#Jimin slow burn?

[vinetae]

Can I please ask for a neighbour jimin who gets intensely attracted to y/n, they flirt a lil here and there and due to a guy's visit he gets extremely possesive and claims his ownership 💦🥵

“You’re cute when you’re angry.” Your eyes lull to the back of your head at his shameless attempt. 

“And you’d be really cute with this knife shoved in your thick head.” He laughs, raising an eyebrow up in questioning. 

“So you think I’m cute?”

You scoff, eyes rolling. “Not in the slightest.” He hums, tilting his head before following you into your room. 

“But you said really, which means that I was just cute before. So therefore, you think I’m extra cute.”

Smile - PJM

____________________

Genre: Neighbours!Jimin x Neighbors!Reader, (Ft. Love interest Taehyung)

Word Count: my guess... 12K ?

Warnings: Lying, accusations, broken friendships, cunillingus, f.masturbation, wet dreams, pinning, vaginal fingering, games under the table, exhibitionism, voyeurism, light ass play, dirty talk, hurt no comfort (I'm so sorry Tae Tae), use of the word 'faggot', cursing, harsh language, foul language. Camera play, videotaping of sexualactivities, pornographic described photos sessions. Possessive!Jimin, Yandere!Jimin, sub!reader, usage of 'wifey' terms and Y/n being a helpless damsel in distress. Y/n being innocent, and Jimin loves it lol. Jimin coerces Y/n into a nude photography shoot. Jimin is VERY VERY sneaky and charming.

A/n: this got lost in my Tumblr drafts which I don't use anymore. I'm so sorry, anon! Please forgive me 🙏🙏🙏🙏💜 I wanted to post this to remind myself to write part 2 when I get the chance. To give you guys a sneak peak I guess? I just gotta write the steamy.. 🥵

.

.

You take in a deep breath, nodding your head in assurance. “Thanks again for the help, guys! Really appreciate it.” They’re quick to ignore the comment, brushing past your shoulder quite roughly. You silently groan, rubbing at the sensitive skin before turning back around to meet their gazes. 

“Total’s 120 for the three hours plus lift.” He gruffs, jotting down the amount on the piece of paper. You nod, feeling the jolt of him shoving the little slip into your grip. 

“Have it paid by next Tuesday.” He turns around, picking the large toolbox up off your oak flooring before exiting. You rush over, leaning in the door to thank them once again but they don’t return the same attitude. 

You huff, folding your arms at the annoyance. Blowing a piece of hair from your view, your eyes scan the loitered hallway full of your things.

Your eyes follow a dark shadow across the corridor, waving at the young man. A black ball cap covered his face, along with a darkened gray mask. His clothes had resembled ones that someone would sleep in to keep warm in the cold winter days. Black sweatpants and sweatshirt to match. 

Your arm flies in the air, waving as he passes by. “Hi!” 

He brushes your arm, moving past your body before walking into the doorway of his apartment. 

“Hmph. Rude much..” You gruff, taking in a breath.

 “Alright..”  You lean down to lift the heavy box. It had been quite heavy, until suddenly the weight felt light as a feather. You lean to the side to look past the large cardboard box,  seeing a young flash you a bright smile. 

“Here, I’ve got it.” He adds, pushing his way past the rest of your things before turning around for guidance. 

“Oh uh- just set it down in the livingroom.” He nods, placing the large box down before walking back to the hallways. Your hand catches his shoulder before he continues. 

“Uhm.. who are you?” 

He flashes a quick grin before lifting another box. “I’m part of the moving crew. Sorry my dad’s such a..” 

“Pain in the ass?” He laughs at the joke. 

“Exactly.” His hand extends out, a boxy smile plasters his expressions. “My name’s Kim Taehyung.” You nod, shaking his hand with the same enthusiasm. You take a glance down the hallway, frowning. 

“Won’t you miss your ride?” He shakes his head, while hoisting two boxes into his grip.

“I drove here myself. I’m just working as a mover for the summer. Just some extra cash I can show off.” He winks before taking the boxes back into your apartment. You chuckle, watching as he makes quick work of the boxes that would’ve taken you hours to finish moving. 

“Oh- How rude of me!” You yelp, running to the kitchen, peaking out from the fridge’s door to call out to him. “Would you like anything to drink?” He sets the box down, lifting the hem of his shirt to wipe the sweat from his forehead. His permed fluffy, puppy-like hair had floofed up even more from Korea’s hot summers. 

“Water please?” He asks. Your body freeze at the sight. Eyes trailing down the plains of his torso, watching as his six-pack tenses with each move of his joints. The lump in your throat felt as thick as a golf ball. 

“Uh- yes. Of course!” You laugh it off, trying to hide the nervousness in your tone. You’re quick to make work of his water -like there was much to do anyways- before you set it on the coffee table he’d already placed down. His sweating body takes a seat on your hardwood floors, legs crossing in manner. 

“Thank you” He glances up through the glass, flashing you a bright smile. You plop down onto the edge of your sectional, taking slight-

Who were you kidding? 

You’re watching this Taehyung guy drink water like it’s the best telanovela you’d ever seen. 

He downs the glass quickly, setting it quietly on the coffee table in front of the two of you. “Anything else I can do?” He questions, internally smirking at the way you’d been staring at his adam’s apple for the past minute or so. 

You shake your head, pulling yourself from the rabbit hole of dirty thoughts. “I think that’s it.” You reach out to your purse, rummaging through the tiny folds of tightly laced fabrics before taking a glance up. “How much do I owe you?” 

He smiles, pulling out his phone to calculate the total. His eyebrows knit together, watching as his face intensifies on the numbers. After a few minutes of torture, he contuines, sliding the phone back into his pocket. 

“Sixty-nine dollars, or.." He eyes you up and down, lips trailing out to pad across his bottom lip. "you.”

Your eyebrow quirks at his weird statement. He shakes his head, chuckling nervously.

“No I mean- Ah fuck.. I’m not good with pick up lines, am I?” His hand reaches back to rub at the nape of his neck, acting as if he’s shying out of asking his highschool date to the prom. A few seconds go by before you get it. Your face immediately flushes. 

“No- Oh my God, I’m so dumb- Sorry! My Korean’s still a little wonky, you know?”

You smile, trying to hide the embarrassment behind your laugh. He chuckles at the irony. 

“But your total would be sixty-nine. Just saying.” You let out a sharp laugh, shaking your head. “No way.” He pulls his phone from the pocket of his khakis, showing the blue an black screen which indeed had sixty-nine calculated in for about an hour. 

“Damn.” He chuckles, nodding. “It’s a sign, right?” His eyebrows raise, flashing a cheeky grin towards you. 

“Oh, for sure~” You tease, reaching into the pouch of your purse, pulling your phone from its concealment. 

“How about this? I pay you, and ask you out?” You watch as a little hue of pink flushes his round cheeks. “Ask me out? Hey, I was the one to ask first.” You laugh, nodding. 

“Yeah but you sucked at it.” He pouts but eventually agrees. “Yeah.. okay fine.” He stands up, getting a little more confident. “So how about this Saturday? 8:30?” You nod, rising to meet his level. Your hand reaches out, handing him the correct amount of money, as well as your number written on the piece of paper. 

“Sounds like a date.” He smiles like a little kid in a candy store before making his way quickly out the door. Before you hear the lock click, he’s quick to rush back in, using the door as support. 

“Wait! What’s your name?” You giggle, leaning down to start unpacking one of your boxes. 

“It’s Y/n.” 

.

.

You let out a deep breath, setting the huge load of laundry down onto the floor, admiring your hard work. You’d gotten almost everything done in just a few hours, since it hadn’t been a huge apartment. Now, all you had to do was wash your clothes. 

You lean down, throwing your darks in first before setting the machine’s timer. 

[Error]

“What?” You groan, pressing the button again, just for the little alarm to beep at you again. 

[Error]

“Ugh!” You bend down more, examining if there had been anything wrong with the machine. Once you knew it wasn’t it’s compartments, you rise back up to meet with the annoying error signal again. 

“Okay.. try this again.” You inhale calmly, trying to remember your breathing techniques you’d learned from the free month of yoga you’d signed up for. 

“Breeeathe, Y/n. It’s just a little-”

[Error]

“Why you piece of shi!-” 

A hand comes to bang in front of your face as you fumble back at the sudden noise. Your eyes glance over to your left side, watching as the man who’d hit the machine had been reaching down to take his things out of the lower machine. He glances up, the black face mask hides any kind of emotion he might’ve shown. 

“It gets stuck sometimes. Gotta hit it.” He says monotony, lifting his charcoal gray basket to his chest. You flash a quick smile, bowing.

“Thank yo-” 

He was gone. 

.

.

Jimin lets out a sigh, throwing the bag of laundry down onto his duvet cover. Shuffling over to the computer, plops down into his gaming chair. He slides his headset over, turning on his PC. The screen flashes a few times before loading up his game. 

“Heyyyy it’s J-man!” His friends chant on the other line. He scoffs, quick to choose his gun and character. 

“Yeah yeah, don’t shit your pants, alright? I’m only gonna play one round.” They all laugh at that, echoing through the mics. “Jimin and only one round?” 

“Oh please, his girlfriends beg to differ!” The two boys snicker over the lines, making Jimin groan in frustration. One thing his stupid mates had said caught his ear though. 

“You hear about the new girl who died in Chun-dae complex?” 

“No shittt bro. Wait- Jimin isn’t that where you live?” 

Jimin’s body freezes. His mic goes silent, as he calms his labored breaths. His finger hovers over the mic button before finally replying. “Yeah.” Everyone goes crazy. 

“Oh shiiit. Bro do you know what happened?”

“Did you know her?

“Did you fuck her is the question, gentleman.” They all agree, waiting for his response. He groans, eyes lulling to the back of his head before pressing the T button. 

“Of course I didn’t know her. It was all over the news, though. Cameraman and news channels cleaned every inch of her apartment.” They all ‘ooo’ in curiosity. 

“Hah, knowing him he probably was the one to kill the poor thing.” 

“Hey, Ji-bom, that's not funny. My sister knew her.” 

Ji-sung scoffs over the mic before replying. “Oh yeah? Only ‘cause they were scissoring each other the night before, isn’t that right?” 

“Ayoo, Ji-bom chill man.” Kwang chimes in at the banter. Jimin scoffs at his idiot teamates. 

“I’m just sayin’. Fucking faggot got what she deserved, dude.” 

“Alright alright that’s enough guys-” 

“That’s enough, both of you.” Jin barks back at the two, silencing the chatroom. 

“Thank you, hyung. Anyways, Jimin isn’t there a new girl moving into her apartment?” 

“Oooo yeah. Go check her out. I heard she just moved to Korea, too.” 

“Foreigner?” Jungkook chimes in.

 Jimin lets out a sigh, questioning why he’s even friends with any these idiots. He picks up the mic piece, making himself as clear as he can before answering. 

“I’ve already seen her.” He scoffs, spinning quietly in his chair to face the wall. 

“Ain’t much.” He retorts, clicking out of the call before throwing his wireless headphones to the side. 

His eyes take a glance to the organized white board decorated meticulously with red and blue strings, the woman’s face in the center had made a smirk creep up his face. 

.

.

“Oh fuck-” You curse, watching as the little orange from your net rolls from the paper bags and down the stairs. You whines, setting the little bags to the floor, following the rolling fruit. 

“Come back here you little-” Right before you’re able to catch the run away, a soled shoe props itself ontop of the orange. Your eyes flash up, seeing the same man from earlier towering over your figure. 

“Oh- thank you..” You bow to reach the object, but he’s quicker to pick it up. The black hat had been capped over his head, revealing the flat of his glistening forehead. His milky skin gleams in the floruescent lights, as he observes your orange like an artist admiring their work of art. 

“It’s gone bad.” He comments, throwing it up the stairs as you both watch it land in the space of your bag. Perfectly sitting ontop of the thin paper container. 

“Wow..” You awe at his skills, turning around to thank him once more. His black mask is pulled down to reveal a set of large and cherry red lips. A smirk plasters his face. 

“Why didn’t you just take the elevator?” 

You take a look down, trying to remember why you had gone this was in the first place. 

“I.. Don’t really remember.” He hums, leaning against the white stair railing for support. 

“You’re the girl from room 13, right?” You nod, flashing him a bright smile. 

“Yep! I think you’re..” 

“Room 14.” 

You nod sharply, sticking your hand out. His eyebrow raises at the gesture.

“Oh right.. Korea.” You cheek flush with a red tint, as you slowly go to retract your hand. However, he’s quick to take it in his grip, giving you a firm shake. His grip had pulled you closer in proximity, your body almost flushed against his completely. You could see the little twinge of gold specks peaking from his chocolate irises.

Where had your voice gone all of a sudden??

“I..I- Uhm.. My name’s Y/n.” You watch the corner of his mouth tug upwards at your stutter. 

“Jimin.” 

.

.

It had now been the second day of moving in. You decided to go explore the complex a bit more, wanting to know its history further than what the website had briefly explained. 

Your feet click against the old marbled flooring, and echoed clatter sounds through the empty rooms. Your head swished back and forth, taking a few glances at the passing doors on your way to the elevators. 

That’s odd. 

You’d been told that this apartment was constantly having people coming in and out all the time, but you haven’t seen a single soul since the guy in the stairwell. 

You shake your head, pulling yourself from the rabbit hole of your silly thoughts. You chalk it up to a weird coincidence. You’d moved in on a Wednesday anyways. Everyone was probably at work when you had tried greeting them. 

You make your way past the set of elevator doors, pressing the button to make quick work of getting downstairs. 

“Hold it!” You hear someone call out, reaching out to pause the elevator doors form shutting completely. He sighs, bowing to thank you as much as the boxes in his arms could. He sighs, taking in deep breaths. 

“Ah, thank yo- Y/n?” Your head cranes to the side, seeing Taehyung’s boxy smile and permed, curly locks flowing in the elevator’s A/C.

“Taehyung? What are you doing back here?” He smiles, flashing you a thousand-watt grin. “I’m helping an ajuma switch rooms.” He leans down, lowering his voice to a hushed whisper. 

“She said she hates hearing the little ghost girl running across her ceiling..” Chills spiral down your back like a mattress coil. He chuckles, hitting your back gently. 

“I’m kidding! Well, I mean she did say that so.. I guess I wasn’t kidding..” He shrugs, fixing the collar of his Frank Sinatra hoodie. He continues to keep the conversation going, trying to explain himself. 

“Would it help if I said she was diagnosed with schizophrenia?” Your eyebrows knit in fear. A cold rush flows through your blood. 

“Not really..” He pouts, lip peeking out to quiver. 

“I’m sorry.. I didn’t mean to scare you, promise!” You finally let go a bit, flashing him a slight smile. 

“It’s okay.” He nods in excitement, glancing around the room awkwardly before turning back to catch your attention. “So how are you liking your new apartment?” He questions, rocking on the balls of his heels, clasping his hands behind his back. You let out a sigh, slightly nodding. 

“I like it. I wish people were a little more friendly, though..” He nods, a compassionate look plastering his face. “Yeah.. it’s got a lot of old people in it, so can’t really ask for the nicest of treatments.” You sigh, nodding at the truth. 

“But hey! It’s got a nice view, huh?” You giggle at his excitement, agreeing. “Indeed. And I’ve got one kinda nice neighbour?” He flashes you an adorable boxy smile. “Really? Who?” 

“He said his name was like- Jimin or something.” 

The whole atmosphere feezes. Taehyung’s once bouncy and energetic vibe fades, and a dark, mysterious look plasters his face. 

“Y/n..” He turns to face you, taking your hand in his gently. “Promise me you’ll stay away from him, alright?” Your eyebrow knits in confusion. 

“What? Why? He seemed okay.” He shakes his head quickly. “I don’t know much but- he’s got a not so nice reputation around here..” The elevator dings, as the doors slides open. He sighs, taking the boxes back into his arms before turning to give you one last piece of advise. 

“Just- stay away from him.”

.

.

“Come on you freaking- Ugh!” You’d been trying for the past two hours to hook up the wifi and ethernet cables so you can watch Netflix, but you lost the instructions packet while moving your things around. You groan out, throwing the screwdriver to the side in frustration. 

You rise before walking out of your apartment door, as Taehyung’s voice rings in your mind. 

“He’s got a ‘not so nice’ reputation around here..”

“Just- stay away from him.” 

Your head shakes the thoughts away as you ring the doorbell. 

A few minutes after, the door starts to unlock, cracking open to reveal a messy haired man standing in the doorway. 

“Uh- Jimin?” You ask, wondering if it had been the same man you’d see earlier. He hums, leaning on the doorframe for support. The fuzzy blanket wrapped around his small frame had made him look completely harmless. 

Which only fueled your motives. 

“Uh- Hi. We met in the stairway earlier and-”

“Ah yeah.” He yawns, face resembling one of a little baby puppy waking up from it’s naptime. “Y/n, right?” You nod, happy that someone had remembered who you were. 

“Yes, that’s me haha. Uhm so- I was wondering if you knew anything about wifi cables?” His eyebrow raises at the question, but continues on. 

“Yeah. Why?” You flash a large grin, putting on your best ‘I’m a woman, I need help, please help me’ look. 

What? 

It’s worked before. 

“Great! I’ve just been struggling with hooking up my wifi cables to the outlet and it’s really frustrating and-” He cuts you off with a chuckle. “That’s the easiest thing setting up in the apartment.” You huff, but continue. 

“Well if it’s so easy, then it won’t take you long at all.” He chuckles, arms crossing over his chest as you’d taken notice of his more aware self stealing ‘sleepy’s’ spotlight. 

“What’s in it for me?” He teases, flashing a cheesy grin. You nod, trying to think of something a man would want. 

Other than that..

“Uhm- I could make you dinner?” He thinks for a second, before opening the door all the way. 

“Alright. Just lemme grab a shirt.” 

.

.

Jimin’s eyes take a few double takes around Y/n’s apartment. The tiny couch tucked in the corner, covered in plastic wrapping and dusty blankets. The cream colored high walls stood twice his size, and really? That was the only beautiful part about living in these shitty apartments. 

“So where’s the cable?” He questions, head craning a full 180 to observe the lack of decorations. She flashes a small, embarrassed grin while pointing to a separate selected room. His fingertips graze the surface of her marble countertops. Lifting his finger, he examines the light dusk bits his skin had picked up. He’s quick to wipe the dirt on the fabric of his jeans. 

“You know, the landlord said that the internet cable would be in the mainroom but-” 

“What the fuck..” His feet stop behind yours, observing the cramped space of your bathroom. 

He watches your nails reach behind your head, scratching as you let out a small chuckle. “Yeah..” 

He scoffs, eyes taut on the little internet box shoved on a low rickety shelf above the toilet. You bend down to meet his level, waiting for his next move. “Makes sense on why they knocked off a few bucks..” You laugh nervously, eyebrows knitting together in frustration. 

He lets out a short chuckle, reaching around to pull the plug. He rises to his feet, arms crossing over his chest. “What a bunch of idiots..” He mumbles, sighing. 

You rise as well, glancing up at his frustrated figure. “Anything I can do?” He stops running his hand through his black toussels, taking a glance at your way. 

“Yeah.” He comments, bending back down to reach into his toolbag. 

“Got any beer?”

.

.

You take in deep breath, knee tapping anxiously against your hardwood floors. You’d been waiting outside the bathroom for the past ten minutes. He offer to relocate the router so it wouldn’t be a future firehazard. You happily agreed, trusting his insticts. 

He was the man, anyways. 

Your nails had almost been cleaned right off from the tightness of your jaw nervously chewing on the poor things. Every few minutes you’d heard a sigh of frustration or mumbled curse as he’d been removing the wires from inside your walls. 

“Hey, wifey,” He yelps out. You’re quick to make your way into the small bathroom. 

“Need anything?” Your jaw drops at the sight. His tanned skin had glistened with a sheet of sweat, jet-black locks greased and pulled back to sit slick against the crown of his head. A few dry and perfectly good stragles make their debut on the slick of his forehead. His white shirt you’d seen his thrown on prior to coming over was drenched making the thin material completely see-through. 

He gripes, rising to his feet once more. His large hands held the tiny router in one, with wire cutter in the other. He chuckles, watching your eyes blow as wide as cartoon characters. 

“Might wanna close that mouth if you’re not gonna put it to good use, darling.” 

That-

Didn’t help. 

You’re quick to pull yourself from the train of spiral thoughts, nodding at his commentary. He lets out a short laugh, pushing the little router into your chest. You yelp a little ‘oof’, gripping onto the device. 

“What.. am I gonna do with this?” You ask, watching him packing the things in his toolbag, slinging it over his shoulder before replying with a smirk. 

“Replace it. Piece of crap is older than my mom's kimchi recipe.” He reaches upwards, stretching the length of his elongated spine. You silently gawk at the peak of skin underneath his shirt. He twists around, giving you a little smirk. 

“Dinner ready yet?” You shake your head, pointing at the clock on the wall. He glances over, reading the time set. 

6pm.

He scoffs, throwing his bag onto the floor to lean up against the edge of your little centered table. 

“Besides,” You add, finally having found your voice once more. You watch one of his darkened eyebrows quirk at the comment. 

“I asked you to fix it.” 

“Yeah?”

“You didn’t fix it.” 

He chuckles, leaning further into the table’s edge. “Can’t fix something I don’t have.” 

You pout, crossing your arms to match his. “Why don’t you have it?” 

“You don’t get it, do you?” He asks, leaning towards your direction to lazily tower over your figure. You back down, feeling his intense aura consume yours like a little bunny caught by the big bad wolf. 

“You need a new router, the other one won’t connect to the complex’s main central.” You watch his narrowed eyes soften upon seeing your intimidated ones. He sighs, carding a hand through his greasy locks, flipping his chin up to shake the entirety of his head. 

“Hardware store’s closed for today already. You can check tomorrow. If you order it online, it’ll take up to a week to have it shipped.” You huff, annoyed with the cursed thing. 

His smirk toys with your aggravated posture. 

“I don’t supposed you have an extra one?” You plead, flashing your most intense puppy-like eyes.He smirks, shaking his head.

“Nope, sorry, Wifey.” Your eyes flash up to meet him. 

“What’s with that?” His shoulders shrug, an innocent look splays his sharp features. You groan, walking away to tug the roots of your hair in frustration. You twist around, throwing yours hands down. 

“There’s NOTHING you can do?” He lifts from counter, slowly coasting his way to stalk your frame. He towers over you, a smirk plasters his features. 

“There’s alot I can do. But for that?” His finger points to the little old device on the counter where you’d placed it. 

“No can do.” 

You take in a deep breath as he makes his way to jump onto the counter’s surface, feet swinging back and forth like a little kid. He watches your features slowly fade from hopeful to hopeless in a matter of seconds. Your eyes quicken over the area of your apartment, as if he could almost see the little gears trying to push their way to start. 

After a while of pacing and panic, you’d just settled on giving into fate. “Alright.” You sigh, slowing your paces to a stop. Your eyes glance up, seeing him propping himself back on the heels of his palms, an amused smirk paints his face. 

“Still up for dinner?” 

.

.

“Not very wifely of you, Y/n.” He comments, stuffing a face full of the hot rice you’d ordered for him. 

“I’m not trying to be wifely, Jimin.” He chuckles at that. 

You’d settled for just ordering in. So here you sat, using the flat of your old couch as a backrest as the two of you sat on the hardwood floor eating sticky rice and crunchy chicken you’d gotten from the place across from your apartment. 

“I like that.” Your head cranes, giving him a questioning look.

“Like what?” 

He grins, taking another bite of his largely portioned rice bowl.

“When you say my name.” 

You chuckle, clicking the remote to find something to entertain this kind of awkward situation. You feel him shift a bit, crossing his legs to get into a more relaxed position. 

“So,” he starts, digging in the little to-go box for the last of his rice. His voice strings with casualty and familiarity which he laced to ease this into a more comfortable atmosphere for the both of you. 

“Why this shithole?” You chuckle, reflecting back on the selection process you’d forced yourself to go through. 

“It was kind of an emergency situation. I wanted to come here for animation and graphic designs.. But, I had to move out quickly.” His eyebrow quirks at the questioning sentence. 

“Why?” 

You sigh, fingertip grazes over the ridges of your hardwood floor. Should you really be letting an almost stranger know so much about your personal affairs?

Well, you two were neighbors now. 

“Stuff just got too complicated in my house.” He nods, not wanting to pry on more of the obvious still fresh wound. His throat clears, as he begins clearing your table of the plastic wrappers and trash. 

“Well, if it makes you feel any better, I got kicked from my own house.” You chuckle, head turning to face him. “Really? What could you possibly have done?” He laughs, leaning back against the couch’s front. 

“What? Don’t think I’d get into trouble?” Your head shakes at his question. “Frankly, you look like a cinnamon roll.” He chuckles, taking a sip of his soju. 

“Oh really?” He leans in further, the pad of his lips brushes your ear’s shell. Hot breaths roll past your heating cheeks. His voice is low and sensual now. 

“I mean- you just like blacks, right?” He chuckles at that. He reaches out, ruffling your hair between his fingers.

“You’re cute.”

.

.

“Oh fuck..” He moans out, hand palming himself over the clad of his boxer-briefs. His body, slung forward, propped up to leave the back of his chair lonely and cold. His chin tilts upwards, eyes focused on the bright of his screen. 

“Mmmm just like that, baby” He groans, free hand gripping the edge of his chair, knuckles hueing to a white tint at the pressure. He watches the woman drop the fabrics of her remaining clothing items. Her pink, basic underwear slipped from the waist of her tight skin. 

“Yeahhh” His heavy moans pant at the sight of the beautiful woman exposing herself for the camera. His palm wrapped around the base, a slow pace up and down the length of his throbbing cock. His sweaty bangs come to fly forward before sticking to the damped of his forehead. His mouth stifles sounds that would be a one-way ticket to hell.

Oh, how he wished she'd caress her breasts.  

His eyes focus on the way her hair falls out of its messy bun to cascade down the beautiful plains of her back. A small, cursive tattoo sits atop the nape of her neck. The little decoration only furthers him deeper into his state of temporary euphoria. 

The soap slides down her body, grime and grease being removed from even the most difficult crevasse. Suds and white foam paint a thin sheet over the bare of her entire frame. His hips slightly raise out of control at the sight. The red and angered tip of his cock leaks a thick string of pre-cum from his slit. 

Her hand reaches out to steady herself, making sure she doesn’t slip from the sudsy shower floor. Her long, manicured nails made him wish she’d ruin his back with them. Red scratches running up along the plains of his shoulder blades only edged him on further.

His balls tighten, warning him of his nearing end. He groans out, leaning back against his gaming chair as he lifts a leg to prop up on the desk, showing the invisible camera on his computer all of his lengthy and girthy glory. After a few minutes of slowed strokes, his balls ached with pain. 

He loved it.

His hand wrapped around his cock picks up the pace. Body practically leaping from his seat. 

“Fuck!” He moans out, lips dropping to form an O-shape as a string of hot cum shoots onto the towel that he’d held to his tip right before blowing his load.

He clicks a few buttons, watching as the camera zooms in at the perfect time. She’d finished up, exiting the shower to wrap a warm and fuzzy looking lengthy towel around her fitted body. The steam had fogged the glass mirror above the sink, but the camera still stood clear as fresh water. 

The cameraman had cleverly sprung for the fog-avoidant cameras.

He, being the cameraman..

.

.

You reach over, answering the incoming call that had rung for the past few seconds. You hug the portion of your towel to your body, clinging it as to not accidentally flash a single soul. An all-too-cheery voice answers. 

“Y/n! So, I was thinking- We never really decided on a place to eat at.” He pouts, a teasing tone peaks his expressions. Even though you couldn’t see him, you could see the child-like boxy smile he’d always sport. 

You decide to have a little fun with your new found friend. “I’m sorry- Who’s this?” You could hear the hurt in his voice. 

“It’s Taehyung.. Already forgot about me, huh?” You giggle, throwing the phone onto your bed after pressing the speaker button. 

“I’m playing with you Taehyung.” He huffs. “Not very funny of a joke, ma’am.” He retorts, making you snicker at the nickname. 

“You’re right, you’re right. I’m sorry Taehyung-ie. How about I make it up to you?” His voice cheers up quickly, amusement peaking his interests.

“And how would you do that, milady?” His voice sports a gentleman-y, british accent as if he’d been just brought out of a shakespeare play. 

You throw on a quick T-shirt before sprawling out on your bed. “Well, how about coming over tonight? I could make us some coffees.. Or I’ve got wine too.” He sucks in a breath, a saddened tone controls his voice. 

“Sorry, can’t tonight. Dad’s got me working extra hours all over Seoul, I’m not even home yet.” You pout, toying with your little anxiety ring you’d gotten from a friend back home. 

“Oh, okay then.” You’re quick to flip over, getting into a more comfortable position on your back. You stare up at the ceiling while talking with your only friend. 

“So, how is work?” Before you get a response you hear a loud crash on the other end. 

“Shit- I have to go, Y/n. Bye!”

“Oh oka-” 

He ends the call.

You sigh, rolling back and forth on the surface of your bed. You’d still been on Chicago’s clock, so you were wide awake right now. Your eyes roll at the time blinking on your nightstand’s alarm clock. 

12:39AM.

You needed to get to sleep. You KNEW you needed to get to sleep. But, your body had different plans. You decide to roll yourself out of bed, making your way to the little walk in closet right before the front door. You slide on your little fuzzy boots and a pair of sweatpants before walking out the door. 

“Oh!” You turn around, seeing Jimin leaning outside of his front door to drop off the trash in the hallway. You run up, catching him before he has the chance to slip back into his dungeon. 

“Hey-” You call, flashing him a warm smile. 

He slams the door in your face. 

Your frown reappears, sighing. 

What was everyone’s problem with you?

You were about to continue on your journey for late night convenient store snacks, but something inside of you had irked to get a hi from him still. So, you knock on his door. 

No answer. 

“Come on, Jimin. I know you’re in there!” You call out, banging on his door now. After a few minutes and a rude comment from a neighbor telling you in a very passive way to ‘shut up’ he’d finally opened the door. You push right through, hands on your hips to signal off confidence. 

“Y/n what do you-”

“Why didn’t you say hello back?” He shakes his head, not following. 

“What do you mean-” 

“I just said hi to you, and you slammed the door in my face!” He chuckles, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. 

“I just woke up.” Somehow, you don’t believe that. 

Your stupid self decides to rummage through his things. 

“Oh really?” You walk yourself over to his desk and gaming chair, feeling the monitor’s heat. “Hmm, computer’s still warm.” You comment, accidentally bumping the mouse with your wrist. The screen lights up, as your face drains with color. 

A bunch of women barely dressed on a leopard-print bed, hands rubbing and touching all over each other while some had fully been going down on one another. 

You could hear a dark chuckle in Jimin’s voice. A body comes up behind yours, towering your frame from backing.

“Caught me.” He whispers,fingertips trailing up the skin of your arms. You flinch, backing away from his touches as he lets out a laugh. “What? Aw, I’m just having a little fun with you.” He flashes you a cheeky wink as you try and calm your beating heart. 

“I– Sorry. I-I’ll just leave now-” He chuckles, opening the door wide. As you make your way through the exit, he leaves a few words to trail in your ears.

.

.

For the past few days you’d been bickering with Taehyung over where to go. Since you both were in moving saving mode, you decided to just cook up a nice dinner and watch a movie instead. 

You’re almost done putting the final touches on the dessert pie until you heard the doorbell ring. Walking past, you reach down to fluff a few pillows on your couch before answering. You crack the door open, a wide smile plastered onto your face until you’d seen who was behind it. 

“You..” He chuckles. 

“Me.” 

Franky you’d been avoiding Jimin for the past two days. Ever since your jet-lagged brain decided it was a good idea to march into his apartment and check out his browsing history, things had been pretty awkward between the two of you. 

Well, just for you. 

“I’ve got something.” He teases, holding his hands behind his back. You nod, keeping him outside of the door. “Uhm can it wait ‘til later? I’m kinda busy..” He pushes past your shoulders before you could even protest. 

“Payback, wifey.” A smirk tugs the corner of his lips as he holds out the tiny box on front of you. 

“Take a guess.” 

You sigh, shrugging. “I don’t know.” 

“That’s the whole point of taking a guess. You’re really bad at this game.” He chuckles, swinging the little box in his grasp. 

“I don’t know, Jimin.” He groans, pouting. “You’re no fun.” He unboxes the object, holding it out to show you. 

“I still don’t get what it is.” He shakes his head, obviously annoyed by your adituttde. 

“Fine, then I guess you don’t need the router.” Your eyes widen. 

“Wait!” You reach out to pause his actions, making him smirk. “Oh now you answer me.” He chuckles, setting the little device on your kitchen counter. 

His eyes take a glance to the kitchen table, feasting upon the delicious, mouth-watering platters and bowls filled with some of his favorites. 

“Ah, good! You remembered our deal.” Your eyes look at the food, then back to him to quickly shake your head. 

“Uh no- actually-”

Ding.

Dong.

.

.

Jimin’s eyebrow quirks at the revealment of the guy behind your apartment door. Taehyung’s bright and boxy smile soon drops as his eyes land upon the strange man in your livingroom. The newly dyed locks tinted with colors of the sky had shifted from their styled position. 

“Who’s this?” Taehyung comments, questioning the new man. Jimin’s lips tug more into a smirk at his confusion. 

“Her cousin.” Jimin retorts, watching as you flash him a ‘what?!’ look. Taehyung’s eyebrows knit in confusion as Jimin’s quick to correct himself with a light chuckle.

“Distant.” 

You let out a nervous chuckle at his words. 

Shit.

.

.

The dinner table felt like a couffin. Suffocating and awkwardly tight. Hadn’t helped that your little circular table could barely fit two people, much less three.You had tried to kick him out, really you did. But he had been too stubborn, pulling up his own make shift seat of your lidded trash can to support on. The smug and tight grin on Jimin’s lips had made your jaw clench with annoyance. Taehyung’s quick to clear the thick air, along with his throat. 

“So, Y/n. How do you feel about sea animals?” He smiles, trying to ignore the elephant in the room. 

Your mouth falls open to answer, but the slick circles drawn against your thigh halts you.. You take a glance over, Jimin on the sidelines taking a large bite of his pork and rice, completely unfazed by the situation. The tense of his right arm doesn’t go unnoticed by you. His hand slipped up the space of your dress, caressing your knee before rising his touch higher. 

Your eyes flash back to Taehyung’s who had a questioning look. You let out a loud chuckle, trying to shift your leg away from Jimin’s fingers as your answer. 

“Love ‘em.” You flash him a quick smile. He returns the little expression, a relaxed ease sets upon him. 

You? Not so much. 

“Well what about getting a little wet?” Taehyung quirks, leaning a little closer to make his voice clear. 

Jimin’s fork swirls around the surface of his plate, a bored expression plasters his features as he cuts in. “Easy.” You feel the tips of his fingers drag along the heat of your skin, resting on the outers of your underwear. His index finger presses slightly against your soaking panties, your lips fall to form a small O-shape. Thighs squeezing together at the sensation. 

“I don’t think she minds getting wet.” Jimin comments, an unamused expression toys his features as he takes a sip of his soju. You nod, shifting slightly in your seat, which in turn had made Jimin’s touch fall further in the gap of your thighs. His fingertips tease your clothed heat, a silent moan rumbles from the deep of your chest. 

“Perfect!” He turns his reach into his pocket, pulling out two pieces of thick paper. “The new aquarium in Incheon just opened. I was hoping you and I could maybe go tomorrow?” You nod, trying your best to stay silent. Jimin’s touch lingers on the outerparts of your heat, silently commanding you to beg him. 

You weren’t. 

Your grin follows the sweet tone in your voice you’d forced yourself to keep, even though everything in your body had been screaming to do quite the opposite. 

“So Taehyung,” Jimin comments, sliding the fabrics of your underwear to the side, carding one finger through your slick folds teasingly. Taehyung’s head tilts, smiling friendly even though he’d been quite disappointed in Jimin’s unannounced presence. 

“Yeah?” He questions. Jimin shifts, crossing one leg over the other to make himself appear smaller. 

Though, his actions had been quite the opposite. 

“How’d you two lovebirds meet?” He asks, quietly catching the way your chest tightens as his finger teases your entrance, coating the digit in your juices. A smirk presses his lips. 

Taehyung chuckles, a shy glance directed to you. “Well, here actually.” Jimin faints a forced interested look, nodding at the stupid interaction. 

“Yeah, my dad had hired me for his moving service for the summer before I go back to college so I could make some more money. I had helped her move in, then shot my shot.” You fight back a moan, letting out a sharp breath as he inserted the length of his finger past your velvet walls. Your hands reach out, one catching on Jimin’s forearm to steady yourself. Silently begging for him to stop so you could enjoy your date with Taehyung. 

Jimin nods, almost making your loose it when his finger starts to pump in and out of you at a teasingly slow rate. His eyes narrowed, getting bored with Taehyung’s little story. 

“Hah, how funny.”Though his words matched his features, his tone had not. A cold and hardly-entertained looks paces his face. 

Taehyung mentally groans at Jimin’s pulsing bicep. He stands, pushing hismelf away from the table with force. You startle, eyebrows meeting in concern. 

“Taehyung what’s-” 

“You know, it’s kind of common courtesy not to let your neighbor finger fuck you while you’re on a date with another guy.” Jimin smirks at his words, releasing you in his grip, watching as you rise to meet Taehyung’s level. 

“Y-You kne-” 

"Of course I fucking knew, Y/n. I helped him install his gaming setup when he moved in.” Your head cranes to Jimin, seeing the cocky grin upon his features. Turning back, your eyes meet Taehyung’s. His burned with anger and fury. 

“Taehyung I’m so sorry-” He chuckles, scoffing with a harsh tone. 

“My thing isn’t that he was groping you on our date, Y/n. It’s the fact that you lied to me.” Your heart aches at his words. Your feet close the space between you and him, but he backs away. 

“Don’t, Y/n. And you.” His eyes narrow to Jimin who’d shifted to your seat to lean back. Leg crossed over the other, while his shiny finger had been popped into the crease of his mouth. Taehyung’s hands fist at the sight. 

“Dick move, Jimin.” 

With that, Taehyung storms out. You tried following him down the hall, but he had been too fast for your7-inch heels to catch up with. You let out a silently breath, leaning up against your front door. 

Your eyes land crack open to land upon Jimin’s laxed figure. He’d risen to lean up against the back of your couch, arms crossing his chest. He shakes his head, smirking. 

“Not cool, Y/n.” Your fists clench at his cocky tone. 

“Get out.” You command, swinging the door open to lead him. He shakes his head, making his way to the door, walking out. 

.

.

“Over here!” You wave, signaling your location through this messy crowd. He makes a beeline to your table before sitting down quietly. A silence had drawn out for far too long. You take notice in the tanned, unusual overcoat he’d thrown over his white button up and navy blue suit pants. Black loafers to compliment his whole attire. 

“Thanks for meeting with me..” You let out a deep breath, trying to break the awkward silence between the two of you. He nods, eyes glancing around the restaurant to look anywhere but your pleading self. 

“You’ve got a probem with lying, Y/n.” He comments coldly. You could do nothing but nod, agreeing with his harsh but true words. 

‘I know.. Taehyung I’m so sorry for lying to you.” You lean forwards, trying to catch his gaze. He’d done a pretty good job of ignoring you for the past few weeks. 27 missed calls and 14 text messages later, he’d finally caved in and agreed to meet you at the little cafe you’d originally planned to meet at for your first date. 

His arms fold across his chest,, leaning back to entertain your guilt. “Go on.” 

Your fingers clench around the mug, toying with the warmed handle from the hot joe inside. “I shouldn’t have lied to you about him being my cousin. It was stupid, anyways.” You let out a short chuckle, feeling the atmosphere soften just a bit. 

“Indeed.” He still holds onto his firm and upset composure. You push the basket of break rolls to his side, a silent peace offering sits in front of him. 

“I do like you, Taehyung. You’re really sweet, and kind and always so considerate of others-” He chuckles, scoffing at your generic sayings. 

“Sounds more like a breakup rehearsal than an apology.” You nod, hitting your head at the stupid comments. 

“What I’m getting at is; I never should’ve let Jimin do any of that. He was honestly just there to replace my wifi router, swear!” He leans forward, studying your features for any sign of a lie. When he finds none, he returns to his slouched posture taking a sip from his wine glass he’d ordered. 

“Then why did you?” His question throws you off. 

Why did you let him touch you like that? Get away with it…

 Let it go so far.

Taehyung scoffs at your silence. His feet shift, eyebrows raised with sarcasm. His tone lowers, mumbling into the bottom of his wine glass. “Silence of the lamb.” 

You sigh, banging your head gently onto the tale before raising up. He takes pity on yourself, deciding to ease you. 

“Do you like him?” Your head shakes. 

“Liar.” 

“I’m not lying!” 

“Then tell me,” He leans closer, closing the large, table-sized gap between the two of you. 

"Would you have let me do that then?” Your pussy clenches at the thought, Taehyung’s slender fingers thrusting themselves deep against your slick walls, hand cupped over your mouth to shut you up from the ears of others.

Your lips fall flat. Eyes looking at Taehyung, imaging him doing all of those things, 

Yet, when you’re thinking of moaning his name, all you can hear is..

“Jimin.” He states coldly, tongue poking at the inside of his cheek. If green was jealousy’s color, he’d been a fucking broccoli stalk.

You shake your head, flushing the stupid thoughts from your mind. Your hand reaches out, eyes shading darker to his narrowed ones. You lean closer, brushes of hot air roll past his cheek onto the shell of his ear. 

“I want you.”

.

.

His dark chuckle stripes the atmosphere from the sexy and alluring scene you’d tried to play. He toys back, giving barely any attention to your neediness. 

“Oh really?” You nod, hand reaching down to palm at the forming tent between his thighs. His lips roll out a soft grunt at the touch. 

“How much.” He demands, warm hands coming to rub on the balls of your knees. Your lips brush the outer of his reddened ear, tongue poking the sensitive. You moan, sending the thin skin vibrating in waves. 

“So badly.” 

.

.

“Oh fuck-” You moan out, hands gripping onto the skin of his back for a false safety. Nails digging and scratching at the rededened the bare complexion. Your tongue grazes his lips, before he takes you in his reach to swallow yourself whole. Hands roaming each other like wild animals in some kind of feral heat. The headboard claps against the wall’s poor dimensions, securing the dents and markings that were sure to follow tomorrow’s awakening. His voice deepens with each passing, passionate second. 

