#Thank you for sharing so I could also share it!!!

[allineedisonedream]

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First part

While Wally was traveling, he spotted Donna and Dick hunting for fish. As they were distracted, a net began to fall. Neither of them noticed until it was almost too late. In a blur, Wally darted toward them, grabbed their arms, and yanked them out of the way just as the net snapped shut.

Wally’s parents died in a storm. His Aunt Iris took him in afterward. She was an informant who traveled between pods, bringing news and stories from both humans and merfolk. She gave Wally a home, and together they wandered the seas. Later, Iris met Barry, a human scientist. They began courting, and once Wally was old enough, he started traveling alone, often returning to visit their pod. That’s also how he met Garth later in life.

Garth is a human boy (or is he?), born with unnatural-looking markings, which made him an Outcast in his village, he was taken in by a kind and respected fisherman named Arthur. After meeting Wally while fishing, they became fast friends, bonding over their curiosity about each other’s worlds.

Eventually, Wally introduced Donna and Dick to Garth. Dick wasn’t so sure, trusting a human felt impossible. But Donna and Wally, who had both grown up around humans and spoke their language, convinced him to give Garth a chance. Over time, Dick and Garth grew close and that’s also how Dick learned to speak the human language.

Roy had been struggling with his pod lately, trying to prove himself. He started patrolling more frequently and more aggressively. During one of these patrols, he spotted a human collecting shells near his territory and attacked without hesitation. But before his spear could strike, a mermaid blocked his path. It was Dick. A tense standoff followed. Garth retreated to his boat. Dick stood his ground.

It took time. Dick and Roy bonded over shared guilt and not feeling good enough for their pod. Roy eventually met the others, clicked with Donna immediately, and quickly found himself swept up in Wally’s energy. It took a little longer, but even he got used to having Garth as friend.

Slowly, they began to trust each other.

And what began with accidental encounters turned into something like friendship, loyalty… and maybe even a new found family.

(That’s pretty much as far as I’ve planned this AU in my head! I’m going to take a break from it for now, I’m not sure when/if I’ll draw more. (I have vague ideas for two more chapters, but well see). Thank you so much for all the love and interest, it really inspired me to keep drawing! 💛)

[the-shedevil-writes]

Build-A-Bear (Bob Floyd x Reader)

DESCRIPTION: Ever since you started dating Bob, his wardrobe’s had a serious glow-up, thanks to your love of dressing him up like your own personal Build-A-Bear. But on a lazy mall day, you challenge him to return the favor, asking him to pick out an outfit for you. WORD COUNT: 2.8k WARNINGS: Fluff/Domestic fluff, Reader loves gift giving, jokes/implications of smut. NOTES: Happy 4th! Here's me manifesting a boyfriend to dress up. MY MASTERLIST - READ ON AO3!

Dressing up Bob was Y/n’s favorite thing to do. And the man never protested. How could he when he’d show up to The Hard Deck in an outfit she had picked to impress the Dagger Squad? His style had improved drastically since starting to date her. 

It began with her giving him simple shirts that were a little nicer than his old ones. Some of his old shirts were still from high school, so it was nice to have some options that didn’t look like rags. She was a gift-giver, and Bob had to quickly get used to that. Then it slowly devolved to him asking her for fashion advice just to see her face light up with excitement. 

What Bob enjoyed about it, was that she never put him in clothes that didn’t match his vibe. She never tried to make him into someone he’s not- with leather jackets or sports jerseys. The outfits were usually simple and practical. A more simplistic T-shirt that fit him a little more snugly than his old ones, tucked into a nice pair of jeans or slacks. She’d find a matching baseball cap or dad hat. It had gotten to the point where they shared a collection of hats. They loved gifting each other caps, just to add to the pile they could dig through before leaving. 

And she never made him take off his glasses. She never asked him to get contacts. And when he asked her why she never suggested it, she smiled.

“I think they’re cute.” 

No one had ever said that before. The military-grade wireframes were just a little too big for his face, and they looked like they were plucked straight from an 80s movie. But they were the only ones he was allowed to wear that didn’t look like swim goggles. 

So when his girl said that, he couldn’t help the smile and red blush that spread across his apple cheeks. The compliment was so simple, yet every time he wore his glasses, he thought of it and felt his heart melt into a puddle.

It was a warm Saturday morning, and Bob walked into the bedroom to find his girlfriend combing through her closet. She popped her hip out and put her hand to her chin in thought. Bob leaned against the door frame.

“Where you headed?” He asked curiously

She turned, “I think it’s a good day to go to the mall. Wanna come with?” 

Bob nodded. A day at the mall with his girl sounded perfect, and it’s not like he had anything else to do. He walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her waist. He rested his chin on her shoulder, and she reached up to pat his cheek. As she scratched the back of his scalp, he closed his eyes relaxed. 

“Wanna dress me?” He asked

And he got the reaction he always did. A beaming smile from her and a very eager nod. 

“I was thinking about getting some new shirts for you today, too.” She said, smiling.

He chuckled, “Baby, you do too much.” 

She shrugged and looked at their reflection in the closet mirror. After a moment, a mischievous grin appeared on her face. 

“I have an idea.” 

Bob raised a brow. “Should I be scared?”

“I need some new clothes myself. How about… I dress you and you dress me? Maybe then you’ll understand why I love dressing you up so much.” 

He smiled shyly and shook his head. “Oh, I know nothing about fashion, though.”

“There’s gotta be things you wanna see me in.” She smirked a little, and that made Bob blush and huff again, “I mean- you like it when I wear certain things too.” He hated that his mind went immediately to her bathing suits. But then he also remembered some of the dresses she’d wear to The Hard Deck. He loved seeing her legs and anything that accentuated her hips. But he’d never specifically ask her to wear anything like that. He didn’t want her to be uncomfortable for his sake. 

“Okay, but we don’t have to buy anything I pick out.” He said softly

“It’ll be great. Here- why don’t we start at home first? Test run. I’ll dress you, then you dress me.” She said, turning around to be face to face him now.

He nodded.

Thirty minutes later, he stood in a typical Y/n fit for him. A white T-shirt, this one a little baggier, tucked into brow corduroy trousers and a belt. She put a navy blue hat on him that they had gotten from the Top Gun store. Well, he had bought it for her, and she loved making him wear it. Her tongue stuck out of her lip as she focused on adjusting his hair under the hat. A watch laid on his wrist, and he stood in a pair of brown Doc-like shoes.

“There.” She stood back, looking over his outfit, pleased with herself. “You look very handsome, Lieutenant Floyd.” 

He blushed at the title, “Only because of you.”

Her eyes lit up. “My turn.” She led him to the closet and opened it. “Go ahead. Have at it.” His eyes widened, and he walked up to her side of the closet. “I-I don’t even know where to start.”

She laughed, and he started combing through the racks. He tried to think of some outfits that she had worn before. What were some things that she liked to wear? It was a warmer day, but he also knew she got cold easily, so he needed to find something lightweight that covered her arms for when they were indoors. 

He brought out a soft green button-up top that he liked the material of. He showed it to her with a hesitant eyebrow raise, and she laughed.

“Yes, I can wear that.”

He looked back at the closet and went to the section of the bottoms. He found a pair of tan linen shorts and put the two hangers together. His brows scrunched up, trying to figure out if it was a good match before nodding to himself. The whole time, he could hear her giggle as she watched him through his thought process. He picked out a dark brown belt and a khaki Ralph Lauren jacket that he knew fit a little oversized on her. 

“Would this work?” He asked, showing her the hangers.

She smiled and looked over his choices. “Yes. I think this would be great.” 

After she got dressed, she spun for Bob. He did a pretty good job. No clashing colors and the fit of everything was nice. 

“Look at you. You’re a natural.” She commented, “I’m gonna wear this combination more.”

He was too busy staring in awe to respond. Yeah, he was starting to understand why she loved dressing him so much. She looked so pretty, and even though she always did in his eyes, he took this new sense of pride in picking that outfit. His hand was to his mouth as he admired her. She let the jacket hang over her shoulders, showing the outline of her body in the shirt and shorts. 

She noticed his silence and giggled, “You get it now?”

He nodded with a blushing smile. “Yes. Yes, I get it now.”

“It’s like having a human Build-A-Bear.” She nodded enthusiastically, making him suddenly laugh loudly.

“Yeah-yeah, I guess it’s a little like that.” He smiled. 

She put her hand out, and when he took it, she pulled him off the bed. She looked up at him, and his heart pounded in his chest. They’d been dating for close to two years at this point and he still got butterflies looking at her. And the fact that she was wearing the outfit he put together just intensified it. 

He gently brushed her hair out of her face.

“Ready to go, pretty girl?” He asked

She nodded, “Yup! Wanna hit Hard Deck after the mall? I think Bradley said something about wanting to get a group to go tonight.”

“Would love to.” He kissed her forehead.

Usually at H&M, it was Y/n scouring the sales racks while Bob followed her around like a lost dog. He’d sometimes hold onto a bag of greasy mall food so they could share. She’d look through both the men's and women's sections because she knew there’d be stuff for either one of them. And he’d talk and joke with her. If she pulled out a shirt for him, he’d say whether he liked it or not, which was usually a passive yes. 

But now he was trying to participate with her. She looked up at him with a smile as he looked through the racks… Still lost. He picked out what seemingly looked like a strip of fabric. 

“Is this a… skirt? Or a bandana?” He asked 

She laughed, “Tube top. I don’t really wear those much.”

He put it back. “Alrighty.” He timidly looked around. 

She gasped and grabbed a sage green Carhartt sweater. “This would be very cute on you. What do you think?” 

He rubbed his neck with a smile, “Baby, you know I’ll wear quite literally anything. I don’t know what I’m doing.”

She laughed and draped the sweater on her arm. “Here, I’ll give you some pointers for me. I don’t wear many tube tops. Any tight clubbing dresses won’t really be of use to me because I have some already. So I’m looking for just nicer casual clothes.”

He nodded, understanding. Okay, that narrows it down. Combing through the racks, he still wasn’t sure what he was looking for. Yeah, sure, there were graphic T-shirts that said Harvard and New York on them, but he was a little confused, considering neither of them had a connection there. Why would they wear something with a random city or college on it?

Then he paused once he hit the dresses. His eyes immediately froze on a short white halter dress, and when he looked closer, he found little embroidered cherries all over it. He pictured her wearing it, and a small smile appeared on his face. But he also didn’t know if this was casual enough. He also couldn’t tell if she’d find it tacky, which he knew she tended to do with prints. 

He looked up and saw her looking down another aisle. She heard him pause and looked over her shoulder. “Find something?”

“I don’t know.” He said conflicted, “I don’t know if you’ll like it.” She walked over to the opposite side of his rack. “Show me.”

He pulled out the dress and held it up delicately- as if it were a bomb.

“That’s so cute! I’ll try it on.” She smiled, “Pick some more out.”

Bob sighed with relief and nodded. 

Somehow, in thirty minutes, Bob ended up finding more things for her to try on than vice versa. Her face lit up at that fact, and she was practically skipping to the dressing rooms. They swapped hangers, and she went first. Now this was something Bob was a little more used to. He’d sit on the designated boyfriend couch or chair that most dressing rooms had, and wait for her to come out to show him the options.

But now it felt a little different. Now he was actively involved instead of a passive spectator. There felt like stakes- like if he didn’t pick out anything good, he’d be walking out a little embarrassed.

“BOB!” She squealed from inside the dressing room, and he perked up nervously. Oh god. Did he get the wrong size? Did she hate it? “You’re good at this!” She giggled.

He sighed in relief again. 

She came out a few seconds after in a simple white V-neck sweater with a navy blue stripe across it. A fitted denim skirt showed underneath, and Bob felt like he was going to die. It showed off her legs, and she looked simply beautiful in the outfit. The grin on his face couldn’t be replicated.

She posed and gave a little spin, and his whole face went completely red. And this was just outfit one. “I like it! This is definitely a keeper.” 

“I-I really like it. You look comfy.” 

“The material is so nice.” She said, feeling the soft fabric of the sweater.

He nodded. He couldn’t lie that the feel of the fabric was really a driving factor. It was already a reason why he picked out the shirt she was wearing that day. He liked being able to hold her and feel something soft rather than something hard and tight.

She went back into the dressing room, and Bob was unsure if he was gonna survive this. 

There were a few more outfits. A sleeveless polo top with some nice jeans. A few retro-looking oversized shirts, he knew she’d probably pair with some bike shorts. And then a few nicer blouses that were more of a gamble for him to decide. 

“I’d say yes to all of these if we had the money.” She chuckled in a blouse and the shorts she came in wearing. “I think I’m gonna go with that sweater, the jeans, and a few of the shirts. But I’ve still got that dress to try on.” 

He nodded. Hell, he’d buy the rest of the clothes for her. His love language was much more acts of service and physical touch. But this whole trip was making him understand why she’d come home with a new shirt or cap for him after a day out. 

She walked back in and, after a few moments, peeked her head out the door. 

“Oh. I’m getting this.” She said with an excited smirk before walking out.

Bob’s eyes popped out of his skull as she came out in the little white dress that he had picked out. It fit her perfectly and wrapped snugly around her waist before flaring out. The deep cut of the halter was well… pleasing to Bob for a multitude of reasons. 

“I’m gonna wear this tonight.” She declared, giving him a spin.

“Jesus C-hrist-” He stammered, his heart hammering and all the blood rushing to his cheeks and ears. 

“I’ll take that as a yes.” She said, laughing. “I love it. Jeez, I’m taking you with me shopping more often. You find good stuff.”

He nodded eagerly. “Please.” His voice was small.

That night at The Hard Deck, the couple walked in dressed in their new clothes. Y/n strutted in her new dress and a pair of sandals. She had decorated herself with jewelry and put her hair up. Bob held her hand in a maroon Henley with a white tee underneath. A pair of dark wash jeans down his legs and the same navy blue hat from earlier. They slightly matched, but it wasn’t in a cheesy way. His layered shirts matched the print on her dress.

As they walked up to the usual pool table, Hangman whistled at their arrival.

“Look at you two! All dolled up for little old us.” He teased

Phoenix looked up as she was leaning on the pool table, aiming. Rooster, Payback, and Fanboy all turned and smiled.

“We went to the mall today!” Y/n reported excitedly.

Bob nodded in confirmation.

“God bless you, Y/n. Bob actually looks presentable now.” Phoenix said before shooting her ball and sending a solid into a pocket.

Rooster snorted, “Yeah, he’s not wearing anything to do with the Navy or video games. He didn’t know a damn thing about dressing himself.” 

The group laughed, and Bob smiled, shrugging.

“Well, actually, Bob picked out this dress for me, too,” She explained.

“No shot.” Payback laughed.

“It’s true!” She said, “I found out today he’s way too good at picking out clothes for me. Almost bought a whole new wardrobe.”

Phoenix eyed the dress, “Good job, Bob.”

Bob smiled shyly. “She’s always picking out my clothes, so she asked me to do the same for her. It’s-it’s fun.”

Hangman lined his shot up, clearly his turn. “Take the man to Victoria’s Secret next.” Rooster smacked him upright the head. “WHAT? I’m just saying. Every guy loves that.”

Y/n gasped with a smile, “Wait! That’s genius.”

Bob choked and coughed in shock, making the group laugh again. 

“You’re welcome,” Hangman smirked, shooting the ball.

She looked over at Bob with a mischievous smile. Leaning in, she whispered, “You’re off tomorrow, right?”

He nodded, and she simply flashed him a knowing look and then went over to properly greet Fanboy and Payback. Bob stood frozen and blinking, admiring how gorgeous she looked. Especially as she laughed, her glossed lips curving up. Her golden necklace flashed under the warm lights of the bar, and it rested right on the skin revealed in her halter. It made his breath hitch. 

A new sense of excitement built up in him. Considering she loved to dress herself, he knew it wouldn’t be an everyday thing. But he looked forward to the next time she’d ask him what to wear- now that he knew what it felt like to see her proudly show off his handiwork. That had to be another reason why she loved to dress him. He had her name written all over him. And he wouldn’t have it any other way. 

[ikeukiss]

DARE ME TO

〔 𝒾 〕 Your best friend told you her brother was off limits years ago, and that should have been the end of it. But feelings, especially reciprocated ones, don't die, not when you're going to be in close proximity for a week.

𝐬𝐢𝐦 𝐣𝐚𝐞𝐲𝐮𝐧 𝓍 𝐟𝐞𝐦!𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫, 11.7K ⋮ 18+ ⋮ angst, fluff, smut, best friend's (younger) brother!jake, forbidden attraction au, college au, alcohol use, feat! heeseung, dry humping, clit play, body worship, dirty talk, unprotected sex, creampie ᯤ 𝗅𝗂𝗌𝗍𝖾𝗇 𝗍𝗈: new emotion — the aces, do you think about me — lahar, boys like you — who is fancy, starving — hailee steinfeld, butterfly rain — tori templet, i'm not in love — emily james, dive — ed sheeran, ready set go — bnza, shooting star — muna, say it again —frances

⌗ 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐬 ── Nobody ever really does female best friend's sibling and I wanted to for this because Jake is clearly my muse and I'm obsessed, so here we go! Bless all my friends who read the story before its release— @tinycatharsis, @lovetaroandtaemin @xylatox @xomakara @aeristudios @hannieoftheyear and @frenchkisstheabyss—because they kept me going to post it! I love you all so much, thank you. I hope you guys enjoy!

There are two things you are certain of in this life. Sim Jaemin, Jamie to those who know her best, will always be your dearest friend, and she is relentless in getting what she wants.

Jamie pushed herself to learn tennis all on her own at nine, simply because she found Serena Williams incredibly attractive wielding a racket like a sword. She decided in middle school to make you her best friend, even as she was an opinionated, bouncy thirteen-year-old that made you, a girl who still hid behind her lunchbox, feel intimidated to no end. She convinced her parents to take in the neighbor's dog at sixteen when the old couple decided to leave the beautiful pup behind. "Layla is too cute to just go to anyone!" The pout she threw, perfectly curved with the cupid's bow of an angel, made every single person in the family cave without another word. Jake needed little persuasion; her little brother was always fond of animals. Still is.

Then, she got older, and more reasonable demands came to the forefront.

"I don't want you ruining our friendship by liking my brother." When she said this on the verge of your first year of university, it was the furthest thing from your mind. Tuition paperwork, scholarship applications, and the freshman fifteen was all you could focus on back then. Even as you watched Jake, on the tail-end of junior year, swim a few laps in the family's pool.

"One, he's too young for me. Two, you're worth more than a crush, as if I had one." Your arguments convinced her because it was true. You did not like Sim Jaeyun. You would barely look his way if he didn't have familial ties he shared with your best friend, although he was always friendly and funny to you. Yet, that was the intention: a younger brother, annoying, yet well-behaved.

He crosses your mind now and then, some photos he shares with Jamie popping up on your feed when she goes to her parents for visits without you, leaving you behind in your shared dorm room to doomscroll and avoid the problems awaiting at home. She's beautiful, bright, magnanimous in personality.

It's no coincidence her brother shares the same level of allure.

Now, he lingers on your mind as your hands clench the steering wheel. You and Jamie always went home for spring break, tradition the strongest facet of the Sim family. As Jake is also on his way home for his first spring break since starting college, his soccer scholarship keeping him plenty busy, you wonder how the dynamic between all of you—three full-fledged adults—will change. You're not much older than each other. Two years separate you girls from the only boy in the Sim household, but Jamie has always been smaller than her brother; the youngest sprouted like a tree when he reached high school. You, you're just short because of the universe's sarcastic design.

"Are you even listening? I'm baring my soul here about Chungha and you're too busy lost in thought!" Jamie cries, throwing an arm over her eyes for a dramatic flare.

You chuckle. "I'm actually too busy driving the car, asshole," you note with a quirked eyebrow. "Anyway, I thought your broken heart was because of Seungcheol."

"That was two months ago! This is now! She was supposed to Facetime me last night about her plans for the break, but never did. She hates me now, it's official."

Just because Jamie is headstrong doesn't mean she's prone to being realistic.

You sigh. "Her phone probably died. And we left pretty early this morning. I bet she'll text you as soon as she gets up today."

She nods, whining but agreeing. "I don't know what I'd do without you. I'd have lost my head by now."

Laughing, you make another turn. The street the Sim family house resides on comes into clear view, birch trees and tulip bushes welcoming you like an old friend coming back from a long trip off to faraway lands. You breathe easy, already feeling more at home here than anywhere else, including your parent's place twenty minutes away.

You always tell them you're too busy to visit, even during the occasional weekend off from exams and term papers. It's too hard to watch them bicker and pick you apart like they've done since you were small. At Jamie's, with her parents and Jake, you don't feel like an outsider intruding with every eggshell you stumble upon. You're safe, content, fearless.

When you see her parents at the front door, ready to welcome you both with warm hugs, you're reminded of the peace they provide. There's no need to act formal, not anymore. Not when they've seen you through all of your formative years with more kindness than your own family has ever provided.

"There they are!" Jamie's dad, Yongjin, exclaims. He pulls Jamie into a bear hug as Jihyun, her mother, wraps her arms around you.

You drop your bags on the doorstep, embracing Jihyun fully. She smells like rosemary and plum, with hints of book pages. No other scent can replicate it. "Let me look at you," she says as she plants both hands on either side of your face. "Have you been eating? You look pale."

You nod, grinning. "Just wanted to wait until we got here to dig in. Besides, I know there's braised pork waiting for us on the counter."

Her face scrunches up as she smiles and pats your cheek. "Nothing gets past you, huh, ladybug? Let's go inside then! I know you girls are hungry."

Your old nickname used to drive you crazy. But you'll always hold a special place for it, especially when Jihyun says it with every ounce of love she possesses.

"Where's Jake, dad? Still on his way?" Jamie asks as she drops her bag in the hallway.

"He's in the pool. He actually got in last night. Practice was canceled last minute, so he came straight here." Yongjin coughs as he picks up both of your bags, heading upstairs to drop them off in your respective rooms. "Bring the rascal in for lunch, won't you?"

"Not before your daughter helps with setting out the plates!" Jihyun turns to Jamie with a smirk. Your best friend rolls her eyes but runs to the kitchen without a word of protest. Jamie may get what she wants, but she knows to follow a parental order like holy scripture.

Jihyun turns her smile on you. "Ladybug, go bring in Jake, please?"

You nod, walking toward the glass doors leading to the backyard area. You open one slowly, taking in the surrounding sunshine that bathes the pool in an ethereal glow. The spirit of the Sim house extends to every corner, including the water you've swum in a thousand times.

Before you can even call out to him, Jake's moving out of the pool and leaning down to grab his towel from the beach lounger. Once he sees you, his expression changes from intense focus to his usual softness. His shoulders slack like any pressure he was carrying disintegrates, his face contorting in the same way with a cheery grin and raised eyebrows. His wet hair swipes across his face like a mop, but you could recognize him anywhere. 

A pregnant pause sits between you both, and you’re unsure why. Maybe it’s because Jake looks different from the last time you saw him that week in August, before he left with the wrecked nerves of an incoming freshman. He was scrawny, not a muscle on him except for the ones he gained from soccer—which weren't that many because of his stature—with braces that carried him through his teenage years like a backpack. Now, he’s all white teeth and chiseled abs, body confidently glistening under the rays of sunlight. 

