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WAIT ITS ACTUALLY HERE OMFGGG!!!!!! CANT WAIT TO READDDDDDD AGEYEYXUSXBHAHXBSHU

chapter 6: the house party a bridgerton au

pairing ⸺ duke!satoru gojo x fem!reader

summary ⸺ dearest gentle reader, a new season is upon us as the ton gets ready for a season filled with drama, heartbreak, and passion. after being crowned diamond of the season, duke gojo⸺only looking to marry just to secure his inheritance⸺has his sights set on you, the easiest (and most obvious) option. later, when you catch his saying unsavory things about you on a terrace when he least suspected it, you swear to never marry gojo. as london's fashionable set goes through yet another wedding season, will there be hope for scandalous gossip, hate, and thinly veiled insults, or will we witness blooming love and passion?

warnings ⸺ nsfw, enemies to lovers, bridgerton au, angst, fluff, SUGGESTIVE, eventual smut, jealousy, misogyny, description of injury, concussion, blood, regency era au, gojo being infuriating, reader also being infuriating, both of them are clueless honestly

chapter summary ⸺ you are bedridden, recovering from your wound, when gojo delivers season-changing news. the house party that follows buzzes with tension, and an unexpected arrival that sends ripples through the ton (7.4k)

a/n thank you as always to the pooks @/sinn-clair for beta reading this <333 i'll see you after the chapter is over!

prev. the fall | next. soon!

general masterlist | series masterlist

Gentle Reader,

One query occupies this Author's mind, be it ladies or mamas alike—what exactly are Miss Itadori and Lord Gojo up to in the countryside? Perhaps a trifling dalliance of hearts, or will the ton bear witness to a scandal uncovered when they arrive for the house party? After having arrived a week early—and positioned as the diamond of the season—one must guess that if all goes well and Miss Itadori plays her cards right, she will be showing off her new surely lavish diamond engagement ring. Yet, she must take great care, for to err in this delicate matter would be to jeopardize a most significant match with Lord Gojo. Only time shall tell the outcome of this intrigue.

⸻ LADY WHISTLEDOWN’S SOCIETY PAPERS

Upon waking, the physician informed you that you had been unconscious for some days. Though no immediate danger threatened you, it had been long enough to send both families into a state of great disquiet. It seemed that even before you’d regained full awareness, a servant—who had gasped upon hearing your feeble request for water—had swiftly spread the news, for not a moment later Yuji burst into the room.

“SISTER!” he exclaims, hurtling his way towards you with heavy steps. You flinch in your position on the bed at the sound of his loud voice. “You are awake! Mama seemed like she would faint, Choso had almost popped a bloody vein, he looked like he was about to challenge Lord Gojo to a duel—”

“Yuji! My dear,” you had to shout, interrupting the boy’s ramblings, giving him an uneasy smile. “Lower your volume, please. I might faint back into unconsciousness due to the strain, and this time you will be the one dueling Choso.”

The pout Yuji adopts is akin to a chastened hound as he grabs a chair to sit next to you. You take this moment to surveil your surroundings, now with a clear headedness granted to you that hadn’t been granted before. There were fresh flowers adorning a vase on the table on your bedside, and you seemed to be wearing a shift, cleaned and changed out of your dirty and mud-ridden dress. There was a gauze surrounding your head, and you could feel some similar cloth on your ankle.

You turned to your brother. “Now then, what were you saying?”

He perks up. “Well, you’ve been in quite a state, dear sister! It’s not every day you’re injured before breaking fast. Choso practically spat his tea when he heard! And, of course, Duchess Gojo has been endlessly apologetic. Between Mama, Choso, and me, we’ve all been in quite a state. I daresay you’re hardly known for clumsiness—although you do have your moments on horseback.” At the memories seemingly pooling themselves in his mind, Yuji sniggers while you shoot him a look to not be testy. “And Gojo has been nothing short of attentive. No doubt the man’s come in to change your flowers more than the doctor’s visited you. He’s so caring, he even cares for a worm like you!” 

You ignore Yuji’s jab, instead forcing yourself not to be gripped by the fact that Gojo had been so…attentive to you. Of course, it was as an indirect result of his sheer vexing nature that you were bedridden in such a manner, so it should not set your heart aflutter like a foolish girl. But your traitorous heart seems to hate listening to reason. 

You begin to nod slowly. “And how many days have I been out? When is the house party?” Taking a gander at the windows in the room you were situated in, you could see the moon and star’s light filtering the curtains. You weren’t sure if it was the evening or night or completely early in the morning.

He looks up to the ceiling, as if calculating something, brows furrowed. “Today.”

Groaning, you put your head in your hands, playing with your hair as it falls through the gaps of your fingers. “Mother is going to kill me.”

“Oh, indeed,” Yuji replied with a hum, stretching his arms in a cat-like yawn. “Now, I must get back to my rest. The servants were gossiping near my door, so I thought I’d see for myself that you weren’t dead.” He kissed you on the cheek before heading to the door. “Sleep, sister, for I expect Mama will tire you endlessly come morning.”

Later, a gentle nudge at your arm and a few soft “Miss! Wake up!”’s roused you from sleep. You opened your eyes to find a maid hunched over you, relief clear in her expression as you met her gaze with a drowsy squint. “Miss, Lord Gojo requests your presence. May I allow him in?”

With a nod, you fought off your annoyance at having been disturbed. The maid, visibly flustered, hurried to admit Gojo, who soon approached with quiet footsteps. As you propped yourself up, arms crossed, you gave him a mildly reproachful look. “Gojo, you’ve roused me from my slumber. I trust this is a matter of utmost importance—-” you began, then trailed off as you took in his expression.

He was taut, as though his very sinews were wound tight. Standing rigidly, his jaw clenched, his gaze flitted everywhere but to you. Troubled, you tried, “Gojo?”

At the sound of his name, he looked sharply at you and seemed to gather himself. “Ah… forgive me.” He took a seat and smiled, though it didn’t reach his eyes, artificial. “How is your recovery?” You eye him suspiciously. His leg is moving up and down anxiously, the action minute in a way that makes you think he’s not aware of doing it. The tight and strained smile on his face seems uncanny, his concern seeming out of place. “Well, as much as it can be for me bleeding out pints and pints of blood from my head,” at that, you note that he subtly flinches, “but all is well!” You spread out your arms and give him a dazzling smile, and his eyes follow. “I’m sure my mama and my maid are itching to rush in here to prepare me for the house party.” Giving him a playful glare, you continue, “And just for the pain you caused me, you ought to have two dances and a few pastries prepared tonight.”

At that, he looks at you for a quick glance before quickly turning away, seemingly collecting himself. In what you could observe in his previous expression, you were surprised to see yearning present in his blue eyes, filled with feelings that perplexed you. Gojo was acting very odd.

Then, he drew in a measured breath, his jaw clenched as if bracing himself for what he was about to say. He finally looked at you, a shadowed intensity in his gaze that made your heart beat faster—not in the way it used to when his eyes sparked with wit, but with a sense of foreboding.

"Miss Itadori," he began, his voice lower, lacking the familiar, teasing cadence. "I must apologize for the trouble I have brought upon you. I was… heedless, perhaps even reckless, and it seems I have caused you nothing but suffering."

You frowned, confusion beginning to bubble beneath the surface as he paused, clearly struggling to continue. He seemed almost pitiable, looking down at his hands, which were tightly woven together, his knuckles pale. But pity was not a feeling you had patience for. Not now. Not with Gojo of all people.

"Trouble?" you repeated, folding your arms. "I do believe that's an understatement, my lord. A mere misstep, surely?"

His eyes flicked back to yours, the corner of his mouth tugging in a grim semblance of a smile. "Understatement or not, it remains the truth," he replied, his voice nearly a murmur. "I cannot in good conscience continue this… attachment we have formed. The position of courtship our mamas have placed us in. For I fear it is you who stands to lose most dearly if I remain by your side."

You stiffened, his words crashing over you like a cold wave. "Attachment?" you said, bitterness coloring the word. "Do not dress it up with such kind words, Lord Gojo. An attachment is something formed with care, with respect—qualities you seem to find inconvenient."

He winced but did not break eye contact. "I will not argue with you," he said softly, voice steady in its regret. "Perhaps I am no master of attachments, nor have I ever claimed to be. But know that I had never wished to see you harmed—"

"Harmed?" you interrupted, your voice growing louder as anger swelled within you. "Is this some twisted apology, then? A show of remorse for the inconvenience of your whims?"

Gojo opened his mouth to respond, but you did not allow him the chance.

"How very noble of you, Lord Gojo," you continued, your voice dripping with sarcasm. "After all this time, to simply say, 'Forgive me; I shall now remove myself from your life,' as if that makes up for the chaos you’ve brought upon me? As if I am but a pawn to be moved at your discretion?"

His face softened slightly, as if he were seeing something in you he hadn't fully expected—a quiet resolve beneath your anger, a dignity that refused to be bruised. "No, Miss Itadori," he said quietly. "I do not wish to see you as a pawn. After all, from what I understand is that you do not know what you desire—and I would only be exploiting that. I only… I only wish to relieve you of the burdens I seem to bring."

You laughed, the sound bitter and laced with fury. "Know what I want? As if you do, dropping pretenses with commoners and putting on your mask for the ton. And relieve me? I don’t think you understand what it is you’ve done, Gojo."

This conversation was dangerous. The emotions you hid under the air of nonchalance were steadily bubbling up, and it seemed that now, your sentiments were threatening to boil over at the sheer audacity of Gojo breaking off this arrangement, of what the ton would think today if he were to be avoiding you like the plague.

He flinched at the sound of his name on your lips, spoken with such venom. A muscle in his jaw ticked, but he made no move to respond, simply watched as you gathered your thoughts, your gaze piercing.

"All this time," you said, each word sharper than the last, "I was led to believe there was something more to your attentions. And now, you simply wash your hands of it? You think yourself a gentleman for doing so?"

"Miss Itadori," he said, his voice strained. "I am—"

"You are a coward," you spat, and his eyes widened, the faintest hint of pain flashing in their depths. "Yes, that’s right. A coward, for trying to protect yourself under the guise of protecting me. All this talk of 'relieving me'—do not act as if your decision was made out of kindness." (a/n: OH NO SHE DIDNTTTTT)

"Do you not understand?" he interjected, a sudden fierceness in his voice, his composure beginning to slip. "This is not some petty whim, nor a game. My intentions… they were never meant to bring you harm, but they did. And I cannot bear to see it continue."

"Bear to see it continue?" you repeated incredulously. "Do you think I am some doll, some trifle to discard at your convenience?"

"That was never my intent!" he exclaimed, voice rising in frustration. "If you would but see reason—"

"Reason? From you?" you laughed bitterly, barely able to contain the fury welling up inside you. "Your idea of reason is nothing more than self-preservation, Lord Gojo. How convenient it must be to absolve yourself of guilt by deciding I am better off without you."

He fell silent, the anger in his face ebbing, replaced by a kind of desperation. "You do not understand," he said, quieter, almost pleading. "If I were to stay… if I were to court you in earnest, it would not be the life you think it to be."

"Then let that be my choice to make," you shot back, crossing your arms. "But no—this is not about my well-being, not truly. It is about you, Gojo. It has always been about you."

A tense silence stretched between you, filled only by the soft, uneven breaths that escaped both of you. For a moment, neither dared to speak, both caught in the tangled emotions that hung thick in the air.

Finally, Gojo looked down, his eyes shuttered, his voice weary. "Then hate me, if you must. But I am done with this charade."

"Hate you?" you repeated, the word tasting strange on your tongue. "No, Lord Gojo. Hatred would imply I care enough to feel anything toward you."

Your entire body seethed with fury, every muscle trembling with the strain of keeping yourself upright, sitting on your bed. You couldn't storm out—not with your wounded leg refusing to bear even a fraction of the anger swelling within you. Instead, you pushed yourself up on shaking arms, glaring at him with such venom that he instinctively stepped back.

"Get out," you spat, the words laced with ice, your voice rising as if to fill the entire room. "Out! Now, Gojo—leave me this instant!"

He froze, his shoulders tense as he looked at you with something unreadable, but he made no move toward the door.

