#Jongho always came to serve | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

velvetydream · 2 months ago

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꒰ : ☕️ [ Knight of the night - 윤호 ] ”♡ᵎ꒱ˀˀ ↷ ⋯

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Pairing : Barista! Yunho x fem! Reader Summary : Working as a barista at the cafe > Illusion < was one of the best decisions ever you wanted to believe. But that one customer made it really hard.. On top your co worker Yunho was attractive as no one else.. Word count : 7.2K Words Genre/Warning : Fluff, Angst, Comfort - Stalking (not Yunho), panic, protective Yunho, almost SA a/n : Read a few Barista AUs recently and got this idea like omg- Tho idk how well I wrote this, I feel like it's one of my not so well writte storys sadly..

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The moment you joined Illusion as a barista you were happy for this decision. Mr Kim, he told you to call him Hongjoong on your first day at work, was an amazing boss. Seonghwa, as his manager, was a great help, too; whenever you had problems, you could go to one of them. Your coworkers were super sweet, too; Jongho and Yeosang were in charge of the kitchen in the back for pastries and other small snacks. While San, Mingi, Wooyoung, Yunho, and you worked in the front, Mingi and Wooyoung only being servers, while the other three of you worked as both baristas and servers.

Even the customers were nice most of the time, and even if someone ended up being rude to you, one of the boys stepped in to protect you and calmly explained to the customer to kindly not talk to staff like that. And most of the time, it was Yunho standing beside or in front of you, a big, warm hand on your shoulder or the small of your back.

Though this whole ordeal started when a new customer entered the cafe, maybe around his late thirties, he was definitely older than you. His appearance was unruly and a bit chaotic, but nothing too bad; you had seen worse. Always ordering the same drink and muffin, sitting in the far right back of the cafe in the same booth every time. At first, it seemed normal; you often had regulars like this, coming every day, ordering the same, and sitting in the same spot, for many, a kind of daily ritual. But it started to get weird when San told you that man only ever comes when you're on shift; when it was San with someone else alone, he never visited, this should've alarmed you, but you shock it off as simply coincidence.

"Good morning!" Wooyoungs voice booms from behind the counter as you enter through the cafe's front door. Greeting him back with a smile, you move to the back, opening your locker to put your bag away and get your apron. It's a cute simple one in your favorite color with a few pins and buttons. Hongjoong gave everyone freedom with how to decorate their aprons to make them extra individual. Yunho walks by while you put your apron on, opening his locker beside you. "Morning Yunho!" Smiling at him brightly before closing your locker as he greets you back before making your way to the front, joining Wooyoung.

It was a Saturday, that's why three of you were working at the front, San joining later in the evening when rush hour started. Seonghwa helping out in the kitchen for the day because Jongho called in sick.

The day was going smoothly so far; Wooyoung serving most of the tables while you and Yunho worked on preparing orders and doing the To-Gos.

A shrill ring of the bell could be heard, heavy footsteps came to a halt at the register. Setting on your customer smile, you greet the known man before you. Smile straining just a slight bit upon seeing the man's appearance in front of you. The last time he visited wasn't great, you had declined nicely to him asking for your number, having San step in between the two of you, explaining that your no was final, while Yunho took you to the back to calm down, as the man had become a tad bit louder.

"Good day, sir! What can I get for you today?" You could already feel Yunhos eyes on you from the side, as he was preparing a customer's coffee right now. "I'd like the usual, please. Also, excuse my behavior last time.." His eyes looked shameful, but something in you told you that, deep down, he wasn't. Telling the man you'd get right to it, he sat down in his usual spot, Wooyoung already eyeing him from the table he was currently serving before coming up to you. "You okay? He wasn't weird again right?" Smiling at Wooyoungs worries, you tell him you are fine and that he doesn't have to worry his pretty head about it. Of course, you knew the two men were still worried but decided not to say anything about it.

Silently preparing the man's order, noticing you were short on strawberry shortcakes, noting it down in your brain to tell Yeosang. Placing everything on the tray, you call over to Wooyoung to bring the order to the table, as you luckily had a new customer to take care of, not having to deal with the man again right now. It creeped you out, to say the least, how he always knew which shifts you worked and which not. "Hey, if you need a moment, go take a break; I got this under control." Yunho whispered softly in your ear, you didn't even notice how he had come up behind you in the first place. "Maybe you're right; I'll just quickly get water and then be back!" A small blush rises on your cheeks as you excuse yourself to the back, entering the kitchen.

Looking at Yeosang with a soft smile, before Seonghwa greeted you, his face full of flour. "Everything all right?" Seonghwa always seemed so worried for everyone, it was really charming. "Yeah, just that weird customer is back, and I just needed a second; Yunho said it's alright." Grabbing a glass now, you pour some tap water into it before taking a big gulp. "Did he say something weird again? Did he get louder again?" Seonghwa immediately cleaned his hands on a towel before approaching you, softly wiping a loose strand of hair behind your ear, he really was like a big brother to everyone. "No, he actually apologized, but it still creeps me out how he's always only here on my shifts, but maybe I'm just being too nervous.." Seonghwa softly nodded, understanding your concerns, telling you to immediately come to him or Hongjoong when something like last time happens again.

After taking a second to gather yourself, you put the glass away before joining Yunho at the front again, noticing the man gone. "He just left. He asked for you to ring him up, but I told him you were on break. Seriously, what's with this guy." Wooyoung explained to you while leaning on the counter, you were glad he was gone before you came back. The rest of the day, luckily, went smoothly till closing hours; everyone cleaned the cafe before exiting through the backdoor. "I'll walk with you a bit, I need some things from the convenience store." Yunho nodded in the direction of your apartment, making you nod, waving goodbye to the others.

The walk was rather quiet; it was past 11 pm right now, deciding to also go with Yunho to grab a quick snack, sitting down at one of the tables. "Any plans for tomorrow?" Yunho was munching on his onigiri right now as he looked over at you, shaking your head softly. "Not really, probably just gonna watch my show and chill." Taking a piece of your gimbap into your mouth now. "I see; San mentioned wanting to hang out again with everyone; maybe we can do that next week." Yunho mumbles, crumbling the paper from his Onigiri together before throwing it away, something outside the window catching his eye. "Sure, I missed those team days!" Smiling at Yunho now, your smile slowly faltered when you noticed he wasn't listening and rather focused on something outside, but it was so dark already that you could barely see anything. "Yunho? You okay?" Shaking his shoulder softly, he finally looks over at you, the usual soft look on his face gone replaced by something harder. "Yeah, let's go; I'll bring you home; I have a weird feeling." Standing up confused now at why he changed so quickly and what he saw outside.

Yet you still followed Yunho outside, who grabbed your hand in his and pulled you along now, looking behind him from time to time. His behavior was slowly making you anxious, looking around now and back at Yunho again. "Yunho, I'm a bit scared. What's happening?" Looking at the man beside you worried and anxious, he gives you a soft smile. "Don't worry Tiny, I'm with you; I just got a weird feeling, is all." His hand softly stroked your hair before entering your apartment complex and leading you to your apartment.

"So uhm.. thanks for bringing me home Yuyu.." Your hands were fidgeting with the keys in your pocket now, pulling them out and turning to open your door. "So see you-" Before you could finish your sentence as you opened your door, Yunho pushed you inside and closed the door again. "Yunho?" By now, your body was trembling; he was acting so strangely that it for real scared you. "Let me stay the night; we got followed by some person all the way here; I'm worried they'll approach once I leave. Hey, it's alright. I'm here." Yunho slowly approaches your trembling figure, pulling you into a soft hug as your legs give out now from the anxiety and Yunho softly guides you to the floor, sitting down with you.

Your body pressed flush against Yunhos, and as your hands gripped the back of his hoodie tightly, you were scared to the core. What does he mean followed till here? Who followed you? Who was that crazy? Tears were slowly obstructing your vision as a violent sob left your lips, Yunhos's right arm coming around your waist and his left hand softly patting and stroking your hair. He was trying his best to calm you down at this moment; he imagined how scared you must be, and he was, too. Scared of the thought, what could have happened if he didn't notice and let you go alone, if you didn't tag along to the convenience store in the first place, all those possibilities swarming his head, making his grip on you tighten.

"Let's get you to bed mh? It'll be fine; I'm here; no one can harm you." Guiding you to stand up from the floor again, Yunho lets you lead him to your bedroom. Turning his back to you so you can get changed before putting the blanket over you after you lay down. "I'll stay in the living room; if something goes wrong, come or call me." Just as he was about to turn away, you softly reached over to grab his hand, shaking your head. "Please stay here.. I don't want to be alone." Looking at Yunho with pleading eyes, he nods, taking a seat on the floor beside your bed, leaning his back against it, his hand now resting in yours as his head softly rests on the edge of your bed. "Thank you.." Looking at him softly, before closing your eyes and falling into a quick sleep feeling safe with Yunho here.

After making sure you were asleep, he quietly gets up, leaves the room, and, taking your keys, approaches the door of your apartment. Exiting through the door, he locks the door from outside before checking the corridor and both ends of it, including taking a look into the staircase and elevators. Yunho was so sure he saw someone following you two, maybe it was just his mind playing a trick. Going back to your apartment now, he locks the door from the inside again before joining you in the bedroom again, taking his previous spot again, his hand finding yours as he watches you calmly sleep, before falling asleep himself.

"Yuyu.." Softly shaking his shouldet now as his eyes slowly open, taking a look around before rubbing his eyes. "Morning.." He grumbles in his deep sleepdriven voice; it sounded rather cute, with his disheveled hair on just the side he used to lay his head on your bed. Sitting up now, your eyes move to your window, the sun shining through the curtains, you were glad the night went on without problems and that Yunho had stayed with you. "Do you want breakfast? I can make us something as a thank you for staying with me!" Jumping out of your bed now, you open the soft white curtains, letting the sun in fully, making Yunho groan and hide his face in the blanket. "Sorry, Yuyu, I'll get ready real quick, and then I'll make pancakes." Smoothing down his hair softly before rushing to your bathroom, getting dressed in something fresh, and freshening yourself up a little bit, soon joining Yunho in the kit, Chen, who was trying to make a coffee but failing. "Sit down, I'll make you one." Pushing him to the two high chairs now that were against your kitchen aisle, as you get worked on a coffee for him and the pancake batter.

"Do you think it was someone dangerous..?" Your soft voice speaks up, preparing the coffee for him, with some sugar and milk just how he likes it, before handing it to him. "I hope not, but I don't know; I also thought maybe it was my imagination,n, but.. it felt too real." Wanting to be honest with you, Yunho tells you his thoughts as you go back to making the pancakes. Maybe some friends tried to prank you? But that would be a fucked up prank, honestly. A stalker? Who would stalk you, though? "Hey, tiny, don't get too much in your head about it, I'm pretty sure it's safe; maybe I was just imagining things." Yunho tries to calm you, making you nod as you place two plates on the counter. "Thank you again for staying, really." Assuring you that it was fine, you two got to eat your breakfast, before bidding your goodbye to Yunho and getting started with your day.

Doing your household chores, the day goes by rather quickly; watching some shows and listening to some music while cleaning, you're glad the day goes by smoothly without any problems. Until in the evening when you just got ready for bed. Hearing the doorbell, your heart starts beating louder, you weren't expecting anyone at this hour. Walking over to the door slowly, you open it just a split, seeing no one; your eyes fall to the floor where a teddy bear and roses lay, a note attached to it. This scared you to no end, so you ended up slamming the door shut again and locking it quickly before scrambling to get your phone, trying to call Yunho, but it went straight to voicemail.

"Okay don't panic.. Mingi.." Calling Mingi next, he and Yunho were roommates, so maybe he could help you. "Hey! Wassup?!" Mingis's booming voice answered you, hearing Yunho and Wooyoung fight in the background over some video game, probably. "Mingi.. Can you please quickly give me Yunho..?" Hearing the anxiety in your voice, Mingi quickly hands Yunho the phone with some hushed whispers. "Sweetheart? You okay?" Listening to Yunhos concerned voice you finally broke down, sobbing yet again. "S-Someone put stuff in front of my door and.. I'm so scared; I'm too scared to read the note. Yunho, please get me out of here.." Crying to the man on the phone now, you can already hear him get up to put his shoes and coat on, and the jiggle of keys could also be heard. "Tiny, stay on the phone with Mingi till I'm there, okay? Be there soon." Handing the phone back to Mingi, Yunho leaves the apartment for his car to get you.

As promised, he arrived quickly, ignoring the creepy gifts for now as he hugged you softly before rushing you to pack some stuff for some night. Meanwhile, he put on some gloves and read the creepy letter, shivering from how strangely it was written, without thinking he threw everything into the garbage before leading you to his car. "I threw the stuff away; better be safe than sorry; seriously, this is getting too much; if this continues, we'll call the police." Yunho was furious; who in their right mind would think this was the way to voe a woman? That's sick, Yunho thought as he drove you back to his and Mingi's apartment. Wooyoung immediately rushed over to hug you tightly and ask if you were fine or hurt.

Beside being exhausted you tell Wooyoung you're fine as Yunho leads you to his room. "I'll sleep in the living room; we're still playing some games; get ready and join us if you want." Patting your head softly, he leaves you alone to settle down and have some quiet moments for yourself.

You were just so thankful for Yunho and the others right now. Sitting down on the soft bed now, you take a look around; his room was rather tidy and bright, fitting for his personality, A lot of frames were hung up on the wall, many of him and Mingi, someone with the whole Illusion staff and then your eyes stop at a certain picture. Standing up to look at it better, you can't help but smile; it was a picture taken at the last Illusion anniversary; Yunho was hugging you from behind, both of you smiling brightly into the camera as Wooyoung shows a little piece sign in the back. Seonghwa took that picture, saying it shows how well everyone works together here.

Looking around a bit more, Yunho had a few tall bookshelves with books, movies, and a lot of video games, his desk space being mostly occupied by his gaming setup; noticing the little figure you gifted him for his birthday; how cute that he set it up there. His room had a big window front, fairy lights hanging all around the window, and his ceiling. On his bed, a few plushies reside, one you remember San gifting him the last time you guys went out to the arcade, saying he had too many and Yunho had to adopt this one now. That's also how he got the other two resting on his bed.

Deciding you looked around enough, you switch into some comfortable sleepwear again; your eyes fall onto Yunhos hoodie draped over his chair; he wouldn't mind, right? Without a second thought, you pulled the hoodie over your frame before joining the boys in the living room; San also joined now. "Hey tin..y.." Yunho started, his voice trailing off when he saw you in his hoodie, making Wooyoung laugh as he won in Mario Kart and making Mingi scream at Yunho because he had now lost a bet to San. "Hope you don't mind, I was a bit cold." Sitting down beside Yunho now, he shakes his head, trying to take his eyes off of you now; he barely could with how cute you looked.

The evening went by quickly; Wooyoung and San bid their goodbye as you retreated back to Yunhos' room after he got changed to sleep. He turned on the fairy lights for you so it wouldn't be too dark; settling down in the big bed now, you grab the plush cat San made him adopt, cuddling close to it. Enveloped by Yunhos you fall asleep feeling safe and sound.

So that your stay at Yunhos and Mingis place started, you decided to make breakfast every day for the three of you as a thank you for letting you stay there. Working on some eggs and bacon, just like some fried rice. "Woah that smells so good, better than Yunhos cooking!" Getting hit on the arm, Mingi sits down at the table, sulking, whining about why Yunho had hit him. "But he's right, smells good, thank you tiny." Yunho patd your head before helping set the table and preparing some hot chocolate. "What shift are you working today?" Mingis's voice asks, slurping happily on his hot chocolate before diving into his homemade meal. "Afternoon shift, San will do the evening after me." Nodding, Mingi lets out a sigh because he got the evening shift, sulking because he won't work alongside you today. "And I'm off work today, so I'll cook dinner," Yunho announces, making you look forward to trying Yunhos cooking.

Getting ready, you leave the house by noon, walk to the cafe, and greet Wooyoung, who will be working the afternoon shift together with you; putting your apron on; you quickly get to preparing orders and cleaning the cafe tables and dishes. "So you're staying with Yunho and Mingi currently?" Wooyoung looks over to where he is currently cleaning some glasses. "Yeah, after what happened the other day, Yunho insisted I stay at their place for a certain while, which honestly, I'm thankful for; I'm a bit scared at home right now.." Wooyoung nods, totally understanding that you're not feeling safe at home as of right now. "I hope it calms down again, whoever that was, us seriously sick in the head." Complaining Wooyoung takes the orders you prepared and brings them to the correct table.

He was right, whoever that was is entirely sick in the head. Who thinks it's a good idea to follow someone home and then place creepy gifts on their doorstep? Shaking your head, you were just glad Yunho was there for you and still is, same for the other boys. Luckily, your thoughts are silenced when a new customer enters, taking the order and serving them with a smile.

"See you tonight!" Mingi shouts from the back as you leave the cafe after your shift together with Wooyoung; he soon stops at the bus stop, though, his and Sans's dorm is a bit further away than yours or Yunho and Mingis. Knocking you wait for Yunho to open the door, greeting you with a smile, the smell of delicious food hitting your senses. "Woah, it smells amazing, Yunho!" Take off your shoes before following the giant into the kitchen, a soft blush evident on his cheeks. "It's nothing special! Just some meat, rice, vegetables!" Shaking your head, you tell Yunho how delicious the food smells and looks. Excusing yourself quickly to get changed, slipping on some shorts and one of Yunhos hoodies, before joining him on the couch, two plates waiting to be devoured.

"How was the shift today?" Handing you a plate, Yunho puts on one of the many Spiderman movies, taking his own plate before settling comfortably onto the couch beside you. "If you're asking if that guy showed up again, no, he didn't; he hasn't been for a few days now, and honestly, I'm glad." After that, the two of you ate in silence; you quickly washed the dishes before settling down beside Yunho again.

"Thank you for everything, by the way. I don't know what I would do without you or the guys.." Leaning your back against Yunhos side now, he wraps his arm around you softly so you're more leaning on his chest, smiling down at you. "No need to thank me, tiny; it's the least we should do." His hand finds yours nervously fidgeting, holding it while returning his gaze back to the movie. As soon as Mingi got home they decided to play some games before everyone went to bed.

"I'm serious Mingi, my back hurts like shit. We need a guest room at this point." Yunhos gruff morning voice could be heard complaining from the kitchen; looking around the corner, Mingi was trying to massage his back but apparently failing when Yunho winced in pain. "Let me, I've used to massage my mom and siblings." Moving behind Yunho, your hands find his back, starting to massage at the knots in his back, carefully massaging your fingers into his back. "Oh, she's doing better than you, Mingi." Yunho groans in pleasure from the knots being worked away. "We can switch if you want, I can take the couch." Shaking his head, Yunho turns around, leaning against the kitchen counter while looking down at you. "You're our guest; no way will you sleep on the couch, sweets." Blushing slightly at the nickname, you ponder for a second before looking up at Yunho. "We can just share then; the bed is big enough to fit both of us."

Yunhos eyes grow wider, and Mingis grow the biggest as he stares at his best friend from behind you. "I-I mean.. I don't know, if you insist and if you're comfortable with that?" Nodding as an answer, you turn to make yourself some breakfast the sleep situation change being decided. After leaving for the living room to watch the new episode of your anime, Mingi clutches Yunhos's shoulder. "Bro, this is your chance! You've been crushing on her since she joined the team..!" Mingi whispers and yells at his friend, Yunho, a deep red now, shaking his head and pushing Mingis hand away. "She's not in the right mind right now; she's being stalked; I can't take advantage of that right now." Moving into his room quickly to get ready while you're in the living room. Rolling his eyes, Mingi turns to his now burned eggs, letting out an annoyed sigh.

Leaving the house together with Yunho for a shift, it's nice to not be alone and have someone to tag along, normally you're all alone at home and on your way to the cafe.

"Hello, you two! Let's hope for a calm shift!" Seonghwa shouts from the back, waving quickly at you before going back to helping Jongho. You and Yunho were alone at the front today, and San and Mingi are coming later for the next shift.

Serving customers and helping Yunho out when he got too many orders by bringing them to the tables, until a group of young girls came in, barely eighteen maybe. Lining themself up while watching Yunho giggling and blushing, rolling your eyes, you look over to Yunho, who is oblivious to the girls gawking at him. "Next please!" Yunho calls to the girls, them shoving each other and one girl to the front. She was cute, with long hair, big eyes,, and pouty lips. "Uhm hey.. we'd like four strawberry frappes, please.." Getting shy, she averts her eyes when Yunho sends her his customer smile, noting everything down and asking them to take a seat.

"Someone's got a crush on you." You mumble to Yunho, making him look at you confused; oh, he was so obvious. "Who do you mean?" Raising an eyebrow at him, you motion over to the table of girls before getting started on their drinks. Stupid strawberry frappes, who drinks that?

Till you let out a shriek from two arms hugging you around your waist and pulling you against himself. Catching the attention of a lot of customers, the old ladies who frequent every day coming at you and Yunho; they had been rooting for you and any of the boys since you joined the team; the young girls were glaring at you now, though. "Tiny.. are you jealous? You know you're my favorite right? I mean.. you're the one sleeping in my bed, no one else." The last part was whispered, blushing a crimson red now as he nuzzles his face against your neck, thumb rubbing softly over your waist.

"I-I can't work like this Yunho.." He lets out a deep chuckle before letting you go to finish the frappes, preparing the coffee for someone else. Taking a deep breath, you bring over the frappes to the girls. "Here are your four frappes, can I get you anything else?" Three of the girls are looking at you from top to bottom; the girl who ordered was rather quiet and fidgeting. "Are you his girlfriend?" One of the ones glaring at you asked; she had a high ponytail, whispy bangs,, and some heavy makeup, pointing to Yunho. "Oh.. I don't think that's any of your concern." A scoff could be heard from the girl beside her: short curly hair, soft makeup, but deep berry lips. "So you're not? Then you can get us his number right? Our friend has been eyeing him for ages, she is deeply in love." Those girls were starting to annoy you; on top, you could feel another set of eyes on you from behind the counter, probably having fun watching you slowly lose your temper. "You know, no, I can't, because one, how is someone in love with a guy you barely know? Two he is my boyfriend. So no I cannot get you his number." Slamming the bill onto the table, you turn around and walk back behind the counter.

"You're basically steaming from your ears; what did they say, mh?" Yunho leans over your shoulder, annoying you even more. "Not right now Yunho." Chuckling, his hands find your waist again, pulling you to his chest. His head coming to rest on your shoulder, he for sure was putting up a show for those girls right now. "Darling.. Don't be mean to me.. Aren't I your boyfriend?" So he heard what you said?! Oh god, that must mean the whole cafe heard; how embarrassing. "Yuyu.. please stop.." Hiding your face behind your hands now, your whole face and ears felt hot. Soft lips press against your hand, before pulling one of them down to press a kiss to your hot cheek.

"Stop flirting and get back to work Yunho!" Hongjoong scolds, making the man jump away from you before telling his boss, 'Aye aye, captain.'

After that, the walk home was quiet, your thoughts still stuck on those two little moments you shared with Yunho today. "You can shower first; I'll do something for us." Pushing you softly into the direction of the bathroom, quickly following his words to be alone a bit with your thoughts, leaning against the bathroom door now, your heart beating loudly in your chest. What just happened? Shaking your head, you step under the shower to be engulfed in the warmth of the water.

Stepping out of the bathroom, the smell of food hits your nose, following it into the kitchen. "Smells good Yuyu.." Looking into the pan beside him, he smiles at you. "Just something simple, some tteokbokki and kimchi fried rice." Nodding, you start to set the table, putting a plate down for Mingi too, so he can heat it up later after his shift. Sitting down with Yunho now, you eat in silence for a bit before he starts talking about this new Spiderman game that recently came out. The conversation feels light again,, and you're finally calming down. "I'll clean up, go lay down I'll quickly take a shower and join you then." That makes you sit just a second longer, you totally forgot how you had agreed to share a bed for the time being.

Entering the room, you take in the big windows and fairy lights before looking at the bed. You should've taken the couch instead of this idea. Still, you lay down, grabbing the cat plushie again, laying your head on the pillow; maybe if you're lucky enough, you'll be asleep before Yunho joins you. And in that exact moment, Yunho walks in.

Shirtless, hair wet. What the fuck?

Looking over your shoulder, before quickly turning around again and you could hear that deep chuckle again. "Mind helping me dry my hair?" Grabbing the hairdryer, he sits down on the floor of the side you're facing. "S-Sure.." Sitting up, your legs on both sides of Yunhos large frame, you softly pat his hair dry with the towel before grabbing a brush and carefully brushing through his hair. The hairdryer was warm on your hand which is running through Yunhos long locks. He had dyed them recently from his natural chocolate brown to a darker brown with red streaks, which suited him and made him just more attractive.

"The new hair suits you.." Gliding your fingers against the red streaks, drying them the whole time. His head moves back now till it's resting against your stomach, looking up at you. "Really? You think so?" His eyes held little sparkles in them, happy that you complimented his hair, you continued drying his hair before turning the dryer off. "Finished!" Looking down, Yunho was still staring at you as if you hung up the stars in the starry night. "You're so cute.. stop.." Giggling your thumb rubs slowly over his cheek, leaning down to press a kiss to his forehead. "Let's sleep, I'm tired from the shift."

Shifting your legs onto the bed, you pull the blanket over yourself and wait for Yunho to lay down beside you. For now, he was resting on his back while you were on your side facing away from him, not noticing the fleeting glances he sent your way. "Can I ask you for a favor?" Turning your head to him, you wait for him to continue. "Can we cuddle?" His face was turned away slightly, a blush spreading on his cheeks. "S-Sure.." Turning your head back again, you wait for Yunho to come closer, feeling his arm snake around your waist, pulling you against him, your head moving from the pillow to rest on his biceps. "Sleep well tiny.." Nuzzling his face into your hair now, you wonder how you were going to sleep like this for the next few days.

So with that, your days calmed down again, working happily with everyone at the cafe while cuddling and growing closer to Yunho each day.

"Oh? You're working late too today?" Sans's voice sounds from behind the counter, looking at you; Yunho and Wooyoung stick their heads through the door from the back to see who San is talking to. "Yeah, Seonghwa asked me to jump in for Mingi since he's sick." Looking over to Yunho now, asking how Mingi is doing. Apparently, he had caught the flu. Getting right on to the customers, San is rather glad to have another hand right now helping with the beverages, since Yunho has to help more at serving them.

"Did the situation calm down again at your place? Yunho mentioned something." San looked at you concerned after handing out the last coffee right now, the cafe having calmed down from rush hour. "Yeah, it was creepy as fuck; I don't know who it was, maybe it was just some stupid prank, but it freaked me out; who in their right mind would think this is funny.." Complaining to San now, the eyes of a certain customer in the back of the cafe darken upon eavesdropping in on your conversation. "Yeah, it was creepy, especially that letter, I'm glad I threw it all away when I arrived; who knows what kind of sick stuff is hidden in that teddy." Yunho joins the conversation, wrapping his arm softly around your shoulder and pulling you closer to him. One thing this whole ordeal did well was it helped you get closer to Yunho.

After staying with them for three days, Yunho complained about back pain from the couch, insisting they should invest in a guest bed; that's when you offered for him to just share the bed with you. It was a king-sized bed, so honestly, there was enough space for the both of you. Two more days later, you and Yunho ended up cuddling every night, growing closer, and soon after that, you started being more touchy outside of his room. Everyone could notice the shift in your relationship, but especially Mingi was rooting for his best friend and you to get together.

"Yeah, I'm glad you were there for me, who knows what else could've happened.." Leaning your head against his shoulder now, his arm wanders from around your shoulder to your waist. "Yeah, but it stopped, and you're safe with us around." Yunho smiles softly at you, pressing a kiss to the crown of your head, before turning to the door because a new customer entered, the blush on your cheeks a deep red now.

The day continues with serving a lot of customers and closing the cafe before enjoying a nice meal together with everyone at a restaurant.

"It's your first anniversary with us soon; how quickly the time passes," Hongjoong speaks up, looking over at you with a smile. He was right; you've almost been working for him for a whole year now; it's crazy how time flies and how close you got in this short time with everyone. "Maybe we could all go out for a nice day on your anniversary, maybe the amusement park or an escape room," Seonghwa suggests now, ears peaking up at the mention of the escape room, and Wooyoung and San shake their head immediately, remembering the last horror escape room everyone went to upon Jonghos request. "The amusement park sounds nice if I'm being honest!" Agreeing, everyone decides to visit the close amusement park on your first anniversary.

"Good night! See you tomorrow!" Bidding your goodbye to everyone, you get your phone out to scroll through it a bit on the walk home, yawning tiredly, the shift and then the dinner made you tired. Luckily, you didn't put in your earphones. Otherwise, you wouldn't have heard the footsteps following you; looking behind you for a second, you could make out a figure following you in the dark, turning around again quickly. You quicken your footsteps and hear your followers doing so too. Heart running a mile per hour, you dash into the elevator of your apartment and up to your floor, quickly punching in the corner of your door and slamming it shut before locking it. Staring at the door with heavy breaths, you had to clutch a hand over your mouth when loud knocking sounded from against your door.

Scrambling to grab your phone, you move into your bedroom, locking the door as your shaky hands scroll to find Yunhos name, quickly calling him. "Hey tiny, got home safely?" His voice was soft and calm; in the background,, you could hear Mingi coughing from his flu. "Yuyu.. Someone followed me again.. they're at my door and knocked." Silence, before you heard Yunho shouting to Mingi to get his tea himself, moving to get dressed. "Stay on the phone, I'm on my way.. If I get that asshole I'll punch him." Listening to Yunho leave his apartment and get into his car, you clutch your phone against your ear, trying to breathe quietly. "Yunho.. I'm scared.." Choking on your own words, your hands and whole body were trembling. Waiting for Yunho to get here. "I know tiny, almost there." You knew he was speeding; he was probably going to get a ticket for this, but he didn't care.

"I'm there coming upstairs now." Instead of taking the elevator, he took the stairs up to the eighth floor of your apartment. Looking around now, he doesn't see anyone around. "They're gone, tiny; open the door; I'm here." Taking deep breaths, you open the door, moving to the front door; you know Yunho is there in front of it. Still, you take a second before opening the door. Your phone slips from your hand as you see Yunho in front of you, throwing yourself into his arms and sinking to the floor together. Tears are streaming down your face now, and your body is shaking from the shock and anxiety.

"Shh.. I'm here, sweetheart; it's okay.." His arms wrap around you, fully sobbing in his arms now; this was getting too much; this couldn't continue on like this. Picking you up into his arms, he carries you into the apartment, closing the door with his foot before making his way to your bedroom, sitting down with you in his lap on your bed. "You're safe, it will be okay." Running his hand through your hair, pressing your body close to his, rocking you with him to calm you down. "They're gone, they can't hurt you." Grabbing his phone, he sends Hongjoong a quick message that both of you want to be able to come to work the next day. "Lovely, calm down, breathe for me,, okay?" Pulling your face away from his neck to have you look into his eyes. "I'll stay with you; you're not alone; I'm here." Wiping away the tears, he grabs your hand to place it over his heart. "Feel my heart, listen to my breathing, follow it." Yunhos breathing finally steadied you, his heartbeat calming you down.

"Please stay.. don't leave me.." Your voice was weak when your whole body gave up and slumped against Yunhos big frame. Shaking his head, Yunho assured you he won't be leaving, that he will stay with you. Sitting you down, Yunho carefully helps you take off your shoes, moving to the pants and switching you into some sleeping pants, closing his eyes to take off your top before putting one on to sleep in. Shrugging his own coat and shoes off now, he lays down beside you, pulling you into his chest, holding you tightly against him. If this continued he would make sure you move out of here and in with him and Mingi, this couldn't continue like that.

In the safe embrace of Yunhos arms, your body finally gave up, falling into a deep slumber. While Yunho stayed awake for most of the night, watching over you, tracing figures onto your back and kissing your face.

The next day comes way too quickly, eyes blinking open as your eyes meet Yunhos. "Hey darling, how did you sleep?" Pushing some strands out of your face as you nod. "Okay.. thank you for being here.." His smile was soft and warm as he looked at you, his hand coming to rest on your cheek, eyes still red and puffy from crying so much. "I'm sorry all of this is happening.." He genuinely felt bad for you; he was scared and worried something worse might happen if he wasn't quick enough. "It's not your fault Yuyu.. I'm glad you're here." Leaning up a bit, Yunho watched you with a smile, his gaze moving to your lips for a second before moving to your eyes again, scolding himself for thinking of kissing you at such a moment.

Your own eyes moved to his plush lips, no thought before looking at him with desperation. "Yuyu.." Your soft and needy voice is all it took him to break, to lean down and look his rosy lips with yours, his hands sneaking up to your waist, holding you as if you're his greatest treasure.. which you are. His lips move slowly against yours; no rush, just passion, and love. It wasn't hot, it felt like a soft spring day. Just pure love. Pulling away, Yunho looks into your eyes, which gets you shy, giggling as you try to hide your face. "No, don't look away! I want more kisses! Tiny!" Shaking your head laughing now as he pulls your face closer to him again, planting kisses all over your face. "I know this may come weirdly quick but.. I really like you, you know?" His head rests on your shoulder as he looks up at you with eyes full of love. "I like you a lot too, Yuyu.. maybe even love.." Now it was his turn to get shy, until his phone started ringing loudly, making him groan and pick it up.

"Dude! Where the fuck are you? You didn't write me!!" Mingis's rough voice scolds his friend, coughing after raising his voice so much. "I'm at Tinys place; someone followed her again. Can you come over later to help us pack some stuff? I won't let her stay here any longer." Groaning because Mingi is still sick, he still agrees to come over. So you and Yunho quickly get to eat some breakfast, before starting packing, clothes and books, your hygiene articles, electronics and much more. Until the doorbell rings. "Probably Mingi! I'll get it!" Yunho hums as he sorts your books into a box.

Walking to the door, you open it, ready to greet the sick boy, but coming face to face with a bunch of roses. "Huh?" Your heart is beating loudly in your chest, making you nauseous as you meet the eyes of the middle-aged man who used to frequent the cafe. "Hello, lovely. I want to apologize for everything I did; I never meant to make you feel uncomfortable! I just wanted to show you how much I love you!" Taking a step in your direction now, you take a step back as he tries to enter your apartment. "W-What do you want?" Looking at him scared, he lets the roses sink down with his hand. "We're perfect for each other! I just need you to see that." Taking another step towards you, his hand reaching out to touch you before a fist collided with his jaw.

"So you're that sick fucker." Grabbing him by the collar, Yunho lands another punch to his face, before looking over his shoulder at you. "Call the police." Dragging the man outside now, he throws him against the wall of your front door, his foot coming in contact with his shoulder, pushing him hard against the wall. "Now you'll finally get what you fucking deserve." Yunho was seething, he was furious at this man and his audacity. "W-What?! Let me go!" Struggling, the man can't do anything against Yunhos strength. That was when Mingi arrived. "Hold him there till the police arrive; I don't know how long I can stay calm.." Mingi looks at him and then at the bloody nose of the man; calm, huh? Standing in front of the man now, Mingi watches him carefully.

"Tiny, hey! We got him! It's over!" You were standing where he left you, shocked and shaken. "Nothing can happen again; the police are on the way." Pulling you into his arms, Yunho was right. The police arrived very quickly, explaining the situation to them; they got the security camera footage before telling you guys they would get back in contact with you.

Yunho still insisted you join them again at their place, and that quickly got permanent; moving out of your old place and in with Yunho and Mingi, your relationship with him was blooming; the day you moved in fully, he asked you to be his girlfriend. Both of you getting ready for your first shift after all of this.

"Oh my god, you're back! How are you, sweetheart? Yunho move!" Seonghwa rushes over to you, pulling you into his warm embrace, before handing you off to Hongjoong, who pulls you into a tight embrace, apologizing for everything that has happened. "We missed you so much!" San and Wooyoung move over to you, pulling you into a tight hug, their faces disappearing into your neck. "I'm back.." You smile at them, before meeting Yunhos eyes. You were finally back safely with everyone, had an amazing boyfriend now, and didn't need to be scared anymore; everything was okay again, just like Yunho said.

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ynnova · 2 months ago

Note

Hello! Wanted to start off by saying that I love your posts. I follow your soloist OC and your writing blog too and I love all of your writing and visual edits! I don’t see much idol reader content so I think this blog is so much fun!

Are there any viral moments of yn from the Will to Power tour? Times where yn had atinys going feral during performances? Maybe some fun moments with the members on stage or funny interactions with atinys from send off? Or maybe even cute/funny moments with the members at soundcheck/sendoff (you don’t have to answer all of these if you don’t want to!)

