#Hong Jisoo au

[itssunshinetoday]

~ the boyfriend pictures series

boyfriend pictures

[okiedokrie]

the prefect's bathroom

Summary: Sneaking around in the prefects bathroom with your insanely horny boyfriend

Characters/Pairing: Joshua X F!Reader

Genre: Smut, porn with a minuscule amount of plot if you squint

AU/Trope info: Non-idol!AU, Hogwarts Altior!AU, Established Relationship

Word Count: 632

Warnings: Use of the nickname 'baby', praise, exhibitionism, bath pool sex, unprotected sex, semi-public sex, fingering, marking, overstimulation, hair pulling

Rating: 18+

A/N: Re-upload from my old blog!! I'm re-uploading my own work, I did not plagiarize. @hogwartsaltior au!!

Maybe sneaking around in the prefects bathroom wasn't the best idea you and Joshua ever had, but his long fingers rubbing your clit managed to snuff that last bit of hesitation out of you.

"Ah- Shua-" You breathe out, low and airy, his hair tickling your cheek as he sucked harsher at the skin just below your collarbone, making sure that your uniform would cover it.

"Shhh, try to keep quiet for me baby. We don't want anyone catching us here like this." He whispers into your skin, looking up to make eye-contact with the mermaid mural who looked flustered witnessing you two's actions.

The hand that wasn't prodding at your folds rested behind your head, fingers running through the roots of your hair just to grip it and give it a harsh tug, the stinging made you gasp in surprise and pleasure, Joshua using this opportunity to kiss down the valley of your breasts, moaning into your skin.

Joshua enters his fingers into your heat, the feeling of his fingers scissoring your cunt open was enough to pull a loud moan from you, the sound vibrating and echoing around the bathroom. Joshua closes his lips around one of your nipples, sucking and slightly pulling it with his teeth as his fingers start a steady pace pumping into you.

Joshua hitting the spongey part inside you was enough to almost make you forget where you were, not caring about being loud anymore. Joshua smirks at this, pulling his fingers out of you and placing his hands on the ledge of the pool, letting go of your hair, he pulls you in for a heated kiss, your arms wrap around his neck as you massage the roof of his mouth with your tongue.

Joshua grips your hips as he pushes his fat dick into you, the feeling of his thick cock stretching you out more than his fingers made you gasp and whine into his mouth, Joshua drinking up your sounds of pleasure.

"Please, please, move Shua, I need you-!" You whine into his mouth, horny out of your mind, Joshua just pecks your cheek and tightens his grip on your hips, starting a slow and steady roll of his hips.

You gasp and whine everytime his hips meet yours, the water moving is slow waves around you, occasionally splashing out. Soon, both of you get impatient, the force of Joshua's harder and faster thrusts basically pins you the the side of the pool, your nails dragging on his broad back leaving angry red lines in their wake.

You moan loudly, string of curse words and Joshua's name almost being covered by the sound of the water being disturbed so much that its splashing almost everywhere. "Shua- clit-" You gasp out, Joshua groans into your ear, fingers finding your swollen bud to rub it harshly in tandem with his powerful thrusts.

The tip of his fat cock keeps hitting your sweet-spot, your legs around his thin waist shaking with anticipation, a tight, hot coil tightens in your abdomen as both of you keep moaning in a higher and higher pitch.

"Fuck, baby I'm gonna cum, you want me to spill my load into you?" Joshua says, biting his lip after.

"Yes, Joshua, please give me all your cum-!" You moan, clenching around his cock like a vice, trying to milk him for his worth.

Both of you cum with a whine and a groan, the force of your orgasm causing you to sob out a strangled string of curse words as you feel Joshua's load filling you to the brim. Joshua takes his hand that was on your clit to feel your abdomen, he feels a bit of resistance as he smirks at the thought of it being his cum filling you good.

[yjhzies]

“Not so bad.” — Hong Joshua

⸝⸝୭ ˚. fluff . romantic . meet cute

⋆ pairings : joshua x f!reader ⋆ warning : none (let me know if there is ^^) ⋆ wc : 1.5k [✉️] · despite being constantly pestered by your parents to attend a blind date, you always found them pointless, until now.

⋆ - note : I wrote this long ago but wanted to post other members before this so here it is 🥰‼️ I'm in love with this idea and I MIGHT continue this as a series ^^

Maybe it was not so bad.

If nothing else, you have your parents' word that this will be the last one.

"You got it! Everything should go planned, okay? But unless the man is actually hot..." your bestfriend, Sera, on the phone teased while you rubbed your temples and scoffed.

"Sera, I swear to g-" "Okay, I gotta go, bye! love you!" The beep signaling the end of the call quickly followed the voice.

With a sigh, you took one last look around, admiring the trees that surrounded the restaurant as the sky cleared and showed no signs of impending rain. Then, you took large, but measured, steps toward the entrance.

It was going to be simple, the same old plan. Just sit there and show no interest so that the blind date will leave you alone.

For now, all that mattered was you, regardless of whether it made you appear strange and awful in their eyes. Simply put, you were not interested in going on a blind date to meet new people.

As the staff led you to your reserved table, you sighed with relief to see that your seat was right next to a window. At the very least, there was something to keep you entertained while you waited for your blind date to arrive because you were stupid enough to forget to charge your phone before leaving, and it was now only at 6%.

And to your surprise, your date showed up rather quickly. As your gaze moved to the door, you saw a stunning man walking toward your table. He was dressed in a white collared shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, and his hair was perfectly falling over his face. And the cherry on top? His sweet smile.

He was so breathtakingly beautiful that it took everything within you not to freak out. You gulped and kept your eyes fixed on him, wide open. You were so engrossed in admiring him that you were oblivious to him speaking.

"Y/n, right?" With a mild grin still grazing his lips, the man stood before you, gazing down at you through those breathtakingly beautiful eyes. Although he already knew it was you, it does not hurt to double check. Not more than being embarrassed later, at least.

Noticing your gaze on him, he raises an eyebrow, reaching out to touch his cheek. "Is there something on my face?" He chuckled.

You blink and quickly shake your head, snapping out your thoughts. "N-no," you awkwardly smile, "Please take a seat."

And he does. "I'm Joshua Hong," he said, his smile never leaving as he reached into his jeans pocket to pull out his business card, which he then handed to you. "Please just call me Joshua, I don't prefer formal addressings." You flash a soft smile, nodding.

God, he was handsome. So handsome. And not only that, he was a CEO of a multi millionaire company. Speak of perfection.

When your eyes meet his, you can not help but feel a tiny warmth creep up your cheeks.

"I'm Y/n, I'm sure you know." Trying not to sound nervous, you say.

With a hum, Joshua moved the menu gently in your direction on the table and then turned to face you. "Should we order first?" Given that you had been waiting for a while, he inquired. You hesitate, but eventually nod because the growing sensation of hunger in your stomach was too strong to ignore.

Hours pass by, and you couldn't care less. The conversation lasted hours, and for the first time, you found yourself drawn to someone your parents had chosen for a blind date.

You glance at your watch, eyes widening as you realize four hours had already past. "It's sudden, but," you began, smiling sheepishly. "It's getting late, don't you think?"

With an eyebrow raised, Joshua took a quick look at his watch. He held back a gasp, surprised to see that it was past 10 P.M.

"Ah, I'm so sorry. I should've kept track of time..." Joshua apologized, sighing.

You suddenly widen your eyes, shake your head, and wave your hand in response to his apology, which takes you by surprise. "No, no! It's not your fault."

Joshua chuckles and flashes the familiar gentle smile. "You're so sweet."

Your heart gave a little thud at that, and you hastily raised your hand to shield your blushing cheeks.

"Let me drop you home, it's too late."

"Oh, it's okay," you reassure. "I can just call my friend to pick me up, don't worry."

Joshua nodded, getting up from his seat as you do too. "Alright, get home safely."

"You too."

As you both made your way out of the restaurant, you couldn't help but notice how flawless his side profile was. Just how perfect can someone be?

Just outside the restaurant, you two came to a stop and faced one another.

"It was," he began, smiling rather shyly. "Nice talking to you, Y/N."

Glancing away, you smiled shyly back. "You too, Joshua."

You pulled out your phone from your handbag and opened it, only to gasp as it read '1% battery remaining.'

You hurriedly looked through the call app, whispering to yourself, "Please don't turn off, please." But, to make matters worse, your phone turned off at the last minute, and you could not help but groan with frustration.

Joshua, on the other hand, stood by patiently until you called your friend because it definitely wasn't ideal to leave you alone, at this late hour. And the way you were panicking didn't go unnoticed by him.

"What's wrong?" He slightly leaned down, observing as you glanced at him nervously.

"Oh, uhm..." You chuckled sheepishly. "It's nothing,"

Joshua parted his lips to respond, but you were faster. "Why don't you leave first? I'll take a cab." He frowned, leaning back. "A cab?" he asked, confused. "Is your friend not available?"

You sigh, biting your lower lip as you gazed back at him. "My phone..." you began, embarrassed and waved your phone. "It's dead,"

Joshua tilted his head, his eyebrows raised as he held in a chuckle. "Oh, I see," he smiled.

"You can go, I'll take a cab." you assure, smiling in a sheepish manner.

He slid a hand in his pocket and took out his phone before handing it over to you. "Here, use mine."

You shoot up your gaze at him, blinking. "...can I?" you ask, just to confirm. Earning a nod from Joshua, you smile and gently take his phone before thanking him. You dial Sera, your bestfriend's number and internally thank god as she picks up the call.

"Sera, it's me, Y/N." you say, glancing back at Joshua who is looking around the area, patiently waiting for you to finish.

"Y/N? Whose phone are you-"

"I'll explain everything later, okay? Can you come pick me up fast? I'll send the address."

"Huh?-"

"Please. It's urgent."

"Ah, got it. Send me the address."

And you do, before handing the phone for Joshua to take. "Thanks."

But Joshua just looks at the phone and stays silent, looking hesitant. He clears his throat before choosing his words carefully. "Well," he began, smiling nervously. "Since we're got to know eachother, and maybe in the future we may meet again, why don't we..." he trails off, turning his gaze on you. "Exchange.. numbers?"

Maybe it was too early, but you didn't even think twice before agreeing. And as you both exchange numbers, Joshua couldn't help but feel so giddy at the thought of finally have met someone he was actually interested in, besides work.

Your bestfriend, Sera, arrived and spotted you. You turn to face Joshua for the last time, clearing your throat to get his attention.

"I hope we," you paused, searching for the right words. "I hope we can meet again, someday."

With a warm smile, he averted his gaze to meet yours. "I hope so too,"

And he definitely noticed the way your face lit up at his words, making his face soften.

"I'll get going now, have a goodnight,"

Joshua nods, pulling his hands out of his jeans pocket. "You too." he smiles.

As you made your way to Sera's car, you couldn't help but feel a pang of disappointment at the thought of leaving. Nearing towards the car, you turn around one last time to see Joshua still standing there with a smile on his face. You wave him bye as he returns it gratefully.

And you wouldn't have thought about it, but he was feeling the same disappointment as he watched you leave.

With a sigh, he made his way to his car and took out his car keys once you were completely out of sight.

Never in your life did you think your parents' choice would be this good. You never liked the idea of blind dates despite being a hopeless romantic, until now. And it was as if you both were written and meant to be for eachother, it was the same situation with him aswell. If his parents never forced him to go to the blind date, he would've probably never met you, and he was grateful he did go that day.

You both couldn't help but smile at the thought of eachother. "Maybe it was not so bad."

And maybe fate would bring you both together again, or even forever.

[sebastiannewai]

Cuddles | hjs

✿ joshua x reader

✿ idol!joshua x reader

✿ fluff, slight angst?

✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿

You're upset with Joshua again. Arguments like tonight's make you feel distant. Joshua's career keeps him away a lot, and when he's home, you just want to be close.

Sitting together on the couch, in the soft evening light, you couldn't keep it in any longer.

"Why don't you cuddle with me when I sleep?" The words came out, filled with longing and a bit of sadness.

Joshua looked at you with a softer expression. "I didn't realize... I thought you liked having your space. I didn't want to bother you."

You sighed, tears forming in your eyes. "It's not about space, Joshua. It's about feeling you there, even when I'm asleep."

He took your hand, his touch warm and comforting. "I'm sorry, y/n. I didn't know it meant so much to you."

You felt a mix of relief and longing. "It does, especially when you're so busy with work and tours. Sometimes, I just need to feel close to you, especially after a tough day."

Joshua pulled you close, holding you gently against him. His hug felt safe and warm. "I promise to make more time for us, even if it's just to cuddle while you sleep."

Snuggled up against him, you let out a happy sigh, feeling loved and cherished. "Thank you, Joshua. I love you."

"I love you more, y/n" he whispered softly.

As you lay there, enjoying the calm after making up, Joshua suddenly chuckled. "You know, I never realized I was missing out on all this prime cuddle time. From now on, I'm your official night time teddy bear."

You couldn't help but giggle, snuggling even closer. "My very own teddy bear? Can I dress you up too?"

Joshua grinned, his eyes twinkling playfully. "Only if you promise lots of cuddles in return."

And so, you drifted off to sleep, with a happy heart you know that tonight marked the start of a new tradition.

✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿

:)

[scarletwinterxx]

i don't think i could love you more - joshua hong imagine

istg joshua owns this song, he's honestly all i can think about when i hear it🥺🥺 i used to think i met him too late but this is joshua, he'll probably say there's no such thing as late. I met him just right when I needed him the most🤍

anywaysss I hope you like it!

for my other svt fics, check them here

if you want, u can buy me coffee(totally optional but any donation is very much appreciated!) thank you🥺💛

All works are copyrighted ©scarletwinterxx 2024 . Do not repost, re-write without the permission of author.

(gif not mine, credits to rightful owner)

"On a scale of 1 to 10, how bad is it?"

"Uh like a 9" Jeonghan answers, leading you where the rest of the boys were. A few of them got together and had drinks. One drink turned into two then three until they all lost count of how many bottles were opened as the night progressed.

Atleast one of them was smart enough not to get too hammered, that person being Jeonghan. Thus he was left with the task to get the boys home safely.

"How did you not get as drunk as them?" you ask when you saw your friends on varying states of unconsciousness. Soonyoung is already passed out on one side of the couch, Seungkwan and Dino having a sing off using a spoon while Seungcheol is also singing with eyes closed while hugging an equally drunk Joshua who also looks like he's two blinks from collapsing.

"Well someone has to make out alive here" he gestures to the rest of your friends all passed out and drunk

"Take your pick of the litter" Jeonghan jokes, picking a few bottles from the floor to tidy up a bit. He'll probably make the others clean it tomorrow, for now he needs to fix the safety hazards.

You walk towards where Joshua sat, tapping him on the shoulder making the guy look up at you. A look of surprise flashing across his face,

"Oh wait what?! What are you doing here? Cheol look I told my girlfriend was coming!" he hits Seungcheol repeatedly to get his attention.

The rest of the boys are already to out of it to understand or remember Joshua's word but the only sober one is now laughing behind you.