“Shit!” His lips fall to a large O-shape, uncontrollably snapping his hips into yours. His large frame towers over yours, leaning down to plant heavily sloppy kisses to the base of your neck. 

“Mmm, gonna cum-” His raspy voice thickens, becoming easily weary of his nearing climax. You could feel the way his throbbing cock pulses in the depths of you, as yourself had been efforting the same pulse around his meaty cock. 

“Oh God-” You head falls back, arms catching yourself onto his neck to make sure you remain unscathed. Your legs wrapped around his waist, sucking his girth into yourself to your limit. His large banded arms coil around your smaller frame, pulling your body flushed against his. A few gruff and loud moans here to there, shared between the two of you. Soon, you’d felt the rushing wave of pure ecstasy coarse through your frame. His sweaty form drops onto the length of you, heavy pants exile his chest from the intense session. You glance down, seeing the blonde and greasy locks blocking his features. 

“Jimin!?”

.

.

Your body jolts itself awake, propping up like a doll with a metal pole as its spine. Your chest heaves with heaviness and anxiety as shock flushes your system from its previous ecstatic state. You find your hand slunk down into the space of your mini shorts, fingers pressed against your aching bud. Memories from the day’s events had coarse your mind like a taunting, awaiting jack-in-the-box. 

He pushes your body away from his own, hands releasing the tight grip you’d formed around his hardened length. Your frame falls backwards, catching itself right before impact. He stands, a furious aura surrounds his whole once bright and soft figure. 

“Good-bye, Y/n.” 

You groan, rolling over to reach for the pillow, suffocating yourself with the plush object. You head spins with uncertainty. You felt like shit. 

Your feet land on the floor, guiding you unconsciously to the self-indulgent kitchen you’d stocked. The darkness that floods your apartment had been good for keeping to yourself, not having to worry about anything else you had to get done, until you wake up for work in a few hours. 

“Morning.” A sudden voice becks out from the silence. You’re quick to land your grip on a steak knife from the counter, waving it blindly in the abyss for protection. His chuckle makes your heaty drop into your stomach. 

“Put that away before you hurt yourself, wifey.” You groan, tossing the sharp object into the sink, reaching out to find the light switch. His cocky smile makes your teeth grind with frustration. 

“How the hell did you get into my apartment?” You scoff, watching as he points his index finger to the wide open door. 

“You left it unlocked.” Your arms cross, a narrowing look paints your tired and gaunt features. His wide and torturous smile makes your stomach bubble. 

“Enjoy your sleep?” He questions, reaching over to put the bowl of cereal he’d made himself into the left side of your sink. 

“Did, until you came.” He chuckles, stalking your figure before he’s standing right infront of you. “Really? Cause it looked like you were wide awake before I even got here.” Scoffing, you push at his chest making him stumble back a bit to catch himself. 

“Go home, Jimin.” You make your way to the fridge to place the milk back on the shelf. He follows, hoping up onto your counter like a kid. 

“Don’t wanna.” You huff, slamming the cabinet. 

“Go. Home.” You repeat, already tired of his shinannigains. He leans closer, meeting your gaze. 

“I. Don’t. Want. To.” 

“Wasn’t. A. Question.” You retort, making him smirk. 

“You’re cute when you’re angry.” Your eyes lull to the back of your head at his shameless attempt. 

“And you’d be really cute with this knife shoved in your thick head.” He laughs, raising an eyebrow up in questioning. 

“So you think I’m cute?”

You scoff, eyes rolling. “Not in the slightest.” He hums, tilting his head before following you into your room. 

“But you said really, which means that I was just cute before. So therefore, you think I’m cute.” You plop down on your bed, body feeling extremely heavy from your sleep-deprived state. 

“Not listening, I’m sleeping.” He chuckles, scooting his way over to your side of the bed to lay next to you. His arm rests under his head for support. 

A few moments of silence flows by before he continues. “Didn’t know you were such a daredevil.” You sit up, giving him a stern look. 

“I’m not.” 

He chuckles, shrugging. “Really? Cause letting a stranger finger you while you’re on a date sure sounds like something a daredevil would do.” Your eyes roll, pushing his frame away with the soles of your feet. 

“Get out of here, Jimin. Why did you even come in the first place?” He smirks, walking around to the side of your bed, kneeling in front of your pillow cover face that’d been hanging off your bed’s edge. 

“Why, I heard my name of course.” Your eyebrow quirks at his words. “Oh yeah? Who called you.”

A devilish grin toys the corner of his lips. He lowers his voice to a deep tone, much like the one you’d heard earlier in your little escapade-like dream. 

“You did.” You let out a sharp chuckle. “Me?” He nods, making the fits of laughters wash in waves even more. Once you’ve settled down, you can clear the air. 

“Hate to break it to ya loverboy, but I was sleeping if you couldn’t already tell.” 

He lowers himself to meet your level once more. Hands slid into the fronts of his jean pockets, blonde locks falling to the sides of his face to frame his features perfectly. 

“I’m aware.” 

Your eyes narrow, not following in his little innuendos. He reads your expression, and decided to elaborate some more. 

“Well, these were more along the lines of ‘Jimin’.” He mocks a woman high-pitched moan, head thrown back to add a dramatically erotic effect. 

“Yeah right, like I did anything like tha-” 

“Oh Jimin! Oh fuck ah- Mmm, gonna cum!..” Your eyes widen like saucers at the little sounds. Eyes training upon the little cellphone held in his hands, showing you the recorded melody. His smirk never faulters from amusement of you. 

“You were saying?” 

Your body froze. That had for sure been your voice. Hell, it even showed a sliver of your bedroom for a second. You had been sprawled out on your bed, covers thrown off as your hand had been stuffed into the lining of your underwear. Thighs trembling to signal your nearing climax. 

You. Were. Mortified. 

“I- Well that- My dog-” The longer you’d tried to come up with an excuse, the stupider you sounded. He chuckles, tilting his head back while holding his stomach. 

“Your dog?” His eyes well into little crescent shaped moons, irises disappearing from sight. 

“The only bitch in heat my dear, is you.” You groan, reminding yourself later to go jump off Seoul’s largest bridge. 

“I called out your name,” He starts, sitting on the edge of the bed to slide his phone back into his pocket. He chuckles, remembering your sleep-induced reaction. 

“But you just got louder.” You grab the nearest pillow and start suffocating yourself. He laughs, prying the beautiful death away from your grasp. 

“Hey, you saw my porn collection.” He teases, poking at your side to try and get you to laugh this off like friends would. 

“Yeah, but it’s not me!” His body stiffens at the words. Lowering his tone, he mumbles.

“It might.” 

You sigh, wanting the earth to swallow you whole. You take the pillow from his grip, digging your face into the soft plush once more. “Just let me die.” He smiles, tugging the pillow from you once more. 

“Nah, I’m not into that necrophilia shit.” You huff, pulling your knees up to hide your face in. He leans closer, brushing a few strands of  hair from your vision. 

“Guess this means we’re even now, huh?” You chuckle along with him, cheeks still burning with embarrassment. 

“Was quite a unique sight.” He sighs, taking the pillow to tuck it under his clasped arms. Leaning back, he supports his weight against your headboard while continuing. 

“Never seen a girl masturbate to me.” You scoff, not believing that for a damn second. “Yeah right.” His torso twists to face you, giggling. 

“It’s true.” 

“No girlfriend?” 

He shakes his head. “They just wanted sex. Nothing else.” You shift, not really knowing what to respond to that. 

“They also thought I was weird..” Your head cranes, tilting to listen better. “Why?” 

His hands fidget between the thick of his thighs, shrugging. “I liked taking photos.” You smile, laughing. 

“Everybody does. Photography’s a very popular hobby nowadays-”

“Of them.” 

“Well yeah, you like to remember the fun times you had with loved ones-”

“Naked.” 

Yeah, you had no counter for that one. 

He chuckles, a tint of red flushes his cheeks. “See? You think it’s weird too.” Your head hesitantly shakes, denying it. 

“No- It’s just- I wasn’t expecting it.” He sighs, leaning his head back against your headboard. “I just think that women’s bodies are exquisite.” You chuckle, nudging his arm. 

“Large word for a small guy.” His eyes flash towards yours, suddenly not so bright eyed and puppy-like. 

“Think I’m small?”

You nod. “You’re not that big of a guy. Taehyung’s much larger-” He’s quiet to flip you on your stomach, sitting atop your lower back while holding your arm behind yourself. 

“Can still do this, though.” He smirks. 

“Yah! Get off me!” He chuckles, leaning down to brush the pads of his lips to your skin, ghosting your heated body. 

“No.” 

“Yaaaah Jimin, my baaack!” You groan, muffling your noises into the pillow below you. A smile creeps his lips, before he’s rising off from you. You groan, sitting up to speak. 

“Yah, that really hurt du- Jimin?” As quick as he’d left, he’s right back at the end of your bed, This time, sporting an old polaroid in his right hand. Your eyebrows raise in confusion. 

“What’s that for?” He smirks, edging himself closer to you on the bed. His proximity makes you fall back onto the bed as he towers your frame, camera still firmly held in his hands. 

“Mind being my model?” You laugh, hands pressing at his chest as he leans back to sit atop your lap. 

“For?” 

His eyes glance up, taking a peak from filling his camera with film. His blonde locks fall loosely infront of his vision, making the scene so much more intense.

“Me.” 

“Well of course you, idiot.” He smiles, wiping the camera lens with the thin of his black T-shirt, lifting the material up to give you a little peak of his softly defined abs. 

“I don’t need you jacking off to them.” He quirks, taking a glance to look back up to you. “You jacked off to me.” Your mouth falls to answer, but then shuts. He smirks, taking your silence as a win. 

“Just lift your top a bit.” He teases, holding the camera up to his face, peaking out the little lens. You laugh, bucking your hips up to try and nudge him off of your small frame. 

“Oh come on, Y/n. I feel violated.” He pouts, lip-quivering in a fake pained expression. 

“What? How so.” He whines, shifting on your lap like a little kid. 

“You violated my privacy. Barged into my apartment, and went through my laptop. Sexual harassment at it’s finest.” You scoff, eyes rolling at his stupid reasoning. 

“Your laptop was already on. And I’ve never sexually harassed you. If anything, that shit you pulled at the dinner table was sexual harassment.” He smiles, using his free finger to tilt your head to the side, getting a better angle. 

“Part your lips.” 

“Jimin I’m not doing this.” 

“Open your mouth or I’m gonna tie you to this bed and slip a vibrator into your panties. And take pictures of that instead.” Your eyes widen at his choice of words, suddenly feeling the room heat from his proximate figure sat atop you. 

He smirks, moving a few strands from your vision, while positioning your hair a bit to get a nice shot. Your mouth had opened slightly from shock, which he took as a chance to snap a little picture. 

“Got it.” He smiles, hiding the little sheet of film under the nearest pillow. 

“I’m pretty sure this is sexual harassment.” 

He chuckles, reloading for another shot. “Not harassment if you’re enjoying it.” 

“Now who made up that rule?” A devilish smile crack his straightened lips.

“I did.”

He reaches down, flashing you to the little polaroid picture from a few seconds ago. 

“Wow..” You gawk, admiring the beautiful position he’d moved you to. Pieces of your messy hair falls into your forehead, framing your face perfectly. The lack of light plus his flash had made this simple photo look like a work of art. 

“Natural beauty.” He picks up the camera once more, pulling the picture away to get another shot. 

“Okay you’ve had your fu-” 

“I think you’d look better tied up.” He giggles, scooting off of your body to sit on the side. He stands, walking to your closet to rummage through your things. 

“Hey, I didn’t give you-” 

“Perfect!” He holds out a silky tie that you’d forgotten to give back to your ex. The silky red material dangles loosely in his grip as he makes his way over to set himself next to your laid out figure. 

“Hands?” 

Your arms reach out, giving full access to whatever he wanted of you. The motion makes him smile, patting your head. 

“Good girl.” 

“Jimin it’s almost morning-” His eyes glance towards you, previously focused on binding your hands together. “So?” 

“So- I need you to let me up.” He chuckles, motioning down to your figure.

“I’m not holding you down.” 

He’s right. You’d been giving him permission to do all of this. You were the one who didn’t want it to secretly end. 

He reaches up, loosely tying your hands above your head to bind them to your grid headboard. He picks up his camera from off the side once more, holding it up to his face to angle it down your way. 

“Smile for me.” You shake your head, not being in the mood. 

“Smile.” 

He reaches down, tickling at your side torturously. Your head throws back, mouth popping wide open at the giddy sensation. One flash of his camera later, he throws the little old device to the side. 

“You’ve got an adorable smile.” He coos, hovering over your locked in figure. A rosy tint paints your cheeks. 

“Thanks..” 

His lips lower, bushing the soft skin of your forehead before dragging the back down a bit, mumbling something sweet. 

“Mine.” 

.

.

The smell of freshly baked bread waffs through your apartment. Your counters had been filled with sweet and gooey treats. Your whole upperhalf had been dusted heavily with flour and egg whites. Though it had taken almost 5 hours, you’d finally baked all of the necessary goodies you needed. 

You walk yourself through all of the desserts, making sure you hadn’t missed a single thing. “Pudding, cherry pie, hotteoks, creme brulee..” You sigh in satisfaction, admiring all of your hard work. 

You glance down, seeing your messy and caked in self. A chuckle exiles past your lips. Making your way to the bathroom, you’d just taken off your sweater before hearing the doorbell sound off. 

Walking over, you try fixing your hair best as you could before opening the door. 

“Welcome.” You swing the door wide, allowing the man to enter. 

“Thank you.” He takes in a deep breath, sighing at the delectable aroma. You take his coat, hanging it on the rack before leading him to the dining table. 

“Smells amazing.” You smile, silently patting yourself on the back for his commentary. 

“This way. I- Didn’t know what you preferred, so I just made all of them..?” He chuckles, making his way through your living room to sit upon the balcony’s patio. You’re quick to bring the treats out, only taking two round trips before settling yourself in the seat across from him. His dark button up, and white, creamish dress pants had made him look even more elegant than ever. 

“So, how's the progress going?” He questions, as you sigh in relief. 

‘It’s going great. The product’s development is really coming along. I could even move the release date up a month.” He smiles, watching as your delicate hands cut a few slices of the pie for the two of you. His large hand comes to cover yours, stopping your motions gently. 

“Y/n.. You didn’t have to make all of this. I would’ve been fine with cough drops for all I care.” You giggle,  shaking your head. 

“You’ve been a huge stepping stone in getting my stuff out there… I owe you.” He smiles, his face coming to close the distance between the two of you. His breath mixes with your own, a different kind of feeling settles over the scene. 

His voice lowers, but a bare whisper. “Y/n..” 

A brightly lit flash of light separates the two of you quickly. “Annnddd, got it. See Y/n? Told you you’re photogenic.” Jimin’s face scrunches at the picture. “Mmm, you bro? Not so much.” 

“Jimin!” You gripe, standing to push him out of your apartment. 

“What? Just trying to capture nature’s beauties.” He leans to the side, sending your co-worker a narrowed glance. “And.. uglies.” 

“Jimin, I’m in the middle of something!” Your voice lowered so he couldn’t hear. A deep chuckle exiles his chest. A hand places itself upon your shoulder, making Jimin’s fist clench in silent anger. The man’s hand extends outwards, offering Jimin a passive shake. 

“I’m Namjoon.” Jimin smirks, taking his hand in a firm shake. 

“Nice to meet you.” You sigh, rubbing your temples from frustration. 

“Jimin could you please just leave? I’ve got to discuss some things with Namjoon.” Jimin huffs silently, quirking his eyebrows. 

“Nah, Think I’ll stay.” He plops onto your couch, crossing one leg over the other in a relaxed position. You were about to protest but a beep cuts you off. 

“Ah, sorry Y/n. It’s Eleana, I’ve gotta get going.” He’s quick to make his way to the door, grabbing his trench coat from the rack. He throws it over his figure. 

“Wait- Who’s Eleana?” You call out, making your way over to his spot. He fixes the collar of his button up, tightening his tie. 

“She’s with High Lines. She’s our rep, but the bidders aren’t biting so she’s calling me in to sweet talk ‘em.” He calls out, making his way quickly down the hallway before turning around. 

“Thanks for the pie!” 

You wave, smiling brightly as he leaves. Once he’s completely out of sight, you slam the door, huffing from frustration. 

“Jeez, Y/n. So desperate.” He teases, taking a bite from the apple displayed in the bowl set on your counter. You turn around, ears -would be- steaming from anger. 

“I am NOT desperate!” He leans back from your volume, covering his ears to shield them from your anger. 

“I was trying to have a nice dinner with a coworker-” 

“Who you wanna fuck.” 

“And eat some pie with him-”

“Who you wanna fuck.” 

“And then a stupid photography student had to barge in and ruin my damn day!” 

He smirks, dragging out his words. “Who you want to fuck.” 

Your fists clench at your sides, face reddening from fury. You reach over for the throw pillow, putting its name to good use. He’s quick to dodge, laughing at your sad attempt. 

“And what’s with you, huh!? One minute you’re completely avoiding me and the next you’re trying to take nude photos of me?!” He goes silent, slowly reaching forwards to take a bite of one of the hotteok you'd made. 

“Been deciding.” He comments, licking his thumb clean of the chocolate. 

“On what.” You gripe, going to clean up the kitchen in anger. He hops off the counter, placing himself behind, gently slowly moving your movements to a halt before he has his hands on each side of your hips. His front gently presses against your back, his warm breath coming to creep up behind your ear like a little kid on halloween. 

“On you.” 

You turn to turn around to face him, but his hands steady your hips preventing you. Your head lulls back, originally trying to talk to him but he’d taken the opportunity to press wet kisses to the side of your neck. Your lips part, a soft moan escapes into the thin air. His hands follow the lines of your body, reaching forwards to cup your breasts. 

“You smell like cookies.” He whispers, making you laugh. 

“Gee, I wonder why?” He chuckles, twisting your body around to press flush against his. You two had been in the most intimate embrace of a lifetime. Your arms coiled around his neck, his hands settled back to steady your hips. His forehead nudges closer, pressing against your to tease your lips with his breath. 

Your voice softens, “That tickles..” He smiles, back the two of you into the counter. “Mmm, ticklish?” He wraps his arms around your thighs, lifting you up in one swoop to set you down on the counter. He plants himself between your widened legs, hands resting on the small of your waist. 

“Have you no memory of last night?” His head tilts, faking a confused expression. “Mmmm, remind me.” You laugh, going to unwrap your arms from his but he’s swift to scoop you up bridal style. 

“Or, shall I remind you.” 

.

.

Your pushed back into the soft plush of your bedsheets. The cream colored fabrics jumping in alignment with your bounce when pressure is applied. His body stalks yours, leaning over you like a falling Jenga tower.

"Jimin are we-" His finger comes to press against your lips, quieting your rambling mouth.

"Tell me right now that you don't want to fuck me. If you don't, then shut the fuck up kindly, wifey."

Your arms fall to your sides. You were going to protest, push him off of you and kick him out of your apartment never to be seen again but-

You did want him to stay.

Your head nods softly, earning him a small grin. His hands snake up your body, lips pressing against you neck in a slowed and hushed manor. Fingertips graze the hem of your cropped tee. His chest releases a lowered grunt, slipping the thin fabric over your head before throwing it somewhere across the room.

His fingers trail along the lace of your brassiere. A smile paints his lower face at the sight. "Pretty." Suddenly, his expression switches. From loving and soft, to demanding and hard.

"Were you planning on fucking that Nam-shoe guy?" You chuckle at his insult, hands cupping both sides of his cheeks.

"Honestly? A little." His hands grip onto the lace fabric, ripping the expensive-looking material from your warmed body.

You let out a short yelp, hands flying to cover yourself. He groans, pulling your hands away.

"Don't you fucking even try, baby." He smirks, leaning his head down to your level. His soft breaths roll across the skin of your cheek, landing on your ears. "Wearing these tight ass jeans, and a shirt that wouldn't even fit a fucking baby doll? You're just asking for it."

You nod, flashing him some cute pleading eyes. "I am asking." He lets out a dark chuckle, hands coming to pinch lightly at your exposed nipples. Your head lulls back, groaning at the sudden touch.

"I don't need asking. I want you begging."

Hands gripping the bottom of your thighs, he pulls your your body down until the hardened outline of his jeans had been pressed firmly against your aching core.

his arms lock into place, trapping you in his grip.

"What do you say?"

Your throat feels dry. However, your panties had become more than soaked through. You shouldn't do this. You really shouldn't. You'd already fucked up with Taehyung, and now with Namjoon? This man has caused you nothing but trouble.

Yet, you still couldn't help the words that seemingly fall from your lips so easily.

"Please."

________________________

PART TWO WILL BE RELEASED ASAP.

[chimcess]

— Waterlog: the masterlist

“After a car accident ends her athletic career, Y/N has slowly started rebuilding her life again as a high school swim coach. That’s until she gets a request from an old friend and finds herself back in the spotlight as the new coach of Olympic swimmer, Park Jimin.”

01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10

Extras: the playlist

© chimcess, 2024. Do not copy or repost without permission.

[jananakookie]

Rumor Has It | pjm - Chapter 7

💬 Pairing: Jimin x OC (Reader)

💬 Genre/Tags: enemies(?) to lovers, fake-dating au; angst, fluff, smut

💬 Chapter warnings: swearing, almost? physical fight, angst, contains sexual themes! fingering, nipple play, protected sex

💬 Word count: 11.3k

💬 Recap:

Rumor has it, Park Jimin is single again after his latest girlfriend cheated on him with his best friend.

Rumor has it, he's willing to get back at them.

Rumor has it, you're the perfect means to an end.

Previous Chapter - Index - Next Chapter

short notice: Please let me know if you don't want to be tagged anymore. Since I've been away for over a year, I could really understand that. Don't wanna bother anyone!

If you're still here pls leave feedback and a reblog? x

Chapter 7: There's something in the water.

All eyes are on you as you stroll down the hallway with two cups of coffee in one hand and a paper bag with breakfast in the other, gradually trying to find your destined room while also desperately trying to block out curious gazes. 

Getting stared at is nothing new for you, but this time it feels a little more personal since you don’t think you have ever been in this part of the building before. You never really had a reason to visit the dance department until now.

Today marks another new experience because you suddenly woke up this morning with the urge to surprise Jimin and be the one to make the first step toward him instead of letting him do all the work. 

Your little heart-to-heart the other day opened your eyes and let you see him in a different light. It made you think that maybe - just maybe, he is not the enemy. Perhaps he is just some guy, trying to get along and make things easier for the both of you and maybe it is your turn to do something nice for him for a change. 

The first thing that came to your mind was surprising him with his favorite coffee (and your presence) right after practice, which is why you went to the dance department for the first time today. 

You spot Jimin in a room at the end of the hallway, after nervously walking around and praying to find him as soon as possible. It looks like he’s still going over some moves whereas most other people are already departing. But as you get closer you see that there's someone else with him. 

You don't know her name but think you've seen her around before. Was it with Nayeon? Or one of Jimin's guy friends? Wherever you saw her before, you're sure she's in Jimin's friend group whatsoever. 

From your point of view, it looks like he's showing her how to get some moves done, and you don't want to interrupt their practice session so you decide to wait at the door until they're done even if that means that you are exposed to the torture of other people's vile looks for even longer.

Today is the first time you see Jimin dance and even if your opinion is perhaps influenced by your untrained eye and therefore doesn't say much, you must admit that he's insanely talented. The way he moves makes it look so easy even though you could never do it like that.

The girl is pretty good Aparrentlytoo, but you can't take your eyes off Jimin. He has something about him that attracts people's attention. You were already aware of that before, but he seems to be having it in everything he does.

A few steps later, just as it looks like she's about to jump into his arms, she suddenly stumbles and... falls into his arms anyway, albeit not very gracefully.

Jimin's quick reflexes have probably just spared her face a collision with the ground and you are glad nothing else has happened. But after she holds on to him for just a tad bit too long and presses her face into his chest to hide her sheepish giggles, you can't help but roll your eyes in annoyance.

“Bad timing?” you almost shock yourself with how unexpectedly loud your voice echoes through the room as you stomp right in and judging by how quickly Jimin turns around to face you, with wide eyes, you’re not the only one. 

You send him a shy grin, suddenly feeling stupid for coming here unannounced and interrupting their practice when you’ve never done that before. What the heck were you thinking?

Jimin wastes no time coming over to you, wearing a big smile on his lips, but his expression still looks confused. "Am I dreaming, or did you leave your place to come visit me here," his gaze quickly wavering to your hands, "and bring me coffee?" he asks, raising a brow.

“What makes you think I’m here for you?” You sass, a little irritated, even though you can’t blame him. This is a pretty unusual situation after all. 

“Right, I’m sorry. I just assumed since I’m the one you asked if it’s bad timing, which it isn’t, by the way,” Jimin laughs.

You roll your eyes, gradually taking one of the coffee cups out of the cup carrier and holding it out for him to take, which he immediately does, smiling brightly as if you gave him a cup of gold instead. 

“Thank you, seriously. I overslept today so I didn’t get the chance to have one before class,” he tells you, quickly taking a sip from his cup and moaning in delight. “I could kiss you right now, but I'm too scared of the reason you're here so please do it quickly. Like... ripping off a Band-Aid. What happened?”

“You’re acting like I didn’t make cupcakes for you and went out of my way to even draw your face on one of them before!” You scoff, feeling a little offended. Unbelievable.

“When you tried to poison me?”

“It’s the thought that counts,” you shrug. “Nothing happened. I just wanted coffee and thought you would too. And you tend to skip breakfast when you have practice but if you don’t want it, I can-”

You’re interrupted by his hand lightly grabbing your wrist as he takes the paper bag out of your hand with a teasing smile. “Thank you, ___.”

“Don’t mention it,” you shrug, feeling shy all of a sudden, so you avoid his gaze. 

A few coughs interrupt your moment and you have to admit that you had already completely forgotten about the other person in the room with you. And Jimin had too, it seems.

You gasp as you take in the girl behind Jimin. “I'm sorry, I didn't want to disturb you guys. You can continue if you want. I'll be on my way.“ 

You don't know why you're so insecure today but you're ashamed of yourself. Of course, you wanted to interrupt them. You can't lie to yourself, even if you pray to God they won't see through you.

“Don't go. Leah and I are done here.” Jimin quickly catches your hand to keep you from leaving while his face is still turned to the girl - Leah. “I think you got it now. You just have to be careful not to give it too much momentum, then it will work just fine in the future.”

She looks like she wants to object but Jimin unknowingly doesn't even give her the chance to do so as he packs his things and you and then bids her farewell as he pulls you out of the studio.

Jimin is still holding your hand as he leads you outside. He quickly finds you both a quiet, sunny spot on the large meadow and gets comfortable while pulling you down with him. Since he still hasn't said anything yet, you assume that he doesn't see your interruption as bothersome at all which reassures you a little.

“Hey,“ Jimin whines as he pokes around in his fruit salad. “Where are all the grapes?”

You bite your lip sheepishly, shrugging as you take your phone out of your pocket. “Aw. Did they seriously forget the grapes? What a bummer,” you mumble, while you skillfully ignore his sharp gaze.

Knowing fully well why the grapes are actually missing, Jimin starts to discuss your plans for the rest of the day. 

For the opening of some new club in town, the owners will hold a big celebration tonight. Jimin has suggested that the "gang" (that's what he's been calling it lately whenever you do something together with Nayeon and Hyunjin) meet at your favorite restaurant to eat and then check it out to see if it's worth it.

You’re always on board when it’s about food and as far as you know, the others have already agreed to come and it fills you with excitement. For the first time in so long, it feels like you’re living your life again, going out with friends, eating, drinking, and having fun. That’s how it’s supposed to be. 

Well, it might not be for everyone, and that’s fine too. You enjoy the occasional lazy days at home, but you like to do things once in a while as well. And since you're fake-dating Jimin, you've been doing so much that you can't even think about your dramatic life anymore. 

You didn't even notice that a new neighbor had moved into the apartment next door. You must have looked pretty silly when he introduced himself this morning and mentioned that he'd been there all week, but this was the first time he'd met you.

“Maybe we should ask Jungkook if he wants to join,” you carefully suggest, quietly observing Jimin’s face as you sit next to him with your fingers still lazily intertwined with his. 

You see him furrow his brows almost immediately after those words leave your lips, and he turns his head to look at you. 

“I mean… because I’m sure he would want to come too but doesn’t have anyone to go with,“ you shrug.

“Lots of people from school will be there. He’ll find someone to hang out with like he always does,” Jimin voices, not very interested in your subtle suggestion. 

“What is your problem with him anyway? Why don’t you like him?” You sigh. Neither Jungkook nor anyone else has ever really answered this question for you and you don't expect a clear answer from Jimin either but are still interested in any possible reason.

“No specific explanation, I just don’t,” Jimin answers, without giving it much thought. “Pretty sure he feels the same way. We don’t match, that’s all.”

You pout, not agreeing with him in the slightest, but knowing pretty well there’s no point in arguing. 

“Maybe you should give people a chance once in a while. Who knows, you might find something that’s worth it.”

“Thanks Gandhi. You’re one to talk,” he snorts, sending a wink your way, when he sees the expression on your face. 

“I gave you a chance. That’s more than enough for the next ten years, I’d say,” you scoff, rolling your eyes. 

Jimin laughs, as he swings his arm around you. “And have you found something of worth yet?” He grins, wiggling his eyebrows. 

You gulp as you try to leave his grip, but he only holds you closer, already sensing you trying to get away. “I don’t need to answer that. Your head is big enough,” you chuckle, trying to wiggle your way out again. 

And in a moment of slight distraction, he loosens his grip, resulting in you being able to free yourself as he gasps loudly. “Wait, that means you have!”

“Never said that,” you sing song, skipping through the busy field.

Jimin takes a moment to look after you and smiles before he scoffs out a laugh and runs after you. 

Jimin was right — almost everyone and their mom came to the opening party and for the first time you are glad about Jimin's connections who have reserved a good table for your group of friends. 

While your friends enjoy their time and talk about this and that, you let your gaze wander around, admiring the beautiful, expensive-looking ambiance. It's classic but cool, chic but not snobbish. 

Whatever Nayeon has spent the past few minutes telling you appears to be funny, because suddenly everyone is laughing. Not wanting to let on that you're not listening at all, you also fake a soft laugh, but it's completely lost in the noisy surroundings.

It would probably be more polite to listen and take part in the conversation. Still, you find it incredibly difficult to concentrate on anything when Jimin's hand is far too high up your skirt to be considered appropriate. 

You're not sure exactly what it is, but something seems to be in the water today because his over-touchiness is truly on a different level. 

As always, you sit next to each other and the fact that he has his hand on your thigh is nothing new, Jimin is by no means afraid of contact. It has also happened before that he feels a little too comfortable when it comes to body contact. But today, every warning glance in his direction seems to have no effect, and you can't even count how many times you've grabbed his hand and moved it closer to your knee only for him to move it back up right after.

You don't even know if he's doing it consciously since he hasn't even given you a dirty smirk yet like he always does when he's messing with you. 

And what irritates you the most is how your own body betrays you. As much as you want to claim it, the goosebumps covering your body are not from disgust.

As a way to distract yourself from Jimin, you try to imagine which group of people this place is most likely trying to appeal to as your gaze falls on two, wildly waving arms, attached to a familiar-looking goofball.

A wide grin stretches over your lips as you wave back, which he probably mistakenly sees as an invitation to join you at your table. 

Sensing the drama, you quickly wrap yourself around Jimin’s arm and earn his attention as he gives you a questioning look. “Please be nice,” you plead, making him raise a brow in question before he sees him too.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” you hear Jimin mumble to himself.

“Hey, guys! What's up?” Jungkook greets you, not wasting a second before he plops down on the empty seat next to Nayeon’s right side, who looks nothing but confused as to why Jeon Jungkook, whom she never even exchanged a word with has spontaneously joined her group.

“You have to stop inviting yourself to events where you aren’t welcome, man,” Jimin quips, clearly referring to your birthday party and earning a light slap to his thigh from you. 

“Oh, this is your club?” Jungkook counters, not expecting an answer from Jimin. “And who says I wasn’t invited?” Jungkook grins, wiggling his brows as he tries to annoy Jimin even further - and is successful. 

Even without looking at him, you can feel his eyes burning through your skull. “Wasn’t me,” you shrug, quietly sipping your coke. 

And it wasn’t. Even though you had asked about inviting him earlier, you wouldn’t just invite someone to a friendly gathering without letting the other people involved know about it. You wouldn’t like it either if one of the others did it. 

“Nah, don’t worry, she wasn’t going behind your back,” Jungkook chuckles, coming to your rescue. “I just like to crash parties, you know that already. One of my hobbies.”

“How about you go crash it at another table then?” Jimin suggests, sounding overly friendly even though his words suggest everything but kindness. Jungkook doesn’t seem to care. 

But you do. And you’re just about to argue with Jimi about his rude behavior when Hyunjin speaks up first. “Why bother? We have enough space here, you can join if you want. Right, guys?” 

He appears sincere, and you're relieved that at least someone here was brought up with good manners when Nayeon also speaks up. 

“Sure! The more the merrier, I guess,” she smiles brightly, offering him her hand to shake, which he does. 

But Jimin is displeased and he makes anything but a secret of it. Jungkook can sense it too, and even if he likes to get on the older guy's nerves because it’s fun, he doesn’t want you to fight because of him. So he lies and says he has someone waiting for him at a different table before he bids everyone a quick goodbye and leaves again. 

“So the rumors are true,” Hyunjin states, as soon as Jungkook has left around the corner and is nowhere to be seen. You can already feel Jimin tensing up beside you and you feel your heart sink already. 

“You and Jeon actually know each other?” 

You try to hear a condemning tone in his voice but breathe a sigh of relief when you don’t. There’s no judgment. Instead, he sounds and looks surprised.

“They do know each other. Everything else is not true.” Jimin takes it upon himself to answer his friend, not missing the chance to send a daring look his way. 

Hyunjin innocently lifts his hands, trying to show that he didn’t mean to sound judgmental, even if you didn’t think he meant it in a bad way. 

“It’s fine, you can ask me anything,” you smile, trying to tell him that he did nothing wrong. “I’d rather you ask me stuff instead of believing something that isn’t true.”

“He seems nice,” Nayeon chimes in, offering you a kind smile. “He should join us sometime.”

You would agree, but knowing it would upset Jimin, you don’t further argue about it and instead replace the topic of Jungkook with another one. 

About an hour later you find yourself alone in the middle of the long hall that holds the restrooms after you went there with Nayeon. The problem is that you somehow lost her on your way out and now she is nowhere to be seen.

You anxiously look around, full of worry about what might have happened, when you finally see her just a few meters behind you. You breathe out a sigh of relief when you realize she's just chatting with a cute guy. 

She doesn't look annoyed or worried at all. Instead, she seems interested, if you interpret her body language and flirty looks correctly, so you decide to give her some privacy and not disturb her, but stay close by to jump in at any time if you need to.

“Bit creepy, don’t you think?” A voice appears right next to your ear, making you twitch in sudden fright. 

“Jesus Christ, Jeon. Stop appearing out of nowhere, you freak!”

“It was too tempting.“ He looks like a supermodel as he leans against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest and his eyes squinted shut while he laughs at your frightened state.

“Anyway, why are you spying on Lee Nayeon? I thought we hated her 'cause she treated you like shit,” he asks, taking his eyes off you and frowns at Nayeon instead when he says that. 

“First of all, we?” you raise a brow, sending him a questioning look, “second of all, we made up ages ago. Please keep up with the reality drama show that is my life. Thank you.”

“How am I supposed to do that if you never tell me anything?” 

You sigh, copying his theatrical expression. “Why did you leave earlier?” You then change the topic while stealing glances at Nayeon every once in a while.

“Really?” Jungkook scoffs. “I think your boyfriend had a problem with me being there.”

You can’t help but grin wildly while crossing your arms over your chest. “Are you scared of him?”

You see him opening his mouth, but before he can answer, Jimin comes walking around the corner at a fast pace, surprising the two of you.

“I should have known you were behind this,” he grunts, looking at Jungkook. 

“What did I do now?” Jungkook sighs, rolling his eyes.

“Do you need to buzz around her like a fly all the time? It’s starting to get pathetic, Jeon.”

You can see that Jungkook is about to lose his temper, which implies that Jimin is slowly but surely getting on his nerves a little too much. However, this brief flash in Jungkook's eyes disappears as quickly as it appeared. Instead, a grin of satisfaction spreads across his lips.

“What are you so scared of? She isn’t even your real girlfriend.” 

If his expression is anything to go by, Jungkook appears to be just as shocked by his slip-up as Jimin is. Even though you never explicitly mentioned it, he knows he wasn't supposed to tell Jimin about being aware of your plan. But looks like he couldn't resist exposing Jimin without considering the consequences.

Before any more things are said that are better kept quiet, you step in and tell Jungkook that he should leave. You prepare yourself for the inevitable confrontation with Jimin that awaits you as soon as you turn to face him.

“You told Jeon about us?!” Jimin is attempting to lower his voice to avoid attracting unwanted listeners, but the bulging vein on his neck reveals his current rage.

“Calm down,” you hiss, putting your hands against his chest. “He has known from the start. He wasn’t going to believe me anyway, trust me,” you explain, watching the frown on his face turn deeper.

“Well, thank you very much, ___,” Jimin pouts, making you roll your eyes. 

“What? It’s no secret that we don’t like each other that much. If we would, it wouldn’t be so hard for us to make other people believe us.”

It looks like Jimin wants to argue about that but he decides against it, biting his lip instead as he glares at the cup in his hands.

“You don’t have to worry about anything. He won’t tell on us.”

“How do you know that?” He exclaims, wildly flaring his hands around. “You don’t know him, ___. Nobody fucking knows him! We never know where he goes when he suddenly disappears for days! He’s a fucking ninja!”

“I know enough to be sure he will keep our secret, trust me.”

“Yea no, thank you. I already made that mistake once,” he hisses, turning to leave again but you stop him, quickly grabbing his hand.

“Come on don't be mad at me,” you sigh, tugging on his hand to keep him from leaving you there. “I’m sorry, Jimin, I didn’t mean to upset you. Please don’t be mad at me,” you plead, trying your best to prevent another fight between you both. You do feel bad because even if you don’t know the exact reason for all this, you know, that it means a lot to him and you don’t wanna fuck it up the way you seem to fuck everything else up. 

“It’s not like I told him so we can joke about you behind your back or make you look stupid. That’s not the case. He just figured it out immediately. But he hasn’t told anyone, and he isn’t going to, I swear.”

Jimin takes a moment before he gives you an answer, deeply studying your face as if he’s looking for any indication that you’re lying to him. “Is that also why he’s always around?”

“I mean he’s kinda strange. He spawns whenever to be honest,” you shrug, “but he does try to look out for me, I think. He says he doesn’t trust your intentions.” 

Something between a scoff and a laugh comes between Jimin’s lips when he hears you say that but contrary to your expectation, he doesn’t comment on it. 

Wherever Jimin goes, he sees them strutting around like royalty, holding their heads high, as if they haven't done anything wrong. It's as if they hadn't betrayed their childhood friends and partners, as if it was nothing. They act like they haven't taken advantage of you without your knowledge and made you look ridiculous in front of the entire school.

They walk around as if nothing happened and they have the nerve to even look at him and greet him. Even if it’s just from afar. And what’s even worse is that no one other than the people involved seems to remember or, well, care. It makes Jimin’s blood boil.

He doesn’t deserve that. Nayeon doesn’t deserve that. YOU do not deserve that.

How little shame can two people have?

Jimin can’t help but glare at them until they get swallowed by the crowd and are no longer in his sight after what feels like an eternity. It takes a lot for him to calm down again but when he sees you and Nayeon dancing together, having fun, and not caring about anything else, it makes him feel even worse about himself. 

He doesn’t want to be the only one stuck in the past. It’s not like he wants to think about them anyway but it’s hard for him to move on from all of this when it’s just so… unresolved. 

How come they get away with everything without having to pay for anything they did?

Completely lost in his head and frowning down into his drink, he doesn’t see you creeping up to him until he feels your arms wrap around him from behind. “Why aren’t you having fun?” 

The feeling of your breath right next to his ear sends shivers down his spine and he doesn’t even have to look into your glassy eyes to know you’re already enjoying yourself. 

You’re not drunk, but it’s safe to say you’ve had a couple of drinks by now because you’re never this touchy when it comes to him - not that he’s complaining now. 

“Who says I’m not?”

“Hm, I don’t know…” You squint your eyes, pursing your lips slightly as you study him. “The frown between your eyes, your clenched jaw, or the way you hold your glass so tightly your knuckles don't contain even a drop of blood anymore. Choose one.” 

“Nothing escapes your otherworldly instincts I’m afraid,” Jimin sighs dramatically as he takes your hand in his and reverses your position until you're pressed to his chest with his free arm around your back, making you suck in a breath from surprise. “But maybe I’m just jealous you spend all your time with Nayeon and not with me, babygirl.”

“Very funny,” you huff, desperately trying to hide how flustered his words make you. “But if you insist,” you smirk, letting your hands teasingly wander up his chest until you intertwine them around his shoulders. “I’ll spend it with you from now on.” You see him gulp and it makes your heart skip a beat from satisfaction — two can play this game, Park. 

“I know you think this is you getting the upper hand, but what if this is exactly what I want?” 

“Honestly, wouldn’t surprise me since you’re joking about getting in my pants ever since we met,” you feign a grin.

“How can you still think I’m joking?” He smirks, slowly leaning forward to slightly press a kiss behind your ear.

It takes a lot from you not to make a sound and you’re just about to push him off of you when something in the corner catches your eyes, making a fictional lightbulb appear above your head.

“Kiss me,” you say, placing one hand under his chin to make him look at you.

The sudden look of confusion on his face quickly turns into a pleased expression as he tightens his arms around your waist even more, leans in, and starts kissing you. 

When his lips first touch yours, they feel soft and so familiar that it's as if you've been transported back in time. The last time he kissed you, you were drunk out of your mind, but it seems like you haven't forgotten the way his lips feel on yours. 

The kiss gets heated very quickly when he lets his tongue slip in between your lips to find yours. One of his hands moves to the back of your neck to tilt your head towards him and grant him more access, eliciting a breathless moan from you.

He kisses you deep like that for what feels like a small eternity, letting his tongue fight with yours before he breaks it again. You didn't even realize how urgently you need to catch your breath until his lips only hover above yours.