Also, are there any viral/iconic moments of yn from Wanteez? (Going through a wanteez drought and currently rewatching episodes)

Thanks for taking the time to write for us and for sharing it! Excited for all your future posts!🫶

( 🪩 ) A BREAKDOWN OF Y/N DURING WILL TO POWER TOUR (AMERICAN LEG )

iconic moments aka atiny going feral :

THE LOOKS!! you never failed to serve when it came to outfits. be it for soundcheck, during, your solo stage, or during the ending.

it was just look after look after look

you even altered the official tour shirts by cropping them or adding ribbons to them (you've done this with past tour shirts so you're continuing the tradition at this point)

you also rocking the strapless shirt that was released with the tour merch... atiny were so shocked that you and your stylist managed to have everything stay in place.

the dance break between you and wooyoung which had atiny dying – your closeness sending atiny reeling

dying your hair red and debuting it at the phoenix concert

the entire stadium singing 'cosmic' during the new york show and you revealed later that it was so loud that you couldn't hear the music or yourself

lightinys turning pink during your solo

they turned other colors too during your solo but a lot of atiny thought the pink was super pretty

the 👏 vocals 👏 always 👏 hitting 👏

YOU SUDDENLY BREAKING OUT THE SEXY BODY ROLLS

both atiny and the guys were going crazy over it

you simply breathing, trying to catch your breath, and the entire stadium loses their minds

you smirking and atiny start barking

moments with the members :

jongho, yunho, and mingi pouring water on you at the la day 1 concert and soaking you

you then immediately going up and hugging wooyoung after and getting him wet as well

you confessing that you have matz memorized and so the boys make you rap part of it and you do which then makes you flustered

fans also caught seonghwa and hongjoong smiling as they watched you

probably the most iconic moment with you and another member is when san kissed you during 'dancing like butterfly wings' at the arlington show

you were so stunned in the moment and multiple atiny caught it from different angles and it went viral right after the show was over

hongjoong accidentally proposing to you during duluth day 1 and atiny absolutely losing their minds over it

you were having an outfit issue and seonghwa – who was three members away from you – effortlessly helped you without saying a word before going back to where he was standing

ateez and atiny singing 'happy birthday' to you at the new york show (your birthday was the next day) and you crying while jongho is singing a high note in the background

mingi smashing your face in the cake right after and wooyoung doing it again two minutes later

during an end ment, you were on the verge of tears but turned away so atiny didn't see you cry – as you cried, yeosang came up and gently hugged you and hid you from atiny's view and cameras.

jongho letting you baby him JUST ONCE by squishing his cheeks

you constantly flirting and teasing the members during the ments or performances

you using atiny's phones to take videos and selfies with the members

soundcheck moments :

san coming up and backhugs you while you sing and you immediately lean into him as you do so

you playing with mingi's hoodie strings while he raps and the two of you dancing

you and yeosang accidentally wearing matching outfits but he tells atiny that it was planned

you and hongjoong posing together and showing off your matching tattoos

you reading a sign that says "y/n! who's sexier? you or wooyoung?" and you immediately mouthed 'me!' while pointing to yourself

calling atiny "baby" and "love" at multiple soundchecks which make them lose their minds

wooyoung kissing your cheek and you kissing his in return and leaving a mark on his cheek

another atiny had a sign that said "y/n do you have a boyfriend?" and both you and san read it

you laughed at it but san frowned and made a thumbs down as he pulled you to him and walked away

sendoff moments :

looking at wooyoung with disgust whenever you see him try to eat a kirby plushie – he did it on purpose cause he knows you love kirby

an atiny commenting on how great your butt looked in the pants you were wearing and you turning and smirking at them

atiny telling you to say 'hi mom' and you instead say "hi mommy!"

an atiny gifting you with a beaded bracelet that said "sanyn" and you wearing at the next concert for the encore stage

you constantly calling every atiny cute and complimenting their outfits

and then smirking when you make them flustered

you posing with different plushies

the other members actively photobombing your photos

and you looking at them with disgusted each time and other fans catching it

your manager stressing every time you cuss with the fans

"you look so fucking pretty y/n!" "you're so fucking pretty too!"

you asking an atiny if they had a good time and they said no, so you said "good" in response with a straight face

#✶ 𓂃 ⋆* 𝓎𝓃. ୨୧ character dev.#୨🍓୧ era : will to power: towards the light.#ateez 9th member #ateez added member #ateez addition #idol!reader #ateez female addition #ateez extra member #ateez ninth member #poly ateez x reader #been working on this for a while 😮‍💨#sorry guys lol

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yunholic-jongholic · 1 month ago

Text

Bound to the Bosses [Part 3] | C.JH x Reader x J.YH

SUMMARY | At the age of 20, you surrendered your freedom to a former mafia gang in exchange for a secure life and all your needs met. You pledged your existence to two of the members, Choi Jongho and Jeong Yunho, who managed the leading underground strip club and took you under their wing. They both permit you to perform on weekend nights, but once the lights go out and the workday ends, you belong solely to both of them.

PAIRINGS | Jongho x Fem!Reader x Yunho

RATING | Mature, 18+, NSFW, MDNI!!!

CONTENT WARNINGS | Mean Dom!Jongho, Strip Club Setting, NSFW, SMUT, ANGST, Explicit Content, Cursing, Weapon Use, Bruises, Mentions of Blood, Death and Harming, Mentions of Injuries, Unprotected Sex (Don't Do That...), Marking, Creampie, || I might be missing some, my editor died on me because she got the flu right now. :') ||

WORD COUNT | 7.4k

AUTHOR NOTE | This one is more Jongho-focused. Like I said in the last chapter. Next chapter will go back to being 2HO focused... ;)

TAG LIST | @mingisleftnipple

•

Your gut told you this was a bad idea. That if Hongjoong found out you were following them, there would be hell to pay.

But you didn’t care.

Yunho was going into this alone—or at least, that’s what Hongjoong had ordered. But it was clear Yeosang and Wooyoung weren’t going to just let him walk into danger by himself. They were involved now, which meant you had even less reason to stay behind.

You had a car. You barely ever used it, considering Yunho and Jongho always made sure you had everything you needed. But tonight, it served a purpose.

Carefully, you trailed them at a distance, keeping your headlights dim as you followed their car through the darkened streets. The city was eerily quiet at this hour, amplifying the tension that sat heavily in your chest.

You didn’t know what you were expecting when they finally reached their destination, but the place they stopped at sent a chill down your spine.

An abandoned warehouse.

Classic.

You pulled over a short distance away, parking in the shadows where you wouldn't be seen. Your hands gripped the steering wheel tightly as you watched Yunho and Yeosang jump out of their car, moving quickly and quietly toward the entrance.

They’re sneaking in.

That meant this wasn’t a simple exchange. It wasn’t a negotiation.

This was an ambush.

Your heart pounded as you watched them disappear inside, your mind racing with possibilities. If Jongho was inside, what condition would he be in? Were they expecting Yunho and the others? Was this a setup?

You had no answers. But you did know one thing—

You weren’t about to sit in the car and wait.

Steeling yourself, you took a deep breath before quietly stepping out, making sure to stay in the shadows. If Yunho and the others were going in, you needed to find a way to stay close—without getting caught.

As the first light of dawn crept over the horizon, casting a dull glow over the abandoned warehouse, you let out a quiet sigh. The rising sun meant time was slipping away—if Yunho and Yeosang were inside, things were already happening.

You couldn’t afford to waste another second.

Your eyes scanned the building frantically until you noticed it—a slightly creaked-open window near the side of the structure. Perfect.

You whispered the word under your breath, glancing around to ensure no one was watching. The last thing you needed was for a stray guard or lookout to catch you snooping around.

The window wasn’t too high, but high enough that you needed something to help you climb. Your eyes flicked toward a rusted metal crate nearby, likely used for storage back when this place was still functional. Without hesitation, you ran toward it, gripping the edges tightly before dragging it beneath the window.

It groaned under your weight as you carefully stepped on top, testing if it would hold. Thankfully, it did.

Now came the tricky part.

Reaching up, you placed your hands against the edge of the window, pushing it open just enough to squeeze through. Your heart pounded as you hoisted yourself up, legs scrambling slightly before you managed to slip inside.

The inside of the warehouse was dark, the only source of light coming from the high, dirt-covered windows. Dust swirled in the air, and the distant echoes of footsteps sent a chill down your spine.

You had made it inside.

Now, you just had to find Yunho and Yeosang—before something went terribly wrong.

Your body tensed as you crouched behind a stack of old crates, desperately trying to steady your breathing. No weapons. No plan. And now, you’re trapped inside an enemy hideout.

You had known sneaking in was reckless, but hearing those words—

"The boss said he’ll have that stupid club owner killed by tonight. He just needs a few more answers out of him."

Your stomach twisted violently. Jongho.

They were planning to kill him.

You pressed a hand over your mouth, biting down on your lip to keep from making any noise. Your heartbeat pounded so hard you were sure they could hear it.

The two men continued walking, their heavy boots scraping against the concrete floor as they passed your hiding spot. You kept completely still, watching their silhouettes move deeper into the warehouse.

Think, think, think! You needed a weapon. Anything.

Your eyes flickered around the dimly lit space. There was nothing immediately useful near you—just empty crates, broken metal scraps, and dust-covered tools. But then, you spotted it—

A rusted crowbar leaning against the wall a few feet away.

It wasn’t much, but it was something.

Swallowing hard, you waited for the men’s footsteps to fade before carefully crawling toward it, fingers trembling as you reached out. The cold metal felt heavy in your hands, a crude but necessary defense.

You took a deep breath, gripping it tightly.

You had to find Yunho and Yeosang.

And more importantly—

You had to get Jongho out before it was too late.

The dim glow of dawn barely seeped into the warehouse, leaving you surrounded by nothing but darkness and the faint echo of distant footsteps. Your grip tightened around the crowbar as you stared at the sealed door in front of you.

This had to be it.

Jongho has to be in there.

Your breath was uneven, anxiety creeping into your chest as you positioned the crowbar against the rusted lock. There was no time to hesitate. With a deep breath, you swung—

CLANG.

The impact sent vibrations up your arms, but the lock held.

You gritted your teeth and swung again. And again. Your hands were shaking, sweat forming at your temples as you forced every ounce of strength into breaking the lock.

Finally—

CRACK.

The lock snapped, the broken metal falling to the ground with a dull clink. You barely gave yourself time to process before pushing the door open, its rusty hinges groaning in protest.

Inside, the air was thick with the stench of blood and sweat. The room was dark, but not enough to hide the figure slumped against the chair in the center.

Jongho.

Your stomach dropped at the sight of him. His arms were tied behind his back, his head hanging forward. Blood stained his once-clean shirt, cuts littering his skin.

For a terrifying moment, he didn’t move.

“Jongho?” you whispered, your voice shaky as you stepped forward.

Silence.

Panic flared in your chest as you rushed toward him, your hands reaching out to touch his face, his jawline bruised from the obvious beating he had taken.

Then—he stirred.

A low groan escaped his lips as his eyes fluttered open, sluggish and unfocused. His breathing was shallow, but he was alive.

“Y/N…?” His voice was hoarse, barely above a whisper.

Relief washed over you so fast you almost felt dizzy.

“I’m getting you out of here,” you whispered urgently, already fumbling with the ropes binding his wrists. Your hands were shaking, your adrenaline spiking as you worked quickly.

But then—

Heavy footsteps echoed from outside the door.

Your blood ran cold.

You weren’t alone anymore.

Jongho groaned, barely able to lift his head, but his words were firm. "Go... Get out of here."

You ignored him, gripping the crowbar tightly as you frantically tried to tear the knots apart. Your fingers burned from the effort, but you weren’t about to leave him here.

“I am not leaving you to die out here!” you hissed, desperation creeping into your voice. “Yunho and Yeosang are here too! We’re getting you out—”

Then, movement.

A dark shadow cast itself against the dim lighting in the hallway. Someone was coming.

Your body stiffened, and instinct took over. You ran, pressing yourself against the wall behind a stack of crates just as the door creaked open.

A man stepped inside; his boots heavy against the concrete.

"I heard someone in here," he muttered.

You clenched your jaw, biting your lip to keep your breathing silent. Your hands trembled, fingers tightening around the crowbar. If he found you, you were dead, but you were going to fight back.

The man’s attention turned to Jongho. You watched in horror as he pulled a dagger from his pocket, its sharp blade gleaming under the dim light.

"Where are they?" he demanded, pressing the cold metal against Jongho’s throat.

Your breath caught in your throat. Shit. Shit. Shit.

Jongho, despite his battered state, didn’t flinch. He simply glared at the man, his jaw tightening as he leaned away from the blade rather than giving in.

He wasn’t going to sell you out.

But if you didn’t act fast, you were about to watch him die.

Your heartbeat pounded in your ears, every instinct screaming at you to move. You had seconds—maybe less—to make a decision.

Stay hidden and hope for a chance to escape? Or take the risk and fight?

Your heart pounded in your chest as the man’s gaze swept across the room, searching for you. Think fast, move faster.

You stayed low, silently maneuvering behind Jongho’s chair, using the dim lighting to your advantage. With careful steps, you crept toward the other side of the room, positioning yourself directly behind the man.

He was still searching—still unaware.

This was your chance.

Gripping the crowbar so tightly that your knuckles turned white, you swung with every ounce of strength in your body.

CRACK!

The metal struck the side of his head with a sickening thud. The impact sent him crashing to the ground, his body limp as he groaned in pain, barely conscious.

Adrenaline surged through you, and before you could second-guess yourself, you rushed forward, slamming the door shut and locking it from the inside.

Your chest heaved as you turned back toward Jongho, rushing to his side, your hands working quickly to free him from the restraints.

“I told you to leave!” Jongho snapped, his voice raw with anger.

You glared at him, your hands still fumbling with the knots. “And I told you I’m not leaving you to die!” you shot back, your voice just as fierce.

Jongho’s nostrils flared, but he didn’t argue this time. He just exhaled sharply, his eyes locking onto yours with an intensity that sent shivers down your spine.

“You’re insane,” he muttered under his breath.

You scoffed, yanking the last knot loose. “And you’re welcome.”

As soon as the restraints fell away, Jongho groaned, rolling his stiff shoulders before slowly standing. He was still weak, still bruised and had deep cuts on his arms, but his presence was just as commanding as ever.

But before either of you could say another word—

A loud banging echoed against the door.

More were coming.

You looked at Jongho, hissing at him. “We have to go—now.”

You grabbed Jongho’s arm, ignoring his grunts of protest, and ran. The sound of frantic footsteps and muffled curses echoed behind you, but you didn’t stop. Your only focus was getting out alive.

Ducking back into the darkened part of the warehouse, you dragged Jongho toward the same hiding spot you had used earlier. You both pressed yourselves against the crates, your breath shallow, adrenaline still pumping through your veins.

Then, movement from the other side of the hallway caught your eye.

Yunho and Yeosang.

Your stomach flipped as you saw them armed guns drawn, daggers glinting under the dim lighting. They were ready to kill.

“Y/N?!”

Yunho’s furious voice rang out the second he spotted you. His eyes were wide, filled with a mix of disbelief and rage.

Shit.

You barely had time to react before Yeosang shoved him against the wall, slamming a hand over his mouth.

“Shut up,” Yeosang hissed under his breath, his sharp eyes scanning the area. “They’ll hear us.”

Yunho’s glare could’ve burned a hole through the wall, but he listened, jaw clenched as he yanked Yeosang’s hand away.

Your heart pounded as you peered over the crates. More men were storming the hallway, searching, their weapons drawn. They knew someone was here.

Jongho exhaled shakily beside you, his body still weak, but his mind sharp. “We need to move now,” he murmured under his breath. “If they find us, we’re dead.”

You nodded, glancing back at Yunho and Yeosang. Yeosang gave a quick, silent signal—on my count.

One… two…

Three.

Your heart pounded as you ran, every muscle in your body screaming for you to move faster. The dimly lit warehouse echoed with distant shouts—they knew you were here.

Yeosang and Yunho were right behind you, covering your backs as you and Jongho pushed forward. Every second counted.

Then—a door.

Your eyes locked onto the heavy metal exit leading outside. Wasting no time, you jammed the crowbar against the handle, trying to pry it open. The rusted metal groaned under the pressure, but it wasn’t budging fast enough.

"Move," Yunho grunted, stepping beside you. Together, you slammed the crowbar into the door, forcing it open with sheer strength.

The second the door gave way, the cold morning air hit your face like a shock to the system.

"Go!" Yeosang ordered.

You didn’t hesitate. You grabbed Jongho’s arm again, dragging him forward as you all sprinted out of the building.

Gunfire erupted behind you, bullets ricocheting off the metal doors.

"Shit—GET IN THE CARS!" Yunho barked.

Jongho, still weak, stumbled slightly as you guided him toward your vehicle. Yunho and Yeosang split off, covering the retreat, their weapons raised.

Your hands trembled as you yanked the car door open, practically shoving Jongho into the passenger seat. His breathing was heavy, but he was alive.

You jumped into the driver’s seat, your fingers fumbling as you started the engine. Yunho and Yeosang weren’t far behind, diving into their own car as more men spilled out of the warehouse, weapons drawn.

Tires screeched against the pavement as you floored the gas, speeding off into the rising morning sun.

Your pulse was still racing, adrenaline making your hands unsteady on the wheel. You risked a glance at Jongho. He was slumped against the seat, eyes half-lidded, exhausted but watching you.

"You really don’t listen, do you?" he muttered, voice hoarse.

You let out a shaky breath, gripping the wheel tighter. "And you should know by now, Jongho," you said, your voice steady, "I don’t leave people behind."

"You’re badly injured," you murmured, keeping your focus on the road as you drove back toward the club. The rising sun barely lit the empty streets, but the tension in the car was suffocating enough to make you forget the time of day.

Jongho let out a dry chuckle, rolling his eyes despite the pain written all over his face. "Shit, really? Hadn’t noticed." His voice was hoarse, laced with sarcasm, but even that couldn’t hide how weak he sounded.

You sighed, gripping the steering wheel tighter. "Seriously, Jongho. You’re in bad shape. I think we should take you to a hospital—"

“No.” His voice came sharp, snapping through the air like a whip.

You turned to look at him, surprised at the sudden shift in his tone. His jaw was clenched, eyes dark with something unreadable.

"I’m fine," he said again, more controlled this time, but just as firm. "No hospitals."

You swallowed hard, watching as he exhaled through his nose, shifting uncomfortably in his seat. Jongho had always been stubborn—too strong-willed for his own good. But this wasn’t just stubbornness. It was fear.

You wanted to push him, to argue, but before you could say anything, you pulled up to the club.

Yunho and Yeosang were already outside, waiting. The moment you parked, Yunho yanked open the door, his eyes scanning Jongho’s condition.

"Fucking hell," Yunho muttered, looking between you and Jongho. "Took you long enough." Yeosang exhaled sharply, shaking his head. "He needs medical attention."

Jongho groaned, already tired of the conversation. "I said I’m fine." Yunho shot you a look, then back at Jongho. "Yeah? And what happens when you aren’t fine?" His tone was laced with frustration, but underneath that, there was something softer. Concern.

Jongho sighed, leaning his head back against the seat. "Just get me inside."

You bit down on your lip, glancing at Yunho and Yeosang before nodding. Whether he liked it or not, you were going to make sure Jongho got help. Even if it wasn’t a hospital, he wasn’t walking away from this without being taken care of.

"Well, at least let’s get inside and clean you up," you sighed, finally accepting that Jongho wasn’t going to a hospital—for now.

Jongho didn’t argue, which was rare. He was exhausted, his body weakened from whatever hell he had been through. His usual stubbornness wasn’t as sharp as before, and you took that as a silent sign that he was barely holding himself together.

You moved to his side, looping an arm around him to help him out of the car. He grumbled under his breath but didn’t push you away, leaning on you just enough to stay steady.

Yunho and Yeosang followed closely behind as you made your way into the club, making sure no one was watching as you led Jongho upstairs.

It was morning now, but thankfully, the club was empty. No customers, no distractions. And more importantly—you didn’t have to work tonight.

Small mercies.

When you finally reached Jongho’s room, you helped him ease down onto the bed, his body slumping against the mattress with a heavy sigh. His breathing was ragged, his knuckles bruised, his lip split. The fresh cuts and dried blood on his skin made your stomach twist uncomfortably.

You turned to Yunho and Yeosang, who stood in the doorway, tension still thick in the air. "I’ll clean him up," you said quietly, not wanting to fight any more about it.

Yunho held your gaze for a second, his jaw tightening before he exhaled through his nose. "Fine. I’ll go check in with Hongjoong before he burns the damn place down."

Yeosang nodded, already heading toward the door. "Let us know if he gets worse," he murmured before following Yunho out.

The door shut, leaving just you and Jongho in the dimly lit room.

You sighed, rolling up your sleeves. "Alright," you muttered, grabbing a first-aid kit from the nearby cabinet. "Let’s clean you up before you actually pass out on me."

Jongho smirked faintly, though it barely reached his tired eyes. "You really don’t know how to leave things alone, do you?"

You scoffed, wetting a cloth with warm water before sitting beside him. "And you don’t know how to stop getting yourself into trouble."

He huffed out a quiet laugh, wincing as you gently dabbed the cloth against a fresh cut on his temple. His smirk faded slightly, and for the first time since getting him out, his guard lowered just a little.

"…Thanks for coming for me," he muttered under his breath.

Your hands stilled for a brief moment before you resumed your careful movements.

"Always," you whispered, not needing to say anything more. After finishing up with Jongho’s bandages, you quietly left his room to grab more gauze and supplies from your own. The exhaustion was finally settling in, your body aching from everything that had happened.

But as you stepped back into the hallway, voices caught your attention. You stilled, pressing yourself against the wall just out of sight, listening closely.

"We need to block this place up, and I need you and Mingi to keep anyone from coming in these next few days." Seonghwa’s voice was firm, calculated, the way it always was when things were serious.

"Alrighty," San responded casually, but there was an edge to his tone. Even he knew this wasn’t just another order—it was lockdown mode.

You peeked around the corner just enough to see San nod before walking off to find Mingi. They were going to be stationed downstairs, guarding the entrance. Your stomach twisted.

What exactly were they preparing for?

You sighed, shaking your head before heading back into Jongho’s room. He was still lying in bed, his breathing slow and heavy. His body was completely still now, his exhaustion finally taking over.

You walked up beside him, brushing your fingers lightly over his arm, checking to make sure his wounds were wrapped properly. He stirred slightly at the touch but didn’t wake up.

A soft smile tugged at your lips. Despite all the chaos, despite everything that had happened—he was safe. Leaning in slightly, you whispered, “Good night, Jongho.”

He didn’t respond, already slipping into unconsciousness, but that was okay. He needed the rest. You turned, stepping out of the room as quietly as possible before making your way back to your own. The second you laid down; sleep took you instantly.

Whatever was coming next, you would deal with it tomorrow.

The dim lighting in the room cast a soft glow over Jongho’s sleeping form as you quietly stepped inside. The weight of exhaustion still lingered in your body, but checking up on him felt more important than resting.

You approached his bedside, your gaze falling to his bandaged arms and bruised face. He looked better than before, but the sight of him still made your heart clench.

Carefully, you reached out and placed your hand over his, your fingers barely brushing against his skin. His warmth was reassuring, a silent confirmation that he was still here—still breathing. Then, a quiet sigh.

You froze as Jongho stirred, his chest rising and falling with a deep inhale before his eyes slowly blinked open.

For a moment, he looked dazed, his mind still caught between sleep and reality. Then, his gaze locked onto you, dark eyes staring directly into yours. You weren’t sure what to say. You had no reason to be here, not really. But instead of pulling away, you gave his hand the faintest squeeze. "You're awake..." you murmured softly.

Jongho exhaled slowly, his expression unreadable. His fingers twitched slightly beneath yours, but he didn’t move away. He just kept looking at you, his tired gaze filled with something unspoken.

"Yeah," he finally muttered, his voice raspy from sleep. "I guess I am." Silence stretched between you both, heavy but not uncomfortable.

There was something about this moment—the quiet, the stillness—that felt different. A rare vulnerability that neither of you acknowledged but both understood.

And for once, Jongho didn’t fight it.

Neither did you.

Jongho’s tired eyes flickered to you as you sat beside him on the bed. “Would you like anything? Water? Food?” you asked, your voice soft with concern.

He blinked slowly, looking around the room as if debating his answer before shaking his head. “No. I’m fine.”

You sighed, crossing your arms. Typical Jongho. Stubborn as ever.

“Well, I’m hungry, so I’m getting food,” you huffed, standing up. He didn’t argue, simply watching you as you left the room.

Making your way downstairs, you expected the club to be buzzing with energy, but instead, it was eerily quiet. No music, no loud conversations. Just the distant hum of the city outside.

You stepped into the kitchen and immediately spotted Yunho sitting alone at the table, a cold stare fixated on something unseen. His fingers tapped idly against the surface, lost in thought.

You hesitated for a moment before grabbing some leftovers from the fridge. Maybe he needed company.

“I’ll join you, if you don’t mind…” you said casually, sitting next to him as you placed your food down.

Yunho’s eyes slowly shifted to you, observing for a second before he nodded slightly. He didn’t say anything at first, simply watching as you took a bite of your food.

After a beat of silence, he exhaled, leaning back in his chair. “Checking up on Jongho?” he asked, his tone unreadable. You nodded. “Yeah. He woke up. Stubborn as always, but at least he’s awake.”

Yunho scoffed lightly, shaking his head. “That bastard would rather bleed out than admit he needs help.” You smirked. “Sounds familiar.”

Yunho shot you a look but didn’t argue. Instead, he leaned forward, resting his arms on the table. His expression was more serious now, as if debating something.

“I don’t like this,” he muttered. “This whole situation with Jongho… something’s off.” You paused mid-bite, setting your fork down. “What do you mean?”

Yunho’s jaw tensed. “The way they took him. It wasn’t just about revenge. They needed something from him. And now that we got him back… I don’t think we’re in the clear yet.”

A chill ran down your spine. You hadn’t thought about that. You had been so focused on getting Jongho back that you hadn’t questioned why they took him in the first place. Yunho’s eyes met yours, dark and serious. “I think they got what they wanted.”

Yunho’s words hung heavy in the air, but before you could respond, you took a deep breath, gathering your thoughts.

"I overheard something when I was spying on them," you admitted, your fingers idly pushing the food around on your plate. "They wanted to exchange the guy you killed that night… for Jongho’s life in return."

Yunho’s posture stiffened slightly, but he didn’t interrupt.

You swallowed hard. "I assume they think Jongho was the one who killed the guy since he was last seen with him. Before… before you must have found him and killed him yourself."

The weight of it all settled onto your shoulders, making your stomach churn. The pieces were coming together, but the truth was worse than you imagined.

Jongho had been taken as a scapegoat.

Because of Yunho.

A heavy silence filled the kitchen. You couldn’t bring yourself to look at him, your hands tightening into fists in your lap.

Then, after a long pause, you heard it—

"I’m sorry."

Your breath hitched, your eyes widening as you flickered your gaze up to him.

Yunho sighed, running a hand down his face before leaning back in his chair, looking exhausted. "I mean it," he muttered. "Jongho got caught up in my mess. And you… you almost got killed trying to fix it."

You stared at him, still processing the fact that Yunho—Yunho—was actually apologizing to you. The man who never admitted fault, who always brushed things off like they didn’t matter.

For the first time, he looked like he regretted something.

A part of you wanted to be mad at him. A part of you wanted to tell him that he was reckless, that Jongho didn’t deserve this, that you didn’t deserve to be dragged into it.

But instead, you just exhaled softly, shaking your head.

"I just… I don’t want anyone else getting hurt," you admitted, voice barely above a whisper.

Yunho nodded slowly, his expression unreadable. But there was something different in his eyes. Something softer.

"We’ll make sure of that," he said firmly. "No matter what. But I want you to stay out of it. Me and Jongho can afford to lose you." He coughs trying to go back to his tough mean old self.

You hesitated for a moment before speaking, your voice softer now, laced with curiosity and something deeper concern.

“What… what made you choose this lifestyle?” you asked, your eyes drifting down to his hands. They were scarred, roughened by years of fighting, of survival. You had never seen Yunho like this before—his usual cold and cocky demeanor stripped away, leaving something much softer underneath. Something real.

Yunho tensed slightly, his fingers twitching against the table as he leaned back in his chair.

"What do you mean…?" he muttered, attempting to play dumb, but you saw right through it.

You sighed, shaking your head. "You seem like someone who was forced into this. Like… this wasn’t always who you were." Your voice was quieter now, careful. "What were you like in the past? Were you always like this?"

Yunho didn’t respond immediately. Instead, his jaw tightened, and for the first time, he looked almost… uncomfortable.

You studied his face, searching for a reaction, and there it was—the flicker of something in his eyes. Something he was trying to hide. You leaned in slightly, your voice barely above a whisper. "I don’t think you were."

Yunho’s tongue clicked against the roof of his mouth, exhaling through his nose as he looked away. His fingers drummed against the table, a rare moment of hesitation from him.

"You ask too many damn questions," he muttered, but his tone lacked its usual sharpness. It wasn’t an insult. It was deflection. You stayed silent, waiting.

Yunho’s silence lingered as you pushed back your chair with a little too much force.

“Fine. If you won’t tell me, I’ll leave you alone,” you huffed, your voice clipped with frustration.

You grabbed your plate, barely finishing your food, and tossed it in the garbage with a dull thud. Without another glance at Yunho, you turned and walked away, leaving him at the table, lost in his own thoughts. You didn’t have the energy to press him further. Not now. Instead, you found yourself gravitating back toward Jongho’s room.

When you entered, Jongho was already awake, now sitting up against the headboard. His sharp gaze immediately landed on you as you walked in, scanning your face like he could sense the tension you carried.

You exhaled, pushing aside your emotions as you lifted a glass of water toward him. “I got you water, just in case…”

Jongho’s eyes flickered from you to the glass before you walked closer and set it down on the nightstand beside him. For a moment, he didn’t say anything. His expression was unreadable, but you could feel the weight of his stare. Then, finally, he spoke. His voice was still hoarse, but steadier than before.

“You’re upset.” You blinked, looking up at him. “What?”

Jongho tilted his head slightly, his gaze unwavering. “Something happened.” You let out a short, humorless laugh, shaking your head. “It’s nothing.”

Jongho didn’t look convinced. “It’s not nothing.” You sighed, rubbing your temple. The last thing you wanted was to get into another conversation about Yunho, but Jongho was perceptive. He always had been.

“I just… I don’t get him,” you muttered. “I don’t get why he refuses to talk about his past. Why he pushes everyone away.”

Jongho studied you carefully before exhaling. “Because sometimes, talking about the past doesn’t change anything.” His words were blunt but held a weight that made you pause. You swallowed, glancing down at your hands. “I just… I want to understand him.”

Jongho was silent for a moment, then leaned back against the headboard with a small, tired smirk.

“Then you’ve already made a mistake,” he muttered. You furrowed your brows. “What?” Jongho’s gaze darkened slightly. “You’re trying to understand someone who doesn’t want to be understood.”

The room fell silent again. You weren’t sure what unsettled you more—the fact that Jongho was right, or the fact that he had said it, as if he knew exactly what it felt like to be Yunho.

You tilted your head slightly, studying Jongho’s reaction. “What about you?” you asked, your voice quieter now, laced with curiosity. Jongho visibly tensed, his usual confidence faltering for just a second before he looked down, as if debating his answer. He let out a slow breath, avoiding your gaze.

“Maybe another time…” he muttered, his voice softer than usual. “One day, maybe.” You caught the way his fingers twitched slightly, the subtle hint of guilt in his tone.

You sighed, knowing you weren’t going to get anything more out of him tonight. “Fine…” you muttered, rolling your eyes, though there was no real frustration behind it. Jongho exhaled, almost as if relieved, but then—he did something unexpected.

His hand, rough yet warm, rested gently on top of yours. The weight of it, the gesture itself, caught you off guard. You slowly looked up, meeting his gaze. His eyes were darker now, but softer at the same time. There was something else there—something unspoken.

Before you could think too much about it, you felt his grip tighten, and in one swift motion, you were pulled onto his lap.

A soft gasp escaped your lips as your hands instinctively found his shoulders, steadying yourself. His hands rested at your waist, firm but gentle, as he looked up at you from beneath his lashes. Neither of you spoke. The air between you was thick, charged with something you had ignored for far too long.

Slowly, your gaze flickered from his eyes to his lips, your body moving before your mind could catch up.

Jongho didn’t stop you. He didn’t hesitate.

As you leaned in, his fingers curled slightly against your waist, pulling you closer. Your lips met his in a slow, careful kiss—one that started hesitant but deepened almost instantly.

He exhaled against your mouth, his grip on you tightening as if grounding himself in the moment. It wasn’t rushed. It wasn’t desperate.

It was something else entirely.

The warmth of Jongho’s body against yours sent a shiver down your spine, a heat pooling deep within you that you couldn’t quite explain. The moment felt intense—too intense. That’s why you pulled away, needing a second to process what had just happened.

Jongho’s dark eyes locked onto yours, his breath still warm against your lips. His gaze was unreadable, but there was something in it—curiosity, amusement… something dangerous.

“Why did you pull back?” he teased, the corner of his lips tilting up slightly. You swallowed, suddenly feeling nervous. You weren’t sure why that kiss felt different. It wasn’t just physical—it had weight to it.

“Uhmm… Well…” You tried to form an excuse, but the words caught in your throat. You had nothing.

Jongho hummed, his grip on your waist tightening just slightly before he leaned in again. “Don’t think so hard,” he muttered. And before you could say another word, he pulled you back into the kiss. This time, there was no hesitation.

His lips pressed against yours with more intent, his hands sliding up your back, pulling you flush against him. You let out a soft hum, melting into him as your fingers instinctively tangled in his hair.

Jongho deepened the kiss, his control firm but not overwhelming, as if testing how far you were willing to go. It was slower this time—intentional, as if he wanted you to feel every second of it.

You did.

You felt everything. The way his hands held you, the heat of his skin, the way his lips molded perfectly against yours. And for the first time, you didn’t stop.

The sudden knock on the door sent a shock through both of you.

You and Jongho scrambled apart—Jongho adjusting himself back in bed while you practically leaped into the chair across the room, trying desperately to look like nothing had just happened.

“Come in!” Jongho called out, clearing his throat to hide the slight breathlessness in his voice.

Your face was burning, and you mentally cursed yourself, trying to erase the thoughts lingering in your mind. The way he held you, the heat of his lips, the way his hands—No! Focus!

The door creaked open, and the moment you saw who it was, your stomach dropped.

Hongjoong.

His sharp eyes immediately scanned the room, and it didn’t take him long to notice—the slightly disheveled look on Jongho’s face, your obvious redness, the air still thick with unspoken tension.

Hongjoong knew.

You stiffened in your chair, avoiding direct eye contact, but Hongjoong wasn’t stupid. His gaze lingered for just a second too long before he cleared his throat, stepping further inside.

“I’m just coming to check on you,” Hongjoong said casually, though the hint of amusement in his voice wasn’t lost on you. Jongho, always one to keep his cool, nodded. “I’m fine,” he muttered, shifting under Hongjoong’s sharp gaze.

Hongjoong glanced between the two of you again, his lips twitching slightly like he knew he had just walked in on something.

“You sure?” he asked, tilting his head slightly. “Because it looks like I might’ve interrupted something.”

Your soul nearly left your body.

Jongho scoffed, running a hand through his hair. “You think too much,” he muttered, brushing off the insinuation. You, on the other hand, were trying your absolute hardest not to combust on the spot.

Hongjoong hummed, clearly unconvinced, but didn’t press the issue. Instead, he shoved his hands in his pockets and exhaled. “Well, just wanted to see if you’re alive. You need anything?” Jongho shook his head. “No. I’m good.” Hongjoong nodded, lingering for just a second more before he turned to leave.

Just before stepping out, he threw a glance over his shoulder—this time, at you.

“Don’t stay too long,” he murmured, his tone unreadable. Then, with a final smirk, he walked out, shutting the door behind him. The moment he was gone, you let out a breath you didn’t realize you were holding. Jongho sighed, leaning his head back against the bed. “That was too close.”

You buried your face in your hands, still burning from embarrassment. “He knows,” you groaned. Jongho chuckled under his breath, glancing at you with that familiar, teasing glint in his eyes. “Yeah,” he muttered, smirking slightly. “But I don’t think he cares.”

You swallowed hard, your heart still pounding.

Maybe Hongjoong didn’t care—but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t watch.

You hesitated, still flustered from Hongjoong’s unexpected interruption. The heat on your face hadn’t faded, and the air still felt charged from what had just happened between you and Jongho.

"I should probably go..." you muttered, voice barely above a whisper, your embarrassment creeping in as you avoided his gaze.

You turned, ready to make your escape, but before you could even take a step, Jongho grabbed you by the wrist. In one swift motion, he pulled you right back onto his lap, his grip firm, his body warm against yours. Your breath hitched as you found yourself straddling him again, your hands instinctively landing on his shoulders for balance.

"You can't just make out with me and then leave," Jongho murmured, his voice rough, teasing, yet undeniably serious. His dark eyes locked onto yours, his grip on your waist tightening slightly. "You gotta fix this mess you made." You swallowed hard, the tension thick, his words making your heart pound.

"Fine…" you exhaled, knowing damn well you didn’t actually want to leave. Without another word, you leaned in, crashing your lips against his. Jongho groaned softly against your mouth, his hands immediately sliding up your back, pulling you closer until there was no space left between you.

The kiss was desperate, heated, as if making up for the lost time that neither of you would admit to wanting back. You could feel the urgency in the way he kissed you—like he had been waiting for this.

You pulled away just enough to catch your breath, panting slightly as you smirked. "I thought I was the desperate one," you teased, your lips brushing against his.

Jongho chuckled lowly, shaking his head before tilting your chin back up, his gaze dark and unrelenting. "Shut up," he muttered, before pulling you right back into another intense, heated kiss.

And this time, neither of you were holding back.

He pulled your shirt over your head throwing it on the floor. You immediately took your bra off. Jongho started undressing himself and he immediately started caressing your body. Your body shivered against his touch as you hummed out softly enjoying yourself.

Jongho hovered above you, his presence overwhelming, his body caging you against the bed. His usual cold and unreadable expression had faded, replaced by something more intense—something that made your breath hitch.

But despite the heat in the moment, concern flickered through you. He was still injured.

“Aren’t you hurt?” you asked, tilting your head slightly. “Do you want me to do the work?” Jongho’s smirk deepened, his dark eyes glinting with amusement. “I think I can handle it,” he murmured, his voice low and confident.

You exhaled softly, your fingers instinctively moving to his shoulders, your touch gentle against his tense muscles. “Alright,” you hummed, deciding to trust him.