You look over at Jeonghan who is already looking at you with a sly smile, "Don't worry, your not so secret is safe with me. The rest of them is too drunk to remember what's happening"

"Dumbass that's not your girlfriend, that's Y/N!" Seungcheol retorts

"She is my girlfriend! Right, love? I'm your boyfriend right? Tell him" Joshua pushes Seungcheol off him to reach for you, grabbing hold of your arm

"Yes you are, and right now we need to get you home" you brush back the bangs that's over his eyes, admiring your boyfriend for a quick second

"You're so pretty, yah why is my girlfriend so pretty" Joshua gushes, the dopey drunk smile showing on his pretty lips making you smile too.

"Is that how he sounds when he's with you?" Jeonghan jokes

"Pretty much" you joke back, running your hand through Joshua's hair. You then look down at your drunk boyfriend who is now hugging you by the waist keeping you in place.

"You know, he always had a crush on you. If you remember the first game night you attended, he couldn't keep his eyes off of you"

You do remember, Soonyoung was the first friend you made during your first year in university and after a couple of months he introduced you to his group of friends who are now also your friends. That night you also met Joshua for the first time.

The two of you were friends for a long time, you thought he didn't like you that way but you already harbored those feelings for him. Thinking it was best to keep it to yourself until after time you sent him the playlist you made for him.

You never revealed it because there wasn't really a feeling that you needed to. You kept your relationship private at first because you wanted to savor the moment with him before sharing it with the rest of your friends. Weeks turned to months turned to 2 years.

There's no ill intention behind it, it just so happen you and Joshua are private people.

"What?" you ask Jeonghan when you see him smiling

"When are you going to admit it?" Jeonghan asks you, looking back and forth between you and Joshua.

"Admit what?"

The latter shakes his head, before grabbing a water bottle to drink. "You and him, you love him" he says so casually.

You blink back at him, acting like you're innocent and isn't guilty of what Jeonghan just said.

"Of course I do, he's my friend. I love all of you"

"You love us like brothers, you love that one like you're ready to give him a pair of brothers or two" Jeonghan juts his head towards clingy Joshua

"Were we that obvious?"

"A bit, you're not that slick, sorry to burst your bubble babe but the moment Joshua walks in the room you light up like a kid seeing Santa on Christmas day. See you're smiling right now"

You wipe the smile away, unconsciously smiling when you feel Joshua nuzzle his face on your tummy mumbling random words you can't understand.

"I'm smiling because he's funny"

"He's not that funny all the time"

"Yea he is"

"Is he really? Or are you in love with him. Also during Wonwoo's party, Kyeom and Soonyoung said they saw you and Joshua hugging then Dino basically told us there's been something going on between the two of you for a while"

You open your mouth you answer but nothing came out making Jeonghan smirk.

"Hey, you're happy he's happy it's a win for everyone. We support you guys, whatever it is" he gestures at the two of you, "Thank you Han, I'll tell you about it when we're not surrounded by all of this" you laugh.

"Josh, come on it's late"

Your buff boyfriend shakes his head like a little kid being scolded, instead of standing up he just slumps on seat more resting his head on Cheol's shoulder

"It's late, Han will kick you out if we don't go now"

He picks up his head to look straight at you, "Say you'll marry me, I'll come with you"

Jeonghan laughs, walking over to you to help you get Joshua on his feet. He gives you a reassuring squeeze on the shoulder

"Go take this one home, I'll take care of the rest"

You help Joshua on his feet, guiding him to your car outside. He was a bit wobbly so you take his arm to make sure he won't fall over.

When you get back to your apartment, you help him change into something else before guiding him to bed. Leaving some medicine and water on his bedside before going over to your side and finally calling it a day.

Come the next day, Joshua woke up with a bit of a hangover which rarely happens. He doesn't get that drunk that easily but Seungcheol kept on giving him shots, the last thing he remembers from last night was calling you.

He immediately noticed the empty spot on the bed, where he would usually find you the moment he opens his eyes. His phone is plugged, sitting on top of the bedside table where a glass of water and some medicine is also waiting for him. He also spots the note with your handwriting saying you're out to go get a few items at the store.

Getting up from the bed, he takes the medicine first before going to the bathroom to freshen up. He probably didn't get to do so last night, the change of clothes surely was done by you. He can't clearly remember how last night ended, all he remembers is you showing up and him being elated you were there.

After an hour, Joshua's casually lounging on the living room when he hears the front door open and close.

"Hey beautiful"

Joshua looks up from where he was sitting on the couch, immediately he smiles when he sees you walking towards him.

"What did you just call me?" he questions you, opening his arms for you. The whole couch is there for you to sit on but he pulls on you his lap, looking up at your face waiting for the answer

"Beautiful" you smile at him, repeating the word as you trace the bridge of his nose down to the tip making him scrunch it. The action doing so much to your heart.

"You're beautiful" he tells you, "Did you get everything at the store?"

"Mhm, we'll make pizza tonight. Oh and I got these for you"

He lets you got so you can go back to the table to get it, when you come back you're holding a bouquet of fresh flowers

"Pretty flowers for my pretty boyfriend" you tell him, going back to where you were sitting on his lap. He takes the flowers from you while you make your self comfortable, "For me?"

"Mhm, saw them today and I thought I should get them for you"

"Did I do something?"

"Huh? No?"

"Did YOU do something?" he raises a brow at you, poking you on the side with his free hand

"Hey! Stop that" you take his hand in yours to stop him from tickling you some more, "I just wanted to get them for you, like you always do for me. And I heard somewhere that most men only receive flowers at the funeral. That's so sad" you pout, looking at the beautiful flowers you got for him

Joshua watches you, heart filling up with more love than he could ever express with words. "You know I love you right?"

This makes you look back at him, a smile forming once again on your lips "Of course I do, silly"

"Thank you for the flowers, darling. I love them. I love you and thank you for taking care of me last night"

You let out a chuckle, recalling how clingy he was the night before "You were being all cute last night, Han witnessed all of it"

"Should we tell them?" he asks you, expecting you to say maybe not but all you did was smile back at him "Bubby, you pretty much demanded that I marry you or you won't come home. You kept on hitting Cheol, saying I'm your girlfriend but he won't believe you. Soonyoung was passed out so I'm still waiting for his version of last night's event"

"I... what?"

You laugh at his confused expression, smoothing out the crease between his brows, "We can tell them, Han knows and I think all of them already has a hint. I think it's time, I definitely enjoyed this peace" you jokingly add the last part

"You sure?"

"Of course, how else would we invite them to our wedding?"

Joshua knows you're poking fun at his drunk antics last night but hearing you say that makes him want to get down on one knee this very moment. There's no doubt you're the one for him, the only person he wants to spend the rest of his life with.

"So you said yes to me last night?" he asks

"Just when we were about to sleep, you asked me again. I said I will but you need to get me a ring first of course I was joking about the ring part but then you mumbled something about having it already"

Joshua don't say anything, hoping you don't read right through his facade right now but you know him all too well.

Leaning closer, you give him an eskimo kiss "I'll pretend you didn't tell me about it if you do plan on asking me"

"I am, I will I just didn't think drunk me would ask you first" he jokes back.

This time he's the one pulling you closer, crashing your lips against his. Hand behind your neck while the other rest on your hip holding you in place

You break away from the kiss, looking straight into your lover's eyes "Well, whatever or whoever version of you ask the question just know my answer will always be the same"

He looks at you, letting the words sink in and just how much they mean to him. "You know, I don't think I can love you more, then I get to spend another tomorrow with you then I fall in love with you some more. I want to keep on falling in love with you everyday"

"You better save those words Mr. Hong, I want to cry when I hear your wedding vows"

"The only time I'll ever make you cry, future Mrs. Hong"

[yerimacoustic]

𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙙𝙤𝙣’𝙩 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙪𝙨 ♡ joshua x reader

↳ ❝ 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙙𝙤𝙣’𝙩 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙝𝙤𝙬 𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙞𝙖𝙡 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙖𝙧𝙚, 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙙𝙤𝙣’𝙩 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪’𝙫𝙚 𝙙𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙢𝙮 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙩 ❞ 🧺🦢☁️

summary: your parents have been in a very public rivalry with joshua’s since before you were born, yet the two of you can’t seem to stay away from each other. secret relationship au, actor!josha and model!reader, joshua hong x afab reader. also featuring vernon and mingyu. 8.4k wc.

content warnings: fluff (joshua is literally just a sweetheart), a little bit of angst, overbearing/controlling parents, strong language, brief suggestive content (make out sesh in the coat closet), champagne drinking, it’s probably not very good since i’m just getting back into writing </3 18+ mdni!

soundtrack: secret love song by little mix, they don’t know about us by one direction, see you again by tyler the creator and kali uchis, telepatía by kali uchis, sober by childish gambino, slut! by taylor swift, and ofc darling by seventeen

for anyone else, going to a movie premiere in the spur of the moment wasn’t much of a risk at all. any of joshua’s other fans could watch his new movie in public without experiencing any scrutiny. with all of that being said, there was no reason you should have been waiting near the staff entrance with a baseball cap and sunglasses. and yet, you were peering around corners and checking your watch every two seconds.

he was only two minutes late. it’s no big deal. maybe he was just preparing one of his speeches or getting his makeup touched up.

or.. he could have finally chosen to listen to his parents and stop seeing you. he could have realized that your relationship put both of your careers and reputation in jeopardy. he could have been rehearsing his breakup speech with you.

before you could prepare yourself for a theoretical rebuttal, the door swung open. and you were graced with quite possibly the most beautiful sight to behold- joshua, himself. he wore a navy blue suit, suede. he had bleached his hair recently; it was still taking some getting used to, but it was a lovely color on him. it was snow white, minus a few streaks of yellow along the ends. all in all, he looked like an angel.

neither of you wasted a second, throwing your arms around each other as he pulled you in for a deep, slow kiss. your hands rested on your shoulders, leaving prints of your palms on the fuzzy, napped fabric. you smiled into the kiss, relieved that your doubts proved to be fruitless, and he quickly reciprocated.

“thanks for coming,” he whispered to you. “i know you’ve been really busy.”

you shrugged, “its nothing i’m not used to. besides.. i had to see you. it’s been too long.”

joshua pulled away just enough to look in your eyes, adoration filling his own. with a quiet chuckle, he slowly removed the sunglasses from your face and folded them over his dress shirt. just as you moved your hands up in protest, he grabbed them both and laced his fingers with yours. “you have no idea how good it is to hear your voice. can we go somewhere tonight? anywhere.”

“I-” you stopped, drawing in a shaky breath. your breathing came to a complete stop, as if you were waiting for someone to burst through the door at any moment. “i don’t know. where would we go? i bet everyone in the city knows which hotel you’re staying at.”

he snickered, “good point. but they probably don’t know which one you’re staying at.”

you furrowed your eyebrows in mock offense, “and what exactly are you implying?”

“that your fans have a little more common sense and decency than mine,” joshua sighed, though there was no sign of self-pity in his voice. he moved a hand away from yours to brush through your hair, detangling a few tiny strands.

“if only that were the case,” you chuckled gloomily. “let’s go to the restaurant by my hotel. there’s a rooftop terrace, i could buy it out for the two of us.”

“someone likes their privacy,” joshua teased. “i’ll be there. gimme a few hours after the movie ends and i’ll run to you.”

“it’s a date.” you smiled giddily and cupped his chin with your thumb and index finger, pressing your lips against his once more. and once again, the two of you smiled once graced with the pressure of a light, chaste kiss. “now, i’ve gotta get going. i’ve got a movie to watch.”

joshua’s eyes went wide; when the two of you made arrangements to sneak around that day, he wasn’t expecting you to purchase a ticket to his premiere. he expected a quick little meeting, a few kisses, words of affirmation.. he knew that the two of you were already taking great risks as it was, he didn’t expect you to take another one. “well you’ll have to tell me all about it tonight.”

“looking forward to it.” you stole another kiss from him, trying not to ruin any of his makeup. there would be plenty of time for that later. you also lifted up your sunglasses from the collar of his shirt, sliding them back on with a mischievous smirk before waving goodbye and turning your back on him.

getting into the theater wasn’t much of a problem, oddly enough. it was somewhat alarming, the realization that no one recognized you as you wore one of the most basic disguises of all time. still, you opted to sit in the very back of the theater. not only were you afraid of potentially stealing the spotlight away from joshua , but the mere thought of your parents getting wind of this was terrifying.

both of your parents had had a very public rivalry since before either of you were born. your mothers were both models, and were best friends for a long time. that was.. until your mother stole one of the most important modeling gigs from joshua’s mother. and her manager. and her celebrity crush. they ended up breaking up before she met your dad but still!

then, your mother just had to marry a football player. and joshua’s mother was quick to retaliate, entering into a marriage of convenience with a player on a rival team. needless to say, you and joshua had been forbidden from even speaking to each other, let alone supporting each other’s work. let alone falling in love…

to be fair, neither of you ever saw it coming. until you met at a mutual friend’s birthday party, the two of you had some pretty horrible preconceived notions of each other that were proven false after a private rooftop conversation. after all, they’d been planted in both of your brains since the two of you were children.

it started out as privately messaging on instagram. then when the two of you started traveling more, you moved to whatsapp. then joshua plucked up the courage to ask you for your private number and then you started meeting each other in secret wherever you could. exclusive bars and restaurants, botanical gardens, private hotels and residences… not even your closest friends knew. and it would stay that way for a long, long time.

sometimes it hurt, yes. some days were easier than others.. but it hardly bothered you as you stared up at the silver screen. dark fantasy films were making a comeback, joshua being at the center of the industry’s revolution. you leaned back in your seat, smiling dumbly at the sight of your beloved in one of those fluffy pirate shirts, exploring an unknown, frightening realm while finding love along the way…

—------------------------------------

it was cold that night. wind brushed through your hair while you kept your arms folded across the balcony, nipping at your nose and fingertips. you could see your breath, small clouds forming with each steady breath you took. you looked back towards the door near the center of the rooftop for the twentieth time; he had not stood you up yet, but the fear was always there.

your lockscreen remained empty, the only notifications being messages from your manager, vernon. several reminders about your interviews and photoshoots tomorrow, his ever present dry tone practically audible as you read the notes to yourself. it seemed you couldn’t escape reality for a second, even if you tried.

the slanted rooftop door opened quietly, but it didn’t startle you. you paid the maître d’ not to let anyone except for him upstairs. joshua stood in the doorway for a moment, letting the music from inside the restaurant ring through the air before shutting the door and muffling the smooth jazz. he watched you stare out at the city in quiet contemplation, approaching you timidly.