"I said leave!" you shrieked—your voice shrill—the strain of it making you nearly lose balance, but you didn't care. Hot tears stung your eyes, and you bit them back, forcing yourself to breathe through the betrayal clawing at your chest. "Take your false apologies, your noble pretensions, and get out of my sight. Go, and never, ever darken my door again."

His mouth opened, as if he might say something—perhaps even something that might soothe the jagged edges of your heart. But your furious gaze dared him to try.

With a pained expression, he finally gave a nod, stepping back toward the door. He lingered for a moment, one last helpless look crossing his face before he turned away, leaving without another word.

The door clicked shut, and you were left alone, shaking with fury, your breath ragged. Your eyes were still on that door, your heart racing, as though expecting him to come back, to take it all back, to be the man you'd witnessed yesterday. But deep down, you knew he would not return.

The first glimmers of morning filtered through the heavy drapes as you stirred awake, still dazed from the events that had left you bedridden. The memories of Gojo’s departure settled heavily on your chest, like a stone dropped in a lake, rippling outward and disturbing any possibility of calm. Your mind drifted over the previous night’s argument, replaying words, and then, with a cringe, the heated moments where you felt every last ounce of self-restraint slip from your grasp.

A small part of you reasoned that you may have been rash—that your anger and hurt had overtaken good sense. After all, it was you who deemed your and Gojo’s match impossible. So why were you so hurt?

Before you could linger on these thoughts, there was a soft knock at your door. 

"Come in," you murmured, propping yourself up gingerly.

What followed soft footsteps was Choso, his gaze warm and steady as he entered, carrying the ease of familiarity that only he could. As he approached, he pulled a chair beside your bed and gave a faint smile.

Choso stepped in quietly, his face softened by a rare smile as he approached. “Awake at last,” he said gently, taking a seat beside you with the care one might afford a delicate flower. "I was beginning to think you'd sleep through the entire house party."

He reached out, his hand resting on the crown of your head, fingers slipping through your hair in a soothing rhythm. The fondness in his touch eased the last of the stiffness in your frame, a balm against the soreness both physical and emotional.

“You worry too much,” you muttered, allowing yourself to lean into the comfort he offered, your voice softening as his hand continued to gently scratch at your scalp.

“You look better today,” he said softly, continuing his familiar, soothing rhythm with his fingers. “Though, I’ll admit, you gave us all quite a scare.”

You managed a small smile, feeling the tension in your shoulders ease slightly under his touch. “I suppose I was overdue for a bit of excitement,” you murmured, though the attempt at levity felt thin, even to your own ears.

Choso’s hand stilled momentarily, and his gaze grew searching as he looked at you. “What truly happened yesterday?” he asked, his voice low with concern. “There’s more here than an unfortunate fall, isn’t there?”

You stiffened slightly, glancing away from him. “It was nothing,” you replied, willing your tone to sound convincing. “Just… an ill-timed accident. Nothing to concern yourself with.”

But Choso was not so easily deterred. He watched you closely, his brow furrowing with worry. “You’ve always been a poor liar, sister,” he murmured. “If something happened, you know you can tell me. I only want to understand.”

The quiet earnestness in his tone gnawed at you, and for a moment, you considered confiding in him. But the idea of revisiting last night’s turmoil felt too raw, too immediate. “I’m fine, truly,” you insisted, meeting his gaze with as much steadiness as you could muster. “It was… nothing that can’t be mended with rest.”

Choso’s gaze lingered on you, his fingers resuming their gentle tracing along your scalp as if that alone could soothe whatever burden you were carrying. “Well,” he finally said, his tone filled with fond exasperation, “I won’t press you. But I trust you’ll speak of it when you feel you are ready.”

You gave a slight nod, grateful for his restraint. The quiet between you was comforting, grounding, as he continued his rhythmic motions, easing your thoughts in a way that words could not.

After a long moment, he broke the silence again, his tone lighter this time. “On a more cheerful note,” he began, a faint smile playing on his lips, “you’ll have another visitor tomorrow.”

“Oh?” you asked, raising an eyebrow, though a part of you already guessed who he meant.

“Yes,” he confirmed, a knowing glint in his eye. “Sukuna received word of your injury and set off at once. He’ll be here by morning.”

You let out a small breath, a mixture of relief and trepidation filling you. “Tomorrow, then,” you repeated, feeling a hint of warmth at the thought. “It seems my brothers cannot resist making a fuss.”

Choso chuckled, squeezing your hand gently. “It’s what we’re here for. And perhaps Sukuna’s presence will help you feel a bit more at ease during the house party. He’ll see to it that no one bothers you unduly.”

You couldn’t help but smile at that, the thought of Sukuna’s reassuring, if overbearing, presence lifting your spirits slightly. “Well, at least there’s that to look forward to,” you murmured, and, with a soft sigh, leaned back against your pillows, letting Choso’s calming presence ease the lingering shadows of last night’s ordeal, even if temporary.

For you had a beast of a social gathering to deal with today, the same one where the ton would descend upon the outcome of your match, ready to laugh at you: the house party.

“He what?” 

You flinched, scowling as you clutched your ears. Nobara’s shrill voice was not helping your recovery, nor were her rough combs through your hair; but alas, beauty has a price, and it’s one you’re reluctantly willing to pay. You oh-so terribly wanted to politely decline the formal invitation, but it seemed that the moment you woke, your mother was dead set on getting you ready for what she thought was your engagement party. Little did she know that her not so future in law had gotten rid of you as if you were a stray animal latched onto him, but who were you to burst her bubble?

Perhaps you ought to dread the inevitable fallout from your mother when the truth emerged, but you consoled yourself with the thought of drowning your sorrows in champagne tonight, delaying her wrath for at least a little while. Besides, the prospect of Sukuna’s impending arrival tomorrow brought you some comfort; his unruly nature often served as a distraction from your own troubles.

You sighed heavily, meeting Nobara’s furious gaze in the mirror. “He merely said he wished to absolve me of any trouble he had caused.”

“Good riddance!” Nobara shrieked, her hand furiously waving around the hair brush in a way that made you wary, for it would not be pleasant for it to make contact with your already tender head.  “He was never the one for you to pursue, for he lacks the honor of a true gentleman! And yet—oh, heavens!” She gestured at you accusingly with the brush, her tone turning sharp. “Why, pray, do you appear so disheartened?”

You open your mouth immediately, indignant and expecting your wit, your usual ally, to conjure a response for you, only to be left open-mouthed when it came up short. Nobara seemed to sense your hesitance, opening her mouth to unleash yet another accusatory and reprimanding remark, but you quickly moved to fill your silence. “I suppose I am just…offended that he dare reject me, the diamond. The ton will seize upon this dissolution with glee. They shall revel in my supposed failure, for it will be indicative of my failure to the Queen.”

Nobara arched a brow, her skeptical silence speaking volumes. She clearly wasn’t convinced, and before she could level another charge against you, a knock sounded at the door.

“Sister, are you decent?”

“Enter, Choso,” you called out, hastily adjusting the neckline of your pale pink gown and straightening the strand of pearls around your neck.

Nobara opened the door, though she made no attempt to soften her posture. The hairbrush remained firmly in her grasp, poised like a weapon, and Choso cast it a wary glance as he stepped inside. His presence brought a sense of calm, even as his expression betrayed some inner turmoil. He hesitated for a moment before moving to sit at the edge of your vanity, his gaze flickering between you and Nobara.

You narrowed your eyes, suspicious of his silence. “Well, brother? Out with it,” you urged, though your voice lacked its usual sharpness.

He sighed, clearly reluctant. “Very well,” he began. “Pray, hear me out. You know I have never hidden my disapproval of Lord Gojo.” At the sound of that name, you flinched, though you quickly masked it with a curt nod. Choso continued nonetheless, his tone steady but earnest. “In light of recent events, I have taken it upon myself to form…a contingency plan of sorts.”

Your curiosity was piqued, though Nobara snapped at you to sit still as she continued combing through your hair. “Go on,” you said, trying to sound nonchalant.

Choso leaned forward slightly, his voice lowering as though to ensure Nobara wouldn’t interrupt. “I have had the pleasure of conversing at length with Duke Nanami.”

You arched a brow, intrigued despite yourself. “The Duke Nanami?”

“Yes,” Choso confirmed. “He is an esteemed gentleman of considerable character, and, as fortune would have it, he is not currently pursuing anyone this season.”

Your lips parted, but no words came. Choso’s intent was clear, and the weight of his proposition settled over you like an unexpected storm. Nobara, meanwhile, had stilled entirely, her hairbrush forgotten in her hand as she turned to gawk at your brother.

“Is this,” she began, her voice disbelieving, “your solution to Gojo’s appalling behavior? To thrust her into the path of another?”

Choso shrugged, unbothered by her skepticism. “A better match by far, I would argue. The Duke has no such inclinations to trifling or dishonor.”

You sighed, leaning back as the tension in the room thickened. “And what makes you so certain the Duke would even entertain such an arrangement?” you asked, your voice tinged with a weariness you hadn’t intended to show.

Choso gave you a small smile, his hand reaching out to pat your shoulder. “Leave that to me, dear sister. For now, focus on enduring tonight’s ordeal. Tomorrow, you may take comfort in Sukuna’s arrival—and in the knowledge that your prospects are not as grim as they seem.”

You exhaled, unsure whether to feel gratitude or exasperation, as Choso rose from his seat. Whatever plans he had in motion, they would unfold in time. For now, you could only prepare yourself for the chaos that awaited.

Gojo had outdone himself. Truly, magnificently outdone himself.

From the moment you entered the house, your hand resting lightly on Choso’s arm, the stares began. They weren’t the polite glances reserved for new arrivals at such gatherings—these were sharp, lingering, and accompanied by a cacophony of whispers that only heightened your unease.

You straightened your back, chin held high, determined not to give any of them the satisfaction of seeing your discomfort. But it was impossible to ignore the way every eye seemed to follow you, every head turned to observe as you passed. Whatever it was that had stirred this interest, you were certain Gojo was at the heart of it.

Feeling the oppressive smog of stares, you knew where you could find solace: the drinks table, where you could down a flute of champagne alongside your stress. And right as you excuse yourself from Choso’s hold, who is now looking in the general direction of some men—particularly a gaggle of men that included Lord Geto and Duke Nanami, who were looking at something in the direction of the dance floor with interest. As you walk, you take in the scene: a beautiful chandelier, and red drapings and coverings embellished with gold, a bloody alternative to the Gojo icy blue. You’re not sure why today’s ensemble of colors didn’t include blue, but you believe it is fitting for what’s going to happen to you after this party is over and your mother finds out about the elephant in the room. 

And as you glance longingly at the couples gliding across the floor, their movements synchronized with the lilting strains of the orchestra, your breath catches.

It is then that you see him.

Gojo Satoru is spinning a girl across the dance floor, his coat tails trailing like ribbons in the air. His lips move as he speaks, the tilt of his head paired with that too-familiar smirk. His partner laughs at something he’s said, a soft sound that reaches you even from this distance. You could almost identify her—there is no debutante in the ton you have not cataloged, no rival whose dossier you do not possess—but tonight, it does not matter. She is just a blur of chiffon and curls, another face in a sea of women enthralled by him.

Your chest tightens as you take in the scene, a memory unspooling unbidden.

Is this what your first dance with Gojo had looked like to others? Did you appear as enraptured as this girl, your steps as confident and sure beneath his lead? You remember his light touch at your back, his questions whispered so quietly you doubted even the orchestra could eavesdrop, his eyes full of a charm so practiced it felt like a spell cast just for you.

And yet now, the spell is broken.

He is steering her—steering everything—with such ease that it almost makes you laugh. Were he not so infuriating, you might have admired his grace, the way he seamlessly dominates both the conversation and the dance. His amusement is evident in the quirk of his brow, the corners of his mouth curling with every word she utters, no doubt answering his questions with meek enthusiasm.

She is simple. You can tell from the way he looks at her, the way he pauses before replying as if translating his own thoughts into something digestible for her. The way she beams at him—unaware of how deeply he calculates every move—is almost endearing. Almost.

He is drawing the same conclusions he did of you. Simple, lacking substance. 