“Happy?” Jimin asks hoarsely, smiling down at you.

You nod before you clear your throat in desperate need to get your pathetic self together and find your voice again.

“Yeah… I'd say that was a success,” you say, biting your lower lip as he raises an eyebrow.

“Yeji was walking in so I asked you to kiss me to make her jealous and it worked because she left when she saw us kissing and she looked pissed,” you ramble, a little surprised when you see his confident smile slowly fade. 

“Oh.”, he rasps. “Right, uhm...” 

Jimin slowly lets go of you and returns to his earlier spot beside you. You cannot help but notice a slight difference in his behavior compared to earlier. 

“What’s wrong?” You ask, trying to make him look at you but he’s frowning down at the floor again, not even turning his head in your direction.

“That’s… That’s still the plan, right?” You don’t even know why you’re asking such dumb questions. It is still the plan of course and yet, you feel like you have to apologize for faking a supposed intimate moment with him.

“Yes,” he quips, looking at you for a millisecond before he clears his throat. “I need to use the restroom.” 

And with that, he’s gone and you feel like the biggest idiot. You should have told him about your real intentions when you asked him to kiss you because now it feels like you lead him on and you feel dumb about feeling like that when you shouldn’t because that’s the only reason you should be asking him to kiss you anyway isn’t it? And ugh, when did things get so complicated?

“Everything okay?” Nayeon asks as she comes walking to you. “Where did he go?”

“Oh yeah, he just needed to use the restroom,” you say, trying to muster up a smile which seems to be enough for her to let it go for now. You’re trying not to let it show how much his sudden behavior confuses you as well.

“I know I say it all the damn time but I love the two of you together so much,” Nayeon gushes, making you cringe internally. You send her the fakest smile ever, but she doesn’t even notice. 

“He seems so much more like himself when you’re around.” 

Nayeon is sweet but what is that even supposed to mean? 

"He's just so much more...” 

“Horny?” 

Nayeon gasps, giving your arm a light slap before you both fall into fits of laughter. 

“No, ___, not horny. He’s calmer. More relaxed. He lets go of this golden boy image in your presence. It’s nice to see because that was never really him anyway. It’s just that… he sometimes tries too hard, you know? And it’s a shame because he’s already pretty cool the way he is.”

You find yourself listening intently when she explains and you think you can agree with some of that. 

From what you’ve known so far, Jimin is someone with a big ego and plenty of confidence. However, it seems like he's a different person every time he interacts within his social circles. As if he always has to try not to lose his position. He's different when it's just your little group. And you wonder if it has anything to do with what he told you a while ago. That all these people, all his contacts are nothing but a facade. That he has close to no real friends.

That's probably the saddest thing he's ever told you about himself and yet you just accepted it and never really gave it a second thought.

"Well, anyway, whatever you're doing, you're doing great. Thank you," Nayeon gives you a warm smile before she shifts her attention to something else.

You think about her words for a while, but the longer you do, the worse you feel. You do not deserve her praise in the slightest.

You’re the worst fake girlfriend ever.

This night did not turn out the way Jimin wanted it to. It was supposed to be a nice night out with a couple of friends to have fun and make some good memories. He thought it was more than necessary for all of you but perhaps he shouldn't have set his expectations too high. Now he’s in a bad mood, sitting on a brick wall right outside the club and getting drunk on his own.

He knows he can't stay here for much longer, knowing that you will probably be looking for him soon. He has also promised not to leave you alone anymore, and yet here he is. The only thing that reassures him is that Nayeon is with you, which is why he's not in such a hurry right now. He just needed a moment to think. One moment to come clean with himself. And the best way to achieve that is probably not by getting drunk alone, but sometimes you just have to do what you have to do.

A lot is happening tonight, and right now, he doesn’t have a healthier way of coping with the mess inside his head, so this will have to do.

He isn’t even one hundred percent sure why he’s in such a sour mood all of a sudden but he blames it on all the little inconveniences he has encountered throughout the night. 

First Jeon appears out of nowhere — again, then he finds out that you told Jeon about your deal ages ago, he is once again being forced to see Taehyung and Yeji and if that wasn’t enough already, you only let him kiss you to make Yeji jealous. 

The last point shouldn't be a problem. He's aware of that. After all, you're just trying to help him and keep this stupid deal without crossing any boundaries which you are so persistent on. But he can’t help but feel so stupid for not realizing it at the time and thinking you wanted him to kiss you when you’ve made it more than clear multiple times that that’s not something you’re interested in. 

Yes, your dynamics have undoubtedly changed, and you are much more open to spontaneous flirting and subtle touches these days, but your fundamental attitude toward the whole thing is still the same, and Jimin accepts that. He would never want you to be uncomfortable or anything. 

A group of very loud people interrupts his sulking but he doesn’t find it in himself to even look up from his half-empty bottle of— what was it again? He doesn’t remember what he got but hey, it’s a sign that it’s working, right?

“Woah hey buddy, you alright?” It is the voice that suddenly arouses his interest after all. “Why are you out here by yourself Jimin? Where is your girl?” 

Jimin's head jerks up as soon as he hears the voice of the person addressing him directly. He wants to see if he is dreaming or if the person he believes is really standing in front of him but the movement is perhaps a little too fast for him in his current state because everything starts to turn at that very moment and he can’t see straight.

Fortunately, it doesn't take long before everything stops spinning and his eyes manage to focus again, landing on a stupidly smirking Taehyung.

And suddenly Jimin can feel his anger in his whole body as he knocks his opponent's hand off his shoulder. “Don’t touch me. What the fuck are you doing?”

He may be a little tipsy right now but he’s in his senses enough to bring as much space as possible between him and this lying, cheating bastard.

“I’m just trying to help,” Taehyung says, adding a small unnecessary scoff at the end which doesn’t rub Jimin the right way. 

“I don't need your help, you've done enough already,” he quips, glaring at Taehyung. "I can't believe you even dare to talk to me. You should be ashamed of yourself."

Taehyung looks annoyed and not even remotely interested in having this conversation when he rolls his eyes disrespectfully.

"Look, I understand what I did wasn't great, and you have every right to be mad. But don't you think you're being a bit dramatic? It's been months, Jimin, and you still refuse to talk to me. You won't even acknowledge me."

Jimin scoffs out a laugh, taken aback by what Taehyung just said.“Even if it had been years, I’d still not talk to you!” Jimin’s anger grows with every passing second, his feet bringing him closer to his ex-best friend without him even noticing. No doubt the alcohol is playing a part in the way he struggles with calming himself down right now but Taehyung’s sole appearance and the way he tries to make him look like the bad guy is pissing him off. "You've got some nerve coming up to me and acting as if nothing happened."

“You should learn to let things go man.”

Taehyung barely finishes his sentence before Jimin shoves him hard, making him stumble back a couple of steps. The stupid look on his face alone was worth it.

“Maybe you should learn to own up to your mistakes and keep other people’s names out of your mouth.”

Another hard push to Taehyung’s chest made him stumble back into one of his friends. Taehyung pushes back and italmost escalates until someone suddenly intervenes and pulls Jimin out of the conflict by standing between them.

Jimin glares at Taehyung, breathing heavily in anger as he is gently pushed further back to create some space.

“There’s no need to do this here right now, Jimin. Especially when you’re in this state,” a calm voice directed at him tries to appease him.

Even though his eyes only alternate between Taehyung and Yeji, Jimin knows that it's Jungkook, who is trying to mediate. But he doesn't have the head or the attention to think about why it's him of all people who stops him from doing something inevitably stupid right now.

He ignores Jungkook, completely captivated by how Taehyung steps closer again, despite Yeji grabbing his arm to try and keep him from it. 

“If you have something to say then fucking do it. Or tuck tail and let others sort it out for you like you always do.”

“He’s just trying to rile you up. Don’t stoop to his level.“ Jungkook gives Jimin another nudge, hoping he’ll listen and remove himself from the situation. “Come on, let’s find ___.” 

“Yeah, better listen to your girlfriend’s boyfriend.” Taehyung snickers, his posture toughening up when he hears approving laughter from his friends.

This time, Jimin is ready to wipe the smirk off of his face for good, but Jungkook beats him to it, his eyes full of bottled-up anger.

“You’re one to talk. Don’t you have one of your hookups waiting for you? The one from last week is somewhere around here. I saw her earlier.” Jungkook clips, clearly irritated as well before successfully turning Jimin away from him.

The last thing Jimin sees is a fuming Yeji going at a dumbfounded Taehyung before Jungkook leads him around a corner. 

“I just made that up,” Jungkook admits with his jaw still clenched. “Gave him some of his own medicine. Looks like his girlfriend doesn’t trust him that much,” he adds, a sheepish chuckle leaving his lips.

Although still quite agitated, Jimin can’t help but grin at that. “He deserved it.”

“He did.”

He is considering what to say next, feeling awkward in Jungkook's presence now that he stood up for him when he didn't have to. Normally, he would think that Jungkook would have been happy to watch this fight escalate, but instead, he mediated and even took his side. 

Jimin knows Jungkook didn't do it for him but for your sake. He's still pleasantly surprised by Jungkook's unexpected actions, especially since Jimin never has anything nice to say to the younger guy.

Fortunately for him, Nayeon suddenly pops up, followed by you, interrupting the uncomfortable atmosphere.

“Oh my God, are you okay?” Nayeon is the first to reach him. You're holding back a little, but the look in your eyes reveals that you're also worried. “Some people were saying you and Taehyung got into a fight. We were looking for you.”

“Ah, Taehyung was just trying to start something. Don’t worry though, nothing happened,” Jungkook explains before Jimin gets to say anything. 

While Nayeon refuses to accept this answer and asks Jimin for further details, Jungkook leans down towards you. “Take him home. I think it’s better we bring as much space between them as we can and something tells me Taehyung isn’t gonna leave soon.”

You know there's more to it than just Taehyung trying to start something, but you decide not to pester the boys anymore. You don't feel like partying anymore anyway, so you give him a silent nod and walk towards Jimin, who gives you a surprised look when you suddenly take his hand. “Let’s go home, yeah? I don’t feel like staying here any longer.”

Remembering how you two parted earlier, you're not sure how he'll react, which makes you a little uneasy. Luckily for you, a slight smile creeps onto Jimin's lips and you feel him squeeze your hand lightly as he nods in agreement.

The rest of the group agrees to leave as well. Eventually, you all find yourselves in a cab about twenty minutes later.

The last thirty-ish minutes have sobered him up, but something in you doesn't feel comfortable leaving Jimin alone, so you quickly decide for him that you only have one stop, which doesn't appear to bother him, although he seems quite surprised. 

You can't blame him. Not so long ago, you wouldn't have expected that you would voluntarily spend more time with him than necessary. Yet, here you are, inviting him to stay the night at yours.

He still hasn't said much to you - he hasn't said much in general since you left the club and it's hard to tell if it's because of you or if he just doesn't feel like it right now. 

He already lays comfortably in your bed when you come out of the bathroom. Part of you wants to complain about his audacity and condemn him to the couch. But in the end, you've already crossed that line before. Your bed is big enough to prevent discomfort, while your couch is sometimes too uncomfortable even to sit on.

So you don’t say anything while you climb into the space next to him. 

You lie there in silence, pondering what you should do before you finally take the initiative and break it with a silent whisper. “Are you okay?”

A long sigh leaves Jimin’s lips as he drives his hands through his face. “No, I’m an idiot.”

“Hey, it’s not like that’s news,” you grin, trying to make him smile but unlike usual, your bickering does not stir anything in him so you feel a little stupid for trying to lift the spirit like that when he’s obviously not in the mood. “I know you're not particularly into that, but do you want to tell me about it? I promise I can be serious when I need to be.”

He doesn’t reply for a while which you take as him not being interested. You know that as an emotional cripple yourself, you have no right to but it still makes you mad that he always refuses to open up about the stuff that went down when it bothers him.

“Yeji hurt you with what she did. I know you try to deny it and act like you don’t care whenever someone talks to you about it but you cared about her. And what she did, hurt you. I don’t know why you won’t admit it and if everyone juststraight up chooses to believe your bullshit then that’s on them but I can see right through that act.” 

You feel your fist grip your blanket in frustration when he still refuses to say anything and you huff in annoyance. “You can't even look at her and go almost manic every time someone even mentions her or Taehyung's name.”

You sigh. It’s not your intention to force him to talk to you, of course. But he must know he can confide in you. You have already figured him out anyway. “I’m mad too but it’s not healthy to keep all that in, trust me.“

“She broke my heart.” His voice is quiet, and you might have missed it if you weren’t lying there in complete silence. Still, it holds so much pain that it almost makes you wince as you turn your head, trying to see the expression on his face. His eyes stare right at the ceiling, brows creased slightly as he scoffs. “You’re right I never talk to anyone about it. And I hate to admit it but she did break my heart.”

“Because you loved her,” you whisper understandingly, turning your head to look straight at the ceiling once more.

“At one point I did. Not in the end anymore though. She broke my heart but I’m not talking about the cheating stuff.”

You don’t quite understand, and you’re just about to ask what he means when you hear his voice again. 

“It happened over a long period,” he rasps. “I was really in love with her in the beginning, but she changed. Or maybe I changed. Things changed. I don’t know.” He says, furrowing his brows, unpleased that he struggles to name it. “We hadn’t been close for a while when it happened, at least emotionally. I know she felt it just as much as I did, and maybe I’m to blame too for not breaking up with her as soon as I felt… close to nothing.”

“She could’ve broken up with you too. Lots of couples go through that at some point. It doesn’t justify cheating,” you argue, feeling yourself get worked up at him saying that before you remind yourself that it’s not the right moment for that. You don’t think that’s what Jimin needs or wants to hear right now. “At least that’s what I think.” 

“Anyway, it doesn't matter much, considering our relationship was pretty much over. Don't get me wrong, I am mad at her too. But Taehyung is the one who broke my heart this time,“ he then sighs. “I just don't get it.“ 

The frustration in his voice is clearly audible, and even if you've never experienced this exact situation, you know what it feels like to be betrayed by someone you used to trust.

“We grew up together. I used to tell him everything, he knew about my problems with Yeji. I wanted to save my relationship. He listened to me, comforted me, and gave me advice. All that while secretly having an affair with her behind my back?“ He sounds genuinely crushed while telling you all that.

“Who does that, ___?“

You have a lot of suitable terms for such people, but you know he doesn't expect an answer, at least not one like that. Since you've known him, he's already called Taehyung every insult under the sun himself, so that isn't what he needs.

“There are so many questions left unanswered in my head. Has he always been like this? If not, when did he change? If yes, why did I never notice anything? Was I like this as well and only noticed now because it's affecting me for the first time?“

It's the last question that really troubles him. You can see that right away.

“Some people are good at only showing you the sides of themselves that they want you to know. That doesn't necessarily make you simple-minded or blind. It just makes them good manipulators,“ you try to explain as best as you can. “Take it from someone who started with the worst opinion of you and has put up with your cocky ass every day since - you're a lot of things, Park Jimin, but you're not like that.“

Even though you didn't say much, his shaky exhale shows how much weight your words carry for him.

A couple of moments pass in silence between you two and you almost think he has fallen asleep when you feel the warmth of his hand engulfing your own.

“Thank you.” His words pass as a whisper. “For having my back in this.” 

Even in the dim light emitting from your bedside lamp, you can see the sincerity in his eyes as he gifts you a grateful smile and you can’t help but join in as you give his hand a slight squeeze. “Of course. As your fake girlfriend, that's kind of my job,” you reason, not thinking much of it.

His brows crease. “Yes. Your job,” he mutters.

He doesn’t say anything after that and neither do you but you still can't switch off. There's still something that keeps you awake. It’s an intrusive thought for sure and you’d be damned to give into that, but it won’t let you rest. 

You can't see from your position right now whether he's still awake or not, and you're too nervous to check. But you don't think you can sleep if you leave it as it is. 

“Jimin?” you whisper. Your teeth dig into your lower lip in agony.

You hope he doesn't hear you — or that maybe he's already asleep. You tried and that should be enough to silence your thoughts. After all, it's not as if you can just wake him up—

“Yes?”

Not only is he not sleeping yet, he sounds as awake as you feel. You nervously nibble on your bottom lip for a moment while you try to weigh up what you're about to do. 

You can feel his questioning gaze on you even before you lift your head, but it is ten times more penetrating the momentyour eyes meet. He is lying on his back with his head turned towards you, dark eyes looking up at you expectantly.

The little bedside lamp doesn't exactly provide a lot of light, but it's just enough for you to see the outline of his face. You carefully lift your hand and place it on his cheek before leaning forward without a comment. Out of uncertainty, you stop in front of his face and reconsider as your lips hover over his for a second. 

He must know by now what your intention is and even though he is anticipating your next move, he isn't moving a muscle, once again not wanting to accidentally rush you into anything you might not want.

You can feel his breath on your lips and figure that if you've already come this far anyway, there's no point in turning back now so you quietly close the gap and let your lips meet in a gentle kiss. 

Despite the circumstances of neither one of you being drunk or in public right now, it doesn’t feel awkward at all. It's quite the opposite. 

It goes against both, your principles and your ego to be the one to orchestrate a kiss, especially if it's a kiss that has no meaning in the course of your deal. And even though you feel the heat shooting into your cheeks and the tips of your ears, you don't care.

At first, your shared kiss is sweet and innocent, completely different from the one before, but no less breathtaking - literally. He lets you take the lead but kisses you back just as eagerly. 

His lips fit perfectly with yours and at some point, you completely lose track of time and instead lose yourself in your kiss.

You don't know how much time passes, but you are the one who eventually breaks away from him. Or at least you try to, but you only have a momentary chance to catch your breath because Jimin isn't having it, quickly lifting himself up and using his right elbow to keep himself upright while his other hand finds its place at the back of your neck to glide you back into him. 

His lips are back on yours in no time, your kiss turning more eager now that he’s taking control and it’s not long after that you feel his tongue on your bottom lip, asking for entrance. You grant him and in no time, your kiss that was so innocent just a minute ago turns into a full-on make-out session in your bed. 

It gives you flashbacks of the night at the bonfire. The only difference is that neither of you is drunk this time. A small but possibly significant difference depending on how far you’re willing to take it this time.

You’re already too far gone when the next thing you notice is how he swaps your positions in a simple move, making you the one lying underneath him.

Originally it was supposed to be nothing more than a simple kiss. It felt like the right thing to do after the awful night and the little heart-to-heart you two had but now that he has you under him it doesn’t feel that bad at all…

He’s letting his hand wander all over your curves and the moment you move yours just a little from around his neck is when you notice he’s not even wearing a shirt.

The little fucker snuck into your bed without having the decency to at least wear something. Although, since you practically forced him to spend the night with you without him having any clothes here, you can’t judge him for that.

He lets his hands wander under your shirt, when he realizes you're not backing down. The tips of his fingers leave hot trails on your skin, his own skin burning under your touch as you glide your hands down his chest.

Your fingertips linger at the level of his navel for a while, anxious to go lower only to be rejected again. You don’t think you can endure that humiliation again, especially not while being sober.

But any doubts are gone the moment he takes the initiative and bucks his hips into you, immediately making you moan in pleasure when you feel yourself getting more aroused. 

It's not enough for you though and you feel yourself getting more eager by every passing second. You eagerly let your hips sway and press your center against his crotch, moaning as you rub against him.

His hands grab your thighs, fingers digging into your flesh so hard you think he might leave bruises as he tries to bring you even closer. 

Since everything seems to move too slowly for your liking, you’re just about to take your top off, when he suddenly untangles himself from you with a low curse.

“You’re not doing this out of pity, are you?” 

His voice doesn't sound judgmental or disappointed in any way, but it's unmistakably important to him that whatever happens, happens because you want it to.

Still in a daze, you need to find your words so you only shake your head. And you don’t even have the time to wait for his reaction before you’re chasing his lips again. Unfortunately, it does not suffice for more than a short peck before he breaks away again, even making a desperate whine escape you.

You don't even manage to be ashamed of how obviously you want him when the way he looks at you right now tells you he feels the same way.

He chews his lip while his eyes pierce you, looking for even the smallest detail that you might not be in your right mind but not able to find anything.

So he slowly inches closer again, captivated by the the way you let your tongue glide over your lips to wet them and he smirks. 

“And you’re not going to pretend you don’t remember anything tomorrow morning?”

You roll your eyes, annoyed he can’t stop teasing you about that incident but not in the mood for any more bickering when he could do so much more with that mouth of his.

“Depends on whether you make it worth remembering,” you smirk.

It was meant as a joke, but it probably came across more as a challenge the way his eyes darken at your words. And it gets you excited. 

He gets to it immediately, finally taking off your top in a hurry and locking your lips again in a heated kiss as his hands wander further down to take the rest of your clothes off. 

You are now lying completely naked underneath him, which makes your heart beat a little faster. As if he senses your nervousness, he takes it slow, trailing his kisses from the corner of your mouth to your cheek and further down to your neck where he lets his tongue run over your skin in a gentle circle that has your eyes roll back into your head. 

But there's still something in the back of your mind that won't let you relax completely, and you need to get it off your chest.

“It doesn’t have to mean anything, yeah?”

“Of course not,” he rasps in between light nips to your neck that would have you weak in your knees if you weren’t already lying down.

It seems like this confirmation is the last thing you need, to let go completely, with no second-guessing thoughts left. Jimin seems to notice too, feeling how your body melts against his when he lets his kisses trail further down your neck to your chest. 

“Man, you’re gorgeous.”

Him praising you like that makes your stomach flip, but it also raises a few new concerns. Since you need to keep your relationship as platonic as possible, compliments that affect you like that are dangerous territory. To avoid spoiling the atmosphere, you remain silent, hoping things will stay that way.

Jimin starts gently. He places kisses around one of your hardened nubs before taking it into his mouth, sucking and nibbling until you respond with a breathless moan. He then moves on to the other one, repeating his actions until he’ssatisfied with your reaction. 

You’re trembling at this point, squirming beneath him to try and get any kind of friction against the heat between your legs - the only part of your body he hasn’t touched yet. 

The little whines and moans that escape your throat intensify when his hand replaces his mouth on your breast, squeezing it while his other hand slowly wanders down your body. He begins with just two fingers pressing down your soaked center. 

Jimin is considerate and gentle, allowing you time to relax and become accustomed to his touch. However, he also gets straight to the point and fortunately does not attempt to tease you initially and you're very grateful for that. 

His thumb brushes over your clit in slow circles finally releasing some of the pressure that has built up by now, letting your moans intensify with every stroke as you feel his pointer and middle finger circle your entrance. 

Feeling how ready you are to take not one but two fingers without much preparatory work, he stops, raising a questioning eyebrow with a mischievous glint in his eyes. But you interrupt him before he has the chance to comment on it.

“Don’t open your mouth and ruin it,“ you warn.

Jimin lets out a breathy laugh, swallows whatever he was about to say, and then dives back into kissing you hard while pushing them in, in one swift motion, making you moan from the surprise and the pleasure engulfing you all at once.

He moves them in and out a couple of times, picking up the pace as he does so all while letting his thumb take care of your aking nub.

Your hips begin to roll upwards, trying to fulfill the need to feel as much of him as possible. You don't even care anymore about how desperate you come off as long as he gives you what you need. And it's not like he isn't affected at all. 

His teeth dig so hard into his lower lip that he might just be drawing blood by now while his eyes wander over your entire body in a desperate attempt to burn this image so deeply into his brain that he will never forget it again. 

He takes a moment to watch his fingers glide in and out of you, wandering up higher over your smooth stomach up to your perfectly shaped breasts pushing up whenever you arch your back to meet his thrusts, and finally your contorted face. Eyes closed, lips parted, allowing every little moan to escape, just how he likes it.

He dives back in to kiss you again, capturing all the beautiful sounds you make along the way. But he doesn't have the chance to enjoy it for long when you break the kiss soon after.

“I'm ready now,“ you gasp.

Jimin eagerly nods, jumping out of bed to clumsily remove his boxers and get something from his jeans. You don't have to ask him to know what he's getting, but you still can't help but wonder...

“You came prepared?” 

He only looks over at you briefly before concentrating on opening the pack and putting on the condom, very careful not to keep you waiting for too long.

“I always come prepared,“ he affirms. “The way you're always hitting on me… phew,” he jokes, rolling his eyes before he sends a wink your way.

You almost regret letting it get this far in the first place, and you're afraid you'll backtrack if his mouth isn't busy with you again soon and more words come out.

“Just make it quick. I’m losing more and more interest the longer I hear you talk.”

You hear him laugh, but just a blink of an eye later, he's back, and he doesn't let a moment pass before he eagerly kisses you again, his thumb lightly pressing your clit again. A moan escapes your throat before you can suppress it, and he uses it to dip his tongue inside, brushing it against yours.

Not wasting any time, he nudges your thighs apart and positions himself between your legs, guiding his cock up and down your slit a few times until he positions it right at your slick opening.  

“Do you need me to prep you some more or are you good?“ he groans, feeling the warmth of your heat consume him.

“Yea, yea, just put it in,“ you whisper hurriedly, physically and mentally unable to wait any longer.

“Wow, could you be any more romantic?“ Jimin chuckles, a playful pout forming on his lips, mischief shining in his eyes. 

“I don’t want romance. I want you inside of me.“ 

“I’m sensitive, baby, I need to be charmed. Say please?“ He grins childishly, knowing exactly what he's doing.

Oh, he's having so much fun right now, although he knows you're going to make him pay for that one way or another. But he can't help it.

Not only does it turn him on like crazy, but seeing you be so desperate for him is something he knows will never happen again so he needs to enjoy it as much as he can.

“Jimin,“ you whine, partly upset and partly frantic, as he hums in acknowledgment.

The way his cock is sliding with ease through your folds while he waits for you to give in is taking a toll on him too. He is good at restraint and self-control and it would be more than embarrassing to be the first to give in in this game he has started but he might just need to if you don't soon.

You sigh, fists clenching your sheets for all the wrong reasons. Why is this man always like this in such inappropriate situations?

Clenching your jaw you look at him with the deepest scowl while mustering the sweetest voice possible. “Jimin, please please please fuck me. I need you and I can’t wait any longer, please.“

And that's all it takes for him to crumble completely. “Good girl. How could I say no to that.“

Once more, he positions himself right at your entrance and starts moving his hips forward. Anytime but now, you'd be embarrassed by how easily he's able to slide in, but your head is empty, mind numb the moment he's finally fully inside, filling you up.

You don't need time to adapt and that's probably clear to both of you, because the very next moment he starts pumping in and out with such hard and fast movements, you almost see stars. You push your hips up against him, trying to meet his thrusts, your hands clinging tightly to his arms while moan after moan escapes your lips.

There's not a single thought in your head. His rough moans fill your ears as he momentarily slows his strokes to a sensual grind as he leans down to suck on your nipples, causing you to throw your head back, completely overwhelmed with pleasure. 

He talks a lot of pretentious bullshit but when it comes to this, you must admit he has the goods to back it up.

You feel yourself getting closer with every delicious stroke he gives you, the tip of his cock reaching the perfect spot again and again. But you need more.

“Harder,“ you pant, digging your nails deeper into the flesh of his arms. 

Jimin hears you loud and clear, following your instructions almost a bit too eagerly which suggests that he needs it just as much. Still fully inside you, he gently lets his hands brush down to your knees grabs the back of your knees, and pushes your legs upwards. 

The new angle allows his cock to reach even deeper, making the both of you moan when he picks up speed again. One of his hands is gripping your thigh tightly, surely leaving bruises, while he moves the other down to your clit, teasing it while he pounds into you as hard as he can.

“Goddamn,“ he gasps while he watches you squirm under him. There is little in life that Jimin takes so seriously. But even though there are more than enough opportunities to tease you verbally right now, he can't concentrate on anything but eliciting more of those needy moans from you.

He's close as well. Luckily for him, it only takes a few more thrusts and he feels you tighten around him. As a response, he rubs your clit faster which eventually pushes you over the edge as more and more loud, whiny moans just spill out of you.

Your pussy lazily pulsating around his cock while you slowly come down is what it takes for him to let go as well. He feels his balls tighten instantly before his dick finally blows, making him tumble over and groan into the crook of your neck. 

You don't stay like this for long, only waiting for you both to come down from your highs before Jimin lazily rolls off you. 

Pushing some damp strands out of his face, he can't stop himself from grinning contentedly. When he turns his head to see your expression, he notices you staring at the ceiling, nibbling your lip in deep thought. You do look satisfied and there is no trace of regret, thankfully. But there is a trace of concern that emanates from you.

Jimin's expression softens, his hand slowly reaching for yours which makes you look at him as well. 

You both exchange subtle smiles, silently agreeing not to worry about anything until the morning. And you don't. You sleep like a baby.

tagged: @ggukkieland | @ttaeby | @rkvi | @cuteipat | @pjiminslove | @mawwnsterr | @aamalaaa | @spideyxxboi | @lil-sracha | @katsbqbe | @bex-92br | @natalie-rdr | @canarystwin | @wespers-jaan | @bangtanxcoffee | @bri-mal | @so-kou | @lonleycoffee | @rjsmochii | @kiwiaroha | @chimchimmarie | @scoupshawt | @xmochiloverx | @kristinkristinuk | @thejiminshieffect | @yes-fangirl-things | @cuteinjapanese | @leticiaesteveslp | @jkkkkkay | @miss-rainy-days | @bangtan4everr | @i-never-post-but-i-am-here | @dumdaradumdaradum | @thesmeraldogirl | @deliciouslydeliciouspenguin

[interesting-interludes]

the comforts of creatures (5)

creature comforts:

↳ material/bodily comforts, such as food, warmth, or special accommodations, that contribute to physical ease and well-being

→ pairing: ot7 x fem.reader

→ genre: supernatural!au, soulmate!au, hurt + comfort + recovery, angst with a happy ending, fluff, eventual smut

→ word count: 4.8k

→ summary: you learn what you are, and your reaction is far from what they expected. as they try to help you feel safe, the boys learn about your triggers, and they try their hardest to help in any way they can.

→ trigger/content warnings: PTSD (self-loathing, mistrust, flashbacks/nightmares) effects of brainwashing, lil’ bit of lore, overt and internalized racism/species-ism (?), vomiting, anxiety, mentions of starvation/food poisoning, mentions of physical abuse, dissociation, mentions of torture, aversion to touch, mc pushes jimin but he’s okay, jimin is an angel, facial/body scars, body dysmorphia/repulsion

→ a/n: thank y’all for your patience :) here’s some more hurt before the comfort lol

past part ← series masterlist → next part

part 5: scars and soothers

“This is you.”

The man is pointing at a detailed image drawn in faded ink. The rest of the page is filled with scripted text and anatomical diagrams.

You can’t look at first, scared of what you’ll find.

When you finally do, you don’t know what to think. There’s the thought that he’s kidding, he’s lying. He can’t be serious.

The drawing is of a creature with tawny-feathered wings extending magnificently in the air. It has the body of a powerful big cat, muscular yet elegant. Its four legs end in sharp-taloned feet. Its neck is framed by a golden mane, looking like a big frilly collar. The mane’s trail travels down the creature’s chest and back, ending in a flowing tail. It has the face of a lion, with white whiskers and deep yellow eyes, yet the regal posture of an eagle.

A diagram off to the left shows the inside of its mouth, lined with row upon row of sharp teeth and protruding fangs.

Looking back up, you search the faces of the men around you. None of them appear to be joking.

You can’t speak.

You’re one of them, one of the creatures they all despised. The creatures that roam the wild lands for easy prey, spreading carnage wherever they go.

No wonder they hated you so much. You’re not even human.

A few silent, involuntary tears fall from your eyes, which are locked back on the page. You wipe them away hastily.

The boys don’t know how to react, all looking at each other with concern.

“What...” you squeak out, voice choked. “What is it?”

“A gryffin,” Yoongi replies. “You’re a shifter.”

Something gurgles in your stomach. You clench your teeth, nails digging deep into the meat of your thighs.

You believe him. You don’t want to, but you believe him. You’ve always felt less than human, like something wasn’t right about you. Like something was just beneath the surface, clawing its way up.

Now you know why.

Jungkook, who’s sitting closest to you, slowly, cautiously puts his hand on your shoulder in an effort to comfort you.

But you flinch at his touch, jerking away.

You don’t catch the look of hurt that flits across his face. He knows you can’t help it, but it still stings to think that his touch physically repels you.

“What did they tell you about atypicals?” Namjoon presses, trying to shift your attention so you won’t look so disheartened by the reality of what you are.

From the way you look at him, he knows that you’ve never heard that word before. Or at least you don’t remember it.

“Atypicals are anything that falls out of the humanic species,” he explains patiently.

Your face scrunches in confusion.

“Humanic as in human,” he elaborates.

You don’t understand why he’s talking like that. You’ve never heard these terms before. In the place you came from, the “facility,” anything that wasn’t human was an abomination, a mistake in the eyes of nature.

Simple as that.

But here, things seem to be a bit more complicated.

Nausea is starting to bubble in your gut. You breathe carefully through your nose as you consider Namjoon’s question.

“They said...” you begin hesitantly.

They’re all on the edge of their seats, desperately wondering what those bastards brainwashed you to believe about their kind, your own kind.

“They said that they were monsters.”

Another pang of hurt thrums through their hearts.

“That...that they deserved to be hunted down like dogs.”

They can hear the pain in your own voice, either from witnessing their cruel behavior, or from realizing that you’ve been the target of it this whole time.

Your stomach churns.

“They said I wasn’t even worthy to lick the ground they walked on.”

They can all hear you choking on your tears, despite your attempts to hide it.

Jimin and Jungkook feel like their chests are going to burst from holding it in, both the sorrow they feel for you and the urge to rush forward and drown you in affection.

Jin and Namjoon have storms raging inside their heads. Namjoon is calculating, trying to decode what exactly their motive was and how to use it to track down the ones in charge of it all. Jin’s mind is reeling with ways to undo the damage they’ve done, mentally and physically.

Yoongi is swimming waist-deep in despair. He can’t help but think of what’s to come. You’ll have to relearn everything. How to shift, how to fight, how to cast. That is, if you even want to.

You feel the newly strung tension in the air, looking like you just realized you said all of those things out loud.

One look around the room, and your newly found voice retreats deep into your throat.

The man called Namjoon, his eyes have darkened, jaw clenched and ticking like he’s grinding his teeth.

The one who tended to your wounds is sitting stiffly in his chair, staring ahead with a new sharpness in his face.

The small dark-haired man has his hands clenched, prominent veins crawling up his arms.

You duck your head down, body stiff with nerves.

“You have to know,” Yoongi begins, voice calm as ever despite the rage just below the surface. “That’s not how most people think. Especially not here.”

Here in the North Regions, atypicals make up the majority of the population. Law enforcement, government, and public works are largely run by them, and prejudice is rarely an issue.

But how could you know that now?

They can all see the change. It’s almost instantaneous, the way your face shifts and loses all semblance of emotion. Just like that, the mask is back up.

Then there’s something else. A slight twitch from your nose, a well-hidden shudder. They can see your throat bobbing.

For a few seconds, it looks like you’re about to say something. Your tongue is moving inside your mouth, and you’re blinking rapidly.

Namjoon is about to utter some gentle encouragement, but a jolt racks through your body, making you hunch over.

All of a sudden you’re vomiting up everything you just ate.

Hoseok, Jungkook and Jimin can’t help but jump to their feet, panicked noises filling the air.

Taehyung’s eyes widen. All his limbs go rigid, paralyzing him in his seat. He feels sick himself.

Jin, Namjoon, and Yoongi all look at each other.

Yoongi thrusts into action, heading to the kitchen with Jungkook in tow since he isn’t good around pungent-smelling things.

Namjoon starts giving instructions. Jimin, paper towels. Hobi, get the mop. Said men jolt into action, scrambling to do whatever they can to help.

Jin’s eyes have been fixed on you for some time now, catching your every move, including all the suppressed flinches and tremors.

He’s at your side in an instant, on his knees to try to catch your eyes. But it’s no use, you’re squeezing your eyes shut like you’re expecting to be hit.

“It’s okay, it’s okay,” he mutters in his gentlest voice. “It’s no big deal. No one is upset with you.”

As much as he wants to, he refrains from touching you right away.

Eyes still tightly shut, you flinch away from the sound of his voice, twitching with anxiety.

Jin can see you start to spiral, so he does the only thing he knows will work.

“Hey,” he begins, voice firmer than it was before. “Look at me.”

Your eyes snap open, shining with moisture.

“That’s my girl,” Jin says before he can help it. “You’re going to calm down for me, yeah?”

Your eyes desperately search his face, looking for any sign of anger or deception. You find none, not even a hint of disgust, and your breathing starts to slow.

All that’s there is the man who tended to your wounds, watching you with those patient eyes. His handsome face is calm, attentively anticipating whatever you need right now.

Sweat gathers on your skin. That same sensation crawls up your throat, saliva pooling in your mouth.

Jin notices the signs immediately.

“Come with me,” he orders softly, putting a light hand on your back and leading you to the nearest bathroom.

You don’t know what to do with yourself.

You remember vomiting a few times at the facility. Once from eating a rotten vegetable, the mold making it impossible to identify. And once when a handful of keepers had held you down, repeatedly punching you in the stomach, until you gave in and called yourself a mutt.

Both times you were severely punished for making a mess. You learned to hold it in your mouth and swallow it down after that.

Jin guides you to kneel over the toilet. He keeps talking to you, but you only process half of what he’s saying.

“Go ahead, let it out,”

You can feel it creeping up, burning and sour. But something deeper, something almost instinctual, tells you to keep it down.

“Stop holding it in, sweetheart,” he says, rubbing soothing circles on your back. “It’s not good for you. It’s okay to let go.”

Before you can think to suppress it, another wave of nausea surges through your body. The crescendo of it makes you wretch, emptying the last of your stomach’s contents.

“Good, good, just get it all out,” he encourages instead of beating you until you can’t breathe.

The bile is bitter in your mouth, but not more bitter than the dread clinging to your entire being.

He’s not going to punish me, you finally realize. It’s almost an impossible thought.

For a moment, you stay hunched over, frozen. Not sure what to do next.

“Here, come wash your mouth out,” Jin says, helping you stand up on shaky legs.

The sound of running water rings in your ears. You feel the coolness against your tongue, but barely register that you’re the one cupping it to your lips. Numb. You feel like you’re controlling your body from the outside rather than the inside.

“Now, let’s get you cleaned up, okay?”

You look up at him for the first time in a while. His face is as kind as it was before, with the same full-lipped smile and warm brown eyes.

The man starts to lead you out of the room, that same gentle hand resting on your back.

It isn’t until then that you realize you’re still in the grimy clothes they found you in. And now the entire front of your shirt is stained with even more filth.

You glance into the living room as you pass through the hallway.

The other men are diligently cleaning the area you just soiled. The small dark-haired man and the muscular man are missing, though you can hear rustling from the kitchen.

The one with the jet black hair and bright face catches your eye, flashing a reassuring smile. It makes you rip your eyes away.

Jin guides you into the living room, and everyone immediately looks your way.

Shrinking, you’re shrinking into yourself as much as your body will allow.

“Someone run a bath,” Jin announces. “I think it’s time our little guest got some sleep in clean clothes.”

The fair-haired one steps forward and exchanges a subtle look with Jin, who’s standing slightly behind you.

“Would you follow me?” the shorter man says, holding out his hand.

It’s the one with the silver-gray hair and warm eyes. You think his name is Jimin. His face is soft and friendly. It asks a silent question: will you trust me?

You don’t take his hand, but you do take a step up the stairs in the direction he’s leading you.

You don’t catch it, but Jimin and Jin exchange a heartfelt glance, nearly ecstatic at the fact that you’re beginning to trust them.

Jimin leads you up the stairs as the rest of them settle things downstairs.

When you reach the top, he guides you down a spacious hallway that’s filled with potted plants and window light.

Every single door, down to the very end of the hall, is open. Whether it’s open wide or just a crack, not one of them is closed or locked. You’re not used to it.

The man, Jimin, stops at a door halfway down the hall and looks back to check if you’re still following him.

You stop a few feet away from him, still keeping your distance, but your expression is open and neutral, waiting on his next move.

He gives you a calm smile, and continues into the room with you behind him.

This room is just as bright and inviting as the rest of the house. White walls and clean tile floors, but this time with a large porcelain tub and a sink with marble countertops.

The man turns to look at you with a question in his eyes.

“Shower or bath?” he asks.

It’s a harmless question, a considerate question. But your mind is yanked back to that place.

Shower. A torrent of fire raining down on you, vision blinded by steam. It comes from every angle, unrelenting no matter how much you scream.

They would strip you down and lock you in a metal stall the size of a coffin. Then the dotted ceiling would unleash a downpour of near-boiling water.

You would bang on the walls, but the water made the metal surface just as hot, the floor burning the bottom of your feet. Minutes or hours they kept you in there, not letting you out until your body was covered in burn marks.

Bath. The most intense cold you’ve ever felt. It’s everywhere, submerging you up to the neck, seeping down to your very bones.

They would chain you down in a tub full of ice, nothing but your head poking out of the frigid water. The cold chains cut into your skin the more you struggled. Your lungs would heave from the shock of it, your whole body shivering violently.

Then they would hold your head underwater until you were bucking like a stuck pig. This went on until you were utterly exhausted, falling limp against the freezing porcelain with nothing but the tight chains holding you up.

You’re snapped back to reality when the man takes a step closer. He’s watching you closely, trying to read your face.

Finally remembering that he asked you a question, you shrug your shoulders and shake your head.

You don’t want either. You don’t want to be anywhere near that tub. You want him to leave you alone.

Jimin guesses that the gesture means you don’t care which one. He figures you’re most likely still weak from malnourishment, and he doesn’t want you fainting and hitting your head.

So he opts for a bath, turning on the faucet. He sits on the edge of the tub, hand under the spout to monitor the temperature.

The sound of running water makes every muscle in your body tense up. The hairs on the back of your neck stand on end.

It’s going to hurt, it’s going to hurt. The fire, the ice, it’s going to burn and sting and cut into your flesh. You won’t be able to escape it.

Jimin doesn’t notice it at first, too focused on adjusting the knobs to get the water not too hot and not too cold, but your breathing has picked up again.

You can already feel it filling your ears, your mouth, rushing down your throat as your head is held down. Your skin prickles from the heat, it quivers from the cold.

The water in the tub continues to rise, and you can’t move. Your body is frozen, feet rooted to the floor as the sound of sloshing roars louder and louder in your ears.

Halfway full, now. It’s coming any second. He’s going to turn on you, throw you down and hold you under.