“the city’s so beautiful this time of night,” you told him quietly without turning to face him. “i wish we could stay here. just a little bit longer.”

he let his hands rest on the railing, one of them brushing against your elbow at the movement. “you’re heading back tomorrow?”

you nodded, “two more interviews, one more photoshoot. then it’s back home for a few weeks.” you looked back towards him. “you too?”

he shook his head, “there’s another showing in paris this weekend. and then in milan, then L.A….”

you tried to hide your disappointment, standing up a little bit taller. “well..i’m free for the next few weeks, so we’ll just.. work something out.”

joshua smiled, a pang of pain nearly visible within the movement. the flash of emotion was gone as quickly as it had first appeared, his beautiful, familiar smile quick to replace the pitiful look in his eyes. “perfect” was all he could say in the moment. “well..let’s make the most of the time we have together, then.”

“i couldn’t agree more.” with a chuckle, you led him towards a table near the center of the rooftop. It was the only one covered in a tablecloth and lit candle, where a bottle of chilled champagne and glasses awaited the two of you. you were the one to take the initiative, pouring a respectable amount of the cristal champagne in both glasses. you looked up to him as you rose yours, and he was quick to mirror your actions. “i loved your movie, by the way.”

he snickered with a bashful nod of his head, “i thought you might. you always had a dark sense of humor.”

“and a love for fantasy and romance,” you countered, taking a meager sip from your glass. “it was nice to escape reality with you, joshua. even just for a little while.”

he smiled dumbly, as if the endless amounts of compliments from critics meant nothing to him compared to what you had to say about his work. “i’m glad my performance was convincing to you,” he mused, an awfully sappy look in his eyes as he shifted his weight from one foot to the other. “but this-” he gestured to the empty space surrounding the two of you, “it’s really nice. thank you.”

you shook your head dismissively, “it was nothing.”

“no, i’m serious,” he told you, setting down his glass in favor of taking your free hand in his. “i haven’t had more than five minutes to myself in almost two months. i’m grateful that you would do something like this for me.”

once his warm hand was wrapped around yours, you felt prompted to look up in his eyes. his beautiful dark brown eyes.. “this wasn’t just for you, you know,” you teased him helplessly. “i’ve been needing some time to myself. you have no idea how insufferable vernon actually is.”

joshua laughed out loud, “i would have expected nothing less. someone has to keep you in line.” his hand briefly swatted at your elbow for effect.

“he’s not doing a very good job, is he?” this time, you were the one to gesture towards the space of the empty rooftop around you before facing him fully. comfortable silence passed between the two of you, warmth flooding your chest the second you got a better look at his eyes. then you whispered, “dance with me.”

joshua knew he would have been a fool to decline such a request. sorry, such a command. he was quick to set down his glass, which was half full by now. after settling on the best playlist of classy tunes he could find on spotify, he stepped towards you with a mischievous grin. once your arms were linked around his neck, his were curled around your waist in an effort to bring you closer to the warmth of his chest.

the two of you swayed in perfect time with the symphonies of strings that rang through the tiny speaker of his phone. your chin came to relax on his shoulder while his face was nestled comfortably into your hair. neither of you spoke for a moment, soaking in each other’s warmth. enjoying each other’s presence, uninterrupted, while you still could guarantee that no one unwanted would barge in on you. even your heartbeats were in perfect synch as you swayed in circles amongst the candlelight.

joshua’s touch was feather-light, but firm at the same time. there was confidence in the way he held onto your hips, fingers delicately tracing patterns in the fabric- but it wasn’t the boldest movement. he wasn’t making any efforts to insinuate that he wanted something else from you- no. it was more like he was trying to set your weary mind at ease. he knew that these less than ideal circumstances weighed on you, just like they weighed on him.

he’d washed the gel from earlier out of his hair, that much was clear once you ran your fingertips through the snow white strands. weaving the locks through your hands in gentle motions, you allowed yourself to take another step closer towards him. there was no room for either of you to even breathe without feeling the impact of the other’s chest rising and falling. you took a deep breath, getting a faint whiff of his cologne- a familiar scent of pine that you associated with him and him only.

neither of you said another word as you lifted your head up from his shoulder without breaking away from him. his lips were mere inches away from yours as the two of you stopped swaying just to get a better look at each other. the music swelled as the climax of the latest song rang through the air, painting a picture perfect moment for the two of you. you and joshua both studied each other, as if you were taking a mental note to memorize the godlike features in front of you.

After a moment, you couldn’t wait much longer. you pressed your lips against his, hoping to communicate more to him than words could in that moment. actions always spoke much louder, anyways. he seemed to agree; for her returned your kiss with fervor, cupping your cheek while his other hand kept his grip on your waist. your hands stayed in his hair even when you broke the kiss to press your forehead against his.

“let’s just stay up here for a little bit longer.”

—--------------------------------------------------------------

your eyes were glued to the tiny screen in front of you once your makeup was finished. now that you had some time to yourself, you could fixate on the most recent message you had sent to joshua: ‘i’m leaving again on the fourteenth, ik that’s your first day back in town. come over to my place.’

‘my place.’ you two had never been brave enough to meet at each others’ private residences. you knew the risks that came with it; the fear that nosy reporters or stalkers could follow you home, that either one of your friends or family members could burst in through the door.. if only there was a channel of tunnels underground designed especially for you two.

anyways, you chose to forgo sounding like a broken record and voicing your familiar concerns towards him. the three bubbles appeared on screen, blinking in the rhythmic pattern. they stayed there for a moment; he was obviously thinking really hard about what to say next. your heart nearly stopped beating completely, your breath catching in your throat, and then..

“y/n,” a voice from behind you mused.

you hurriedly pushed the power button, letting the phone fall to your lap while looking over your shoulder. vernon stood with his hands in his pockets with a blank expression. somehow you were able to read your deadpan manager like a book by now; right now, he was unhappy with you. “oh good, you’re ready. what’s taking so long?”

you sighed, “sorry. there’s just a lot on my mind.”

“like what?” vernon took a seat next to you, eyebrows furrowed.

“i don’t know how many more times i can talk about who i’m wearing or who did my makeup or what i hope to see make a comeback this fashion season,” you answered truthfully. “i’m really tired.”

vernon tried to offer a reassuring smile, his best effort being a mere tug at the one corner of his lips. “this is your last day, then you get a few weeks off. you’ll have plenty of time to rest, clear your mind.”

your eyes briefly fixated on the ceiling as you tried to figure out what to say next. “i mean in general. don’t you think that i could be doing something a lot more..meaningful?”

“where is all of this coming from?” vernon was puzzled; you were never one to complain about your occupation. you knew that you were blessed, that there were a lot of perks that outweighed the cons most of the time..you’d known that for years now. why were you suddenly having second thoughts?

“i’m.. not sure.” for a brief moment, you contemplated telling vernon about your true feelings for joshua. but you quickly realized that there were two possible directions he could take with the new information: for one, he could tell your parents. he was loyal to them, not just to you. two, he could hear you out. as your manager, he had been there for you on a physical and emotional level.

but.. you weren’t sure if now was a good time to take that risk. you stood up, checking your empty lockscreen under the guise of checking the time. “let’s get this over with,” you told him.

vernon nodded sympathetically before following suit and opening the door for you. “the second they’re done asking questions, you’re on the first plane home. you have my word.

“and listen- we’ll talk more on the way home, okay?”

you flashed him a smile of gratitude before letting out a quiet sigh. to tell the truth, you were more focused on your intense heartbeat than anything else. what did joshua have to say that was so important it took him five whole minutes and counting to type it? however, it was nothing compared to the disappointment you felt after the interview when you came back to another empty notification center.

—----------------------------------

you didn’t stop checking your phone for new messages, even when you got home. every single time you were greeted by the two checkmarks, indicating that joshua had, in fact, read your message. what was taking him so long? had his phone been intercepted somehow? or had he finally realized…

you were ready to call it quits and fling your duffle bag onto the couch on the way to the kitchen, following through with your nightly routine. chamomile tea with a mint face mask, dimmed lighting and forest rain asmr playing on the television. however, your mother, who was sitting on said sofa with her back towards you, had other plans.

the sight of her didn’t scare you; you’d grown accustomed to her barging into your home and waiting for you to get back from work trips. sometimes you seriously wondered if she knew your schedule better than you did. maybe it was a good thing joshua was ghosting you.

“good to see you, mom,” you told her casually while making your way to the kitchen. not even her looming presence could stop you from brewing a much needed cup of tea.

she furrowed her eyebrows, taking offense at how casually you blew her off in favor of going to the stove. “that’s all?”

you flicked the stove on, waiting for the water to boil. with your back towards her you rolled your eyes, “what’s going on with you? how have you been?”

slapping her hands over her knees, she stood up from the couch abruptly. “i have excellent news, young lady. the kims are throwing a birthday party tonight for their oldest son, mingyu. and guess who has been personally invited?”

you pulled out your favorite mug, a light blue one with pale butterflies scattered across the cup. “i don’t know. vernon?”

your mother huffed, “you! mrs. kim told me that mingyu wants to meet you personally. your father and i will accompany you, of course, now let’s-”

“wait a minute, wait a minute, hold on-” you turned to face her, holding your hands up. “i literally just finished a month-long gig and went to five different countries. i don’t feel like going to a birthday party for someone i’ve never even met.”

“oh come on! just take a quick nap, and don’t drink any of this sleepytime tea.” she reached over to turn the stove off and move the kettle out of the way. “i’ll pick out your outfit while you get some rest. i want you looking your best tonight!”

before you could even think about protesting, she was gently pushing you into your bedroom. she made her own way to the closet after making sure you were seated on the edge of your bed, flicking the light on with a hum of satisfaction. she began muttering to herself while you tried to get comfortable among the blankets and pillows you’ve missed so dearly, “oh yes, you’ve got so many good options… oh this color would look marvelous on you… oh mingyu loves the color blue, you’ll-”

“MOM!” you shrieked, covering your ears with the nearest pillow.

—--------------------------

of course, it was no surprise to you that your mother had chosen one of the most uncomfortable dresses in your possession. it was dark blue, short and sequined, completely backless save a series of tiny laces clinging to your lower back. you’d worn several outfits just like it in photoshoots, but you’d never felt more exposed in your life. the cold air crashed upon your bare legs as you stood in the driveway, gazing up at the kims’ mansion in a pained stupor.

this wasn’t how your night was supposed to go.

your parents, with a hand resting on either of your shoulders, led you into their close friends’ house. it was just like any other party they had dragged you along to, several esteemed guests mingling politely with champagne in hand. waiters in white tuxedos carried glasses around, wearing blank expressions that would put robots to shame. a classical string quartet played over the speakers, once that provoked you to reminisce about the special moment you and your beloved shared just a few nights prior…

your mother was quick to pull your tiny coat off of your shoulders, handing it to the nearest waiter to dispose of it properly. the air was much warmer, that much you were grateful for. “let’s go find her,” she spoke of her close friend, your gracious host. “she shouldn’t be too far behind.”

you deadpanned as she kept a firm grip onto your hand, pulling you through the crowd. you spotted a few familiar faces, friends of friends. but no one that you particularly wanted to see. although the music was classical, soothing, you could’ve sworn it was getting louder and louder by the second. you stopped in your tracks to grab a glass of champagne, knowing that it would do little to calm your nerves. but you took a quick sip anyways.

of course, your mother snatched the glass from your hands once the two of you came face to face with a woman dressed to the nines. she wore an elegant dress and pearls, making you second guess your choice of apparel (not for the first time that night), her dark hair in a slick bun. she turned to her friend(?), your mother, giving her a warm smile, “i’m so glad you could make it!”

“thank you for inviting us!” your mother chirped, tugging you closer to her by gripping onto your furthest hip. “this is my lovely daughter, y/n. she just got home, she’s been working nonstop for the past month.”

“hi,” you chimed in awkwardly, grinning.

mrs. kim looked to you, her smiled laced with pride, “i think i recognize you. mingyu and i noticed you in several television ads in one sitting! it’s great to finally meet you in person.” before you could thank her, she turned her back on the two of you in favor of grabbing a young man’s hand and prompt him to join your small circle. “ladies, this is my son, mingyu.”

you could admit that kim mingyu was objectively very attractive. he was tall, with wavy dark hair and a cut jawline of steel. you expected someone with his status (and honestly, his looks) to take one look at you and walk in the other direction with his nose up in the air. but he didn’t. he extended a hand towards you, beaming. “hi.”

“hi, happy birthday,” you whispered, bashfully taking his hand. “i’m-”

“i already know who you are,” he cut you off, not that you were going to complain about it. however, once he realized that he interrupted your train of thought, he smiled bashfully, “sorry. we’ve just.. seen you on the tv for a while now. it’s lovely to meet you.”

“we’ll leave the two of you alone,” your mother giggled, joining hands with mrs. kim and booking it out of the kitchen. much to your utter horror. you didn’t know why you were so surprised; your mother’s penchant for evil was growing stronger and stronger everyday, it seemed.

the two of you stood awkwardly for a moment, mirroring awkward smiles and nervous laughs. luckily, mingyu broke the silence before you could, “do you wanna get out of here?”

you furrowed your eyebrows, momentarily confused. “..huh?”

“i mean- there’s a balcony just outside. i need some fresh air, it’s awfully stuffy in here.” the tall man chuckled, briefly grabbing at the collar of his dress shirt for effect. he had a very nice smile, one that seemed to be especially suited for film and television. there was a kindness in his eyes; he only wanted to make sure you were comfortable.

“oh- oh! yeah, that sounds really nice, actually.” you chuckled. only when you were greeted by the familiar cold air did you remember that you were not well dressed for this particular weather. once mingyu shut the door behind you, your arms were promptly folded over your chest, your palms moving up and down to provide the skin of your upper arms any sense of warmth. needless to say, it was not very effective.

“shit-” mingyu caught on quickly, throwing his blazer off his shoulders and draping it along your much smaller frame. you were soon drowned in the fabric, chuckling at how it could wrap around your entire body and then some. “sorry. i didn’t-”

“no, no it’s okay!” you laughed. “i- forgot what i was wearing for a second. my mom picked this dress out for me. she doesn’t usually do that, i swear.” inwardly, you were kicking yourself for your word choice- why did you feel the need to tell him that?

mingyu snickered, “don’t worry, i know all about that. my mom had this tailored specifically for tonight. we take birthdays pretty seriously around here.”

you nodded, unsure of what else to say in the moment. the two of you stared down the balcony in somewhat uncomfortable silence. there were already a handful of guests leaving, which undoubtedly would soon be replaced by more friends and family members. you envied those who climbed into the getaway cars, laughing and recalling the events of that night. still, you knew you had to be polite.

“so-” you both said at the same time before promptly bursting into a fit of chuckles.

“you first, birthday boy,” you chuckled.

you could have sworn mingyu tilted his head to hide a growing beam upon hearing the affectionate nickname you’d bestowed upon him. “well.. tell me more about yourself. do you have any hobbies?”

you lifted your chin up, eyebrows furrowed in contemplation as if you’d forgotten every little detail about yourself in a moment’s notice. “well…not really. don’t have a lot of time to myself. sometimes i read.”

“what kind of books?”

“you know.. the usual. nonfiction, i like a lot of history books. also.. i read some romance novels every now and again.”

mingyu chuckled in amusement, “ohhh so you’re one of those readers.”

you furrowed your eyebrows, mocking offense. “what’s that supposed to mean?”