You’ve been the same appearance-wise for years, but Jake looks at you like you’ve gone through a metamorphosis only he can see. It makes your cheeks bloom a shade deeper than you're used to, but you try to brush the feeling off. It means nothing, can mean nothing.

“You’re early,” he says finally.

"Wanted to miss all the traffic," you reply, hands splayed out on your thighs. "I'd hug you, but…you know."

Jake takes that suggestion as a dare, lips pursing in a suggestive pout. He runs before you can take the hint, grabbing you between his biceps and immediately squeezing you against his wet skin as you squeal. "When has that ever stopped me, ladybug?"

Despite his soaked form and the small distance he puts between you both when he's satisfied he's greeted you properly, he's still radiating a warmth that cuts through the decorum you thought was still necessary to use with him more than anyone else in the family. It might be the reason he's so eager to thaw it out immediately. He can recognize in that instant your nerves from being away for so long are the cause.

But there's no reason to be formal. You're still the same girl who cried trying to save the insect you're lovingly nicknamed after during a thunderstorm. You've detested the bleak weather ever since, and sometimes the term of endearment too, and he knows that.

He knows so many things about you, more than you want to admit.

"C'mon kiddos, the food's getting cold!" Jake's dad calls from inside the house, and Jake immediately takes the cue to jog inside, leaving you standing there, slightly damp and confused.

He turns back at the archway of the glass doors, a smile framing his face. You turn just as he asks, "You coming?"

This break may be harder than you expected it to be.

You throw stones from the garden floor and across the lush field in front of you, tears streaming down your face as the sun blares above. It's too bright today for how terrible your heartbreak feels.

Almost 500 miles between two universities was enough for Taeyong to call it quits. As if a year of dating didn't matter in that instant when your ex had to come face to face with the unknown. You were willing to brave it, to see if your love could survive long-distance, but he obviously wasn't. "Be realistic," he said a few hours ago, feigning false pain.

You couldn't bear to stay in your own house, your parents' judgemental eyes staring you down in a way that made you keep all your anguish inside. A trip over the fence to the Sim house wasn't a tough feat when everything else felt insurmountable.

And there you are, sitting near Jamie's mother's prize roses and hating everything they represent. Love, passion, desire. It's all for show; none of it is true when the harsh realities come around the corner. Taeyong and your parents proved that.

Out of the blue, Jaeyun appears in soccer attire not meant for JV players. You hide your face from him in that second, trying to avoid the mirage of questions he'll throw at you if he sees your red-rimmed eyes. "Climbed over again, huh?" he asks, a joke you can't take interjected in his voice.

You nod, shoulders steeled and windpipe tight. "Didn't feel like staying home right now. Gonna tell me to go back?"

Jake raises his arms in defense. "No, I mean—I don't mind. Would've seen you later, anyway." He moves to sit next to you, crossing his legs in the dirt and splaying his arms behind his back.

"You're home late," you realize. The sunset brews under the clouds, seven o'clock a few minutes away.

Jake chuckles again, the sound light and unbelieving. "I was actually trying out for varsity," he confesses. "I got it."

You wipe your subsequent tears away, focusing on your friend and his achievement. He's always wanted to play with the bigger guys at school, and you won't let such success go understated. "That's amazing! Does Jamie know yet?"

He shakes his head, blushing suddenly. "You're the first person I've told."

"Wow," you say. "Sim Jaeyun, soccer prodigy, letting me be the first to know? I'm honored."

He knocks your shoulder with his own, saying nothing verbally. His smile says enough. "Gonna tell me what's bothering you now?"

You sigh, the sadness bubbling back up. "Taeyong dumped me. Said going to schools so far away from each other is too much to handle." You throw another rock, anger suddenly replacing the misery you walked into the garden with. "Fuck him."

"Yeah. He doesn't know a good thing when he has it." Jake says it like he's afraid it'll mean more than what it does on the surface, his voice low and tentative. Is it out of his depth to say something like that to you, his older sister's best friend? He doesn't know, but it felt right to say.

You laugh sadly and run your fingers through the grass. "I just gotta move forward. Spend the summer focused on me, you know?"

Jake nods and knocks his shoulder into yours once again. "Come on, let's take a dip in the pool. It always makes you feel better." He motions to the house behind him. "Go borrow one of Jamie's swimsuits, yeah?"

You grin at his suggestion. He always makes the worst times better somehow, a ray of sunshine that isn't blinding to the eye. It's welcoming and soothing, a salve on a day you thought was hopeless. "Sure."

As you head upstairs, Jake's mom smiling at you both as you run past the kitchen, you think about the way you can float with all of them rather than sink.

The memory washes over you as you stare at the same patch of grass from that day, reminiscent with a smile on your face, thankful nobody can see it under the cover of night.

"Earth to my best friend! There's tequila that's going to waste over here," Jamie says as she hands you another shot. She's careful to avoid dropping it into the pool thanks to the mirage of garden lights around your spot. The both of you sit on the edge with your toes in the water, teasing the idea of slipping in with the two boys already wading around in the water. "Chungha ghosted me and I need your unwavering support right now."

"It'll never go to waste on you, JJ," Heeseung, Jake's best friend, flirts with Jamie as he floats past you both. "And whoever that girl is is clearly a dipshit."

Lee Heeseung stayed local for his college experience, but he's always remained close to Jake and the Sim family in the same way you have, except he and Jake grew up together from primary school and on. And as far as Jamie goes, he'll be damned if he stops trying to get her to take a chance on him one day, despite every rejection she's delivered with a loving middle finger in his face.

Jamie kicks some water at him before downing another few ounces of liquor. "Thank you but if that's another covert shooting of your shot, no thanks, pal."

Heeseung scoffs playfully as you giggle. "Anyway, since we have an appropriate beverage for it…" he says just in time for Jake to swim over from his usual corner near the hot tub. "Let's play Never Have I Ever, shall we?"

You all roll your eyes, but you don't object. Anything to ramp up the chill session by the pool; your spring break is already too lackadaisical at this point.

"Never have I ever stolen candy from Jungwon's parents' convenience store."

All of you take the shots with ease. The poor kid always knew when you and Jamie were bagging an extra candy bar in your purse or pockets, but batting your eyelashes in his direction was enough for him to look the other way. "Boys," Jamie said once, "are too predictable."

Jake begins his turn with, "Never have I ever used my parent's car without them knowing," as he pours drinks for everyone, only for Jamie to sip hers in that instant.

She raises a hand to speak her mind, and you giggle into your shot, downing it in time before the liquid can trickle down your chin. "In my defense, Mom decided to change her mind at the last second. I just stuck to the original promise she made." She turns to you. "When did you hijack yours?"

"One time when I wanted to go to Taeyong's house. I was back the next morning before they could realize it was gone."

"Asshole," Jamie and Jake mutter simultaneously, to which Jamie poses the question to her brother, "What would you know about him besides his stats, dipshit? And you're the one who played on the same team as him, like a traitor."

"Not at the same time!" Jake yells, offended. "Besides, even if we did, I would've never passed the ball to that douchebag."

Heeseung chuckles. The sound holds some type of knowledge neither you nor Jamie are privy to, but Jake looks at his friend with a death stare. You want to dissect the interaction further, but you guys pass over questions and drinks quickly after that. The tequila blurs your inhibitions as you fall into more teasing banter and laughter. Finally, your trip is getting fun.

"Alright, my turn again," Heeseung says. He pours another set of shots before he declares, "Never have I ever had a crush on someone in this circle."

The posed statement sinks into your gut like a stone; any chance of excitement for the night is gone. Your buzz disappears as soon as the last word falls from Heeseung's lips.

He immediately gulps down his drink, smiling the whole time. "Oh shoot," he says with his devious smirk pointed in Jamie's direction. "Sorry, love."

"Still never gonna happen, pipsqueak," Jamie responds with a slur, the edges of her statement warbled by the alcohol.

What you don't expect is for Jake to take his shot at the same time you do. You both stare at each other over the rims of the tiny glasses. Your faces turn crimson, a mutual understanding passing by in a flash.

Never in your dreams did you expect Jake would also harbor a crush on you. It's been years for you, so long ago you forgot the shape of it until you were in his presence again. But the revelation he also held those emotions at some point makes the stone in your chest strengthen in size, the new information befuddling you.

When did it start? Was it around the same time as you? Does he still feel that way? You ruminate on the quick questions for only a second, knowing none of the answers matter. Jamie would've never allowed it anyway, and still wouldn't. And she's more important.

A pregnant pause lies between you and Jake, even as Heeseung sputters out a shocked laugh and Jamie drinks another shot just for fun.

"Oh damn," he says, "guess we're learning a lot about each other tonight, huh?"

"Shut up, Hee," Jake mutters. He slams the empty glass down near your thigh, and the sudden brush of his hand as he pulls back makes you tingle.

It's from the tequila, you tell yourself with bated breath. Nothing else, nothing at all.

"Yeah, shut up! 's a stupid game anyway," Jamie explains as she stands up. Her body buckles with the equilibrium change, and Jake immediately jumps from the pool to help her regain her balance. "I'm fine, Ikeu!"

That's the tell. She never uses her childhood nickname for Jake unless she's drunk. You smile to yourself and stand up as well, using the sobriety Jamie doesn't have now to help her brother.

Heeseung remains in the pool as you and Jake take Jamie upstairs to sleep it off, wading around again like a baby who hasn't upended all of their bathwater. Your best friend insists she's fine on the trek upstairs, but the way she leans into you both says otherwise.

Jake tucks the bedsheets to her chin, handling her as she thrashes around with a sequence of grumbles spilling from her lips. "Ikeu, let me go to sleep," Jamie mumbles. You laugh to yourself at the state of your best friend as she babbles nonsense. She'll be mopey and hungover tomorrow, but you'll handle that when it comes.

You close the door to her room behind you, shaking your head. "She's gonna act like a kicked puppy in the morning, I know it."

Jake laughs. "And yet she still insists she's not a lightweight. Or, at the very least, a mid-weight with how much of that bottle she drank."

You agree, nodding with a smile. Silence rushes in, the uncertainty of what to say next sitting between you both like a piece of glass you're terrified to break. Do you mention what happened just a few minutes ago in the pool, or let it go? And, more importantly, what does Jake want to do?

Jake coughs quietly, his cheeks flushed. "I should get back to Heeseung. Make sure his drunk ass doesn't drown."

You nod again, bashful. "Yeah. I gotta wash off all this chlorine, anyway."

As you both go to walk in separate directions, you heading to your room and Jake going back downstairs, your fingertips brush. It's the smallest movement, inconsequential in the grand scheme of things, but the spark that was ignited when he touched your thigh comes back, as all-consuming as it was then.

"See you tomorrow," Jake says over his shoulder, not turning back as he walks down the first few steps, but you can tell he's smiling. Somehow, you always know. You reply with your own acknowledgement, heart hammering as you open and close your door.

That night, you dream of his hand in yours, the liquid courage giving you the right amount of boldness to tell him you want to keep holding it for as long as you can.

"You think you'll make it out of the storm in one piece?" you ask into your phone, walking around the guest room as you listen to Jamie's frustration over the quick food run now halted by the terrible weather. The supermarket bustle muffles Jamie's voice, her words practically passing through a tin can.

"Pretty sure, but the damn car is parked too far. My parents want to wait until it settles down rather than walk into a tsunami, as if I still don't have a headache kicking my ass." You picture her rubbing her temples while she talks, exasperated but with nobody to blame but herself for last night's escapades. "Be glad you don't have to experience their terrible fruit and vegetable puns right now."

You chuckle, flicking at the dust on the windowpane. "You act as if I don't know them all by heart."

Jamie laughs too, probably nodding in the middle of the store aisle like you're right by her side. She sighs when her mother calls her away. "Mom's looking at the funny birthday cards, probably wants to show me one to give Dad next month. I gotta go."

"Alright, see you soon!"

Minutes or hours pass by in a blur, the house quiet save for the rain that patters on the rooftop above. In the instant you throw your phone on the bed after another session of endless scrolling, Jake comes into view, lingering by the doorframe. His down-turned eyes point at his feet while a pout covers the lower half of his face. When he's like this, his disposition is akin to a kid caught with cookie crumbs at the edge of his mouth. "Was that Jamie earlier?"

Was he listening? How long had he been waiting to talk to you?

"Yep," you confirm. "Still stuck in the storm. Hopefully it passes quickly." You wrap your arms around yourself, suddenly chilly. The cold of the rain seeps into your skin like it knows you hate the frigid and unrelenting downpour. It plucks all your nerves to their highest frequencies. You think so, anyway.

It can't have anything to do with last night, or this moment being the first time you and Jake have talked since then. It's not like his admission changes anything between you, and your past emotions have no bearing on the present. Being awkward about it, despite your best intentions not to, solves nothing. Yet, you feel the prickle of your anxiety all the same.

Jake's eyes pinch at the corners. "Still freaked out by the weather?"

You shrug, hands clenching to your skin. "Yes and no."

Going back in your memory, you can barely recall the first time you experienced a thunderstorm as a kid outside of how it made you feel. Small, fragile, open to all the elements. It was bad enough life in your parent's home made you feel that way daily, but storms only amplified the insecurities.

That first time you experienced one in the Sim house, a ladybug glued to the glass doors downstairs as the outside world thrashed and rumbled, reminded you even the tiniest beings endure harsh conditions. And you did everything in your power that day to help ensure the creature's survival.

Maybe the nickname stuck because it fit you too well, and it hasn't gone away since for good reason.

Jake walks over, his face now tilted in your direction, and shucks his zip-up hoodie off to wrap around your shoulders. You start to speak, "You don't have to—"

"I want to," he replies, a scoff teetering on the edge in his voice. "Got a million more."

You nod, giving him a soft smile of gratitude. Stuffing your arms through the sleeves, you smell his scent on the fabric. It lingers like all the words you've stamped down. Bergamot and tangerine, with the faintest trace of sea salt.

"You're safe, ladybug." His words are so soft that the clap of thunder accompanying them almost drowns them out. But you think you could hear him even if the lightning came down right next to his face.

"I know," you say, knowing it's never been more true than right now. Yet, you feel something else resting underneath his words, an iceberg you can see past the top of. The sentence eases your mind, yet ramps up a different emotion entirely, one you haven't felt in a long time for him.

"Last night, I—"

"It's fine, Jaeyun," you insist. You shake off whatever he's about to say with a forced giggle. "We've changed. Sure, we both had little crushes on each other back then. It doesn't mean anything now."

"It doesn't?"

"I mean…why does it need to? It would be crazy, anyway. Like it could work now when it didn't then."

Jake's jaw ticks as he smiles, the action as artificial as your previous laugh. "Right. It would be crazy, wouldn't it? To think about you in that way still."

"Yeah, crazy." You don't realize he's stepped forward a few inches until you notice his body in sharper clarity. The long-sleeve Manchester United shirt with a tattered logo on the center, one of his favorites, and how it rises with every inhale and exhale. The shell necklace touching his collarbone, the one you made for him the summer before he started high school.

"So if I said I still feel the same way I did at sixteen—that it's hard not to every time I look at you—would that be crazy, too?"

Your brain becomes hollow, coherent thought and reasoning out of your reach.

The storm continues battering the house, but its strength compares little to the forces stirring in your heart. The desire to hold him close churns in your stomach like the strongest tornado known to man.

It's irrevocably wrong, so why does he still pull you in?

Jake reaches for you, hand pressing to the skin between your lower jaw and neck, and it feels too warm. It makes your body shiver, but he doesn't pull back. He just inches closer, so close his breath ghosts over your face.

His eyes speak with the pleas his mouth can't verbalize. Let me know if I should let you go now before I can't. Tell me to stop thinking about you, once and for all.

You don't stop him. Not when you take the last step to his lips, not when both of your eyes flutter closed, and not when you finally feel his mouth press to yours.

Jake tastes like cherry lip balm with traces of chlorine, a mixture that could not feel more perfect on your tongue. You want to drink it forever now that you've gotten a sip, both the act and sensation long overdue.

You move in sync. His hands find purchase on your hips as you wrap your hands around his neck, deepening the kiss. He grunts against your lips when your tongue presses to the seam of his mouth, and he lets you in eagerly. You've kissed many boys—and a handful of girls—in your life, but nothing compares to this, to Sim Jaeyun.

You're utterly fucked, the implications of your choice clear, but you don't care. It's too right to think of all the reasons it shouldn't be.

You both hear the front door below slam, the sound knocking you both away from each other like a bomb. Jake's eyes open, the irises lust-blown with a fire that mirrors the raging one in your stomach. You don't know what to say in time. The chance flickers by as the rest of the family makes it known they're back.

"Kiddos, we're home!" Jihyun calls from below. Jamie yells something about the traffic being a bitch, and both of her parents chide the profanity so loudly you and Jake chuckle discreetly.

His humor morphs back into raw vulnerability, and he kisses the spot between your eyebrows before whispering, "Meet me back here tonight, yeah? Wanna finish what we started."

You nod with a bitten lip, eager to know what he means as he exits the guest room and walks downstairs. Your heart is lurching, your palms are sweating, but you've never felt more giddy than this moment.

They should terrify you, all the consequences of your next moves that lay at your feet, but you're not scared at all. Not an ounce.

You tiptoe past Jamie's door, a smidge of regret glazing over your excitement about being alone with Jake again. Seven hours after he left you in the guest room, your need consumed you. It was all you thought about in that time flipping through magazines with Jamie and sitting next to her at dinnertime.

Your eyes couldn't help but pass over Jake's at the table when you caught him staring first. His parents were talking about cute memories of all of you, your middle school years specifically, yet your insides were on fire. You were a blaze of obscene proportions as he gazed at your figure.

Now, you're eager to see him, to have a repeat of the scene in the guest room, to know if there's more to the story that's currently unwritten.

Jake opens the door the second you raise your fist to knock on it. Your hand sits in mid-air as he stands there, a quiet smirk playing on his lips. "Thought you'd never show up."

He brings you in with a hand at your waist, and soon enough, he locks the door behind him to have both palms all over you. He tugs your lips between his teeth and kisses you like a starved man, the only salvation being your mouth and body.

Jake's an excellent kisser, holding the right amount of pressure with a level of tenderness in each touch that weakens your knees. He still smells like his lip balm, but there are traces of mouthwash this time, spearmint hitting your tongue as his muscle touches the roof of your mouth.

"I love how you taste," Jake says in between you like a confession. "I can't wait to have more of you."

You moan and squeeze his biceps between your fingers. "Nothing's stopping you, Jaeyun."

Jake tugs at your cotton shorts, wanting them off so much that he makes that want a reality. Your cotton underwear sticks to your legs, arousal drenching the insides of your thighs like another person hasn't turned you on this much solely from kissing. Maybe no one ever has, not like this. Maybe he's that good at this already, transforming you into a puddle for him alone.

Moving you to the edge of his bed, Jake makes the back of your knees knock into his comforter as he undoes his drawstring sweats and yanks his sweater up and over his head. You help him discard what you can, but you're too eager to reattach your lips to his. He can't blame you; he's caused the chasm that is your need, and he has to see it filled.

"You're beautiful, you know that right?" The question tumbles out of your mouth before you can stop it, and Jake just runs his hand across your face lovingly and smiles.

"Let's not talk about who's the beautiful one here, yeah?"

He crawls atop of you, the only clothes left on both of you being his underwear and your undergarments, and it's anyone's guess if he'll take them off of you soon or will tease you to the very end. Jake sees the wet ruins of your panties and a cheshire-like grin spreads on his face. "I think I could make you come just like this with the way you're drenching my sheets, baby."

You quirk an eyebrow and rut your hips into his, your underwear brushing the outline of his pulsing cock. You can almost feel the spot that's damp on his own briefs through the fabric of your panties, positive he is also ready to be relieved of his own pent-up desires. "I could say the same to you, Jakey."

Jake grunts at the nickname, one only few people have ever used, and captures your mouth with his again. He rubs his core into yours with hard, languid strokes. Your wetness melds with the hardness of his bulge with each meeting of your hips. You run your nails down his back to prove how good it feels, even if it's just the two of you rutting against each other's clothes. It's carnal how hard and fast you both grind against each other. The two of you want nothing more than to come apart at each other's hands.

There's still the uncertainty there if it's too soon to take it to the last hurdle, with sex and your relationship, whatever that is, but that doesn't matter now. The need to have each other in any way you can drowns out the sound of your doubts and what tomorrow will bring. You can only focus on right now, the end of desire right on the horizon.

"I'm not gonna last much longer, sweetheart." Jake rubs his hands along your ribcage, fingers splayed under your breast. You grip him harder as he says the words, and he smirks as he pants. "Would you like that? Knowing you made me come untouched?"

"More than anything," you admit, his cock hitting your clit in just the right way that has you frothing at the mouth.

His tongue delves deeper into your mouth as he continues to thrust against you, precum smearing down the fabric of his underwear and making it his briefs as soaked as your panties. You're so close, the ridges of him rubbing the velvet walls of you through the materials of your underwear to make you see stars.

"That's it," he growls. "Come for me, baby. It's gonna feel so good."

Those words undo you in that second; the magic of them can't go understated. Your body shudders as you reach the peak and fall off of it in the same second. It's white hot and searing, and you let it take you down as you feel the orgasm seep into your toes.

"Come with me, Jaeyun, please?" you whisper when you have a hint of coherent thought left in you, yearning to see him unravel.

Just like his words crumbled you, yours break him. He whimpers a broken moan as he comes in his underwear, meeting his end with his massive load soaking through and dribbling down across his thighs. Your bodies' essences mix as you keep riding your highs out, and it feels too good to stop until you're too sensitive to continue.

You both sit there in a mess of sweat and cum, unsure how to address that you've both just done that together. It can't go back to the way things were before, the two of you always on a fault-line of teasing each other and living in half-measures around your emotions. How could you?

When he cleans up and lays down next to you, both of you clothed once again, you run your fingertips over the veins of his arm until you're at his shoulder blade. He watches you as your venture higher, and your face heats, suddenly bashful.

"I meant what I said earlier. You're so beautiful, it's incredibly distracting." You run your hand through the ends of Jake's sweaty hair.

"Is your form of pillow talk just compliments?" he jokes partially. "Because I could give you a dozen of those at any time."

"What's yours?" you ask, beaming at his admission.

"Besides doing that again?" You giggle at the reference until he cages you in his arms, his warmth bathing you in gold. "For starters, this."

You whisper about everything and nothing, Jake stopping occasionally to run his lips over the space of your forehead and the crown of your hair. You fall asleep that way in no time, pleased to be on the cusp of something beautiful beginning.

You don't expect to wake up to the sight of Jamie peering down at you, wide-eyed and lips in a firm line. During the night, Jake must have gone to use the bathroom and forgot to lock the door again, and you hadn't noticed.

The sight of her in front of you almost makes you forget you're still entangled with Jake like two vines, legs intertwined and your head nestled on his chest.

Jamie points to Jake's door with a trembling finger, deadly silent, before walking back out of his room.

"What the fuck?" are the first words out of Jamie's mouth. Her face grows darker in that instant, anger overtaking her. "What the actual fuck is the reason I found you up against him like that?"

"Jamie, you gotta relax, please."

"Oh, so I should relax after catching my best friend and little brother practically tonguing each other down?"

The way she emphasizes "little" could make you vomit. She acts like she witnessed you pressed up against the teenage version of him and not the adult he is now. You know she's overdramatic, but she can take it overboard too often; it's one of her fatal flaws to boot.