The thought leaves a sour taste in your mouth. 

But then the girl laughs again, a little too loud, and Gojo’s expression flickers for just a second—long enough for you to notice. His smile tightens, his gaze sliding briefly across the room as though searching for something more stimulating. It is instinctual, this glance, and his head tilts in such a way that you know it will land on you if you linger a moment longer.

Your heart stutters in protest, your legs already moving.

Punch table. Right.

As you near it, you grab the closest drink and down it one sip, desperate for the cool of the liquid to calm both your throat and your heated mind, furious with thoughts and anxiety of those around you. And it was just as you begin to set down the cool glass that  in your periphery comes the man who soon tests your resolve.

“Miss Itadori,” a voice drawled behind you, the unmistakable lilt of smugness weaving through it.

You turned, and there stood Naoya Zen’in, his grin as unctuous as ever. He bowed slightly, though the gesture felt more like mockery than courtesy. “I must say, you are positively radiant tonight.”

You inclined your head ever so slightly, each movement deliberate. “Mr. Zen’in. How kind of you to say.”

He grinned, and the sight was unsettling, a serpent preparing to strike. “Radiant, yes. A pity Lord Gojo has finally come to his senses and moved on. I thought the two of you might actually prove interesting.”

Your stomach churned, but you kept your expression serene. “I fail to see how my affairs are of interest to you, Mr. Zen’in.”

“Oh, but they are,” he said, stepping closer, his voice lowering as though he were sharing a confidant’s secret. “Everyone is watching, you know. Wondering why Lord Gojo is…otherwise occupied tonight.” He tilted his head, motioning discreetly toward the mantle, a few meters away, where Gojo stood, entertaining and welcoming another lady.

Your eyes betrayed you, flicking briefly in that direction. Gojo’s figure remained in your periphery, still close enough to notice but far enough to be unattainable. You tore your gaze away, unwilling to feed Naoya’s glee.

Naoya leaned in, his tone growing more audacious. “Quite the spectacle, wouldn’t you agree? Though perhaps it’s for the best. You have much to offer, Miss Itadori—breeding hips, for one.”

The words hit you like a slap, your mind reeling in fury and disbelief. Your breath hitched, but before you could muster a scathing retort, something else caught your attention.

Gojo’s hand, resting casually against the column, tightened into a fist. The movement was subtle, but unmistakable—a barely contained tension that you might have missed if you weren’t already attuned to his every breath, his every twitch.

Still, you refused to look directly at him. Whatever he felt, it mattered not.

“Mr. Zen’in,” you began, voice icy and measured, though the rage burned beneath the surface, “your comments are as inappropriate as they are unwelcome. I suggest—”

“Sister.”

Choso’s voice interrupted like a lifeline thrown to a drowning sailor. You turned to see your older brother approaching, his expression calm but his eyes sharp as they darted between you and Naoya. He came to your side, his imposing presence creating an impenetrable wall between you and the unwelcome intruder.

“Mr. Zen’in,” Choso greeted with a curt nod, his tone laced with a warning. “I trust you’ll excuse my sister. She and I were just about to take a turn about the room.”

Naoya’s grin faltered, but he recovered quickly, stepping back with a mocking bow. “Of course. Do enjoy your evening.”

Choso wasted no time, offering his arm to you. You took it gratefully, your legs unsteady as he guided you away from the scene and toward a quieter corner of the ballroom.

“Are you all right?” he asked softly, his voice gentle but firm, as though bracing himself for a truth he might not like.

You nodded, though the words escaped you. Your hands trembled slightly, and Choso placed his over yours, steadying you. “I saw the way you looked,” he murmured, his voice quieter now. “At Lord Gojo.”

Your breath caught, but you said nothing, focusing instead on the steady rhythm of your brother’s steps.

“Whatever he’s done—or hasn’t done—you are worth far more than his regard,” Choso continued, his tone resolute. “Do not forget that.” A pause. “Are you all right, Sister?”

“I am fine,” you lied, though your trembling hands betrayed you.

The evening only worsened from there.

More and more, you felt the weight of curious glances, the whispers growing louder as the night wore on. The absence of Gojo’s attention did not go unnoticed—least of all by your mother, who approached you and Choso with a determined expression, her fan snapping shut with a sharp flick of her wrist.

The warmth of the ballroom’s lights could not thaw the ice that slipped down your spine as your mother approached. Her movements were poised as ever, but the tightness in her lips and the fury barely hidden in her eyes told you everything. She stopped just short of you, her fan snapping shut with a sharp click that made you flinch.

“Explain,” she hissed, her voice low enough to avoid drawing the attention of onlookers but sharp enough to carve into you.

Your breath caught in your throat. You glanced towards Choso for reinforcement, but his furrowed brow and subtle shake of his head told you he would not intervene—not yet.

“I… don’t understand, Mother,” you murmured, though the words tasted hollow even as you said them.

“Do not toy with me, child,” she snapped, her tone still hushed but more cutting. “The entire room is whispering. Where is Lord Gojo? Why has he not so much as glanced in your direction tonight? Why is he—” Her eyes darted to the waltz floor, where Gojo had just excused himself from yet another partner. “Why is he dancing with others while you stand here like a forgotten debutante?”

The words hit like a slap, and you flinched again, your gaze falling to your gloved hands. You wanted to speak, to explain, but the lump in your throat grew larger with every second.

Her voice softened but grew no less fierce. “What have you done?”

Your chest tightened, and for a fleeting moment, you considered telling her everything—about the garden, about Gojo’s words, about how utterly humiliated you had felt. But then the heat of the ballroom pressed down on you, the glances from curious onlookers prickling your skin like needles.

You couldn’t. Not here.

So, you said nothing.

The silence between you stretched thin, your mother’s patience fraying with every passing moment. Finally, she straightened, her lips pressed into a pale line. “This is how you repay all that has been done for you?” she whispered, her voice trembling with restrained fury. “Do you even comprehend what this will do to your prospects? To this family? You have disgraced yourself, and worse—you have disgraced me.”

Her words left you hollow, the guilt settling into the spaces where indignation might have taken root. Still, you could not look up, nor could you summon any defense.

Your mother’s fan snapped open again with a sharp flick, the motion more violent than graceful. “We are leaving,” she declared, turning abruptly on her heel. “Now.”

Choso stepped closer, his hand brushing lightly against your elbow as if to steady you. You dared a glance at him, finding his gaze steady and quietly supportive. It was only his presence that kept your legs moving as you followed your mother toward the grand doors.

The weight of the room’s collective gaze bore down on you with every step. The music swelled in the background, mocking you with its cheerfulness. As you neared the exit, your feet faltered.

And then you saw him.

Gojo.

He stood near the edge of the dance floor, his posture uncharacteristically tense, his jaw clenched tightly, his usual easy confidence dimmed. His head tilted slightly, his eyes cutting through the crowd to meet yours.

Your breath hitched. In his gaze, you saw regret—yearning, even—and something else you couldn’t quite name.

But it didn’t matter.

You tore your eyes away, your jaw tightening as a steely resolve settled over you.

You would not break.

Not here. Not now. Not for him.

As you stepped into the cool night air, you drew in a deep breath, willing the ache in your chest to dissipate. Gojo Satoru had taken enough from you. Your heart, your dignity—no more.

If he thought you would crumble, he was mistaken.

He would regret this, you vowed silently.

And you would make certain of it.

The morning that came in a few days was no less disheartening than the night of the house party. The morning sun filtered weakly through the gauzy curtains of the drawing room, casting pale, lackluster patterns on the carpet. Even the sunlight seemed hesitant, as if it knew it had no place in the solemn atmosphere that hung over your family.

Even Yuji was solemn as you all sipped on your tea, the drawing room oddly quiet as you reflected in the aftermath of the past few days. The events of the house party still loomed over you. Your family’s hasty departure had been punctuated by the sight of your mother in whispered conversation with Duchess Gojo, their faces tight with the bitterness of dashed expectations. You had no doubt they had commiserated over your perceived recklessness and Gojo’s insolence, lamenting how the perfect match they had orchestrated had unraveled before their very eyes.

You had borne it all in silence.

But now, in the cold light of morning, your resolve felt brittle.

Your hands tightened around your teacup as you stared into the amber liquid, your reflection rippling with each shallow breath you took. Independence? That word felt hollow. You had fought for it, yes, but at what cost? The ton’s whispers had already begun. You could feel their weight pressing on you, suffocating in their judgment. The laughter and speculation at your expense would echo through parlors and ballrooms for weeks, if not months.

And yet, deep down, there was a spark of defiance. They thought this was your undoing. They thought you would crumble. But they had no idea.

"Why does it feel like we’re mourning?" Yuji muttered, breaking the silence. His voice was quiet, but the sarcasm was unmistakable. "It’s not as though anyone has died."

Your mother’s sigh this time was louder, sharper, and followed by a pointed glance in his direction. “Yuji, do not jest,” she snapped. "This is no laughing matter."

Choso, who had been reclining with one arm draped lazily over the armrest of his chair, sat up straighter. “Mother,” he said cautiously, his voice soft but steady, “I think it’s time we address what’s truly troubling you.”

Her handkerchief stilled in her lap. For a moment, the room was silent again, the tension thick enough to choke on.

“Troubling me?” she repeated, her tone icy. “You think I am troubled, Choso?”

“Everyone is troubled,” Choso replied, his gaze flicking briefly to you. "But perhaps if you said what’s on your mind, we could all breathe a little easier."

Your mother’s lips thinned as she sat up straighter, her shoulders stiff. “Very well,” she said sharply, “if you must know, I am ashamed.”

The word hit you like a slap, even though you had expected it. You gritted your teeth, staring down at your tea to hide the flush of anger and embarrassment creeping up your neck.

“Ashamed of what?” you asked quietly, your voice tighter than you intended.

“Of you,” she replied without hesitation. “Of the scandal you have brought upon this family. Do you think your actions have no consequences? Do you think the ton will simply overlook your…” She hesitated, clearly searching for the most cutting word. “Your antics with Lord Gojo?”

You felt Choso stiffen beside you, his protective instincts clearly flaring, but you held up a hand to stop him. You wouldn’t hide behind your brothers—not this time.

“I have done nothing wrong,” you said, your voice low but firm. “Gojo and I made a mutual decision that we were incompatible. We—”

“You humiliated yourself!” she interrupted, her voice rising. “And by extension, this family. Do you think people are speaking of him? No! It is you they ridicule. It is your name they sully.”

Your chest burned with anger and hurt, but before you could retort, Yuji shifted uncomfortably, muttering, “This is getting out of hand…”

“You think I care about their opinions?” you snapped, finally lifting your gaze to meet your mother’s. “The ton has always been cruel. They would find a reason to gossip no matter what I did. I refuse to live my life pandering to their expectations—”

“And look where that refusal has left you,” your mother interrupted, her voice shaking with fury. “Unmarried. Ruined. Who will have you now?”

You flinched, the words cutting deeper than you thought possible. Your lips parted, but no words came out. What could you possibly say to that?

The silence that followed was deafening.

Until a voice, smooth and amused, broke it.

“Now, now, Mother. I know you’ve always had a flair for the dramatic, but let us not turn your theatrics onto our dearest sister.”

All heads turned toward the entrance, where a figure lounged against the doorway, his presence commanding without even trying. There he stood—Sukuna, your brother, looking entirely too pleased with himself for someone who had kept you waiting for days. Both you and Yuji involuntarily gasped in excitement, while Choso only shook his head in amusement and crossed his arms.

He strode into the room with an air of nonchalance, his tailored attire immaculate, his smile one of mocking amusement. His gaze flicked to your mother, then to you, lingering for a moment as if to appraise the damage left in her wake.

“Good morning,” he said smoothly, the corners of his mouth curling. “I trust I’ve arrived in time to save you from a most tiresome sermon.”

Your mother bristled, but her voice faltered, her ire now redirected. “Sukuna, this is hardly the time for your irreverence—”

“And yet here I am,” he interrupted, dropping into a chair with the kind of ease that only Sukuna could muster. He leaned back, his sharp gaze softening just slightly as it fell on you. “I thought you might appreciate a reprieve. You seem to have had enough lectures for a lifetime.”

