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ahundredtimesover · 11 months ago

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I Want You to Stay (06) | JJK

Pairing: Jungkook x (f.) Reader

Genre/Tags: boss!JK x assistant!reader; idiot strangers to lovers; slow slow burn; k-drama feels; angst, drama, fluff, smut

Chapter (Series) Warnings: foul/explicit language; alcohol consumption & passing out, unhealthy coping mechanisms; family drama; minor injuries; power dynamics (JK starts off as a jerk); work-related anxiety, feelings of helplessness, insecurities; childhood traumatic experiences, nightmares; sexual harassment, prior incidence of domestic violence (PLS PLS BE CAREFUL WHEN READING); arts and business/property devt talk that’s probably inaccurate; commitment issues & emotionally constipated characters; cold and detached JK; eventual explicit sexual content (specific warnings stated per chapter) (18+)

Chapter Word count: 14.6k

Series Masterlist

Status: Ongoing

Series summary: Working for Jungkook isn’t the same as working for Hoseok. For starters, Jungkook doesn’t smile, he doesn’t appreciate you, and he gives you too much work. It doesn’t help that he’s incredibly handsome and has women at his beck and call. But as the tension grows, it becomes impossible to resist him. You’ve dedicated yourself to your job for 8 years so when you finally decide to put yourself first, he asks you to reconsider. And while you know that leaving is difficult, you learn that when it comes to Jungkook, staying is always so much harder.

Playlist 🎶: on the way home

A/N: We're slowly heading somewhere! Still slow but it's something hehe thank you again for appreciating this piece! 🥰 Also... JK in that Vogue outfit with a corsage. YEP.

And as always, my biggest thanks to @wonwoonlight 🥰

PS. If I can’t tag you, pls fix your settings!

The silence that engulfs Jungkook’s apartment once you enter the following Monday is quite unnerving, as it brings back memories of the last time this happened and a half-naked woman came out of the bedroom and questioned who you were. The gym is empty. There’s no other sound of someone typing away or talking on the phone like the few times that you found Jungkook working before you even arrived.

You take a deep breath and decide to just face whoever comes out of these doors until one of them opens and out comes the man himself - alone - dressed in an oversized jumper and sweatpants. He looks like he just got out of bed with his semi-mussed hair - with a little sprout bouncing along as he moves - and groggy eyes, which widen once it registers that you’re here.

“Mr. Jeon,” you bow in greeting. “Are you feeling better?”

“A little,” he replies, his deep and gruff voice startling you a little. “What do you have there?”

He gestures towards the paper bag you’re holding, and you remember what you decided to bring over.

“Uh, chicken noodle soup,” you mutter, somehow suddenly shy. “Just an option for this morning. I wasn’t sure if you were still feeling under the weather.”

“I think I’m just fatigued,” he says. “But uh, I can have that.”

“Yes, sir,” you nod, putting it in a pot to eventually heat.

You prepare his suits for the week then prepare his breakfast, pouring yourself a small serving as well. He takes his seat and starts eating, and you glance at him to see his reaction.

“Where did you get the one from last Saturday?” He asks, his face expressionless.

“From a store nearby,” you answer. “I was heading somewhere and your building was on the way.”

“This tastes better. Where did you get this from?”

“I, uh, I made it,” you say softly, feeling a bit of pride that it’s something he complimented.

There’s prolonged silence that you’re suddenly nervous about. His eyes remain focused straight ahead while yours constantly flit towards him, partly to gauge if he’ll start talking about last week’s meeting and partly to see his reaction about your dish.

“You don’t have to send or make me food, Ms. Cho,” he finally says, wishing he’d said it with a bit more warmth.

But he’s not used to speaking that way, so it comes off as displeasure, as if he doesn’t appreciate what you’d done even if that’s exactly how he feels. He’s grateful; he just doesn’t want another reason to think that you actually care about him.

“My health is my responsibility, not yours,” he adds.

“I, uh… I suppose that’s true,” you say even more softly. “I just thought it would be nice to be given something like this when you’re sick.”

And it’s the truth. During the times you were unwell, Hoseok would remind you to rest or take your medicines; he even bought you vitamins and it’s why taking them became a habit of yours. You barely had the energy to make soup. But after that one time when you braved through an event and Yoongi noticed you feeling under the weather, he took you to a noodle house and ordered extra chicken noodle soup for you to take home. You had it all through the weekend, and though it wasn’t like your mom’s, it was still something familiar, and it was comfort that you badly needed.

You thought it was something you could extend to Jungkook. You weren’t sure if he was spending the weekend at home by himself, but in case he was, you thought that something warm would help. You were on your way to watch a local film and happened to pass by his area, the image of him sick and probably alone prompting you to just buy that dish and leave it at the reception. You suddenly craved it and made one for yourself last night, thinking it wouldn’t hurt if you brought some over for him as well. Even if he thinks it isn’t your responsibility, you think it’s still within your role to make sure that your boss - the Vice President - conducts his functions properly, and he can only do so if he’s healthy.

As you finish the small portion that you prepared for yourself, Jungkook wonders who’d taken care of you during the times you were sick. With your friends and family miles away, perhaps there wasn’t anyone. Maybe it was a boyfriend. Or maybe like what he’s come to see, you did things on your own. Maybe you think there’s no one doing that for him, too.

And you wouldn’t be wrong. He was never good with company, after all, whether it was offering or keeping it. So when someone offers something as simple as a bowl of soup for when he’s feeling unwell, it cuts through the walls he’s built around himself because he’s become used to no one even knocking to check how he’s doing.

But in an effort to remain unmoved and insistent on keeping his distance, he sets boundaries once more.

“You don’t need to do this for me, Mr. Cho,” he states. “I appreciate it, but I’d prefer if you don’t do it again.”

He sees your face fall from his periphery, and much as he wants to take it back, he knows he has to hold back. It was hard enough to resist feeling cared for.

He’d really spent the weekend by himself, turning down his friends’ invitation to go to a resort and Hoseok’s offer of dinner at this newly opened steak house. Jungkook was buried under the covers when the phone rang informing him that you’d left something for him, unwilling to move and get off the bed because he was too tired but also too hungry, so when he opened the bag and it registered to him what you've given him, he felt less alone and less sad for himself. The image of your shy expression flashed through his mind and he couldn’t help the smile he let out, giving himself only a minute to bask in your kindness before reminding himself that it means nothing more than making sure he’s well. It’s harder for you if he’s sick, he convinced himself. Still, he’d rather not think about it; he’d rather not torture himself by his brain wanting you to mean one thing, but his heart hoping it was another.

“I understand, Mr. Jeon,” you say, your voice a little too firm for his liking. “I apologize if it made you uncomfortable.”

“It—” didn’t, he wants to say. It made him feel nice and comfortable and that’s what he can’t let himself feel around you.

“I treat this as part of my job,” you reason, a half lie because you really did want to extend some kindness even if he may not exactly be deserving of it. “But it may not be so for you. I’ll take note of this moving forward.”

Jungkook concedes. Any objection will counter what he’s been saying, even if he didn’t mean all of it. And like how you always do, you get over it quickly, flashing him a measured smile and taking out your iPad to go through this week’s schedule.

You both head to the car after and discuss his previous meetings. You’re detailed and engaged, taking down notes and asking him questions like the professional that you are. He tells you about his meeting with artist Lee Jaemin and that he agreed with 80% of the pieces that you and Yoongi chose. You talk about the Board members’ reactions during his presentation and he shares what they talked to him about during the dinner.

“Socializing with them was tiring,” he admits. “I couldn’t keep up with all the things that they wanted to talk about.”

You give him an assuring smile. “You looked like you did well,” you assure him. “They seemed engaged, although as Mr. Jung would say, part of that is for show, to get on your good side. It would be smarter to think that not all of it was genuine.”

“True. But I enjoyed speaking with Mr. Saito. He’s an architect, too, and we had a really good talk about incorporating traditional elements in a modern design.”

“Yes, he’s always been kind,” you say. “But it’s good that you’re able to forge these relationships. Perhaps it’s also new to them, seeing you in that light. I suppose they don’t know you all that much. It’s a nice change being able to engage with you.”

“What do you mean?”

“Ah, well, it’s just during the company events that you attended, it wasn’t exactly hard to spot you,” you chuckle, seemingly comfortable now.

“And why is that so?”

He turns to you, legitimately curious because he’d never really noticed you before, even if he knew you as Hoseok’s assistant. If he’s being honest, you didn’t even look familiar when you first met, and that just reinforces the fact that Jungkook didn’t really care for the other people around him, especially during those events he was required to fly to Seoul to attend. If he’d paid a bit more attention, maybe he wouldn’t have been caught off guard when he did finally meet you. Maybe he wouldn’t have been as rude, too.

“If I may, sir, it was quite easy to spot one of the Jeon sons always at the bar,” you chuckle. “Your father and cousin would often look for you and you were always in the same spot.”

You’d noticed him, Jungkook thinks to himself. He wonders what you’d thought about him then, but given how he hated those events, it probably wouldn’t be something good. He just always couldn’t wait to leave.

“Ah. As you can tell, I’m not one who likes to socialize,” he says. “I don’t really know what to talk to people about. And I’m not that good with names nor faces. It was easier to keep to myself.”

“That’s understandable. But you already know that’ll have to change,” you remind him. “Half of what Mr. Jung did was attend events.”

“I know. He’s been preparing me for that. I need your help in that aspect, too, from remembering names to getting my energy up. Those are oddly what I’m most nervous about, if I’m being honest.”

“I’ll do what I can, Mr. Jeon,” you assure him. “I hope I can make things easy for you.”

You’ll never know the irony of your words, and perhaps the push and pull it brings about - as you try to make things easy for him, the harder it actually becomes on his end.

You find yourself back at the tailor shop the next Thursday for Jungkook’s suit fitting, and if it wasn’t for Taehyung telling you that your gowns are ready, you would have totally forgotten that you had some dresses made as well.

While Jungkook tries on his outfits, you’re instructed to choose several dress shirts that he’d be adding to his wardrobe, given the various functions he’d be attending from now on. You didn’t anticipate for this to be part of your role, but you don’t mind, as it’s a welcome change to what you normally do, which is attend meetings, bury yourself in paperwork, and everything else in between. At least you’ll be visiting the venue for the Arts Center event tomorrow, but today, you focus on the task at hand, which turns out to be harder than expected.

The options are endless. It doesn’t help that you have to envision Jungkook in each piece of clothing and that he looks good in every one of them, and that you have to imagine him at all. You see him everyday - and have seen him in as little as in just his gym shorts - and you don’t really want to have him in your mind as well. But how he presents himself is a big part of his new role, as Hoseok had told you. As the Vice President, Jungkook needs to look sophisticated and respectable, someone worthy to represent the company and the Jeon family name.

You go for different hues of grays and blacks and other colors, too. There’s an olive green that looks really nice, and a few maroons and pinks that would add variety to his everyday look. You’re focused on making your choices, but your focus shifts to Jungkook when he comes out of the dressing room donned in a patterned black suit. The fit is perfect and even with the distance between you two, you could spot impeccable details that make the outfit look elegant yet fresh.

“This is for the gala,” Taehyung states. “What do you think, Ms. Cho?”

“It looks nice” is all you manage to say.

It’s the only word you feel is neutral enough to describe him. Even if you could accept that Jungkook is handsome, you don’t exactly want to say so in front of him.

“I was going for something better than nice, but that should be fine, I guess. What do you think, Kook?”

“I like it. But don’t you think the sleeves are a bit too fit on my arms?” Jungkook asks his friend.

“Well, it’s not like you were flexing them when I was measuring you,” Taehyung playfully rolls his eyes. “But I can adjust it, since I doubt you’d take a pause on lifting weights anyway. It’s probably the material though so don’t worry, I’ll fix this. Okay, on to the next one.”

You return to your task at hand, choosing some patterned tops that are appropriate for less formal events, and you inform Taehyung who then says that he’ll have those made in Jungkook’s measurements. With your task finished, Taehyung instructs you to head downstairs so you could fit your gowns as well, and you follow in anticipation because these might just be the first and only custom-made pieces of clothing you’ll ever have the luxury of wearing.

A female staff assists you, making sure that the length and neckline are to your liking. The first outfit, the one for the Arts Center event, is an old rose sleeveless lace midi dress that looks even more gorgeous when worn. The gown for the Appointment Dinner is a black short-sleeved pleated piece that is both functional and fashionable, but it’s the last one - the one for the gala - that has your jaw dropping to the ground.

“Ms. Cho,” you hear Taehyung call out from outside the fitting room. “Is everything okay?”

“Y-yeah,” you stutter, unable to stop looking at yourself in the mirror and turning around to try to see every angle of the stunning dress. “It’s just, uh…”

“It’s what?” He asks worriedly. “Can you come outside so I can see?”

You take a breath before pulling the heavy curtains open and find Taehyung and Jungkook standing not far away.

“It’s too pretty, Mr. Kim,” you say shyly. “I don’t think I can wear this.”

“Well, you will. Because it’s custom-made,” he points out. “And it looks gorgeous on you. It fits perfectly. I assume the others do as well?”

“Yes,” you smile, feeling like a fairytale princess who gets to wear a gown that her fairy godmother had made for her. “They’re just…”

“Exactly what you need as this guy’s right hand woman,” Taehyung finishes for you.

He gestures towards his best friend who seems expressionless and probably unimpressed by how you look. It’s not like you mind but it at least wouldn’t be humiliating if he just stood there looking uninterested.

“What do you think, Kook?”

“It looks nice,” Jungkook shrugs, repeating the words you’d used on him earlier. Shifting his gaze from you to Taehyung, he excuses himself. “I’ll head to the car, I have calls to make.”

“I’ll finish up here,” you say, turning around to go back to the fitting room.

Jungkook exits the shop and finally breathes, feeling like he’d suffocated inside because of how you looked. He’d wondered how the dresses turned out, curious about the designs because Taehyung didn’t want to show him; it’s a surprise, the man had said. And now Jungkook knows why.

Stunning would be an inadequate word to use. The burgundy color of the gown made it look sophisticated on you, even more with the off-shoulder that showed off some of your features that he’d rather not think about. The flow was elegant, and he half wishes that he hadn’t thought of having these made only so he could avoid the moment earlier when he felt his throat dry up because of how beautiful you looked.

He’s gonna have to get used to being rendered speechless every time, he thinks, but it’s not like it doesn’t happen everyday, anyway. Every morning that he finds you standing in his kitchen, donning the pencil skirt and blouse ensemble that assistants are recommended to wear, his mind short circuits. There’s something especially fresh and electrifying about you at the start of the day, and he always has to pull himself together and act normal around you without giving himself away.

He can’t nurture the attraction, after all, even if he’s reminded of it during times like earlier, even more so when he gazes at you and you hold it, letting the tension build unconsciously. Because that’s what happened, as you pulled open the curtains and looked up. He wishes you were too shy to notice how long he had his eyes on you. But it’s why he had to get away. You’re too much for him sometimes, and he doesn’t know if you have any idea of how you affect him.

Jungkook stares at his phone, half hoping that an actual call would come to distract him. But nothing does, and he leans his head back and groans in frustration. What is it about you that makes him absolutely weak in the knees and stupid in the head?

Back inside, you give Taehyung your address so he can have the gowns delivered to your apartment for your convenience.

“Thank you again, Mr. Kim,” you say. “I wish I could do your creations justice.”

“You will. It’s in the confidence, so exude it, okay?”

“I’ll try,” you giggle. “Especially since those pieces will pretty much blow the Office of the VP’s budget.”

“Is that what Kook said? That these are budgeted under him?” Taehyung arches an eyebrow.

“Uh, yes, sort of. I just assumed because he’d pointed out that they were being made as part of my functions,” you explain.

“Hmm. I know his office has a lot of money but these gowns would definitely blow up any contingency fund you have,” he chuckles. “So no, your assumption is wrong. Kook’s paying for all this.”

“What?” You exclaim. “But that’s— why?”

“Well, you do need these as part of your job, and he wanted to save you the inconvenience of spending for them. I mean, he did buy Lucas some suits, too. But between you and me, I think this is his way of apologizing to you, just in a very gallant way.”

“You mean unnecessary and undeserving,” you correct, still in shock that Jungkook is paying for all those, even if yes, he can easily afford them.

“Nope, not at all. I know he’s been difficult to deal with and I’d like to apologize on his behalf, seeing that he’s terrible at doing it. I know it doesn’t make things better but at least it’s something you don’t have to worry about anymore.”

“Well, that does help a bit,” you smile, following him as he heads out the door. “But thank you again, Mr. Kim.”

“Off with the formalities,” he laughs. “It’s Taehyung. And you’re welcome. It’s the least I could do to somehow make up for my ass of a best friend.”

“He’s not too bad. Not anymore, at least,” you counter. “I’ll go ahead. Have a good day, Taehyung!”

Jungkook manages to look down on his phone in time for you not to see him watch you talk freely and casually with his friend. That’s another person close to him who gets to experience how you’re like - joyful and warm, perhaps a little shy sometimes, but comfortable just the same. It’s something he’ll only see from afar; your positions necessitate some distance, but perhaps that’s better than not having you around at all.

You enter the car and you’re back to being quiet and reserved, your eyes focused on the road while Jungkook, in an effort not to keep glancing at you, turns to his leather notebook and doodles some designs that pop in his head. It’s his way of calming himself down most days, helping him focus given that his mind is often filled with too many thoughts that he can’t express. He hopes that in drawing them, he can somehow rid himself of the feelings he’s locked in and it helps, as he’s somehow able to get over the tension from earlier and the tiniest bit of jealousy over your casual engagement with Taehyung.

You both return to the office, with Jungkook proceeding to his room to prepare for a lunch meeting and you follow, taking some signed documents that he’d left earlier.

“Mr. Jeon,” you say as he settles in his seat. “Thank you for the dresses. I… I’ve never had anything as beautiful as those and undeserving as I may feel, I’m just really appreciative.”

Jungkook isn’t prepared for the softness in your voice as you say the words, and like the consistent jerk that he is, he brushes it off.

“Taehyung made them; you should thank him. I just paid for them,” he utters, his tone stern and uncaring.

His eyes flit to you when there’s silence on your end, and he wishes they hadn’t. There’s resignation in yours, as if he’s shattering another moment you’re creating where you’re just being sincere and he’s being dismissive. It’s his default, he reasons, not just towards you but towards everyone. Normally he wouldn’t mind how the other would take it, but with you right now, he wishes he was so much better than this.

You hold his gaze, as if trying to tell him things you don’t want to express. He’s not one to apologize, but he also won’t accept gratitude. You’re starting to think that what Jungkook can’t handle is any form of human connection. It’s something you struggle with at times, but you’re at least open to it, willing to accept kindness and appreciating people for what they have to offer. Jungkook deflects; he turns away. It seemed like it took so much for him to even verbalize needing your help and perhaps he was desperate; his reputation was on the line after all. But even then, he doesn’t give nor does he accept, and you wonder what made him that way.

“Is there anything else?” He finally asks after a long beat of silence.

“Nothing more,” you shake your head and excuse yourself.

Returning to your desk, you look at Jungkook from your seat. There’s a hint of emptiness in his eyes that you often mistake for apathy. Perhaps there’s more and perhaps the help he really needs isn’t just about dealing with his father or remembering names or navigating relationships required for his role. Maybe it’s about opening himself up a little, or smiling when the situation calls for it, or not questioning other people’s kindness towards him. Maybe it’s about realizing he’s more than just this heir to the company or the playboy he’s known as. Maybe it’s about seeing that he’s capable of sincerity and gentleness as well.

You sigh to yourself. It’s probably a long shot but you only feel strongly about it because you know what it’s like to turn people away. If it hadn’t been for your family and friends, you probably would’ve continued to do so. Jungkook may be your boss but he’s human, too, and he may just be waiting around to see who’d be patient enough to extend a hand and let him know that he’s not alone, that someone understands, and maybe that someone is you.

The days fly by too quickly for your liking and you haven't been able to take a breath. You had a meeting with the organizing committee of the Appointment Dinner most of last Friday and you spent your weekend coordinating with the designers for the Arts Center launch. It’s been last minute preparations these past two days and before you know it, Wednesday has come. You stayed late the night before and were gladly checked in at the hotel with the other assistants, so you at least got a bit of sleep even if your body felt like it continued to stay awake.

But tonight is important, as the newly appointed executives will be formally introduced to the corporation’s directors, shareholders, and subsidiary companies. You’ve been organizing this with the planning committee since the appointments were announced, and given that coordinating events like this is one of your primary tasks, you’re exhausted and excited and nervous all at once. But it’s the second time you’re doing this and you’ve learned so much since you did this for Hoseok. There’s more knowledge, sure, but there’s also more confidence. You also know enough to eat before the guests arrive and at 3PM, it’s exactly what you do, knowing you won’t have much else until the event ends.

