#and an almost 17k two shot

[quil12]

I'm already so many words into this chapter and I'm not even halfway done with it... it might have to get broken into two parts

[erodasfishtacos]

Digging A Deeper Hole || MLB ||

Prompt: Harry is going through a rough adjustment to his new life. At twenty-one, he was the face of a massive franchise, a father, and a husband with millions watching his every mood. He starts to feel it. Word Count: 7.8k Warnings: Depression, Anxiety, Angst - please keep in mind H is young here so he’s a bit more immature than one shots where he’s older. He’s still figuring stuff out

AUTHORS NOTES:

There is 5 more part to this up on patreon (17k words, a 25.1k fic overall)

I upload a piece of writing every 1-3 days (usually two) consistently// currently updating abo!roommates

All writings are accurately and always added to the organized folders in the collections feature

There are currently 300 + pieces available to read

It only cost $3USD —— thanks for any support and check me out here!

========================= Harry had the weight on the world on his shoulders.

The past year had been the best but most stressful time that he has ever had in his life.

He hadn’t had a break, it was go, go, go.

At the age of twenty-one, it felt like he had responsibilities that most people never had this amount of.

He had expectations from every side, especially from work, though it sounded like a dream to be the new face of Major League Baseball, to be the highest paid rookie to start, or the fact that he was a projected to be one of the best players of all time.

It came at a cost.

A really fucking big cost.

It took Harry a while to realize that he was experiencing some depression, the pressure of his coaches, the team, the public, and on top of that, he was navigating being newly married with a baby.

++

”Styles, get off the phone!” His assistant coach shouted from the field, he should be jogging onto the mound because practice was nearly over, and everyone was ready to head back to the hotels.

“Hold the fuck on!” Harry shouts back without looking up, waiting for the FaceTime call to connect, he had thought he had more time before they started up again.

Harry’s heart leaps when it connects, his perfect baby in the camera view, blowing raspberries between chewing on teether that looked like car keys, “Say ‘hi’ to your daddy!”

Easton is too little to quite comprehend the phone but he blinks in confusion at the screen before blowing another wet raspberry towards his father.

”Hi East, look at how handsome you look,” Harry croons, trying to memorize every little feature because he’s only going to be this small for a little while, “Your daddy misses you so much.”

YN pulls the phone to her face for a moment, “I took him on a walk around Central Park earlier today and he saw a group of pigeons. He squealed so loudly that they all flew away in a flock and he started giggling. I wish I would have gotten it on video.”

”He really does love the pigeons-“ Harry begins but is cut off.

”Styles, final warning. Get off your phone or I’m locking it up! Now,” The other coach yells, starting to actually get pissed, and Harry has to resist the urge to flip them off.

”H,” YN says knowingly, it was pretty common that he was getting yelled at, “Go practice.”

“I want to be home with you,” Harry frowns, he truly means it.

”I know,” YN agrees with kind understanding on her face, “Go kick some ass for us.”

++

He didn’t get to spend the time he wanted at home with his family, the away games caused him to panic, and he was starting to have anxiety attacks as he steps onto the private jet.

Harry was blowing YN’s phone up at any free moment he got, asking to FaceTime to see her and Easton, and YN had noticed how much more he was asking for reassurance, it was frequent.

++

”He’s sleepy. He just fed for almost an hour,” YN murmurs, tired herself and her eyes were heavy, it was undeniable that she had a lot on her plate with taking care of Easton by herself.

YN did see Anne once or twice a week but she was adamant that she did not need help raising her own baby, that she was fully capable of taking care of Easton by herself when Harry wasn’t home.

Easton was ten-months at this point, splayed on his mother’s chest with a milk-drunk little smile as he laid his small fist on her neck, easily starting to drift to sleep.

Harry feels a pang of disgusting, gnarly guilt and disappointment that he’s not there to lay in bed with them, and he felt like a piece of shit for sitting in this swanky hotel room by himself.

”Harry?” YN asks after he doesn’t respond, he was just watching the screen as his wife ran her fingers through Easton’s soft baby curls, silky smooth.

Harry swallows harshly to avoid the tears prickling, “I love you so much. You know that?”

YN smiles at him, soft and warm, “We love you so much. We miss you and cannot wait for you to get home. We both want so many cuddles with you.”

Harry’s jaw clenches, scrunching his nose, and feel the pit in his stomach get deeper, darker, rawer, and it felt overwhelming as he sat alone with his family on the other side of the country.

It felt suffocating that he wanted to go home but he couldn’t because he had a contract, a job, he had to provide, and he worked his whole life to be where he’s at.

He’s in a position that billions would want to be in but all he can think about is being with his family, he would give up everything he’d ever accomplished to cuddle with them every night.

But he couldn’t, deep down, he knew that it was his emotions getting the best of him, and it’s disappointing that he’s not enjoying baseball like he thought he would right now.

“I…I’m sorry,” Harry sniffles, rubbing his eye roughly to catch the tears before they fall any further.

YN’s smile falls which makes him feel even worse, “Baby, what’s wrong? Why are you apologizing?”

”I’m not there to help you,” Harry presses his face into his forearm to try to stop the tears, “I’m just sittin’ here in a hotel room, I’m fuckin’ useless to you.”

”Hey,” YN says firmly, lips going into a straight line, “Harry, you are not useless. How could you think that? You’re providing for us. You make it possible for me to stay at home, in this beautiful home, with everything we’d ever need, and spend every moment with Easton. That’s because of you.”

It makes Harry feel a bit better, that perspective on the situation because he hadn’t looked at it like that, “I’ll always provide for you two.”

”You’re the best provider. We love you so much. We are so proud of you. Easton is going to be so so proud of his daddy and what a good man you are to us,” YN tells him confidently, thter’s no wavering in her voice as she watches Harry’s reaction.

Harry hangs his head, done trying to stop the tears, he didn’t feel good.

He had felt depression a few times in his life, the most when he was going through his struggles with his sexuality, and it was starting to feel like that again.

”Harry,” YN’s voice is soft, careful, “Are you okay, baby? What made you so upset?”

Harry wipes his face with the back of his hand, he didn’t want to worry YN.

She had so much on her plate right now that the last thing she needed to worry about was his mental health because he needed to pull it together and stop being so emotional.

”I just miss you,” Harry tells her, it wasn’t a lie but it really wasn’t the full truth, there was so much more to it than what he was letting on but he could handle it on his own.

Lord knows he had enough time while he was sitting in this hotel room alone or had a flight on the private jet.

++

Harry felt like a car ran him over, twice, and then backed up over him.

He did as good as everyone expected him to do during the games in San Diego, he won all three of the games with too many strikeouts to count, and two home runs to get them scores.

Harry was able to shut his mind off during the games, all he was thinking about was his job, and what he needed to do to make sure that they won the games - that was it.

Afterwards, the creeping feelings that had been haunting him especially hard this past month or so wouldn’t wait very long to pop up again after the games.

He started demanding a flight home the night of the last game, everyone else always waited until the next day because traveling right after playing was near torture with the exhaustion.

Harry felt like death as he landed in New York City, his bones were heavy as if they weighed a thousand pounds each, his arm was sore from how many pitches he had to throw, and he hadn’t been sleeping well when he was away from YN and the baby.

His heart was a bit lighter as he opened the front door to their home, the smell of his favorite brownies hitting his nose, and a peel of bubbly, angelic baby giggles echoed through the hallway.

Harry needed to see them, he dropped his bag and didn’t care that his cologne bottle most likely just shattered inside because of how careless he was being.

No, he was making his way toward the smell and sounds, and when he found what he waas looking for - his stomach untwisted just the slightest and everything didn’t seem so bleak for a moment.

YN turns around, having been alerted to his entrance by his bag dropping, Easton was on her hip and had a spatula in his hand, gnawing on it happily.

”Who is that, East?” YN bounces him up and down, “Is that your daddy?”

Harry wants to cry tears of relief when Easton drops the spatula, letting it clatter onto the tile, and starts to cry.

He was the cutest little thing.

Whenever Harry got home from work, Easton would start to cry because he wanted him, and was sad like he just realized that he had been missing him all day and he was finally home with him.

”Oh my goodness,” YN hums as Easton wiggles, starting to reach out for him with grabbing hands, dramatic tears running down his face as his pouty bottom lip wobbles.

”No tears, bub,” Harry coos as he steps forward, taking Easton out of her arms, and giving him the biggest hug he can manage as he presses kisses to the side of his face, his hair, his nose, “I missed you so much. I hate being away from you, East, miss you every moment.”

YN is watching with a content smile, patiently waiting her turn as he blinks over at her, his voice still soft and raspy, “Hi mama.”

”Hi H,” YN whispers back, stepping forward to cup his jaw and bring their lips together in a kiss, her thumb rubbing the stubble of his jawline and her other squeezing his hip, “I missed you.”

Harry hates that he feels the lump in his throat, “I fuckin’ missed you so much. I can’t explain how much I hate being away from you and him. I am so grateful that you’re so good to me and East. You know that?”

One of YN’s love languages was definitely words of affirmation so to hear such nice compliments really did mean a lot to her because she didn’t always feel the most secure either.

It was a lot to have her husband traveling all the time, where if he wanted, there would be unlimited opportunities for him to make bad choices because there was not a shortage of men and women who would bed him without a second thought.

YN had complete and utter trust in him.

It wasn’t ever a real concern but when Harry was as gorgeous as he was, it was hard not to feel a bit of insecurity when people often let it be known how much they found him attractive.

”Thank you, H,” YN brings him in for another kiss, “Dinner is almost ready. Brownies are also baking in the oven. Easton was my little helper but was trying to get his chunky fingers in the raw batter which he had an attitude about when I told him ‘no’.”

”You better listen to your mama,” Harry hums at his son, munching at his neck until Easton is giggling and pulling at his curls to keep him close, he loved his father so much, “Be nice to mama, Easton Robin.”

YN reaches forward, “Go get a shower. Settle in a little bit.”

Harry passes Easton back but frowns, “Darling, I can take him and manage. You have had him for the last week.”

YN waves him off, “I got him for a few minutes longer. Get showered, dressed, then we can eat dinner, and cuddle. Okay?”

”Sounds like a dream,” Harry replies because it really does, all that he wants is to be able to hold them in his arms, and start filling this hole that starts to eat away at him every time he has to leave.`

++

After Harry showers, he tugs on his briefs, and sits on the edge of the bed.

He doesn’t know how he fell asleep like that but it seemed to happen nearly as soon as he plopped down on the plush of their bed because he hadn’t slept in nearly twenty-four hours, after an exhausting game and seven hours of travel.

The next time he wakes up, it’s completely dark in the bedroom, and he blinks his eyes open to see the alarm clock reading that it was three in the morning.

YN was fast asleep on her side of the bed, baby monitor on the side table, and Easton was sleeping in his nursery on his back with a binky halfway out of his mouth.

Harry squeezes his eyes shut, putting his fists to them for a moment as he grits his teeth, “Fuck fuck fuck.”

He gets out of bed, not wanting to disturb YN, she looked so fucking pretty while she slept and Harry was in disbelief of what a fucking idiot he was.

YN not only watched Easton for the past week, she managed everything else for their household, made Harry dinner and dessert, all for him to fall asleep.

She needs a break from the baby, YN should have gotten one last night after all her hard work, and Harry just went and fell asleep like a bloody teenager with no responsibilities.

He grabs the baby monitor so that YN won’t be woken up, hoping that she will sleep in for as long as possible in the morning, and Harry can take on baby duties.

Harry’s plan was to clean the house, the least he could do as an apology but everything was near spotless thanks to his wife, and when he went into the kitchen to clean the dishes from dinner.

There were none, YN had put all the leftovers away, wrapped the brownies, and cleaned all the pots and pans - as well as all of Easton’s bottles.

”Fuck me,” Harry grunts as he resists the urge to hit something, instead slamming his fists on the countertop, and staring at nothing as he feels the deep hole become bigger, “Such a fuck-up.”

Harry doesn’t even know what he can do to repay her, to make it up to her, and the mixture of his anxiety and depression had to be the gnarliest combination because they were kicking his ass.

His anxiety starts taking over and an intrusive thought starts to pop into his brain and he can’t shake it.

What if she leaves you?

What if she doesn’t think you’re a good enough father?

She does all this for you and you treat her like shit the moment you come home?

You don’t deserve her.

Harry’s throat tightens up, it feels hard to breathe for a few minutes as he tries taking slow, deep inhales before repeating the process to help try to regulate his breathing.

He had to make this up to her.

++

Harry manages Easton by himself, that wasn’t an issue, and he was even able to run out to grab YN’s favorite donuts from a few blocks down before she was up.

Harry was currently in the living room, laying on the floor with Easton as he played with these soft, big blocks, and smiled at his father with only two little teeth showing on his bottom gums.

”Morning, well afternoon,” YN laughs as she looks at the clock on the wall, it was nearly twelve and she was able to catch up on all the sleep she desperately needs, “You didn’t need to let me sleep for that long, H. I appreciate it though, felt super nice to be able to get re-energized.”

”It’s the least I could do,” Harry replies, the enthusiasm that was usually in his voice was missing, and he struggled to meet her eye because he was embarassed.

YN knows something is off as she sits down next to them, scooping Easton up and tucking him under her big shirt where he can excitedly start to nurse - he very begrudgingly used a bottle but it was always a bit more difficult to get him to eat with one.

”Are you sure you’re okay?” YN frowns as she rubs his knee, “You seem down. Did something happen?”

”I’m a piece of shit,” Harry chuckles without humor, throwing his hands up, “Isn’t it obvious? I leave you at home with the baby and then the minute I get home, I fall asleep and don’t do shit to help you. On top of that, you made dinner and I didn’t even eat it.”

YN’s frown turns into more of a scowl, “Harry, what has you talking like this? Did someone say something to you? I don’t like when you talk like that. You were exhausted! You were just away for a week, training and playing, and have so much other than that going on. Do you really think that I’m mad about that?”

“I’m mad about how I acted because it effects you,” Harry grits back, his anxiety and depression had a tendency to make him cranky in a way that he normally wouldn’t be, “It’s no excuse. You get no excuses. I need to do better.”

”You need to stop talking like that,” YN retorts as she stares back at him with a twitch of her brow, “Everything is fine. We are fine. Nothing is wrong. This is how our life looks sometimes and that’s okay. You are doing this to take care of us.”

“It feels pretty fuckin’ selfish right now,” Harry shakes his head, standing up and trying to hide the wince from how achey his muscles were, he should do a cold plunge but he’s not going to take anymore time for himself - he dosn’t deserve it.

“How is it selfish?” YN is getting frustrated, her leg shaking slightly but then she stops when she realizes that it’s jostling Easton and he whines in displeasure.

”I get to get a full night’s sleep in a luxury hotel room, you’re here.”

YN scoffs, licking over her teeth, “Yeah, Harry. It’s a massive hardship, living in a three million dollar home in the middle of the Upper East Side. I think I’ll survive.”

“That’s not the fuckin’ point,” Harry cracks his neck, his anxiety made his heart rate feel like he was constantly running a marathon, it was hard for him to keep his composure.

”Don’t talk to me like that,” YN raises her voice, moving to get up with Easton still suckling away, “This isn’t how you show appreciation, Harry. I’m just trying to have a conversation and you have an attitude.”

Harry knows that he’s just going to continue to dig himself a deeper pit than he’s already in if he keeps talking.

Most of the time, he did not feel like like a twenty-one year old despite his boyish looks but right now, he felt like he was acting his age and it wasn’t a good thing.

”Why don’t you take Easton and see your mom today,” YN offers, her voice is still tight but trying to keep it cordial as she brings Easton out from under her shirt.

He was blinking languidly, his lips smacking in satisfaction as his belly was full, and YN hands him over to Harry to take, “Yeah, I’ll get him ready and go.”

It was a good opportunity to give YN a break but he was honestly a bit surprised that she took him up on it or that she didn’t want to come with because when Harry came home, they tried to stay together as much as possible.

He does know that he’s acting like a complete dickhead which makes sense why she wasn’t dying to spend time with him right night, still it was just odd because it’s unlike her.

”Sounds good,” YN pulls out her phone, looking down and fingers flitting across the screen which was also a bit odd, how she was a distracted by it because it was unlike her just like her letting him go alone.

God, Harry was making a fucking mess, wasn’t he? +++++++++++++++++

It stuck out like a sore thumb when Harry was off.

Normally, he was the most easy-going, bubbly, funny person who stole most of the attention when he wasn’t even trying.

It was how he captured everyone’s interest whether it was his big grin that had his dimples showing deep in the pockets of his cheeks, the way he threw his head back and let out these low raspy chuckles, or just how he nodded attentively when someone else was talking.

So when he wasn’t feeling like himself, all those things that lit up rooms disappeared, and it was hard for him to socialize.

Harry was still beating himself up the entire ride outside of the city to his mother’s house, Easton was napping in the back and this would be a nice sleep before the excitement of Nana’s house.

Harry was replaying everything with YN, from the way he was sharp with her to get short with her when she did absolutely nothing to deserve that from him because she was so fucking good to him - all the time.

YN never complained about anything.

She never complained about being at home with the baby alone.

YN never tied to guilt Harry because he was away during the season so much.

It makes it so much worse that he’s not able to hold his shit together even just for YN, he didn’t want her to worry about his mental health, that’s the last thing she needed on her plate.

He was going to figure this out himself.

It wasn’t that he didn’t feel like he couldn’t talk to her, it was more that he knew she cares so much that it might upset her or make her worry when he’s on the road, all he wants for her is to focus on Easton and herself.

Harry normally loves going up to his mom’s, a little lake house that he had bought her with one of his first paychecks, despite how much she huffed and puffed, he knew that it was a dream of hers to live on the water.

It was the least he could do after she did so much to make his dreams come true.

However, despite Harry getting a decent amount of sleep, he felt bone tired and just drained was the best way to explain it - he felt like all the energy that he normally feels has been sucked clean out of him.

He wanted to turn the car around, go home, crawl into bed with YN and Easton, and not have to interact with anyone else for at least a week but that wasn’t possible with his schedule.

Harry should be enjoying his time right now.

They have an off week which meant that he had nearly two and a half weeks at home because the following week were games at their home stadium so he could be home every night.

Harry just couldn’t wait for this season to be over.

And that thought alone alarmed him because he fucking loved baseball, he loved being the best of the best, he loved all the recognition he got but right now his desire was lower than it’s been in a really long time.

When he pulls down the long driveway, a house sat back off the residential road where she had neighbors but there was a good amount of distance between the them to give privacy and seclusion.

He sees that there are multiple cars in the driveway which makes Harry groan because he didn’t realize that his mom was going to call over friends and family since he was coming to visit.

Anne did that sometimes, when Harry called saying that he’d be up, she would call aunts, uncles, relatives, and close friends to come for a barbecue, and it was the last thing he wanted right now.

He was already a bit peeved that his mother didn’t ask him first because he would have very clearly told her that he wasn’t in the mood to entertain people, to answer questions, and talk about baseball for a good five hours.

When Harry opens the back door, Easton’s already awake and smiling at his father with a gummy smile, his two bottom baby teeth made him look so adorable but he knew that more were going to popping through soon.

”Hi, sweetheart,” Harry hums softly as he unbuckles his baby, bringing him up into his arms and into a hug, kissing his temple, “I love you so much, you know that? M’only away so that you have everythin’ you’d ever want. Miss you every second-“

A smack comes heartily on his back, right on his throwing shoulder where the soreness is radiating like a motherfucker, and he has to grit his teeth to not curse and startle Easton.

”Buddy, how much did this ride cost ya?” His Uncle Chuck, his mom’s brother asks obnoxiously, “Saw these things were going for a hundred and some change?”

Harry takes a deep breath, his patience was wearing thin, and he had barely made it out of the car, “I don’t remember how much it cost.”

“That’s what being rich gets you, huh? Twenty-one with a fat bank account and no responsibilities. I would have loved to have a life like yours,” Chuck chortles as he leans up against said expensive SUV, beer in his hand.

“I have plenty of fuckin’ responsibilities,” Harry bites back, scolding himself for cursing in from of Easton, even if he was too young to understand, he tried not to make it a habit.

“Sure you do, bud,” His uncle laughs, clearly not catching onto Harry’s mood, “Last thing I’d want is a baby with everything that you have going on. Growing up too fast.”

“Luckily, it’s not your life,” Harry brushes him off, picking up Easton’s diaper bag on his free shoulder and hikes him up, “We’ll be in soon. Give us a minute.”

His uncle shrugs before staggering off, a drunken sway in his step as he stumbles back towards the house.

Harry buries his nose in Easton’s downy, fresh smelling wispy curls to steady his breathing, he feels a bit emotional as he talks to his son.

“M’sorry, East. Daddy doesn’t feel good right now,” Harry swallows hard, squeezing his eyes shut, “I just have to pull it together. God, I love you. My baby.”

Harry gives himself another minute of grounding before taking a deep exhale and shutting the door, walking towards the house.

Everyone was on the back patio, sipping on drinks, and cheering when they saw him.

Dread settles heavy in Harry’s stomach as his family members as they start asking him about his games, wanting to recap every play he’s made, his sponsorships and his much he’s getting paid.

Harry’s trying to keep up the conversation but all he can think about is how much he didn’t want to be there, and he should have just taken Easton to the park or something more low-key.

When he bumps into his mom in the kitchen, Anne is prepping a salad and smiles back at her son - unaware of his mood.

“Isn’t this fun, hun?” Anne asks happily, sprinkling in some spices as she hums.

“Why couldn’t it have just been us? I have to be around people all the time and I thought it was just going to be you. Now I have to entertain all of them,” Harry’s tone definitely takes her aback as she puts down the tongs she was using.

“Usually you love when everyone’s here, I don’t understand,” Anne’s smile drops, wiping her hands on the dishrag.

“Does anybody ever consider that I don’t love talking about baseball every second of the day or how much money is in my bank account?” Harry’s tone is venomous and resentful, unfairly harsh on his mom when she hadn’t tried to upset him.

“Harr-“ Anne begins to apologize, albeit, a bit confused.

“Easton’s almost ready for a nap,” He cuts her off as he checks his watch, it didn’t really matter what time it was, he was done.

“My bedroom-“

“No, I’m going home,” Harry shakes his head, turning on his heel. He has the decency to look back and say, “Sorry, mom. I just can’t be here.”

Easton was currently being held by his Aunt Jane, he was starting to fuss because he had a bottle not too long ago and he was starting to get cranky.

“Alright, we’re going to head out. East needs his nap,” Harry announces, hiking on the diaper bag, and starting to walk over.

“Oh, we barely see him! Just a few more minutes with this little one. You can hold off his nap for a little!” His Aunt Jane jokingly holds him tighter for a minute and nothing right now is funny to Harry.

Harry doesn’t get loud but his voice gets steely as he reaches down and scoops Easton up from her lap, “Don’t tell me how to take care of my baby, understood?”

His poor aunt is taken aback, just like his mom, and nods.

Harry storms out without another glance back, ignoring the whispers about how odd he was acting and rude.

When he straps Easton in, the dark bubble in belly subsides for a moment- like sun breaking through storm clouds.

“Daaa,” Easton coos, happy but tired, tucking his binky back between his lips.

“Good job, baby,” Harry sniffles, blinking up towards the sky to keep the tears away, “Fuck, get it together.”

Harry had to pepper at least ten kisses on Easton’s warm, sleepy face before he’s able to close the door and get in the driver’s seat.

Harry presses on the console touch screen, calling YN, and he frowns when it goes straight to voicemail which was very unlike her.

He tries again.

Voicemail.

He pulls out his phone, trying to check her location, and it hasn’t updated in the past hour - it was just unusual for her phone to die, always on standby but he tries not to worry.

YN was probably still very pissed off at him, if he was to bet, she put her phone on ‘do not disturb’ so that she could take a well deserved nap and not be bothered.

Harry squeezes the steering wheel, reminding himself once again, “Pull yourself together.”

But in the back of his mind, an anxious thought pops in, well multiple.

What is YN is leaving you?

What if she’s sick of not having you around as much as other wives have their husbands?

First time you see her in a week and you treat her like shit. You really think she’ll stay?

Harry has never once thought like that, even when they’ve gotten in serious fights but god damn, he couldn’t stop his mind from going a million miles a minute, and it felt like shit.

Nothing was wrong.

Everything felt like it’s crumbling.

[tciddaemina]

svsss fic recs because 👌👌

general all round good fics

High Mountain, How I Long by Minimalistless

[M, Bingqiu, canon divergence, 14K, complete]

Shen Qingqiu, after enduring his trial, is placed into Luo Binghe’s custody at Huan Hua Palace.

in the region of the heart by XueYangsLawyer

[E, Bingqiu, canon divergence, 15K, complete]

Luo Binghe comes home to Qing Jing Peak early, and Shen Qingqiu discovers the benefits of honesty.

dreams that had never come true by Tossawary

[T, Moshang, time travel, 13K, complete]

Mobei-Jun’s search for Shang Qinghua had taken him to many strange places. He had quickly exhausted all more familiar locations. He had come to this last strange place not because Shang Qinghua was a strange man who knew many strange things (though he was), but because… because… it was becoming evident that if he did not seek out strange methods, he would never find Shang Qinghua if he did not wish to be found.

It was becoming evident that Shang Qinghua did not wish to be found.

In which Mobei-Jun becomes an accidental time-traveler and gets a second shot at his life with Shang Qinghua.

How To Stop Being Strung Along By A Guy & Get What You Deserve: 5 Steps to a Serious Relationship! by x_los

[G, Bingqiu, soulmates, 5K, complete]

Shen Yuan transmigrates into Proud Immortal Demon Way with a firmly-tied red string of fate. It takes Luo Binghe roughly two hours to notice this.

Living With A Tiger by x_los

[E, OG Binghe/Shen Yuan, 17K, complete]

Shen Yuan has been engaged to Emperor Luo Binghe from almost the hour of his birth. He grows up knowing his place in the world exactly; he is far less certain of his place in his betrothed's guarded affections.

True Treasure by MissMegh

[M, OG Shen Qingqiu/Tianlang-Jun, canon divergence 38K, complete]

Shen Jiu has everything he asked for and nothing that he wants. Then he meets a handsome stranger in a brothel, and suddenly there's something he wants very much.

Or, what happens when the villain of Qing Jing Peak falls in love with the emperor of the demon realm.

liujiu disciple era marriage by pennydaniels

[E, OG Shen Qingqiu/Liu Qingge, series, 81K, complete]

Shen Jiu is drowning on Qing Jing Peak in his struggle to become Head Disciple and then hopefully Peak Lord. He's always been good at surviving but somehow can't help wanting more than that. He just wants to make the right decision.

(In which Shen Jiu is just trying to keep his head above water dealing with his faulty cultivation and capricious Shizun, has more than a few illuminating conversations with the brothel ladies, gets caught in a sex pollen disaster with Liu Qingge, and watches the other try their best to make it right.)

tasty tasty aus

We Are Not Wise by Boomchick, Suzoomie

[M, Bingqiu, soul sword au, 52K, complete]

When Shen Qingqiu drew Shen Yuan’s soul sword, it felt like being burned from the inside out. The fire wasn’t cruel, but it was still fire—hot and destructive, searing the softest pieces of him.

When Binghe’s fingers touch the hilt, he is ready for pain.

Transmigrated into a version of Proud Immortal Demon Way where cultivators manifest their own souls into spiritual weapons, Shen Yuan finds himself sort of kind of…accidentally blackmailing Shen Qingqiu into taking him on as a disciple before Luo Binghe joins the sect.

Love Like You by Boomchick

[T, Bingqiu, crystal gem au, 19K, complete]

Luo Binghe grows up in the shadow of his father, the red beryl Tianlang-jun. He loves his mother, and he loves his gem family, but there's something missing from his life.

Enter the enigmatic, elegant, beautiful Shen Qingqiu--a pearl who quickly cements himself in Luo Binghe's heart.

Unfortunately, their quiet days spent side-by-side on planet earth are quickly drawing to a close. When the appearance of Blue Diamond and his human pet changes everything, can Luo Binghe find a way back to Shen Qingqiu?

Sit With Your Soul by Tossawary

[T, Gen, daemon au, 61K, complete]

The original Shen Qingqiu suffers a severe deviation that unsettles his daemon, transforming them into a childish and inconstant creature, too curious and without any memories of the life that has made him so bitter. His soul is now unrecognizable to him and everyone can see his humiliation.

Shen Yuan isn't exactly happy to have transmigrated into Proud Immortal Demon Way at all, much less as this doomed scum villain's daemon.

Plastromancy by x_los

[T, Bingqiu, coraline-ish au, 16K, complete]

One night, Luo Binghe notices something odd about the way his blood is pooling on the floor of the woodshed."

A twelve year old Luo Binghe meets his Other Shizun.

AQ by x_los

[E, Bingqiu, star trek au, 15K, complete]

Before he rose to captaincy, Shen Yuan attended a briefing given to all command level officers in Star Fleet that outlined the scope of the Q threat. According to Admiral Picard's report, the omnipotent Q are devious, amoral, unreliable, irresponsible and definitely not to be trusted.

Orphaned stowaway Luo Binghe doesn't even know he is one.

AN IDIOT'S GUIDE TO A HAPPY MARRIAGE by tagteamme

[E, Moshang, modern au, 156K, complete]

“Marriage?” His voice breaks over the word like it’s a curse. “Really? Doesn’t it feel a bit irrational?”