"Jamie, I swear it was nothing," you lie immediately. "We were just watching a movie after you passed out because we couldn't sleep, and then we must've fallen asleep together. That's all, okay?"

"You didn't do anything?" She looks over the clothes you walked into Jake's room wearing last night, not seeing anything she can speculate over, but still on edge from the scene she's just witnessed. "You swear?"

You nod without realizing. "I swear to God." Good thing you're not a religious person, or a higher power would most likely strike you down on the spot. But you'd do it again to spare Jamie of the fact you did more than your fair share of things with Jake last night.

She huffs, relieved but still agitated. "Okay. Well, just never let that happen again, please. I almost ran out of here ready to pluck my eyes from their sockets and bleach them."

You rub your arms protectively. "Would it be so bad if Jake and I did happen to like each other? See where—"

She puts a finger in between you, making a face like she will in fact vomit. "I was so ready to have Mom's hump-day pancakes and now I can't even think of drinking a glass of orange juice right now after hearing you even suggest that idea to me."

"Jamie, come on," you chide her.

"You come on! It would never work, Y/N. Be realistic!"

That's rich, you jest at her in your mind. "Why? Because he's related to you and I'm not?"

"That's the biggest reason, for sure, but you both are going to school hours away from each other and Jake is drowning in intramurals and labs half the time." She swats away her own words with manic hands. "Why are we even talking about this? It's not gonna happen ever!"

Your heart sinks, the stone that you held in your gut days ago back with a vengeance.

"Tell me you'll stop thinking about this, please."

You sigh and nod, keeping your arms crossed to guard yourself from the promise you've just made Jamie. Your best friend has clipped the beating wings of a promising future with Jake so unceremoniously, you're unsure what to do with that info now, or how you'll present the topic to Jake when he wakes up.

"You coming?" Jamie asks over her shoulder as she descends the staircase, and you're transported back to that first day you arrived at the house for the trip, Jake's mirrored words holding more hope than you realized back then. You follow behind as the seams of your heart rip the muscle in two, sadness seeping into your every pore with each step.

After you all clear your breakfasts from the table, Jamie's parents retreat to their room and Jamie takes her usual midday R&R nap. Jake steps behind you in the kitchen, the coast clear from prying eyes. Nobody's around to witness him cage you in by the sink, eager as he runs his hands up your sides. "You were gone this morning. Where'd you run off to?" he whispers into your ear, and you shiver from his proximity. You're both terrified and tantalized by what Jake does to your body by doing nothing substantial. Just the subtlest act unwinds you.

He makes it difficult to resist him, but you replay your discussion with Jamie from a few brief hours ago in your head. The act helps you solidify your promise in your heart like iron, no matter how much you want to melt into Jake's embrace and forget it all.

"We can't do this, Jaeyun."

"We're not doing anything…not yet."

The second Jake's lips brush your neck, you skitter away and drop your plate in the sink. If he keeps touching you, you'll crumble without another thought, so keeping him at an arm's length is the only option. "I mean it. Last night can't happen again."

"So what? It just meant nothing?" Jake laughs in disbelief, almost like he's waiting for the punchline of the joke you're making just to get a rise out of him.

You frown and bite the inside of your cheek. "I never said that."

"Then what are you saying right now?"

"I'm saying it won't work," you parrot Jamie's words to him, trying to find some objectivity there to stop feeling like you're chewing glass. "Where do you think we will go after this? Long-distance dating back and forth between two colleges? And that's if Jamie doesn't kill us before we get to that point."

"Is that what this is about?" Jake tries to step closer, but you back away in time. "Y/N, I'm not Taeyong. And you're more than just Jamie's best friend to me. I thought I proved that to you yesterday."

He did, in so many little ways that you barely see him like he's Jamie's little brother now. He's just Jake, solid and sweet and so within your reach right now. Yet you can't have him, the fallout from such a choice too catastrophic to verbalize.

"Jaeyun, we have to be realistic." The words feel like toxic waste on your tongue, the pain present under your skin but well-hidden behind your willpower. You can only pray he believes everything you've said up to this point, but a small part hopes he doesn't. That he'll see through it and brave the storm for the both of you.

Unfortunately, the former occurs as Jake's eyes go cold, his jaw sets into sharp lines and his hands go limp at his sides. "Realistic?"

"Yes."

He doesn't fight back or spew insults he's well within his rights to say to you. All he does is walk out of the kitchen with hard stomps. The silence is worse than any profane exclamation he could've thrown out, and that's when you know you've broken your own heart by breaking his.

Jake isn't yours, so why is it so torturous to watch him mingle with another girl, especially one he knows as well as he knows you?

Aria Song, a local veterinary technician and Jake's high school ex-girlfriend, haunts you like a phantom as she wades in the pool like she's always belonged there.

"Jaeyun, stop it!" You hear her squeal, and you want to dunk her head so deep in the water you forget she exists.

Layla tucks her head in your lap as you watch Jake and Aria through the glass doors. He's swimming around his ex-girlfriend's pool lounger like he has no cares in the world. She kicks water at him with her toned legs and a wide grin on her face.

She may be nice enough for Jake to have remained friendly with her since their high school days, but you've not liked her one bit since they broke up and neither has Jamie. But Aria's solid proof to Jamie that you're not chasing after her brother, and therefore she's content to relax by the pool outside and suffer through the younger folks giggling and splashing each other like they're teenagers again.

You couldn't, not without your heart cracking even more than it already has. You thought feigning a stomach bug and deciding to rot on the couch was the best second option, but it only meant you had a semi-adequate front-row seat to Jake's little show that's been going on all afternoon.

He glances at you now and then beyond the panes of glass like he knows you're judging. Like he wants you to be envious of Aria's position.

The worst part is that you are; you're sick with jealousy to the point it's creating bile in the back of your throat. The green monster inside of you rears its head with gnashing teeth and cruel thoughts, and you don't stop it from growing in size.

She's younger, prettier, not intricately tied to his older sister the way you are. It's so much easier for him to not bother with you, to pick a safer option that isn't riddled with roadblocks. And he's clear he's chosen from the way he fawns over his guest with intense eyes.

Layla nuzzles your side as you grimace, stopping you from attempting to burn a hole in the pool attendees' heads with your stare. "I'm being ridiculous aren't I, girly girl?"

You take the tilt of Layla's head as confirmation you're acting crazy. You're about to take your blanket and pillow back up to the guest room when Jake walks into the house, body sopping wet and creating tiny puddles on the tile.

"You're gonna have to mop up the floor," you say to break the ice, despite being irritated with him for consorting with a perceived enemy.

Jake only nods and moves to the kitchen without another look in your direction, grabbing two water bottles from the fridge and then slamming it shut.

Before he leaves, he walks over and presses one of the plastic bottles in your palm, fingertips brushing yours. "Hydration will help with the stomachache."

With that, he leaves out the back door. Now, you're more confused than annoyed. What does it mean, one minute unable to speak to you and then caring for your wellbeing the next? It's a cacophony of whiplash, for sure.

You hear a cough behind you that takes you out of your ruminations, and you see Jihyun smiling at you before entering the living room, rubbing behind Layla's ears. "Ladybug, you two are something else."

You shake your head and pop open the water to gulp down. When you've taken a hefty sip, you say, "We're nothing Mrs. Sim. We made that clear already."

"Please don't call me that, honey. Mrs. Sim is my mother-in-law and you know that."

You chuckle. "Like I said, it's nothing to worry about."

Jihyun raises her hands and shakes her head. "I didn't say you were anything…" She walks closer and sets a hand on your shoulder, giving it a squeeze. "But if you were, this family would be more than better off with you in it. Whether or not some of us see that right now, it's true."

Before you can ask her what she means, she saunters back towards her bedroom with Layla following in tow; your brain imprints her knowing grin to memory.

The Sims can be incredibly cryptic when they want to be.

Aria spends dinner with all of you, and Jake even invites Heeseung over to liven up the mood that you and Jamie sour by remaining quiet. You can't help it; Aria is too bold, too bright, too everything you can't give Jake right now.

You spend that night with the family stoic and deadpan, only conversing with everyone in small sentences. You barely say goodbye to Aria and Heeseung when they take their leave, nodding at her once and not again as she walks out. Jamie notices the tension in your body, but you don't want to talk. You don't give her the time to ask. You just walk into the guest room without another word and hide away, hoping to finish the rest of the trip with no more issues. Your best friend might call you a buzzkill, but it's better than going against her wishes.

Another hour rolls by, and when you're on the verge of sleeping, Jake barrels into your room without closing the door.

"Do you care at all?" Jake huffs out, chest rising and falling fast. He tries to remain quiet out of your fear he'll wake Jamie in the next room, but you can tell from the tone in his voice that he's breaking his own resolve.

You rise from your bed and quickly shut the door, confusion overtaking you. "What are—"

"I spent all of this morning ready to burn under the sun without SPF trying to prove a point because you wanted me to be realistic, and you said nothing. All day and since the second Aria came by, you've had this terrible pout on your face. What do you want from me?"

You know exactly what you want. Maybe it's better to let it out now and give Jake some clarity, even if it'll kill him on the inside like it's doing to you.

"I want you to be happy," you say, "but I realized pretty quickly I want that happiness to be with me." You raise your arms weakly, tears threatening to spill over. "But I can't. Jamie is too important, and she's made it perfectly clear she thinks this would be too weird for her."

"What do you think?" Jake steps forward, hair tickling your face from how close he is to your body. That charge between you reignites; the current that's kept you inextricably linked hums like a live wire once again. "What do you want?"

You sigh, taking a deep breath, unable to swallow another unspoken word. "I want you. Of course I want you."

Jake smirks softly and captures his hand in yours, fingers intertwining. "Then have me. Have me in whatever way you want, as long as I get to have you back."

The time between Jake's last words and now, the two of you in a tangle of clothes, feels like a lifetime. The previous time you were intimate like this is nothing compared to right now. Where that was frantic and fast-paced with undergarments stuck to sweaty, sexually charged skin, this is slow and reverent. Jake undresses you like he's afraid you'll take back what you said and did just an hour ago. As if you could ever.

There's no way you can change your mind now; his charms have unknotted all of your left brain's logic.

He kisses your neck and collarbones with tenderness. He leans down to kiss the tops of both of your naked breasts, and it's like he's striking the match that will burn you alive.

You want to savor the moment like he clearly is, but it's too much and not enough, two sides of the same coin. You arch into him on his bed, your legs intertwining with his. "Jaeyun, if you don't do something right now, I will combust."

Jake chuckles and sucks one of your nipples in his mouth the second after you command him, biting and teasing the bud with his teeth, and your body bows even harder off of his sheets. The pleasure builds like a wave, and he's barely done anything.

Hedonistically, he slides his fingers down to your aching clit. Essence gathers between his fingers as he runs his hand across your folds eagerly. "You're dripping," he mumbles, his lips resting a breath from yours. "So warm and wet."

You moan and ride his fingers, his figure-eights on your swollen bud building you up further.

"I want to make you come, more than anything," Jake starts before kissing your lips between every other word. "But I want to feel you around me when you do it."

His naked body slots against yours when he moves in closer. His biceps, thighs, cock, and fingertips cling to you like it's your own skin, but it's only a fraction of how close you want him to be.

You've spent so long hiding in the shadows and denying your feelings for him, and now that you have him, you need to cherish every millisecond of time before you're forced back into that corner of the world he didn't occupy.

You clench around nothing, your walls fluttering from the way Jake's tip slides against your clit agonizingly slow. He watches it all, how you writhe and beg with your body, and he adores it.

"So beautiful." The resounding breathless chuckle on his tongue could be as loud as a gunshot with the way it rings in your ears. "If I knew how pretty you'd look like this," he starts, "I'd have made you mine a long time ago."

You gasp as his thumb replaces the head of his cock on your clit, rubbing small but intentional circles there. "Do you want me to be?" you ask, dazed.

In that second between your question and his response, he slides the entirety of his cock into you until he bottoms out, pelvic bones meeting like hands in prayer. "What do you think?"

You want to pinch yourself in this moment, ensure yourself it's real as he moves. He holds the back of your neck with one hand as he leans down to press his lips to yours. His hips give a sharp thrust that has you moaning into his mouth. You find purchase on his naked skin, running your palms along the lines of his shoulder blades down to the smooth planes of his hips.

This can't be another dream, can it?

"You're perfect," you gasp as he thrusts again. "How are you real?"

Jake smiles down at you, mystified by the question being asked by you and not him. He takes one of your hands in his to press to his chest. You hear the frantic tempo of his heartbeat, the sound a messy drumbeat that makes your own heart clench. "Is that real enough?"

It was never supposed to be like this, you and him. But it's too beautiful for the most extravagant words, thoughts, or feelings to describe.

"More than enough," you say with a breathless giggle. You pull him down for another kiss, tangling your fingers in the ends of his hair.

It's holy how much he cherishes you and the experience of having you. He doesn't press too hard or take too much, giving as well as he gets it. When you bite down on his neck, leaving a mark that for sure will bruise soon, he runs his fingers along your burning clit, running lovingly tight circles there to prove he enjoys your possessive acts. When you tell him how good it feels, he moves faster and deeper, returning your praise with more pleasure.

"It feels so good, baby. You're like heaven around me," he swears. "Tell me how it is for you."

No coherent words come to mind, but you settle on, "So fucking good, Yunnie. More than that even." The words sound jumbled off of your tongue, and he smirks from how fucked you already are on his cock. But the smile isn't condescending or smug, just teasing in the most loving way.

He's safe and open and yours, and you can't fathom how you've become so lucky to receive the chance to be his in return.

You suck him in eagerly as you near your release, biting down on his shoulder to muffle the screams you can't release into the air. Not unless you want to wake up the entire house.

"I know you're close," Jake grunts. His hand comes up to the headboard for leverage as he slams into you harder, his other hand stroking your clit with more pressure. "Come around me, baby. Show me what it's like when you let go."

You show him with all your might when you shatter into the millions of pieces he's created of you with his passion. Your eyes scrunch shut as your mouth falls open, jaw slacking from the pleasure that overloads your entire being. Body limp and face buried in Jake's pecs, you think about all the times you've spent in secret, wanting and wishing for him, whether or not you knew it.

Now, you know too well the way he envelops your soul, and you never want to stop knowing him like this.

Jake comes undone soon after, warmth flooding your body with his release as he moans in your ear about how beautiful you are alongside a barrage of curses. "Holy shit, I'm still coming," he swears, another minute spent with his body thrusting up into yours to release what's left of his cum into you. You could spend forever here, you think, wrapped up in each other and this man who is now yours lost in ecstasy.

Jake finally pulls out when he's exhausted all of his energy, and beads of pearly white cum drip out of you from the separation. You don't clean it up, and neither does he. You're both too spent and satiated to care.

"Hi," you croak, head resting on Jake's shoulder when he gets comfortable in his bed and pulls the covers over you. You're tucked up to your chin, protected but still vulnerable in the aftermath of your orgasm.

Jake grins and tucks a stray sweaty hair from your face. "Hi to you too, beautiful."

When he continues to stroke your hair like it's the most precious thing he's ever touched, you think all the consequences in the world are worth this. You believe, without a doubt, that every price you'll pay for his affection is worthwhile.

"You and Jake."

Jamie says the three words like they don't belong in the same sentence. She sits on the dining chair across from you and Jake, both your hands interlocked in front of her like you're her parents sitting down to reprimand her. But it's the other way around, clearly.

Today, she probably expected to find you both making breakfast again, like it was a normal day through and through. Even when you told her you both needed to speak to her, she trotted over to the dining table like nothing was wrong. And nothing was wrong in your eyes, but you knew Jamie's opinion would change the second you told her the truth.

"Yes."

"Dating?"

"Yes." It feels so good to say. You bite back the smile that threatens to tug your lips up. You should feel guilty for betraying Jamie the way you have, going against her word so shamefully, but you can't. It's not a sin you've committed, or a traitorous act that can't be forgiven.

Jamie slaps her hands against her knees, her bottom lip caught between her teeth. "So, the talk we had meant nothing, clearly."

"It did, J. I just—"

"Wait, what talk?" Jake squeezes your palm once, showing his concern that you didn't tell him about whatever Jamie is referencing.

"That day before breakfast. She found me the morning after she went grocery shopping with your parents…and I said I'd stay away from you because she asked me to."

"You never told me that," Jake responds sadly. The blush creeping up his neck shows how embarrassed he must be by his actions afterward. You don't blame him for a second of it, though. It all worked out, anyway.

Your best friend huffs, prepared to vomit. "Don't talk to her like you know her."

"I do, Jamie." His tone drops, the soothing aura he had for you replaced with irritated admonishment of his older sister. You can tell he's exasperated from her judgement already. You squeeze his palm back to ask him silently to loosen up, and he unclenches his jaw to prove he's listening to you. He always seems to know what to do to make sure he is.

It's not love yet, but you're so close, it hurts.

"Please stop acting like you're the only one who does," Jake says finally.

"Really? Did you hold her hand the first time she got her period? Or when her and that douche boyfriend in sophomore year broke up with her right before Valentine's Day? Oh, let's not forget how she stole me a pack of Plan B during our senior trip to Spain."

"Jamie!" you shout, face turning red. "What the fuck?"

Jake just laughs sadly. "You may think you have a leg up on me, and that could be true. I don't have the history you both do. But I've cared about her for so long, longer than you may think." He sighs and turns to look at you, a small smile shared between you both as he strokes your skin with his thumb. "If you have to hate me or us for the way we feel, so be it."

"Stop acting like you're the mature one here!" Jamie shrieks. "Do you not understand how fucked this is?"

"You're the only one who thinks that way," you cut in. "You're making it more of a big deal than it has to be when we're all grown adults."

The scrape of her chair and stomp of her feet towards the backyard's glass door signifies your betrayal in her eyes. And the slam of the door against its metal lining exemplifies her burning rage. She would've yelled if not for her parents sleeping soundly upstairs, you know it.

You follow quickly behind, letting go of Jake's hand to run out to the backyard and follow her, passing Layla on the way to the door. Jake knows not to follow, and you appreciate him all the more for it. The end of the conversation lies between you and Jamie now.

You find her sitting with her knees tucked to her chest, overlooking the backyard fence and facing away from the pool. You cautiously sit down next to her, and she doesn't bristle or immediately scoot away. She's just quiet, unsure, and somehow that feels worse than her exploding at you right now.

"You know I love you, right?" you begin with that question because it feels the most apt. If she truly knew what you were risking, she wouldn't take your feelings or her brother's in this way, like it's a game both of you are playing with blind eyes.

She nods, silent and staring down at the surrounding grass.

"I really like him, Jamie." Your voice, as well as your eyes, flood with tears. It cracks on the sounds her name creates, and that makes her own eyes well up too.

"I never said you didn't."

"But you act like it's some fling. It kills me to see you hurt, but I can't put how I feel on hold anymore and neither can he." The words are both a relief to your own pain and an ache in your chest. Jamie's never been unable to feel the way she does, and you've never stopped her from doing so. But it's never been about her.

"I just don't want to lose you if it ends badly," Jamie confesses. She finally turns her gaze on you, irises glassy and the white of her eyes becoming red. "I can't."

You laugh sadly and pull her in close, shocked she could think such a thing. It gives way to understanding the fears Jamie has that're hidden beneath all the bluster. "That's never gonna happen, J, I promise. And I wouldn't be doing this if I thought your brother wasn't worth it."

Those two words—your brother—cause her to fake a gag. "Did it really have to be him, though? He doesn't brush his teeth until after breakfast, you know this."

You both share a chuckle, heads knocking into each other's and knees touching like nothing has changed. 

In a way, it doesn’t have to. With the silence, you feel her anger ebb away, replaced with a resigned acceptance that she can't change this; it's too late, and she'll have to go with it even if she's against it.

But some things will never change. You're still best friends, and you’ll always have each other, despite being Jake’s significant other now and her being his sister. They’re not mutually exclusive, and that’s okay. Above all else, you’ll be the one person she can turn to forever, and vice versa. That's how it's always supposed to be and will be.

"Josh finally wised up, thank God. He'll be coming to the house in a few days to meet my folks, so you and my brother better be on your best behavior!" Jamie waggles a finger in your direction as she drives further down the road to the university. She doesn't look at you directly, but the instruction is clear, for you and your boyfriend to be nice to her new flavor of the week, and it makes it that much more hilarious.

"Aren't we always?" You wiggle your eyebrows despite her not seeing, and her finger becomes a full-fledged hand in your face. You giggle, taking that hand in yours. "How much longer?"

"Ten minutes, you freak. You act like the last time you saw him was a thousand years ago."

It's been a month and two days since you've been in the same space as Jake, but who's counting? You fell asleep on the phone together last night, so it wasn't as though you went without him for too long, but physical cohabitation was another thing entirely.

Happy didn't explain the emotion you felt when Jamie recommended picking Jake up from school on the way to her parent's, even if it added an hour and a half to the drive. She knew as well as you did how much you missed him. That didn't stop her from teasing you about it incessantly, though.

You shrug and put her hand back in her lap, not denying her exaggeration. Your heart thrums harder with every minute that counts down to your arrival.

Jake's dorm hall appears through the thicket of trees. Small pockets of students walk out of the building holding beach bags and other luggage to take to their cars. Finally, emerging from the sea of people, Jake appears. His mess of floppy hair you'd recognize anywhere, the locks almost falling to his shoulders. He dons a long-sleeved shirt that hides every beautiful line of the body you know so well by now, and you think he hasn't changed at all. Still beautiful, still yours.

You barely wait for the car to stop before you get out. Your feet carry you with the speed of a thousand strikes of lightning. Unbothered by the way your ankles and thighs burn as you run faster, all that matters is the smile that widens on your boyfriend's face when he sees you.

Jake catches you in his arms after you leap into them. Your legs immediately wrap around his waist and squeeze his lower half. The Sim house used to be one of the few places you found solace, but it's just not true anymore. Now, it's in Jake too, his love the greatest peace you've ever known.

Jake plants kisses all over the crown of your head before meeting your lips, the taste of spearmint gum coating your tongue. You giggle mid-liplock, and Jake smiles brightly down at you. "Hi."

"Hi," you respond before pressing your mouth to his again.

"Okay, horndogs! We need to leave soon before all that braised pork goes to waste!" You both separate and turn to see Jamie with her arms crossed and a close-lipped smile on her face. She's not angry or put off by the sight before her, her best friend and little brother entangled like vines. If anything, the spark in her eyes is all for show, her happiness hidden under the surface, even with the added snarky commentary.

You used to think that there were two certainties in the world. But now, they're accompanied by another truth.

No matter how many trials and tribulations you go through, Jamie will always be your best friend. Your best friend often gets what she wants—although she couldn't stop you from falling for her brother. And you are head over heels for Sim Jaeyun, forever and always.