The air between you was thick, charged with unspoken emotions neither of you had fully processed. This wasn’t just about the tension that had been building for weeks—this was something more.

Jongho’s gaze softened slightly as he studied your face. His hands, despite their strength, moved carefully, tracing your arm before settling against your waist.

For a brief moment, he paused, his forehead resting lightly against yours. His breathing was heavy, yet controlled, as if he was grounding himself in the moment.

“Are you sure about this?” he murmured. It was the first time you had heard him ask something so sincerely. You swallowed, meeting his gaze, and for once, there was no teasing, no playful banter—just the raw honesty of the moment. You nodded. “Yeah.”

Jongho exhaled, closing his eyes for a second before leaning in again, pressing a slow, deliberate kiss against your lips. This time, it wasn’t just about urgency—it was about something deeper.

Jongho slid himself in between your folds, pushing himself deep as he could. You let out a loud shaky moan digging your nails into his shoulders already. He groaned at the feeling.

You felt your insides pulse as you tried adjusting to him finally letting him go ahead to start thrusting in and out.

"Jongho..." You moan immediately covering your mouth with one hand. Your other hand gripped onto his shoulders trying to hold onto him. You felt his hands grabbing you by the waist as he continued to move.

You moaned out arching your back as he thrusted in deeper and got rougher.

"I thought u were in pain..." You tried to speak but were out of breath. Jongho smirked at you leaned down towards you.

"Not really, you are really good at distraction." He smiles kissing your lips. You moan into the kiss wrapping your arms around his neck.

"Fuck..." He cursed pulling his lips away. You felt his grip get tighter around you. Throwing your head to the side, you moaned heavily, already feeling the exhaustion settling into your body.

The night had been long, emotions running high, and yet—you couldn’t stop yourself.

Your hands instinctively moved, fingers trailing up Jongho’s chest, feeling the steady rise and fall of his breathing beneath your touch. The warmth of his skin, the steady beat of his heart—it grounded you.

Your fingertips traced the line of his collarbone before sliding up to his neck, your touch softer now, more deliberate. When your palms cupped his face, Jongho’s breath hitched slightly, his dark eyes locking onto yours.

Jongho kept thrusting in and out of you, instead of being sloppy like usual he was slow and doing this out of pure love and passion. Or so you thought.

You felt his shaft graze your sensitive spot causing your moans to get higher. He took the advantage he was given and kept thrusting into that one spot causing your eyes to roll back and you tried to keep them close as you dug your nails deep into his skin.

"Jongho!" You moaned in pure bliss almost screaming his name. You watched him as he thrusted in last few times before releasing inside you. You started breathing heavily as your both released together.

Your body felt completely drained, exhaustion creeping into your limbs as you let out a soft whimper.

Before you could even process it, Jongho shifted underneath you, gripping your waist and flipping you so that you landed against his chest.

A low groan of pain escaped him, his body still sore from his injuries. Your eyes widened in panic. "Oh my god! I’m so sorry!" You immediately sat up, hands hovering over him, worried you had hurt him even more.

Jongho exhaled through his nose, shaking his head slightly. "No, it’s fine… Just—" he let out another small groan, shifting his legs beneath you, adjusting himself. "I just want to sleep with you tonight."

His words made your breath hitch, but not in the way they usually did. This wasn’t teasing. It wasn’t flirtation. It was genuine.

You swallowed hard, nodding softly before allowing yourself to settle back down against him. His arms instinctively wrapped around you, pulling you closer, securing you against his warmth. For the first time in what felt like forever, you felt safe.

Jongho’s heartbeat was steady beneath your ear, his warmth spreading through you like a protective barrier against everything that had happened.

You let your eyes flutter shut, feeling his fingers trace slow circles against your back. The tension from the night melted away as the comfort of his embrace consumed you. And before you knew it, wrapped in each other’s arms, you finally slept.

•

I didn't mean for it to be that long and by the time I was ready to write smut, it got too long. LMAO. The smut was very rushed I am extremely sorry.

#ateez smut #ateez fanfic #ateez x reader #jongho fanfic #jongho smut #jongho x reader #choi jongho x reader #ateez jongho x reader #jongho x y/n

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sxcret-garden · 1 year ago

Text

3rd Desire ღ A Little Jealousy [M]

ღ Aspects of Desire series ღ Ateez Jongho x fem!reader ღ feat.: Yeosang & Wooyoung ღ words: ~4.8k ღ genre: established relationship, college AU, fluff, some humor, slice of life, smut (dom!Jongho, sub!reader, clothed sex, teasing, tiny bit of finger sucking (idol receiving), oral (idol receiving), he’s a lil mean again, hair pulling, biting, dacryphilia, bit of brat-taming, reader goes into subspace, sir kink, fingering (reader receiving), unprotected sex) ღ warnings: heavy dom-sub dynamic, (he runs his hand through reader’s hair and picks her up)

Desc.: When you’re meeting up with your classmate and friend Yeosang in order to finally finish that dreaded uni project that’s been keeping you on edge for the past weeks, you don’t expect him to bring along his flirtatious friend Wooyoung. What you also don’t expect is said friend knowingly attempting to flirt with you in front of your boyfriend, who just can’t help but let the hint of jealousy it makes him feel influence his actions once you’re in the comfort of your own home.

Author's note: This is actually one of my fav chapters so far, and 80% of the reason is because the first scene was so much fun to write kasjdfkljsöldka

← prev chapter ღ next chapter →

Arriving at the café a few minutes early, you find Yeosang already waiting for you. You came here from your university dorms, about 20 minutes by bus, so you didn’t expect to be late, but you tend to always leave a little earlier than you have to anyway, just to be sure.

Your meet-up place is a cute little café that turns out to be a lot more spacious than one would assume looking at it from the outside, and it serves all the classics, as well as a couple of drinks that are especially popular these days.

“Did everybody send you their parts?” you ask, starting up your laptop, while Wooyoung watches the alarm that’s supposed to tell you when your drinks are ready.

“I thought they were supposed to send them to you…?” Yeosang replies, eyes widened because he doesn’t want this meeting to already turn into a catastrophe. The frustration that your teammates have continuously nurtured with their incompetence over the past two weeks bubbles up deep inside you again, until you check your emails and you find that they did indeed send their parts to you.

“Sorry, my bad,” you sigh deeply.

“It can happen,” Yeosang assures you, while the alarm goes off, shaking the whole table as it vibrates, and Wooyoung immediately grabs it and gets up. You’re glad he’s at least being useful in that regard - otherwise you’re not sure why Yeosang brought his friend from an entirely different major along to your café date of hell.

“He insisted,” your teammate tells you upon posing your question. “Actually I don’t know why I brought him either.”

“Excuse me?!” Wooyoung exclaims in offense as he returns with your order, having heard his friend’s reply. But Yeosang is quick to wave it off.

“It’s nothing, don’t worry about it.” To your surprise his loud friend merely sits down while eyeing him with a doubtful expression, but he doesn’t say anything more to that. Finding yourself more fascinated than anything else by their dynamic, you shake your head eventually and redirect your attention to the screen in front of you.

“I’ll send you the parts so we can go over them together,” you announce as you’re already dropping the files into your kakao chat with Yeosang, the familiar tone coming from the speakers of his laptop signaling an incoming message that tells you he received them quickly. Wooyoung leans in, nosily looking at the files his friend is opening.

“Looks good… if you ignore the formatting,” Yeosang shades, making you chuckle, and Wooyoung lets you hear a loud “Hey!”

“You didn’t do yours any better!” he teases Yeosang, attempting to pinch his side but his friend evades the attack.

“Personal space,” he just remarks, pushing Wooyoung away with his flat palm against his cheek. Once again you find yourself fascinated by their cartoonish behaviour most of all, but you don’t comment on what just unfolded in front of your eyes. “And also, mine doesn’t look very interesting, but at least it has the correct formatting.”

“Yeah, this professor doesn’t really have an eye for aesthetics,” you add, grinning yet unhappy about the way the paper you were supposed to put together looks overly sterile. “But I guess that’s what science wants.”

“Well, the contents are what matters,” Yeosang adds, this time not defending himself when Wooyoung throws an arm around his shoulders, but you can tell he’s not happy about the pda. With curious eyes he leans in, skimming through the text on Yeosang’s screen, and you give him an annoyed sigh. You really just want to finish this damn project already, before it consumes any more of your nerves.

“Oh. Sorry,” Wooyoung grins as he notices your distress, moving away from the computer as he straightens his back, and you’re not sure what to make of his reaction. Telling yourself to focus on the problem at hand instead of him, you begin pasting the text into one collective document, while Yeosang starts reading through everything in search of any possible errors.

“Looks good,” he eventually announces, and you agree, having joined him in proofreading everything.

“You two sure are fast,” Wooyoung comments, and he shoots you a gaze filled with mischief.

“This is the tenth time we read through these, so…” you explain.

“I see… Yeosang here told me about how horrible the others were to work with,” the guy sitting next to your classmate continues.

“You’re also horrible to work with, and you’re not even a part of this,” Yeosang mutters under his breath, causing you to chuckle, and Wooyoung immediately complains.

“That hurt! I know when to be serious, in contrast to some people.” He says it so ominously that you think at least Yeosang must know who he’s talking about, but he too shoots him a questioning look. “Whatever,” Wooyoung brushes it off with a hand gesture. “You’re done now, aren’t you? So we can finally get to know each other,” he adds, directed at you. “This guy told me a lot about you, so I’ve been dying to meet you.” He points at Yeosang, whose ears grow bright red and he waves his hands in front of his face.

“It’s not what it sounds like. I don’t talk about you all the time, this guy here just likes to blow things way out of proportion,” he explains, and with the way Wooyoung is grinning from ear to ear now, all you’re left with is to believe Yeosang’s words.

“Figured,” you say. “So? What did he tell you about me that made you so interested?” You give Wooyoung a challenging smile, and the guy is eating up your attention as he watches you with a spark in his eyes.

“How you took the lead in your project after everyone else did nothing, for example,” Wooyoung replies. “I respect people like that! You know, people who get things done.” You chuckle at his enthusiasm.

“Don’t be mistaken, I’m not usually the leader type. Just… when I need to be… for the sake of my own sanity.”

“I see,” Wooyoung says, leaning back in his chair now, taking on a comfortable stance.

“I’m sorry about him, I shouldn’t have brought him along,” Yeosang says, once again. “He flirts with everything that breathes in his direction, it means nothing. He’s just doing this for his own entertainment, but I can punch him for you if you want?”

“It’s fine, it’s fine,” you say. “It’s fun to do this every once in a while.”

“Oh? What do you mean - every once in a while?” Wooyoung pries, a broad grin now playing his lips as he leans back in his chair. “You’re not the type to go out and meet people like this?”

“Not to flirt with them,” you laugh, directing your gaze towards the entrance of the café, where the image of Jongho walking inside has caught your eye. You decided to have him pick you up after your meeting with Yeosang, so that you could grab dinner together. You didn’t expect him to be here this early, though. “I’m not sure if my boyfriend would like that,” you add, looking back at Wooyoung, whose mouth forms the shape of an o, before he once again merely grins at you.

“I see, I see… but the fact that you flirted back at me tells me you like to live dangerously,” he remarks, before letting out a giggle that seems both very sudden, yet not out of character at all. Yeosang can only sigh beside him. He looks like he wants to snark at his friend for that, but he bites back the words, as your attention is visibly drawn elsewhere and you scoot over on the bench to make space for your boyfriend.

“Hello,” he greets the other two, politely bowing his head in front of them, before he sits beside you. And now you’re the one grinning to yourself, seeing his shyness that seems even weirder now, that you’re getting to know more and more very different sides to him.

“Wait… is that the boyfriend?” Wooyoung points his finger at the guy next to you, eyes raised in surprise.

“Yeah,” you answer.

“You’ve been talking about me?” Jongho asks, raising his eyebrows as well. There’s a hint of disbelief in his voice, and for a second you wonder if you should use this opportunity to tease him a bit. But of course Wooyoung, the loud one, is faster.

“She’s been talking about you.”

“Don’t believe a word he says,” Yeosang utters, before you can defend yourself. “He just says whatever.” Another highly offended Wooyoung-noise is what follows, while you feel Jongho tapping your arm lightly, and when you glance over to him you can see him quietly laughing. Apparently he finds their dynamic just as amusing as you do.

“Yeah, so… that’s Yeosang, who I’ve been working on the project with. And that’s his friend Wooyoung, who has nothing to do with the project but came along anyway to be a distraction,” you introduce the two guys, then you point at your partner. “That’s my boyfriend Jongho.”

“You think I’m distracting?” Wooyoung retorts, because that appears to be all he heard, and he says it proudly and with this shit-eating grin on his face as he puts his elbow on the table, supporting his head with his chin in his palm. You can’t lie, his bold attempt to continue flirting with you in front of your boyfriend both makes you think he must be incredibly stupid, and somehow also makes you admire his courage.

“Not in the way you think,” you answer calmly, trying to sound almost cold. Next to Wooyoung, Yeosang is muttering an “oh my god”, but most importantly your boyfriend doesn’t react to it. Instead he diverts the conversation into a different direction, and in your head you thank him for it.

“So… were you able to finish everything?” he asks, and you nod.

“Almost,” you say. “The formatting needs to be checked again, but that’s Yeosang’s job. So… if you want to go get dinner now, we can!”

“Ah, no, I wasn’t trying to rush you,” he assures as he balances somewhere between seeming friendly and polite.

You end up leaving pretty soon anyway. Yeosang informed you that he still had things to do (you assume he just wanted an excuse to get rid of Wooyoung) and so you packed your things and split up into pairs in front of the café, with your friend and his friend taking the route to the bus stop across the street, and you and Jongho walking a couple of blocks to get to a restaurant you’ve been wanting to try. It’s serving stew as its speciality, just right for a chilly evening like today.

A groan of satisfaction escapes you as you link your hands above your head and stretch your arms and back after entering the apartment. Your boyfriend smiles at the sight in front of him as he puts his jacket on a hanger and then he follows you into the living room.

“Getting dinner there was a really good idea,” you remark as Jongho comes up to you from behind, placing his hands onto your hips and leaning in.

“Right? You should let me pick restaurants more often,” he mutters right beside your ear, and when you whirl around to get a proper look at his face, he laughs softly.

“I think it was my idea to go there?” you retort, taking offense in him attempting to take all the credit, but he’s quick to appease you.

“I know, I know, just joking.” You huff at his attitude with a smile, before he adds, “I thought you liked mischievous guys.” He walks away and towards the kitchen as you’re still confused about his words, but when you begin to have a hunch about what made him say this, he’s already out of sight. You follow him, finding him pouring himself a glass of water, and without a change in expression he takes a few sips. You can only stare at him, hoping for him to say anything to help you figure out whether that hunch is right or wrong, but he doesn’t look like he’s in a hurry. Setting down the glass, he seems to be thinking about something as he’s supporting his weight with his hands on top of the kitchen counter, and then, when he finally shoots you a glance, the expression on his face has changed.

“You liked that, didn’t you?”

“Liked what…?” Jongho pushes himself off the counter in front of him, taking a few steps towards you instead. He comes to a halt when you’re merely a few inches apart, his head tilted to the side ever so slightly, and his hand finds your face.

“That guy flirting with you,” he says, his voice dangerously low, and he lets his thumb trace the outline of your bottom lip. “You liked that.”

“I…” You gulp as you look up at him. So he did realize it. You should’ve known better than to assume you could hope he wouldn’t be able to read you that well. But you were mistaken. It seems he already learned to notice and correctly analyze even the smallest of signs, and you guess in some way that’s a good thing, you’re just not sure what this means in a situation like this.

“It’s fine, dear,” he speaks, his voice merely a whisper now, and he leans in to press one feathery light kiss onto your lips. “You can admit it.” Again, you find yourself gulping. But the sweetness of his kiss mixing in with the soothing effect his words have on you leave you unable to ponder on this for longer. And so you simply say it, without thinking about the consequences.

“I liked it.”

It was only yesterday that you had another conversation, figuring you should talk more in depth about your wants and what you don’t want, after he almost crossed a line last time. You talked about your relationship, your sexual relationship mostly, the kind of dynamic that’s slowly growing between the two of you, and the kind of dynamic you two wish for. Surprisingly, from what you’ve discussed at least, your wishes align mostly.

You both agreed you want more. More than a kink or two incorporated into your sex life. More than a barely noticeable difference in power. He made it clear he’s willing to go into this with you, take you by the hand, and that he’d make sure to satisfy you.

But you know he also wants to be satisfied himself. And it’s exciting you, thinking about it then, and thinking about it now, as he’s steering you towards the nearest wall, until your back gently comes in contact with it. It’s not much, no grand gesture, and yet you can already feel the flames of desire burning up in your stomach.

“I see.” He speaks slowly now, the tone in his voice sending a shiver down your spine and you know he can see you tremble. From excitement for what’s to come, and curiousity about what he plans to do with you now. “What?” He raises an eyebrow, one hand resting against the wall right next to your head, the other reaching out until his fingertips come in contact with your stomach, and he lets them dance up until he’s almost reached your throat. When he sees you gulp at his action, he huffs, as if laughing at you. “You think I’ll give you what you want that easily?” Jongho asks, pulling his hand away and you inevitably frown at him for it. “After flirting with another guy? After you tell me you liked it? I don’t think so.” He takes a few steps away. There’s a calm expression on his face, his look feels almost icy as he lets his gaze wander from your head down your body. “You should know who can please you best,” he warns. “Or, don’t tell me you think that cheeky guy could make you feel better than me?”

“No!” you respond immediately and without having to think about it.

“But you still liked the attention,” your boyfriend states, matter-of-factly.

“Y-yeah…” you admit, making yourself smaller instinctively.

“Cute,” he huffs at your apologetic gesture, and there’s a hint of a smirk sitting on his face. You weren’t 100% sure about it before, whether he really is jealous or if he’s doing this for fun, but now you can clearly tell - he’s enjoying this. And that’s fine, because you talked about this too - what you’re about to get yourself into, and how far you’re both willing to go in the process.

“Come here,” Jongho orders along with a gesture of his hand and you oblige. You step closer, let him put his arms around you, and the kiss he presses onto your lips is surprisingly soft. Slowly, he moves his lips against yours, tilting his head so he could deepen the kiss eventually, taking his time as he runs the tip of his tongue along the front row of your teeth, and just when you begin to want him to kiss you more passionately, he parts from you. One look at your face, his darkened eyes making you shiver in his hold, then he brushes his lips against the corner of your mouth. Trailing kisses across your cheek and eventually halting beside your ear as he cups your face with both hands now.

“Get on your knees, beautiful.” You don’t hesitate, and you don’t protest. It’s like his words put you in a trance, making sure you wouldn’t even think of disobeying him. And so you do, you drop down to the floor in front of him, hands immediately fumbling with the button on his pants, because you know what he wants. There’s only one thing a guy could want when he tells you to get on your knees for him, and you’re set on giving him that. But your eagerness doesn’t go uncommented. “So greedy,” he mutters, as he calmly watches you pull down his pants and underwear, exposing his half hardened length. His hand finds its way into your hair, fingertips massaging your scalp and for a second as you glance up at him you think you can see his features soften. “You already know what to do, hm?” your boyfriend continues, yet you wait for the okay to touch him.

“Can I…?” you ask, making him let out a short laugh. And there it is again, that grin that would tell anyone that he knows he’s in control, and he’s enjoying it.

“Are you gonna make me wait?” he poses a question in return, and in that same breath phrasing the answer himself. “I don’t think so.”

You keep one hand resting on his thigh, while you wrap the other around his cock. Peering up at him to watch him as he watches you, you start moving your hand slowly, and the second your palm brushes against his head, you can see the way his lips part to make way for a quiet sigh. You bring your fist all the way back down his shaft, repeating the motion a few times, until you find a hint of impatience on his features.

“Dear…” he mutters, untangling his fingers from your hair to cup your chin instead. As he lifts it up, his thumb presses against your lips, and when you open your mouth to let out a shaky breath, he pushes the finger inside. Your eyelids fluttering shut, you meet him with the tip of your tongue, instinctually swirling it around his finger once, before you close your mouth around it and suck on it. “Like that…” Jongho breathes a praise in your direction, before pulling his thumb out of your mouth and putting his hand back on top of your head to steer your field of vision back towards his core. He stays quiet, but he wouldn’t have needed to say anything more anyway to get you to finally do what he wants you to. You move closer, extending your tongue for mere kitten licks, quick strokes that wouldn’t possibly be near satisfactory against the tip of his cock. You glance up at him again, seeing the impatience building up behind his gaze that won’t leave you, and for a moment you wonder whether you should try and see what happens if you push him a bit more.

But your own hunger wins over that desire. He was probably right, you really are greedy today, because the second you wrap your lips around him, you find yourself moaning at the feeling of having him in your mouth. The hiss of pleasure he lets out forces you to suppress a grin. Instead, you take him in further, hollowing your cheeks as you let him fill you up with his size.

His hips stay still. You wonder whether it would stay like this, whether he would make you do all the work and merely guide you into the pace he wants, as he is doing currently, with his fingers grasping onto strands of your hair, or if he would eventually lose patience and start fucking into your mouth. All you know is you’re fine with either, and yes, you’re eager to please him, eager to get him off.

Your hand still wrapped around him moves along with your head for additional friction, and you keep peering up at his eyes, wanting to see the moment he breaks apart, and all the expressions leading up to it. And yet he stays in control, disappointingly much, so you take him in even further as you sink back down on him, until his tip hits the back of your throat, making you gag in response. You furrow your brows at the uncomfortable sensation, and yet you do it again with your next repetition of the movement. So long, until tears are starting to well up in your eyes, and that’s when he takes his hand away from your hair and cups your face instead, cursing at how good you’re being for him.

“Fuck, Y/N…” he groans, and now you can see the pleasure distorting his face - it’s not much, but it serves as a motivation to work even harder for him. The sound he lets out as you swallow around him makes you moan as well, until you move your head and your hand faster, and the lewd sounds of you sucking him off, as well as your boyfriend’s heavy breaths fill the room. “Y/N, stop,” he mutters, and you don’t, because you want to push him over the edge so desperately. Instead you mewl at the taste of his precum leaking onto your tongue, and you close your eyes, preparing yourself to take his load.

What you don’t prepare yourself for is him yanking your head away by your hair, the shock from the sudden action and the immediate wave of pleasure that follows as he growls,

“I said stop.”

“Yes, sir.”

A sudden weakness washes over you, and the only thing you can do is move your head up just a little bit, leaning into the touch of his hand on top of it. And you don’t miss the way the words affected him. After he had suggested you calling him that and you had refused, saying you found the thought of calling your boyfriend sir a bit weird, you know he didn’t expect you to say it after all. But you did. And now there’s an entirely new expression on his face, an entirely new burning passion reflecting in his eyes, and you know it’s only a matter of time until it burns you too.

“Get up,” he says eventually, and you do as told, finding yourself held up safely with his hands resting on your sides as soon as you stand. Your body feels light, almost like he’s taken control of your will, when he steers you back a few steps, into your original position against the wall. Without hesitation, he kisses you, teeth clashing together as he tears at your clothes, and he only parts from you to pull them off, piece by piece, one after the other, and when he has gathered half of them on a pile somewhere on the floor, he decides that should be enough. Your pants gone should do, and when his lips smash onto yours again, you feel his hand between your thighs, fingers prodding at your folds.

“Shit,” he hisses against your lips. “You’re fucking soaked… can’t wait to fuck you…” His words make your head spin, and the way his fingers slip inside you effortlessly only adds to your lightheadedness. You throw your arms around his frame, fingernails digging into the fabric of his shirt covering his back, and you buck your hips into his palm as he starts curling his fingers inside you. You can only mewl at the pleasure, sentences are too hard to form right now, maybe if you tried you could get out a few words with no correlation between them.

“...p-please…” you slur, “...f-fuckme…”

“Who do you belong to?” Jongho asks, his fingers working you at a speed that should give you time to answer, but that won’t keep you sane for long. And yet you can’t say anything, only pathetic whimpers come out when you open your mouth. “Who?” he repeats. “Is it me? Do you belong to me?”

“Y-yessir…” you manage to say, and he bites his bottom lip hard.

“That’s right.” You can hear his voice trembling as he speaks, and you let out another sorry excuse of a moan as he presses his thumb against your clit. “Gonna make you cum so good, pretty girl… just wait…” All you can do at this point is cling to him for dear life, incoherent whines and whimpers falling from your lips, in between words that are supposed to tell him you want to cum on his cock, but you’re not sure how much of that actually gets through to him. And still, when your walls are starting to clench around him and your whole body tenses up, he finally pulls out of you. With his hand soaked in your juices he gives himself another few strokes, before telling you to hold on tight and lifting you up with his hands placed on the underside of your thighs. You cry out as he pushes into you, tears welling up in your eyes again, and this time they fall. Rolling down your cheeks as the pleasure overwhelms you, arms wrapped around him so tightly that you’re not sure if maybe you are squeezing a bit too tightly after all. But it doesn’t matter. All that matters in this moment is the chase for your high, and it ends with merely a few of his thrusts. Your body shakes violently as your orgasm hits you, you bite his shoulder and yet the moans won’t stop escaping you, and as you do, he too comes undone. You keep clenching around him as you feel him spilling inside you with a groan, and even as you start coming down from your high, your body won’t stop trembling.

He tries to help you stand, but realizes quickly that all attempts are futile. So he carefully lets you sink down onto the ground, staying close to you in order to keep holding onto you.

“How was that?”

“Good…” you manage to whisper an answer, not having the energy for a more elaborate one, but your boyfriend understands.

“I’m glad.” Jongho collapses with his back against the wall next to you, letting you rest your head on top of his shoulder and him leaning his head against yours. His hand finds yours naturally, fingers intertwining, as your mind is still drowned in bliss from the afterglow of your orgasm.

“It was perfect, actually,” you say, correcting yourself. “You were perfect.” You lift your other hand up to comb your fingers through his short hair, eventually letting it rest against his cheek and bringing him in for a short but sweet kiss. And then there it is again, that soft smile appearing on his lips, and when you lift your head he buries his face in the crook of your neck - to hide that expression from you, as you assume.

“Well, I didn’t think you’d actually call me that, after saying you didn’t want to at first,” he says, and you retort, questioningly,

“Sir?”

“Yeah…” Jongho looks away, still visibly affected by it, and you shoot him a mischievous glance.

“I’m… really enjoying this though. And I’d like to keep… trying new stuff too…” you speak, and your boyfriend gives you a smile.

“We just tried a lot of new stuff, and you already want more?” He gets up, walking over to one of the cupboards and getting you a glass of water. “Drink this, first of all,” he says as he hands it to you. “And tomorrow we can sit down and talk again.”

#ateez smut #jongho smut #ateez x reader #ateez fanfic #ateez drabbles #ateez series #ateez x fem reader #ateez x you #ateez scenarios #ateez imagines #jongho imagines #jongho x reader #smut

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all-about-kyu · 1 year ago

Text

𝕽𝖊𝖉 𝕮𝖆𝖗𝖓𝖆𝖙𝖎𝖔𝖓𝖘 𝕭𝖊𝖙𝖜𝖊𝖊𝖓 𝕻𝖆𝖌𝖊𝖘 (𝖒𝖞 𝖍𝖊𝖆𝖗𝖙 𝖆𝖈𝖍𝖊𝖘)

Summary: Being in a polyamorous relationship can take a toll on a person; Jongho just happened to be the one to uncork the bottle. Pairing: Seonghwa x San x fem!reader x Yeosang x Jongho Tropes: hybrid au, poly au, established relationship au Genre: fluff, angst, suggestive Rating: PG 13 Warnings: language, anxiety, stress, mentions of unhealthy self-care habits, reader described as smaller than all members and has blue eyes (bunny quality), minor injury, mentions of sex, kissing Word Count: 6,164 Note: your favorite Thunder is back! <3 thank you to @mejuii and @downtoamagicalland for beta reading as always <3

Listen to: Put It Straight by (G)-Idle ♡ As I Am (feat. Khalid) by Justin Bieber ♡ I GUESS I’M IN LOVE by Clinton Kane

Series Masterlist

You’ve been holed up in your workspace almost all day. You have been for a few days now. The only times you ever emerge are to shower and get some form of nourishment in your body. The influx of orders you had for your shop came out of nowhere, and you’re struggling to keep up with what needs to be done. All three of your boyfriends are worried about you, to say the least. San hasn’t been around much due to a merger he’s been working on, and Yeosang has been running around like a chicken with his head cut off, trying to get everything arranged for a new project that could make or break a lot of things for him. Seonghwa has been around, though. Just yesterday, he decided to stay home from the shop and sketch while you worked on crafting a rather detailed necklace.

You’re so lost in what you’re creating that you hardly register the knock on your door. So when it pops open, you drop your half-done chain making the individual links scatter across the desk. Despite the urge to break down right then and there, you take a deep breath and recollect yourself. When you look up, you’re met with a very concerned-looking purple dragon.

“Treasure, you’ve been in here all day… have you eaten anything?” San asks with a worried tone.

“I’m fine.” You give him a tight-lipped smile, “I need to finish this bracelet by tomorrow and get it shipped out.”

San steps closer and squats down beside you. Even with him squatting, he’s barely below your eye level. It only serves to remind you how much smaller you are than them. Your silver-eyed boyfriend reaches to take your hands in his. At first, he doesn’t think anything of the tension rings along your fingers. He knows it helps you from cramping up too quickly. Then he takes in the small pinches and cuts on your fingertips and palms.

“Treasure, you should take a break. I’m worried about you. We all are.” He tries to reason with you.

“I’ll come to eat after this project is done, promise.” You offer, taking your hand to run over some of his scales along his cheekbone.

“You better have eaten a well-balanced meal and drank at least three glasses of water by the time I get back from my meeting,” He bluntly reminds you.

“I’ll do my best to do that.” You chuckle while playfully saluting him.

He stands back up to his full height, “I love you, and I hate to see you so overworked.” He sighs, placing a kiss against the base of one of your bunny ears.

“I love you too. I promise I’ll leave this room at some point.”

Some point becomes hours later when Seonghwa forces you out of the room even though the bracelet is still incomplete. San walks back in the door, Yeosang beside him, as you’re nibbling on a veggie wrap. Seonghwa is sitting beside you eating as well to make you feel less alone in your activity. San has a small bit of smoke curling out of his lip that he tries to stop you from seeing. It doesn’t work, though. Yeosang whispers something that seems to soothe the purple dragon before they both walk over to you.

“How’s your project coming?” Yeosang asks innocently.

“Still not done….” You sigh, bunny ears falling back against your hair, “It was supposed to be done today so I could ship it out tomorrow….”

“And it’s okay that you didn’t finish it today.” Seonghwa offers, “You own your own business, and sometimes you need to know your limits on what can be done.”

“But-”

“No buts,” San adds, “you did what you could today. That’s all that matters.”

You nod silently and take another small bite out of your wrap before placing it down on the plate again. When you get stressed like this, you hardly want to eat anything. You know it’s an unhealthy habit, but it’s just how you function. Despite your quiet state, your three boyfriends seem to easily flow through conversation. Some sort of ugly jealousy curls through your stomach. The way they seem to fit together easily without any seams makes you feel almost out of place in a way. You’re not willing to address that with your current state of mind, though.

“Hops,” Yeosang calls quietly; you look up at him, “You didn’t hear me, did you?” He chuckles sweetly, “Who do you want to crash with tonight?”

You nibble at your lower lip, “I think I’ll stay in my nest tonight.”

“Do you want one or more of us to–” You cut Seonghwa off before he can finish his question.

“No!” You blurt out, “I want to sketch out some more projects, and I’d hate to keep you up.”

“You know that won’t bother us, treasure.” San reminds you, “I’d much rather you get some good rest than workshop more projects.”

“I’ll be fine, San, I promise.” You stand up abruptly, ignoring the (barely) half-eaten wrap. “Good night boys. Love you!”

You bolt to the room your nest and work area are in. The moment you firmly shut the door, you sit down at your desk and hunch over the same bracelet you’ve been working on all day.

Even after slaving over projects for the next two days, it feels like you’ve made no progress. You’re pacing back and forth in your studio and nest space, hoping that inspiration strikes you to at least finish one project. A soft knock sounds on your door again. This time Yeosang is the one who pops his head through the doorway. You’re worrying on the edge of your ear and continue pacing even though you feel your boyfriend’s worried eyes on you.

“Hops,” His low voice sounds through the space, “Sannie and Hwa already headed out for the day. They thought you were still sleeping when they were leaving.” He explains.

“I’ve been up for a while.” You respond flatly, “I need to get this shit done.”

Yeosang is slightly taken aback. You’ve never been one to curse. So to hear you say such a word was not what he was expecting to come from your mouth. He steps closer and grabs you gently to stop you from pacing anymore. You look up at him and see the worry swirling in his green eyes. He pulls you into a hug. You’ve come to learn that he’s not very physically affectionate outside your heat. So the fact that he has you wrapped in a hug, your face buried in his chest, means a lot. His minty scent invades your senses, giving you a momentary feeling of peace. That lingering panic and fear creeps back into you when he pulls away.

“Take a break from your projects, Hops.” He reminds you, “Stepping away from a project can do wonders sometimes.”

You nod, “I will.”

It may be a half-truth, but you don’t want to worry him if you don’t need to. He places a soft kiss against the top of your head and takes another step back.

“I have to go meet a client. Unfortunately, all three of us are out of the house for the rest of the day.” He sighs, “I should be back around dinner time. San said he has a business dinner tonight, and Seonghwa is closing the shop today since Yun is off.”

“I’m a big bunny,” You try to joke, “I can take care of myself.”

“I know, little one,” He smiles softly, “Just giving you the rundown for the day. I’ll see you at dinner, okay?”

“Okay.” You nod, your snow-white ears twitching slightly when he gently scratches the base of them.

Yeosang is out the door, and a few moments later, you hear the front door of the penthouse close too. You debate your options for a few moments before deciding to get a drink before returning to work. You aren’t fully sure who’s home right now. At least you know Yunho is home. You’re about ninety percent sure Mingi is at his university lecturing right now. It’s likely that Wooyoung is at his dance studio, and you haven’t seen Hongjoong in about three days. When you get to the kitchen, you find that Jongho is home too. He’s sitting at the small breakfast bar sipping on a mug of tea. You shuffle behind him, being sure not to knock into his deep blue tail. You reach up into the cabinet to get a glass when you feel a hand on your shoulder. You nearly jump out of your skin and end up dropping the glass, causing it to shatter on the counter. Immediately, Yunho moves to make sure you’re okay and explains he wasn’t trying to scare you. Your fight-or-flight instincts kick in, and you’re already down the hall and back in your nest. The first thing you can think to do is grab the duffle bag and start stuffing clothing into it. Tears are threatening to fall from your eyes, but you hold them back for now. You can smell the two men that are home. They’re still down the hallway. However, your senses are out of sorts due to your panicked state.

Again, a knocking sounds on the door frame. You whip your head around, and your ears twitch around, trying to find one sound to focus on. Your nose twitches even more as you take in the dark blue dragon standing in the doorway. Jongho steps into the space when you don’t speak, knowing you need someone to calm you down. He would have never breached your space without your permission had you been more stable mentally.

“Where are you off to?” He asks gently.

That’s when your tears burst through fully. You start sobbing and find yourself face-first in Jongho’s sweater before you can stop yourself. He awkwardly wraps his arms around you and tries to soothe you. The room is only filled with sniffles and loud sobs as you stand there in the golden-eyed dragon’s arms. You’re completely unaware of how long you cry in his arms, but when you finally slow to a sniffle, you pull your face away from his sweater. There’s a large wet spot from the amount of crying you just did. There’s a bit of snot, too, which you cringe at and immediately try to wipe off with your own sweater. You can feel his strong chest beneath the fluffy material, but your mental state is hardly focused on the dragon’s physique. Your head is pounding from crying, which doesn’t help the situation at all. Jongho still has his arms wrapped around you, securing you in your spot.

“You need to talk about anything?” He offers quietly.

“Are you sure you want to hear all of that?” You chuckle, trying to downplay your emotions.

“You need it. We both know that.” He sighs, not letting you divert anything.

Suddenly you’re very aware of his arms wrapped around you and how comforting it feels. You find yourself nodding at him.

“Do you want to go to a neutral space, or are you comfortable right here?” He searches your pale blue eyes for any discomfort as he asks.

You appreciate how respectful of your boundaries he’s being. You know you need this, and he does too. Damn him and his phenomenal therapist skills.

“We can stay here…” You bite your lip, debating whether or not you want to ask him a specific question or not. You decide to throw caution to the wind and ask. “Do- do you um… could we-”

“What’s up Hops?”

“Well… I’m kind of all over the place, and… do you care if we cuddle while I vent?”

“Would that make you feel more comfortable?” he asked again.

You nod, “It would…”

“In your nest?”

“Yeah… if that’s okay.”

“Lead the way.”

Jongho releases you from his hold and allows you to get comfortable in bed where your nest is before he approaches it. You shift a little bit allowing Jongho to climb in beside you. The dragon is slightly stiff as he gets semi-comfortable. You snuggle close to him, which makes him melt beneath you. He wraps an arm around you and sighs with a small smile on his face.

“What’s on that mind of yours, Hops?” He asks once you’re both comfortable.

“A lot of things… where should I start?”

“Wherever you want to.” He offers, small vines wrapping around his fingers as you get more comfortable.

“I feel like an outsider.” You admit, “And like a failure…”

“What makes you say that? You have your fluffle, and you’re part of the Thunder now. You have a successful business making jewelry.”

“I haven’t been able to finish a single project for days now, and I feel horrible. These people are waiting for me to finish these pieces for them and-” You start crying again.

“Take your time.” He reminds you, “Do you wanna hear my two cents on this, or do you want to continue what you were saying.”