“Are you planning to pay off an eight-figure debt with this job and a host job?” Mobei Jun asks, and Shang Qinghua almost wants to throttle him. Though, if his wallet didn’t have a direct funnel to his dad’s bank account, Shang Qinghua might actually have been a little comfortable.

“That’s not what I meant!” Shang Qinghua huffs, his head still spinning. As far as being a married man goes, Shang Qinghua is nowhere near ready.

“What?” Mobei Jun raises a single eyebrow. “Were you looking to marry for love?”

horny on main

Dual Cultivation by acernor

[E, Liu/bing/qiu, series, 98K, complete]

"Shizun said I made you feel so good,” Luo Binghe says, “that I could fuck you any time I wanted.”

Liu Qingge stops breathing for a second.

���What,” he blurts out.

Shen Qingqiu could tell he’d been into it?!

He Was Made for Untidy Rooms and Rumpled Beds by Bluethursday

[E, Bingqiu, 62K, complete]

Shen Qingqiu kind of, sort of, does not have the same modesty standards as a xianxia novel set in some form of Ancient China? He also hates the heat, who knew right?

What Dreams May Come by The Feels Whale

[E, Bingqiu, 45K, complete]

In the time between sacrificing himself to stop his estranged disciple’s qi deviation and waking up in his back-up body, Shen Yuan -formerly Shen Qingqiu- experiences a long series of dreams that make him confront quite a few things about himself that he’d been stubbornly ignoring.

Good thing they’re just dreams, right? Otherwise he’d never be able to look Luo Binghe in the eye ever again.

He Dreams of White Lotuses in Spring by bloodsongs

[E, Bingqiu, cw: teacher/disciple rp, 19K, complete]

“Aren’t you even the slightest bit curious…” He traces his knuckles against one of Shen Qingqiu’s warm ears and down the line of his jaw. “...about all the different ways this disciple has wanted Shizun?”

“I just,” Shen Qingqiu stammers, face heating at Luo Binghe’s touch and the intensity of the desire in those eyes contained within the innocence of his younger self’s face. “Why is this—why are you in this form?”

Without A Clue by x_los

[E, Bingqiu, 15K, complete]

Immediately before the Immortal Alliance Conference, Luo Binghe learns (via the magic of library science) that he alone can cure Shen Qingqiu's debilitating condition. When Binghe properly understands what that remedy will actually entail, he is even keener to be of use to his shizun.

death and a loverboy by Irrelevancy

[E, Liu Qingge/Tianlang-Jun/Su Xiyan, series, 34K, complete]

“We’re not friends!”

-

TLJ saves LQG's life in an ambiguous fuck-or-die. No clothes come off because he promised.

[olderthannetfic]

Those asks about the Whoopsie~ I wrote a long fic by accident!! Are hitting square in the chest lol. I honestly went through a phase that was like that though. It was almost a manic writing high where everything I wrote turned into a monster work for a year straight. I'd have a 10k one shot or maybe a 3 chapter 20k fic in mind and those would easily wind up double or even triple what I intended.

Most of which I completed. (Not all. I left the fandom late last year and wound up leaving a couple behemoths unfinished.) How I managed to complete so many of them (somewhere in the low 20s) I still don't really know but I wound up publishing around 1 Million words of fic in a year's time and became increasingly frustrated with myself because it was like a switch got flipped in my brain and I couldn't flip it back.

I had a beta reader quit on me out of "concern for my mental health" and that might've been somewhat warranted but mostly it felt like concern trolling. I was really happy most of the time to be able to write so consistently for the first time since I was a teenager and didn't have the overly critical hesitation that came with the development of an Adult Sense of Shame & Integrity. But it was a double edged sword. I didn't know the world of hurt that was coming for me.

It wasn't just my fics getting too long but my chapter lengths were frequently sitting around the 9k mark, and one of my fics had multiple 13k to 17k chapters and I gained a reputation for it. (Which became it's own problem.) Along with really fast turnaround times. I could write a lot and write quickly for the first time ever in my 20 years of writing. And it was good. Some of the best work I've ever done. That high was insane.

And then I hit the worst kind of burnout I have ever experienced after that period, around August of last year. I'm still not fully recovered. And I'm not really sure where that momentum came from or how I maintained it. I want a middle ground and have yet to acquire the skill for moderate momentum. I tend to not take fanfic too seriously because it's always been an outlet for me. Meant to be fun.

I would love to be able to figure out the happy medium but in that time period I did not. And I still haven't. My brain apparently had two modes: WRITE ALL THE WORDS. Or YES. GIVE US NOTHING, KING.

I would also really like to recover from this burnout. Woof. It's been almost a year since I hit that wall. In the time since I have written barely anything. Just a little 8k one shot that I am not that pleased with and the start of a long fic that it takes me months to get a single 4k chapter done for.

In the end, I suspect it was just a perfect storm of inspiration, free time, and a healthy Fandom that was supportive (at the time). I learned a lot in that period, too. It was one of those "Hey I'm improving!" upswings but on steroids. Not sure it was worth the cost in the end. I can barely write now.

--

Brains are weird. That's my explanation for a lot of writing-related things.

[annaskareninas]

My ACOTAR Fanfiction Masterlist

(Link to my ao3 profile)

Elucien:

All Roads Lead To You = completed, 5 chapters, 31k words, rating E // Five years after the war with Hybern, the world is relatively peaceful, and Elain is relatively bored. When she decides to travel the Continent in search of her purpose, the last thing she expects is to run into her almost-mate Lucien Vanserra at a wine bar in Montesere -- and get very drunk and go swimming. Together. The next morning, she flees in shame -- but wherever she goes, Lucien just keeps on appearing. As if it's destiny.

Phoenix Rising = 140k words and 32 chapters, rating M // It has been twenty-five years since Elain was Made. Ten years since she lost the love of her life, Azriel, defeating Koschei. Eight years since Beron Vanserra claimed the Dread Crown and became High King of Prythian, forcing Elain and her friends to scatter to the four corners of the world. Lost in her grief, Elain works as a nurse in a war hospital in Rask -- until one day, she recognises a patient: Lucien Vanserra, the last free Heir. Charged with healing Lucien's mortal wounds, she finds herself drawn into an adventure -- of dragons, prophecies, allies and magic. But Lucien has secrets too, and as she grows closer to him, it is her heart that faces the biggest test.

Lonely Together = one-shot, 7k words, rating E // Always the odd one out, always the one without a partner -- Elain can't help the loneliness that plagues her immortal life. Until one Starfall, she decides to finally make a move on her mate, Lucien -- one one condition: that he's not gentle.

Feysand:

A Rake By Any Other Name = Regency AU one-shot, 7k words, rating E, the first in my Regency Romance one-shot series // Feyre gets more than she bargains for when she's caught at a political radical meeting by Rhysand, Viscount Velaris.

Nessian:

Burning Bright = Regency AU one-shot, 8k words, rating E, the second in my Regency Romance series // Dissatisfied with her life living off her brother-in-law's money, Nesta finds solace in Cassian, the groundskeeper, who thinks nothing of proper society -- and everything of pleasure.

Azris:

The Tender and Growing Night = Regency AU one-shot, 8k words, rating E, the third in my Regency Romance series // When Rhysand brings Azriel to a new gentlemen's club, he realises this is a place where he can truly be himself, for the first time ever. And the club's owner, Lord Eris Vanserra, has caught his eye...

May The Best Man Win = Killing Eve AU two shot, 17k words, rating E // MI6 agent Azriel Singer is haunted by the one killer he could never catch - Eris Vanserra, who happens to be nurturing an obsession for him.

Elriel:

I Dream About You = one-shot, 5k words, rating E // Azriel returns to the House of Wind to find Elain, alone; it's time for her to tell him what she really thinks.

Other:

In Spring, Becomes the Rose = Elain/Lucien/Tamlin, 82k words, 20 chapters, rating E // Elain volunteers to go to the Spring Court to help rebuild, with Lucien alongside her. She expects to hate Tamlin -- to hate them both, actually -- but the truth couldn't be further from it. As well as rebuilding a court and redecorating a house, Elain finds herself grappling with irresistible feelings for both males -- as well as strange new powers and magic she must learn to use before it's too late.

Two For The Show = Elain/Lucien/Azriel, 25k words, 5 chapters, rating E // Elain runs into two rich, attractive men at a bar. They both want her. And each other. Sex, dating and humour ensues!

This post will be regularly updated when I post more! Enjoy <3

[ekaterin1701]

Saw this on Twitter and was quite baffled by the idea of sorting by kudos in the first place. I’ve always just gone to the SG1 tag or the Sam/ Jack tag on AO3, which is automatically sorted by most recent, and didn’t even realise you could sort by kudos!

One thing that struck me was that multi-chapter fics probably get more kudos than one-shots simply because they’d be at the top of the ‘most recent’ list more often as they are updated, meaning more readers have a chance to see them. A one-shot doesn’t get that boost.

So, I’ve just sorted the S/J tag by kudos and the top ten fics are:

Crossover fic (SG1/ SGA, Teen Wolf, The Sentinel) - multi-chapter, 2,915 kudos, 63k hits

Crossover fic (NCIS, SG1/ SGA, The Sentinel) - multi-chapter, 1,844 kudos, 65k hits

SGA Rodney/ John fic - under 2k words and a fairly low-key relationship fic (from Sam’s POV), but it’s got 1,778 kudos and 17k hits.

SG1 Jack/ Sam fic (The Love That Doesn’t Kill You Makes You Stronger by NiceHatGeorgia) - multi-chapter, 1,490 kudos , 37k hits

SGA/ SG1 invasion of earth-type fic - multi-chapter, 1,366 kudos, 42k hits

Crossover fic (SG1, Teen Wolf - same author as no. 1) - multi-chapter, 1,308 kudos, 8k hits

SG1 Jack/ Sam fic (Compulsion by Sharim28) - multi-chapter, 1,374 kudos, 33k hits

Crossover fic (The Sentinel, SGA, SG1, John Wick, Teen Wolf) - multi-chapter, 1,265 kudos, 49k hits, first WIP in the list

SG1 Jack/ Sam fic (Retrospective by Salr323) - one shot (of 18k words!), 1,219 kudos, 16k hit

SG1 Jack/ Sam fic (Full Disclosure by Salr323) - one shot (of 11k words!), 1.114 kudos, 14k hits

The next ten includes another Teen Wolf crossover (same author again), two sequel stories to no 5, a SGA/ Avengers crossover, four Sam/ Jack fics (three complete and one WIP), a SGA one-shot, and a SG1 one-shot (a quantum mirror/ OT4 story which is 66k words!).

I really was not expecting the top story to be a Teen Wolf crossover 😧 It was published in 2017, and I’d love to know why that particular story is such a big hit. Big Name Fan as author? A logical connection between Teen Wolf and SG1 that I’m not aware of? The writing (the crossovers and the author’s other SG1 fics) is good, and the author quite prolific, but it is still a surprising result.

I also looked at sorting by bookmarks, which similar to sorting by kudos (only one per story), and unsurprisingly the top twenty fics when sorted by comments are all multi-chapter.

I agree with the point that good fic in the early eras of a fandom might not be classed as good in the later years. I’ve found this in my trawl through the Gateworld S/J recs where stories that are recommended as being really great are not that well-written or in character to my eyes. I think some of that might be the change in tone - there are some early SG1 fics (dated during the show’s run) that seem to have a more light-hearted/ almost comedy tone, and I’m trying to think whether the early seasons do seem less serious than the later seasons as the stakes get higher/ the war with the Goa’uld seems less likely to be won. I’ve mused on this before and haven’t come up with an answer!

[sitp-recs]

Good evening!! thank you for all you do for this fandom you are a gem!!

it may sound odd but do you maybe have some recs on Harry/Blaise? Got curious all of a sudden and i can't seem to find any :(

You’re very welcome, anon! I don’t know many fics but I hope you enjoy these. I’ve also found this reclist on LJ and it looks great!

Harry/Blaise:

The Future Is a Timeless Mirror by Chromaticism (E, 1.5k)

Blaise’s arm snaked around his waist. “Stay with me?” Blaise asked. There was a quiet expectation in his voice, and Harry couldn't really think of a reason to say no. “Of course,” Harry said.

Hell is Empty by fantom_ftnoise (E, 2.7k)

Draco needs Blaise to get close to Harry to see if his feelings might be reciprocated. But Blaise gets too close and things get complicated. Pre-Drarry

Work Your Shit Out, Harry by kedavranox (E, 2.8k)

Harry really fucking wants Blaise. He just needs to work his shit out first.

A Change To Set Us Free by RoonilWazlibMalfoy (E, 4k)

With all that he went through, Harry learned how family and friends should treat him. Making some changes and connecting with some Slytherins turned out to be the best thing that he could possibly have done.

Slytherin Party by Vorabiza (E, 5.2k)

Technically based in my Malfoy Child universe, I briefly entertained the idea of pairing Harry up with Blaise while Draco was still a child. Obviously, I chose not to go in that direction, and this is now just a one-shot with Harry and Blaise at a Slytherin party.

The Not-Quite Birthday Cake by Bickymonster (E, 8.4k)

After a late evening in the Hogwarts kitchens, Harry bumps into a drunk Blaise and his evening takes an unexpected turn.

Vellum Voices by Lomonaaeren (T, 16k)

AU. Voldemort cursed Harry in the graveyard so that he can only speak Parseltongue. Harry embarks on his fifth year alternately furious and despairing and trying to learn faster writing, British Sign Language, and nonverbal casting all at once. It turns out that not all Slytherins are Malfoy or Snape, and not everyone is frightened of Parseltongue.

At the Mercy of Love by ArielSakura (E, 17k)

As an Apprentice Curse Breaker, Harry must pass one final test before he graduates. Unfortunately, he’s paired with the one person that could ruin it all. If they pass the test, Blaise Zabini will be his partner for the duration of his career at Gringotts, much to Harry’s dismay—because he’s had a crush on the man for years.

Harry/Draco/Blaise:

A Shower Surprise by articcat621 (E, 1k)

Draco finds quite the surprise in the Slytherin Changing Rooms.

Viridian by @wolfpants (E, 1.3k)

There’s just something about Draco. Blaise can’t quite put his finger on it, but it’s—an impulse. To poke, to prod, to pick his delicate wings off. To teach him some humility.

Can't I Have Both? by @nv-md (E, 1.8k)

Werewolves usually only have one mate, but of course, Draco has to be special and have two Alphas chasing after him. And he makes sure they always want him...especially when he can drag them into the loo of a club.

Landslide by dreamkiller (E, 24k)

“I’m sorry” Draco said. He dabbed at his mouth from where he’d almost spat out his drink. “Did I just hear you say that you have a boyfriend?”

[wickedlyqueer]

heyyyy do you have any multi chapter gelphie fic recs on ao3 that are not a high school or college au?

This was surprisingly hard, between the no-school setting, multi chapter and only on AO3 request. 'Shiz Era' really is the DNA of this fandom lmao.

So forgive me for plugging several of my own fics (im tinyace), bc I do tend to throw gelphie into any setting I like. 😅

Wiretapped Life

101k | Completed | Surveillance State | Mature | tinyace Elphaba has not been seen for almost a decade. Everyone thinks they have died, but not Glinda. She comes up with a plan to find them, and her search unlocks 20 years of memories with (and without) Elphaba. Why exactly is she so desperate to find them? And why now? (Based on a Cold War Germany setting)

Walls of Sanctuary

71k | Completed | Hunchback Inspired | Teen | tinyace Elphaba is used to the quiet in the bell tower of Notre Dame, but the tranquility disappears when Glinda, the new Captain, enters her tiny tower. And the world is all the better and all the worse for it, as the two tumble into the political turmoil that brews within the walls of Emerald City.

And though not multi-chapters, I do have two one-shots that are both over 10k that I think might be the type of fic you're looking for.

rotting corpses lay to rest (where flowers ought to bloom): Mature | 11k | In the Victorian Era, a woman’s power has to linger quietly. That doesn’t stop Elphaba from getting closer to the windowed and beautiful marchioness of Pertha Hills. But the more she gets to know Glinda the deeper she falls in love, and that is a problem… pull a heist on my heart (watch how deep you'll be buried): Explicit | 10k | Vaguely roaring 20s setting with criminal!Elphie and an unhinged Glinda who go heisting. Explicit, though. It's basically p-rn WITH plot so do keep that in mind.

Safe and Sound

55k | Completed | Hunger Games AU | Not Rated (but p sure Teen) | GretchenMaurice Glinda volunteers for glory. Elphaba volunteers for her sister. It only makes sense for Elphaba to kill Glinda on sight when she gets the chance. So what does it mean when she lets the blonde go instead? Hunger Games AU. Gelphie. (One of her oldest fics, but still a good read even if you're not that familiar with Hunger Games).

Expectations

17k | Completed | Modern AU | Teen | show_me_the_universe Elphaba never expected any of this to happen. She never expected to find a chance at love, and to lose it so quickly. Inspired by Hayley Kiyoko's album, Expectations. (unique idea and a good quick read)

Crystal Souls: Heart of Emerald

26k | Incomplete | Mature | show_me_the_universe Basically a fairytale / magical adventure story with both gelphie and gliyeraba. Sadly not complete, but still one of my favorite stories by @gliyerabaa.

And lastly not a fic rec, but a writer rec: MyLittleElphie, whose entire oeuvre (apart from Accidents Will Happen) happens to fit precisely what you're looking for. Multi-chapter fics with well over 350k of words to get lost in. Shoutout to @mylittleelphie for being such a prolific gelphie writer!

That's all that has come to my mind, but if anyone has fics that fit anon's wishes, feel free to add to this list!

[katy-kt-katie]

COMPLETE FICLIST

(updated 5/2023)

I tried to sort these into categories.

Within each category they are sorted by AO3 kudos.

💕: My Personal Favorite Fics, 😵‍💫: Diana Angst 🔥:First Time

Multi-Chapter Fics:

🔥A Rose Petal and a Fish Tank: Mulder and Scully awkwardly discuss their lack of intimate action post "Never Again." Follows their journey through Redux II. EXPLICIT, 18K

😵‍💫🔥Couples Retreat: Mulder and Scully are asked to go undercover at a Couples Retreat. There's nothing odd about a shared hotel room, intimacy exercises, and couples therapy between platonic partners, right?? Undercover / One Bed Trope. Casefic, EXPLICIT, 12K

💕🔥What Happens on Ka'ula 🌴: Mulder and Scully are sent to investigate a mysterious deadly illness on a remote island. Fuck or Die Trope. Casefic, EXPLICIT, 17K

🔥The Wedding Party: Mulder and Scully attend a wedding, pretend to be together, and well...Do you believe that it's game over for them as soon as they kiss? Fluff. EXPLICIT, 13K // Part two: The Video Tape: Skinner needs to talk to Mulder and Scully about something he's discovered. EXPLICIT, 3K

💕😵‍💫🔥Phone Echoes: Mulder's temporarily assigned with Phoebe Green in France and Scully is temporarily assigned with Diana in D.C. They end up on the phone accidentally on a free day, just after "The Rain King". Phone Sex Trope. EXPLICIT, 15K

💕🔥Patient Petrie and Dr. Fox: Scully is on a long-term undercover assignment. Mulder is missing her and loses it when she fails to report in for a day. Undercover Trope. EXPLICIT, 9K

🔥Truth Serum Experiment: Skinner asks Mulder and Scully to try a truth serum that the government has obtained since they have "no secrets" between each other. (We all know better). Truth Serum Trope. Casefic, EXPLICIT, 8K

💕🔥The American President: An X-Files AU of the film, "The American President." You do not need to have seen the movie to enjoy the story. Widowed President Dana Scully meets F.B.I. Agent Fox Mulder. EXPLICIT, 19K

🔥Mastermind: What if we told you none of it was accidental? That once Dana Scully met Fox Mulder, she knew she had to force them into a partnership, a friendship, and a relationship. EXPLICIT, 20K *Co-written with TofuttiM

🔥Superstars of the Superbowls: Why did Mulder give Scully the VHS tape gift in "One Breath?" EXPLICIT, 3K

One Shots: First Time

🔥Three Rooms: 😵‍💫 When Mulder and Scully join Diana and Spender on a case in the field, an errant Motel reservation leads to a shift for our favorite "platonic" partners. Season 6, Post "The Rain King." One Bed Trope. EXPLICIT, 3K *My first ever Fan Fiction writing!

💕🔥Fused: A first-time story. Could be any season. An unremarkable day by any definition until they were walking back to their motel, and their hands inadvertently grazed. PWP, EXPLICIT, 1.4K

🔥Keine Unruhe: Post Unruhe: after almost getting lobotomized by Gerry Schnauz, a shaken-up Scully is visited by a shaken-up Mulder. Comfort / Care EXPLICIT, 1K

💕😵‍💫🔥A Partnership in Notes: Post Memento Mori: After reading Scully's journal, Mulder leaves a note for Scully in their desk. Realizing they can say things in writing that can't be said in person, notes lead to confessions and shifts in their relationship. EXPLICIT, 4K

🔥Banter: Mulder and Scully banter about how skilled they are in bed- this leads to a semi-awkward first encounter that settles into a hot and happy first time. EXPLICIT, 1K

💕🔥The Comments Section of F.M. Luder's Fan Fiction: Mulder admits a new hobby to Scully- writing fan fiction. Fantasies and feelings are revealed as a result. Meta Trope, EXPLICIT, 3K

🔥Platonic Partners Meeting in the Airplane Lavatory: Mulder and Scully struggle to find the privacy to debrief each other after the Congressional session in "Terma." They finally find some privacy in very close quarters. Frottage trope, EXPLICIT, 2K

🔥Intervention: Mulder is distraught post-Oubliette. How does Scully help him get grounded again? Comfort /Care, EXPLICIT, 1K

🔥I Tried a Subway Sandwich Bag: Shameless Crack fic about Mulder's GIANT Schlong. Sorry, not sorry. CW: This is just CRACK FIC. EXPLICIT, 1K

🔥Call me on my cellphone: Scully calls Mulder on his cellphone, late night when he needs her... BORDERLINE CRACK FIC. EXPLICIT, 1K

One Shots: Established Relationship

Home Early: Mulder comes home early from a case and finds Scully in a compromising position post-revival. EXPLICIT, 500W

💕Hard Avocadoes Make Spicy Guacamole 🥑: After recently starting a new relationship, Mulder watches as Scully makes him brunch. EXPLICIT, 700W

Lightning Strikes- Maybe Once, Maybe Twice: Mulder reminisces about Scully in the rain. MATURE, 1K

Baby, Why are you frowning?:Mulder and Scully have a discussion about facial expressions during a post "Forehead Sweat" lovemaking session. MATURE, 500W

💕Foxes on the Run: Mulder finds a tattoo Scully got while they were apart. MATURE, 300W

Love Games Series:

💕���The Counting Game: Platonic Partners Mulder and Scully end up playing a dangerous game while sharing a bed in "The Rain King". EXPLICIT, 1.5K

🔥Ms. Lovely's Speed Dating Extravaganza: Scully and Mulder end up at the same speed dating event and can't seem to focus on anyone but each other. AU: Melissa was never killed; probably set around season 5. MATURE, 8K

💕🔥The Whispering Game: Mulder and Scully start to whisper more after he found the spy surveilling his apartment in Gethsemane/ Redux Arc. The whispers evolve to NSFW topics. EXPLICIT, 4K

The Cosmo Quiz: Mulder and Scully end up reading a Cosmopolitan Magazine Quiz together. Realizations and awakenings result! MATURE, 2K

😵‍💫🔥Staring Across a U-Shaped Booth: The whole crew is at Karaoke for Holly's Birthday. Mulder arrives with Diana, and Scully is crushed. EXPLICIT, 5K

Electric Love: Scully hops on the fad of kissing your best friend! TEEN, 600W

The End Episode (5.20) Series:

😵‍💫🔥I Want to Believe: 15:15-Conversation between Scully and Mulder just after they meet Diana. EXPLICIT, 4K

😵‍💫🔥Conflict Resolution Techniques: 30:48-Skinner wants Mulder and Scully to agree on how to proceed with Gibson's scans. EXPLICIT, 2K

💕😵‍💫🔥Already in a Relationship: 30:48-Scully is shaken after a bizarre conversation with Diana in the elevator. What had Mulder told Diana about her? EXPLICIT, 3K

😵‍💫🔥Key to Mulder's: 36:30-Diana notices that Scully has a key to Mulder's place. EXPLICIT, 3K 🔊LISTEN on AFP

😵‍💫🔥Spoon: 41:28-Scully is talking to Skinner on the phone while Mulder lies on the couch. EXPLICIT, 3K

😵‍💫🔥Farther: 45:00-Mulder and Scully are given time off after their office fire. How do they regain their footing? EXPLICIT 2K

Exchange Fics:

😵‍💫🔥The Cow and the Kiss: Rain King one bed fic, jealousy over Sheila getting to kiss Mulder. Tickling. EXPLICIT, 7K

💕Not a Widely Understood Definition: Scully overhears Mulder and Ellen’s conversation—“significant other? / Not in the widely understood definition”— in “Chimera”. Follows them through “All Things”. EXPLICIT, 4K

Mulder on the Witness Stand: Mulder is asked to testify as a character witness about Scully, post Never Again. He has to defend her, and some feelings are revealed under oath. TEEN, 3K

Chroma: Maggie has Mulder and Scully over for Dinner post-Wetwired. She prods a little like moms do; they all get drunk, and Mulder develops a slight obsession with the color red. TEEN, 2K

💕🔥The Stranger Shaman: Mulder and Scully investigate a series of abductions at a camp in rural Tennessee. Casefic, EXPLICIT, 16K

An Alien Urine Sample and a Soft, Furry Bigfoot: Scully is struggling to deal with the deaths of her dad and Jack Willis. Mulder realizes she needs a distraction and takes her on a trip. TEEN, 8K

Other MSR Fics:

Sloppy: A peek at an MSR kiss, post Millennium. NOT RATED, 600W

Bureau's Biggest Boy Toys: Mulder is asked to be featured in an FBI Calendar MATURE 1.6K

Speedo and the Stairmaster: What happens when Mulder and Scully get their endorphins going at the gym. MATURE, 800W

Love Slap: Scully reflects on when she realized she wanted to marry Mulder. MATURE, 600W

Just Like Comity: Years later, Mulder and Scully run into Detective White. NOT RATED, 800W

Spooky: Mulder and Scully missed each other while working separately during "Chimera." Dancing Trope. TEEN, 1K

Scully's Necklace: What ever happened to Scully’s necklace from Squeeze? TEEN, 500W

Polars Bears and A Fox: What does Maggie think of Fox Mulder? Through "Wetwired" NOT RATED, 2K

Mulder's Place: Scully is a bit shaken up after the encounter with Tooms in "Squeeze." Here's her first ever visit to Mulder's apartment. TEEN, 2K

Mulder at the Dentist: Mulder is drugged at the Dentist. TEEN, 500W

Mulder, Fox Mulder, 007: What did Scully tell Detective Ryan about Mulder in the episode "Soft Light"? GENERAL AUD, 400W

💕Muddy Mulder: Mulder is COVERED in mud post Schizogeny. Can Scully help him get cleaned up? MATURE, 1K

💕😵‍💫Movie at Mulder's: In Hollywood AD, the scene where Scully comes to Mulder's apartment at 3 a.m. to watch a movie, happens during the "18 Months Ago" flashback, which means squarely in the DIANA ARC. What might have occurred the next morning at work? MATURE, 400W 🔊LISTEN on AFP

Short, Enigmatic Redhead: Mulder's thoughts post First Person Shooter. TEEN, 300W

😵‍💫Mulder's Couch Needs Cleaned: A peek into a possible divergent scene in Biogenesis. **if you get to the middle and panic, it might not be what you think it is. NOT RATED, 1K

She's My Gauge: What led Krycek to explaining Scully was a "much larger problem than you described" at the End of "Sleepless"? TEEN, 500W

Writers Exercises / Workshops / Tag / Twitter Prompts:

💕😵‍💫🔥Eden: Writer's Tag for "One Son." MATURE, 7K

🔥The Amazing Muldeeni: Writer's Tag for "The Amazing Maleeni." MATURE, 5K

🔥Anahata: The Heart Chakra: Writer's Tag for "All Things." MATURE, 4K

Uncle Vincent: Open Prompt Challenge: Difficult to please family. MATURE, 1.5K

💕🔥Agent Scully is Already in Love: Writer's Tag for "Milagro." MATURE, 6K

First Sentence Prompts: Various Prompts form the "first sentence" Challenge on Twitter NOT RATED, 3K

December 2022 Writer's Workshop: Audio FanFic Pod hosted workshop prompts! NOT RATED, 1K

Fictober Tumblr Ficlets: Various Fictober Ficlets. NOT RATED, 2.5K

Gillovny: Real Person Fiction

Why They Didn't Wish Each Other Happy Birthday Over Social Media: Why the quiet in 2022-they were busy with other things and lots of penises. MATURE, 1K

[5sosfanfictioncatalogue]

One-Shot Masterlist

3 A.M. (ao3) - @daydadahlias (cornflowerblue (daydadahlias)) michael/luke M, 4k

Summary: Five times Michael accidentally meets Luke in the bathroom and the one time he meets him there on purpose.

Always In Spring (ao3) - loveliketheweather luke/calum, background michael/ashton M, 17k

Summary: Luke and Calum’s friendship has gone through many highs and lows, and it’s so full of parallels and full-circle moments that it’s almost like the universe is set to make sure they grow, love and stay together.