Burning, freezing. It’ll hurt and hurt and hurt.

Jimin turns his head, and his stomach drops.

Your eyes are squeezed shut, lips pursed like you’re trying to bite back a scream. Fists clenched at your sides, shoulders trembling, as your chest heaves up and down.

Immediately, he jumps to his feet and rushes over to you.

“What is it, babe? What’s wrong?” 

Then he makes a big mistake. He puts his hands on you.

His touch is gentle, nonthreatening, nothing but two hands on your shoulders. But you don’t want it, you’re repulsed by it. Because touch always comes before the pain.

On instinct, your body jerks away, arms moving to push the unwelcome touch away, just get it away. Your hands collide against something, hard.

When you open your eyes, the man is on the floor. Sprawled on his back, looking up at you with wide, slightly watery eyes.

There’s shock plastered on both of your faces.

Jimin’s soft heart hurts a little, he can’t help it. In all the years he’s known you, loved you, you’ve never ever been repelled by him. But that hurt is soon drowned by guilt.

He scared you, he made you feel unsafe. You felt the need to protect yourself and it’s his fault.

You’re staring at your hands in horror, completely floored by what you’ve done. You’re in for it now. He tried to help you and you hurt him. Now they’re going to hurt you even more.

Several sets of pounding footsteps draw near. The others must have heard the thud from downstairs and rushed up to see what was wrong.

What they don’t expect to find is Jimin crumpled on the floor and you standing over him in a braced position, but that’s exactly what they see when they peer through the doorway.

They’re all a little astonished, Jin and Namjoon are thinking deeply, and something in Taehyung’s eyes shifts.

He isn’t proud of it, but a surge of protectiveness washes over him, for his Jimin. He knows it’s unreasonable, unfair even. But it’s still there. And he can’t snuff it out.

A new fear consumes you. You were insubordinate, you resisted. You know what comes next.

A sob gets trapped in your throat as you sink down to the floor, burying your head in-between your knees and using your arms to shield yourself.

Immediately, the same way Jimin did, they all rush forward to comfort you.

“No!” Jimin blurts out, making you flinch and shake violently. “Don’t touch, give her some space.”

They all obey, keeping their distance with concern flooding their features.

Jimin shifts onto his knees, scooting a little closer but still keeping enough away.

“I’m sorry,” he nearly whispers, like he’s talking to a wild, cornered animal. “It was my fault entirely. I shouldn’t have touched you. I’m truly sorry.”

Jimin’s voice has always been soothing, even in the darkest times, and your breathing slows a little.

Jimin realizes that the faucet is still running, and he reaches over to switch it off. Then it comes to him.

He turns back to your trembling form, still waiting for the pain to come.

“You’re scared of the water, aren’t you?” he asks gently.

He doesn’t expect you to reply, he just wants to let you know that he’s trying to understand you, to help you.

You nod slightly.

It shocks them all again. You’re becoming more responsive.

“I’m so, so sorry,” Jimin says with all the sincerity he can muster. “It’s not your fault. I promise I won’t do that again.”

Your shoulders gradually stop trembling, breath coming evenly now.

Jimin looks at his mates and gestures for them to give you some more space so you can calm down.

They all do as he says, except Tae. He lingers in the doorway, his piercing eyes flickering between you and Jimin, thinking.

The two men exchange a meaningful glance. Jimin gives him a reassuring smile and nods his head as if to say “There’s nothing to worry about. I got this.”

Tae gives a slight nod back and turns to leave, throwing one last look at you.

Jimin sees the hint of distrust hidden in that look. He files it away for later.

Turning his attention back to you, Jimin looks at the tub and thinks of a solution.

“You don’t have to get in the tub, okay? We can just...” Jimin opens the cupboard under the sink and takes out a handful of washcloths.

“Like this, see?” He dips one of the cloths in the water, using it to wipe down his face.

“Is that okay?” he asks.

You scan his face. Those big brown eyes are full to the brim with kindness, as if you didn’t just hurt him moments ago.

You nod.

Jimin smiles so big it almost hurts his cheeks, heart swelling as you hesitantly hold your hand open. He puts another cloth in your waiting palm.

“Okay, here’s the soap, shampoo, conditioner. You can wash your face with this. Use whatever you want, okay?”

You look at him, trying to convey with your eyes what your mouth can’t say. He stays there for a moment, sitting with you on the tile, answering your every question with just his expression.

It’s okay. You’re safe here. No one is going to hurt you. You can trust me. I understand you.

Breaking from his reverie, Jimin gets up and moves to leave.

“I’ll give you some privacy,” he says, swinging the door closed.

You shoot forward and grab the knob just before it shuts.

Jimin jumps a little, whipping back around. There’s confusion on his face, then understanding.

“Okay, we’ll leave it open just like this. I’ll be just outside if you need anything, okay?”

You feel the tension release from your chest, and nod back.

Another warm smile, and then he disappears into the next room.

He’s not going to lock you in. Another impossible realization.

Turning around, you stare at the full tub. Your heartbeat skitters a little, but you take a step towards it anyways.

When you dip your fingertips in the clear water, you expect it to be scalding, or cold enough to numb, but it’s neither. The water is warm and calm, it doesn’t burn, it doesn’t sting.

Another breath releases from your lungs.

You use the cloth and soap to wipe down your whole body, shedding your dirty clothes and tossing them aside. Soon the tub is cloudy from the dirt on the washcloth. You even dip your hair into the water and use a little shampoo to get some of the grime out.

You sit there and wash yourself until the water turns cold. Using the counter to steady yourself, you slowly come to a stand, even though your legs are aching.

The sight in front of you is enough to shock you into silence again.

You can’t remember the last time you saw your reflection. You wish you weren’t seeing it now.

The person in the mirror is ugly and pathetic. Her short hair is a mangled mess. Haphazardly cut with a pair of dull scissors, it sticks out in all different angles. Her eyes are blank and lifeless, red-rimmed and surrounded by dark circles. There’s a large, hideous scar across her left cheek, deep and forked like a flash of lightning.

Her body is weak and repulsive. Slouching forward, she’s barely able to hold herself up. She’s covered in scars and marks, all over her legs, her arms, her torso.

You know there are worse scars behind you.

Horrifically entranced, you slowly reach up to touch the scar across her face, your face. Your fingertips meet the textured tissue, and then there’s the pain.

It’s not a physical pain, it doesn’t originate from the scar itself. It’s a pain deep in your chest, spreading and infecting the rest of your body. It maims you, twists your insides, disfigures your soul.

You muffle the silent scream with a hand over your mouth. Knees buckling, you barely have any strength left to keep yourself upright.

You’re barely you. You don’t remember who you were before, but you know it wasn’t this.

A gentle knock on the door. 

You immediately stifle any signs of discomfort, snapping the mask back on with frightening accuracy.

Jimin’s arms poke through the gap in the door. He sets a bundle of clothes on the counter.

“Here you go," his pleasant voice says. “Please let me know if they’re comfortable enough.”

You wait a good twenty seconds before you reach for them. A warm green sweater and soft cotton pants.

You hurriedly slip them on to hide your disgusting body.

Leaning closer to the door, you try to hear beyond the wood. Hushed voices, muted footsteps.

“Ready, love?” a smooth voice sounds from just behind the door.

You flinch away, trying your best to make your hair look less unkempt.

It’s Jin who cautiously swings the door open, greeting you with an affectionate smile.

“Much better, hmm?” he says.

You manage a curt nod, following him with your head down to another room. 

It’s the room from earlier, the one with the massive bed. The rest of them are here waiting, muttering quiet words until you arrive. Then they go silent and set their eyes on you, asking a question you can’t understand.

Why are they all looking at you? You don’t like it, not at all. People who look like them shouldn’t look at someone like you. You’re wrong, inside and out.

They all notice the change. Now your eyes are trained on the ground, head bent and shoulders folding in on yourself like you wish you would disappear.

Jin ushers you towards the humongous bed, encouraging you to settle in under the covers. He tucks the comforter around your body, fluffing the pillows behind your head.

“There, nice and cozy,” he says, sounding satisfied for the time being. “Rest up, okay love? You’ve been through a lot.”

Why are they talking to you like that? You’re disgusting. They should be throwing you out on the streets to fend for yourself like a common rat.

The small dark-haired man kneels down next to you. He hands you a mug of steaming amber liquid, using the bed sheets to shield your hands from the hot surface.

“This should settle your stomach,” he says.

While Jimin was getting you cleaned up, Yoongi and Jungkook were hard at work cooking up a tincture for your nausea. Essence of lavender to help you sleep, peppermint to refresh your throat, a little ginger to ease your stomach, and some of Yoongi’s highest-quality potions to replenish your nutrients. And, of course, Jin stirred in a copious amount of honey to sweeten it up.

You hold the cup in your hands like it’s a ticking time bomb.

Yoongi looks at his mates in confusion and concern, not sure what to do. Jimin catches his gaze, and gestures wildly with his hands. He exaggeratedly mimics holding the cup and taking a sip, and then Yoongi understands.

He gently takes the mug from your hands and holds it up to his nose.

“Let me check if it’s too hot for you,” he says, blowing off some of the steam and taking a long sip. He makes sure to swallow with audible emphasis.

“Okay, it should be good,” he says, handing it back to you.

This time you hold it close to your chest like it’s a precious gem, slowly sipping away at the frothy liquid. 

They all look at each other with a relieved, triumphant expression.

Namjoon steps forward and leans down to level his face with yours.

“There’s water for you over there,” he gestures to a table in the corner, complete with a pitcher and cup. “And the bathroom is the next door over.”

You nod to show your appreciation, still avoiding eye contact.

Jin enters your field of vision again.

“Do you think you can hold down some meds?” he asks. It’s sincere, no seeming deception behind it.

But you still shake your head vehemently. You don’t want anymore pills. In fact, you don’t want to see another pill ever in your life.

“Okay, love,” he says, smiling again. “Just rest up for me. For us.”

You have no idea what he means by that, but you sink into the pillows anyway.

One by one they filter out of the room, casting a last look at you before they leave.

You wish they wouldn’t. Their eyes seem to leave even more marks on your skin.

The door starts to swing shut. Then someone mutters something, and it stops just before it closes completely. 

Footsteps recede, silence settles upon the room.

You manage a few more sips from the steaming mug, eventually setting it aside. The bed is soft and comfortable, but you can’t bring yourself to lie down. 

You sit there, watching shadows dart across the wall, for hours.

a/n: thanks so much for reading!! if you enjoyed it please leave a comment on what you thought of the story/any questions it would mean the world to me!! and if you’re feeling extra generous, please reblog with tags it helps to spread the story around, thank you!! 💖

[sopejinsunflower]

2024.001.021: Into The Deep End

Go to series masterlist

____________________________________________________________

“Babe, what are you waiting for?”

As usual, Nick always went in first, leaving me standing at the edge of the lake, toes curling around the flat rocks beneath my feet, watching him with narrowed eyes as he swam further and further away. I took a tentative step forward and then another, the water slowly rising up until it hit the back of my knees, as slowly as the fear that grew in my chest. 

“Nick!” I called out at the distant splashing I assumed was him. His head popped out and grinned ear to ear. He shook his head like a wet dog and waved me over. “Come on over here. Don’t be a baby,” he said, rolling his eyes. 

“You know I can’t swim,” I said with a nervous laugh. “I’ll just stay here. You go on ahead.”

Nick swam back and I watched the way his strong arms stroke through the water making his way to me. He stood up in front of me, shaking water from his hair. “I’m sorry, baby. Here.” He put my arms around his shoulders. “Get on my back.”

I tried to pull away. “No, I’m fine. You can go-”

“Come on. Don’t be a wuss. Get on.”

I hesitated but Nick didn’t bother to wait, as usual, pulling me onto his back and grabbing onto my thighs to pull me up securely. “Deep breaths, baby,” he ordered and without another warning, he dove into the water.  

The cool water hit my face and I tensed up, hearing the distant alarm bells ringing in my head. My eyes stung and I closed them, albeit too late. Nick swam fast, his legs kicking behind him as he dragged me through the dark water of the lake. My chest burnt and I struggled to hold my breath. I signalled to Nick to go up, tapping on his shoulder urgently but when he didn’t get the message, I started shaking him more forcefully. 

But Nick continued on, swimming forward and almost as if he was going even faster. I could feel the panic setting in at the thought of how far from the shallow end we must have gone, but more importantly of how dark it seemed to be. It was ridiculous but it felt like I was being pulled down to the depths of it, a sudden feeling of being trapped overwhelming me. At that point, all I wanted was to get off of him, the alarm bells now screaming in my head telling me that being attached to his back was much more dangerous than the water. I didn’t feel safe with him. 

I must have tightened my grip against Nick’s neck because now he was the one struggling, pushing against my arms. But in that moment, it felt like he wanted me to let go so I’d sink to the bottom of the lake, gone forever, a way for him to get rid of me quick and easy and with less of a mess. I held on tighter, feeling his Adam’s apple somewhat digging into my arm now and this time Nick was literally fighting me off, prying my arms with one hand while trying to stay afloat. 

My survival instinct kicked in and I was latched on to him like some kind of parasite, unknowingly choking him to death while at the same time believing that he was the one trying to kill me. Bubbles escaped both our lips and I heard him shout something under the water. It took him awhile before he resurfaced, both of us spluttering and gasping for air.

“Let go of me!”

His strength outmatched mine and he finally managed to pry me off. It was when my butt hit the rocky ground that I noticed we were already by the shore with families and groups of friends and couples staring at me looking like an almost drowned rat being berated, which is not far from the truth, I thought.

“Crazy bitch!” Nick spat before he stormed off towards the car, cursing under his breath. 

~~~

Jin is the type of person that would do his best to keep all the bad memories away. He likes to focus on the good so it makes everything else more bearable, so when you asked him that question, his mind just went completely blank. 

“Jin?” you urge, shaking him a little, your nails digging into his skin. 

He blinks, his gear kicking in. “Let’s get out of here first,” he says, gently guiding you out of the space inside the wall. His mouth feels dry and his tongue is now a block of sandpaper. He keeps his hands on you as you both walk downstairs, being hyper aware of the silken smooth material of your top, knowing that he’s only holding on to you to keep himself grounded. 

They run into Hoseok when they reach the second floor and one look at Jin is enough to alert the other man. That look, as well as your puffy red eyes. 

“What happened?” he approaches you and boldly tips your chin up to get a proper look at your face. “Are you okay?”

At the sheepish grin you give him, he turns to Jin. “Hyung?”

“I-” you start to say before clearing your throat and trying again. “I got stuck in the wall.”

“What?!”

“I’m fine!” you rush to add. “Jin found me. I’m okay.” You look at Jin and give his hand a squeeze. “We’re okay.”

Jin seems to suddenly realise where he is but his reaction surprises both himself and you. He lets go of your hand more abruptly than he intended, mumbles something neither you nor Hoseok could make out and then excuses himself. He walks away, down the stairs and then disappears from your sight even before you even think of what to say to stop him. You look back helplessly at Hoseok who shrugs his shoulders. 

“He’ll be okay,” he reassures, although the scowl on his face remains. He doesn’t look convinced himself. “He just…needs time.” Hoseok gently pulls you towards your bedroom. “Do you want to tell me what happened though?”

The memory resurfaces and you purse your lips. “I think I saw a memory.”

“Of?”

You bite the inside of your cheek. “I think I drowned? A long time ago?”

You don’t have to look at Hoseok’s face to register first the subtle startle of his body going rigid and then the way his whole demeanour seemed to be clouded over, like a shadow had fallen over him and you. It was enough of an answer. Hoseok silently leads you back to your room, his soul feeling too heavy for his vessel as he recalled that awful memory. Has Jin confirmed it with you? Was he not able to? 

“Is Jin okay?” he hears you mutter.

Hoseok only gives your shoulder a quick squeeze, not saying the words out loud: I don’t know.

***

No, Jin is not okay. 

Namjoon catches a glimpse of him heading for one of the rooms where the liquor cabinet is. He doesn’t think much of it but a hunch made him get up from his seat and follow the older man. If only he knew what had transpired upstairs, maybe he would have quickened his steps because just as he enters the room, Jin is already holding a bottle of dark whiskey, the kind that people go for to numb pain you can’t physically see, the kind that painkillers don't work on. 

Only slightly curious, Namjoon quietly sits in one of the armchairs, opening up his book and pretending to read. Jin carries the crystal bottle towards the sliding door that leads to the back of the house and after a five-second pause, opens the door and goes outside. He doesn’t even acknowledge Namjoon in the room with him and that should’ve been the biggest warning flag. He should’ve easily noticed that Namjoon’s book is upside down.

See, the thing about living for centuries together, you develop a bond unlike any other that when something bad happens to one or the other, you’d feel it deep in your bones. Dread that starts from your bone marrow and seeps into your bloodstream, slowly poisoning you until even your own saliva tastes bitter as you swallow. That’s what Namjoon is experiencing now as he watches Jin’s back among the tall reeds as he goes further and further away towards the tree line. He might be able to feel the darkness but it’s nothing that he can confirm to be of any consequence. That’s what Hoseok is feeling, too, as he shuts your door quietly behind him. 

The foreboding impression that one of them is about to go into the deep end creeps down all six backs. It’s a familiar feeling, of course, one they learned to recognize easily now after much hard-learned lessons. Hoseok is in the middle of the staircase when Namjoon comes up to him, telling him what he already suspected. The question is, would he be able to reach the long forgotten waterfall?

Jimin and Jungkook argued that the pathway had been sealed, that it will be more than overgrown now. The waterfall itself would have disappeared, too, dried up as the environment changes. But Hoseok doesn’t want to hear logic or arguments; he wants to find Jin and bring him back. 

“He won’t come back,” Yoongi had said matter-of-factly. “You know he won’t. Not until he’s faced with it.” He’s ignoring the fact that Jin might not be sober, having faith that the eldest had always been the reasonable one. Jin won’t do anything stupid. Right?

“There’s no reason to go back there,” replied Namjoon, somewhat annoyed. He’s been pacing the floor, tugging at his hair from the roots. “We could’ve talked things out. What is he thinking?!”

Jungkook stands up, unable to ignore the unsettling feeling in his stomach. “I’m going after him. Before he hurts himself.”

The others agree and start preparing themselves. The sun is still high in the sky and there will still be a few more hours left before it gets dark but flashlights were among the things they packed. Just in case. As they’re about to leave the house, Jimin suddenly has half a mind to ask for your whereabouts. 

Hoseok answers, “She’s in her room, taking a nap.”

“No, she’s not.” They all look up to see Oliviera standing in the doorway with an annoyed look on her face. “She’s gone to take a walk. Left half an hour ago.” When they all stare back at her blankly, she scoffs, “It would be good if you start being more aware of your surroundings.” 

They watch her walk away, mumbling under her breath. The six men exchange looks, mouth slacking open and the blood draining from their faces as they realise too late where you are going. 

~~~

Death in itself is natural. A necessary thing to keep the cycle of life going.

It’s one thing to live multiple lives throughout the centuries because those lives don’t really blend together. They’re separate; separate people, separate stories, separate…me. But dying and being brought back to life is like having one foot through the door and it makes you somewhat wonder if all of you ever made it back to this side, or if a piece of you is lost forever. Gone through the abyss. The chasm. The other side, or whatever they call it. 

I trudge through the grass, heading to where I last saw Jin. I heard the others talk about how to handle him, how to talk to him, but none of them mentioned going after him. Maybe they understood to give Jin the space he needed but to me, needing space doesn’t quite equal to walking into the forest alone, empty-handed except for a bottle of Macallan. Somehow I knew deep in my heart that it’s got everything to do with me and if I didn’t bring him back to the house then we’re all doomed. It’s a funny notion but it felt like the truth. 

As I walk down the barely visible path, I keep thinking about having died by drowning. Neither Jin or Hoseok ever verbally confirmed if that happened but the look on their faces had been clear enough. Weirdly, it didn’t scare me but it does somehow, in a twisted way, explain my fear of water. It makes sense. A lot of people believe in incarnation and for traumas and scars of those lived lives to resurface in the current one is plausible. It aligns. Does it explain my fear of dark places, too? Or was that from a different life? I wouldn’t know until I know the circumstances of what had actually happened and the only one who can tell me that is the person I’m blindly following into the woods.

There used to be a waterfall somewhere in here, that much I heard from the boys’ conversation. If my hunch is correct (it feels more than a hunch, like a buzzing in my soul), then it’s exactly the place where it happened. But the deeper into the woods I go, the more the little path starts to fade out and then disappear altogether. I walk on a little more, stubborn from admitting that I am what I am: lost. Hopelessly lost in the woods. 

I heave a sigh, rotating in a small circle, looking around the tall trees. I consider my options: one, go back to the house and face the consequence of my stupid actions in the form of six angry men that I had walked out without a word or two, keep going and get even more lost and perhaps just die out there in the woods alone, eaten by a wolf or a bear. Fuck, I didn’t even consider the wild animals that could be living here. The dread sinks in and suddenly my surroundings feel ten times scarier. 

Hoseok is going to be so pissed. Jimin, too. The others would be disappointed that I worry them but those two won’t shy away from telling it how it is. 

Wait a minute. Neither of them have ever been angry with me. Was that a previous memory thing again? I let out a frustrating groan, holding my head in between both hands. At times like this, it just feels like I’m living in someone else’s skin, pretending to be someone I’m not. Everything feels not enough and too much at the same time, like trying to recall something that’s sitting on the tip of your tongue but never being able to remember, feeling like I should remember because they are my thoughts, my memories. My life. And yet, they’re not. Not quite.

Something soft brushes against my leg and I jump up, yelping. 

“Mreoww.”

“Karma!” I look at the cat in disbelief. “What are you doing here?”

The cat’s twin tails swish vigorously, his eyes piercing mine. He walks ahead a few steps, tails sticking up straight in the air. He looks back once, eyes glinting with such knowledge it’s almost like I can hear him. Come. Follow me.

I watch Karma take a few more steps forward, stop and look back again. This time I got the message. 

“Take me to Jin,” I say, following behind him, knowing that he’s already doing exactly just that.

~~~

Seokjin is walking blindly, the bottle of whiskey he carried with him earlier gone a long time ago, flung to the foot of some random tree but not before he finished the last drop. 

He is very much drunk, swaying on his feet as the world tilts from side to side with every step. He feels hot and a little sick but it’s impressive how focused he is on reaching the destination he has set in his mind. Honestly, he didn’t mean to get this inebriated, that wasn’t his intention. He had only needed the dark fiery liquor as a means to not chicken out. It helped him give him the strength and courage he needed, albeit temporary. Now, he’s starting to regret going a little bit too far. 

The others will be angry, he has no doubt about it. Imagine that; the most level-headed of them is now tumbling through the woods looking for a place he hasn’t been to for decades, half out of his mind, literally, just to…what? What exactly is the reason for him searching for that damned waterfall? 

“Take me there, Jinnie,” you had pouted, stamping your feet a little like a kid. “I want to go for a swim, Jinnie. It’s perfect weather. Please, Jinnie.”

You had begged and whined and literally clung to him the whole week with that pretty pout on your face that Jin had more than once bent over to leave a peck or two, cheekily riling you on with a simple, “No, thank you” to your request before walking away. He blamed only himself for even speaking about the place a few weeks back when they had all talked about where to go now that summer was there. 

It was during dinner and among the suggestions of going to the beach or the lake in the next town over, Jin had casually said, “Why not the waterfall in our own backyard?” 

Obviously it was met with a lot of pushbacks. Namjoon and Yoongi are both convinced that it was too deep in the woods while Taehyung complained about mosquitoes. Jungkook mulled over the idea for a bit but Jimin reminded that it would be a hassle to lug all the picnic stuff through dense trees for miles. So it was agreed upon by the majority that it was not the best idea and it was dropped. Or so he thought. 

You, on the other hand, had broached the idea again that night before bed as you laced your fingers through his. It took everything in Jin to keep a serious face, reiterating what Jimin had said about it being too difficult to carry things there. He tried to discourage you with mosquito bites and it being humid and hours of trekking until you finally relented. For the night, that was.

But Jin isn’t much of a strong soldier when you are the opponent; then, now or ever. He finally gave in a week later (a record time, actually) with a compromise that it would be a date, just for the two of you to minimise items to carry. A hike, just you and Jin. You had tried to get Yoongi to come along too but he had been too busy with the roof repair. It had been raining a lot the past couple of weeks but the huge thunderstorm yesterday was the final straw that threatened to cave the roof in and he couldn’t procrastinate any longer now that there was a leak in the master bedroom, lest he wanted a swimming pool in the ceiling.

So Jin had spent hours in the early morning meticulously preparing the food. He had woken up at five in the morning, hardly sleepy but a little excited, against his better judgement. He wasn’t a hiking kind of person, that was Namjoon and occasionally Hoseok if the place was right. Jungkook had come down a little after six, woken by the smell of food only to stare into space in the middle of the kitchen before Jin ushered him back to bed with the promise that there would be extra left for when he was actually fully awake.

You came bounding into the kitchen a little earlier than he expected and you both packed everything together into a little rucksack, an attempt to keep your loads light. You rationalised that you didn’t need to pack a change of clothes because you could both just come back when you’re done. The trek back home would dry you off plenty so no need for towels either. Only one rucksack of food and a flask of juice and a picnic mat. Some cutleries and napkins. That was all. 

Jin could even still hear the promise you made to Yoongi as you left out the door, that you’ll both be back after lunchtime, that you’d help him with the roof after (Yoongi countering that no, that was not needed because he didn’t want you up on the roof with him, that Taehyung would be home to help instead so no worries, you can just enjoy yourselves). It was when he watched you wave goodbye to Yoongi that the heavy feeling crept in. But he didn’t know. He couldn’t have.

I took you here, he thinks now. It’s my fault. That stain on your soul, I put it there.

But going back to the place where it happened isn’t going to change anything but in the absence of sobriety, the logic eludes him. He’s not even sure why he’s heading there but he guesses that he just needs to see it. He hasn’t been there since it happened; neither of them had. They had tried to cover the pathway, blocking it from ever being accessed, but now, somehow, Jin’s feet are taking him there, oblivious to the tiny scratches along his calves and his arms, the stray branches nicking his neck and cheeks as he pushes through the growth. 

~~~

Being a cat means that Karma is gracefully moving through the undergrowth, leaving me stumbling behind him, desperate to keep up and not getting poked in the eye with a branch or whatnot.

The grasses are getting taller and I’m getting more and more anxious of coming across a snake or worse, stepping on one. But Karma doesn’t even seem wary; odd for a cat but then again he was an outdoor adventurer before I brought him in. Is this wood familiar to him?

The stupidity of the reality of following a cat crosses my mind more than a few times because how do I even know where he’s taking me? Why am I so sure that he’s leading me to Jin? Jin could’ve turned back around and I wouldn’t even know it, leaving me alone with the dumb idea to think that a cat is taking me where I want to go. But an innate feeling tells me I should trust the cat which keeps looking back at me every few minutes with those blue-yellow orbs of his as if making sure my two clumsy feet, as opposed to his lithe four, are keeping up fine. 

“Do you have to go so fast?” I ask exasperatedly after another branch whips into my face. Karma actually pauses, sits on a log and licks his front paw lazily. He gives me a judgemental look before turning around and bounding off. I roll my eyes. 

