOTE: Sorry if this isn't what you expected, I'm hoping this finds you well love! SMUT UNDER THE CUT.

IMAGE CREDIT: Google I DO NOT CLAIM OWNERSHIP OF THESE IMAGES. If these are yours or you know who the creator(s) is please INBOX me and let me know. Thank you.

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REQUESTS: 500 FOLLOWER EVENT REQUESTS ARE STILL OPEN UNTIL AUGUST 15TH!

Sitting in the shuttle bus on your way to the hotel. You let out a heavy sigh, looking outside at the rain beating against the road, the trees almost horizontal, you look down at your phone. A text from your partner had really put you on edge, but it wasn't that you could control the weather. You let out a soft breath, rubbing your forehead, and finally, respond.

I'm sorry. It isn't my fault my flight was canceled. You're going to have to do the presentation without me. Or at least have me on the phone speaker. I'm sorry, Jane. Truly.

"Fuck." You muttered to yourself. Rubbing your lip again, the man next to you looks at you.

"Hey, you alright?" A long-haired man asked you

"Yeah, just, important meeting that I have to miss thanks to the weather."

"Ahh, yeah. No fun. I'm sure they will be alright without you." He reassures.

You smile and nod, hoping he was right.

You held power in your job. You were VP of a multi-billion dollar production company- you had a lot on your shoulders. You place your phone in your lap, and a few minutes go by, and it goes off again with a hugging gif and an 'Okay, boss.'

Pulling up to the hotel, you get out and walk to the desk. "Hello, and welcome to the Hilton! Are you staying?"

"Umm, yeah, the airport sent a bunch of us this way, our plane was canceled due to weather?"

"Okay, not a problem! Name?"

"Your First & Last."

"Aaaaaalright Ms. Y/LN. You're all set, Room 103. If you need anything, don't hesitate to give us a call."

"Um, yeah. Thank you." You give a small smile.

Finding your room was easy. Getting in, you look around and let out a heavy breath. Tossing your carry-on bag onto the bed you, sit at the small table and put your head in your hands, and let out a loaded breath. It was going to be a hell of a night, and you weren't looking forward to a bit of it.

Sometime later, you were jolted awake by the sound of your window breaking, scattering glass all over the floor. The rain had turned to hail, and the wind was so bad a tree limb was thrown into your window. You step out into the hall in your nightgown, shaking your head. "Fuck me."

The man from the bus spots you in the hallway walking to you; he looks into your room and notices that the window is shattered. He looks you over, licking his lips- he looks back at the room, walking in, he grabs your belongings and makes sure everything is out of there, clean and clear. With your bag and phone in one hand, he grabs your wrist, and you yank back.

"Excuse me."

"You're going to come stay in my room."

"Are you asking me or telling me? The hotel owes me a room."

"You're standing here, in-" He gestures to your black silky, lacey, short nightgown. "that, you go ahead down to the front, or you can bite your CEO pride and stay the night with me."

"VP... not CEO..."

"Close enough. You coming?" He asked.

Crossing your arms, you follow, at first, you questioned how he knew you were what you were, but then you realized, when he gathered your things, small details like that were on some of your stuff. With your jaw clenched, you followed behind him.

"That's it, boss lady. Let's go."

Shaking your head, you roll your eyes a bit as you follow behind him and close the door behind you. "One bed?"

"Yup, one bed."

"Lovely." You let out a soft sigh and get in bed, sleeping on the very edge of the king-sized bed.

He climbs in bed and lays on his back, his arm behind his head. He looks over at you a moment. "Do you always have to control everything?"

"I am a woman of power... so yeah. I guess so."

"Want to see what it's like without power? Experience something new in your life?"

"What do you mean?" You ask.

He rolls over and places his hand on your back. When you don't push away, he moves it to your hip. Nothing. He smirks, and wraps his strong arms around you, and pulls you close. At first, you are tense, and then you melt against him.

"I see... If you think you can handle that." You chuckle softly. You turn over and roll him back onto his back and get on top straddling his hips, looking over this stranger's face. You move your hips a bit feeling him stiffen under you as he pushes his ups up against yours. With a chuckle, he literally rips the panties from you, the fabric brushing against your bud made you bite your lip, he moves his sweatpants down just enough to slip into you.