And Action (ao3) - @daydadahlias (cornflowerblue (daydadahlias)) luke/ashton E, 24k

Summary: Calum won’t lie about it. His Best Friend’s Boyfriend’s Ex-Boyfriend is super cute.

Beelzebub Has A Devil Put Aside For Me (ao3) - flowercrownmikey michael/luke N/R, 3k

Summary: It starts with an empty bottle of vodka, three very drunk Australian boys, and a game of truth or dare.

OR // "I dare you to tell Luke that you're a little bit in love with him."

Better Than Halloweentown (ao3) - orphan_account michael/luke G, 1k

Summary: Michael gets sad at Halloween even though it’s his favorite holiday, because he’s too old to trick-or-treat but he doesn’t want to be a grown up and go to parties. Then Luke knocks on his door to deliver his pizza and all of his plans to stay in for the night are foiled.

burnt eggs & broken promises (ao3) - kingscrossinseptember G, 4k

Summary: “…So after a month or two of getting hounded by people, I may or may not have invented a fictional boyfriend.”

Luke glanced up at Ashton with worried blue eyes, as if he was expecting to be berated for lying. Instead, Ashton shrugged. “I can see why.”

or,

Ashton’s always found his roommate, Luke, nothing but aggravating, but when they make a deal where Ashton has to pretend to be Luke’s boyfriend for a night, his opinion starts to shift slightly…

Butterfly House - @daydadahlias (cornflowerblue (daydadahlias)) michael/luke G, 2k

Summary: Luke and Michael go to a butterfly house for their anniversary.

Confront Me (ao3) - jadedperspective michael/ashton G, 2k

Summary: Ashton tells Michael they can’t be friends anymore and Michael, without anyone else to turn to, seeks his best friend for comfort.

Enlightened (ao3) - Lostideas luke/ashton M, 9k

Summary: After The Great Disaster, Luke's world is not the same. The only thing bringing him joy now are his mid-night ventures with Michael. But suddenly Michael shows up to his window with something forbidden; something dangerous. And in the adventure that follows, Luke discoveres way more than he thought he would.

I'll look after you (like I've never done before) (ao3) - anykindofgal N/R, 6k

Summary: No one had heard from Michael in a few days. No texting, no calling, no hanging out. They had their own lives and things to do, they understood that much. Only, they all stayed in touched with Michael through the power of memes. But it had been four days, to be exact, and Michael hadn't texted anyone in the group even one meme. Calum decided to text his friend, and if they hadn't heard anything back by the next morning, they were going to his place to check out what was going on.

So, the next day around noon, the three boys arrived at Michael's place.

((in which Michael gets sick and the boys need to care for him))

It Started out with a Kiss (ao3) - neiria luke/calum E, 3k

Summary: "Luke honestly could not remember a time when he didn’t have feelings for Calum. They had snuck up on him so quickly and before he knew it all his thoughts revolved around him when he wasn’t preoccupied or trying his best to distract himself. He hated himself for feeling this way about his best friend, it was beyond inappropriate and could only end in heartbreak."

Or the one where Luke pines for Calum and avoids him and when Calum questions him about it Luke kisses him and they proceed to hook up on the bus.

need you now but IDK you yet (ao3) - orphan_account michael/luke E, 19k

Summary: Luke assumed he didn’t have a soulmate.

until his senior year of high school came around and he met his MC.

Oh, You Make Me Complete (ao3) - DearDevotedDelicate luke/ashton N/R, 2k

Summary: Luke Hemmings is a solo artist who needs to find inspiration for his new project, he also needs a love life. A little-known cafe is the perfect spot for his dreams to come true.

Sandy Haired Boy (ao3) - coolbabyblue luke/ashton T, 5k

Summary: Luke isn't sure why his life took this turn. 

He loved the sandy haired boy he kissed in front of him. He loved him with his whole entire heart. He loved that they lived so close, he loved that they were together. 

Luke hated that he chose to mix with crowds other than Ashton's own people. He hated that he went to parties and got absolutely drunk for the first time when Ashton wasn't there but rather his second group of friends. 

Luke hated that in his drunk haze he kissed lips that weren't Ashton's and he loved it. He hates that he stared into green eyes as he made out with a guy who's name he didn't even know. 

Sk8tEr Bo¥s (ao3) - walking_crisis69 michael/luke T, 1k

Summary: just two little skateboarding punks and some stories about them

took my foot up off the brake, it's not an accident (ao3) - deserteyes michael/luke E, 2k

Summary: It was quieter in the kitchen. Here, the music’s bassline could only be heard through the walls, and without the crowd, the atmosphere was less tense.

"Want some?" Luke asked, lifting the bottle of wine at Michael.

He shook his head in response. "No, thank you. How much have you had?"

Luke replied, "Second glass," and tapped his rings against it with a clink. "First was tequila."

Michael hummed and leaned against the counter. The cool marble surface was a relief to his skin. The light dancing on Luke's shirt with every movement was distracting, like a star exploding each time he moved.

Water The Flowers (In My Lungs) (ao3) - Marauders0exe michael/luke, calum/ashton, michael/ofc N/R, 5k

Summary: Luke’s been in love with Michael for as long as he can remember, but Michael loves Lydia. Michael is marrying Lydia. And Luke is going to die just so long as the flowers in his throat threaten to suffocate him.

Who would've known? (ao3) - starlighteyed michael/calum, luke/ashton N/R, 8k

Summary: Michael feels hopeless after losing his mother, moving away to Melbourne from Sydney so he can forget about his memories that now hurt him like knives in his heart. In his summer break, Michael goes back to Sydney to see his friends, the memory of his mother passing still fresh. Calum's there to help him, and things change for the better.

[expensive-rainbows]

ok so sorry i havent been on here in like forever ive been rlly busy plus i dont like to go on here when my parents are home bc (im on a chromebook) theyll sometimes just grab it and like check what im doing so yeah no. but not much has happened so far.

also i have a plan for like life idk. so my high school has a college program where a teacher from a university goes to the high school and it lasts two years and by the end of it ill have like most of the credits for a minor in spanish and then theres a trip to spain between my junior and senior year thats like 6/8 weeks idk. and then my school partners with a company that has like extra classes so i wanna take the ems program and the cna program in my junior and senior years. then for college im deciding between msu and u of m bc msu has a cheaper tuition (like 17k for in state!) but idk which has a better pre med program. and then afterwards i still have to look into it a bit but im pretty sure nyus med school is free (tuition not room and board). after that idk where i wanna apply to be a resident but honestly ive thought pretty far ahead so honestly im impressed.

tw: sh, mental health issues, suicide, etc

also dw abt me im fine im js talking abt my brother

aparently my brothers on antidepressants but he has a new therapist so them combined might help. hes been like hurting himself and like been pretty miserable. plus hes been like bullied i think idk but hes definitely having like friend issues. hes in sixth grade and sixth grade has always been kinda bad like almost everyone i know struggled during sixth grade so idk. he wants to either go to boarding school which my parents immediately shot down bc not only is it expensive but like yk hed be there alone. but he also wants to go to a mental hospital but i dont think he rlly understands what going to a mental hospital means. also i think i got vertigo earlier today bc the room was like spinning really fast back and forth. like when your on a spinny thing and go back and forth on it. idk how to describe it. i looked up if vertigo was genetic since my dad has it but i couldnt get a straight answer out of google. but yeah idk. i think thats all i needed to tell you guys abt

[helenazbmrskai]

Radio Sweethearts (m)

🎧Pairing – [Yoongi x Reader]

🎧Genre – [Brother’s Best Friend Au, Smut, Fluff, Angst, College Au, Slow Burn, Podcast Au]

🎧Summary – [Yoongi have always been your brother’s best friend. You grew up together it was natural that you’ve fallen for him. The question is – does he feels the same? Will he ever see you as more than just his friend’s little sister?]

🎧Warnings – [sibling fall out, age gap, smut: (grinding, oral (f+m), vaginal fingering, oral fixation, cunnilingus, good morning sex, cum play, cum eating, blowjob, handjob, protected sex, dirty talk, multiple orgasms, brief creampie kink mention)]

🎧Word Count – [17k+]

Author Note – This fic is from 2020! It took me a crazy amount of time to spell check and rewrite entire parts to be somewhat good. I hope you will enjoy this project I planned where I rewrite some old fic of mine.

Menu: Masterlist l Be part of my permanent taglist to recieve a notification when I upload a new fic or send an ask!

”Damn Hyung, I can’t believe you outsmarted me in Mario Cart!” Jimin’s yell of utter defeat sounded surprisingly deep, overpowering the annoying music that’s on repeat in the game – coming in contrast with his high pitch usual tone. Yoongi looks pleased with himself his smile is not washed away when Jimin childishly pokes his tongue out at him. Boys will be boys – you think.

The printed words on page 84 – which you’re almost at for thirty minutes without really getting the story to stick in your head – the words are blurring together as you couldn’t ignore the loud noises of your brother’s constant complaints mixing with Yoongi’s soft chuckles that filtered through the white noise and the computer’s constant buzzing with electricity.

As soon as you began to pick up the plot where you left off last night. You are desperately trying to concentrate and get through the whole book in one sitting but your room got ambushed by Jimin and his friend to play their stupid game. Your parents are out on a date and it’s not like your brother would listen to you if you asked him to play games at another time.

You’re eager to finish your mother’s favourite novel by this weekend and give her some feedback on it. The spine of the book seems well worn out from being read so many times by your mother and she excitedly lent you his most prized possession in terms of a materialistic sense when she discovered your newfound interest in reading. You found yourself hooked on the spot from reading the first few pages alone as you started it yesterday but you still have many pages to complete the story.

It seems to be an impossible task now with two loud boys in your baby pink hand-painted room. Your books are tossed to the side along with your barbie CDs as Jimin made room for their snacks that are now emptily scattered around on your desk – without asking for permission first of course.

”It’s not my fault you suck at this, am I?” Yoongi’s reply was almost inaudibly drained out which didn’t surprise you the slightest, taking into consideration how loudly the game’s music was bursting through the speakers and them trying to overpower the sounds with their voices and each other’s. A headache was already forming in the back of your head as you listen to them bicker.

They probably forgot about the fact that you’re in the same room as them.

”Did you practise without me? No way you’re that good! I demand a rematch!”

You lowered your book to rest it on your lap just in time to witness the exchange of how your brother moved an accusing finger in his best friend’s face who shot him an innocent look in return in the next getting offended by your brother’s accusation.

You watch with a disinterested look as they try to get each other into a headlock making the books on your table fall to the floor with a loud thud.

That’s it. This is where you draw the line when you’ve had enough of their antics, disturbing your room and peace.

”Why don’t you use the computer in your room Jimin? Why does it have to be my room you wreak havoc in?”

You’re using big girl words like havoc that Jimin doesn’t understand but he won’t let you make him be the dumb one in front of his older and cooler friend!

You butt in before the brotherly banter could carry on and disarray your room even more – that you undoubtedly will have to clean alone. Even if it wasn’t you who caused it. Your mother taught you to be the bigger person, that boys are growing up later than ladies but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t make your blood boil when you have to let things go in favour to avoid another fight with your brother.

Disbelief dripping from your voice as you place the bookmark over the current page and close the book with more force than intended but that finally earns their full attention.

You doubt you can get things done while you have to listen to them shouting at each other over the loud-ass music that the game plays too many times than necessary so you get up from your bed.

”Because dumb-dumb, your computer is better than mine.” Your brother is ready to throw a tantrum. You knew he was jealous when you got a new computer even though dad tried to talk to him about that feeling jealous is bad for him and you. It just created more space between you.

He obviously still hangs on to the fact that you got a new computer and he hasn’t.

You roll your eyes listening to his childlike antics – he’s such a baby. Sometimes you wonder if he’s really the older one in this blood relation. He may have been born before you were, but you’re definitely the more mature one here. Yoongi sitting beside your brother witnessing your interaction – gives you an apologetic look once your eyes meet but you only let your gaze linger on his face for less than five seconds before you look away.

”Fine. Stay then but I’m leaving,” You say as you don’t find the will in yourself – or in the mood to start another meaningless quarrel with him – you rather choose the option to not put up with him since his friend is also here.

You don’t want to be the evil sibling who doesn’t know how to have fun.

”I’ll be in the living room if you guys need anything.” You stand up with your book tucked under your armpit – ready to get out. It wasn’t an invitation for him to give out demands. He does anyway.

”Bring up drinks if you go downstairs anyway!” That stupid boy doesn’t even look up to say the words to your face as he’s fidgeting with the settings before starting the game up again. Completely missing your face turning red from anger.

You let out a frustrated groan once you step out of the room letting your anger out when no one is looking. You take a deep breath as you descend the stairs. Deep breaths, it doesn’t worth it. You should be the bigger person! ”He’s only five years older.” You murmur under your nose while making your way down to the kitchen to get the stupid drinks.

The audacity your brother has! Huh! You want to dump the drinks on his head instead.

Ever since Jimin started high school following his best friend’s slash neighbour’s footsteps – Yoongi, who’s two years older than him and more mature and cooler than your brother will ever be in your eyes. Being his friend changed him. For the worst. You don’t blame your neighbour for it – you know that this change is because of the things Jimin believes to be true about himself. You’re too young to fully grasp what prompted this change you know that he didn’t have the best time in elementary. He lost weight but his self-esteem needs more time to build up again. He likes to act like the bullying didn’t affect him at all – when you know it’s not true. You heard him crying multiple times when his classmates called him fat, or a pig or ugly. He’s none of that. And instead of finding comfort in you, he decided to withdraw and completely shut you out.

You started to notice little changes in his behaviour at first. You talked less and less – caught him making up excuses to hang out with his other school friends shaking off all your attempts to ask about what’s wrong with him.

If you did something – but the truth was simple. Suddenly his sister was not cool enough to hang out with when he started to grow popular with the other kids. You even caught him sneaking out to go to a party even though he’s still underage!

You contemplate choosing between coke or sprite; standing in front of the fridge for a couple of minutes before coming up with your decision. Going with Yoongi’s favourite drink instead of Jimin’s. You can be pitiful too every once in a while. You stand on your tiptoes to get the glasses from the cupboard arranging them next to the bottle of sprite on the tray.

”I got the drinks.” You try to capture their attention again as you enter your room by placing the tray on the desk. They’re still immersed in the game – Jimin trying hard to win even if Yoongi’s character is way ahead of him in the race. The chocolate wraps scattered on the surface make you grit your teeth in silent anger that you will have to clean your room again.

You’re shaken out of your fuming thoughts when your eyes lock with your neighbour. ”Thank you Y/N.” Yoongi’s polite reply makes a little smile appear in the corner of your mouth, his voice is soothing and deep naturally as puberty hit him hard, but it soon turns into a deep frown as Jimin doesn’t even acknowledge you – instead he has the audacity to whine that you didn’t bring up his favourite drink for him when he sees the sprite on the tray.

”Asshole.” You spew profanities in your head.

You didn’t intend to say your thoughts out loud but you realise the slip of your tongue too late as both Yoongi and Jimin turn to you abandoning their game to look at you with big eyes almost falling out of their sockets. Surprised to hear such vulgar words leaving your mouth.

”W- Who taught you that word? Little girls like you shouldn’t speak like that Y/N.”

The comical way Jimin’s eyes widen and stutter with his words almost makes you laugh in his face (his words struck a chord in you) but you restrain yourself to just simply glare at him. You want to see how he would react if you told him you learned it from the porn videos he forgot to delete on his laptop. You were perplexed when you found his mature movie collection after you borrowed his laptop to finish a school project since your computer gave out – that’s why you got a new one that Jimin got jealous of.

”I’m not a little girl anymore if you haven’t noticed. I’m not five years old anymore and as far as I know, you are not five too so can you please stop whining like you are still in elementary school.”

Jimin seems embarrassed as you blow up – you know that your words hurt him but you couldn’t care less at the moment. It feels good to let all the pent-up frustration out. Your brother’s pride is hurt since his friend is in the middle of this argument and normally you wouldn’t humiliate him like that but enough is enough.

There’s a weird change in your relationship and you’re not used to getting so worked up by Jimin’s antics. He’s supposed to be your partner in crime! You considered your relationship to be fairly close when you were younger. You used to build pillow forts together and talk about the people you liked and disliked.

You don’t know what happened but you’re tired of trying. You muster up your meanest glare before you look away matching his heated gaze and Yoongi is caught in the middle unsure what to do to resolve the sudden tension in the room where both of you are at fault.

If he will be like this then you can change too. You storm out without saying sorry – and you don’t intend to apologise ever. He hurt you too! He never apologised either why should you? You’re not going to be the first to bend to his will anymore and whilst things between you only went downhill after that night – neither of you did anything to stop it. Both of you are too young to understand how it will negatively affect your relationship in the future. If you will regret letting it come to that – or not. Later realising that family is important.

Jimin was about to graduate the year you entered high school. Couldn’t ask for better timing as you didn’t have to deal with his reputation for too long. You were excited to become a freshman – be a big girl and start making your own decisions, prepare for college – but still nothing much changed regarding your relationship with your pompous brother. You had your own friend group and lived in the moment. There were good and bad days. This is how life works.

You two seemed to be drifting further and further apart as you got caught up in your separate lives. Mostly see each other at family dinners.

His friendship with your neighbour grows at the expanse despite the distance. Yoongi finished his studies before either of you did as he’s older than you. The memory is still vivid in your mind when you attended his graduation with Jimin. Your families always liked each other so it was given you attend.

You remember how sad Jimin looked but Yoongi cheered him up making him seal a pinky promise to meet again in College just how they always planned it.

It would be a lie if you said you were never envious of what Yoongi and your brother had.

Remembering the times when it was you who he told everything to and laughed about anything and nothing. They seemed to think alike and always had tons of fun leaving you out. You were jealous of that too. You were young and stupid just like Jimin. You let your frustration out on him when you were wondering behind the scenes – what can Yoongi give him that you can’t, why he doesn’t seem to like your company as much as his. You tormented yourself with these questions for a long time before you learnt to let go.

Even when Yoongi went to College they still talked – significantly less – as Yoongi had so much to do and Jimin was studying hard too to get into the same college as his friend but their friendship never wavered and you envied what they had.

High school was a fresh start for you. You finally realised once Jimin graduated and you were left alone in your small fishing town for the first time – not following your brother’s footsteps. Not seeing your brother or Yoongi for the first time in your daily life came with a lot of realisation on your part. How childish you both were. How in the end blaming the other one for drifting apart is pointless. You fixed your gaze on their backs for so long that you never thought about what you wanted. Blinded by the road they walked on before you. They used to babysit you on many occasions when your parents worked night shifts, you were around them constantly from a young age and throughout the time you fixed on them you watched as both Yoongi and Jimin got older, matured over time and their features became more defined and look more as a man than a boy. They were your role models as you didn’t know better. They were always just there.

They experienced your first period with you. Your mother was out of the house that day so you had no one else besides your brother to ask to buy you pads. You can easily recall even after many years how heated your face was with embarrassment as you told him you got your very first period.

He rushed to the convenience store for you like a headless chicken, leaving Yoongi by your awkward side. He gave you painkillers and rubbed your belly to ease the pain you felt. He reacted less awkwardly to the situation as he was more mature than Jimin at that time and knew more about a girl’s body. He felt like a second brother to you until the year of his graduation.

Then. Everything’s changed.

Yoongi was very thin back then and lanky. You knew that his family had struggles with money because you overheard when your parents conversed that Yoongi’s father lost his job at the company he worked for so their income was cut short. Yoongi often had to save his money to spend it on transportation rather than buying his lunch at the cafeteria as he didn’t want to ask for more money.

Hearing the concerning news you wanted to do something for him, so you woke up extra early to make sandwiches for him so he could eat something during the day. You knew that he always comes early to pick your brother up – waking up before Jimin so your mother lets him in as he waits for your brother to get ready for school and Jimin is sometimes worse than a girl if you consider the time he needs to get ready that you had plenty of time to give Yoongi the lunch you prepared without your brother suspecting anything.

Your master plan was perfect. At first, he was surprised by your kindness he always thought you didn’t like him because, in theory, he took your brother away from you but you never hated Yoongi for that. Knowing about his family’s situation he tried to bashfully decline your offer to make him food so he doesn’t need to buy them with his money. However, you successfully roped him into accepting it as you threatened to tell Jimin about it knowing that he would have made a much larger deal about this than you are. So you started to wake up early to make little sandwiches for him and sometimes he even showed up earlier sitting down and talking with you as you were making him food.

Due to quiet mornings careful not to wake up the house you whispered a lot into each other’s ears.

These mornings continued for a whole year as you visibly grew closer being able to spend some time together without the presence of your brother you started to get what Jimin liked about him as you too wanted to spend more time around him.

There were conversations filled with jokes and other’s were filled with serious talk about the future, getting to know him better you realised that despite how responsible and mature he appears to be on the outside he’s struggling with finding his way, growing up doesn’t seem so appealing after learning the ups and downs.

-

Things started to change in your dynamics when you reached your last year at high school. You met with nice people along the way and did various things – you felt ready to go to college. And what’s a better ending for the year? To get buzzed at a house party in your friend’s opinion.

”Fuck, that tastes like my hand sanitiser.” Yuck. Yeah, you’re not going to drink all of that. You purse your lips tasting the alcohol on your tongue for the first time in a while. You feel the liquid burning your oesophagus all the way down as you swallow the hard liquor.

You resisted the temptation of alcohol and drunk parties because you wanted to study hard to get into a good college after high school. You weren’t even supposed to be here tonight but Eunbi convinced you that there’s no better occasion to drink than the fact that you will finish your studies in less than twenty-four hours. You had to agree.

The last chance to party like a class. A very drunk class.

Your opposition weakened as more and more alcohol got into your system and the party started to get louder – your earlier sentence that you will not stay for long as the graduation ceremony will be held tomorrow morning the idea retreated to the back of your head as your mind got clouded with the booze taking its effect. This is the last time you could spend time with your classmates and everyone seems to have fun, why shouldn’t you do the same?

”Oh my god! Y/N, don’t look, but I think Hongbin is checking you out right now at two o’clock.”

Eunbi squeals as she presents you with her observation grabbing your hand with a grip that almost makes you spill the entirety of your drink onto the floor if It wasn’t for your fast reflexes to reangle the cup before it could come to that. You shake your head at her drunken antics.

You cough when the drink goes down the wrong pipe. ”What is he even doing here? Wasn’t he Jimin’s classmate?” You turn your head to take a glance in the direction she was looking when she painfully squeezes your cheeks to keep your head from turning.

”No! I told you to not look!”

”Ahem. Anyway. I heard that Kyungmin invited him but I thought he was kidding.” She was speaking to the air behind you as she was still eying the boy up and down. Freeing yourself from her grip you step back cautiously trying to prevent her from reaching you if she perhaps decides to try that move again. Her nails digging into your cheek hurt like a bitch.

”He may be looking this way but there are others around us so it doesn’t mean he’s looking at me. How do you know he’s not looking at you?” You take a big sip from your drink – want to desperately forget about boys for a moment – getting better at making a straight face while consuming it so you’re proud of yourself. It either means you’re getting used to the burning taste or you probably should stop drinking before you get so drunk you can’t remember your name and have to ask your brother for a ride home. Brr. Anything but that! You would rather walk all the way home.

Summoning the devil, you sigh when you feel your phone vibrate in your pocket.

You pass your solo cup to your friend – shoving it into her chest to hold it for you while you fish out your phone that keeps vibrating inside your jeans. You’re getting tired of it no matter how much you tried ignoring it. You have to blink a couple of times to keep the letters from coalescing as you read the messages.

All of them are sent by your brother. Typical.

You take a look at the words before locking your phone again without typing out an answer. Eunbi sees the way you roll your eyes even though the kitchen you are currently standing in is dimly lit with disco lights running all over the place.

”Was it your brother again?” She guesses, and she’s absolutely right. She should go and buy a lottery ticket. You snicker sarcastically.

You told mom before you left where you were heading and who you’re going with and she didn’t say much to that – only encouraged you to have fun but be careful knowing that it’s going to be your first ever party and someone might try to take advantage of you if you’re not being careful.

This party is long overdue.

Jimin went to his first party when he was sixteen and he still thinks that mom doesn’t know about that little sneak out and you’re 19 and as Eunbi phrased it, it’s the only time you could drink with your soon-to-be ex-classmates for the last time before everyone scatters around the world choosing different cities to get a degree or some starting work immediately after postgrad.

”He asked when I will arrive home.” You retell the content of his message for her knowing that she’s dying to hear it and it earns giggles from Eunbi, she had a huge crush on your brother when you were freshmen but she got over him for the most part. ”That’s very nice of him.” She beams and you roll your eyes at how obviously she’s acting. The alcohol truly is liquid truth.

”Nice of him my ass. He never cared before what I was doing so he doesn’t get to start now.”

You grit your teeth together in annoyance. A few messages from him won’t make up for the lost times that he ignored you during his high school years or even before that. A how have you been and birthday wishes won’t change that you two drifted apart. Away from family may have triggered his sudden change of heart but you won’t swoon over some half-hearted messages when he’s not making a real effort to fix your broken relationship to stand on the pillars where it stood as you were kids.

He should have thought about the consequences before you prominently drifted apart. Young or not. It feels like you barely know your brother anymore. So many years passed by without talking to each other. Really talking and not just pleasantries on holidays.

”So you won’t reply?” She nudges the hand that held the phone prior, and you shake your head in response.

You were thinking about getting home before midnight but after receiving the texts from him you want to make him worry a little and actually stay here longer than you originally planned. It feels like you two are bringing the worst out of each other. It feels like you’re a little girl again having her pity party. It’s also surprising he’s still up as he must be tired from the car ride all the way here from Seoul. Only here to attend your graduation that’s tomorrow.

”It’s nice of them to come back just to see you graduate.” Eunbi presses the matter, and it turns the channel of your thoughts into the direction where you wouldn’t want them to wander. What you’ve been trying to avoid all night.

To think about Yoongi coming back.

”You’re just saying that because you have a fat crush on my brother and you’re happy you will see him tomorrow.” You wriggle your eyebrows knowingly, and you swear you could see a faint blush creeping up her neck and spreading to make her cheeks appear in a bold red colour. Stuttering when she tries to deny it. She’s actually cute. She deserves better.

”What about you and Yoongi? Are you guys still texting?” Eunbi turns the question around and it’s your cue this time to blush at the mention of his name. Right, the texts.

Jimin doesn’t know that you’re talking to Yoongi, mostly over texts but sometimes you give each other a call if something big happens – it’s not shocking because you rarely text Jimin you mostly exchange birthday wishes and that’s all – but Yoongi talks with him daily so besides that it’s weird he doesn’t know. You have no idea why he’s keeping this a secret from your brother. Not that you expect him to bring it up casually in a conversation as you are not doing anything wrong but text each other so the chances that Jimin didn’t see your name pop up on his screen is almost close to zero. It’s not like you guys are flirting behind his back.

”He didn’t text me today he’s probably tired from packing and coming back, or he’s playing games with my brother. I don’t know.”

Eunbi hums knowingly and you dismiss her suggestive eyes narrowing down on you when you present the face that says it’s no big of a deal. But deep down you’re filled with nerves.

She sees right through you as a best friend should. Knowing fully well that you’re overthinking again, anxious to meet him after so many texts but no face-to-face interaction. The other concern that is plaguing your mind is that you wonder how he’ll act in front of your brother when the three of you get trapped in the same space. Will he be platonically friendly with you like when you were younger? Or he’ll ignore you altogether? You’re afraid to find out which scenario will become a reality tomorrow at your graduation.

-

Your cheeks heat up in embarrassment when you got called out for being at the top of all of your classes. For a moment you were afraid they forgot about you as they choose you as the last person to receive your honours.

You worked hard for your grades so some part of you felt proud because of your achievements but standing in front of a bunch of people knowing that there’s Min Yoongi among the crowd somewhere and hearing the high praises about you renders you into a blushing mess. Not a fan of the limelight.

Throughout your high school years, your grades were always average – not bad but not particularly good either because you were always lazy. You only decided for the last year to work extra hard so you won’t have to be nervous that you won’t meet the requirements of many universities in the area.

You were afraid of not getting accepted and disappointing your family. You only told your mother yesterday which colleges you decided to apply to.

Toying with the edge of your skirt you felt on edge as minutes ticked by and you were getting closer to the end of the ceremony where the flowers will be handed to you.

”I can’t believe my last baby graduated too. Time flies by so fast.” Your mother was the first one to approach your form caging your body into a bone-crushing hug and you hugged her back with the same vehemence. You can see the happy tears shining in her eyes that make you sentimental. Her familiar scent washes over you. You parted from your mother and your dad handed you the bouquet and planted a kiss on your right cheek congratulating you timidly but nonetheless proud of you. You smile back. They show love differently but you know they love you all the same and that’s the only thing that matters in the end. Family is important.

”Mom, what did I tell you about crying at my graduation?” You scolded her lightheartedly but you still smiled at her, not angry at all. It was expected, she cried so hard on Jimin’s graduation.

”Crying? Who’s crying? It’s just that something got into my eyes.” She makes up the least believable lie that makes everyone laugh out loud in your small circle of family.

It’s nice, you feel yourself relaxing as you’re surrounded by your immediate family.

”Congratulation Sis, you got me shocked. The top of the class, huh?”

Letting him envelop you into a loose hug was the weirdest experience in your life you patted his back awkwardly not used to the physical contact he initiated. The light teasing reminded you of the old times so it eases some of the tension you felt building up in your muscles and you managed a genuine smile.