The other employees compliment your dress, and you’re too shy to say who had designed it but you eventually do, knowing it’s good for Taehyung’s brand. But you don’t say much else, choosing instead to focus on the guest list as you’re tasked to do, and you go around the events hall to make sure that the VIP name cards are placed on their proper tables. You’re able to sneak bites of the canapes as you go, allowing yourself a flute of champagne for that kick you need to socialize with the guests tonight.

You engage with the early birds when they arrive, guiding them to their seats and putting on your most welcoming smile. You get Mr. Ri’s message that they’re nearby, so you head outside and stand by the entrance and wait for them, knowing Jungkook would want to know how things are going.

He exits the car in a black suit and white top, a statement brooch adorning his classic coat. The strands of his long hair are tucked behind his ears and he looks even more polished than usual, a look that catches attention; it definitely catches yours.

“Mr. Jeon,” you bow in greeting. “Some of your invited guests have arrived.”

“Have you spoken to them?” He asks, as you walk slightly behind him towards the venue.

“I have, and they’re looking forward to seeing you.”

He nods, and just as he’s about to enter the hall, he stops and turns towards you.

“You’re busy tonight, aren’t you?”

“Somewhat, sir,” you reply. “We all have our tasks but I’m free to move around. Do you need help with anything?”

“Just, uh, names.”

“I’ll always be nearby,” you assure him.

Your smile gives him the comfort he needs. He’s been without it since yesterday afternoon, given that you had to prepare as part of the organizing committee. And while the support team and Yoongi have been encouraging, only you really know why every event such as this is important for him.

Jungkook has already made gains with some of the Board members last week; this time, it’s about engaging everyone else - the staff, the partners, and key personalities in the industry. Hoseok and Ji-woo have done this before but it’s Jungkook’s first time. He’s no longer just an executive in the Southeast Asian office; he’s now the Vice President of the entire company. There’s a lot of pressure that comes from carrying the Jeon family name, and even more being the only one of the two sons who’s taking on such an important role.

The event hall is grand. It’s pretty special, too. It’s one of the projects he worked on as part of the design department years ago before he left for Singapore, and the thought makes him stop. Perhaps this is the reason why his father chose this venue for tonight; if anything, it’s a reminder of what Jungkook is capable of. He takes a breath and looks around to soak everything in before approaching his invited guests - partners and consultants he worked with in his previous role.

But that ends quickly, as many more people approach him for a greeting.

Jungkook is a bit overwhelmed. He tries to hold eye contact when he speaks to them but he can only do so for so long. Some faces are familiar but the names escape him, and he starts to regret all the times that he flew here for events like this and never engaged with the other guests. If he had, perhaps this wouldn’t be so hard.

There are those who introduce themselves, while there are those who don’t, perhaps assuming that he’d know who they are. Just like the couple who’s speaking to him excitedly, and he wants to return the energy by at least calling them by their names. His mind is blank, and just as he’s about to give up, he looks up and sees you, your eyes catching his as if you’re just waiting for his cry for help.

There’s pleading in his eyes and you get it immediately, as you walk towards his direction then greet the pair next to him.

“Mr. and Mrs. Yamada,” you say. “It’s lovely to see both of you again. I saw in the news that you’re launching a new project with our partners from Dubai. That’s quite exciting.”

“Ah, Ms. Cho,” they greet you back. “Yes, all thanks to Mr. Jung who helped us with that partnership. We’re excited for it as well.”

“Oh, I’m sure. We’re looking forward to it,” you smile.

“Thank you. I’m pleased to know that you remain as the Vice President’s assistant,” Mrs. Yamada says. “Perhaps we can invite Mr. Jeon to one of our hotels in Japan? Or even in London?”

You turn to Jungkook who looks less tense than he did a few minutes ago.

“Ah, yes, that would be great, Mr. and Mrs. Yamada,” he responds. “I’m sure I’ll find time during one of my trips and I’ll definitely give you a call. Perhaps we can talk about projects we can work on as well.”

The excitement in the couple’s faces is a joy to see and for their sake, you really do wish that Jungkook makes good on his promise. You ask him about it after they leave, and he says that the names were familiar. Ji-woo’s talked about working with them before and that they’re long-time friends of the family, so he should maintain that relationship.

A call of his name prompts both of you to look to the side, and he turns to you with a questioning face.

“Mr. Adam’s an investor. Behind him is Professor Zhang from SNU. They’re friends of your father,” you tell him. Seeing Bitna signal for you, you say, “I have to check on something, Mr. Jeon. I’ll be back.”

You turn around to head to one of the tables, but you look back to watch Jungkook greet those who approach him, his smile becoming more natural as the moments pass by. You briefly meet with some staff about the musical guest and some other last minute adjustments. You greet Taehyung and Seokjin who show up to support their best friend, with both men complimenting how you look.

Knowing that Jungkook will be needing you again after, you call over Do-hyun and Yohan and delegate some of your monitoring tasks to them, and then stand by one of the tables as you watch the socialization take place as more guests come in.

Your eyes find Jungkook again as he’s engaged in a conversation with some Board members and other partners, and you smile a little at how he’s able to maintain eye contact and look like he’s actually interested, especially after he looks up and gives you a look as if to say that he’s trying his best.

“Why are you watching him like some child who’s trying to make friends at the playground?” Chin-sun asks, the teasing tone of her voice making you chuckle. “He’s a grown man, you know? He can hold his own.”

“I know,” you reply, turning to her. “But it’s one of the many things that’s new about his role. And probably one of the more important ones. I just wanna let him know that he’s doing a good job.”

“Well, there’s no wife or girlfriend to do that. I guess that makes it your responsibility then.”

You disregard her comment’s implication and point out that Hoseok does that for Jungkook, too, but he’s just as busy and perhaps just as nervous as well.

“It matters a lot to hear it. Plus, social events can be overwhelming and isolating at the same time. He’s still getting used to it,” you add.

The prolonged silence prompts you to turn to her.

“You know, I admire you for a lot of things,” she says. “Your ability to remain kind after everything is one of them. I mean, after how he treated you those first few weeks? That was tough.”

Your resigned face pushes her to continue. “Do-hyun could’ve gone on without telling me about seeing you cry and I still would’ve known. You tried to hide it but your smile always fell too fast and your eyes were just always sad. Must’ve been hard, trying to get the team on his side when you couldn’t do that for yourself.”

“I honestly don’t know how I survived that first month,” you laugh to mask the sadness from that experience. “But that’s in the past. He still has his moments but at least there are good ones now. I’m here to do my job. Being kind after everything is part of it.”

“I wish you didn’t have to keep it to yourself though,” she laments. “If we couldn’t help, we could’ve at least cheered you up.”

“I didn’t want to bring you guys into it,” you say. “The team was incredibly busy with so many things and I managed. That’s what matters.”

“Oh, ___,” she sighs. “You put so much of yourself in your job. I think that’s why the bosses trust you. But that takes so much out of you, too. Do you have anything left for yourself?”

“What’s left is right here, Chin-sun. I don’t think I know what I am outside of all this.”

“Doesn’t that bother you? I mean, I’ve worked with you for three years and I can’t say I really know you outside of this, too. And if you can’t… well, that’s something to think about.”

“And I have. It’s something I’ve asked myself, but trying to find the answer isn’t as easy as asking the question. So I just put all my energy into my work because where else would I? It at least pays the bills and lets me enjoy little luxuries every once in a while,” you reason.

“Well, I know what learning who you are outside of this job would entail, and I’m a little selfish because I need you around,” she smiles. “No one does things the way you do, and that’s also why I figured that at some point, Mr. Jeon was gonna get himself together because he can’t afford to lose you. You’re so good at this, ___. He’s lucky you didn’t quit.”

“Apparently, it takes a lot to get me to quit,” you reply.

Or I was just never brave enough to do it, you want to say. Asking the question is indeed always easier than finding the answer.

“Let’s hope you find a way to find yourself without resigning. We can’t afford to lose you, too,” she winks.

“I appreciate that, Chin-sun. Thank you.”

“Well, I think it matters that you know that you’re doing amazing. I hope he treats you as you deserve.”

He tries, you think to yourself. At least that’s what you hope.

The call of your names from a familiar voice excites you, as A-yeong approaches you and Chin-sun. You engage in your usual hushed conversations until you see Jungkook in another sea of people and you decide to approach him, the relief on his face telling you that he’s indeed been needing you.

It’s not your preferred crowd. Something you’ve learned in your years of attending these events is that you would smile and entertain them and men would think it’s an invitation to invade your personal space. A lingering touch on the elbow, a hand on your waist, standing a millimeter too close… and they disregard your uncomfortable look or attempts at stepping away.

The man you’re introduced to is new but his ways aren’t, and you scan the hall to find Bitna who turns to you in time, the look you give her signaling another person to look out for. It’s a system they developed that they’ve filled you in on, and you immediately excuse yourself and check on the food served at the back even if you know they’re still well stocked. It at least allows you a breather. You’re not even a main actor but you’re tired as hell from socializing with people.

It’s not long after when the event starts. Speeches and a performance take place while dishes are being put out, and it’s after the main course is served when Jungkook steps away from his seat.

Choosing to stand towards the back before he’s called on stage to be introduced, he scans the hall and thinks about the work that the committee put in, including you, who had to deal with him while dealing with all this. He catches sight of you speaking with the other assistants, and he already knows there’s some planning going on. But like the last time, he felt you around even if you were busy; you held his gaze during the times he felt a little overwhelmed.

“You ready?”

Yoongi’s voice is deep but calming, and Jungkook takes it as his friend’s way of encouraging him.

“Not really, but I’ll manage.”

“Good. You’ve got people on your side,” Yoongi assures him. “Like me. And especially her.”

He gestures towards the left where Jungkook sees you approaching them. Since you started working for him, he didn’t expect how easily he could find comfort in your presence. He went from wishing you were someone else, to wanting to distance himself from you, to constantly hoping you were around. Those last two could actually coexist, and they do. There’s still detachment as his means to combat the attraction - he tries not to care about you, to not get to know you, to remind himself of who you are in his life, but he still depends on you for support, for comfort, for stability. You make his life easier; you also make it feel less lonely. And every time you’re there is a moment where he feels like he could breathe, like the noise in his mind stills because he’s forced to focus on you; somehow, you captivate him that way.

“Are you ready, Mr. Jeon?”

The contrasting tenderness of your voice gives him that boost and he nods despite the lingering nervousness.

“I guess so,” he huffs. “Let’s get this over with.”

He walks towards his seat up front while you stay behind with Yoongi who leads you to one of the free tables at the back. You both don’t say much to each other, focusing instead on the short speeches that Ji-woo and Hoseok give, both of them expressing their gratitude and giving previews of upcoming projects to look forward to. They’re masters at commanding a crowd, as evidenced by their engagement and loud applause at the end of it. You can already imagine Jungkook feeling even more nervous, knowing that’s not really his style, but you hope that your earlier encouragement lingers, as he walks towards the stage.

He delivers his speech flawlessly. Knowing him the way you do, you could tell he let his vulnerability shine through, even if it may not seem much to everyone else. The teaser about the Arts Center gets people excited, which he builds up on. He even slides in a few jokes that surprisingly get the audience entertained.

A small smile paints your face and from next to you, Yoongi chuckles in almost disbelief.

“Is it safe to say you’re proud of him?” He asks, as Jungkook walks down the stage and CEO Jeon takes the mic.

“You could say that,” you turn to him. “It’s silly, considering how things started. I… I didn’t think I’d be genuinely rooting for him, you know? But I am. I really want him to do well.”

“That’s good to hear, ___. I guess it means that things really are changing and he’s treating you better.”

“I think they are,” you hum. “I mean, not the best, but I also don’t know what that’s supposed to look like. I guess I’m just understanding who he is a little bit better now. And I think that makes the difference.”

“Like I said, he’s not a terrible person. He just needs… someone to be patient with him, someone to show him kindness,” Yoongi says. “I think that’s what he lost along the way. He stopped being that way to himself and so did people. They just didn’t want to upset him, but they also didn’t give or show anything more.”

“You think so?”

“Why do you think it’s so hard for him to forge even the simplest and most basic connections?” Yoongi questions. “They lack meaning for him. I think he’s forgotten what that’s like. Without sincerity or kindness, without intensity or honesty, there’s just… emptiness. Everything is fleeting for him.”

“And you’re telling me this, why?” You eye him curiously.

“Because I think your kindness did something to him.”

“And that is?”

“He’s showing a bit of that to himself, too. And I guess to others as well,” Yoongi explains.

“I’m a mere assistant doing her job, Yoongi,” you shake your head. “It’s a little selfish but I do what I can to appease him and to make our relationship good enough to make this job bearable for me. If it makes him a better person, good for him and better for me. I’ll just keep doing it then.”

Your friend’s silence prompts you to turn towards him. He seems to be in deep thought, perhaps analyzing what you’d just said, which he tends to do.

There’s no lie in your statement. You’d done your part of standing up to Jungkook at the start; you at least got to show you were capable of fighting for yourself in that sense. But after that, you learned that keeping things in and letting him see how his actions affect you works as well. You show kindness because it’s natural for you, but also because it keeps the peace, it keeps both of you stable.

But you can also admit that you do all that because wanting him to know that he’s got you on his side is a way to tell yourself that you’ve got people rooting for you, too, even if you’re not the best at keeping relationships nor keeping people close. You show Jungkook what you want to experience from people; you make him feel what you want to feel. Maybe that makes you selfish. You think it also makes you human.

It’s not something you tell Yoongi, though. But maybe with the way he looks at you assuringly, you suppose he knows it, too.

The event finally ends and the guests start exiting the venue. You bid them goodbye while instructing some in-house staff about cleaning up. Mr. and Mrs. Jeon greet you on their way out, commending you for your work along with the others, and it’s their encouraging smiles that remind you of one of the reasons why you stick to this job. They’re people you don’t want to disappoint as well, and seeing them satisfied is always a good thing.

“Hey, you’re officially off the clock,” Bitna reminds you. “A couple of us are staying for closing, remember?”

“Right,” you smile.

They have a day off tomorrow because of tonight but it’s not something you can afford, given that you’ve got the Arts Center event one a week from now. It’s almost midnight and you’d have to be up in 5 hours.

“I’ll get going then. I’ll just say goodbye to— oh, Mr. Jeon,” you say, finding him just as you were about to look for him. “Is there anything I can help you with before I leave?”

“Oh, there’s nothing. Just, uh, how are you getting home?”

“A cab,” you answer.

Yoongi nudges your arm from next to you with a pout on his face. “Yah! I’ll take you home. It’s not safe to take a cab this late.”

“Yes, that’s preferable, Ms. Cho,” Jungkook says. “It’s been a long night.”

“Okay, sir,” you nod. “And it has. You also did really well. I didn’t expect the jokes but they were obviously a hit. Yoongi laughed, that’s how I know.”

“You laughed, too,” Yoongi points out.

“I’m glad it worked, then,” Jungkook says. “You can get going. You can also report to my place at 8AM to give you more time to rest. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Jungkook heads out and rushes to the car where Mr. Ri drives him home. His mind is still buzzing from what transpired but he’s glad he managed like he said he would, like you believed he would.

And amidst the relief that he did well and the nervousness from having to do something similar again next week, there’s you, a vision that he quickly shakes off and one he finds himself seeing after every big and small thing that he does.

Your warm shower and your bed have never felt this good, only because you’re as tired as you are and you want nothing more than the weekend to come. But you’ve got a few more stressful days ahead of you and you try to push through them one at a time.

You go to Jungkook later than usual that Thursday then spend much of the entire day meeting with him and the team about next week’s event. You conduct a visit to the venue the next day and then spend the weekend answering guests’ queries and helping Chin-sun coordinate with suppliers. Monday and Tuesday have you going from one place to another and hopping from one meeting to the next, all while balancing your executive assistant and events manager responsibilities.

It’s incredibly tiring, but you also won’t deny the exhilaration you feel. There’s something so satisfying about seeing everything come together, especially as you look around the venue - an industrial commercial space that Jungkook and Yoongi jointly designed specifically for tonight. The high ceilings allow for the large panels that project the Arts Center design, with bright lights Illuminating the curated sculptures and art pieces placed around. The space elicits a feeling of newness and familiarity, of hollowness and clarity. There’s integration of traditional and modern elements and essentially, of history and emergence.

It leaves you quite breathless as you look around. It’s not even the Arts Center itself but you know that this is the emotion that Jungkook wants the guests to feel. He wants them to be in awe, to look on in excitement.

“It’s pretty great, huh?” Yoongi asks next to you. “Worth all the hard work.”

“It is. Design and logistics did amazing in putting this together,” you say, given that you’ve spent the entire day working with both teams to set this up.

“Well, Jungkook’s vision is captivating to begin with. It really makes a difference when you’re led by a creative mind. Selling the idea won’t be so hard in a place like this.”

“I really hope so. We’re banking on the artists for exposure. There are gonna be articles about it, too. The whole process is being documented and that makes the final product much more exciting,” you explain. “I… I actually feel really good being a part of this. I’m glad I didn’t quit after that first week.”

Yoongi laughs along with you, knowing now that that experience no longer bothers you the way it used to. But he’s glad about it, too, not only because he selfishly wants you around but even more, he knew that you needed this, that you needed to feel redeemed in Jungkook’s eyes and in yours. Yoongi hopes that as the project goes on, you’ll learn more about yourself and what you want, what you’re good at, what you can give, and what makes you happy.

“That makes both of us. I’m sure Jungkook thinks so, too,” Yoongi replies.

“Well, we’ll never know because he’ll probably never admit it but it’s a good thought,” you smile. “As long as we maintain this unproblematic dynamic, I’m good.”

“Speaking of which, where is he?”

“On the way,” you say. “He had a meeting to attend and he said he’ll be fixing up here. He should be here in a few minutes.”

Do-hyun approaches you about the photographer and you excuse yourself, instructing Yohan next to her to lead Jungkook to the waiting room when he arrives.

Jungkook steps into the venue and like he’d hoped, he feels the energy as he takes it all in. There’s a lot of possibility as he looks around, and that’s what he wants the guests to see. He wants the artists to envision their own pieces displayed; he wants the creatives to imagine fashion shows and photo shoots and videos that come to life; he wants people to see the potential of an Arts Center beyond just looking at art pieces.

But underneath the pride is nervousness. There will be important personalities coming today and it’s his opportunity to engage with them, to make them want to be a part of this. Talking about the details of the project would be easy; it’s connecting with them that’s a challenge. He had last week’s Appointment Dinner as a trial and like you said, he did well. It’s tonight that matters so much more to him. He supposes that what happens will set the trajectory for how the promotion of the Center will go, so making a good first impression is crucial.

Yohan approaches him and leads him towards the waiting room where his outfit, which Taehyung had pressed and sent over here, hangs on a rack. There are two magazine publications that will feature this event and both include an interview with him and some photos.

Jungkook starts dressing up, knowing he’ll be called for those not long from now. He looks at himself in the mirror and the uncertainty fills him again. It’s not the look he would’ve gone for but his best friend was adamant that an event like this calls for something new. With his trousers and fitted shirt on, Jungkook breathes in and out, and it’s at the same time when there’s a knock on the door and your call of his name suddenly makes him nervous.

You enter, stopping as you shut the door, your eyes a little wide, and look at him. You’re a sight to behold in your floral-laced dress and if he was anxious seconds ago, he’s even more now.

“I knew I should’ve stuck to the classic,” Jungkook sighs at your unmoving form.

“What—what do you mean, Mr. Jeon?” You ask, finally finding your voice.

“You’re not saying anything,” he frowns. “Tonight probably wasn’t the best time to show up in an outfit like this.”

“And why is that?” You wonder, walking closer to him now. You try to calm your racing heart because Jungkook looking this good in a checkered flared trouser and white v-neck shirt was not something you expected. “You look…”

“Pretentious?” He chuckles, shaking his head and bending towards the mirror, his angled body making you feel even hotter.

You’ve long accepted that Jungkook is a very handsome man. It’s probably why it was more frustrating despising him and, like Soomin said, also satisfying. He’s got a perfect mix of boyish and manly features with his doe eyes and chiseled jaw; the aura of confidence and nonchalance perhaps add to that as well. It also doesn’t help that he has a really good physique, something you’d seen on his first day on the job and one you’d denied affected you. You’d gotten used to it somehow. Hard as it was to suppress those thoughts every time you fixed his tie or watched him walk about his penthouse in his gym clothes, you managed. You’ve always been professional, and you’ve always reminded yourself to not let it affect you.