You let out a soft moan, biting your lip, your hands rest on his chest as you begin to rock your hips. He let you get away with this for a bit, but after a few moments, he noticed you were just using him for one thing, he knew you would get off, rollover, and fall asleep. Not tonight.

He grabbed your wrists, and rolled you over, and pinned you down. "No, I'm in control, you don't have power right now." He smirked. "Let go." He muttered over your lip as he kept your hands pinned above your head in one hand while the other gripped at you, feeling you under his fingertips. He growled softly as he started to thrust into you, pulling your leg up to get at a right angle.

Thrusting harder, and faster your body shook. He started to slow down a bit, holding you under him he pulled you to the edge of the bed. Standing he lifted your legs and used your body any way he desired, bending you, twisting you. Your moans escalated, echoed through the room. Your hands gripped at the bed. The only thing you could manage to mutter out. was. "Fuck, Sir, you feel so good." You didn't know what happened it just escaped.

This only fueled him. He wanted to feel your finish. He wanted to feel you explode all over his cock, and he told you just that.

"Cum, now." Not second-guessing it you released upon demand.

He was quick to pull out of you and get you on your knees sticking his cock in your mouth and released. His head fell back, running his hand through his long hair when he brought his head back down to look at you he smirked. "Good girl." He praised as he watched you swallow.

Looking over his face you stood up and smiled. "Thank you." You whispered. You made your way to lay in the bed and looked over him as he climbed in bed.

"What's your name?" You ask him.

"Ivar."

"I will remember that, I'm Y/N. It's nice to meet you."

"Oh trust me girl, pleasure is all mine." He chuckled.

[radiance1]

Casino au

Wukong owns a casino in this au. That's it, that’s the au.

So Wukong straight up started a casino in his 500 year seclusion and built it from the ground up and made it into a literal empire, a lot of people come to gamble. Demons, mortals, immortals ya name it. Wukong made it so that you could quite literally bet anything here, except for people. Wukong is known as the king of gambling and the absolute in the casino, no one can defy his will(except his lawyer), not only because he’s an extremely powerful demon, but also because the only workers there are all his clones, which means that if you start something you would basically be fighting Wukong himself.

So back to the bet anything part. It could range from money to very powerful artifacts to medical herbs and the like, but the most important thing and one that actually attracted quite a few demons and immortals, is that you could literally bet your soul here for power, money anything that they could think of, if Wukong has it, you can get it. All they have to do is sign one little contract that states that if you bet your soul, you are legally giving up all the rights to and what happens to it if you lose. And many other small details.

There are a lot of ways to get back your soul though, like doing certain tasks that Wukong gives you, paying money and or artifacts for it back or just somehow winning it back from Wukong in a gamble.

So when Wukong was first starting up his casino he literally had zero idea what he was doing, he never ran a business before and knew next to nothing about gambling with cards. So he called up his good lawyer friend and asked him for help, and his friend surprisingly had a suspicious amount of knowledge in gambling but hey, it's not like Wukong was complaining. So Wukong took some lessons and took to it like a fish to water, only losing to his lawyer friend once in every lesson, so when his friend saw this he just knew Wukong had talent and started doing advanced stuff and ridiculous conditions that no mortal would ever take. So after all that, the lawyer started doing his thing and made the casino go above and beyond legally and exploited multiple loopholes in the system for the casino to expand bigger and bigger. His lawyer is also known as the King’s hands and authority, and also the only actual employee there that isn’t just a hair clone of Wukong, which makes him important in the eyes of certain demons and immortals.

His lawyer basically runs everything in the casino while Wukong isn’t there to personally deal with it, like gambles to reclaim a person’s soul or just generally overseeing things. While he is a mortal everyone learned to take him seriously after a powerful immortal lost their soul to him in a bet, and before that same immortal could try to take it back by force, every hair clone just appeared before them and swiftly dealt with them(by that I mean they basically beat them till an inch of life and threw them out) so after that nobody tried to do anything to his lawyer, because if they even so much as threaten him outside of a gambling match, every hair clone’s eyes in the area would focus on them and release killing intent on that particular person.

Also because I just realised a plot hole in the form of how his lawyer would survive for 500 years until cannon. Wukong gave him an artifact that never ages him and a few defensive ones he had lying around.