”Thanks for believing I was stupid.” You retort back out of habit, but he doesn’t seem to mind your bratty response as he lets out his signature high-pitched chuckle at your comment.

Only one person is missing. You look behind Jimin searching for Yoongi’s eyes in the crowd, the only person who didn’t congratulate you yet, that you were the most excited and most scared about. You don’t have to wait for long before he appears and your heart hammers away in your chest when he smiles upon seeing you look for him so eagerly.

Once you meet gazes he speaks up. ”Congrats Y/N.”

Mirroring his big smile you let him scoop you up from the safety of the ground and twirl you around with a small chuckle coming from the both of you. You internally squeal. He’s gotten stronger, you can feel his muscles shift against you.

”Thanks Yoongi.” You whisper the words intimately into the space between your bodies but he hears you all the same given how close you are due to the shared hug still not broken apart.

You take a deep breath letting his scent overrule your senses – he may have changed his cologne over the years of knowing him but his different scent never discouraged you, it’s still so unapologetically Yoongi that you could inhale it all night and still have the same calming effect.

”You look beautiful by the way.” He whispered cheekily into your ear for only you to hear – the words were lost in the crowd. Yoongi let his head weight down onto your shoulder to keep the hug comfortable and you welcomed his embrace. It felt right to be in his arms again after so long. Hugs from him were rare even when you were younger but you cherish all of them because you know Yoongi never does something without intent.

The moment, however, soon gets disturbed by someone butting in. ”Ahem,” When Jimin clears his throat behind you urging you two to break the hug you give him an eye roll. Not sure if he’s trying to protect you from Yoongi or all the way around. Your brother destroyed your momentary illusion – again.

-

”How should I cut these?” You pointed in the direction of the vegetables laid out on the counter in front of you on the cutting board, already cleaned and pealed.

The music playing from Yoongi’s phone is relaxing as you cook together after an exhausting day. You’ve been both under a mountain of stress and assignments from college so it’s been a while since you could hang out like this. You missed him a lot.

Yoongi paused what he was doing so that he could take a look at what you were pointing at with your hand.

His lips curled into a pout of concentration you always found cute. He sometimes talked in a pout that was adorable too. ”Huh?” You looked up with a confused expression realising that you were looking at his lips zoning out instead of listening – you saw how his pink lips moved while forming the words but you didn’t hear anything he said.

”I said cut the carrots in half and then cut them into thin slices.” An amused smile stretched across his lips whilst he repeated his instructions, but you turned your head back facing the vegetables to not get distracted again by his good looks as you nodded along this time clearly hearing him.

You started to chop the carrots first while Yoongi turned back to tend to the stew on the stove. You work on separate things for a while in comfortable silence, only the occasional stir of liquid or the knife in your hand making noises besides the music as it meets with the cutting board in fluid and practised motions.

You watched your mom a lot while she was cooking for the family so you weren’t lost in the kitchen per se – but you loved pretending that you don’t know how to make certain meals for the sake of getting lessons from Yoongi who is an excellent cook himself. At first, it was just an excuse to spend time with him but later on, it became your thing to do together.

You have radio sweethearts but it’s more like work – it’s fun to listen to him talk about different topics and hear his side of things. The recordings are always fun but quality time like this is what you think is the most fun to do with him.

He learned it from his brother as you got to know one time the topic came up but on the other hand, he had to take it more seriously when he was living alone in his first year of college. Not having the benefit of getting home from school to a homemade meal waiting for him unless he made it beforehand.

He often cooked to release some steam. No pun intended.

He later moved in with some friends he met in college and later Jimin moved in with them as he got accepted. You were introduced to the whole group later when you started to attend college as well. They’re all nice people and you liked them all – unlike some of Jimin’s high school friends.

They are living in a fairly big house rented from an elderly couple who live the next town over. Seven boys under one roof is a bit chaotic and some might think it will never work out but they make it work and were able to form a fascinating group mixed in terms of age and interest as well.

Yoongi decided to change majors after two years of pursuing something he wasn’t sure of and it meant that despite him starting this process before you did you got the chance of spending some years with him around campus before he graduated.

Some of his friends including your brother are still in college while others already got their degrees.

The front door suddenly slamming shut awakened you from your daydreaming.

The loud sound of the lock clicking into place made you jump up in surprise resulting in nearly chopping your fingers off by accident. You let out a string of curses.

”Finally home, I thought this day will never end.” Picking up Jimin’s voice from the living room you knew he was coming even before he ducked his head into the kitchen.

Jimin’s dirty blond hair styled in curls makes him look like an actual puppy the girls love it – shaking his head from right to left trying to exercise his numb neck he drops his bag from his shoulder and lets it fall to the ground with a big thud.

He’s dropping by the kitchen for a short minute to greet you and Yoongi before he makes his way into his room with quick steps.

-

Interacting with your brother without arguing all the time got better with time when you decided to attend the same college and you were forced to see him more often.

There are still plenty of things left to fix between you but you see him try harder than before to be a better brother to you. You promised Yoongi you’ll go easy on him since he’s trying. Things won’t go back to the way it was before but you’re welcoming this new change in his behaviour. He’s trying at least and you appreciate it even if you don’t say it out loud.

”Wanna watch a movie after we’re finished?” Yoongi asks while dropping the vegetables into the soup that you just cut. No longer having any task to carry out you step beside his much larger form to observe him season the dish – you lean against the counter as you watch him stir and add more stuff to the mixture.

”Sure.” You say, accepting the soy sauce from his hands to put it away and help him clean up. Lunch is almost ready.

You go to call the others.

-

You take one side of the earphones out of your ears as you stand in front of the rented Studio blowing some hot breath into your freezing fingers as you wait.

You knock impatiently as you move your weight from leg to leg, your limbs feel frozen as you walked in the cold. Your lecture ended pretty late because the professor kept rambling on and it meant you were running late and you missed the bus so you had to walk from your dorm room to here.

Yoongi was wearing a black turtle neck jumper with some blue jeans when he opened the door for you, his parted hair almost long enough to reach the bottom of his ear, as always, he looks good as he stands in the doorway taking in your slightly shaking form.

”Are you cold?” His voice is laced with concern while he runs his hands up and down the length of your arms on both sides to warm you up with friction. Your body heats up but not for the same reason he thinks as your pulse picks up from his proximity.

You nod obediently scooting closer to his frame searching for his heat. You shouldn’t have listened to today’s weather forecast and left your scarf at home.

But you can’t complain as it presented you with the perfect opportunity to be in your friend’s arms. Your brother’s best friend’s arms who you’re secretly in love with. Ever since you were a high schooler – but act natural!

Draping an arm over your shoulder Yoongi beckons you to move further away from the door as he closes it after you. Your cheeks and nose resemble a rosy red colour from the wind’s harsh blowing even though you felt cold – you still decided to get rid of your jacket and let the article hang on the arm of the chair.

The studio has a portable heater so you’ll be warm in no time.

”Ready?” You hope your voice rightfully conveys your excitement – today’s topic is love and you can’t wait to discuss the questions your other teammates put together for you – despite how you need to physically hold yourself back from giving in to the clashing of your teeth.

You wrap your fingers around the solo cup that contains a steaming hot coffee it’s probably Yoongi’s fill for the day from his favourite cafe place but you’re sure he won’t mind you using it as a handwarmer for a bit.

”Let’s check the script before we start.” The boy sitting next to you suggests and you nod in agreement. You’re professionals. Placing the coffee down as your fingers started to warm up the temptation to take a sip is too great so you let go.

As if reading your thoughts Yoongi holds it up for you to take again with a small gummy smile. ”Drink up, it’s yours. I already finished mine.” Sensing the dilemma you were having – Yoongi urges you to drink the coffee whilst it’s hot and you accept it gladly, with your free hand you pull up the document your team came up with last week when you had the meeting about the future content of radio sweethearts. You were distracted by Yoongi’s attire so don’t remember in detail what you discussed – it seemed like he was going on a date but you were too chicken to ask if it was true. It put a damp in your mood for the entire evening.

The podcast was originally Namjoon and Yoongi’s idea and the name they had in mind was far from radio sweethearts if you remember correctly it didn’t really have a name yet – the title only contained numbers generated by the computer itself when they aired their first attempt.

Nana a new addition to your friend’s group and you joined in later as hosts.

They started with minimal equipment and experience in this field – doing it to only have fun – the recordings didn’t bring much success in the first couple of episodes that’s when they joined heads and attempted to make the podcast more interesting so more people will listen to them.

They wanted to talk about various topics while still delivering good music in between discussions. They didn’t want to focus on only one thing.

They wanted to put together a wide range of programs where all students in your college could find something that interested them. They were not driven by popular opinions all they wanted is to give young ones – who are still in the process of figuring out their lives – something that could benefit them all in all aspects of life.

Take a little load off their shoulders with funny topics. The goal they had in mind was that students can relax while listening to the podcast and have fun, the program plan they came up with was manifold – starting from open hours where students have the opportunity to ask for advice on the many topics that have been discussed by the hosts day by day.

Nana and you immediately fell in love with the idea. It was actually her who came up with the concept that we should pair up and take turns in recording stuff.

It allowed you to catch up with schoolwork as you only needed to record once every two weeks but the main reason was that the representatives of both sexes may listen so why not make a duo consisting of a girl and a boy to meet everyone’s needs.

It helps with the topic discussions as boys cannot speak in the girls’ place and vice versa.

The pairings were obvious from the start since you and Yoongi gravitated toward each other naturally. Namjoon and Nana are a perfect match as well – usually, they are the ones who like to talk about love life and they even came up with a special feature on Fridays that anonymously you can confess to a loved one by sending in a love letter. It has been a huge success.

Yoongi and you, on the other hand, often discuss heavier topics – like mental illness or burnout to let the listeners know that they are not alone because when you are dealing with your struggles you often forget the fact that someone else might be struggling with the same things and whilst it doesn’t help you with your problem it’s good to know you’re not alone. Some discussions are heavier – some are lighter and today it’s the latter. You’re in the mood for a funny and lighthearted conversation.

The recordings with Yoongi always go smoothly. It could be because these talks remind you of when you were younger and chit-chatted about different things in the kitchen. Always feels natural to share your thoughts with him and he’s relaxed in your presence as well. You think this is why you make a great team.

Taking the first sip out of the cup the rich texture and delicious sweet caffein melted your downcasted mood – the coffee got the job done by warming your insides. While Yoongi took care of the heat of your cheeks by leaning in close to see the script.

”How about we switch this part.” You thought aloud – leaning forward in your chair. Trying to act like his closeness doesn’t affect you but you push your thighs together under the table in nervous jitters. ”Let’s talk about the holiday and foods first to set the mood for the winter break.” Yoongi hums considering your suggestion. Going with what you suggested in the end, changing the outline to favour your idea clicking and typing away on the computer scanning the outline. You can’t help but look at his hands flying across the keyboard the veins producing from the skin as he moves them expertly.

You push that thought away before it can affect you and you decide it’s best if you concentrate on your tasks.

After you’ve finished fixing the minor changes in the plot Yoongi checks the equipment as you test the mics that they turn on alright and start the prerecording soon after. The chair squeaks as he leans back to take up a comfortable position – hard in work mode – again fixing your mics and testing if your voices are not lumpy before starting. You always thought he’s sexy when he’s concentrating on something. You can see the passion in his eyes when he does the things he likes and you can’t get enough of his visuals.

”Welcome back everyone. My name’s Yoongi and as expected, Y/N and I are back with a new episode of Radio Sweethearts.” The smirk only you can see sends you to heaven you can’t help but smile back. It’s showtime.

-

Surrounded by mostly boys sometimes even you forget that you’re a girl. You like to paint your nails and you have a fascination with sparkly and cute stuff. Glitter yes. Pink – is not your thing but baby pink is acceptable. If there’s one thing you hate as a girl is shopping for stuff. Not to say – gift shopping. Your biggest nightmare is that you have to think about what the other person might like or doesn’t like. You were never good at gift shopping. Jimin’s birthday is just around the corner and you’re out of ideas on what to get him. In other words, you’re screwed.

He doesn’t need any more clothes – he has too much already that he even gave you some as he stated he won’t wear them anymore so here you have it use it for sleepwear or whatever giving him a book would be pointless as he’s barely reading his textbooks.

You ponder if you should just go the easy way and get him some new video game or a useful electronic gadget as he seems to be interested in making music with Jungkook these days but it would be too impersonal. You look for your wallet in your bag to check how much can you even afford for his gift when you bump into a hard chest on your way to the first shop you’ve seen from afar. You let out a small ouch when your nose collides with a chest and you rub it once you get some distance in between you and the stranger before you look up.

”Sorry I wasn’t looking where I was – going.” You haven’t seen this handsome stranger before but the city is big and you’re not very outgoing.

The first thing you see is that he has a lot of tattoos even more than Jungkook and he has a lip piercing and one on his nose.

”I wasn’t paying attention either. No worries.” The stranger strokes the back of his neck after he asks if your nose is alright, his smile is cute and dimpled.

You dismiss his concerns shyly, fuck this is awkward. He’s not scary at all even though he could be the lead vocalist of a punk group band for all you know. He looks like a charmer and only a bit scary when he smirks at your timid behaviour. Your eyes go to his lips as he bites his lip ring.

”Would I be too forward if I were to ask for your number?” You were not expecting that and your eyes widen in response. Yes – he’s handsome but you’re not exactly ready to date.

”I- I don’t even know your name.” You’re speechless. You look to the side – looking for an escape route before you make this situation even more awkward. You didn’t think he would try to hit on you!

”Where are my manners my name is Horo. Have you heard of bleeding butterflies before? It’s my band’s name. We’re having a show at the local bar tonight. I would be happy to see you there sweetheart.” And then he winks. Oh my. You’re in trouble.

The name doesn’t ring any bell even if the guy seems confident that it would change your mind and suddenly worship the ground he’s walking on.

You avoid eye contact looking around in case you would see a familiar face. You know you should say no, he would probably understand and don’t try to pursue you but you can’t seem to will yourself to do it. Relief washes over you when you spot Yoongi’s black hair in the crowd but that smile soon freezes on your face when you see a hand attached to him. They are not holding hands but her hand is looped in his. A hand that belongs to a woman around his age in formal office wear – looking like a couple out shopping. He laughs at something she says when suddenly your eyes meet and you look away in panic. The only thing you can look at is the guy’s expectant face.

”I will think about it.” You offer him a smile – not in the mood to shop anymore and risk seeing Yoongi with his date. You go and hide in the lady's bathroom.

Horo only let you go after you took the paper he handed to you with his number on it asking you to call him if you decide to go to the show and you nodded with no further promises. Your heart is already taken by someone else – and you’re not ready to let this feeling go anytime soon. Even if you have to suffer seeing Yoongi with another woman. Because you’re selfish. You want him to be happy but you want him to be happy with you and it makes you feel like you’re a bad friend.

You open a bottle of wine at home momentarily forgetting about Jimin’s upcoming birthday and Horo and the gift shopping you didn’t do as you gulp down the content of your glass in your dark apartment. Wallowing in self-pity.

-

”Oh, Yoongi what are you doing here?” You shouldn’t be as surprised as you are to see him. You were ignoring his texts and not answering his calls – you should have expected him to come and check up on you.

You’re forced to look up because of your closeness, him a few heads taller than you so you have to tilt your head back a little to see his face fully as a deep frown climbs its way up to his features. You look dishevelled, your hair is a bird's nest and there are big circles under your eyes. Every sign shows your distress and Yoongi is concerned. He’s sizing your body up silently from the tip of your sockless toes and bare legs to the outworn black t-shirt that you were sleeping in – a new addition to your collection from your brother. Just an old band t-shirt with a faded logo.

You were not bothering to change as you weren’t going to leave the house for a while so his unannounced arrival was, to say the least – caught you off guard.

”You didn’t answer any of my texts or calls. I was worried. Did something happen? Are you alright?”

You know he probably noticed that you didn’t invite him in like you usually do. You didn’t hug him and you always hug him when you’re upset and he pretends that he doesn’t like it when internally he’s smiling – you’re not following tradition. It makes his suspicions justified that it connects to him – and you’re acting strange because of something he did. He just has to figure out what so he can fix it. He doesn’t like to see you like this.

”It’s not the best time Yoongi – I’ll text you later, okay?”

You sound tired which makes him more determined. He could tell that you want to be alone and it’s your subtle way of telling him to back off but he’s not letting you off the hook. Yoongi slips his feet between the door before you could close it – knowing you well enough that you won’t call or text you just wanted him to be gone by offering an empty promise. He knows all your tactics by now. He’s getting frustrated that something is clearly on your mind but you try to avoid the conversation. What is it that you can’t tell him? You’ve always come to him when you had problems. Why now you decide not to? The suspense makes him go crazy as he awaits your next move.

Half expecting you to shut the door on his face anyway but instead, you sigh and open the door wide enough for him to slip inside the comfort of your home.

His gaze fixates on the pictures on your wall – it’s you with friends and family and a few of them just of the two of you.

You’re not ready for this conversation but Yoongi doesn’t give you much choice.

”No you won’t. You are avoiding me and I just want to know why.”

His gaze turns pleading as he desperately tries to keep your eye contact – hoping that he can read something from them but to no avail. He wants to know why you’re acting so strange when everything was fine the last time you saw each other and now suddenly you don’t want to do anything with him and go as far as to lie to his face.

You’re confusing him even if the answer should be obvious from a bird's view.

He caught your gaze at the mall but you disappeared so suddenly that he wasn’t so sure it was you in the end. It could have been just someone who looked similar to you.

Seeing him with a woman on a date made you feel like you were back at high school protecting a stupid crush as a teenager. It’s been a while since Yoongi had a girlfriend so you didn’t have to confront your feelings. You should start – as this time is good as any. You can’t run away from your feelings forever and dismissing them was not doing you any good. Or your friendship with Yoongi. You know that this will eventually tear it apart if you keep it bottled up inside.

You never pictured a world where you were not standing beside Yoongi and Jimin on either side of you.

It’s a tough decision that has to be done if you want your friendship to last. You need some time apart.

”I think we need some time apart.” Your words are sudden and it makes Yoongi realise the problem is a lot bigger than he originally thought. This thing you’re not telling him runs deeper. You look sad but determined and Yoongi is afraid if he lets you go if he accepts – you might never come back. He refuses to let you go without a fight. He’s not the best with words but you surely know how important you are to him right? Was he not forward enough? Did you think he didn’t see you as a friend? That you’re just his best friend’s little sister? Yet – you’re so much more than that to him.

It even scares him sometimes.

”W –,” It’s the first time he’s completely lost for words to say – his pupils dilated in shock – as he steps back from the sheer absurdness of your behaviour. ”What? What’s that supposed to mean? No. We don’t need time apart. All you need to do is to talk to me and we can fix the problem together. Like we always do.”

Yoongi startles you by grabbing your hand as if he was afraid you will disappear into thin air in your own apartment. He’s not hot-headed but your behaviour throws him off.

He holds you like his life is depending on it and your heart aches – you don’t like seeing him so lost and helpless. He doesn’t know what to say or do to make this right and that terrifies him.

”You can’t fix my feelings Yoongi. Let me just think okay? I just need some time alone. Can you leave please?” You don’t want this to be harder than it already is but Yoongi is not letting you go. The gesture makes your heart flutter even if you tell yourself you shouldn’t react that way if you want to salvage your friendship.

Pulling your hand away felt wrong and you hated every second of it but it was a necessary moment of pain that you need to endure. It had to be done. Friends shouldn’t be jealous when they see their friend with another woman.

Even in high school, you were holding onto a sliver of hope that someday Yoongi will look at you the same way you look at him. You rejected a couple of boys who wanted to date you and lied to your friends that you’re just not interested in men yet. You focused on school instead.

You achieved your goal – you’re living in the same city going to the same college – got closer with time, you do things together without your brother and you know a lot about him, that you could fight Jimin for the title of his best friend.

But being his friend doesn’t seem to be enough. You want more than just platonic friendship. You want to hold his hand, kiss him and tell him that you love him. You want him to call you his girlfriend when he introduces you to new people.

He would be probably shocked to hear you say that out loud. You always thought that you were out of his league. You’re seven years younger – a girl with little to no experience whilst he’s probably looking for a woman who already has a stable career and she’s ready to start their life.

Your brother wouldn’t approve – he will think you’re trying to steal his best friend away from him.

You don’t want things to get awkward and that means you need to take a step back. Not sure if a confession now would do you any good at this point.

”I’m not leaving when you’re like this. Not until you tell me what’s gotten into you.”

His frown deepens when you refuse to meet his eyes.

This is not how you face problems. Not with him. You spent many late nights talking facing the wall with Yoongi laying beside you on your bed. The atmosphere surrounding you is different. It’s suffocating you both.

”We are friends right?” The question itself would be a simple one if your feelings weren’t so complicated and all over the place. Yoongi is confused – it shouldn't even be a question in his opinion.

The answer comes fast. ”Of course we are friends.” Yoongi watches you and tries to read your body language.

”Well that means I can’t tell you, friends shouldn’t say things like that.” Your focus is on a little crack on the wall avoiding his eyes makes the talking easier.

A tiny light appears at the end of the tunnel that seems to spark recognition in him but it soon fades as he quickly dismisses the possibility.

”What’s that supposed to mean? Tell me Y/N.” Yoongi grabs your shoulders in a last desperate attempt to make you look at him tired of you keep beating around the bush without saying anything. He wishes you could just say it.

”I shouldn’t be in love with you but I am.”

”I’ve liked you for years and when the other day I saw you with that beautiful woman- it looked like you’re on a date and I got jealous. I’m sorry.”

Words spill out after you start.

”Y- You love me?” Yoongi can’t seem to process it, the confession genuinely seems to surprise him and makes you feel more disappointed – that the idea didn’t even cross his mind.

Yoongi is quick to grab your forearm to stop you from moving away in shame. You want the ground to swallow you whole to save you from his rejection. He just needs a minute to think about this. He’s not rejecting you but it looks like it to you.

”No don’t go! Wait.” He panics eyes large and observant. ”Don’t go. Don’t hide from me, let’s talk about this.” He needs to think carefully as it looks like you could start crying at any moment. His grip on your arm is gentle you could have easily freed yourself from it – but something in his eyes makes you stop and wait. Yoongi looks like he’s thinking hard about the things you told him.

He’s thoughtful like always. Don’t want to hurt your feelings. He listens to you and considers the words he wants to reply with – this situation is no different. He’s searching for the right words that could best convey his inner thoughts and he’s struggling to find them.

”It’s ok Yoongi. You don’t have to say anything really, you are not responsible for what I feel. I understand that you don’t feel the same way- I’m a big girl I can handle rejection.”

”Stop talking. Who says anything about rejection.” You gulp when he takes a step closer his piercing gaze holding you captive. His confidence gives you a sense of wishplash. You take a step back in turn but Yoongi follows your movement holding you by the back of your head so you can’t move away this time. He rests his forehead on yours – takes your breath away with how close he’s getting. You’re confused but your heart is beating like crazy in your ribcage from joy. His face is coming impossibly close which makes you think he’s going to kiss you. You really wish he did.

The fingers in your hair started moving caressing your scalp with gentle touches and twisting the ends. Your eyes close on their own accord your lips part to say something but nothing comes out as you enjoy the feeling of his fingers playing with your hair.

Is this a dream? It certainly feels like it. Placing a thumb on your cheekbone Yoongi outlines your face with careful strokes. ” Since when do you like me? Answer me Y/N.”

Wettening your dry lips you gather the courage to search for an answer in his dark pools of blackness. You tell him everything. The moment you fell in love with him. Everything you’ve been feeling but was too afraid to voice out. He knows now that you’re in love with him and it makes you vulnerable. Does he feel the same? What does this position mean to him?

Is it possible it’s not just you? You see him follow the motion of your mouth – placing a finger over your soft lips before looking up to meet your vulnerable gaze.

”Please Yoongi tell me you like me too.” You know he wouldn’t play with your feelings like that – but you need to hear it. You’re scared. You want this to be true. Yoongi sees the distress on your face and straightens the lines on your forehead with his fingers.

”I had a long and very awkward talk with Jimin on the day of your graduation that you probably don’t know about. You turned 19 so I wanted to ask him if it would be okay to ask you out on a date. He didn’t want to let me but I insisted until he agreed.” Yoongi cringes as he remembers the conversation.

You tilt your head to the side it’s the first time you’re hearing this. Jimin never mentioned it but it’s not like you guys talked a lot. Your heart sinks to the bottom of your stomach at the realisation that he had the permission to ask you out but he chooses to not act on it. Does this mean he changed his mind?

”What happened? Why didn’t you ask me out then?” You need to know why he never said a word about this before. Why he never asked.

”I overheard your conversation with your friend before the dinner celebration. You said you’re not interested in dating and you would say no if anyone asked. I know it’s silly but I chickened out because of it.” Yoongi looked away bashfully, the confusion dissolved and a new kind of realisation took its place. That conversation…oh no. You remember that conversation.

Your friend tried to convince you to date Hongbin – that guy who was Jimin’s classmate. You didn’t want to obviously because even back then you were in love with Yoongi.

-

You started laughing at the absurdness of the situation. If you don’t pick up that call maybe you would be together or at the very least he would have asked you out. You had no idea he heard you, but it makes sense he thought you would reject him.

”You’re stupid. I said that because I didn’t want to date Hongbin because I was already in love with you.”

It’s hard to believe for all those years he liked you, Yoongi, your friend. The best kind of adrenalin is surging through your entire body and it helps you make a bold decision as you place a chaste kiss on his mouth, just a quick press of lips but you feel like you’re swimming in between the clouds.

”Fuck. That sucks but I’m glad at least I know now. We could always make up for the lost time.”

The curse word that left his lips is sexy. It makes you feel things. He’s thinking about something else – less sexual – as his eyes close in frustration, probably thinking that you two would have been together for years if he properly made a move on you.

His eyes fixate on your lips, capturing the flesh of your bottom lip with purpose. Asking for permission to enter the cave of your mouth – to make up for lost times. You taste each other for the first time as your tongues dance together feverishly. A moan is swallowed by his lips and you get lost in his touches.

-

After that hot first kiss, Yoongi stayed the night and more kisses were shared between the sheets more pure and innocent ones as you fell asleep in each other’s embrace.

The lego pieces are finally put together.

And things drastically changed between you. A welcomed change. –You went on cute dates and held hands in public you were over the moon. He finally introduced you as his girlfriend. No one seemed surprised and even Jimin congratulated you without any remarks added in the end.

Kissed in his room when no one was looking with you perched on his lap which led to heated make-out sessions but nothing crazy took place. You didn’t have sex yet. Yoongi wanted to take it slow for you and you agreed. You just wanted to be with him.

-

”What are you up to shortcake?” His head lay heavily on your shoulder to look over what you were doing. You smiled at the nickname – you didn’t think he would be a guy to be into that but you were pleasantly surprised that he liked to call you sweet names when it was just the two of you.

You turned your head to peck his cheek before you focus back on the movie playing on the tv.

”Just watching something on the tv.” You replied sweetly. Yoongi had to finish his project for a class so you haven’t seen him exit his bat cave – he’s been cooped up in his room all day only coming out to make more coffee. He ate the food you prepared in his room still rehearsing his work.

Yoongi occasionally surprised you by kissing the top of your head as he was passing by the living room to the coffee maker – appreciating your presence even if you were doing different things. You came over because you missed him but you respect his will to finish his work first.

”I’m almost done.” He promises with another kiss. You’ve been hearing him say that for the last couple of hours.

The day went by fast while you were relaxing but you’re still surprised by how dark it is outside when you look over to the window. You should leave soon if you want to catch the last bus home.

Yoongi seemingly lost track of time too because when you step into his room he’s deeply engrossed in his work still. You found him leaning over his equipment making adjustments when you cleared your throat to catch his attention.

Confused about why you’re wearing your coat and appear to be ready to leave but it takes one look at the clock to realise the time. This is around the time you would normally leave because of your bus. He peeks at the clock rereading the time as he sheepishly strokes the side of his neck - you see that an apology coming before he even starts forming the first syllable.

”You don’t need to apologise. Your work is important but it’s getting late and I should catch my bus. I came to tell you.” You showed him a tired smile.

You stayed up late to finish your assignments. You haven’t got much sleep as you wanted to come here first thing in the morning to see Yoongi. You’re sad that you couldn’t spend much time with him but you don’t blame him for being busy. Exams are coming up and you know you won’t be able to meet for a while. You know how much this degree means to him. He’s getting busier as he gets closer to the finishing line.

”Come here baby.”

Yoongi pouts and beckons you to get close you can’t say no to that face. Even though you should really leave if you want to arrive home before it gets too dark.

”You should get some rest too, you’re working so hard. I’m very proud of you, you know that right?”

Carding your fingers through his hair lazily – his hands circle around your waist. Getting comfortable as he rests his head on your chest and pulls you to stand between his legs. Yoongi starts kissing his way up on your neck before he invites your mouth to mould against his in a sweet kiss.

”I don’t deserve you. You’re too good to me.” Caressing your hipbone his fingers dip lower as he drags his warm palm over your thighs. ”So. Good. I’m. The. Luckiest guy. In. The. World.” Stressing the words out between kisses he delivers each caress of his lips with care and love. He misses you too. You smile into the last one before pulling back removing the dark locks that dare to interfere with his vision with delicate hands. It feels nice. You don’t want this moment to end but you really have to get ready to leave.