My focus is solely on finding Jin, so much so that I completely forgot about the other six back at the house who are currently, unbeknown to me, facing another bigger problem.

~~~

Jin arrives.

Nostalgia is a mind trick because the place isn’t as pretty as the memory in his head, albeit the bitter experience. The waterfall had dried up and the pond beneath it was murky and overgrown with water plants that almost covered the surface of the dark, dirty water. Jin can’t even fathom bringing you here on a picnic date. The place looks more like the heavy feeling in Jin’s chest whenever he thinks about that day he pulled you out of the water than the small piece of heaven he and Namjoon had pridefully boasted the day they found it. 

This place, like all of your past lives, had died.

Standing there, eyes glued to the middle of the dark pond, Jin is sucked into the memory he tries so hard to push to the back burner. He reasoned with himself every time that you were alright after all and everything was fine so he could let go, but the more he tries to forget, the guiltier he feels. It wasn’t just your heart that stopped beating for two minutes; his did, too. And it never beat right again after that, the rhythm wonky and jagged, at times like a bird in too small a cage. 

That part of you that died in the water, is it still there? If he goes into the water, would he be able to retrieve the broken piece of your soul and make you a little bit more whole? Jin sighs heavily. He doesn’t think it would make much of a difference. Putting only a tiny fragment of something that broke in a million different ways won’t change a thing. There are just too many scars, too many traumas contained in that body of yours, with or without your knowing. 

Out of all the things Jin wants, one of them is to heal you; to take away all your pain and suffering. If he could trade your soul with his, if he could bear all of your crosses, he would do it in a heartbeat. He knows damn well, too, that so will the others (he’ll never forget how Jungkook literally dove in front of a bullet for you, in one of those lives but that’s a story for another time). 

With another deep sigh, Jin plops himself down on a horizontal rotting log, eyes never leaving the water surface. The sun is no longer above the treeline and the lighting seems muted. In the silence, he longs for you, wishing he could feel your arms around his shoulders and hear your voice telling him how stupid he’s being right now. His head is starting to pound and the world is swaying from side to side. His alcohol-soaked brain is starting to get the better of him because why is he seeing you climbing up the side of the waterfall again, grinning at him ear to ear. 

He stands up, tilting a bit to one side and he feels like he might be sick. You scale to the top, waving at him happily. “Get down from there,” he tried to say but the words felt too heavy for his tongue to form properly. No. Not again. Please. If there’s a god out there, please not again. 

Jin shuffles forward, tripping over his own feet, calling out to you. The sound of the waterfall is deafening in his ears and he tries his best to shout over the noise. He moves forward, shoes sinking into the water as he desperately wills his body to keep moving, to get to you before you jump. He’s too slow, body too big, too heavy. No. Stop. Don’t. Don’t jump. 

But you do - into the water with a splash only in Jin’s head. Adrenaline surges and for a moment his vision clears a little bit and the world stops trying to upend him off his feet. He wades in the water, screaming your name. Something catches against his legs but with brute force, he wrenches himself free. Later, he’ll feel the burn but for now, all he can do is try and catch you when you fall. He can be ready this time. He can stop it from happening this time. He can save you this time.

With one last wave with a smile that outshines the sun, you jump. And Jin dives under the water after you.

A few feet behind him, standing on the log he had been sitting just minutes ago, you look in horror as Jin disappears into the water. 

Back at the manor…

Oliviera stares open-mouthed at the six ghosts standing in the hallway, their pale faces mirroring hers. 

Hoseok stares at his semi-translucent hands, feeling the icy cold fingers of dread creeping down his neck like someone had just doused him in cold water. Their backpacks had thumped straight to the floor loudly the moment their shoulders were no longer solid and Jimin thinks that fear is such an insignificant word to describe this sinking feeling in his stomach. His hands shake.

“What’s happening?” Jungkook asks, his voice sounding a lot more like the teenager they raised than the adult that he is, eyes wide and looking around.

Hoseok and Namjoon exchange looks but neither of them has an answer. Yoongi slumps to his knees, his legs feeling like jelly. His chest is tight and every breath is like claws dragging down the inside of his ribcage. He knows he’s right before the words even come out of his mouth: “Jin. It’s Jin.”

It takes all but zero point two seconds between when the words sink in and when they dash out the door, opting to go through it like the ghosts that they are and straight down towards the back of the house. But ghosts are bound to the places that they haunt and so Solomon’s Manor pulls them back, stopping them just before the ravine, a hundred feet or so away from the edge of the woods. So close, yet so far away.

Jungkook screams for his hyung, a voice that barely reaches the treeline and Jimin bursts into tears, fisting his shirt above where his heart is supposed to be because the pain there is excruciating. Yoongi stares forlornly into the distance, holding Taehyung by the waist as the other man’s face is buried in Yoongi’s shoulder. Hoseok’s fists lay helplessly by his sides but Namjoon doesn’t stop from trying to break away from the invisible force that keeps them bound to the house; a curse so old they’ve lived a thousand lives. He twists, he turns and he yells to the sky but all in vain. Solomon’s Manor keeps them from reaching Jin.

 A thousand lives and yet nothing as bad as this ever happened. The threat of bad omens has always followed you, never them. Immortal beings have no qualms about the other side that it never crossed their minds that their own lives could ever be in danger. Death has only been associated with you, the cycle jumping your soul from one body to the next. It never occurred that it could happen to them when it has been aeons with no rest; the same souls residing in the same bodies as the century bled into the next. 

“She’ll find him,” comes a voice, although shaky, from behind. Hoseok turns around to see Oliviera had followed them, wringing her hands together at her chest. Her face is pale as her eyes are set towards the wood. “She’ll bring him home.”

She must, Hoseok thinks, a thought that rings cohesive among all of them standing there. 

You have to trust me, too. 

Your words ring in his head. He stiffens his upper lip, but his hands remain fisted.  

Above them, thick clouds roll in, dark as the future seems to be.

a/n: Look at that! Two updates in one year! Productive! Lmao

Next coming...someday

Go to Series Masterlist!

Check out my other works → :MASTERLIST:

Taglist (open): @effielumiere @queen-in-the-shadows @singukieee @ot7nem @thelewddreamer @jaxavance

a/n2: Some others are no longer using the same acc or username therefore I've removed them. If you see this and still would like to be on the taglist, do let me know. If you're not yet added but like to be also let me know. Cheers!

[chroniclesofbts]

Break my Walls P. 1

Genre: A/B/O, Poly BTS and Reader

Warnings: none for this chapter, eventual smut, slow burn, angst, fluff

“Get up Omega, Alpha Dae wants the whole pack preparing for the Choi packs arrival” Beta San said, throwing my covers on the ground.

“And what is the rule about making a nest?” He questioned.

“It’s not a-” I cut myself off, “nests are a waste of time and resources that Alphas need.”

“At least you can remember the rules, get dressed and get downstairs” he barked walking out of the room.

I pick up the sheets off the ground and flatten them on the bed. I move the pillows back to the head of the bed. I must have moved them in my sleep again. I sighed, heading to the chest at the end of the bed and pulled out my only pair of jeans and a T-shirt left by one of the older Omegas. Pulling my hair back into a pony tail, I begin to climb down the ladder from the attic where the omegas sleep.

Omegas in the Kang pack are at the bottom of the totem pole, just like in every other pack. We are taught to stay out of sight unless called upon and obey orders. Omegas are good for pleasure and pups. Next month, I step into that role, replacing an omega who forgot her place, at least that’s what Pack Alpha Dae said.

“Y/N! Come quick, before Alpha Dae sees that you’re late” Sunhee whispered, motioning to the spot beside her. Sunhee was another Omega in my pack, she has been Alpha Dae’s personal Omega for 3 years now. The longest any Omega has lasted. She works hard, always showing off Alpha Dae’s marks. She’s already proven herself useful to the pack, having a little boy last summer. He looks just like Alpha Dae, everyone knows he will be an Alpha. After all, Sunhee is still here.

“Omegas! I want tonight’s dinner to be perfect! We have just received word that two more packs will be joining us. Both Lee and Kim will arrive at 5 P.M. so I expect this house spotless and food ready by then” Alpha Dae announced before going to his chambers, signaling Sunhee to follow.

“Alpha Dae muse be stressed to pull Sunhee to his chambers immediately” Hana whispered to me before grabbing the cleaning supplies and leaving.

“Y/N, you are in charge of dessert. We always get such positive reviews from our guests when you make them. The rest of you, same jobs as usual” Hei-Ran, our pack omega stated. All Omegas immediately got to work, preparing for three packs to arrive by the end of the day.

*4:30 P.M.*

Pulling the last pie from the oven, I set it on the counter with the rest of the desserts. I prayed that I made enough, or else Alpha Dae would see that I was punished. Our pack has 150 people, 100 Alphas, 30 Betas, and 20 Omegas. The Choi pack is similar in numbers, with more 120 Alphas, 10 Betas, and 20 Omegas. The Omegas and the Betas don’t eat what the Alphas eat usually, but with the news of the Lee and Kim pack joining, Alpha Dae has made a room for the Betas and a room for the Omegas to dine. The Lee pack is the second most sought after pack, with only nine people, they don’t accept new members frequently. The last Alpha that joined their all Alpha pack was six years ago. The Kim Pack is the top sought after pack, and quite the mystery. All that’s known of them is that they were in a different pack and left together. There’s seven people, no one knows what their sub gender is, just that they are all men. They all wear scent blockers and make decisions together, leading most to believe they are all Alphas. They don’t take in new members and rarely come out to meet with other packs.

“Please tell me the desserts are done, Y/N” Sunhee said, walking into the kitchen. She had a few new bruises and reeked of Alpha Dae. “The Kim pack just arrived, and Alpha Dae is panicking. You’d think he was being attacked” she continued, looking at all of the desserts on the counters.

“Don’t touch them, they are still hot. Also, this section goes to the Alpha’s table. These are the Omega desserts” I pointed, while cleaning up.

Voices drifted down the hall, Alpha Dae giving a tour to the Kim Pack. The rumors were true, the only scent I could pick up was Alpha Dae’s.

“And this is the kitchen!” Alpha Dae exclaimed. I immediately dropped my eyes to the floor, giving a small bow to the pack.

“Our Omegas worked hard to prepare today’s meal, our desserts are well known by the pack too. You all chose a great day to visit.”

“Thank you for having us on such short notice, The Choi pack has asked for our input on today’s meeting.” The voice was strong and confident, clearly their pack Alpha.

“The desserts smell wonderful, I am sure they will taste just as good” an angelic voice spoke, their compliment causing heat to creep up my neck.

“Let’s continue on with the tour” Alpha Dae said, as footsteps left the kitchen.

“You should follow your pack, Sir. Our Alpha doesn’t take kindly to his Omegas being in the presence of other packs.” Sunhee spoke lowly, trying to keep our pack Alpha from hearing. This cause me to look up to see who she was speaking to. There in the doorway to the kitchen, stood the most beautiful man I have ever seen. It’s unfair how good looking he was. His hair was dark, and longer than any of our pack members were allowed to wear it. His lips were plump, pulled into a small grin. He was tall and had broad shoulders, barely fitting in the frame of the door. And his eyes, they were locked right on me. I immediately looked away and began portioning the desserts. Uncomfortable with receiving anyone’s attention.

“Your Alpha sure does like to mark what’s his, doesn’t he?” The man addressed Sunhee.

“And yours must not be worried about another Alpha trying to take what’s his” Sunhee shot back, causing the man to chuckle.

“Oh we all like to leave our marks on one another, our marks just would never be left with such carelessness. We like our marks to show our love, not stake a claim” he replied.

“Sunhee! Show the Kim pack their rooms!” Alpha Dae demanded from upstairs, ignorant that he was missing one of the pack members. Sunhee rushed upstairs, leaving me alone with the strange man.

“You made all of these?” He asked me, coming closer to see the variety of desserts I was placing on trays.

“Yes sir” I responded, trying to focus on placing the desserts perfectly, with my shaking hands. Having this man standing so close made you nervous, and not just because of his beauty.

“Is there anything I can help you with, sir?” You ask, certain that was the only reason he was still in the kitchen. Maybe he was hungry, his pack did travel a long way to reach yours.

“I do not need anything, just the conversation of a pretty girl” he replied smoothly, confusing you. His pack wasn’t know to go out of their way to have conversations with anyone. What exactly did he want from you.

“Well, Sunhee should return any moment” you say, moving into the Omega trays.

“Those are Omega specific desserts, aren’t they.”he states more than questions.

“They are, how did you know that?” You paused, glancing at him.

“Jin hyung! There you are, come, we have to change before dinner begins.” A different man stated as he bounced into the kitchen. His hair was similar length as Jin’s was and he was the same height. His lips formed a heart when he smiled, he was full of energy.

“I am coming Hobi, was just admiring the work of this Omega” Jin replied, pushing him out of the door. I released a breath I didn’t know I was holding.

“Oh, and Omega? I wasn’t speaking of Sunhee earlier” he winked, before disappearing from view. I felt my face heat up from his words. What a strange man, he must not have really looked at Sunhee. Or maybe it was because she still held Alpha Dae’s scent.

Lost in my thoughts as I went back to the attic to change, I failed to look where I was going, running straight into someone’s chest.

“Woah, sorry Omega, I wasn’t paying attention to where I was going.” The voice said, grabbing ahold of my shoulders to steady me. “My names Namjoon, you were one of the Omegas in the kitchen. Your desserts smelled amazing. Jin said how you had desserts dedicated to Omegas. He was very impressed with your knowledge and variety of desserts.”

“Oh, it’s not often I get to make omega desserts, I had to make as many as I could for my packs omegas to experience” I rambled, freezing when I realized what I had said to a member of another pack. I looked up in alarm, waiting for the punishment of disrespecting my pack’s alphas, only to be met with a look of confusion.

“Why would-” He began, only to be interrupted my one of my alphas.

“Omega, clothes, now!” He barked, forcing my limbs to move, even if I didn’t want to. Leaving Namjoon standing in the hallway confused, as he watches me follow a command.

[aelinad]

Tangled Strings Of Fate (TSOF) - Navigation

To people who believe in meet cutes … and perhaps fate?

Chapter 01 - Convenience Store

Chapter 02 - Déjà vu

Chapter 03 - Texts

Chapter 04 - Outings

Chapter 05 - The Party

Chapter 06 - The Party Pt. 2

Chapter 07 - TBA

[nostxlgiax]

might not have (did not loose) | knj

title: might not have (did not loose) | knj

pairing: kim namjoon x reader

genre: drama, angst, smut (eventually)

word count: 6.1k words and counting

status: work in progress

synopsis: he's all she's ever known, til she knows nothing at all.)

warnings: descriptions of car accidents, descriptions of injury, depression, memory loss, temporary amnesia, mentions of medicine, flashbacks, non sexual intimacy, strangers to friends, friends to lovers. slow burn, eventual romance, eventual sex, (more tags to come)

"he feels familiar—" she explains with a frown. it makes her head too heavy and hot to find the words. "—like someone you've seen before? somewhere? everywhere?"

she sees him in the hall, talking animatedly in a way she wants to reserve for herself.

it's selfish.

senseless.

"—like someone you can't forget."

© copyright ciani jayde 2024

Keep Reading on AO3

note: hey there babes ! this is a [chaptered] work in progress that i'm so happy to share with you'll. if the aforementioned warnings and added tags look like your thing, let me know ! i’ll add any to the taglist. a masterlist of current, upcoming, and posted works will be created eventually; if you have any writing prompts you’d like me to fill, drabbled/request, send an ask ! ✧∘*

[clumsy-jiminie]

"Fine. Just for tonight and we never speak of it again."

"Like I'm gonna speak to you after this."

"Is this you promising to actually leave me alone? I might need to this this in writing."

ɪɴᴇᴠɪᴛᴀʙʟʏ ʏᴏᴜʀꜱ | ᴘᴊ��

↠ ɪɴ ᴡʜɪᴄʜ ᴛʜᴇ ʟɪɴᴇ ʙᴇᴛᴡᴇᴇɴ ʜᴀᴛᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ʟᴏᴠᴇ ɪꜱ ᴛʜɪɴ ᴀꜰᴛᴇʀ ᴀʟʟ. ↞

"we're not lovers, we're just strangers with the same damn hunger to be touched, to be loved, to feel anything at all."

- ꜱᴛʀᴀɴɢᴇʀꜱ, ʜᴀʟꜱᴇʏ & ʟᴀᴜʀᴇɴ ᴊᴀᴜʀᴇɢᴜɪ -

↣ summary :: Kiara Smith had dreamed of true love for as long as she could remember. from being obsessed with the Disney princesses who found affection in the strangest situations to dressing up as a bride from kindergarten to fourth grade. it was the only thing she ever truly desired, so much so that a pleasant smile and kind eyes could have her smitten in seconds. right when she thought she found the one, a chance encounter with Park Jimin—the city’s famously perfect fuck boy with a smile so warm and a heart of ice—has her feeling quite the opposite. he knocks her off her axis and derails her life as she knows it, yet the universe seems to have another plan for the two.

↣ rating :: 18+

↣ genre :: fluff, angst, smut, e2l, slow burn

↣ pairing :: business owner!jimin x fem!artist!oc ft. taehyung

↣ status :: ongoing ✍🏽

↣ notes :: this is something I've been working on here and there for a couple of years now, and I have fallen in love with kiara and jimin's relationship. their banter and how they bounce off of each other is so funny sometimes. these have been my favorite characters to write right next to broken codes. I hope you guys enjoy this story as much as I enjoyed writing it!

main m.list

if you have any questions, comments, or concerns PLEASE don't hesitate to message me or send me an ask! my inbox is always open. 💖

© all rights reserved @clumsy-jiminie 2024

↣ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ᴏɴᴇ

↣ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ᴛᴡᴏ

↣ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ᴛʜʀᴇᴇ

↣ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ꜰᴏᴜʀ

↣ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ꜰɪᴠᴇ

↣ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ꜱɪx

↣ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ꜱᴇᴠᴇɴ

↣ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ᴇɪɢʜᴛ

↣ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɴɪɴᴇ

↣ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ᴛᴇɴ

↣ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ᴇʟᴇᴠᴇɴ

↣ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ᴛᴡᴇʟᴠᴇ

[lynnettys-world]

CALM AFTER THE STORM |BTS OT7 X READER| HYBRID AU (M)

Pairing: OT7 BTS!HYBRID X FEM!HUMAN READER

Kim Namjoon: Black Mackenzie Valley Alpha wolf

Kim Soekjin: White Alpha Lion

Min Yoongi: White Alpha Jaguar

Jung Hosoek: Alpha Snow Leopard

Park Jimin : Alpha Albino Cobra

Kim Taehyung: Alpha White/ Bleached Tiger

Jeon Jungkook: Alpha Black Panther

Reader: Heaven Valentino Human

Status: Ongoing

RATED (M) FOR MATURE

WARNING: EVENTUAL SMUT, BLOOD GORE, DETAILED GRAPHIC DESCRIPTION, ABUSE (ALL FORMS), PROFANITY, VIOLENCE, MENTIONS OF SUICIDE, CHARACTER DEATH(MINOR), SADOMASOCHISM ACTS, MENTIONS OF BDSM, ETC...

Summary: Heaven Valentino, the name that sends shivers down one's spine, is a woman whose influence leaves a profound impact.

As the youngest and only daughter of the esteemed Valentino family, many perceived her as a privileged and helpless individual who relied solely on her family's support.

However, little did they know that this very woman would rise to power, commanding the world with an unwavering determination.

Heaven's demeanor is one devoid of leniency; she refuses to tolerate even the slightest hint of absurdity. Her exterior holds an air of ethereal fragility, reminiscent of a precarious deity.

Yet, beneath this facade lies a heart of gold, a tenderness she reveals only to her loved ones. It is a contrast that intrigues many and keeps them guessing about her true nature.

Meanwhile, the story takes a compelling turn as the lives of seven rare hybrids intertwine with Heaven's destiny.

These hybrids, perfected through careful conditioning, represent a diverse array of predator species. Bound together by their unique circumstances, they hold on to a glimmer of hope for freedom, relying on their deep mutual affection to retain their sanity throughout their hardships.

A collision occurs, abruptly merging the paths of these hybrids with Heaven's own trajectory.

The question beckons: will their lives be elevated under Heaven's influence, or shall they descend into an abyss of despair from which recovery seems impossible?

Embark on this thrilling journey to discover the true potency of Heaven Valentino and witness the extraordinary consequences that unfold when lives intertwine with her unwavering will.

The answers lie within the pages of this captivating narrative, where boundaries shall be pushed, emotions shall run high, and destinies shall collide.

Read to find out more...

MATERIALIST

AUTHOR-NIM

Hey there!

So, let's dive into this book, shall we? First things first, if you're expecting a soft and fluffy story with cute scenes and characters, this might not be the book for you. Nope, this book is definitely not for the faint-hearted!

Now, let's talk about what you can expect. There will be some selected bonus chapters, specifically requested by you awesome readers. I want to make sure you're getting exactly what you're looking for!

But here's the thing, I won't shy away from deep and dark scenes. Brace yourself for some intense moments that might even trigger you. I believe in portraying real emotions and experiences, even if they're not always sunshine and rainbows.

Oh, one more thing. Plagiarism and translations of my work without permission? Not cool! I've poured my heart and soul into this book, so if I catch you doing that, I won't hesitate to report you. Let's keep things fair and respect each other's work, deal?

Now, criticism is totally fine. Feel free to express your opinions about the characters' behavior! But here's a line, folks. Degrading the characters or expecting them to follow your personal agenda? Nope, not allowed. We're here for a good time, not to pick a fight!

Okay, here's the deal with the pace of the story: slow-burn. Yep, you heard it right. We're taking our time, letting the story and relationships develop at a deliciously slow pace. So, if you're all about that slow-burn anticipation, you're in for a treat!

Now, let's talk about some ground rules. Racial, prejudiced, and intolerant comments? Not welcome at all! I won't tolerate any form of discrimination. If I catch you doing that, I'll report you faster than you can say "oops." Respect is key here, folks. Respect the characters and respect your fellow readers. No irrelevant arguments or fan wars allowed in the comments section. Let's keep it chill and focus on the story, okay?

Now, finally, let's talk about the content warning. Brace yourself, because this book has it all. We're talking blood, gore, sexual abuse, profanity, explicit mature themes, violence, mental trauma, and even torture. Yes, it's intense, but it's all part of the story. I just want to make sure you're aware before you dive in.

One more thing, I want to make it crystal clear that I don't own BTS or HYBE. This is all pure entertainment and should not be taken seriously. But everything else? Yeah, that's all mine.

If you're not comfortable with any of this, I totally understand. Maybe this book isn't the right fit for you, and that's okay! But if you're up for the challenge, buckle up and get ready for an exciting ride. I wish you the best of luck as you embark on this journey with me!

Author: Lynnetty Lee Mubanga.

All rights reserved.

©Lee.

Now, my friend, it's time to sit back, relax, and enjoy this wild ride!

Oh, the Tag list is open so feel free to ask me to add you to the taglist.

[azucarmorena97]

Money Ties (Jungkook Love Story || Pt.3)

Pt.2 || Pt.4

Your parents have worked hard to get to the top and have made sure to teach you everything you need to know to be successful in this business: from tough but lucrative financial decisions, down to the right ball gown for any given banquet. A promising and extravagant future awaits you- that is, if you agree to one teensy detail...

Son of Mr.Jeon Sr. and heir to June Company, Jeon Jungkook is an immature playboy with nothing to offer a woman but good looks and a crap ton of money, and he stands to inherit much MUCH more, so long as you both enter into the arranged marriage contract that was drawn up before the pair of you were even born.

You're more than willing to try, but you're not sure you'll be able to stand each other long enough to inherit a single penny...

Series Warnings: There will be smut in the near future and I will label those chapters as such. As I say before most of my pieces- I do not endorse any themes, ideas, or behaviors in this series. This is all purely fiction/fantasy! Feel free to inbox me suggestions/ideas/what you'd like to see in this series and I'll see what I can do! Enjoy <3

Recap: "I hope you know you didn't ruin anything. My husband and I feel very strongly, even more so now, that you're the perfect fit fr our family." Your heartbeat picks up in your chest; you were sure you blew your chance to bits, but here she is, offering it all on a silver platter for you.

On your way back to your suite, you try calling your dad three different times, and each time the calls go straight to voicemail. For the most part, you've gotten used to getting his voicemail and can even recite it word for word- but right now, him being here for you is crucial. Even though your mom couldn't make the time to actually be here, at least she shows she cares, even if it is through blowing up your phone every hour; at least it's something. She even helped pick out the gifts for the Jeons: gold cuff links for Mr.Jeon, a lovely pair of jade earrings for Mrs.Jeon, and a silver chain with a medallion fo Jungkook. All your life, your dad said he couldn't wait to be there for when you would finally sign the agreement that they'd spent years tailoring and planning, only to cancel last minute because of work. Well, if he wants to leave you out in the cold to figure this out by yourself, then you're gonna do it your way.

Once inside the suite, you peel off the pretty little outfit you'd carefully put together for tea and toss it onto the bed, switching into a pair of baggy sweats and an oversized sweater, and the warmest socks you packed. You're finally going to dive into the manila envelope. You plop yourself into bed and take out everything, ignoring the initial feeling of being overwhelmed at the sight of the busy papers, looking past the legal jargon to find the bare bones of it all. In a matter of twenty minutes, you're completely locked in; you highlight, circle, annotate, even cross out some parts. You slowly realize how little your parents are settling for in this "partnership", as your dad likes to call it. According to this contract, their precious daughter is only worth 15% of the 'Jeon Empire', while Jeon Jungkook will be the majority owner of June Company, including hotels, restaurants, as well as owning shares in your parents' company and other smaller endeavors. Well, that just won't do. If you're going to be committing yourself to a marriage, it's for the long haul. All of your adolescent and teenage years were spent avoiding boys like the plague for fear of getting too attached and ruining your parents' dream for your life. Even your college years have been all about work and climbing up the ladder to get to this point- 15% is horse shit.

After three agonizingly long hours, the contract looks like a Frankensteined version of itself; torn apart and put back together. You hold it up in triumph- you almost want to take a picture just for the memories. "Proud of you," B/f/n says through a loud yawn. You had to call her about an hour in for moral support. "No, don't be tired. You can't be tired. It's still early!" "Hun, it's 3AM here." "Oh right..." You sigh, stuffing the contract back in the envelope, "I forgot about the time difference... ugh, I'm just so bored here. I have nothing to do." "Girl, you're at a whole luxurious hotel, all expenses paid- if I were you, I'd be doing a spa day, visiting the restaurants, drinking up all their liquor- you just don't like being alone." You roll your eyes. She's right, of course, but you're not gonna give her any validation. "I guess I'll just try to get some sleep...I have a big day tomorrow." "What time are you meeting them?" "We're meeting for brunch at 11." "First it was 'high tea' and now Brunch," She echoes with a sleepy smile, "How classy." You roll your eyes, "Good night, B/f/n," You laugh. She waves lazily and then you hang up the phone. "Well, since this is an all expenses paid hotel..." You bite your lip and look over at the door, "...I'm gonna go use their copier."

AT 6AM, your alarm goes off scaring you violently awake. It had taken you hours to finally fall asleep in the first place. You'd tried to close your eyes after your face time, but ended up tossing and turning until 2AM. This jet lag is something else. Or maybe it was stress for today; I mean, you are preparing to sign a contract to marry a man you hardly know (and also kinda hate), which was essentially created when you weren't even a thought in your parents' mind yet, which will, in turn, lead to lifelong stability for you and your family as well as further growth for your family's businesses so everything is kind of on your shoulders and will all fall apart if you don't do your respective part- oh God, you might have a panic attack and you haven't even gotten out of bed yet.

You speed through your morning routine so that you can look over your edits again, though as soon as you sit down, your phone begins to buzz with all your incoming notifications. You scroll through, ignoring some texts, answering a few emails- and then you come across one from your dad from an hour ago. You take a sip of your coffee as you open up the message and, when you do, you almost spit the coffee out against the pretty clean white hotel wall. Staring at you is the "finalized contract" (or so it's entitled) that your dad made 'edits' on for you to print out and sign. You look over the entire thing and with every sentence you read, you feel the anger rising in you. The "edits" he made didn't even make the deal that much better for you, not to mention, how can your dad flake on you in regards to coming on this trip, ignore your calls and texts, but still have the nerve to send me this shitty contract at the asscrack of dawn on the DAY OF the supposed signing? Fuck that. You're gonna send them your draft and your parents can cry about it. You're done doing things their way. You open up your laptop and quickly go to your saved files, opening up YOUR finalized version that you'd scanned and re-typed. You cue it up in a message and type in Mr. and Mrs.Jeon's email addresses, along with their lawyer's email. For a moment, you hesitate, letting the mouse hover over the 'send' button, but then you count how many times your parents have made you feel completely alone in just the duration of this trip, plus every time you've had to make yourself small for others to be big- "Fuck it." You hit send and then close your laptop to put your outfit together for brunch.

Brunch is held on the balcony at their hotel restaurant, Juniper. The vibe is definitely upper class, and you see it's bustling with guests. "Hello, Miss; will you be dining alone?" The hostess asks. You shake your head, "No, actually- I'm with the Jeon party." Her eyes widen for a second before she bows, "Oh yes, Ms.L/n, allow me to show you to your table. You smile and bow in return, feeling slightly embarrassed that she clearly felt the urge to kiss your ass a little extra just for being associated with the Jeons. She leads you around the corner to a wall of windows, much like the ones on the roof top when you'd gone for tea. As she opens the double doors, you see Mr. and Mrs.Jeon sat at a table straight ahead, Jungkook's back facing you. Your heart starts beating rapidly in your chest; it's happening. This is it. The entire ride here, you were psyching yourself up saying you'd be confident and strong and that if they didn't like the changes you'd made to the contract, they could kiss your ass- but right now, you feel your legs might turn to Jello. "Y/n!" Mrs.Jeon calls out excitedly, getting out of her seat and running over to you. Mr.Jeon and Jungkook look over in your direction; one giving you a big smile and the other...with a rather unreadable expression on his face. You smile and bow, "Good morning everyone." She politely dismisses the hostess and guides you to the table, where Mr.Jeon and Jungkook are standing to greet you. "Annyeonghasimnikka," You bow again. "So polite, isn't she Jungkook?" Mr.Jeon says, lightly hitting Jungkook's shoulder. You bow slightly, "Hello, Jungkook." He nods, "Hey." "Please, sit," Mrs.Jeon says. You immediately notice that Mr.Jeon is wearing the cuff links you'd gotten him, and Mrs.Jeon is wearing the earrings; Jungkook seemed to be the only one not wearing his gift. Figures. "We haven't ordered just yet so you have some time to think about what you want." "Oh that's okay, I'll take whatever you recommend." "Oh, I love that. I'm getting you my favorite- the praline french toast is so good paired with the fritata and...the eggs benedict with salmong." "Sounds good," You laugh, finding it endearing how excited she is. You wonder if she ever chews Jungkook out like your mom does to you You spend most of the time talking to Mr. and Mrs.Jeon; basic chit chat about life, how the food was, and other pleasantries- until Mr.Jeon receives a call and excuses himself from the table for a moment. Then, Mrs.Jeon says she wants to check in with the chef about something really quickly, leaving you and Jungkook at the table alone. You take a sip on your mimosa and then turn to him, "How are you, Jungkook?" He straightens up a bit and clears his throat, "I'm fine. How about yourself?" "I'm good...I- I'm hopeful that today's meeting goes well." He nods slowly, seeming deeply pensive about what you've said, "Well, it should be quite lucrative for you if it does." His tone is almost bitter-sounding. You furrow your brows, not liking how he's making it seem that you'd be the only one benefiting. "Well, according to the contract, it should be quite beneficial for the both of us, wouldn't you say?" "Oh, please. What are pennies to bills," He scoffs. "I mean, considering you can't even get a penny of mommy and daddy's money unless you get married, I'd say we're in the same boat," You lean back, deciding you're done with the niceties. He wants to be a jerk? Two can play. He glares at you, knowing you're right but, of course, refusing to admit it. "Don't you ever get tired?" "Of what?" He asks, face scrunching in annoyance. "Of the stick up your ass?" You smirk, crossing one leg over the other as your swirl your glass from the stem. "This whole thing is fucked and you know it," He says, throwing himself against the backrest of the chair in defeat. You nod slowly and thoughtfully, "Maybe, but as I always says, 'Anything worth having is worth fighting for.'" He rolls his eyes, "Whatever."

"Sorry, Kids. I just had to get that done before I forgot. Is your father still not back yet?" Mrs.Jeon asks, sitting back down at the table and looking around. "No, I guess he's still on the call," You say, "He sounds like my dad." Mrs.Jeon laughs, "Well, birds of a feather flock together." "I'm sorry everyone- Y/n, I just got off the phone with your father. Goodness, it's such a shame he couldn't come," Mr.Jeon says, a big smile on his face as he sits down. "You- you spoke to my dad?" "I sure did. I'd called him this morning about the finalized contract he'd sent me last night but he didn't get back to me until now since he was on the golf course." It takes everything in you to keep your eye from twitching. The golf course. Priorities. You plaster a fake smile on your face and clear your throat, "Actually, Mr.Jeon, the one he sent you is not the finalized version." He looks up confused, "No?" You shake your head and reach into your purse for the crisp new manila envelope, "I had to make some edits of my own." They all look at each other and then back at you, "Oh- alright," Mr.Jeon takes the envelope and he and Mrs.Jeon look over it together. You can practically see the gears in their heads turning, meanwhile, Jungkook is looking at you with his eyes narrowed wondering what it is you're up to. "Y/n," Mr.Jeon laughs nervously, "This is...substantially more than what your father and I had previously discussed." You nod, "Oh yes. 40% more, to be exact." "Mhm..." Mr.Jeon hands the paper to Mrs.Jeon who continues reading. "I believe the 15% we'd originally agreed upon was quite generous as even a fraction of the money we receive from the various businesses would be quite a profit for you." You purse your lips as you listen, trying your best to be as respectful as possible, "Yes, that's true. It would be quite a lot, however, I think it's reasonable to divide assets 50/50 between spouses, seeing as how I'll not only be a part of June Company itself but also be behind the scenes as a wife. Not to mention, when I have kids, there is no longer incentive for Jungkook to stay married to me, is there?" Mr.Jeon looks at his wife, who is looking back at him with the same concerned expression. "Y/n, our motivation for having you marry our son isn't to...produce an heir," Mr.Jeon says, "It's to help him mature and give him something to work for." "Dad, I don't need to get married to mature. I'm capable and I'm ready to run the company. Please, just let me show-" "You shut your mouth. With all the debt you've gotten me in with your incessant partying, the charges in property damage-" Mr.Jeon's face is turning more and more red, while Jungkook just looks away. He's completely quiet as he his father continues hurling criticisms and but Mrs.Jeon puts her hand on his chest to keep him from saying any more. "Mr.Jeon, I want to be able to help all of you- but I think both I and Jungkook are sacrificing a lot, and a large portion of that sacrifice is on yours and my parents' behalf. He and I will both be turning our lives around for the sake of our families. I just want to make sure we're both getting what we need from this." Jungkook turns slowly to look at you, his expression softening, along with his father's. Mr.Jeon is silent for a little while. "I understand if this is something you and your family cannot get behind and if that's the case, we can rip up this contract and put it all behind us, no harm done- but if you all want this as much as we do, these are my conditions," You say as gently as possible. You glance at Jungkook, whose eyes are fixed on you- causing for you to quickly look back at Mr. and Mrs.Jeon. "Well...I think we'll need some time to think this over. I'll have my lawyer look this over and we'll let you know what we've decided by tonight. How's that sound?" Mr.Jeon asks, giving you a tired smile. You nod, "That sounds just fine, Mr.Jeon. Take all the time you need."

You grab your bag and stand up and everyone else follows suit, "I had a lovely brunch. Thank you so much for putting it together for us to have this meeting." You turn to Jungkook, "I hope we're able to move forward together," You say with a bow and, for the first time, he bows in return. "Please have a good rest of your day," Mrs.Jeon says, stepping forward and hugging you goodbye. "And as always, please let us know if you need anything," Mr.Jeon says with a genuine expression. You nod, "I will."

Of course, not two hours since your brunch with the Jeons, and your dad was already blowing up your phone. How interesting the way that works, isn't it? Your dad only calls when you don't do things exactly as he asks. You sent every single call to voicemail until they stopped coming in altogether- though he'll most likely call right before bed. You'd spent the rest of the day out and about near the hotel; something you thought you wouldn't get a chance to do this time around. It helped to get your mind off things for a minute. You'd even gone to a cute little cafe and answered some of your work emails (you can't ever completely disconnect, though it doesn't hurt to at least have a change of scenery).

By the time you come back to your suite, it's already 8PM, though of course you're not even a bit tired, so you decide to bother B/f/n for a bit. "Mm...hello?" "Hello," You practically sing into the phone, "did I wake you?" "Mhm..." "Well, wake up- I gotta tell you what happened today." "Y/n, look, I promise I'm interested but I do not have the mental capacity to receive any new information right now..." "You're no fun." "Hey, I already told you, you have other options for entertainment." "The spa's closed right now, I've already gone to the eateries inside this hotel, I've used the free wifi and even the copier. I've done everything, there's nothing left, B/f/n," You whine. "Not everything..." She says, sleepily eyeing you. You instantly know whatb she means and you violently shake your head. "Nope. Uh-uh. I am NOT getting a drink by myself." "Oh come on, if you wear one of those skimpy little dresses you packed, I promise you won't be alone for long." You narrow your eyes at her, "How do you know I packed skimpy dresses?" "You just told me," She smirks. How does she do that? "And what am I supposed to do if a man walks up to me and offers me a drink thinking he's gonna get some?" "Oh come on, you're not even engaged yet. Live a little." You roll your eyes, "Clearly, you're very sleep deprived and that's why you're talking crazy. Call me when you're rested." "Sounds like a plan," She says before abruptly hanging up the call.

You sit and look over at your suitcase, contemplating your next move... "I guess a drink won't hurt."

The hotel bar is nicely tucked away on the first floor, a small ways away from the lobby. It's decorated with gold trim and pretty golden flowers along the cherry-wood walls. The vibe is definitely dark and sultry- you suppose you dressed appropriately: off the shoulder a-line mini dress and some simple strappy heels. You put a lot of effort into looking effortless tonight. It's not as packed as you expected, though it's definitely not empty; people are sat at various tables, holding conversations, the occasional stray laugh reaching your ears over the soft music. You'd hyped yourself up before coming down, saying you weren't gonna worry about who was or wasn't looking at you; you were just going down to have a drink and then go right back up- but when you realize the room is full of mostly men, you hesitate to take a seat. "Welcome in- can I get you anything, Miss?" The bartender, a kind-looking older gentleman, asks when he sees the lost puppy look on your face. "I-uhm, yes. I'll take an espresso martini, please?" "Of course." You set your clutch down on the bar and then take a seat. "Meeting anyone?" The bartender asks. You laugh sheepishly, "No, just...wanted to get out of my room." "I suppose that's a good thing," He says. You furrow your brows, wondering if he's gonna take the opportunity to be creepy, "And why is that?" "Because that young man over there has been watching you since you walked in," He says, nodding behind you. Your heart flutters a bit, and you feel flattered by the possibility of someone actually checking you out.

You turn slowly to where he'd nodded and scan for a moment before finally seeing him. How did I not notice him before? "That's the hotel owner's son, you know," The bartender adds. Jungkook's expression is a bit unreadable, but he's definitely looking at you. His eyes are completely fixed. You turn around quickly and bite your lip. You can't leave now, he'll know it was because of him and you can't stand the idea of him feeling like he drove you out of that bar. No way. You straighten out your back, forcing your body to relax as much as possible- or at least have the appearance of relaxation. The man puts your drink in front of you, and you gingerly take your first sip. "How can you drink those things?" Jungkook's unmistakeable voice says from right behind you, causing you to choke and spit some of your drink back into the glass. Your eyes widen in horror. "Bless you," He smirks. He looks over at the bar tender and signals holding up two fingers, to which the man nods. "Jungkook," His name feels so strange on your tongue; up until this trip, you've just refered to him as 'the Jeon's son', and using his name still feels so...intimate, somehow. He leans back in his seat, looking at you as though he's sizing you up, "And who, might I ask, did you dress up for tonight?" "Myself." You say, side-eyeing him. He's very brazen for someone you've only just met again after so many years. "Hm." "Hm, what?"

"Oh nothing...it's just, well, humans are performative beings, you know? Everything we do, whether consciously or not, is to attract." "Oh? And you're saying this to imply that I'm trying to attract someone?" You take another sip of your drink, trying to hide your unexpected nervousness. He shrugs, a cocky smile spreading across his face. "And who do you think I'm trying to attract, Jungkook? You?" You scoff. "Hey, you said it." You blush slightly and look down at your drink, your fingertip running up and down the stem of the glass. He definitely smells like he's been drinking- a lot- but you also catch hints of musk and wood- even burnt cinnamon. Shitty men shouldn't smell this damn good. You glance down at his neck and squint your eyes; is that-? "You're wearing the necklace?" He furrows his brows for a second in confusion before the realization sets in, "Oh- yeah. I look good, don't I?" His lips turn up into a coy smile. You clear your throat and shrug, "I think I'm just good at picking out jewelry." He chuckles and shakes his head, "Your disdain for me is quite amusing." "Almost as amusing as your insistence on flirting with me." "Well, don't get too flattered, you might fall in love." "Ha," You scoff. The bartender sets two shots down in front of Jungkook, who then slides one over to you. "What's this for?" You ask, immediately suspicious. "To celebrate." "Celebrate what?" "Us, of course." "Oh please," You roll your eyes, "Just the other day you were yelling at me and accusing me of attacking you, then you implied that I was some sort of gold digger and was just trying to mooch off of you." He nods thoughtfully, "Yes, that's true, I said some pretty...crass things. I suppose I should apologize for that. As far as the shot, well- I've decided to accept it." "Accept...what?" "The fact that this train is leaving with or without our 'yes', so we may as well enjoy the ride along the way, right?" As he says this, his eyes fall slightly, and only for a moment. You almost wonder if you'd seen it at all. "And what's caused this change of heart?" "Truthfully...this entire arrangement has been hanging over my head all my life. It felt like a noose slowly getting tighter and tighter. But seeing my father so stunned by your demands...it felt like my first deep breath in a while." You're surprised at how genuine Jungkook is being right now, though before you're able to respond to what he's just said, your phone buzzes in your clutch. "Excuse me," You say. It's a text message from Mr.Jeon. You quickly swipe it open and your mouth drops in shock. 𝙼𝚛.𝙹𝚎𝚘𝚗: 𝙷𝚎𝚕𝚕𝚘, 𝚈/𝚗- 𝙸 𝚑𝚘𝚙𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚖𝚎𝚜𝚜𝚊𝚐𝚎 𝚍𝚘𝚎𝚜𝚗'𝚝 𝚠𝚊𝚔𝚎 𝚢𝚘𝚞. 𝚆𝚎'𝚟𝚎 𝚍𝚎𝚌𝚒𝚍𝚎𝚍 𝚝𝚘 𝚖𝚘𝚟𝚎 𝚏𝚘𝚛𝚠𝚊𝚛𝚍 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚊𝚐𝚛𝚎𝚎𝚖𝚎𝚗𝚝. 𝚆𝚎'𝚕𝚕 𝚖𝚎𝚎𝚝 𝚝𝚘𝚖𝚘𝚛𝚛𝚘𝚠 𝚊𝚝 𝚖𝚢 𝚘𝚏𝚏𝚒𝚌𝚎 𝚊𝚝 𝟷𝟸𝙿𝙼 𝚝𝚘 𝚜𝚒𝚐𝚗 𝚝𝚘𝚐𝚎𝚝𝚑𝚎��� 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚕𝚊𝚠𝚢𝚎𝚛𝚜 𝚙𝚛𝚎𝚜𝚎𝚗𝚝.

You look up back up at Jungkook, who simply picks up the shot and holds it up in the air, "To the ride." Your shocked expression turns into a smile, and all you can think to do is pick your shot up as well. "To the ride."

[bts-hyperfixation]

Outside of the Fox

OT7 x Reader - BTS (3017 words)

Chapter 1/30

Y/N longs for a new life when the one she'd been living comes to an abrupt stop. Without much thought to those she is leaving behind, the little fox packs a backpack and disappears. She stumbles across the shelter and makes an interim home for herself while she works out exactly what she wants from her second chance.

The house is a small cottage, rather tiny really compared to the three-story Victorian homes surrounding it. Most people shrugged their shoulders and called it cute when they came to visit, quaint even. The inhabitants begged to differ. They would call it shabby, run-down, and desperately in need of bulldozing, but above all else, they would call it home

 “Hyuuung, it’s too cold” Jungkook whined from where he is cuddled into the arm of their shabby leather sofa. 

A draft blew in around the gaps in the window ledge, the panes in desperate need of double glazing and sealant. The young bunny’s tail twitched in discomfort as he attempted to burrow himself into the overstuffed cushions, a blanket pulled suffocatingly tight around his shoulders.  His large brown eyes were the only thing that could be seen poking out from under the worn plaid fabric. The younger man glared at his partner across the room, trying to convince the older man to come to him.

The bear hybrid shook his head but saved his work and closed the browser before moving away from his corner desk to the other side of the small sofa. Jungkook wasted no time jumping across into the large man’s lap, dragging his blanket with him to cover the two of them. Namjoon reached out to pet the rabbit between his ears, earning a satisfied purr.

“You know we will never be able to afford to heat the hovel this winter if you won’t let me finish any of my work Bun…” Namjoon pointed out, but his arms encircled his youngest lover anyway.

Jungkook leant back long enough to get a good look at Namjoon. His stubble had grown much thicker as the cold weather drew closer. The dark circles under his eyes were also becoming more pronounced as he lost more and more sleep trying to keep their little family afloat. He rubbed the end of his cold nose against the older man’s, making them both laugh.He nestled back into the crook of Namjoon’s neck and made himself comfortable in the embrace. 

That’s how they'd fallen asleep, and that’s how Yoongi found them when he walked through their front door. He dropped his bags and removed his shoes before he traipsed across the thread-bare carpet, curled into Joon’s side and pulled a little part of the blanket for himself.

Subconsciously, Namjoon’s arm reached over Yoongi’s shoulder and pulled him close, an innate instinct to protect the small jackal from the cold world. Before long Yoongi's breathing matched the others and he too fell asleep. 

They remained like that together for the majority of the afternoon, drifting in and out of naps and hushed conversations, the perfect picture of domestic intimacy. Right until they'd been abruptly awoken by their fourth and final packmate screeching as he opened the door.

“Goooooodd Evening family,” Jimin called, sweeping dramatically through the front door and into the living room. 

Groggily, the others unfolded themselves from each other to look at the man before them. Jungkook hissed, annoyed as Namjoon released him in his attempt to turn and see Jimin. Large arms encircled him again, squeezing him too tightly for just a moment, calming him instantly.

“You’re awfully chipper, Chim.” Yoongi said, rubbing his eyes sleepily.

Jungkook reached out to pull Jimin into his lap, earning a soft groan from the bear beneath him who hadn’t been expecting the sudden weight change. Still, he'd accepted the fourth man happily, nuzzling into his neck. Namjoon blew a raspberry onto the red panda's exposed skin, making him squirm. Jimin swatted at their largest packmate and launched back into his theatrical attitude, 

“Wouldn’t you be chipper if you’d just met the love of your life?” The redhead sighed dramatically, falling back against Joon’s chest with the back of his hand pressed to his forehead.

Each of the men around him released varying growls of displeasure at the new announcement,

"Relax," Jimin holds his hands up in surrender. "I meant the fourth love of my life, potentially the love of our lives." He paused for effect, taking in the various expressions of bemusement around him. 

None of the men seemed particularly thrilled at the idea. Yoongi glanced at Joon, already weary of how much the leader was going through just to keep their little family from going under. Namjoon's brows knitted together as his brain tried to calculate how he could make it work, willing to do anything for his family. Jungkook whined, Namjoon's fingers had gone still, no longer playing absently with his hair, far less concerned with the thought of another pack mate, if Jiminie loved them of course he'd love them. 

The redhead allows each of them to digest his news, eyes flitting between each member, trying to measure how he should proceed. He knew it wouldn't go down well. Namjoon's editor had refused every amendment he'd tried to make, and he wouldn't see a penny until the preorders could be made. Yoongi hadn't had a hit in a while, everyone was going through a phase of self-production and he just wasn't able to flow creatively. Jungkook hadn't been able to work since they'd found him. He was getting better every day, and maybe he would be ready soon, but not yet. And Jimin knew his volunteer work wasn't helping in the slightest but he couldn't leave behind all those that had helped him when he needed it most. 

"Look, I know it's not ideal... I really didn't expect it, I swear.... And I don't even know if she'd be interested in me, let alone a full pack. She is pretty and funny though, and she seems so nice, and I just... I don't know, I just want to know her." Jimin rushed to try and explain. 

"She?" Yoongi fixed, eyes narrowing "I've never considered a female...." He shrugged and reached out to pat Jimin lovingly. "I suppose there is no harm in meeting her if you feel so strongly, love," He conceded immediately after meeting Jimin's eyes, never able to refuse him a thing. 

Namjoon shook his head, fingers starting to scratch at Jungkook's ear again as he unfroze.

"There is definitely no harm in making a new friend at the very least, but we can't make any promises Chim,.." 

The bear's free hand pinched at Jimin's cheek. "Where did you meet her anyway? I thought you were at the shelter today?"

"Well you see... that's the thing." The red panda replied sheepishly before launching into a high-energy reenactment of his day. 

_________________________________

It started off as any other, he clocked into volunteer at the hybrid shelter, the same one he had stayed at when he had nowhere else to go. He grabbed a coffee and headed into the main room, playing with some of the cubs as their parents prepared for job interviews and university courses.

The centre catered for a wide variety of hybrids: some escaped abusive humans or illegal syndicates, some had been abandoned as kids or orphaned, and others had just wanted a change and moved into town without any plans of their own. Jimin was one of the latter. He'd grown up in the mountains with his mother and a couple of siblings but he'd never enjoyed the reclusive life that had allowed them, he longed for something with more people, and more excitement. So with no plan, and less money, he made his way into town performing odd jobs in exchange for meals and small fares to pay his way, eventually stumbling upon the shelter. 

He'd met Namjoon there, long after the bear had already settled down with Yoongi. Namjoon had been researching shelters for an article and Jimin showed him around. Then after the article was published the older man found himself lingering around the shelter in the evenings just to catch a glimpse of the other's bright hair in the distance, right up until Yoongi marched past him and into the building one day demanding that Jimin move in with them so his lover would stop going out to pine over other men. Namjoon's face had gone as red as Jimin's hair that day, especially seeing as Yoongi had never met Jimin before that.

You'd walked in around noon, just as Jimin managed to get the youngest down for a nap. He'd placed the cub into a bassinet and rushed to meet you before any of the other volunteers could steal his chance. Jimin had nearly knocked down poor Wonho as he zoomed past to get to you first. He tried desperately to be charming as he took you through the protocols of the building, explaining the rules and regulations you would need to follow in order to stay with them at the shelter.

You nodded along graciously as he showed you to a cot with a lockable box where you could leave your things. He wanted to ask you about how you'd managed to find your way to the shelter. A hybrid as pretty as you was very rarely alone in a town like this. Still, even in his excitement, Jimin knew better than to pry, you would tell them in your own time if you wanted to. 

He left you to settle in for a little while and tried to focus on a game of chess with one of the old timers that had just stopped by for some company, but he couldn't help wondering how you were getting on with unpacking. You hadn't arrived with much, a backpack and some electronics. He thought about maybe taking you shopping but there was very limited funding in the budget at the moment. The elder hybrid checked him just as you walked into the rec room.

It's like he could sense the exact moment you walked into the room. His gaze met yours instantly and he smiled, what he hoped was an easy, confident, maybe even reassuring smile, but you didn't look convinced. His chess partner had laughed at him, and shooed him away as soon as he figured out where the boy's true attention lay. 

Sheepishly Jimin bowed to the man and removed himself from play, defeated. It didn't take the man long to find himself a new victim to play against. Sheepishly Jimin bowed to the man and removed himself from play, defeated. It didn't take the man long to find himself a new victim to play against. 

You'd seemed a little unsure of yourself, wanting to introduce yourself but obviously overwhelmed. The same way Jimin had felt when he first arrived. The shelter was a large facility, filled with all manner of people from different walks of life, predators and prey alike. He watched you try to introduce yourself to a few people and quickly retreat, shaking your head and muttering to yourself each time. There was a rule in place that if you needed help you should ask for it, otherwise the volunteers would let you settle in on your own terms... but Jimin really couldn't help himself.

He allowed you to try twice more, but you were picking the wrong people. He cringed as you were brushed off by the reclusive and nervous prey and ignored by some of the more brash predators. He couldn't allow the truly defeated look to stay on your face. He glanced around the room trying to find a friendly face to introduce you to or maybe even send your way so he wasn't directly involved, but today didn't seem like it was going in your favour. The room was mostly filled with newer residents that were yet to find their own feet, probably lovely people, but of no use to him at this moment.

He crossed the room to you and interrupted your next attempt before it even had a chance to fail. At least it seemed you weren't disheartened easily. 

"Can I take you for lunch? Show you the area?" He asked brightly.

"What makes you think I don't know the area?" You responded defensively.

"Sorry I didn't mean to assume, just most people here are from out of town..."

Jimin scratches the back of his neck, not quite expecting the icy tone in your voice. Maybe that's the real reason you were struggling to make friends. He starts to rethink his plan when you soften. 

"I grew up here... I've just had some changes lately that have left me... displaced" Your answer was careful, not letting on to your past, not yet.

"Well then, where do you like to go for lunch? Maybe we could go there and you could show me around? I haven't explored as much as I'd like to have done in the last few years" 

He offers you his arm but you must not have noticed. Instead, you walk ahead of him expecting him to follow along obediently. 

You leave the shelter and turn left, heading for a ramen bar about a half mile away, a choice Jimin is thankful for given how cheap the options were. It takes a little while for the conversation to flow. Jimin found it terribly awkward to get any conversation out of you, even light small talk seemed difficult for you. Not that you weren't making an obvious effort, more like you didn't know how to reciprocate appropriately when asking questions, and you clearly weren't ready to share about yourself yet.

Jimin was never one to shy away from a challenge though. He stopped trying to lead you into questions, instead focusing on his own life. Revelling in each laugh that slipped past your lips as he relayed the antics of his packmates, not missing the wistful look in your eyes. He tried not to dwell on the moments that made you shy away. 

The walk back to the shelter was spent in an almost comfortable silence. The threat of another question was always on the tip of Jimin's tongue as he tried not to overwhelm you more than he already had. As the shelter came into view your pace slowed, dragging your feet against the pavement as if you didn't want to return. Jimin almost asked you why, but you beat him to it.

"It's strange... such a busy place shouldn't feel so lonely should it?" You asked, glancing sideways at him. 

"I don't think you'll stay lonely," Jimin responds optimistically.

"I'm not sure I've ever not been lonely…." You muse more to yourself than to him. 

It's the first real bit of information you've given him, outside of your name and he takes a moment to digest it, not really sure how to answer that. One thing Jimin had never felt was true loneliness. He liked being alone sometimes, but there had always been someone there when he needed them. 

"I hope I can help you feel a little less alone." He stops looking at you properly to try to convey the sincerity of his words.

You just nod wordlessly and kick at a pebble on the ground. He reaches out to move some hair away from your face, hand lingering a little longer than it maybe should've done. You just looked so sweet, a defeated look in your eyes similar to the one Jungkook had had when they met. A look he desperately wanted to make go away. Briefly, you loiter in the touch before your expression becomes stoic and you continue with the walk back to the shelter. 

"Thank you for lunch." You say and then head back into the rooms at the back of the building. 

Jimin watches until you are through the door, his heart aching as your figure disappears. He has always found himself getting a little too invested in people too quickly, he couldn't help it, and it seemed you'd be no different. He spent the rest of his shift thinking of things he could do to cheer you up. Every time the door opened he looked up trying to catch a glimpse of you again before he had to leave for the day. 

Unfortunately, it wasn't meant to be, the clock finally struck 5 and Jimin had to make it home for dinner. 

__________________________

"Right... So what point of that day makes you think she is the love of your life exactly?" Yoongi raised his eyebrow in bemusement. 

It wasn't exactly a whirlwind romantic story like they'd each been expecting. If anything it sounded like she had shown no interest in Jimin in the slightest. 

"I'm sure what Yoongi means, is that it seems like you've not really had the opportunity to get to know her yet Chim." Namjoon softens the delivery.

Jimin still pouts, a little deterred by their reaction to the first day of the rest of his life, they just didn't get it, they hadn't met you. 

"I know I don't know her properly yet, but I will. There's something about her. It feels like I did when I first met Kookie." Jimin assures them. "You'll meet her and you'll get exactly what I mean!" 

Jungkook frowns at that, his and Jimin's relationship is one of a kind and he wasn't going to take a comment like that lightly. He nips at Jimin's fingers when the older man reaches to pet his ears. Keen to defuse the sudden tension in air Yoongi unburies himself from the pile and makes an excuse about needing to make dinner. The jackal drags the young bunny up with him to help. 

"If you feel so strongly Jimin, maybe you should spend some more time with her and see where it leads." Namjoon pulls Jimin closer and nuzzles into his neck leaving little kisses. "Just don't forget where home is in the process." 

"I want you to meet her Hyung." 

"And we will, but maybe not right away?"

"No, you need to meet her, soon. Come with me to work tomorrow, pretty please." Jimin's eyes are wide and hopeful, something he knows Namjoon would never say no to, and he doesn't.

So the next day each of them get up and ready to follow Jimin to work at the shelter.

Masterlist

Series Masterlist

Next

Disclaimer: Jin, Hobi, and Tae will not be appearing in the first few chapters of this fic. The original packmates are Namjoon, Yoongi, Jimin, and Jungkook, in that order. Originally this fic was supposed to be a tiny OT4 drabble for kinktober so that's why...

Chapter 2 will be released next Sunday and so forth until the fic is finished!

Hope you enjoy it :)

[jananakookie]

Rumor Has It | pjm - Chapter 5

💬 Pairing: Jimin x OC (Reader)

💬 Genre/Tags: enemies(?) to lovers, fake-dating au; angst, fluff, smut

💬 Chapter warnings: contains slurs, angst, alcohol consumption, mentions of bullying

💬 Word count: 15.5k

💬 Recap:

Rumor has it, Park Jimin is single again after his latest girlfriend cheated on him with his best friend.

Rumor has it, he's willing to get back at them.

Rumor has it, you're the perfect means to an end.

Previous Chapter - Index - Next Chapter

Chapter 5: On a mission.

Today is the day to meet Jimin's family. You have been stressing about it for the past week ever since Jimin told you about it, and you can’t even proclaim why. 

For some reason, you cannot help but be afraid of them, considering the Parks are supposed to be the most influential family in the city. No matter what kind of people they are, at the end of the day, this sure is an intimidating title that is enough to make your nerves go crazy.

So you went all in and made yourself at least look as presentable as possible because as everybody knows, it’s always the first impression that counts. And you feel like you have to take everything you can get, plus looking good and feeling good about yourself will increase your confidence.

You might be a broke college student with a shit ton of untrue rumors surrounding you, but you can at least look good. 

“Woah… Damn.” 

You raise a brow, giving Jimin a testing look. You're not in the mood for another one of his criticisms about your appearance again. “What is it this time?” you sigh, trying not to let the frustration show too much since he arrived no more than a minute ago. 

“Let me guess, my dress is too shabby? Is my makeup cakey? Does my hair look dry?” 

“No.” Jimin shakes his head, eyes still scrutinizing you from head to toe. “I’m just shocked to see how hot you can be when you try hard enough.” 

Startled by his unexpected compliment - even if backhanded - you raise a brow. “I—,” you start, just to halt for a moment, “was that a compliment?” you ask, as his eyes finally travel up to yours. 

Jimin scoffs at that, taking a couple steps toward you. “As if that’s so unbelievable. I compliment you all the time.”

“Yeah... I don't know about that. The only times you ever actually compliment me, it's just to mock me, and your insincere flattery barely counts anyway,” you grin, not needing him to admit it since you know you're right anyway.

It's not that you're ever upset by his comments because you know he's just being annoying and doesn't mean to actually offend you. He knows you can take it, and he knows that you know that too, which is why he does it. Over time, it has become your thing. Admittedly, you're much more comfortable with him making his stupid jokes than you are when you're having to get serious with each other. You seem to have found common ground in bickering with each other.

He just briefly looks at you before texting someone on his phone while still thinking about your comment. “That might be your interpretation, but I’m always serious about these things and things in general, ___. I’m an open book. I have never told a lie my whole life,” he proudly says, looking like he’s waiting for a reward for being a good boy while you can’t help but grin at this act. 

“You do realize you’re saying that while we are literally on our way to meet your family, just to lie to them about the relationship we don't have?” you smirk, seeing his face fall for a second before he clears his throat. 

“That’s different.” Jimin takes a moment to put your heavy bags in his trunk before coming to your side.

“How exactly?” you ask while waiting for him to open the passenger door of his car for you like he always does. Fairly enough, he soon after opens the door for you and waits for you to settle in before he goes to the driver's side and seats himself. 

A smirk makes its way onto your face when he doesn't give you an answer, even after settling in, making it obvious he doesn’t have one.

“Got you, Park,” you smirk.

Jimin rolls his eyes at your consistency, knowing fully well that you won't let it go. “Whatever. They will be happy, so it’s a lie with good intentions. It basically makes it okay,” he mumbles while starting the engine of his car and making it roar loudly.

“Wow, your logic is unmatched. If your parents come to ask me what made me fall for you, I'll tell them it was your moral character which I had never seen in another man before,” you lovingly sigh, trying to dreamily look out the window as you feel Jimin's eyes on you.

He laughs but doesn't comment on it and only tells you to put your seatbelt on so he can drive off. Giggling, you follow his request so as not to delay your arrival and fasten your seatbelt.

“Aren’t you nervous?” You ask, tilting your way sideways to look at him after a couple minutes of driving in silence. 

It's just another one of the thousand questions floating around in your head lately. You know that you would be if you were in his shoes. It's not easy to lie to your loved ones, especially since they are the ones who know you best. Not to forget the moral aspect of it all. Jimin must have thick skin if he doesn't worry about anything. 

“Are you?” He asks instead, rolling the ball back to you. Seeing how he shifts his gaze for a moment from the street to smirk at you, he seems to already know the answer, though.

“Obviously,” you sigh. “I didn’t sign up for this. What if I break something and they sue me?”

Not to be dramatic, but that is one of your concerns. One of many actually. 

Jimin snorts, his eyes forming little half-moons. “___, I don’t know why you think my parents are a pair of bad movie villains, but I can assure you that this will not be happening,” he chuckles, making you pout for not taking your concerns seriously. “My parents are nice people, okay? There really isn’t anything I could think of that you would have to worry about.”

“Well, there is one thing actually,” you say, seeing him looking at you from the corner of his eyes while he still mainly focuses on the street, showing you that he’s listening. “You have to help me keep this dress absolutely immaculate, so I can return it to the store tomorrow,” you explain, making him laugh. “What? It costs a fortune, Jimin, and I would still like to… you know… live somehow for the rest of the month.”

“First of all, why are you wearing a dress you can’t afford? There is no way you will not stain it.” 

“Because I wanted to fit in today. I’ll feel out of place either way, but I can’t show up to some CEO get-together in a twenty-dollar dress,” you explain, rolling your eyes in annoyance. 

“It's a business party to celebrate the company's tenth birthday in its current state, ___. Not a CEO get-together,” he explains, rolling his eyes at you not even knowing that. He tried to explain it to you yesterday, but it seems like you didn't listen, and it's annoying. You're both doing this for a reason, and if he can put some work in, he feels like you should be able to do that too.

“Also, stop making yourself go crazy. One would think that you, of all people, would not be so judgmental of someone you don’t even know,” Jimin says, casually looking at you. “But I guess that’s just being human, huh?”

You let out a big sigh, realizing he does have a point. “I don’t mean to be disrespectful. I’m really just a little nervous. Your parents are probably nice people. It's just that this is unusual for me.”

Sensing your distress, Jimin does something the both of you wouldn't have expected from him. He takes one hand off the steering wheel and pats your thigh a couple of times before he takes your hand, that's resting on it, and gives it a tight squeeze. “Relax. It’s all going to be fine.” 

“It’s easy for you to say that… I can only hope they haven’t done any research about me,” you mumble as you look out of the window absentmindedly still holding his hand.  

He lied. It’s not fine at all. In fact, this is probably the most uncomfortable you’ve ever been. 

To be fair, Jimin's parents aren't the reason. Mr. and Mrs. Park are very nice people, and you feel terrible for thinking so badly of them, when in fact they are the sweetest people you've talked to in what feels like years.

You didn't get to actually talk to them because the time was only enough for a quick, superficial introduction before they had to leave again and talk to a couple business partners which means the actual getting to know each other will have to wait for a few more hours. Nevertheless, their open and friendly demeanor immediately calmed your nerves. 

You even teased Jimin about him probably being adopted since his parents are so much more likable than he is, to which he then threatened to tell his parents you insisted on holding a speech to introduce yourself and claim your undying love for him which was enough to make you shut up real quick.

You are certain it was an empty threat because nobody would even allow you to do that here, but you really didn't want to risk it. 

So moving on, you, unfortunately, haven't been as lucky with his sister so far. 

If looks could kill, you would have been grilled multiple times by now. 

Jimin hasn't said anything about it yet, and you don't know if he's even noticed, so you decided to keep your mouth shut and not mention it. 

It's fine that she doesn't like you. After all, you’re only here to do Jimin a favor, and it’s not like you’re actually dating, which means you don't have to care what she thinks about you. Very soon, this will all be over, and you won't see any of them ever again, including Jimin.