So y’know how Wukong has stage fright? Yea he still has that here but when in his casino he basically doesn’t have it, because this is his (and his lawyer’s) domain and he has absolute control over everything that goes on in it. It also does wonders for his self-confidence and his self-worth issues because he knows he’s important here. Not like in the outside world, where he’s the hero and has to save the world and carry every burden on his back while maintaining this persona, that he’s this untouchable and great hero figure. In his casino he’s just him and no one would be able to take that from him. Oh yea he basically hides his identity here and so does his lawyer, because Buddha only knows the amount of chaos it would bring if people found out Wukong owned a casino and so no one would try to kill his lawyer too.

Although Wukong allowed people to bet their souls, he quite literally doesn’t know what to do with them. Like he just has so many of them at this point he just made a whole ass room in his casino for them, he’s basically just a soul collector lmao(he also finds them pretty to look at). Hell also had a problem with this since y’know, it's their job to collect souls and all, but they managed to reach a middle ground, that everytime a demon or immortal , Wukong would just send the souls of those who died hell’s way and allow them to take care of the souls. So they're basically just business partners at this point. Since Wukong sees no need to keep the soul of a dead person and hell gets to do their job and allow the soul to reincarnate and or face judgement.

Wukong has amassed quite a lot of riches and new additions to his artifact collection lmao, since he almost never loses and he gives his lawyer his fair share of the money or any artifact of his choice, because he’s his only genuine friend at this point.

Wukong has two areas for gamblers in his casino, one for mortals and one for demons and immortals. Cause Buddha only knows the shit shot it would cause if all three of them were in the same area, with a bunch of emotions flying about and some of them might try to kill each other when they leave casino grounds. So, Wukong made it so that mortals, demons and immortals or separated so that people won't go around killing mortals who can't properly fight back.

[georgiapeach30513]

I know it is Holiday season so Happy Holidays..

But whenever you feel okay to write about Frank and Sugarplum! reader.. please do.. about how they connected and How Frank let her know about himself and his past/present because he still doesn't have a regular family, Like even Mary his daughter who lives with him isn't from an ideal relationship. so yeah.. whenever you feel okay about exploring that phase.

I don't know how much these two are ever going to be featured, but I do like adding them. I LOVE Frank. I know he did some pretty shitty things, but some shitty things were done to him, too. And he really does have a heart of gold. He really does did love Kitten (that never changes). It's sad because he would have been such a good and supportive husband/dad to reader, and he reveled in those times to be with Kitten, so it takes him a long time to completely unravel that time. Thankfully Sugarplum is in a similar situation.

🖤🖤🖤🖤

I Have Coffee Everyday

Summary:  Frank walks in your bakery

Pairings:  Frank Adler X Sugarplum!reader

Rating:  sweet as sugar

Warnings: very mild mentions of Frank’s involvement, 18+ ONLY

Word Count:  500

Desperate Lives AU Masterlist

Frank Adler Masterlist

You start wiping down the counters of the bakery, in a world of your own, ready to close down shop.  Looking over the few pastel goodies that remain when the odd man with twins, a daughter that calls him by his name, and a dog.  “I thought I’d see you at the park before I saw you here.”

“Oh, uh...” he stutters unsure of why he even came in here now.

“Were you looking for me?” he shakes his head, “Then what can I get for you?  I’ve got some dog treats too?”

“He’s not mine.  My um, daughter and her sister, they just found out that they’re going to be big sisters, and the one, Aster, she’s a bit jealous.  My daughter she’s happy, always kissing her mom’s belly.  Wanted to bring them I don’t know some big sister treats?” you smell the salt water on him as you give him a smile.  Realizing that he isn’t readily available mentally.

“So what’s your story, Frank?” he shakes his head looking at the floor.  “You got twins that only one is yours?”

“It’s complicated.”

“Huh, well, I’m here offering a sugarplum donut and coffee for you to just sit and talk with me?  I’ll get a treat box situated for the twins and one for the older girl.  Who’s dog is he?” he informs you that he belongs to the mother, and you start boxing up some stuff for him as well.  

He pauses still refusing to answer, “My ex, he ran off and left me for my best friend.  Got her pregnant and everything.  She said I was going to be her son’s godmother, my boyfriend’s son,” you laugh in spite of how heart breaking it is.  “Sometimes shitty things happen to good people.  Sometimes, it’s not our fault.”

You weren’t quite ready to tell him your whole story. But that part of your life you could talk about. Choosing to omit your husband for the time being. But there was a warm comfort that came from Frank. You got the feeling he needed someone just as much as you did.