”Baby, are you trying to distract me so I would stay the night?” Yoongi’s ears turn pink shifting uncomfortably as soon as he got caught in the act of his coy. This shy and affectionate side of him causes your heart to skip several beats.

It’s always endearing to see him squirm under your observant gaze he always has new ways to show you why you fell in love with him in the first place.

”I’ll stay, but..” You emphasize the ’but’ that results in another pout from the man in front of you.

”You have to say it. Say you want me to stay.” You say it in a sing-song voice. You give him a peck on the lips that he tries to chase after you pull back but you don’t let him deepen it not before he tells you.

He’s not the most verbal man out there, but you don’t mind that you have to work for his affection from time to time and he always gives you what you want in the end. He can’t resist you.

”Please, stay.”

And you do.

-

You’re subconsciously rolling to the other side of the bed to feel his body next to yours – you search for Yoongi’s hand blindly under the covers without making a real effort to open your eyes.

There’s morning light filtering through the curtains but you have no desire to move.

It’s cold outside the covers so you abandon your side of the bed to scoot closer to Yoongi’s warmth who’s still fast asleep. The moment feels domestic as you carefully rest your head on his chest. You would love to wake up to this every day.

-

His eyelashes flutter kissing the skin of his cheek at your cold touch and his lips move in a pout. His breathing evening out – you trace patterns on his smooth skin and follow the dip of his collarbone and shoulder blades with your fingertips. Your lips map out the same path before you arrive at his slightly furrowed brows in his sleep and you place a light kiss there – a little secret between you and his body.

You’re laying on the bed wide awake listening to both of you breathing.

You take a deep breath and prop yourself up on your elbows facing your sleeping beauty boyfriend and watch his eyelids twitch with motion. Careful to keep your touches light you place a few curly strands of hair behind his ears. You don’t want to wake him up. He’s just so unresistible you can’t keep your hands to yourself.

You stop before you could get too carried away and wake him up for real so you roll to your side to get to your previous position maybe try to get back to sleep as well. Unaware that he’s already up enjoying your sweet touches. Sleepy Yoongi has other plans as he pulls you back by tangling his fingers into your bed hair and pulling you on his lips.

He doesn’t guide your head further as you take control of the kiss. More than eager to continue what he started. He’s following your lead like he’s in hypnosis – in between the line of being asleep and awake you hold his cheeks in your palm and caress the soft skin there tenderly. Your lips are dreamy, warm and wet when you push your tongue beyond the seam of his lips and taste him with a flick of your tongue over the roof of his mouth. You drink up his moans and seal them against your lips.

”Good morning.” You smile into one of his kisses.

You’re licking into his mouth as if he’s the first drop of water to your dry throat you’re greedy, you’re growing impatient with your exploration – you want to drown in his taste his scent. It all surrounds you like a warm blanket.

”Morning.”

You comfortably lay your body weight on him after he encourages you to get on top with little taps of his fingers on your hipbone. Palm flattening across your skin as his firm hold closes around your waist. He’s so sexy you enjoy morning Yoongi a lot and his voice is so deep when he just woke up.

You have to break the kiss eventually to come up for air and his lips move to your neck.

He couldn’t bear the thought of not tasting your skin. Yoongi’s mouth moves down exploring the unmarked canvas of skin and leaving reminders for later scraping the sensitive flesh with his teeth just to run his hot tongue over the abused area soothing the pain with kitten licks. Igniting a fire in the pit of your belly. Your panties are soaking wet and clinging to your folds begging to be touched.

Your core throbs when his teeth enclose your earlobe and he nibbles. You shiver and writhe under his skilful lips and fingers. Your thighs rub together still tangled in the sheets when his hands explore your bare back under the oversized shirt. The shirt you borrowed from him hides you well but gives him more room to roam underneath the fabric. He likes to see you in his clothes but he would like it better if it would be on the floor already.

He’s feeling for the clasp of your bra his mind all over the place but realises you don’t have one on and it just makes his job easier. Also, who wears their bra to sleep? Big hands grip your waist and move your body back and forth for delicious friction and your mind go blank. His long fingers are digging into the flesh of your ass as he uses his strength to move you.

You both start panting and your heart is picking up speed – the volume of his moans increases as you roll your hips naturally placing your bodies together like puzzle pieces. You can feel your body heat up from the intimacy of what the position brings and your head is still foggy with the aftermath of sleep as dormant desires take control.

”You’re so fucking beautiful.”

You feel dizzy as your back meets the comforter Yoongi hovering over your heated body barely covered by his shirt and your panties. He whispers sweet nothings into your ear distracting you from his insistent biting and licking the flesh behind your ears before he continues his descend. Following the lines and curves of your body with his hands and mouth – not leaving an inch of your skin unloved. Not moving lower until he kissed an apology to every bruise and hickey he sucked onto your immaculate skin. Proudly coating his gifts in his saliva leaving a wet trail between your breasts.

”Can I?” Your heart flutters as he asks for permission. You say yes in a heartbeat.

Yoongi rolls your shirt up until the fabric is stretched around the upper side of your boobs. Showering your collarbones with kisses before rolling the material up further to lick a fat stripe starting from your stomach to the underside of your heaving breasts.

”Yoongi-ah fuck please.” Pushing the shirt up entirely he has the best view of your naked chest moving rapidly up and down with each breath. His warm palm covers your perky mound before he leans down to suck a nipple into his wet mouth and suck a bruise onto the underside of your breast as he kneads the other one like it’s silky dough using circular motions to toy with your pink nipple.

The way his soft hair brushes against your skin with every lick and suck adds to the sensation. You can’t keep your eyes open as the overwhelming feeling of his mouth devouring your flesh numbs everything else. Pale fingers slide easily over your tits that are slick with his spit trailing the other one and down following the lines of your ribcage to find the last barrier separating your bodies. Your underwear.

Reaching for one of his hands you intertwine them next to your head kissing him with renewed fervour you don’t want him to ever stop touching you. Gripping his hand tighter Yoongi’s lips turned more eager to reintroduce himself to your taste. Kisses turning open-mouthed. The clash of teeth and tongues fighting for dominance.

Stretching the fabric to accommodate two of his fingers he first begins by rubbing slow shapes over your puffy lips collecting your arousal and rubbing it onto your clit in figures. Parting your folds to feel your wet heat directly on his fingers he dips the first digit in – just the tip.

Your core throbs under his touch and a whiny moan climb its way up your throat the sound elicits him to smile into the valley of your breasts.

Yoongi enters the first digit fully but it leaves your warmth too soon as your walls try to keep him inside. Your boyfriend chuckles into your clammy skin your pussy eagerly tightens around his leisure fingering. Peppering your stomach and tits with kisses before he hooks his index into the band of your underwear and starts sliding down the material down your legs agonisingly slowly.

Your arousal is smeared around your thighs as your panties are removed. You hide behind your hands as he opens up your legs exposing your core to the cold morning air and his ogling eyes. Yoongi caresses your legs up and down to help you calm down and get over your embarrassment of being nude in front of him for the first time.

His fingers leave a wet trail behind as he grips your inner thighs to keep them apart. You yelp when he plunges the first finger back into your core without warning.

There’s no place for shyness. His hungry eyes shamelessly follow the movements of his one digit as he thrusts it in and out of your fluttering hole. Curling it to find the spot that makes you moan the loudest and use it against you to fuck the shyness out of you.

You don’t need a wild imagination to picture his smirking face behind your eyelids – watching each twitch of your lips and every flutter of your eyelashes to his fingers curling and uncurling in you.

The stretch fades soon that he needs to add another finger in the mix. He starts preparing you for his cock.

Your eyes are dreamy prettily glossed over as you watch Yoongi work his magic your mouth open with the sole purpose to call out his name.

His eyes never leave you as he commits every inch of your body into memory. Monitoring your reactions and filing them into little boxes in his mind to remember for later. His touches adjust to your needs.

He knows how to introduce the third finger without that uncomfortable burning stretch dulling your pleasure. It seems like he already figured you out.

Pushing you closer to the edge of your first orgasm for the day and it’s only just the beginning. If he knows how to use his dick half as good as he fingers you open with his long pale digits you don’t think you’ll ever have to fake an orgasm again.

He figured out every weakness of yours in minutes. Knows where to curl or how hard to go for your eyes to roll to the back of your head.

Yoongi licks his lips at the visual of your pink tones glistening in the morning light. You feel his hair brush against your thighs first then his tongue flatten over your rosy bud.

You’re moving with him like clockwork following the rhythm he dictates bucking into his fingers when they’re knuckles deep in your cunt until you’re creaming around his fingers with his lips attached to your enlarged clit.

He had to press down with his free hand on your stomach to keep your hips pinned to the bed as the waves of euphoria washed over you.

Having to multitask between holding you down and flicking his tongue over your nub as you cum around his fingers makes it messy. Your cum drips down his hands thickly that he eagerly swallows up. Cleans around your folds until his entire face is drenched in your juices.

You’re too spent to hit him when he looks down on you with a pleased look etched into his features. Almost cocky.

Inserting three of his fingers into your sensitive core makes you mewl. It’s too soon to not hurt a little. They glide inside of you effortlessly. You’re not ready to feel his tongue toying with your clit or his fingers move inside you in scissoring motions. You let out a loud moan you feel your pussy pulse and contract around his digits.

The stretch fades when he removes his fingers in a sudden decision just as sudden as he sank them in you. His mouth collects the wetness oozing from your core pushing it back into your walls with his pink muscle. Prodding your hole with the tip of his tongue a couple of times not reaching as deep as his fingers but managing to keep you on your toes. Just tethering over the edge but never pushed over – until his finger joined forces on your clit and started rubbing you in tight circles while his tongue continuously lapped at your essence burying his face in your cunt.

”Good girl. Just like that- fuck. Cum around my fingers again.” You came a second time with your entire body shaking in his hold his fingers slipping inside. A fresh gush of your cum is welcomed by Yoongi’s greedy mouth as he holds your legs apart and helps you ride out the rest of your high with lazy laps across your core.

The room spins around you when you finally open your eyes to look at him. Still licking the remains of your orgasm out of your sensitive cunt collecting the droplets of your post-orgasmic bliss but he obediently climbs your body to meet your kiss. You pull on his hair which earns a loud noise in turn – using the opening of his mouth to taste yourself.

”Can I have you?” You ask leading your shaky hands up his torso and gripping his shoulders for leverage. You wouldn’t be able to keep yourself up if it weren’t for his hands holding you firmly by the waist as you straddle his lap. You plant a sweet kiss on the corner of his mouth but it leaves him unsatisfied – he slips a finger under your chin to tilt it up for a real kiss.

”You had me all this time. Ouch. Why did you do that?” Yoongi lifts an eyebrow when you hit him on his chest. You didn’t even hit him hard but you still rub the skin with your thumb in comfort circles.

Yoongi has you caged under him within seconds. He puts his weight on his knees on either side of your hips as he hovers over your form resting his hands curled around the headboard for stability. If you haven’t seen him between your legs feasting on your arousal – you would be flushed red from the view of his face his lips swollen and chin smeared with your cum. His fingers would probably shine if the light hit his skin just right. He pays it no mind as he holds your gaze still waiting for an answer.

”I wanted to have sex with you for the longest time and you can’t even take me seriously.” You talk in pout which shouldn’t make his cock twitch in his boxers but it does. You try poking his chest with your finger but he’s faster than you pinning your hand to the sheets next to your head.

”I thought I took you very seriously just now.” A playful smirk appears on his handsome face as he licks his lips – probably still tasting you on his tongue.

Your face heats at the implication of his words, you’re speechless as he’s clearly toying with your sanity here. You look away – your timidness is back as you wrap your hands around his waist while he kicks your knees apart with his thighs.

”I’m just teasing you baby. I feel the same way.” His gaze softens when your eyes lock – the morning light creates a halo around your head you’re so beautiful it takes his breath away – the tender shimmer is only there for a second before lust swallows it fully. Yoongi moves your intertwined fingers over the bulge still prominent in his underwear. He’s aching. Tasting you did this to him. He’s so turned on his cock feels neglected and wants your fingers around his erection and your mouth on his tip to taste him too.

”I’ve been dying to fuck you.” Placing his larger hand over yours he guides your movements to rub him over the material of his boxers. His breath hitches in his throat when you start palming him with confident hands. He doesn’t need to encourage you as you want to touch him just as bad as he craves it.

”Then why didn’t you?” Feeling bold from his reaction you slowly start pulling down his boxers – treating the garment the same way as he did with your panties. You remove it halfway –slowly dragging your nails over his exposed skin – until it’s straining against his muscular thighs. His cock springs free of his confines the curvy tip smearing precum on his lower belly as it stands to attention. The shaft is swollen and wet when you teasingly caress it with a single finger from base to top and watch his cock twitch against his stomach from the light stimulation. His gaze is fixed on your playful fingers.

Anticipation builds in the pit of his stomach when he feels your soft hand grasp his shaft. His hand is resting over yours for a moment guiding your fingers up and down his cock until you don’t need his help to move the way he likes it – he teaches you silently the pressure and the speed he likes to use on his cock – and his fingers grip the headboard next to your head, his knuckles turning white once you take over.

”I didn’t want to pressure you. Wanted to go slow with you because you deserve the best. Don’t think it wasn’t hard for me at all to hold back when you were walking around in those shorts. I took so many cold showers to get my boner to go down – you have no idea baby. How hard you make me.” Yoongi buries his head into your shoulder using your skin to muffle his moans as he pours his heart out in filthy undertones. You rub your thighs together feeling the pressure build in your pussy even after two mind-blowing orgasms.

”And yesterday when I saw you in my shirt fuck I wanted to rip it off you so bad. You looked so irresistible wearing my shirt to bed and I haven’t seen you for so fucking long.” You remove his underwear all the way so nothing will separate you from him before you take him into your mouth.

”And who’s fault is that?” You ask while delivering harder pumps collecting more precum from the swollen red tip. His moans turn up in volume and get whinier as his cock twitches in your palm with every precise flick of your wrist.

Yoongi spreads his leg now that he has the room allowing you to change your position as he rests against the pillows with his hands behind his head. Relaxed because now’s your time to take care of him.

”I’ll make more time for you baby I promise.” Yoongi kisses your neck lovingly. It could be one of those sweet moments if your hands were not full of his dick.

He knows he will like everything you do because it’s your lips wrapped around his tip and your hands moving up and down the rest of his length.

He did so well focusing on you forgetting about his pleasure in favour of yours.

His member stands proudly you supporting the base with your hand the wet tip glistens as you run circles over it with your thumb. Yoongi tries to keep his noises down you’re not the only ones in the apartment but you want to hear him it doesn’t matter to you who else does so you decide to test his limits.

You want to hear more and get the full experience of his moans and grunts so you collect the lubricant from his tip and smear it down his entire length to aid your moves.

You increase the tightness of your fingers wrapped around him as you jerk him off. His hands fly to grip your shoulders his muscles contract when you continuously place pressure on his cock not neglecting his tip as you swirl your tongue over the wide head. He’s fighting off his release as he bites his lips raw.

His bite comes as a surprise he uses your body to keep his voice down.

The sudden pain from his love bite makes your hand tighten around his cock it earns a loud moan that he could barely seal against the juncture of your neck his warm breath hitting your skin as he inhales sharply.

”Baby stop or I’ll cum.” You slow down but you don’t stop. His dick pulses in your hold ready to burst when it rips a growl from Yoongi’s throat he squeezes your hand with his around his cock panting as he tries to hold back from cumming on your face. You’re proud of yourself when you see his red face and dilated pupils.

You let him take over after he calmed down. Take his place between your spread legs as he teasingly rubs his cock along your wet folds. You want him inside and you show your impatience by bucking your hips into his –  your pussy is aching from being empty for so long.

”Yoongi,” He looks at you when you call his name. You look serious so he halts in his way to lining himself up with your entrance giving you his undivided attention.

He thinks he might have done something you didn’t like so he stops entirely no matter how hard his cock twitches to be inside you already. But it’s the opposite as you peck his lips before continuing. ”I love you.”

The sweetest gummy smile appears on his face at your confession. Eyes radiating fondness and love as he cups your cheeks to pull you into a long and passionate kiss. ”I love you too.”

Yoongi fishes a condom out of his wallet that was left on his nightstand. His fingers tear the wrapper with practised motions and roll the latex down his cock under your watchful gaze. He gives his wrapped cock a couple of pumps to test the flexibility of the condom and when he’s sure it won’t rip he returns to his place between your legs.

”I love you.” The repeated confession ends in a moan whispered against the seam of your smiling lips as he pushes the tip in. Parting your folds with his fat cock he delves in slow and steady. He showers your neck and chest with kisses once his entire length is in you and waits for your pussy to adjust to his size before he moves.

You move his hair out of the way to see his face and dark eyes. Sweat collects at his hairline that you wipe away with your thumb. You kiss his cheek, his temple, the tip of his nose and his left brow – you get lost in the bubble of your intimate kisses with his cock deeply nestled in your heat.

The first few thrust of his hip is calculated and slow. You’re so wet that when Yoongi drags his cock in and out he’s pushing your arousal out with his movements and drops of your cum from before roll down between your buttcheeks and stain the bedsheets.

Your hands hold onto his waist your nails dragging down his sides as he picks up his tempo and watches with hooded eyes as he disappears inside of you. The condom is thickly lubricated with your cum and collecting arousal.

”You feel so good.” Moan after moan leaves your chapped lips your back arching to get closer to his warm body chasing your pleasure with synced thrusts of your own hips. Yoongi considers telling you to be quiet but he doesn’t want to disturb the moment so he lets you moan his name as loud as you want.

His fingers rub your clit whilst his cock split your folds diving into your heat faster and harder until the headboard bumps against the wall loudly with the power of his thrusts.

”Gonna cum for me again?” Yoongi questions you breathlessly his pace is relentless as he feels the signs of your approaching need for release. You’re getting tighter you squeeze him so good he has to close his eyes to prevent cumming in the condom before you let go.

Yoongi keeps your body pinned to the mattress imprinting his touch onto your skin as he fucks you into the sheets. You raise your hips in time with his thrusts spreading your legs apart as far as they can go to feel him deeper.

He’s getting lost in the feeling of your warm walls surrounding him, squeezing him as your third orgasm washes over you more intense than the previous ones. It’s a lewd picture when you look at where you’re connected – his latex wrapped cock is shimmering with your cum drenched in your release when he pulls back.

He’s close as he fucks your buttered cunt so pink and swollen but you let him use you to get off. Spread wide open for him. He’s chasing his own high satisfied to fuck your cum out of you for now – he hopes that later you will let him fuck his own cum out of you but it’s a discussion for another time. Yoongi takes in your expression – your half-lidded eyes and open mouth as you moan his name. He hisses when you leave red marks on his back with your nails as he fucks your overstimulated pussy. He’s so close he picks up his pace so close to cumming that his eyes are unwillingly close when he empties himself into the condom.

He wishes that his hot cum was filling your insides instead and he would sloppily fuck it into you cover you with his sticky release everywhere.

Yoongi is thoughtful to pull out slowly knowing that you’re highly sensitive. He knots the end of the condom and trashes it in the bin next to his bed. Once he’s done cleaning you up he settles beside you again and buries his head in the space between your breasts.

You play with his hair enjoying the quiet morning together before you have to get up in your post-orgasm bliss. No one is up yet but the sun. Neither of you is keen to start the day right away. However, Yoongi wouldn’t mind waking up early if he gets to fuck you like this every morning. Listening to the sound of the wind outside as you lay in each other’s arms. You caress each other’s naked bodies and share more kisses before you eventually get up to take a shower.

-

Jin comes to collect you just when you got dressed and freshly out of the shower. Fortunately, Yoongi had already gotten up to take a shower so he didn’t have to see his friend naked. It would have been awkward. You remember you promised to help make Jimin’s cake so you follow him into the kitchen. He didn’t mention if he heard you and you’re thankful for that as you start cracking the eggs.

-

”Happy Birthday!”

You all shout when Jimin unlocks the door to the apartment. He’s sweaty from the gym Jungkook follows him in with a smile (knowing he did a good job distracting his friend to buy you time to prepare all of this) as Jimin stops in his tracks to take in the decoration and your grinning faces. Your brother laughs as the surprise wears off.

You watch them fool around with a smile your fingers intertwined with Yoongi’s as you observe them from the sideline. Playfully tackling each other Taehyung says proudly how his gift will be the best as he gets the birthday boy in a headlock. Feature chaos is unlocked in the apartment as everyone’s volume goes up to outspeak each other everyone’s excited.

Jin comes out with the cake you two prepared freshly out from the fridge. Following tradition, he gets frosting smeared on his nose before you cut the cake.

Lively conversation fills the room as you sit down and enjoy the gifts and food.

You’re confused when Jimin suddenly points an accusing hand in your boyfriend’s direction as if he suddenly remembered something.

”Dating my sister is one thing Hyung but hearing you guys have sex in the next room is something I will never want to hear again.” Jimin shudders as if this memory is bringing him trauma. Everyone laughs except for you two as you both blush and look away from your brother. You should have known he won’t let this go that easily.

”I guess it’s time for that conversation sis –”

”Jimin!” You yell his name – trying to shut him up with your palm over his mouth but he’s quick on his feet.

”Always use protection!” You roll your eyes and sit back down sulking when you feel Yoongi’s hands wrap around your shoulder rubbing sweet circles onto your skin. You’re related of course you have a comeback you smirk and crack your knuckles.

”I’ll listen to you if you do what you preach first. How many pregnancy scares did your girlfriend have?” Jimin looks at you like you grew a second head.

”That’s a low blow attacking me with my kink! Do you realise your boyfriend has the same kink I do?” In fact, you didn’t know as your eyes grow big. You look to the side to catch your boyfriend’s eyes but Yoongi’s is narrowed down on your brother. Traitor. He conveys without words.

”Don’t get me into your mess.” Yoongi pulls you closer just to spite Jimin he kisses you on the lips. He smirks once his best friend finally shuts up. What a mess indeed.

[chateautae]

maybe i do | kth. III

➵ summary :  maybe you love each other, maybe you don’t. when a deal between your fathers leaves you forcefully wedding kim taehyung, arguably seoul’s most powerful CEO, you’re prepared for a loveless marriage of eternal regret and unhappiness. but maybe, it doesn’t turn out that way after all.

↳  part of the high-class series!

➵ pairing : taehyung x reader

➵ genre :  arranged marriage!au, ceo!tae, s2l!au, eventual smut, fluff, angst

➵ rating : 18+

➵ word count : 17k (im sorry omg)

➵ warnings : oh boi we have aNgSt, serious familial issues, swearing, multiple fight scenes, mainly verbal but there is a slap in one, mentions of a wound, mentions of alcohol, (there’s honestly a lot that goes wrong in this chapter but at least tae and the reader have each other), sexual tension :o, bit of possessive!tae, (i mention a short reader a lot but i just wanted to say you’re beautiful even if you’re tall! tae is just very tall to me askldjs)  

➵ a/n: i’m back and hoLY is this chapter loaded (and a lil unedited forgive me!!) i’ve finally finished school and get a whole month off now! who knows what works i’ll release in that time 👀. as always, feedback is appreciated loves!

chapter three : “the window opened one time with you and me”

prev. ↞ || ↠ next  ||  masterlist

“Mother?” You stood frozen, completely and utterly shocked as to how your mother was just opposite of you, smiling brightly as if she hadn’t done a single thing wrong in her life and loved you unconditionally.

How incredibly wrong that was. 

“Y/N! How are you? Oh dear, it’s been so long!” Your mother threw her arms around your neck, pulling you against her for a hug you just barely returned. 

“Good. You?” 

“Oh, I’m great!” She beamed.

“What are you doing here?” You inquired, shutting the door after her entry.

“Ah, I just couldn’t believe my daughter’s married now, I wanted to drop by and say congratulations!” Your mother cheered, grinning widely as she began scanning the grand interior of your house, leering as though you weren’t standing just before her.

“Drop by? You could’ve just came to the wedding, Mother...” You suggested despondently, plastering a pained smile onto your face. You attempted to meet her eyes, though they rather seemed to sparkle at anything that appeared expensive.

Anything but you. 

“Oh, I was in Ibiza. I couldn’t just leave while my resort pass still had benefits on it, you know me.” She flashed you a cheeky smile as she playfully hit you, propping her heels off.

You nodded half heartedly, trying extremely hard to not lose it on her because you were in your home; a place meant for peace and comfort and didn’t have room for negative.

Not to mention, Taehyung resided just upstairs in his study with most likely his door open, and you didn’t want to risk bothering him if you raised your voice. 

“Ibiza was more important than your own daughter’s wedding, huh?” You spoke to yourself, nodding in a manner that would somehow help you accept the sad fact, though instead called forth a feeling you should’ve grown accustomed to by now.

Disappointment.

She knew about the wedding, you knew your father informed her of the ceremony along with its date and time. Though as she audaciously ogled the embellishments of your front foyer and spoke to you carelessly, she practically screamed she gave 0 fucks about your wedding. That what really mattered to her was living out the full experience of an expensive vacation than attending a life-changing night for her daughter. 

Typical. 

“Oh, c’mon now. When you put it like that it makes me seem so bad.” Your mother pouted like a child. “It wasn’t a real marriage, anyway.” She waved off the conversation as she ventured further into the house, bold enough to strike another conversation . “My God, this is the house of the Kim Taehyung?” Your mother’s eyebrows shot up, drinking in the grand size and wealthy look of the home. “You got very lucky, Y/N.” 

You cocked an eyebrow, incredulous of what she was insinuating. “What do you mean, Mother?” 

“Y/N, you’re married to Kim Taehyung. Do you understand how fantastic that is? For you?” Your mother was on the verge of scoffing, smoothing over her dress as she looked elsewhere. “He’s an incredibly rich man, and considering that life of yours it’s a miracle he ever agreed to marry you.” Your mother relayed nonchalantly as she caught sight of an exquisite vase. 

And there it was, the belittling. You’d mentioned before you were often disparaged and received numerous insults when anything concerned your status as the runaway heiress. But what you failed to mention was the person who claimed the #1 position as your largest and most incessant hater. 

Your mother. 

“Mother, it doesn’t matter to me whether a man is rich or not.” You countered, trying to quell your snippy tone but it was as grand a fail your mother was at being a mother. 

“What do you mean?” 

“Unlike you, I’m not obsessed with my husband’s money.” You almost spat with crossed arms, only this comment causing her to turn towards you. 

“Excuse me? I’m your mother, watch your tone a little.” She scolded quite lightly, before returning to inspect a painting. 

You scoffed, “My mother...” you repeated under your breath, rolling your eyes. 

“No mumbling, Y/N. Speak up.”

“I said it’s funny you’re referring to yourself as my mother.” You voiced clearer.

“And why is that so funny?” You could visibly see your mother failing to control her temper with you, masking it all behind a fake smile she mastered ages ago. 

“Because you’ve been anything but a mother.” You retorted, knowing exactly what this conversation was leading into. 

An argument.

“And you’ve been daughter of the year?” Your mother countered, sarcastic tone cutting the air, and it only made you more irritated. 

“Here we go again, the bad daughter narrative.” You scoffed. “Find something new to argue, will you?” You narrowed your eyes.

“And you believe your bad mother narrative is any better?” She sneered back. “I’ve even come to visit you yet this it how you’re treating me. When will you ever learn to be grateful?”

“Please, you chose a vacation over your own daughter’s wedding.” You held a hand up, gesturing against her audacity. “And when have I ever been ungrateful? I don’t remember biting the hand that fed me.” 

“No, Y/N, you didn’t bite the hand that fed you, you completely neglected and abandoned it.” She claimed, drawing closer towards your direction. “You left this family to pursue your own selfish desires. You’re the very definition of ungrateful.” 

“Excuse me? Definition?” 

“Yes, definition. You threw everything your father worked so hard for away. All he ever wanted was to provide his family with a comfortable life, but you instead wasted his efforts and made everyone's lives so much harder. Do you really think I’ll forgive you for what you did to your older brother?” Your mother voiced in an accusatory tone, bringing up an age old argument you knew was going to ravage any peace between you two. 

“That was not my fault, he was already due for the same thing in Korea, it doesn’t matter if he’s in the U.S now.” You argued back. 

“It’s all your fault! You’re the reason Yoongi hasn’t been able to come home in years! You ruined his entire life by making him uproot and take over the U.S faction when it was your role. Your decision to leave forced him into it!” 

“So you’d rather have my life uprooted and ruined than your precious son’s?”

“Because my son isn’t like you! He isn’t selfish at all, Yoonie is a hard-working man who’s always listened to me and your father, always rightfully prioritized the company. But you? You’ve only ever made things worse. You’re completely useless, all you do is tear this family apart. Your father has to pick up your work, you keep your brother out of this country and give me years worth of stress!” Your mother shouted louder than she should’ve, angry as her eyes revealed searing frustration, contempt. 

You were trying to negate the hurt you felt by her words, having trained yourself to endure their sharp sting, though no matter how many times you heard them, it never made it any easier. 

“Oh please, your favouritism is showing, mother.” You remarked with near tears, her disregard for you so disturbingly apparent it left your eyes watering. 

“Yoongi has always loved his work and the company, but I never have. When will you understand that? If I’ve ruined our family so much why have I never heard these same words from Dad or Yoongi? They’ve always supported me, understood and loved me regardless of what life I chose. Why can’t you do the same? Why can’t you just try to understand me for once?” 

“Because there’s nothing to understand. You’re an heiress to this family, you are meant to live for this company and this company only. You owe your father and I your life, nothing has ever been yours. The least you could do to pay us back is by rightfully working at the company and not being as much of a disappointment as you are now.” You mother’s tone was strict and resolute, utterly fed up with you.