But tonight, it’s just hard not to, especially with the way his biceps are popping out of those short sleeves; and if the shirt were an inch tighter, you’d probably be able to trace his toned chest and abs as well. He’s cut his hair, too, slick and pushed back as if he's starring in some western rockstar film.

“Good…” you manage to say after what seemed like minutes. “The outfit looks good on you, sir. It’s new and fresh, not like the usual formal attire that screams ‘businessman who only wants profits.’ This is posh and stylish. It makes you look more approachable.”

“This is what would make me look approachable?” He asks incredulously.

“Actually, a smile would,” you say too quickly, earning you a laugh. “But this works, too. It fits with the theme.”

“That’s what Tae said, too,” Jungkook sighs. “He insisted that at least for these Arts Center-related events, I should dress a little more boldly and more interesting, things I definitely am not but, well, I couldn’t counter him when he said that my usual prints and styles make me look like I’m just going to a meeting or some business conference.”

“And he’s not wrong,” you point out, walking closer to him. “You don’t need anything eccentric, just something exciting. This is simple yet sophisticated.”

“Have you seen the coat?” He asks, gesturing to the rack when you say no.

“Oh. There’s a corsage,” you say, admiring the matching brown checkered piece.

“An oversized one,” he rolls his eyes.

“It looks pretty.”

“That’s what he said, too.”

“If you don’t like it, why didn’t you tell him during the fitting?”

“I did like it but it’s Tae - he’s good at convincing people that they look good. And I probably thought that, too. But he’s not yet here and he’s gonna be late so right now, all I can think about is that I’ll look ridiculous.”

“Well, that makes one of us,” you say, surprising him. “If what I think matters, then you’d have to take my word for it. The outfit looks good. It captures people’s attention and that’s what you need. You’re just gonna have to follow this up with similar styles but that wouldn’t be a problem. Just carry yourself with confidence. It’s what Mr. Kim would say.”

“I know. He texted that same line to me five times today.”

“He’s your best friend, Mr. Jeon. I’m sure he’s looking out for your best interest.”

“True, but then again, we were forced to become friends when we were young so who knows?”

You laugh at his words. “Is that so?”

“Our fathers are best friends so we spent a lot of time together,” Jungkook shares. “We were all so different and we got on each other’s nerves but I guess that made us closer. I… I wasn’t close to my brother so I just stuck with those who stuck around. It’s a good thing they turned out to be decent people.”

“They’re very kind, I should say.”

“Yeah. It sucks that their kindness didn’t rub off on me,” he says as he holds your gaze.

The tension rises as you look back at him. It’s hard not to fall into his eyes, and you’re thankful for the knock on the door and Yohan’s voice on the other side saying that the interviewer is ready for Jungkook now.

“Five minutes,” you call out, breaking the moment and retrieving his last piece of clothing.

You assist him in wearing his coat and just like reflex, you immediately fix the sleeves and adjust the corsage that isn’t actually that big. You look at him from head to toe and see Taehyung’s vision. There’s something captivating about Jungkook in this fit; it makes him intriguing and someone to look out for. You suppose that was the intention.

“Respectable enough?” He asks worriedly once you meet his eyes.

“Respectable enough,” you affirm, hoping your smile can give him the encouragement he needs.

You open the door and let the first set of crew in. You watch on as they interview and take snapshots while your own team from the marketing department capture what’s happening as well.

Jungkook sits cross-legged on the sofa, his eyes looking out into the distance as he absorbs the questions and thinks of his answers. He gesticulates as he responds, something you noticed him only ever do about topics that seem very important to him. He’s done it during meetings with the team and with Yoongi, and you suppose there’s that level of honesty that he shows then. His responses are thoughtful and profound, as the questions revolve around the type of art pieces to be displayed, how culture can be celebrated and respected, and what the public can look forward to once the Center is open to everyone.

The next interviewer starts off with the practical questions before moving to the technicalities of the design and structure such as the materials used, the techniques utilized in renovating such a massive complex, and how the Center itself represents art and culture. This is when Jungkook fully relaxes. You see it in his body language, in the softness of his expressions, and in the mellow tone of his voice as he discusses in terms you don’t fully understand but somehow still make you feel like you know exactly what he’s talking about.

It’s different seeing him in this way. Your team vetted these interviewers and publications and they seem sincere about their articles and so you know they aren’t there to judge; Jungkook knows they aren’t there to scrutinize him. He’s not there to impress them or even to sell the idea; he just wants to share it, to make it known, to narrate the process of this project that may still be in its very early stages but which has lived in his mind for years.

He may not always be good with words but you can tell that he finds them when the ideas are clear to him. He’s able to articulate what he sees in his mind and there’s something captivating about that. There’s a lot you can learn from him, you think, and if what you develop after having stayed this long is even just a fraction of his creativity, then you’d feel accomplished.

You can tell even more now how important this is to him, especially when he emphasizes the individual’s need and desire for connection and how he wants the Center to be a hub for that, or perhaps its creator. You wonder if he knows so much about it, or if, like you, it’s something he also constantly seeks.

You’re so focused on taking him all in that you don’t notice that you’ve been staring. Your eyes fall on his fingers, waving about as he draws imaginary pictures; they land on his lips, pink and dry as they utter words that are perhaps the most he’s said, and suddenly, his voice is the most comforting it’s ever sounded to you. You look upwards and that’s when you notice it - his eyes are on you just as yours are on him yet he continues talking, and you hold onto it for a few seconds before you feel the heat reach your cheeks. It feels like a burn and you snap out of the spell-like feeling you were caught in as you turn away now and try to catch your breath.

You hadn’t meant to stare but you were drawn to him at that moment, and as he talked about how the designs reflect the tangibility yet elusiveness of human connection, you found yourself drowning in his words and in the way he said them. He’d caught you before you could look away, and you decide that the only way to go about it is to pretend it didn’t happen.

And that’s what you do, as you remain on your spot with your eyes scanning the room, no longer focused on him.

The interview ends right as Chin-sun enters to say that some guests have arrived. You instruct her to entertain them first with Manager Lee as you wrap up in here and it’s not long after when you’re left with Jungkook once again.

“Was that good?” He asks, his gaze on you as you look elsewhere.

“It was. You seemed more relaxed,” you state, unnecessarily fixing the couch to distract yourself. “That’s a good way to start the evening, Mr. Jeon. I’m sure the guests would enjoy speaking with you tonight.”

“That’s what I hope,” he replies. “I’ll need you close to me to keep track of scheduled meetings or any invitations. I’d also like them to be familiar with you as my assistant so they know who to reach out to in case I’m not available.”

“Of course, sir,” you say, turning around to face him again, suddenly feeling nervous about the intensity of his look. “I’ll take note of all those.”

He nods then exits the room and you follow. You trail him as he starts to greet the guests one by one.

There are heads of private foundations and curators. There are creative directors from entertainment agencies and some art enthusiasts. There are artists and authors and poets, all of whom are intrigued and seemingly excited about what’s in store.

Jungkook heads to the front after being introduced by Manager Lee and takes his time to introduce the project, utilizing the panels and all of the interiors’ walls to showcase the design virtually. He presents his plans and the role of artists, creatives, creators, and consumers. It’s a half hour speech that ends, followed by a light sit-down dinner that Jungkook takes advantage of to engage with the guests.

He first greets the deputy minister of the arts and culture ministry and then Mr. Saito, who’d likewise brought some of his artist friends from Japan.

You then follow Jungkook around as instructed, taking notes on your phone in between to list all the upcoming meetings and other activities scheduled on the spot. You’ve somehow developed this skill with Hoseok but it still doesn’t get any easier. The fact that so many of them want to touch base with Jungkook after his pitch says a lot about how well he did and how much it resonated with the people he wanted to connect with.

Based on your notes, you can already tell it’s gonna be incredibly busy moving forward, and the thought suddenly makes your head hurt. But you push through, knowing there are more people to meet with, even with Chin-sun and Manager Lee entertaining half of them.

Jungkook takes the stage again to introduce some of the artists whose works will be displayed in the Arts Center, and he gives them time to talk about their pieces and what drew them into the project. The company head who’s been contracted to create the products for the souvenir shop also speaks, and as they share, you feel the excitement heighten. The opening is still a long time from now but things seem so clear and so certain, and you know that was because of Jungkook - because he demands the same level of excellence he practices from others, because he’s committed to his vision and he makes sure to see it through.

More engagement takes place, and your only breather is when Jungkook decides to talk to his father and then Hoseok but after that, you’re back to following him around and running out of calling cards for people to keep and call you in the future.

The last of the remaining guests finally leave at 10PM. You look around and the art pieces are being carefully wrapped for transport. The panels remain but Do-hyun and Yohan will be returning in the morning to pack everything up. Slowly, you start to feel the soreness creep in and the headache intensify but you shake all the pain off. There are two more days left for the week and you just have to power through them to survive.

“You sure you don’t want me to drive you home?” Chin-sun asks as she readies to leave.

“I live on the other side of the city from you. From all of you,” you remind them. It’s really the only reason why you don’t hitch a ride with them, especially considering that they have families and pets they go home to. “I’ll be fine, don’t worry.”

“What about Yoongi?” Jungkook asks, surprising you because you thought he’d been on the phone. “Can’t he drive you?”

“He left an hour ago, Mr. Jeon,” you reply. “He has that early morning flight to Jeju tomorrow.”

“Mr. Ri can drive you home after he drops me off,” Jungkook says. “It’s too late in the night and it might be hard for you to get a cab.”

“Okay, sir. Thank you,” you mumble, waving everybody goodbye as you follow him towards the car.

You get inside and find him sitting in the backseat, his coat removed and his head rolled back. You can tell all the socializing drained his energy again, and you’d hate to remind him that there’s a Property Expo next week that his father assigned him to attend, as well as a Partners’ Fellowship Dinner where he has to deliver another speech. You decide to do so in the morning instead and let the soft sounds of the radio soothe your mind.

“I think tonight was a success,” he mutters, prompting you to turn towards him. “Everyone I spoke to seemed excited.”

“They were,” you affirm. “They wouldn’t be scheduling meetings with you if they weren’t.”

“That’s true,” he hums. “That’s one major event down and several more to go.”

“I hope the team was able to show you how well we work together, Mr. Jeon. And that like me, they’re all on your side.”

Jungkook lets your words settle. He agrees. The team was like a well-oiled machine. Each member knew their roles and performed their tasks excellently. And there was you, of course, handling every one of his instructions and requests with grace. You looked really beautiful doing it, too, and he doesn’t know if he wants to thank or curse Taehyung for designing another dress that makes you stand out from the crowd because that’s what happened tonight - everywhere Jungkook looked, it seemed like all he could see was you.

He shakes away the thought, knowing that constantly acknowledging his attraction towards you would just make things harder for him the way that denying it would, and while he doesn’t have a solution for that either, he supposes that not acknowledging it at all would be the best option.

So he focuses on the team instead, and he feels comforted to know that they worked hard because they knew how much tonight mattered to him, as Do-hyun expressed earlier.

“I’m glad they are,” he finally replies. “I… I still don’t think I’m their favorite person but as long as they don’t despise me anymore, then I’m satisfied with that.”

“They don’t,” you counter, although even you’d know that’s a half-lie.

“They do. Or did, at least,” he laughs dryly. “It’s easy to stay unnoticed outside of the team’s office, you know?”

The tinge of sadness in his eyes confirms what you’re thinking - he’s heard some of the team conversations about him. And while you’d argue that they’re not vile or anything close to that, you also know that talking about him not smiling or not expressing his gratitude are things you shouldn’t be saying behind his back. Even if they’re true.

“I”m so, so sorry, Mr. Jeon. We–”

“It’s okay, it’s not a big deal,” he interjects. “I mean, it’s not like I haven’t given you reasons to feel that way. You all did go from Hoseok to me and that’s quite the downgrade in terms of camaraderie and stuff.”

“We still didn’t have the right to say those things. And no, I’m not agreeing that you’re a downgrade,” you clarify. “Like you said, you and your cousin are very different.”

“I did. And that’s why I’m not surprised, is all I’m saying. But despite all that, the team did amazing tonight. Not like I’d expect they wouldn’t because they prefer someone more joyful or expressive, but it… it was also nice to see them enjoying themselves. I hope you did, too.”

“It was a memorable experience, Mr. Jeon,” you say. “It’s something new. The previous projects and events we handled were either residential or commercial in nature and our creativity wasn’t pushed as far as the Arts Center is doing. And we all appreciate that, even if we may not show it.”

“That’s good. At least there’s still something that you’re all getting out of this.”

There’s a sadness in his voice that you’re hearing for the first time. You don’t know what about tonight that’s making him vulnerable and honest with you. Perhaps it’s all the talk about human connection that he seems to struggle with, and maybe he’s realizing now that even with the team performing as well as they are, there’s still something lacking in soul and emotion that he thinks is because of him.

Whatever it is, you hope that he doesn’t let it bring him down too much. Working closely with him, you’ve come to see more of him despite his efforts to keep those layers unpeeled and you’ve come to understand him a little more. You’ve forgiven him in the process, too. The team is still adjusting and you know it’s your job to bridge that gap. You’ll just have to figure out how.

You let the silence end the conversation, not knowing what else you can say to comfort him at this moment. But you try though, as the car stops in front of his building and you call his name right before he closes the door.

“Yeah?” He asks, looking curiously at you.

You almost forget what you’re about to say as he’s bent forward, his arm propped on the car roof, the surrounding lights highlighting the features of his face.

“You did great tonight, too. And I learned a lot from you. Thank you for guiding us, sir.”

He’s left speechless, as he holds your gaze for a moment before nodding and closing the door. Mr. Ri drives away and you look back to see Jungkook walk slowly towards the building entrance, briefly looking your way before disappearing inside.

You arrive at the office the next morning at 9AM with a splitting headache, your body dragging itself towards your chair as you try to maintain balance and get yourself together. Jungkook had messaged late last night that he was going to have a breakfast meeting with his father so you could go straight to work, and given last night’s late finish, you could come at a later time as well.

That gave you another two hours of sleep, which you were thankful for considering the terrible state you were in when you woke up. Your body felt sore and the dryness of your throat signaled that you’re about to get sick - it was just a matter of when it was going to fully kick in. It’s how your body reacts to stress, a pattern you noticed since you started working in the company. It’s usually after succeeding weeks of late nights and big events when you give in - the headaches start then the sore throat; not long after, the fever hits and you’d have to spend days just doing nothing until you’ve expelled the exhaustion away.

On rare occasions, your mother or friends come, knowing you’d be too sick to make yourself some food. But they don’t always have that luxury. They have their own lives, too, lives that they just happen to have far away from you. But it’s why it mattered that you gave Jungkook that noodle soup when he was unwell. You know what it’s like to be sick and hungry and completely helpless, and you had a feeling that just like yourself, he’d deal with it on his own. You’ll probably have to stock up on food tonight to get you through the next few days; you just hope you haven’t completely fallen apart by then.

You take your medicines and try to focus on your tasks for this morning, scheduling meetings and screening photos from last night to be used for marketing purposes. Needing some tea, you head to the pantry and briefly check in with the team before heading back. You see that Jungkook has just arrived, as he accompanied his father to one of their project sites after their meeting. He calls you over and asks if Do-hyun and Yohan have come back from fixing things at last night’s venue.

“Yes, sir, they just got here,” you reply. “Everything’s been stored properly and Chin-sun’s working on the payments already.”

“Good,” Jungkook responds. “It’s lunchtime though, so you should all grab a meal. There’s a French restaurant that just opened a block from here. I heard it’s got great reviews, so take the team there and have them order anything they want. You can just use your card to pay but it’s under the office’s budget.”

“Okay, sir. Uhm, that sounds great,” you manage to say, excitement filling you because you spent the other night watching review videos of that restaurant on YouTube and immediately told Jimin and Soomin that you’ll be eating there when they visit you the next time. “What about you though? Aren’t you joining us?”

“I… Well…”

“You don’t have any other scheduled meeting other than the one we’ll have as a team at 2:30.”

“I don’t have to go,” he answers. “You all worked hard and deserve to enjoy yourselves and I don’t think that’ll happen if I’m around. We can all debrief during the meeting but lunch is your time to get together and bond as a group.”

“You’re part of that group, too, Mr. Jeon. You are our boss,” you counter.

“Exactly.”

“But Mr. Ju–” you stop, not wanting to draw another comparison, which you said you’ll stop doing.

“I know. Hoseok would join you for lunch or dinner and the team enjoyed his presence,” Jungkook states. “I don’t think that’s the case with me. This isn’t me putting myself down but… you know that I don’t really… do things like that. I’m still learning that part of the role and I don’t want to spoil their fun.”

“You can’t really speak for the team though,” you point out.

“Well, you represent them to me. Am I wrong to assume all that?”

“No, but I think it would be a good opportunity to prove to them otherwise,” you advise.

Jungkook sighs, knowing you’ve got a point. But he insists, claiming that he’s still figuring out the team and how to relate with them.

“I understand, Mr. Jeon,” you concede. “How about your lunch?”

“I’ll manage. You can all go ahead so you can get back on time.”

“We will. Thank you. I already know they’re going to enjoy it.”

The team is ecstatic when you tell them about lunch plans. They also only wonder about Jungkook’s presence once they’ve ordered and perhaps they’re still figuring him out, too. Much of their engagement with Jungkook is through meetings, as none of them, save for Manager Lee, feel comfortable or even free enough to just approach him. They also don’t know much about his interests or his quirks, and that puts you in the same boat as them.

You said once that you’re not sure if you’ve gotten used to him already. Maybe slowly you are, as you look around and wish that he was here to experience this, too. Somehow you just think he’d love the duck confit dish that you eventually order for yourself. Maybe you can let him know, and he can order it on his own time.

Lunch ends with everyone on a high from the delicious meal. Even you forget how terrible you’re actually feeling and let the laughs and scrumptious food compensate for the fatigue.

You get back to the office and head to Jungkook as the rest of the team prepares the conference room for the meeting. You see a half-eaten sandwich on his desk and hate to think that it’s all he had while you enjoyed a fancy lunch that he ordered you all to have. He seems to pick up your thoughts as your eyes flit from him to his food and he affirms you that he’s not that hungry, given the heavy breakfast he had this morning.

“How was lunch?” He asks.

“It was great. The food was really good. I had the duck confit that I think you’ll like and… uh, they were asking where you were.”

“They were?”

“Yeah,” you respond. “They were wondering why you didn’t join us.”

“What did you say?”

“That you were on a conference call,” you say. You didn’t like that you had to lie to them about it, but you also didn’t want to use that time to talk about Jungkook behind his back again. “Yohan said that it’s understandable; you’re always busy and he doubts you get a break while you’re here.”

“Oh. Well, he’s not wrong.”

“We had a good time though, and I’m sure they’ll tell you later but thank you. It’s nice seeing the team enjoy themselves. I wish you could see it, too.”

“Maybe one day,” he says sullenly, standing up right after to head to the meeting with you.

The room quiets down when you both arrive and Jungkook feels once more the shift in their disposition once he joins them. He can’t fault them for it knowing that’s because of him, but as time passes and the more he talks about the value of human connections - which the Arts Center aims to foster - the more he starts to think of exactly what he’s missing by keeping himself too far a distance from everyone else around him.

His father tries, he can tell. Most of their breakfast or lunch or dinner meetings aren’t actually meetings, and he supposes it’s just his old man’s way of spending time with him by disguising it as something work-related, knowing that Jungkook wouldn’t be into it if it wasn’t. His mother asks him over to their house on some weekends for lunch, her own way of reconnecting with him after years of being apart, but even with that, Jungkook just gives the bare minimum.

He doesn’t not like them; he just stopped being close to them at some point and he didn’t really care to mend it as he grew older. The women he sleeps with don’t count since he doesn’t even really talk to them, and other than Taehyung and Seokjin, and occasionally Yoongi, who keep up with his attitude, there really isn’t anyone else whom he thinks enjoys his presence enough to want to have him around.

He doesn’t know about you though, but he makes an educated guess and thinks there’s not much of him you’d miss just like anyone, and while the thought stings a bit, it’s one he tries to live with.

“Good afternoon, Mr. Jeon,” Manager Lee greets and implores the others to do the same. “Thank you again for lunch. It was really delicious and pretty fancy. I wish I’d worn a prettier tie than the one I have right now.”

“Your tie looks fine, Manager Lee,” Jungkook replies.

“Ms. Cho said you were busy, that's why you weren’t there,” Do-hyun boldly says. “Hopefully next time you can join us. I mean, not to assume you’ll treat us again, although that would be nice, but–”

“Do-hyun just wanted to say thank you,” Chin-sun butts in. “And that we understand you have so many things going on, Mr. Jeon, so hopefully, when you have time in the future, you can join us for a meal, too.”