“nothing!” mingyu was quick to throw his hands up in mock defense, snickering. you could tell the expression of guilt on his face was genuine, a sympathetic yet sheepish grin on his lips. “nothing. you just don’t look like the type to read smut in your free time.”

“well, there’s a lot you don’t know about me,” you teased, smirking broader by the second. you’d even forgotten all about the freezing winds practically biting at your skin, thanks to him. he was easy to banter with, you could give him that much.

mingyu didn’t say anything at first, smiling bashfully towards you as if the last statement was.. promising to him. a moment of silence passed between you, your eyes instinctively falling over the balcony as a hum escaped your lips. even in your brief peace of mind, nothing could have prepared you for what he asked you next.

“are you seeing anyone right now?”

you chuckled bashfully, wondering how he jumped so quickly from such an icebreaker to a deeply personal question. “um..no. are you?”

mingyu shook his head, grinning dumbly. “my mom tries setting me up with girls all the time. that’s mostly what this birthday party is: an excuse for her to parade me in front of eligible bachelorettes.”

“i’m sorry to hear that,” you told him with sincerity, bringing his jacket a bit closer to your chest. “i get it, though. both of my parents have been pressuring me to start dating more seriously too.”

“and i imagine it's a bit harder for you too,” mingyu replied sympathetically. he had a point; there were a lot more double standards for women in the industry involving dating, hell, even just existing. you were either seen as a prude for staying single or a gold digger if you chose to date someone just as wealthy, if not more wealthy than you. there never seemed to be a happy medium, but you’d made peace with that long ago.

you shrugged. “it is what it is. frankly, i’m more concerned about keeping food on the table than seeing what the gossip magazines have to say about me.”

mingyu chuckled, albeit sadly. “well said.”

neither of you seemed to be quite sure where the conversation would go from there. there seemed to be little to no interest in elaborating on the particularly forward question he’d asked you. keeping that sentiment in mind you turned towards him, offering a small smile towards the much taller man. “should we head inside? i don’t want your mother to get the wrong idea.”

he snickered, “i could use a drink, anyways.”

he was gracious enough to let you wear his jacket just until he opened the door for you. you let out a faint sigh of relief once the familiar warmth flooded against your skin, reaching your hands up to slip the large pool of fabric off your shoulders.

but the moment you took your eyes off mingyu, your heart nearly lept out of your chest at the sight of joshua not five feet in front of you, reaching for another glass of champagne. your eyes locked, his own going wide with the realization you had caught him in a lie for the first time. he was able to keep his cool, act like your presence didn’t affect him in the slightest.. unfortunately, you weren’t so gifted in that area.

you turned to mingyu with a sympathetic yet slightly rushed grin, “it was- really nice talking to you. i hope you find what you’re looking for.”

“thanks. it was nice talki-”

before you could let him finish his thought, you rushed towards the man with fluffy bleached hair. discretion was the least of your concerns. you weren’t sure if you should be relieved that you were finally seeing him again, angry with him for ignoring you, or heartbroken that you had to meet again under such circumstances. “i thought you were going to paris,” you told him.

he looked over his shoulder, drawing in a deep breath. he knew the odds were stacked against the two of you now more than ever; you’d never found yourselves in the same public setting as both of your parents. you didn’t even have to ask him if his were close by; you knew they had a tendency to hover over him like a pair of vultures. “long story,” he whispered once he finally met your eyes. brief and distant was the contact.

you grabbed onto his arm, looking over your shoulder in the same manner as he’d done just moments before. and before you could listen to his protests, you walked him down the hall and to the nearest coat closet. no one else was around the hallways; the guests mostly found themselves in the music or drawing rooms where entertainment was provided.

you slammed the door shut, leaning back against it with your arms folded. joshua frowned once he saw the expression of hurt etched along your features, the way your eyebrows knitted together.. “you lied to me.”

“i know.”

“why?”

joshua looked away, fingers brushing along the sleeve of a random guest’s coat. it was large, dark brown.. mink, no doubt. “i.. i guess it would have been easier going back home knowing.. knowing that you thought i was still out of the country.”

you felt a strange, tightening sensation in your chest. one that was painfully unfamiliar, especially since joshua was involved. “where is all of this coming from?” you asked him quietly, keeping your position against the small door. it served two purposes: keeping him in and anyone else out. “i thought..”

“i know,” he interrupted, taking a step closer to you and letting go of the soft, plush fabric in favor of holding onto one of your hands. “i know. and i’m really sorry. i just.. i hate this.”

your eyes widened, the tightening feeling in your chest growing more intense by the second, “w-what..”

“no- no, not this,” he stepped closer, his grip on your hand tightening as he brought it up to his chest. his thumb skimmed over your knuckles, over your chilled rings. his free hand flew towards your cheek, cupping your jawline with a gentle, featherlike touch. “i mean.. sneaking around. lying. i hate living like this. i hate pretending i don’t know you exist. i want you to be able to come to my premieres as my date. i want to be able to go to your runways with you. i’m tired of this, y/n.”

you held eye contact with him, as uncomfortable as it was. his words were like daggers, the look in his beautiful, doe-like eyes serving as salt to the wounds. “trust me.. i want all of those things too. more than anything.” you paused, looking down at your joined hands. “but you know it’s a bad idea. if we tell them, there’s no way they’ll react well.”

“y/n-”

“they’ll disown us. cut us off. plus, if your parents are anything like mine, they’ll be very public with all of it.” it broke your heart to shut down such a beautiful and heartfelt declaration on his part, especially since everything inside you was telling you to abandon everything and run away with him. you couldn’t bring yourself to face him as your eyes flooded with tears; you knew the look of heartbreak on his face would prompt you to break out into heavy sobs.

“so.. what are you saying?” he asked you timidly. he was never one to raise his voice or get angry with you- honestly you weren’t sure if you would ever find anyone else quite like that in your life.

“i- i don’t know,” you answered truthfully. you couldn’t even dream of breaking things off with him. call it what you want, selfishness, fear.. but you didn’t want to lose him. that’s why you felt the need to reassure him through your heavy tears and your warbled voice, “i could never dream of being with anyone else. but i also know.. i have nothing without my parents.”

it embarrassed you to admit out loud that you were much too dependent on your parents. they dictated everything for you, they provided you with so much.. they had ties in the industry. without their help, you would undoubtedly be jobless.

“that’s not true,” he whispered with furrowed eyebrows. “you’re smart. and strong. i know you’d be more than capable.”

“shua-“

“i have enough money to support the both of us for the rest of our lives,” he told you, cupping both of your cheeks then. his touch was firm, yet gentle. “and once this movie takes off..” his voice trailed off. “let’s not make any rash decisions tonight, okay?”

just then, his fingers moved under your jawline, propping your chin up and prompting you to look up at him. “okay?” he repeated with that same beautiful gentleness, his voice hushed.

it took you a moment, but you nodded. with the realization that while you didn’t have everything figured out right that second, the least you could do was slow down and enjoy what was right in front of you. or more accurately, who was right in front of you. “yeah. okay.” you linked your arms around his neck, your chin falling to rest on his shoulder.

you pulled away just enough to look in his eyes. he’d blinked away any semblance of tears before you could see them fall down his cheeks- yet they still had such a glow of kindness and warmth in them. at times, it felt like they spoke directly to you, conveying every beautiful sentiment the two of you shared between each other. love, adoration, trust.. then they were fluttering shut once you leaned in to press your lips against his.

you both sighed in unison, as if it had been years since you held each other, kissed each other. with that being said, the kiss grew more and more desperate by the second. you’d even pulled yourself away from the closet door you had previously been leaning against, opting to press your chest against his instead. distance truly made the heart fonder, you were coming to find.

your knees felt weak once his hands slid down your figure to rest over your hips for a moment, his fingers snaking towards the small of your bare back. you could have sworn you were seeing stars by the time his fingertips folded over the tiny laces and skimmed over the skin in silky motions. his touch was so familiar to you, yet it never failed to bring butterflies to your stomach and a heated tint to your cheeks.

“i like this dress,” he whispered to you between heated kisses. you could only hum in response, hands weaving through his fluffy, ungelled hair. he smirked, feeling nothing short of pride that he left you feeling speechless. “what? you don’t like it?”

“i’d rather be wearing it just for you,” you admitted while linking an arm around his waist. under his suede jacket, of course. you clung to him, craving, needing his warmth..

“i love the sound of that.” before he could take any riskier steps, he pulled his hands away from the small of your back, his palms gliding upwards to hold onto your clothed upper waist, instead. as tempted as he was, he was not about to have sex with you in the closet; he thought it felt incredibly disrespectful, especially considering the heart-to-heart you had moments before. always the gentleman.

once his lips met your neck, you tilted your head while your hands relaxed on his waist. you felt like time had stopped from the moment you stepped foot in the closet with joshua, like nothing else mattered except the two of you. along with that beautiful, wonderful feeling came the harsh reality that your parents were most likely searching the entire mansion for you. so, you promised yourself you’d give him just a few more minutes before you’d be the one to break the embrace.

he was timid with his kisses, careful not to get too carried away and leave any marks. even so, his lips left you tilting your head back against the nearest wall in bliss. “come over tonight, please. i can’t-”

joshua lifted his head up, his eyes locking with yours. he was clearly surprised to see that your offer from earlier that day still stood, oddly enough. before he could agree, his lips parting, the door swung open next to you. you felt the impact as it hit joshua, causing him to shudder- but the culprit was quick to apologize:

“sorry, man, didn’t see you there-” vernon muttered, stepping forward to gently push past joshua, most likely with the intention to grab his own coat. of course, until he saw you pressed up against the nearest wall with your arms wrapped tightly around joshua’s waist, the man you were supposed to be in a feud with. his eyes went wide, his jaw agape as he stood in silence for an uncomfortable amount of time. “....y/n??”

—-------------------------------

needless to say, joshua didn’t come over to your place that night. you were both able to smooth things over with vernon before the party was over and luckily he agreed not to tell your parents, at least for the time being. joshua was the first to leave the closet, albeit reluctantly, leaving you to face your manager with a sheepish expression. he was disappointed in you, to say the least, offended, both on a professional and personal level.. but the important thing was that he swore he would be discreet.

you both agreed to meet for lunch the next day to discuss the important matter at hand, as well as your upcoming schedule. the pesto chicken sandwich placed in front of you hardly looked appetizing, given the severity of the situation. once your manager had found the table you reserved for the two of them, he sat down in front of you with his shoulders slumped. clearly he was just about as excited for this meeting as you were.

you were the first one to speak, flashing him that same awkward smile from the night before, “hey..”

“joshua? joshua hong?” you had to hand it to vernon: he went straight to the point more often than not.

you nodded your head, which felt heavier by the second. the weight and the severity of the situation caused an aching in your temples, one that you would have wished away hours ago if it were possible. “yeah..”

although he wouldn’t admit it out loud, vernon was grateful you took the liberty of ordering his sandwich for him. ham and swiss on rye.. you’d had his order memorized for years now. he took a bite of it, as if to drown his sorrows in the small sandwich. “i just- have so many questions. how did you guys even meet? aren’t you supposed to hate each other?”

“jihyo’s birthday party a few years back..” now that you admitted it out loud, you were in disbelief that the two of you were able to keep your relationship a secret for so long. only for all of the best efforts, the sneaking around, and the little white lies to be thrown down the drain at a stranger’s birthday party. “we got to talking and realized.. neither of the lies our parents told us about each other were true. that night he messaged me on instagram and.. one thing led to another.”

from the looks of it, vernon, himself, was starting to get a headache as you retold the events of your relationship to him. his palm went to his forehead, rubbing the skin with a heavy sigh of dread. “and.. just how have you managed to keep this a secret for so long? without my help?”

you shrugged your shoulders just as a pit began to form in your stomach. “luck, i guess?”

“let’s hope whoever blessed you with good luck is still feeling generous when your parents find out,” he shifted in his seat uncomfortably. “and they will find out, y/n. it may have been me who found you guys in the closet last night, but the two of you can only keep up appearances for so long.

“imagine if it was mingyu who found you. or one of his parents. hell, one of your parents.”

you shuddered at the thought of your parents walking in on you making out with anyone in that closet, let alone the child of their sworn enemies. “you’re right. it was.. super irresponsible of us.” you paused. “are you saying.. we should just tell them?”

vernon swallowed the last bite of his sandwich, nodding his head in the process, “better than finding out through the media, don’t you think?”

“i guess.” you leaned back in your seat with a sigh. not for the first time, you envied the couple sitting a few tables across from you. they were strangers to you, but they seemed so.. happy. they didn’t have to worry about being seen together, make sure no one was looking before holding hands, secret “i love yous..” none of it. it didn’t seem fair to you.

as vernon noticed you sitting in quiet contemplation, he folded his arms across the table. “what are you thinking about?”

“vernon.. you’re fired.”

you could have sworn vernon’s eyes grew nearly twice their size. “wait a minute, wait a minute- what??!”

“listen! you’ve given me a lot to think about and.. you’re right. i have to tell them.” you cleared your throat. “we both know it’s not going to end well, so i’m saving you the public embarrassment in advance. and i’m quitting my job. as soon as possible.”

vernon’s features softened, his relief evident. you knew that your long term manager would be well off; he had several other clients in the business besides you. still, he seemed puzzled. “are you- are you sure? you’re giving up a lot, y/n. are you sure it’s worth it?”

as you reflected on your time as a model, the benefits and perks that you were lucky enough to receive, along with the cons on the other side of it- you realized you’d never been more confident in your decision before. you were young, there was plenty of time for you to choose a more meaningful path. you nodded, leaving enough cash on the table to pay for the two sandwiches before standing up.

“it’s definitely worth it,” you beamed. “i’ve gotta go make a phone call.”

———————————————

“it’s.. definitely risky.” joshua had his reservations about your proposal. he knew what your mother was like thanks to the stories you’d told him personally, which was why he found it all so.. commendable.

“what part of our relationship hasn’t been risky?” you countered while leaning into his chest. he’d finally taken you up on your invitation. the two of you were relaxing on your balcony, cuddling on the swing while soaking up the vanishing sunlight. you hadn’t let him leave your sight since the minute he walked through your front door; you wanted to take full advantage of his time there.

“true,” joshua let out an infectious laugh and the skin near his eyes crinkled, just like it did every time he smiled. truthfully, it was a trait of his that you’d found endearing since the moment you met him. his voice was hushed as his gaze shifted from the sunset ahead to you and he lifted a hand to cup your cheek. “is this really what you want?”

“more than anything.” you immediately reached for his free hand, both of yours holding it close to your heart. there was nothing but certainty in your tone as you spoke, the look of determination in your eyes only solidifying it. “maybe i can go back to school or something. my schedule’s clearing up pretty soon.”

you felt the gentle rumble in his chest as he chuckled, “you know i’ll take care of us. i wasn’t just saying that.”