You could feel tears welling in your eyes. You had severely underestimated how much you missed your elder brother, seeing his presence stir a fondness and comfort you hadn’t felt ever since he left for Europe. And it seemed that your brothers shared your sentiment; Yuji was basically on his haunches, doing everything he could not to leave his chair to tackle Sukuna, and Choso barely holding in an amused smile. 

“Still causing chaos wherever you go, I see,” Choso said dryly, though there was no malice in his tone.

Sukuna smirked. “Someone has to keep things interesting.”

Your mother huffed, her lips pressing into a thin line as she rose from her seat. “I refuse to be made a fool in my own home. Sukuna, do try not to corrupt your siblings further while I attend to matters of actual importance.” She swept out of the room with her usual imperious grace, leaving a silence in her wake.

As soon as she left, you left your chair to basically jumping on him, hugging him tightly as he reciprocated your hug with wrapping his big arms around yours with equal fervor. “Kuna,” you whispered, burying your face into his chest as the tears started flowing. His presence surrounded you, offering you a comfort and familiarity that the eventful weeks, ever since your debut, hadn’t offered

Sukuna looked down to you with a raised brow as he patted your head affectionately. “Well, that was entertaining. Now, who’s going to tell me what truly happened while I was gone?”

prev. the fall | next. soon!

general masterlist | series masterlist

a/n hi everyone!!! so i lied and said the update wasn't gonna take as long #womaninmalefields BUT thank you for your patience <3

so uh....we are now gonna enter the arc with DRAMAA. there will be yearning, there will be angst, and soon after, there will be fluff. idk if anyone needs to hear this, but, again, this series will have a happy ending. if anyone is sad, don't worry. i'm going to make gojo grovel <3

SUKUNA IS BACK SUKUNA IS BACK what do we think?! spoiler alert this is what sukuna will wanna do to gojo after reader spills the tea

THANK U FOR READING!!! rest assured reader a BADDIE there will be some showing ankles and lowering bustlines to start our reputation era and infuriate gojo but u didnt hear that from me !!!

comment and reblog to let me know ur thots ;3

TAGLIST:

@ncitygreen @backstagepaige @serinatly100986 @nappingmoon @coochellati

@extremelyexh4usted @yoshisaurmuchakoopas @nixiepixee @generalstephkenobi @vernasce-blogs

@byhuenii @geniejunn @a-girl-with-thoughts @dazedin2d @chuuqxs

@megumiivs @anthastudios @arranacosmist @arishaxml @jingyuun

@undercooked-chaos-noodle @jaegersity @camzzn @bluelai @1sweetheart1

@hyori2 @babyblue0t7 @iwanttoberich420 @rosso-seta @ladytamayolover

@kalulakunundrum @r0ckst4rjk @mo0sin @angelina7890 @jaeminaur

@yamiyas @cherry-blossoms-in-red @r3inae @lagataprrr @sasfransisco

@fortunatelyfurrygiver @aurora-tiny @gojonegs @luna-v-roiya @xxemmarldxx

@soobssedwithyourex @manyno @samkysnks @stefnarda @bbqsauceonmytitties2

[hidden-otaku-stuff]

hello !! can i be added to the taglist of escape plan 🥺🤲🏼

got it! thanks so much love

[arhvste]

next stop iwa-chan!

next stop iwa-chan!

iwaizumi haijime x reader

masterlist

akaashi’s playgroup || two pretty setters and co

an - oikawa claims he ‘kin’s’ y/n and she’s him in female form they’re both so petty

part 37 - misogyny kink

part 38 - set up

part 39 -

PLEASE SEND AN ASK TO BE ADDED TO TAGLIST

⤷ taglist : @bloody-bella @totorosleaff @kageyamasbabygorl @hidden-otaku-stuff @vanilla-beanzz @macchiatoast @kac-chowsballs @anime-read-write-repeat @missalienqueen @bbkiyoomi @toaster-stick @nerdynstoned @otaku-fangirlse @the-third-wall @nekomateammanager @bokutoichigo @killlerqween @queen-of-the-trash-planet-tm @doggonudez @iwaizluv @angrylittleriri @softmultistan @lifesciencesbois @itsmattsunshinehere @uhmdaddychill @bringmelily @valrubiii @saturnfarie @ack-aashi @weebymaria @introvertatitsfinest @rd-crew @chokomoko @iwachanswh0re @maybesoph @leviathans-watching @loser-keiji @yandearie @kaizumi @toffees-main @makkihoe @firebonbon @kokogxddess @kaiagiorgi @softmatcha @peteunderoos

TAGLIST CONTINUES IN REPLIES

[frogtanii]

> chaos: unlimited

fucking finally

series masterlist

——————————————————————————

an: andddd it’s done :( i’m gonna miss this story a lot BUT like i said i’m starting a tsukki x reader that should b coming along rather fast ;) thank you everyone who stuck by me and read this from the lowkey rough start. love y’all much <3

taglist: @shigarakiskitten • @rhaynedaze • @chsnerl • @kittenthekat1234567890 • @skyvler • @chaoticalybiased • @iwantapoptartqwq • @moncymonce • @gabbaeae • @meemeesmydude • @ptv-hades • @childofdawns • @kamidoesthings • @zhneecho • @just-snog-already • @ladymartiini • @sakurahoshizora • @kartianaaa • @breaking-ur-kneecaps • @heyimsad • @blveteaaa • @moonlightaangel • @bbecc-a • @steggy4ever • @kozumie • @mydudesssss • @cowboy-doll • @achly • @your-local-lesbo • @aloserwithoutacause • @lilidrawz • @newfriendjen • @rotn-decay • @lovemeafterhrs • @i-maginaryclou-d • @wumboho • @momo-has-a-gun • @melacholy • @dai-tsukki-desu • @sneezy-s • @aristatrois • @yammmers • @ack-aashi • @handsoffmyfriends • @solemnmoongirl • @cactuski6 • @krxstynnn • @drablily • @kokenma

[shinsukesgf]

𝐦𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐧𝐲𝐦𝐨𝐮𝐬.

miya osamu is afraid of love but you managed to catch his attention. so what’s better than to send you anonymous messages as an attempt to make a move on you. what was the worst that could happen, right?

➸ chapter ten : 100% real this time

< back

a/n : gahhh we’ve reached the end of mr anonymous !! thank u for everyone who has been supporting it & giving it love, i cannot express how appreciate & grateful i am for it all T_T its been so much fun reading all ur comments to each chapter, it really makes my day seeing it all 🥺 so again, thank u all for supporting my smau, hopefully this has been just as enjoyable for you as it was for me !! luv u guys ヽ(；▽；)ノ

taglist

@sadcosmicdoggie @aquariarose @todobruhski @vicassa @exosehun-94 @itsaboutmexthem @bluespiderliliesx @simpingforsuga @cleopatera @akaashikeijisthighs @alilshit @lunarwitchhh @kaiju-teeth @curiouslilbeast @simplesammyx @rachelexe @ssuna @xo-lovelyreign-xo @ack-aashi @makkipie @hoekageyama @elianetsantana @miyooki @heavenini @channiechanchan @namyari @sunflowerirl @fi16ns @a-applepi @gaychemicalwater @coconut-dreamz @aktregoning @saturnfarie @iloveyouasmuchaspoohloveshoney @pastel-babes @itskoushi @yn-tingz @kagebunshiin @lady-tokugawa-of-mikawa @heartlesssshanaa @annaxshepherd @h0rny-m3ss @sachirou-senpai @monviemoo @strawberrycreamsicle @shoutosimp @ntimacy @sbaepsae @suhkusa @02hhsailor

[indigohitoshi]

05 ; SO YOU HAVE A THING FOR DOMS?

SUBTWEETS.

*.:｡★ after coming across your timeline, hajime finds your twitter handle and realizes that he comes into your bakery everyday. you seem relatively nice, but are you actually sub-thirsting about him?

*.:｡★ taglist : @the-broken-halo-writer @cuddlesslut @peppermintkiddo @pyblos @90s-belladonna @kxmilkahara @suna-allie @iiwah @kritiiiii @ilykenewdles @momoinot @ktbio @kageyamasbabygorl @berriesii @itsalyssa15 @akaashimp @ushiwakaismybae @kuroosbabie @adorable-punk-superheroes @kuraomi @kalesveggietales @prinzessinbuttercup @thespookyem @yusemis @zoppzoop @uchihaslutt @chaelysian @nishi-is-baby @patty-got-cakes @kenmasgameboy @svtbitch @steggy4ever @cadekagi @inewts @jabby16 @glowing-kuroo @nerdystoned @harajukukitsune @kodzukki @kissofbelladonna @kiyoomile @hqreisin @sugasugawarau @actual-smol @akaarin-deactivated20200801 @sneezy-s @pro-teen-summer @ack-aashi @jiminscarmex @taebby95 @sokka-dated-the-moon @kuroosrighttoe @jexiiann

*.:｡★ authors note : hey 😍😍😍 um yes 💔 so i will be trying to upload chapters twice a week but i dont have a schedule anymore bc i ✨never✨ upload on time ❤️.

TAGLIST IS CLOSED.

[mintsuke]

Forelsket | 13 - Lost My Cool

Tsukishima Kei x f!Reader

Note: Kuroo really felt the "I'm not an owl, Harry" vibes.

(A/n): Make sure to pay attention to the contact names lol, "Pain in the Ass" is Tsukishima's contact name for Kuroo but that is currently (Y/n) in his body!

On another note, if you didn't see my post earlier today, I got into nursing school! So relieved and honestly excited <3 

Masterlist | Previous | Next

+Taglist Undercut | Open! (Send an ask or comment! | Comment replies from my main @minnochu)

++ if you change your user or would rather I tag your sideblog instead, pls let me know so I can update the tags!

@goopycookie @mirikusashes @kac-chowsballs @ack-aashi @sadhwstudent   @galagcica @koznme @irenevyas @leinnah @differentballooncollection @saturnfarie @deefeatist @animeanxiety @leivapats @shslmel @atria-avior @pleasemelafook-outta-ere @httpglxssy @applepienation @lilacshouko @jaehyunluvcult @dandelily @beanst0ck @elianetsantana @shortcakebb @erik-killmanger @supercoolfunguy @iloveyouasmuchaspoohloveshoney @halparkebitch @cvlliesstuff @lilsimp @angrylittleriri @bluefaeriefury @ptv-hades @korean-bbq @faithfulferns @acabbaybee @mirdy47707 @stickystrawberrysyrup @euphorihan @calumsfringe @wowie-issa-me-amario @moonieho @kiritokunuwu @celestair @akkaso @seiikyu @treestarrrrrrrr @why-000 @manypreferences @kenmasunwashedass @utterlyconfused-tm @simplyyyy @yourmajestythegreatest​

*Unable to tag in bold

[samiwok]

lost in love ;

social media au

masterlist | ✧ prologue ✧

[ next | 1 ]

~ TAGLIST -> @bokukiyoom @glowing-kuroo @kuroosrighttoe @wyfanfangalaxy @bap-kingdom @xs-hoodie @mirakeul @ktbio @keigosbitch @fangirling-25-8 @strawberriimilkshake @ak-may @cruel-spider @wansseul @attsm @iamnotobsessed @sugawsites @lyzzklm @ongjaewonx @sepirayanii @iloveanime691 @chaelysian @lumiriai @deerixiie @mindofess @doggonudez @aristatrois @trashcanweeb @xanaxdeity @momoinot @fullsundear @foshycoicx @nishenoya @notamazinglizzy @tsukkiboii @beastboypng @kaashi-is-bae @senkuwu-chan @moonlightaangel @deediydoo @renee1414 @vixenini @saucyparkerr @ack-aashi @mrs-kuroojinguji

— taglist is [ open ] ; if I forgot you just tell me. if I’m not able to tag you I’ll send a message ♡

[fushitoru]

EXTENDED TAGLIST FOR BRIDGERTON GOJO PART 1

click here to read part 1 of bridgerton!gojo!