── .✦ 𝗧𝗔𝗚𝗟𝗜𝗦𝗧 (𝗔𝗣𝗣𝗟𝗬 𝗛𝗘𝗥𝗘):

@lovetaroandtaemin @filmnings @innocygnet @jaylaxies @xylatox @xomakara @gyubookeries @tinycatharsis @prkhaven @hannieoftheyear @frenchkisstheabyss @lovenha7 @wonberries @lyks02 @seokjinthescientist @icatpjs @kristynaaah @ikeuheartz @enhaslxt @jakeznii @heebear @immelissaaa @riqomi @universallyllamatimetravel @enhxlvr @jakesaverse @omglivss

© 𝗜𝗞𝗘𝗨𝗞𝗜𝗦𝗦; 𝖣𝗈 𝗇𝗈𝗍 𝖼𝗈𝗉𝗒, 𝗋𝖾𝗉𝗈𝗌𝗍, 𝗍𝗋𝖺𝗇𝗌𝗅𝖺𝗍𝖾, 𝗉𝗅𝖺𝗀𝗂𝖺𝗋𝗂𝗓𝖾, 𝗈𝗋 𝗆𝗈𝖽𝗂𝖿𝗒 𝗆𝗒 𝗐𝗈𝗋𝗄 𝗂𝗇 𝖺𝗇𝗒 𝗐𝖺𝗒 𝗈𝗇 𝖺𝗇𝗒 𝗉𝗅𝖺𝗍𝖿𝗈𝗋𝗆𝗌!

[chalkscene]

kpop demon hunters ⇢ “AND THEY ALL LIVED HAPPILY EVER AFTER”

alternate ending where nobody dies <3

ft. huntrix & saja boys

wc: 2.6k

notes: not proofread and 100000% self-indulgent <3

couch! couch! couch! couch!

mira and zoey chant in chorus as huntrix march to the living room of their shared apartment. for as long as they can remember, it’s been their post-tour ritual. the moment things wrap up, it’s time for couch! couch! couch!

and they definitely need this hiatus now more than they have ever had in their entire career after that battle against the saja boys and gwi-ma. it’s been nearly two weeks since that night but rumi still remembers it just as vividly.

“couch! couch. couch….. couch…” mira and zoey trail off, their voices diminishing with their mantra, when they notice rumi on their side being awfully quiet and deep in her thoughts.

“earth to rumi.”

rumi snaps out of her reverie at the sound of mira’s voice. “huh?”

“are you okay?” zoey asks.

“yeah,” rumi’s voice comes a bit out too perky before she clears her throat, her tone now more level as she tells them, “i’m fine. just tired, i guess.”

“you sure?” mira questions dubiously, though nothing short of concerned.

“yup.” a short answer with two thumbs up—it’s all rumi provides to squash mira’s doubts because the less she talks, the lower the chances she’ll mess this up.

because how does she even explain to her best friends that the saja boys weren’t sent back to the demon world after the incident like they initially thought? yeah, they’re well and now free to roam the earth shortly after they escaped from gwi-ma’s clutches.

on top of that, rumi most definitely cannot begin by confessing that she met up with jinu in secret.

to be fair, rumi herself assumed the demon boyband had been thrown back to their realm and sealed off after that duel but a few nights had passed, jinu’s furry companions appeared once more on her balcony to relay another card which looked incredibly similar to the previous ones jinu had sent her prior to all their late night rendezvous.

so as much as her mind had tried to scream some common sense into her—after all, she did see jinu’s physical form vanish in front of her very eyes—she followed her gut and accepted the invitation, her heart filled to the brim with hope that it was him waiting for her at her destination.

rumi rode on the tiger’s back en route to the supposed meeting place which turned out to be an empty alleyway. it was dark out, taking rumi a few seconds to scan her surroundings before a man’s voice broke through the quiet.

rumi froze in place—she’d recognize that voice anywhere.

the man didn’t acknowledge her first as he cooed at his pet. “you found her? good job, buddy.”

“jinu?” rumi��s voice quivered and her knees buckled at the mere sight of him, the thread holding her together since his disappearance almost snapping.

jinu didn’t close the distance between them just yet, both staying where they stood but a smile began to curl at the corners of his lips as he joshed, “i’m not gonna lie. i’m expecting a hug this time.”

through her tears, rumi couldn’t help but laugh at his request but it was also out of relief. like a weight had been lifted off her chest, whatever she’d been holding in finally finding its release and she could breathe again.

she sprinted her way to jinu who easily caught her in his arms and for a moment, they stayed that way, finding solace in each other’s embrace.

“you’re back,” rumi uttered weakly before she completely succumbed to her emotions. while she sobbed, jinu couldn’t help but rub her back soothingly but not without a few chuckles which earned him a light jab on his chest. “stop laughing at me.”

“i’m not,” jinu countered but he was laughing harder. “i just didn’t think you’d miss me so much.”

“shut up,” rumi grumbled.

jinu never let go of rumi while she cried, only speaking once more when her sniffles began to subside, “thank you for saving me from gwi-ma.”

“i wouldn’t have done it if it weren’t for you,” rumi mumbled.

after gwi-ma’s defeat, jinu could no longer hear his voice ringing in his head yet everything he had done to aid the demon king in his schemes still played in his mind like a stark reminder of the lengths he’d gone to betray the woman before him. he’d given all he had left to make up for it yet he still couldn’t deem his sacrifice enough for his repentance.

jinu was mortified and ridden with guilt down to his core but having rumi in his arms, he realized it was a shame he didn’t feel burdened to carry. he’d do anything for her.

“i’d give you my soul again and again if i could,” jinu vowed. “it’s yours.”

unable to find the perfect words to say, rumi pulled away slightly, just far enough to look at his face and take in his features as if to sear his image into her brain should fate take him away from her again. her eyes traced the patterns that snake across his skin—from his neck, down to his arms and when her gaze settled on his wrist, another reminder came to mind.

“and i believe this is yours.” she reached into her pocket, fishing for the flower bracelet the old lady had gifted her. with everything else that had happened, that night felt like a distant memory now. rumi took jinu’s hand to put the bracelet on him before throwing him a lighthearted glare, “don’t lose it this time.”

jinu smiled. “i won’t.”

“so what do we do now?” rumi asked, her tone sounding more serious. “i have to tell the girls. i promised them—no more secrets.”

“then let’s do that,” jinu agreed a little too eagerly, much to rumi’s confusion. she was expecting him to be cautious, at the very least, yet he seemed… excited? “and tell them we said hi.”

whatever else rumi had planned to say instantly flew out the window. “‘we’…?”

“wow…” jinu drawled, a shit-eating grin now plastered on his face. “i know you were never a fan but acting like we never existed? you wound me, rumi.”

rumi was starting to perceive what he meant. she just needed him to say it explicitly but he only gave her a wink, blatantly amused by her confused state.

“don’t worry about it.” jinu ran a thumb over the wrinkle between her brows. “just talk to your friends.”

so here she is… about to talk to her friends.

ah, screw it.

“actually,” rumi speaks up, “i do have something to say.”

“please don’t release another single during couch time,” zoey whines.

“i won’t,” rumi says, chuckling.

zoey sighs in relief. “okay, go on.”

“so…” rumi pauses for a second to form the words in her head, “you already know about me being half-demon…”

“yeah…” mira confirms, slowly growing suspicious of her sugary tone. in that instance, rumi wishes mira wasn’t so perceptive sometimes.

“and you guys still love me…”

“of course, we do,” zoey replies.

“what did you do?” mira interrogates at the same time.

“don’t freak out,” rumi tells them slowly as she gently nudges them to take a seat. “okay. here goes….”

without saying another word, rumi goes to grab an empty bin from a corner and brings it to the middle of the room before she carefully sets it on the floor… all just to tip it over.

unsure of what they’re supposed to be seeing, mira and zoey are sat quietly, their snacks now forgotten as they watch rumi with the most dumbfounded expressions she’s ever seen on their faces.

for a few seconds, nothing is happening but before any of them can ask, a soft light begins to shape into a circle on the floor nearby, gradually growing brighter, and soon, a huge white tiger emerges from it along with its companion, a three-eyed hat-wearing bird.

rumi doesn’t explain but neither mira nor zoey can find it in themselves to ask anyway as they gape at the animals that just materialized from their floorboards. despite being accustomed to the life of a demon hunter, they wouldn’t have suspected that in a million years.

in complete contrast to the girls’ shock, the tiger doesn’t seem to pay any of them the slightest attention as it makes a beeline for the bin to put it upright repeatedly and failing every single time. it isn’t long before rumi lends a hand and the feline shifts its focus on mira and zoey.

they finally get on their feet. they don’t look terrified but they’re definitely on alert—well, mira is.

“what is that?!”

“this is derpy,” rumi calmly gestures to the tiger then she points to the bird, “and this is sussie.”

“oh my gosh! can i pet it?” zoey squeals, eyes blown to the size of saucers in wonder.

“zoey, no!” mira pulls her back. “they could be demons.” rumi’s lack of reaction ultimately confirms her suspicions. “THEY’RE DEMONS?!”

“well…” rumi momentarily considers if they are demons before deciding, “they were created with demon magic.”

“so you have demon magic?”

“not me… jinu.”

“jinu?” zoey looks puzzled. “from the saja boys?”

mira appears just as baffled. “okay, hold on. if he’s gone and those…” she gestures animatedly at derpy and sussie, “creatures only exist because of his magic, why are they still here?”

a forced grin stretches across rumi’s face which earns her a raise of an eyebrow from mira, “about that…“

“can we come out now?” a man’s voice comes from rumi’s room.

“what was that?” mira asks to no one in particular.

“pipe down,” another voice scolds, “she said she’d give us a signal.”

“that’s a different person,” zoey notes.

“rumi, what is going on?” mira questions, the natural sharpness in her gaze becoming even sharper yet not enough to cut through the thick tension in the air.

rumi slaps a hand over her face, squeezing her eyes shut as she pretends to ignore the inquisitive looks from her friends. she just wants to get this mess over with.

she finally addresses the boys in her room. “you guys can come out now.”

so the saja boys do, looking just as humanlike as the day huntrix first met them, save for their demon patterns that mirror the ones scattered all over rumi’s body. they’re not as striking as they used to be they’re still prominent.

with a gasp, mira turns to rumi accusingly. “you’ve been hiding them in your room?!”

“NO!” rumi shrieks defensively.

“then what the hell were they doing in there?!”

before rumi can get a word out, she can already hear how utterly stupid her answer is going to be, “i told them to enter through my balcony…”

“what were you thinking?!” mira hisses. “you couldn’t ask them to just meet us somewhere else instead of inviting them to where we live?!”

jinu chimes in, mostly in rumi’s defense. “we’re not here to cause any trouble. you have my word.”

mira glares at him. “i’m not talking to you.”

“if we met up with them in public, there could be a dating scandal,” rumi reasons with her.

“it wasn’t a problem when you were meeting up with him.” despite mira’s refusal to mention jinu’s name, she doesn’t sound hostile but she’s clearly light years away from enjoying this encounter.

“mira, please. i just need you to trust me on this one,” rumi pleads before she bargains, “if they betray us again, i’ll kill them myself. i promise.”

“what?” jinu squeaks.

mira’s gaze slides over to jinu as she continues to address rumi. “including him?”

“yes,” rumi answers in a heartbeat.

“rumi!” jinu protests but rumi gives him a look—just go with it.

mira smirks at him, a murderous glint flashing in her eyes but it immediately dims when she notices abby and romance making their way over.

“you know, a dating scandal could be fun,” abby cheekily suggests, “what do you think?”

“i think you should go to hell.”

“feisty,” romance comments as he gives mira a sultry once-over, “can’t wait to see a lot more of that.”

mira dramatically wretches as she retreats to her room but not before telling them, “don’t follow me.”

still, abby and romance trail after her until mystery is left alone with zoey.

“hey…” zoey says sheepishly.

“hi.” mystery’s greeting is brief but tender. zoey supposes that evil or not, he has always been the quiet one amongst the saja boys.

but she really, really hopes he’s not evil this time.

“i realized i’ve never really heard you talk before,” zoey tells him before she jokes in an attempt to break the ice, “i remember you growling and barking at the fans.”

her teasing doesn’t land as mystery sounds genuinely apologetic, “sorry.”

“no!” zoey’s voice rises in pitch as she backpedals then she clears her throat. “sorry. i mean, no. it’s fine. i was just kidding. actually, i should be the one saying sorry. i talk too much sometimes.”

when mystery doesn’t respond right away, zoey immediately assumes she’s weirded him out. she deflates at the thought of it, faking a giggle when she adds, “see?”

“i don’t mind,” mystery mumbles, his eyes cast downward as he refuses to meet zoey’s gaze. despite his hair covering half of his face, the blush across his cheeks isn’t hard to miss.

“oh.” zoey is stunned. she didn’t know what she was expecting him to say but it definitely wasn’t that. it’s the first time huntrix’s main lyricist is rendered absolutely speechless and by the looks of it, she’s a hair’s breadth from losing her sanity.

“keep it together, zo,” rumi jests which breaks her friend out of her daze.

“can we keep him?” zoey blurts out as if the saja boy in question isn’t standing right next to her.

rumi only laughs before she’s pulled away into a corner by jinu.

“hi there.”

“hi,” rumi reciprocates his coquetry before she quips, “so what part of ‘i’ll give you a signal’ did you guys not understand?”

“blame abby,” jinu retorts, “but you have to admit. that went well.”

rumi agrees. “probably the best way it could’ve gone.”

“but you were joking, right?”

“about what?”

“killing me. you’re not really gonna kill me,” jinu boldly claims but his brazenness instantly crumbles when rumi doesn’t respond, “you’re not gonna kill me, right?!”

“you look nervous,” rumi teases, “are you planning something?”

“n-no…” jinu stutters, seemingly caught red-handed. and just like that, he notices rumi’s body go rigid, her playful demeanor now gone and taking its place is a hint of a frown slowly manifesting on her visage. in a panic, he hastily admits, “it’s not what you think!”

upon seeing the look of concern on rumi’s face, jinu holds her close, not giving her a chance to inch away from him. “listen… how does a first date sound?”

it only takes rumi a second to understand what jinu means before she’s rolling her eyes but she’s elated. “i don’t know how you used to do it 400 years ago but that is not how you ask a girl out.”

“you put me on the spot!” laughing, jinu pulls her flush against his body. “you haven’t answered my question.”

rumi beams as she replies, “a first date sounds nice.”

out of the blue, zoey gasps as she exclaims, “he’s eating our food.”

rumi follows zoey’s line of sight and catches the culprit who seems unfazed by the accusation as he continues to go through their kitchen.

if there’s one thing huntrix will protect with their life other than their fans, it’s their food.

with her eyes locked on baby saja, rumi sighs. “that one is going to be a problem.”

[thatknifeanon]

yearning today so doing this :] ty for the tag

1. ideal date location?

lakeside. We feed the ducks (not bread, grain and seeds and proper food for them) take a walk, talk, maybe a picnic by the water?

2. favorite mlm song?

heather

3. what makes you feel loved?

accommodating to me. I know it’s stupid and just the bare minimum, but not just for big things. Like, if I had to sit next to an old guy who I didn’t like, he would switch seats with me

4. are you single or taken?

utterly, hopelessly single

5. how many crushes have you had?

to many to count

6. what's your type?

tall and lanky, fluffy hair, glasses, cute smile, outgoing but nerdy, hoodies I can steal

OR

short and shy, fluffy hair, passionate about his interests, black cat energy

7. do you develop crushes quickly?

so quickly dude. This is a girl but once I was just chilling at theater and this girl needed to ask someone something and then she turned around anD STARTED SPEACKING FLUEBT RUSSIAN. I ALMOST FELL OVER. LOVE AT FIRST… sound? Idk

8. best show or movie for a date night at home?

>:) something scary that gives us an excuse to cuddle

9. what are your favorite flowers?

California poppies. For a bouquet… this is really stupid but all the schools I’ve went to have this edible spicy flower…

10. what would you give as a gift on an anniversary?

pack the day full (if they’re comfortable with that) make them a present and a card. If we went to the lake also buy them a little duck figurine.

11. what's your favorite album?

godddd… maybe rise and fall of a midwestern princess (that’s a mouthful)

12. what's your love language?

gift giving

13. what are some pet names that make you blush?

anything I get easily flustered. I would say anything but babe because my dad? Calls me babe sometimes? Idk man he’s just funky like that

14. do you read fanfiction?

I would say less read and more consume like a ravenous wild beast

15. any fictional crushes?

soo many rn it’s Kieran pokemon and Jax tadc

16. loud boys or quiet boys?

both?

17. any characters you headcanon as mlm?

Glenn and Troy from theater camp are soo gay for eachother I will die on this hill

18. what's your comfort food?

my moms chili cheese dip :] in general probably pizza (basic basic Ik)

19. last song you listened to?

Jessie’s girl

20. best compliment you ever received?

not meant to be a compliment but “omg you look like a guy 👀” thanks

21. kiss on the lips, cheek or forehead?

foreheadddd

22. scalp massage or back massage?

back. I have scoliosis and my back never stops hurting. (Also my backpack is 20 pounds but shhh we don’t talk about that)

23. any celebrity crushes?

Timothee Chalamet 😔 (his old look with the fluffy hair)

24. what's your guilty pleasure?

I don’t really know… maybe making more gay jokes around my straight friends? Idk it’s fun to see them squirm >:3

25. do you like PDA?

yess show me you’re not afraid to like me and to let people know that

26. how do you prefer to be comforted?

hugs :)

27. favorite way to express affection?

gift giving yeah, or just complimenting them. I compliment people all the time (yes it’s over anon often shut up tho)

28. big spoon or little spoon?

idrc I could do either. I would do big spoon but I’m too fucking short 😭😭😭

29. freebie! ask or prompt to share something random

I love men so much man 😭😭😭

mlm ask game!

1. ideal date location?

2. favorite mlm song?

3. what makes you feel loved?

4. are you single or taken?

5. how many crushes have you had?

6. what's your type?

7. do you develop crushes quickly?

8. best show or movie for a date night at home?

9. what are your favorite flowers?

10. what would you give as a gift on an anniversary?

11. what's your favorite album?

12. what's your love language?

13. what are some pet names that make you blush?

14. do you read fanfiction?

15. any fictional crushes?

16. loud boys or quiet boys?

17. any characters you headcanon as mlm?

18. what's your comfort food?

19. last song you listened to?

20. best compliment you ever received?

21. kiss on the lips, cheek or forehead?

22. scalp massage or back massage?

23. any celebrity crushes?

24. what's your guilty pleasure?

25. do you like PDA?

26. how do you prefer to be comforted?

27. favorite way to express affection?

28. big spoon or little spoon?

29. freebie! ask or prompt to share something random

[princesspeachesposts]

My analysis of the speech Micheal gave on the Wunmi’s last day on set.

First of all, this is a love letter. It is not just a speech. Micheal was deeply in his feelings. And I love when a man is in his feelings. ☺️

The clip starts with them sharing a laugh about their time with the intimacy coordinator. I’m sure they have bloopers. I wonder how much was them going with the flow and what parts the coordinator helped with.

Then he mentions that Smoke and Annie are a powerful couple ( like they would be if we got together, ha) , who are all about making sure their loved ones are safe. So basically he’s telling her, he had protective feelings for her from the start. He is choosing to blur the lines between the characters and the both of them.

Then he goes on to say he has seen her as a mum, wife and scene partner so basically saying I’ve seen all the sides of you and I love what I’ve seen. Especially mentions that she was a new mom.

Talks about the deep conversations they’ve had about their careers and acting being an escape. Then thanks her for escaping her family to spend time with him.

“Any one that knows you feels your heart because you lead with it”- He’s saying, I am used to ppl acting shady and being hard to read but you are always so open, loving and giving (his words)

“Your eyes are kind, your spirit is warm” - He’s saying, I feel good whenever I’m near you or you make me feel good. I’m attracted to your essence.

“Anytime anyone is in your presence they feel safe - I feel safe” - He’s saying, I know that you’ve got my back and I can be my real self with you. I don’t have to worry that you will hurt me or speak badly about me. We all know how ppl are always coming for Micheal.

“You pushed me out of my comfort zone so many times” said in a slightly frustrating tone. - Now is that physically (turning him on), artistically (making him dig deeper and perform better) or emotionally ( making him soften for her). Maybe in all of these ways.

“I can’t wait for you to share that gift with other ppl- so go”. He’s saying, I don’t want you to go but I’m supposed to be happy that you are moving on. I’m jealous of the people you will work with next. So just go. Also a way for him to psyche himself into feeling ok about not seeing her everyday.

“You are fucking everything” - He’s saying, I wish you could see yourself through my eyes. You have everything you think you lack.

“I want you to walk around believing I am this, i am that….. “- He’s saying, you need to let ppl see what you are capable of. Walk into projects with the confidence that you are everything and ppl will see that you are.

“I’m sad, I’m FUCKING sad that you are leaving” - He’s saying, I’m going to miss you so much.

Anytime he swears like that it’s for emphasis. He means that shit and wants her to know that.

She giggles in response which could be read as happiness or excitement at the thought that he would miss her.

“I love you, I’m so happy to have met you, so happy Ryan cast you and you are a part of my life.”

He probably getting flashback of the day he met her to that day. Saying she is a part of his life means you can’t get rid of me. You are now a part of my life whether you like it or not.

While he’s saying all of this, Wunmi keeps her hand near her mouth almost like she’s scared that she will burst into tears at any moment.

Then he speaks some words directly to her without the mic but from watching his movements, you can tell he’s speaking directly from his heart. I heard the word “ beautiful”. Sir, why not share the rest.

Then the long hug that continued even after the claps from crew dwindled then stopped. Neither trying to end it or releasing the other.

This letter came from deep thought, observation, listening and leaning into an emotional connection. It also feels like devastation that this connection you’ve depended upon might be lost forever and you hope you can still hold onto it.

Feeling confident enough to say all of this in public when he could have just told her in private is so powerful and affirming of not only their connection but her role in the movie.

She truly rocked his world and I think he did the same for her.

The end.

[samvaru]

Hello! I really like your Zoey streamer AU , it is such a fun and cute idea! I made my own headcanons about this, and I would like to share with you if it's not a bother :)

- Mira is a professional dancer and choreographer, she's not a super pop star but already did some routines and participated in presentations for famous artists out there;

- She's growing exponentially known in her field of work and things are looking pristine now, but she had a rough start (family didn't support, money problems, etc)

- Zoey is obviously a streamer, she is somewhat big but still has a lot of room to grow. Her main content is streamed gameplays, but sometimes she does Q&A streams (the girls joins her sometimes because since she showed her roomates once people never stopped asking about them); She also make reaction lives and videos;

- She is also cooking some new video formats, more in line with her hobbies of skateboarding and composing songs (although this last one she is still unsure about if she should invest on it, my girl's is yet a little insecure about her talents)

- Nobody's really sure what Rumi does lol. I mean, the girls definitely have a grasp of it, but Zoey´s community cannot guess and that is one of the biggest memes and discussions they have going on. Rumi never enter in details about her routine and the girls only laugh and offer unserious answers for it (Zoey likes to go specific crazy about the options);

- Rumi socials are just photos of her friends, her cat and nice landscapes. She barely comments on anything that isn't her girls';

- The main theory is that Rumi either have an unusual, NDA job or she simply does not need one (some invested followers analyzed her clothes and accessories and many of them seemed to be from quiet luxury brands), making her the probable heir of some big unknown rich family; The truth? a secret ;)

Anyway I gonna end here, thank you love your art!