“That, uh, that would be fine, yes,” he mumbles, taking his seat and avoiding looking at everyone except you. “Let’s start the meeting.”

You’re there for over two hours, rehashing the entire process, given that it’s the first event out of many that the team organized. Jungkook is generous in complimenting everyone, including you, and he gives updates on the interest generated and all the artists he’ll be meeting in their respective studios as a result.

The Ministry of Culture minister likewise pledged support, promising a linkage with the international media festival organizers like Jungkook had hoped. You’ve all accomplished so much in so little time, but the rest of the timeline shows that there’s still so much ground to cover. You plan the next steps and then spend half an hour talking about the other small projects that the VP’s office is managing before Jungkook adjourns the meeting and orders you all to head home to get some rest while he stays behind to work some more.

You follow him this time, trying your best to be stable as you take the bus home. You manage to buy some beef bone soup on the way for dinner, and once that’s all finished and you take a long hot shower to hopefully get rid of the stress in your body, you plop down on your bed and fall asleep with no warning at all.

You wake up in the middle of the night, your clogged nose keeping you from breathing. With puffy eyes, you search for your eucalyptus inhaler and take your medicine before going back to bed and hoping that when you wake up, you’ll feel less terrible than you do right now.

But you don’t, as you wake up to your alarm not long after and feel even worse. Your body is sore, your head feels heavy, and it’s a struggle to even turn to your side to try to pull yourself off the bed. Knowing there’s no way you’ll manage today, you call Mr. Ri and inform him that you’re unwell and can’t make it to work.

“I can’t even type nor talk properly right now,” you tell him. “Can you–”

“I’ll tell Jungkook, don’t worry,” he assures you. “And just to remind you, you’re sick, okay? So stay in bed, don’t do chores or anything, and don’t think about work for even a second. You hear me? And update me on how you are.”

“Yes,” you cough out. “Thank you.”

You lie underneath the covers and hope to the heavens that more sleep would make you feel a bit of relief and it does, given that when your phone rings five hours later, you don’t feel like your head is splitting apart.

“Good, you’re awake,” Mr. Ri says on the other end after you greet him. “Can you open your door?”

“Okay, just give me a few minutes. I’m exceptionally slow this morning.”

Mr. Ri laughs but tells you to take your time. You put on a hoodie over your gray sweatpants and briefly wash your face before opening the door.

“Work’s got to you, huh?” He asks worriedly as he stands in front of you. “Is it bad enough to warrant a visit to the hospital? I can drive you there.”

“I’ll manage,” you mumble. “But what are you doing here, Mr. Ri? Mr. Jeon has a meeting in an hour.”

“I know. But he wanted me to give you this.”

The older man initially hands you a large paper bag but decides to just place it on your table given your weak state. He removes the containers of chicken noodle soup, rice porridge, and soybean sprout soup, boxes of soft bread, and a small jar of yuja marmalade for tea.

“What–”

“Your meals for the next few days so you don’t have to worry about preparing them,” Mr. Ri says. “Jungkook wants you to focus on resting. He wants you to take Monday off, too.”

You look at him and suddenly feel like crying. You knew that waking up, you’d be worrying about what to eat, given that you barely have ingredients to work with. You also don’t have the energy to make anything, especially something that’d help with your health. Jungkook just relieved you of that, and at a time like today, you feel what it’s like to be cared for. And though you can argue with him using his own words - your health isn’t his responsibility - you won’t pretend that it doesn’t give you comfort knowing that he’d made the effort to buy all this and have them brought to you.

You talk a little bit more before he heads out, and you lead him to the door where you look across the street where the car is parked. Your eyes may be puffy but you don’t miss the silhouette behind that backseat window.

“How is she?” Jungkook asks as Mr. Ri enters the car and slowly drives away.

“She looks like someone who’s been working hard these past months and in need of rest. She says it’s normal but this is probably the worst. These few days off will be good for her.”

“I hope so, too.”

“She’s thankful for the food, Jungkook,” the older man says. “I know she’d probably say you didn’t have to but I could tell it meant a lot to her. She doesn’t always ask for help, you know? It’s good you’re somehow letting her know that she can count on you when she needs you. If this is you making it up to her, you’re on the right path.”

Jungkook hums in acknowledgement, although unsure what it means for him. Is it to compensate? To apologize again? To return the favor because you’d done it first? Is it to let you know that he has your back, too, the way you’ve been showing him that you have his?

He’s alerted by a message, your name on his screen somehow making his heart jump. It’s a text message and not one from the usual messaging app you both use for work purposes because, well, that’s really the only thing you talk about.

[From: EA Cho] Thank you, Jungkook. I really appreciate it.

It’s the use of his name. It’s the sincerity in your simple words.

He smiles to himself.

Whatever it means to you, he knows it means another thing to him. He doesn’t want you to feel alone. And that in the coldest nooks of his uncaring heart, he actually does care for you. For this moment, he’ll acknowledge it. For this moment, he’ll let himself feel it. He can only hope you feel it, too.

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starryeyedjanai · 10 months ago

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@steddieholidaydrabbles valentine's day prompt | read on ao3 tags: established relationship, fluff

“Wait, how is it possible that you’ve never had a Valentine’s Day date?” Eddie asks. “You literally dated Nancy for almost a year.”

Steve shrugs. “She was sick that week. I had something planned, but had to cancel. I brought her soup and stayed with her for a little while, but it wasn't really the date I had hoped for, you know?”

In the nine months he and Steve have been dating, Steve has gotten better about asking for what he wants, but he still gets weird about some things though. So Eddie knows he’s bringing this up a couple weeks before Valentine’s Day for a reason—that even though he can’t really say it, he wants to have Valentine’s Day plans with Eddie.

So Eddie starts planning.

His plan starts with breakfast in bed because he doesn't want to take away from whatever Steve’s got planned for dinner — he knows Steve will probably plan something romantic for that.

His suspicions about that are proven right when Steve not so casually asks at the beginning of the week if he has “dinner plans on Saturday” as if Eddie won’t remember that’s the 14th. He plays along and says he doesn't have any plans yet, watching as Steve tries to hide his small smile behind his hand. He’s so fucking cute.

On Valentine’s Day, Eddie wakes up earlier than he has since he graduated high school and makes his way over to Steve's with his supplies.

He lets himself into the house with the key Steve had given him a few months ago and gets to work quietly making breakfast.

He mixes the waffle mix before he puts a pot of coffee on, fiddling with the coffee machine that he’s only used a few times because Steve tends to wake up before him and already have it brewed.

He hums quietly to himself as he cooks the bacon and eggs, the waffles cooking away in the waffle iron.

When the food is done, he grabs the tray he brought with him and arranges flower petals around the plate. He turns to grab a coffee mug and nearly has a heart attack at the sight of Steve leaning against the archway leading into the kitchen.

“How long have you been standing there?” he asks, watching as Steve starts to walk forward towards him.

“A few minutes. I woke up and heard something and figured you must be down here,” Steve says, coming to a stop right in front of Eddie. He’s smiling softly and his eyes are fond and happy and Eddie gets lost in them for a moment before he remembers—

“Wait, no, go back to bed! This is supposed to be breakfast in bed!”

Steve brings a hand up to push Eddie's hair out of his face and cup his neck. He says, “Breakfast in bed is a really sweet idea, but I don't think I could handle the crumbs,” and Eddie groans.

He forgot how much of a stickler Steve is for not having food in his room. “I wanted to be romantic!” he whines, sticking his bottom lip out. Steve swoops in and kisses it softly.

“It was very romantic to wake up to the smell of coffee and come down here to see you singing and cooking me breakfast,” he says, thumb stroking over Eddie's cheek.

Eddie leans into the touch and says, “Go sit at the table and I’ll bring it to you. At least let me have that.”

Steve smiles wider and says, “Okay, love.”

Eddie pours them both a cup of coffee, adding sugar and cream to Steve's, repeating what he’s seen him do countless mornings, before he finishes plating the food.

He grabs the tray and his own plate and brings them to the dining room, setting the tray in front of Steve.

He’s about to go sit in the chair next to him when Steve pulls him into his lap.

Eddie laughs and turns in his lap so he’s sitting sideways and not blocking the food.

“You shaped the eggs like hearts,” Steve says, looking up at Eddie.

Eddie sets his plate down on the table and kisses Steve, soft and slow.

“I think this is the most romantic thing anyone’s ever done for me,” Steve says when he pulls back. His eyes are shining a little.

“You deserve romantic things,” Eddie says, kissing Steve's temple. “You deserve all the romantic things, in fact. I have a whole day of romantic things planned just for you.”

“The whole day?” Steve asks, surprised.

“What, did you think I’d feed you breakfast and then just leave you alone the rest of the day?” Eddie asks with a playful scoff. “We’re gonna eat breakfast and then we’re gonna watch the cheesy romantic comedy I rented. Then we’re gonna go to Lover’s Lake and have a picnic in the back of my van. Then we’ll come back here and I’ll let you have your way with me before you whisk me off to whatever dinner plans you made.”

Steve has the nerve to look caught out at that last bit. “You knew?” he asks, mouth pulled into a cringing smile.

“I know you, darling,” Eddie says, grinning at him. “You’re a romantic.”

“This is going to be the best Valentine’s Day ever, spending the entire day doing what you planned,” Steve says, nuzzling his nose against Eddie’s jaw. “But I hope you know I’m gonna woo you tonight. Sweep you off your feet.”

“Oh, are you now? How do you plan on doing that?” Eddie asks.

“It’s a surprise,” Steve says, voice teasing. He picks up his fork to start eating.

Eddie hums. “No thoughts about the having your way with me part of my plan?”

“Oh I have thoughts. Many, many thoughts,” Steve says, leaning up and pressing a kiss to Eddie's jaw. “I’ll try not to wear you out before dinner.”

Eddie raises an eyebrow at him. “I’m holding you to that, big boy.”

#steddie #stranger things #eddie munson #steve harrington #steddie ficlet #steddieholidaydrabbles #janai.doc

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merrybloomwrites · 3 months ago

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The Only Way of Knowing You (Chapter 2)

Story Summary: After a chance encounter, Y/N finds herself on a series of dates with Harry Styles. She shares with him her innocence regarding physical intimacy, and he takes his responsibility in teaching her all about that very seriously.

Chapter Summary: Y/N and Harry go on their first dates, and Y/N accidentally reveals her secret, which Harry is nothing but supportive about.

Word Count: 4.3K

Content Warning: talks about sex, mentions of religion

AN: Totally forgot about tag lists! Lmk if you want to be on a tag list for this series to get notified when the other chapters get posted!

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You wake up Saturday morning feeling extra jittery. Today is the day you see Harry again, this time for your official first date. You check your text conversation one more time, just to make sure that this is real. Once you’re absolutely certain that this is happening, you get up, eat breakfast, and begin to get ready.

It’s just coffee, you remind yourself as you look through your closet for something to wear. You pull out jeans and an oversized sweater, wanting to be warm since it’s still the middle of January. After deciding on an outfit you get in the shower, trying to calm your swirling thoughts with the warm water.

After drying off, you meticulously do your makeup and then loosely curl your hair. You hope that you found that perfect line, staying just casual enough while still getting a little glam. Or at least more so than your typical ponytail and a touch of mascara look you do most days.

Even though you take your time getting ready, it’s still early once you’re done. You decide to have a small snack, since Harry had said coffee. But you’re meeting at one so maybe he meant lunch as well. But maybe not. And you don’t want to go starving, but also you don’t want to be too full in case he does want a meal with you.

So yea, you’re sitting there, overthinking, while eating a granola bar and a piece of fruit. Not exactly the chill, relaxing morning you had planned. But let’s face it, you’re about to go on your first date ever. And it’s with a celebrity that you’ve idolized for years. That’s not something to be chill about.

When it’s finally time to start walking to the coffee shop you feel a sense of relief that the suspense will finally be over. You’re going to meet Harry, and have coffee, and whatever happens, happens.

You pull on your heaviest coat, slipping your phone, wallet, and keys into the pockets, and start your walk. The place he chose isn’t far from you, just under a mile. That’s walkable in your eyes, and you’d rather take a slow stroll there than have to find parking. A walk will relax you. Parking in the busy neighborhood will heighten your stress, and really, you do not need more stress at the moment.

When you walk in the store you realize it’s not a coffee shop, but more a bookstore with a coffee corner in the back. You walk around a bit to see if Harry is there, but you’re early so you’re not surprised when you don’t find him.

It’s warm inside so you take off your coat and drape it over your arm. You wander the stacks while you wait, and as you read the synopsis of a random book you hear a voice behind you say, “Didn’t take you as someone who’d be a fan of Lovecraftian Horror.”

You quickly turn and see Harry standing there, dressed similar to you in jeans and a hoodie. You’re silent for a moment, just smiling at the sight of him before your brain catches up and you answer, “It’s always important to try new things,” you say before adding, “But maybe not today.” You place the book back on the shelf and turn back to face Harry.

The two of you stand there awkwardly for a moment before Harry says, “Would you like to grab some coffee? They’ve got good soup and sandwiches if you’re hungry.”

“Sounds perfect,” you answer and he places his hand on your lower back to lead you towards the coffee corner. You try to act normal at the gesture, but inside you’re freaking out at this contact. It’s so sweet, so casual! And so completely new to you.

“I nearly always get the veggie soup here,” he says as the two of you stand looking at the menu board.

“Oh that sounds good. I think I might go with the tomato basil,” you reply.

“That’s delicious as well.”

“Do you come here a lot?” You ask.

“Not all the time, but it is one of my favorite places in the area. Nice and private so I tend to fly under the radar here.”

Just then a woman steps behind the counter and says, “Hi Harry, nice to see you again.”

“Hi Evelyn, how have you been?”

“Can’t complain. How are you?”

“I’m doing well! Evie, this is Y/N,” he says, gesturing towards you and you shyly smile and say hello.

“Finally letting someone in on your best kept secret huh?” Evelyn asks. Harry just chuckles at that and Evelyn says, “So what can I get for you guys?”

The two of you order, Harry insisting on paying, and soon you’re both sitting at a secluded table enjoying your tea and soup.

For the next hour and a half you sit and chat, getting to know each other and enjoying one another’s company.

There are also little touches. Nothing crazy, just his hand grazing yours or him tucking a strand of hair behind your ear, but it’s enough to make you want to melt right there in your seat. You’ve never had this kind of attention before, and each and every one of these little firsts is so special to you.

After nearly two hours together there’s a natural lull in the conversation and Harry says, “You know, I’ve never asked a fan out on a date before. Was always told it was a bad idea, it would be too messy. I was just so excited about my niece when I met you that I guess I forgot about all that.”

Suddenly you're nervous, expecting him to say that he regrets this or that it can’t happen again. Sensing your distress, Harry quickly adds, “But I’m so happy that I did. I really enjoyed getting to be with you today. And uhm, I’d like to do it again sometime. If you’d like that as well.”

You’re instantly relieved and reply, “I would. I had fun getting to know you.”

The two of you share a small smile and stand. Harry puts his arms out, silently asking for a hug, and you’re happy to accept. His arms around you are strong, and warm, and he smells so lovely. It pains you to pull away but at the same time you’re still not entirely comfortable with public displays of affection, even if it is just a hug.

After saying goodbye you start your walk home, reflecting on the afternoon. It had been a perfect first date in your opinion, and you can’t wait to see Harry again.

Your next date doesn’t happen for a few weeks, family matters and work schedules making it hard to find a time. You do text a bit and have a couple phone calls, neither of you wanting to go so long without talking.

It’s a mild Saturday in February, and you guys decide to go on a hike. You’ve been trapped inside for months due to the cold, damp weather, and this is the perfect opportunity to finally get some fresh air. There’s a trail you like that you send to Harry, and he confirms he’s on board.

He picks you up mid-morning to drive together to the trailhead. It feels so casual, comfortable, even a tad domestic. Music is playing from the radio and you’re both commenting on the scenery you pass, telling random stories you think of along the way.

The dirt parking lot is nearly empty when you get there, just two other cars, indicating that you likely won’t be seeing many people on the trail.

You start the walk, the mixture of easy exercise, fresh air, and good company all making for a perfect morning. The goal of the hike is a lookout point, and while it’s not the most spectacular view, especially in the winter, it’s still quite impressive. You look out over the valley, observing the different little towns tucked in the rolling hills.

Harry stands beside you, his arm wrapping around your waist, and you focus on simply breathing like a normal person. It’s electric, the feeling of him touching you, even through layers of clothing. When you turn to look at him you find he’s already turned towards you, his eyes darting down to your lips.

You nearly stop breathing once again, sending that he may be about to kiss you and trying to figure out if you’re more excited or nervous about that fact. He leans in slowly, his face inches from yours. Suddenly a bird takes off from a nearby branch, startling you both and effectively ruining the moment.

With your intimate little bubble now popped, the two of you start your journey back to the car. After a few minutes you’re back to the same easy conversation from before. Unsurprisingly, you start talking about the kids, Harry filling you in on updates with Gemma’s little one and you telling him how your niece and nephew are doing.

“How was Wyatt when your sister was pregnant? Did she understand what was happening?” Harry asks.

“I think she understood as well as any two year old could. She knew she was going to be a big sister, knew there was a baby in her mommy’s belly.”

“Did she ask how the baby got there?”

“No, I think at this age you just accept information without questioning it as much. She’s not quite at the stage where she needs to know the reason for everything,” you answer.

“So she’s not incessantly asking ‘why’ yet?”

“Not yet, and I’m not looking forward to when she does,” you say with a laugh. “She’s a very determined little girl, she’s definitely going to be asking a million questions. And she is curious so I can see her wanting to know how things work and all of that.”

“Did she see like, ultrasounds of the baby? Do you show toddlers that?”

“I don’t know if they showed her those. But my sister had one of those doppler things that you can put on her belly and hear the baby’s heartbeat. I know she showed Wyatt that.” You start laughing again before telling the story that just popped in your head. “There was one day that I was hanging at their house and Wy pulled the doppler out. And she went to Kyra and put it on her stomach and then came over and did it to me too. So Kyra asked Wyatt if she found anything to which I immediately replied that she better not!”

Harry laughs along with you, and without thinking you add, “I mean, it’d be cool to meet the pope and everything but I’d really rather not have the next virgin birth.” Your brain finally catches up with your mouth and you quickly shut up, your cheeks heating in embarrassment that you’ve just revealed so much information so early in the relationship.

Harry’s quick to reassure you, saying, “Hey, that’s nothing to be embarrassed about, alright? Matter of fact that’s important for me to know. Can I ask why, if you don’t mind telling me?”

You take a deep breath before explaining, “My family is religious so I grew up going to Church and private school and we were told that premarital sex is a sin. And I was very much a rule follower so if I was told not to do something, I didn’t do it. Plus I was terrified of getting pregnant in high school and I knew that condoms aren’t totally effective, and there was no way I could get birth control. Then I got to college and was so busy with studying and working that having sex wasn’t a priority for me. And now, well, making friends as an adult is hard enough. Finding someone to lose your virginity to in your late twenties is a challenge. Guys don’t want to deal with someone that has no experience. So yea, really not a lot of opportunities for sex in my life.”

You’re nervous as Harry takes his time before responding. Finally, he says, “That’s all completely valid. And smart. Sometimes I wish I had waited until I was older and more mature. And any guy who won’t take the time to teach someone is a total dick.”

“You really think that?” you ask, unsure if he’s just saying that to be polite.

Harry stops walking in order to turn and face you. His expression is intense, sincere, and he looks you in the eyes when he says, “Of course I mean that. People treat sex like this casual thing, and maybe for some people it is. But not for me. It’s why I always hated those rumors that I was a womanizer and slept around. Sex to me is important, a way to show you care about someone, a way to connect with them. No one should be pressured into it or made to feel bad just because they might not know what they’re doing. And when someone is new to intimacy, then the experienced partner should be patient, and help them to make sure they enjoy it. Plus, it can be uncomfortable for women, feel invasive even, especially when it’s not done right. That’s the last thing I’d want to have happen, for anyone.”

He stops his mini rant and you smile, feeling so reassured and at ease. You don’t know how far this relationship between the two of you will go, but you do know that if it does become physical, that you don't have to be scared. You trust every word Harry says.

You smile to show your appreciation for taking this so seriously and making you feel so safe. You’ve had people make fun of you when they found out you’re still a virgin, but Harry isn’t phased at all.

“Want to hear something kind of ridiculous?” you ask, feeling more confident after hearing Harry’s thoughts.