The actual problem, however, is that Jimin has not told you who will also be at this business meeting. 

You must have looked pretty stupid when your eyes suddenly fell on Nayeon, who was standing a few meters away from you and had already seen you. 

She averted her eyes as soon as your eyes met hers but it was pretty obvious that she had seen you, considering how uncomfortable and nervous she looked right after.

You immediately confronted Jimin for not telling you she would be here, to which he just grinned sheepishly at you and said he must have forgotten.

Yea sure…

He knows very well that you would not have come if you had known about Nayeon's presence, and this is the only reason why he hid it from you.

Fortunately for you, you have managed to avoid her very well so far, and you hope it will stay that way for the rest of your stay. 

Since Jimin will one day take over his parents' company, it was clear that he would also be the center of attention today. What you didn't count on, though, is that this would affect you as well. 

You were hoping you could get away with just standing next to him silently while looking pretty but Jimin's parents had apparently publicly announced that he's bringing his girlfriend which now contributes to the fact that many also talk to you out of politeness. 

 It probably wouldn't be so awkward if you had at least the slightest idea what Jimin's family business even is. Unfortunately, you've never really talked about it and you've never asked because it never mattered. Why do you need to know these things if it's nothing but a fake relationship that should never have left campus? 

Fortunately, you have Jimin by your side, who always steps in at the right moment and speaks for you to avoid further inconveniences and this might be the only time you're thankful for Park Jimin's existence. Although it is his fault that you are in this situation in the first place so he is also the one who has to take care that your lie will not be exposed.

So far, you seem to be doing well with it. No one suspects anything. They probably think you're just a pretty enough girl who doesn't know anything about anything, and in a way, they're not wrong. Except, that your intentions are not what one would think.

“I can’t believe you don’t know anything about me,” Jimin sighs, as soon as you’re alone for the first time in hours. “I mean, come on… You didn’t have the slightest idea about the company. That’s almost insulting.”

Staying unbothered, you nibble on a grape you found on one of the champagne trays, wondering if they’re even for you to eat or if they’re just for show, considering no one else seems to be eating anything. 

“Why would I know that?” you shrug, finding yourself interested in the deep frown between his brows. “I've never cared much for you before, Park. You didn’t seem to believe me when I told you that. Sorry if that’s hard to swallow.” 

Jimin scoffs at that, and you see him wanting to answer, but he stops as he looks at something behind you with big eyes. 

“Hey.”

Her voice startles you, making you freeze right on the spot. You can feel her eyes burn through your skull from behind. At the same time, Jimin’s eyes nervously tremble from you to her and back to you. 

“Hi, Nayeon,” he welcomes her, offering her a comforting smile while you freeze and keep standing there, not daring to turn around. You would like to leave now, not in the mood for this encounter, especially today when you’re full of nerves anyway. Jimin, however, seems determined to keep you here with him. 

He takes a few steps closer and wraps his arm around your waist, slowly turning you around to face her. 

“I wasn’t sure you’d be here today,” he speaks, probably trying to convince you that he really didn't plan for this encounter to happen.

Nayeon sucks in a breath, gracefully avoiding your ice-cold gaze as she only concentrates on Jimin for the time being, nodding her head lightly. “I wasn’t either,” she admits, clearing her throat after. 

You have yet to say something to her, but you cannot encourage yourself to do so. Yes, you’re probably rude by not greeting her properly, but why would you care about that. You're sure that politeness is obsolete anyway when it comes to Nayeon and you. 

“My father said that I have to come today. He said he will disown me otherwise,” she lightly chuckles, even though it doesn’t come off as a joke, plus the frown on Jimin’s face and the fact that he doesn’t even smile at that tells you it probably isn’t. 

“It’s whatever, though. I did my part, and as soon as I can I will leave,” she quickly adds. “I just didn’t want to leave before greeting you, so… here I am.” A nervous breath escapes her lips as her eyes finally land on you. “Hi, ___.”

You nod, acknowledging her as narrowly as possible, as you mutter a halfhearted “hello” back to her.  

As soon as she hears your response, it seems as if her face lights up just a little bit. She probably didn’t expect you to acknowledge her at all. You may be mad, and you have every right to be, but you’re not a child. If she can muster the courage to address you directly, you can give her an answer. But she should by no means assume that she can expect anything from you.

She looks so stunning today, though. You can't help but notice. The mere sight of her is enough to lower your self-esteem. You have put so much effort (and money you don't even have) into looking somewhat good today while she looks like she's barely given it a second thought and still beats you by miles. So unfair, but nothing new either.

Nevertheless, it is noticeable how tired and unhappy she looks. You can see the dark bags under her eyes even through the makeup she’s wearing and that has to mean something. 

You remember what Jimin told you about her the night of the first party you attended together. He mentioned how bad she was doing and that she’s in a 'bad place' right now. Looking at her now shows you he wasn’t exaggerating. 

“It’s so nice to see you here, really.” 

You watch how her lips perk up a little as she tries to smile, though it looks more like a grimace as she’s obviously trying to blink back tears. 

You just nod, not trusting yourself to not say something inappropriate while she already looks like she’s trying hard not to crumble. 

It probably wouldn't go over too well with the rest of the guests if you made Nayeon cry. Apart from the fact that it would come across as rude in general, you know that her parents are particularly close with Jimin's parents - and you surely don't want to start something now.

Noticing how you probably won’t react anymore than that, Jimin takes matters into his own hands as he tightens his grip around your waist, clearing his throat. 

“How are you doing?” Jimin then asks her with a sigh. You can hear in his voice that he isn’t sure if he can ask, but it’s obvious he isn’t all too happy about her disappearance either. “You barely show up anymore, and you’re missing out on a lot of our courses too. I tried to call you about a dozen times this week. I can try to keep you updated, but I can only do as much when you never pick up your phone,” he notes, sounding annoyed with her while also trying to not be too harsh. 

Nayeon gulps, looking regretful, but she doesn’t seem to have an answer. Instead, you can feel her burning gaze on you again while you continue to hope to escape from this situation.

Why is no one talking? 

But while you’re too busy with your own thoughts, Jimin and Nayeon seem to have a silent conversation of their own because a loud gasp comes from Jimin, making you look at him in question.

“Oh my God, do you see that thing over there?” Jimin suddenly exclaims, pointing at something in the distance. “That’s amazing! I have to take a closer look,” he mumbles, withdrawing his arms from you.

You try to look but don’t see anything, and it’s only then that you realize what he’s trying to do. 

Before leaving, he gradually leans down to whisper in your ear. “Please be nice, but don’t make it too easy for her either.” And then, with a rushed kiss to your cheek, he quickly lets go of you and takes a couple steps backward.

You try to catch his hand before he can leave but unfortunately, he’s already gone before you can do anything, leaving you and Nayeon to just stand there next to each other. Alone. 

Man, you’re so going to kill him later. 

A few moments of silence that feel like literal hours pass before Nayeon breaks the silence by uncomfortably clearing her throat.

You don’t look at her, still trying to summon Jimin to come back immediately with the dirty looks you’re sending him from here, but it has no use. 

So you shift on your feet a little before stealing a couple more from those garnish grapes, that definitely aren’t for eating, hoping it will tell her to leave you alone. 

“___, do you perhaps think we could talk?”

Well, your wish did not get granted this time, it seems. 

Your voice sounds breathless and nervous as you quickly mumble something about having to use the bathroom in a weak attempt to flee from her. But Nayeon suddenly grabs your arm, preventing you from leaving as she calls your name again in a hurry.

You turn around and reluctantly face her, seeing how bad she really looks for the first time since you’re now standing much closer than before. 

Bags under her eyes, dry lips, pale. That’s not the Nayeon you know. She did a good job of covering it up, but now that you’re standing so close to each other, you can clearly see it.

“What?” The harsh tone in your voice obviously takes her by surprise, but she doesn’t back down. 

Instead, she swallows hard before gathering herself. “Do you think… Do you think we could talk? Please?” She asks again, looking at you with large, pleading eyes.

“I don't know what the two of us should talk about. Everything has been said between us,” you state, keeping your gaze cold even though you feel bad when you see her face fall right after. 

Nayeon shakes her head in disagreement. “No, I don’t think so,” she denies. “There are many things left unsaid. And I really need to get them off my chest.”

“I don’t know,” you sigh while weighing the pros and cons in your head. “If I’m honest, I really don’t want to.”

“Look, I can’t blame you for not wanting to talk to me, okay? Trust me, I wouldn’t wanna talk to me either,” she says, blinking back tears as she looks at you. “You don’t have to say anything, and you don’t have to forgive me. I don’t expect that from you anyway…”

“What is the purpose for all of this then?” You ask, not understanding what she’s aiming for.

You watch as Nayeon balls her fists for a second while biting her lip as she looks at you. “I want to apologize. I think that is the least you deserve,” she then explains. “What you do with it is up to you. But I need to apologize,” she breathes stressing the word. 

You take a moment to contemplate your next move, letting your eyes roam around the area, attempting to find something that could prevent you from going along with her request. But in the end, you sigh, making a gesture with your hand to show her she can start taking. 

Now looking at her panicking face, you almost have to laugh. For someone so determined to apologize to you, she now sure looks like she has no idea what to say. She probably didn't expect you to agree.

Waiting patiently, you watch as an uncomfortable laugh escapes her lips, her eyes moving around without looking at you directly. “Gosh, now I don’t know what to say…”

“Well, that’s unfortunate,” you say, rolling your eyes while you’re already turning around, fed up with her wasting your time like this.

Nayeon once again stops you, and she quickly shoots forward to grab your hand tightly again. “I’m sorry!” It comes out a little rushed since she desperately tries to make you stay.

You stand your ground, crossing your arms over your chest while raising a brow. “Anything else?”

She flinches at your sour tone but nods her head. “Yes, actually. What I did to you… I don’t even know what came over me,” she starts. “There’s so much I want to tell you, and so much I need to apologize for. And I could give you that typical bullshit answer on how I was hurt and acting impulsively, but that wouldn’t be enough. It wouldn’t be a lie, but that’s not an excuse.” 

You don’t say anything. For now, it feels right to let her talk and finish what she wants to tell you first. You share her opinion on that matter, you do deserve an apology, but she also deserves to explain herself. 

“I should have talked to you first. I have no explanation as to why I let him feed me all these lies and confronted you about it without hearing your take on things first. I knew about the lies surrounding you. I knew none of them were true because you told me that yourself, and I always believed you. And yet, this time... I believed him. And I have no excuse for that, ___. I’m just so very sorry.”

Lowering your gaze, you nod, taking in her words. 

“I guess it was easier and less hurtful to believe you came on to him than him willingly cheating. And it's embarrassing to admit, but yes… Looks like that’s the person I am, after all.”

You see her struggling to keep the tears from falling but it's obviously hard for her to do that when it looks like she can barely see due to her eyes being full of unshed tears. You guess she doesn’t want you to pity her which is understandable. You can relate to that. But you’re not going to pity her for feeling bad about what she did because she should. It’s not her fault she got involved with the wrong guy, and it’s not her fault that he did what he did and said what he said. None of that was her doing. But she has to own up to her own mistakes. To what she said and did, and there is no way you will pity her for that. 

But that’s not what she expects nor is it what she wants, and you know that. She's not out to get you to see her as a victim.

“I know I said you don’t have to forgive me, and I stand by that. But maybe you can at least accept my apology. I feel so bad that I ruined our friendship for this.”

“I wouldn’t exactly say we were friends before,” you disagree, probably sounding a bit more irritated than you originally intended to. The way her face drops even more is an indicator of that, but you’re just telling the truth. It’s not like you ever hung out or anything like that. What you had was never a friendship. At least not in your book.

“Oh. Right. I see…” 

Feeling bad about your choice of wording, you sigh. You don't want to dwell on things that happened in the past, things that can't be made undone. What would you gain from that? 

Forgiveness is a virtue they say, but it's not easy. You wouldn't have thought about forgiving Nayeon had she decided to not speak about it with you, but she didn't. 

She owned up to her mistakes and apologized.  

“However,” lifting your gaze to look at her, you think about your next move for a second before shaking your head at yourself. “I don’t like to hold grudges.”

A look of hope washes over Nayeon’s face as a slight gasp leaves her lips at your words. “Wait, does— does that mean-”

“I won’t forgive you this quickly,” you clarify before she can even ask the question. “But you had the guts to come to me and apologize. I respect and thank you for that.”

“It’s the least you deserved.”

“Yes, it is,” you agree, nodding your head. “And yet, you’re the only one who has done that until now.” It’s a weird thing to admit, but you’re grateful for her apology. 

You’ve said it before, and you still stand by that; Nayeon is not a bad person per se. She’s someone who did something bad, but it’s obvious that she regrets it. And even if you’re not going to completely forgive her right now, you know that you will be able to in the future. 

Why be resentful if it won’t do you good anyway? 

Sure, you can get through the rest of your college years on your own, but it's easier when you don't have to.

“Can I ask you something?“ She carefully asks, testing the waters with you. 

You curtly nod, not expecting anything harmful. The more surprised you are when you hear what’s bothering her. 

“Why didn’t you say anything the day I confronted you? Why didn’t you defend yourself?” 

You scoff at that, raising a brow to show her how stupid her question is to you. “You think that was my obligation?” you ask. “Making a fool of myself even more while trying to convince you of something you would have never believed me anyway?” 

And that’s all it takes for her to immediately fall silent.

“You had already formed an opinion. I would have only dragged out the humiliation you subjected me to and gained absolutely nothing in the process,” you add with a scoff, watching how she bites her lip and breaks your gaze.  

Nayeon is quiet, but she nods, blinking away a few tears once again. “I can never express how sorry I am, ___. I always thought I wasn't one of those girls. The ones who are gullible enough to believe any bullshit their boyfriend plants into their brain. I just… I really wanted to trust him.” She looks devastated when she tells you that, and you must admit that it almost makes you feel for her. Almost.

But after swallowing hard and regaining her composure she takes the courage to hold your gaze again. “Did you mean it?”

You again raise your brow questioningly, trying to follow. “Mean what?”

“You know…,” she starts. “The thing about us not having been friends. Because to me, you really were one. Probably one of very few because it looks like apart from Jimin, there’s no one left now. They all decided to stuck by Yeji and Taehyung.”

“I never actually saw us as friends,” you say, deciding to go with the whole truth, even if that’s probably not what she wanted to hear. You can clearly see on her face that she was expecting a different answer. “However, I would have liked us to be,” you then add, immediately seeing her eyes light up at your confession. “But then it never seemed like anything real to me. I thought you were just trying to be nice because you felt bad.”

A barely noticeable smile tugs on Nayeon’s lips when you finish. “Befriending you is hard, ___. You’re very closed off, you know?” And for the first time, Nayeon actually laughs lightly.

It’s just a chuckle, nothing major but from the corner of your eyes, you can see Jimin, who’s very obviously keeping an eye on the two of you, watching your interaction intently. 

“I have my reasons,” you shrug, making her laugh stuck in her throat as soon as it started. “It's hard to put up trust. I have been through all of this several times, and no offense, but I’m glad I didn’t get my hopes up with you. We’ve seen what happens when it counts.”

“I can't tell you how ashamed I am of my behavior toward you, ___. Please, if there is anything I can do… I’ll do anything for you to forgive me,” she begs, making you roll your eyes. 

Looking at her, you groan, waving your hand in a manner to tell her to shut up. “You can start by stopping to be so damn dramatic,” you say. “I already told you I don’t like to hold grudges. Don’t make me regret it.”

You don’t have to say anything else for her to understand. She gets it. After all, Nayeon knows you don't like to be emotional, so it’s like a silent agreement between you two. 

Just don’t expect too much too soon, and we will be alright;

She almost looks like a child on Christmas morning when she bites back a grin, nodding her head understandingly. “Can I hug you?”  

“Ugh, Nayeon—” Your protesting groan is interrupted when she comes at you, taking you in a bone-crushing hug without warning. 

You keep your arms limp by your side, feeling uncomfortable when the hug lasts longer than you thought it would. Letting your eyes roam around, while you wait for her to stop crushing you. And as fate would have it, your gaze lands directly on Jimin, who is already looking at you with a soft, content smile on his face, sending a wink your way. 

You can’t believe this little fucker tricked you into making amends with Nayeon - and it worked! 

As a result, you send him a glare instead of silently telling him he’s getting it later but you only see him laugh before someone takes him away again. 

Fortunately for you, Nayeon finally decides to let you breathe again but she takes your hands in hers instead while looking at you with a creepy smile, already making you nervous about what’s about to come next. Even if you think you have an idea already. 

“So…,” she starts, dragging it out even though it’s not hard to guess what she’s about to ask. 

You can feel the panic already starting to build up inside you. 

“Jimin, huh?” She finally grins, teasingly wiggling her brows in the process. 

Now, this is exactly what you feared. You don’t want to discuss anything that has to do with Jimin, precisely Jimin and you with Nayeon. 

Not only would it be unpleasant for you to make her believe you are experiencing love when you have always loudly claimed that Jimin's infamous charm has no effect on you, but you're also not sure if she would even buy your lies. 

She knows your true opinion about Jimin, she knows your true opinion about relationships, and most importantly, she is the only one who knows both you and Jimin. 

This could go wrong pretty fast. So you must play your cards wisely. Don’t say too much, don't over-act, and keep a low profile, but tell her just enough to not make her suspicious. Easy. You got this. 

Nayeon laughs, probably sensing your discomfort while she studies your face. “I— sorry, I just… it’s hard to believe. When Jimin told me about you two, I almost choked,” she tells you, giggling with excitement. Why these news would excite her this much, you don’t quite know. But you have to admit it’s nice to see her happy like this for a change. “You need to tell me everything, okay? This is so cool, oh my God!”

You cannot help but let out a laugh as well, feeling how her hand squeezes yours so tightly. “It’s… a confusing story.”

“Oh, I bet! And you need to tell me all of it. I mean— one second you tell me you couldn’t care less about Jimin, then I disappear for a while, and next, you’re in love?!”

“We’re not 'in love',” you laugh, explicitly stressing the words while rolling your eyes in feigned annoyance. “Please do not exaggerate right away. This is… very new and very, uhm... uncertain so-”

She is quick to interrupt, having caught on to your weird choice of words while talking about the guy you're supposed to be in a relationship with.“Uncertain?” 

You cringe, already regretting your dumb choice of words. Uncertain? Really?

Clearing your throat, you shyly smile at her while you tuck a strand of hair behind your ear. “I mean… not uncertain. But we’re just at the beginning, so I don’t want you to jinx it.” 

“Ah!” Nayeon grins brightly, sending you a wink. “Don’t worry about that. He’s brought you along today which tells me you must be important to him,” she winks.

Your eyes get wide just as you chuckle uncomfortably. “Yea… I bet I am,” you lie, trying to sound as promising as possible. 

“He doesn’t let just anyone meet his family, trust me. Don’t tell him I said that, but Jimin is a little momma's boy,” Nayeon falls into a fit of giggles, making you join in as well. 

“Somehow, this is not surprising at all,” you laugh along. 

You already knew how close Jimin is with his family from how he spoke about them in the past. He’s told you some basics to not completely throw you into the deep end, and you’re very thankful for that. You hope it can come in handy later at dinner when you’re finally going to be introduced formally.

“How did you two even meet?” Nayeon suddenly asks, completely throwing you off with the first question already. You never agreed on a specific story with Jimin on how you even got to this stage. 

“Oh, uhm... he came by my apartment one day. It was very random actually, but he wanted to apologize for what happened,” you say, deciding to stick with the... well, half-truth at least. It's better to give her some crumbs of what actually happened than to make some cliche romance story up in your head in a matter of a couple of seconds. This has to be the safest plan. 

Luckily, Nayeon doesn't even seem to see the slightest thing weird about this as she just nods with a stupid smile on her face. “He's always been a very conscientious guy. He felt bad about the whole thing, you know?”

This, you didn't know yet, and you gotta admit it's surprising to hear since he didn't seem that concerned when he came to you. Yes, he did apologize for his friend and he did look troubled after learning you still try to avoid people as best as you can - but he's never given you the impression of actually caring about your feelings. At least not like that. Maybe you're similar in that way, and he doesn't like to show too much emotion either. 

“Anyway, he was the last person I expected an apology from since, you know, he didn't really do anything. He was a victim too,” you explain further. “So we kinda talked for a while and started meeting up a little more, and the rest is history,” you shrug, trying to keep it as short as that, hoping she won't dig deeper. 

You feel like that should be enough. If she wants to know more, she should go and ask Jimin, to let you see if he can come up with something better. 

Thinking about that, you have no idea what story he told his parents or if he even did tell them anything, but you hope it's not something completely different. You make a mental note to ask him later, deciding not to stress too much. 

Thankfully, Nayeon seems to be happy with your answer. Either that, or she noticed how uncomfortable you are already and doesn't want to push her luck too soon, but no matter what it is, she doesn't ask further. 

Deciding to make use of the situation and take the conversation in a slightly different direction, you take the initiative to speak up again. “Any tips on how not to make a fool of myself later?” You ask, hoping maybe Nayeon can help you come off as… well, someone who's worthy of their time. 

Nayeon gives you a warm smile. “Just be yourself, ___,” she says. Noticing you’re already about to complain, she takes both of your hands in hers again and makes you look at her. “Just be the way you always are, and they’re going to love you, trust me.”

“Yeah, I kinda doubt it, actually,” you sigh. It’s not that you’re particularly worried about Jimin’s family not liking you or not wanting you to be with Jimin - that isn’t your goal anyway - you’re just nervous about getting looked down on again. It’s just not a nice feeling, and even if you won’t have to face them ever again after tomorrow, it’s still something you’d like to avoid. 

“Don’t stress too much. They’re lovely people,” she then reassures you, trying to ease your nerves. 

“I know, it’s just—” you stop yourself, biting your lip as you take a quick look around, contemplating if you really want to say it. 

Turns out you don’t need to since Nayeon gives your hands a squeeze to make you look at her. You’re surprised to see the compassionate look in her eyes as she gives you a small smile. “You’re worried they’ve heard?”

Sighing, you nod, feeling a little dumb for being so see-through, but you’re glad, Nayeon seems to understand your problem.

“I wouldn’t worry too much about that if I were you,” she says, smiling when she sees the way you frown at that.

“Jimin’s sister obviously knows. She’s giving me death stares ever since we arrived,” you explain, trying to make her see your fear is valid.

“Ah, right, don’t take it to heart. She’s a teenager,” Nayeon chuckles. “She gives everyone that look and she automatically bitches at everyone too. It’s the hormones,” she shrugs. “Mijoo will probably just need to warm up to you first before she stops behaving like that, but as I said, don’t take it too personally.”

“But she obviously knows about the rumors. Jimin said she’s friends with some siblings of our classmates, so it’s a given,” you sigh. “So embarrassing.”

“It’s not embarrassing because it's not true. None of it is.” For the first time, Nayeon’s voice is stern as she’s sporting a deep frown on her otherwise perfectly smooth face. “These rumors don’t define you, ___. You’re more than that. Don’t let them hold you back from anything. You’re funny, you’re beautiful and smart, and they will see that. It doesn’t matter what some people who have never even had the pleasure to speak to you have to say about you.”

Nayeon’s little outburst makes you smile, although it makes your heart clench when you remember that she’s trying to make you feel better while you’re lying straight to her face. You're not nervous for the reason she thinks you are. It doesn’t feel right, but you try to calm your conscience by telling yourself that you’re not actually hurting anybody by doing this. It will be over in a while, and then you can laugh about it with her. At least you hope. 

Someone getting closer to you attracts your attention from the corner of your eyes, so you turn your head just a little to see Jimin coming toward you with a bright smile on his face. 

“Sorry to interrupt, ladies, but I need to steal ___ again. There are some people left who want me to introduce her.”

“Oh, so now you’re coming back from looking at that invisible thing? To introduce me to more people,” you frown, crossing your arms in despair. “What am I to you, Park - just someone to show off?” You’re just joking and Jimin catches on, immediately playing along. 

 “Of course, you are, babe. Can’t let Nayeon be the only one lucky enough to have your attention.”

Nayeon squeals again, getting your and Jimin’s attention as you look at her questioningly. “You guys are too cute! I’ll leave you to it then, but see you later, yeah?” 

“Sure, see you at dinner,” Jimin smiles, gradually throwing his arm around your shoulders. 

You exchange a look with Nayeon, seeing how she sends you one last wink combined with a look that probably means to tell you not to stress and that everything will be fine before she walks off.

“Nayeon will be at the dinner too?” You ask Jimin, kinda hoping you didn’t misunderstand. You would feel less nervous, knowing she’ll be there too. 

“Her father is our most important business partner and long-time family friend. Our families are almost always together at every gathering there is,” Jimin explains. “Will that be a problem?” He asks, looking at you with a look in his eyes you think could be interpreted as worry. “I thought you guys looked like you talked things out. Did I misinterpret?”

“It wouldn’t be a problem,” you shake your head. “And we did get to talk, yes.” 

Jimin stares at you intently as if he’s waiting for you to spill the beans, but you’re keeping him in suspense for now. “You planned that pretty well, huh? I would like to smack you, but that huge knife in my back hinders me from moving too much,” you grunt, pursing your lips to a pout. 

He has the audacity to laugh while tightening his grip around you. “Ah, I was only trying to help. Don’t be mad, please.” 

Honestly, you expected him to throw a witty remark your way, complain about you being extra, or even deny having planned all that, but he looks a little remorseful as he admits it. 

“I knew Nayeon wanted to talk to you badly, but she didn’t know how to approach you and even if you would never admit it, I knew you were aching for her to make amends too,” he confesses, raking his hand through his hair to get some loose strands out of his face in the process. “Wasn’t sure if I’d be going too far but guessed it’d be worth a try. And hey… you didn’t kill her, so please don’t kill me either, alright?” He offers you a wide grin, but his eyes are pleading for forgiveness. 

You must admit, seeing him in this position does something to you. It brings you inner peace to see him so restless and insecure while he waits for you to say something. So you drag it out just a little longer for your own pleasure before you redeem him. 

“Thank you,” you finally mutter, letting your eyes wander as you fight against this inner urge to gag due to having to thank him for going behind your back. “She apologized, and we got to talk things out, thanks to you. I’m still mad at you for doing this without my permission, but I guess you did the right thing this time.”

And again, Jimin doesn’t ruin the moment with a stupid comment or joke, teasing you about being right. He just accepts what you said with a nod and a kind smile. 

“Just happy I could help,” he says in a soft voice. “You both deserve better than that. Can’t help to have allies, right?”

You don’t get to say anything else to that because Jimin finally drags you along to meet the other people he wanted to introduce you to. 

Another half hour passes by, filled with business talk you don’t understand until you finally get a break again. 

“I know this is boring for you, and it is for me too, but I would be very grateful to you if you wouldn’t make it that obvious when we’re talking to someone,” Jimin grunts holding your hand a little too tight. 

“Okay, I get your irritation, but I swear that yawn came out of nowhere. I wasn’t trying to be disrespectful,” you explain, trying to swallow the little laugh that’s waiting to come out. “It is boring, though, I’m not gonna lie. How did Yeji do this?” you suddenly ask, not thinking about your words and freezing when you hear her name leave your lips. 

You still don’t know if it’s okay to talk about her in front of Jimin, or not. He usually reacts irritated whenever he crosses her path and therefore you’re walking on eggshells around him when she is mentioned. This time, your mouth was just a little faster than your brain. 

“Well, according to recent events and accumulation of information, I guess she probably compensated by fucking my best friend whenever she got the time to.”

He sounds careless, but you easily notice his clenched jaw. 

You clear your throat and look to the floor in shame, quickly apologizing.

“It's okay,” he grins, easing your nerves. “You don’t have to tiptoe around me, you know?.”

“It’s just that I don’t know what’s going on with you at all,” you try to explain. “You don’t talk much about her.”

To this day you still don’t know much about Yeji and Jimin as a couple; how he feels about the situation, how he found out, and so on. 

Yes, he seems to be mad at her, of course, but when he came to you, asking you to be his girlfriend, you kinda figured it was to win her back. He never gave you another reason for him to want to do this, so you’re just really confused. But he never wants to talk about it either, so it’s no wonder you don’t know how to act in front of him when it comes o his ex-girlfriend. 

“It doesn’t really matter, that’s why.” 

You’re just about to contradict and tell him that it actually does matter - especially since you happen to be a part of this, but Jimin is quick to interrupt. “While we’re at it, I would also really appreciate it if you could stop flirting with my cousin the next time he talks to you,” he says, as always, changing the topic before he has to say more. 

“But he’s so cute!” you huff, dramatically kicking your head back as you whine. “And he was the one who started flirting, just so you know.”

“I do know. I was standing right beside you if you forgot,” he glares, looking at you with irritation clear on his face. “Doesn’t mean you can just shamelessly flirt back.”

“Do you know if he is single?” you ask, obviously not having listened to anything he just said, which makes Jimin’s frown even more prominent. 

“Would you stop that?” he grumbles, looking straight at you. “Why would you care if he’s single when you aren’t even single yourself?”

Pursing your lips you hide a grin, happy you found a new way to tease him. “Well, technically, I am—”

“Well, technically, you’re not. Now stop this nonsense. We’re on a mission,” he snaps, clearly done with your conversation. 

Figuring you’ve annoyed him enough, for now, you quietly laugh to yourself as you let him drag you with him to your next destination.

The dinner finally came after endless hours of meeting and talking to people. Even though you were nervous about it, you couldn’t wait for it to happen since you were dying of boredom and hunger. 

Just as Nayeon had predicted, you sure were stressing without reason because Jimin’s parents are exceptionally kind. Almost too kind to be successful business people, but then again, all your knowledge comes from movies and some would say that’s not a reliable source.

Anyway, you’re having fun, and Jimin seems to be happy too - at least he hasn’t kicked you under the table or squeezed your hand too tight for a while now, which tells you you’re not performing too bad. 

Nayeon is sitting on the other end of this abnormally large table with her family so there’s no chance for you to communicate, or even properly hear her, but she sends you comforting smiles from time to time which you appreciate a lot.

But your nervousness has long gone, thanks to Jimin’s mom and dad, who made sure to give you a warm welcome and include you in every conversation from the very beginning to avoid making you uncomfortable.

Of course, both of them ask you questions from time to time, which you already knew would happen because they wanted to get to know you for a reason. But none of the questions asked were inappropriate, embarrassed you, or had anything to do with any rumors. 

On top of that, the food was simply fantastic. You are sure that you have never eaten better in your life, nor that you will ever eat so well again. You even have to stop yourself from longingly looking after the empty plates that the staff clears before serving the dessert almost immediately afterward. 

It’s a fancy little cake, glazed with what looks like chocolate and garnished with strawberries and blueberries. It’s almost too pretty to eat, but you don’t even get the chance to look at it for more than a few seconds before Jimin calls for one of the waitresses and makes you, and everybody else, look at him instead. 

“Hey, I'm sorry to bother you, but would it be possible to ask for one that has grapes instead of strawberries? I know you offer several variants, but only if it’s not too much of a hassle,” Jimin politely asks, giving the waitress his brightest, most charming smile.

The poor girl looks like she’s about to faint, not even being able to hold Jimin’s gaze for more than a millisecond and still blushing like crazy. She doesn’t even get one word out, just nods shyly before walking off as soon as she can.

You cannot help but laugh internally because it was cute, even if you feel a little sorry for her.

“Since when do you not like strawberries anymore?” Mijoo, Jimin’s sister, asks loudly, looking a little irritated. 

“I do,” Jimin shrugs, not really paying further attention to Mijoo’s bothered look. “But ___ doesn’t.”

And suddenly, all eyes are on you, and you look at Jimin in disbelief, wondering if you heard right. He’s just briefly smiling at you but doesn’t elaborate any further. 

“What?” You ask, trying to cover your confusion with an uneasy laugh. 

“Hm? Is that not the truth?” 

“Yes, it is. I’m allergic to strawberries, so I don’t eat them,” you confirm, still feeling everyone’s eyes on you, making you uncomfortable. You’re almost sure this is your punishment for laughing at the waitress earlier. “I didn’t know I’d told you about that.”

You weren't going to say anything, not wanting to be a bother, and if it had been up to you, it wouldn't have been necessary to send the dessert back either. You could have just left out the strawberries like you always do. 

Jimin softly chuckles. “You didn’t, but one doesn’t have to be a genius to notice that about you,” he says. “Whenever we're out, and you're eating anything with strawberries, you always leave them, but you keep stealing the grapes out of my fruit salad. Don't think I haven't noticed.”

You’re baffled, to say the least. Everything he said is the truth but… not in a million years would you have thought he was paying enough attention to you to notice that about you. Him noticing you're stealing the grapes from his ritual Monday morning fruit salad might not be hard to believe, but the strawberry thing? You don’t even know what to say. 

Feeling the embarrassment creeping up and your ears getting hot already, you tear your eyes from Jimin as you clear your throat. You quickly look at Nayeon, who is already giving you a knowing smile. 

Luckily for you, the waitress comes back soon after to bring you your dessert, so you (and everybody else) are now occupied with eating instead.

“Thank you,” you quietly mutter, only for him to hear, seeing how Jimin sends a wink your way.

You mostly eat in silence, letting everybody carry on different conversations while you’re too much in your head. 

To most people, the strawberry incident probably wouldn’t be such a big deal, but it is to you. It makes you think how little you actually know about Jimin. You never made an effort to learn anything about him, which hasn't bothered you before. Hell, you didn't even know! But now that you have talked a bit with the people in his life, it has become very noticeable. You can only hope nobody else noticed. 

You never thought much of it either, since what you're having isn't a real relationship, so why get to know each other. Well, apparently, that hasn’t stopped Jimin from noticing subtle things about you, which now just makes you feel bad that you didn’t know what kind of business his family has and it occurs to you just now, that you don’t even know when his birthday is. 

You know he eats a fruit salad every Monday morning, likes his family, and despises Jungkook, but that's it.

Maybe you should work on that.

You’re alone, just strolling around after dinner since everyone had something else to do. The first person you meet is Mijoo, who is currently sitting at the huge pool and letting her feet dangle in the water.

That she's not exactly keen on getting to know you, you’ve already noticed, and that’s okay, you guess. But for some reason, you don't want to leave without giving her the chance to see that you are not the person people make you out to be. 

Maybe it really only has something to do with your honor, but you don't want to leave things between you like this.

After thinking about it for a short while, you slowly walk over to her and sit down next to her. 

“Is it okay with you if I keep you company for a while?” you ask, giving her a small smile when she turns her head to look at you. “Everybody else is busy, and I was a little bored.”

She shrugs before averting her gaze back into the water. “Pretty pointless to ask when you're already sitting down anyway.”

You cannot help but snort at her sly remark, nodding your head in the process. “Fair point. But I can leave if you don’t want me here. No hard feelings, I promise,” you grin. 

Yes, admittedly, Mijoo is hard to approach and not the least bit as open and friendly as her parents, but Nayeon is right - she is just a teenager, driven by hormones. You would be lying if you said you couldn't remember that time. 

That's why you don't resent her behavior. 

How could you if you were a nightmare during your angsty teenage years as well?

Mijoo lets out an annoyed sigh but shakes her head anyway, showing you you’re allowed to stay. 

For a while, you’re just sitting in comfortable silence. You enjoy the warm water around your feet while letting your eyes roam the area. The Park property is truly beautiful. You knew they were rich, but this is just amazing. A tiny smile forms on your lips when you take it all in. And then your eyes fall on someone standing a little farther away talking to some guys. 

“That’s your boyfriend, right?”

You watch how Mijoo rolls her eyes, obviously annoyed by you trying to make conversation. 

You already know that it’s him. Not to be mean, but Jimin's description of his appearance was.... strangely on point. You would never say it out loud, though. 

“Did Jimin send you here to talk to me?” she snaps, eyes forming to slits.

A chuckle breaks through your lips at her snarky tone. “No, I promise he didn’t,” you say truthfully, smiling at her. “I really just didn’t have anyone to talk to for a while, so I decided to come down and talk to you since we didn't really have the chance to get to know each other yet.” 

She doesn’t even look at you and doesn’t say a word, so you wait for a while before you start talking again. 

“You don’t like me very much,” you state, not even feeling the need to ask since there’s no point in asking a question you already know the answer to. 

Gladly, but unsurprisingly, Mijoo doesn’t even try to convince you otherwise. “I heard some stuff about you.”

You didn't expect her to hit you with the truth so soon, but you're pleasantly surprised, to say the least. Yes, getting the harsh truth can hurt sometimes, but you prefer it instead of being lied to.

“Yea, I bet you have,” you quietly chuckle, letting your feet dangle inside the water. “People sure have a lot to say about me.”

Mijoo clears her throat, seemingly also surprised by you not trying to deny anything either. “And is it true? The stuff they say?” 

You look into the water, eyes following the small waves the movements of your feet are causing before shrugging your shoulders. You lean your head to the side as you grin at her. “What do you think?”

She seems a little perplexed, but she clears her throat and averses her gaze from you, probably preferring to not look at you right now. “I think, I don’t know you enough to form a final opinion on you.“ 

She looks down at her feet in the water while she says it, making you smile yourself. This family really is something else. 

“Hm, Maybe we could try to get to know each other a little better, and then I’ll ask you again,” you suggest, biting your lip. 

You’re not sure, but it kind of feels like the ice is slowly about to break. Or at least it's getting warmer.

For the first time since you’ve met her, you think you see the ghost of a smile appear on her otherwise stoic face while she stares into the water, but it’s gone as soon as it came. It still makes you a little happy, letting you catch some hope that you might be making process with her. 

“Maybe,” she shrugs, trying to act careless, but you can see her relax in your presence. It makes you immensely proud of yourself. 

“I may not know you,” she then says. “But I do know my brother. And Jimin wouldn’t be with you if the things they say about you were the truth. Or at least… if you were a bad person.”

You nod, pouting your lips. “Guess you will just have to find out then. Who knows, maybe you will end up liking me,” you say with a teasing tone in your voice while Mijoo’s face stays serious. 

“I liked Yeji. Didn’t turn out too well either,” she then states, making the teasing smile on your face disappear as soon as it came. 

Feeling a little uncomfortable, you clear your throat and straighten your back. 

“Considering what I’ve heard about you, I really hope Jimin knows what he’s doing and that the things they say about you really aren’t true, or else you and I will have a big problem.”

You can’t even be mad at her for telling you this because it somehow warms your heart to see her so protective of her big brother. It’s much like the day Jimin told you about her and mentioned he didn’t want her to get hurt. You always wished for a relationship like that with someone. A sibling, a friendship… but you never had the chance to make that kind of connection with someone. 

It’s good to see something like this exist outside of movies and books. 

“You know what? That’s fair. I promise I won’t disappoint you - or him,” you grin slightly, trying to ease the tension again. 

She doesn’t say anything to that anymore but seems to accept it, and you fall back into silence. The next time it gets disrupted isn’t because of you, but surprisingly it’s Mijoo, who starts speaking first, startling you just a little since you didn’t expect it from her. 

“I know you said Jimin didn’t ask you to talk to me, but I already know he vented to you about Chanyeol. And if it should occur to you anyway, don't even try to tell me anything. I don’t want to have this conversation with you. I know what I’m doing,” she informs you, still suspicious of your true intentions in talking to her.

You can't help but laugh at that, seeing how on point she is with her guess about Jimin. She really knows him well. “Ah, no. Don’t misinterpret, please,” you start. “Jimin definitely asked me to talk to you, but I refused,” you admit, thinking it’s best to be as honest as you can with her. It’s pretty obvious she is very attentive to her surroundings and knows Jimin better than anyone else, so she wouldn’t believe you anyway. 

“Oh?” For some reason, she looks as if she did not expect this answer from you. “How come you didn't wanna do it?”

Letting out a loud, exaggerated sigh, you lean back on your hands again and enjoy the view of the sun slowly setting in front of you. “I’m really the last person to give advice to others if it’s about relationships or guys in general,” you explain. “I’m a mess in that field,” you giggle. 

Mijoo once again doesn’t reply with words and gives you a nod, silently telling you she's listening. 

“Besides, I can't take the liberty of telling you anything about your boyfriend when I don't really know either of you.”

“Good. I agree with you,” she coughs. It’s probably not what she expected to hear, but she seems to share your opinion, so you guess this was the right answer. 

You are happy you can be honest in that aspect at least. It’s a shame you already have to lie about everything else, but that’s not your concern now. Although you had a hard time getting used to lying to these people that are treating you with so much kindness, it’s Jimin’s family, so it must (or at least should) be even harder for him. Especially since he is so close with them. 

Luckily, you don’t get to spend much more thought on that since Mijoo continues to talk not soon after, and the first thing that comes to her mind is complaining to you about how annoying Jimin is which kinda makes you laugh. 

“For real. Why can’t he just shut up and keep his nose out of my business for once?” She groans. “I have never interfered in his affairs like that because unlike him, I can show some respect.”

You guess Jimin is more intrusive than you would have thought when it comes to his sister and her boyfriend, and for some reason that doesn't surprise you one bit.

“He just cares about you, Mijoo,” you try to explain without interfering too much. You don’t want her to think you’re taking Jimin’s side because as you already told him at the party, you think it would be best to just let her be. But you feel the need to show her he’s not acting out of cruelty. 

“Jimin knows how guys are at your age. Well, not that they’re any better at our age, to be honest, but he really loves you and doesn’t want you to end up being hurt,” you try to explain. “Honestly, I would kill to have someone like that in my life. I always wanted to have an older brother. Really could have used a Jimin when I was your age or even now,” you chuckle, imagining what your life would have been like if you had had someone like him at Mijoo’s age.

“Oh,” she says, probably sensing your conversation suddenly got a bit too private and you feel it too, even if that was not your intention. You got a little off track it seems.

“But… at least you have Jimin now.” She sounds confused, making your alarm bells go off because you realize you let your cover slip for just a second. “I’m sure he cares about you just as much.” 

You clear your throat, trying to keep your composure as you muster a smile back on your face. “Yea. Sure. He does, of course…” you try to smile at her, but it stopped being sincere. “I just mean… I wish I would have met him sooner.”

You both stay silent for quite some time after, but other than the times before, this time feels uncomfortable to you. Your little slip-up makes you nervous and stressed. Yes, it wasn’t anything big, but you’re not sure if that is already enough to make Mijoo suspicious.

“He thinks very highly of you, you know?” She suddenly breaks the silence. It’s almost pathetic how fast your head turns to look at her after she said that, and you can’t be sure because of the poor light source, but you think she almost smiled at that.

“Why do you think that?” You ask, almost instantly wanting to smack yourself again for sounding so doubtful. 

Would an actual girlfriend react so surprised? 

“Well, for starters, because he literally begged me to not tell our parents any of the things going around about you,” she shrugs. “Not because he’s ashamed of you - he wouldn’t have brought you here if that was the case - but because he didn't want their impression of you to be affected by that. He wanted them to get to know you as you really are because he knew they would like you. Plus, he didn’t want you to be uncomfortable.” 

She’s saying all that so carelessly while you must look completely baffled with your eyes big and your mouth hanging open. 

“He really said all that?”

“All that and a couple more things, but I stopped listening because I felt uncomfortable in that lovey-dovey situation,” she says, cringing right after.

You laugh, shaking your head at her, knowing pretty damn well that she completely misinterpreted, but you’re still surprised he would do that for you. He also didn’t tell you about it, which you don’t quite understand, but he must have his reasons, and you're not going to dwell on that. 

Thankfully you don't get the chance to do that anyway because Mijoo makes sure to speak up again. “Well, hopefully, he doesn't have the time to annoy me that much anymore since he has you now to keep his mind off of my relationship,” she sighs, making her annoyance with her brother known. “Last month at one of our family get-togethers, he gave Chanyeol a pack of condoms, trying to embarrass us,” she rages.

“Jimin gave condoms to your boyfriend?” You ask, amazed because you would have never thought of that. A voucher for a visit to the hairdresser, maybe; a pair of pants that will cover his butt, perhaps, but condoms?

“He bought them in the smallest size possible just to embarrass him. Such a typical unfunny joke from Jimin, I swear. It was nothing but another excuse to annoy us both,” she explains.

Pressing your lips together, you nod your head a little. “That sounds more like him, to be honest.” You know this isn't supposed to be funny, and Mijoo's obvious annoyance is more than enough evidence. But it's hard to keep a straight face. 

Please. It is a little funny okay?

“Don't worry, they were probably just leftovers from his own stash,” you joke, forgetting who you're talking to for a moment. It only occurs to you when you hear her laugh loudly beside you, almost making you fall into the pool from the unexpected reaction.

“Why didn't I think of that come back then? Oh, what a waste,” she complains while still giggling loudly. 

Although you're happy you got this big of a reaction out of her for a change, you do regret making that joke in the first place. Joking about your supposed boyfriend's small dick in front of his underage sister. You're sure Jimin wouldn't find that funny, but oh well. He isn't here.

“Happy to help, but don't tell him I said that,” you chuckle.

It seems like most of the tension between you and Mijoo evaporated shortly after. And even if you feel a tiny bit bad it happened at Jimin's expense, you're happy for yourself. 

What they say must be true, after all; nothing brings two people closer together than a common enemy.

About an hour later, you’re sitting in front of a bonfire with Jimin, Nayeon, and Mijoo while tightly wrapped in a blanket because the fire wasn’t enough for you to get warm. 

Everybody else has already left, but the four of you decided to hang out a little longer. 

Mijoo’s boyfriend had to leave as well, much to Jimin’s joy, but you managed to make him shut up about it before the siblings could get into a fight. 

For the past half hour, you found yourselves talking about different things, laughing about stupid stories either of you told, and well… getting a little drunk it seems. 

“Okay, my turn, uhm…” Jimin thinks for a while before he starts chuckling to himself and looks at his sister. “Hey, do you remember the wedding we attended a couple years ago? The one where the bride almost had a stroke because her sister - the first bridesmaid - was nowhere to be found while she should have been there already?” Jimin asks her, seeing her nod her head. 

“Of course I do!” Mijoo laughs. “Wasn’t she locked up in the bathroom or something?” She asks while trying to get her own memory going. 

Jimin grins widely, taking a big gulp from his beer bottle before he nods briefly. “Yeah, that was the official story she told everyone,” he chuckles, looking mischievous. “The truth, however, is that she was busy sucking me off behind the chapel.”

Almost instantly the two girls start to groan and complain loudly, making gagging noises and sending deep frowns his way. 

“Jimin!“ Nayeon exclaims, rolling her eyes. “This is so disrespectful towards ___.” 

“What? Why?” he asks, seemingly confused, looking at you to see you looking just as confused.

“Because you don’t brag about past hookups in front of your girlfriend. That’s common sense,” Mijoo agrees, looking at her brother with a stern look. 

Jimin pouts at you, squeezing your sides lightly while his arm is wrapped around you ever since you sat down on his lap. You saw Mijoo doing the same with her boyfriend earlier, and since it occurred to you that Jimin is putting way more work into this whole fake dating thing than you, you decided this would be a good idea. He didn’t seem to complain.

“Is that true? Are you jealous, babe?” Jimin then asks teasingly referring to Nayeon and Mijoo’s words. 

You pinch the bridge of your nose, sighing loudly before fixing your eyes on his own. “I might not look like it, but I’m raging inside,” you say, trying to look as serious as possible before you and Jimin simultaneously burst into laughter. 

“If this isn’t a match made in heaven.” You hear Mijoo mutter quietly, but you both don’t react to it, too caught up in your drunken giggles about things you probably wouldn’t find as funny if you were completely sober. 

Wiping a tear from the corner of your eye from laughing so hard, you clear your throat before looking at the other two girls. “Alright, it’s my turn now so uhm… who wants to hear the story about how I lost my virginity?” you boldly ask, excitedly looking around. 

“Me!” Jimin immediately yells into your ear, sounding just as eager to hear your story as you are to tell it. Unfortunately, he seems to be the only one since Nayeon and Mijoo are starting to get up, muttering something about needing to leave. 

“Hey, no! Come on, guys. I swear it’s a funny story!” you whine, trying to make them stay. 

“And this is my cue to go to bed,” Nayeon says, grinning at you before her eyes turn stern when she looks at Jimin. “Take care of her tonight and get her home save tomorrow, you hear me?”

“Yes, Ma’m,” Jimin salutes, making the both of you fall into a fit of giggles again. 

Nayeon sighs but still smiles at the two of you. “Come on, Mijoo, I think it’s time we leave the two alone. Talk to you later, ___, okay?” She sends you a hopeful smile, to which you only nod and give her a thumbs up, making her chuckle at your drunken stupidity.

“So, about that story,” Jimin starts a couple of minutes after you two got abandoned by the girls and you still haven’t spilled the beans, reminding you of what you actually wanted to talk about. 

“Right!” you exclaim, smacking your forehead when you remember. “Oh God, that was so funny,” you giggle. “I mean, it wasn’t at that moment, but now, several years later and after a lot worse things happened, I can wholeheartedly laugh at this failure.”

Jimin only gives you a warm smile, absently pulling the blanket back over your suddenly exposed shoulder without you even noticing.  

“So it happened with my first-ever boyfriend,” you begin, grinning up at him with big, glistening eyes that reflect the fire just perfectly. “We just kind of… decided to do it in his room after school on a random Wednesday-”

“The classic,” Jimin nods. “Personally, I would prefer a Friday, but who am I to judge.”

He’s just teasing you, quietly laughing to himself when you get frustrated for forgetting where you were after he interrupted you and the way a frown replaces the excited look you previously had in your eyes.

It doesn’t last for that long, and you’re quickly back on track, continuing your story. Even if Jimin thought it was funny, he decides to not tease you again and just let you speak - even if it’s very tempting. 

“Okay, so we’re doing it alright?” you gulp, sipping from the wine glass in your hand. “And then, all of a sudden, his mom just… barges in!” 

“No way!” Jimin laughs, kicking his head back, accidentally squeezing you even tighter against him in the meantime. 

“Yes, way! But the disturbing part is that he... came. In those exact two seconds, his mom was watching,” you say, both in horror and amusement from remembering the sheer embarrassment you felt that day. “Just like that. No warning.”

“What!” Jimin almost falls over in laughter, shifting in his seat and slightly making you grab onto him tighter because it felt like you’re falling off his lap for a second. “You’re shitting me. There is no way it actually went down like this.”

“No! I swear that’s what happened,” you giggle, shrugging innocently as if you didn’t just tell him about your boyfriend nutting while his mother was watching the two of you.

“And then what happened? What did she do?” He asks, still interested but also kinda grossed out by the images making their way into his head. 

“She yelped and ran off,” you shrug. “And I never went back to that house ever again,” you explain while cringing. “This is so typical for me, I swear. The whole thing lasted no more than three minutes, and yet she had to barge in at that very moment,” you groan, shaking your head in disbelief. You have always been haunted by bad luck, it seems.

Jimin barely holds it together, and his laugh is just too contagious for you to be embarrassed by old memories. 

“Three minutes?” he then scoffs after his laughter has died down. “Not to brag or anything, but I could at least give you four.”

You gasp, shifting your body a little on his lap to face him better. “Four whole minutes, Park? That'd be like… my new personal record.” 

Jimin laughs again, his face coming even closer. “That’s sad, ___.”

“You don’t have to tell me,” you sigh. “It’s hard being a woman, having an interest in men.”

He grins brightly, hugging you closer. “Either that, or you just have bad taste.”

“We all know about my bad taste, Park. You don’t always have to remind me,” you roll your eyes. “I prefer to put the blame on others like any real adult would.”

You’re averting your gaze from the fire that’s slowly starting to go out, not looking at him for a mere second, but when you look back at him, something has changed. 

Your faces are suddenly so close, and you can't even remember when that happened, but he's so close that you can clearly feel his breath on your lips. You watch his tongue dart out for a mere second as it runs over his bottom lip, and you find yourself mesmerized by it. 

Jimin is suddenly so still too, not moving at all, and if you weren't so busy looking at his lips, you'd notice him staring at yours the same way.

Slowly, carefully, his free hand - the one that isn’t already holding your waist to keep you secure on his lap - slides up to your face to get rid of a strand of hair that had just fallen into your eye, and he dips his head just a bit. Then, just as slowly and carefully, he leans in, giving you plenty of time to pull away if you want to.

But you don't. You don’t move at all. You don’t even know what’s going on, have no idea when the atmosphere shifted from joking about past hookups to… this. But you’re curious. You're curious to see what he’s willing to do.

When his lips finally make contact with yours, it's gentle and soft. He kisses you delicately, almost as though you're made of glass. It feels different from your first kiss. This time there's no one watching, no one to prove anything to, and if you were completely sober, this kiss would probably confuse you a lot more than the first one did.

The hand on your side roams, finding your curves and squeezing all of them gently, making goosebumps form on your skin. Jimin pulls back to take a breath, even in the dim light, you can see his lips are swollen from the kiss, and he's staring at you with dark eyes.

“Shall we go inside?” he asks. 

You nod, silently standing up and waiting for him to put the fire out completely before he comes over to you, sporting a handsome smile on his face as he takes your hand and leads you all the way into the house. 

You don’t remember how it started, or who implied it, but you don’t even make it entirely up to his room before you’re kissing again, clumsily stumbling up the stairs and giggling whenever one of you accidentally bumps against a random piece of furniture.

Once inside his room with the door shut behind you, he carelessly throws his dress jacket over an armchair before stepping closer to you once again. You simply just watch his every move, not backing away in the slightest with your eyes fixed solely on his as one of his fingers tilts your chin up.

You can feel goosebumps rise up on your arms again as he kisses you sweetly, touching you without the blanket blocking his fingers from your skin as he backs you up until your legs bump against a small dresser. Within a second, he has you sitting on it while he settles between your legs, kissing you with more force than before.

There is no tongue this time, but it feels more intense than the kiss you shared before and it's making your head spin.

But you must seem to have misinterpreted his eagerness to kiss you because the moment you let your hands wander over his toned chest and down to his belt, he is quick to stop your movements altogether.

He pulls back to take a breath, and when your eyes flutter open in confusion, there is a soft smile adorning his face.

“Why not?” you ask, trying to make him come closer again, but he doesn’t budge. 

Jimin only smiles as he looks at you, looking into your big, glassy eyes while you look at him in question. 

“Because you’re drunk, ___.”

You groan, stubbornly shaking your head. You keep your arms around his neck while trying to reason with him. “So what? You’re drunk too, so it doesn’t matter.”

“I’m not as drunk as you. Not in the slightest,” he chuckles, smiling down at you just as you let out a big huff in annoyance. “I won’t take advantage of you like that. That wouldn’t be okay, and if you weren’t so drunk, I know you would agree.”

“Why do you always say that? I’m not that drunk,” you argue.

Jimin only grins, seemingly amused by your irritation. “You haven’t said anything mean to me in the past couple of hours, babygirl. That’s not normal.” 

There it is. That stupid pet name you hate so much. He hasn't called you that all day and him using it right now, tells you the moment passed and that he's determined to not let anything happen tonight.

“Ugh, of all the times you could have chosen to be a decent guy, you choose now? That‘s such a typical move from you. Anything to annoy me.” 

He chuckles, carefully reaching for your hands to move them away from around him. “I promise, if you still want it tomorrow morning, I will be the last person to not immediately be up for it.”

You pout, not willing to give up so easily. “I think we should allow ourselves a little reward for… being such good actors.” you propose trying to persuade him again, even if it obviously won’t have any use. He made up his mind, and as he said earlier, if you were sober, you would agree with him. 

Jimin only grins but still withdraws further from you, making your pout even bigger in the process. “I’m completely with you on that one, but still - not in this state. Please understand.”

“Ugh, whatever,” you scoff, hopping off the counter and stumbling over to his bed before landing face-first inside it and rolling over with a groan. “Why would I want sex with you if I could just spend those four minutes sleeping?”

Jimin laughs as you feel the mattress dip when he joins you. “Look at you being such a horny little brat,” he smirks, looking down at your annoyed face. 

“Stop talking to me like that if you’re not going to do anything about it,” you mutter, rolling on your side so you don’t face him any longer. 

“Alright, I’m gonna go take a quick shower. You can go to sleep if you want to but you should take off your make-up first and get out of this dress, so you feel more comfortable.” Jimin then says, just as you hear him shuffling around in his closet. “I'll lay out a few things for you for the night. As soon as I'm gone, you can change in peace.”

Even if you’re suddenly almost too tired to move, you listen to him and do what he asked you to do. You sleepily wiggle out of your dress and hang it over a chair so it won’t get too many crinkles, and lastly, find your bag and take out a few makeup wipes.

You don’t notice Jimin coming back into the room and joining you in his bed only a short while later because you’re already fast asleep. You also don’t notice him being the one to put the blanket over your shivering body because you were too sleepy to notice. 

“Sure. Not drunk at all,” Jimin chuckles to himself after he has you neatly tucked in and makes himself comfortable as well, soon falling asleep too.

You wake up from a pounding pain in your head. Profoundly confused by the unfamiliar surroundings you find yourself in, you take a moment to look around and remember you’re still in Jimin's parents' house. 

Turning around, you’re engulfed in warmth, undoubtedly coming from the man who’s still sleeping soundly beside you, but with enough space between your bodies to keep you from finding yourselves in an awkward position. 

Frankly enough, Jimin - although still asleep - looks much more rested than you feel right now. 

You groan slightly, slowly sitting up and holding your aching head, the bright sunlight shining through the window not being of any help either. Your eyes scan the room carefully, taking in every little detail. But it’s not until they land on Jimin’s dress jacket, carelessly thrown over the black armchair, barely hanging on, that flashbacks from last night come rushing back into your brain. 

Ho-ly shit. 

Quickly covering your mouth with both your hands to prevent yourself from making any sounds that might end up waking the peacefully sleeping man beside you up, you slowly let yourself sink back into your pillow, hoping for it to swallow you whole and never let you go again. 

You wanted him to sleep with you. No - even worse! You asked him to sleep with you multiple times, and he refused! Could it be any more humiliating?

Okay yes, if you really would have ended up sleeping with him, that would be even worse, but this right here - that’s the second worst scenario you can think of. 

And you made out. Again. And this time, it was not to make anyone believe you're together because there was no one there. You have absolutely no excuse for making out, but it happened. What. The. Fuck.

You can’t believe you did that. You could kick your own ass for being so stupid and letting it come this far. What the fuck is wrong with you?

And more importantly - how are you ever going to face him again? He is never going to let you forget about that, you’re sure. 

As if your inner turmoil with yourself about your inconceivable stupidity has transferred into the outside world, Jimin suddenly begins to stir next to you. You notice him slowly waking up, and it makes your heart almost explode inside your chest from anxiety. 

“Hey, good morning.”

You turn your head a little, seeing Jimin’s puffy eyes already fixed on you and a tired smile resting on his lips. 

“Morning.”

“Sleep well?” He asks, adjusting his weight a little to hold his head with his arm up to look at you better. 

You only nod, offering him a tight-lipped smile before your body reminds you of the current state you’re in. “My head is killing me, though.” 

Chuckling quietly, Jimin wordlessly gets out of bed to walk to a little mini fridge at the far end of his room - you hadn’t even noticed it being there. He takes out a small water bottle, comes back to you, and quickly rummages through the bedside table before handing you the bottle and a pill. 

“Good thing I’m prepared,” he winks, this time deciding to sit next to you and watch you while you eagerly take the pill and a sip from your water. Feeling the cool liquid going down your throat makes you feel much better, and you thank him before settling back into your pillow, waiting for the medication to kick in before you decide to get up. 

“So…” 

You raise a brow looking at Jimin, who is also looking at you expectantly.

“So?” you ask, not knowing what he’s on about.

“Do you remember anything from last night?” 

You gulp, trying to hide your embarrassment somehow by averting your gaze elsewhere and hoping he won’t notice. You should have known he won't be subtle about it - it's Jimin, after all - but you still hoped he wouldn't ask about it the second he wakes up. If there is one thing you don’t want, it’s having to discuss what happened last night. But considering you were clearly drunk, this could be used to your advantage. 

Getting back into your Hollywood-like acting skills, you furrow your brows as you shake your head. “What do you mean, did anything happen?” 

Jimin intensely looks at you, trying to read you and see whether you’re lying. You feel very uncomfortable under his intense gaze. “No. Forget I said anything.” A corner of his mouth raises up in a half-smile, implying that there's more he wants to say but decides against it.

Not that you give him the chance to anyway because you quickly waddle out of bed, getting as much distance between you two as you can. “Is it okay if I take a shower?” 

He nods, telling you where to find fresh towels and other stuff you might need before watching you leave into his bathroom and close the door behind you. 

He knows you’re lying, he doesn’t even have to waste a thought on it because you’re that obvious. Or maybe you aren’t, and he has just gotten better at reading you but he's sure that you know exactly what happened yesterday.

And it probably shouldn’t, but you not telling him the truth and making up some lie about not remembering anything, really bothers him for some reason.

However, it shows that he has done the right thing by not giving in to you because you could not have made it more clear that it was purely the alcohol talking last night.

tagged: @ggukkieland | @ttaeby | @rkvi | @cuteipat | @pjiminslove | @mawwnsterr | @aamalaaa | @spideyxxboi | @lil-sracha | @katsbqbe | @bex-92br | @natalie-rdr | @canarystwin | @wespers-jaan | @bangtanxcoffee | @bri-mal | @so-kou | @lonleycoffee | @rjsmochii | @kiwiaroha | @chimchimmarie | @scoupshawt | @xmochiloverx

[sopejinsunflower]

2024.001.020: From Embers to Flames

Go to Series Masterlist!

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

Hoseok is restless.

He had tossed and turned so much in his bed that the sheet was all crumpled up and his blanket had somehow ended up on the floor in a pile. He’s staring at a spot on the ceiling, one arm resting across his forehead. He can’t sleep. Everytime he closed his eyes, it felt like he was sinking into the mattress straight down into a void he might never be able to climb back out of. So he kept his eyes open, blinking emptily. 

That’s when the door is gently pushed open and Hoseok barely turns to look, confident that it’s Karma - the cat has more free reign of the house than any of them. Only when he felt the bed dipped from the weight did he finally raise his head (and eyebrows). The curtain is opened and the moonlight shines in through the window so it didn’t take long for him to see it’s you. 

“Can’t sleep?” you ask in a voice barely a whisper. 

Hoseok sits up, criss-crossing his legs under him. “I’d say the feeling is mutual since you’re here.” He smiles, patting the empty spot next to him. You crawl your way over to mirror the way he sits, knee to knee, staring straight ahead out the window. He watches silently the way your chest softly moves up and down and how your eyelashes barely graze the top of your cheeks each time you blink. It has always been something you’ve been insecure about, those short lashes, but Hoseok won’t trade them for anything else. It’s funny to Hoseok how you might change bodies and even gender for each cycle but all these little things would somehow remain similar.

The both of you sit there in silence, Hoseok patiently waiting for you to speak first. The sinking feeling he had earlier is gone and he wonders if it’s because you’re here. Of course it is. He’s just happy to finally be at ease. He leans back against the headboard, watching your side profile. 

But what came out of your mouth next felt like a punch to the gut: “I feel like we’ve met before. In another life.”

Hoseok sucks in a breath. 