“This time it was.  She, the mom, she forgives me.  Let’s me see both girls.  They call me Pops.”

“That’s a start, Frank.  Now, how about you take these treats to those girls, and the good boy.  And next time, we can talk a bit more about ourselves?” he grins at you, his eyes lingering.  “I have coffee everyday, if that’s your thing.”

“Yeah.  I’d like that.”

Everyday Frank comes in, offering a tiny bit about his past, and you yours.  Learning to slowly trust each other.  While it might not be love or true love, you have an understanding.  A trust that you can’t fully explain or understand, and it scares and thrills you all at the same time.  But everyday, the two of you work on building a wall around yourselves as a couple, taking a brick down around your own hearts to put it outside of your singular bubble to build it around the two of you.

Masterlist

[jennagrinsoverml]

ML Fic Recs - Ladynoir

I think most readers can appreciate a good rec list, but it’s often the same fics that I see recced again and again. I get why they’re recced - they’re amazing! But I want help finding fic I haven’t already read. So I decided to be the change I want to see in the world. The rule: the fic must have less than a thousand kudos on AO3 (but I’m trying to limit to fics that have less than 500.) Obviously this means a lot of my favourites are not included here, but you’ve probably read all of those already anyway. 

If you enjoy these, please reblog so more readers can find these awesome fics!

To get things started and in honour of the quality ladynoir content we just got (which I’m hoping will inspire even more quality fan content!), let’s have some ladynoir recs. Fics are in no particular order.

Amnesiac? More like Amnesi-Chat by therealjanebingley

Oblivio's back, and this time only Chat Noir gets hit. Based on his limited knowledge and the way Ladybug acts towards him, he makes some assumptions.

One-shot. This is hilarious. From Chat’s genuine glee about his superheroes to Ladybug’s affectionate indulgence to having Chat provide an “outside perspective” on Ladybug’s non-platonic behaviour towards him to the teasing... I could see this actually happening in an Oblivio 2.0 episode.

Experimental Kisses by @komorebirei

Ladybug watched him. Maybe it was guilt, maybe sympathy, maybe a streak of playfulness. Maybe the traumatic akuma experience had softened her up. Whatever the reason, a thought wafted lazily through her mind and out of her mouth. “You know… you’re right. It isn’t fair, is it?”

Chat Noir looked up.

“I remember my first kiss, but you don’t.” She hummed and tapped her chin, making a show of remembering. “It wasn’t a bad kiss, but we were in the middle of fighting an akuma, so I didn’t get to enjoy it much, either.”

Oops—that came out sounding a little, no, a lot more flirty than she had intended. Anyway, if she was going to commit to this idea, she may as well go all in.

One-shot. Ladybug offers to kiss Chat since he doesn’t remember their kiss and the way she reacts to the kiss...it lives in my mind rent-free. I have fallen asleep many a night fantasizing about what the repercussions of the kiss might look like. 

What's your favourite colour? by @hermionemonica

Ladybug and Chat Noir sit on a rooftop, watching the sunset.

One-shot. This fic is short and sweet and absolutely lovely. It’s set post-reveal and despite only being 566 words it’s full of sweetness and feeling.

Margins of Error by orphan_account

“Do you…” Ladybug's voice is at an almost-whisper. He can feel her breath fire-hot against his face. “Do you want me to show you how I think they should write our kiss?”

Adrien isn’t here anymore, leave a message after the tone.

--

Adrien was raised on order. His life is meticulously planned, each day as reliable as the equations he studies in physics and calculus. But Ladybug- Ladybug always has him at a loss.

One-shot. Okay, so I know the author of this one since I download all my favourite fics, but since they’ve orphaned it I’m going to respect that. However, since the author was kind enough to leave the work up so people can continue to enjoy it, I’m going to suggest that people do so! Ladynoir kisses featuring my absolute favourite dynamic: sexually assertive Ladybug and receptive Chat Noir. (Don’t take this to mean the fic has sexual content - it’s just kissing.) AMAZING.

Liquid Luck by @somethingvaguetodo

Ladybug enlists Chat Noir's help in decoding the remaining ingredients for the power-up transformation potions. Together, they work on creating them, and possibly destroying the barriers between them.