He nods his head furrows his eyebrows, obviously interested in what you have to say next.

“Okay, this is probably even more embarrassing to admit, but like, I truly do not understand how it’s supposed to fit.” He looks at you confused so you continue, “It’s just such a big thing and it’s apparently supposed to go into such a small hole. Makes no sense to me.”

Finally realizing what you’re saying, Harry barks out a laugh. You’re happy the mood is lightened and he responds, “Guess I really have my work cut out for me then. May need to make you some powerpoints or something to explain it all.”

“That’d probably be helpful,” you reply, laughing as well, though the statement is unfortunately true.

The two of you start walking again, and Harry slips his hand in yours. It’s nice, not sweaty or uncomfortable like you always thought holding hands would be, and even this makes you feel so close, so connected to him.

After the hike you stop and grab sandwiches before Harry drives you home. Ever the gentleman he gets out of the car and rushes to open your door for you. His hand now resting on your back, he walks you to your front porch.

“I had fun today,” he says, turning to face you.

“Me too. I’m so happy the weather worked out,” you reply.

“Yea it was nice being able to get outside.”

It’s silent for a moment, both of you just looking at each other. You’re not sure what’s about to happen, so you just follow Harry’s lead. His eyes glance to your lips, and immediately your heart rate increases. You’ve read about this, how that’s a sign he wants to kiss you, and oh my god, it’s finally happening in real life.

You take calm, even breaths as his face slowly moves closer to yours. With one hand still resting on your waist, his other comes up to cup your cheek, and you gasp at the touch. He continues to close the distance, giving you plenty of time to move away, but you don’t.

You want this, want to finally have your first kiss.

When his lips gently press against yours, it takes just a second for you to respond. It’s weird, trying to figure out how to shape your mouth, or where to put your hands. But you don’t have too much time to worry, because he pulls back a second later.

For a moment you’re almost disappointed by how quick it was. Until you realize that’s what it should be. Not some crazy make out, or trying to head straight to bed for more. Just a simple display of affection with the promise of more in the future.

You also know that just a peck is exactly what you can handle right now, and Harry definitely sensed that. It’s like he’s more aware of your limits than you are, which is so comforting.

“Today has been lovely,” Harry says as he steps back, his hands leaving your body and allowing you to breathe normally again. “I’ll call you, okay?”

“Okay,” you reply bashfully. “Drive safe. Bye, Harry.”

“Bye, Y/N,” he says and you force yourself to open your door and walk inside. Once he hears the lock click, Harry goes back to his car and drives away.

Now alone, you release the squeal that’s been trying to burst out of you. No part of you truly believes that just happened. That’s just crazy. Things like this never happen to you.

There’s a journal on a shelf in your living room that’s collecting dust, but if there’s ever a time to add an entry, it’s now. You open it up, write the date and the top, and simply add “Harry kissed me.” It feels almost juvenile, but you never want to forget this moment.

You spend the rest of the day on cloud nine, trying to get things done but finding yourself standing in random places, completely zoned out and thinking about the kiss, how his lips felt on yours, the hand cupping your cheek, his smile when he pulled away.

You want more, want it with him, and now you’re just anxiously awaiting his call, wondering how soon you can see him again.

Which ends up taking longer than you expected. For days you don’t hear from Harry; no call, and no text. By Tuesday, you’re starting to feel self conscious, wondering if he really had just said all those things to be nice but really wants nothing to do with a virgin. By Friday, you think maybe you’re crazy, and you made everything up and haven’t even met Harry. It’s all a delusion.

And then, on Saturday morning, your phone rings. When you see his name you immediately answer, which might seem desperate, but truthfully you’re desperate to prove to yourself that the past two dates really happened.

“Y/N, love, I am so sorry for not calling sooner,” he says the second the call connects. “I swear I picked up the phone half a dozen times and something always came up. I really did not mean to keep you hanging for a week.”

“Thank’s alright, I know you’re busy,” you reply, breathing a sigh of relief that he isn’t avoiding you on purpose.

“It’s not alright, but thank you for understanding. I'd like to make it up to you. I know it’s last minute but are you available tonight for dinner?”

“Let me check,” you say. It’s silly, you’re completely free as you are most Saturdays, but you don’t want to seem too eager. Plus, he did leave you hanging for a week, so it’s only fair he needs to squirm for a minute. “Looks like I’m free this evening,” you add after a moment.

“Wonderful! I can pick you up at 6, if that works for you?”

“Sounds perfect. I’ll see you then,” you say.

“Looking forward to it,” he replies before hanging up.

You spend the day anticipating that evening. You take a luxurious bath before styling your hair and applying makeup. Truthfully, you’re quite nervous for this date. Harry had texted you after the phone call, explaining the restaurant's dress code, which was quite fancy. You were lucky to find a dress in your closet that would work. Plus, this is the third date. You’d always heard this is when things would often get physical.

What if Harry wants that tonight? Would you be ready? Or would you have to decline and see how serious he was about going at your pace. Part of you thinks that maybe it’s best to just get it over with already. But the idea of having sex is still go foreign, so scary, that you admit you need time. You need to know him better, trust him more. You know you can trust him to respect that, but you still feel bad denying him.

Before you spiral too much, your doorbell rings. After one last look in the mirror, you grab your purse and head to the front door.

Opening it, you’re face to face with the most beautiful image. Harry is standing there, in a perfectly fitted suit, holding a bouquet of flowers.

“Wow, you look beautiful,” he says. “These are for you,” he adds, holding out the flowers.

You blush at his words, thanking him for the compliment and the flowers. You invite him inside so that you can find a vase for the bouquet. He politely waits by the front door, not wanting to intrude on your personal space by peeking around your home.

A moment later you’re locking the front door and following Harry out to the car. He holds your hand for the drive, and it takes everything in you not to squeal from happiness. You’ve seen so many of your friends have boyfriends and it looks like it’s finally going to be your turn. You take nothing for granted, not even something as small as simply holding hands over the center console.

The restaurant was one you previously dreamed of going to, but never imagined you’d be able to actually eat there. You knew it took months to get a reservation, and a meal here probably costs more than your monthly car payment. But when you’d expressed your concerns about that, Harry had simply replied, “Let me treat you.”

When you arrive you’re led to a private table, a bottle of wine already waiting for the two of you. Harry pulls out the chair for you, ever the gentleman, and finally the two of you are sitting face to face.

The warm lighting and glow of the candles sets the romantic scene. Harry looks absolutely gorgeous, and it nearly pains you to look away so you can read the menu. You notice there are no prices listed, probably for the best that you don’t really know how much this is going to cost.

“Anything catching your eye?” He asks.

“Anything you’d recommend?” You ask in return.

“Well their salmon is my favorite, but honestly you can’t go wrong. Their pasta is great as well, and my friends said the steaks are excellent.”

The two of you order and enjoy the meal together and you continue to learn more about each other. It isn’t until you’ve finished dessert that Harry brings up the conversation you’d had during your last date.

“I wanted to ask you a bit of a personal question, if that’s alright,” he says.

“You may ask,” you reply.

“You mentioned last time that you don’t have any experience. Can you clarify what you mean? Like, no experience with sex or no experience in general?”

“None at all. You were actually my first kiss. To be honest I was kind of nervous today about the whole ‘third date’ thing.”

“There’s no timeline, Y/N. I promise, I will never push you to do anything you’re not ready to do. I have no expectations regarding this. It’s whatever you want, in your time.”

“That’s very good to hear. And I do feel ready to try things with you. Maybe not everything yet but, I trust you, and I’d like to do more with you. To learn from you.”

“Then I’m excited to teach you.”

You both smile and move on for the moment, going back to other conversation topics. A short while later Harry settles the bill and drives you home. His hand once again holds yours, his thumb rubbing circles along your skin.

Just like the previous date, he walks you to your door.

“Would you like to come inside?” You ask him.

“Not this time,” he answers kindly. You understand he’s not rejecting you, just saying not tonight. Still, you’re slightly disappointed. You’d gotten yourself excited at the idea of being more intimate with Harry. But once again you know he is right, that it’s a good idea to wait a little longer.

You nod and say, “I had a wonderful time tonight. Thank you again for dinner.”

“It was my pleasure,” he replies. “I’ll text you this week and we can set something up for our next date.”

“I look forward to it.”

“I do as well. Goodnight, Y/N.”

“Goodnight, Harry.”

Again like last time, he leans down, large hands cradling your cheeks as he meets you in a soft kiss. Again, it leaves you wanting more, and he knows it if his smirk is anything to go by.

“All in due time,” he murmurs as he pulls away.

You finally walk into your home, tummy full of butterflies, and can’t help one more glance out the window. You catch Harry just as he’s getting in the car and you watch as he drives away.

‘All in due time’ you tell yourself, feeling excited about what is to come.

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#harry styles x you #harry styles fanfiction #harry styles x reader

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rd0265667 · 3 months ago

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Winter X Reader: Let Go

Permanent Taglist: @cwpiqwon @justme-idle

Minjeong’s eyes fluttered open, eyes wincing at the bright glare of the sun, reaching a hand out to shut the curtain. “Morning, love,” You murmured, stretching before pulling Minjeong closer.

Minjeong yelped in excitement and shock as she found herself nestled within your arms. She pouted, scrunching her nose and playfully punching you in the chest. Holding Minjeong closer, she looked up at you as she saw your smile widen “Jeongie, how would you like to spend the morning doing the productive act of absolutely nothing.” “You know me too well.” Minjeong replies with a soft giggle. You both stayed nestled in bed, your arms wrapped around each other. Minjeong ran her fingers through your hair, causing you to hum in content, leaning deeper into her embrace. “I could hold you forever.” Minjeong whispered, slowly running her other hand up and down your back. “I wish you could too Jeongie, but y’know, life gets in the way sometimes.” You say, shrugging your shoulders, causing Minjeong to frown, this being a rather depressing point that pulled her out of this comfort and joy she had fallen into. Nothing a quick peck couldn’t solve though, as you wriggled your own body up a little, leaving a short peck on Minjeong’s forehead that reduced her to a blushing mess, looking away from you in embarrassment

“Remember those Saturdays we spent having breakfast in bed?” You asked, your tone light with nostalgia. Minjeong’s eyes filled with joy.“Of course, back when we first got married. We would compete to wake up earlier to make breakfast for each other.” “Remember that time you made me some soup in the morning, then y-” You tried playfully jabbing at Minjeong, though she quickly sat up, nostrils flared as she immediately knew what you were about to say. “Hey! It was dark, and there was so much stuff on the floor, and I was so excited, and, and…” Minjeong said, clearly indignant at having to explain herself for the umteenth time. You chuckled, quickly pecking her on the lip.. “Sounds like excuses to me, my love.” You tease, using your hand to ruffle her hair. “You’re lucky I love you. Might I remind you that that soup was made with so much love and you laughed when I dropped it.” “Well, I couldn’t exactly taste the love, especially when it was spilled all over the floor.” You tease, causing Minjeong to shoot you a death glare. “Let me remind you that we do not have a prenuptial.” Minjeong deadpanned, causing you to burst into laughter, wrapping your arms around her as you pulled her down onto the bed once again. “I’m serious.” Minjeong said, her frown intensifying as your laugh grew even still. “Like you’d ever leave me Jeongie. Even Yi Zhuo knows you’re whipped.” You tease, causing a light blush to form over Minjeong’s face “Oh, shut it. Well, I do miss when we had time to have breakfast in bed. Days like these are a luxury we can’t really afford anymore.” Minjeong sighs, her shoulders deflating. “Yeah, well, life changes, we just have to roll with the blows. We keep what we can, but for those things we can’t keep? We just gotta let go. You get what I’m saying Jeongie?” You whispered, causing Minjeong’s eyebrow to furrow

“Sometimes.” Minjeong mutters, her mood clearly taking a downturn “We need to let go of things that we can’t have anymore Minjeong, only then can we open ourselves to new experiences, open ourselves to new people, new memories. No point clinging to what’s gone and dead, Jeongie.” You whisper, though Minjeong quickly shrugs you off. “Hey babe, did you see the new offer at the mall nearby? I was thinking of replacing the chairs we have in our dining table.” Minjeong mentions, her hands now with a steeled vice grip around your arms. You sigh. “Yeh, maybe, we need to spend some time doing some remodelling outside. We don’t really need all that stuff now.” You say, causing Minjeong to look at you in confusion. “I never knew you to be a minimalist. Weren’t you the one who said we had to deck the halls with what I can only describe a vomit of colour.” Minjeong jokes, trying to bring back the light hearted atmosphere that had been sucked out of the room so quickly she was almost out of breath. “You know that’s not what I meant, Jeongie.” You say with a sigh. “I really don’t, love.” Minjeong said to you in confusion. “It’s been 3 weeks, Jeongie.” You sigh, holding her hands in yours. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Minjeong spits back, now slightly agitated, clearly wanting to avoid this subject. “Minjeong. You haven’t left the house in 3 weeks. You spend your days crying, you barely eat, you barely drink, when’s the last time you left your bed?” You challenge her, your agitation masking a rising concern and fear threatening to burst from your chest. “I can’t do it baby. Please don’t make me do it.” Minjeong whispered, tears leaking from her eyes. “I know it’s scary, baby, but please, you can’t stay this way. You have to do it, no matter how much it hurts.” You whisper into her ear “There are days I can’t even get myself to move, you know? I just lay in bed, and that scene flashes before my eyes, while I lay there, powerless to do anything. I try to scream, I try to move, but I can’t. I just lay there, watching that scene over and over again.” Minjeong laments, her initial sniffles now turned to outright bawling. “I know, Jeongie. Believe me, if I could take away all your pain, replace it with joy, or happiness, or laughter, I would. But I can’t do that. Only you can. The journey will be hard, but you have to do this, Jeongie. Please, it hurts me to see you like this. Let go.” You whisper. Minjeong, now overrun with emotion, shuts her eyes as tightly as she can, fist clenched so tight her knuckles turn white. As she opens her eyes once again, she finds her bed empty. Minjeong let out a throaty chuckle, full of bitterness, rage, anger, sadness, and everything in between. She curls into a fetal position, shaking and shivering as she holds onto your sweater, the last trace of you she had, the material being soaked with tears.

She looked to your cold and empty side of the bed, the same way it had been for 3 weeks. Cold and empty. Minjeong found that an apt descriptor for her heart now. Let go? How could she let go of the only thing that ever mattered to her?

#fluff?#aespa #rd0265667 #aespa minjeong #aespa kim minjeong #aespa x reader #aespa minjeong x reader #aespa imagines #aespa winter #winter x reader #aespa winter x reader #kim minjeong fanfic #angst

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gingerteawrites · 9 days ago

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CARE - Where Zhongli takes care of sick reader

A/N: I've been feeling pretty unwell these past few days, so of course I had to make it a fictional character's problem. I'm also trying to post more often, but finals season is kicking my butt. I'm SO looking forward to winter break.

Content: Zhongli x reader, comfort, fluff.

Banner by: @anitalenia

Zhongli first realized something was off when the smell of his delicious breakfast and tea did not lure you into the kitchen like it usually did on Saturday mornings. After plating the food, he walked into your shared bedroom, quietly pushing the door open. The blinds were still shut, but small rays stubbornly filtered through, casting light over a shapeless form under the sheets.

"My love?" he called out, his deep voice coming as a soft rumble. With you not responding, he moved to sit on his side of the bed, reaching over to place a hand where he estimated your waist was. "Do you want breakfast?"

Your response was a grumble, reluctantly pulling your head out of the shelter of the duvet. He placed a hand on your cheek, ready to coax you out of bed, but his brows furrowed at the uncomfortable warmth radiating from your skin.

"You're burning, love," he moved his hand to your forehead, then down your neck to confirm the sensation. You sighed softly, his cool hands offering slight relief over the large expanse of skin they covered.

"My head hurts..." were the first words you managed to mumble, eyes closing again.

Zhongli, who spent the rest of the weekend nursing you back to health. His sweet words and gentle hands were all he needed to persuade you to let him help, even after your weak protests of being potentially contagious.

Helping you wash up. Making sure you were hydrated. Feeding you lotus and egg soup and even requesting advice from Baizhu. He was as diligent as ever, pushing his worries aside. And instead taking action to ensure you were well.

"Another bite, sweetheart, okay? You need your strength back," He held the spoon up to your lips, voice as soft as ever as he fed you a concoction the doctor recommended.

You felt bad for being so difficult, cursing your body for its weakness and susceptibility to microbes. But Zhongli was quick to dissipate these noxious thoughts, kissing your cheeks with an overwhelming tenderness.

"You can never be a burden to me, Y/N. In sickness and in health, remember? Taking care of you is just another declaration of my love for you." His amber eyes bore into yours. "So let me, okay?"

He had vowed to love you regardless of circumstances, and was firmly committed to upholding that promise. Love was, after all, the most powerful of contracts.

Since his banner is currently on re-run I have been thinking a lot about Zhongli. Hope you enjoyed!

Comments are reblogs are much appreciated(❁´◡`❁)

#gingerteawrites #genshin fanfic #genshin x reader #genshin impact x reader #genshin impact #zhongli x y/n #zhongli x reader #zhongli #genshin zhongli #genshin fluff

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generalllimaginesss · 1 year ago

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"Every morning I question why I moved in with you." Can you write an older Hughes sister one where she moved in with Jack and then Luke when he started with the Devils and they’re always asking her to do things for them. Like waking her up in the morning to make breakfast because only she knows how to make pancakes like their mom used to when they were kids. She pretends to hate it but loves to be able to take care of her baby brothers. I imagine they’d all be obsessed with their sister if they had one.

Hughes sister has a chokehold on me and I make no apologies for it. I hope this is something along the lines of what you were thinking!!

••

It had been a long week at work, major changes in the computer system that your office used was causing you to work overtime, so you looked forward to sleeping in on Saturday.

However, Jim and Ellen both agreed that the youngest Hughes boys could benefit from having their big sister live with them as they adjusted to life without their mom and dad. Luckily you had a job where you could work from home and were able to move to New Jersey with ease. At least with ease regarding your job. Your brothers were anything but ease...

With there being a three year age gap with Jack and four with Luke, they looked up to their big sister, relying on you a little more than they should at their age. Most of the time it didn't bother you, but you just wanted this one morning to yourself.

The sound of pots and pans banging revealed that you had wishful thinking, causing you to groan when you rolled over and saw that it was only 7:00 am.

You could tell that the boys were bickering back and fourth about something, but you would let them work it out like the adults that they were. Or at least the adults that they should be.

The walls weren't thick enough to block their argument out though.

"Dude, no that's not how she did it. She added more flour."

"Are you dumb? We're not making waffles. It doesn't need that much flour."

"Well it doesn't need that much milk. It's pancakes, not soup."

"Go get her, we clearly have no idea what the fuck we're doing."

Footsteps, you determined as Jack's, began to come closer to your room, causing you to put a pillow over your head, wishfully hoping it would suffocate you into a deep sleep that wouldn't be disturbed by your brothers.

Three knocks on your door let you know that your wishful thinking was to no avail. You didn't understand why he even bothered knocking when he barged in and jumped on the bed, landing right on top of you, momentarily knocking the breath out of you.

"Jack, what the actual fuck is wrong with you?!" You yelled, shoving him off the bed, the thud resonating throughout the room.

You watched as he winced in pain, holding his knee as it took the brunt of the fall.

"You realize that I have a job that requires me to be healthy?" He groaned as he stood up, causing you to throw a pillow at him while rolling your eyes.

"Don't jump on me and you wouldn't be in this predicament, now would you?"

"Whatever....me and Luke can't remember how to make mom's pancakes. Can you help with that?" He asked, sitting on the side of your bed and falling back onto you.

"You two are hopeless..." You trailed off as you hit his stomach, trying to get him off of you. He swatted your hand away from his stomach, but moved enough to let you out of bed.

As you walked into the kitchen, Jack trailing closely behind and Luke sitting on a barstool on his phone, you noticed that it was an absolute disaster. There were egg shells scattered across the counter, way more than they should have needed. The flour bag was busted, a trail of flour showed where the boys had carried it around the kitchen. There was now only a half gallon of milk left from a previously unopened jug.

You groaned, wiping the sleep out your eyes as you recalled the way that your mom made pancakes your whole life.

"I feel like kids would be easier to raise than the two of you," You said under your breath, pouring the bowl of goop that the boys made down the drain.

"Jack is supposed to know how to make pancakes," Luke spoke up, not tearing his attention away from his phone.

"You watched her make it the same way we did, Luke," You pointed out.

"Yeah, but I'm the baby. I've got you all to do it for me," He smirked, watching you as your glares sent daggers towards him.