“You can talk.” You sniffle, burying your face against his sweater.

He wraps his arm around you tighter. The small vines tickle against your jaw lightly as his fingers hold your shoulder. You find yourself sinking further into his touch subconsciously.

“Here’s what I think.” He starts, “Everyone has their own threshold. When you reach that threshold, you can’t do it anymore. You need a break. Your limit is different from mine and different from the others in the Thunder. You need to give yourself breaks, Hops.”

“I know, but-”

“No buts, bunny.”

“But, Jongho…” You pout, “You’re super successful in your career, San owns a whole monopoly, Seonghwa and Yunho own a tattoo shop-”

“And you have a very successful jewelry business.” He stops you mid-sentence, “Just cause we have more income doesn’t mean that you’re unsuccessful.”

You nod and nibble at your lip. You feel a thumb against your lip, gently pulling it from between your teeth. When you look up at Jongho, you see him giving you a gentle, borderline endearing look. It steals your breath away for a moment. Your ears go lax as you maintain eye contact with the navy dragon. You take note of how his navy scales frame his face perfectly and how they contrast against his bright red hair. Suddenly, you snap back to reality and shake your head slightly to ground yourself.

“I know that but still…”

“Still what?” He prods lightly.

“You guys seem actually to get work done, and I’m still fighting with this same necklace that I’ve been working on all week. I have a damn sketch of the thing, and I can’t even do it.” You groan.

“What’s on paper doesn’t always convey in practice. Have you tried looking at it or approaching it a new way?” He asks, his thumb gently caressing your arm as he speaks.

“... No…” You admit, gaze dropping down to your fingers, “I’ve been very set on the style, and my customer really likes the design I sketched…”

“And it’s your business.” He reminds you, “If you need to rework things because it’s impossible to do in practice, they need to understand that or lose their deposit on the art.”

You nod silently. Jongho notices you remain quiet after providing his two cents on your situation. There’s far more to your issue, and he knows it. He moves his navy blue tail to be draped over his thigh and, by proxy, wrap around yours. The tip of it rests against your lower back. And while you’re used to dragon tails resting against you, Jongho’s tail feels almost foreign to you but absolutely not unwelcomed.

“I know that’s not all, bun.” He sighs, letting the arm wrapped around you hold you just a bit tighter, “What else is going through that mind of yours?”

You look up at him and see his golden eyes fixated on you, “I don’t think you want to hear about my relationship right now.”

“I want you to feel better.” He assures, “Tell me what’s going on.”

You find yourself curling closer to the dragon and tucking your head just below his chin. You feel a few scales along his jaw, but it’s nothing that bothers you. After all, you live here with them almost all the time now; you’re no stranger to scales touching you. Your ears are pushed back and lying flat against your hair overtop Jongho’s arm. You feel him relax further after his initial tensing.

“Well… about a week ago, we were, um…” You didn’t know how to phrase it to him.

“You were having sex, okay. What went wrong to make you feel so uncomfortable and try to run away today?”

“How did you know I was gonna say that?” You try to deflect.

Jongho chuckles airily, “You're going to tell me I’m wrong?” You don’t answer, “So, what happened that got you to this point.”

You sigh and debate whether you want to let it all out or tell him just to forget about it. It wasn’t that big a deal, right? Jealously happens in relationships. Jealousy looks different in yours because instead of two people, there are five.

“Smells like burnt cookies.” Jongho points out, “Just say it before you end up smelling like a burnt kitchen rather than overbaked cookies.” He teases lightly.

“I feel like an outsider in my own relationship.”

“Okay, why do you feel like that? You know San, Seonghwa, and Yeosang would burn the world to the ground if you asked them.”

You feel the tears well up in your eyes again. One escapes and lands on Jongho’s barely damp sweater. Though you know, Jongho can’t see your eyes with your face tucked under his chin. He does seem to know you’re having an emotional hurricane internally. You feel his tail press a bit harder against your body as if to mock some weighted blanket to help you relax.

“They just seem so happy together. I felt like after that very awkward sex that I was just a hookup again.”

“That bad?” He sighs, “I know you know how the Thunder functioned before San and Seonghwa brought you home. Hell, Yunho, and Mingi are worse than you’re polycule sometimes.” He lightens the air, “Remember, you’re the glue that holds those boys together. Yes, they would casually hook up with each other before you were introduced to us, but the dates, talking about how they feel, regulating their schedules… Hops, that’s all thanks to your influence on this Thunder. It feels like I’ve tried to have interventions more often with them than with my clients. Something about you made it click, though.”

“Jongho?”

“Yeah?”

You don’t know what overtakes you, but you untuck your face from his chest and kiss his cheek. You realize what you’ve done after you see Jongho’s slightly shocked expression. Your nose starts to twitch as panic rises in your throat again. Jongho’s strong hold keeps you in your place, along with his tail still lying across your legs and along your back.

“It’s okay, bun.” He assures, “You just surprised me. If you want to ask something when you’re in the right headspace, you can do so. You’re not in a completely clear or stable mental place right now, though.”

You nod, “Sorry,”

“Nothing to apologize for. Come back here and get comfy again.” He offers, “You rant, and I’ll listen.”

You tuck yourself back against the dark blue dragon and almost feel like you’re at home in his arms. A tug in your heart makes itself known. Of course, it would now, when you’re in the midst of emotional and relational turmoil. Jongho smooths a hand over your hair and ears as you start rambling about everything that’s been bothering you. From missing your fluffle to work to your boyfriends’ dynamic. You feel small amounts of weight press against your hair.

“What’s in my hair?” You ask, “I feel something.”

“I’m weaving flowers in.” He says casually, “Do you want me to take them out?”

“N-no,” You feel the heat of a blush rush to your face, “Tell me about the flowers.”

“There’s a few red carnations, that’s all. Some are full blooms, others are half-blooms. They look nice against your hair. I like the contrast from how pure white your ears are too.”

You pull your body to be sitting up. Jongho is still lying down, and his eyebrows scrunch together in confusion.

“You can put them and more flowers in my hair all you want. I’m giving you more space to work with while I talk.” You explain, “I like that you’re playing with my hair.”

A smile graces his lips, and you barely see his fangs peek out. He conjures a small bouquet of little dainty pink and white flowers. One moment there was nothing there, and the next, the flowers were in his hand.

“So, as I was saying, I love my boyfriends, but it’s hard not to feel excluded when they know each other like their favorite things in the world. It really hurt me when I saw San and Yeosang cuddling while Seonghwa tossed the wet wipes at me. I know I’m newest to whatever dynamics were happening here before, but…” You interrupt yourself with a sigh, “I’m still their girlfriend, and it doesn’t feel like it sometimes.”

Jongho accidentally tugs at your hair while braiding a flower into it, making you yelp slightly.

“Sorry,” He quickly apologizes, “I know it hurts to just feel like a side piece in your relationship. You also need to communicate how you’re feeling, though. I know, ironic when you have three emotionally constipated dragon boyfriends, but it’s true.”

“I just don’t want to make them mad at me…”

“If they get mad at you for having normal emotions, then I’ll personally make them each a batch of poison ivy tea when I refill the tea satchels.”

You giggle lightly and feel Jongho move your hair over your shoulder, signifying that he’s done meticulously intertwining each flower with your hair. You turn around and face him. He’s sitting criss-cross in your nest still. His golden eyes practically melt you as he gives you an affectionate look. Those tugs at your heart return, this time accompanied by a tornado of butterflies in your stomach.

“You feel better now?” He asks softly.

You nod, “I needed that a lot more than I realized.”

He opens his arms, “You still look like you need some comforting before you talk to your boys.”

You climb into his lap, slotting your legs around his hips, and feel his strong arms wrap around your waist in a tight hug. You bury your face in the crook of his neck. Your nose fills with his book scent, and it instantly relaxes you. You don’t break away even when you hear the penthouse door open and click shut again. You’re so engulfed in his scent you don’t even know who’s returning to the lair. Jongho’s arms tighten around you even more. Then, you process the sniffles you’re letting out. You’re not even sure if you’re feeling the emotional aftermath of the day or if you’re nervous about the confrontation later, but you’re sniffling back tears again. Your tears slide down Jongho’s neck and along the snake tattoo that looks as if it’s curling around his collarbone. He doesn’t say anything about it. He doesn’t question why you’re crying or make any comment to stop you from feeling what you do. He lets you feel. It’s just what you need right now.

“What’s this?” You hear San snarl.

You tense in Jongho’s hold. Fight or flight instincts beg you to bolt for the door, even if San grabs you in the process. The only thing stopping you is Jongho’s arms holding you in place. Suddenly, Jongho rips a flower out of your hair. You yelp at the sudden movement and then see the navy dragon shaking out a singed red carnation. You know San didn’t mean any harm to you. When he was pissed, he tended to lose complete control of what he did with his magic.

“Hops.” He snarls, “I need to talk to you. Alone. Now.”

He hasn’t called you that since you officially started dating him. Hearing the neutral nickname sounds foreign to your ears in the worst way possible. You’ve never seen him direct his anger at you, either. Your heart rate spikes again, and your nose twitches at the speed of light. Subconsciously you grip onto Jongho, maybe to try to soothe yourself. You don’t want to think too hard about why it was comforting to you.

“Talk to him. It’ll be okay. If not, remember what I told you.” He ends his sentence with a slight chuckle.

You nod and climb out of Jongho’s lap. Your eyes linger on his golden eyes, noticing how his pupils dilate as he looks back at you. While you’d love to think it’s out of affection toward you, you decide to believe it’s simply to help calm you further. Jongho gets out of your nest and dismisses himself from the space. You watch as a vine curls around the door nob and pulls the white wood door shut. The tension is tangible enough as it is, but when the therapist dragon leaves, it becomes almost suffocating. San’s silver eyes are slit so thinly you can hardly see his pupils at all. It’s as if they don’t exist at all.

“I-it wasn’t what it looked like…” You say, trying to ease a bit of the tension.

“Are you sure, Hops?” He practically growls, “It sure looked like you were getting too cozy with someone who isn’t one of your boyfriends. We said you could cuddle with the others if you needed it. That was crossing a line, though.”

Normally seeing your deep purple scaled boyfriend dressed for the office sends you into a mood that you would put in a similar category to your heat. Now, though, it only strikes fear in you. You so desperately wish to crumble under his stare and submit to your prey tendencies. You swallow that urge and hold your head high, remembering Jongho’s words.

I know it hurts to just feel like a side piece in your relationship. You also need to communicate how you’re feeling, though.

“Would you have rather me run away back to my fluffle without a word to any of you?” You bite back, throwing your arm in the direction of your half-packed duffle bag, “You, Seonghwa, and Yeosang have been making me feel like I’m not even part of our relationship anymore. Had Jongho not stopped me, I would’ve been gone for hours by now. Yes, the cuddling could be seen as crossing a line, but he’s the reason I didn’t go running out mere moments after Yeosang left.”

“Treasure…” San starts, trying to step closer to you.

You put your hand up, and it’s as if you put up an invisible block in front of him.

“Let me speak.” You sigh, “You three communicate without words. You’ve been involved with each other in many different ways long before I was brought to the Thunder. After last week’s events… seeing how easily you knew how to take care of Yeosang while you three practically ignored me and let me handle myself hurt. I’m your girlfriend, but the longer I’m here, the more I feel like just a hookup you brought in with your two boyfriends for some extra fun.”

You let out a shaky breath. You don’t want to cry telling him all of that, but you feel your eyes fill with tears. There’s no way you’ll be able to stop them from falling. You sniffle and let your gaze fall down to your feet rather than looking at your boyfriend. He doesn’t move. That invisible block is still fixated in front of him.

As if the timing couldn’t be worse, you smell Seonghwa’s sweet strawberry jam scent enter the home accompanied by Yeosang’s peppermint tea. It’s as if he knows there’s tension, too. You know your scent is burnt, and San’s is far stormier than his typical calm sea breeze scent. Your eldest boyfriend doesn’t even knock. He invites himself and Yeosang into your bedroom and is greeted by your crying figure and San a few steps away with tendrils of smoke escaping the corners of his lips. Yeosang is the first to step closer, placing a kiss on San’s cheek, only solidifying your emotions. Comforting San before stepping closer to you.

“Tell me what’s going on.” Yeosang asks quietly, wrapping his arms around your frame.

You try to break out of his hold, but you’re no match for his strength. Angry tears keep rolling down your cheeks as you stay trapped in his hold.

“Look at me.” Authority rings in his tone.

This time, you look at him.

“Am I that unloveable?” You snap.

“Treasure, please.” San says weakly.

“Yeosang.” You say flatly, “Let me go.”

Your bronze boyfriend backs off. All three of them are clearly concerned about you and trying to figure out why you just asked the question you did. Your nose is still twitching, and tears are still staining your cheeks.

“We need to have a long talk. All four of us.” You huff.

You settle in your nest, wrapping yourself in a throw blanket that smells much more like Jongho than any of your boyfriends. You see the jealousy in San’s eyes as you do so. Yeosang is on your work stool, Seonghwa is sitting in your reading chair, and San is still brooding, leaning against your closed bedroom door. You can’t escape. It’s probably for the best; you need to say this.

“I kinda yelled this at San already, but… you three have been neglecting me.”

You watch as the confusion etches in Seonghwa’s face. He had been spending the most time with you compared to your other two boyfriends. Yeosang’s reaction isn’t as visible, but you know he’s just as confused. San knows, though. He hates that you’re saying it again.

“I feel like a hookup again. You three are so seamless with each other and don’t seem to give me any care. Last week, Seonghwa… you just threw the wet wipes at me while San took care of Yeosang with so much care… that fucking hurt. I almost ran away today. Jongho stopped me.”

“Treasure… we love you so much. I’m sorry I did that. I wasn’t even thinking about it-” Seonghwa tries to explain.

“I know… it doesn’t change that it hurt… still hurts worse than hell. San came home and found me cuddling with Jongho in a way that was a bit compromising. There was nothing inappropriate happening. I promise. And–” You stop yourself.

“What is it, Hops?” Yeosang asks quietly, “We need to know everything.”

“I kissed him.” You admit, “I was on such an emotional rollercoaster, and he made me feel safe and loved… I didn’t think about what I did until after it happened.”

None of them speak. It scares the hell out of you. Your pale blue eyes flit between all three of them. Their expressions are unreadable. Well, San’s isn’t. A fresh curl of smoke escapes his nose as he wills his flames back down his throat.

“Did you like it?” Yeosang asks again.

You hadn’t thought about that. Did you? It was so spur of the moment you didn’t actually think about how it made you feel. Your heart feels like it’s on fire. It aches.

“I did.” You admit.

“What do you want that to mean for us?” Seonghwa adds.

“I know we’re on delicate grounds right now…” You sigh, wrapping the blanket tighter around yourself, “I feel the same pull toward him that I do towards you three.”

“Transparency, right?” San finally speaks, “I’m so fucking jealous, but you’re right… we haven’t been caring for you the way we’ve been caring for each other. We should all make an effort to meet each other where we are. All four of us. And–” he stops himself, “If you want Jongho, we can invite him.”

“Seonghwa? Yeosang?” You ask, ears shifting towards them.

“Honestly…” Yeosang sighs, “I miss being with Jongho. We also knew in this Thunder we have a tendency to share, even with San’s jealous streak.” He pokes fun at his purple boyfriend.

“I’m always happy to do anything that helps our relationship and ultimately you, Treasure. I love all my Thunder, and I love you.”

A smile breaks out on your lips, and tears start streaming again. San is the first to approach you. He wraps his arms around you, tail curling protectively around your waist. You feel both of your other boyfriends join moments later.

“I love you, Treasure.” San whispers against your bunny ear.

“I love you.” You sniffle back.

“We all love you.” Yeosang kisses your other ear.

After a long discussion about what each of you needed from each other, you begin discussing who should approach Jongho about joining. It’s out of the question for San to do so. The last time San and Jongho interacted was when he walked in on you, cuddling with the dark blue dragon. Ultimately, Yeosang is chosen. He’s the closest to him, and they think the same way. Their history together before Yeosang started dating you just adds to why he should be the one to ask. Yeosang is also the newest boyfriend. Having Seonghwa go to the youngest dragon could end badly, given that Seonghwa has been dating you longer than Yeosang has.

You go with Yeosang down the hall toward Jongho’s bedroom. You stay outside the door as Yeosang gets permission to enter the space. Instantly, you hear laughter and feel how light the atmosphere is in the room. You see a few hanging plants through the small crack in the door. You haven’t seen many of their bedrooms in great detail, but seeing greenery in Jongho’s room makes warmth spread in your chest.

“Treasure,”

You’re taken aback when you hear the pet name. It’s not Yeosang’s voice. It’s Jongho’s. You step closer to the door. Popping your head through the door, white ears tall on your head, you see Jongho’s golden eyes giving you that same adoring look he had earlier. Yeosang has a soft, comfortable smile on his lips. His hand is outstretched, and you find yourself curling into his side.

Jongho’s room is exactly how you expected it to be. Plants are everywhere, not so much that it’s crowded, but it adds a comforting and homey touch to the space. He has a desk against the far wall, framed by bookshelves. His bed has a wall of vines behind it with purple flowers randomly throughout them. There’s something about the space that is so shamelessly Jongho.

“Is there something you wanted to ask me, Treasure?” Jongho asks with a soft smirk on his lips.

You nod, and your eyes shift up to your green-eyed boyfriend. He just nods slightly at you and gives you a comforting smile.

“Jongho… would you like to be my boyfriend?” You ask.

Yeosang removes his arm from around you as Jongho steps closer to you. The gold-eyed dragon hybrid takes your chin between his thumb and forefinger, making you look up at him. You want so desperately to melt at the touch but you hold your ground somehow. Your ears instantly fall back against your head as your chin tilts up. The flowers are still woven into your hair and tickle against your ears, making them twitch slightly. Jongho takes his other hand to pluck some flowers from your hair.

“Red carnations: admiration, devotion,” he states, twirling it in between his fingers. He shifts his hold on the flowers to show the small white and pink flowers. “Aster: faith, love. Does that answer your question, Treasure?”

“Jongho?” You ask, dazed by his words.

“Yes, Treasure. I’d love to date you.” He smiles a bright, gummy smile, “May I kiss you?”

“Yes.” You practically breathe out.

His lips are on yours a moment later, and you feel an explosion of emotion. The hand that was previously holding the flowers wraps around your waist and pulls you closer to his body. It’s almost as if you’re the only two in the world. When he pulls away, you see his heavily dilated gold eyes. Your hand reaches up to brush against a few scales by his hairline before carding into his hair behind his ear. Before you can get lost in the moment again, Yeosang swoops in and kisses your cheek before leaning over to Jongho and kissing his cheek as well. He wraps his arms around both of you. You turn your head to see your two other boyfriends in the doorway with sweet smiles on their faces. They come into the room and join the hug. Yeah, everything felt better now. They felt like home, and your heart aches out of pure love for your four boyfriends.

Networks: @cultofdionysusnet @kwritersworld @k-vanity

Tag List: @sanjoongie @jaehunnyy @ericssmile @anyamaris @almondmilkeu @shinestarhwaa @northerngalaxystar-blog

#ateez x reader #cultofdionysusnet #kwritersworldnet #kvanity #ateez fanfic #ateez fluff #ateez angst #seonghwa x reader #san x reader #yeosang x reader #jongho x reader #poly!ateez #dragon!ateez

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pinkpowderpuffbaby · 1 month ago

Text

The universe doesn’t make mistakes

Rating: Explicit

Category: M x F (Choi Jongho x Reader Y/N)

Tags: Smut, Korean Shamanism, Korean Religion, Modern Setting, Soulmates AU, Rich Choi Jongho, Supernatural Elements, Angst With Happy Ending, Soft Choi Jongho, Rejected Soulmate Bond, Virgin Reader

Word count: 8.2K

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Hello, this is my first fanfic ever, english is not my first language, so some sentences are a mess. Please be kind! :)

I have to clarify that I have no intention to mock anything regarding korean shamanism. It is a topic I study and I have utter respect for. This is work of fiction, you don't have to be a virgin to become a mudang (female shaman) but you have to have initiation illness, even when born into a shaman family. There is no concept of soulmates in the practice of shamanism, nor does the age of the initiation matter. This is a work of fiction.

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The street lamps alongside the main street flickered for a short second, making you stop in your tracks. Today was a strange day. You could feel it from the moment you woke up. You were super sensitive towards any energy and weather changes, maybe it was the shaman blood in your veins. The blood that made every woman in your family a mudang. Everybody but you.

Rejection was something you were familiar with from the moment you were born. Your parents were distant from you your entire life, every friend, every schoolmate eventually replaced you with somebody better. It wasn't a tragic life, but it definitely wasn’t a happy one. Life was just so-so. Every single day was so-so.

The flickering street lamp went back to normal and you continued with walking. You were on the way to work. The bar you worked at was a fancy one, often visited by groups of rich people. It was a good place that paid well and the work hours were durable. You weren’t exactly excited to work, but you knew today your favorite group of people would come, like they did every Friday. The group in question consisted of four guys and two girls. The guys San, Yeosang, Wooyoung and Jongho were handsome rich guys that were actually nice, treating you kindly even though you were just a bar staff. It wasn’t often you meet guys that were nice, you were aware that the shaman blood in you was like a repellent, guys couldn't pinpoint what it was, but they couldn’t stay too close. It was what it was, you still spend your nights hoping one day the shaman in you will manifest, even though all your female relatives manifested super young.

The two girls of the group were even lovelier, Karina and Yeji. You have met a number of rich girls that were mean for no reason, but these girls were so polite and always pleasant to be around. They often made small talk while you were serving them, looking genuinely interested in what you had to say. Life wasn’t so bad when they came, being treated nicely wasn't an everyday occurrence. Maybe not becoming shaman and living like this was your curse, your karma for something you have done in your past life.

You arrived at the back of the bar, pushing a code in and coming inside. The weather was still cold at night, it was only early spring after all. You smiled politely at everyone, bowing slightly as you went to the lockers. People here were nice, not too friendly, but they never made you feel like the outsider you felt everywhere you came. Once you changed into your uniform you went towards the bar greeting the bartenders, preparing all the things that might help you with serving later. Today was going to be a busy day, you could tell just from the energy alone.

𔓘𔓘𔓘

It was 10 PM when the group finally came into the bar. The other server slightly nudged you, alerting you that they came. They always requested you as their server, you were quick and never made a mistake in any order. It made you happy when people were kind and appreciated you. They also tipped super well.

“Can you take room 45, it’s only two people. I am going to 67.” you asked your coworker.

“Okay.” she said, already on her way.

As you stood in front of room 67, you took a deep breath. There was a little secret you kept, it was the reason you were so excited for Fridays after all. Choi Jongho, one of the guys of the group, you had a little crush on him. Obviously you would never tell a soul, he was rich, extremely attractive and he was the only person in the entire group who rarely acknowledged you. He wasn’t impolite but he never tried to small-talk like the others. Well, he barely made eye contact. Maybe that was what made you attracted to him, he was a little mystery, something exciting to look forward to on Fridays, no big deal. Little impossible crush felt good, to keep the life running, to make the time go by faster. Maybe if it went fast enough you would finally manifest, finally your life would make sense and wouldn’t be one big pity party.

𔓘𔓘𔓘

“Hello everybody, how is your Friday going?” you bowed as you stepped into the room. All of them turned their heads your way, smiling at you.

“Hi, our favorite server is finally here!” Karina lifted her slim pale arms in the air, coming towards you to give you a little hug. The rest of them greeted you as well, so politely. You smiled wider, but the back of your head buzzed with strange energy. It didn’t feel bad, but it didn't feel good either. All of them were dressed extra nice today, the girls in glitter outfits, hair made into wavy hairstyles, while the guys were in formal suits. You looked to the right for a quick second, taking in Jongho’s lean body seated on the cushion bench. He was on his phone, brows furrowed, typing furiously. He looked like he had a bad day too.

“What can I get for you? You all look lovely, what’s the occasion?”

“It’s Karina’s birthday!” San smiled, placing his hands on Karina's slim waist, leaning in to kiss her cheek. Karina and San were a couple. They were soulmates. Until you met them you didn’t know it was even possible for two people this good looking to be together. But it made sense, the universe wouldn't make a mistake in matching people. Not everybody finds their soulmate, but it wasn’t all that rare. Not everybody wanted a soulmate and not everybody got one. It wasn’t just that there was somebody super compatible with you, but time and place was important. You had to touch them to know they were your soulmate. You could be walking around somebody all your life and not know, there aren’t any indicators, it isn’t any special magic. You meet and you touch, then you know. Once you know, you are soulmates, some romantic, some platonic. Most of the people that found their soulmate were platonic, best friends for life, partners in crime.

The idea was so lovely in your head, you prayed at your grandma's shaman altar when you were a child, begging the gods to allow you to find a platonic soulmate, to finally find somebody who wouldn't reject you, but would be there for you. Mudangs were the only people who always had a soulmate without the exception. Usually the soulmate was another shaman, making the rituals that were performed more powerful. But you weren’t a shaman, the spirits rejected you. That meant you probably didn’t have a soulmate. It was what it was, you came to terms with it a long time ago.

𔓘𔓘𔓘

You were going back and forth from the room towards the bar, your tray full of different drinks. More people came to celebrate Karina’s birthday with the group, four more guys and three girls you didn’t know. All of them were dressed beautifully, all of them so so kind. You opened the door to room 67. Yeosang, who stood close to the door, grabbed your plate, helping you with the heavy drinks.

“Yeosang-ssi, you don't have to, it’s my work to do that!”

“It’s okay, please let me help,” his smile showed his white straight teeth, his spicy cologne heavy in your nose.

You allowed him to carry the tray to the big glass table at the center of the room, bowing in thanks as you started to place the drinks in front of the people who ordered them. Jongho sat in the very corner on the right on a leather chair where the table didn’t reach. You grabbed the drink, plain whiskey on the rocks, with both hands, ready to give it to him directly. You could feel a little droplet of sweat on your nape, energy strangely buzzing behind your ears. He didn’t look up even when you stood right in front of him. You gulped.

“Jongho-ssi, here is your drink,” you bowed, extending your arms closer to him. He looked at the glass in your hands, no indication of taking the drink from you. Why didn’t he take the drink? Your hands started to feel the cold of the glass, putting the glass even closer. Somebody on the other side of the room screamed, startling you. You whipped your head in the direction of the scream and the impact made the glass slip from your cold fingers. As you turned your head back expecting the glass to shatter, Jongho’s hands grabbed yours, making sure the drink didn't end up on the floor.

The time completely stopped, your entire body was suddenly on fire, every cell awake as the blood rushed to your head. The moment was gone before you could register what just happened. Jongho was your soulmate. What. The. Fuck?! You looked into Jongho’s face, body full of anticipation of what is about to come.

Nothing. Jongho’s face showed zero emotion, his eyes still on the glass.

“I got it, thanks.”

Oh. You bowed and went to the glass table for the tray, quickly leaving the room altogether. Did he not feel it? What just happened? Is Jongho actually your soulmate? Million questions filled your head as you felt your body getting weak, searching for the closest chair available to sit down. You were alone in the bar hall, your breaths heavy, your lungs felt full of water, like you were drowning.

𔓘𔓘𔓘

You took a quick break outside, breathing the night Seoul air. It was probably a mistake. It was the strange energy you felt the whole day that got you confused. It’s okay, you got this! Universe doesn’t make mistakes, your aunt, who is the most powerful mudang in Gyeonggi province, told you so. If he was your soulmate, he wouldn’t ignore you. The universe doesn’t make mistakes. Your soulmate can’t reject you! The universe doesn’t make mistakes!

“What are you doing here? You have to go back to room 67, they ordered more drinks,” your coworker looked rushed, urging you back to work.

“I am sorry, I am coming.”

𔓘𔓘𔓘

You served the room, coming back and forth once again, a painful fake smile frozen on your face. It was a mistake, the universe doesn’t make mistakes. Unmanifested shamans often go crazy, maybe you were going crazy too. As you were walking with an empty tray back to the bar you felt strong hands grip your upper arm, stopping you in your tracks.

“We have to talk,” it was Jongho. What does he want? Why is he talking to you? He never talks to you.

Your entire face twisted painfully, his touch super hot, it felt like you were being burned. You didn’t say a word, you didn’t know what to say, nodding weakly. He let go of your arm, but your skin felt hot where he touched you. You followed him to one of the empty rooms, you didn’t know how he knew it was empty, but you didn’t have any energy to ask him. You wanted this to be over with. Whatever he had to say, let it be over with. You stepped into the empty room and he closed the door behind you, his back to your front, as you made more space between you.

“Listen, I don’t know where to start,” he grabbed his face with both hands, he looked troubled but mostly annoyed. You didn’t understand what was happening. He continued speaking.

“I don’t want a soulmate.”

It was like a bomb dropped. Your body shivered, feeling all blood leaving your body. The universe doesn’t make mistakes. Soulmates can’t reject each other. So he was your soulmate, he felt it too. He felt it and he didn’t care. He doesn’t want a soulmate.

You couldn’t utter a word. He didn’t look at you, his back still facing you. He doesn’t care to the point he doesn’t want to look at you. Your soulmate is rejecting you. Your own soulmate doesn’t want you. You thought all your life that rejection was the only thing you understood fully. You took different pathways all your life when you felt rejection coming. It was the feeling you hated the most because it was a feeling that happened like clockwork with everybody. You have never in your worst nightmares imagined that soulmate rejection would happen to you. And this quickly.

Jongho turned his body, now facing you. For the first time ever he made direct eye contact.

“I am sorry,” he bowed deeply, like when you bow to an important elderly. As quickly as he entered the room he was gone. You couldn’t understand what was happening, your brain not fully grasping the situation. You were so confused, so tired and so so so hurt. Your body felt weak, rejected. You were rejected.

𔓘𔓘𔓘

You spend the upcoming week in insufferable misery. Your soul felt heavy and your body weak. You couldn’t understand what was happening. You have never heard about soulmates rejecting each other. You kept telling yourself it doesn’t matter but you knew that there were consequences that came with soulmates. You can't just reject the person, the bond needs to be severed in some way, you can’t live in a state of rejection by your own soulmate.

On Thursday you took the first morning train from Seoul to the small village in Gyeonggi province where the only person who could give advice lived. Your aunt, the only person who truly cared about you. She was powerful, she would have answers, you kept telling yourself. The universe doesn’t make mistakes.

𔓘𔓘𔓘

As you sat in front of your aunt, a beautiful older lady, long locks in a precise bun, wearing fusion of modern clothing and traditional mudang dress, you felt utter humiliation. You were a failure of your entire bloodline, you weren’t worthy of being a shaman and you weren’t worthy of a soulmate either.

“Puppy, I am so sorry,” your aunt opened her warm embrace, a painful look on her face. She hasn't called your puppy since you were a child. You stood up from the table in quick motion, leaping into her arms with a face full of sticky salty tears. Everything was hurting, your arms, your legs, your puffy eyelids and mostly your heart. The universe does make mistakes.

𔓘𔓘𔓘

You laid on the ondol bed next to your aunt, your back facing her as she played with your hair, trying to calm your never ending sobs.

“Puppy, there is a way to cut the soulmate bond.”

You whipped your entire body to face hers. The quickness of the motion made your head throb. You could hear the little clock in the darkness that took over the entire room.

“There is a ritual that can be performed by the soulmates to sever it,” her pretty pale face changed expression to one of martyr.

“It makes my heart heavy to say this but if you stay in the bond in a state of rejection, it can kill you.”

“It can kill us both?” you asked, shocked.

“No, sweetheart, only you. The person who gets rejected is the one to die.”

𔓘𔓘𔓘

It was Friday night. You had no idea if Jongho would come tonight. Even if he didn’t, you had to ask somebody in the group for a way to contact him. The ritual needs to be performed. You don’t want to die. Your weak body felt a rush of anger. He has to agree to perform the ritual, he can’t be selfish enough to kill you.

Your steps took you to room 67, as every Friday. You smiled and greeted everyone, but the smile didn’t reach your eyes. Everything was painful. Getting up from the bed felt almost impossible. Your aunt didn’t tell you what the ritual actually was. She can’t tell you alone, you both have to come. The ritual needs to be performed with both sides present, it’s not an easy ritual. Your aunt told you she never performed it herself, that nobody in her 30 years of practice wanted such ritual. She only heard of it when she was studying with senior mudang during her teenage years. Your dear aunt was willing to help, she told you it can be done. It’s okay, the universe will make it okay.

𔓘𔓘𔓘

Jongho sat in the same chair as a week ago, at the same place where you learned your tragic fate. He didn’t greet you nor did he ask for anything to drink. It was Wooyoung who ordered for him. The energy in the group felt the same, he probably didn’t tell them. Good. You couldn’t take more humiliation.

As you bend down to hand him a drink, making sure your fingers didn’t touch his, you whispered the same words he told you: “We have to talk.”

𔓘𔓘𔓘

You closed the door behind you, as Jongho took a seat on a bench in one of the empty rooms. His eyes were on his shoes, his legs restless, tapping.

“If you don’t want us to be soulmates, we have to cut the bond. My aunt is a shaman, she can do it,” you said with a stone expression. Your insides didn’t feel stone-like, they felt like a lava. You wanted to cry, the shadow of your sobs still heavy in your throat.

His head whipped from his shoes to your face, expression confused, his pretty boba eyes wide open. Was he playing stupid? Why is he surprised? This is what he wanted.

“What do you mean cut the bond? Can’t we just ignore it?” he asked.

“You are being so cruel to me, Jongho,” you dropped the honorifics, your entire week has been hell, your body weak to the point of collapsing. He rejected you and he doesn’t know shit about how the bond works. How can one be so selfish?

“I am sorry,” his gaze dropped back to his perfectly polished shoes.

“If you are sorry you will come with me to my aunt. This is not as easy as you think it is. If you don’t want us to be soulmates, you owe me this much.”

𔓘𔓘𔓘

The radio played a love song. How ironic. You sat in the passenger seat of Jongho’s sleek black Mercedes. He didn’t look at you once ever since he picked you up. It was his idea to drive together and he couldn’t even look at you. You felt all the sadness turn into anger. He was polite and kept all conversation, even the one on the phone, very business-like. He treated this like a business transaction. You felt humiliated, was this all you were worth?

“I won’t ask you anything else but please let’s cut the bond at all cost. Please, listen to my aunt and do what she says. You don’t have to believe in mudang's power, but I need this. Please.”

His small face didn’t turn towards you, but you could see his knuckles grip the steering wheel tighter. He tightened his jaw and took a deep breath through his nose. He nodded.

He was driving in silence, apart from the radio. You had time to look around the car. There were sunglasses on the dashboard as well as a small polaroid of the group. In the middle of the picture stood San and Karina in embrace, others by their side. It was a wedding photo. You had no idea they were married. A new wave of sadness overtook you.

Your eyes followed Jongho’s lean fingers that were on a steering wheel. He wore a silver ring on his right ring finger. Maybe he had a girlfriend? A wife? You didn’t know anything about him, you didn't know the reason for the rejection. Maybe if you knew, you could understand. You looked up from his fingers to his side profile. His smooth pink lips. little pointy chin, pretty straight nose and long lashes. He looked like a doll, so handsome. Even with all the anger and injustice, your body could feel the strong pull towards him. His handsome face, his deep honey voice, his musky cologne.

The universe didn’t know shit.

𔓘𔓘𔓘

He was so charming towards your aunt, shy at first but so talkative as the time went by. You felt insane, you have never seen him like that, not even with the group. He was an enigma, you couldn’t understand anything about him and you were in no place to ask him. He wouldn't tell you anyway. As he sat in the garden by the mountain god statue, your aunt approached you in the kitchen as you were preparing tea.

“Puppy, I know it hurts but I will make sure you will be alright. My sweetheart, I will not let this end badly, I promise.”

You nodded, now drained of all emotions. You kept mixing the tea with a wooden spoon, looking at the murky green substance.

“Yee-moh, what do you think of him?”

“Puppy, let’s not,” she caressed your cheek with the back of her hand.

𔓘𔓘𔓘

“I needed you both here to know what bond you have. Once we know for sure, the ritual may vary,” your aunt grabbed your palm in her right hand and Jongho’s in her left.

Your entire right side burned, Jongho’s warm body was just centimeters away. You resented yourself for the reactions. He was so calm, his breaths even, his posture sharp but serene. He smelled so nice, his black hair swept from his forehead, dressed in black pants and cream shirt. The spring wind was blowing right into his face through the open window. The air here was clean and smelled of everything good. He had to take the ring off. He didn’t protest.

“The bond is definitely romantic.”

You casted your eyes into your lap. Humiliation. You couldn’t allow yourself to look at Jongho. You would rather not know his reaction. Tears pricked in your tired eyes.

“The ritual to sever the romantic bond is more difficult than the platonic one. You need to wait for the full moon, this time it’s the eighth day of the next month. There is a cabin in the mountains near Suncheon in South Jeolla. The local mudang will show you a way.”

Your aunt stopped talking, but not willingly. She was choked up with emotions, which, you didn’t know. But you knew what she was about to say would be either humiliating or gruelling. Every ritual was. It was difficult and draining emotionally and physically but it was better than death. Or you hoped.

“You have to have sexual intercourse.”

You felt your stone wall expression crumble and more hot tears burned your eyes. This was an impossible task to complete. You were sentenced to death from the very beginning. Your aunt continued:

“You have to make a potion from the herbs I will give you. The process of the preparation needs to be thorough. By the 11 PM once the moon is in the line of mountain god you will strip, drink the potion and lay together. Once it’s finished you have to wait till midnight to ring the bell at the top of the mountain, a short walk from the cabin. Once you ring the bell three times you will sing a song. You have to learn it, it cannot be read. The gods and spirits would be so angry. They are already angry, they don’t like when people disobey the universe. They made you soulmates, they are not happy, you are not thankful for this gift.”