“i know. but- i really need to do this. i feel like i’ve been missing out on so much.” you played with the rings adorning his fingers rather than meeting his eyes. your confession left you feeling bashful, even if you weren’t quite sure why. “but not anymore. i love you joshua, and i don’t want to have to live in fear anymore. i just want..you.”

those three beautiful words stood out to joshua and caused him to grin like a fool. all this time, it was as if the two of you knew fully well that you were in love and therefore, never felt the need to state it directly. your affection towards each other was unspoken at times, voicing itself in many more ways than one; stolen kisses behind curtains, brushing hands together in intimate discretion, risking discovery by supporting each other at premieres or press conferences.

but now.. those three words were out in the air, never to be taken back. not that either of you would dare to if you were given the opportunity, of course. personally, joshua felt as if he could shout it from the rooftops without a care in the world. “say that again,” he whispered to you.

you were quick to reply, your voice hushed to match his tone, “i love you.”

“i love you too.” as if to reiterate his words, he pressed his lips against yours just as the sun began to take refuge behind the large palm trees. it felt beautiful, picturesque, like a scene from one of his movies.

the rest of the night, you two never left each other’s embrace for more than a single minute, knowing that even if your parents lashed out at both of you, even if you were sure to face public scrutiny and humiliation, even if you were at risk for losing everything you’d worked so hard to build, you had each other. you would never part ways with each other again, and that was truly all that mattered.

[joonsytip]

Unchained Melody || Joshua [Teaser]

Pairing: Joshua X Fem!Reader

Genre: Angst, Fluff, Florist!Joshua, Professor!Reader, Multiple Reincarnations au, Soulmate au, Unrequited love au, Historical au, Hanahaki au, Fantasy au

Synopsis: You find Joshua, your soulmate in every lifetime and it takes only a sight of you for him to regain the memories of his past lives until you find him again in the current one but this time he doesn't recognise you at all.

Warnings: multiple reincarnations, heartbreak, major character death in some of the lifetimes, concept of soulmate and red string of fate, multiple vague verses and a whole lot of things through different lifetimes.

Dropping anyday, anytime.

[ SVT Masterlist ] [ SVT Flick - Fic Masterlist ]

Joshua waits. He observes you. But as time passes, the confusion in his eyes morphs into something somewhat you could term as agitation.

"Do you really not recognise me?", you ask with hesitance in case he's joking but the vague look in his eyes now is giving an unmistakable answer.

"I'm sorry but as I said, no. I really don't recollect meeting you before.", he says apologetically, "If you don't mind introducing yourself so that I can...", his voice trails off.

"This has never happened before", you mumble to yourself, "What's happening?"

You freeze when your gaze falls on the bouquet of red carnation, that he had kept on the counter.

The memories of your last life flashes in your mind. How you had coughed those red petals till you faced death because Joshua never reciprocated your feelings.

You get reminded of how once again, in one more lifetime he was your soulmate but you weren't his.

How the red string of fate tied to his pinky never linked him to you.

How your fate was always bound to him but the two of you never ended up together.

And how it was destined for you to find Joshua in every lifetime only to get effaced by another heartbreak.

→ Do not copy, re-post, translate, or share any of my works on other platforms! All stories are copyrighted, joonsytip. ©️

[hamji-hae]

can you do suggestive texts with bf joshua? tysm love your work!<3

random texts with bf! joshua

cw: suggestive, fluff, crack ig

author’s note: i incorporated various requests in one cause i got many requests for random texts with bf joshua and suggestive texts with bf joshua, so i just did random texts with joshua but spiced them up🤭

requests are always open!

[wooahaeruby]

Blood Stained Hands

Summary

One mistake leads to the downward spiral of the life you once knew. Everything made sense once, but now...everything made sense differently. Are you willing to risk everything for the people you've come to love? A Poly SVT (only a few members) x Reader fic with relationships added as time goes on Jeonghan x Reader & Joshua x Reader & ????? x Reader

Tags/TW

Mafia AU, Polyamory, G*ns and Dr*gs mentions, Violence, Organized Crime, Death Threats, Other Kpop groups are mentioned, Female Reader, Trauma, PTSD, Slow Burn, M*rder/People Die, Read at your own risk Some chapters will have specific Trigger Warnings!

Author's Notes

This is my villain arch. This is years worth of watching crime shows and losing my mind which ended up in...this. Yeah... I don't have a lot to say for myself with this one, I just wrote and wrote and wrote and It got longer and longer and now we are here.

Status: Incomplete/WIP

Current WC: TBD

Current Chapter Count: 38

Chapters

Under Dimmed Street Lights

Umbrella to Stand Under, Together

Stupid is As Stupid Does

Intro Fire Brings Light

Light Brings Warmth

New Bonds

New World Unraveled

Checkmate

First Rule About Fight Club

Don't Talk About Fight Club

Birthday Blue

Heart On The Light

Sky Walking

Rose Tinted Glasses

A Night to Remember

A Night You'll Never Forget

When The Sun Shines

One Shot, Two Shot

Plans Within Plans

Plans Within the Plans of Plans

Stupid Games

Stupid Prizes

Two is Better Than One

Never Alone

A Step Forward

New Perspectives

One Eye Open

A Hand to Hold

Snap of A Heart

Crash and Burn

Shot for Shot

Two Sides of The Same Coin

Sparks

143

Three Steps Forward

Four Million Steps Back

A Very SVT Christmas

Misery Business

[thepixelelf]

What the Fuck is Up with Secretary Hong?

An Oh Baby, You mini series

When Joshua goes to save his boss’s meeting with the infamous Viper, he learns three things. One: you’re exactly how the articles describe you — cold, ruthless, a sharp blade when it comes to the world of business, sexy in a genuinely scary way— but you’re also just a little, just a teensy bit… silly. Two: he kind of likes that. And three: you have no idea what his boss looks like.

Or:

“You must be Choi Seungcheol. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” “No... No, uh... The pleasure is all mine.”

Genres: smau, romance, comedy, mishaps! inspired by the kdrama The Secret Life of My Secretary

Pairing: secretary joshua hong x ceo gn reader

Warnings: coarse language. the reader character experiences claustrophobia/ochlophobia.

Notes: this mini series (which I'll shorten to WTFSH) runs concurrently with OBY, starting from approximately part 49, so if you do not plan to read the original series, I would suggest at least reading pt 49 & 51! There is no requestable taglist for this series. Anyone who regularly rbs & comments on oby or wtfsh will be added to the taglist, and can let me know if they'd like to be taken off.

Profiles

You @/omo_viper: also known as the Viper, you're the leading brain of OMO Hotels & Resorts. OMO is known for outstanding service, and for the company's generous overtime policies.

Joshua @/laxjoshua: secretary to Geomsoft CEO Choi Seungcheol. Unbothered, clear skin, in his lane. Lately though, he's been a little exasperated with his boss's mid-life crisis.

Jiwoo @/muah_chuu: your secretary/personal assistant, but most importantly, a wonderful friend. A little directionally challenged, but we all have our flaws.

Seungcheol @/geomcheol: CEO of Geomsoft who's suddenly realized he can have friends and also fun and uhhhhh... shirk responsibility sometimes.

1. Left and Right

2. I Think I Wanna

3. Ugh!

4. A Silly Little Situation

Chapters loading...

[junlver]

Soulmates // a jeonghan smau

synopsis: yn lived in a world where they were born with a brand, a mark that symbolized that there was someone out there made for you, she had a slight tattoo that said “angel” on her upper arm, meanwhile jeonghan had a tattoo of headphones on the lower arm, they hoped to be able to meet one day, not knowing that they were closer than they ever thought.

genre: smau, comedy, fluff, angst

warnings: delulu, language

pairings: jeonghan x female! reader

start date: O9/O7/24

end date: O3/O8/24

masterlist:

yn + friends

jeonghan + friends

1. who is she?

2. do you have a sister!?

3. you’re pretty

4. friends going out

5. decisions

6. jealousy

7. angel—

8. true love?

9. proposal

10. happy forever

the end 🥹💗

This was a miniseries for my debut as a writer of aus hehehe, also remember that English is not my first language so sorry for the grammatical mistakes!!, thank you for reading <3

TAGLIST CLOSED ‼️

taglist: @simpxxstan @hipsdofangirl @melovehao @bloodcanbehot @okiedokrie-main @l4narecl1pse @yeoberryx

[sunalee]

when you wish upon a star

prompt: our precious boys are part of a farytale (disney au).

with: joshua, dino, jeonghan and wonwoo.

ⅰ. 𝐂𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐚, starring Hong Jisoo

“Well, there’s one thing: they can’t order me to stop dreaming.”

As the King's firstborn, Prince Joshua must fulfill his several obligations to the kingdom, including his long-pending marriage. He became tired of so many greedsome proposals and empty-willed madams; he just wishes for a truthful and kind one to love, and to be loved genuinely in return. The prince finally finds what he's been longing for, someone who isn't seeking the coins inside his pockets, or the power attached to his title, but his heart. And he doesn't care if the woman in question has no name or land: she has become his dream. And who would be the fool to prevent the prince from getting his dream?

"You are the one I want." he professes earnestly , the words he wished he could say before you vanished through that starry night; leaving only a glass slipper for his memories to rely on. Now that you're at his arm's reach, though, he won't let you leave in a hurry again. ever again. "You're my wish that came true: the wish from my heart. Please, don't take it away from me because of void rumors or expectations." Holding your smooth hands to his gloved ones, he nears himself into your warmth, pressing your foreheads together while keeping his soft, but intense gaze on your eyes. "Just let me love you, utterly, tenderly. As I know you'll do to me.

ⅱ. 𝐓𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐞𝐝, starring Lee Chan

“I know not who you are, or how I came to find you, but may I just say … hi. How ya doin’? The name’s Dino. How’s your day goin’, huh?”

Being an outlaw has its perks. Not that running away from guards and other crooks is anything fun, but the feeling of being free to go and do as he pleases it's too exciting. And lonely as well. Believe him, Dino was all fine by himself, but the moment he ventured inside that tall tower and found you there — caught by you, to be more precise —, something changed inside him. He never had so much fun with someone as he has with you, the feisty, clueless, and dreamy girl who wanted to see the lanterns up close. The gold of your tiara doesn't fill his eyes with glint anymore; it is you, and only you who's now capable of doing it so easily.

"You're beautiful." He cannot help but speak his mind, watching your features turning brighter with the lanterns around you. The most perfect sight in this whole world, he wanted to keep it engraved in his memory; keep you engraved in his heart as if this wasn't natural by now. Brushing a strand behind your ear, he stares at you in adoration,  gently taking his time to trace every inch of your face. And in silence, you both enjoy the dream that came true.

ⅲ. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐌𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐝, starring Yoon Jeong-han

"Where would we walk? Where would we run? If we could stay all day in the sun? Just you and me. And I could be, part of your world."

That's what he longed for. Ever since he was little, Jeonghan yearns to know more of the surface. To feel the sand kissing his skin, to gaze at the blue day sky, to feel the warmth of the sun guiding his steps as he runs down the beach towards the unknown; to have legs. He just wanted to be part of this world, and maybe, just maybe, he could also stay by your side. The feeling of you fills his mind ever since he saved your life from that storm. And to know that you also wish for him, oh, how much he wants to just kiss his girl. And he's ready to do anything for that.

"Wait for me." He pleads lowly, watching as you wander around with your friends through the beach, unaware of the mermaid that admires you from afar, hidden in a heap of stones. His legs will soon be granted for him, as the sea witch promised in exchange for his voice. A careless decision, it might have been; but whatever happens, his dream will come true. He'll do whatever it takes for that. "I'm coming to you, my love."

ⅵ. 𝐌𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐧, starring Jeon Wonwoo.

"The flower that blooms in adversity is the most rare and beautiful of all. You don't meet a girl like that every dynasty."

Never, in his five years as a captain in the Chinese army, has Wonwoo faced such a bewildering challenge: having a girl among his soldiers. He doesn't understand how he didn't notice it before, nor did his cadets, but being right or wrong, that defiant young woman is without a doubt the most talented and bravest warrior he has ever seen. And besides conquering the country's victory over the Huns, she won something else, something quite unbelievable to their teammates: the captain's once-cold heart. The one who once told her she didn't belong there, now bows in respect and fascination for China's savior, and princess.

"You have all of my gratitude." His tone is filled with acknowledgement and also a bit apologetic, for his past mistakes that he wishes nothing more but to fix them. He looks at you with pride in his eyes: pride for getting to know such an admirable woman. Pride of having the honor of fighting alongside her. Extending his hand for you to take, he coyly adds. "And my fondness, if you wish to have it."

a/n: my first work for this fandom, i hope you enjoyed this scenario as much as I did 💕

© sunalee 2024 — all rights reserved.

[caraetdeul]

Regrets and Reunions (Sequel to Tolerate It)

Ex!Choi Seungcheol x fem!reader

Hong Jisoo a.k.a. Joshua x fem!reader

Mistakes were made and consequences were learned but everything was easier said than done.

TW: angst, drinking, alcohol, hangovers, toxic!Scoups, cursing

A/n: here's a much needed sequel to Tolerate It that I definitely had fun writing. I just knew even before I finished the series that I would have to write a sequel focusing on Scoups' side after the break up cuz we need the FULL PLEDGED ANGST!!! I don't think you would need to read the series before this one but for the full context, I do recommend reading the series first. Anyways, enjoy reading caratdeul!

~Main Masterlist~ | ~Tolerate It Masterlist~

Months have passed since the last time he saw you walk away from him on that very night. Since then, any sense of time or place has completely evaporated from Seungcheol’s life. It was all a blur of bars, hangovers, and regrets. There was no point in even getting frustrated with his current situation because he knew that there was no one to blame but him and his stupid decisions that cost him the most wonderful thing to have—and probably will be the only one—ever happen in his life.

Seungcheol’s eyes lazily glazed over the remains of his drunken stupor last night all over his apartment.

Correction: Jeonghan’s apartment.

His hangover may be giving him one of the worst headaches in the world right now. Still, it will never be enough to distract him from the fact that he couldn’t even get an apartment for himself. To be fair though, he’s successful enough financially to actually afford a big ass apartment. It wasn’t really a matter of “can” but is actually leaning more towards whether he has enough will to live in one himself and actually maintain it. Based on the number of bottles and leftover chips lying all around the couch and coffee table, there was no doubt that buying an apartment would just be the cherry on top of his sundae of mistakes.

Seungcheol sighed as he lay on his back on the floor, putting an arm around his eyes in an attempt to block off the light shining through the windows. The quiet of the apartment tells him that Jeonghan’s probably already gone to work. He honestly doesn’t know if it's the best thing to wake up to right now. On one side, he doesn’t have to listen to Jeonghan’s rants over how he’s wasting his life by drinking his troubles away and not even trying to fight for you in any way possible—Seungcheol doesn’t need to look at Jeonghan to know that those words were always accompanied by the concern and disappointment written all over his face. On the other hand, the quietness surrounding him only gives way for him to be left alone with his depressing thoughts.

It’s either God heard his silent prayers or Jeonghan has a “depressed best friend” radar on him but before his thoughts could swallow him whole once again, he heard the front door open and Jeonghan’s footsteps gradually replaced the sullen atmosphere.