"I don't think the argument of being the baby of the family is valid after the age of 18. If it has to be brought up after that, then something's wrong," You rebutted, measuring out the ingredients and mixing them together.

Jack snorted, finding amusement in his oldest and youngest sibling arguing. He wasn't safe from your attitude though.

"You have no room to be laughing over there, Jack. You're older than him and still have to ask me to cook. It's funny...I've never had to do anything for Quinn," You knew when you said it that they would groan, and they did.

"Why don't you go live with him then?" Jack proposed, trying to sit next to Luke who shoved him away.

"Why the hell would you say that while she's making our pancakes, dude?"

"Trust me, I would get a lot more work done because he wouldn't be bothering me nonstop," You flipped one of the pancakes, a golden brown reflecting back at you.

The three of you were quiet as you finished flipping and plating them. You had made enough for the boys to have three and you two.

"Thank you," Jack snatched the plate from your hands, causing you to snatch them back.

"You will not snatch these from me when you rudely jumped on me at 7 in the morning. Take them nicely. We use easy hands in this house," You didn't budge, not giving him his pancakes until he slowly took the plate back. If looks could kill you would be long gone by the look he was giving you.

"Yeah, Jack, easy hands," Luke mocked, trying to grab the plate you held out to him. You brought it back closer to you and out of his reach, preventing him from grabbing it.

"What do we say?" Talking to him like a child elicited a glare from him as well, but he said his 'thank you' and you gave him his plate.

They ate quickly, mentioning that they were running late for a meeting. When they put their plates in the sink, you realized that they were leaving you with the mess that they had made.

"Who do you two think I am? Your personal maid?" You asked rhetorically.

"Love ya, Sis!" Luke called as he walked out the front door.

Jack didn't bother to say anything, only throwing up a peace sign as he followed Luke.

"Every morning I question why I moved in with you," You muttered under your breath as you rolled your sleeves up to clean the kitchen.

As you went to load the dishwasher, your phone vibrated on the counter, Jack's name flashing across the screen.

"What do you need?" You sighed, knowing he had forgotten something.

"I forgot my suit for the game tonight...can you bring it when you get a chance? Preferably before lunch?" You could hear Luke chuckling in the background.

"What do you say?" You were bound and determined to teach him some manners while staying with them.

"Oh my God, just bring it-"

"Do you want the suit or no? Because I'm not the one that has to wear it tonight..." You trailed off as you rinsed a bowl out before loading it onto the top shelf of the dishwasher.

Jack sighed, causing Luke to laugh.

"My wonderful sister that I love so much, would you do me a favor and please bring me my suit before lunch? With my Air Forces?" Sarcasm seeped from his voice, your eyes rolling in response.

"I don't appreciate the sass, but since you said please I will," He didn't bother saying thank you, hanging up immediately when you finished your sentence. He would learn one day.

You would never admit it to them, but you loved being able to help them. The early mornings and late nights that they caused you were inconvenient in the moment, but you would hate to miss out on the opportunities to spend so much time with them. They were, after all, your baby brothers that you loved so very much.

But unbeknownst to anybody...Quinn was still your favorite.

#nhl imagine #nhl fic #jack hughes #nhl fanfiction #quinn hughes #trevor zegras #alex turcotte #cole caufield #jack hughes imagines #nico hischier #Luke hughes #nj devils #hughes brothers #jh86 #lh43

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daisynik7 · 1 year ago

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Hi, how are you? I hope that well. My delusion for Ino led me to wonder how he would react to receiving a somewhat unusual (if you know what I mean 🫣🔥) photo of his girlfriend during work hours. But it's okay if you don't want to write 🥰🫶🏻

cw: established relationship, smut

Author’s Note: Hello my dear! I’m not open for requests, but I’ve also been thinking about this so I couldn’t resist writing this drabble. Enjoy! Divider credit to @/cafekitsune.

Ino usually knows better than to check his phone during work hours, especially when he’s on a mission with his mentor. It’s a Saturday night and he’s been called in last-minute to exorcise curses infesting the basement of a local elementary school. Nanami accompanies him, so naturally, he’s on his best behavior, always striving to impress his senpai. Typically, his phone is on silent, tucked away in his pocket, his attention completely focused on completing the task at hand. He normally doesn’t let anything distract him.

Today’s a little bit different. It’s your anniversary.

You surprise him earlier with breakfast in bed, starting off with you riding his face until he’s devoured every last drop of you. It’s his absolute favorite; the best way to start any morning, in between your thighs with his tongue stroking your clit until you’re gushing all over him. Then, the two of you cook an actual meal consisting of some of your favorite dishes: a steaming bowl of miso soup, steamed rice, fluffy eggs. It’s routine now, the way you maneuver the kitchen together. Ino leaning over the kitchen stove, steam surrounding his face as he smiles down at the pot, stirring the broth slowly. You peeking over his shoulder, dropping the cubed tofu pieces carefully, sneaking a quick smooch on his cheek. For lunch, Ino reserves a special sake tasting at your favorite bar in Shinjuku, where you both indulge in the smooth liquor and tasty appetizers. Afterwards, you pick up food for take-out and head back home to enjoy the rest of your evening comfortably.

It's just when the two of you are exchanging presents that Nanami calls him in for work. Ino already unwrapped your gift to him, his fingers exploring the silky fabric of the lingerie delicately, his lips parted in awe, salivating at the thought of you modeling this for him. He almost lets the call go to voicemail, ready to take you right here, right now. “Taku,” you giggle as he scatters wet kisses along your neck, his hands trying to work your shirt off, his phone still ringing. “Nanami is calling you.”

He groans into your skin, clearly frustrated at the horrible timing of it all, but he eventually picks up, reluctantly agreeing to meet his senpai as soon as possible. “I’ll be back soon, okay? And we are going to continue exactly where we left off,” he demands, kissing you fiercely on the lips.

As much as you love and adore your boyfriend, you can’t help but mess with him just a little bit.

That’s how he ends up in his current situation, in the middle of his mission on a quick break, rock hard as he stares at his phone screen. It’s a selfie of you, his wonderful, naughty girlfriend posing with the lingerie on, the lace hugging all of your curves perfectly, the sheer fabric exposing the parts of you that only he’s lucky enough to see. The message sent with the photo reads as follows:

Hurry, baby. I’m waiting for you.

That’s what does it. Ino effortless eliminates all the remaining curses in record time that even Nanami praises him, which is rare for him to do. Within the next half hour, he returns home, takes the quickest and most efficient shower he’s ever taken, and is in bed with you, raring to go. And for this, he takes his damn time because both you and he deserve it.

#ino takuma #takuma ino #ino takuma x reader #ino takuma smut #ino takuma x you #ino takuma fluff #takuma ino x reader #takuma ino smut #takuma ino x you #takuma ino fluff #ino smut #ino x reader #ino x you #jjk x reader #jjk smut

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butchyeons · 2 months ago

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hey, just wanted to say i love your works!!

would you be able to write about bratty sub!nayeon getting punished by dom!jihyo for misbehaving (you can pick what she gets punished for :3)

hopefully that’s not too much trouble!!

not too much trouble at all! phew the moment i got this ask i jumped for joy. i had such a clear idea of the fic immediately it’s a bit wild. this was really fun to write, and i really hope you enjoy the direction i went with it. that being said, let’s get into it.

love’s cruelty

a bit of domestic dom/sub nahyo!! ft some communication fuck ups

tags/warnings: there’s a plot i swear, light angst, light dom/sub, mommy kink, nayeon gets called bunny, verbal humiliation, light bondage, spanking, using a belt as a pain method, fingering, punishments, begging, safe words, aftercare, fluff, lots of communication, nayeon is a brat and jihyo is so fucking mean LMAO

i really do want to give a warning that it does get a bit scary for nayeon at one point! a safe word does get used, and they stop it immediately. if that is a bit much for you, feel free to sit this one out. let’s get into it

cishet men and minors dni.

———

Nayeon knew what she was doing was stupid.

It had been weeks since her and Jihyo had gotten to do anything at all. Jihyo had been busy at work, staying late in order to make sure the final yearly sales report was done on time, which led to her almost always crashing as soon as she got home. They had no time together aside from when they finally got into bed. Hell, they didn’t even get to get ready together- Jihyo was always out earlier, the only remnants of her presence in their apartment being the breakfast she always left for Nayeon. She was good at her job- ambitious, always tackled things head on, provided solutions to problems before they even happened. She deserved a lot more than that stupid company would ever give her, really. But as much as Nayeon would always support her, she was needy. She missed her wife so badly. In more ways than one.

So when she found herself alone on a Saturday morning, sipping on the miso soup that Jihyo had made for her before leaving, she knew she needed to do something. Both of them should’ve been off, should’ve spent the day watching stupid dramas made for straight people while cuddled up together on the couch. They should’ve been kissing, should’ve been letting their hands wander, should’ve been…

Ugh.

Nayeon stood at the sink, frowning. As she cleaned her bowl, along with Jihyo’s dishes from earlier, she couldn’t help but think about what she wished they were doing. She could see Jihyo’s face perfectly in her mind; could picture that expression, her eyes hooded as she bit her bottom lip, the one she made when she knew Nayeon was done for. She missed Jihyo’s hands, missed the way her forearms flexed as her fingers were drilling into her, missed the way her palm would press against her clit right as she hit her peak-

Fuck.

Nayeon suddenly registered just how hot the water was on her hands, dropping her bowl into the sink with a yelp. She quickly turned off the faucet, staring at the two, small blue soup bowls. Jihyo had picked them out when they moved in, insisted they had to match everything with the sky blue toaster that Nayeon’s mother had gifted them as a housewarming present. Her heart ached just slightly at the sight.

Jihyo. Jihyo, Jihyo, Jihyo.

She shook her head, pushing the feeling away. The project was almost over, and soon enough she’d be back home, and things would be normal. It was fine, she told herself. It had to be.

When she moved to grab a towel to dry the bowls, she was suddenly very aware of the wetness between her thighs. Great. Another thing to add to her list of shit to deal with that day.

She was pent up. And she wanted Jihyo to do something about it. Good thing she knew exactly how to get what she wanted. If Jihyo wasn’t going to give her attention, wasn’t going to make time for her, she’d force it out of her. Even if it meant she had to break some rules to get it done.

So that’s how she found herself half naked in their bed, wearing nothing but one of Jihyo’s oversized sleep shirts. In one hand was her phone, the other one down between her bare thighs, two fingers pressed deeply inside her. She wasn’t supposed to be touching without permission- that was Jihyo’s number one rule, one that Nayeon hadn’t broken in years. The last time she did, Jihyo fucked her until she nearly passed out. It was some of the best sex they’d ever had. Nayeon needed it now more than ever.

It was so, so stupid.

And so, she stared at their messages, the pictures she’d taken already loaded into the text box. The last text Jihyo had sent her was that morning, the usual “I’ll see you later, have a good day, love you” message that Nayeon was now unhappily accustomed to. She knew exactly how Jihyo would react, exactly what would happen the moment she hit send. It made her heart race, her core practically pulse with excitement.

No turning back now.

She took a deep breath, and hit send. A few moments passed, Nayeon watching with bated breath as the “delivered” icon didn’t change. Her heart skipped a beat the moment it did.

JH 🧡

Im Nayeon. What are you doing?

Gotcha.

NY 🩵

Having some fun. I’m bored all by myself.

Nayeon watched as the text bubble popped up and disappeared a few times. She frowned, finally removing her fingers from herself, bringing them up to her lips to clean them before unceremoniously wiping them off on the bed beside her. Jihyo texted back the moment she was done.

JH 🧡

You know better.

There we go.

NY 🩵

Do I?

JH 🧡

You do.

JH 🧡

You know I’m at work. You could’ve waited until I got home.

Nayeon rolled her eyes. Fuck that.

NY 🩵

Well maybe if you weren’t spending all your time at work, you’d have time to be doing this to me yourself.

NY 🩵

I’ve already finished twice, no thanks to you. It’s a shame you’re not here to help.

Jihyo started typing and then stopped again. Nayeon had to hammer it home.

NY 🩵

Or should I get someone else to do it for you? Since you can’t seem to do it.

NY 🩵

Should I ask Jeongyeon? I’m sure her and Mina wouldn’t mind having me for the day.

It was mean, really. She knew that would hurt- it was one of Jihyo’s biggest insecurities; she thought she wasn’t good enough, would push herself to do better even if it got her hurt. But Nayeon needed her mad. She needed her to come home and ruin her, to fuck some sense into her. She had to make it as bad as she possibly could.

NY 🩵

Or maybe even Sana? Or Momo? What about Tzuyu and Chaeyoung? Hey, even Dahyun. I’m sure they’d all love to help me out in your place.

NY 🩵

They’d probably do a better job, anyways.

Jihyo read every single message, but there wasn’t a reply. Not even the bubble indicating her typing. A minute passed, and then another. Nayeon’s heart sank. Was that too far? Jihyo liked that kind of stuff sometimes. But she’s been so busy, her job was a pain in the ass- she’s probably sensitive, tired. Shit. Nayeon definitely fucked up. Shit, shit, shit.

Before she had time to go to type out an apology, to take everything back and beg for her forgiveness, the selfie of her and Jihyo that she had saved as her contact photo popped up on the screen. Jihyo was calling her. Nayeon just stared at it for a second, almost too scared to answer. A text notification appeared.

JH 🧡

If you don’t answer the phone right now, so help me christ you won’t walk right for a week.

Okay, great. This is exactly what she wanted. Jihyo was fine, hopefully. Just mad, which was a good thing. She could work with this.

She took a deep breath, finally pressing the accept button, putting Jihyo on speaker. She heard a door slam, the sound of Jihyo’s car cranking up, an exasperated sound on the other side of the line. Play it cool.

“Hi baby!” She said, a bit too cheerfully.

“Nayeon- save it. What’s gotten into you?” Jihyo spat out. “What makes you think any of that was acceptable?”

Easy.

“Aw, not even a hello? What’s the matter, baby? Work that bad?”

Jihyo scoffed, the sound crackling over her speakers.

“So first you go touching yourself without permission. Then you say all that bullshit- now you want to act dumb? Really, Nayeon.”

Nayeon hummed.

“Is it bullshit if it’s true? I can’t even remember the last time you’ve touched me, y’know?”

“I’ve been busy.” Jihyo hissed.

“That’s a shame.” Nayeon replied, nonchalantly. She rolled herself over onto her stomach, setting the phone on the pillow beside her. “And I’m feeling quite neglected. You wouldn’t have even known I did that if I hadn’t told you. Would you have even noticed?”

There was a brief pause, the sound of Jihyo’s car humming lowly in the background. She clearly had no argument, no way to fight back. She sighed, frustrated.

“When I get home, you’re getting taught a lesson you won’t forget, and I mean it.”

Her voice was deep, demanding. Nayeon hadn’t heard her this angry in years. It made her ache.

“Is that a promise or a threat, mommy?”

“A promise, bunny.” Her voice dropped to a near whisper. “Little sluts like you need to be reminded how to act, isn’t that right?”

Nayeon smirked.

“Hm. Guess so.”

Perfect.

The call didn’t last much longer. Jihyo gave her instructions, laid out her expectations. Nayeon half agreed to most of them, continuing to tease, pushing the younger girl’s buttons despite knowing full well she’d do exactly what she was told. They played back and forth like that for a few minutes, right up until Jihyo had to go.

God, Nayeon didn’t want her to go.

“Jihyo. Jihyo.” She whined. “I miss you.”

The younger girl just sighed, clearly exhausted. A moment passed before she said anything.

“I know. I miss you, too.” Her voice was low yet soft, incredibly sweet. “You have no idea how bad I miss you, Nay. I promise, just another week, and then it’s back to normal.”

Jihyo always had a magical way of knowing exactly what Nayeon was thinking, feeling. They’d been together for so long, it was just natural. It made Nayeon feel slightly better.

“But I really have to get back to what I was doing. I’m sorry.”

Only slightly.

“It’s okay. I’ll be here when you get home. I love you.”

“I love you, too. I expect you to be waiting.”

Nayeon figured she’d give Jihyo this one thing.

So, like the perfect little angel she usually was, she waited. Well, after getting herself off one more time, cleaning, and then showering. Jihyo texted her to let her know she’d be home around 4 in the afternoon, which gave Nayeon plenty of time to get all of their usual Saturday chores done. Around 3, she looked through her lingerie, settling on the one she knew was Jihyo’s favorite- the black lace set that she had gotten for one of their anniversaries before they got married. She only brought them out for special occasions, and now felt like a good time. Nayeon was ready, waiting in their bed just like she had been told the moment she heard the front door being opened.

She listened as Jihyo walked in, set down her keys, took off her jacket and hung it on the coat rack by the front door. She could hear the younger girl walking through the apartment, first to the kitchen, then to the living room. Her movements were slow, dragged out- she was doing it on purpose, and Nayeon knew that. There was more shuffling, the clear sound of her fidgeting with her belt buckle, right as she got to the bedroom door. She waited for a moment before finally pushing it open.

God, the sight of her in her work clothes never got old. In one hand was her belt, the other hand working on pulling her tie off. The top three buttons of her shirt were already undone, her shirt halfway untucked from her pants, her hair mussed from where she’d clearly been running her hands through it. She looked incredibly fucked out for someone who hadn’t had any sex for weeks, her eyes hooded as she walked into the room, not bothering to close the door behind her.

Hot.

“Hi, baby.” Nayeon said, cocking her head to the side with a smirk, eyeing the clearly exhausted girl now standing before her. “How was work?”

Jihyo didn’t say anything. She finally managed to pull her tie off, the action sending a jolt of need straight down to Nayeon’s core, before walking over to the side of the bed. She dropped the belt on the floor, her expression darkening the moment she locked eyes with the older girl.

“On your knees.”

Nayeon’s smirk grew.

“Bad day?”

Jihyo just blinked, unspeaking. A moment passed, the air in the room thickening. Nayeon didn’t even realize what was happening until Jihyo threw her tie down on the bed beside her, immediately reaching to grab her by the hair. Her grip was firm, the movement rough. It sent pain running down her spine. Nayeon couldn’t help but let out a small cry as she was pulled up onto her knees. Beside her, Jihyo shifted, one knee on the bed as she leaned over so her lips were right next to her ear.

“Is this okay, Nay?” She whispered. “If I go too far, you know the safe word.”

Jihyo was too sweet, really. But that’s not what Nayeon wanted.

“Mhm. Yep. Perfectly fine. I’ve got it.”

“Okay, okay.” She hurriedly whispered before pressing a kiss to her cheek. “I love you.”

Cheesy. Nayeon couldn’t help but sigh incredulously.

“I love you, too, Ji. Now please, keep going.”

Jihyo nodded, taking a breath. In a split second, she was back in it.

“Arms behind your back.”

Her voice was demanding, a bit too loud right next to her ear. But Nayeon didn’t fight back, then. It really was hard to resist Jihyo when she was like that, so she did as she was told, sitting up straight and pressing her forearms together behind her back. Jihyo made quick work of using her tie to bound her wrists together, making sure to press the safety end into Nayeon’s hand, a silent reminder that she could free herself if she needed to.

“How many times did you get off?” Jihyo asked as she pulled away. “Be honest with me, bunny. Or else I won’t make this any easier for you.”

Nayeon tilted her head to the side, looking up at Jihyo and smirking.

“Only three. But I easily could’ve made it four, or five.”

Jihyo sighed, walking away from the bed. She crossed over to their closet, rummaging around, paying Nayeon no mind as she shifted several boxes on the top shelf around.

“Sucks you weren’t here, mommy.” Nayeon added, watching as she finally pulled out the box they kept all their toys in. “I hope you enjoyed the pictures I sent you. It felt so good, even though you weren’t here to watch.”

Jihyo finally looked over her shoulder, her eyebrow raised.

“Is that so?”

Nayeon nodded.

“Mhm. And all I needed were my fingers.”

Jihyo looked back down, grabbing something that Nayeon couldn’t see. She walked back over to the bed, holding whatever it was behind her back.

“It’s a shame, really.” Nayeon said as she finally rejoined her. “Didn’t even have you, but I still felt good.”

She looked up, grinning. Jihyo kept a straight face, standing firmly. That wouldn’t do. Nayeon needed to keep going.

“I think I do it better on my own, anyways.”

Jihyo didn’t react. It wasn’t enough. But Nayeon knew exactly what to say next.

“I don’t even need you.”

At that, Jihyo’s breath hitched, and for half a second, her expression faltered, the hurt on her face clear. She struck a nerve with that one. The pit in Nayeon’s stomach came back.

Too far.

“Ji, I-”

“Shut up.”