𔓘𔓘𔓘

Your aunt took you to the room where the altar was, red candles melted but burning. Jongho stayed in the kitchen, sipping tea in silence, not uttering a word. You didn’t look at him, not once since your aunt explained the ritual. The incense smelled beautifully in the late afternoon air. You felt shy in front of your aunt for the first time in your life.

“Puppy, I am sorry. I know this is uncomfortable and I wish there was another way, but there isn’t. You will do it, I will not let you die. I didn’t tell you this but I feel like I need to. I feel how fond your spirit is of his. You need to stop. Even when the bond is cut, you can still die, you can go crazy if you develop deeper feelings. The cutting will make the madness worse, I will not lose you to this. Once the bond is cut you will come to me and you will stay here. I will take care of you. My baby, I will not lose you.”

You climbed to your aunt’s lap, just like when you were a child, laying your heavy head on her shoulder. She was sobbing, her entire body shaking with the impact of her cries. You joined.

𔓘𔓘𔓘

The car ride back home was awful. The silence felt heavy, no radio this time. Jongho was deep in thoughts. This was worse than you expected. You felt the need to talk to him, to explain, to communicate this, so everything would go smoothly. You didn’t want to die. But he didn’t know this was about your death, or so you thought.

“I heard you and your aunt,” he sounded angry, like he was lied to. You didn’t understand. You felt like telling him would make him pity you and you wanted to save a last piece of dignity you had left. Why was he angry?

“You should have told me, this changes everything. I am not going to be a killer, a murderer.”

You felt a wave of anger run through your body, from the tip of your toes to your forehead, fierce and hot.

“What the fuck did you want me to tell you? Jongho, you are not willing to talk to me at all, you are treating me like I am a bother, you will not even look me in the eyes. When did you think was the right time to tell you?”

He was quiet for a moment, stopping the car at the nearest rest stop. He titled his entire body towards you, for the first time looking deeply into your eyes, genuine.

“I know I am being unfair, I am sorry. I-... I will try to make this easy. I am truly sorry. Let’s communicate more, I will talk. Let’s talk. It’s 10 days till the full moon.”

“You are talking out of pity and guilt. I am not a pity party, Jongho.”

“I know. But I owe you this. I am sorry.”

He turned back to the steering wheel. Blinking into the nothingness.

“I have never had sex. I am from a family of mudangs, I mean not only my aunt. My mother, my grandma… my sister. I should have been one too. I was hoping the illness would come, just like it came to all women in my family. My purity is the only thing I have left that could have made me a mudang.”

He didn’t speak but his breath shuttered, stuck in his throat. He was surprised. It was the first emotion you could physically see in his expression. The silence was defeating.

“To you this is a bother, but I am losing everything I have. I won’t have a soulmate and I will have no chance left of becoming a shaman. This is a death sentence either way, my aunt knows it too.”

“I am so-”

“NO! I am sick of your sorry’s.”

You were so sick of crying. So sick of the pain, so sick of the universe, so sick of your fate. The universe makes mistakes, you were sure.

𔓘𔓘𔓘

*a year ago*

It was Friday like every other. Jongho just finished work, walking slowly to the underground garage by the office to his car.

“Hey, big boy,” it was Wooyung.

“Hyung, what are you doing here?” Jongho smiled, he was always happy to see his best friend. His friend group were the dearest people to him. He loved them more than anyone.

“There is a new bar, the group is going, I came to take you there, so you wouldn’t get lost,” he teased.

“Oh, fuck off, I was born in Seoul, I know my way around, you asshole. You just wanted to ride my new car, didn’t you?”

Wooyung’s smile was answer enough.

୨ৎ୨ৎ୨ৎ

Jongho was sitting on a leather cushion bench in the new bar, all members of the group present. It was nice, the atmosphere was sophisticated but modern, he could tell it would be their new regular hang out spot.

As he turned to speak to San, somebody came into the room.

“Hello my name is Y/N. I will be your server in room 67. Feel free to ask me anything. I will try my hardest to make all your wishes come true.”

Jongho’s blood turned cold, in front of him stood the prettiest girl he had ever seen, shiny hair laying over her shoulders with sparkling eyes and cute button nose. He felt his wrist itch. His wrists always itch during important events. His grandfather was a shaman, one of very few in Korea, the male posts weren’t generational, he told him it was the only mark left of his powers he could inherit.

But Jongho was cursed. There was no way.

He quickly inverted his eyes, making sure not to make eye contact. Less contact the better, absolutely no skinship allowed. Grandfather did this. This can’t happen.

୨ৎ୨ৎ୨ৎ

Every Friday Jongho came to the bar, he made sure to not talk or even move when Y/N was in the room. That was safe. That’s how it should be.

That didn’t stop him from pricking up his ears everytime Y/N was making small talk with anyone in the group. He didn’t want to miss any new information he could learn about her.

That didn’t stop him from watching her pretty figure everytime she was leaving the room. Long smooth legs and thin waist. The way her curvy hips stopped the door from closing. His wrists were itching constantly now. He wanted to stand up, touch her, whisper in her ear that he will help her. Take her home. Make her his.

Sometimes Yeosang would stand up and help her, bending down towards her when she was busy, taking her tray, helping her. Jongho’s wrists were burning.

𔓘𔓘𔓘

You were in one of the cafes near your work place, Jongho sitting quietly in front of you across the wooden table. You could tell he was trying. He was making small talk, he asked questions. He made it seem like he cared. Ridiculous. This was fucking ridiculous. He was rejecting you, sitting across from you, learning the song word by word. The song he will be singing when he officially rejects you. He doesn’t care. He doesn’t care and he is breaking your heart and you should be repulsed by him. But you weren’t.

This was your third time meeting since the visit of your aunt. This time Jongho was wearing a dark green sweatshirt and light wash jeans. His bangs were in his forehead, the sunshine shining over his smooth face, making his dark brown eyes seem light colored. Your heart felt heavier with each meeting. Your aunt told you you have to stop, that your spirit is fond of his. You couldn't help it, it was like fighting alone against an army of soldiers. Everyday you understood more and more that death would follow either way. There was no way even your aunt would be able to heal your broken heart.

Jongho’s eyes lifted from the handwritten text towards you. The corner of his mouth lifting for a split second, before what looked like rational control came over and he stopped. He cleared his throat.

“I am confident in the song. Let’s practice.”

Your heart prickled, the universe was so cruel.

𔓘𔓘𔓘

It was the eighth day of the month. Today was a full moon. You were already in Suncheon on the way to the mountain sitting in the passenger seat next to Jongho who was driving. All you wanted was for it to be over. You missed your aunt’s embrace. Her warmth and smell, you missed home, you missed the time before your hands touched Jongho’s.

The whole day passed in a blur, you felt like your mind wasn’t present. It felt like your entire body and mind understood this is your end, that you are living through a trauma that will haunt you till your last breath. It was already dark outside. You and Jongho haven't spoken a single word the entire day. You haven't looked at him since the moment you arrived. Your first sexual experience should make you nervous, but you were calm. Calm like still water. Looking peaceful from the outside, but inside was only death. You would turn mad after this.

𔓘𔓘𔓘

It was 10:50 PM, only ten minutes till the start of the ritual. You were standing in the kitchen in the cabin. You were surprised how modern the cabin was, you expected an old wreck, but it was a newly rebuilt one. The mudang who explained the path told you so. It was more common to cut the bond that you expected, but that didn’t calm your nerves. The shaman said a lot of people come here but most of them end badly. She was old and honest, she had nothing to lose in telling the truth.

It doesn’t matter, it wasn’t your choice in the first place.

You could hear Jongho stepping out of the shower, hair still wet. He was wearing linen trousers and a light long sleeve shirt, sleeves rolled up. The water droplets making some parts of his clothing see through. He was so handsome.

By the 11 PM you were making the potion, all the meeting together practicing paid off because you didn’t have to look at the recipe. You knew every step by heart. He did too.

𔓘𔓘𔓘

Once the potion was done, it was like a reality came crashing down. You had to strip, you had to sleep with him. All your confidence you were building, all the dignity left vanished. You were scared. You have never touched him, apart from the incident with the glass in the bar, when you learned your fate.

“Let’s strip,” his voice was raspy from not talking the entire day. It made your belly swoop.

You grabbed the strap of your white lace sleeping dress, dragging it down. There was no place for shame. This was it. Once the dress fell to the floor you reached behind your back, opening the clasp of your bra. Your panties next. You were standing back to Jongho’s figure and even though you were brave enough to strip, you were not brave enough to turn around and face him.

“Turn around,” he commanded. His entire demeanor changed, you could tell just by his voice.

You were shivering, your tan smooth skin full of goosebumps. You turned around.

You could never be ready, even if you practiced for a million years like a martyr.

Jongho's tall naked figure took you by surprise, the air left your lungs. This felt like devil's punishment, like you were already in madness. His broad shoulder, the fullness of his chest muscles, his big arms, strong hands, defined smooth belly, strong thighs. His full and thick cock. He was already a little hard. Your lack of experience made you nauseous. You could feel a little wetness in your crotch.

His eyes were hungry, studying every little detail on your lean body. You could feel your nipples getting hard but you didn’t have enough courage to look down. Your body yearned for this to last forever, you wanted him to look at you like that forever. Maybe you could convince him to stay. To not abandon you, to not leave you behind to your death.

“Come here, we have to drink,” another command.

You took a step closer to the table where the potion was. His eyes followed every step, not leaving you for a millisecond. It was time, you had to hurry, there was no time for messing up. You grabbed the copper bowl, lifting it to your lips, taking a sip. The potion was bitter, it tasted like you imagined a Joseon era medicine would. You passed the bowl to Jongho, but he wasn’t taking the bowl. Just like he wasn’t taḱing the glass in the bar not even a month ago.

“Drink, we don’t have time,” you said.

He took the bowl from your hand, making sure not to touch you. For a flicker of moment you considered that maybe he is repulsed by you, that this is a torture for him. Just the thought made you place your hands over your body, in futile effort to cover.

He finished the potion, placing the bowl on the empty table.

“Come closer, let’s start with a kiss,” it sounded painful coming from his full lips.

“We don’t have to kiss, I have never kissed anyone either, we-” you couldn’t finish the sentence because Jongho was already on you. His strong burning hands on your bare hips, his warm mouth on yours, tasting like the potion, but mostly like himself. He tasted like he smelled. His entire body was fully on you, you could feel his hard crotch on your wet one. You moaned into his month and his cock twitched. Any rational thought left in your mind left you. You couldn’t get enough. This could have been the rest of your life, but realistically you know in a few hours you would become mad.

You were lost in the feeling of his mouth, when his right hand grabbed your boob, flicking the nipple with his neatly cut fingernails. You wanted the fingers inside. Your hand grabbed his, dragging it to your pussy. You have nothing to lose, you have to enjoy this, you have to be bold. This will be the only memory you will have of him. His pretty eyes got bigger, clearly surprised. Once his fingers touched your wetness, you felt your body react immediately, you had no idea it could feel like this. His hand moved in perfect tempo, catching every moan with his mouth.

“Oh, baby, you can cum” he whispered to your lips.

Your entire body came to a halt, cumming. Few tears escaped your eyes, falling on your cheeks. The pet name made your throat tighten. You could have had this for the rest of your life. The universe didn’t know shit.

𔓘𔓘𔓘

You didn’t know how you got in the bed, but you didn’t care. Jongho’s strong body was towering over yours, fitting like a puzzle piece. He was kissing your neck, while his hands were mapping every crease of your soft body. You had a second of clarity, taking his face in your hands looking at him in detail. Everything on his face was so attractive, so endearing, so sexual. From his high cheekbones, his round forehead, small nose to his chin. His eyes. You couldn't get enough of his eyes. All those months he refused to look at you. You felt jealous of your past self, you should have tried harder, you should have made different decisions. You should have let the glass drop.

He bent down, kissing your lips, almost silent chuckle escaping him. Was he mocking you? It felt like mocking. He will spend the rest of his life with somebody, having the same moments like this, maybe better. To him this is a moment of finally being free from the burden, for you it was the end. You were desperately searching in your mind for a prayer you once read secretly. Prayer for a better life when you are reborn. This lifetime you were already doomed.

“You ready, angel?”

Why was he smiling? This wasn’t funny, He was so cruel.

You nodded, your heat yearning desperately to be filled by him. You could feel his left hand leaving the skin of your stomach to grab his tip, directing it to your entrance. The moment he pushed his length inside all the air vanished from your lungs. You have never felt better in your life. He was perfect, he fitted like he belonged. You could feel his fingers caressing your cheeks.

“Okay? Can I move?” He was still smiling, but he was clearly affected. Did he feel as good as you did? You wanted to ask him, but no sound came out. Once you nodded his lips were on yours in an instant, his strong hips slowly starting to move. This was worth it, the rest of your life in misery seemed like a fair price for a moment of this. His right hand grabbed your thigh, angling it a little up, making him fall deeper inside you. You let out a squeak. His lips fell off of your, his mouth now by your ear, deep whine escaping him, making you burn hotter, your body tighter.

He moved with precision, not too slow, not too quick, always in control. You wanted it to last forever. You searched your mind for another prayer, but it was empty. You grabbed the side of his head, caressing his earlobe, positioning his face in front of you, begging with your eyes for another kiss. You hoped he felt a little guilty, you could only imagine how you looked right now, but you hoped you looked messy enough to make him regret leaving you behind.

“Can I cum inside, angel?”

“Please,” you shivered. You wanted nothing more than to feel his warmth in you a little longer. Keep it inside while you climb the mountain to ring the bells. Make the gods see that you deserved every bit of misery that came your way. His body tightened and you figured this was it. Your pliant body ready to cum the moment he did, to share one last moment together.

“Here you go, shhh, baby. Here,” he whispered, himself in a little cloud of delusion.

You were ready the moment the words left his mouth, feeling his warm cum painting your walls. Your body felt like it was being electrocuted. Every good emotion you have ever felt filling your body. Only if it could last forever.

𔓘𔓘𔓘

Jongho laid on his back one arm behind his head, the other caressing her sleeping back. She laid on his chest, little breaths escaping her sleeping warm body. Her frame was much smaller, fitting perfectly into his arms. Of course it did, they were made for each other. He was a fucking fool.

It was 1:46 AM. He didn’t wake her up. The bells were supposed to be rang by midnight, but he didn’t give a fuck. He was a fucking fool. He would rather die that part ways with her. Curse or not. He will find a way.

Suddenly he could feel her small body twitch, his bare cock brushing by her belly. Jongho bit his lip. He has to explain everything to her, he has to make it better. He has to earn her trust.

She looked around confused, the panic evident in her delicate face.

“What time is it?”

He squeezed her body closer to his. He didn’t know how to start. How to make it better, how to explain.

“Y/N,” he started but she was already in full panic mode.

“Jongho, WHAT time is it?” She was frantic. He felt his own tears prickle his eyes.

“It’s 1:48.”

𔓘𔓘𔓘

You couldn’t feel your body at all, the only thing behind your eyes was a full on white panic.

“We missed it, Jongho. We missed it, I am going to die,” you sobbed, your whole body shivering.

The moment your eyes met Jongho’s, you felt paralyzed in stampede. He was crying, round tears falling one by one, his body still under yours. What happened? What have you done? What have he done?

“Angel, this is my fault. This is all my fault. I am so sorry,” You couldn’t understand what was happening. “The first moment I saw you I knew we belonged together. I didn’t need to touch you to know.”

You didn’t understand what was happening, your tears stopping immediately, another mix of emotions replacing them. Did he trick you? Was his intention to hurt you?

“I ignored you intentionally. I was thinking that I can save you, but I can’t. You can’t die, Angel.” His strong hands took you from his lap and placed you on the other side of the bed, he took the comforter and placed it over you body, before he continued:

“My grandpa was a pansoo, a male shaman. One that angered the heavens so much they made him go mad, they made him curse his own family to get closer to the spirits. They promised to make him a god and he sold his family for it. Y/N, I am so selfish, But I will find a way to die instead of you. I will make sure you live.”

Jongho’s hands were in his hair, gripping it tightly by the roots. You were worried he would rip his hair out with how much force he was using. You were scared. Not of Jongho, but for him.

“I don’t understand, Jongho. What curse?”

“The soulmate of every male descendant will die an excruciating death. My dad rejected his soulmate and it saved her. It saved her. My mom wasn’t his soulmate, they came to hate each other, but they live, all of them live. Being alive is the most important. I fucked up, Angel. I won’t let you die. I was so scared that the moment you would ring the bell, you would die because of me either way. I had to take this risk, to try to save you. I will find a way to die instead of you I promise.”

“Jongho-ya,” you let the blanket fall from your body, your naked torso coming closer to him, trying to take his fingers out of his hair. He stopped using his force the moment your fingers touched his, his body relaxing immediately, but panic didn’t leave his eyes.

“I will not let you die, Jongho-ya.” You didn’t know how to soothe him, desperately searching in your memory, how your aunt soothed you when you were little. He opened his arms, taking you inside them. You will figure it out. The universe doesn’t make mistakes.

𔓘𔓘𔓘

*3 years later*

Your thighs burned, sun shining directly on the entire surface of your naked body. Jongho’s hands were clasping your hips, trying to help you lift yourself up and down his cock. The sun made his skin look golden, his brown eyes see through. The huge windows in your shared apartment covered the entire wall, but because the building was so high, nobody could see, the windows were tinted from the outside. You were thankful that Jongho insisted, because otherwise the entire Seoul would see what was happening. Daily, sometimes multiple times a day, in broad daylight, in the middle of the night, sometimes during his lunch break, almost always during breakfast.

“Angel, are you tired? Let’s change,” he flipped you easily onto your back.

He loved manhandling you, but not more than you loved being manhandled. Everyday felt like a blessing. The universe doesn’t make mistakes. You were foolish to question it. The universe was fair to those who deserved it. He took your power, your family heirloom in exchange for this. It was meant to be from the start. There was never any question about it.

The sun dimmed for a moment and you whined. You wanted more of it, you wanted Jongho to shine. You loved when he shined. You loved him. Why was he not kissing you?

He bent down, always eager to please. The bond made it easy, you didn’t have to talk for him to know. His tongue was so smooth and warm, catching every moan, every whine.

The doorbell rang in the quiet apartment, overtaking the sound of your moans. You lifted your arms annoyed. Jongho showed no intention of stopping.

“It’s Wooyoung, isn’t it?”

“I changed the code this morning, he doesn’t know. It will take him some time,” Jongho said as he kissed the inside of your upper arm, which was lifted over your head. His hips still, just enjoying the warmth inside you, molded to him, made just for him.

“Love, you keep changing it to our wedding anniversary, but mixing the numbers. He knows.”

It took him three tries of the passcode to get inside, not even a minute later. Fucking Wooyoung.

#choi jongho x reader #ateez x reader #ateez scenarios #choi jongho #jongho #x reader #fem reader #character x reader

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cheriewoo · 6 months ago

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I Love You 3000 | Choi Jongho ☆

~ ~ call me chérie ☆

Navigation | Kinktober List

☆ Day 08 : Jealousy/ Cheating Sex

↬ [ Synopsis ] : A lap dance can do a lot of things. It can bring Jongho running to your door, drenched in rain just for a taste of you.

Word Count : 3.06k Genre : Smut, Angst, 18+, Non-idol Au. Pairing : Lawyer! Jongho x Strip Club worker! F.Reader

WARNINGS : pure smut (18+), lap dance, Hard Dom Jongho, reader is a switch, mentions of drugs, alcohol, serving clients, strong language, dirty talk, pet names (baby, honey, pretty, sweet girl), angsty, fluff at the end, foreplay, reader calls jongho master.

Tag list OPEN! - let me know if you want to be tagged for this Kinktober list

☆☆☆ NOTE : Day 08 dropping a little late ma chéries. Its Jongho’s turn to have a taste of you. Hope you end this piece of mine as well. Day 09 and Day 10 fics on their way, dropping tomorrow.

Who knew this Historical day could become even more iconic and memorable with Jongho showering u with all his love.

Today marked the 3000th day since you ran away from the orphanage, the place your so-called 'amazing' faceless parents abandoned you to, a living hell in all aspects . A place that was supposed to be your home, but felt anything but that. It was the opposite of everything you craved: no warmth, no love, no freedom, only pure dictatorship.

Your 18th birthday marked the first night you tasted freedom, running away from that hellish place. A historical moment for you. Running away wasn’t just the best option, it was the ONLY option, to not only achieve freedom but A life of your own.

Inferno Nights became your second home. The club was infamous for its illegal activities but had never been raided, offering top-class services, premium liquor, exotic drugs, with an irritatingly attractive boss, Choi Lucas, sitting at the top of the food chain.

Was it really better than the orphanage? No.

But does it pay the bills and guarantee you the freedom to be whoever and however you want? Abso-fucking-lutely.

Being Lucas’s favorite fuck toy, oops “His main” like her liked to address you, allowed you to climb the ranks quickly. Not his girlfriend, just a companion. An overwhelmingly satisfying one at that. Trading your body for freedom seemed like the only way to survive in this cruel world. So be it.

Serving him came with lucrative pay, an apartment to call your own, access to the best booze and drugs, and a roster of elite clients to serve.

One of them was a guy who was a criminal attorney by day, but a total stoner, drunkard, and limitless black card swiper by night,Choi Jongho.

Lucas’s darling younger brother, but with double the stubbornness, double the brains, and double the handsomeness,double the money with a sprinkle of love.

A love not for the world, but reserved for a few special, lucky people. For them, he bent the rules and toyed with authority like a tiger playing with its prey.

—

The night of the 3000th day marked the beginning of a rollercoaster ride you never wanted to experience, not even in your wildest dreams. But one your soul desperately needed.

Another historical moment in your life’s calendar.

You always took this day off to indulge in drinking the night away, celebrating the first time your life became your own. Your living room table was set with snacks and whiskey, Netflix playing on the TV, and you all cozy and cuddled up on the couch, when your phone rang.

You scrunched your nose at the name on the screen. Demi. Ugh... you hated that bitch.

Lucas’s second favorite, one of the elite servers like you. She had an extremely pretty face but a completely opposite personality - entitled, bitchy, and annoying. She hated your guts more than you hated hers, and was the sole reason you ended up in trouble most of the time.

“What?” you say, picking up the call, annoyance dripping from your voice,deliberately.

“No hi, no hello, kitten? Is this how you talk to your seniors?” she mocks. You hated being called kitten. It made you feel homeless, helpless, and extra fucking lonely. Like a stray cat wandering the streets, with no place to call home.

“Cut the crap, Demi. Get to the point” you snap, not wanting to endure her voice a second longer.

“A client is asking for you” she says.

Not today. Today you and your precious time belonged to no one.

“Nope. Not coming.” You say dismissively, ready to hang up, but then she drops the name.

“It’s for Jongho. I mean Master Jongho. His friends booked a lap dance for him.And they want only you,” she pauses, her tone shifting instantly. Being Lucas’s brother, no one says no to Jongho.

“So be at the club in 10 minutes. You know what to wear. I don’t need to remind you, do I?” she says and hangs up before you can respond.

Would Lucas be angry with you serving his brother? Maybe.

But a client is a client, and it’s just a lap dance,nothing more.

“No intimate relationships with any of my clients. You three belong to me, so don’t even think about putting those mouths anywhere else” Lucas lectures, addressing you, Demi, and Anya, his three mains.

“That would be cheating in my book, and trust me, you don’t want to find out the consequences of treason.” he adds, a villainous smirk playing on his lips as he delivers the threat.

In 10 minutes, you arrived at Inferno Nights, dressed in the sexiest, tiniest gold shimmery dress, looking like a goddess. A choker around your neck added to the seductive charm, paired with chunky boots to heighten the tension. Light makeup and a bold red lip sealed the deal. Gold was definitely your color. In the dim lighting, it made you look like an angel, a euphoric dream, a salvation from all the stresses of your clients.

Demi greeted you with her usual annoying face, a vicious look in her eyes. Something about it felt off, but you dismissed it, assuming she was just jealous that Jongho had asked for you.

You entered the private room where Jongho and his friends were seated. You recognized every single one of them—Hongjoong, Seonghwa, Yunho, Yeosang, San, Mingi, and Wooyoung. Not just because they were regulars at Inferno Nights, but also because each of them owned powerful businesses and had definite connections to the underworld, just like Jongho.

The air buzzed with tension as their gazes locked onto you, the dim light highlighting your shimmering gold dress.

"Look who decided to grace us. Jongho’s favorite." Hongjoong whispered to Seonghwa, a mischievous grin spreading across his face.

Hmm? Why am I his favorite? Does he even know I exist?

Jongho’s smile widened as you approached, his eyes dark and intense, drawing you in like a magnet.

“Ready for your dance, Master Jongho?” you teased, swaying your hips. It took everything in you to resist the temptation to pounce on him. The way he looked absolutely perfect in that blazer made you feel weak, like it was tailored just to intensify his sex appeal.

Why the fuck does he have to look so mouthwatering? And he's off-limits? I hate you, Lucas!

“Show me what you’ve got.” he replied, tilting his head slightly with a smirk, trying his hardest to maintain his smooth composure, though you could feel it slipping as you traced his broad shoulders.

You slid onto his lap, the heat between you undeniable as whispers echoed around the room.

“Damn, she’s stunning.” Yunho remarked, leaning closer to San.

“Hope he can handle her.” Mingi added, chuckling softly.

Handle me?! Man, I hope I make it out of here alive.

The world, the people, their whispers—everything faded into oblivion as you became his sole focus, and he became yours.

You straddled him, hips rolling to the sensual beat of the slow music, your body pressing lightly against his chest. His breath hitched as you leaned in, the scent of whiskey on his breath mingling with your perfume, intoxicating both of you.

“You seem a little tense, Master Jongho,” you whispered into his ear, your lips brushing his skin slightly. His jaw clenched, and you could feel his restraint slipping.

His hands hovered over your hips, wanting to touch but holding back. You could see the internal battle in his eyes: desire versus control.

The friction between your thighs and his lap sent jolts of heat through both of you. You could feel him tense beneath you, trying to maintain his composure, but his ragged breaths told you he was already losing that fight.

You leaned back slightly, grinding down harder, your lips parted as the intensity built between you.

“Touch me, Jongho.” you whispered, daring him. Your words caused him to snap. His hands finally gave in, gripping your waist with a roughness that made your breath catch, finally surrendering to the desires he had harbored since the first day he laid eyes on you.

Desire - 1, Control - 0.

Jongho’s craving for you went way back. The first time he saw you at Inferno Nights, you were just a new worker, but seeing you all lovey-dovey with Lucas made him step back, thinking you might like his brother. Only later did he realize that Lucas was a selfish asshole, keeping three girls all to himself. That only fueled Jongho’s desire for you, after all, forbidden things always taste sweeter.

For a moment, the world seemed to shrink down to just the two of you. Every grind, every movement sent electric shivers through your body, and you could feel his rock-hard response beneath you, your own arousal pooling in your core.

The music played on as you rolled your hips one last time. Jongho’s grip tightened, and his lips brushed against the skin of your neck. A low, hungry growl escaped him.

“God, you’re dangerous.Want you more.” he muttered, his voice thick with lust. His lips found the delicate spot behind your ear, kissing it before biting down hard, pulling a whimper out of you.

The teasing was over. Now, it was pure, raw intensity.

Suddenly, you jumped off him, gulping hard, breaths shallow as your cheeks flushed a deep red. Every pair of eyes in the room was on you, their gazes piercing right through your soul.

“Time’s up. I—I should go now. Thank you, Master Jo-Jongho, for calling on m-me.” you stammered,taking a deep breath, you swiftly walked out of the room.

As you hurried out, Demi caught you by the arm. “Done for the night, kitten?” she asked, a little too amused for someone who should’ve been jealous. But you couldn’t focus on her right now. Your mind was foggy, all you wanted was to go home, strip off the dress that smelled of him, and sleep.

—

Why can’t you sleep? Why did he kiss you? No, bite... it was more of a bite. But why? And why did it feel so good, so heavenly?

Raindrops hit your windowsill as the storm outside raged. You stared at the ceiling, rolling from one side of the bed to the other for what felt like the hundredth time, trying desperately to sleep.

Will Lucas punish you for that? Why does Jongho have to be Lucas’s brother? Ugh… what a fucking mess.

A soft knock at the door pulled you from your thoughts. You checked the time, it was 2 AM.

Who could it be? Is it Lucas? Did he find out already? Who told him? Demi for sure. Ugh… Demi, you bitch.

Slowly, you made your way to the door and opened it just enough to peek through. There stood Jongho, drenched from head to toe, a smirk playing on his lips. He looked irresistibly sexy in his wet state, which in turn made you wet down there as your arousal pooled at your core, reminising the moments you both shared a few hours ago. Three words: I. Want. You.

That was it. All your promises to Lucas and your sanity went down the drain as you dragged Jongho inside, latching onto his lips hungrily, which he returned with equal intensity and passion.

Pinning you against the door, his hand cupped your cheek, deepening the kiss as your hands fumbled with his blazer, desperate to free him from his wet clothes. As much as you loved him in that sexy black blazer, right now, all you wanted was him—deep inside you, fucking the living hell out of you.

Breaking the steamy kiss for just a second, you tugged off your tank top before your mouths collided again. His hands now cupped your hips, pulling you tighter against him. His hand signaled for you to jump, which you obeyed, your core aligning perfectly with his clothed, rock-hard dick, the bulge fighting hard to be freed.

His tongue explored the depths of your mouth, sucking, nibbling, biting, as your breathy moans filled the room, accompanied by the sound of the rain outside. His length rubbed against your clothed core, the friction sending waves of pleasure through you, making your toes curl in response to the overwhelming sensations.

“Jongho… ahh… I need you.” you cried out, desperate for him to fill you up.

“Where do you want me?” he teased, his lips trailing open-mouthed kisses along your neck, stopping just behind your ear. “Be clear and precise.” With that, he bit the sensitive skin behind your ear, making you gasp.

“Inside… I need you inside me. Fuck me, and fuck me hard, please.” you gasped, grinding harder against him, desperately trying to ease the ache.

“Good girl.” he murmured, carrying you to your room and gently laying you on the bed. His eyes trailed over your body as he removed your pants, landing on your wet core, dripping and aching, begging to be fucked. His thick fingers slid against your folds, sending waves of pleasure through you as your hands gripped the soft sheets.

Can someone’s touch really do this? You’d never felt like this with anyone else, not even with Lucas.

Collecting your slick on his fingers, he brought them to his mouth, savoring it with a satisfied “Mmm.”

“Turn around for me, pretty girl.” he commanded softly but firmly. You obeyed, lying on your belly, ass up, giving him a full view of your juicy cheeks. He smacked your ass, eliciting a sharp yelp from you, and his hands found yours. “Up.” he instructed.

Spreading your legs for him, your back pressed against his chest, your hands pinned behind you by his large ones as his hard length lined up perfectly against your wet core. He gave you a few teasing rubs before slowly sliding in, stretching you deliciously as you adjusted to his girthy length.

Your head rested back on his shoulder as his pace quickened, his lips latching onto your neck again, kissing and biting, leaving purple bruises wherever they made contact with your delicate skin.

The sensation of his hard length filling you over and over again sent waves of pleasure through your body. Each thrust brought you closer to that painful but sweet release, one that you both have been craving for a while as his groans mixed with your soft whimpers. His fingers found your clit, rubbing in perfect rhythm with his movements, pushing you further to the edge.

Your body trembled, dancing on the brink of euphoria. “Jongho… I’m so close.” you gasped, breathless, your body clenching around him.

“Fuck, baby.” he breathed out, his voice strained with pleasure.

But just as you were about to tumble over the edge, a sharp, familiar ringtone pierced the air, causing both of you to freeze.

Lucas.

His name flashed on the screen of your phone, lying near your feet. The blood drained from your face, terror flooding through you as the realization of what situation you are in dawned upon you. You were too scared to pick it up.

Jongho's chest rose and fell heavily against your back, his hand still on your clit, rubbing softly, teasingly.

"Pick it up, baby. What are you waiting for?" his voice taunted you, breath hot against your ear.He knew exactly what would happen if Lucas found out what the two of you were doing, it would mean death.

Trembling, you picked up the phone. "Hello, Lucas.” you answered, only to be pulled back into the delicious sensation as Jongho’s movements resumed, his dick working its magic as he continued thrusting into you, slow and torturous.

"Y/n! Where the hell are you?" Lucas barked from the other side. His tone was sharp and angry? But why? And how ?

Jongho’s pace quickened, matching the rhythm he had set earlier, each deep thrust making your toes curl, a moan dangerously close to slipping past your lips. "At home. Why? Where else would I be at this hour, Lucas?" You fought your hardest not to moan.

"Are you alone? Why do you sound so… awake?" Lucas questioned, suspicion lacing his words.

Jongho chose that very moment to thrust into you harder, making it almost impossible to keep your composure.

Because your brother is fucking the life out of me? So just hang the fuck up already.

"Because it's raining here." you managed to say. "There might be a storm. You know I’m afraid of lightning and thunder, so I couldn’t sleep." Almost on cue, thunder rumbled in the background, validating your excuse. Jongho’s deep thrust synced perfectly with the sound, sending shockwaves through your body.

"Oh yeah, I remember, sweetheart. What was Demi blabbering about—never mind. Sleep tight. I’ll see you when I’m back." And with that, he hung up.

You let out a breath you didn’t realize you were holding. Demi, you fucking bitch.

As soon as Lucas hung up, Jongho wasted no time. His thrusts resumed with intensity, each one driving you closer to the edge.

"Jongho... I can’t hold…am close, baby." you whimpered, your body trembling, aching for a release after that intesne call.

His deep voice urged you."Cum for me honey" as fingers find your clit again, rubbing in sync with his movements. “You’re soing soo good, sweet girl.”

Your body couldn't hold back any longer. A wave of euphoria crashed over you, and you cried out his name, clenching tightly around him. Jongho groaned, thrusting deeper as he chased his own high. His arms wrapped tightly around you, and with a final groan, he pulled out, spilling all over your back. Hot!

Why does he have to look so hot doing that?

The two of you collapsed together, breathless, as the rain poured outside.

Minutes passed as you both recovered. Pulling you closer, he cupped your cheeks, staring into your eyes as if he wanted to say something but was holding back. “I-I love—” he hesitated.

“I love you,” you smiled, finishing his sentence and stealing a small peck on his lips.

Why did you confess? Who confesses after one night together?

But somehow, it felt safe. He felt safe. His entire presence had that protective blanket you had craved for a while now.

Maybe he is the right one?

“I love you 3000,” he replied, smiling and blushing hard. Cringing at what he said, but you could feel the sincerity in his voice, his words somehow perfectly aligning with your 3000th day.

Another historical moment! also more freedom, maybe.

~ ~ Chérie ☆ signin’ off

DISCLAIMER: This is totally fictional and not a real depiction of the ATEEZ members. It's all just for fun only so please don’t take anything seriously and keep the mood light around here.

65 notes · View notes

mymoodwriting · 8 months ago

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3.4k, yandere, marriage-life, knives, threats of suicide, threats of self-harm, screaming, unhappy marriage, tears, mentions of pregnancy, alcohol, alcohol consumption, drugs, needles, medication, manipulation, delusions (@starillusion13)

“Is this your latest ploy for my attention?”

Jongho scoffed and walked towards the nearest cabinet, grabbing a wine glass. He browsed his options before grabbing a bottle and pouring himself a drink. He swirled the red liquid in his glass before taking a sip and then looking back towards you. He was completely unphased by the fact you were holding a knife to your throat.

“Put that down before you hurt yourself.”

“You think I won’t do it!”

“We both know you won’t. So tell me, what is it this time?”

“You know what I want.”

“That again? You know, most people just serve their spouse divorce papers, not make empty threats.”

“I can’t ask for a divorce! You made sure of that.”

“Hm… and why would I want to divorce you?”

“Cause if you don’t I’ll kill myself!”

“We’ve had this conversation before. If you really intended to take your own life you would have done so by now.”

Jongho placed his glass down and came over to you. He effortlessly took the knife from your hand, examining it for a moment before putting it back in its place. He kept you pinned against the counter, grabbing your chin with a firm and gentle hand so your eyes would meet.

“I will not tolerate anymore threats against your life, even if they come from you. Am I clear?”

“Why are you doing this to me?”

“What do you mean?”

“This, keeping me trapped in a marriage.”

“Trapped? Darling, we married for love.”

“I married for love, but I don’t think you did.”

“If not for love, then for what?”

“I don’t know. Some sick power play. You’re the great Choi Jongho, heir to Choi Industries. You could have any girl you wanted, so you chose me… the only daughter of my family… with no expectations but to marry a wealthy man. It’s all I was good for in my parents’ eyes, and you knew that, took advantage of that. You said all the right things so they would like you, and you said all the right things so I would love you…” You pulled away from his grasp and lowered your gaze. “As if my parents would ever entertain the idea of having me divorce you. I still haven’t given them a grandchild. That’s all they expect of me now… and I suppose that’s all you want from me too, right? Your own heir.”

“Do you really think so low of me?” Jongho questioned. “That I’d just marry some random girl simply because she came from money?”

“That’s what it looks like.”

“You believe my feelings for you to be disingenuous? That everything I did and said was a lie?”

“Once we got married you changed… you got distant and cold and-”

Jongho chuckled and grabbed your chin once more. His grip was tighter, and there was glint in his eyes. Gone was the calm demeanor you had seen a moment ago, replaced by this intensity that was making you nervous.

“So you miss me? Hm?”

“I-”

“Shall we take a trip? Just you and me, no work, wherever you want. If you missed me so much you should have said so.”

“Jongho, that’s not it.”