@fanfaric @rirk-ke @caratmiracle @bachirabubs @escapistoftherealworld

@littlebabyypeach @iinlovewithfictionalppl @luvolani @gigilovespink @touchmyanarchicblogs

@anan-banan @xxrougefangxx @virr3si @mochamii @cam3lliaw

@blognicole @nonomnismoriarty @wantogoaway @tsukikos-stuff @rxgnor0k

@zhongtar @jayhyunglover @problematicthinker @thesparkisnearlygone @gukiemochi

@mandysfanfics @myahfig4 @bunny-lily @vwinterr-bearr @nishloves

@tbzzluvr @jeweljulie25 @lucciferr0 @sunnydays25 @kazbrkker

@itsinherited @alluresenses @sugasweettea @lilastimeee @bellathegoldfish

@iamtheunknown @fackeraccount @tenshiroko @iloveeverythingiread @jennapancake

@my-sin-my-soul-my-hell @shen-liqin @mrsriddle13 @theendx888

[gamerwoo]

Hyunjin: Age-Restricted (Part Two)

Characters: Hyunjin x female reader (ft the other skz members but minus jisung)

Genre/warnings: nanny!reader, boy next door/neighbor!hyunjin, virgin!reader,  very bold and flirty!hyunjin and painfully shy!reader, fluff, some humor, mentions of poop (i mean reader’s a nanny, this is a given), it reader gets a lil turned on in some parts but nothing happens, implied that reader is tall (again, only one of the few times i mention reader’s appearance), reader has anxiety and second guesses herself a lot lmao, minors dni!!!

Word count: 6,116

Summary: You think it’s luck when the new family you nanny for is so stupid rich that they rent you a fancy new apartment just so you can live closer to them. You think it’s luck when the guy across the hall is the most beautiful person you’ve ever seen in your entire life and makes an effort to talk to you. But that’s just about where your luck runs out, because Hyunjin is more out of your league than you could ever imagine, and you’re just some hopeless virgin who never had good luck in the first place.

tag list: @hyuneyeon @ack-aashi [be added to the taglist by filling out this form!]

permanent tag list (italics are unable to tag): @minluvly @awkwardnesshabitat @woozarts @septicrebel @4kwp @thepencilkorner​ @shmooooo @bubblelixie @byunhoebaek @dejavernon @ahandfulofkeys @slut-for-dabi

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You marched up the stairs of the house, knowing exactly where Seojoon was hiding. This kid was so easy, it almost seemed stupid that his parents would pay you as much as they were on top of paying for your apartment. Then again, they asked you to clean up the house when you could, so that was another task that made up for how much you made.

“Jesus, how big is this house?!” Minho gasped from your phone that you were holding at face-level. 

“Move your fat head, I wanna see,” Seungmin demanded before shoving the older boy’s head out of the way and poking his own head into frame.

“How can you even tell?” you asked. “I’ve just been showing my face.”

“I can see the background.”

“Hardly.”

“Yeah, because you’ve got a fat head, too,” Seungmin quipped with a wide grin like he was oh-so proud of himself.

You sharply shushed him, “I don’t need Seojoon picking that up and calling his parents fat heads when they get home.”

You walked down the hall, knowing exactly where you were going. Spending three weeks with the kid, you figured he’d at least keep you on your toes a little. A toddler would be more exciting, right? But not Seojoon – not that he was boring. But Seojoon had his patterns and he stuck to them. It made taking care of him easy, at least. And he liked you because you always seemed to know exactly what he wanted and when.

Finally, you made it to Seojoon’s room. You pushed open his door that was already left cracked, the light turned on. You held a finger to your lips, telling your friends to be quiet on the video call as a smile broke onto your face slowly. You got down on your knees by his bed and carefully wrapped your fingers around the bottom of his sheets that hung over his bed. And then you ripped them up, letting out a yell.

Seojoon, who hid underneath the bed, began squealing and giggling.

“C’mon, bud,” you told him after he’d calmed down, “let me check your butt.”

“That’s a sentence I’d be scared to hear,” Minho mumbled.

“Who’s that?” Seojoon asked.

“My friends,” you replied. “They missed me.”

“No, you’re my friend,” he corrected with a giggle.

You feigned a pout, “What, I don’t have any other friends?”

“No!” he continued to giggle at the same time your two friends deadpanned, “No.”

“Alright, enough from the peanut gallery,” you decided before ending your call with your friends. You turned your attention fully to Seojoon. “Did you go potty in your pull-ups?”

“Nope!” he grinned proudly.

You narrowed your eyes, “Are you sure?”

“Uh-huh!”

“Can I check?”

“...Noooo…”

You let out a sigh, “Yeah, that’s what I thought. C’mon, let’s change you.”

-

At least you were settling into habit. You were getting used to coming home to your new apartment, and becoming familiar with the people you’d occasionally pass in the lobby or on your floor – you especially liked the nice freckled boy who typically worked the front desk during the nights. The first time he’d seen you coming home from work, he stopped you.

“You’re new, aren’t you?” he asked with a deep voice that took you by surprise considering how young and…fluffy he looked. “I know pretty much everyone in the building.”

You nodded, “I’m in room 805.”

“Oh, the nanny!” he grinned, and you thought the way his face lit up was cute. “Yeah, that couple showed up to put down the first few months' rent, and they told us it was for their nanny. We kept making fun of them for how boujee they sounded. You’re kinda popular with the bellboys now.”

You couldn’t help but let out a laugh, “Oh yeah?”

“Yeah. You also got a pretty nice room – some good neighbors up there.”

“That’s good to know.”

“Well, I’m Felix if you ever need anything. I usually work nights, though, so don’t need anything during the day. Jerry sucks.”

Jerry did, in fact, suck, you learned quickly. You tried to greet him the morning after meeting Felix, only to be met with a grumble as he continued to stare down at his desk.

“_____!” Felix greeted you with a warm smile when you entered the lobby. “How was work?”

You made a face, holding up the garbage bag you held in your hand that only contained one thing: your sweatshirt. His eyebrows furrowed as he cocked his head to one side like a confused puppy, not understanding why you had a garbage bag in your hand with seemingly nothing in it.

“Blowout,” you stated.

“What?” he asked.

“A one-year-old shit so much it came out of his diaper and his clothes.”

His eyes widened as he let out a gasp, “What?”

“But I didn’t wear a shirt under my hoodie, so I had to text his mom and ask to borrow something from her closet,” you continued, annoyance in your tone. You weren’t necessarily mad at Hajoon – he was literally one, it wasn’t his fault – just at the situation. “Unfortunately, she only buys like, Gucci and shit, so.”

“That’s a bad thing?” he questioned.

“I cannot explain to you the anxiety I feel wearing her expensive clothing, like I could ruin it at any minute and get fired.”

He chuckled, “Well, lucky for you, we have in-house dry cleaning. Send it down when you get changed and I’ll have Jeongin get on it.”

“Thanks, Lix,” you sighed as you made your way to the elevator, praying that you would be the only one in it all the way up to the eighth floor.

-

“Okay,” you whisper to yourself before taking a deep breath and slowly letting it out.

Gucci shirt was being dry cleaned, you were out of your leggings that may or may not have also gotten poop on them – but what were you going to do, ask to borrow Mrs. Park’s pants, too? – and your makeup was taken off for the night. Now you just had to figure out what to do with your sweatshirt. Should you try to salvage it or should you throw it out?

Well, you’d already lost one sweatshirt to a blowout before, and you really didn’t want to lose another. Plus, this one was one of your cozier ones, so if you could wash the poop out, then you’d prefer that route than just tossing it. So you took your trash bag that you’d left by the door, and you opened the door to go to the laundry room.

Except there was something – or rather, someone – in front of your door with their fist up, ready to knock.

“Oh!” you both said in surprise at the same time.

“Sorry, _____” Hyunjin’s startled expression melted into a smile. His eyes drifted down to the white bag that you held in your fist, and his nose crinkled for a moment. “Taking out trash? Not a lot.”

“Uhhhhhh, yeah,” you decided to say, figuring trying to explain you were going to throw your poopy sweatshirt in the wash was not only going to make you seem disgusting, but was also not something that sounded great. How did you explain to someone that you got human feces on your clothes? 

Especially when you had a crush on them and wanted them to like you back.

Hyunjin stayed true to his word about being your friend. While you were too shy and intimidated to say anything to him at first, he always went out of his way to at least say hi when he saw you passing him by in the hall, or wish you a good day when he saw you leaving the lobby, or hold the door if he saw you going for the elevator he was in. And so you slowly started saying hi to him first, but that was really where your ‘friendship’ – if that – ended. So him knocking on your door was something that hadn’t happened since you moved in.

But at least you were getting more comfortable around him. Progress was progress, you supposed -- or at least, that’s what Chan always told you.

“So, what’s up?” you asked him.

“So, um…” he began slowly, eyebrows furrowing together but looking like he wanted to laugh at himself, “this might be a weird request, but like… Okay, you’ve colored your hair before, right?”

“Like, did it myself or just in general?”

“Yourself.”

“A couple times,” you shrugged. “It wasn’t good because I can’t see the back of my head, but, yeah.”

“No, that’s fine!” he said quickly as if he thought you’d change your mind. “I was just wondering if you’d maybe help me with bleaching my hair…?”

You had to reply quickly or he’d think you were weird, so you didn’t have the time to sit there and wonder why he would ask you and not literally anyone else. He had to have friends he could ask. Hell, you’d sooner call up Chan and have him drive his ass to your apartment to kill a spider than walk across the hall and whine to Hyunjin.

But also, who were you to question a perfectly good opportunity to not only be around Hyunjin and talk to him, but actually physically interact with him. Running your fingers through his hair? Yes please.

You shrugged and offered up a smile, trying to seem like you weren’t bubbling with nerves, “Yeah, sure!”

“Cool, we can do it at my place if you want,” he offered, pointing over his shoulder with his thumb to his door he’d left slightly ajar. “I don’t want bleach getting on any of your stuff.”

Could Hyunjin hear your heart slamming against your chest? He was inviting you into his apartment? The last time you were alone with a boy that you had a crush on was when you still lived at home and went to your sister’s house for a cookout and you and one of her friends had to sit in the living room together because both of you were waiting for the bathroom. And you didn’t say a word to him, you just pretended to be on your phone the whole time. S to say you were nervous now was an understatement.

“Yeah, let me just…” you trailed off, realizing you didn’t actually know what to do with the sweatshirt, so you just kind of tossed it by the door before stepping out into the hall with Hyunjin.

“Smooth,” he chuckled before he led you across the hall to his apartment. 

You figured his place would be almost exactly like yours, but you quickly realized it was so much nicer. Everything was a perfect stark white that was a beautiful contrast to the jet black accents, which was similar to your apartment. However, his had an upstairs, the loft of which hung over part of the kitchen/living area. He had large art pieces hanging on the walls, making it seem like some rich big shot lived there — which he may have been for all you knew. 

“C’mon, we can use the bathroom upstairs,” he told you, leading you around the corner to the staircase. 

“You have an upstairs bathroom…?” you asked quietly, mostly to yourself as you followed him up the steps. 

“The apartments on the left side are a little more…more,” he explained, turning his head to talk to you over his shoulder.

“Oh…” was all you replied with.

Reaching the top of the stairs, he completely turned to you, continuing to walk backwards toward the destination, “I don’t really need this much space since it’s just me, but I have a lot of stuff, y’know? Plus, I felt like I had more freedom to decorate this like I wanted. I wanted it to feel more like…me, I guess.”

“Yeah, that makes sense,” you shrugged. “I like my apartment, but it does seem kind of plain right now. I couldn’t take a lot of my stuff when I moved out of my mom’s because I had three other roommates in an apartment made for only three people, so when I moved here, I couldn’t really decorate a ton.”

He frowned slightly, “Why not go get your stuff from your mom’s?”

“I’d rather not,” you stated, making a slightly sour face.

Hyunjin chuckled with a nod, “Yeah, I feel that.”

Then he turned back around just in time to push open a door ahead of him at the end of the hall. 

Inside, the scent hit you and smelled intoxicating and expensive. It was warm and spicy but still smelled clean and fresh with a hint of vanilla. There was a large bed with silk black bedding, even more artwork, a t-shirt or two laying on the carpeted floor, and two large mirrors — a standing one opposite the bed, and one on the ceiling hanging above it. There was a dresser on either side of the room as well, that faced the bed. You assumed it was Hyunjin’s room. But you didn’t get to look around much because he walked by the end of the bed to another door on the same wall and opened that one. 