HELLO OMG!! IT DOESNT BOTHER ME AT ALL. honestly i encourage it, yesterday i wanted to ask to give me prompts or ideas for the AU cuz im kinda(VERY) indecisive but then i got scared of "what if ppl arent thAt interested on the au or ignore my post.....". SO THANK YOU SOMUCH FOR THIS

yesterday i was talking with my friends, kinda discussing abit of what every girl do in the AU, and its so funnybto see that we agree in a way or another in the idea that Rumi doesnt talk AT ALL about herself, shes the most private and probably doesnt post much on social media JGSADFGAJSDFASDF

oahhh but all these hc are sooo goodd and i agree very much on them, im gonna add them into the AU if u allow me !!!

also gonna add rn (just bc, its probably the next thing im gonna draw LMAO) is that mira Perphaps does a bit of modeling too, could be for a dancing academy or some streamer merch or some local business. i just wanted an excuse to draw mira w a beautiful dress and zoey wearing the some jorts and a oversized shirt JYGUIAGSDFSAD

[l3irdl3rain]

How is Joey's head lump? Sounded like it was scary then not scary then maybe scary again and now maybe not? Love this guy thanks for sharing your adventures with him <3

It’s just a lipoma (benign fatty tumor). I was terrified when I found it. I lose pets all the time and I’m very good at handling grief but I just want to warn you guys, I will NOT be okay if something prematurely happens to Joey. I will either be posting 10x a day or you guys will not hear from me for weeks because I will be too busy eating Culver’s and laying on my couch trying to cope.

The initial testing I did at my regular clinic were inconclusive but leaned towards fat cells. Probably would have accepted that for one of my cats but because it was growing and Joey is my sweet cheese I took him to a specialist who could do surgery if needed. They agreed with it being a fatty tumor but also found out he had aspergillosis. We treated the aspergillosis (which took a few months) and then discussed what to do about the tumor.

They told me since it was just a lipoma and it seemed to have stopped growing I should just leave it. Birds are already more sensitive to anesthesia but on top of that his ruptured air sac (which causes no day to day problems) makes him an added risk for anesthesia. So now he’s just my lumpy boy.

[deftonesmylove]

Pressed Against The Tiles

pairing — CEO!choi san x employee!reader

sumary — Where Choi San is the owner/CEO of a jewelry brand and his wife is a designer there, but that's a secret for the company. Unfortunately, she has a coworker, that also is a big designer there, who developed a beef with her completely out of the blue. One day, said coworker, had thrown coffee on her one-sided enemy's clothes, and just right after the incident, San entered the office to take a look at the recent projects and has seen the scene.

contents/warnings — established relationship, slight agnst, alternative universe - office themes, hidden relationship, explicit sexual context, fingering, p in v, porn with lil plot, slight rough sex (smacking), unprotected sex, semi public sex, creampie, san's a cutie pie even when fucking, wooyoung mentionated, tw a irritating bitch.

word count — 2.1k

notes — hii this is my first full written smut and it has been years since i don't write fanfiction ToT. i'd loove feedback and reblogs & ♥ on the post. hope you guys enjoy the reading !! <33

ao3.

divider by @hyuneskkami !

    Another tight schedule for another event that's coming up, and the designer group always had to deliver the projects in half of the time. So working extended hours and over weekends was normal at this point, but for you it's a pain even bigger.

For some not recognized reason, your coworker Loren basically hates you just for the sake of it, and it's extremely tiring having to deal with someone you have to share your creativity in a big design project and she just gives you nasty looks and words of annoyance.

It is indeed something very confusing for you, since you're so polite to everyone, greeting everyone you know around the office, and being more affectionate for those who you like more, you even say good morning for that woman. Although you'd like to drag her face on the pavement.

Today was no different, and after a long shift, not even a break for lunch — surviving on the vending machine natural sandwich for today. Which is annoying, you would have liked to have lunch with your husband today! Oh, is it a sweet time to say he's the CEO, but your marriage is hidden because of the position of boss and employee you both have? Well, congrats! You could have been being called Mrs. Choi all around this office building for ages now and maybe Loren would respect — or be scared of — you.

You looked up when you felt someone touching your shoulder, removing the headphones and seeing your coworker holding two cups of coffee.

"This is for you, thought you'd make some use of it" She said with a devilish grin, and sipped on her own coffee.

"Oh thank you, that's sweet coming from you" You spoke with a sincere smile and a surprised expression, getting up from your chair to grab the coffee.

Loren even tried to pretend a tripping as she took a step closer, but she clearly just threw the cup of coffee on your clothes — worst day to wear a white blouse, perfect. Your expression turned into one of shock and anger caught the best of you.

"Are you fucking crazy, you bitch?!" Just as you scream it at her face, her egoistic smirk fell down, getting irritated.

"You called me what?! It was an accident, clearly" She made sure to roll her tongue almost teasingly as the last word was said, placing her coffee down and crossing her arms, the damn grin returning to her face. "You're really in a low level than me, all cursing and weak temper"

"Oh, Loren, you should know by now that I've been swallowing that attitude of yours for so long" You stepped closer to her, basically boiling in anger as you held the stained fabric of the blouse in your fingers. "And now I could really beat it off…"

Your speech was cut due to the door of the office opening, revealing San, and his assistant, Mr. Jung Wooyoung. "Is everything okay here?" Your husband spoke, noticing the scene and had already heard the yells and swears from outside.

Right before you could say something, spoke Lauren with a high pitched voice, trying to sound cute, maybe? It didn't work, she sounded pathetic. "Mr. Choi! You came at the right time! I accidently spilled coffee on her, and now she's cursing at me and even threatening me!"

You scoffed and rolled your eyes, noticing him arching a brow and his gaze shifting between you both. Already knowing the banter that happened inside this office and gave an annoyed sigh away.

"Ms. Lauren, I would like to ask you to go to my office alongside Mr. Jung and wait for me there, so we can discuss things better later…"

The woman tried to object but he glared at her, so she complied. Once they left the office, San closed the door and put his hands on his trouser's pockets, sighing again. "Are you hurt, sweets?"

"No, I'm fine… but that- woman! she…! ugh, I hate her" You tried to be composed, trying to not lose your temper yet again, and grabbed some paper tissues, trying to clean your blouse as your husband walked closer to you.

"Shh, it's okay, I'll make sure to remind her she's not in middle school anymore." He stopped in front of you, giving a soft smile that made his sweet dimples appear. To top the small growing flushness on your face, he placed a lock of your hair behind your ear.

You looked down and sighed. "... I'm just tired, you know... having to deal with such things, I know she's good at her job, but..." He grabbed your chin, making you look up at him. "I think I'm tired of having to hide that we're together, I'm tired of working here..."

He frowned at such thing, understanding you. "No, don't even imply that, you can't leave! And it was you who decided to... you know, be it a secret. Since we started dating, baby" He grabbed your hand that was still trying in vain to clean the stained cloth.

"… I know, but… I just don't want it anymore. And people are already speculating we're too close…" You looked up at him once again, and now he was taking you to the toilet in the office. "And I'm not that good designer, it wouldn't—"

He cut you before you could finish. "What? your the best in what you do, sweets. And I'm not saying it out of favoritsm." He chuckled as he placed you in front of the sink, making you lean there. "You're incredible in your work, i can't lose you to another brand and suddenly the sales starts to fall..."

He kept smiling, it slowly turning into a grin as he started to unbutton your blouse, slowly, but precisely. "And I know you're too restless to be doing nothing at home, you'd go crazy after one month of not working..." He chuckled again, being attentive with the buttons. His concentrated face made you smile, and he looked extra handsome like this — not as sexy as when he is mad, but almost there.

"… Ugh, why do you know me so well, Mr. Choi?" You smiled wider, tilting your head a bit. He grabbed a paper towel and wetted it, then started to clean your skin with it. The cold water made you shiver and when he placed a hand on your waist you shivered even more, and he smirked at that.

"You cold, hon?" Sarcast man, you rolled your eyes playfully at him.

"Yeah, freezing completely" You snorted a laugh at him, leaning your hands on the sink too.

"Poor little thing, good for you that I know just right how to heat you up." He spoke with a smirk going ear to ear, totally devilish, and leaned closer to your neck, starting to place small kisses on the skin.

You giggled at him, but once he started suck small hickeys under your ear you noticed he wasn't playing. His big hands gripped your waist tightly, and before you could notice you were sitting on the sink.

Cupping his face between your hand, you pulled him to look up at you, and pressed your lips on his. His hand tangled on your hair as he deepened the kiss, the other playing with the waistband of your pants. "Can i?" It came as a soft murmur off his lips, looking at your flushed face. You nodded and murmured some agreement, lifting your hips to help him pull down your bottoms.

"Already wet, sweets?" You rolled your eyes at his grin, his skilled fingers running down your slit, pressing firmly at your clit.

"You're fault" The answer you received was another kiss and a finger entering your tight hole, slowly pumping in and out, teasingly.

With some whines coming from you, he put another finger in, and started fucking you properly with them while his thumb rolled small circles on your clit. You start kissing his neck, pulling him closer to you.

"Mgn! please, San… s'good…!" He smirked at your low moans and pleads, fingering you with more force.

"Hmm? Please what, baby?" You moaned at his teasing tone, gripping his shoulder tighter when he curled up his fingers just right on that sweet spot inside of you, making you moan louder. "Shh, we're at the office. And use your words"

"Please, San… Need you in me" You murmured, placing a peck at his cheek, just above one of his dimples, and he quickened the pace of circling your clit.

"Needing my cock, Mrs. Choi?" Earning a whine from you alongside an eager nod, he pecked your lips and removed his fingers from you, bringing to his mouth as he sucked on them. His smirk grew as he noticed your flushness. "Yeah, you do"

San turned you around, making you face the mirror. As he gripped your hips, slowly caressing them and pressing kisses to your shoulders, he suddenly gave your ass a smack, marking you red. "For you wanting to leave my company—" Another one. "For you saying you're not good enough—" Another one. And a high pitched moan came from you, so you earned two more. "Well, for hiding you're mine, and making loud noises where you can't..."

"Fuck… ugh! More p-please…!" Your husband barely started ruining you and you already were a whimpering mess under him, looking at his reflection on the mirror and his menace grin, and the pink tint on his cheeks wouldn't go unseen — oh how he looked hot.

He started caressing and squeezing where slapped you, alongside pressing his clothed shaft at your rear, rolling his hips on yours teasingly. "Patience... hm?"

Not much longer of his mean teasing, he unblocked his belt and tugged his pants down. A gasp left your lips once you felt the aching tip of his cock grazing your folds, collecting wetness before he entered your hole, a deep groan escaping right on your ear. "F-fuck... so tight— no matter how much I fuck ya, huh?" All you could do was nod and grip on the edges of the sink.

Keeping his pace slow but firm and earning small gasps from you, San placed his hands on your hips, pulling your rear closer to him as he started to fuck you faster and deeper, and ever so slightly groaning a bit.

The second you felt his thumbs press down on the dimples above your ass, your back arched and you had to bit your lower lip to keep from moaning loudly. "S'good, San...! please...! I'm- ngh!" your voice came as a babble under your breath, low moans escaping your lips even if you tried so hard to not let them.

"Fuck sweets… clenching h-hard, hm? Wait a bit, cum with m-me, fuck please…!" He murmured in your ear, and he pace quickened, fucking you even deeper as he bruised your insides.

You nodded desperately, bringing your shaky hand to grab his wrist on your back, gasping leaving your lips. Feeling his cock throbbing inside of your cunt, you knew he was close and the uncontrollable clench of your walls only quickened the process. "San...! baby I'm close... pleaded l-let me...!" He lost at your pleading and nodded, knowing you could see his reflection on the mirror and returned to kiss your neck and your shoulder.

Biting your lower lip as you come so you wouldn't scream, you felt his dick painting your insides white with thick ropes of cum, filling you up completely you felt dizzy. Your husband stopped, just breathing heavily alongside you, and groaning at the feeling of your walls fluttering against him.

"Have your anger faded away?" His murmur in your ear made you scoff a laugh, just being able to nod at how numb you felt.

Seeing his own cum spill out of your pussy once he pulled out made him moan and lean down to press an affectionate kiss to it. You squirmed and moaned, mumbling some incoherent words too, he just giggled and helped you clean up and dress up again.

"Fuck this was good…" Your murmur made him smirk, and the sight of your husband removing his blazer, tossing over your shoulders.

"Mhm, damn right it was" San's smirk softened into a smile and he pecked your lips again, running a hand down your hair. "Let's fix her behavior now, shall we?" His voice came more casual as he buttoned the blazer.

"Please, i need her to grow up" You both giggled and left the small bathroom office, holding hands together like a normal couple.

[naomissecret]

loser!matt says something he shouldn’t have!

based on this ask ⋆✴︎˚｡⋆

the whole party was going well, everyone was enjoying, you felt pretty like always, your friends were having a good night, no one had to drive tonight and matt was looking extra good

you lost matt for second,and the next one? you and jasmine found him laughing with nick like dumbass in a couch very far away from where the group was, both of them were drunk, you and jasmine decided to join them for a while and then take them where the rest of the group was just so they wouldn’t got lost between all the people, you and jasmine sat by their sides, nick keep laughing and explaining jasmine what was so funny as matt turned to look at you

“want some?” matt offered you the rest of his drink as he tried to stop giggling “no thank you baby” he rolled his eyes with a smirk “I’m not-“ you already knew what he was about to say “your not my baby, yeah I know, that’s just for now, someday you’ll be mine” you chuckled, that was your way to treat matt, it was a thing between you and him, kinda like an internal joke, just for the two of you, he chuckled and shake his head

“what? c’mon don’t you think I’m pretty at least?” you said jokingly and flirty

“Yeah uh huh… if that’s what you wanna hear” he murmured and scoffed before drinking from his cup

oh… that was low… really really low, it wasn’t exactly what he said, it was how he said it, out of the joke tone, like if he really didn’t thought you were pretty, it would’ve been better if he would’ve just stay shut rather than that shitty answer, you knew matt sometimes could give a little bit of attitude but you never thought that he would ever say something like that in that tone, it kinda made you lost a little bit of the charm of him, why work on a boy who can’t even give a compliment when you chase him like crazy?

you quickly stud up and went back with the group, not even waiting for jasmine or nick, your night was already fucked up thanks to matt and his attitude

the rest of the night you tried to focus on anything else that was not matt, and he noticed it, every time he would ‘discreetly’ sit by side you when you had a little break from dancing, he was expecting the same flirty attitude of yours, he was waiting for you to try to seduce him, tease him, do whatever instead of just ignore him and pretend he didn’t existed, he didn’t understood why, in his head he hasn’t said anything bad or do something, but he was also not gonna start the conversation, it was supposed to be you the one chasing him, not him chasing you, why would he do that? he ‘doesn’t even want you’ and when it was time to leave, he didn’t understood either why you didn’t you wanted to go in the same uber as him

he got inside the uber with his brothers and two other people, this whole change in your attitude… it was weird but he didn’t thought you were mad at him, maybe someone at the party did something to you and that made you mad, why would you be mad at him?

but at the next day he started to think you were actually mad at him, usually he wakes up with a message of yours trying to make a plan for later or see somehow to spend some time with him and seduce him, but that morning was different, there was no message, no lost call or anything, he was also not gonna send anything, but secretly he was checking his phone every 10 minutes for a text of yours but the whole day went through and you didn’t send anything, you even posted something and didn’t texted him in the entire day

matt confirmed you were totally mad at him when 4 days passed and still no signs from you, the group decided to make a little movie night at jasmine’s house and that was his opportunity to know what was going on

matt, nick and chris arrived to jasmine’s house with their assigned food to share and he spotted you in jasmine’s kitchen cutting some fruit, he approached you with the excuse that ‘he needed to put the ice scream in the fridge’

“um… hi…” he muttered as he fidgeted his fingers with the hems of his hoodie

you hummed in response and kept ignoring him, that was all he needed to know you were a 100% mad at him, matt walked away and sat on the couch trying to think why, but he did knew someone who can give him the actual answer, jasmine

he got up and looked for her, at this point he didn’t care if he had to keep the nonchalant act, he needed to know what did he do to got you mad enough to ignore him, matt approached jasmine nervously and took her to her backyard

“jas… um… do you know why she’s mad at me?”

“uh… I don’t know if I’m supposed to tell you”

“please just tell me, she’s been ignoring me since the party and I don’t know why, I’ve done nothing” he said almost in a pleading voice, jasmine hesitated for a second but in this months since the triplets became part of the group no one has seen him this willing to talk to you, it’s usually backwards

“well… at the last party you might have said something… you know how you sometimes give a little bit of attitude? well you kinda give it to her and she didn’t took it that well” the mattitude, of course you got to be mad about that

“and what did I say to be exact?”

“uh… she asked you if you at least thought she was pretty and you said “yeah sure, if that’s what you wanna hear” in like a very um bad tone”

shit, it did sounded bad.

the movie night went through and all that time all he did was thinking a way to apologize or even thinking if he should actually apologize, maybe if he give you time you would forget about it and reach for him again, but what if you didn’t? what if you actually move on, what if he just fucked it up and you would just get over him, I mean he would be victorious on being the only man to reject you but he actually liked being with you, but as friends, of course not in other way

he give up and decided it was better to just try to apologize, after the movie ended he saw you on your phone probably texting someone else so he took the opportunity that no one was paying attention, he sat by side you and muttered “can we talk?” you had to hold back from rolling your eyes and decided to stay quiet, he sighed and kept talking “I-I know last party I said something… um not very nice-…. I’m sorry, ok?…” he murmured trying to reach your face, seeing you keep acting like you were so nonchalant about the situation and his apology kinda made him got mad and get up to leave you alone until an idea popped in his head

matt took a deep breath, god he was gonna regret this decision his whole life, he looked around to the group to make sure no one was watching and mumbled almost in a forced tone “i… do think you’re pretty” he then quickly pressed a quick peck on your cheek, that definitely took you off guard, you were actually gonna drop the nonchalant act after his first apology but this was way better, like him admitting out loud he thought you were pretty? you were definitely gonna tease him about this later

“I forgive you, but… you have to give me another kiss” you said with a smirk, he scoffed and shake his head “hell nah, you’re trying to take advantage of my kindness” he said getting up and walking where his brothers are to go home. at least he could’ve give you a damn ride but that’s too much kindness in a day for him.

♱note: im kinda back, gimme ideas to help my brain be more lazy and not work on my own ☺️

(English is not my first language)

🏷️: @izzylovesmatt @fadedstvrn @sturnvdds @sorrybirds @viviansturns @whore4chris @matthewbernardswife @adorematt

[maidragoste]

Happy Ending

Summary: Rhaenyra's eldest daughter falls ill after facing off against Aemond and Vhagar. Daeron, her secret lover, finds out and infiltrates Dragonstone to see her.

Commission by @elisey7. Thank you so much for trusting me to write your ideas. I really hope you like it 🥰🥰💖💖

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Disclaimer: English is not my first language so I apologize for any mistakes.

I wish you all a good read!

Your whole body was burning, your head seemed to never settle, and you could barely stand to keep your eyes open for a couple of minutes. You felt terrible. And that's no surprise after flying with Vermithor in the rain. Not only that, but you also faced off against Vhagar. But you don't care how bad you feel now; you don't regret going to find Lucerys. If you had never gone, maybe your brother wouldn't be in this world anymore.

Being bedridden means you're missing all the Black Council meetings. It frustrates you because you want to be there. Your mother may not have wanted you to participate in this war, but after saving Lucerys, it should be enough to prove your worth. Not only that, but thanks to your father, Harwin, you'd learned to wield a sword. It would be unwise of your mother not to keep you in mind for future battles once you were recovered.

You couldn't wait to come face to face with the usurper who stole your mother's throne and make him pay.

Your only fear is finding yourself on the battlefield with Daeron. You don't know if it's the fever causing you to have so many nightmares about your sword harming the man you love, or if your subconscious is preparing you for the future. No matter which side wins, there will be no happy ending for you and Daeron. Your mother has to kill all your uncles to keep her claim as queen safe. And the greens would never show mercy to you and your brothers.

You wake up again with a stifled scream, your heart racing, and all sweaty. This time, you dreamed of Vermithor and Tessarion hurting each other, of you and Daeron burning.

“You’re okay, sweetheart, you’re okay.” You’re surprised to see your mother beside you, feeling your heart begin to calm as her caresses continue on your face. You always feel safe when she’s with you.

Jacaerys is also sitting on your other side. You're surprised to see him too. Your handmaidens tell you that he and your mother come to check on you whenever they can, but you're almost always unconscious. You only managed to stay awake to see Rhaena and Lucerys a couple of times. Your poor little brother felt guilty about your condition, so you used your limited energy to calm him down.

"Here, drink a little, princess," says Calla, your trusted handmaiden approaching with a cup of what you assume is water.

Your brother and mother help you sit up and then carefully hand the cup to you.

“Thanks, Jace,” you accept the glass, taking small sips, remembering how the last time you tried to drink it all at once, you ended up choking. You felt like their eyes weren't leaving you. You felt a little pathetic having to be so careful.

“Sweetheart, we need to talk about something,” your mother said once you finished your drink. “It's nothing bad,” she quickly clarified, seeing the concern on your face. “We've decided that once you're better, you'll marry Jace.”

It wasn't bad news, but it still made you feel bad. Your heart belonged to Daeron. No matter how many times you tried to distance yourself from him because you knew loving him would be a problem with all the bad blood between your families, your heart only wanted him. Daeron was never like your other uncles, who mocked you. You still remember how surprised you were to see how angry he was when he found out his brothers had locked you up with a dragon. You were lucky Vermithor chose you as his rider, otherwise you would have ended up dead.

“What about Baela? What does Lord Corlys think?” you asked quietly, not wanting them to see that you had hoped he would fight this agreement.

You didn't want to marry your brother. Baela would be a better wife for him than you. If you marry him, your marriage will start with him being disappointed in you when on your wedding night he discovers you are no longer pure. You were selfish and let Daeron deflower you. You didn't regret it. You had enjoyed every minute of his lips on your body and his hands discovering your sensitive spots, but you hadn't stopped to think about the consequences of your actions.

“He's your grandfather too, and he sees it as a smart move. People love you, daughter. They speak admiringly of the princess who stood up to Vhagar and saved her brother,” your mother said, taking your hand. You could hear the pride in her voice, and at any other time you'd be happy that she was proud of you, but now you're just worried about this wedding.

You don't know what to say, and Calla must see it because, even though it's out of place, she decides to intervene.

“My queen, my prince. I think we should let the princess continue to rest.”

“Yes, please,” you murmured as your mother and brother stared. You wanted to be alone; you didn't want to hear any more about the future union between you and your brother.

Daeron felt some of the tension in his body disappear at the sight of you. He moved closer to your bed to get a better look. You were asleep, which didn't surprise him given your condition, but the truth is, you looked much better than he'd imagined. When he heard about your illness, he was afraid it was something serious.

It hadn't been easy to enter Dragonstone, but thanks to Calla's help, he'd managed to reach your chambers without much trouble, disguised as a servant. He knew that when his mother found out, she'd yell at him for risking her life so foolishly just for you. But Daeron didn't care; he couldn't allow you to marry Jacaerys. He remembered how furious he'd been when he read Calla's letter. At first, he was worried about your health, but then he read your mother's plans to marry you off and knew he had to do something.

Daeron was planning to take you to King's Landing while you slept, risking that you would hate him later for taking you away from your mother. He could live with your anger and resentment. He knew that in time it would pass and you would understand that he did it out of love. But his plans were ruined by the storm. He couldn't fly with you in this weather; doing so would only make your illness worse. So now he had to stay in the castle until the rain stopped. Tessarion would know when to appear; he trusted his blue queen to come find them.

“Daeron,” you whispered in your sleep, making him smile.

“I wonder what you're dreaming about, my brave girl,” he said, caressing your face sweetly. It must have been a good dream because your face was relaxed.