“Ah, I see. You mention it and say it’s what everyone else wants, but that’s not true, is it?”

“What?”

“You want a baby. I figured we’d have this discussion down the line but if that’s what you want right now, I have no problem-”

“You’re not the Jongho I married! Is that so hard to get through your thick skull!?”

Jongho chuckled. “My feelings for you haven’t changed. When I saw you across the room that day I knew I wanted you. The shy and quiet girl who was clearly there as something for her parents to display. She was going to be mine by any means necessary.”

“So you lied… this… this is the real you…”

“I’ve always been real with you. So don’t play coy. Like you said, you married me for love, and even if you’re whining right now, you still love me.”

“I don’t…”

“Will you keep lying to yourself? Y/n, you are my everything, and I will not lose you.”

“You already have.”

Jongho sighed. “Let’s continue this conversation tomorrow. Once you’ve-”

“I want a divorce. My answer isn’t gonna change overnight.”

“And neither is mine. You’re not divorcing me, so I suggest you get that idea out of your head right now.”

“If that’s how you want to be, then fine, make the person you supposedly love miserable.”

You shoved Jongho away and stormed off, not wanting to see him anymore. For the last couple of weeks you had been sleeping in the guest room, and staying in there for the most part. To a degree you had been avoiding him, and now you intended not to see him at all. Once you were gone Jongho stayed put, glancing over at the knives before getting his glass of wine and finishing it. He was growing tired of this conversation and needed to put an end to it. He cleaned up after himself and sent a message, retreating to bed and lingering outside your door for a moment before letting you sleep.

🖤

You slept in a lot lately, and today was like no other. It was nearly noon by the time you got up, and you were certainly hungry. Once you got dressed you went down to the kitchen, thinking about what to prepare yourself. Although as you walked into the kitchen you saw a handful of people cooking.

“Good morning, madam.”

“Uh… who are you? And what are you all doing in my house?”

“Mr. Choi wanted professional chefs in the house. That way you don’t have to work in the kitchen or worry about meals. We were-”

“When was this decided?”

“Oh, we got a call late last night and were told to start this morning.”

“Last night…”

“Madam, we were informed you sleep in and skip breakfast often. Since you’re awake now it’s best to have lunch. We’ve prepared some food for you, and the table has been set.”

“Ah… I see…”

“Let me escort you to the dining room.”

You still had questions, but this staff lady wasn’t going to have answers. You were also hungry so it was best to think things over on a full stomach. You sat at the table and were poured some tea. A few others in the wait staff soon came over to set the plates down before you. They moved quickly and you barely had a chance to thank them. The food certainly smelled delicious and you had your fill. Afterwards you retreated back to your room, taking a little nap as you were rather tired. You wound up sleeping until late in the afternoon, waking up to the sound of someone calling your name. You wanted to ignore it but there was a knock at your door, followed by the sound of it opening it.

“Y/n, darling, I know you’re awake.”

Jongho came into your room, sitting at the edge of the bed. He reached over and rolled you to face him, a smile adorning his lips. You couldn’t really pretend anymore as he caught you, so you just rolled your eyes and moved away.

“What do you want?”

“To talk. That’s what you wanted after all. Besides, I understand what’s going on here.”

“Do you?”

“Of course. Last night has been bothering me, and I’ve been thinking about it all day. I see what the issue is, you feel like you’ve lost purpose.”

“What?”

“Before me, all you ever wanted was to get away from your parents. Once we met and fell in love, you wanted to see me, to be with me, all hours of the day. Then when we were together, goodness, I still remember how you glowed with joy as we talked about marriage. Now we’re here, married and together. You don’t know what to do with yourself anymore, and that’s alright love.” Jongho walked over to the other side of the bed, reaching over to grab your hands. “You’re free from your parents, from their expectations. You can do whatever you want and I’ll support you as you-”

“I want a divorce.” You pulled your hands away and sat up. “I’ve said it a million times.”

“I don’t believe you.”

“That doesn’t matter, it’s what I want.”

“Because I’ve changed?” Jongho chuckled. “You’re the one who’s changed. That’s alright though, I know you’re taking me for granted here, but I have no problem reminding you why you’re my wife.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Let’s have dinner tonight. I’ll tell the kitchen to prepare you-”

“I don’t want personal chefs.”

“Well, I don’t want you near anything dangerous. I’ll see you later.”

Jongho gave you a smile and left on his own. You weren’t sure what to make of this conversation, and what it implied. Yet you couldn’t avoid dinner as someone, or himself, would come bother you about it. So you went down to the dining room after freshening up. The staff was finishing setting the table, and your chair was pulled out for you. A cup of tea was poured for you and you drank it while you waited. It wasn’t long before Jongho came into the room. He attempted to place a kiss on your cheek, but you leaned away. He took the hint and sat down.

“I’m sorry I’m not around as often. I have missed sharing meals with you.”

“…”

“I’d ask about your day, but as I understand you spent it all sleeping. Wish I could do that, but I’d need a good reason to take time off. Perhaps if my wife wanted to go-”

“Don’t call me that.”

“You are my wife though, have been for over a year now.”

“I don’t want the title.”

“Amuse me, love. What will you do if I agree to a divorce? You think you can just go back to your family?”

“What?”

“You can’t divorce me, but if I divorce you, what does that say? Your parents would think that you aren’t good enough for me or any man. They’d berate you for it, and you’d never hear the end of it. I wonder if anyone would ever want to date you afterwards, let alone marry you.”

“…”

“You said it yourself, marrying a wealthy man was all your parents expected of you. If you fail such a simple thing, what would they think? You got lucky here, love, don’t you think? You met their expectations, and you married the man you love. It’s everything you could ever want, and I’m the best you’re ever going to have.”

You felt tears sting your eyes as Jongho’s words sank in. You had been so focused on just wanting to get away from him you couldn’t even think to look beyond. He was right, your parents would most likely disown you if you got a divorce. If Jongho didn’t want you, they wouldn’t either. Not to mention you probably didn’t have any money to your name. A divorce truly meant being thrown to the streets and abandoned by everyone you ever knew.

“Don’t cry, love. I’d never divorce you and leave you to suffer. I know you’ve been having issues but let’s work through them before we do something drastic.”

Jongho got up and grabbed the bottle of wine on the table. He began pouring you a glass but you merely took the bottle from him and started drinking. Jongho watched you for a moment before taking the bottle from you.

“Love, you shouldn’t drink on an empty stomach, give me that.”

Jongho was careful not to spill anything on you, grabbing a napkin and cleaning your lips. You stared at him for a while and then your eyes met. For a moment you looked into those brown eyes, remembering just how much you loved to see them. Your gaze brought a smile to Jongho’s lips, and he used the opportunity to kiss your head. A teardrop slid down your face and he quickly wiped it away with his thumb.

“Don’t cry my love, I’m right here.”

You didn’t want to be near him, or anyone right now. You managed to get up but were immediately stumbling in your steps, feeling dizzy and having trouble keeping your eyes open. Jongho grabbed you by the waist, keeping you from falling over. You tried to push him away, but he wasn’t going to let go. After letting you struggle for a moment he picked you up bridal style and carried you back to the bedroom. Not your room, but the one you had shared before. He laid you down in bed, looking you over.

“Goodness, love, you drank more than I intended.”

“… huh…?”

“You’ll be fine. Just rest for a moment. Let me get you some tea and something soft to eat. You can’t go to sleep on an empty stomach.”

You groaned and dug your face into the pillow, already out of it. You were left alone for a while, and then Jongho returned with a little cart. He poured you some tea, putting what looked like a sugar cube into it, which didn’t make sense but you weren’t gonna say anything. While that cooled down Jongho helped you sit up, careful not to make you dizzy and cause you to throw up. You leaned against the headboard, trying to focus on Jongho and what he was doing.

“Here’s some soup, it should go down easy.”

Jongho spoon fed you, and you couldn’t really stop him. You had a bit before you stopped him, feeling a bit sick. That’s when Jongho gave you the tea. He blew on it gently to make sure it wasn’t hot, placing the tea cup against your lips and tilting it up. A sweet taste hit your lips, and the warm liquid created a nice sensation going down. Jongho watched you fondly, wanting you to drink most of the tea before letting you rest. After all that you felt sleepy, and Jongho helped you lay back down.

“I’ll be right here, so sleep easy love.”

“… hm…”

“Night.”

🖤

For the most part you slept well, but you were plagued by an uneasy feeling, leading to nightmares. You tossed and turned in bed, whimpering until the sound of your name pulled you from your dreams. You inhaled sharply as you regained consciousness, looking around with blurry vision as you truly began to wake. You felt something warm beneath you, realizing you were resting on top of Jongho’s chest. You slowly looked up at him, your eyes meeting, then you panicked and stumbled out of bed. A wave of dizziness hit you almost immediately and you collapsed to your hands and knees.

“Are you alright?”

Jongho rushed out of bed and went over to your side but you pushed him away. Last night you got messed up and weren’t thinking straight. The last thing you wanted was to wake up in Jongho’s arms.

“I’m fine… just… leave me alone…”

“You sure? You drank more than you should have last night.”

“I said I’m fine.”

“But you’re not.”

“Huh?”

“You’re likely a bit hungover, and alcohol doesn’t mix well with medication.”

“Medication? What are you talking about?”

“You think you can just hold a knife to your throat and I wouldn’t be concerned? I spoke with a doctor and they prescribed you some medication. Something to help ease your mind and worries.”

“What? I’m not-”

“So let’s get you some breakfast and then your meds. Afterwards you can go back to sleep.”

“No! What the hell are you talking about!?”

You tried to get up, needing to leave the room and get away from Jongho but he grabbed your arm and yanked you back down. Next thing you knew he had you pinned to the floor. He stayed atop of you, holding your hands besides your head, a gentle smile on his face.

“I know it all sounds scary and confusing, but it’s for your own good.”

“My own good!? Medicating me isn’t the answer!”

“What else am I to do when my beautiful wife talks about hurting herself and running away from me? I have to eliminate both possibilities from your mind and make sure you can do no such thing.”

“Is this really what you’re going to do?”

“You didn’t give me much choice, love. I’m not gonna lose you over something so simple to fix. I can move some things around at work and be home more often. Of course I should be there when my wife needs me.”

“You really are gonna trap me then, aren’t you?”

“My little bird already believes to be in a cage, nothing wrong with taking precautions to keep them safe.”

“Get off me!”

You struggled under Jongho, but his grip was firm. So you had to use other methods. You managed to knee him in the crotch, and then get him off of you, scrambling to your feet and out the door. You were still dizzy, but you had a burst of adrenaline to keep you moving. You had never really considered just straight up running away, but right now that was your only option. You kept to the wall as you moved down the hall, doing your best to maintain focus. Perhaps it was foolishly hopeful to think you could actually leave. You knew Jongho was a determined man. It’s how he became the youngest CEO of his company, and how he wound up marrying you. When he set his mind to something, he always achieved it.

“Y/n!”

Jongho caught up to you, pinning you against the wall, using his body weight to keep you still. You couldn’t help but scream, trying to get him off, but you didn’t have the strength. You thought to scream for help, but there probably wasn’t anyone in this house that was on your side.

“Calm down, love, nothing bad’s gonna happen.”

“Let me go!”

“Sh, sh, sh, you should be in bed, not running around the house. It’s too early for this.”

You continued to squirm, fighting off the headache taking hold of you. Although a moment later you felt your shirt being lifted up, cold digits brushing against your skin. You yelled, but still couldn’t move away. Instead you felt a pinch at your side, seeing a needle in the corner of your vision.

“No, no, no! Jongho, what is that!? No!”

“Easy, just relax, just breathe, like I said, it’s just medicine.”

“Liar! That’s not… uh… I…”

“It’s okay, it’s okay, I got you, love, I’m right here.”

You couldn’t really hold yourself up anymore, Jongho carefully picking you up in his arms and taking you back to the bedroom. You tried to grab onto him, to fight, to say something, but you were slowly sinking into darkness. You could feel yourself melting into the bedsheets, getting tucked back in. Jongho remained by your side, gently petting your head.

“I’ll have the doctor come by later and give you a proper check-up, then we can figure out what to do next. I know you’re scared and confused, so I’ll take care of everything. You just have to be a good girl and do as I say. Once we’re in a better place we can talk about what you really want.”

“… what I… really… want…?”

“Purpose. I know once you’re better you could be a great mother, but that’s a discussion for later. We’ll talk more when the doctor gets here. Just get some rest for now.”

“… no… Jongho… please… please…”

“Sh, sh, everything’s going to be okay, I promise. I’m taking care of everything, including you. We’re gonna be okay.”

“Jongho…”

“Sh, I love you, and we’re gonna get through this. So rest, I’m right here. Don’t worry about anything and have sweet dreams.”

As much as you wanted to keep your eyes open you couldn’t. Jongho took your hand in his own, placing a soft kiss along the knuckles. You couldn’t understand if this was the man you had loved all along, or if you still had any feelings for him, but when you took your vows at the altar, he certainly took them word for word.

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hwaightme · 2 years ago

Text

This world

THIS IS 18+ ONLY, MINORS DNI FOR BIKER!HWA'S SAKE (nsfw tags under the cut) (masterlist) (join taglist)

🏍️ pairing: biker!seonghwa x f!reader 🏍️ genre: romance, fluff, action, smut, strangers to lovers, slight enemies to lovers, smidgen of angst, sprinkles of comedy 🏍️ summary: caught between the past and present, you search for a new beginning in night city as a mechanic at outlaw customs. how will a fateful encounter with seonghwa, the leader of the blue birds, help you feel alive? 🏍️ wordcount: 16.2k 🏍️ warnings/tags: biker!hwa, quick edit, likely inaccuracies in mechanics and motorcycles, mechanic!yunho, businessman!jongho, biker!yeosang, mechanic!reader, tattooed!reader, gang life/activity, misuse of lore terminology, language, food, wounds/injuries, pain, bike chases and dangerous tricks, talk of death/rebirth, identity searching, imagery and setting inspired by outlaw trailers, lmk if anything else 🏍️ a/n: i gave myself a one day break, listened to a dream i had... and this happened. totally was not spooked today and rushed to edit in a feverish state... always, any notes, reblogs and comments are appreciated, much love~

🏍️ a/n pt2: biker!hwa supremacy also spreads to the exchange event hosted by @kflixnet for @qqtxt (and thank you @alohajun for organising!) - hope you enjoy!!

🏍️ perma-taglist: @doom-fics @acciocriativity @justhere4kpop @honey-lemon-goose @byuntrash101 @shakalakaboomboo @starillusion13 @hongthoven @cqndiedcherries @uwuheeseungie @cheollipop @frankenstein852 @charreddonuts @miriamxsworld @mingigoo @michel-angelhoe @innsomniacshinestar @foxinnie8 @preciouswoozi @wooyoungjpg @nebulousbookshelf @wowie-hockey @hongjoongs-patience @ssaboala @jaehunnyy @kitten4sannie @maddkitt @yunbug

🏍️ cannot be tagged: @mystar1024

🏍️ nsfw tags: condom used, slow, a dom!leaning reader with a soft!hwa, handjob, slight edging, praise, save a bike - ride a biker, focus on intimacy and emotional experience, some mutual masturbation, f!masturbation, literally just two people in love with each other, cuddling and implied aftercare

The artificial suns of Night City shone bright in a palette of neon hues, so vivid and vibrant that one could almost forget that there had ever been a real star in the first place. Kids wished on blinking lightbulbs and travellers followed endless expanses of darkness, more accustomed to uncertainty than the belief that there was a veritable ally in the form of a celestial sign or a constellation. Everyone wore the same perfume: an acrid concoction of smog, grease and disgust that lingered whenever a visitor from another district came by, blending to form a hatred for all things that existed outside of the palace of neon. This was the palace that you had willingly made your home, and found that if you were to shut your eyes and then dare to peek through your lashes at the kaleidoscopic landscape, it took on the shape of an eloquent illusion of divinity. A rudimentary vision, a utopia carved out in impermanence, commanded by wishful thinking and a desire for anything except what you had known. This was your new home, and you were going to try as you might to cling to it, and find peace amidst the suffocating starless expanse.

You had arrived without a particular plan in mind, with only a rucksack and the tattoos decorating your skin to keep you company on your journey. The only persistent parasite that gnawed at your flesh and jolted you awake like a scalding whip when the roads seemed to be endless, was a burning desire to erase anything, everything that served as a reminder. While you were a believer in growing from the past, and reflecting on it, treating each memory and learned skill as a stepping stone towards a better future, the weight of each step was overwhelming, the gaps between them unbearable, and soon enough, you found yourself to be stretched too thin over your own existence, to the point where you had gained an alarming transparency, one tiny step away from disappearing into the lack of self that you had wholly succumbed to until your sudden evaporation and accidental escape to Night City.

At the same time, you were not entirely ungrateful for the ‘you’ you had become. The miscellaneous arsenal of know-how and street smarts landed you a job, had you settled into a group of people who did not seem too bad and most importantly did not ask too many questions, gave you a roof over your head and had you working long hours in the garage from the get-go. That, from your experience, was the best way to forget and to start anew. So long as you did not speak to your clients more than necessary, instead focusing on their priceless metal steeds that you had the pleasure of tinkering with for hours on end. In this way, you got to see your clients at their most vulnerable, scrutinising you but so helpless that it nearly made you laugh, comparing the scene to a child watching their mother patch up a toy that they had torn after playing a little too roughly.

This approach turned out to be the one that won the big bucks in the city. Less talk, more trust. And resulted in the previously sceptical owners of the mechanic shop you had strolled into on your first day in town, passively protecting the shell of the self that you carried, uncaring for what fate had in store, to finally begin to warm up to you and treat you less like a pest, and more like a colleague. Only took them a couple of months. Though it would be foolish to hope for anything else, so you had simply settled into the rhythm of waking up, heading downstairs from the crammed studio that they had offered you - a stuffy dark corner, definitely the humblest abode but more than enough to crash in and more than generous for a person who had been a total stranger, and going to a different open cave in the garage and workshop, this time one dedicated to all things motorcycle. Since Outlaw Customs, a name which you had found incredibly comedic and ironic considering a high percentage of the clientele fit the shop description, was primarily for automobiles, there was not much dedicated to the untameable beauties that you loved so much. The head of the shop, a young man by the name of Jeong Yunho who you swore spent more time under cars than under those neon lights outside, did motorcycle repairs mainly out of necessity, following the recipes for replacement, so to speak. The locals knew that to see his craftsmanship, mastery and artistry at work, they needed to let him get his hands on a car. Of course, it did not mean that he could not fix bikes, far from that, in fact, over the years and especially after another mechanic shop was busted by the forces and forced to close for something or other - no one could ever guess what new crime was added to the list on any given day, Yunho was proud to say that he did not need to consult his hefty stack of manuals for when the most regular clients came by. But it did still mean that when he found out that he could pass off the task to a new hire, he did it in a split second, without sparing it a single thought.

As such, it was you, your beloved corner in the workshop, and a tranquillity under those buzzing fluorescent bulbs lined up on the ceiling. Not talking much, mainly business, occasionally sharing a laugh with your coworkers. They were easy to like, that much you had gathered over the months of being paid in shelter, food, water, and whatever else you needed so long as you kept on working to keep the brutes of Night City happy and the engines roaring. While the other guy in charge, Choi Jongho, an initially unreadable, unpredictable man who appeared in the store at random and mainly handled the ‘financials’, whatever it meant and you sure as all things bad were not about to get your nose in that side of the business, was somewhat less cordial with you, your nonchalance when it came to social interaction had put him at ease, along with, how he had it, your hands that told your story. Interesting what he could spot under the machine grease and fading ink.

It was another timeless day where Jongho was out for what he called ‘negotiations’ - again you did not need to know what it meant so long as the parts kept coming, Yunho was messing about with an old mustang that the customer said could be changed according to the mechanic’s own tastes, and you were idle, having just completed a re-flash of an engine control unit for a rider who apparently had nothing to lose and let you fully reconfigure his precious in the hopes of improving rideability. Same old for you, but nevertheless exciting when a new person gets so vulnerable so as to give their bike up with only faith in their hands, and in yours.

Wheeling the bike away from the main platform, you parked it right at the empty section by the brick wall lining the inner part of the garage, the aftermath of a miniature spring clean you had carried out to prep the workspace for a higher volume of bikes coming through. After patting the seat, as if lulling the machine into a slumber, you covered it with a tarp to protect it from any other dust or sparks - and subconsciously, from curious eyes if there were any that would peek into the shop. You stood up straight, taking the towel from your shoulder and attempting to wipe off the remains of your work, though much like your boss, who was now humming some random tune that he probably heard at one of the underground clubs, took pride in each stain, each streak of dirt. It was a reminder that you were here, you were present and alive, and that you were doing what others could never do exactly like you could. If anything, it was a breath of fresh air, the only one that could be ever taken in any Sector, in any City that existed in this nation, and you were almost convinced that this spread to the whole world.

Finding the stool on wheels that apparently used to belong to a nearby barbershop until that closed down, you sat down and sighed, rocking side to side by repeatedly pushing yourself with your feet before getting tired of the motion and rolling across to a workbench that you and Yunho had managed to craft out of a multi-shelved storage unit abandoned on the street, clearly another Sector’s kind donation to the local community, and you were not too proud nor picky. Picking up a brake pedal - a part off a ruined Kawasaki Ninja 2H/R that the universe threw into your arms after the wreck and helped you salvage, somewhat out of respect for the beast that it had been in its heyday, somewhat because you wondered if you could make it work on a horrific Frankenstein’s monster hybrid someday, or another bike of the same make, you twisted it, metal glinting white. The weight of memories, the feeling of it pressing against the foot despite the thick layers of rubber on the boot. Everything about that bike was as hypnotising as a dancing open flame, stunning, an engineering masterpiece, and one that you were praying to revisit, re-experience even if it was the last thing you were to ever do. Perhaps in a distant dream. Replacing the component in a top drawer of the bench, you got to work on signing off on the work completed, not that anyone even had a legal signature anymore, it was more of a quick doodle to hint at the work completed, just in case if the rider were to find themselves too far away, and had no method of fixing faults and could not recall the mods made. As if that would ever happen; you exhaled sharply, finishing the swift sketch and folding the paper in half, then into quarters and dropping the pen to let it hit the back wall. It was suspiciously peaceful at the OC, you concluded, unsettling. Only Yunho going about his business, the artificial cylindrical suns, and the neon climbing from the outside and coating the front entrance to the garage in shades of blue, purple and magenta.

You waited in suspense, having caught the echoes of an engine in the far distance - still a few too many blocks away from you to determine what the source of it was exactly, but nevertheless, your instincts and the obvious approach of the sound was telling you that you were soon going to find out. Shutting your eyes, you made out an odd stuttering, reminiscent of a coughing fit in a human, as if the air system was out of tune, totally whack on the poor vehicle. The heart ached. Who could possibly mistreat a bike in such a way? Clutching onto the fabric of your black cargo trousers that you had decided would be something of a uniform for you, you listened on, confused. The rumble was familiar, albeit torn up and in need of a fix. Nonetheless, this was a powerful steed, a respectable monster that you could not wait to dissect and reassemble. Hands beginning to burn with excitement, heart starting to race, you stared off into the wall, waiting for the customer to arrive and made your guesses as to what the motorcycle could be like any mechanic in need of a fun pastime would. If you guessed correctly, you were in for an exhilarating time.

Soon enough, you heard the bike grind to a halt outside of the shop, and the thump of feet hitting the concrete. Not yet looking up, you waited for the figure to approach and cross the line that marked the end of the driveway and the beginning of the garage. Hearing Yunho make a move to roll out from under the car, evidently after having seen the boots form below and recognising them, you began your own sign of common courtesy and moved to turn and stand from the stool.

“Good time of day, welcome to Outlaw Customs how may I-”

“Rear wheel is busted and the mudguard’s wrecked on the right edge, and the spark plugs need replacing - totally fouling. Can you do that in two hours? I’m on a tight schedule.

You froze, the politeness caught in your throat and fizzling out to be replaced with an astonishment at the crudeness. Raising your head to let yourself inspect the man before you fully, you found that he looked every bit like the arrogance that had oozed from the first words he spoke to you. The flashy black and orange outfit, the glimmering belt buckle, the damn chains… the usual lowlife from a gang who had nothing better to do than to be the pretty boy. Slowly, your hope for the particular bike you had placed mental bets on dissipated, to be replaced by a wish that this hoodlum had a standard no-name, beat up and totally not worth the money ride that you could half-ass and let him disappear.

With a sigh, you heaved yourself forward, approaching the biker with a cold resolve and purposefully taking your time with every movement, seeing as the less you had to speak, the higher were the chances that you were not going to cuss this man out and focus on the work you had set out for you. Knowing the bikers from these parts, either they were too knowledgeable and could diagnose correctly enough, or they were so utterly wrong that you wanted to bash their head in. Time would tell which one of the two this guy was. Before you could get a word in, much to your fortune, Yunho was by your side and wiping his hands to give the black-haired man a firm handshake. You noted that the visitor was shorter than your boss, giving you a slight inner satisfaction for an unknown reason, but you bit any remarks back and remained stone faced, seeing as you were not sure just how hostile this man was going to be towards you.

“Seonghwa, long time no see!” your boss greeted the man who now had a name, very animated, amiable. You raised an eyebrow, tilting your head in a silent question.

“I see you have a new hire. Business doing well?” being addressed in third person was unsettling, but it was better than attempting to hold eye contact with the biker who gave you the urge to forget professionalism and throw a punch at lightning speed. It was hilarious how quickly your instincts returned to you in such circumstances.

“Guess you could say that, thanks to her, mainly.” with a playful smugness Yunho responded, placing a hand on your shoulder. If you did not know better, you would think that he was showing off, but his glance at you, a quick check, and his gestures made you think of your brother. Bittersweet, but still a fond series of chapters.

“Oh?” it was impossible to tell whether Seonghwa was mocking you or just taking the piss of the tenseness that he brought with him, but the bugger dared to pretend to be pleased with your presence, nearly making you scowl. But you were too good at treating people with an unnerving neutrality, so an unperturbed mechanic ready to inspect the ride you remained, much to the biker’s dissatisfaction.

You could tell that he put up a front of sorts, an attention-seeking, egoistic and merciless front, the presentation of the mentality of a murderer on the road, the man who would not hesitate to lead you into a ruin just for laughs. It was always fun to dismantle the nerve cells of such bastards; all you needed was his bike. His eyes found yours quickly enough, confident, unwavering, and your lips curled into a close-mouthed smile as if you were not just pondering the destruction of his ego. A flash of what could only be described as curiosity passed over his irises, and you swore you saw his pupils adjust as if they were a camera lens ready to capture you. His gaze travelled down your body and back up again, studying you, taking you in, settling on the tattoos that adorned your forearms and were revealed by you having pushed up the sleeves of the black turtleneck you were wearing. What was he searching for, you asked yourself before you noticed the solitary, dangling earring on his left ear discovering a single silver feather on its end. Of course he had to be a Blue Bird. Of course he had to be a so-called peace keeper of the city. No wonder he was so full of himself, at least upon first meeting. Now you really wanted to see his bike.

“Motor master, I tell you. Can sort out your beauty in no time.”

“I’ll believe it when I see it.” Seonghwa squinted, earning an eye roll from your boss.

“Got you, yeah. Anyways, meet Y/N,” the man turned to you once again, seeing how your expression remained unchanged, “she’ll be finding common ground with your bike from now on. “Noticing how neither of you spoke nor made a move to greet, Yunho raised his hands and continued while ambling back to the car, “Now, now, don’t talk over one another, you will have plenty of time to chat.”

“So,” you began, not wishing to remain unproductive any longer and wanting to rid yourself of this client as soon as possible, “Seongh-”

“Mars.”

“Mars?”

“You address me as Mars.” he commanded, crossing his arms, the corner of his lip curling up as you searched for the right response, but quickly falling as you suppressed the desire to sneer and merely adjusted yourself to the pesky, petty demands. You had met worse, much worse than the urban chic version of hierarchy and names. Mars was something you could deal with easily enough, and gave you a lot more insight than Seonghwa could imagine.

“Mars, care to show me your bike?”

“Mm. Follow me, Y/N.” he emphasised your name, as if the fact that you did not have a title nor a nickname gave him some odd power trip - to be frank, it would not be surprising if this actually was the case.

As you followed him out to the front, you noticed his gait was ever so slightly out of balance, a miniscule limp, likely following an injury. Again, something so common with your customers, but made you soften up the tiniest bit - in some senses Seonghwa reminded you of a wild animal that was pretending to be strong. Frustrating, yes, but he was out there trying his best to survive in the way that he knew and could. Much like everybody else, including yourself. You kept your gaze trained on the man’s back as you walked on until you very quickly found yourself right in front of the beast whose roar you had heard from all that distance away. You broke into a full grin, making Seonghwa’s brows knit together as he became perplexed. As it turned out, your prediction was more than right, and before you was a gorgeous, sleek, though having seen some battles, Suzuki Hayabusa. Customised, adored and kept pristine from what you could see. The damage that the motorised excellence had sustained looked to be new, perhaps even acquired a mere couple of hours ago, but other than that the steed was the closest you had seen to true love in Night City. It was clear that despite Seonghwa offering not the best impression, the bike told a different story, and as you crouched down to briefly inspect it at proximity, you nearly gasped. Each valve, each tiny detail was treated with kindness and affection, as if this man spent every spare moment only caring for it. The paint did made you want to giggle, however. Aside from the signature hanja for peregrine falcon, purposefully highlighted with neat strokes of paint to highlight the engineering finesse and power contained in the supreme machine, the motorcycle was completed in a dual tone, with the majority of the body done in a midnight black, and the detailing and smaller body components being done in a copper orange - stunning complement to the outfit of the rider, a full unit of owner and two-wheeler. One body, one mind. If you could start your first impression here, your thoughts of Seonghwa would be a lot more friendly, you determined. But that was the beauty of being a mechanic, you got to know people a lot closer, in secret, unknown to them. This man had a soul on fire. A soul he was attempting to hide, a soul that manifested itself in one of the fastest production motorcycles. And a soul that most certainly knew what was wrong with its metal body - the diagnoses were pleasantly accurate.

“What are you smiling for?”

“Hm, let’s get this beauty in the garage, yeah?”

He obliged, but still did not let you touch the vehicle as he pushed it along until you told him where to leave it. Occupying an old armchair right by the platform where you fixed the bike in place, Seonghwa watched your every move, scrutinised you as you started your work on the Busa, impatient. It was customary for the bikers that came to OC to remain here like a spouse waiting for their loved one to come out of surgery, but his predator-like focus was beginning to get unsettling and ruined your concentration. You could not speak to the bike in front of you, you could not gain its trust while its owner was staring you down like you were about to tear everything apart and turn the motorcycle into scraps. Letting a tool fall onto the mat that you had rolled down on the floor, you raised your head an deadpanned to the man, catching him off-guard:

“It’ll be three hours since I expect you want the guard done up all pretty. Get me jjajangmyeon from the place down the street and I might speed it up to your optimistic two.”

Yunho’s guffaw resonated across the shop as he heard your statement and imagined the shocked look on Seonghwa’s face upon receiving the daring request. Indeed, the man was more than taken aback, curious as to how important you deemed yourself to talk to him in such style. But at the same time, it was beyond amusing. The cheek, the attitude behind a cold and monotone sentence was alluring. There was something more to you than what Yunho had proposed, and that was reassuring. Perhaps you did have the right energy to find common ground with his priceless Suzuki. Still, the first word to escape him as he recoiled from the jab was an airy question of:

“What?” quickly countered with:

“They do late night deals. Half price. If you get there within the next half hour that is. Get Yunho and yourself a bowl while you’re at it and I’ll get the job done to fit your busy schedule and be enviable.”

“Boss, are you hungry?” you called out to Yunho, who was still giggling from under the vehicle, making it appear as if the car itself was caught in a comedy.

“Aye.”

“Done then, Mars, would you be a dear and do an orbit there and back?” you could not stop yourself from bringing his chosen, given or acquired through a brutal climb name into the mix. The opportunity was just too much of a low hanging fruit to not take it.

You were playing with fire, that much was certain. You could tell that he was contemplating putting you on a hitlist; not something that you were not used to, seeing as you were still in a client-facing role even if a lot of your time was spent with silent steely beauties. But you took a risk with Seonghwa, you ceased to be careful, spurred on by the euphoric prospect of treating the customised, souped up and customised Hayabusa, and took a shot in the dark with your forwardness. As the blood that was pumping in your ears got louder with every passing moment, and you began to doubt whether this was the right call to make to get some along time with the steed, Seonghwa stirred after his ponderings. Rising from the armchair, the chains that adorned his neck glinting under the lights, he stretched more for show than for comfort and exhaled through his nose, suppressing a chuckle.

“Ask for jjamppong on top of that and I will snap your arms in half.”

“You are too kind.” catching him mid turn, you responded, making him look back, and give you a playful, mischievous glance over his shoulder, almost boyish, as if the two of you were good friends that were used to the banter.

Releasing a breath that you did not realise you had been holding after the man disappeared from view, you returned to the Suzuki that was gracing your vision. Yunho’s laughter had subsided, and once again the buzz of the lights was the only thing that was between you and total silence. Diving into your work, you read the story etched into the curves, the miniscule dents, the scratches that were invisible to the naked eye but still there, hinting at just how much the bike and, evidently, the rider went through. The fixes were going to be complicated, but nothing that you could not do with what you had in the shop. You rested a hand on the engine, thinking of your next move, and of the dark glimmering orbs of the biker whose soul was still right here with you, watching, inspecting, but attempting, bit by bit, to trust that you would do the mechanical masterpiece justice. Of course you would, you were getting a late dinner for it after all. Besides, it was easy to love such a stunning bike, especially when you could see that it was truly loved by its owner. A soft smile on your face, you leaned forward and got back to dismantling a broken detail from the main body, already excited for the inner workings you would see behind it; the closest thing to true light that one could get in the sadistic, somnolent city of neon and night.

After the first appointment came another, and another, and more after that. The Busa almost became your personal project as what had previously been menial tasks carried out by an amateur mechanic and devilish rider, now fell to you. You knew this motorcycle better than you knew all of your tattoos, that much you were sure of. From the piping to the seating to the turbocharger you had installed, it was clear enough that Seonghwa was more than willing to let you tinker with the bike as much as he wanted you too, which with every unscheduled drop in became longer and longer. At times, Yunho would be there to participate in some idle chatter, other times, it was merely you and him on your own, either in a perfect stillness, with only the bike making the music and talking for you both, or with the occasional question thrown in either direction.

You had found out bit by bit that Seonghwa was, as you had assumed, a member of the Blue Birds - the local crew of vigilantes, from what your boss and your ghost of a boss had told you. Brutal and unforgiving, they had taken it upon themselves to maintain something of an order in the district, though you never asked for the details on how exactly they did it. You had learned over your lifetime to ask less, unless it was about mechanics; that was always a safe bet, and a point that you would always return to if you felt the conversation going into a direction that you did not wish to explore. All other inquiries normally answered themselves from what you noticed - for instance, the limp was now gone, to be replaced by rather grim looking knuckles. But again, no comment from you. It was above your pay grade. Seonghwa, at some point, had also caught onto your avoidance and tendency to cling onto bikes for conversation, but had taken it upon himself to probe further and further through what you considered to be a strong enough barrier, to figure out why exactly was one of your tattoos on the right forearm a mark that he had avoided at all costs when he was still a youngster back in the place he used to go home, many kilometres away, now reachable through highways to hell. He could not ask directly, not when you could clog up his air filters or ruin the braking system right then and there, but curiosity was getting the better of him as the weeks turned into months, and you were doing your regular check up on the Busa.

“What’s your favourite bike, Y/N?”

“Why the sudden question?”

“Why answer a question with a question?”

“Hm… yours is pretty good.” you tried to brush his inquiry away, even though your mind instantly went to the answer, and remained stuck. You could hear the engine resonate in your chest, and could feel the handles in your palms, as you gripped onto them, tighter, tighter and turned. The feeling of a machine coming to life right beneath you, ready to race into the darkness and obey your every instruction. Turn after turn after turn. Somewhere along that race, you lost your soul, and longed for it. Blinking slowly, you hoped that Seonghwa would leave the conversation where it was, but knew that he was going to do everything except that.

“No but really. Every mechanic, every biker has their favourites. Hell, even Yunho has one and he doesn’t really work on them anymore.” leaning forward to rest his head in the palm of his hand as his elbow positioned itself on his right thigh, he focused on your response, down to the body language and each one of your cells could feel it.

“Hard to pick.” Again, vague, but you wanted to get away, hide yourself. The sensation of the brakes, how the loyal companion to your every conquest could glide across the streets and halt just when you wanted it to, make impossible turns and let you caress the ground through thick gloves that have seen the wildest tricks and fastest getaways… it was all far too vivid. Too much for you to bring up while you were trying to work. Swallowing your spit, you shook your head slightly as Seonghwa commented that you were not responding to him.

“What do you want me to say?”

“What you are thinking about.”

“And what am I thinking about?” abandoning the Busa, you gave the body a wipe with towel and dropped it to the floor, raising yourself up you fell onto the spinny stool, and eyed Seonghwa right back, despising the smirk that was threatening to break out on his lips that were far to soft and lush for a damn outlaw.

“The bike. Your bike. You used to ride, didn’t you?”

“...Hm.”

“I can feel it. No need to pretend.” he had already formed his suspicions. In fact, he had put two and two together a long enough time ago. All he needed was a confirmation, a mention of that same bike that he had heard of, a name to a face that had haunted him for as long as he was leading the Blue Birds.