Through this door was a large bathroom that had a separate bathtub from the shower. It was a large clawfoot tub, with a spacious shower taking up the entire back of the bathroom, blocked off by frosted glass. His counter where the sink was took up most of the length of the wall, with the mirror being equally as big. 

“Your bathroom is massive,” you commented, hearing your own voice echo back to you.

He chuckled, “Yeah, I guess so. If you ever wanna come over to use it, just let me know.”

You definitely saw him toss you a wink over his shoulder, but for some reason, you chalked it up to some kind of twitch. Some of the dads you’d met had a weird habit of winking a couple times when they spoke to you, so maybe he was the same. Maybe it was just a…man thing. But still, you weren’t sure how to respond, even if it wasn’t intended as suggestive as your brain made it out to be, feeling your cheeks heat up a bit. You wanted to say something while he opened the plastic bag that sat on the counter, beginning to read the directions of how to mix the bleach, but everything you came up with was either boring, stupid, or just had absolutely nothing to do with anything.

“Do you know how to do this?” he asked, eyebrows furrowed as he looked over the large, unfolded piece of paper.

“Is it a 1:1 ratio or 1:2?” you asked, looking in his direction instead of pretending to continue to admire the bathroom.

“Uhhh…” he trailed off, seemingly unsure. Then he passed the paper to you. “I’ve never done this, I’ve always had it done.”

You took the paper and scanned it over. Ratio, processing time, yada-yada. Then you looked back over at Hyunjin, your eyes flickering to the counter and then back at him, “Do you have gloves?”

“Yup.”

Then your eyes drifted down toward his shirt, taking note of the grey Off White brand t-shirt he was wearing, eyebrows pulling together as you narrowed your eyes, looking back up at his face, “What about a shirt you don’t care about?”

Hyunjin looked down at his shirt, holding out the hem and taking a moment to look it over before looking back up at you, “What’s wrong with this?”

You opened your mouth, wanting to ask him if he was crazy. You wanted to ask him how goddamn rich he was that he’d bleach a shirt that was over $300. But instead you closed your mouth, not wanting to upset him when this was the first time you were hanging out with him.

“Nothing,” you told him. “How did you wanna do this…?”

He shrugged, “You can reach.”

“It’s still more convenient if you’re sitting and I can see your entire head.”

“I can kneel,” he said almost happily.

And before you could tell him how uncomfortable that would get, Hyunjin got down on both knees in front of you, resting on the plush bath mat that rested in front of the counter. He looked up at you, blinking with a slight smile tugging at the corners of his lips, and wide, innocent eyes.

But you wondered if he knew how badly your face heated up and how your heart thumped in your chest because he was on his knees and so close to your literal crotch that it made you want to pass out. Because as you felt yourself internally panicking, you were pretty sure Hyunjin’s smile was growing, reaching his eyes until they turned into crescent moons.

“Th-that’ll be like, really uncomfortable,” you told him, trying to keep your casual composure even though you wanted to explode. Your eyes were looking anywhere but down at him, because you just simply couldn’t hold eye contact with that man. But thankfully, it gave you an idea since your eyes were wandering and landed on the clawfoot tub. “You can sit in front of the tub on the floor, and I’ll sit on the edge.”

“Yeah, that’s probably a better idea,” he agreed with a smile that seemed…strange. It was like he already thought of it and was waiting for you to say something.

‘You’re going insane,’ you told yourself. ‘Fucking relax, idiot.’

Hyunjin stood and walked over to the tub, while you began mixing the bleach. He sat down on the edge, and you could feel his stare piercing your back – or maybe you were imagining it, you weren’t sure. Maybe it was just wishful thinking.

Yup, definitely wishful thinking. Because when you turned back around, he was typing on his phone, dark hair hiding his face like a curtain.

But you also might’ve seen him look down at his phone at the right second.

Or you were gaslighting yourself into thinking you saw that because you wanted him to be staring.

‘Can you stop and get on with this already? He’s gonna think you’re crazy.’

“Ready?” you asked him to get his attention.

His head snapped up as he smiled, “Yup!”

You sat down on the edge of the tub, and Hyunjin sat down in front of your legs, back toward you. He immediately settled back against your knees, but this still wasn’t as convenient as you would’ve liked.

“Um,” you shifted your legs apart, “could you move back a little?”

“‘Course,” he replied, wiggling until he had moved back and was now sitting against the tub instead.

You prayed he couldn’t hear how hard your heart was beating in your chest at the way he intimately sat. Hell, you were praying that you didn’t like, smell funny or something. Of course, your brain always came up with the dumbest things to be self-conscious about, so you tried to push those thoughts to the back of your head and tried to focus on bleaching Hyunjin’s hair.

First, you combed through his hair with your fingers, wanting to get most of the possible tangles out. You heard Hyunjin hum softly, and your movements stuttered as you tried to not lose your shit. You felt tingling between your legs just at a fucking noise this dude made, and you were internally scolding yourself while also trying to get yourself to just fucking relax.

‘It’s just a hum. It wasn’t anything like, erotic. Chill, bitch.’

“This might be cold,” you warned as you got ready to put the bleach on his head.

All he did was hum in reply, but this hum was different, you told yourself. But it was true. This one was way more casual, and the other sounded relaxed and content, like maybe he liked the feeling of you playing with his hair…

‘Oh my god, stop it.’

You applied bleach to his dark hair for about a moment in silence, trying to steady your breathing and simply focus on just not melting the hair off of his head – though, maybe he’d look good bald…or like an egg.

“What kind of music do you listen to?” he wondered suddenly, and you could see over his shoulder that he was scrolling through Spotify on his phone. “I can play some music.”

“You pick,” you told him, eyes going back to your hands. “I’ll listen to anything.”

He sighed, and had he been facing you, you would’ve seen him roll his brown eyes, “Oh come on, every girl says that but they really won’t. There’s definitely things you don’t like.”

“Okay, um… Not a big classical fan, and I could never get on board with heavy metal.”

“Country?”

“Grew up with it, so I like the old stuff – except that one song. Fuck, it’s called uh… It’s by that Luke Bryan guy.”

“Ah, I know the one.”

“But don’t play it,” you told him before, for some god-forsaken reason, deciding to admit, “I will throw it back.”

Hyunjin let out a loud laugh, leaning forward away from you to turn around and look at you, “Seriously?”

You nodded, laughing along with him, “It’s just one of those songs. One of my old roommates used to get me drunk and then play it really loud in the kitchen. We got a lot of noise complaints.”

“Sounds worth it,” he was still chuckling as he went back to his original position. “So no Country Girl, got it. How do we feel about a throwback playlist?”

You shrugged, going back to work on his hair, “Sounds good.”

-

It didn’t take you too terribly long to coat his entire head in bleach. Then you put a cap on it and told him to sit for no more than 30 minutes.

“I’ll probably need some help toning it,” he said as he washed out the bowl and brush you used for bleach. “You mind sticking around?”

You shrugged, “I’ve got no plans tonight.”

He turned to look at you, placing the bowl and brush on the counter and flashing you a smile, “Well, now you do. Wanna start a movie or something?”

“What kind of movie?”

“You can pick whatever your heart desires.”

So you picked the movie. It was one you’d already seen already, and you were sure there were no scenes in it that would make anything awkward. But the problem was the sitting situation. You didn’t want to sit all the way on the other end of his couch because that seemed kind of rude. But you didn’t want to sit too close and be creepy. So you eventually just plopped down very un-gracefully about an arms length away from him, grabbing a throw pillow to hug tightly to your midsection before leaning back into the couch.

Thankfully, you were able to get absorbed into the movie mostly. It took a few minutes, but your mind eventually shut off and stopped worrying, and your thoughts were focused on the movie. It was a nice rest of not being hyper aware of only Hyunjin.

Well, until he shifted. He moved to cross one leg over the other, and threw his right arm across the back of the couch, his hand landing by your head.

Back to being hyper aware of only Hyunjin.

You tried not to make it too obvious that you were trying to steal a glance at him, but when you did finally turn your head ever so slightly to look at him, he was facing toward the TV, eyes focused – as far as you could tell, anyway. Maybe he was bored, you didn’t know.

Suddenly, Hyunjin turned his head ever so slightly to the right, side-eyeing you without changing his expression. You quickly averted your gaze, finding the TV in a split second, praying and hoping he didn’t notice you staring.

But what you didn’t notice was him silently smiling to himself and looking back at the TV.

-

You wondered if Hyunjin knew how to do anything. He asked you to bleach his hair, which was fine. But then he asked you to rinse the bleach out for him in the sink. Maybe he didn’t want to go lock himself in the bathroom to shower, leaving you alone in his apartment. But still, why couldn’t he just rinse it out himself in the sink?

Still, you did it. You weren’t complaining, you were just fighting the nerves and anxiety and butterflies. 

Then you had to help him tone his hair, and again, rinse it. Then he asked you to grab his conditioner, so you conditioned Hyunjin’s bleached-blonde hair. You were pretty sure creepy men on TV shows when you were younger used to fantasize about being able to wash and condition pretty girls’ hair, so hey, you were living somebody’s dream. That was a win.

Hyunjin’s neck was still bent over the sink as he towel-dried his hair, scrunching it to get the water before messing it up with the towel. 

“I hope you think it looks okay,” you let out a small, nervous laugh.

“Eh, it’ll look fine,” he said as he moved the towel to toss his head backwards, moving his hair from his eyes. “Can’t look worse than it has before.”

“What was the worst?” you wondered, still watching him from his right side as you both stood at the bathroom counter.

He continued to scrunch the ends of his hair, trying to get all of the water droplets that were falling, looking in the mirror at himself and his hair rather than at you, “I tried to go bright red and missed a big patch of roots at the back of my head.”

Your eyebrows furrowed as you paused, trying to make sense of his story, “...But I thought you’d never dyed your hair before.”

That was when he finally looked at you, a smile on his lips that you’d give to your slow friend who finally got the joke and you wanted to pat them on the shoulder and make them feel like they weren’t stupid.

“I lied,” he admitted.

And that was when your heart dropped, but in a way you didn’t really expect. Because your mind immediately went to, ‘he’s a murderer!’

He must’ve seen the way your eyes widened – you really needed to learn how to control your facial expressions – and the way you eyed him, because he let out a laugh that sounded like your new favorite sound in the world. It just sounded so…happy and amused. Like, happier than you’d heard him sound before – not that you’ve really heard him actually laugh much.

“No, it’s nothing bad,” he explained. “I just– How else am I supposed to get a pretty girl to come to my apartment and play with my hair?”

You wanted to combust – maybe you were going to. Your face was rapidly heating up, and you weren’t really sure what your expression was doing but you were biting back a smile unsuccessfully, deciding to simply hide your face in both hands. You could hear Hyunjin laughing the same way he had just a moment ago, and then you felt warmth on your shoulders, his hands placed on them as he dipped his head to try and see some part of your burning face.

“Aw, don’t be so shy, _____!” he teased “I told you I think you’re pretty so now you’re going to hide from me? That’s not fair!”

You whined into your hands, the noise coming out muffled but still making Hyunjin continue that beautiful laugh as he smoothed your hair back that had fallen in front of your hands that still covered your face. 

“You’re...really...bold…” you said very un-boldly into your hands.

“Only because I’m pretty sure I know where you stand with me,” he chuckled.

Another loud whine that only made Hyunjin wrap his arms around you, holding you to him. God, you wanted to die then and there. Did he not realize this was making your butterflies worse?

“How?!”

He shrugged, “I’ve gotten pretty good at reading people over the years.”

“‘Over the years’? You’re talking like you’re some old man; you’re like, my age!”

You felt him move slightly away from you, keeping one arm around your waist while the one that rubbed your back moved away. You felt him trying to get between your arms and your chin to put his hand there, trying to guide your head up.

“Will you look at me already?” he asked in a murmur, his playful tone now so soft and almost gravely. It was a contrast, that was for sure, and it made you feel…a lot.