Nayeon froze up. She’d heard Jihyo angry before, sure. But Nayeon had only ever heard that tone a handful of times in all the years she’d known her. Jihyo wasn’t just angry, she was pissed.

It was so, so hot.

Jihyo sighed, finally moving to show Nayeon what she was holding. In her hand was their wand vibrator. The moment Nayeon nodded, giving her the silent confirmation that this was okay, Jihyo turned it on to its lowest setting. She reached behind her, grabbing a pillow, moving it so that it was in front of Nayeon, the corners of it just barely meeting the insides of her thighs. She put the toy down so it was positioned facing her core, before grabbing Nayeon by the hair again.

“H-Hey, what are you-”

Jihyo cut her off by tugging her forward, dragging her just enough so that her core was pressed against the head of the toy. Immediately, Nayeon moaned out at the sensation, her body crumbling over on itself, earning a scoff from Jihyo.

“So easy.”

Nayeon let out another small whimper, pressing herself down further against the vibrator. The sensation was light, made even lighter by the fact that she was still in her panties. It was enough to give her some sensation while driving her downright insane. It was mean, really. And Jihyo fully knew that.

“Really, such a pathetic display, bunny.”

Nayeon looked up, watching as her wife crossed the room. The movement caused her to press down just slightly more, her breath hitching, a weak whimper catching somewhere in her throat. Jihyo just huffed, clearly amused.

“Since you want to get off so fucking badly-” She said, pulling over the chair from Nayeon’s makeup table, placing it directly in front of the bed. “You can get off.”

Jihyo stood in front of it, staring at Nayeon as she slowly began to unbutton the rest of her shirt.

“But I’m not touching you at all. All you’ll be getting is the wand, since you seem to think you can do it better without me. And don’t even think about asking me to turn it up.”

“W-Wait, Ji-”

“That’s not how you address me.”

Nayeon whimpered, her knees already sore from the position she was in, causing her to press down harder onto the toy.

“Mommy. This isn’t- this isn’t fair.”

“Fair?” Jihyo said, finally pulling her shirt off and tossing it aside. “You think you deserve to be treated fairly? After all you said and did?”

Nayeon mashed her lips together, squeezing her eyes shut as her head fell. Both of them knew the answer, but Jihyo kept going.

“I don’t think so. You’re such a brat, so ungrateful. Such a little slut. Can’t just take what’s given to you, too stupid to follow the very few rules I’ve given you.”

This wasn’t normal for them, really. Nayeon got punishments, sure. She liked it, liked the name calling, liked the pain. But this was different. Jihyo sounded genuinely mad. Her words stung, but not in the good way, not in the way that left her breathless and itching for more. It felt like she got shoved into the deep end of a cold pool when she barely knew how to swim. They hurt, they scared her. This wasn’t what she wanted. Not at all.

But fuck, it felt so good to finally have Jihyo to herself. To know that she was the center of her attention, to know that she wanted her like this. To know Jihyo wanted her at all. It was easy to ignore the chill that ran up her spine when she knew Jihyo would be there to keep her warm.

“Since you’ve already cum three times, let’s double it. I expect six more.”

At least, usually Jihyo would be there.

Nayeon whined, her head whipping up. The sudden movement caused the vibrator to move away, the loss of sensation even worse than having it pressed directly against her. Her whole body twitched, her hips bucking as she desperately tried to get it back.

“M-Mommy, I can’t- it’s not- it’s not enough. I’ll- I’ll be here for hours trying!”

“Then so be it.” Jihyo deadpanned. She finally slipped her pants off, leaving herself in just her bra and underwear. “I’ve got all night. I wasn’t even planning on going in tomorrow, y’know? If you had just waited patiently like the good girl I know you are, you wouldn’t be in this situation.”

Fuck. Nayeon was fucked. There was no way out of this. Jihyo was stubborn, always had to be right, to be in control. Nayeon was the same way, really. If she wasn’t, she wouldn’t be here right now.

Jihyo was right- if she had just been fucking patient, been good, she’d probably have Jihyo’s hands on her, her mouth against hers while Jihyo was taking such good care of her. Not this. The absence of her partner, of the woman she loved the most above everything else, was going to drive her mad. It already had, clearly. She felt so, so stupid.

So it made it even worse to know that Jihyo was right fucking there. She just wasn’t giving Nayeon that grace. Nayeon lost her chance at that the moment she said she didn’t need her.

How wrong she was.

“I had other ideas before your little stunt earlier, bunny.” Jihyo said, finally sitting down in the chair. She propped one of her feet up on the seat, her knee pressing against her chest. “Wanted to come home and give you exactly what you’d been missing. I could tell you were pent up, and I felt so bad about it. And I missed you, too.”

Nayeon looked up, her teeth sinking down into her bottom lip as she tried to contain a pitiful whimper. She pressed her hips down, seeking out something, anything against her core. Despite everything, she could feel how soaked she was against the fabric of her panties, could feel how her clit pulsed with need, the knot in her abdomen pulled tight but not enough to break. It was torture. It felt so good. She had no idea how she felt about it.

“So you’re going to put on a show for me.” Jihyo said, locking eyes with her. “Beg all you want, but I’m not moving until you’ve finished.”

Nayeon whined, lurching forward, pressing down as hard as she could.

“P-Please, mommy I-” She could feel tears already pricking at the corners of her eyes. “I can’t do this- I- I need you.”

Jihyo tutted, her head cocked to the side. She made a show of moving her hand down between her thighs, brushing it against the front of her underwear before using her other hand to pull them to the side. Nayeon practically salivated at the sight of her- her clit was stiff and she was clearly wet, her folds practically glistening in the afternoon light that drifted in from the bedroom windows. She slowly drug her middle finger from her entrance up to her clit, circling it a few times, taunting her poor bunny.

“But that’s not what you said earlier, is it, baby?” She said with a smirk, her voice breathy from where she was teasing herself. “I thought you didn’t need me to get off? You wouldn’t lie to me, would you?”

Nayeon let out another frustrated whine, shaking her head. Part of her wanted to fight, wanted to maintain the ego she gave herself earlier when she was texting her. But she just couldn’t. She really fucking couldn’t.

“I’m so sorry. I- I was wrong.” She said, her jaw clenching as she sat back up. The shift pushed the vibrator away just slightly, the lack of sensation causing her to nearly collapse again. “I was s-so wrong, Jihyo, please.”

Jihyo rolled her eyes. She pulled her hand away from her core, and, much to Nayeon’s surprise, stood up. She walked over beside the bed, holding the finger she was using to touch herself up to Nayeon’s mouth.

“Clean it.”

Nayeon barely let her finish the command before complying, taking the digit into her mouth and swirling her tongue around it. It brought her some level of comfort to just taste her, to have her in some way. The earthiness and musk of her essence were so familiar, so warm, addicting. But before she could actually savor it, Jihyo was taking her hand back, the ease she felt going along with it.

She moved away again, bending down beside the bed to grab something. Nayeon didn’t look, too busy trying to press herself back down against the wand. Beside her, Jihyo moved again, her free hand finding the back of Nayeon’s head, gripping her hair tightly. She pulled her back up, finally showing her what she was holding.

Her belt.

“If you need my help so bad, I’ll help.” Jihyo said, her voice cold, annoyed. “But it’ll be with this.”

Nayeon would’ve normally been embarrassed by the sound she made, something between a whimper and a groan, entirely pathetic. Jihyo let her hair go, moving to turn the vibrator up by a few settings. She quickly pressed her hand against Nayeon’s shoulder, easing her onto her stomach, making sure the wand was pressed right against where she needed it the most, the pillow helping to keep her ass up in the air. Nayeon wiggled around a bit, tugging at the tie that was still holding her wrists together, but eventually gave up, surrendering herself fully to that fuzzy feeling that was growing in both her brain and her stomach. It was easier to ignore the alarms in her head when she did that.

“My, my, bunny.” Jihyo cooed, her hand roaming down Nayeon’s exposed side. “You look pretty like this. It’s a shame I can’t be nicer to you.”

I need the niceness, Nayeon thought. More than anything else, I need you to be nice to me.

She didn’t say anything back. She just let it happen. She needed to cum, anyways. Six wouldn’t be hard, right? She liked pain. She liked overstimulation. She liked Jihyo’s cruelty, liked her games. All of it was done with so much love, usually. Right now, though, it didn’t feel the same. But she deserved this. She was bad, she deserved to be punished.

Right?

When Jihyo’s hand finally gripped her ass, her mind went completely blank. She pressed Nayeon down harder against the toy, which was now doing a much better job at getting her off. It was great, it was just what she needed. Her body trembled, her hips instinctively bucking, the sensation almost all too much when-

“One.” Nayeon whimpered out, the knot in her stomach finally snapping as her first orgasm washed over her.

Jihyo didn’t let her up. She kept her hand firm against her, kept her pressed down against it. It was fine while it happened, but the moment she crossed the peak, it became all too much. She felt like an electrical current was running through her veins, burning through her body up to her skin. It was somewhat nice, but still.

“Ji- mommy, it’s- it’s too-”

Jihyo moved her hand away. Nayeon tried to chase the feeling of her against her, tried to move her hips back, to sit up on her knees without using her hands. She regretted it.

The harsh leather of the belt met the soft flesh of her ass in an instant, the pain sending her reeling back down onto the vibrator. She let out a cry, her fists clenching together, her knuckles white as she held onto herself for dear life.

“You take what’s given to you, bunny.”

Jihyo sounded entirely unlike herself. Suddenly the fear was outweighing the pleasure.

“Five more, Nay. You can handle that, surely. Can’t you?”

Could she?

Nayeon looked over her shoulder, finally locking eyes with Jihyo. The tears were making it hard to make her out, her vision blurry from the wetness, her mind cloudy from the pain. The vibrator was still whirring against her, which both eased and wound her right back up. It felt good.

But Jihyo wasn’t with her.

Jihyo wasn’t on her.

Jihyo wasn’t fixing her.

Jihyo. Jihyo, Jihyo, Jihyo. All she ever wanted was Jihyo. And right now, this certainly didn’t feel like the Jihyo she knew.

“Answer me.”

All it took was another slap of the belt against her for Nayeon to break. She cried out, her second orgasm crashing into her as she desperately gasped for air. Her whole body lurched forward, tears finally pouring down her face as she babbled out something that Jihyo didn’t quite catch.

“What was that? Too stupid to speak?” She taunted, running her hand along the red marks that now adorned Nayeon’s backside. “Is it too much already, bunny?”

Yes.

“Four more.”

No.

“God, you’re so pathetic.”

Stop.

Nayeon couldn’t do it anymore. Everything was too much, everything hurt in the worst way possible. This wasn’t what she wanted- she never wanted this. She wanted Jihyo. Her sweet, gentle, loving girl. The girl she married, the girl who guided her through the worst parts of her life and stayed by her side through it all. The girl who taught her it was okay to love who she loved, who taught her the true meaning of softness. The girl who worked her ass off to make sure she was cared for, to make sure their lives would never go without stability. She missed her terribly. She needed her now.

With a shaky breath, Nayeon looked over her shoulder again. Her face scrunched up in pain the moment she looked at Jihyo, but she managed to gather every single nerve in her body when she finally spoke.

“Doughnut.”

Within seconds, Jihyo was pulling her up. Nayeon released the safety end of the tie that was binding her wrists together, freeing herself from her restraints as Jihyo pulled the pillow and vibrator away. She sat back on her knees, everything finally hitting her as she just sobbed. Jihyo quickly cut the toy off, practically throwing it down to the end of the bed before joining her, climbing in beside her.

“Nay- Nayeon, hey.” Her voice was calm, even. Soothing, more than anything. “Look at me. What do you need? Can you speak?”

Nayeon looked up, finally locking eyes with Jihyo. She looked so guilty, scared. Nayeon was too gone to really say anything, tears still streaming down her cheeks. The only thing she could do was hold out her arms. And yet, Jihyo understood. She always understood.

She helped Nayeon lay back on the bed, crawling up beside her and pulling her in close, Nayeon’s face resting against her chest. She pressed a few kisses to the top of her head, holding her tightly as she whispered out apology after apology, reassurance after reassurance. After a few minutes, Nayeon had calmed herself down. She pushed herself up, pulling away so she could look at her wife.

“I’m sorry, Ji.�� Nayeon said, sniffling. “I got- I got so scared. You sounded so mad. I couldn’t…”

Jihyo shook her head.

“Nay, baby, it’s okay. You have nothing to apologize for. I’m so sorry I got so angry, I just…” She sighed. “God, that’s not like me at all.”

Nayeon leaned forward and kissed her forehead before moving back to rest against her. Jihyo’s arms wrapped around her shoulders, keeping her pressed as close as she could be.

“I know it’s not you, Ji.” Nayeon sighed out. “I’m sorry for upsetting you. That wasn’t fair of me. You’ve been so busy, and I was a brat for doing what I did.”

Jihyo made a sound of protest, shaking her head. She didn’t say anything, though. She was letting Nayeon have her time.

“I didn’t mean any of what I said. It’s just-” Nayeon spoke the best she could, her voice cracking as the tears from before came back. “I missed you, I wanted your attention. I’m sorry I went about it like that- I didn’t know what else to do.”

Nayeon finally looked up at Jihyo. She was giving her that look. The one she gave her when she was worried, the one that Nayeon knew was pure adoration.

“Hey, hey. Baby, it’s okay.” Jihyo whispered, her hand immediately finding Nayeon’s cheek, thumbing away her tears. “I’m sorry I haven’t been able to give it to you. I missed you, too. More than you’d ever know. I love you so, so much.”

She paused, frowning.

“I poured all my energy into work and that wasn’t fair to you. You deserve it, too. More than that stupid company does, that’s for sure.” She took a second, inhaling and exhaling through her teeth. “What you don’t deserve is my anger. I’m so mad about work, so mad about how they’re treating me. Home is the one place where I have you. And I brought that anger home. And then you said that stuff… And then I just… Took it out on you…”

Her voice trailed off, her brows furrowed as she looked away.

“I went too far, Nay. I hurt you in a way that was scary for you, and I’m so sorry.”

Nayeon sat up fully then, wiping her own tears off with her arm before she took Jihyo’s face in her hands.

“Jihyo, you’ve been nothing but good to me the entire time I’ve known you.” She said, making Jihyo look at her. “What happened wasn’t normal for either of us, we clearly both went too far. We’re both mad about the situation we’re in, and took it out on each other. But it’s okay now. I forgive you completely, I still trust you, nothing will ever change that.”

Jihyo looked at her for a moment, really looked at her, before her eyes started to well with tears. She pouted as a few began to fall, her bottom lip poking out as she whined.

“I’m supposed to be the one comforting you, Nay.”

Nayeon rolled her eyes, laughing as she wiped the younger girl’s tears away before leaning down and kissing her softly, deeply. For the first time in weeks, she felt like Jihyo was with her fully.

That’s what she’d wanted all along.

“You know you don’t have to be the one to do everything all the time, baby.” Nayeon whispered between kisses. “I can handle it when you can’t. And right now, you deserve a break.”

Jihyo hummed out a reply, pressing herself up to kiss Nayeon better. She parted her lips just enough for Nayeon to press her tongue into her mouth, practically whimpering at the feeling. The kiss went from gentle to deep to a little too intense a bit fast, both of them finally pulling away for air the moment their teeth clattered together. Nayeon sat back on her knees, laughing at how red Jihyo’s face was, how she was blushing as if they hadn’t ever kissed before. Jihyo waved her arms around in protest, shouting a string of embarrassed “unnie, cut it out”s as she playfully swatted at Nayeon.

This was what Nayeon had been missing, more than anything else. Having Jihyo by her side, taking care of one another in the most mundane ways possible. She took Jihyo’s hands in her own, holding them down as she pressed her wife into the mattress, kissing her again. And again, and again.

That was enough for now. They didn’t really need to talk about it any further, it was clear how both of them felt. The incident was over, they would move on. That’s how it always went with them- they’d butt heads, talk about it, move on, keep the lessons they learned in mind. Jihyo never made the same mistake twice, and Nayeon never let herself get caught up on the past. That’s why they worked so well, why they could get as rough as they did with one another. If Jihyo was the one inflicting the pain, she was the one to help Nayeon heal. If Nayeon was going to take it, she’d always make how she really felt known. Communication, fully. And they hadn’t been doing as good of a job at that lately.

“Nayeon, baby.” Jihyo pleaded between kisses. She didn’t put up a real fight. “Let me run you a bath and make dinner.”

It was alright now, though.

Nayeon hummed, kissing her again.

“I showered earlier, but I guess it’s only fair.” She said, her lips still halfway pressed against Jihyo’s. “But I said you deserve a break, y’know?”

Jihyo whined as Nayeon pulled away.

“Why can’t my break be getting to take care of you?”

Nayeon swore that Park Jihyo was the only person on planet earth who spend her time off from her job where she’s constantly fixing things for others by doing things for others. Or really, doing things for her. Or for Jeongyeon. But that’s the privilege she got as their best friend of over a decade, for putting up with them for as long as she has. Still, though- this was about Jihyo.

“Fine.” Nayeon huffed out. “But I want you to take a bath with me. I need to wash your hair. It’s greasy.”

Jihyo rolled her eyes, smiling.

“Whatever you say, princess.”

So finally, after a bit more kissing, and a bit of letting their hands wander, both of them got up. Nayeon stretched her arms out over her head, cracking her back (while ignoring Jihyo’s passing comment about how she was getting “too old to handle her”), before letting Jihyo pull her off to their bathroom. She leaned against the counter as Jihyo started the water, which caused her to finally register just how badly her ass hurt when it made contact with the cold granite.

“Oh my god, Jihyo. You ruined my ass.” Nayeon hissed, standing back up straight, running her hand over the bruised skin. “Why did you use the damn belt? We have a paddle and a crop.”

Jihyo looked up from the tub, her lips mashed together in embarrassment.

“It felt right in the moment.”

Nayeon just laughed, exasperated. She finally walked over next to Jihyo, taking off her bra and underwear, tossing them aside, a bit too casually considering how much she’d paid for them.

“I mean, it was pretty hot.”

Jihyo smiled up at her, brightly. Soon enough they were in the tub together, Nayeon between Jihyo’s legs, her back against the younger girl’s front as they just enjoyed each other’s presence. The water was nice, warm, soothing Nayeon’s damaged skin and relaxing her tight muscles. Jihyo had her chin resting on Nayeon’s shoulder, her arms around her waist, occasionally leaning in to press kisses against her neck. It wasn’t meant to be anything more than sweet, but still, after not getting exactly what she wanted, Nayeon found herself getting wound right back up. And Jihyo figured it out fast, noticing how she started shifting, squeezing her thighs together. Nayeon didn’t stop her when her hands drifted, one going up to cup her breast while the other one went down, her fingers delicately running along her slit before dipping inside.

“Jihyo, please.” Nayeon groaned out, her head falling back against Jihyo’s shoulder.

She didn’t have to say exactly what she needed. Jihyo knew. Just like she always did.

“Shh, baby.” She whispered, pressing a kiss to her temple as her fingers pumped in and out of her. “I’ve got you. You’re the only thing I care about right now. I’m not going anywhere.”

And really, that’s what Nayeon needed to hear, more than anything else.

#nik.txt #asks #twice fic #my fics #twice smut #nahyo #nayeon #jihyo #i really hope you enjoyed #this was so much fun to write #and i think it turned out really well

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resident-gay-bitch · 3 months ago

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🦇 Stranger Saturdays 🦇

Chef Eddie x Overworked Steve (Steddie) cw: gets a little steamy at the end, nothing explicit but heavily implied

Steve who’s endlessly busy in his corperate big boy job and doesn’t have time or energy to cook, starts becoming really unhealthy, skipping meals, eating vending machine snacks and McDonald’s when he finally leaves the office at 2 am, and Robin snaps at him about it one day when he’s green, throwing up in his paper bin at work and refusing to go home. She demands he eat better!

So, he hires a private chef. Out the back of his big house he has a pool house that he ads to the advertisement. Basically, he’s offering free accommodation, plus a paycheck for someone to cook him three meals a day.

Enter Eddie Munson, who’s always loved cooking and is slowly losing his sanity as a line cook, wasting away in his grimy apartment one afternoon, thinking about the window he has to get sealed before winter and the new lock he needs on the door and is wondering if he can afford to buy a steak if he omits a few things on his next grocery run because his birthdays coming up, when he sees the add. Obviously, he jumps on it.

Steve, desperate, and a big fan of greasy burgers and diner breakfasts, hires Eddie immediately, doesn’t even meet the guy since he’s so busy at work, and lets Robin handle the rest since she was so adamant on it.

Steve wakes up at 5 every morning and is out the door before 6, and doesn’t get home till after 10 pm most nights, so Eddie keeps missing him.