“Yeah. I did. Not anymore though.” your voice grew colder, dismissive as you turned to look out at the neon lights. A flicker caught your attention - the sign for the Japanese restaurant that opened and closed only when the owner wanted to was caught in a starlike sparkling, the fluctuating light making it seem as though the luminescence was alive. Alive. Curious choice of words.

“What was it?”

“It?”

“Let’s start with the bike.”

“Is this an interrogation?”

“Just curious, no biggie.”

Afraid of what you could say if you were to dive into elaborating your memories and sentimentality, you stood up and walked to the work bench, retrieving the component that you had brought with you to the city, and kept it with you at all times. Giving it one last look, you strode over to an expectant and enthusiastic Seonghwa, motioning for him to stretch out his hands. As you watched him inspect the item, turning it and checking each nook and cranny, your heart felt heavy. Was it really that long since the brake pedal was attached to the swift stunner? A glorious ink black, with piping of the skeleton completed in a vibrant poisonous green. A nightmare. Your love, your priceless dream.

“A Kawasaki?” he whispered half to himself. So it was how he had indeed attempted to predict.

“Kawasaki Ninja H2R.”

“Two hundred and twenty-eight kilowatts without ram-air?”

“I played around with that.”

“Sure you did. Wow. Really that’s pretty.”

“Mhm.” you took the brake pedal from Seonghwa’s hands, returning it back to the drawer.

Suddenly, it all felt too real. The last moments raw, the feeling that the motorcycle was still with you, still outside, parked and patiently waiting for you, was too clear in your head that you had attempted to train to believe that that stage in your life was over. Done. Finished. You had crossed the metaphorical finish line and that was all there was to it. But Seonghwa was not letting up, instead choosing to dig into the wound and watch as blood began to trickle.

“Now that explains it.”

“What?” you knew you were going to regret asking, but did so still.

“The tattoo.”

“What tattoo?” your eyes narrowed as you propped yourself against the bench and crossed your arms.

“The one on your arm. The right one.” he pointed as if he just won a game of spot the difference, leaving you irritated.

“What of it? I have many.”

“Not one that belongs to the Black Pirates. I am no fool, Y/N. I’ve seen the mark before and truthfully, I am surprised you are still alive.”

“I am too.” you huffed, finding your boots to be awfully interesting.

“Sacrificed the bike?”

You did not answer. You did not want to answer because it was clear that Seonghwa could answer the question for you. And for that, you loathed him in that given moment, despite overall finding his company to be almost comforting in recent weeks. In reality, the Kawasaki saved you from utter demise. Sliding on its side across the highway at record speed, sparks flying in the air and the screeching penetrating through your helmet to embed itself into your bones, the bike made it seem as though you were truly done for when, as luck would have it, you had gotten away with only a few scratches and a lot of foliage clinging to the torn up leather you had worn. As you had made your leap off the out of control beauty, the hero fighting its last battle it collided with cement to split and crumble into smithereens, the fuel tank pierced and beginning to seep out the fluid. A couple of gunshots later, and the bike was caught aflame, and all you could see from the group below where you had fallen, was the occasional licks, smoke and more sparks, your soul departing the metal body. The brake pedal, by some odd circumstance, had flown off and landed in your direction, nearly crashing into your visor. You had cradled it in your hands, sliding down on your back further and further to the moist earth beneath the highway until you were totally concealed from all viewpoints, hidden by pillars and rusted armature. When you were sure that those who you had called family, called friends, called comrades sped away, confident that you were there splattered on the cement and roasting, thanks to the bag that had been left on the seats serving practically as a dummy, you had begun to weep, never knowing for what, but certain that you were not yourself anymore. You had died.

Unbeknownst to you, as your vision blurred and mist settled to accompany the rising melancholia, Seonghwa had risen from the armchair and cautiously stepped closer and closer to you, until he was barely an arm’s reach away. Gaze drifting, you only took notice of the change when the knuckles came into view. Those bruised, bloodied knuckles, obviously treated by a person who knew nothing about caring for themselves. Silly man. A silly, silly man who wanted to put up a front; a front that might just have been yours, and your family’s ruin.

“Hey, are you-”

“No.” you retorted before he could accentuate what you deemed to be your weakness. Pushing yourself off the bench you were about to make a beeline for somewhere, anywhere, make up and excuse, but felt a gentle hand wrap around your wrist. Shocked, you stilled yourself and attempted to tug, only feeling the grip getting stronger until Seonghwa pulled you towards him, so that you would be face to face.

“I-... I��m sorry. I know how much this hurts and-”

“Do you?” cold, you hissed.

“...I can see it. I am sorry for your loss. And I am sorry for making you relive it.”

A smile, ones that graced those who had little to lose and little to wish for except perhaps a restart as another person, in another body, in another time and life, melted over you as you tested the strength of Seonghwa’s hold another time. Not budging. You did not dare to check his expression, for you knew that it would make you crack.

“Do you need any-”

“One more word and I will snap your arms in half.” recalling your first meeting, you muttered the empty threat.

“You are too kind.” he echoed, deliberating whether to give himself up to the urge and pull you closer.

So it was you who he had heard about after all. The demon on the roads, Icarus who had gotten too close to the sun of power, and was violently shoved from the pedestal of grace and familial leadership into the torment, into the abyss, stripped of all you knew and had. He had learned about you through fable-like gossip that his childhood friend, who caught up with the wrong crowd and became a member of the Black Pirates had shared over a couple of drinks when Seonghwa had visited. Same night he had shared that he wanted to leave, but as it had turned out, he was someone not quite lucky to make an escape and someone who Seonghwa was meant to forget. But besides the passing of another, someone who he could not save even though he tried, never did he think that the beast on the Kawasaki would be you. The you that he had come to know. The sensitive, albeit snarky and strong-headed you. The you who was a gifted mechanic, a woman who breathed the craft, the art, the science, the life that was that of a biker. Never before did he see anyone treat the Busa with such respect, nor make such accurate guesses about the fights and chases that it had participated in. Looking back, it should have been obvious that you had a history. You knew more than you ever let on. Perhaps you knew Seonghwa like he knew the streets of Night City, and now, your true past.

“The… yeah the Hayabusa’s done. By the way.” you tried to veer the conversation away, and fortunately this time, Seonghwa agreed.

“Thank you.”

“Standard rate.”

“Yep.”

“Everything is sort-”

“May I-”

You shot him an aggressive, piercing gaze, threatened by the change in tone. Far from his usual upbeat lilt, it was deeper, slower, sticky and sweet like molasses and you did not want to get pulled in. You clambered for air, for any relief away from his man, the man who had so openly shared his soul with you. He stammered and cleared his throat, finally letting go of your wrist. The sharp change in temperature was nearly unwelcome as the ghost of his soft fingers remained, caressing your flesh.

“Would you want to join a patrol now?” the inquiry, hanging in the air, dangling like a treat as the adrenaline rushed across your body. You had to feel guilty, surely, after having mourned the loss of your beloved Kawasaki and just revisited its final minutes, you had no right to be looking forward to another rush. You did not need it. You should not need it nor want it. And yet, you found yourself nodding almost immediately, much to Seonghwa’s delight. A reassuring warm hand on your upper arm, a lean forward letting Seonghwa catch your glossy eyes, him asking when you can close up shop and you mumbling that you were done for the day, or night. It was alway nighttime. The soothing blanket of navy blue, sleepy over the streets that you were about to explore under Seonghwa’s guidance.

As the dark haired man settle on the bike and appeared to adjust his wristwatch, holding his helmet while you found a spare displayed on one of the shelves - showed marks of wear and tear but good enough for a couple rides more, he felt his heartbeat turn erratic, and what was normally a bearable thrum turn into an erratic, unbelievable pace that only amplified in his skull and quickened once your arms were wrapped around his torso, holding onto him, your body pressed against his. If there was ever a hazard on the road for him, it was this. Your intoxicating closeness that made him want to ride forever more, never stopping if that meant that you could stay exactly where you were. How you were. It was surreal that the rider, the legend that he had grown to respect from the tales, was the woman that he had now grown to love.

As he sped down the streets, the neon had shone down on you in different colours, a bolder, more optimistic palette that made you beam right back. You clutched onto Seonghwa’s leather jacket, seeking more support as the exhilaration began to overwhelm you. It had been far too long since the last time you felt the wind hit you in this way, you felt the engine rushing you on between the trees of the concrete jungle, the windows and doors, the stray passers-by zooming right past you as the bike accelerated. It was not the same, of course, nothing could ever be, but the feeling, that distant feeling and warm memory was enough to remind you that you indeed were alive and you had the future to look to. A future that Seonghwa wanted to help you find. Hugging him tighter, you let yourself be carried away from the shop you closed up, away from the pleasant routine you had aimed to settle into all the way towards a moment of freedom and that familiar rush.

When you arrived at the destination, which turned out to be an abandoned parking lot under an equally barren road, illuminated only by a single streetlight with two bulbs, you noticed that there were a few people already gathered, including some familiar faces who were chatting away while wheeling their rides out of what you would describe as some concealed warehouse into better starting positions. Feeling a wave of shyness, you did not move as Seonghwa stopped the bike and stretched his legs out to balance it. Only after you sense more movement, and approaching footsteps did your arms snake away on their own accord and tug at your helmet. The man seemed to sense this since, as soon as his own helmet was off, he turned to you to whisper a quick “you okay?”. You feebly nodded, and found the ground with your military-style boots.

Quickly enough, a man approached Seonghwa, and the two exchanged a handshake and a couple of words. You recognised him fast enough - while he had not come to the shop nearly enough to be considered a regular, and judging from how heavily modded his MV Agusta Rush was it was clear that he preferred to do most, if not all repairs himself, Yeosang was a memorable figure. His hair, approaching shoulder length, and the long black and red leather jacket with cutouts that flowed behind him as he hit top speed made him stand out to you, and his endearing disposition and innate warmth as he discussed all matters within your comfort made him something of a friend. He waved to you, excited that you had decided to join the patrol, agreeing with Seonghwa that it was an honour to see you on the urban tracks. You bit your lower lip, wondering just how far word about you had travelled after your supposed passing, and whether this word would travel right back down to the south again after your impulsive appearance right here, among the Blue Birds.

“So you riding with us? Right?” Yeosang finally addressed you, his voice jolting you out of your musings.

“I suppose so,” after giving Seonghwa one final look and receiving a reassuring smile, you responded.

“Great, then, follow me.” As Yeosang spun on his heel and led you towards the warehouse, you let yourself wonder out loud.

“Were you all waiting for me or something?”

“Well, yes and no. We’ve heard stories, then Mars has really taken to you and well, that comes with a lot of getting to know you, and then Yunho shared a couple things-”

“What in the-”

“Don’t be too surprised. We keep our tabs on everyone. Just in case.” he chuckled and elaborated on the miniature dossier that had accumulated - he was not going to rat out the fact that it was mainly his leader not realising that he was discussing you at longer time periods than was customary for a standard biker and mechanic relationship.

“Guess I’m a bit rusty in that department.” you pondered the networks, the informers that had existed back in your town, and how sometimes you even had to ‘do some less than appealing kinds of convincing’ to get updates, but shook the image away as you entered the dimly lit warehouse.

“Let’s hope you aren’t when it comes to riding.” You stood back, letting Yeosang turn on another lamp, something probably found in a trash pile but still functional enough to be a source of illumination, only to reveal a breath-taking beauty.

“Now, of course it isn’t the Kawasaki,” Yeosang paused, patting the seat of the black and red motorcycle that you could sense was studying you, checking if you were strong enough to handle it, “but it is still quite impressive. Aprilia RSV4-”

“1100 Factory. Grunty engine, sweet chassis. Good engineering.”

“You can say that again. Here, give it a try.”

You stepped towards the breathing machine. The beast in slumber, awaiting a boost, a nudge awake and it was ready to roar and leave all those in this lot behind. It was a captivating system of mechanisms, all working in unison to create what was going to be a revival for you. A revival on the road. As you sat down on the bike, feeling its energy ooze through you and appreciating its almost youthful vigour, your mind traversed its maze-like avenues back to the Kawasaki. This was far from your precious. Far from who you had been. Far from the soul that you had lost back then. Gorgeous, without a doubt, an astounding piece of work that the streets would be grateful for gracing them, but that was how you had to treat it. As much as a part of you desired a renaissance, that same thrill, it was obviously unachievable. Nothing was the same, nor could be, including you. The place where the tattoo of the Black Pirates still decorated your skin ached with dull throbs as you leaned forward and tested your movements, your fluidity with the motorcycle. This was going to do; this had to do for that one last thrill before you could say goodbye to the dream of re-experience - the final nail in the coffin of a phantom that had you delusionally hoping for that sense of belonging and sense of being undefeatable to return to you. The Aprilia was the Aprilia, and you were you. The need for speed, the desire to rule the roads and exist in discord and chaos had died with the Kawasaki Ninja H2R, and the you now was searching for peace. The peace that you could read in Seonghwa’s eyes. The peace that he was offering in the form of unconditional support, in the form of pieces of his own soul to ignite the one you were patiently cultivating in your hollow chest. To let the blaze warm you, nurture the affection you yearned for, and let you breathe again. You gripped the handles of the bike, and turned on the ignition, casting a permission-seeking side glance to Yeosang, who merely nodded. As it rolled out of position and you flipped the foot that anchored it in balance, and let yourself be regarded by Seonghwa and his fellow bikers, the revelation finally came, that this was the new life that you had hoped for. The life that you had wanted to experience, not a reworking, but a clean slate. A new home that you hoped to discover in Night City.

Once everyone was in position, and Yeosang gave you a helmet that was fitted with a communication system that let the Blue Birds converse while on patrol, you followed Seonghwa out, having been given a designated position and role in the formation. It felt like the old times, but in reverse. Instead of organising havoc, the group was organising peace. Instead of planning heists, the group was hoping to stop crime that happened under the noses of those who purposefully disregarded it, focusing on new age delinquency that manifested itself as banal expression and creativity. The city was different now, it had to be. Suddenly, you were astounded and amazed by it, by the intricacies of every corner, the affection with which the citizens of the sector had decorated their storefronts and windows, even though if a government-arranged bust was to be organised, and the forces, nicknamed the Guardians were to march down these streets, these homes would be the first to be annihilated. Risking their own lives these marvellous people decided to spread joy and share colour. There was hope in Night City, there was hope in this district where the desire to live and thrive could not be put out.

Blue, purple, magenta, pink, orange, yellow, red, green, purest white and inkiest black, every shade and every saturation was jumping out at you even through the visor. You felt at ease, one with your surroundings as Seonghwa’s soothing voice issued the final command before the group were to split, leaving you, Seonghwa and Yeosang alone and zooming down the central street, empty from the lack of business after a particularly nasty raid. You noted remnants of shattered glass and a charcoal black storefront, one of the downsides of living in an area where law was more questionable than local dealings. But even then, you felt more alive than before.

“How are you feeling, Red?” a nickname thought of on the spot for ease of callouts thanks to the accents on the Aprilia.

“Good, Mars.”

“Good?” Yeosang echoed, and you could swear you heard an amused giggle from his mic.

“Very good, Greece,” you would never not be amused with the choice of name for your friend, the word ‘sculpture’, to highlight his heavenly visuals, had apparently been deemed too long to work.

Seonghwa could hear the joy in your voice, stronger than he had ever experienced it before, even when you joked around with him or revealed to him a particularly high quality part that Jongho had produced by some unmentionable connections. Previously, there had been barriers that you had accumulated with each season of your new existence, hardened by your trials and tribulations as a person who technically was not supposed to exist. Less talk, more business. Less emotion, more control over your behaviour, your being in the effort of maintaining an image of strength, much like he had done when he had first met you.

When Seonghwa had first laid eyes on you, you seemed to be the closest thing there was to a human version of ice. You appeared to be dismissive and disinterested in him, in what he could bring, and that was vexing. He, as Mars of the Blue Bird gang, had gotten used to have the room freeze as he walked in, only to combust into hot flames an instant after, but definitely not come face to face with someone who was sombre, and with their lack of a reaction made Seonghwa feel as though, in reality, he was not that important. He had made a promise to himself after finding out about the Kawasaki rider of the Black Pirates, that if there was anyone he would listen to and learn from, it would be them. From the technique to the daredevil spirit, that was the kind of rider he had always wanted to be. At the same time, as days turned to weeks turned to months, and the image of you and the rider became one in his mind, Seonghwa came to understand that truly, the rider was an illusion. A fantasy that he had built in his mind that could not compare to the wise woman that had transformed his Hayabusa, and his own heart. He wanted to learn you, and learn anything else with you. And to hear the spark within you, to feel your passion for finding yourself begin to return to you was the final sign that he needed to fully comprehend what he had been searching for. For that smile to never leave your face, for him to bring you food just because, for you to be side by side in this race against harsh reality, fighting the odds and making it through to a land where there was true light, away from the land of neon farce.

As you sped down the neverending roads, checking each turn and alleyway for activity, an odd trepidation crept into your chest, and fluttered like a moth fighting for its spot on a bulb. The same feeling as when you had been out with your so-called crew, checking the outskirts of your hometown that fateful night. Your inner alarm rolled out of a restless sleep, and began to clang against your brain, once, twice more and more until it became unbearable and you cried out for the group to stop. The unexpected call startled the duo, and they barely had time to process the action as the three of you instinctively skid to a halt, leaving hot trailmarks on the road. A hum. An unsettling hum that came before a certain ruin spread across your surroundings, and you took off your helmet to tune into it in an attempt to decipher anything at all. Seonghwa and Yeosang followed suit, perplexed, contemplating you as you darted from one side to the other turning your head and getting a grasp of what could be the source of the thrum. A revving. A sickening revving in the far distance, picked up by you as you whispered to your team.

“You hear that?”

“Hear what?” Yeosang asked back, running a hand through his hair.

“The hum.”

“Hum?”

“Where are we right now?”

“Southernmost district, kind of outside of Night City, but still our area.” Seonghwa responded promptly, alerted by your concern.

“We need to leave.”

“But the patrol-” Yeosang tried to argue, but you cut him off.

“Now. We need to leave now.”

“Why?”

The engines became even louder, and if you were not going to move now, you would never move again.

“Surveillance Point South, Guardians Helmets on, MOVE!” you commanded, disregarding any hint of formality as you shoved the helmet back onto your head and twisted the bike to go back. The men followed suit, and in good time, as in one of your mirrors, you saw the first flash of white appear from around the corner.

“GO!”

Bless technology, bless the engineers who crafted these magnificent motorcycles; you were praying and praising every person who had ever contributed to the creation of these beauties, these roaring urban animals as you accelerated to top speed in seconds and swerved down a random street, one that you had no clue where it led to. Calming yourself to the level where you were able to ask a question, you hurriedly shouted into the mic:

“Mars!”

“Turn right at the end, Greece flanks on the left.”

“Gotcha chief.”

“Update on tail?” You continued as the initial wave of automatic movements subsided, and in came the need for fast, adaptive strategy. You were not about to make the same mistakes again. This could not happen. You had to trust yourself, trust Seonghwa and Yeosang. They should not suffer the same way you had done. Ever.

“Five Guardians. Gear - standard. They were not expecting us.” Yeosang communicated back, pressing himself into the motorcycle as the three of you sped down the street only to burst into another and swerve to the appointed direction.

“Well that’s a plus,” you huffed and accelerated more after completing the dangerously sharp turn. The Guardians were quick to repeat the motion, and were aggressively catching up to your trio.

“There’s a highway under construction, we can lose them there.” Seonghwa offered, clearly disturbed by the closeness of the forces, practically breathing down his neck.

“How far?”

“How fast can you go?”

“Lead.” a quick ‘yes’ in agreement, and Seonghwa issued an order:

“Greece, split on the fork and find Crow. If you get a tail then spiral the shit out of them.”

“Aye.”

“Good luck.” With one last wish, serving as a hopefully temporary farewell, Yeosang rolled away his own response blending into static as the connection grew weaker, only to fully break:

“Good lu-”

And just like that, it was you, Seonghwa, and four remaining Guardians, who evidently had decided that Yeosang was not their main target, leaving only one to tail him. You cursed under your breath, and clearly the mic was a lot more sensitive than you had initially expected, because as soon as the utterance left your mouth Seonghwa’s voice reverberated against your eardrums.

“Just a bit more, okay? Trust me we’ll get there-”

A gunshot stops the man mid-sentence, and you blindly followed him as he countersteered to make another sharp turn into a much more narrow street, forcing the group of four to slow down considerably and giving you an extra few valuable seconds.

“Are guns part of standard gear?” Shocked by the similarity between the gang you had been part of and your present followers, you managed to ask.

“Yes, unfortunately.”

“Well isn’t this a fun time.”

“Glad you are enjoying it. Turn in five then turn left.”

Before you knew it, you were entering the meandering manoeuvre from street to alley to a series of pedestrian passageways, fully expecting Seonghwa to still be by your side, but as you entered another road, zooming ahead, you took note that your partner was nowhere to be seen, along with another two Guardians. The ones behind you, thanks to the maze of stairs and tight spots down the path he had directed you through, the Guardians were trailing behind, the distance having grown to a more secure one, at least until you felt the bike, which you were not totally used to, hit a pothole on the road and start to wobble, forcing you to overreact - counterintuitive to any professional behaviour. Your yelps finally made Seonghwa return through the speakers asking as to what exactly happened. To the best of your ability you choked out the cause of your surprise, while loosening your grip and regaining at least some control by slowly rolling off the throttle.

“I leave you for one second and that happens?”

“Last time I was alone and being chased I-”

“Did not have me, to your left-” As you had balanced yourself out and returned to breaking any speed limit imaginable, you noted the familiar black and orange Hayabusa merge into the lane to your left, followed by one Guardian.

“Where is their friend?”

“Took an arrow to the knee,” out of the corner of your visor’s allowable view, you saw Seonghwa accelerate until he was a little in the front and he waved what could only be a particularly menacing pistol.

“That is one hell of a bow.” You pondered when and where he could have produced a gun from, and finally realised why most of the time he kept his jacket zipped up unless he was off vigilante duty.

As you approached the winding highways-to-be, you swore you were barely breathing. With only three Guardians remaining on your tail it should be easier, an escape should feel closer, but you could not settle into any form of focus, instead only speeding towards an oblivion. Another one, your final one. The fear that you had been living with, the repetition that you had wrongfully longed for, was it about to happen? You fell quiet as you saw the road curve higher and higher to another level, and followed its flow. Seonghwa let you flow forwards, turning back to return the gunfire that the white-clad spawns of the so-called law restarted, missing one by a few centimetres, but in this way forcing them to enter the same state from which you recovered. Luckily, they did not have as reflexive of a control over the vehicle, and toppled to veer and hit one of the borders, denting it and giving up the chase. Two to go.

Entranced by the openness of the location, you raised your head to find a night sky, clearer than the one you were used to back in Night City. It was similar to the countryside around your hometown, how the stars came around to glint and help you recollect your thoughts by emphasising that everything on this earth, compared to the infinite expanse of the universe, was small enough to brush off. It had always made you feel briefly light, relieved, free. How you wished you could fly-

“Ready to fly?”

“Literally?” you cried out, returning back to the matter at hand.

“I sure hope you remember how to recover from a high jump on a bike because that is our only chance.”

“What the-”

“Three.”

“Two.

“One.”

“May the suspension system be ever in our favour,” you muttered, embracing the oncoming drop as you avoided the cones that marked the end of the construction zone and led into a drop onto the highway below.

Your mind cleared, and you focused on the head level balance point in front of you, which just so happened to be the straight line of the horizon. Your body moved back to ease the weight on the front end, and as you saw the drop come into view, raised yourself up on the foot pegs and pushed with all your might, bending your legs into the motion as you felt the suspension respond to you and compress before rising again. Instantaneously, you blipped the throttle, giving the Aprilia that final burst, propelling you and lifting you right when the front wheel hit the jumping point you had marked out. Keeping your head up, you let yourself feel the arc that you made together with the bike, eagerly watched your surroundings blur as you continued your calculated fall, and giggled as you heard Seonghwa let out a loud proclamation of “awesome!” as you landed the jump and remained fully in control of the temperamental steed.

The Guardians had stopped themselves before the leap, clearly not having the borderline death-seeking move programmed into their ridiculous training schemes, nor into their own obedient, law-abiding cells. With the southernmost district, and as such, the Guardian patrol point long behind you, it was now a matter of finding a place to slow down and figure out a safe way home. You laughed airily as the adrenaline egged you on, making you feel like you could take on the entire world, your gang of traitors and snakes, and the masked tyrants that had been chasing you and all that you considered valuable in your new chapter. You survived. Finally, you survived.

When the empty highway hinted at an exit on the other side, in unspoken agreement the two of you hopped the inexistent border between lanes and swerved into the turn, re-entering the city from a different angle, fully avoiding the southern district. As neon began to occupy your vision once more, the lines of blue, purple, magenta starting to line the streets of your home, you let out a sigh of relief, coming down from the rush of a good chase. As soon as the two of you ensured that there was no hint of Guardians in your vicinity, Seonghwa signalled for you to slow down and stop in a secluded square that was located between the outstretched segments of an abandoned residential block, the doors taped shut with signs proclaiming ‘demolition’ plastered over fading graffiti.

Hopping off his bike and leaving the helmet and gloves on the seat, he rushed to help you out, the exhaustion from diving headfirst into something that had not been in your active arsenal for a while. Wobbly legs, dizziness and an urge to listen to gravity for once nearly had you stumbling off the bike and onto the cracked pavement, if not for the strong arms, stabilising you by positioning themselves at your waist, and bringing you flush against Seonghwa’s toned body. Through the haze of a numbing fatigue, you could finally make out the slightest tang of gun smoke, blending with an aroma of a sweet perfume, pronounced as he had burned up from the prolonged pressure and thrill. Smoke and vanilla. And you were alive to take it all in. You raised your arms, searching for him, trying to feel out an anchor in the renaissance, clamber out of the ashes that were still coating you in a weight of a past that you had now shed. Fingers flittering across the black tank top, left exposed as he had unzipped the jacket, travelled around his sides to find his lower back and hook themselves together. You let yourself be consumed by the feeling of safety, the feeling of having overcome yourself and finding someone, the one person who was ready to pick you up again. Your body shook as a sob that you were unknowingly holding back flew from your now light heart and into the omniscient night, but all you could feel was warmth. A reliable embrace that was going nowhere, a man who knew who you were, who you had been, and let you decide for yourself who you wanted to become-

“Mars-” you mumbled, pressing your face into Seonghwa in an attempt to let the fabric swallow your emotion.

“-Seonghwa.”

“Huh?” you wanted to look at him, at his dark eyes that held the sky, the universe within them, but the soothing circles that he was drawing on your back as he began to rock gently while keeping you in his arms made you remain in the same position, right against him. With him.

“Seonghwa. Hwa. Whatever nickname you think of but… just. Seonghwa, Y/N. Call me Seonghwa.” you chuckled through the tears that started to decorate your cheeks, earning a confused hum from the biker.

“I’ll think about it.”

“Cheeky.”

“At least we are not threatening each other with grievous bodily harm anymore.” you tried to squeeze him in a way to emphasise your joke, but earned a surprised pained yelp from the man, followed by a pursing of the lips as you darted to face him.

“Seonghwa?” it was obvious that the new address made him soften considerably, but your worry did not subside. “Are you hurt?”

“It’s nothing really, regular st-”

“Where, Seonghwa, where?” you used his own name against him, forgetting your own overwhelmed state and turning your attention to him.

He was entranced by the way your eyes glistened in the darkness, how the tears that stained your cheeks were only adding to your image. Nothing would make him look differently at you. Nothing ever. And if he had to race against time itself to be able to hold onto you like this, he would do it. He would fight all of the Guardians and Black Pirates combined if it meant that you could smile. You needed to smile. He tried to ease the concern, but the wound that he had acquired during the chase was becoming nearly unbearable. Instead of fighting you, he tilted his head to his left and lifted his arm while keeping the other on your waist. Getting the hint, you flipped the bottom of the cropped jacket and gasped as you saw torn material, reddened, irritated skin, and a mixture of coagulated and still-trickling blood concentrated around where what could only be a bullet grazed Seonghwa’s stunning, tanned skin.

“What the- and you are just here? Standing? You need treatment, stat!” admonishing his self-disregard, you leaned to inspect the wound more closely, only to have Seonghwa attempt to flip the jacket back and dig his fingers into your side.

“I am fine, I swear-”

“Do you know anyone who can fix this?” not quite in the know of any medical terms, you resorted to treating the wound as though it was a damaged component, except a lot more distressing, and obviously causing a lot more lateral harm than any scratch or even piercing tear could to cold metal.

“...Not really, no,” after a long pause, he responded. Lowering his arm, Seonghwa returned to his previous hold, except this time, moving until his face was only centimetres away from yours.

“Well then, you know me, I have a first aid kit at my cave.” your voice quivered as you at the man before you. You could tell, he was new too, also reborn from the chaos. Neither of you could predict, but it was obvious that now, that light that you had been chasing was within reach.

“So you can fix bikes and people?”

“Bikes, yes. People? Not really. But I would like for you to see another day please.

“It really isn’t that bad.”

“Then why are you in pain?”

“Because I have been staring at your lips for the past minute and still have not kissed you.”

You blinked once, twice as whatever words were in your throat remained there and fell right back down to be set on fire by what you could only describe as the blowing of multiple fuses. You were not quite sure when the two of you managed to lean so impossibly close to one another, but your arms were fully relaxed, having succumbed to the sensation of his hands dancing across your hips testing the waters, and your vision was occupied by Seonghwa, and Seonghwa alone. His gaze, once again, trailed down from your eyes down to your lips, slow, confident alluring. Ignoring whatever pain he was experiencing, dulling it with a different, more tantalising ache. With your breathing growing more shallow by the second, you were not sure what to expect of Seonghwa in this instant; perhaps more accurately, you were terrified of how this would change your new life. He was taking his time as though he was reading a book, trying to decipher what you were feeling, and while he was more than ready to lean in an destroy what was left of the gap between you, your swift hands that wiped what remained of the moisture on your cheeks and a playful smirk on your lips forced him into a childish pout.

“And you won’t, unless you let me patch you up.”

“And I can kiss you after?”

“...Deal.” to hell with it all, you continued soundlessly.

As rapidly as the moment had developed, it ceased to persist, with Seonghwa detangling himself from you and telling you to grab your helmet while pressing a couple of buttons that were concealed on his wristwatch.

“What about the bike?”

“Yeo will sort out the bike. I just pinged him with the coordinates.”

“You have a spy watch?” amazed, you exclaimed.

“Nifty, huh? Blue Bird exclusive.”

“I need to speak to the engineers in your circle, I need to absorb some skills from them.”

“I can see you’ll be speaking to Yeo more and more soon, then. He is quite the techy guy.”

As you were about to hop onto the bike, you thought once more about the injury, and tapped the already seated Seonghwa on the shoulder. Flipping open his visor, the man moved his chin forward, prompting you to go on.

“Scooch back.”

“But I can-”

“No buts. You are injured, and this is a hazard,” receiving a groan in response, you refused to pause, “besides, I can’t exactly hold on to you now, can I?”

That seemed to do the trick as the previously proud, arrogant man obeyed your command and slid away from the handlebar, but as soon as you were in position, revealed that potentially, it was not you winning here as he relished in the opportunity to embrace you for the entire trip back to OC, occasionally distracting you by letting his hands roam your torso, leaving you dangerously close to pulling over. But you had enough experience of being stoic, and Seonghwa still had much to learn about you, so you kept a steady speed, and greeted the luminescence of your neighbourhood with a relaxed rumble of the Hayabusa.

As you turned on the lights to your studio apartment and the two of you took off your shoes, you sped away to find the green case of health and all things that you were technically not supposed to have in your possession but did anyways. Funnily enough, Seonghwa’s comment had not been too far from the truth; back when you had been in the Black Pirates, a mechanic was fully expected to patch the customers up, as well as the bike, considering that both were normally against the law and had to remain undercover. Even when in certain districts the gang did bribe their way up to have a hand in decision-making, thus making it possible for the members to receive regular treatment, many had gotten used to the quick and easy drive-by healings, and would always choose to trust the person who gave life to their motorcycles over even the most qualified, certified doctor. Such was the rhythm that you had fallen into, the one that transitioned into the you in Night City through a library of skills and odd habits - like keeping the first aid kit right below the sink, the logic being that one could grab the kit, wash their hands and be ready for war, equipped with antiseptic and a plethora of improvisation techniques made up on the spot.

With Seonghwa settled on one of the foldable chairs that you kept to the side for when you wanted to sit while eating instead of leaning over the kitchen counter, you took the other, placed it right in front of the tired man and got to work. Carefully guiding his arms out of the leather jacket, you were left with a far too attractive biker, clad in only a black tank top and the ridiculously expensive chains, and the leather trousers that tightened around his legs as he wriggled a little and took a more comfortable position to sit. The earring with the feather right at the end still dangled in his ear, and his hair, ruffled but retaining some shape thanks to what you thought to be humble use of a styling gel. You needed to avoid his eyes at all costs, the burning eyes that were trained on you, and only you. It did not take an expert to guess what Seonghwa was replaying in his mind the entire time that you were around him. As you lifted the tank top and inspected what was now a dried up mass over a graze, you sighed with relief.

“Good news.”

“Good?” Seonghwa asked back, suspiciously out of breath.

“Yeah. Now, I can’t check for internal bleeding, but outwardly, this is easy enough. Seems that you got really lucky. Very. Over the top kind of lucky actually. Can’t say the same for the jacket though, but at least you are not a wine barrel.”

“Charming.”

“I’ll just clean the thing and put a big bandage on it so that it won’t get infected. I fear that most of the pain is from these old injuries though…” you absent-mindedly traced some of the hematomas, which, judging by their colouration, were well on their way to dissolving into a smoothness, with your fingertips, making the man tense up. He turned his head towards you, glancing back and forth as you inspected the collage of injuries that he had collected on his body.

“We’re fighters though, aren’t we.”

“Fighters need holidays too.”

“Right.”

“You need to park yourself in a garage and give your engine a nice break…” you joked, more to yourself as you turned to bring the green case to your lap for easier searching, keeping one hand in place to hold the cotton top up, until the finger grew tired, “hey could you be a darling and hold your own shirt for me? Cheers.”

Seonghwa jumped into action, enjoying the soft speech, and replaced your hand with his, the digits ever so slightly brushing against one another as he moved to hold onto the material.

“You are in luck.”

“Is that so? Even more than over the top?” ignoring his interjection, you continued:

“Uh-huh. I have hydrocolloid bandages left. This one’s actually barely noticeable, but works like a charm with weeping wounds so, get your flesh over here and you’ll be patched up in no time.” turning, he repositioned himself to allow you to clean the cut, removing some of the attached fabric that had dried with the first droplets, and leaving the redness exposed to the disinfectants, and to the patch. In no time at all, your work was done. Satisfied, you grabbed a tissue out of the packet that was sitting in the kit and cleaned the ointment and adhesive that stuck to you.

“I’m afraid I can’t help with the clothes though. Not my area of expertise.”

“You did more than enough, Y/N. And all this after racing through and out of Night City from five Guardians on a totally new bike.”

“I am a woman of many talents.”

“That’s true…” that honey-sweet, deep voice, slowing into a sultry beckoning as Seonghwa’s hand moved to rest on your knee. A man on a mission after all. You chuckled and snapped the first aid kit shut, easily sauntering from his approaches and enjoying every minute.

“You want hot chocolate?” you asked over your shoulder as you stashed the case back under the sink and shut the cupboard. Nothing was stopping you from being a good host to a very good person. Even though it was rather apparent that Seonghwa was eyeing something else on the menu, the sound of a sweet treat was rather appealing. You were right about him faking drinking coffee after all.

“Yes please.”

As you moved about the kitchen, fetching the cylindrical jar of chocolate powder and getting the coffee machine started for your own beverage of choice, Seonghwa moved to reposition the chairs closer to a table that bore the appearance of an ironing board squashed against the wall until he pulled it down and pushed the two legs at the free end out. Patiently, he admired your studio apartment, your corner of the city that was situated right above the shop. The walls were bare, only decorated with old holes from nails and with the odd scratch here and there. Minimal furniture, with the large dresser probably being donated to you by Yunho. The neatly made bed which judging by the headboard and armrests was also a small sofa, located right beside the window that was covered by wooden blinds roughly painted an off-white, was probably the newest addition to the metres of this room. Undoubtedly, the piece of furniture was acquired after you had moved here, after you had made your bosses certain that you were here to stay. And Seonghwa was going to make sure of it. Night City was now to be your new home, and when you tapped the table to alert him of the hot beverage that you had prepared, now ready and billowing steam out of the mug right in front of him, he revered how beautiful you looked, surrounded by the mechanic shop, by the streets of the district, by the city that he had despised for so long but the one that had helped him find you through mysterious serendipity.

"Thank you." he took a cautious sip, sighing in elation.

"No problem. I'll pretend that chocolate helps with internal bruising and call myself a doctor." You commented while settling beside the vigilante, making him smile.

“How’d you guess I would not want coffee?” you glanced over at your companion while taking a tentative sip once the initial temperature shock had subsided.

“You never order it.”

“But I never-”

“I think we have spent enough time together to know the basics, right?” A bolder swig, and you could feel the caffeine begin to hit your system like a nitro boost.

“Well I seem to be discovering more and more things about you every second, Y/N.”

“And how are you finding it?” you took the quietness as a chance to test him. It was barely a test, but nevertheless, too important to dismiss. The small questions, ones said in passing and ones to be forgotten were almost always the ones that were to be the most important.

“I want to learn more and more, since I simply cannot get enough.”