“Cry me a river, mother. I don't owe you a single thing. You’re one to talk about working alongside Dad and the company, all you’ve ever done is use his money without a single care for his work.” 

“Excuse me?” 

“You heard me, Mother, all you do is use Dad for his money. You know next to nothing about business or the company and have the least amount of right to lecture me about it. At least I’m not a woman who mooches off somebody and lives recklessly!” You snapped back at her with tears just pooling your lash line, arms crossed tightly holding your chest where it felt your heart would collapse.  

“Do you understand who you’re talking to? Speak with respect, Y/N, I am your mother.” She tried to finalize, but you weren’t having any of it. 

“And I could care less. You’ve never once done anything to warrant that title. All you’ve ever done is travel the world and bathe in the luxuries your husband affords you without ever being there for me or Yoongi. It was always dad despite being so busy, it was never you. You weren't even there for my wedding, when I needed my mother the most. No, you’re someone who’d rather use your rich husband and forget he’s a person.” Your voice was shaking at this point, practically rattling. “You may not have been there for my wedding, but I would never do that to my husband.” You let everything out without a care at the point, flooding the tense air. 

Your mother seemed to completely lose it at this, her tone scarily still as she gritted through her teeth. “You wouldn’t do that to your husband, really? Isn’t that exactly what you’re doing right now?” 

You flashed her an incredulous look. “Pardon?”

“You’re married to one of the richest men in Seoul, and you think you’re not doing the same thing? Whose house do you live in? Whose food do you eat? Whose lavish lifestyle do you now get to relish in? It’s all your husband’s, not yours.” Your mother was practically spitting venom at this point, scoffing. “I must say, your quest for independence is interesting, having landed you in the exact same place you always berated me for. Look where you are now, mooching off your rich husband.” 

If words could dagger you in the heart and looks could kill, you’d surely be 6 ft. under by now.

Years, years you’ve been stuck in this constant loop of back and fourth with your mother, arguing the same 5 things you could never see eye-to-eye on. And no matter what she said, no matter the insults, the belittling, the verbal abuse she always spat your way; you’d grown used to it. Her words became normal, second nature to you and so you easily drowned them out. Her insults became useless weapons you simply dodged and avoided. 

But this, this was where your mother won. 

Her words dawned a laughable sense of irony on you, nearly physically reeling as though someone had punched you in the gut at the realization. It was raw agony, the very prospect you’d spent the entirety of this ordeal evading. 

To think the same independence you fought so gravely for, can so easily be erased and forgotten all due to marrying a rich CEO. It felt pathetic, unfair you had no choice but to marry Taehyung. It wasn’t his fault he was rich, neither was it yours. 

It was just coincidence, pure and utter coincidence. But to think this very coincidence would be the reason your stomach is churning and self-worth is collapsing; it was fucking unfortunate, miserable. 

“Leave my house, this instance.” There was no emotion in your voice, it was flat, vision clouded.

“What did you say to me?” 

“I said get out!” You yelled, the shrill in your voice evidence of tears. “I don’t ever want to see you again!” 

“Don’t you dare raise your voice at me! I’m your mother!” 

“You’re not my mother at all, you’re the worst excuse of one. Leave my house!” 

“It’s not your house, Y/N! It’s your husband’s, and you will end up living the same life as me, using your husband for his money!” Your mother had somehow made her way over to you, having the audacity to push you back by your arms, driving her point home by the act of aggression. 

You gritted through your teeth, eyes teary. “I’ll never be like you, I’ll never be a cheap woman who only stays with a man for his money. A woman who probably cheats on her husband with wealthy men in other countries!”

This was the moment your mother gasped scandalously, becoming so irate she didn’t hesitate to raise her hand and slap you across the face. 

You stood emotionless, not even having the capacity to feel shocked or in pain due to how normal this was. There wasn’t a single unfamiliar thing about the sting of her hand, the way her manicured nails scratched against your skin and worse, the way her wedding ring usually cut into your cheek to produce a small wound. 

It was all too familiar, making you scoff as if this was exactly what you expected from her, exactly what you've always known. 

“You still hit your grown daughter, huh? The last 10 years of it weren’t enough?” You endured the ache, swallowing back tears. You weren’t letting them spill, not at this. 

Not at something as undeserving as your mother. 

“You give reasons to, Y/N.” Your mother simply crossed her arms and looked away, showing the slightest hint of shame though never allowing it to leak into the proud and egotistical persona she assumed around you. 

A suffocating silence pierced the air, looming for some time until you spoke. 

“Leave this house, mother. I beg of you.” You pleaded, not out of desperation, though out of sheer tiredness. Tiredness of the same argument and the same insults you always directed each other, tired of the same outcomes that only ever lead to more bitterness tainting your relationship. “Don’t make this any worse, we’ve probably disturbed Taehyung upstairs.” 

Your mother looked at you with lightly raised eyebrows, inquiring. “He’s home?” 

You nodded faintly. “Yeah, so leave.” 

“Am I not allowed to meet him?” Your mother seemed offended. 

“No, you’re not.” You stated firmly, not caring about the sliver of respect you thought you had for her and instantly pushing her towards your front entrance, nabbing her shoes along the way. 

“What are you-” She didn’t even get to finish her sentence before you swung the front door open, guiding her outside and shoving her shoes in her hands. 

She was about to retort until you shut the door on her, locking it. You leaned against the wood as you heard her protests, not minding her calls as you allowed your constrained tears to finally stream down your face. 

It was too much, she was too much. 

Why could your mother never see eye-to-eye with you? Why couldn’t she be a normal mother? Why couldn’t she be supportive? All she ever did was preach how useless you were, how selfish and ungrateful your very existence was.

Of course someone like her could never understand, never understand the value of autonomy and achieving something for yourself; she’s never once done anything along those lines in her entire life. 

Her words ran deeper today than they ever have, sending a stifling feeling to swarm your chest, your self-esteem and everything alike collapsing along with your pride.

It hurt, it really did. To hear those words from the very woman meant to love you so dearly, so unconditionally only exacerbated the pain. It made you jealous of every child you was gifted with a kind mother, not daring to curse anyone for it but simply feel it was unfair. Even Taehyung had such a warm and loving mother. 

Maybe that’s why Taehyung was so warm. 

Taehyung. 

You realized you were out in the open shedding tears where he could possibly see you, trying to silence the sobs that escaped your lips. You only failed, agony tightening your chest and growing more painful the more you held it all in. So you clutched your hand to your mouth and made straight for the kitchen sink, running the water loudly enough to drown out the sounds of you candidly crying. 

Your cheek still stung, your heart ached and your mind spun endlessly, all while trying to desperately rid yourself of the worthless feeling inside you. 

And it didn’t work. 

Taehyung had been working, scrolling through his laptop as he diligently reviewed status reports, only to have a notification brighten his phone screen. He flashed his occupied vision towards it and caught sight of his security system alerting him of his front door. 

He grew curious knowing the housekeepers were shopping for groceries at this hour, causing him to tap the notification and display the camera feed of his front porch. He was welcomed by a woman he’s never seen, peaking his curiosity. 

He almost rose from his seat until he saw the woman turn towards the door in accordance with you opening it, assuming you most likely knew her as she smiled brightly and ventured comfortably into the home. 

Taehyung shrugged it off and returned to his tedious reading, staring at the practically blurring lines of text until he eventually began hearing raised voices from downstairs, his ajar doors and grand home producing an echoing effect that reached his study. 

Taehyung cocked an eyebrow as he grew slightly worried, discerning it didn’t sound like a friendly conversation. He abandoned his work and made towards the doors of his study, peaking towards the direction of his stair railings that overlooked the first floor of his home. 

More of the conversation became apparent, and Taehyung instantly identified it sounded more like a negatively charged argument than a conversation. His eyebrows furrowed the more he listened, knowing it was bad manners to eavesdrop though finding himself doing so anyways. 

“You heard me, Mother, all you do is use Dad’s money. You know next to nothing about business or the company...” Taehyung’s eyebrows shot to the sky, realizing you were speaking to your mother; the same woman you explicitly expressed was to be avoided at all costs and even winced at the mention of. 

He couldn’t forget that from the first time he met you. 

“...Speak with respect, Y/N, I am your mother. ” The crudeness in your mother’s voice was already indicative of your ill relationship, the harshness sounding like second nature. 

Taehyung grimaced. 

“...All you’ve ever done is travel the world and bathe in the luxuries your husband affords you without ever being there for me or Yoongi...” Yoongi? As in your brother, Min Yoongi? Taehyung only loosely recalled Min Yoongi lived and worked in the States, where he headed your father’s lucrative faction there.

He’d only met the mellow, though diligent man a couple times before.

“...I would never do that to my husband.” Despite the intense situation, Taehyung felt the slightest tinge of pride hearing you refer to him as your husband.  

“You wouldn’t do that to your husband? Isn’t that exactly what you’re doing right now?” 

Oh fuck, Taehyung thought. This isn’t going anywhere good. 

“You’re married to one of the richest men in Seoul, and you think you’re not doing the same thing? Whose house do you live in? Whose food do you eat?...”

Fuck, fuck, fuck. 

Taehyung became alarmed, silently drawing his index finger and thumb over his lips in frustration. You didn’t need to hear this, it was complete bullshit. Your situation with him was different, it was forced and coerced. Taehyung could tell you were someone who truly didn't favour using someone else’s money, and knew you were trying your damn hardest to adjust to the idea itself having to spend your life with him. 

He rushed out into the hallway where he began pacing, trying his hardest to contain himself and hope that you wouldn’t take your mother’s words to heart. Was this why you were so adamant about the fucking card? Because you had to hear shit like this from your mother? 

This was only going to undo the work he’d successfully laid out, thinking it would erase any convincing he had done about his money and what’s his is yours. This was bad news, he didn’t want you thinking any of your mother’s words were true. 

They simply weren’t. 

“Leave my house, this instance.”

“What did you say to me?”

“I said get out! I don’t ever want to see you again!”

Taehyung was becoming anxious, the argument was clearly escalating and he felt uneasy, an incessant feeling bothering his chest. 

There it was again, that same sense of protection he felt when he saw you practically shaking talking to that Kisoo guy. He didn't understand why it manifested, or why he felt it so emphatically. All he knew was after hearing the way your voice nearly cracked, unstable and troubled as you grew more emotional, he felt the strong feeling to oddly.. rescue you? 

It’s like he wanted to bolt down the stairs, physically stand in between the argument and force your mother out of the house, all while trying to persuade you what she said wasn't true. 

Why did he feel this way? This was none of his damn business, had absolutely nothing to do with him yet if it weren't for half the mind he had, he could’ve found himself racing down the stairs to defend you.

Taehyung shivered at the thought, shaking it off.

“... you will end up living the same life as me, using your husband for his money!”

“I’ll never be like you, I’ll never be a cheap woman who only stays with a man for his money. A woman who probably cheats...”

And not long after he heard the slap, evidently hard and painful in just it’s sound. Taehyung immediately froze in his tracks, halting his pacing as worry blossomed in his chest. He prodded over to hide against the edge of the wall that connected to his staircase, able to peak at the sight of both you and your mother stood before the front foyer. 

Taehyung felt pissed within seconds, again unable to decipher why he felt the need to protect you. Though what he did know was that he felt bothered, never wanted anyone to hurt you and he hated the very thought of it. 

Maybe it was because of his considerate personality again, or maybe it really was because of you. 

What made Taehyung grow even angrier, though, was the way you reacted, listening to you dub this as something that happened often, and he was uber pissed now. 

You didn’t fucking deserve that at all. 

It took him no time to understand your apprehension and natural disliking for your mother, wanting himself to never have to converse with her. He would most likely be rude and curt, replaying the same vile words she really had the nerve to say to her own daughter. Scratch that, his wife. 

Yeah, Taehyung thought. My wife shouldn’t be treated like this. 

He knew it was wrong, impolite of him to assume and judge a person so openly based on their cover, though Taehyung could tell these were your mother’s true colours, and any other persona she assumed would only be a farce. 

Taehyung watched as you simply shoved your mother out of the house, shutting the door only to lean against it and allow the tears you’d hidden to fall down your cheeks. Taehyung turned his back and leaned against the wall, concealing himself to give you privacy. 

He knew it was already rude to have eavesdropped, even ruder to look on at such a vulnerable moment. It was rude because he wouldn’t even be able to comfort you, only watch as a dumb-founded bystander; rendered useless because it wasn’t his place to console you.

He knew nothing about you.

He really didn’t know your situation, the relationship you had with your mother. He couldn’t step on your toes and give you advice as if he knew you, nor supply you with words that would make you feel better; contemplating he’d possibly never be able to. 

He wasn’t your remedy, he wasn’t your muse, just a man you were forced to marry and now have to live with. A man who stripped you of your independence, ruined your life all just by his mere existence.

 And so Taehyung found even more reasons to not rush to you, simply leave you on your own knowing he was partly the reason for your pain, your suffering. That your mother only said such things because of him, that she only insulted you because of him. 

So he found himself retreating, walking carefully back to his study to mind his own business and continue his work, complete it as though nothing happened. 

But as each step seemed to grow longer, heavier, he found himself unable to retreat. Unable to function knowing you were probably hurting, unable to ignore you and so blatantly turn his back on you. 

So in a hasty, irrational decision, Taehyung found himself turning on his heel and rushing towards the staircase. 

You continued to sob quietly, thinking if you just let it all out now, cried just about hard enough all the sorrow would leave your body. So that’s what you did, bit your lips to contain the aching feeling in your chest as your throat seemed to constrict, swallowing all your feelings down in an attempt to poorly control them. 

You were in your own world, the sink’s water masking any noise behind you, and so when somebody’s hand reached out to rest against your shoulder, you were completely startled. You jumped, quickly shutting the water in a flash and refusing to look back at the culprit to save your pride. 

Whoever it was, they couldn’t see you like this. 

Though when you heard his dulcet, deep voice calling your name, you knew exactly who it was.

“Y/N?”

You straightened yourself up, breathing out the emotions ravaging your chest and stabilizing your voice to address him. “Hey, Taehyung. What um.. what are you doing here?” 

Taehyung could hear your solemn attempt to cover everything up, feeling your sense of embarrassment practically fill the air. 

“Nothing, just.. wanted to see you.” Taehyung said, unsure of how to approach this.

“You’re probably busy. You should go back to work.” You tried hard to sound okay while you practically swallowed back tears, clutching the counter of the sink.

“It’s alright, not important.” Taehyung waved it off, letting his hard remain on your shoulder seeing you didn’t reject him. A beat of silence lingered until he spoke again.

“Can you look at me, Y/N?” There was no pressure in his voice, just the same soft consideration you’d heard at the hotel suite a couple nights ago.

And you hated it, hated that it made you want to give in, want to so easily follow his request and bare to him whatever he wanted.

Until your last braincell kicked in. 

“I’m sorry, Taehyung. I’m really sorry if I interrupted your work. Please go back to your study.” You voiced just barely above a shaky tone, trying your absolute hardest to sound just fine, seem okay. But the more Taehyung spoke, the more you felt your defense mechanisms slowly coming undone.

And you knew he knew.

“I wasn't interrupted.” He stated normally, his voice natural and yet he sounded so.. comforting? He was simply responding to you and yet his voice and presence seemed to soothe the sharp ache in your chest. 

It was fucking poetic. 

“I’m sure I did, Taehyung. Just please, return to your work.” 

“I don’t need to, Y/N, I can stay here.” He was firm as he stood behind you, measly hand against your shoulder and his usually intimidating, towering figure reassuring.

It was odd.

“You shouldn’t. Just go back, Taehyung.” You attempted to voice with more strength, trying to blink tears away and it didn’t convince Taehyung in the slightest.

“I don’t want to. Look at me first.” His voice sounded calm, and it was really like honey. Thick yet sweet, so deep and yet it’s cadence harboured the ability to put anyone at ease.

You shut your eyes tightly, wiping at them hastily to rid any tears as you sniffled and turned around. You were met by his face that slightly softened at the sight of you, eyes seeming to melt as they swirled with consideration, different from his usually unreadable expression. 

“See, I’m fine. You can go back to work.” You plastered a smile on, trying to stand a little more confidently, though Taehyung didn’t budge. 

He only remained, gazing at the features of your face as he seemed to drape his own with a small sense of sadness, like he was upset, maybe even hurt? It was slight, though identifiable. It left you quite speechless, thinking it was all just part of your imagination.

It couldn’t be real.  

But it exactly was as Taehyung’s large hand came up to gently touch the cheek your mother slapped. You didn’t realize it hurt more than it should’ve when you felt a sharp sting at his touch, wincing.

You registered there was probably a visible mark and grew too vulnerable, downright embarrassed for your liking and so you deflected him, smacking his hand away from your face as you looked off to the side. 

“I’m fine, Taehyung.” You declared, and Taehyung didn’t know how to react as his hand came off you, feeling a bit disheartened. He simply wanted to help, and he didn’t want to leave without doing so.

So he still looked at you, eyes possibly growing sympathetic though it could’ve been a figment of your imagination again.

“You didn’t deserve that.” He voiced soft in sound, though resolute in nature.

Taehyung was having trouble choosing what he could say without overstepping, invading a part of you he probably shouldn’t. 

“I didn’t ask for a pity party, Taehyung. Go back to work.” You said with a more snippy tone than you planned, though found it befitting of your current emotions nonetheless. 

“I’m not pitying. I’m..” Taehyung struggled for a word until you answered. 

“What, caring?” You scoffed, “Please, Taehyung, you don’t have to care like my real husband, it’s only on paper-”

“But I am your real husband.” Taehyung emphasized, his serious eyes meeting yours. “It’s on paper and in real life, so I think I’m allowed to care.” Taehyung retorted with narrowed eyes finding he liked that sentence, liked what it had to convey because it was damn true. 

Taehyung decided on reaching for your arms to drive his point home, though watched as you again, naturally retracted from him. You still seemed to refuse him, didn’t see him in a good enough light to not cower away. 

And he still fucking hated it. 

Taehyung went for it anyway and gripped your arms when you began to draw away, catching you. The action nearly demanded you look into his eyes, and found yourself doing exactly so. 

“Y/N, first, don’t be scared of me, please?” His eyes grew soft. “I seriously-I really hate it. I would never..” Taehyung trailed as his vision fell to the side of your face, eyes seeming to reflect concern.

You were completely surprised, watching him unmask a plethora of emotion you didn't think he’d so candidly reveal.

Taehyung brought his hand to brush your slightly swollen cheek, continuing. “I would never do this, do anything to scare you. I just wouldn’t.” Taehyung was emphatic and genuine, gently touching the fresh wound on the apple of your cheek.

“I.. know that, Taehyung.” You again felt that same urge to touch his hand that touched you, but you decided against it. “Though I don’t need your pity. This doesn’t hurt, don’t break a sweat about it, please.” You were trying to turn away from his hold but Taehyung didn’t let go, maintaining you in his hands.

“It’s not pity, Y/N. It’s sympathy. This bothers me, okay?”

“I don’t need it. I’ve got myself-” 

“But you’re not alone.” Taehyung suddenly stated seriously, tone permeating the air and you just about froze. You only looked at him with furrowed eyebrows, trying to decipher what he was trying to say.

“You’re not.. alone, okay? You have me.” He spoke as though he was trying to convey a meaningful message, trying to mark his own words. “In whatever way... you have me.” It was a hesitant claim, but it felt just like when he’d made his promise to you at the altar. 

And suddenly you found yourself giving in, sighing as you registered this was all pretty much an elaborate reflection of the lesson you learned not so long ago.  You and Taehyung are married now, and no matter how that status manifested itself, you had to accept what came with it.

Especially if it meant him.

“Okay.” You replied simply, multiple emotions masked by the plain word. 

Taehyung looked at you a little surprised you’d actually accepted that, but broke into a genuine grin you hadn’t really seen before. 

And you really did like the way he smiled.

He made you want to smile too, though as your facial muscles worked for the grin your cheek stung, wincing as a result. Taehyung exclaimed within a matter of seconds. “Ah, don’t move.” He cautioned, smiling a little when you chuckled at his overreaction. “Don’t worry, Taehyung. It’s alright.” 

“Alright, my foot.” Taehyung joked, bending down to inspect your wound closer than you expected, and you hid the feeling that shot through you because of his proximity with a nervous laugh, causing you to wince again. 

“Hey, what did I say?” Taehyung chastised you lightly, lips in a straight line as he shook his head disapprovingly. “C’mon, let’s treat this.” 

You immediately whined, feeling too lazy to get something so small and insignificant treated. “Taehyung, it’s not even that bad, why?” You pouted. 

“Cause it’ll leave a mark on your pretty face.” Taehyung smiled innocently, not even caring about the effect it left on you as he found your hand and tugged you along to the second floor. Your eyes only remained widened, never letting up the surprise that took you. 

Did he just call you pretty? 

You let Taehyung lead you to your master bathroom, where he situated you by the counter and shuffled around for his first-aid kit. He finally retrieved the box, dabbing some alcohol onto a cotton swab and bringing it to your face. 

Taehyung just about performed the action until he began struggling bending to your height, wanting to carefully apply the alcohol. So he tried different angles and maneuvered himself around, all coming up useless. “God, why do you have to be so small?” Taehyung huffed under his breath as he stood to his full height, contemplating how he’d accomplish this. 

“I’m not small, you’re just really-” You were about to complete your sentence until Taehyung’s hands suddenly grabbed your waist, lifting you in a single breath and propping you up onto the bathroom counter. You would’ve exclaimed, maybe protest though believed it would’ve made the heat in your face so much more apparent.

“That’s better.” He grinned, biting back a chuckle at your flushed face and widened eyes.  

Those fucking eyes. 

Taehyung then found it easier to apply what he needed, cleaning up the wound precariously before dabbing on some ointment to avoid any scarring, only missing a bandage to place on your cheek. Taehyung searched for one in his kit and drawers, though came up empty-handed. He became puzzled as to where he put his bandages, placing his hands in his pockets to think until he felt the familiar scratch of a wrapper.

He furrowed his eyebrows at first until he figured exactly what it was. 

And he suppressed a stupid grin. 

Taehyung pulled out the wrapper and watched as you avoided eye contact with him, cheeks still clearly warm as you swung your legs on the counter in anticipation of him.

Cute, he thought.

He ripped the wrapper, chucking the garbage aside as he drew close to your face. His breath suddenly fanned you, mere inches from your face with his lips so proximal you were stupidly remembering your kiss from a couple days ago.

He was just so close. So close that you could actually discern he had this pretty little mole on his cheek, even one just underneath his eye, lining his lash line. You smiled realizing he had such unique details, even seeing he had a mono-lid and a double eyelid. Then came his obvious features, his plushy, pink lips, his chocolate eyes, his soft hair and sculpted face structure. It made you want to hide your own face out of near insecurity.

He was just so beautiful.

You watched him as he focused on you, trying to calm down your oddly racing heart, feeling the sensation of his closeness shoot through your body. He smoothed the bandage over your cheek and drew away far too earlier than you wanted.

“There. Apply something before putting a bandage on, right?” He cocked an eyebrow and looked at you knowingly, crossing his arms. 

You immediately smiled at the sentiment, realizing it’s the same line you said to him during your first exchange, and you felt your heart just slightly, slightly flutter at the thought he remembered.

“Right.”

It had been a week since that incident.

Taehyung and yourself had assumed your regular lives, having to drudge back to work after a few days off.

Your mother’s words still lingered around in your head, spoiling your mood here and there though assuming the ever-so healthy manner of simply pushing the mentally detrimental thoughts away, distracting yourself with work. 

You wish you could detail anymore interactions with Taehyung, though they were scarce with how rarely you saw each other. You both either just missed each other, were too busy to pay attention or simply came home too late. Even sleeping together was hit or miss, usually either of you crawling into bed earlier than the other with no real exchanges.

You could say it made you feel just a little sad, though not entirely considering you two were genuinely busy people, Taehyung an even busier person.

That all came to a full stop though one Friday morning, you were seated by the island and staring at your most recent design for a building, iPad pen twirling in hand. You were sipping on coffee when Taehyung pulled out a chair and suddenly startled you, coffee almost spilling.

“Jheez,” you huffed, “you scared me.” 

“Sorry, you were just really focused.” Taehyung apologized as he placed his own iPad down, reading away.

It’d been like this the whole week, you either designing and leading projects at your own job with Taehyung the ever-busy CEO at his own company, causing you both to often sit in each other’s presence though never take your eyes off your screens.

“Hey, I wanted to tell you something.” Taehyung suddenly perked up, stopping his scrolling. 

“Hm?” You looked up. 

“I should’ve told you this sooner, but we have to attend a gala tonight.” Taehyung grimaced at how sudden this seemed, arms crossed as he leaned on the counter.

Did the action really have to make his biceps pop?

Anyway, you were nearly spitting out your drink for the umpteenth time because of Taehyung, eyes blown out at his abrupt news. 

“Wh-what did you just say? Tonight?”

“Yeah, one of friends’ companies. 25th anniversary since establishment.” Taehyung went to bite a piece of his toast with strawberry jam.

You noticed he liked strawberries and didn’t like bread crust, making you want to smile sometimes at the child-like charm he hid underneath his intimidating persona. “They’re holding a huge gala and he’s one of my best friends, we’ll have to attend.”

You eventually came to understanding him, trying to wrap your head around having to suddenly attend such a high-end event. 

“This event is also going to be our first public appearance together. It’s important.” Taehyung stressed, back to scrolling through his iPad. 

“That’s alright. I don’t mind going, it’s just...I don’t think I even have a dress for a gala.” You mentally sifted through your own wardrobe, coming up short once you realized you haven’t been to an extravagant event like that since you were a teenager.

“I know, I bought one for you.”

You should really stop drinking beverages around Taehyung because you can never seem to keep them in your damn mouth. “You bought one? Taehyung..” You whined. “What did I say about giving me things?” 

“Hey, what did I say about giving you things?” He scolded you lightly. “I give you things simply because I want to.”  

You pouted. “Still, you don’t even know my size, when did you even have time?”

“That doesn’t matter. It’ll fit you, don’t worry.” Taehyung sent a smile as he deflected your question and returned to his iPad, not wanting to reveal that he’d secretly referred to your other dresses in your shared closet for your correct measurements.

“But it probably wasted your time. I should’ve gone out and bought it myself.” You felt guilty, realizing it probably made him compromise his work.

“It wasn’t a waste of time.” Taehyung countered, not really liking how you considered yourself not worthy of spending time on.

“I- thank you.” You blurted out before his statement could effect you. “When does the event begin?”

“7. You should try getting off work early to get ready.” Taehyung suggested, sipping his tea as he looked at you.

“Oh God, I’m gonna have to doll myself up. I haven’t done that in ages.” You held a hand to your mouth, trying to digest the fact you’d probably have to look like a trophy wife. 

“I could get you a makeup artist and hair stylist.” Taehyung offered. 

“No, it’s okay. I think I’ll be fine. I just haven’t been to a gala in a long time.” You felt surprised about the fact yourself. “I’m gonna have to meet so many people.” 

“You will, but I’ll be there.” Taehyung assured, glancing up at you.

“Of course, but you won’t be with me the entire night. I’ll have to brush up on my rich people skills.” You blew a raspberry, knowing you had great interpersonal skills but just didn’t like acting so fake all the time. 

“I won’t leave, just stick with me the whole night.” Taehyung stated as he absentmindedly held his index finger to his lips reading an email, quite goddamn illegally if you had to say so yourself. 

“I will.” You confirmed, erasing at a line on your iPad. “Will you come home early too?”

Taehyung clicked his tongue disappointingly. “I will but just barely on time. Friday’s mean meetings for me, so I can’t leave early. I’ll get ready at work, come back inside the house to get you.”

“Okay.” You’re not sure why you felt suddenly sad he wouldn’t be home earlier. Maybe it was just the usual feeling of not wanting to be alone, because God forbid you actually started getting used to Taehyung’s presence. 

Taehyung rose from his seat and cast his iPad to the side, sliding on his suit jacket as he glanced at his watch, checking the time. You noticed yourself and flashed your vision to your iPad, gawking at the time and realizing you could be late. 

“Oh shit, I have to go.” 

“Me too, I’ll see you tonight, okay?” Taehyung confirmed as he made his way to the front door, fixing his sleeve. You propped off your own seat and began walking towards the stairs, just about ascending until Taehyung suddenly called your name. 

“Y/N!” He peeked out from the front door, seconds from leaving. 

“Yes?” 

“I hope you like the colour, it’s one of my favourites.” Taehyung smiled sweetly, sending his last farewell before he dashed out of the house. 

Your eyebrows shot up and practically gawked, immediately running up the stairs thinking of where to find this dress. He had to have hidden it from you considering he’s been doing so ever since he mysteriously bought it. 

You instinctively rushed into your shared bedroom to grab a scrunchy for the day, all distracted until you caught sight of a white box adorned with a black bow sitting atop your bed. 

Your eyes went wide just reading the infamous label. 

Chanel. 

You had to physically keep from flooring yourself, in disbelief he’d purchased you a Chanel dress. You were even more fearful to uncover it, the information of him buying it himself raking your brain. 

It was even his favourite colour, nearly swooning at the fact he chose for you to wear his favourite colour. So you made your way over to the box hesitantly, untying the ribbon and casting the lid aside cautiously, only to audibly gasp. 

Your eyes fell to a ruby red dress with a delicate V neckline, completely blown away he chose such a bold colour for you to wear. 