Daeron saw how you slowly began to open your eyes. Perhaps you were a light sleeper, or perhaps you recognized his voice and needed to see him.

“Daeron, is it really you?” you asked softly, placing your hand on top of his to confirm.

“I'm here,” he instantly assured you, gently kissing your other cheek, not caring that your handmaiden was watching this display of affection. He only cares about you. He only cares about you. “Easy, let me help you,” he said when he saw that you wanted to settle in. Once you were seated, you threw yourself at him and hugged him. You hid your face in your lover's neck and felt his arms wrap around your waist.

“Daeron,” the anguish in your voice is clear, and he begins to feel your tears on his neck. You finally allow yourself to cry. You cry for the fear you felt when you faced Vhagar and lost Luke, for the fear you feel of marrying Jace and ruining your relationship with your brother, for the fear you have of losing Daeron, of being the one who hurt him.

“I've got you,” he assures you, kissing your head. “I'm here, there's nothing to worry about.”

But the gods must be laughing at you because the doors open and you're met with Jacaerys's furious glare and the shock and confusion in your mother's eyes. The royal guards are already drawing their swords, ready to fight if necessary.

You know you should stay away from Daeron, but you can't. Perhaps it's because you're also shocked that your secret came out, or perhaps you just don't see the point in lying and pretending that Daeron is here against your will when you just want to be with him.

"What are you doing?" Jacaerys demands, and you tighten your grip on your uncle as you feel his body tense. "Stay away from my wife."

Daeron clenches his jaw. If he didn't have you in his arms, he would have already rushed to hit your brother. How dare he refer to you as his?

"She's not yours. She won't marry you," he declares with cold fury.

“And who do you think you are to say who my daughter can marry?” Rhaenyra asks indignantly. “It doesn’t matter, I should have your head for even daring to come here. You’re a traitor.” She starts to get more nervous when she sees that you still haven’t left Daeron’s side. She notices how you tense up, looking at the guards. What did she miss? At what point did you start worrying about Daeron?

“I’m the father of her child,” he answers, and you look at him, unable to believe he just dropped that bombshell. He sounds so confident and looks so sure that for a moment you believe it. You turn to see your mother go pale and your brother looks like he’s just been stabbed.

“You’re not pregnant,” your mother says, and you finally move away from Daeron to approach her. You hate seeing her so upset, and it’s your fault.

“I don't know,” you stammer, feeling embarrassed.

"You might be, princess. Your period's been late for more than a month," Calla interjected, and for once you weren't relieved, because now you were terrified of actually being pregnant. This is the worst possible time to be expecting.

“I'll kill you. How dare you take advantage of my sister?” Jacaerys draws his sword and tries to approach Daeron, but stops when he sees you standing in front of him. Not only that, but you take the traitor's hand. He feels jealousy burning. It wasn't meant to be this way.

“He didn't take advantage of me,” you deny instantly, and it's the truth. Daeron didn't manipulate you into being with him. Your relationship began as a genuine friendship after he taught you how to ride, and over time, as you learned more about your uncle, you began to fall in love with him. “I love him, and he loves me.” You squeeze Daeron's hand, and he returns the gesture, confirming your words.

At your declaration, your chambers fall silent. The only thing that can be heard is the storm outside. The guards look at your mother, waiting for an order. Your brother and you also look at her expectantly, waiting for her reaction. How will the night end? With you disowned and Daeron dead?

The only one who seems calm is Daeron, showing no fear of what might happen to him. Rhaenyra glares at him; she feels no love for her brother and doesn't support your romance. He knows it, but from the way he looks at her, the arrogance in his eyes, and the small smile on his face, he also knows that she won't waste this opportunity to win another dragon over to her cause. Perhaps she could even gain important information about the greens.

"Daeron, if you truly love my daughter, then you will do the right thing. You will swear loyalty to me, support my claim, and I will allow you to marry her," your mother said, pretending not to see how Jacaerys sees her betrayed.

Then your lover lets go of your hand, and for a moment you fear he'll laugh at your mother and begin to defend Aegon's claim, but he surprises you by kneeling before her. And as you listen to him swear his loyalty to her, for the first time you have hope that there will be a happy ending for you and Daeron.

Seeing the shine of emotion in your eyes, Daeron feels guilty for lying. No matter how much he loves you, he'll never be able to support Rhaenyra. He knows his family will never be safe while she lives. But first, he'd make sure he had you, and then he'd begin planning how to further weaken your mother's claim and help his family from here.

Taglist for all my House of the Dragon works

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[luna-azzurra]

Hi! Thank you for always helping me with your tips!

If you don't mind, could you help me with the *twins* characters?

Like, what to do or NOT do with them? (I like this thematic but I have no siblings/brothers)...

Hey Dear, thank you <3.

Twins are SUCH a fun thing to write but also kinda tricky if you’ve never experienced sibling dynamics or shared identity stuff irl, so props to you for even asking. i feel like a lot of people either treat twins like clones or like weird mystical telepathic plot devices and just... no. they’re people. with trauma. probably caused by each other. or their parents. or society. or all three lol.

so the first thing i’d say is: give them their own personalities. like FULLY. even if they’re identical, that doesn’t mean they act the same or think the same or like the same food or even like each other all the time. one could be super loud and chaotic and the other could be quiet and constantly cleaning up the mess (emotionally or literally). contrast is good. it makes the dynamic feel alive.

ALSO twins often get lumped into “the twins” like they’re one entity?? which is cute when they’re 3 years old maybe but like... imagine being 24 and still introduced as “one of the twins.” no thanks. let them have individuality and different dreams, different insecurities, different faces they show the world even if their DNA matches.

now if you want to lean into their closeness (which i love tbh), go all in on the unspoken communication. inside jokes. finishing each other’s sentences. entire conversations with eye contact only. being able to tell when the other one’s lying because they’ve seen each other at rock bottom and peak feral joy and know exactly what those faces mean. like, that’s the delicious emotional stuff right there.

but ALSO... twins fight. hard. especially if there’s comparison or favoritism (intentional or not). one twin being "the pretty one" or "the smart one" or “the chill one” while the other quietly spirals? juicy. twins are basically mirrors of each other and some people HATE what they see reflected. you can go full rivals-to-teammates or teammates-to-rivals or some weird combo and it still works.

another thing...don’t forget that being a twin can be lonely, too. people assume you’ve always got someone but that doesn’t mean they see you. sometimes one twin wants to break away and be their own person, and the other one’s like “why would you leave me, we’re supposed to be a package deal.” it can get deeply emotional. explore that if you want pain and angst (which, sometimes, we all do).

bad twin writing usually happens when the author forgets that these are two fully separate people who happen to share a birthday and a weirdly close history. like yes, they might switch places for shenanigans or feel each other’s heartbreak across a room if you're writing drama or fantasy, BUT if that’s all they are? it's flat. gimmicky. forgettable.

let me know if you want trope-y twin stuff too because i have a lot of Prompts and more.

-- Luna ♥♥♥♥

[flight0ficarus]

Lost and Found (Snotlout x Reader)

Description: Oh no you're injured! Who ever is going to nurse you back to health >:)

A/N: I lick my screen every time I see him. Also I love you all wth?? Thank you so much lovies hope y'all enjoy <3

Part 1

✎﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏

Part 2: Wrap Me Like One of Your Norse Girls

You’d drifted off into a dreamless sleep when you heard the door creek open. You raised your head to see Snotlout tiptoeing his way in holding a tray. The sky was still light, but the sun would be setting soon. You were laying on top of the blankets with only his jacket over you.

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you. I know how important sleep is when you’ve gotten a head injury.” He set the tray down and knocked on his helmet with one hand. “I’ve had my fair share.”

You could tell. But he certainly was right, you felt like all you could do was sit in a dark room and sleep. You sat up a bit to see what was on the tray. There was a bowl of some kind of soup, a pile of strange-looking red berries, and a slice of bread. Next to that was a yellow cream that had a strong medicinal smell. Snotlout poured the rest of the water from the pitcher into a cup and set it down next to your food.

“The soup’s got mackerel in it, Gobber says it’s good for the head. Last time I got hurt they had me eat a bunch of berries so I went around and picked some for you. I mean I was already out in the forest so I figured why not?”

Maybe you weren’t as fluent as you thought. He didn’t speak the formal version of the language like you were taught and when he started to speed up the words just blended together. “What? I can’t speak that fast.” You weren’t sure why it seemed like his cheeks were dusted with pink.

“Nothing, sorry. The cream is for your cuts. Why don’t you eat first and then we can change your bandages.” He slowed down to a normal speed. You moved the tray closer to you so he would have room to sit. He took the opportunity.

You took a bite of your soup. It was somehow bland and salty, with a strong fishy flavor to boot. The berries were better, not very big, but nice and tart. “Thank you, Snotlout.”

“Ah don’t mention it.” He scooted a bit closer to you. “So where are you from?”

You told him all about your country. About the food and the festivals. Different celebrations during different seasons. You told him about the beauty and the colorful clothing and the jewelry. Oh how you missed your home. The feeling was only intensified when you took another bite of the soup. Nothing could grow on an island so rocky; none of the seasonings and herbs you were used to. Tears began to swell in your eyes, you tried to fight them back but you didn’t have the energy.

Snotlout set a gentle hand on your shoulder. “It sounds beautiful! I promise you’ll see it again.” You nodded, appreciating his tries at comforting you. “You know, I find the soup more tolerable when you dip the bread in it. You’re not the first to cry from the food on the island.”

You let out a laugh at that. Snotlout seemed to light up at the fact he made you a bit happier. He watched you the whole time as you dipped the bread into the soup, letting it absorb the broth, before taking a bite. You nodded at him, “It is better,” and gave a giggle. He stayed with you the whole time you ate, telling you about the island and the people on it. He told you about the chief, Stoick, who was a strong and courageous leader. He talked about his dad, who he admired greatly and looked up to. He told you about each of his friends, their talents and their dynamics. He mentioned some kind of training but didn’t say what exactly they did.

“Training? Are you like a soldier?”

He looked like he was debating how to answer. “Well that depends.”

“On what?”

“Do you like soldiers?”

You rolled your eyes and finished the last swig of your water. He’d taken off his helmet and revealed his messy brown hair. You had to admit he was decent looking, but you couldn’t afford to think like that. Your goal was getting off this island, a pretty boy would only distract you from that.

Snotlout noticed you’d finished your food and picked up the empty pitcher, “I’m going to fill this up while you change your bandages. There’s a bath house right out back with a pump for fresh water. Use it whenever you need.”

You nodded in acknowledgment as he handed you a roll of bandages he retrieved from his pants pocket. He turned to leave and you uncovered yourself to examine your wounds. There were a couple deep gashes on your calves and thighs, with smaller cuts and bruises peppered about. A long, deep slash stretched from the top of your left shoulder and curved around to the front of your bicep, about halfway down. Both your shoulders were sore and your arms bruised. Your entire torso was wrapped in bandages, hiding any wounds from your hips up. You were sure your back was torn to shreds, you could feel the stiffness that indicated scabbing.

You started with your legs, unwrapping them and coating them in a decent layer of the balm, and then replacing the bandages. You repeated the process with your arms, wincing when you had to lift them too high up. Next was your torso, which meant slipping off your night gown. That was a complete nightmare; your muscles were killing you and your joints ached. You managed to lift the thing over your head with a huff. Unwrapping the bandages from around your back wasn’t as difficult, but it was still no easy task. You were already exhausted and debating whether or not you should just give up, but the fear of infection flooded your mind. You scooped the medicine in your right hand and tried to trace the cuts on your back, but all you got was a dollop on your shoulder before you felt a sharp, stabbing pain shoot down your arm. You slammed your other hand down on the tray and let out a grunt of frustration.

“Hey is everything okay in there?” Snotlout was standing outside.

“I can’t…I can’t lift my arms enough to get my back.” You answered him through the closed door.

“Do you want me to get help? I can ask one of the women.”

“No, just,” you wrapped one of the fur blankets you were sitting on around your hips and used the coat Snotlout had given you to cover your chest. “Come in here please.”

It took a second for him to open the door, when he did he set down the pitcher of water without a word and sat on the bed. Snotlout smirked at you, “If you wanted to feel my hands on you so bad you could’ve just asked.” That’s how he decided to break the silence? You rolled your eyes and hugged your knees. You didn’t know anyone else on this island and Snotlout hadn’t seemed untrustworthy. He rubbed his hands together to warm them and picked up the canister. “Just your back?”

“Yeah.” It was only a whisper. You felt his hands on you as he rubbed in what you had left on your shoulder. His touch was so gentle, he was trying so hard not to hurt you, but you shivered at the feeling of him anyway. The way his fingers ran up and down the sensitive flesh of your wounded back gave you goosebumps, you hoped he didn’t notice. His hands were a little cold, which you enjoyed in contrast to the heat your injuries produced. They weren’t soft, they were the calloused hands of someone who worked hard. You had to remind yourself to keep your breathing steady when his thumb ran over a spot just below your armpit.

Snotlout was silent the whole time, which you thought was unlike him, but you supposed you couldn’t really be sure. He removed his hands and you instantly missed the feeling. “Did you get the one on your face?”

Your hands shot up. “My face?”

“There’s a little cut under your eye.” He could see the worry written across your face. “Don’t worry, it makes you look cool, like a battle scar.”

You didn’t want battle scars, you wanted your skin to be how it always had. You took a deep sigh and squeezed your eyes shut, hoping no more tears would come.

“Hey no look at me.” Snotlout just barely touched your chin and turned your head toward him. He was still sitting behind you, but he was leaned forward so he could look into your eyes. You reluctantly opened them and saw his face just inches from yours. “It’s a tiny little thing. It’ll fade in no time and it’ll be like it was never there. Your pretty face won’t look any different.” You pressed your lips together to hide a smile as you blushed.

“Be quiet and put the stuff on it.” There wasn’t any malice in your words and Snotlout knew that. He did as he was told and cupped your left cheek in his hand, using his thumb to spread a thin layer just below your eye. His hand lingered for a moment longer than necessary, savoring the feeling growing in his chest.

“Do you need anything else?” His voice was soft spoken. You averted your eyes and shook your head. “Is this your bad arm?” He pointed to your right arm, which you were carefully cradling with your other hand.

“They’re both pretty sore, but yeah this one’s worse I think.”

“It might be fractured. We couldn’t tell when you were asleep, it wasn’t out of place or anything so that’s good. It’s probably a small break.” He stood up and knelt in front of the bed with the bandages in hand. “I’m gonna wrap it so it doesn’t get worse, okay?”

You stuck your hand out for him, using the other to keep your chest covered, as he wrapped your forearm with the bandages. You wondered how many times he’d been injured for him to be so good. Maybe caring for people was part of his job.

“Why are you helping me?” Sure he’d saved your life and pulled you from the sea, but why did he stick around?

He waited a moment before he answered, “Stoick put me in charge of taking care of you.”

He didn’t say it in a way that made it seem like he was bothered by you, but it still stung a bit. You hated feeling like a burden to him, certainly he’d rather be doing something else with his evening instead of caring for some girl he didn’t even know. You kept silent after that, hoping you could shrink into yourself. It stayed that way until he finished with the wrappings.

Snotlout rose to his feet and looked down at you, “You should get some more rest. I’ll be back in the morning, your bandages need to be changed once a day so I’ll be here to help again after dinner, sound good?”

You nodded, feeling a bit guilty. “Thank you.”

“Don’t mention it. Anything else you need? You shook your head. “Alright then, have a good night.”

“You too. Goodnight.” With that he picked up his helmet and left. You wrapped the remaining bandages around your torso and missed feeling his fingers, at least he’d be back tomorrow.

You tried to fall asleep, but your mind was too awake and the sky was too bright. You’d forgotten that the sun followed a different schedule this far north. When you did fall asleep you dreamt of black seas and lightning.

𓂃 ོ☼𓂃

The sun was illuminating your room by the time you woke up. You got to enjoy a couple hours of darkness before it was too bright to sleep. You pulled yourself out of bed and looked out the window; you could see the small bathhouse a few yards away. There weren’t any people, so you figured you’d seize the opportunity and finally wash the grime off of yourself. You took Snotlout’s jacket with you and limped your way out to the bathhouse.

Your little shack seemed to be on the outskirts of the island. There was one other cottage nearby with smoke coming out of the chimney, but you weren’t all that interested in getting to know whoever it was. You didn’t deem now as a fitting time for being neighborly. You made it to the bathhouse and looked around, it was maybe four times bigger than your room, the floor was stone and had a depression in the center for bathing. It wasn't large by any normal standards, but it could fit a handful of people in it. There were several water spouts around the perimeter of the tub, you went around turning them all on. The water was cold, as you figured it would be because next to the tub was a large pot set atop a wire rack with kindling underneath. It reminded you of the pot witches would use to cook children in the old fairytales you used to read and you scrunched your nose at the thought. You turned the faucet above the pot on and found a flint striker to ignite a fire.

You waited for a while as the pot began to bubble and boil. When you figured the water was hot enough, you carefully tipped the giant pot into the bath. Your fingered burned a bit, but seeing as you’d just survived a shipwreck, you didn’t really give the pain a second thought. You stripped off your clothes and placed them in a neat pile on the dusty floor, the idea that someone could walk in at any moment had your stomach in knots. You quickly stripped off your bandages and slipped into the bath. Your injuries weren’t bleeding anymore, so the bandages were mostly clean and only really used to keep the healing balm in place. The water was only lukewarm, you’d have to fiddle with the ratio next time, but the temperature wasn’t unbearable. Compared to the cold outside it seemed like a sauna.

You scrubbed the dirt and sand from your body, dipping your head underneath and stripping the oil from your scalp. The water helped support your aching joints and broken arm, taking the pain away for a few moments. You felt like you could float there all morning, but the water was cooling down fast — and frankly you’d had enough of drifting around in cold water for a lifetime. You pulled the plug at the bottom of the bath before forcing yourself out and cursed gravity once the pain returned.

You rewrapped your bandages, got dressed, and made your way back to your shack. You enjoyed the quiet for a few minutes before there was a knock at your door.

“Wakey wakey! I’ve got a surprise!” Snotlout’s voice had a funny tone that was full of excitement.

A surprise? What could it be? You lugged yourself to the door and opened it to see a very excited Snotlout with something behind his back. He placed in front of you a large canvas sack, you opened it and your heart nearly burst.

“This is my stuff!” The bag was filled with your things, you pulled everything out and examined it. There were two outfits, a deep purple dress and a red skirt with a matching blouse, a pair of black leather slippers (you were overjoyed to have a pair of shoes), a small wooden box that had been ruined by the salt water, and a bottle of perfume. Thank the heavens I don’t have to smell like a wild animal you thought to yourself.

“A suitcase washed up on the other side of the island the day after you did. It was destroyed but we managed to salvage some of the things inside.”

Your smile was so big your cheeks were starting to get sore. “Thank you so much!” It wasn’t nearly all of the stuff you’d had with you on the ship, but getting any of it back was something you hadn’t even thought was possible.

“I was thinking maybe you could get dressed and we could take a walk? It would be good for you to get some exercise.” He was rocking back and forth on his heels like a little kid.

“Sure!” Some fresh air might be good for your health, at the very least it would keep you from getting cabin fever.

“Good. There’s, uh, someone you need to meet.” With that he stepped outside, leaving you alone to change.

@ali-griff <3

[ruesol]

Push & Pull | inbox (3)

(SUKUNA X READER)

PLOT:

You often find yourself complaining to your pen pal about the annoying IT tech at your soul-sucking corporate job. If only you knew that they shared the same identity beyond the screen.

or: the “You’ve Got Mail” au

MASTERLIST

Dear Orchid27,

Text me? If you wanted my number, then why didn’t you just say so ;) Also, who says the word ‘courting’ in this day and age? Last I heard, it was from my grandpa when he suggested I play chess with his golf buddy’s daughter (spoiler alert: I didn’t).

Anyway, sorry about your relationship. I don’t know what might’ve gone wrong, but I’m sure none of it was your fault (I’m not gonna lie; I can be a little biased with my opinions). You seem like a nice person, and any guy who gets to have you would be lucky.

Hell, if I didn’t already have my eye on someone, I’d definitely have asked you out on a cyber date ;))

Have an awesome day.

Ceos4unions

–

Your eyes rake over the last sentence of your pen pal’s mail. It felt nice to be liked for who you were, and not just for what you could offer. Dare you say it, but, at this stage in life, your pen pal was probably your only true companion, trudging through the trenches of life with you.

You’re about to type out an equally flirty yet subtle reply until the sound of someone clearing their throat makes you look away from your laptop. You immediately slam it shut when you see your supervisor standing with a person you’ve never met before. The man’s ID badge says ‘intern’ but he quite frankly looks too old to be one. Unprofessional too, with visible piercings and distastefully dyed hair.

“Good morning,” you said with an apprehensive gulp. Your supervisor pats the intern’s shoulder and smiles eerily at you. “You’ve been one of our most diligent employees since being recruited. I mean, look around this place–you’re here before most of your colleagues.”

He’s not wrong. The only person who’s here besides you is Kento, and he’s trying his best to be discreet as he watches the three of you over his cubicle. However, he immediately sits down when you make eye contact with him.

“I don’t follow,” you sheepishly answer as you play with the hem of your sleeve.

But you do. You know exactly what’s going to come out of your supervisor’s mouth, and you couldn’t dread it more. But you can’t be mad at him. It’s your fault for being a pushover.

“Look, I know I can trust you with a secret, which is why I’m giving you the privilege of training a very special intern for two weeks!” The look on your supervisor’s face contradicts the excitement in his voice. Seems more like he can’t wait to get rid of the man standing next to him.

The man extends his arm to you, and you’re surprised to find visible tattoos on the back of his hand. It’s a tacky tiger. You shake it with a flat smile on your face and introduce yourself.

“Nice to meet you, too. I’m Naoya Zenin.”

Your head whips to your supervisor, who looks equally as uncomfortable as you. “Zenin?”

“Uhhh, the CEO suggested that his son learn about the makings of the company by training in each department for a while. Just keep his identity a secret, alright?”

“I can, but I wasn’t told anything about this. Are you–”

“Okay, thank you, bye!” Your supervisor leaves you alone with Naoya, who looks surprisingly happy to work under you, a regular employee with a forgettable face. It seems his father wants him to have ‘humble’ beginnings.

Sure, it’s totally not like his noncompliance with the company dress code would be a dead giveaway for his real identity.

Naoya gives you a smile that only makes you internally groan as you drag a chair to the empty desk behind you. “Sit down, I’ll let you know what to do for the day.”

From the other end of the office, Sukuna watches you through the semi-closed blinds of his glass door, eyes trained on the new kid (well, compared to Sukuna), sitting behind you. Jealousy bubbles under his skin as he watches the guy constantly sneak glances at you whenever you bend down to pick up yet another paper he dropped your way.

Sukuna grumbled under his breath. “Sly fucking bastard.”

He’s never really had to worry about someone stealing you under his nose because you were never his since the beginning. But now, his target was staring right at him in the face. The dart was ready in his hand, yet the new intern kept blocking him from hitting the bullseye.

He knows Naoya really well. The little fucker used to attend the same kickboxing gym as him a few years ago and had his ass handed to him when he got feisty. Won’t be hard to do the same now, but this time you’re in the equation too. Sukuna does not need you to know that he’s fluent with his fists.

Because all you need to know is about his fingers.