Multi-chapter. The riddles of the secret potion ingredients are fun to think about, Ladybug and Chat Noir both get to show off their smarts, and the trust and support between the two of them is showcased. Perfect ladynoir.

when you weren't mine to lose by @bugsandchatons

Change is a scary thing, especially when it feels like nothing has stayed the same.

It's been a year since Marinette became the Guardian of the Miracle Box - a year of struggling beneath a burden she never asked for, a weight that has her leaning on her partner more and more as the hours fly by, of letting him come to her, too, when he needs a soft place to land. A year of falling for the boy who takes on the world by her side with a smile made of sunlight, and fighting the growing urge to tell him what he means to her.

After all, they'll have time enough for that when Paris is safe.

But when the unthinkable happens, Marinette learns the tragedy of loving someone quietly, and the lines she'll cross to save him.

Multi-chapter. This is what happens when Ladybug loses Chat Noir. It hurts in all the best ways and the writing is absolutely gorgeous and somehow we still get a happy ending!

well if i'm beautiful and you're beautiful then who's saving paris? by celebreultimaverba

Chat flirts. Surprisingly, it works.

And then it backfires.

One-shot. This one is so cute and sweet! It’s a quick read but you’ll be smiling by the end of it.

sometimes the dreamers finally wake up by magesamell

"Four days ago a mermaid flooded Paris and an ancient guardian introduced himself to his father as a substitute Chinese tutor. He had thought that would be the end of it."

Ladybug tells Chat Noir all of her secrets.

One-shot. Post-Syren. The fic we all desperately need about Ladybug actively working to restore the balance of her and Chat’s relationship after Fu messes with that. It’s not overly romantic, but it’s absolutely perfect.

i fall in love just a little, oh, just a little by @mlady-noir

If she was asked, Ladybug wouldn't be able to give a specific date when her heart decided to fall for her pun loving partner, but she could point out the night she realized it.

One-shot. Sofffffttttttt. This is just a beautiful narrative of Ladybug’s fall for Chat with a sweet, sweet ending.

Someone I Can’t Fall In Love With by @yslen54

Ladybug agreed with Chat Noir when he suggested that they should finally share their identities with each other, but she’s been dreading it ever since.

One-shot. This is short and sweet. An identity reveal that explores Ladybug’s feelings for Chat Noir and then plays with the divided heart trope.

The following fics are amazing and absolutely worth reading, but do feature sexual content, so minors beware.

You can’t stay away from me by plikki

When Adrien sides with his father, he expects to protect Ladybug and buy some time. He doesn't expect that his emotional state will make it so much harder to resist the girl that he loves, until he just gives in.

Multi-chapter. Rated M. Not-quite an enemies AU, but with all the beautiful angst and tension of one. There’s a fair amount of sex, so be warned but it’s SO SO GOOD. And all of the pain and angst is followed by a sweet happy ending.

baby, we don't have time to be coy by Molebear

"What are we doing?" Chat breathes, the words sending a tendril of lucidity back into Ladybug's hormone-addled brain.

It's a fair question.

The origins of this tryst are a little hazy in her mind at this point. Something about a lovesick akuma, maybe? Ladybug vaguely remembers Chat Noir getting struck by something, only seconds before it hit her too. There was a fight, or... there was something she and Chat Noir had been in the middle of doing - something important, like.... save-the-world important - before she'd dragged him underground with the sole intention of climbing him like a tree.

A scorned lover gets akumatized and gains the power to cast Lust. When it comes to distracting Paris' beloved superhero team, this power turns out to be... rather effective.

One-shot. Rated M. The UST of this one damn near killed me. It’s hot AF and I would commit homicide to read the conversation these two have after that lmaoooo

Charmed, I'm Sure by @chatonne-rousse

Friends with benefits. It's right there in the name, and it's what they are - friends. Best friends. This is just a way for two consenting adults to relieve stress after akuma fights, with the only person they'd trust with this level of intimacy. Really, what could go wrong? (The real question is, what could go right?)

Multi-chapter. Rated E. The sex is really, really hot. It’s in character and full of emotion. And there’s an amazing identity reveal followed by “I’m so happy it’s you!” sex. 

A Little Too Far by imploder

Ladybug gets handsy, and Chat Noir lacks self-control. Alternitavely: "Plagg's Worst Nightmare".

One-shot. Rated E. This one is hot and in character and just absolutely amazing steamy ladynoir content. Features my favourite: sexually assertive Ladybug. Because who doesn’t love playing with gender role stereotypes?