You carefully grabbed the dress to take it out of its box, revealing more to discover it was a floor-length gown. It produced a small train though lifted in the front to reveal the shoes you’d wear, the skirt of plain, thick fabric until you saw the torso area; light beading expanding from the stomach area eventually leading into the skirt. 

Shock wasn’t even the correct word to use, you were stunned, completely taken by his choice. The dress was simply gorgeous, beautiful in its own right and you were almost too afraid to wear it. 

Nonetheless, this event was important to Taehyung, so you took a deep breath, tucked the dress back into its box and mentally prepared yourself for the day ahead. 

It was bordering 6:30 now. 

You’d successfully left work early, around the 2 o’clock mark to come home and indulge in a 4 hour self-care routine. It’d seriously been too long since you last attended an event similar to this, grand in size and visited by at least a hundred people. 

It reminded you of your engagement party, though not entirely since there would paparazzi and would be your first real appearance with Taehyung ever since your wedding. 

And quite frankly, you really wanted look better than you did then. You labelled it pretty much a disaster since you were a catatonic mess regretting all her life choices, probably looking unappealing in all your photos. 

Along with knowing the impact Taehyung has, not only in the business world but in general also left you wanting to up your game. You were his wife now, and that came with a high amount of scrutiny and criticism having nabbed one of the most eligible bachelor’s in Korea.

You’d already given up ever checking any articles and avoided social media, knowing that there would be inevitably nasty and judgmental comments. This night was important though, where you’d flank him as the women he’s so-called ‘in love with’ or the ‘love of his life’. 

It also dawned on you Taehyung in fact had a high-valued reputation to uphold, and so did you as his wife. 

So as you stood before the mirror in the walk-in closet, inspecting your dress, you contemplated how you’d survive this night, how you would act as the perfect, most suitable wife to Taehyung. 

You really wanted to hide your face out of how dolled up you looked; your makeup was on the elegant side, not heavy but brushed up to look soft, completed with red lipstick that matched your dress and hair set around your face in loose waves. 

The dress looked almost embarrassingly good on you, Taehyung somehow having chosen the right sized dress as it hugged your every curve right, accentuating the right parts of your body and even the V neckline not dipping too low, but showing quite the generous amount of skin. 

You couldn’t stop blushing at all. 

Taehyung had finally arrived at the house, rushing inside quickly registering he was cutting the time close. “Y/N! I’m home!” he called for you, quickly checking his appearance in a mirror as he smoothed pieces of his parted hair, curling just before his eyes and revealing some forehead.

“I’m in our room!” 

He approved his own look in the mirror and jogged up the stairs, mentally preparing himself before he’d have to see you in the dress he chose, almost excited about it. 

He’d simply loved it at first sight, and couldn’t stop pondering what the striking colour would look like on you. So as Taehyung entered your bedroom, he became confused finding it empty. He then ventured further inside, catching sight of the ajar closet door and light beaming through. 

He sauntered over carefully, peeking inside and Taehyung’s jaw nearly dropped to the floor, almost stupidly. 

His eyes fell to you standing in front of the mirror, fidgeting as you looked at yourself in the dress with the back of it undone. 

And Taehyung had never seen anything more pretty in his life. 

He was speechless for the umpteenth time because of you, not even knowing how to begin a sentence because he might sound like a second grader if he did. So all Taehyung could muster up the literacy to say was “Wow.” 

You turned around instantly, eyes looking as though you were a deer caught in headlights. Taehyung’s eyes widened even more peering at the elegant front, jaw almost slack as he scanned over your body.

“T-Taehyung.” You couldn’t think of anything else to say. 

Taehyung still seemed to be struggling a little, eyes glued to you until he cleared his throat and looked away. “Um, yeah?” 

“S-sorry, but.. could you actually..?” And you did it again, angling your back towards Taehyung to call to the zipper of your dress. You really couldn’t try zipping it yourself, which left it sitting comfortably just at your lower back, your skin exposed to Taehyung. 

You could visibly see Taehyung flash his eyes to your skin until he looked elsewhere, nodding as he licked his lips. “Sure.” 

You watched him near you, his face blank as he took a handful of your hair and softly placed in front of you. He then brought his hand against your side to hold you in place, his other working for the zipper. It was another case of his rather hot breath fanning your back, almost teasingly zipping up your dress by simple inches. 

He was close again, closer than he’s been in a week and you sincerely hated it always affected you in some way. It made your chest flutter, suck in a breath you didn’t even need to hold in. You relaxed when Taehyung finally finished, his hands gripping your arms from behind as he looked at you through the mirror.

And for some odd reason, he liked how your heights contrasted each other. 

He had the slightest hint of a smile, eyes seeming to gleam with something you couldn’t quite decipher. 

“You look pretty.” He said, gazing at you through the reflection and you had to physically stop from beaming like an idiot. Your chest fills with butterflies, face collecting with heat at his compliment. 

How could an Adonis like him call you pretty?

You bit your lip, gazing up at his taller, impeccably dressed reflection as you admired him, his every feature crafted to a degree of perfection that left you in awe. 

“You look really handsome.” You complimented, watching his lips just about curve into a smile that met his eyes, and you wish he didn’t have to look so handsome when he smiled too. 

“Thank you.” He voiced before turning you around by your arms to face him. “Make sure you wear a coat tonight, it’s cold.” He informed, you nodding until your quick eyes spotted his tie loosened by just a centimeter, throwing you off. 

“Oh, your tie.” You exclaimed quietly, reaching for it without a thought and pushing it upwards, angling it to perfection. Taehyung suddenly froze, unexpecting of you doing such a thing and so proximal his nose flooded with your perfume, liking the scent. 

Peonies. 

He tensed with an unknown feeling until your gazes locked on each other, simply looking to look while your hands remained on his tie. He realized more than a second passed and Taehyung scrambled for something to say, sputtering.

“I’ll uh.. I’ll be waiting out front.” He assured as he stepped away, exiting the room quickly and leaving you to your lonesome. 

This was gonna be one hell of a night, you thought.

“Remember, there’s going to be a lot of cameras and people here. We’ll really need to act like a couple.” Taehyung sat beside you in the back of an Escalade, manspreading in all his glory and you were sincerely glad he couldn’t read your mind.

“Got it, let’s give em’ a show.” You cheered with your little fists, determined as the car arrived at the lavish venue. 

“Yeah, let’s do it.” Taehyung mimicked your action. “Don’t worry about getting nervous, I’m there.” He assured for good measure, gauging your affirmation.  

You nodded as you took a deep breath, smoothing over your dress and fixing your hair. Taehyung unbuckled his seatbelt and leaned into you, speaking near your ear. “I’ll get out first and open the door for you, wait here.” You tensed at the action before nodding again, Taehyung making his way out the car. 

He then opened your door as promised within seconds, greeting you with a warm smile as he held out his hand for you. You grinned back at him affectionately as you took it, adjusting your dress to step onto the concrete. 

You were met by dozens of camera flashes and a yelling crowd, shouting various things you couldn’t quite make out. You were almost distracted by it and felt a small sense of anxiety creep up you, until Taehyung pulled you flush against his side, hand curving around your waist.

You smiled up at him in accordance, and he beamed back as he walked you two down the carpet leading into the venue, casually ignoring all the noise and people. 

Taehyung guided you inside safely to where you were welcomed by a beautiful looking hall, pristine and extremely elegant. It was surely fitting for a grand gala. Your eyes caught a small crowd of photographers in the foyer snapping photos at a certain wall with a backdrop, curiosity dawning on you as Taehyung led you towards the coat check. 

“What’s happening there?” You pointed towards the scene. 

“Oh, exclusive press.” He snuck a look, stripping off his coat. “They’re the ones I was talking about, they’re gonna take pictures of us.” Taehyung answered distracted as he retrieved your coat and gave both to the coat checker, smiling a thank you. 

You didn’t even have time to really respond as Taehyung dragged you to the very scene, the pair of you next to have photos taken. You tried to process the whole thing as he walked you over, mentally preparing to look your best until Taehyung suddenly whispered lowly in your ear again. 

And again, it sent shivers down your spine. 

“Just smile and hold me, okay?” Your chest fluttered for an odd reason, nodding back to him as he brought you in front of the line of photographers. 

You stayed true to your promise and tucked an arm around his torso as the other draped his chest, closest to him as you could. Taehyung almost settled next to you until he felt something at his feet, noticing he was nearly stepping on your gown. 

He broke away from you, unexpectedly bending down to catch the skirt of your dress and delicately fix it behind you. You heard the hushed exclamations of the photographers, most of them doting on his considerate act as you just about protested, though suddenly remembered Taehyung’s words from today. 

It was probably better to stay silent. 

So you simply smiled as you watched Taehyung adjust your dress, feeling a warm sensation spread across your chest when he returned even though it most likely was for show, his hands coming back on you. 

This time you didn’t try to suppress anything, allowing some of your feelings to manifest into a real smile, remembering you were to appear as a couple anyway. 

And whether or not there was some truth to your expressions, was anyone really keeping track?

You two began posing for the photographers, smiling in all directions and clutching onto each other closely. You occasionally tried different angles to look better, everything going smoothly until you heard someone shout out, eyes widening as a result.

“Kiss her!” 

It wasn’t long before the other photographers began agreeing, encouraging Taehyung to kiss you and you had no clue how he would react. You were slightly biting your lip as you were occupied avoiding eye contact, that was until Taehyung quietly called you.

“Y/N, look at me.” 

“Hm?” You instinctively responded and looked up at him, completely taken by surprise when Taehyung suddenly planted a soft kiss to your forehead. Your eyes visibly went wider, only his chest to stare at until he eventually disconnected.

He returned his eyes to you and grinned at your wide-eyed reaction, suddenly reminding you. “Smile,” he encouraged with the flash of his own boxy grin, wanting to see you smile. 

And it damn well worked. 

Taehyung was right about the size of this gala. 

Huge. 

It was grand, the entire hall seeming to be spat right out of a castle with about a hundred fancy-looking people inside. You thought it would’ve been uninteresting and difficult to communicate with others tonight and put on your best fake smile, though the night’s atmosphere amassed with champagne, good food and great conversationalists left you in a better mood than you expected. 

It was actually quite fun, finding yourself genuinely conversing with the people Taehyung dragged you to meet, keeping to your promise of staying right by his side the whole night, and he kept his, never having left you. 

You’d met various people, having gotten familiar to Taehyung’s high-status world of business and relations. Long story short, Taehyung knew a lot of people, and you were surprised at how extroverted he suddenly seemed.  

He was practically a social butterfly, not having forgotten a single name of who he spoke to along with somehow remembering personal details about their lives. It left you impressed, joining along with his light-hearted conversation with your own extrovert tendencies. 

Everyone you’d met had been nice so far, but by far the most amusing people you’d met had to have been Taehyung’s 5 best friends, the same ones you’d seen in his photographs. 

“Y/N, this is Kim Namjoon and Seokjin, they’re brothers.” 

Both tall and quite frankly broad men greeted you warmly, one of them having a nice dimply smile while the other was far too handsome to be looked at for free. 

“Nice to meet you, Y/N.” They said after another, reaching out to shake your hand. “We’re co-CEOs of one of Korea’s largest private airline.” Namjoon of the two informed.   

“Likewise. And wow, that’s impressive.” You complimented. “Might I also say, you’re both.. tall.” You had to almost crane your neck to meet their eyes, thankful for the heels you were wearing as the group laughed at your remark. 

“Perhaps, though you’re quite short yourself, Y/N.” Seokijn commented light-heartedly, causing you to playfully pout and retort him. “Oh c’mon, I hear that from Taehyung already, not you too.” You giggled, absentmindedly leaning into Taehyung as he tensed, your body pressing into his. 

“It’s cause Taehyung likes short girls, teasing means he likes you.”  A built looking man with longer hair suddenly joked, nudging Taehyung with his elbow.

“Shut up, Jungkook. I was gonna give you a proper introduction, not anymore.” Taehyung scolded, though Jungkook persisted. 

“Well, you just said my name, that’s already half the intro.” Jungkook then gently took your hand, placing a chaste kiss against the back of it you didn’t expect at all. 

“Nice to meet you, Y/N. Jeon Jungkook, CEO of Korea’s largest game development company.” Jungkook sent you a kind smile and it was hard to not compare him to a bunny, his teeth reminding you of one. 

“Yah, don’t do that” Taehyung swatted Jungkook’s hand away, protesting disapprovingly. 

“Woah, did Taehyung just get jealous?” Namjoon inquired shocked.

“Somebody get their phone out, we’ll need evidence I didn’t hit him first.” Jungkook held up his hands in mock surrender. 

“Jungkook, the only thing we’re finding in our phones is videos of you nibbling on carrots.” Taehyung quipped and it made the group chortle, yourself speaking up at the mention of a rabbit. 

“Actually, I was thinking you resemble a bunny.” You simply wanted to voice an observation, though it sent the whole group into a frenzy. 

“See Jungkook! Other people notice it too!” A man you hadn’t been introduced to yet suddenly burst out, though you could automatically tell he gave off this radiant energy that was infectious. 

He almost felt like the sun. 

“Whatever, Hoseok, you’re like a squirrel.” Jungkook countered and you digested the man’s name for information. 

“And you’re a rabbit, you better buy me what we wagered.” Hoseok scolded from what you could assume, was the younger of the two. 

“Wagered? I don’t remember anything about that.” Jungkook feigned innocence as he looked off to the side.

“Jungkook, we were all there that day, you owe Hoseok a vending machine.” Namjoon spoke up, laughing through the remark. 

“Guys. Y/N is literally right here, we didn’t even introduce ourselves properly.” A man with a fairly sweet voice interjected. He had such soft visuals, almost similar to an angel if you wanted to be honest. 

He then looked to you with a sweet smile, extending his hand. “Nice to meet you, Y/N. Park Jimin, CEO of Park Hotels & Resorts”

“This is his event.” Taehyung informed.

“Ohh, nice to meet you!” You perked up, his aura making you feel all comfortable and giggly, there was just something about his bubbly energy. 

The man named Hoseok then extended his hand, “Nice to meet you, Y/N. Jung Hoseok. Sorry for the late introduction, but I basically own a bunch of famous clubs across Korea.” He laughed all dimply and warm, and he really did remind you of the sun. 

“Oh wow, hopefully we’ll get to visit sometime! Clubs are so fun.” You lit up, all excited about a good club scene until Taehyung ruined your fun. 

“Nuh uh, not after your little drunk scene at our engagement party.” Taehyung looked down at you and chastised. 

“Taehyung, it wasn’t even that much. Don’t be dramatic.” You scolded him back. 

“Alright Miss I’m-Not-A-Lightweight, I almost had to carry you.” 

“I was walking just fine last time I remembered.” You crossed your arms and feigned innocence, Taehyung growing scandalized. 

“Oh really, now?” He cocked an eyebrow, just about to continue until Namjoon interjected. “Looks like married life’s been treating you guys well.” 

“Of course, they look practically in love.” Hoseok beamed sarcastically, gesturing towards you both.

“C’mon, Taehyung, tell us what you love about her. Let’s see the simping.” Jungkook playfully taunted Taehyung, egging him on.  

“Shut up. You all already know our marriage isn’t real.” Taehyung rebutted the younger man, eyes narrowed. 

You were taken aback, eyes flashing to Taehyung. “They know?” 

“Of course they do, your best friend knows too, doesn’t she?” Taehyung was referring to Hana, and you acquiesced realizing he had a point. 

“You know, you guys say it’s a fake marriage but you look pretty close to me.” Jimin pointed towards Taehyung’s arm still hugging around your waist, causing you both to realize and promptly disconnect. 

“No, we aren’t.” You and Taehyung retorted at the same time, vision snapping to each other with shocked eyes. 

“Oh c’mon, Tae, you’re really gonna say about your wife?” Seokjin teased him, playful lilt to his tone. 

“Yeah, Taehyung, just look at her, how aren’t you whipped already?” Jungkook remarked as he gestured towards you, feeling shy as your feet shuffled. 

“I’m not answering that.” Taehyung bit back with an irritated tone, folding his arms as he broke eye contact with the group. 

You decided to lighten the mood. “Guys, please, the only thing Taehyung’s whipped for is his company.” You joked, and despite the small sense of hurt saying that sentence, you felt joy making the men suddenly laugh so loudly. 

Taehyung’s shy and embarrassed expression was even more priceless. 

“Oh my God, Y/N, you’re seriously the perfect match for him.” Hoseok added on as he laughed and you couldn’t help but bite back a smile, not knowing what he meant by that though taking it as a compliment.

“Alright guys, remember we had a mission: operation make-Taehyung-and-Y/N’s-marriage-seem-real-as-fuck.” Jungkook suddenly put on the theatrics and halted the group, changing the conversation. 

“Oh yeah, we had a whole plan, didn’t we?” Jimin remembered. 

“Yup. Gotta prepare them for nosey press and annoying relatives. We should start with questions they’d get asked. Make it like a fake interview or something.” Namjoon suggested, leading along the others as he pretended to hold a microphone. 

“You’re all some of the richest men in Seoul yet you’re acting like children. I don’t know you people.” Taehyung tried waving the men off while you couldn’t help but laugh, finding them the most fun people you’ve encountered. 

Childish or not, they were completely unexpected of what you thought a group of CEOs. They didn’t live up to the cliché uptight and uber sophisticated stereotype, rather open and acted however they chose. 

It was refreshing. 

“It’s cause we’re friends with you, Taehyung.” Hoseok shot back and it made everyone snicker. 

“I got it. Let’s ask them to spill some details about each other only they’d know. Someone’s bound to ask that.” Seokjin reasoned, gauging agreeance from the others. 

“Oh my God, you guys already know our marriage is fake. Why would you make this up?” You asked through a giggle, still finding the situation comical. 

“Sorry Mrs. Kim, but that’s precisely why, and I’m afraid we don’t know what you mean by ‘fake’. Now tell the good press something about Mr. Kim we don’t know.” Jungkook began the skit as he held his fake microphone towards you, the others joining in as though imitating paparazzi. 

“Alright, this is gonna be exclusive, pens ready?” You decided to join them, and they all nodded in confirmation as Taehyung flashed his eyes to you, unprepared for you to play along. 

“Mr. Kim is quite something.” You addressed him formally for effect. “He acts all mysterious and cool, but he’s actually just a cuddler who likes tea and cuts the crusts off his bread.” You relayed with a wide grin, all of them suddenly exclaiming and reacting like a high schooler has just confessed the name of their crush. 

“Oh my God, Tae, seriously? Bread crusts? What are you, like, 3?” Seokjin teased. 

“Hyung, your ears literally turn red when people give you attention. Are you 3?” Taehyung retorted and it only elicited more noise from the group, Seokjin exclaiming defensively and Taehyung bringing a hand up to his forehead, sighing. 

“Guys! Okay, let’s get some real answers here. We gotta know what Y/N would say if someone asked her.. maybe some things she likes about Taehyung. Let’s hear it.” Jimin got everyone back on track, attention on you. 

You smiled nervously and flashed a look towards Taehyung, who still had this arms folded and vision looking off to the side, ignoring the entire situation before him. 

You could tell he was pissed with the way his jaw locked, though the fact that he wasn’t paying attention made you a little more confident. 

Taehyung wasn’t exactly pissed, though if he could bonk all his friends on the head a few times he would. He knew teasing and jokes were all common within the group, he just didn’t expect to be the sole target tonight, and so he decided to smoothly neglect the conversation altogether. 

He was succeeding, not expecting you to answer their question seriously until Taehyung suddenly heard you speak up, surprised eyes flickering to you. 

“Hmm, if I had to say..” You were hesitant, Taehyung shocked you were even answering. 

What would you say? 

“He has nice, big hands.” You admitted softly, Taehyung’s brows raising with surprise. “He has a nice voice, too, and... his smile.” You added as you nodded to yourself, confirming your own list and Taehyung was left damn near speechless once again. 

He didn’t really know how to act, acknowledging his face as the most common thing people liked about him, rarely ever hearing those aspects of himself mentioned. 

And he oddly felt.. nice.

“Awh, now that’s cute, good job, Y/N.” Jungkook praised you, Hoseok then pointing his make-believe mic in Taehyung’s direction. 

“Your turn, Chairman Kim, what do you like most about your wife?” He mimicked an interviewer and everyone followed in accordance, mics shifting towards him. 

“Uhh..” Taehyung became slightly nervous under everyone’s scrutiny, not knowing if he should assume his usual unreadable nature or answer their request truthfully. 

“Tae, dude, if you don’t say anything then I will.” Jungkook declared, just about ready to speak again until you cut him off, snorting. 

“Don’t sweat it, guys. He won’t say anything.” You really knew Taehyung would have nothing to say, so you crossed your arms and became uninterested in the conversation.

Until Taehyung spoke. 

“She does this pouting thing.. with her lips. It’s cute.” Taehyung started, coming up to rub the back of his neck awkwardly and peer at anything but a pair of eyes. “Her height.. and her eyes. She has nice eyes.” 

The floor had to be tired of you by now, because Taehyung seemed to make you want to fall hard pretty often. You didn’t know what to do, eyes blown and nearly on the verge of choking, unable to believe a Godly being like Taehyung just admitted to liking something about you. 

Is this what it feels like to win at life?

His words kept ringing in your head, melting into a shy mess with your cheeks beyond hot, avoiding eye contact with everyone while Taehyung grew slightly embarrassed, similarly looking off to the side. 

“Holy shit, you guys are actually cute.” Jimin remarked through a chuckle as he  pointed at you both, you and Taehyung mirroring the same look of horror while protesting at the same time. “No we aren’t!” 

And it only made the men crack up even harder. 

It was laugh after laugh as that conversation went on, finding a quick and pleasant liking to Taehyung’s friends. They’d made it clear as day they liked you as well, to be precise they seemed to love you, making playful nudges at Taehyung for saying yes to someone just right for him; and you seriously pondered what that exactly meant. 

It was further into the night now, the gala having picked up in activity and passed the long social hour, now leading into more of a party scene as upbeat music filled the hall. 

You’d stuck with Taehyung the whole night as promised, having met more of the people he knew. The evening had been quite calm, both you and Taehyung having silently, though mutually ignored the conversation from before for sanity purposes, only focusing on the additional people you met. 

Taehyung and yourself had been talking up a storm with Jimin for the past half an hour, Taehyung introducing him as his best friend and getting the full run down of how that came about. It was highly entertaining, listening to mentions of alcohol, 4AM fighting and even an incident with dumplings. 

It had you three laughing merrily while music played, Taehyung’s arm draped around you like it had been for majority of the night, practically hugging you to him. He was elaborating on a story that had something to do with a dream-catcher, all smiles and giggles. 

That was until Taehyung suddenly froze next to you, sight seeming to set on a person behind Jimin and he immediately changed his aura. 

“Jimin, what the fuck? Did you invite him?” Taehyung cocked his head in the general direction, eyes set hard. 

Jimin’s eyebrows shot up and and casually looked behind him, registering the culprit himself and turning back to Taehyung. “Holy shit, no, I didn’t.” 

“Then why is he here?” 

“Fuck, I don’t know, Tae. My parents probably invited him, I’m sorry.” Jimin apologized as he rubbed the back of his neck, growing apprehensive.

“Don’t worry, Jimin. It’s just.. not him, not fucking him.” Taehyung’s voice grew a little darker, almost hateful as his hand gripped around you tighter.  

“Taehyung, what’s wrong?” You asked tentatively, though didn’t exactly get a response since Taehyung became distracted, talking more so to himself. 

“Why the fuck is he here of all people? Of all damn people..” Taehyung scoffed to himself humorlessly, clearly annoyed. 

“Taehyung, who?” 

“Nobody, we’re getting a drink. Jimin, please?” Taehyung and Jimin had a conversation with their eyes, Jimin immediately nodding and moving towards a certain man you barely caught sight off before Taehyung was pulling you away. You tried protesting, but the tightened grip around you and Taehyung’s frustrated expression was enough to shut you up. 

Something was seriously wrong. 

You followed him along quietly until you heard a bit of a commotion behind you, able to distinguish Jimin’s voice protesting. You almost looked back until a stranger suddenly snuck up on Taehyung, draping an arm over him. 

“Kim Taehyung! Where you going? Damn, it’s been long.” The man spoke as he lowered his hand to Taehyung’s back, nearly smacking it as though they were old time buddies. 

Though the expression that painted Taehyung’s face said completely otherwise; he looked extremely irritated, and not the playful type. 

“Hisung, yeah, it has.” Taehyung bleakly acknowledged him, said man with an arm still draped over Taehyung’s shoulders until he shrugged him off harshly, pulling you closer to him protectively.

It made the man direct his attention to you. “Oh, this is your wife, right? Nice to meet you, Han Hisung.” The man smiled and extended his hand, not knowing if you should extend yours until Taehyung blatantly cut the man off, physically blocking his hand. 

“Skip the pleasantries, Hisung, what do you want?” You were shocked to see this emotion on Taehyung; rarely having seen him frustrated, trying to manage his annoyance as he gave Hisung a dead stare, intimidating as ever. 

Though Hisung didn’t cower like everyone else did, seeming to rather thrive.

“I don’t want anything. I can’t just meet your wife?” He coated his tone condescendingly, gesturing towards you. 

“No, you can’t. We’re getting a drink.” Taehyung seriously seemed bothered as he began walking you away with him, the harder squeeze of his hand around you indicating he was either growing more irritated, didn’t want to let you go, or a mix of both. 

“Oh, c’mon.” Hisung pulled Taehyung back by the shoulder but Taehyung becomes irritated, shoving his arm away harshly. 

“Not now, Hisung. Not at Jimin’s event.” Taehyung warned him as though he was crossing a fine line, and you grew afraid of what would occur if that were compromised.  

“What, I’m not doing anything.” Hisung held out his arms, feigning innocence. “I gotta say though, if I wanted one thing it’d be to say your wife’s hot as fuck.” He cocked an eyebrow and began eyeing you in your dress, growing uncomfortable and sending him a dirty look, though you naturally leaned closer towards Taehyung and he took notice. 

“Say that again I’ll make you regret it, Hisung.” Taehyung’s jaw was locked, a protective feeling overwhelming him. 

“You’re seriously gonna introduce her to everyone but me?” Hisung looked offended. “She should know who I am, especially to you.” He tried making a point, eluding to something between them. 

“Nah, I don’t think so.” Taehyung flat out rejected him, his expression blunt as he seemed to radiate unbothered energy. 

“I think you should. She should know the kind of man her husband is, and what he’s done.” He said knowingly, in a daunting way that accused Taehyung of something that seemed deeper than it looked.  

“There’s nothing to know, and I never did anything.” Taehyung simply denied, as though he’s said this multiple times.

“Really? You don’t wanna tell her about how you sabotage people? Use your money to buy success?” 

Taehyung had to pinch the bridge of his nose, sighing out frustrated. “For fuck’s sake, how many times do I have to tell you? I’ve never done shit like that. Leave.” Taehyung finalized, attempting to control his anger.

You were trying to remain calm and look on objectively, though felt a sense of worry for where this was going, only Taehyung’s seemingly instinctive guard on you keeping you from anxiety. 

Hisung scoffed, “You know, your wife should know how much of a fucking liar you are.” He spat, his vision suddenly growing narrowed as he eyed you both suspiciously. “Come to think of it, wife kinda sounds like a stretch.” 

This time it wasn’t even Taehyung responding, you beating him to the punch. “Excuse me? The fuck does that mean?” 

“Oh, so she talks.” 

You were just about stepping forward to give this asshole a piece of your mind until Taehyung suddenly gripped onto your arms from behind, pulling you to him protectively.

“Hisung, what the fuck do you want?” Taehyung’s tone was leveled with a sense of controlled rage, clear effort to contain himself and you were completely understanding of that. 

“Not much. I just find your marriage suspicious, and if I do then others do too. Wouldn’t want to taint the precious Kim reputation with that, now would we?” The remark was sly, causing Taehyung’s hold around you to tense.  

“What the fuck are you implying, exactly? Try making some sense.” 

“Your marriage isn’t convincing, jackass. There’s no way you two are really married, don’t think I don’t know there’s something behind it.” He stared squarely back at Taehyung, determined. “And when I get my hands on that information, don't think you're the only one who can sabotage someone.” Hisung was resolute as he declared his threat, only making Taehyung more resentful, more rash. 

“Your opinion doesn’t matter to me, jackass. Nothing you do does” Taehyung was confident in the argument and it oddly made you proud, now understanding why he was so successful and well-acclaimed. It’s like he truly didn't care what others thought and only lived for the purpose of what he found important to him, contributing to his confidence and composed approach towards life. He carried himself with an affirmed sense of self-worth that never bordered egotistical, and you were lying if you said it wasn’t hot sometimes. 

Because scratch that, it was incredibly hot. 

Hisung laughed humourlessly, hissing. “I don’t think we can say the same about Mrs. Kim, though, her opinion should matter to you, right?” He then suddenly turned his vision to you and drew closer, speaking in a superficially saccharine tone. “Jagiya, you should really look into who your husband is. He’s not half the man he says he is.” Hisung suddenly came too close and Taehyung immediately tugged you behind him, shielding your smaller frame as his tone dangerously darkened. 

“Don’t call her that, and never fucking come near her.” Taehyung was seething now, clutching one of your hands so tightly you became worried of his heightened emotions.

“Nah, I don’t think so.” Hisung mimicked him. “She should know I’d treat her better than her asshole of a husband, make sure she’s nice and satisfied with how much of a man I am compared to you.” Hisung remarked without a single care, and you nearly felt the blooding searing in Taehyung’s veins. 