~~~

I turn around to look at him, squinting in the semi darkness to read his face. I didn’t have to look too hard; the answer on his face was clear as day. 

He remains silent, looking pale even in the moonlight. I purse my lips and turn away, remembering the promise I made: no questions until Sunday. I nodded to myself before turning back to him. “Forget I said that,” I say, automatically reaching out to touch his knee. “It’s fine, Hoseok.”

I watch his eyes flit over to the knee I’m touching and I quickly remove my hand but Hoseok is faster, covering my hand with his own, warm palm resting fully over my fingers and knuckles, gripping ever so slightly. He scoots closer, eyes downcast, trained on his hand enveloping mine, forehead furrowed. When he looks back up again, there’s a softness in his gaze as he exhales slowly and rests his head back against the headboard. 

“Stay here tonight?” 

I stare at his hand covering mine, contemplating for a moment whether the answer on the tip of my tongue is the right one. Sighing, I look back up to him. “Not tonight, maybe.” I pull away and climb off the bed. “Goodnight, Hoseok.”

I avoid looking at him in fear that the disappointed look on his face might make me change my mind, hurrying out of the room without another backward glance. It’s only until I cross the threshold of my own bedroom when I realised not looking back had been the wrong thing to do because the hand that wrapped around my upper arm came as such a surprise I let out a yelp loud enough for Karma to jump on all fours from his perch on the new cat tree.

“Hoseok!” I gasp, my heart hammering. “You scared me.”

To his credit, he does look guilty but the smile that spreads on his lips tells me that he found my reaction funny. I swat at his chest, pushing him away. “It’s not funny,” I grumble. 

“I’m sorry,” he chuckled. “I thought you knew I was right behind you.”

I glare at him, pouting. “What do you want?”

“Nothing,” Hoseok replies, slightly offended. “I just-” 

He pauses and I arch an eyebrow, waiting. 

He licks his lips before trying again, pupils shaking with nervousness as he stares right back at me. “I just…want you close. Tonight.”

~~~

Hoseok can hear the air that you suck in, can somehow even hear the way your heart doubled its pace as the both of you stand there in the middle of the room, staring at each other in a sort of stalemate of who breaks the silence first. 

To be honest, now that he’s said it, he thinks he might throw up if you reject him for the second time that night. His heart is literally in his throat right now and he thinks if he shifts his weight wrong, the whole world might just come crashing down. The ball is in your court now so it’s only right to wait until you make the first move, come what may. Like a child who just wants to cover his ears and squeeze his eyes shut, Hoseok grits his teeth at the strong urge to run out of here. 

Words of “No, I told you not tonight” and “seriously, Hoseok?” run through his mind and he half wishes he hadn’t said anything or even chased you back to your room. What an idiot. A desperate idiot. A desperate idiot that couldn’t even take the first subtle no as a complete answer. What did he think would happen? He should just go back to his room now before he makes things worse. Just apologise and leave, Hoseok, he thinks. Just-

Soft lips on his immediately banish the self-deprecating thoughts from his mind. His eyes go wide for a second as his brain catches up with what’s happening before he finally melts into you, catching your lips in between his. His arms silently wind around your waist, pulling you closer ever so slightly, pressing your body up against his so he can feel every soft edge and delicious curves, so he can memorise this body just as he had memorised the other ones, the other you’s - all different yet had felt just as familiar. 

His. Theirs. Whatever you want to call it, this is it. This is what it feels like to be away for a long time and finally coming home. This is the same feeling of being lost in a crowd, frantic, until you see a familiar face once more. It’s the same as when you’ve spent an entire day out doing either fun activities or running errands and being able to finally sink into the comfort of your mattress at the end of the day. It's a relief, it’s content. It’s every little comfort in life that he has come to associate with you. 

You, who had been so close yet so far away. You, who had been sitting right in front of his eyes these past few months yet going to bed missing you. He had been patient, he had followed the rules. Surely he deserves this, no? A little piece of the heaven he’s been promised if he plays the game right.

When Hoseok feels his feet moving, it’s not him that’s taking the lead. You guide him, mouths still connected, tongue still tangled, towards the bed in clumsy footsteps and he finds himself toppling onto his back. Neither of you break the kiss, not even as you straddle him, leaning chest to chest as you card your fingers through his hair, feeling his fingers dig into your side, probably leaving half-moon shapes on your skin.  Neither of you seems to think that breathing is important right now, not when you both can drink in each other, taking it lungful of gulps of whatever that’s flowing through your connected mouths.

In the distant far back of Hoseok’s mind, he thinks there’s a hint of unfairness to this. How would he even explain this to the others? They wouldn’t be jealous per se, but more annoyed that he had, once again, been the first to get a full taste of you. All of them understood it well enough that there’s a ritual to the cycle, a pattern of sorts that forces itself even when they do their damndest to change things. Would that be enough of an excuse once the others find out (because they will find out)? 

You pull away from the kiss, forehead remaining flushed against his. “Where are you off to?” You sound curious albeit a little sad and he cranes his neck to smush his lips back on yours, speaking in between kisses, “Sorry. I hope everyone’s really asleep, is all.”

You giggle, sitting back just slightly out of his reach. “We can always stop,” you tease, biting your already swollen lower lip. 

“Fuck no,” Hoseok growls as he snakes his fingers on the back of your head and pulls you back in. This time, he’s wise enough to flip you both over, the control finally in his hands. A light bulb goes off in his head as an idea strikes him and with one rough swipe, he pulls your shirt up and over your chest. Shoving the bunched hem in between your teeth, he says, “Now try and stay quiet for me, baby.” 

***

Jin picks out a card from Yoongi’s fanned out deck in his hands, smirks, then places a pair of aces into the middle pile. 

He turns to Jungkook for his turn to draw. “Do you reckon they know we can hear them?” Jungkook asks nonchalantly as he turns towards Jimin, unable to find a matching pair. 

The game of Old Maid had been going on for as long as the muffled ruckus started up in your room, right across from where they are, a method to keep them occupied as well as from bursting in there to catch Hoseok red-handed. But Jin thought that would’ve been too crass and since no one would be able to sleep anyway, they decided on a game of cards. 

Jin snorts. “Doubt it.”

Yoongi just shrugs as he pulls out a card from Jimin’s hand. He pauses for a moment, tilting his head. “Is the cat inside?”

They all stop in their tracks, exchanging glances at each other in the silence (somewhat silence - they can hear the creaking of your bed) as they think about the possibility. Jimin shakes his head pitifully. “Poor, poor kitty.”

The game resumes.

Down the hall, as opposed to Taehyung lightly snoring, oblivious to what’s happening close by, Namjoon stands by the opened window, half his body hanging outside, hands pressed against the ledges. He thought that by doing this, he can somewhat distract himself with the nighttime nature but he can hear the quiet moans of your voice and wonders if you had your windows cracked open, too. 

Aaagghh! 

He wants to scream so bad but the sliver of self control he has has him scrunching up his face like he had tasted something sour, gripping to the window ledge so tight the wood creaks threateningly. Namjoon has no idea of the card game going on in Jin’s room. All he thinks is he wishes he was fast asleep instead, like the others because they seemed unbothered. He had expected for one or even two of them to burst into his room, wide-eyed and in between panic and excitement at the knowledge of you and Hoseok making love so painfully obvious.

Namjoon won’t deny the slight twinge of jealousy in his chest but feeling jealous of each other is as pointless as urging a flower to grow faster just because another one has already bloomed - everything is in due time; he just has to be patient. He does wonder if Hoseok’s true nature peeks out with you now, that dominance lurking under that bright, head-thrown-back laughter heard everyday around the house. What would you think of it? Or is Hoseok holding himself back, keeping things soft and vanilla for this first time with you? First time in this lifetime, of course.

As he sighs in defeat, retreating back into his room and closing the window tightly but almost begrudgingly, another thought comes to mind: How does he face you in the morning? Namjoon pauses on his way to the bathroom, blinking as he thinks, mouth downturned. What if he can’t hide the fact that he heard you? Fuck!

He stomps his way to the bathroom to splash cold water into his face, determined to forget everything and go to sleep. But sleep isn’t a good friend tonight as he lays there in bed, an obvious tent in his pyjama bottoms now, chewing on the insides of his cheeks. The harder he tries to push filthy thoughts out of his head, the more his mind wanders down to times when he had had you by his side almost every night, squished up against him, someone else’s arms around your middle, a human sandwich of sorts.

The first time Namjoon had laid with you, he had mistakenly thought you as shy, needing him to take the lead, nudging you in the right direction. He’d tease you with little orders like, “Take of your top for me, my love” and “That’s my girl” or “You’re as radiant as the stars in the sky, my darling, so let me see you more”, words that you blushed at, hiding your happy smiles behind your hair as you kept your head down low, doing everything he told you like a good puppy. 

But Namjoon had been too naive. The moment you flipped him over, one palm pushing against his chest for balance as you pushed up on the balls of your feet moving perfectly over his shaft, mounting him like a cat in heat, head thrown back, mouth agape, breathing in shallow breaths as he watched your breasts bounce almost mesmerised. Namjoon had been speechless, his usually intelligent mind rendered blank and dumb. Ah, he had thought to himself, I must have died and reached heaven. 

The more Namjoon entertained those memories swirling in his head, the more uncomfortable his lower half gets. He goes back into bed, pulling the covers over himself as his left hand sneaks into his pants. He closes his eyes, conjuring the memories of you in bed forward, almost smelling your skin on his clean sheet. His morals can go to hell for tonight.

~~~

Hoseok’s breathing is even, soft slow breaths that keep my eyes on the way his chest moves up and down. 

But he’s not sleeping, I can tell. He slowly turns his head over to me, eyelids fluttering open to look at me. Rustling alerts me to his hand moving over to touch mine under the blanket, intertwining our fingers together in between us, bringing them up to his mouth. He places a kiss on each one of my knuckles before resting our connected hands on his bare chest.

“Hi,” I whisper lamely.

“Hi,” he whispers back with an amused smile. 

 I turn slightly sideways, lips connecting with his shoulder, mouthing at it a little, making him smile wider. The sun is only just rising, the soft glow of the slowly waking world outside holds off behind a curtain closed shut. Soon, the birds will start their activity, Mrs Oliviera will be thumping around on the first floor to start the day and it will be time to wake up and break this sacred, quiet moment between Hoseok and I. 

“I should go back to-”

“Stay.”

Hoseok regards me for a moment. “But the others will be awake soon.”

“And?”

“They’ll ask questions,” he answers, turning onto his side and leaning on one elbow, looking down on me. 

I hum, feeling his finger caressing my side. “You don’t have to answer.”

“They’ll know,” he says.

“Then they don’t have to ask.”

Hoseok chuckles softly. He leans down and connects our lips, fingers digging into my flesh. He deepens the kiss, pushing me over on my back as he looms over me, his weight creaking the bed. He moves to my cheek, nosing down to my neck, lightly brushing his lips on the sensitive skin there. He starts to move downward, pecking kisses down to my chest. I can feel his tongue poking out, feel it-

“Mreooowww!”

We both jump apart, him more than me that he almost falls off the edge of the bed. 

“Karma!” I exclaimed, staring in disbelief at the cat that had just jumped onto the bed. He gives me a disapproving look as he curls up in what was just minutes ago Hoseok’s spot, laying his head on the pillow as if reclaiming it. 

I turn back to Hoseok and give him an apologetic shrug. He laughs lightly, slipping off the bed and kneeling by the side of it. “I think that’s my cue, love,” he says. He leans over and kisses my forehead. “Sleep some more.”

I watch him get dressed and leave the bedroom, gently closing the door behind him. I lay back on my pillow, staring at the ceiling. I turn to Karma, purring contentedly. He opens his eyes in slits to look at me before closing them again, almost smugly. 

“You’re such a brat, you know that?”

He ignores me, as expected.

I roll my eyes and turn the other way.

***

“Karma!” 

The quiet yelling doesn’t bother the cat as I watch him bound up the stairs towards the third floor. I let out a groan and climb over the makeshift barrier, tiptoeing up the stairs as quickly as I can to go after him before the housekeeper sends us both to think about our actions in a corner. The stupid cat is fast and I try to be as quiet as possible, trailing after him.

“Get back here,” I hiss, bending low with my arms outstretched as I approach him close enough for the tip of his twin tails to brush my fingers. He had stopped to sniff at a closed door but then changed his mind, darting away and escaping me. He hurries down the hallway and I slow my pace, eyes trailing upwards to that same old door in the ceiling. I don’t come up here often and for some reason, the sight of it triggers a nostalgic feeling of sorts. 

I stop right underneath it, neck starting to ache a little from how long I’ve been staring at the Anam Cara etched on the wooden surface. That specific celtic knot represents eternal love but what most people tend to ignore is the fact that Anam Cara literally translates to ‘soul friend’. I wonder why my grandaunt was so fascinated by Gaelic culture. Do we have some Irish bloodline in us? Or Vikings, maybe?

The sound of scratching pulls my attention down towards Karma again who is now long and extended halfway across one wall, paws stretched to reveal the razor claws beneath sunk into the wallpaper.