He’s always sure to have dinner made and ready for Steve before he heads home, then knocks off for the night and either crashes or goes out.

He prepares lunch the day prior and leaves it in a lunch box in the fridge for Steve with a friendly sticky note to have a nice day, along with the ingredients.

He also wakes up at 4 every morning, or just stays up long enough, to have breakfast cooked and plated by the time Steve’s alarm goes off in the morning, then heads back to the pool house to sleep in before he can catch Steve.

It’s not for ages that they actually meet, and Steve feels guilty for never saying hello to the guy slaving over a stove for him three times a day, who’s literally living in his house, but he’s a busy man. Plus, the guy has a great gig, free housing, Nice housing, and all he has to do is cook a couple of meals a day, and can eat as much of the food as he likes?!

Steve does always send him thank you messages with compliments after each meal.

One evening, Steve comes home early. It’s been a very slow, terrible week and Steve just needed a break. Robin sent him home with strict demands to do some self care and SLEEP since he basically hasn’t slept all week.

Cue him walking in as Eddie’s cooking dinner.

He's got metal music blasting, hair tied back into a low bun, ripped jeans on and a tight top, all under an apron. He’s at the stove, stirring something up and banging his head, so Steve can’t see his face.

He turns around, heading to the island, lost in his business so he doesn’t even notice Steve standing in the doorway, and starts chopping up a pumpkin.

And not only is his face fucking cute, all big brown eyes and pink plush lips; he’s fucking hot. Tattoos down the length of his arms, big hands gripping the knife, muscles flexing, veins popping out as he pushes down on the blade to cut through the tough vegetable.

And Steve’s brain melts.

Eddie catches sight of him and actually screams.

They get acquainted quickly, Eddie’s adorably rambling about how grateful he is for the gig, telling Steve he was worried about his next grocery run and the coming winter, and how he’s a struggling musician; and with these paychecks and stability he’s afforded to use recording studios and a decent fucking amp for his guitar, all whilst he chops and stirs and cooks Steve his new favorite soup.

Steve goes on to thank Eddie for all these amazing fucking meals, how he actually feels really healthy again, and is able to do more in his day and sleep better at night, and how he always gets excited to come home to a good meal every night, maybe desert if he’s lucky, how he always loves Eddie’s little sticky notes.

Once the meal’s cooked and plated, Eddie goes to put his own in a take out container and give Steve his space, but Steve insists Eddie stay and eat with him. It’s the least he could do, right?

So they stay and chat over dinner, and then maybe Eddie just really likes Steve’s company, and maybe he thinks he’s really hot, and maybe he doesn’t want Steve to disappear to bed right now because god knows when the next time they’ll see each other is, so he suggests they have dessert.

And Eddie totally doesn’t suggest a fresh, homemade apple pie because he knows it will take ages on purpose, he just knows Steve likes Eddie’s apple pie.

And Steve helps him make it. He lets Eddie boss him around the kitchen and make fun of his atrocious pastry rolling technique, and tries not to blush because Eddie’s putting his big hands over Steve’s and teaching him how to do it properly. And Steve’s never liked people bossing him around before, he’s always been the big man in charge, but something about the way Eddie does it makes his insides tingle.

Once’s the pie is done and ready to eat (hours later), they sit together on the kitchen isle, and Steve’s wondering if it would be unethical to maybe ask this guy on a date because he’s really cute and fucking hot and he thinks maybe they’ve been flirting a bit, and he’s also not getting hard at the sight of Eddie pushing the icecream off his spoon with his finger and then licking it off-

But before Steve can even think any further on that, Eddie’s all up in his space, holding a spoon full of pie and ice cream to Steve’s lips, telling him to open, and Steve’s brain short circuits.

He tries to eat it nicely, he really does, but some melted ice cream dribbles down his chin, and Eddie picks Steve’s chin up and wipes it away with his thumb.

And then, the icing on the fucking cake, he presses his icecream coated thumb to Steve’s lips, and tells him to lick it clean.

Their pie is abandoned until morning, Eddie learns what it looks like upstairs, and Steve definitely gets the self care he needed that night.

When he rocks up at work the next day he’s a whole other person, and Robin is baffled. When he opens his lunchbox, he finds a slice of pie and a little note saying, “Hope you like it, princess, but I gotta say it’s not quite as sweet as your ass.” And then Robin suddenly gets it.

When Steve knocks off at 12 am that night, he flicks Eddie a text “Hope my dinner is microwaveable, I’ll be home in 10, wait for me upstairs?”

And once again, Steve shows up to work positively glowing. Oh and it’s nothing compared to the “self care” he gets on days off.

Steddie in EVERY universe

#jay writes #🦇 Stranger Saturdays 🦇#steddie #steve harrington #eddie munson #chef eddie #stranger things #ficlet #side robin buckley #side stobin

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nicistrying · 2 months ago

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Monday 21st October

Windy walk this morning after a terrible night's sleep. We went out just before 6am, got back just before 7 and I really considered going back to bed for a nap but tbh the wind had woken me up enough that I had a decent stretch and some core work:

Deadbug 3x24

Squat > standing crunch 3x20

Double leg lifts slow 2x16

Plank hip dips altnernating 2x20

Mountain climbers x32 > 1 min plank

This was my view while doing leg lifts. Coach maggie right there in my personal space with her stinky sardine breath

Had a slice of pumpkin loaf for breakfast! It's tasty! Good with butter 👌

Worked from home, washed our sofas to send photos to the charity that are coming to collect them on Saturday. Pumpkin soup for dinner, bath, bed. I am so tired my dudes I really hope we sleep better tonight bc all 3 of us were wide awake at 2am last night for no good reason. Bonus sleepy Mags after I accidentally woke her from her post-walk nap because I dared to get up from my desk to pee

#monday #fitblr #personal #health blog #fitness blog #health #fitness #workout #core #ab day #food #baking #maggie

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somanyratsinthewalls · 10 months ago

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Burning Hearts Chapter 11

Pairing: Law x Straw Hat Zoan Type (named) OC

Summary: You were teleported across the globe in an instant, away from your crew. Your body was badly broken and beaten, thrust into the harsh landscape of a Northern island. You are discovered by the Heart Pirates and brought back to health. Startled upon waking up in a foreign place with an unfamiliar crew, you are shocked with the news that you’ll be spending two years there. Trafalgar Law, the captain of the Heart Pirates has made a promise to train you, but will it become something more than a mentor relationship?

WC: 3000

Taglist: @cottoncandyloverrrr @zoros-fourth-sword @nothing-but-brass

Burning Hearts Chapter 11: Coffee Break

— —

Law was a creature of habit. Your training begun every morning, Monday through Saturday, at 8 AM sharp in the clearing in the forest. It would end promptly at noon and the two of you would return to the base together for lunch. Law didn’t wear a watch, he was so meticulous that he could run his daily routine in his sleep.

The opposite of how you were. Your body was finally used to having a strict wake up time, but even then Ikkaku would often have to bust through your door and hoist you out of bed when you were feeling extra lazy. You missed your life on the Sunny with your friends, there was organized chaos every day. You could roll out of bed at 6 AM or noon, Sanji would make your favorite breakfast anyway. You could spend your days sparring with Zoro, doing makeup with Robin, or playing Go-Fish with Chopper… no one breathing down your neck about what to do and when…

“Why can Bepo talk?” You ask, trailing behind Law on your way back from training. It was a few days after your confrontation with him on the submarine and you had continued your training without addressing it again.

“What?” Law replies.

“He’s a bear… but he’s also like… a person? I’ve seen him swim so obviously it’s not a devil fruit situation…”

“You’ve never seen a mink?”

“A who now?”

“A mink? The people from Zou?”

“Nope.”

Law sighs.

“They’re a race of bipedal animal beings. History says humans evolved from them, we just became less hairy.”

“So everyone there is a polar bear?” You cock your head.

Law sighs again, frustrated.

“No. They’re all different mammals. How have you not heard of this? I thought you said your doctor was deer?”

“A reindeer. And no, Chopper’s a real reindeer, he just ate the Human-Human fruit.” You respond.

“Hmm… Interesting.”

Several more minutes pass with no sounds except the squelching of your boots in the mud underneath you as you made you way back to compound. Law glances back at you.

“So… ah..” Law begins, uncomfortably. “Do you like to have coffee?”

You furrow your brow.

“Like… in general? Do I enjoy coffee?” You respond, confused.

“No, shit, I mean like…” Law stumbles over his words. This was very much not like the composed, mysterious pirate captain you trained with. “What I mean is, do you want to have a coffee later? In my office.”

Those last words almost looked like they pained him to get out.

You raised your eyebrows in surprise.

“Oh! Well I…” You begin.

“I got some books when we went to town the other day, I want to show you a few things from them. It might help with developing your devil fruit ability.” Law quickly interrupts.

“Right, well… it’s tomato season so I’ve got a bunch of work to do in the garden, then I’ve got kitchen duty for dinner… but if you can put one of the guys on dishes I think I can stop by afterwards.”

“I can do that.”

— —

“Daisyyyy! Shachi is hogging the sandwiches!”

You spin around with a grilled cheese in your mouth.

“Shachi if you don’t let that plate go I’m going to set you on fire!”

“Jeez, okay mom.” Shachi rolls his eyes and passes the plate of sandwiches to Penguin.

You wolf down the rest of your dinner and pour a hefty bowl of soup to set on a little tray. You place a spoon and a napkin on the tray. You ball up the dishtowel on your shoulder in your hands and throw it at Shachi’s head.

“Your greedy ass is on dish duty tonight, I have a meeting.”

“Oh a meeting?” Ikkaku raises an eyebrow over her bowl of soup.

“Yes a meeting to make sure your captain doesn’t die of scurvy and malnutrition. Now, if you’ll excuse me.” You push out of the galley with the tray of soup and head to Law’s office.

Upon reaching his door, you knock with your heel due to your hands being full. The door cracks open with some unseen force… oh yeah.. the room thing…

“Supper’s on!” You smile while pushing the door open with your shoulder. You see Law at his desk with stacks of old, coverless tomes surrounding him. The books had notes crudely shoved into certain pages. He looks up from the text briefly to beckon you into his office further. You set the bowl of soup and a spoon in front of Law on his desk after folding up the book he was actively reading.

“Eat. You’re borderline skeletal.” You meet his eyes then nod towards the food.

Law hums and picks up the bowl.

“Its tomato and egg soup, I grew the tomatoes myself and I added some white pepper and ginger. Tell me if you think it’s-“

Law gulped down the entire bowl in a few seconds and wiped his mouth with his hand. He placed the empty bowl back down on his desk. You raised your brow in surprise.

“Gods when was the last time you ate?”

“Hmm… yesterday?” Law grabs one of the books from his many stacks and opens to a marked page.

“These are texts on medieval creatures. It’s not devil fruits, but it might help us figure out what you’re capable of. If you look here- wait. I promised you coffee, didn’t I?”

You smile a little.

“That you did.”

“Well, excuse me then.” Law stands, shut the book and moves towards his coffee maker in the corner of his office.

As Law fiddles with his espresso machine, you take the time to get a good look around the room. You had barely spent any time in here so you wanted to see what Trafalgar Law, Surgeon of Death keeps in his safe space. It was bookshelves, mostly. The antique wood of the bookcases and the worn leather and suede of the furniture was sure a stark contrast to the cold steel flooring and walls. Everything was meticulously clean and organized, except there were tiny little human touches that didn’t go unnoticed by your. His wastebasket was full of empty shrimp-chip bags, crushed energy drink cans, and salt water taffy wrappers. This must be what he lives on when you don’t force him to eat.

“For a doctor, your diet sucks.” You chuckle as Law returns to the desk with two cups of coffee in hand. He hands you one and sits back down in his desk chair. He smirks.

“I forget about food.”

“That’s insane.”

“Is it?”

“Food is… so important! It fuels your body! Your brain! You can’t live off caffeine and carbs… but I think you know that, doc.”

Law rolls his eyes. “Thank you for the soup.” He opens a drawer in his desk and roots around before pulling out a small bottle of whiskey. He pours a shot or two into his coffee before handing you the bottle.

“Is this a good idea, after what happened the last time we drank together, Mr Trafalgar?” You smile cheekily at him before grabbing the bottle and pouring some into your cup of coffee.

Law blushes. Oh gods you had never seen him blush before. He was quite adorable when he was flustered…

Law makes a hand gesture as if it say “shut up” and cracks his book open again.

“A wyvern is much like a traditional dragon… scales, breathing fire, long tail, but the difference, as you know would be the wings. It’s clear you’ve harnessed quite a few of these attributes, but you’ve failed to unlock your full Zoan form. I think if you look at these pictures and notes, you might find some information that might help you.”

You look down at the dusty page. It was filled with vicious, fire breathing dragons ripping the heads off unsuspecting villagers.

“I…. I don’t know if I was to be just like… that…” You point down at the page.

“Of course not. That’s why you need to learn to control yourself and your abilities before you assume your final form and-“

“So I have to stop accidentally burning your eyebrows off?” You interject.

“That would be appreciated, yes.” Law responds, playfully annoyed. “Once you can burn my eyebrows off on purpose, we can move forward.”

You snort-laugh into your spiked coffee. Was he funny? Or was it the whiskey talking? First you think he’s cute, now you think he’s funny? Was it a full moon? Were you finally losing it?

“What’s with all those newspapers?” You take another sip of your drink and stand up. You walk towards the stack of old newspapers at the bottom of one of Law’s bookcases.

“It’s not for the newspapers. It’s for the comics.”

You nod your head down and give him a look.

“The comics?”

“Sora, Warrior of the Sea. It’s the greatest comic ever made. I have ever single issue ever made.”

“hmm… never heard of it.” You say as you flip through the stack.

“What? You’ve never heard of Sora? Stealth Black? It’s been running in the WENP for years.” Law asks.

“Nope, nothing rings a bell.”

“Grab the bottom one. Bring it here.”

You oblige and carefully pull Issue 1 from the bottom of the stack of papers. You bring it over to Law’s desk and he flips open immediately to the beginning of the comic strip. “See look, this is Sora. He’s a marine hero, and he fights against Germa 66. He’s got this robot here, see?”

Law points at the comic on the page and you listen intently. As he explains the years long lore of this fictional hero, you notice a certain sparkle in the pirate captain’s eye. He wasn’t looking at you, he was looking at the figures on the crusty old newspaper page with awe and splendor. You listened for what felt like ages about this nerdy comic strip, but you were mesmerized at the sight of Law finally showing interest in something.

“So who is this guy?” You point at a character on the page.

“Good question, this is a new character in this chapter so… wait you’re actually listening?” Law turns to finally meet your gaze.

“… yes? Why would I not be?” You cock your head.

“I-I just thought you’d be.. bored… or something..” Law still looks at the page.

“I’m not bored. I’ve never read this before. It’s interesting. Can we read one more? Tomorrow’s Sunday… no bed time, am I right?” You ask.

“O-Of course! If you want to!” Law quickly moves from his desk and grabs Issue 2 from the stack. He hurries back to his desk and opens up to the first comic panel.

“I-If you really want to see the art, you can move your chair over here…” Law scoots his desk chair over to make space for you on his side of the desk.

You oblige and move your chair to the other side of the desk so that you and Law were sitting shoulder to shoulder. He points to a character in the comic. “So if you see here…”

Law rambles through the entirety of the comic book with great interest. You alternate looking from the page to his shining face as he smiles, explaining the deep lore behind the story. You had never seen Law so impassioned about anything, let alone a nerdy piece of print media. The hour was drawing late and you yawn involuntarily.

“Hey, you should get to bed. You worked hard today.” Law closes the old newspaper.

“Hm. Thanks. You know I really want to hear more about Sora. Maybe we can read more another time?” You ask.

“R-really? I mean.. Yes. We can do that. Enjoy your day off.” Law replies with wide eyes.

“Goodnight, Law.” You smile as you head towards the door of Law’s office.

“Goodnight.”

You shut the cold steel door behind you and return to your room. Halfway through trudging through the base you realize you had a stupid grin plastered across your face. It was so fascinating to see such an uptight and cold man let loose and info dump about his special interests. He liked superhero comics. How were you supposed to ignore how cute that was?

You sigh and push open the metal door to your room.

“Well, well, well.”

“Ah!” You jolt in surprise.

“It’s 12:30 AM. Where were you, miss girl?” Ikkaku cocks her head as she closes the gossip magazine she was reading while lounging on top of your bed.

“I-I told you I had a meeting!” You respond defensively.

“Alone? With the captain? Until the wee hours of the morning? Hmm?”

“OK don’t ‘miss girl’ me! He had some books he needed to show me!” You unzip your jumpsuit and start to brush your hair out for bed.

“That man doesn’t let anyone in his office for more than 10 minutes, let alone several hours! What the hell were you talking about!” Ikkaku asks you in an accusatory fashion.

“Oh my GODS, nothing! He wanted me to learn about my devil fruit powers and we got side tracked talking about that weird comic he likes!”

“Sora?”

“Yes, Sora. The Sea Warrior guy.”

“Damn.” Ikkaku opens up the magazine again and looks down.

“What?”

“He didn’t tell us about his boy-crush on Sora for YEARS! And you’re already reading it with him after a few months? You think I’m stupid?”

“What do you mean? Of course I don’t think that!”

“He likes you. Clearly. Do you like him?” Ikkaku cuts straight to the point.

“I… I don’t know yet.” You sit down on the bed next to her as you stripped yourself of your clothes. Ikkaku wraps an arm around you.

“And that’s okay. Just… be careful. You’ve been through enough, I’d hate to see you get your heart broken too.”

You sigh, relaxing into your pillows.

“I know… Hey… please don’t tell anyone about this, okay?” You look at her.

“of course.” Ikkaku holds out her pinky to you and you smile and hook it with your own. You press your foreheads together and laugh.

“Shit, if he starts getting laid it might be a lot more chill around here.”

You smack Ikkaku on the shoulder and the both of you fall into a fit of laughter.

— —

The next morning you wake up at your own pace, thrilled to not have to train. You throw on some sweatpants and decide it’s time to get some breakfast. As you swing open the door to your stateroom you notice an ugly, dirty glass vase filled with marigolds and coneflowers at your doorstep.

You lean down and pick up the bouquet. It was put together haphazardly, but you recognized the blooms. These were from your garden. You pick up the arrangement and bring it to your nose, inhaling its fresh airy scent. You turn back and place the flowers on your vanity before heading to the kitchen for breakfast.

Ikkaku was at the stove making rice and eggs. You come up behind her and pinch her hip.

“Good morning.”

“Morning, sunshine!” Ikkaku turns her head and smiles at you. “I made a plate for you and one for the captain. Can you drop it by his room?” She smirks.

You roll your eyes.

“Yes ma’am.” You grab both plates and head to Law’s office.

Once reaching his door you shout instead of knocking.

“Chow time, Cap!”

The door opens and you push yourself in.

Law raises his head from his desk and clears it from the medical journals he was reading.

“Good morning.” You smile.

“Good morning, back.” Law looks at the plate you placed in front of him. “Guessing you weren’t on kitchen duty this morning?”

You laugh.

“Ikkaku makes a fine breakfast, you’re just getting spoiled.”

The two of you eat breakfast in silence for awhile.

“Y-You saw the flowers?” Law stutters out in between mouthfuls of rice.

“I did. They’re lovely.” You smirk. “So you snuck out into my garden and picked my flowers to give them to me?” You ask with a playful smile.

“T-that’s… the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard.. when you say it like that…” Law puts his fork down and rubs his eyes. Your heart pangs with sympathy. The man had tried.

“Hey, it’s the thought that counts. I loved them.” You finish your plate of food.

Law still doesn’t meet your gaze.

“Thank you for breakfast.” He says while finishing his plate.

“Thank you for the flowers, Law.” You picked up his plate and stacked it with yours. Before grabbing the tableware you make your way around Law’s desk.

You grab Law’s cheek in one hand and lean forward to kiss his other cheek. You let your lips linger on his skin before pulling back. Law freezes.

You take the dishes out of his office and back to the kitchen to clean. As you wash the dishes, you can’t help but worry… were you really going to get involved with this man? This relationship would have an expiration date… would that be fair to either of you? Did you care? He made butterflies erupt in your chest simply by being vulnerable… there was no denying that you felt something from that kiss, too. The noise in your head was too loud. It was time to take your red satchel and head out to the garden shed…

Authors Note:

chapter 11! it's here! If you guys have suggestions on where you want this to go from here, I'd love to hear them! I have a few thoughts floating around but I'm open to suggestion! Law is just such an awkward loser nerd in my head that's why I simply have to write him as one. (He might close the deal soon thought hehehehe)

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