What made you feel even more was how he looked at you. His brown eyes bore into yours, faces inches apart. You could almost feel his breath fanning against your lips as you stared back and tried to control yourself internally. But you knew what was coming, and you knew what would happen after that.

As much as you wanted Hyunjin to kiss you like you were pretty sure he was going to, you knew what always happened. You knew it would be a lot – not just for you, but probably him – and that it would be very, very embarrassing. You also knew that it would probably effectively scare Hyunjin away, which you didn’t want.

But you also couldn’t find it in yourself to say no. You’d never been good at doing that, always wanting to be a people pleaser. You were never one to stick up for yourself or much of anything, really. So when Hyunjin leaned in ever so slightly, eyes flicking to your lips and then back to your eyes, you just tried to tell yourself to relax and absolutely not panic. But with the anxiety warming the pit of your stomach, and the way your hands trembled against his shoulders, you already knew that it was going to be a rough start, anyway.

Buzz.

A soft vibration against your thigh made you jump, but it didn’t seem to phase Hyunjin at all. He continued to hold your chin gently in his hand, keeping your gaze locked.

Buzz.

Someone was definitely calling you.

Hyunjin broke into a smirk, “You might want to get that.”

He dropped his hand and went back to drying his hair like nothing had happened, leaving you frozen for a second as you stared at the space Hyunjin used to be in front of you. You tried to get your heart to calm down and the feeling in your stomach to subside. But you also probably looked like a moron still just standing there, so you finally slid a hand into the pocket of your biker shorts to retrieve your phone.

Chan.

“Hey,” you answered the phone in a breath.

“Hey, I– Are you okay?” he asked. “You sound stressed.”

You glanced at Hyunjin, but he either couldn’t actually hear your friend on the phone, or he wasn’t showing that he could.

“I-I’m okay,” you replied, though you were not. You still felt nervous and shaky, like you’d just gotten off of a rollercoaster. “What’s up?”

“I was wondering if you wanted to play some Smash with me,” he said cheerily. “It’s been a while since I’ve gotten to really talk to you and I miss you.”

“Um, y-yeah, we can play. Just let me finish something real quick and I’ll call you back.”

“Awesome, I’ll see you in a bit!”

You hung up and put your phone back in your pocket.

“Roommates?” he guessed.

He definitely could hear.

“Yea–” you paused, thinking of something suddenly. “How did you know I’m not with someone? That could’ve been my boyfriend for all you know.”

He playfully rolled his eyes before turning to face you, “Well, if my girlfriend stared at some guy the entire time they were watching a movie, I’d be pretty pissed.”

Well, that effectively shut you up. All you could do was stand there and look at him, then down at the ground, then at the open bathroom door.

You looked back at Hyunjin and announced very bluntly but still quietly, “I have to go.”

“I figured,” he chuckled with a nod. “I’ll walk you out.”

So he did. He walked you all the way to the front door of your apartment, waiting for you to unlock the door. And then you turned back to face him, only to see him leaning against your doorframe with a casual smirk on his face that made that frenzy begin inside you again.

You wanted him to kiss you so bad, but you didn’t want to deal with the consequences or the aftermath.

“So will you actually reach out to me this time?” he asked, quirking a brow.

‘Well now that I know you think I’m pretty, maybe I will.’

“Maybe I will,” you smirked right back at him.

“I’ll hold you to that,” he winked before backing up. “Have fun with your friend.”

“Goodnight, Hyunjin.”

“Goodnight, _____.”

You closed the door and let yourself settle on cloud 9 for a moment. The hot neighbor thought you were pretty and openly hit on you. You might just have a shot despite what you thought.

‘But,’ you reminded yourself, ‘just because he thinks you’re pretty doesn’t mean he wants anything more than sex.’

Which was the harsh reality of ‘dating’ as an adult. Sex was nothing to a lot of people. Sex was something you did just once with someone or even on the first date with someone you were interested in being with. And it wasn’t that sex really meant much to you, it was just…you weren’t comfortable with it yet. And you were scared of having to explain that to Hyunjin because what if that was all he wanted? What if he thought you were a baby for still being a virgin? What if this, what if that? 

Your phone vibrating in your pocket pulled you from your panic.

Christopher 🦘🧡: Reminder that we’re playing together

Christopher 🦘🧡: I assume you’re still easily forgetful lol

You were. Some things just unfortunately never change, and your memory was one of two things that you were feeling hopeless about changing anytime soon.

-

“You seriously bleached your hair?” Changbin sighed. “Why?”

Hyunjin shrugged, holding his phone at an angle so his friend could see him on their video call. He was honestly wishing he didn’t even answer Changbin’s call since he clearly was judging his choices, but he needed to tell someone about how he was feeling, and Changbin was basically his only friend, “I needed an excuse to have _____ hang out with me, and she seems too shy to go for me outright asking her to watch a movie randomly or something.”

“Is that the girl who moved in across the hall?” Changbin asked before shaking his head and closing his eyes. “Seriously dude, what’s gotten into you? You hardly know this girl and you’re bleaching your hair just to talk to her.”

Hyunjin’s cheeks were beginning to turn pink as he narrowed his eyes at his phone, “Alright, hear me out, okay?”

“‘She’s different, I can sense it’, I know. You’ve said it like, 15 times since you’ve met her.”

“Well it’s true! And you know I’ve never been wrong about my reads on people.”

Even though he knew the younger man was right, Changbin still sighed again, rolling his eyes, “Just because she hardly speaks to you doesn’t mean she’s ‘different’.”

“Well she clearly doesn’t know who I am, and she’s also just so… I don’t know, she’s not really like what I’m used to. She keeps to herself, she’s not bold or outright – I like it. So sue me for trying to pursue this.”

What, was he just supposed to ignore the cute, shy girl across the hall when he could try to, at the very least, make another friend that wasn’t the bellhops who worked nights?

“I’m not saying you shouldn’t go after her if you want to, I’m just saying it seems like a lot to fry your hair over a girl you’ve hardly spoken to the last month.”

“Well, jokes on you, because I made a move,” Hyunjin sang, sticking his tongue out at his friend, “and she liked it. So we’ll be talking a lot more…I hope…”

Changbin chuckled, “I am happy for you, man. Let me know how things go.”

“You’re always the first to know.”

[lovemeafterhrs]

boys (that i dated in highschool) | k. akaashi

chapter 6: sex w my ex [ ! ]