“Nononononono,” I mutter, leaping forward to remove him from making more damage but Karma is a cat. He lithely jumps out of the way but it’s too late for me to pull the brakes, ramming my shoulder straight into the wall he was leaning against, but instead of bouncing off of it, I sink into it.

~~~

The thud isn’t what made Jin finally curious enough to go up the third floor; it’s the strange cat that casually slinks between his legs heading downstairs, but not before giving him a look that confirms it wasn’t him making the noise. 

Jin isn’t the bravest man out there. The only good thing about having a pet, he thinks, is that he can blame it for any weird creaky, spooky noise he can’t explain that happens throughout this old house. But it’s the afternoon and the house doesn't look so haunted with the sun shining through every window so he decided to be adventurous. His plan was to peek around the corner and then run like hell downstairs again. 

He cranes his neck as far out as he can, one foot on the edge of the stairs, ready to bolt. His eyes scan the hallway hurriedly and when he doesn’t see anything, his heart starts thudding faster. Jin hears a pop in his neck from whipping his head around too fast but then he hears your voice. 

“Ow…”

He pauses, heart finally calming down. “Y/n?”

No reply. Did he imagine it? He takes a tentative step forward and then another, eyes rapidly scanning the area. But it’s a long hallway that stops at a window. Are you in one of the rooms? Did you fall? Did something fall onto you? Oh god, no.

Jin bursts through each door one by one without bothering to close the one before, his senses heightened to the point there’s a ringing in his ears. Each door he goes through he’s met with ceiling-high stacked old items he doesn’t focus on for too long, items he had long put behind him; some made him think more about you which sends him into more of a panic. By the fourth door, Jin is half-convinced he imagined your voice and had half a mind to just go back downstairs to find you. 

He exits the door and for some reason, he looks up towards the trapdoor that he had been living above off just a few months ago. He’s too far to see it but his eyes zone in on the Anam Cara. He remembers the night that he had taken a knife to the wood, giggling with you as he carved the shape, carefully not to nick himself with the blade as his vision sort of blurred together from how much wine he had drunk. 

“Yoongi is going to be so- hic- mad,” you had slurred. “He was going to- hic- use this panel for a cupboard- hic.” 

“I’m making it prettier,” he replied with a grin. “He’ll love it.”

No, he didn’t. Yoongi had been annoyed but not angry enough to do anything more than just roll his eyes when he had caught the two of you in his workshed. He did, however, throw the tangerine he was holding at Jin’s head before confiscating the knife from Jin and shepherding you both to bed, mumbling about soulmate symbols and how the Anam Cara wasn’t actually one (Jin had justified that it was his expression of eternal love for you which earned him that free lecture from Yoongi). And that’s the origin story of the trapdoor in the ceiling.

“Help!”

Jin snaps out of his reverie. He follows the muffled sound of the voice and finds himself face to face with the revolving secret wall. If he hadn’t been ten feet away from it, he definitely would not have heard it. A sense of deja vu washes over him, only this time he’s not a floating ghost. 

~~~

“Help!”

I called out a second time but judging from how compact my voice sounds in this space, I knew no one would be able to hear me. My chest starts to wind up tight, my throat constricting as panic rises up to a crescendo. I can feel pressure in my ears but my mouth is clamped shut, unable to make any more noise. It’s so, so dark. 

I’ve been here before, I remember. A while back when I had first found this place. How could I have forgotten that? That’s the funny thing about your brain; it tends to push down all the bad stuff so you can function somewhat properly. A monster in the dark. There’s a monster in the dark. A ghost. With eyes so familiar it hurts. 

These thoughts go around and around in my head, bouncing off the walls of my mind as I try my hardest to not start hyperventilating. My breaths are coming out in short bursts and my hands are fisted, pressed together against my stomach. When your whole existence is crushing inward against you, your senses become sharper than usual, albeit narrowed to your own self. That’s how I’m hyper aware of how cold my own fingers are and how loud the thud, thud, thud is of my heart against my ribcage. 

~~~

Jin picks random spots on the wall to pound against with the side of his fists, alternating between the right and left side as he’s confident the axis is somewhere in the centre. Thud, thud, thud! And yet the wall resists.

You no longer make any sound from within and although Jin knows that you could have made your way downstairs, his panic button is still turned on. He remembers your panic-stricken face the first time you stumbled across the hidden space, the way you had gone completely out of his reach even when he had been screaming in your face to try to snap you out of it. That triggered the other memory, of him dragging your limp body out of the water. Jin shivers, both to shake the bad memory away as well as in anger because. The wall. Just. Won’t-

The wall finally swings open and Jin’s eyes are quick to lock in on you the same time yours find him. He doesn’t waste another moment.

~~~

Jin. Jin’s eyes.

A ghost with eyes so familiar it hurts. 

Jin. Seokjin. My Seokjin. 

He’s crushing me so hard the wind is knocked out of me. Ironically, I can breathe again, taking in huge gulps of air like a diver resurfacing. 

Murky waters. 

Jin is talking to me but I can’t quite hear him. He’s holding my face in between both hands, forcing me to look up at him, into those eyes. Those eyes that look so worried, like I had died. My chest feels tight and my throat is suddenly ticklish, like I got something stuck there. I cough and it stings, like when you accidentally swallowed water into the wrong pipe. 

Murky water. Mud.

~~~

“Are you okay?!”

You’re looking at Jin but not really seeing him, he can tell. Your eyes look far away, almost lifeless and it scares him so much his hands are shaking as he holds your face. He wants to call out to the others but something keeps him focused on you, unable to pull away even for a second lest he might lose you. It doesn’t make sense but the fear in his heart is real. 

“Talk to me, please.”

You take a deep breath but Jin’s not convinced that you’re fully there yet. You start coughing and his panic goes back up to ten. Did you choke on something? He tries to keep your body straight so he can look, make sure you’re okay but you’re doubling over, grasping at your chest, coughing like you’re suffocating. 

“-water.”

Jin bends down. “Okay, let’s get you some water. We need to get out-”

“You pulled me out of the water.”

The coughing stops as abruptly as it started. You look up at him, chest still heaving. Jin is at a loss for words, staring at you as he tries to make sense of the sentence. I did, he thinks, once upon a time ago. 

Flashbacks to that dreadful day play like an old film reel in Jin’s mind, each scene starker than the next. Standing there in the secret space built so many years ago, he’s convinced that water is dripping down his forehead; water from that pond miles behind the property. He can even smell it on him. He doesn’t notice it yet but his heart is in his throat, ready to be vomited out once he opens his mouth to respond to you.  “Jin,” you say, grabbing his shoulder and pulling him close, “did I die?”

a/n: at this rate, it looks like I'm posting once a year to this fic and they're shorter than I like too T_T i'm doing my best! I'll try harder, I promise! T_T

Next>>

Check out my other works → :MASTERLIST:

Taglist: @effielumiere @queen-in-the-shadows @singukieee @ot7nem @thelewddreamer @jaxavance @serendididy @peacedreamer14 @uarmyhore @fangirl125reader @maetyun @canarystwin @jewitchenby

a/n2: to my taglist, if you're still reading, I LOVE YOU T_T if not, don't hesitate to lmk if you want me to take you off the list. I wouldn't mind, honestly ;_;

[flutterbysnowflakes]

Vipers And Dragons

PART ONE

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

Chapter I

The titanium doors hissed open, revealing a scene bathed in the cold, blue glow of a cityscape at night. Park Jimin, a devil sculpted from moonlight and shadows, sat behind his obsidian desk, a smirk playing on his lips. He knew the effect his penthouse office had on rivals, the sheer height offering a metaphorical chokehold on the city, and on them.

Y/n, head of the Viper Syndicate, strode in, her every step an accusation. Tonight's truce was a bitter pill to swallow, even if the mission at stake was the biggest arms deal the underworld had seen in decades.

"You wanted to see me, Park," she said, her voice as sharp as the stiletto glinting on her hip. There was no greeting, no pretense of civility. It was a declaration, a reminder that their animosity was a living thing, a predator coiled and ready to strike.

Jimin leaned back in his chair, the city lights seeming to dance behind him, a stark contrast to the steely glint in his eyes. "Ah, Y/n. Ever the picture of grace." His amusement grated on her. "Let's not waste time with pleasantries we both despise. The intel's clear. The Falcones are making their move on the shipment."

"And you think I wouldn't know that?" Her voice was a low growl, the defiance a second skin. "We both have moles in their nest."

"True," Jimin conceded, his smile turning predatory, the amusement replaced by a calculating glint. "But only one of us has access to this." He tapped a tablet screen, a holographic map of a sprawling industrial complex shimmering into existence.

Y/n eyed the map, her annoyance warring with a grudging respect. Jimin was a viper in his own right, ruthless and cunning. They were two sides of the same obsidian coin, forever locked in a dance of power. Yet, the thought of him having intel she didn't, a one-up in their twisted game, sent a jolt of competitive fire through her.

"So," she finally said, the word a concession forced from her throat, "what's your proposition, Jimin? A temporary ceasefire while we steal the toys?"

The corner of Jimin's lip lifted. "Precisely. Think of it as a business arrangement. We each take what we came for, then go back to our lovely little war."

The air crackled with unspoken tension. Working with Jimin was a dangerous gamble, a tango on a knife's edge. He was the wolf she knew she shouldn't trust, yet the promise of crippling the Falcones was too tempting to resist. It was a strategic alliance born of necessity, a fragile truce that could shatter at the slightest provocation.

Y/n met his gaze, her eyes a storm brewing in a sea of moonlight. "Fine," she spat, the word a concession laced with a bitter aftertaste. "But make no mistake, Park. This truce ends the second the dust settles."

Jimin's smile widened, an echo of the city lights behind him. "Wouldn't have it any other way, Viper."

A spark ignited in the air between them, a volatile mix of hatred and something far more dangerous - a grudging respect, a flicker of something that defied the animosity that bound them. This mission was a gamble in more ways than one, and as Y/n turned to leave, the weight of Jimin's gaze followed her, a promise of a storm to come, both on the battlefield and perhaps, just perhaps, within the dark chambers of their hearts.

The door hissed shut behind her, leaving Jimin alone in the opulent office. He swiveled in his chair, the city lights blurring into a kaleidoscope of colors. A smile, both predatory and strangely intrigued, curved his lips. This heist wouldn't just be about crippling the Falcones; it would be a game of dominance played out against a backdrop of bullets and betrayal. And Y/n, his rival, his reluctant ally, was about to become a very interesting pawn.

[aelinad]

Tangled Strings Of Fate

Chapter 06 - The Party Pt. 2

~~ Namjoon's POV (a couple of days ago)~~

"And that's the final track done. Everything seems ready for the listening party this Saturday. Any last-minute tweaks, or should I send it through?" Hwan-seok asked, pulling off his headphones.

We were in the production room, wrapping up Indigo for its final check before the listening party. Tonight was the deadline to submit the tracklist for production, and the albums would start printing soon. It was almost midnight; Hwan and I had been here for six hours, perfecting every detail. Somewhere along the way, Hana texted back, replying to the list of things to do in Seoul I'd sent her. Keeping track of places to visit was just something I did, so putting it together for her wasn't a big deal. What was a big deal, though, was the fact that I'd texted her at all.

After so many people had tried to exploit me for attention, part of me worried she'd do the same. Had I been arrogant, assuming she didn't know who I was? If she did, she never gave it away, and there hadn't been any hint of our encounter in the media, no matter how much I searched. Maybe that's why I texted her—to test if she was genuinely different from everyone else in my life lately. Worst case, I'd change my number again, something I'd gotten used to by now. But then she sent a sweet, inviting reply halfway through our listen of the album, and I panicked, replying back coldly to keep my distance. I regretted it immediately. I knew better than to let my insecurities mess things up.

Then, as we reached the final track, she messaged me again. Unexpected. She invited me to a gallery exhibition—something from the list I'd sent her, something I'd wanted to check out myself. Lost in thought, I barely noticed Hwan talking to me again.

"Bro, are you even listening? What's up with you tonight? Something on your mind?" Hwan looked at me with concern.

I sighed heavily. "There's this girl..."

Hwan's eyebrows shot up, and he leaned forward, listening as I told him about meeting Hana. I explained how, for the first time, I felt normal around someone new. How I wanted to keep talking to her, to get to know her, but ended up messing it all up by overthinking. Now, I didn't know if meeting her at the gallery was a good idea.

"Damn, man. Didn't see that coming," he smirked. "You sound kinda whipped, Dimples."

I shot him a glare, but he raised his hands in mock surrender, still grinning.

"Hear me out," he said. "You're overthinking it. Yeah, you're famous, but that doesn't mean everyone's out to use you. Maybe she genuinely likes you—wants to know you for you?"

I shifted in my chair, staring down at the console. "You don't get it, Hwan. I don't have the luxury of taking that risk anymore. Every time I let someone in, it backfires. How am I supposed to know she's different?"

Hwan shook his head. "You're focused on what could go wrong. But what about what could go right? You said it felt... normal, right?"

Reluctantly, I nodded, recalling the ease of walking beside her, laughing over the simplest things. "Yeah. It was... nice. Different."

"Then what's the harm in trying?" Hwan leaned in, his tone serious. "You deserve that. I get it, you've been through a lot. But you can't hide behind walls forever."

His words began to sink in, loosening the knots I'd twisted in my mind. "And if it's just another mistake?"

"Then it's a mistake, and you deal with it," he said simply. "The company can spin it, and people will forget in no time. But at least you'll have tried. Don't let past bad experiences—okay, maybe a lot of them—keep you from meeting someone genuine."

I mulled it over, thinking about her gallery invitation. Nothing flashy, just a simple exhibit. Something I could easily arrange to go to quietly without the media or general public catching on. It was the sort of thing I'd attend with a friend anyway.

"You don't have to decide now," Hwan suggested. "Sleep on it. See how you feel tomorrow. If you're still curious, text her back about the gallery. Just see what happens."

I leaned forward, resting my elbows on my knees. "You think that's a good idea?"

"Honestly? Yeah, I do," he replied, shrugging. "And if it goes well, maybe invite her to the listening party. She'd be around people who already know you—no hiding, no pretence. You could just be yourself and see how she handles it."

I hesitated, picturing it. It felt almost too simple. "I don't know if I'm ready for her to meet everyone."

"Hey, it's just a thought," Hwan said, hands raised again. "But if you're that worried, having her meet you in your element could be a good test. You'd know quickly if she's the real deal."

He was right. It would be a chance to see if Hana was truly different. Even with doubts tugging at me, something about the idea felt right.

~~ Hana's POV (present) ~~

After our conversation in the kitchen, Jungkook and I made our way back to the party. I spotted Selina right where I left her initially, seated on the couch, chatting with her friend's cousin. The room buzzed with activity; people were scattered around, some sitting, some standing, while others were lost in the music, dancing to the rhythm of Namjoon's new songs.

As we walked, I noticed Taehyung talking with a group standing around the couch, while Jimin sat on the opposite side, occasionally glancing over at Selina with an expression I couldn't quite read. It made me wonder if there was more to their interactions than met the eye. I'd have to remember to ask her about it later.

"Are you gonna go and talk to Namjoon after the songs finish?" Jungkook's voice came from just behind me, a gentle reminder of the conversation waiting to happen.

"Yes," I replied with a slight nod. "I think it's only fair to finish what we started."

My eyes drifted to the back of the room, where Namjoon stood near the DJ, a quiet presence amidst the crowd. Then, as the song faded out, he took the microphone, and his deep voice filled the space.

"Thank you all for being here tonight," he began, and the room quieted. "This album, Indigo, has been a journey. A way for me to speak in silence, to express myself truthfully without causing confusion." His gaze swept over the crowd, his words carrying a depth that felt almost like a confession. "I think of Indigo as the last archive of my twenties, a blend of rock, pop, hip-hop, and funk that captures who I am, in this moment."

As he spoke, I could see how much this project meant to him, the way his emotions came through in every word. I was so captivated that I forgot I was supposed to make my way back to Selina. Just as I took a step back, my gaze accidentally met his, and for a fleeting moment, it felt as though he was speaking only to me. But then, a familiar jolt as I stumbled—again, nearly tripping over who I believe was the same guy who had bumped into me earlier.

As I stumbled, expecting to hit the ground, Jungkook's arm slipped around me, his hand resting at the small of my back. He pulled me close, steadying me with an ease that felt natural, almost instinctive. His hand lingered there, warm and grounding, and for a moment, it was as if we'd stepped out of the noisy party and into our own quiet space. I looked up, and his eyes met mine with a hint of a smile, something soft and unguarded. My heart fluttered, betraying me completely, and suddenly I was all too aware of how close we were.

"You okay?" he asked, his voice low, the words just between us.

"Yeah," I managed, barely above a whisper. "Thanks for... catching me.Maybe we should get back before I fall again. Have I mentioned I'm clumsy?"

"You didn't need to. I just saw it firsthand," he teased, his eyes sparkling.

"Whatever you say, Ian," I replied, throwing him a look, which only made him laugh.

"You're never gonna let that go, are you?"

Feigning innocence, I smiled. "I don't know what you're talking about."

After what felt like a small eternity, we reached the couch. Selina stood up, her eyes scanning my face as though reading every detail.

"Are you alright? I saw you almost falling back there," she asked, her tone laced with concern.

"I'm fine! Jungkook caught me before I could break anything."

"Good." She shot him a grateful smile. "So...are you two...you know, okay now?"

I nodded. "Yeah, I think we're fine."

"And what about Namjoon?"

I glanced over to where Namjoon had returned to the crowd. "Haven't had the chance to talk to him yet, but I'll probably catch him when things calm down."

We sat back down, sinking into the plush cushions. From the corner of my eye, I noticed Jimin and Jungkook chatting in Korean, discussing the new album's release and what they each liked about it. I picked up bits and pieces, though my understanding of Korean was still shaky. I let my mind drift, replaying the night's events over and over.

I must have zoned out, because I didn't notice when someone seated across from me started talking until Selina nudged me lightly.

"Oh! Sorry, yes?" I stammered, snapping back to reality. Standing in front of me was none other than Jin from BTS, a warm smile lighting up his face.

"Nice to meet you," he said, his tone friendly. "Hana, right? Jungkook mentioned that you know Namjoon, too."

"That's me," I replied, glancing at Jungkook, who gave me a small, encouraging smile.

Jin turned to Jungkook, his eyebrows raised slightly. "Geu saram-eun uri-ga nugunji ara?" he asked, and I caught enough to understand: Does she know who we are?

I couldn't help but smile. "Yes, I know exactly who you all are. You're Jin from BTS. Nice to finally meet you, Mr. Worldwide Handsome." The title earned a laugh from the guys around us—I guess my quick Google search hadn't been for nothing.

Jin looked momentarily taken aback, clearly not expecting me to understand. "Do you speak Korean?" he asked, obviously impressed.

"Not fluently yet, but I'm getting there," I admitted, laughing a little.

Still grinning, he turned back to Jungkook. "Na-neun i-geos-eul jo-ahanda," he said with a nod—I like this one.

***

The other members—J-Hope and Yoongi—came over to greet me as well, their smiles as warm and welcoming as they were on screen. Each one of them had a unique vibe, but there was an undeniable kindness to all of them that put me at ease. It felt surreal standing among them, sharing laughs and small talk.

Selina, meanwhile, had settled in with Taehyung and J-Hope, who were already laughing and swapping jokes like they'd known each other for years. I watched as she let loose, leaning into her natural friendliness. She seemed right at home, giggling along with them like they were old friends.

After a moment, I let my eyes wander across the room, scanning for Namjoon. I finally spotted him toward the back, standing by the equipment table, quietly helping pack up some cables and speakers now that the main listening session had ended.

I took a deep breath. This was my moment; he was finally alone. I glanced at Jungkook as I got up, who gave me a reassuring nod, as if he already knew what I was about to do. With a small smile, I left the comfort of the group and made my way through the crowd.

As I approached, I felt a strange mix of anticipation and nerves. The night had already been full of surprises, but this conversation felt like the most important one. Namjoon was so focused he didn't notice me at first. When he finally looked up and saw me, he gave a soft smile, a hint of surprise in his eyes.

"Hana," he greeted, his voice warm but cautious. "I wasn't sure if you'd still be here."

"I, um, thought I'd stay," I said, trying to sound casual but feeling the weight of the moment. "I wanted to congratulate you on Indigo. It's... it's really incredible, Namjoon. You can feel every part of you in it."

Namjoon's face softened, and he set down the equipment he was holding. "Thank you. That means a lot." He glanced away for a moment, as though gathering his thoughts. "This album... It's different from anything I've done before. It's my way of being real with myself, you know?"

I nodded, feeling the honesty in his words. "You can tell. There's a rawness to it, like you're letting everyone in on pieces of yourself you've kept hidden."

He looked at me, his gaze intense but kind. "That was the hardest part. Letting people see beyond the image, into... well, the mess that is me." He laughed softly, the sound a little self-conscious.

"It doesn't feel like a mess, though," I replied, finding the courage to meet his gaze. "It feels honest. It feels... real."

We stood in silence for a moment, the weight of his words settling between us. It felt like I was seeing him as he truly was, beyond the leader, beyond the idol. Just Namjoon, with all his thoughts and vulnerabilities laid bare.

"Thank you for saying that, Hana," he finally said, his voice a little quieter. "So... I guess you probably have a lot of questions," he said, his gaze dropping for a moment before returning to mine. "About why I kept my identity hidden, and why I invited you tonight without telling you much about... well, any of this."

I chuckled softly, trying to ease the tension. "You mean why you didn't just say, 'Hey, I'm Namjoon from BTS, want to come to an album release party?'"

A grin broke across his face, and he shook his head, a hint of embarrassment in his eyes. "Yeah, I guess that's exactly what I should've done." He paused, running a hand through his hair. "Honestly, I didn't want it to feel... different with you. It sounds strange, but it's rare to meet someone who just sees you as a regular person. That's how I felt with you, and I wanted to hold onto it a little longer."

I took a moment to let that sink in, feeling the warmth of his words settle over me. "I get it," I said softly. "It's a lot to put out there, I mean... I can't imagine what it's like for you to meet new people who already have an idea of who you are. Or think they do."

He nodded, a shadow of thought crossing his face. "Exactly. And I think that's why I didn't say much about who would be here tonight either. I figured if I told you, it might... I don't know, make you not want to come or make you feel like you have to act a certain way, or say certain things." He hesitated, then continued, "I just wanted you to come as you are. To be you, not someone reacting to 'RM' or the idea of what it means to be at this kind of party."

I could feel the honesty in his words, the vulnerability in admitting that he'd wanted something real—something uncomplicated. "Well," I said, giving him a reassuring smile, "I think you got what you wanted. Although," I added with a playful grin, "I could've used a bit of warning. You know, like, 'Hey, Hana, you might be casually bumping into some of the world's biggest idols tonight.'"

Namjoon laughed, shaking his head. "I should've known. But to be honest... I didn't expect you to stay. When you first figured it out, I thought... well, I thought you'd be overwhelmed and just... leave."

I looked down for a moment, then back up, meeting his gaze. "It was overwhelming," I admitted, "and honestly, I almost did leave. But... I realised I wanted to stay. Not just because of the music or the people here, but because... well, because you invited me. I trusted that you wanted me here."

He held my gaze, a flicker of surprise, then something softer in his eyes. "I'm glad you did. Because I wanted you to see this side of me too—not just the polished, rehearsed version."

There was a moment of silence between us, charged with unspoken understanding. Here was Namjoon, stripped of the usual layers, standing in front of me not as a global superstar, but as someone who simply wanted to be known, genuinely, by someone else.

"Thank you for letting me see that," I said softly. "I know how important this night is for you, and I don't take it lightly that you wanted me to be part of it. It means... a lot."

He smiled, this time more relaxed, his shoulders easing. "It means a lot to me, too," he said, his voice almost a whisper. "More than you know."

"Hana! How's the party treating you?" It was Hwan, Namjoon's friend, grinning as he joined us, clearly picking up on the comfortable energy between us. "And what do you think of the songs? Pretty incredible, right?"

I blinked, caught a little off guard by the sudden change in conversation, but I quickly smiled back at him. "Oh, it's been amazing," I replied, glancing at Namjoon. "The music was really beautiful and I love how every song feels like its own story."

Namjoon gave me a quiet, appreciative smile, and Hwan nodded enthusiastically. "That's exactly what he was going for. I've known this guy for years, and I think Indigo's probably the most Namjoon thing he's ever put out." He chuckled, giving Namjoon a friendly pat on the back. "He was a little nervous about it, but I told him people would understand, just like you did."

Namjoon laughed, shaking his head. "Thanks, Hwan. Always the hype man." Then he looked back at me, a softness in his expression that made me feel like we'd shared something meaningful in those last few moments.

"Well, I guess I'd better make the rounds," Hwan said with a grin, giving Namjoon a knowing look before heading back into the crowd. "It was great to meet you, Hana. Take care of this one—he can be a bit much sometimes!"

I laughed, and Namjoon rolled his eyes, though there was a hint of fondness in his reaction. As Hwan wandered back into the party, I realised it was getting late and the room had thinned out; only a few small groups lingered, laughing and chatting quietly as the evening wound down.

Just then, Selina approached. "Hey, Hana," she said softly. "I think it's probably time for us to head out." She glanced at Namjoon, then back at me, a knowing sparkle in her eyes.

I turned to Namjoon, feeling the weight of the night settle over me. "Thank you for tonight. For inviting us, and for... everything," I said, my voice soft but sincere.

Namjoon gave a gentle nod, his gaze warm. "Thank you for staying. It means a lot." He hesitated, as though he wanted to say something more, but then he simply offered a small, almost shy smile. "Take care, Hana. I hope this won't be the last time we see each other."

"Me too," I replied, feeling my heart flutter at his words. "Goodnight, Namjoon."

With a final, shared smile, I turned and joined Selina, who was already waving goodbye to the others. I spotted Jungkook standing a few feet away, watching us with a soft smile. He approached, hands in his pockets, looking a bit more like the "Ian" I knew in that moment.

"So, heading out?" he asked, his voice quiet, almost reluctant.

"Yeah, I think it's time," I replied, smiling back at him. "It's been... quite a night."

Jungkook chuckled, glancing down before meeting my gaze again. "I'm glad we got a chance to clear everything up, Hana. I know the whole 'Ian' thing was... a lot." He rubbed the back of his neck, looking a bit sheepish. "I never meant for it to be that complicated."

I laughed softly. "Honestly, I think I'll always remember it as the most interesting introduction I've ever had." I reached out and gave his arm a light squeeze. "Thank you for being... well, for being you. Ian or Jungkook, I'm happy to know you."

Before either of us could say more, Taehyung and Jimin sidled up, grins plastered on their faces clearly a bit tipsy from the night as they looked between us. Taehyung leaned in, feigning a dramatic whisper to Jungkook. "Aww, our little Ian has found himself a lady friend," he teased, giving me a playful wink.

Jimin snickered, nudging Jungkook's shoulder. "Didn't you tell her you're an international heartbreaker, Jungkook? Or was that just 'Ian'?"

Jungkook rolled his eyes, though a blush crept up his cheeks. "Guys, come on. We're just saying goodbye."

But Jimin wasn't done. He turned to me, feigning seriousness. "Hana, just so you know, this guy"—he pointed at Jungkook—"is notorious for stealing hearts, so... be careful."

I laughed, playing along. "I'll keep that in mind, Jimin. Thanks for the warning." Then I looked back at Jungkook, letting the teasing slip away to something more genuine. He hesitated, as though he wanted to say more, but instead he simply held my gaze, his eyes warm with sincerity.

Taehyung let out a loud, exaggerated sigh. "Alright, alright, enough with the lingering eye contact. It's getting way too sappy here." He gave Jungkook a nudge. "Let the lady go, man, before you make her go home late."

Jungkook laughed, but he stepped back with a small, reluctant smile. "Guess they're right," he said. "But I'll see you again, Hana."

I nodded, feeling a bit of bittersweetness settle in. "Yeah."

As Selina and I finally made our way out, Jungkook, Taehyung, and Jimin stood by the doorway, calling out playful goodbyes. Selina, still giggling at their antics, hooked her arm around mine, giving me a teasing look as we stepped into the night.

As we strolled through the quiet streets back to our place, Selina couldn't help but give me a sly grin. "So... any thoughts on who's the main lead here? Dimples or Mr. Fate Guy?" she teased, wiggling her eyebrows.

I rolled my eyes, trying to hide a smile. "Selina, it's not like that. We're just friends... I think... you know, that's it."

"Uh-huh." She gave me a knowing look, crossing her arms with a playful smirk. "Good friends who invite you to private album parties and stare at you like you're the only person in the room?"

"Stop it," I laughed, nudging her. "It's not like that. They're idols, Selina. They're not going to be interested in something more. And honestly..." I trailed off, glancing at the night sky as if searching for words. "I'm just... happy to know them. To share moments like tonight."

Selina's smile softened as she took my hand. "I get it, Hana. But don't be so quick to put people on unreachable pedestals, okay? Who knows what could happen?" She winked, adding in a whisper, "Just know I'm kinda leaning towards team Dimples... though Ian has that whole fate-and-mystery thing going for him."

I laughed again, shaking my head as we continued on. In the silence that followed, I let her words linger, but not too deeply. For now, friendship was enough. ***

"What do you mean you went to the same party as BTS last night?!" Aera whispered, half-screaming as she nearly dropped the plate she was holding. Selina had just casually let it slip, and now Aera's eyes were wide with shock.

It was Sunday afternoon, and Nabi's family had invited all of us over for lunch at their beautiful, secluded home. According to Selina, a lot of influential people lived in this quiet neighbourhood, which made sense given how well-off Nabi's family was. The house, nestled behind high walls and lush greenery, was cosy and filled with warmth. Besides Nabi and her brother, only her parents lived here now; her sister had already moved out with her partner, who were both set to join us later.

In the kitchen, Aera, Nabi, Seon-Jae, Selina, and I were setting up plates and catching up on the latest news. Seon-Jae had started the conversation after mentioning that his cousin texted him last night, saying one of his friends had been at a work party with some "big names." One thing led to another, and Selina finally told everyone that the two guys I'd met during my trip so far turned out to be none other than two members of BTS.

"Wait," Nabi chimed in, pausing with a spoon in her hand, "are you telling us Ian and Joon were... Jungkook and Namjoon? As in the Jungkook and Namjoon?"

I bit my lip, glancing at Selina, who looked far too amused by the commotion. "Yes," I admitted, sighing. "I had no idea at first! They just introduced themselves as Ian and Joon. I only found out last night at Namjoon's album party."

Aera's jaw dropped. "So, you were hanging out with BTS this whole time, and you didn't even know?"

"Trust me, if I'd known, I would have freaked out ages ago!" I laughed, feeling the secondhand shock from her expression.

Selina shook her head, chuckling. "Oh, it was gold. You should've seen Hana when she figured it out. I think she turned every shade of red!"

Seon-Jae raised his eyebrow, a smirk forming on his lips. "So, now that you know...are things different? Did you say goodbye to them properly, or...?"

Before I could answer, Selina stepped in, teasing, "Well, let's just say Hana's caught between 'Mister Fate' and 'Dimples.'"

Everyone burst out laughing, and I felt my cheeks heat up again. But I couldn't help smiling at the thought of Jungkook and Namjoon. Our relations had been so genuine, so effortless, that it almost felt unreal now knowing who they really were.

"Well," I shrugged, attempting nonchalance, "we said our goodbyes. But they're just friends, you know? They have their lives, and I have mine."

Nabi nodded thoughtfully. "True, but if you could pick between the two?"

I laughed nervously, shaking my head. "No way. That's not even on my radar right now."

The doorbell chimed just then, and Nabi's mom called out to let us know the rest of the family had arrived. As we headed to the dining room, Aera whispered to me, "You know, even if they're idols, that doesn't mean you can't keep in touch. Friends are friends, no matter who they are."

I smiled, touched by her words. She wasn't wrong, and I couldn't deny that, deep down, I hoped our paths might cross again someday. I had restrained myself from contacting them after last night, a bit afraid that I'd come across as opportunistic or bothersome given their schedule. I had to leave it to them to see if they wanted me to still be around.

When we went to the table to set the last plates, Nabi's sister Yeri and her partner walked in followed by Nabi's brother who was out when we arrived. The dining room was buzzing with laughter as we settled around the table for lunch. Nabi's family had set out a spread of delicious dishes, and their warmth was infectious. Nabi's mom, a university professor, had taken a particular interest in Selina and me since the moment we'd arrived. It was like being welcomed into a family we'd known for years.

As we began to eat, Nabi's mom looked over at me with a curious, friendly smile. "So, Hana," she said, "Nabi tells me you're working on a PhD in neuroscience. That's quite impressive. Do you have plans for what you'd like to do after you finish?"

I swallowed a bite of food, feeling the weight of everyone's attention shift to me. "Thank you," I replied, smiling. "I'm still deciding, actually. I might stay in research, or maybe go into teaching. But I've always loved the idea of working in neurorehabilitation, something that would have a direct impact on patients' lives."

Her face lit up with approval. "That's wonderful, Hana. You'd make a real difference in people's lives." She took a sip of water, then added, "Though I do wonder if you have any time for yourself with such a busy schedule. You must be very focused, or perhaps...you are already seeing someone special?"

The question caught me slightly off guard. "Oh, uh, no, I'm not seeing anyone," I said, chuckling nervously. "I've just been so focused on my studies and travelling lately."

Nabi's mom nodded thoughtfully, glancing over at her older son, Sun-bin, who was quietly enjoying his meal at the far end of the table. "You remind me of my Sun-bin here," she said, almost to herself. "He's also so focused on his career...too busy to date, in fact."

Nabi cleared her throat. "Eomma, not this again..."

Her mother gave her a look, half amused, half chiding. "Oh, I'm just saying. When I see such a smart, accomplished young woman like Hana, I can't help but wonder." She smiled warmly at me, her suggestion as subtle as it was kind.

I smiled, feeling a little embarrassed but touched. "Thank you, that's really sweet."

Before she could say anything else Sun-bin interfered: "Eomma, geumanhaseyo..." Stop please.

Just then, as I reached for my glass, my phone buzzed on the table. I glanced at the screen and saw it was a text from Jungkook.

Kook - Bam's new owner: Hey! I'm picking Bam up from the centre this evening. Wanna join? Bam would love the surprise!

A rush of excitement coursed through me when I received his text, but it was quickly followed by a wave of worry. We didn't have any concrete plans for the rest of the day, aside from maybe grabbing a drink later with Selina's friends. I could still go if I wanted to meet up with him, but I was quite far from home and Seon-Jae had given us a lift, so it would take some time to get back. But would it be okay to see him? What if someone saw us? I didn't want any rumours to start that could cause problems for him.

Hana - Bam's previous owner: I'd love to, but I'm actually a bit far from my place right now, so it might take me a while. Not sure I can make it in time.

His response was almost immediate.

Kook - Bam's new owner: No problem! I can pick you up, and we can go together if you're up for it. Just text me the address.

Hana - Bam's previous owner:Are you sure? It might be...um, a bit risky?

He replied with a laughing emoji.

Kook - Bam's new owner: Don't worry. I can handle everything else. Just say yes!

I looked up at Selina, who had noticed my slight distraction and was watching me with a knowing smile. I texted her under the table:

Hana: Jungkook wants to pick me up to go get Bam... should I go? I don't want to be rude to Nabi's family by just ditching either.

Selina: Yes! Go, obviously! We're meant to leave the house around 16:30 to downtown either way so maybe go then?

I nodded and typed out my response to Jungkook.

Hana - Bam's previous owner: Alright, yes. Is 16:30 a good time to pick me up though? I am currently over a friend's family for lunch and we are not meant to leave till then.

Kook - Bam's new owner: Yeah that's perfect. The care centre does not close till 8pm so no need to rush.

Hana - Bam's previous owner: I'll just wait for you outside the place I sent you then!

Kook - Bam's new owner: Deal! I'll see you then.

As lunch wrapped up, everyone began saying their goodbyes. Nabi's family insisted on sending us off with warm hugs and promises to meet again soon.

"Are you sure you don't want us to wait with you?" Selina asked as Seon-Jae went to get his car out of the parking spot.

I shook my head, smiling. "No, go ahead. Don't want you guys to be late. I'll be fine."

Aera nudged her, winking at me. "Alright, alright. But we'll expect details later!"

Nabi rolled her eyes but gave me a quick hug. "Have fun, Hana," she whispered with a grin. "Hopefully Mister Fate guy doesn't keep you waiting too long."

With that, they piled into Seon-Jae's car, and I waved as they drove off, leaving me outside the house's gate.

I watched them drive off, and did not realise when Sun-bin appeared beside me, hands tucked into his pockets as he glanced down the street. "Didn't leave with the rest of the group?" he asked, an easy smile playing on his lips.

"Oh," I replied, a little caught off guard. "No, I actually have a friend coming to pick me up soon."

"Lucky friend," he said with a soft chuckle. "My mom's subtle, isn't she?" He scratched his neck, looking a little embarrassed but mostly amused. "Sorry about that."

"Oh, it's alright!" I laughed, trying to play it off. "She's really sweet. It's nice to feel so welcomed. Plus, we all had a bit to drink, so no harm done."

Sun-bin gave a slow nod, studying me intently. "Well, if you're ever interested in the 'suggestion' she was hinting at..." he paused, his voice dipping into a more confident tone, "I'd be more than happy to give it a shot."

The statement caught me completely off guard, and my mind went blank as he took a small step closer, his hand brushing against my arm, an innocent touch that felt both casual and undeniably intentional. Was this the result of some liquid courage, or was he being genuine? I felt myself tense, unsure of how to respond, when the sudden slam of a car door jolted us both back to reality.

"Hey, Hana!" Jungkook's familiar voice rang out, a little louder and sharper than usual.

I turned, relief washing over me as I saw Jungkook walking toward us. "Oh, Jungkook, you're here!" I called out, maybe a bit too eagerly. The look on his face was serious, almost possessive, and I suddenly felt the tension rise another notch.

Sun-bin's hand dropped away from my arm as Jungkook approached, and the two of them locked eyes in a way that made the air between them feel... charged. I could almost feel the unspoken challenge radiating between them, and I cleared my throat, thinking introductions might break the tension.

"Uh, Jungkook, this is Sun-bin. Sun-bin, this is Jungkook," I said, glancing between them.

They shook hands, each holding the other's gaze a moment longer than necessary. Jungkook's grip looked firm, and Sun-bin didn't budge. Sun-bin's gaze shifted down to Jungkook's hand, his eyes lingering on the tattoos on his hand and the piercings on his face before a faint smirk tugged at his lips. A conservative at heart, he clearly wasn't a big fan of such self-expression.

"Well," Sun-bin said, his voice smooth with a slightly amused edge, "an... interesting choice for a friend, Hana." He shot Jungkook a look, his tone light but loaded with implication.

Jungkook's jaw tightened, but he returned Sun-bin's look with an easy, confident smile.

I could feel the tension brewing, and it was the kind that didn't feel like it would diffuse anytime soon. Clearing my throat, I turned to Sun-bin with a polite smile, hoping to wrap this up.

"Thanks again for lunch, Sun-bin. Please tell your mom I said thank you again for having us over," I said, adding, "but Jungkook and I really should get going."

Sun-bin didn't seem fazed, his eyes still lingering on me as he smiled. "Of course. But, Hana," he said, leaning just close enough for his voice to dip lower, "don't forget what I said. Once you're done with your... friend here, think about my suggestion. You know where to find me."

I swallowed, feeling Jungkook's gaze on us as Sun-bin held my gaze a moment longer, his expression both playful and completely serious. Then, with a slight nod toward Jungkook, he stepped back and gave me a final smile before heading toward the house.

As soon as Sun-bin was out of earshot, I could sense Jungkook's annoyance radiating off him. He frowned, his tongue poking the inside of his cheek as he watched Sun-bin retreat. "So, Sun-bin, huh? What was that all about?" he asked, his voice low and slightly edged.

I took a breath, trying to gather my thoughts. "I'm sorry; that was so weird and unexpected. He caught me off guard with how forward he was. His mom was hinting at us dating over lunch, but I never thought he would actually make a move."

Jungkook raised an eyebrow, scepticism lining his features. "So, do you want him to make a move?" His tone was light, but I could sense an underlying seriousness in his question.

"Oh god, no!" I replied, shaking my head firmly. "Sun-bin and I couldn't be more wrong for each other."

His expression softened a fraction as he processed my words, the tension in his shoulders easing slightly. "Okay, if you say so." He paused, then added, "Just seemed like he was trying pretty hard to impress you."

I shrugged, forcing a smile. "Maybe he was, but I'm not interested. Honestly, I didn't even think he'd do something like that."

Jungkook nodded, a hint of relief now in his eyes. "Good to know." He glanced toward the car, shifting the subject. "Ready to go see Bam?"

"Definitely," I replied, feeling a wave of excitement wash over me at the thought of reuniting with the puppy.

As we walked back to the car, I couldn't resist the urge to tease him a bit. "You know, for someone labelled as an international heartbreaker, you sure were acting a little defensive back there."

Jungkook rolled his eyes, brushing off my comment as he opened the car door for me. "I wasn't being defensive. Just... observant," he shot back, his voice low, attempting to sound casual, but the slight tightening of his jaw revealed irritation simmering beneath the surface.

"Uh-huh, sure. Observant," I said, suppressing a grin as I slid into the passenger seat. "Didn't strike me as the jealous type, Kook."

"Please," he scoffed, pretending to adjust his seatbelt while pointedly avoiding my gaze. "It's just annoying when guys don't know when to back off."

"Right..." I teased, letting my voice drop to a playful whisper. The atmosphere shifted as he finally turned to me, a smirk creeping onto his lips. "So I'm Kook now, huh?"

The nickname had slipped out accidentally, but after the whole 'Ian' incident, it felt more intimate. I had even changed his contact name on my phone. Jungkook was too formal, but Kook was softer, warmer.

"Well, unless you want me to call you Ian?" I shot back, giving him an innocent questioning look, my heart racing as I met his gaze, the playful challenge hanging in the air.

"Nah, Kook is fine. Should've introduced me to Sun-bin like that, too," he replied, a glint of mischief in his eyes.

"Ha, funny. Although I kind of regret giving him your full name. Sun-bin isn't the type to keep up with celebrities, so I feel a bit at ease—he probably has no idea who you are."

"I don't mind if he knows. Maybe that'll teach him for being all cocky."

"Sorry about that," I said, glancing down at my hands resting on my lap, suddenly self-conscious. "Not sure if it makes a difference, but I think your tattoos and piercings really suit you. Don't mind him, he's just a bit conservative." My gaze lingered on his lip piercing, and I felt my cheeks warm as the words slipped out.

"Thanks, but I'm sure Sun-bin's opinion doesn't matter to me." Jungkook chuckled, the tension between us easing a bit, yet there was an intensity in his gaze that made my pulse quicken. He shifted into gear and pulled out onto the street, a grin breaking through as he added, "Let's go surprise Bam."

"Yeah, let's go!" 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ <- Previous | Series Masterlist