Naoya’s the classic example of a douche. Sukuna’s overheard him many times in the gym, the circumference of his head increasing as he loudly boasted about yet another girl he tricked into sleeping with him. Sukuna would die ten times over if you were to end up as another one of his trophies.

As corny as it sounds, your attention was earned.

When the clock strikes thirty minutes past one, Sukuna expects you to walk in with your usual bone-weary gait, but he’s unpleasantly surprised to see Naoya follow behind, a smirk playing on the intern’s face as Sukuna makes eye contact with him.

“What’s this guy doing here?” Sukuna asked with a tinge of annoyance in his voice. Call him petulant, but he was really looking forward to being alone with you, even if it was only for twenty minutes.

Naoya comfortably takes a seat across Sukuna’s desk, and you roll your eyes as you sit next to him. “This is Naoya, an intern, he’s sha–”

“Save it. I’m not interested,” Sukuna said as he pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. “Let’s just get this over with.”

“Is he always this rude to you?” Naoya speaks up before Sukuna can ask you the first question. The tension between the two men is palpable, and Sukuna can see that you’re starting to get suspicious.

“You don’t look like an HR rep to me,” Sukuna mumbled as he aggressively clicked his mouse. Dregs of misery cling to Sukuna like sap as he thinks of excuses to send Naoya away, but he knows that the fucker would find a way to come back.

He likes to think of Naoya like a boomerang with screws nailed into it. Only, its recoil speed is faster than what you hurl it away with.

The questionnaire is long and painful (for both you and Sukuna). Naoya enjoys butting into every moment you have alone, giving Sukuna no leeway in having a conversation with you. Everywhere the pink-haired IT tech would turn, he’d see Naoya stuck to your side, sometimes with a bundle of papers, and sometimes, leaning a little too close to you whenever you’d have trouble with the copier.

The fluorescent lights in the breakroom only make Sukuna’s eyes twitch further when everyone unexpectedly likes Naoya. Sukuna and Choso are standing the furthest away from everyone, who are all gathered around the table in the center of the room.

Choso takes a long sip of his kale smoothie before nudging Sukuna’s bicep. “That guy seems kinda fishy, don’t you think?”

It takes Sukuna a while to tear his eyes away from you. Everyone had their lunches open except for you. Slouched over, you looked like you were ready to fall asleep any minute now. Maybe he could accidentally leak your married supervisor's emails with the receptionist downstairs to HR. It would definitely give you some time to rest while the idiot would be on suspension.

“He is. That’s Naobito Zenin’s son.” Choso did a double-take, nearly choking on his smoothie before pulling his phone out. “There’s nothing about him online, though.”

“'Cause he’s a bratty troublemaker whose dad pays off the media. I beat his ass once–back when I was into kickboxing.” Sukuna moved away from his spot before Choso could bombard him with more questions about his past.

He catches your gaze for a second before you turn away and look down at your hands in your lap. Sukuna doesn’t react, but the corner of his lip twitches as he looks for his lunch in the refrigerator. He places his lunchbox in front of you. It’s the expensive kind–the one with thermal insulation and a digital temperature indicator.

“What’s this?” you look up at him in confusion, and the conversation in the breakroom pauses, everyone’s eyes are on you. Shoko sucks in her cheek as Suguru raises his brows. Nanami knows better than to react if he wants to stay on Sukuna’s good side.

“Lunch. I owe you,” he lied, trying to come up with something as he sat on the empty chair between you and Naoya. Sukuna was positively bigger than all of the men in the room, the only comparable feature of his being his height, which rivaled Nanami’s.

“For what? I don’t remember doing you any favors,” you say as you fold your arms, your elbow meeting his. There’s something just so irresistible about your skeptical expression. Lips being absentmindedly chewed, as you stare up at him, because even while sitting, he towers over you like his shadow could take over. He’s suddenly grateful for spending extra days working on his arms, cause he knows he’s basically blocking Naoya's line of sight from you.

“For the laptop background thing. Consider it as an apology.” Jin, Sukuna’s brother, often said that Sukuna would come off as a douche no matter how hard he tried to sound earnest, and Jin was the only person who could say something like that to Sukuna and not get punched in the face for it.

“What laptop background thing?” Kento asked as he squinted behind his round frames.

“I think he means when he changed her work laptop’s wallpaper to a broken heart,” Choso answered. Horrified, your eyes widen as you stare at Sukuna in disbelief.

“Did you–”

But Kento interrupts you before you can confront Sukuna. “Now why would he do something so stupid?”

“Oh, cause her boyfriend–I mean, ex, cheated on her,” Choso answered enthusiastically.

The entire room goes silent as you drag a hand down your face. “Thank you for telling everyone about my business, Sukuna,” you snap before leaving the breakroom with a huff and a little more weight to your steps.

“Shit, I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking.” Choso cringes when Sukuna shoots him a death glare. The tension gets even heavier when Naoya follows you out, probably to comfort you.

“Finally, there’s new drama. I thought we’d be talking about the supervisor till we retired.” Suguru’s comment earns him a slap against his bicep from Shoko. Guilt wells up in Sukuna till it reaches the brim. He’s not sure how to apologize. He knows enough to bother you for the time being, choosing to watch out for your mood through the blinds of his office.

A spotlight runs you hot when you work under it for too long. It’s big, blinding, and too bright for someone to directly stare into. It has a looming presence that even when you close your eyes, there’s nothing but the white abyss to fall into.

You’ve always tried to stay in everybody’s good graces. Never drawing too much attention by always doing your best in school, and only keeping to yourself to avoid unnecessary conversation. You thought you could apply the same strategy while working, but the universe had other plans for you when Sukuna came into your life.

His presence was very much like a spotlight, and he made sure to make you shine the brightest, whether you liked it or not.

You draft an email to HR, the words “harassment” and “emotional distress” staring back at you in bold.

Your finger lingers over your mouse, which was resting on the ‘send’ option, but something held you back.

If you were to send an email to HR, your peers would probably walk on eggshells around you, always worried about being a target. Your supervisor would probably think you’re incompetent for not working well in a high-pressure environment.

With a bite to the inside of your cheek, you delete the draft and open a different website instead.

–

Dear ceos4unions,

I never thought I’d ever tell you this, but you’re the only person in my life who’s keeping me sane. The douchebag I always talk to you about did something really fucking annoying today, and it’s kind of made me not want to go to work tomorrow.

I’m constantly stressed and on top of that, my fuckass superior just dumps all his work on me. Sometimes I feel like everything in my life just wants to go against me. And that the universe doesn’t want me to be happy. Do you ever get that feeling, too? I hope not cause it sucks.

You seem super sweet too. I hope I meet someone like you in the future. How’s it going with the girl you like? Have you started courting her? (Excuse my prehistoric language because I think I will keep using that word solely to annoy you.)

Did not have an awesome day, but I hope you did

(Also, I’m sorry for swearing so much. My brain just doesn’t feel like being eloquent today.)

–orchid27

–

Rain patters down in a flurry as soon as you step out, leaving you almost immediately soaked in your satin blouse. The weather forecast said nothing about any rain, as a bright animated sun danced around in your phone when you checked the average temperature for the day. It’s a bad time to wear a black bra. With the drowsy after-effects of caffeine in your system and sheer willpower, you brace yourself to walk through the rain with your work tote above your head.

But before you can take a single step towards the train station, Sukuna grabs onto your shoulder.

You yelp in surprise before sighing and pressing a finger to your temple. “What now? Aren’t you tired of terrorizing me?”

“Look, I’m really sorry about what happened today,” he said, wrapping his warm jacket around you. You’re immediately engulfed in his scent, and you blush when you realize just how close you’re standing to him. You can see a small scar across his jaw, unconcealed by the grey sprouts of a recently shaved stubble.

You sigh again, deeper this time, as you push his jacket off your shoulders, uncaring that it dropped on the dirty ground.

“I’m gonna say this with as much respect as I can: fuck off!”

All the color drains from Sukuna’s face as you yank his hand off your shoulder. Train be damned, you could wait another hour, but the anger stewing in you couldn’t. You’re about to give him a piece of your mind until a red sports car pulls up right in front of you. The tinted passenger seat window rolls down, and it’s Naoya, glaring at Sukuna.

“Is he bothering you?” Naoya calls out, his voice a little muffled because of the rain. “I can drive you home if you don’t feel safe.”

You glower at Sukuna before turning to Naoya, debating whether you want to get in a total stranger’s car rather than argue with the IT tech when it’s raining like the sky’s throwing up.

The answer is easy. It presents itself to you on a platter, but something about Sukuna’s guilt-ridden face makes you hesitate before turning towards Naoya’s car. “Are you serious?” Sukuna yells as you slam the car door shut (and whisper an apology to Naoya for it).

“He’s an asshole,” Sukuna continues as the windows roll up.

“Takes one to know one!” Naoya replies before speeding off.

The car ride was quiet for most of the route home, except for occasional questions from Naoya about the weather. For a trust fund kid, he didn’t seem very spoiled, only letting his wealth speak for itself (like his heated seats and advanced sound system). Maybe it’s because your standards have fallen below the depths of hell, but he hadn’t looked in your direction since your blouse was basically see-through.

A sigh of relief escapes your throat when you see the familiar street near your apartment complex. You could already feel the tense muscles in your neck relaxing as you thought about getting out of your soggy heels.

You’re about to unlock the door and thank him for the ride until he autolocks the car.

Of course, there’s always a catch with men like him.

Men in general.

Tears brim in your eyes, but you swallow an oncoming whimper and turn to look at him. “What is it?”

“Since I’ve done such a good job of saving you from that creep, I believe I deserve a reward.” He grins like the Cheshire Cat, a cunning plot brewing behind it.

You try to play dumb. “I’ll buy you coffee tomorrow.” But the car’s still locked when you try to pull the handle.

“Coffee’s not gonna cut it.” A shiver runs down your spine when you feel the slick venom in his tone.

“Naoya, please don’t do this. I don’t want to report you.”

He huffs, his bottom lip jutting out as he looks up at the little lights that mimic stars on his car’s roof. Eerily, he looks like a child who was just told he couldn’t get his favorite toy, which isn’t too far-fetched of a comparison considering that that’s all you are in his eyes–an object. “You’re right, I shouldn’t. But, if my dad finds out how ‘awful’ you’ve been to me, he’s definitely gonna want to evaluate you as an employee, don’t you think?”

For once, you thought that you had climbed up to the shore, coughing out the remnants of the salty sea and clumps of sand from your throat, but the waves engulf you again. You would deal with the consequences later. You’re too exhausted to make sane choices. “What do you want?”

Naoya springs up in his seat, a giddy smile playing on his face. “Just a dinner date.”

Just. The word sits heavily in your mind. There are a lot of implications behind it.

“Fine.” You stumble out of the car with the speed you open the door. You’re breathing heavily when your knees hit the ground, blood mixing with sediment and water.

“Hope you’re free after work tomorrow!” And he drives off without looking twice in your direction.

—

[sheerfreesia007]

More Than Muscle Memory

Pairing: Minho x Reader

Word count: 4,813

Content warnings: mentions of injury, fluff

Summary: After a long day of practice, Minho begins to feel a sharp pain in his leg that he tries to ignore—until it worsens, and he can’t hide it from you any longer. As he leans on you for comfort and support, he’s reminded that love isn’t just warm dinners and sweet kisses—it’s also being seen, cared for, and held through the hard moments.

A/N: Divider was created by @strangergraphics, thank you for sharing your dividers with tumblr!

SKZ Taglist: @kayleefriedchicken, @babigriin, @inlovewithstraykids, @channiesrightasscheek, @kaiyaba

@bookswillfindyouaway, @m-325

Yeobo: Honey

The playback music is loud in the practice room, it’s their newest track that they’ve completed and right now they’re trying to perfect the dance choreography for it. Minho is giving his all into the steps that the choreographer has taught them and when he lands a particularly hard step he feels a twinge in his hip that makes him gasp softly. His eyes widen and slight panic fills him before he powers through it and finishes the dance.

”Alright everyone, I think it’s late enough and we’ve exhausted ourselves. Let’s pick this back up tomorrow.” Chan calls out while clapping his hands. The boys all groan with relief, some falling to the floor dramatically causing Minho to roll his eyes at their antics. Minho slowly lowers himself to the floor and begins to stretch out his limbs, he moves slowly still filled with worry for that twinge earlier. It isn’t until he stretches out that leg and feels that familiar twinge race up his leg again that his mind begins to cloud with more worry.

”Minho hyung, are you coming to the dorms tonight, are you going to spend the night with Yeobo?” Jisung asks curiously as he lays on the floor with his head resting on Felix’s stomach who’s sprawled out underneath him.

”I’m going to go see Yeobo. She said she was making dinner for me tonight if I get out early enough from practice.” Minho says and the younger men all begin cooing and teasing him about being taken care of so well.

”Oooo, Minho hyung is getting home cooked meals while we just have to eat instant ramen?!” Seungmin calls out disgustedly with a sour look on his face as Jeongin laughs at him.

”Yah! Leave Minho hyung alone, we live vicariously through him!” Felix calls out to Seungmin who scoffs.

”Be mad, dog.” Minho boasts to Seungmin proudly while the man flips him out causing him to burst out in happy delighted laughter. “Now if you will excuse me. I’ve gotta get home to my woman and her cooking.” Minho says proudly as he gingerly walks out of the practice room with his bag slung over his shoulder as the others all respond in teasing fashion either cooing at him or making disgusted noises. Minho walks out with a smug look on his face even as his mind wanders with concern for his leg.

“Yeobo, I’m home.” Minho calls out as he enters your apartment and smiles softly when he hears the padded soft sound of your hurried footsteps. His smile widens even more when you burst into the foyer grinning and looking slightly dispelled from cooking over the hot stove. 

“Welcome home!” You greet him sweetly and hug him tightly in your arms before pecking his cheek once as you melt into his embrace. He wraps his arms around you and locks you in causing you to laugh softly at him before trying to squirm out of his hold.

”No, no, you wanted this. Accept it.” He teases you as he nuzzles his face into your neck making you squirm even more. 

“Minho, I have to finish cooking. It’s almost done.” You whine softly at him and he chuckles softly at your futile efforts to escape his grasp. 

“I could get used to this routine. This greeting every time I come home. Delicious dinner waiting for me when I arrive.” He says fondly in a soft loving tone and you smile shyly up at him before leaning up on tiptoe to press your lips to his in a sweet kiss.

”You just gotta tell Jisung you’re moving out.” You tease him and he looks down at you with a soft smirk.

”Want me to record when I eventually do tell him that?” He asks teasingly and you laugh at him.

”No, that poor man will be on the floor crying. He doesn’t need that exposure.” You say back and Minho laughs at you as he loosens his arms around you. “Go get clean and change. I’ll be waiting for you.” You coo at him before pecking his lips once more, Minho groans against your mouth and keeps you there until he gets his fill of your mouth before releasing you. He smirks softly at the dazed look on your face and chuckles darkly when your cheeks heat with slight embarrassment.

”Such a good wifey for me.” He says low in tone watching as your eyes widen at his words before you’re scoffing and then scurrying off to the kitchen. Pride fills his chest at being able to fluster you but when he takes a step to head towards the bathroom he grimaces as the tightness in his hip. He’s slow to move and as he walks past the doorway to the kitchen your silent eyes catch onto the slight limp he has and your mouth twists with worry as your eyebrows furrow.

The next morning you’re already bustling about the apartment quietly getting everything ready for yours and Minho’s day to begin. Minho blinks up at the ceiling of your shared bedroom listening to your soft footsteps still feeling the warmth of you under the blanket. He hums softly and shifts in bed before hissing sharply at the twinge of pain in his leg. He blinks some more while lying there silently taking all his aches and pains into account as he slowly stretches his body. He groans loudly just as you walk into the bedroom and you stop short staring at him with a quiet assessing look as he stares at you as well.

”That wasn’t your normal stretching groan.” You say with a tilt of your head and he shakes his head.

”It’s nothing, Yeobo.” He dismisses softly and you frown softly at him before walking around the bed to his side as he sits up and shuffles to the edge of the bed to sit. You stand between his spread legs and gently rake your hands through his hair combing it back off his forehead. He hums in soft appreciation before you lean down and press a sweet loving kiss to his pouty lips.

”Good morning.” You hum out to him and he grins up at you still slightly sleepy.

”Good morning.” He responds, you then leave him to continue getting ready for work. You’re in your closet picking out your outfit for the day when he stands up and hiss loudly at the twinge in his hip. He looks over and you’re standing in the doorway of your closet gazing at him with wide eyes, your eyes raking up and down him, trying to pinpoint the source of his pain. “It’s nothing.” He says again and you shake your head.

”I saw you limping last night.” You retort and he stares at you surprised.

”I thought I was good at hiding it.” He says softly and you shake your head while scoffing at him.

”I know your body like my own. You think you could hide your pain from me?” You ask him softly, sounding offended and he sighed in defeat at your words. “Is it something we need to go to the doctor for?” You ask him worriedly and he shakes his head knowing that you’re trying not to fly into overprotective mode. He hates that and prefers to deal with things himself so he appreciates you holding back.

”No, I don’t think so.” He says softly. “At the end of practice last night I felt a twinge in my leg. I don’t think it’s super serious but if it gets worse I’ll go to the doctor.” He said softly, promising you. You nod your head at him, your gaze still lingering with worry and concern, but when you nod sharply once and turn back to your closet he breathes a sigh of relief feeling his heart swell with love for you, he knows you can’t help but worry and care about him. You love him. He slowly stands from the bed and stretches his arms and legs grunting and groaning softly at how much his muscles ache.

You finish getting ready first and come over to press a kiss to his mouth sweetly as his arms wrap low around your waist, his eyes appreciating your appearance today. He can feel your eyes taking him in critically but you don’t say anything and return his embrace. The quiet between you is tense but you quickly break it by peppering kisses along his cheeks, jaw and neck making him squirm and coo at you. His cheeks hurt from grinning so widely at your actions and soon you’re kissing him slowly with loving intent.

”Breakfast is in the oven for you. Eat before you leave. And if you need anything I’m always a phone call away.” You tell him sweetly and he melts under your attention. “Love you.” You whisper against his mouth and begin to pull away but he tugs you back into him and kisses you senseless before releasing his tight hold on you. You’re gasping against his mouth and he’s smirking proudly at how wrecked and dazed he’s made you.

”Love you too Yeobo.” He whispers into your mouth before spinning you away and swatting your ass to get you moving. Your loud squeak is music to ears as he chuckles smugly as he watches you leave the bedroom looking over your shoulder at him with a heated look before you disappear from view.

When he returns later that night you’re on a phone call while pacing your living room, take out boxes are spread out on the coffee table for the two of you. Your eyes land on him and he watches as your lips slip into a warm happy smile that he mirrors on his own face. You continue talking on your phone call as you walk about the living room while he turns to slip out of his shoes. Today's practice hadn’t been as grueling but he could still feel the tightness in his hip with every move, he thought it would just take time for it to heal like normal but when he bent down to untie his shoes pain radiates up his leg into his hip and a strangled cry escaped his lips.

”Okay, I’ll call you tomorrow with an update.” You say quickly into the phone before hanging up and rushing over to him. Your hands hover around him and Minho just breathes through the pain while staring at you quietly. He’s expecting to see panic on your face but all he sees is quiet concern. “Where is the pain? Your hip or leg?” You ask softly with an almost commanding tone and he instantly falls into it as he leans towards you off his injured leg. You’re there to catch him and hold him upright causing him to sigh softly in relief.

“My leg, but the pain is radiating to my hip.” He tells you and you nod your head while slowly guiding him to the couch taking all of his weight so that he doesn’t have to put any pressure on the injured leg. When you ease him onto the couch he sighs loudly before opening his mouth to protest as you kneel in front of him. “No, Yeobo. Leave them.” He protests but you quickly wave him away as you begin to untie his shoes for him and gently slip them off his feet. The tenderness and care that you show him in this moment stuns him and he feels his heart clench harshly in his chest. You look up at him from your place at his feet and he sees how tumultuous your eyes are and feels the guilt hit him hard, but you don’t say anything for a moment just stare up at him.

”I want you to eat dinner with me and then I think you should call the doctor. Just to get checked out and see if it’s anything serious.” You said softly to him with soft imploring eyes. He slowly nods his head in agreement before leaning back on the couch. Dinner is soft, quiet and still filled with the sarcastic soft love that the two of you have developed between each other. Nothing has seemed to change but Minho can feel the tender care, you’re allowing him to process his pain on his own terms but you’re showing him that you’re there for him to lean on. 

Once dinner is over and you’re busy in the kitchen putting the leftovers away he makes a call to Chan and then to the doctor to be checked out tomorrow.

You’re sitting in the small plastic chair in the examination room as Minho shifts on the exam table with unease coursing through him. The doctor had already ordered an x-ray to rule out any broken bones and he’d already done his own examination of Minho's leg and hip, so the two of you were just waiting for him to come back with his diagnosis. Minho looks over at you and feels the slight guilt of having you there with him, he knows as a small business owner you were normally always on the clock but the fact that you had so easily offered to be there with him during his doctor visit made him both relieved but guilty. He knew how important your company was to you and being the sole owner of it you didn’t really have anyone to rely on to help run it.

”You know you didn’t have to come with me right? One of the guys would have been happy to come.” He said softly as his fingers fidgeted in his lap. You look up at him from your phone with a soft look on your face.

”Minho” you say softly in a warm reassuring tone and he looks up at you in quiet awe as warmth fills his stomach at your tone. “Let me be here for you. Don’t worry about anything else besides listening to the doctor. I’m more than happy to come and be here with you.” You tell him gently before you stand from your chair and walk over to his side. Your fingers rake through his hair and he melts into your touch, you always have this effect on him when you’re together, always so warm and loving with him when he’s insecure or feeling off balance. 

Just then the doctor comes in and you begin to move back to your chair but Minho grabs your hand and pulls you back to his side. He looks at you, silently begging you to stay by his side, and you smile softly before nodding once and settling next to him as you look to the doctor. The doctor sits on his small stool and Minho feels his stomach drop, dread begins to fill him but the doctor smiles softly reassuringly.

”You’ve stressed your muscle that runs from your hip down your leg.” He tells Minho and Minho sighs softly but the doctor purses his lips slightly and then his tone turns stern with a warning. “It’s inflamed right now and needs to rest for it to heal back to its normal state.” He says firmly and Minho nods his head in agreement. “If you don’t rest it you could cause long-term damage. Potentially irreversible damage. The type of damage that could stop you from dancing forever.” The doctor firmly insists and Minho sucks in a harsh breath at his words. His hand clenched in yours and you cup his hand in both of yours reassuringly.

”So what do you suggest, doctor?” You ask helpfully and Minho is grateful for you being by his side.

”Bed rest for a week. You must stay off of it completely so as not to aggravate it. After a week come in for a follow up and we’ll see from there.” The doctor states and you nod your head at his words. “I’ve prescribed an anti-inflammatory medication, take it once a day at the same time each day. That should help with getting it back to its normal state and staying off of it should help it heal.” He explained as he handed you a prescription for the medication. 

“Thank you doctor.” You say warmly as you nod your head at his instructions. 

“Thank you.” Minho says belatedly and shakes the doctor’s hand, his mind still replaying the words could stop you from dancing forever.