“Choi Seungcheol!” Jeonghan called out, placing his keys and bag on the kitchen island near the entrance, “Where are you?”

“Aren’t you supposed to be at work right now?” Seungcheol grumbled as he sat up from his place on the floor.

Jeonghan scoffed, “It’s already 5 pm, dumbass. Of course, I’m done with work.” Jeonghan beelined for the couch in front of Seungcheol, carefully removing a bottle off the cushion and placing it on the coffee table. “And based on how you just responded to me, I’m assuming you haven’t eaten anything since last night?”

Seungcheol only smiled sheepishly and that was all Jeonghan needed to pick up his phone and begin ordering pizza for the both of them. But it was not without any complaints from Jeonghan about his neglect of himself that Seungcheol tried his best to ignore. Within 30 minutes, the living area was free of beer and chips and they were both lounging on the couch while munching on pizza slices.

“So,” Jeonghan swallowed the last of his pizza before continuing, “I got an invitation for the high school reunion on Saturday which means that you also got one as well.” Jeonghan looked at Seungcheol expectantly but he only took another bite out of his slice without saying anything back.

Jeonghan sighed, taking a gulp out of his glass of water, “You could at least try to pretend that you’re interested in anything other than getting wasted.”

Seungcheol rolled his eyes, leaning back with his arms crossed, “Well, I’m sorry if my misery is such a burden to you. It's not like I forced you to take me in and take care of me as if I’m a child that you were forced to babysit.”

Jeonghan suddenly slammed the glass on the table making Seungcheol flinch, looking at him with wide eyes, “Wha—”

“You know what,” Jeonghan hissed, “That attitude is the reason why you’re now here in this situation, all alone with no goal in your life whatsoever. You are a depressed little shit that’s also a jerk to someone that is actually here for you ever since you were left to deal with the consequences of your actions.”

Seungcheol opened his mouth to defend himself but Jeonghan beat him to it.

“No, scratch that. You haven’t dealt with any of those consequences even just a little bit. You’re a coward who’s drowning himself in alcohol instead of actually facing your problems like an actual human being. No wonder they left you. I mean, if you were my partner, I would’ve left you too even without the cheating. You are a selfish bastard who’s actually acting like a little brat that didn’t get his way.”

It was silent after that.

The tension in the air made Seungcheol fidget in his seat. There was nothing to say. Seungcheol knew deep down that everything he said was true and it was one hell of a wake up call for him when he realized that it all came from Jeonghan, himself. It wasn’t an out of character thing for Jeonghan to get pissed off and say all of those things when needed but it definitely wasn’t a common thing for him to do. So when he actually experienced it first hand, Seungcheol knew that he was right and it was time to be a better person.

Jeonghan breathed deeply, rubbing his face in an attempt to ground himself, “I’m sorry. That was really mean of me to say that.”

“No, you were right. I’m being a jerk.”

Jeonghan only smiled in response before taking another slice of pizza. Seungcheol bit his bottom lip in thought, debating whether or not he should do it. But looking around his best friend’s apartment, he knew that he should at least repay his kindness by showing up at that goddamn reunion as a peace offering.