Momentarily bashful, you looked at the floor and thought of the garage beneath your feet. The place where you had initially determined that this same man who was now unbelievably bold in his expression of his feelings for you was to be your sworn enemy. How times changed, for the better. Regardless of the twists and turns, the ups and downs, even in the deepest night there was a light to find, and a light that was meant to be yours. This new life was your light, and Seonghwa wanted to be part of it. You grinned at the thought, and finally met Seonghwa’s smouldering gaze, fuelled by care, by determination, by the vision of a future.

“You know, I think I thought of a nickname for you, Seonghwa.”

“Oh?” he set down his mug, mirroring you.

“Yeah. I think I’ll call you mine.” you stood up, knowingly ambling to the light switch, listening to the biker following suit.

“Watch out, I might just marry you on the spot if you keep that up.”

“Well, I am not your bride but you may kiss me.”

“Y/N, you are too addictive, and will make me lose my mind.”

“Well then, are you mine?”

“In every lifetime I am yours.”

Enveloped in a new night, illuminated only by the colours that seeped through the half open blinds you ceased to think and rationalise, giving yourself up to instinct as you felt his arms wrap around your waist, twisting you from the wall, coaxing you closer to him, towards his warmth, his heart right there for you to take. It was easy to oblige and you pinched the material of his tank top, prompting him to step even closer, sure that he was practically beaming into the kiss as he nudged himself forward, lifting your head up just a little to prolong the contact. It was as though he was certain that if you were to break apart from one another, you would disappear. He wanted more, needed more. Digits tracing abstract shapes on your back, running through your hair, Seonghwa wanted to remember every detail. Just as he had said, he wanted to learn every part of you.

Lost in paradise, the kiss was electric. A hand that found itself toying with his chains, and proceeding to snake up the back of his neck to tug on his hair just enough to make him shakily exhale made Seonghwa switch his gears. A previous tentativeness, a tender exploration turned into an urgency as his tongue flicked against your lower lip begging for entrance, which you were more than eager to give. You sighed into the passionate call for more that left you breathless. And yet, in these seconds turned into an unprecedented timelessness, if you had to give up every life-saving molecule for even a fraction of nearly impossible unity, you would do it in a heartbeat. The sensation was as though you had finally woken up from a deep slumber, dragged from the somnolent abyss, and every vibration in the air was resonating with you, resonating with Seonghwa.

You felt drunk, dizzy as you guided Seonghwa to the bed, having very quickly memorised the layout of your tiny apartment to the point where you could move around even if there was not a single source of light. In a passionate blur your top was left by the chairs, while your trousers found their place right in front of the bed, together with Seonghwa’s tank top. With every flame that crossed between you, you laid yourself bare to one another, honest and open, and the vulnerability, intimacy you let yourself indulge in marked another beginning. As your nude bodies laid down onto the dark grey sheets, the both of you fervent for more but aware of the importance of honouring every step, Seonghwa suggested, feeling his side remind him of his injury:

“I think you’re going to have to take the lead here, Y/N, I’m a little bruised up.”

“Of course,” you leaned in for another kiss, smiling at the sweetness, “You ready?”

“More than.”

Seonghwa leaned against the pillows and headboard, devoured by lust as you moved further and further down until you reached his exposed member, leaking precum, hard, pleading for you to give it at least some attention. Testing the waters, you languidly rubbed the tip with your thumb in circles coating it in the translucent liquid and making Seonghwa breathe as though there was not enough oxygen. One glance back and you were in awe of the beauty before you. Eyes shut, reddened lips slightly parted, head tilted back as if he was caught in a divine act. The light from the street outside made him look all the more ethereal, and his skin, now an indescribably stunning collage of hues that had crept through the blinds, was a masterpiece that you wanted to honour with your love. As your teasing progressed into a gentle pumping, first of the tip and then with your hand sliding down the entire length, only to stop and give extra care to the base of the member, a low groan reached you - a melody that only encouraged you. Heat pooled to your core as you continued to elicit a string of indecipherable mumbles, a deep moan, and the most magnificent expressions from the man who had never thought you would even cross paths with again. How foolish you had been, masking Seonghwa’s stunning presence, response to your every action, and his eagerness to please you by whispering praises for how good you were making him feel, how amazing you looked and were, and how he was so grateful. Your prior ignorance was almost impossible to even consider now, as you let spit drip down from your mouth onto his dick, adding more lubrication and letting you increase the speed. The wanton sounds of your hand pumping Seonghwa’s throbbing cock, blended with the breaths turning shallow, any moan coming out airy, barely there, were filling you with your own desire, and your free hand quickly moved between your legs, fingers gliding along the folds, finding them to be slick, soaking, needy. You began to run your digits over your now wet clit, rolling over the nub painfully slow in a weak attempt to prevent yourself from cumming too soon, but what used to be a hint of a high only accelerated to a knot at the bottom of your stomach, pulsating and begging for fullness. With how Seonghwa’s hips began to buck up, oblivious to the bruises, the wounds that ghosted and adorned his body, you needed him.

“Hwa…”

“Mmh- yes?”

“May I… ride you?” Through phrases broken up by your choice to quicken the pace of your hand, abusing your clit until a trembling sensation spread over your legs in anticipation of an orgasm, you voiced your desire.

“Please- Y/N I- yes-” equally as shattered, Seonghwa was barely able to respond, moaning as you gave him a chance to recover ever so slightly, letting his member spring free, but more desperate than before for stimulation.

“Do you have condoms?”

“Back pocket, trousers, wallet.” he sighed, pointing at the discarded article at the foot of the bed.

“How’d you even get it in this Sector?” you asked, fishing the item out of his wallet, tearing the packaging and crawling back to unroll it.

“Con… tra… band,” he enunciated through your swift actions, biting his lower lip as he felt your heat press against him, your hand guiding the cock between your folds as you rocked back and forth.

“Vigilantes indeed. Protecting in all kinds of ways.”

“Are you kidding me?” Seonghwa groaned at the sorry attempt of a joke, his mind conflicted between the humour and the unbearable closeness of your pussy, lined up against his tip.

“I’m not the one smuggling condoms, though I have nothing to say but thank you, darling.”

Lowering yourself onto the member, bit by bit until he bottomed out inside you, you leaned forward, consumed by the euphoric feeling. Seonghwa took this as a chance to caress the side of your face, draw a line against your jaw and lead you towards him with soft fingers under your chin. Placing one kiss, another on your lips, and peppering your cheeks and nose with loving pecks, he encouraged you. He wanted to ensure that you felt loved, and only loved. When you began to move, hands finding the headboard for better balance and as a security measure so that you would not hurt Seonghwa, his gaze stayed on your face, bearing witness to the single most gorgeous view of his mortality.

He gave himself up to you, something that he would have never imagined, but something that felt so right that he was terrified of thinking how his life would be had he never met you. Seonghwa let you control the pace, and when your walls tightened around his dick with your climax fast-approaching, did nothing to stop you, deny you of the ecstasy, much to his own fortune, for the cries of his name as you reached your high and rode it out, leading him to his own heavenly demise were now permanently etched into his brain. Never before did anything of his sound so captivating. Never before did he think that he could see a light in this dark city, in his dark path. But there she was, an angel in his arms, falling forwards, a barely noticeable shake still over taking her as she nuzzled into the crook of his neck, your lustful fever accentuated by the coolness of the metal necklaces. Seonghwa kissed your cheek once again, then your forehead and the crown of your head, thanking you, adoring you, and as the minutes ticked past, finding his footing in the post-coital bliss, and nudging for you to clean up with him, so the oasis you had created in your four walls could last longer, and you could drift into the sunniest dreams in each other’s embrace.

As you laid in Seonghwa’s arms, flushed from the shower and changed into an oversized t-shirt, his leg lazily thrown over yours and breath tickling your exposed skin, you felt even more alive. As he pulled you closer to him, and with the hand that was fully on the other side of you reached out to rest his palm on the back of yours, and let your fingers intertwine, you let yourself fall into a serenity that you had never known, and listened to his heartbeat through the tee you had given him, a rhythm that you never wanted to forget, a soul that helped yours truly come back from a place of no return. Seonghwa traced the tattoos on your skin, whispering about their marvel, their story, pointing out his favourites, the details that put every piece together into one flowing design. He repeated, again and again, his adoration for you, kissing your earlobe only to say it once more, accompanied by his favourite sound: the syllables that made up your name. In rare moments like this, everything felt easy, within reach. In this time and space that existed after a revival, a self-discovery and a promise of a new beginning, you were ready to take the scenic route.

“Hwa, could you pass me the C-spanner?”

“Ah, the mechanic’s scythe, sure thing.” you rolled your eyes and grinned, accepting the tool from Seonghwa’s outstretched hand. You were working on a swanky new Yamaha that had been added to the general Blue Bird collection after a certain Aprilia had been turned into scraps in the name of security. Not that you knew anything though - after all that was not you, and you did not exist at all in the databases of the Guardians, having flown under the radar thanks to some quick camera wipes, and security checks around Night City. Your new beginning was greeting you with open arms.

As you adjusted the pre-load on the rear shock absorbers, Seonghwa noticed something that reminded him of cling film peeking out from under your sleeve and letting his curiosity get the better of him, inched towards you, around the bike and giving you barely a second to register his intentions, poked at the plastic.

“What’s that, love?”

“A little upgrade.” you smiled to yourself and continued to make adjustments to the energetic beast.

“A tattoo?” he inquired, taking the c-spanner from your hand and laying it down on the ground. You spun on your old stool to face him.

“Mhm…”

“Show me?”

“I don’t know… probably won’t be clear enough through the film and I don’t want to ruin it so…”

“C’mon Y/N, weren’t you gushing about it to me just yesterday? How Seonghwa would adore it and-”

“Don’t sell me out, bossman.” you retorted, faking a glare at Yunho who was in the depths of a discussion about component orders with Jongho and evidently, was getting more and more bored.

“And focus on the papers, Yunho.” the latter rapid-fired after you, making Yunho groan and shift his attention away.

“So?” Seonghwa nudged your foot with his, shoving his hands in his pockets. Clearly, whatever tailor he knew in this city was a magic person, because even months after the turning point in your identity, a switch in time that let you open your eyes to a beautiful new world, the beloved biker pseudo-uniform in black and orange hues was pristine, seamless, bearing no signs of any gunshots, nor of any tears nor grazes.

You stood up, and cautiously rolled up your sleeve to reveal a transparent bandage that covered your fresh ink. Another restart, another call for a new step in the form of a single blue feather, with a stunning gradient and black detailing. As Seonghwa peered at the design, open-mouthed and silent before nearly squeezing the air out of you as he hugged you as tightly as he possibly could and spun you around, you blinked away the last of your doubts that had been stuck to you from before the fateful arrival to Night City. In the most unexpected places, surrounded by the most unexpected people, time was finally on your side, and let you slowly but surely take steps towards the you that you were happy being. The you that was loved and could love. The you that turned a fresh new leaf, and was more alive than ever.

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lyracarvahall · 2 months ago

Text

HeartBeat Sync Part 33

Homeward Bound

The next couple of hours were spent moving all the luggage to the cars, driving to the airport through traffic, and loading the bags back onto the plane. Y/N was getting used to the hustle and bustle of travel, but the cameras...not quite there yet.

After spending the flight snuggled with Hongjoong and them both squeezing in a nap, they made their way out of the security gate to the awaiting vehicles. It was a short path, but one full of press. It was surprising considering this wasn't part of their official schedule.

She blended into the crowd along with the staff, attempting not to draw too much attention to herself. Hands in pockets and wearing her plum leather jacket again to cover what marks she could.

Everyone wore masks, which served to not only conceal identities and keep the team safe, but also covered her wide smiles as the members sent loving support through the bond as they made their way through the paparazzi. A few of the cameras got a little too close to her face, which lead to Hat Guy moving her forwards to be escorted in a protective procession with Mingi and Yunho in front and Jongho and San behind her. No moves were made to touch her but their stances told everyone to back off.

Once they finally made it to the driver, she gave them the coordinates to her home and nestled in the front row of seats between Yeosang and Wooyoung. Yeosang pulled her close and kissed her hair once they were far enough away to remove their masks.

"I am so glad you are safe darling." Y/N could feel his strong arm flinch a little. "We need to keep you safe." He lifted her chin with his other hand and kissed her passionately. The other members looked on in shock as Yeosang wasn't usually one for public affection.

"I'm okay, Yeosang. I just need to be more careful next time I guess. I didn't mean to scare you." She looked into his eyes and saw concern and love very evidently written across them. She planted one more delicate kiss across his lips and placed her head on his shoulder. "I'm sorry."

"Not your fault darling." He stroked her hair delicately and rubbed her back.

Once they arrived at her home, about an hour drive from the airport, she suddenly grew nervous for them to see where she lived. She knew they loved her but also knew they were used to luxury and tidiness while her place was...cluttered and older. It was her grandmother's house she had inherited when she had died and she loved it. So many memories took place here. This was basically her childhood home, so if they disapproved it would really hurt.

Wooyoung held her hand and helped her out of the van, caressing her fingers with his thumb. "You ready, sexy?" He shot her a wink and interwove their fingers.

Y/N nodded and looked around to see her eight men standing on her humble street. They definitely stood out with their expensive clothes. Before them was her single-story brick home. It stood on the corner of three streets with a nicely sized yard. Wooyoung guided her to the front door. Pulling the keys out of her purse, she placed them in the lock for the first time in over a week. How much had changed since then.

Once she opened the door, she smelled home. Placing her purse on the front entry table out of habit, she soaked in the familiarity and calm her home provided. The guys walked in and looked around.

"I love this home. There is a lot of you here." San said with a smile as he made his way to the living room sofa and looked at a framed photo on the side table. It was a photo of a teen version of herself with her grandmother. It was taken a few years before her grandmother died while they posed in the bluebonnets together. It was a yearly tradition she always had indulged in.

"That is my grandmother. This was her house. I know it isn't much, but this is home to me." Just then Seonghwa placed a peck on her cheek. "It is perfect. Just like you."

She blushed as he placed a few tiny kisses on her neck. A knock came from the front door. Not expecting anyone, she went to the door to open in and found Lexi standing there with a shopping bag in her hand with Liam standing behind her juggling a pack of moving boxes with his long arms. Lexi wore a wide grin and wrapped her bestie up in a warm embrace Y/N realized she had missed so much. She may have a lot of soulmates, but there was only one bestie. Her chocolate skin smelled like the almond lotion she always used.

"Lexi oh my god! How did you know I would be home? I hadn't gotten the chance to text you yet..."

"Your boys tattled on you. Figured it would be nice to have additional sets of hands I guess." Lexi eyed Jongho and Y/N realized he must have been the one to reach out. She gave him a look of gratitude. Lexi went on, "So what's the plan? What are we packing? What is staying? Are you selling?"

"I honestly don't know yet. Just taking the essentials for now. Keeping the house for sentiment....wait...Lexi...Do YOU want the house?" Lexi looked shocked. "Girl, this was your nana's house. I could never...."

"Lexi, you ARE my family. Gram loved you too. You are more of a sister to me than my actual sister EVER was. I would be HAPPY to have you take care of this place. You are the only one I would trust to do it." Lexi began to shed tears and wrapped her arms around her friend once again.

"Girl, you know I've got you...always. Now where do you want to start packing?" Y/N giggled at how Lexi was always ready to get down to business.

"Start with the bedroom I guess? Most of the essentials are there."

San took the boxes out of Liam's hands. "Which way baby?" She motioned to her master bedroom at the end of the hall and him and Yunho juggled the supplies and made their way there. Lexi followed, leaving Liam standing there awkwardly. Y/N skickered at how he looked confused at how to proceed.

"Liam! Can you bring me the bag with the sharpies please? I left it on the counter." Lexi shouted from the bedroom. Liam looked blissfully content to follow her command, grabbing the bag and making his way to the bedroom as well.

Wooyoung made himself at home and started making lunch for the group in her small kitchen. Yeosang was looking at the framed pictures on the wall with Seonghwa.

"Hey baby...is there things you want from anywhere else?" Mingi scratched her scalp and she melted into his touch.

"Um...I guess in terms of essentials, the studio and my bathroom?"Mingi nodded and took a couple of boxes to the bathroom with Jongho. Hongjoong made his way with a couple more boxes to the studio with a grin on his face. She was sure he was eager to see her little set-up.

Y/N followed Hongjoong into the studio and was embarrassed with her self-constructed studio. She had done the booth and soundproofing all on her own. It was her passion project and though it didn't look like much. she was proud of it.

"Honey, you did all of this yourself?" Honjoong looked around with wonder.

"Yeah. Gram let me go wild in here. Though she couldn't hear the music, she appreciated and supported my passion. She said the vibrations felt like what my heartbeat would sound like. Passionate and wild. God I miss her." Y/N wiped a couple of stray tears at the memory of nights her Gram would sit on the sofa barefoot and tap along to the beat in the studio.

"She sounds like a wonderful person, firebird. I wish I could have met the woman who made you into the wonder that you are." He wiped her tears and kissed her.

Suddenly there was a banging on the front door.

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

Who is there? Find out in the next chapter.

(Apologies this is so short.)

Taglist: @vtyb23 @yeosangsluthousewife @addi-3 @nuggiesnuggetdog04 @tyungelic @psychosupernatural @mygsis

#poly ateez #ateez x curvy reader #ateez x older reader #poly ateez x reader #soulmates

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ateez-himari · 3 months ago

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Hi bb!!!!! How are you? Happy new year even tho I'm reallyyyy late but it the thought that counts😺I wanna say thank you to the person who sent that ask cause gawd damn was that hot🙏🙏🙏

I obviously had some questions and I'll be limiting my questions to a maximum of 3 in each ask cause I really don't wanna tire you out especially after seeing that you started the year with a 6am shift, you deserve rest from both work and uni

1-Yk how some couples have the person who kind of leads in the relationship, like always takes the first step and ensures that their partner is always safe and well? I was wondering who takes on that role between minari or if they both depend on eachother when they need it

2-what was the teasers reaction to the couple photo shoot, plus did her brothers and oppas react to it as well?(yoongi is planning murder during his military enlistment)

3-do you think that hima would be a great cast member for squid game? I honestly think her personality would fit in really well and obviously she'd take on a persona but still

I love you so much bb🫵💓!! please take care, and feel free to answer whenever you want, your health is more important. May 2025 treat you well💞💞

Hi sweet!! 🥰 Happy late new year to you too! It was honestly hehe the lean absolutely ended me 🤭 Nooo don't limit your questions, I like having a bunch of them at once! It honestly gets my brain working better since that way I can 'bulk think' and just brainstorm everything at once!

Fun story about this morning before I answer; I woke up at 1am thinking it was 5am so I got up, turned on my light and almost started getting ready until my brain registered that I saw a 1 and not a 5...so I went back to bed. I swear I didn't even know what planet I was on, my body was on autopilot and I barely registered that I was out of bed-

• They both depend on one another but on different levels; one thing that's important to remember when it comes to their relationship is the fact that Himari had to be very mature for the rest of her childhood and couldn't really rely on anyone - Hanzo was shutting down, Yoongi needed to be saved, their parents worked a lot and Geum Jae was already out living his own life. While she has no problem being the shoulder for Mingi to lean on whenever he needs to, he knows that while she may not realize it she still needs a lot of support along with someone to look out for her health

Ex (coming hopefully soon); Himari developed a habit of not caring much for her health and was actively coughing up blood while producing 'Golden' (she was straining her voice too much which caused her to develop laryngitis - which made her cough for extended periods of time)

• Hongjoong and Seonghwa will forever see Hima as their little baby so they were shocked once the photos came out, they had to look twice to realize that the woman with Mingi was indeed his girlfriend (they would have beat him up if she wasn't). Yunho literally had their maknae sitting on his lap kissing him while they were filming 'Where We Fall' so he wasn't as phased as the others. Yeosang did NOT want to look - no one told him that the photos were going to be spicy so when he saw them for the first time he nearly threw his phone. San just saw two fine ass people posing with each other half naked, no one knows if he even registered it was his friends-. Wooyoung was the one that sent them to the group chat and was hyping them up so much, asking them when the next shoot would be. Jongho covered her with a blanket but did compliment how well the two posed together

Hanzo was in his sister's messages pointing out that while she chastises him for not wearing shirts in his Instagram posts she posts half naked with her boyfriend ?? Pure irony smh. He did say she looked pretty (he always does after every single photo shoot). Yoongi was absolutely fuming especially when other people serving with him that are fans of k-pop started talking about it - he wasn't mad because she was half naked, he doesn't care about that...but how dare someone touch his little baby sister like that ? Geum Jae kind of had a typical dad reaction where he was like; "oh you guys look good together...but didn't they have enough budget for clothes ?"

G-Dragon and T.O.P came across the pictures because they follow her personal account and neither knew how to react to it. There's more than a decade of difference between them, and while G-Dragon is toying with the idea of becoming her second mentor, T.O.P doesn't know her that well yet so it was slightly awkward for them. Taemin absolutely loves Himari and Mingi's relationship but had a similar reaction to Yoongi's in the sense that he was almost offended that someone would even think of posing with her this way. Stray Kids blew up the group chat with texts like; "himari wtf ??" "what kind of magazine is this-" "why is he GRIPPING your ass"

• I think she'd be amazing! For 'Where We Fall' there was a lot of panic, fear, sadness, etc., which fits perfectly into the emotions actors have to play in Squid Game. Plus she's an idol so she's athletic, which is great for the games!

I love you more sweet 🫵🩷!! I'm taking good care of myself don't you worry! I'm unfortunately still sick (I got really sick 2 years ago and my immune system's been kind of shitty ever since) but I've been sweating it out. I hope you take care of yourself as well especially as uni starts up again, I hope you take time to rest and let's make 2025 a great year!! 😘

#ateez au #ateez imagines #ateez 9th member #ateez extra member #ateez female member #kpop oc #himaask

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makeitmingi · 1 year ago

Text

The Cat and Dog Game [Chapter 40]

Genre: Romance, Fluff, Comedy

Pairing: Yunho x Reader (y/n)

Characters: Chef!Reader, RestaurantOwner!Yunho, MaitreD!Hongjoong, Waiter!Yeosang, Waiter!San, Waiter!Mingi, SousChef!Seonghwa, SousChef!Wooyoung, PrepChef!Jongho

Summary: Yunho's dream was to open and run his own restaurant. But he doesn't know anything when it comes to cooking. Until you came along and accepted the job, bringing with you a small crew. How will the black cat tame the energetic golden retriever?

Word count: 3.2K

Chapter warning(s): Heavy chapter. Confrontation and verbal argument from parent, parent threatening to hit child. Overall just confrontation of y/n's childhood so please exerise caution when you read as it can potentially be triggering.

Small time skip...

After another successful dinner service, you stood outside the back door, taking in the fresh air and grounding yourself. The chaos of the kitchen was left behind, allowing you to have some peace and quiet on your own. But you were glad the restaurant was doing really well.

"(y/n)." The voice that called you made your eyes shoot open. You lifted your head and jumped to your feet.

"D-Dad..." You stuttered nervously. Suddenly, you didn't feel like you were on top anymore. You felt like the scared little girl at the mercy of your fierce father.

"H-How did you know where I was?" You asked with a gulp.

"Is that even a question? You're my daughter, of course I know where you work." His eyebrows furrowed.

"Right, sorry. Umm, why did you come here? You could have called me to let me know you were coming or I would have met you outside of work." You fiddled with the edge of your shirt.

"Are you that busy that you need me to inform you prior that I want to meet you?" He asked.

"It's a busy day. I don't have time to just talk." You sighed.

"I am here to discuss with you... all this. (y/n), you don't belong as someone's employee, a cook nonethless. You have the opportunity to take over my company, you have the skills to do so and yet, you choose to be stubborn and rebel against the career course that has been set for you since birth." He cut to the chase.

"Wow, dad. It's the first time you've ever admitted that I have the skills to do anything." You knew that wasn't the main point of his speech but you'd take any win you can.

"(y/n). Be serious. It's been almost a year since you've worked here and there's no progression." He frowned.

"Why do you want me to take over the company so badly? That's the dream you've had for me but it's not my dream." You asked.

"I'd rather have you take over than some random stranger." He crossed his arms.

"You just want me to take over because you would never ask my stepbrother to do it. And also so you won't be embarrassed to tell your friends I am a chef." You pointed out.

"It doesn't matter, (y/n). I've let this go on for long enough. Stop playing and for once, be serious about your future." He lectured.

"You always think that I just treat this like a game. Don't you see dad? This is my life, all the effort, blood and sweat I've poured into this. Would I do that if I wasn't serious? You just refuse to see it." You shook your head.

"I've given you every opportunity to be the best and you choose to work in a kitchen? That's an embarrassment." He scolded.

"I know you're embarrassed of me. You always have been and always will. I'm your flesh and blood. Yet, you'll always think my stepbrother is better than me." You laughed bitterly.

"Because he has real goals and aspirations. He wants to make something of himself." Your dad reasoned.

"Right because anything I do will never match up to him."

"If you do something actually worthy of recognition and praise, of course I will praise you. But so far, you have done nothing worthy of my time." He said.

"I've cooked under some of the best chefs in the world, served the best dishes at some of the most prestigious events. But that's nothing, right? It's not worthy and it never will be." You sighed.

"It's a waste of time and potential." You dad replied.

"Uh, Seonghwa hyung?" Yeosang came to the front where everyone was having drinks and enjoying the air conditioning after being in the stuffy kitchen the whole night. He tapped the older on the shoulder and pointed to the counter. Seonghwa frowned in confusion but moved to speak privately with Yeosang.

"What is it that it must be said in private?" Seonghwa asked.

"I-I was in the locker room and I heard (y/n) outside. She's speaking to someone... I think it's her dad... I didn't mean to eavesdrop but it sounds bad..." Yeosang gulped.

"What?! Her dad is here?" Seonghwa said a little too loudly from the shock. Yunho definitely heard it.

"Thanks, Yeosang." Seonghwa put his drink down and went to the kitchen.

"Yeosang, what's going on?" Yunho asked when Yunho came back.

"Umm, (y/n)'s dad is here... Out back..." Hearing those words come out of his friend's mouth, Yunho was on his feet immediately, rushing to the back door.

"I didn't raise you to be like this." Yunho heard your father scold, making Yunho pause.

"Raise me? How can you say that? Did you raise me at all, dad? When mom got sick, you didn't even visit her and you cast me aside. And when she died, you acted like I died along with her. It's like I became nothing to you..." Tears slipped down your cheeks.

"Your mother always coddled you too much. You needed to grow up and be independent." Your father said.

"How old was I?! I was a kid, dad! It's bad enough I had to watch my mother slowly die. But you abandoned me too! I was alone, I mourned her alone." You yelled in frustration.

"What did you do? Nothing! Oh right, you went out and got married. Brought two strangers into our home." You laughed bitterly.

"They're not strangers. You've been childish and treating them like outsiders from the start." Your father corrected sternly.

"Sorry, I forgot. They're your family. But they're not mine and they will never be. You threw me away so you could start life anew. But what about me?" You asked.

"You still had a roof over your head, food to eat. I hardly think your life was bad." He scoffed.

"Did you even notice that I didn't come home? That I was out there, getting into all sorts of shit, making friends with strangers. I nearly killed myself. If not for Seonghwa, I wouldn't be alive now. But even if I were dead, I guess you wouldn't care, right?" Your words made Yunho's heart clench with pain.

"Let me ask you, dad. Were you even sad that mom died? Did you even love her? Or did you just wait for her to die so you could go find someone new?" You asked in a low voice.

"Why you-"

"Mr (y/l/n)!" Seonghwa yelled out, pulling you behind him in an attempt to shield you and protect you.

"That's enough." Yunho's eyes burned with rage as he held your father's wrist mid air. No one was going to hurt you.

"Don't you dare hurt her. Not on my watch." Yunho glared, seeing how broken you were, barely holding yourself up in Seonghwa's embrace. Your father looked at Yunho in disbelief.

"And who are you? This is none of your business. This is between family, you shouldn't meddle." Your father snatched his wrist away from Yunho's grasp and looked him up and down. Yunho towered over him, making him more intimidating.

"I haven't heard you refer to me as family for YEARS." You sneered at your father.

"If you must know, I'm her boyfriend. Another person that shows her love, care and concern." Yunho growled.

"Wait, you're the owner of this place, aren't you? You're dating the owner? That is highly inappropriate." Your father found another reason to berate you.

"Inappropriate? Inappropriate is you coming here and harrassing her." Yunho glared.

"I'm her father." Your father said.

"And I chased after her to be my girlfriend. Not that it matters. I treasure her for who she is, not like you, forcing her to be someone that she's not." Yunho said.

"Yun, stop. Just... go... dad... There's no way we'll ever mend this relationship. It was gone the moment mom got sick. Let's not kid ourselves. Just go and forget that you've ever had a daughter, okay?" You said, tears just falling down your cheeks.

"I've tried so hard, for so long, to be the person you want me to be. But I'm tired. I can't keep doing this." You shook your head.

"I'll have to ask you to leave the premises right now. You're upsetting my girlfriend." Yunho frowned.

"Fine. Have it your way, (y/n). But when all else fails, don't come crawling back to me and regretting what you've done. Don't forget, you asked for this." Your father said and stormed off.

"It's okay, sweetheart. It's over." Seonghwa hugged you, pulling you to his chest.

"Hwa." You sobbed loudly, letting out wails of despair. It broke Yunho's heart. He wished he could have prevented this from happening.

"My love, it'll be alright." Yunho took over, supporting you in his arms and giving you the tightest hug. Seonghwa continued to rub your back to soothe you.

Seonghwa had wanted to step in the moment he heard your father was here and confronting you. But from the conversation, Seonghwa knew that you needed this. This was the conversation you had been dreading and so afraid of. Finally setting yourself free from your father and the pressure he has put on you.

"Let's get you home." Yunho kissed your forehead.

"Take her home. I'll grab all your things and see you there." Seonghwa said. Yunho nodded and fished out his keys, escorting you to the car and driving off.

"Is (y/n) okay?" San asked worriedly. Wooyoung and Jongho knew Seonghwa's expression said it all.

"She will be. Don't worry." Seonghwa forced a smile, patting San on the shoulder.

"Yunho took her home. I'm just going to grab his things and meet him back at (y/n)'s place." He explained. Mingi helped gather Yunho's things and handed it to Seonghwa to take.

"Have a good night everyone." They wished each other. Only Jongho and Wooyoung lingered behind.

"How bad was it, really?" Jongho asked.

"Bad... But she needed it. I'll tell you guys more tomorrow. Let me get back to her. I'll update you guys on how she's doing." Seonghwa promised, knowing the two were just as worried about you.

Wooyoung hugged Seonghwa before they parted ways. Seonghwa drove his own car while Jongho and Wooyoung rode together. The moment Seonghwa arrived at your place, he went to check on you and saw you fast asleep on Yunho's chest.

"Hey. She was exhausted and fell asleep right after her shower." Yunho said, coming out of the room quietly.

"Thanks. Tonight was a lot, she's probably gonna sleep for a while." Seonghwa rubbed his forehead, the frown on his face evident of the stress he was feeling.

"Hyung... Maybe you should stay tonight. You've been around here longer than I have-"

"Yunho. I've told you, you're here for her too. She needs you as much as she needs me now." Seonghwa patted his shoulder.

"But I feel hopeless because I don't know how to comfort her now. I'm scared I might make the situation worse." Yunho frowned slightly. Seonghwa sighed, falling onto the couch.

"Yeah, all of us weren't prepared for that." He spoke.

"She's told me a lot about her dad a few times and from then, I knew I hated that man, even if I've never met him. But after tonight, it's not even hate anymore. It's beyond that... I..." Yunho was speechless. There was too many emotions in his head that it was a mess, he didn't know what to do.

"I get it. I was like that too when I first saw the real him and how he spoke to (y/n). But hopefully for (y/n), that's the last we'll see of him." Seonghwa shrugged.

"She deserves better than that. I've never seen her so broken before." Yunho shook his head.

"Hey, she'll be okay. I know it's a lot. Unfortunately, I've seen her go through worse." The older comforted with a sad smile.

"I know what you told me, hyung. But after all that you've been through together, I think she really needs you now. And in a way, I think you need her too..." Yunho said honestly.

"She won't make it to work tomorrow. I'll call some people in to help in the kitchen." Seonghwa said.

"Of course. Thanks, hyung." Yunho gave a small smile.

"No problem. I've got to shower first." Seonghwa stood up and went to the bathroom in the guestroom to shower before going to be with you.

Yunho wasn't jealous, not one bit. In fact, he was glad that Seonghwa could be there for you to lean on because he was lost on how to comfort you. He needed to ground himself, collect his emotions. This wasn't about him, this was about you.

"Ah..." Yunho threw his head back as tears of relief, frustration, anger and sadness rolled down his cheeks. But he was quick to wipe them away with his hands.

"Hey, Yunho. Sleep on the bed, I'll take the floor." Seonghwa said, coming out of the guest room while drying his hair.

"Oh, hyung I can't-"

"Just do it. She has a floor futon so don't worry, you're not making me sleep on the cold hard ground." Seonghwa rolled his eyes playfully. Yunho stood up and nodded.

After setting up his futon, Seonghwa stood over your sleeping form. He lifted your hand to kiss the back of it.

"You did it, sweetheart." He whispered. Yunho climbed back into bed and lifted you slightly so he could slide his arm under you.

"It'll be okay. You'll be okay." Yunho whispered against the crown of your head, closing his eyes as he let the even sounds of your breathing lull him to sleep.

It was about 4 am when you shot up from bed. You breathed heavily, leaning your head on your arm tiredly. Glancing back, you saw Yunho fast asleep. And on the ground beside you, Seonghwa was also sleeping. Just the two of them being there calmed your heart down and brought you comfort.

"So it wasn't a dream..." You said to yourself softly. Everything that happened with your dad, happened.

Asking your dad to forget about you was the hardest thing you've ever had to do. Well, other than burying your mother after she died. Not that you relied on him now.

But it meant that you were letting go of your hope for him. Your hope of you and him reconciling, going back to the way things were.

"Hey..." Seonghwa called out to you softly from his futon. You turned your head but it was dark, you couldn't really see him.

"Sorry. Did I wake you?" You asked softly.

"No, you didn't. I've know you long enough to know that you wouldn't be able to sleep for long. Your brain is too active for you." He let out a soft chuckle.

"I feel exhausted. I wish I could turn my brain off, I don't know what I should be feeling now." You sighed.

"You don't have to feel anything, (y/n). You don't have to feel sad about it but at the same time, you don't have to feel liberated and relieved too. It's okay to just be numb after what happened." He reached out to hold your hand.

"Seonghwa hyung, maybe you should stay with her. We'll manage for the day." Yunho said as they two were grabbing their jackets to leave.

"Why don't you stay instead? The kitchen crew need me when our leader is down." Seonghwa suggested.

"Are you sure?" Yunho blinked.

"Yeah. Why not? Also, if she wakes up and finds out we gave her the day off, she loves you enough to not kill you. Maybe put you at the edge of death but not kill you." Seonghwa shrugged.

"That is... very reassuring." Yunho gulped. Whiskey let out a meow, nuzzling his body against Seonghwa's foot.

"How do you do it? Black cats just love you." Yunho chuckled.

"You just need to know how to care for them." Seonghwa laughed, getting the underlying meaning or joke behind Yunho's words. He bent down to stroke Whiskey's cheek with the back of his finger and the black cat just ate up all that attention, meowing loudly and licking Seonghwa's finger.

"If she doesn't kill you, let me know how she is. If she does... It was nice knowing you, Yunho." Seonghwa raised his eyebrows and grabbed his keys.

"You're more used to her abuse than I am. Maybe you should stay instead." Yunho said, trailing after him to the door.

"Doesn't mean I enjoy it..." The older pointed out, waving as he left the house.

"Maybe if I have you with me, your mom might inflict less violence on me." Yunho looked down at Whiskey, who blinked back at him and let out a yawn.

"Aww, Whiskey. That was mean. But let's get you some breakfast." He waved the cat over and prepared it's food.

"There." Yunho sat in front of Whiskey, watching him hungrily eat out of the bowl.

"Slow down. No one is going to take it away from you." He chuckled. Yunho hadn't noticed that you were awake, standing in the hallway quietly, watching him talk to Whiskey. It was like those videos of excited golden retrievers bothering their black cat sibling.

"Am I interrupting your bonding time?" You asked. Yunho's head shot to you and he smiled excitedly, stumbling on his feet as he made his way to you.

"Woah, slow down. Don't fall." You had a small smile as he wrapped his arms around you to hug you.

"Please don't kill me for giving you the day off." He mumbled.

"Is that really the first thing you're going to say to me? But you're lucky I'm too emotionally exhausted to be angry with you AND Hwa." You scoffed. Yunho pulled away slightly to look at you.

"I'm glad to hear that." He stroked your cheek, leaning down to plant his lips on yours.

"You should sleep more." He said.

"I don't have you or Hwa with me to lull me to sleep." You giggled. That's all he needed to hear before Yunho held your hand and led you back to bed. You laid your head on Yunho's chest as he stroked your head. Seonghwa was right, you could feel numb from last night and that's okay.

"I don't want to feel anything about last night. I just want to move on with my life like usual." You said honestly.

"Okay. Life as per normal." Yunho agreed. He wasn't going to force you to face your feelings or dig deep into the meaning and significance of what happened.

"Thank you, Yunho. Thank you for being there." You looked at him, tears in your eyes.

"Oh, my love. There's nothing to thank me for. No more tears, hmm?" He gently thumbed away the tears.

"I love you." You said, fingers playing with the ends of his fringe. Yunho was such a big part of your world now. Just like Seonghwa, Wooyoung and Jongho were.

"I love you too." Yunho smiled, wrapping his arms around you to hold you tight. He was never going to let you go.

He couldn't protect you from the verbal abuse of your father last night from that point on, he'll continue to try his best to protect you and shield you from all the other negativities that will come your way. Never again does he want to see you crying and broken.

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