Minho is quiet on the drive home, he doesn’t say a word as you call in the prescription to the pharmacy and then drive to pick it up before heading home. His mind is so fogged and clouded that nothing else penetrates his senses. Terror overcomes him silently as he sits there solely focused on the thought of never dancing again. And while he’s so focused and quiet on what he was told by the doctor you still support him as you go about getting everything settled for his recovery.

Your shared bedroom is warm and cozy, a soft clean fresh smelling candle is lit and burning. There’s a bottle of water on the bedside table, along with his current book he’s reading and the television remote. His phone is plugged in to charge and sitting on the bed next to him. But as Minho lounges back on the bed he scowls softly just as you hover over him fluffing the pillows behind him.

”Stop fussing.” He groans softly at you while crossing his arms over his chest. You pull back from the pillows behind him and stare at him for a quiet moment. He knows he shouldn’t complain but he doesn’t like being fussed over like this, never has and never will.

”You’re on bed rest, Minho.” You say tugging the blanket up over his legs and brushing any stray lint off it. “You’re not allowed to move. Doctor’s orders.” 

“I know that.” He snips out petulantly while rolling his eyes but making no effort to fight you. He doesn’t want you to fuss over him so much but deep down he’s grateful and thankful for your help, you don’t tease him about it while doing it. You just do it. You’re just a quiet presence that’s there for anything he needs while he’s incapacitated. And he hates it, he doesn’t like not being able to do for himself but the one and only time he had tried getting up to get something to eat you had glared at him so hard that he had instantly laid back down in the bed immediately chastised without any words. It humbled him quickly and shocked him to his core.

”Then let me help.” You say softly while looking at him. He huffs and settles back against the pillows relaxing into them as they almost consume him in their softness just like he likes them to. He blinks quietly for a moment before scowling softly.

”Fine, it’s not like I have a choice in the matter anyway.” He mutters bitterly. You smile brightly at his words and he feels himself melt just a little bit at your happiness to help him. “But I’m not happy about this.” He insists and you chuckle softly before pressing a soft sweet kiss to his forehead.

”You don’t have to be. Just rest.” You tell him sweetly before walking out of the bedroom.

It’s half way through his week-long bed rest and Minho is lounging in bed once again after taking a shower. He’s draped in his towels, one wrapped around his hips and another covering his face just relaxing in the sense of feeling clean and refreshed after being cooped up in bed for a few days. He huffs softly to himself before slowly and gingerly sitting up, the pain is less intense and easier to handle already but there's still an ache and a tightness that worries him.

Just as his thoughts begin to spiral he hears you moving about in the apartment beyond the bedroom. He sits there quietly listening to your soft humming as you move and he smiles softly at the sounds. He’s always been independent, stubborn, used to handling things by himself but with you by his side he finds himself softening and allowing you to help him more and more. It started the second day of his bed rest, he would ask you to grab him another water bottle or to help adjust his blanket. The pleasure and the way your face lit up with happiness at being asked to help him made him realize that you didn’t view him as a burden and you never would. Which has reassured him and made it easier for him to open to the idea of letting you help even more.

It shocked him how easy it was for him to rely and lean on you once he opened up to it. His gentle little tugs at your sleeves were never unanswered by you, you would respond either instantly or in soft ease that made him feel reassured and warm inside. Anytime he would lean into your touch when you rubbed his stiff muscles became quicker than he normally would lean in. And while this was a new different side for Minho to grow comfortable with you made it a much smoother transition for him. You didn’t tease him, not when he would ask you for things, or when he would have his quiet moments of staring off in silence. No, instead, you quietly cherished each little request he asked of you, each gentle action asking for your attention, each time he gave himself up to be cared for by you. You quietly cherished them and happily cared for him without bringing it into the spotlight.

He wondered if you were soaking up this experience because you knew that he wasn’t normally like this. This soft, vulnerable, clingy side of himself who actually asks for help instead of pretending he doesn’t need any help. He sat there wondering if he could go back to not asking for help from you after being so solely and wholly being taken care of by you. As he stood and got changed he wondered to himself if he wanted to go back to that or if he could simply ask for some help from now on. Because to him having your help and your care had unlocked something within him and he wasn’t sure if he wanted to let that go just yet. He wanted to keep it, probably locked away from the other members so that they wouldn’t tease him for wanting this, but he still wanted to keep it for himself between the two of you. Sitting back down on the bed after changing and throwing the wet towels into the hamper he settles down and then calls out to you.

”Yeobo…can you come sit with me?” He calls out and smiles when your footsteps are heard coming down the hallway. You stand in the doorway with a soft smile on your face as he rolls his eyes at your happy soft look. “The house is too quiet.” He grumbles out while opening his arms for you. You chuckle softly at him before climbing into the bed with him settling firmly against his side as he reaches over and grabs the remote for the television putting on a game show for the two of you to watch. He melted as your fingers began to idly dance and trail over his chest, yeah he could get used to this.

It’s nearing the end of mandatory bed rest time out and he’s clearly growing bored. His leg and hip are feeling much better with little to no pain now, he’s able to slowly stretch it out like he had been able to do before his strain. The boys are all texting him every day the countdown they have been keeping track of for his return, and while that makes him excited to return it also makes him pause that he’ll have to go back to normal and not have you here by his side twenty four hours a day. It’s a little bittersweet.

That’s why he thinks he’s been a little bit more clingy with his requests for your help lately. He knows that it’ll be ending soon so he’s trying to eke out the last bit of this situation to hold him over for when he goes back to work. He opens his mouth and calls out to you.

”Yeobo, can you come here for a second?” He calls and it’s like he had the power to summon you almost instantly because you’re walking into the bedroom holding a tray full of lunch for the two of you with a sweet bright teasing smile on your face.

”If you keep calling me like that I’m going to start charging per visit.” You say with a flirty wink thrown his way and he grins lazily up at you from his sprawled out position on the bed, the blanket still wrapped around him like a burrito. 

”If you keep taking care of me like this, I might never want to go back.” He teases back at you and you blink at him for a quiet moment before you smile shyly and set the tray of food on the bedside table. You snort softly, before climbing onto the bed and crawling over to hover above him.

”You’d go stir crazy by day seven.” You say knowingly in a low tone before booping his nose. He scrunches his nose and face up at your action and you laugh softly at him.

”Maybe.” He says while shrugging, his eyes twinkling up at you mischievously. “But this isn't so bad. You…fussing over me. It’s kinda cute.” He says nonchalantly and you blink down at him as his arms wrap around your waist tugging you down onto his chest while his legs tangle with yours.

”You’re lucky you’re injured.” You say in a threatening tone as your eyes narrow on him and he grins wickedly up at you waiting for your next sentence. “Or I’d smother you with that pillow.” He grins again, but the teasing fades when you lean up and brush his hair back from his face, your eyes dancing across his face in a silent appraisal of him. There’s a tenderness to the silence between you, a weight to his gaze and your soft touch. He pulls you down into his chest and rests his chin on top of your head.

”Y’know,” he begins softly, “I didn’t think I was going to be able to set aside my pride to let you care for me. To help me.” He says softly as if it’s a secret he only wants to share with you, and in essence it is. It’s a secret side to him that only you get the privilege to see and he’s so lucky and grateful that you keep that secret close. “I really love this.” He admits quietly

”This?” You question curiously before you press a kiss to his chest and he smiles warmly melting under you.

”You. Taking care of me. I always think I have to do everything alone, but… with you. I don’t.” He confesses softly and feels your arms tighten around him causing his chest to puff up and his grin to soften in peace.

”You never have to. I’m always here for you in whatever way you want me to be.” You tell him sweetly and he grows quiet as worry and guilt tug at the edges of his being. 

”I worry I’m pulling you away from your work too much.” He admits quietly and you lift your head slowly from his chest to peer up at him quietly with a soft loving look on your face.

”Minho, I’d give up my whole business just to be here for you.” You tell him fiercely and he blinks under your steadfast honesty. His cheeks go bright red at your words and he tries to hide his face but you don’t let him as your hands cup his cheeks and keep his eyes trained on you, they dance around your face as if he’s memorizing you in this moment, memorizing the shape of your love for him. And then he’s leaning up to capture your lips in a kiss that steals your breath, it’s slow and warm and grateful.

”I love you.” He whispers against your lips.

”I love you too. Always.” You respond before falling back into his kiss. And if when he does go back to work full time and seems to call you more often over the littlest of things you don’t mention it or tease him for it, wanting to preserve that closer connection that the two of you are desperate to keep a secret between the two of you.

[mirisss]

After EN-O'CLOCK Mishchiefs

Enhypen OT7 x female 8th member of Enhypen! Reader

Wordcount ≈ 2.9k

Warnings: None I think

Thank you for the request! I hope you enjoy this! 

I tried to first write this as the actual episode, but it was so hard to keep true to everything that actually happened and also adding in (Y/n), so instead I opted for writing what happens after. I’m sorry that I couldn’t really write it with the actual solving puzzles and everything, but I hope this can still be good enough. But it’s still kind of based on episode 83-84.

Please reblog and comment if you enjoyed it!

Third Person POV

The shoot finally wrapped under the soft glow of the evening lights, cameras powering down as the crew called out a cheerful “cut!” The cages stood empty now, the chaos of puzzles and clues left behind. As soon as the staff gave them the all-clear, (Y/n) made her way straight to Ni-ki, her steps quick but heavy with exhaustion.

He was stretching his arms above his head when she wrapped her arms around him, catching him a little off guard. “Sorry for leaving you behind earlier,” she mumbled into his shoulder. “It was all to make you the star, you know.” Ni-ki huffed a small laugh, arms coming around her without hesitation. “I am the star,” he teased, a little smug.

(Y/n) pulled back just enough to give him a pointed look. “Still mad you didn’t save me first.” He rolled his eyes but grinned. “Please, your lock needed all the other answers. I physically couldn’t.” “Still mad.” He snorted. “Fine. I’ll make up for it. You want my snack stash for the week? Back massage? Foot rub? I’ll do your laundry, wait, no. Not laundry.”

(Y/n) smirked, about to reply, when Jake practically swooped in the second her arms dropped from Ni-ki. He threw himself onto her with a groan so dramatic it made even Jungwon laugh from across the room. “My brain needs a vacation,” Jake announced, clinging to her like she was the last stable surface in the world. “All that math. All that logic. I’m not built for this stress-” He tilted his head toward her shoulder. “Please give me a few head scratches. To calm the genius inside me.” The group burst into laughter, low and warm in the post-shoot glow. It wasn’t loud or chaotic this time, just tired, affectionate.

Heeseung slung an arm lazily over Sunghoon’s shoulders, both of them still half-laughing at Jake’s antics. Jay leaned against the wall with his eyes closed, clearly already halfway home in his head. Sunoo and Jungwon were poking at each other, jokingly bickering about who had been the smartest. Ni-ki stood by (Y/n)’s side, now quietly tugging at the sleeve of her hoodie, already forgiven and forgotten.

They were all tired, but full in that way only shared effort and laughter could bring. Home was just a van ride away, and the thought of soft blankets, shared beds, and a night of tangled limbs and easy sleep waited for them like a promise.

The cool night air wrapped around them as they stepped out of the building and toward the two vans waiting just outside. Without much conversation, the group naturally split, fatigue and familiarity guiding their choices. (Y/n) ended up in the first van with Ni-ki, Sunghoon, and Sunoo, while the others quietly piled into the second one. As the engines hummed to life and the vans pulled away from the curb, the city lights blurred into soft lines beyond the tinted windows.

In the second van, the ride was nearly silent. Heeseung had fallen asleep with his head tipped back. Jake was slumped against Jungwon’s shoulder, both of them dead to the world. Jay had crossed his arms and tilted his head against the window, already deep in a nap. The only sound was the low buzz of the road beneath the tires.

In the first van, it was quieter than usual, but not silent. (Y/n) and Sunoo sat side by side, their voices low and warm, occasionally dissolving into soft laughter. “Why did it takes us so long to figure out that ‘SIM’ literally meant Jake, I mean his name is freaking SIM JAEYUN?” Sunoo whispered, grinning. (Y/n) snorted. “We were so confident, too, with all our wrong answers.”

They both stifled giggles as Sunghoon, sitting on the other side of Sunoo, let out a soft snore, only to jolt awake with a tiny gasp. He blinked rapidly, trying to play it off, but his eyelids betrayed him again within seconds. “I’m fine,” he mumbled, clearly not fine. “You’ve been ‘fine’ for the last twenty minutes,” (Y/n) teased gently, watching as his head began to droop again.

Across from them, Ni-ki sat quietly with his phone in hand, but he wasn’t really scrolling anymore. The screen had dimmed, forgotten in his lap. His gaze drifted between his sleepy hyung, the low murmur of (Y/n) and Sunoo’s conversation, and the familiar cityscape beyond the window.

The day had started off strange, all the confusion in the beginning, puzzles that made his head hurt, but it had turned into something fun, something he’d remember. He got to be the hero today. He got to laugh with the people he loved. And now, with the cameras off and soon no staff around, he could finally let the role go.

All he wanted now was to get home. To shed the last bits of performance. To be with them, not as ENHYPEN, not as the maknae, but just Ni-ki. Just Riki. His eyes flicked to (Y/n) as she leaned her head against Sunoo’s shoulder, both of them still whispering and smiling. Yeah. Home sounded really good right now.

By the time the vans pulled into the parking garage beneath their dorm, most of the group was somewhere between asleep and half-conscious. (Y/n) and Sunoo had managed to stay awake, barely, blinking slowly under the overhead lights as the engine cut off.

They nudged the others gently, murmuring sleepy names and poking shoulders until everyone stirred just enough to stumble out of the van. Bags were slung lazily over shoulders, jackets forgotten on seats. The elevator ride up was silent, a huddle of yawns and leaning heads.

Once inside their dorm, the shoes came off in a messy blur. Jake’s sneakers landed sideways. Ni-ki kicked his off without looking. Sunghoon’s boots somehow ended up overlapping someone else’s pair entirely.

Jay stared at the chaos and sighed like a man twenty years older. “I’m gonna have to clean that tomorrow,” he muttered, stepping carefully around the growing pile as though it personally offended him.

Some of the boys didn’t even speak; they just drifted down the hallway toward their rooms like ghosts of themselves. Lights flicked on and off. Doors opened and clicked shut. The quiet hum of a late night settled over the space.

(Y/n) didn’t even try to make it to her room. She beelined straight for the couch and let herself fall onto it with a sigh that came from her soul. The cushions welcomed her like an old friend. Seconds later, she felt movement and then Jake was stretching out beside her, laying his head across her lap without a word. “Don’t think I forgot what you asked for,” she mumbled, lips quirking tiredly as she dragged her fingers through his hair. “Head scratches for a genius don’t come cheap, you know.” Jake let out a pleased hum, already melting under her touch. “Charge it to my tab.” “You’re several weeks behind,” she teased. “Worth it.”

Ni-ki passed by a moment later, ruffling his hair with one hand, phone still in the other. He leaned down to kiss the top of (Y/n)’s head, his voice soft. “Night.” “Night, Riki,” she murmured back, giving his wrist a light pat as he passed. He disappeared down the hall, bedroom door clicking shut a second later.

Meanwhile, Heeseung padded into the kitchen, hair tousled, eyes half-shut as he opened the fridge and stared into it like he wasn’t sure what he was looking for. “Water. Or juice. Or maybe both.” No one answered him, but he didn’t seem to mind. Back on the couch, Jake shifted slightly to get more comfortable, his arms curled loosely around (Y/n)’s waist, letting the silence settle between them like a blanket.

Heeseung returned from the kitchen with a glass of water in hand, the rim fogging lightly from the chill. The moment he stepped into the living room, a quiet, fond laugh escaped him. There on the couch, Jake was already snoring, his head still nestled in (Y/n)’s lap like it belonged there. Her fingers absentmindedly threaded through his hair, even though her own eyes looked heavy with sleep. She turned slightly at the sound of Heeseung’s laugh, catching his soft gaze.

He made his way over, crouching beside the couch. “You want help moving him?” he offered gently. “You’ll mess up your neck sleeping like this.” (Y/n) shook her head, a sleepy smile tugging at her lips. “It’s okay. I don’t mind.” Heeseung didn’t look fully convinced, but he didn’t press her. “Alright,” he murmured. “Still… kiss good night?” She leaned forward, lips meeting his in a slow, sleepy kiss. His hand brushed her cheek for just a second before he stood up again. “Good night, love,” he whispered. “Good night, Hee.”

He disappeared down the hallway, door clicking quietly behind him. The apartment was dim and still again, bathed in the soft hum of the refrigerator and the low, even rhythm of Jake’s breathing. (Y/n) leaned back into the couch, eyes fluttering shut, her hand still resting in Jake’s hair. Eventually, sleep claimed her too.

A few hours passed in peaceful silence. It was sometime in the middle of the night, close to 3 a.m., when Sunghoon shuffled out of his room in search of water. His eyes adjusted slowly to the living room, catching sight of the two figures still curled up on the couch. He walked over carefully, setting his empty glass down on the table with a soft clink before crouching beside them.

“(Y/n),” he whispered, brushing his fingers lightly against her shoulder. Her eyes opened slowly, a little dazed and confused. “You shouldn’t sleep like that. Your neck’s gonna hate you tomorrow.” She blinked, then winced slightly as she shifted, her neck already a bit sore. “Fair.”  “I’ll lift him,” Sunghoon offered, nodding toward Jake. “You go.”

True to his word, he gently lifted Jake’s head just enough for her to slip out from under him. Jake mumbled something unintelligible but didn’t wake. As soon as she was free, (Y/n) leaned into Sunghoon, wrapping her arms around him for a grateful hug.

“Thank you,” she murmured. “You’re so warm.” Sunghoon chuckled softly, hugging her back. “You’re cold.” “Sleeping without a blanket will do that to you.” “You want mine?” he offered without thinking. She smiled against his shoulder, eyes fluttering closed again for just a second. “No. Just help me get to bed.” “Yeah, okay,” he said quietly, steadying her with an arm around her waist as they padded together down the hallway, slow and sleepy, but together.

Inside her room, (Y/n) moved toward the bed with every intention of face-planting into it fully clothed. But before she could collapse, Sunghoon gently caught her wrist. “Hey, maybe change first?” he said with a lopsided smile. “You’ve been in those clothes all day.” She blinked at him, exhausted but processing, and then let out a small laugh. “Good idea. You’re full of wisdom tonight.” He chuckled, ruffling her hair lightly. “I try.” Then, with a nod, he turned to finally retrieve the glass of water he came out for in the first place, disappearing down the hallway again.

Left alone in the room, (Y/n) dragged herself through the familiar routine, stripping out of her worn clothes and slipping into a soft, oversized pajama shirt and loose shorts. It felt better instantly, but as she stood there in the dim light, arms folded lightly around herself, she realized she was still cold. Not just physically, but in that lonely, hollow kind of way that sometimes crept in after long days.

She glanced at her bed, then at her door, and made a quiet decision. A few moments later, she pushed open the door to the room next to hers, Jay’s room. He was already asleep, curled up beneath his thick comforter, breath slow and steady. The room was faintly scented with his cologne, soft and familiar. He didn’t stir as she tiptoed inside.

This wasn’t the first time, not for her, and not for anyone in the group. Jay was notorious for sleeping like a rock, and even more so for instinctively shifting to make space the second someone crawled in beside him. It was almost routine now, unspoken.

She slid under the covers, cold feet brushing against the warmth of his legs. Just like always, even in sleep, Jay stirred, barely. One arm reached behind him and lifted the edge of the duvet higher, the other snaking around her waist as he pulled her closer with no hesitation, no awareness. Just muscle memory and comfort. He exhaled softly, almost contentedly.

(Y/n) smiled sleepily against his chest, already feeling the warmth seep into her limbs. The cold, the ache, the lingering tension from the long day it all melted away in seconds. Wrapped in the silence of the room, in Jay’s warmth and familiarity, she let herself sink fully into sleep again. Safe. Home. Loved.

The morning light filtering through the curtains was soft and golden, casting a faint glow across the room. (Y/n) stirred beneath the covers, blinking sleep from her eyes, slow and groggy.

Warmth pressed against her chest, an arm wrapped comfortably around her waist, and a steady, familiar heartbeat under her ear. She blinked a few more times and tilted her head upward, only to find herself face-to-face with Jungwon. Wait… Jungwon?

She blinked again. This was definitely Jay’s room. The familiar scent of his cologne still lingered in the air, and Jay’s guitar leaned casually against the wall in the corner, just as it always did. But nestled beside her, in Jay’s spot, was most certainly Jungwon. His eyes were already open, watching her with a soft, sleepy smile as he brushed his thumb lightly against her hip.

“Morning,” he whispered, his voice low and warm against her ear. (Y/n) stared for a second longer before huffing out a laugh. “Wait, what?” Jungwon clearly expected her confusion; he smiled wider and gently pulled her closer. “You didn’t wake up when Jay got up this morning. He had an appointment.” “Oh.” “You were sleep-talking,” Jungwon added, brushing a piece of hair from her cheek. “Kept mumbling something about not wanting to be alone.”

She groaned quietly, burying her face into his shoulder for a second. “Please tell me I didn’t sound that desperate.” He chuckled. “Not desperate. Just, cuddly.” She mumbled, eyes still half-closed. “Sleepy me is so clingy.” “No,” he said immediately, pressing a small kiss to the top of her head. “Not clingy. Just cute.” (Y/n) peeked up at him again, the corner of her mouth curling upward as her sleepiness started to dissolve. “You’re biased.” “Absolutely,” Jungwon replied with a grin, pulling her in a little tighter. “And I’m not complaining.”

Eventually, the warmth of the bed and the soft urging of Jungwon convinced (Y/n) to crawl out from beneath the covers. Still wrapped in the lingering haze of sleep, she followed him out into the hall and toward the kitchen, her steps slow, her hair a gentle mess of bed-tangles.

The scent of something sweet and fruity met them as they walked in. Sunoo was already at the table, eating his breakfast, cereal, and a plate of fresh berries beside him. He looked up as they entered, eyes immediately softening when he saw (Y/n)’s sleep-heavy expression and the way she was still leaning slightly into Jungwon’s side.

She didn’t say anything, just shuffled over and dropped into the seat beside Sunoo with a quiet sigh, resting her head against his shoulder like it was the most natural thing in the world. Sunoo chuckled softly, cheeks lifting with a smile. “Morning to you, too.” “Mm,” (Y/n) hummed in response, her eyes fluttering closed for a moment.

Without missing a beat, Sunoo plucked a raspberry from his plate and held it up to her lips. She peeked at it, then at him, and opened her mouth obediently. He popped the berry in, and she smiled around it, chewing slowly as she nuzzled a little closer into his shoulder.

Jungwon just shook his head fondly and went to grab water from the fridge. Sunoo glanced down at her again, reaching up to gently fix a stray lock of hair that had fallen into her face. “You’re always like this after a shoot day,” he said softly. (Y/n) mumbled something incoherent in agreement, and Sunoo’s smile only widened.

He loved mornings like this, the ones after long filming days where everyone was tired but happy, where the house was quiet and slow-moving, but filled with warmth. These were the little moments that made it all worth it. The teasing during shoots, the chaos of puzzles, the endless energy… they all faded into peace like this. A quiet kitchen. Berry-stained fingers. The comforting weight of someone leaning into you, trusting you with their rest.

He picked up another berry, brushing it against her lips. (Y/n) took it again, no questions asked. Yeah, Sunoo thought, these mornings were his favorite kind of routine.