“So, what time is this reunion?”

~~~

He’s already regretting his decision and he hasn’t even gotten out of his car yet.

But to be fair though, all he’s ever done up until now is regret everything so it’s not really much of a surprise. What does break the cycle is the fact that he’s now also determined to go through with this decision, not just for the sake of keeping his promise to Jeonghan but also for the sake of taking a step towards moving on.

Seungcheol huffed, “Definitely easier said than done.”

He hesitantly got out of his car and made his way towards the entrance of the hotel where the event was being conducted. He won’t admit to anything but the hotel clerk definitely saw the way his hand shook with nerves as he pressed the button to the elevator.

Reaching the floor leading to the function hall, he was suddenly bombarded with the realization that he was about to meet with people he hadn’t seen for quite a long time which meant he’d also be bombarded with questions about his current status in life. That almost made him turn around and go back inside the elevator but before he could, he heard his name shouted from the other side of the room. Turning towards the sound, he saw Joshua, one of his closest high school friends, walking towards him with a wide smile on his face.

Going in for a hug, Joshua exclaimed, “Oh my god! It’s been so long since I last saw you! How have you been?”

Returning the hug, Seungcheol chuckled, “I’ve been good. How about you?”

“All the same.” Joshua smiled before looking around, “Have you seen Jeonghan? I thought he was coming with you .”

 “He’ll be late. He had a work thing to do before this.”

“Oh, got it. Well, come on then. Let’s wait for him inside. Oh but first, you should get yourself registered.” Joshua then led him to the registration table at the front of the hall.

“For what?”

“All registered attendees have a chance to win the raffle by the end of the night and I’m sure as hell won’t be going home without that massage chair.”

Once they were done, Joshua slung an arm around Seungcheol’s shoulder, leading him toward a table near the exit. A couple of their former classmates who were also sitting at the table waved at them as they sat down before returning to their own conversations. Seungcheol can’t really blame them for their nonchalance when he isn’t really one of the popular kids in high school before. It was both a comforting and slightly disappointing experience.

Long story short, the whole event was a bore. The only thing that made it all worthwhile was Joshua’s company and the hilarious timing of Jeonghan’s late arrival when he arrived just in time to be called onto the stage as they reminisced about his reputation as the school’s heartthrob. The look on his face was certainly one for the books and Seungcheol will make sure he will never live this down.

Throughout it all, he can’t help but be distracted whenever he catches glimpses of Joshua typing on his phone with this lovestruck smile. It was the kind of smile that would make you say that he’s definitely down bad. The champagne couldn’t remove the bitter taste it gave him no matter how hard he tried. And he would’ve kept on drinking if Jeonghan hadn’t tipped off the waiter to stop giving him anymore.

He remembered the times he felt that way when it came to you. He probably even had the exact same smile that Joshua had right now every time he thought of you. But all of that was gone now and what was left was the murder scene of your relationship, the bloody knife in his hand. All because he doesn’t have any amount of decency within himself to actually keep the most sacred—and frankly, the easiest—principle when it comes to relationships. Loyalty.

His silent pity party was interrupted by Joshua’s sudden call of his name. Looking up at him, he noted the bag slung over his shoulder and the fact that he looked like he was about to spring up from his chair with excitement.

“What’s up?” Seungcheol asked.

“I need to go.”

“What? Why?”

Maybe it was the way the stage lights changed as the host announced something but the darkness of the hall can never mask the way Joshua’s entire being lit up at the chance to talk about his partner.

“My girl just told me something great that happened at her work and we’re going out to celebrate.”

Seungcheol’s eyebrows raised, “You won’t finish the event first? I’m sure she could wait for a bit. We haven’t even reached the raffle part yet.”

Joshua laughed. Seungcheol could’ve sworn it was mixed with bewilderment but he was probably a little bit drunk enough to hallucinate things. 

“Dude, we’re talking about my girl here. Nothing comes before her.”

“Even the massage chair?”

“Especially the massage chair.”

“She must have been one hell of a girl.”

Joshua chuckled to himself, “Oh, you have no idea.”

“Well if you’re leaving, then so am I.” Seungcheol wiped his mouth with the table napkin before standing up.

“Are you sure? What about Jeonghan?”

“I’m sure. Besides, I’ve had enough reunion drama that could last me a lifetime. As for Jeonghan,” Seungcheol roamed his eyes around, finally pinpointing Jeonghan at the other side of the room chatting with a former student council member. “I’m sure he doesn’t mind me leaving early. I’ll just meet up with him back at home.”

They both left the hall as quietly as they could, silently thanking the heavens that they chose to sit right next to the exit. As they reached the elevators, Joshua turned to him with a puzzled look on his face, “What do you mean home?”

The elevator doors dinged open. Seungcheol entered first and was followed by Joshua. With a hesitant pause as Joshua pressed the ground floor button, Seungcheol replied, “I’ve kinda been temporarily living in Jeonghan’s apartment for a few months now.”

“Huh? Don’t you, like, have a penthouse uptown?”

“I do.”

“Then, why?”

”It’s kind of a long story.”

“My girlfriend wouldn’t be here until later anyway. I’ve got time.”

The elevator finally reached the ground floor, giving Seungcheol a bit of reprieve from the conversation as they exited. But based on the pointed look that Joshua gave him as they stood outside the hotel waiting for his girlfriend, that little bit of relief wouldn’t last as long as he would’ve wanted to.

Seungcheol crossed his arms, biting his bottom lip as he inhaled deeply. Embarrassment and shame made his stomach churn. There’s no chance at all that he can change the subject when it comes to Joshua. Somehow, that boy just has the uncanny ability to get the truth out of everyone he talks to no matter what, and honestly, Seungcheol doesn’t have the energy to deal with his stubborn tendencies.

“I made a big mistake and now I’m left to deal with the consequences of it all.”

It was a vague answer. Seungcheol knows it. Joshua definitely knows it. He was about to say something before he was interrupted by a woman calling his name. Turning to the source of the voice, Seungcheol’s breath hitched.

It was you.

The girl Joshua was lovingly talking about was you.

Memories of you flooded his brain as he watched you walk towards them. By the way that you still had a bounce on your steps, he was sure you still hadn’t recognized him. But once you got closer, there was an unmistakable pause in your next step and your face drained of all of its colors. At the corner of his eye, he can see Joshua’s face immediately contort in concern. Meeting you halfway, that’s when Joshua finally clocked on to the fact that you weren’t looking at him but at Seungcheol who was behind him. He glanced back at him before facing you once again. Seungcheol watched as he asked you if everything was alright, wrapping an arm around your waist in a protective manner as if sensing the tension between the two of you. His jaw clenched at the sight knowing that he should’ve been the one protecting you and not the one that you’re being protected from.

It felt like it was one of the hardest things to do but you finally turned away from Seungcheol to look at Joshua in the eye. You nodded, whispering a reassuring yes and feeling Joshua’s grip on you tighten a bit before letting go in favor of holding your hand. You squeezed his hand three times and by the way Joshua smiled, you knew he got the message. You couldn’t help but smile back when Joshua squeezed your hand in the same manner.

Seungcheol wanted to vomit right then and there.

Joshua looked back up at him, “Well, we have to go if we ever want to actually reach that little hilltop before the park closes but I’m not done talking to you.” Joshua pointed his forefinger and middle finger at him, going back and forth in Seungcheol’s direction and his own eyes.

Seungcheol forced a laugh, trying his best not to react at the realization that the hilltop he was talking about was something you’d been wishing for the both of you to do for so long before everything went to shit. If possible, a big neon light would’ve already sprung up from behind him with the words “jerk” smacked dab in the middle of it, one end of the sign forming an arrow that was pointed at him.

Seungcheol could only nod in return before Joshua bid him goodbye, walking down the direction of his car that was parked in front of the hotel with you by his side. He watched as you paused for a bit when Joshua opened the car door for you. You glanced back at him one last time, a small smile on your face, before entering the passenger side.

That just made things harder for him because he knew that smile was genuine. Even the thought of you hating him and giving all this energy to despise him would only make him feel worse because he knows that all he deserves is nothing but indifference from you.

Now that he was left standing alone on the side of the street, the tail light of Joshua’s car gradually getting smaller as the distance between you got wider, all he could think about was the thought that you were at least in the hands of someone better. That was enough for him to finally have the will to discard the alcohol bottles around the apartment once he got home and actually move on with a lighter heart.

Taglist: @moonwonuu @belladaises @porridgesblog @sasaapportela @allys-reads @clownprincehoeshi @yoonzzziino @gyuguys @vixensss

[fantasyescapes17]

Manners (Part 1)

Viscount Joshua Hong is by far the most eligible bachelor in London. Rich, handsome, and renowned for his excellent manners and refined tastes. Young woman would kill for the chance to be the Viscount's chosen bride. But nobody can quite determine which of the young ladies he prefers, and you are beginning to have your doubts. Is the Viscount really as gentlemanly as the ton seems to think?

Genre: Joshua Hong x Female!reader. Regency!AU (It's sort of Bridgerton-esque in the sense that I give zero attention to historical accuracy and prioritize aesthetics lmao) You are a sibling to all the Lees (Woozi, DK, Dino) so your last name is Lee but the reader has no other specific characteristics, physical or otherwise.

Word Count: 3.2k+

Part 2

Series Masterlist [I would highly recommend reading the earlier stories in this series, Patience, and Candle, before this one but it's not strictly necessary.]

It was a warm evening in June when your life suddenly changed. 

You had, at that point, been out in London society for almost two years without having received a single marriage proposal. Being the third child and eldest daughter of the Lee family, your responsibilities were far greater than your charms. 

Most young ladies your age possessed a bountiful dowry and carefully developed talents to attract a husband. Instead, you possessed the responsibility of managing five siblings, an absentee father, and a mediocre dowry. Only three of the siblings were younger than you (but really, from the way he sometimes behaved, Seokmin might as well have been younger than you). 

Mr. Lee (your father) was often away and busy managing affairs of the estate. He had ceased to care for society or matrimony since the death of your beloved mother. The responsibility of ensuring your siblings were raised well had naturally fallen on you, the eldest daughter. You did not entirely resent the circumstances. You loved all your siblings equally- even sullen Jihoon and cheeky little Chan- but your future was quite clear. 

You would probably end up an old maid. 

Or you would have, if not for that fateful June evening when Viscount Joshua Hong appeared unannounced on the doorstep of your London home. 

—----------------------------------------------------------

The kitchens were in an uproar. 

“These noblemen are quite careless!” the cook cried out as she struggled angrily to light the large coal fire. “To come around unannounced for dinner-the Viscount, you say- oh, what am I supposed to serve him? I was going to prepare a simple soup and fish for the family supper but that will certainly not suffice for a Viscount!”

You tried in vain to calm the cook. 

“Really, Dotty, it is all right- I am sure the Viscount will not demand anything more than what we usually eat,” you told her gently. 

“Of course he will not demand it- I am quite aware that the Viscount Joshua Hong has the most excellent manners. He should likely eat stale bread without complaint if we served it to him. But how would I ever be able to live with myself if I did that? Oh- how unfortunate that the Viscount should come for supper on the one night when there is no venison to be had…”

There was no calming the cook down. You sighed. 

“Dotty, I must go upstairs to dress for dinner. Please do not worry and serve whatever you are able. The Viscount is a good friend of Jihoon and he will not mind a simple supper after having arrived unannounced.” 

Dotty gave you a miserable look. “I should very much have liked to serve the Viscount my venison pie…”

You laughed. “I shall ask Jihoon to invite him to dinner again soon; and you shall be told well in advance so that you can serve your venison pie. But soup and fish will do for tonight.” 

“Yes, miss…” 

You left the kitchens through the back entrance and hurried up to the bedchambers through a side corridor; carefully avoiding the drawing room where Viscount Hong sat in conversation with your father and older brothers. 

It was perfectly understandable that Dotty had panicked when the Viscount suddenly appeared at the doorstep of your London home to call on your brothers. 

Viscount Joshua Hong was not only one of the richest noblemen in London, he was also the most handsome eligible bachelor. He was the epitome of impeccable manners and fine breeding. The entire ton had been waiting with bated breath ever since it had become public knowledge that he was in search of a wife. 

You could not deny that you were equally curious. Any young lady that could catch the eye of Viscount Hong would surely be perfection incarnate. You could not think of a single woman that could compare. Perhaps the Duchess of Graham? Even she did not possess Viscount Hong's excellent manners. 

As you reached the top of the stairs, you discovered that the entrance to your bedroom was barred by two of your younger siblings. Chan looked upset and angry, while little Nessie looked delighted. 

You took a deep breath and prepared yourself for the onslaught. 

“Why am I not allowed to sit with the gentleman downstairs?” demanded Chan, at the same time that Nessie cried, “Is it true Viscount Hong is here? Does he really have a golden carriage?"

You ushered them into your room before their loud voices could carry downstairs to the drawing room. 

"You are not yet old enough to sit with the gentlemen," you told Chan firmly, before turning to Nessie. "Yes, Viscount Hong is here and you will be allowed to see him at supper. No, his carriage is not made of real gold."

"I'm sixteen-" Chan protested.

"Sixteen is not old enough."

"It's too old to be sitting upstairs with the girls," Chan insisted with a pout. 

You sighed. "Stay upstairs for now. After supper, if Father permits, you may sit with the gentlemen," you told him. "Now go dress for supper quickly. Both of you."

You called for your maid to help you dress and then wrestled little Nessie and Lily into appropriate gowns. Fortunately, Chan managed to make himself look presentable on his own and you were able to get them all downstairs in time for supper.

The gentlemen were already seated for dinner; your father at the head of the table and Viscount Hong to his right along with your brothers- Mr. Lee Jihoon and Mr. Lee Seokmin. 

"Remember to curtsey," you reminded your little sisters quietly. 

They both curtsied prettily for the benefit of Viscount Hong, who greeted you and your younger siblings warmly with a handsome smile and bright eyes. He was characteristically patient when little Lily suddenly threw a tantrum and insisted on being allowed to sit beside him. 

"I will sit beside the Viscount, you never allow me to sit beside the Viscount!" Lily cried, stomping your feet. You laughed nervously, taking your six-year old sister gently by the arm. 

"Come now, Lily, I've told you before that you must behave when we have company-" you scolded lightly. 

"I should very much like to sit beside Lily," Viscount Hong said with a kind smile, before turning to your father quickly. "Unless, sir, you should have any objection."

Your father waved a hand dismissively. "Let the child sit where she likes, we must get on with dinner."

Jihoon surrendered his seat to little Lily and moved around the table to sit beside you instead. You lowered your voice and mumbled in a low voice to your elder brother. 

"Of course we are delighted to have the Viscount here for dinner, it's not that anyone dislikes his company," you mumbled. "But perhaps you could ask him to give us notice next time? Dotty was quite a mess about what to serve for dinner."

Jihoon coughed into his napkin. 

"I don't know why he is even here," your brother whispered. "It's quite unlike Joshua. He is usually incredibly well-mannered but really, neither Seokmin nor I invited him here tonight and he simply won't leave."

You looked at your brother in surprise- you had thought that the Viscount was surely here to discuss urgent business with your brothers or father. 

"Oh…"

The servants entered with dinner, so your conversation with Jihoon was cut short. You were forced to turn your attention to the Viscount, who sat opposite you and was listening patiently to a fairy tale that Lily was reciting. 

"Lily, stop boring the Viscount," Chan scolded her lightly. He turned to the older gentleman with bright eyes. "Viscount Hong, is it true that you have five thoroughbred horses and three pure white Arabian horses in your stables? And that the Arabians were brought from overseas?"

Joshua smiled. "Yes, that is correct. Are you interested in horses, Chan?"

Chan flushed. "I've studied them a little."

"He's studied them far more than he's studied mathematics," you said lightly. Chan frowned but Viscount Hong's dark eyes flickered towards you in amusement. He gave you a small smile. 

"I see your sister doesn't like your interest in horses," Joshua remarked.

"My sister doesn't like anything interesting," Chan complained and you nearly choked on your soup in embarrassment before giving your younger brother a stern look.

"Chan! "

But Joshua only turned to look at you with his usual kind smile. "If you can vouch for Chan having completed his mathematics, Miss Lee, then I should be glad to invite him to visit our stables next week to see the horses."

Chan's eyes widened in delight and he jumped out of his seat. 

"Viscount Hong, would you really-"

"I believe the Viscount said the invitation was dependent upon you completing your mathematics," you reminded your brother calmly. "So sit down and finish your dinner. And thank you, Viscount Hong, I would not want us to intrude upon your hospitality."

Viscount Hong smiled. "I do not consider it an intrusion. It is the least I can do."

"We are grateful, all the same."

Your father cleared his throat as he finished his soup. The senior Mr. Lee was not generally a social man, but even he could not ignore the need to engage in polite conversation when there was a man of such noble standing as the Viscount at his table. 

"Were you in attendance at the Hastings' ball yesterday, Viscount Hong?" your father asked. "My children tell me it was quite a wonderful event. And since you are looking for a wife, I suppose attending these events is of more importance than ever."

Joshua nodded respectfully at your father.

"Indeed, sir, I was in attendance. In fact- I was fortunate enough to have danced once with your daughter," Joshua replied with a small smile. 

You nodded. Viscount Hong was very much an in-demand dance partner, but you were grateful that he had still asked you to dance with him a number of times over the course of the season. You knew better than to read too much into a mere dance, however. Joshua also regularly danced with plenty of women far more eligible than you- Miss Jeon, the Duchess of Graham, Miss Williams, Miss Yoon…

It was a long list that you did not care to repeat. 

Mr. Lee nodded. "Yes- I am sure my daughter is quite grateful for your company."

You flushed in embarrassment at the implication that the Viscount had danced with you out of pity, but the topic of conversation was quickly rerouted by Chan- who had been unable to take his mind off the horses. 

"Viscount Hong, when you said that I might visit your stables next week," Chan pressed eagerly. "Which day of the week were you suggesting, as I have my lessons on Thursdays…"

You frowned. "Chan!"

Viscount Hong laughed. "It is quite all right, Miss Lee. Shall we say Wednesday, Chan?"

"Wednesday sounds excellent…"

The supper passed in a pleasant manner. Joshua's unannounced arrival was certainly not convenient but you had to admire how smoothly the gentleman blended himself into your family supper. He was polite, but without showing any of the airs and superiority that someone of his station could have displayed around your family. 

He showed enthusiasm for Lily's stories, patiently answered Chan's questions about horses and even joked around with Jihoon and Seokmin, whom he had known for many years. You knew that Viscount Joshua Hong was as far, far, far out of your reach as a man could possibly be but…

Well, there was no harm in silently admiring such a wonderful specimen of the opposite gender, was there? 

You ushered your sisters upstairs to bed after dinner. Chan, stubborn as ever, insisted on being allowed to stay in the drawing room while the gentlemen smoked a pipe. You left him be: disciplining Chan was quite out of your hands and you had decided that you would begin to leave it to Jihoon. 

You had just put the girls to bed and were about to undress for bed yourself when there was a frantic knocking at your door.

You opened the door, startled. 

"Chan?" 

Your brother was pink in the face and his eyes wide as he squeezed inside your room and closed the door behind him. 

"Shhh! You will not believe what is happening downstairs!" Chan hissed. 

You raised an eyebrow. "What is it?"

"We were all in the drawing room- and suddenly Viscount Hong and Father went into Father's study alone. Even Jihoon and Seokmin agreed that it was extremely strange for them to go off alone so I snuck into the study to listen in on their conversation and-"

"Chan!" you scolded him. "You cannot be eavesdropping on Father's-"

"You may scold me later! Only listen for now- Viscount Hong has asked father for permission to offer for your hand!" Chan whisper-yelled. 

You froze. 

"Sorry, my what?" you asked. 

"Your hand," Chan repeated. "In marriage?" he added unhelpfully. 

Your face felt hot. "Don't be foolish. You must have misunderstood their conversation. Viscount Hong would certainly marry a woman more suited to his station. To even suggest otherwise is nonsense-"

Chan looked angry. "I know what I heard, sister! He clearly said 'I seek your blessing to offer for your daughter's hand'- and surely, he is not intending to marry Lily!"

"He is not intending to marry me either-"

There was another sharp knock on your door and both you and Chan jumped, startled. You opened it to find a maid standing outside and she greeted you with a bow. 

"Miss Lee- your father has requested you to come downstairs to his study."

—-----------------------------------------------

You went downstairs in a mixture of disbelief and anxiety. It was impossible that Viscount Joshua Hong had made an offer for your hand- Chan meant well but he was hardly the most brilliant young boy of his age. He had clearly misunderstood something. 

You entered your father's study anxiously. 

"Father?"

Mr. Lee stood from his desk. Joshua was seated quietly on a chair across from it- his expression was unreadable. 

"Ah-daughter. Here you are. I believe the Viscount has something to say to you. I am afraid I left my pipe in the drawing room so I shall return to it. You may both converse here in my study."

And your father briskly left the room, closing the study door behind him and leaving you entirely alone with Viscount Hong. 

Oh no. 

Oh no. 

"Miss Lee?" Viscount Hong asked you gently as you stared frozen at the now closed study door. He stood and stepped closer to you. "Would you like to take a seat?"