fun fact: there’s nothing like sexual tension to make being friends even MORE awkward! this chap contains smut be warned but its not super graphic lmao

~~~~

akaashi’s mood had dropped considerably, and the noticable irritation in his mannerisms left her on the edge of her seat. alone in the car, the silence began to close in on the pair as the radio droned on in the background.

“so.. semi eita huh?” his tone had been more harsh than planned, and she turned to glare at him from the passenger seat.

“maybe, why are you so pissy about it?”

“i’m not pissy.” he huffed, and returned her glare when he heard her laugh radiate through the small car. “what?”

“nothing. you’re just a bad liar.” she shrugged, and it lit something in his eyes that she hadn’t seen in a long time.

“and you’re bad at holding down relationships, but we don’t talk about that.”

“what did you just say?” she snapped, fire suddenly pulsing through her veins as the tension began to rise.

there was a pause.

“you heard me.” he replied, eyes focused on the road as he pulled up outside her apartment.

“actually, i didn’t. please enlighten me with your worldly knowledge, akaashi.” the sarcasm dripped off her tongue as she leaned back against the door.

“you. are terrible. in relationships.” he enunciated with ease, egging her on further to match the quickly swelling anger that he’d been stewing in for the last hour.

“who said i wanted to date him in the first place?”

“so you just fuck half of our team’s rivals for fun?”

“we’re not in highschool, keiji. grow up.”

“oh, now i need to grow up? when did you get so mature?” he sneered, and she rolled her eyes at him for the third time that night.

“you’re acting like a fucking child.”

“then get out of the car.” he snapped, anger surging through every pore as he got in her face.

“gladly.” she smiled, moving closer to add a sharp “i don’t know why i even tried to make it work. like you said, it’ll never happen.” as she moved to open the passenger door.

in that moment, there was no one she despised more than akaashi keiji. she hated his deep, gravely voice throwing insults at her, and she hated that desire was starting to muddle her thoughts as his dark eyes stared straight into her soul.

he grabbed onto her free hand, pulling her back into his proximity to deliver the final blow. “god, i fucking hate you.”

weirdly enough, that statement had the opposite effect as she pulled him into a feverish, lust driven kiss that left him breathless and fighting a losing battle.

“sometimes i really wish you’d stop talking.”

“make me, princess.”

he was quickly silenced as she moved to sit between his legs and locked her lips with his. the line between anger and lust was quickly blurred as he tangled his hands in her long locks to bring her closer.

a growl left his mouth as she nipped at his lower lip, and he pressed his hips into hers as he tried to grasp onto any form of dominance.

the light gasp that escaped her when he moved to her neck was enough to appease him, and he sucked bruises into her neck as she tried to find any form of friction.

both of his large hands had taken up residence on the curve of her ass, pulling her chest up to press against his as their lips clashed again.

she moaned against akaashi’s lips as his hips ground against hers, and her skin burned against his as he slid her shirt down her shoulders.

all too quickly, clothing was discarded and the windows began to fog as the car was filled with quiet moans and skin slapping repeatedly as the struggle for power continued.

a delicate hand wrapped lightly around his throat, and she smirked into the kiss as his hips snapped to meet hers once again.

as much as he hated it, she held all the control that was usually reserved for him. he was used to hearing her beg, but this was different. even when he thought he was winning, she knew the truth. he was growing desperate, his thrusts harsh and feverous as he relished in the moans that filled his ears.

“fuck.” he groaned, his fingers bruising her thighs as his name ripped through her throat. she dug her nails into his shoulders, leaving scratches all over his back as she tried to manage his relentless pace.

it was becoming far too much to handle; her peak was so close, but just enough out of reach to leave her legs shaking as she bounced against him.

as if on instinct, he held her hips still as he pounded into her at a sickeningly sweet pace. quickly gaining confidence, he smirked against her neck as she keened under his touch.

she was a mess, coming undone under the pressure of his lips on her neck as her eyes rolled into the back of her head. akaashi wasn’t far behind; low moans vibrating through her ears as climax ripped through them.

they sat there for a few moments, wrapped up in each other in the cramped car seat before they realized what they’d done.

‘jesus.. bokuto can never find out about this.’

masterlist:

taglist: @bby-bokuto @momoinot @crushingonsuga @k4tiepie @levisackerwoman @ashleefo @yammmers @heyitzwolf @pharvhs @disaster-rose @just-snog-already @laughingismorefun @kac-chowsballs @berriesii @centinoahs @ack-aashi @nerdynstoned @newfriendjen @moonlightaangel @paripedia @oxoai @well-imnotdead-yet @mygreat-perhapes @mochahyuck @tycrackculture

[arhvste]

next stop iwa-chan!

“i’m sayin that i love you everyday and i know that you love me, baby admit it”

CHAPTER CONTINUES UNDER THE CUT

“hey you.”

“so, this is our apartment for now huh?”

iwaizumi smiled gently and brought a hand up to cup the girls cheek, his calloused hands delicately ghosting over her warm skin.

iwaizumi smiled gently and brought a hand up to cup the girls cheek, his calloused hands delicately ghosting over her warm skin.

iwaizumi smiled gently and brought a hand up to cup the girls cheek, his calloused hands delicately ghosting over her warm skin.

“mhm, what’s mine is yours for however long it is you’re staying with me.”

stroking his thumb over her cheekbones, iwaizumi brought his face down to meet y/n who found herself admiring his facial features. a soft kiss was met to her as she leant into him allowing him to deepen it to which he happily obliged to.

y/n allowed her hands to wander as she wove her fingers through iwaizumi’s short tufts of dark hair as he grunted in satisfaction letting his other hand to drop to the girls lower back drawing small circles.

both pulled away to catch their breaths as y/n rested her head into iwaizumi’s toned chest, a soft smile gracing her face as a light blush dusted over both of their faces.

“missed me on the drive back that much?” the girl teased feeling the vibrations from iwaizumi’s chest from a small hum in amusement.

“maybe a little.” he admitted, fingers gently playing the ends of y/n’s hair as he looked over at her suitcase. “let’s get that into the bedroom then, we’ll unpack and then leave whatever you don’t need in oikawa’s room.” he pulled away from the girl to grab her hand to guide to her over to her belongings.

y/n raised an eyebrow as iwaizumi easily dragged the heavy case over the heated flooring of the apartment towards his bedroom.

“unpack? are you sure? i can just leave my stuff in my suitcase and grab it when i need it, you don’t have to actually unpack it all properly!”

iwaizumi let out a small laugh before smirking at her.

“baby, i said this is our apartment, meaning that my room is our room, so why would we only leave you half moved in?”

y/n flushed in embarrassment at the mans words before huffing and opening the bedroom door for him. “fine, only because you’re okay with it though.”

“why wouldn’t i be okay with my girlfriend moving into my room?”

y/n stopped in her tracks as she tried to process what has just left iwaizumi’s mouth. girlfriend? did she hear that correctly.

“-i, did you just say g-girlfriend?” y/n sputtered in shock as iwaizumi crossed his arms over his chest looking down at the girl with a serious expression.

“i believe i did.” he sighed and grabbed the girls hand to guide her down to sit on the edge of the king size bed, holding both of her hands in his bigger ones while looking up into her soft and endearing eyes.

“y/n, let me be honest, my friends have been bugging me for over a month to make you my girlfriend, you’ve been so patient with me and honestly i don’t know how, i was going to wait to see how living together goes but i already know how things are going to go and i want us to be offical while living together,” taking a breath, iwaizumi searched for any signs of discomfort in y/n’s reaction before continuing.

“i know i always call you wifey, but i really want you to feel like it, i had a plan to ask you to be my girlfriend by the end of the week but we’ve always said and done what’s natural right? we stopped holding back a while ago and let things play out as they came and well, seeing you suggest keeping your stuff in your suitcase rather than unpacking it all properly struck something in me. it’s silly but, i want you to feel like this is your home, that i’m your home.”

y/n blinked, processing the confession the man she’d fallen for had just professed out loud to her. he squeezed her hands lightly before getting the last few words he needed to out.

“i know you haven’t even stayed over one night yet but i really, really had the urge to just ask you. i’m sorry it’s nothing big, i had something planned but we always said to take and do things naturally and i’d be lying to myself if i were to say i didn’t think what i’m doing right now is out of instinct. i’m in love with you and i’ve never wanted something so badly with someone so, y/n l/n, will you please be my girlfriend?”

y/n couldn’t even stop the wide smile that had been threatening to break out at any point. she looked up into his anxious eyes only hers gleamed with pure happiness and excitement. lacing her fingers into his, y/n sighed and shook her head slightly still smiling.

“fuck haijime, you really know how to use your words to break someone down. of course i’ll be your girlfriend... i’ve only been waiting like a month for you to ask.” y/n teased slightly at the end earning a huff from her new boyfriend.

“so... i guess we’re official now then.” he mumbled, a soft expression painted across his face as y/n nodded.

“i guess we are... which means i can do this without feeling so nervous.”

y/n moved her head up catching iwaizumi off guard, pressing her lips firmly onto his own, hands snaking around his neck as his moved to her back and the other weaving its way into y/n’s hair, guiding her head closer to his as y/n gasped letting iwaizumi assert dominance once again.

the raw love the pair felt for each other was felt through the physical contact and the flood of emotions the two had built up came crashing down as previous anxieties over past relationships, other people and foreign emotions were washed away, replaced with the feelings of security, bliss and a sense of home. iwaizumi was home.

the feeling of love shattered single-handedly and so recklessly causing the understanding of what it felt to be in love to be destroyed in his mind. the feeling foreign and forgotten.

y/n had taken on the challenge unintentionally and she did a damn good job picking up the pieces and building the once scarce and broken memory, back into the wonderful memory iwaizumi had once known to be in love. so delicately but so forcibly all at once, y/n l/n had taught iwaizumi what it was like to be in love once again. the feeling reuniting with the other emotions he was familiar with, iwaizumi had been brought back home by y/n.

breaking away, iwaizumi felt a thin layer of tears stream down his cheeks as he looked down at the girl who had taken his own world by storm and so easily allowed herself in. as clichè as it sounds, y/n was something else and in his mind he knew he was right about it. she had changed his life in a way he didn’t think would be possible again and for that, iwaizumi knew that y/n was the girl he wanted to grow with. he wanted nothing more than to grow and learn with her and he wanted that with a label that he had been so scared of before after it was ripped to shreds before his eyes.

y/n had changed the meaning of love and that was something he refused to ignore. ‘girlfriend and boyfriend’ were titles that used to throw his guard up but now, he knew he was going to be okay using them because he had the girl he loved to share them with.

calling y/n his official girlfriend was a big deal to him and both himself and y/n knew this, he also knew she wouldn’t take advantage of that and rush him. he trusted her and was thankful for everything she’d done for him. she was everything he never knew he needed and wanted to fix him and it was her who brought out the best version of him.

“haijime, shh don’t cry!” y/n looked up wiping his cheeks softly as he let out a laugh.

“i promise, i’ll be your home too, but thank you for bringing me back to mine.”

next stop iwa-chan!

iwaizumi haijime x reader

masterlist

akaashi’s playgroup || two pretty setters and co

an - bokuto and oikawa are about to have a field day

part 30 - marriage material

part 31 - home

part 32 - details

PLEASE SEND AN ASK TO BE ADDED TO TAGLIST

⤷ taglist : @crushingonsuga @bloody-bella @totorosleaff @kageyamasbabygorl @cuddlyroger @hidden-otaku-stuff @vanilla-beanzz @macchiatoast @kac-chowsballs @anime-read-write-repeat @missalienqueen @bbkiyoomi @toaster-stick @nerdynstoned @otaku-fangirlse @the-third-wall @nekomateammanager @bokutoichigo @killlerqween @queen-of-the-trash-planet-tm @doggonudez @iwaizluv @angrylittlezizi @softmultistan @lifesciencesbois @itsmattsunshinehere @haikyus1mp @bringmelily @valrubiii @saturnfarie @oyaoyaoya-chan @ack-aashi @weebymaria @introvertatitsfinest @rd-crew @strawberryyymiaa @a-fucking-simp @chokomoko @iwachanswh0re @maybesoph @leviathans-watching @loser-keiji @yandearie @scrappydaisies @caramel-chuuya @satorisupremacy @hellothankmas @makkihoe @firebonbon @kokogxddess @kaiagiorgi @softmatcha @peteunderoos

[frogtanii]

> chaos: unlimited

i’m so sorry.

series masterlist

——————————————————————————

an: sooooo 😳 i LIVE for protective tsukki- speaking of, so y’all think he’s being too harsh?? i do b curious what y’all think :0

taglist: @shigarakiskitten • @rhaynedaze • @chsnerl • @kittenthekat1234567890 • @skyvler • @chaoticalybiased • @iwantapoptartqwq • @moncymonce • @gabbaeae • @meemeesmydude • @ptv-hades • @childofdawns • @kamidoesthings • @zhneecho • @just-snog-already • @ladymartiini • @sakurahoshizora • @kartianaaa • @breaking-ur-kneecaps • @heyimsad • @blveteaaa • @moonlightaangel • @bbecc-a • @steggy4ever • @kozumie • @mydudesssss • @cowboy-doll • @achly • @your-local-lesbo • @aloserwithoutacause • @lilidrawz • @newfriendjen • @rotn-decay • @lovemeafterhrs • @i-maginaryclou-d • @wumboho • @momo-has-a-gun • @melacholy • @dai-tsukki-desu • @sneezy-s • @aristatrois • @yammers • @ack-aashi • @handsoffmyfriends • @solemnmoongirl • @cactsuki6 • @krxstynnn • @drablily • @kokenma

[indigohitoshi]

04 ; MALE STRIPPER

SUBTWEETS.

*.:｡★ after coming across your timeline, hajime finds your twitter handle and realizes that he comes into your bakery everyday. you seem relatively nice, but are you actually sub-thirsting about him?

*.:｡★ taglist : @the-broken-halo-writer @cuddlesslut @peppermintkiddo @pyblos @90s-belladonna @kxmilkahara @suna-allie @iiwah @kritiiiii @ilykenewdles @momoinot @ktbio @kageyamasbabygorl @berriesii @itsalyssa15 @akaashimp @ushiwakaismybae @kuroosbabie @adorable-punk-superheroes @kuraomi @kalesveggietales @prinzessinbuttercup @thespookyem @yusemis @zoppzoop @uchihaslutt @chaelysian @nishi-is-baby @patty-got-cakes @kenmasgameboy @svtbitch @steggy4ever @cadekagi @inewts @jabby16 @glowing-kuroo @nerdystoned @harajukukitsune @kodzukki @kissofbelladonna @kiyoomile @hqreisin @sugasugawarau @actual-smol @akaarin @sneezy-s @pro-teen-summer @ack-aashi @jiminscarmex @taebby95 @sokka-dated-the-moon @kuroosrighttoe @jexiiann

*.:｡★ authors note : issa upload on time challenge 😾😾😾 i rly thought yesterday was wednesday ... im sorry 💔. this chapter wasn’t that funny 😿 but they work together now 😼 chaotic time 😼.

STRIKETHROUGH MEANS UNABLE TO TAG. TAGLIST IS CLOSED.

[mintsuke]

Forelsket | 11 - Sir Asshole

Tsukishima Kei x f!Reader

Note: Although Tsukishima’s height made it easier to jump blocks, (Y/n) felt more at ease receiving, resulting in the growing shock (and suspicion) from her (his) teammates. On the other hand, the Nekoma boys were in delightful shock to have their temporary manager join in on practice, ignorant of the true reason being that Kuroo could spend time teaching Tsukishima more blocks - although with much difficulty given the height of his current body. (Which Kuroo has taken full advantage of in order to constantly tease the first year).

A/n: The dialogue might be slightly rushed and I apologize, I wanted to put something out as soon as I could because I know I posted about totally crushing the exam that had been stressing me out for months and yet still continued to be on hiatus. I kind of stopped writing mainly because I didn’t have inspiration and didn’t know what direction I wanted to take this or any of my wip’s. I also started school already, but it’s only filler since I’m applying for the nursing program soon for summer semester! 

Anyhoo~ I reached 400 followers <3 thank you so much for that, and also thank you for always supporting me and returning to Forelsket despite that long hiatus lmao. *sorry for the long a/n

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+Taglist | Open! (Send an ask or comment! | Comment replies from my main @minnochu​​)

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*Unable to tag in bold - if you change your handle pls lmk so I can update it <3

**ALSO @leivapats​ iDK WHY BUT IT ONLY JUST NOW SUDDENLY TAGGED YOU HOLY SHIT IM SO SORRY FOR THE LAST 10 PARTS IT COULDN’T TAG YOU OMG.

[samiwok]

lost in love ;

social media au

masterlist | ✧ 4. lies ✧

[ previous | 3 ]

> A.N. ; this kind of article duuuuse it was so long to make dkwkdkek but at least now it’s done and I already. Can’t wait for whats coming. This, is only the very beginning hehehe, already waiting your feedbacks ab this part, love you guys

> TAGLIST ; @bokukiyoom @glowing-kuroo @kuroosrighttoe @wyfanfangalaxy @bap-kingdom @xs-hoodie @mirakeul @ktbio @keigosbitch @fangirling-25-8 @strawberriimilkshake @ak-may @cruel-spider @wansseul @attsm @iamnotobsessed @sugawsites @lyzzklm @ongjaewonx @sepirayanii @iloveanime691 @chaelysian @lumiriai @deerixiie @mindofess @doggonudez @aristatrois @trashcanweeb @xanaxdeity @momoinot @fullsundear @foshycoicx @nishenoya @notamazinglizzy @tsukkiboii @beastboypng @kaashi-is-bae @senkuwu-chan @moonlightaangel @deediydoo @renee1414 @vixenini @saucyparkerr @ack-aashi @mrs-kuroojinguji @fait-de-fleurs @hulianna-jace @shoutsukii @clowninfortodoroki @tycrackculture @kiyoojima @chasekudo

— taglist is [ open ] ; if I forgot you just tell me ♡