You turned to face him sharply. 

"What is the meaning of this?" you demanded. 

Viscount Hong gave you a small smile. He seemed a little surprised by your sharp reaction but reached for your bare hand- you were not wearing gloves so his soft fingers glided over your knuckles- and gently drew you closer to himself. 

"Miss Lee. I suppose the present circumstances make my object in speaking to you here quite evident, but I will still pose the question to you," Joshua said slowly. His hand pressed yours. "Would you do me the honour of becoming my wife?"

You felt faint. You could not make sense of what was happening. 

"But-but…" you stuttered awkwardly. "But why?"

Joshua looked taken aback. 

"Why?" he repeated. 

"Why would you want to marry me?" you cried.

Joshua let out a small, bewildered laugh. Your question seemed to amuse him. "Well- for the very reasons that any man would want to marry a woman, I suppose. For love! Should I perhaps have started with that instead of directly jumping to marriage?"

"Yes-I mean no-, I mean…" you trailed off and pulled your hand out of his grasp before moving to learn against the study table. "Oh my god, I feel rather faint."

Joshua followed you, concerned. 

"Do you need help-"

"I am fine," you brushed him off. Your heart was beating at an unnaturally fast rate and you worried that it might suddenly explode in your chest. "I just… I don't really know what to say…"

Joshua took a step back from you warily. 

"Am I to understand from your reaction," he began slowly and carefully, "that my affections are unwelcome?"

"No, not… not unwelcome, exactly, more shocking," you replied hastily. You took a deep breath and tried to calm yourself down and digest this strange situation that you had suddenly been thrust into. "Viscount Hong, do you expect me to believe that out of all the beautiful, talented and rich young ladies of the ton, you are in love with me?"

The Viscount slowly kneeled in front of you and took your hand into his once more, with a soft smile. 

"I thought you would have noticed my affections. Perhaps I concealed them better than I imagined. I believed that my admiration for you was quite evident," Joshua said quietly. 

"Clearly it was not," you told him firmly. "I have it on quite good authority that there is a running bet in the assembly rooms regarding which young lady the eligible Viscount Hong will propose to by the end of the season, and I can tell you with absolute confidence that not a single person has put their money on me! Even Seokmin has placed his bet on the Duchess of Graham!"

Joshua took a deep breath and nodded. 

"I see my mistake."

"Do you?" you asked weakly. 

"Yes," Joshua replied simply. He stood up and stepped back from you. "I thought it was prudent to be a little more… guarded about displaying my affections for you in public but I see now that I should not have held back so much. You did not even realise you were being courted."

You stared at him. "I… I do not think anyone realised, Viscount Hong."

Joshua's cheeks flushed pink. "Yes- well. Allow me to remedy my mistake. I will retract my offer for your hand for the moment, Miss Lee, as I see now that I have been hasty. And instead, I seek permission to enter into a formal courtship with you."

"Ah…"

"I will court you for one month before I will ask you once again to marry me," Joshua continued. "And if by then you still do not believe my affections for you are true, I will accept your rejection as gracefully as I can."

You still could not believe it. The image- the thought of yourself marrying Viscount Joshua Hong simply would not manifest completely in your mind. Even when you closed your eyes for a brief moment and tried to picture Viscount Hong at the altar, you still saw him with women more suited to his station- the Duchess of Graham, Miss Jeon, Miss Williams…

"Do you really love me?" you asked him weakly. You hated how exposed and vulnerable you felt in this moment, looking up at this man that was better than you in every conceivable way. "Me? Out of all the more eligible young ladies in the ton… you are quite sure you wish to marry me?"

Joshua stepped forward and seized your hand before bringing it up to his lips. His fingers pressed softly but firmly against your knuckles. 

"I am sorry," he told you kindly, his dark eyes shining in the dimly lit study. "If I  have made you feel unworthy."

You swallowed. "It is not… it is not that you have made me feel unworthy, only-"

"Yes. I wish to marry you, and only you, Miss Lee. By the end of this month, I shall ensure that you will never again question my love or commitment towards you."

He turned and left your study. 

And so began, on a warm June night, your courtship with Viscount Joshua Hong- the most elite and sought-after bachelor in London.

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

A/N: As always, thanks for reading and feel free to share your thoughts or inputs!

Since Wonwoo and Joshua were neck-and-neck on the poll as of the time of me posting this, I've decided to go ahead with Joshua since his is shorter/simpler and we'll be doing Wonwoo next.

[scarletwinterxx]

won't let them break your heart - joshua hong imagine

i truly truly think this man would be the best at making the worst days better🥺🥺 and i really really really like him🥺

anywayssss i hope you like this one🤍

for my other joshua fics, check them here

if you want, u can buy me coffee(totally optional but any donation is very much appreciated!) thank you🥺💛

All works are copyrighted ©scarletwinterxx 2024 . Do not repost, re-write without the permission of author.

(gif not mine, credits to rightful owner)

With everyone busy with jobs and all that adult stuff, it's difficult to get everyone together. Your friend group do try to meet every once in a while, but most times not everyone can make it. One exception though is when it's someone birthday, it's an unspoken promise to always be there.

"Babe, I think I'll be late for Wonwoo's birthday dinner. I'll just meet you there"

Joshua looks up from where he was sitting to look over where you were, he notices the way your scrunching your brows unintentionally which means you're stressed. He knows you enough to read right through you. Heck he knows you better than he knows himself.

You're stressed about something, you have been for days. He also knows it's harder for you to admit it so he lets you come to him on your own. He never pressures to you to tell him anything.

He shoots you an understanding smile, putting his phone down to give you all of his attention. "Sure, love. Do you want me to pick you up?"

You contemplate for a second but you shook your head at him, "It's okay. I'll just meet you there, I don't know how long I'll be at the office that day cause I have this meeting with executives I can't reschedule. I'll just text Wonwoo so he knows. I feel bad if I don't go"

He stands up and walk over to you, giving you a hug you didn't know you needed. Just like that it's like all the noises in your head disappear. You don't think about work or anything else, you just think of how warm Joshua's hug is and how nice would it be to stay in his arms forever and away from the stresses of the world around you.

Joshua can feel you relax in his arms, soon he feels you hug him back even tighter. You needed this, you just didn't know how to say it. He gives your head loving pats, making you feel better even without words.

"Hey, why don't you call it a night? I can get the bath running for you, then you can go relax while I make us some snacks or anything you want" he looks down at you

"Can we just cuddle" you pout, cheeks squished against his chest. The warmth pooling inside Joshua's chest, a feeling he's all too familiar with but it's like the first time every time.

He's not sure if you know, but you got him wrapped around your finger. He'd do anything for you, he'll give you the world if that's what you want.

Leaning down, he gives your cheek a kiss making you smile up at him.

"Of course, my love. And don't worry about the party, I'm sure they'll understand"

It wasn't really Wonwoo's birthday yet, but his girlfriend wanted to surprise him that's why the dinner will be held before his actual birthday so he won't get suspicious.

When Soonyoung saw Joshua arrive alone, he immediately texted you thinking you were arriving with Joshua but he didn't get a reply so he turns to his friend to ask your whereabouts

"I thought Y/N was coming with you?"

"I offered to pick her up but she still has a meeting" Joshua explains, "But she'll come right?"

"Mhm, told her to text me if she needs me to fetch her" he tells Soonyoung.

Soonyoung just nods his head at Joshua before joining the others again. The night progressed smoothly, everyone was having fun and bonding over food and drinks. There really isn't any chance of boredom when all the guys are together.

Joshua's still distracted though, he kept on checking his phone or looking over the front door. A few of his friends noticed this but didn't comment on it. They also noticed your absence, some putting two and two together like Soonyoung, Dokyeom and Mingyu who you were with on your last beach trip.

Joshua has always been honest about his interest towards you. He never denied it. Whenever he's asked about you, he fights the smile to not raise any suspicion but sometimes he can't help it. One mention of your name and the butterflies in his stomach is rioting. Acting nonchalant is as hard as keeping his secret a secret.

He was in the kitchen when you arrived, talking with Seungcheol and Seungkwan. You greeted everyone in the living room, scanning the room for your boyfriend but you didn't see him.

"Hey Wonwoo, sorry I'm late. Happy advance birthday" You greet him, giving him a quick hug. "Sorry I didn't bring anything"

"No worries, it's good. And don't fret about it, I knew you were busy with work. There's still food in the kitchen if you want, you probably haven't eaten yet"

And he's right, but right now you need a moment of silence. "Sure thank you, I'm just going to the restroom real quick"

You excuse yourself then went the hallway, the house is familiar to you since you've been here multiple times when you hang out together.

Wonwoo then walks to the kitchen to see some of his friends laughing and having fun, "Hey, where's the sandwich we saved for Y/N" he asks

Joshua looks over at Wonwoo at the mention of your name, "Here, I set it here. Did she arrive already?"

"Yea, she just went to the restroom. Anyways do you guys want anything else?"

Joshua stayed for a few more minutes in the kitchen waiting for you but then you're taking too long and it's worrying him.

He excuses himself and walked down the hall, checking the vacant rooms until he found one with the light on. He knocks before walking inside the office, he sees the light in the bathroom open so he walks there and knock again

"Just a moment" he heard you say from the other side

"It's me" he answers, a few seconds passed before he hears the lock click and the door open revealing you with teary eyes.

He didn't even get to say anything because you immediately buried yourself on his chest, "Hey, are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?" he asks, very worried but he didn't want to push you to talk when you don't want to. He just wanted to know if you're okay.

You just shake your head and sob harder. You were having the worst day ever and you just couldn't hold it together any longer. You thought you could but you were too tired and too frustrated that the tears just started to stream down your face.

Joshua just lets you be, hugging you even closer. His arms going around you as if he's shielding you from everything.

"Hey, I'm here. It's okay now, you're okay" he kept on mumbling against your hair, saying comforting words to you

"I was just having the worst day ever, sorry" you mumble

"No need to say sorry about that, baby. It's valid, what you're feeling is valid. You never have to apologize about that, especially not to me. Not ever"

You're calmer now and the tears have stopped, Joshua definitely helped to calm down the chaos in your mind.

You wipe the tears with the back of your hand, leaning your face away from your boyfriend but staying in his embrace. He looks down at you, heart breaking at the sight of your tear stained face.

He wipes the few tears remaining, giving you the most gentle smile

"We can go home now if you want" he whispers but you shake your head

"I just needed a moment, I'll be okay and you're here now"

"You should've called me, I could've picked you up if you weren't feeling okay" he tells you

"I didn't want to ruin tonight" "Nonsense, you come first always. You're my number one priority" he shushes you

"When you're having a shitty day, you tell me okay? Wherever you are, I'll come and get you. I want to be the one you call, okay?"

You look at him, not saying anything back. You really did hit the jackpot when you met him. You always tell him you regret meeting him too late, feeling like you wasted so many years but then Joshua assures you again and again. Telling you that you didn't meet him late, you met him at the right moment, right when you needed him the most.

And he's right. Ever since he came into your life, everything is better. Even your worst days are better when he's with you.

"Now, let's go get some food in you. I know you haven't eaten dinner yet, I saved you your favorite sandwich. If you want anything else we can get it later"

"You really love me huh" you chuckle at him

Seeing you smile eased Joshua's mind. At least you're not crying anymore. He's not sure what he'd do if he sees you cry like that again, he might show up at your office and give your boss a piece of his mind if he ever sees you breaking down like that again.

"I do, I have for years now. Thank you for noticing" he jokes back

You giggle, standing on your tiptoe and throwing your arms around him again. "Thank you, Shua. For being there for me always, for not asking questions when I'm stressed but knowing the answers anyways"

He smiles while hearing your words, hugging you tighter. "I'm not going anywhere, love. I'll be right here" he tells you, kissing the side of your head like sealing another promise he made to you.

You stay like that for a while, not noticing the two figures standing by the door, "Should I ask..." Dokyeom asks Soonyoung

"They're hugging, I'm seeing this right. Right?"

"They're definitely hugging"

The two share a look then look at you and Joshua again, still oblivious about your friends observing the sweet moment you were having with your boyfriend.

"Should we tell them.. should we say something..." Soonyoung asks but Dokyeom shakes his head, hurriedly pulling him away and back to the main room

"Let's let them be. What if he just asked her out or what if they're finally admitting they like each other???"

"Who like each other?" Jeonghan asks

"Y/N and Joshua"

"Huh? Why would you say they like each other?" Seungcheol asks

"Everyone knows they like each other?" Dokyeon asks back

"Huh? I thought they were together already" the youngest say, catching the attention of his hyungs

"What?" Soonyoung asks, "Yea I saw them out one time, they were holding hands and all that. Joshua hyung even kissed her on the cheek. Oh and one time when I went over at hyung's he had like girl stuff in his apartment" Dino explains

"How did you know it's Y/N stuff?" Dokyeom asks "Because she was there, she was surprised to see me but she said she was just getting something she left at hyung's car. I never said anything because they never said anything" he shrugs, some of the guys surprised at hearing all of this

The rest share looks then it was chaos, Soonyoung shouting the loudest

"YAH KIM MINGYU YOU OWE ME $50!"

[yerimacoustic]

𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙨𝙩 𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚🤍𝙟𝙤𝙨𝙝𝙪𝙖 𝙭 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙧

↳ ❝ 𝙞𝙩𝙨 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙨𝙚𝙚𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙨𝙩 𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚 𝙖𝙜𝙖𝙞𝙣 ❞

summary: after the princess falls mysteriously ill, joshua, born with powers no one else in the palace knows about, becomes her caretaker.

content warnings: joshua x female reader, fantasy/regency au, steward/secret sorcerer!joshua x princess!reader, friends to lovers, deep conversations, yearning, mentions of illness, cursing, reader’s family has a lot of lore, secrets, more tags to come! joshua and reader are both in their early twenties btw

notes: this is a teaser for an upcoming joshua fic! wc is 1.4k, actually fic length is tbd. release date is also tbd. please interact if you like it!

lavish parties were a common occurrence at the palace, and birthdays were no exception. although your own birthday had been celebrated a handful of times, you still never quite got used to all of the attention. to the spotlight. and now that you were finally of marrying age, there was an added pressure, as potential suitors most likely filled the audience. 

after what felt like hours of dancing, polite conversing and forcing smiles, your mother had pulled you aside. after explaining that she wanted to present your gift in private, she eagerly watched you untie the tiny pink ribbon encircling the red box that fit perfectly in the palm of your hand. a gold, heart shaped locket lay inside, shining in the candlelight despite being an ancient heirloom. 

the necklace had been passed down from generation to generation for centuries. your mother felt there was no need to explain the sentimental value the necklace held, instead stating that she had been eagerly awaiting this day since the moment you were born. suddenly, you felt silly wondering if she was pulling you aside to offer some comforting words of assurance. 

no pressure. 

actually, once the thin chain found its way around your neck, it felt as if it bore an actual weight on your shoulders. after all, you knew fully well what it symbolized- as the eldest daughter, you would be taking the throne one day. and as you began to take another turn around the dance floor, you came to the stunning realization that this was no ordinary birthday party.

you weren’t exactly sure if your corset was too tight or if a mysterious figure was suddenly sucking all the air out of the room- either way, it felt as if the walls were closing in on you. once you felt that enough backs were turned on you, you shuffled towards the nearest french doors. once they were closed behind you and you were met with the bitter winter air, you let out a prolonged sigh. 

with your palms resting flat on the ledge you looked up to the stars, finding comfort in the way they seemed to shine so brightly that night in particular. you quickly became fixated on the patterns and puzzles in the sky, wishing that you could pluck them off of the dark blanket like small diamonds. music gently began to ring through the air as the doors behind you carefully swung open and closed in a brisk motion. even so, you didn’t bother to look back and greet your visitor. 

you were expecting the visitor to be one of your family members, maybe even your lady’s maid. holding back a sigh, you closed your eyes and spoke in a delicate tone, “i’ll be back inside in a moment.”

“no pressure,” a familiar voice behind you spoke. your eyes went wide upon hearing the man’s silky cadence and you, of course, were pleasantly surprised that it was probably the last person you expected to visit you.

you turned around to see joshua standing close to the two doors, as if he was awaiting your permission to come closer. he was quick to bow politely once your eyes were locked, earning a gentle scoff from you, “please- there’s no need for formalities. we’re not in public.”

he took a quick look behind him, reaffirming that there still were, in fact, lacy curtains covering the barred windows on the doors. a sheepish smile that seemed to light up the air between you two was sent in your direction before he stepped carefully towards you. “forgive me for disturbing you- but i wanted to ask if.. the princess was doing alright?”

you chuckled upon hearing his gentle tone and watching him approach you in the same timid manner. “well- the princess is doing as well as expected, under the circumstances. let’s just put it at that.”

this time it was the young steward’s turn to chuckle, mirroring your position and resting both hands on the balcony’s ledge. “the majority of the guests may not have noticed your strained expressions, princess, but i did.” he paused, looking over to you with a smile that instantly warmed your heart with reassurance. “if you ever need someone to talk to-”

“thank you.” gently cutting him off, you moved your hand to rest on top of his. an already shuddered breath caught in your throat once your eyes met again and a heated blush scattered across his cheeks. a similar warmth grew within your own cheekbones, prompting you to raise your free hand upwards to let your fingertips graze the area.

“you’re welcome,” he whispered to you, unable to break away from your gaze for even a moment. never in his wildest dreams did he expect to share a moment like this with you, the princess, someone he had stolen secret glances at in crowded ballrooms and halls for as long as he could remember. 

the two of you were both raised in the palace, after all. so close yet so far- until now.

and yet, he didn’t dare to move another inch. even if his free hand was aching to brush delicately through your curls, or along the curve of your jawline.. “princess..?”

“yes?” you asked with a slight strain in your tone. after all, you unknowingly held a similar line of thinking as joshua’s. you always considered the steward to be a handsome man, but never knew the great details of his beauty until that moment, as you stood closer to him than you ever had before. 

he had been wrestling with the dilemma of what to tell you since he’d plucked up the courage to walk through those doors. that much was evident by the way he quietly cleared his throat, pausing abruptly before speaking again, “i.. just want you to know that everything’s going to be alright. you’re going to be a wonderful leader someday.”

you weren’t sure what you were expecting (or hoping) him to say, but his beautiful words provided you with much needed reassurance. suddenly.. the prospects of becoming queen didn’t seem so daunting, now knowing that he would be there to support you. 

“you’re so.. sweet,” you thought out loud shamelessly. 

“you sound surprised,” his smile widened as he let out a gentle laugh. 

“no, not surprised- just-” you bowed your head and chuckled sheepishly. “i suppose i should have taken more time to get to know you. we did technically grow up together, after all.”

“well..better late than never.” the young man’s attention averted towards your intertwined hands on the ledge, his smile growing fainter. as if he was stuck in quiet contemplation. suddenly, snowflakes began to gently fall. it was beautiful, picturesque, the way they fell and gently twinkled in the starlight.

joshua couldn’t help but laugh as he watched some of the powdery snowflakes attach to your hair, finally leaning in to the prompting to brush through the silky strands. “don’t want your hair getting too wet,” he chuckled sweetly. 

“of course not,” you giggled quietly in return and stepped closer, allowing him to brush his fingers through your locks in an attempt to rid the small crystals. his gentle movements continued until your hair was pushed behind your shoulder, exposing a part of your collarbone to the cold. “joshua, i-”  

“y/n!” your brother swung the doors open, prompting the two of you to take a step backwards and unlace your hands. jeonghan’s gaze shifted between both of you, the guilty parties, as he folded his arms across his chest. but there was a mischievous glint in his eyes that reassured you he wouldn’t tell your secret. 

“what is it?” you groaned, annoyed that a wonderful moment was interrupted by your brother, of all people.

“mother and father are wondering where you’ve been, of course,” he chuckled, raising an eyebrow in your direction. “they sent me to look for you. i suggest you get a move on before they start looking, themselves.”

you made no attempt to disguise your annoyance, rolling your eyes before brushing through your hair once more for good measure. “i suppose you’re right.” 

before too long, jeonghan had made his way back inside the ballroom, slamming the door shut behind him in a quick attempt to reunite with his dancing partner. you stole one more glance at the burgundy-haired man standing at the ledge after crossing to the french doors, smiling gently to him, “thank you again.”   

“i’ll be seeing you again soon.” he watched carefully as you stepped back into the ballroom, focusing on your figure until the lace in the window clouded his vision. a confused sigh escaped his parted lips, and just as he looked up at the sky, the snowflakes stopped falling. for unbeknownst to you, there was more to this young steward than met the eye.