But you could tell that was exactly Hisung’s goal; to rile Taehyung up and it unfortunately worked. No longer was the calm, cool and collected Taehyung you knew, instead feeling him suddenly rush towards Hisung with a fist until you gripped onto his jacket from behind, calling his name. 

“Tae.” Your voice was soft, immediately stopping him as you clutched urgently. Taehyung could hear the frailty of your worried voice, could feel your little hold on his jacket as he came to his senses.

Taehyung grinded his teeth hard as his fist tightened for a mere second before steadily loosening, calming himself down before he made his last remark. “Go fuck yourself, Hisung.” Taehyung spat with pure disdain as he turned around and swept up your hand, leading you away from the situation as far as possible. 

He pulled you along hastily, walking with a sense of speed that almost had you tripping on your dress. You were seconds from telling him to slow down until he stopped you both in a hallway.

“Taehyung, wh-” You almost got out until Taehyung suddenly pushed you up against the nearest wall, breath hot and heavy as he huffed frustratedly, raw anger written all over him. 

Taehyung’s entire towering body was unexpectedly inches from you, his forearms laid against the marble tiling above your head as he hung his own low, almost trying to conceal his face into your shoulder. It’s like he was blocking you off from any other person, defensively caging you as his chest rose and fell shallowly with white hot anger, your face tucked into his shoulder. His heated breath was continuously tickling the exposed skin of your neck, so close your heart was beating faster than it should’ve. 

You were only left shocked, hands fallen slack by your sides and unable to move. 

“I’m sorry.” He huffed out suddenly. “Fuck, I’m so sorry I’m just.. really angry right now and I can’t calm down.” Taehyung seemed infuriated though worried, his hands clutching into fists above you as he leaned in even closer, mere centimeters between you two as he remained pressed into your personal space.

“Shit, don’t be scared I just-fuck, I hate him. He’s the only person who makes me so angry.” Taehyung breathed out frustratedly, eyes shut as he tried to control himself. “And fuck, I didn’t want him near you. I don’t want him to talk to you. I don’t want anyone to fucking come near you.” 

Taehyung’s confessions kept coming and you were simply taken aback, another show of his emotions on full display and you wondered how he always so neatly composed himself.

“Tae-”

“Just stay in front of me, please.” He begged. “Where I can see you, just stay here.” He stressed, trying his best to breathe properly but only failed. “I don’t.. think I like when other guys are around you.” He confessed out of nowhere, trying to work through the claim hesitantly at first until he eventually nodded, affirming it. 

“Yeah, I don’t like it.” He declared as he continued to lean in, his proximity allowing for you to constantly smell his intoxicating, Invictus cologne; its sexy scent paired with his perfectly tailored suit hugging the curves of his large, broad body only arousing your nerves. 

“God, fuck.” He huffed out. “No matter what, stay away from Hisung. Never talk to him. He ruins everything he touches, every fucking thing.” Taehyung was dead serious, still hiding his face from you as he spoke angrily near your ear. “He’s been trying to ruin me for years. He’s already tried with everything else and he’ll come for you. He can’t ruin our marriage, and I swear to God if he fucking does anything to you-”

“Taehyung, hey, shh.” You brought your hands up to his chest to try calming him down, able to discern Taehyung ever rarely grew angry and when he did, just needed someone to quell his troubles. “Breathe, Taehyung, breathe, okay?” You spoke with a soft tone, trying to contrast the white hot anger you could sense in him by rubbing his chest pacifyingly. 

Taehyung immediately tensed at the action, almost in shock until he ultimately tried to breathe, slow and steady. 

“There you go, that’s better.” You encouraged into his shoulder, hands resting and lightly massaging as you inquired. “Talk to me, Taehyung, what’s wrong? Who’s Hisung?” 

“Fuck, I’ll get angry again.” He warned, breath still hot and heavy as you smoothed over his dress shirt, trying to soothe him.  

“It’s okay. I’m here, Tae, you have me. Tell me anything.” You assured and attempted to mirror his own words from a week ago, worried about his open show of emotions and thinking you should be helpful, make sure you're supplying all the support he needs because he may never be this open again. 

Taehyung’s temper was still high, more of his hot breath on your shoulder as he spoke, lips still by your ear and the bass in his voice sending currents through you. 

“It goes back 3 years, rival companies.” He began. “His father was dismissed as CEO and they held a shareholders meeting to decide a new one. Long story short, he won the vote, but only by a 49-51 percent margin. He barely scrapped by, and after he was appointed CEO he found out his major shareholders voted against him. What made things worse was that right after, they pulled all their shares from his company and invested in mine, and he fucking-” Taehyung was growing frustrated again recounting the story, his body rising and falling faster until your hands snaked up to his jaw, fingers splaying across his cheeks as you held his face pacifyingly. 

“Taehyung, breathe again. You’re fine.” You felt him listen to you, breathing deeply as he became more composed again, continuing.

“He thinks I sabotaged him, that I colluded with his shareholders and used my money when I never did. I only had acquainted relationships with them at the time and never convinced them of anything. They told me they chose to invest because they saw me as the better company, the more competent CEO.” Taehyung was venting, and you let him exactly do so by attentively listening, holding him. 

“It wasn’t my fault, but he thinks it is. And now he’s made it his life’s mission to ruin mine, ruin anything he can get his hands on because he’s convinced I ruined his.” Taehyung sounded upset, clearly fed up with having to deal with such an incessant pain in the ass. 

“Just not you,” He sounded like he was pleading, a whisper. “Not fucking you, he can’t ruin us, or our marriage.”  

“He won’t, Taehyung. We won’t let him.” The pads of your thumbs smoothed over Taehyung’s skin, trying to ease him as he moved back slightly, vision meeting yours.

“Y/N, I don’t lie. I wouldn’t sabotage anybody, I don’t play dirty like that. Even if the business world is riddled with people like that, I would never do it. I’m not like that at all.” A hint of desperation leaked into his tone, eyes gentle as he so emphatically tried to convince you he was nothing like Hisung said. 

And you found your heart softening thinking about the fact that it affected him so much. That while he didn’t care what others thought of him, he somehow valued what you thought. 

“Taehyung, don’t worry, I know, okay? You’re completely fine. He just tries to rile you up because he knows you’re better, more competent.” You slid your hands back down over his neck, letting them rest over his strong chest again. It made your breaths uneven, registering how close he was to you, just inches from your face. 

“He probably knows those shareholders chose you because you’re the better CEO. He knows it, he just tries to deny the truth by looking for ways to ruin your life, so he doesn’t have to accept he’s inferior.” You offered earnestly, rhythmically smoothing him over. Taehyung’s eyes suddenly swirled with a sense of ease, his tense body now seeming to relax. “You think so?” 

“Of course, Tae. You’re nothing like that, I know you’re not.” You said determinedly, gripping his shirt lightly to drive your point forward, eyes conveying warmth. 

Though the response that met you was Taehyung gazing into your eyes boldly as he heard you address him so casually by a nickname already, his look containing something you couldn’t decipher, and it left butterflies swarming your chest. 

You didn’t realize how intoxicatingly close you both were in this position; Taehyung’s arms caging you against the wall, body pressing into you as he looked at you, not breathing hard anymore but hotly, like he was feeling something he was attempting to manage. Your hands funnily contrasted the size of his chest as he glanced at them, then up at him, clutching him a little tighter the more the tension seemed to build.  

It was obvious now, both of you were merely staring at each other, Taehyung’s Adam’s apple bobbing as he swallowed and your eyes followed the movement, something unknown alighting inside you at the image. It called necessary attention to his sculpted neck and you found yourself wondering if you’d ever get to lay kisses on it, possibly even mark it

You bit your lip at the thought, hating that such an idea dawned on you, igniting with something unholy the more you breathed in his sexy scent, his large body enclosing you. It sent chills down your spine, trying to contain yourself by shifting and clamping down on your lip harder.

Taehyung’s eyes flickered to the very action, his undivided attention now on your mouth. He could feel every harder squeeze of your hands on his chest as the heat rose, fisting his own hands against the wall with the need to draw himself closer to you, especially with the way you looked right now. 

Taehyung already couldn’t keep his hands off you when you resembled the hottest, and yet most gorgeous thing he’s ever seen in that dress. Either a sweet angel descended from heaven or the right kind of demon he craved. It was even more difficult knowing it’s a dress he chose, adoring the way you were wrapped up in his favourite colour, and thought red has never looked better on anyone else.

It also made him think of some things he shouldn’t speak aloud. Though Taehyung knew you, and knew you weren't ready for anything of that sort, so he remained collected and only stuck to having an arm around you tonight, mindful of boundaries. 

But when you were under his scrutiny, smaller self tucked against a wall because of him and clearly hot and bothered yourself, your exposed skin raking his brain, he couldn’t keep from nearing your lips. 

He’s once felt how soft they were before, seeing on multiple occasions how plushy they truly are and desiring to feel that same soft sensation again. So he disregarded all thought, coming forward inch by inch as he gauged your response, and when he viewed you fluttering your eyes shut and lifting your head towards him, he fought back cracking a smirk. 

Taehyung was milliseconds from connecting your mouths, feeling the skin of his lips blissfully brush yours as his sweet breath invaded your mouth, only for a frantic voice suddenly calling out his name to interrupt, the very culprit tumbling into the hallway. 

“Taehyung! Y/N- oh shit.” Taehyung immediately ducked his face away from you and you hastily let him go, Taehyung puffing out frustrated air as he met his friends’ eyes. “Jimin.. what?” 

“I-uh. I’m sorry, but I got Hisung kicked out and we’re gonna start the last toast. You guys should um...be there.” Jimin cleared his throat and began shuffling, avoiding eye contact with the both of you. 

“Okay, we’re coming.” 

“Sorry, again.” Jimin bowed lightly and nearly made a break for it. 

Taehyung sighed heavily, pushing himself off the wall and straightening up as he freed you, finally able to breathe peacefully. 

“We should um.. go.” He voiced awkwardly.

“Yeah.. just give me a second. I’ll be back from the restroom.” You dared to make eye contact with him to seem unaffected, though panicked the instant your gazes locked.

“Okay.” He nodded, seeming unbothered.

You grasped the skirt of your dress and your heels clacked against the tiled flooring as you scurried off, needing to find the bathroom to see whether or not you appeared as much of a mess as you felt. 

You bolted inside and ran towards the sink, spotting two women possibly your age by the mirror though ultimately ignored them, patting over your cheeks to feel how warm they were. 

Were you really just seconds away from kissing Taehyung? Kissing him? What would’ve happened if Jimin never walked in? Would you have kissed him for however long, would you have stopped it? 

Even better question, why didn’t you stop it? Why were you so ready to kiss him, maybe even excited by the very idea? It sent a chill down your spine, even recalling that Taehyung stated earlier he liked your lips. 

Kim Taehyung liked your lips, the same ridiculously high-status, wealthy man people were on their knees for, practically Seoul’s most powerful CEO and Korea’s seemingly unattainable bachelor; that same Taehyung was the one who liked not only your lips, but your height, even your eyes. 

He said they were nice. 

You didn’t even want to unbox the entire Hisung situation. He so naturally defended you, even held you back out of consideration for your safety it seemed, and it frightened you how much you liked it, liked that he was so protective and made all those confessions about disliking other men around you.

It may have been possessive, but you fucking liked it. 

And you already felt doomed. 

You were simply imploding on yourself, having your own personal meltdown when one of the two women audaciously addressed you, tone light and airy. 

“Oh my God, are you Min Y/N?” She inquired. 

You flashed your eyes to her, answering with furrowed eyebrows. “Uh, Kim Y/N now, but yes.” 

“Wow, so you’re the woman Kim Taehyung married?” The other one perked up. 

“..Yes.” You answered confused.  

The other woman really scoffed here, scoffed, “Song-i, it’s the other way around. She married him.” The rather rude looking woman clarified, and you found out right after just how rude she was. “The Kim Taehyung would never willingly marry someone like her.” 

Your expression immediately contorted, unbelieving of her audacity. “Excuse me?” 

“Don’t think we’re stupid, everyone knows you seduced him into it.” She nearly spat, tone snobby as ever. 

You guffawed humourlessly, truly having it up to here with today because it seemed never-ending with bullshit. “Think what you want, but I didn’t seduce him.” 

“We know you’re lying, he wouldn’t marry some runaway like you. You came out of nowhere, you clearly got into his bed before you got him to the altar.” The other one added on, painting their twisted narrative together. 

“It wasn’t like that all, but if you want to think so because you’re not the one he takes home at night, then be my fucking guest.” You countered them, look sharp enough you were sure you could cut a diamond. 

They both took immediate offence, having the audacity to near you and invade your personal space. “You’re not the only woman he’s taken home, do you really think you’re special?” She insinuated something you weren’t dumb enough to not catch, heart sinking at the thought. 

“What exactly are you trying to get at?” 

“The fact that he married you as a favour, you runaway, and everyone knows your marriage isn’t love at all.” She relayed with a snippy tone. “Don’t you get you’re just charity to him? Everyone knows it, sweetie.” 

You were trying hard to think of a way to counter, though your stinging heart took the jab like it was white hot lightning. You felt crushed within seconds at the comment hitting home, sinking lower until you spoke up. 

“Our marriage isn’t your business. Maybe try getting a life before you revolve it around mine.” You spat as you sent them a petty look, making your way out and almost exiting until you felt a splash of water hitting the back of your hair, mouth falling agape at the sheer audacity of what just fucking happened. 

“Your life is fucking miserable. You’ll stay by his side but he’ll never love you. Keep acting like your his real wife and see what’ll happen. Everyone hates you and how you made him marry you out of pity. Watch your back, runaway, you never know when he might end it all and break your little heart.” You almost, almost turned around to land a right hook across the girl’s face until you decided against it, composing yourself with a breathing mantra and instead choosing your favourite way of leaving a bad situation. 

With a snarky last word. 

“Seems he’s already broken yours with this ring, huh? Stay mad at the ring bitches, stay mad at the ring.” You smiled condescendingly as you flaunted Taehyung’s twelve thousand dollar ring, walking out of the bathroom despite their exclamations and practically marching towards the hall, seething. 

You arrived inside and plopped down on your seat next to Taehyung bitterly, utterly vexed as you crossed your arms and grinded your teeth. 

“Hey, where were you?” Taehyung asked. “You missed the toast.” 

“Could’ve done it without me anyway.” You replied curtly, all the information you received in just 2 minutes ruling your thoughts and sending you into a storm of anger, spoiling your mood. 

Taehyung became confused. “Are you okay? What happened?”

“Nothing.” You huffed and reached for your glass of water, taking a large swig and nearly slamming it back onto the table. 

Taehyung reacted surprised. “Seriously, what’s wrong?” He became apprehensive of your mood, grabbing your hand on the table gently as he searched for your eyes. 

Though he instead found your eyes flashing towards something else, someone else before you snatched your hand away, eyes set cold.  

“I said nothing.” 

Taehyung followed your previous line of sight and landed on two women finding their seats a few tables away, their own eyes immediately deflecting from him once he made eye contact.

And it really only took two seconds for Taehyung to connect the dots, recognizing their faces. 

Taehyung sighed heavily, feeling guilty and suddenly apologetic about the possible situation, knowing something must have been said to you. 

He turned back around, “Y/N, what happened?” He tried inquiring again, though you responded with absolutely nothing, completely crossed and avoiding him. 

He exhaled tiredly, this day having been the epitome of a joke. Taehyung was scanning over you again when he suddenly noticed the ends of your hair, distinguishing they were wet and he found it strange. “Y/N, why the fuck is your hair wet?” He was moving to touch the damp parts until you evaded him, tone rigid. 

“Nothing, Taehyung.” 

Taehyung sighed again, frustrated as he once again put two-and-two together, remembering you’d all come from the restroom and addressed you. “What did they say, Y/N? Tell me right now, is that why your hair’s wet?” 

“No, Taehyung, nothing happened,” You stressed, turning your body even further away from him and crossing your arms tighter. 

Taehyung determined he’s truly had enough of today and rose from his seat, you noticing though choosing to ignore him. Taehyung quickly resolved he was going to fix this, beyond agitated this entire day had been damned to hell. He was having a good time too, especially keeping in mind whatever in God’s name was happening between you two, and only knowing that it made him inexplicably happy for some reason. 

Though that mood was ruined now, Taehyung shaking away his thoughts as he began plotting his approach towards your situation, entirely pissed off as he made his way towards the bar, concocting his plan. 

It took Taehyung only a good 10 minutes to get what he needed, snatching the nicest bottle of champagne and trying to remember where he’d observed the two women sitting, strolling his way over to the table with his fakest grin.  

“Good evening, ladies.” He greeted with a saccharine tone as he neared them. 

“Oh my God, Taehyung!” One of the girls beamed. “We haven’t seen you so long, what are you doing here?” 

“Yeah, too long!” 

“It has.” Taehyung smiled. “I actually wanted to offer this.” Taehyung then revealed the bottle of champagne from behind his back, holding it out towards them. 

The two women became elated, practically cheering as they clearly admired Taehyung more than he liked. “Oh wow! Thank you so much!” One of them thanked, receiving the bottle bashfully. 

“You’re too kind, Taehyung, did you really get this for us?” The other inquired, a bright smile on her face. 

“Actually, I didn’t.” 

Both women looked at each other confused, eyebrows furrowed. “You.. didn’t?” 

“No,” Taehyung responded with a bleak expression in near offence they’d assume that, smile wiped from his face. “You both did.”

“Wh-what?” They both questioned, incredulous. 

“I put it on your tabs, geniuses. There’s 6 more bottles, by the way.” 

Both women’s eyes went wide, immediately protesting. “T-this is the most expensive bottle of champagne here!” They looked annoyed, and Taehyung was all about it.  

“I know.” Taehyung smiled condescendingly, drawing closer to the women and dropping his tone to a scarily low, threatening octave. 

“Say anything to my wife again and I’ll make sure you pay more.” Taehyung finalized and rubbed his tongue along the inside of his cheek as he walked away, smirking. He ignored their protests as he passed by the bartender, winking for the 6 other bottles of champagne to be delivered to them. 

Taehyung then made his way to you, now in a hurry to leave this awful night behind as he gently gripped your arm, speaking into your ear to not alert anyone else at the table. “Y/N, we’re leaving.” 

Taehyung didn’t really have to wait, you responding rapidly, “Don’t have to tell me twice.” You were already rising from your seat, done with this entire Godforsaken night yourself. 

You both stepped away together, just about reaching the hall doors until Taehyung stopped you in front, holding you by your arms. “Stay here, I’ll get your coat.” 

You nodded at him and Taehyung bolted off, wanting to nab your coat as fast as possible so he could drape it around you and practically flaunt your relationship in front of everyone. He didn’t care if it was fake anymore, didn’t care for the legitimacy of his actions; he simply wanted the world to know you’re his wife, purposely wanted those two girls and everyone to see him treating you affectionately.

And he most certainly wanted to squash any of the doubt Hisung called attention to earlier that kept bugging him, entailing your marriage already seeming fake to him, and could to multiple other people.  

So he retrieved the coats and came rushing back to you, having worn his as he approached you. You almost reached out for your coat until Taehyung halted you. 

“Don’t, I’m putting it on you.” He rounded the coat around your body, helping your arms into the sleeves. He pulled it snug around you and held onto the ends where it should’ve been buttoned, taking a moment to think. 

Taehyung simply gazed at you, licking his lips contemplating what more he could do in this moment that would be convincing enough, knowing there had to be people watching you two right now. 

He realized he was staring without having said anything. “Sorry, I’m trying to think of something to do for everyone watching but I don’t know what.” Taehyung flashed to your lips and his mind explored the idea, though ultimately fought against it. 

“People are watching?” You inquired.

“Yeah,” Taehyung clutched onto your jacket, trying to think as he looked at your little bundled up self. 

“But I’m not sure what to do-” Taehyung was cut off by you suddenly grabbing his tie and crashing your lips onto his in a single second. 

Taehyung’s eyes blew out, taken by surprise until he found himself quickly melting into your kiss, hands gripping your jacket tighter. He couldn’t help himself from opening up his mouth to catch more of yours, lips sensually kissing yours in a slow, unhurried pace. 

You instantly loved the way he kissed, Taehyung somehow having taken control when you were the one who initiated everything, completely taken by his pillowy, delicate lips. 

Taehyung didn’t care if your lipstick smudged onto him or how brash the public display of affection seemed; all he cared about was the soft feeling of your lips against his own, and the sexy way you wre tugging him by his tie.

He knew it would stay on his mind for weeks. 

You were getting lost until he disconnected your mouths, only looking at each other with undecipherable feelings, shimmering eyes that had no clue what just happened. 

Taehyung smiled before sweeping up your hand in an instant, pulling you out of the hall and eventually outside to quickly sent a text to his driver, guiding you to the curb of the venue. 

He held you against him to keep you warm while walking, suddenly speaking up when something occurred to him. 

“You called me Tae, you know.” 

“What?” 

“My nickname, you called me by it earlier.” Taehyung repeated. 

“Oh, I’m sorry. I just heard your friends say it and it slipped out, I didn’t mean to-”

“Say it all you want.” Taehyung was grinning to himself like an idiot, thinking you weren’t looking at him but that’s exactly what you were doing, admiring the curve of his perfect cupid’s bow with hints of your lipstick smeared on him. “It’s better when you say it.” 

And now it was your turn to smile like an idiot. 

prev. ↞ || ↠ next  ||  masterlist

tags : @thedarkwinterrose​ @ayujaded​ @couldbeyourlast​ @ladyarmanto​ @anpanman-sonyeondan​ @apollukee​ @blueevelvt​ @taesluttt​ @scalubera​ @laurynne5​ @dreamsindreamss​ @thequeen-kat​ @awsome-small-k​ @wrecklesssly​ @kweenhu​ @jalexad​ @staerify​ @bangforever​ @dyriddle​ @aianloveseven​ @waves-and-woods​ @hoefortaeshands​ @veronawrites​ @nightapple4jk​ @wataemelonz​ @aomi-nabi​ @katbonv​ @hantaev​ @jinpuddin​ @usamizuki​ @wooya1224​ @bambuzlee​ @jenotation​ @tangledsparkles​ @pcyxljh​ @forbts-only​ @dumplingley​ @ccmemoirs​ @kleritata​ @thelilbutifulthings​ @maygem2780​ @lachimolala95​ @betysotelo18​ @prettycoolting​ @opaljm​ @jeonlovers​ @honeyboocal​ @preciouschimine​ 

[ggukkiereads]

Hello, Rosie! Sorry to bother you but do you know any fics similar to heart haunting and room 732? Where the reader or the member has a deceased ex and is trying to move on from them? Thank you so much (in advance)!!! 💞💞

🌷 Hi there! Sharing these - which are all part of my hurt/comfort fic list too 🥺. Please see note at the bottom of this post for what I almost included in this list. Enjoy!

The Raindrop Prelude @inktae - Yoongi

one shot | 14.8k | pianist!yoongi, mentor!yoongi, piano student!oc | a, implied s

Delete Voicemail? feat Taehyung @evangelene - Jungkook

one shot | 5k | Exes AU, Established Relationship, it’s just 😭 | a

Magic Shop, Part 2  @jungkookiebus - Jungkook

two shot [2/2] | 17.9k+ | tea shop owner!jungkook, widow!oc, small town setting, hurt/comfort fic | a, f

Untitled drabble @jungxk - Jungkook

drabble | 2.4k | widow!oc, feat. best friend!yoongi, moving on | a

If I Only get a Year with You @hollyhomburg - Seokjin

drabble | 2.1k | gardener!seokjin, long time friend, coping/grief | a, f

Gingerbread Man [ao3] @btsracket - Jungkook

series [12/12] | 52k | widower!jungkook, baker au, single dad!jungkook, hurt/grieving, Christmas themes too

🌷 this used to be on tumblr but link doesn’t work; you can still read it on ao3

Including the fics mentioned:

Room 732 @untaemedqueen - Jungkook

one shot | 10k | Mafia AU, Courtesan!Reader, Bird Cage!Jungkook, Strangers to Lovers | a, s, f

Heart Haunting @jamaisjoons -  Yoongi

one shot | 17k | established relationship au, past!seokjin, moving on fic | a, f, s

Note:

I didn’t include all widower/widow fics I know- just the ones where the focus is on the moving on process (or a large chunk of it is highlighted).

Was originally going to include scenarios where it’s OC/Reader or Member as the one who passed away but maybe I will just post it in another list (also received an ask for this in the past)

Almost added fics where the member or OC is moving on from people who are not necessarily their Ex (for example a relative or a friend)- but again you’re very specific about it being the Ex, so maybe in another list 😊

Hope you enjoy @kookiebulgogi ! Will try to add more if I recall any or if I get to read new fics with such themes.  🥰

.

[wordsnwhiskey]

As It Should Be | Chapter 4: Company

Pairing: Agent Whiskey x F!Reader x Frankie Morales

Summary: Whiskey gets a surprised call and he and Frankie have a long talk.

Rating: M

Warnings: Talks of drug use, alcohol, mentions of character death, mentions of canon typical violence, PTSD, violent nightmare

A/N: I really wanted this conversation to happen between these two given their respective histories. We all know that Whiskey needed therapy and in this verse he gets it. It’s also my HC, from what I vaguely know (I’m not an expert and I could be very wrong), that Whiskey was an officer in the Air Force where he flew/placed in jets and that’s how he knows how to fly an F-22 (The Silver Pony).

We are getting some angst and some fluff this time folks!

Also, yes I do have a specific soap in mind for Whiskey, it's Old Glory by Duke Cannon

Huge special thanks to mi esposa @danniburgh and my friend Agent Capri Sun for the betas and encouragement!!

Masterlist | Series Masterlist | Chapter 3: Statesmen & Demons | AO3

He was drowning. He needed...something. He needed help.

Frankie pulled his phone out, went to the recent number that was, as of yet, unsaved, and pressed ‘call’. His shaky hand brought the phone up to his ear as the line rang.

Whiskey’s hair was still wet from his shower, and his white t-shirt clung to his damp skin. Eyeing the take out on his counter, he sank into his couch and smiled at your texts:

Whiskey: Thai sound good, sweetheart?

Bourbon: God yes Jack, I’m starving!

Whiskey: I’ll let you know when I get outta the shower, see you soon sweetheart

He was just about to send you a message to come on over when his phone rang. Glancing at the clock on his stove, then back to the unfamiliar Texas number on his caller ID, he frowned.

“Whiskey.”

His greeting was curt. Who the hell would be calling at 8:30 pm on a Wednesday?

“H-hey Whiskey, it’s me, Frankie. Is… uh, is she there?”

Whiskey’s frown deepened, not that he minded Frankie calling him, far from it, but his voice was cracking like he’d been... crying?

“Oh, hey there, Flyboy. No she isn’t, do you need me to get her?”

“N-no, no… I, uh, I don’t want her to see me right now. I’m, uh,” Whiskey could hear Frankie take a deep breath on the other side of the line. “I’m having a bad night, Jack. Could you come get me? I’m at the hotel.”

Jack shot straight up, practically leaping to his feet.

“Did you…?”

The question clung to the air like lead, crushing both of their chests in the silence.

“No, I haven’t… I just… fuck.”

Jack was moving, grabbing his leather jacket, keys, and Stetson, practically sprinting out the door.

“Don’t worry about it, Flyboy. I’m headed your way.”

He shifted his weight while he waited for the elevator to take him to the parking garage, shooting off a quick text to you in apology. Frankie’s words, “I don’t want her to see me,” rung in his ears and he decided to hold off on telling you what had come up, at least until he could see you at the office tomorrow.

Whiskey: Hey sweetheart, sorry something came up and I can’t do dinner tonight. Everything’s fine, see you at the office, sugar. X

Your phone went off and you quickly unlocked it, eager to hear back from Jack so you could head over. A frown pulled the corners of your lips down at his text, but you knew he wouldn’t cancel on you without good reason.

You: See you tomorrow, cowboy. Better make it up to me ;)

Frankie had left the door slightly ajar and was pacing around his room, arms crossed in front of him when he heard a quick knock, then the handle was turning and Whiskey crossed the threshold. He took a cursory glance around the room: nothing but minibar booze bottles, thankfully. Whiskey let out a sigh of relief that was short-lived when he took in Frankie’s demeanor. Frankie’s face was taut with shame, and his gaze refused to rise any higher than Whiskey’s boots.

“I didn’t know who else to call,” Frankie choked out, “ Pope, and Hawk… I can’t disappoint them again. I’ve been clean for three years, and I didn’t…”

Jack shook his head and beckoned Frankie over, wrapping his arm around the other man’s shoulders and pulling him in for a quick, tight hug.

“C’mon, Flyboy, this is not the time nor the place to talk about this. I’m taking you back to my place, and we’re gonna have some whiskey that’s much better than what you’ve had here, and then we can talk.”

Frankie nodded and grabbed his hat, planting it on his head as Whiskey tugged him out of the hotel room. He was so deep in his thoughts and his guilt for having Whiskey come out that he didn’t realize where he was until the elevator dinged. Whiskey unlocked and opened the door to his condo, giving way to a view so incredible Frankie almost forgot to breathe. Across from the entryway, on the far side of the condo, the gorgeous New York night skyline twinkled back at them from beyond the wall of glass windows. Frankie marveled at the rustic elegance of Jack’s home. It had an entirely open floor plan, giving Frankie a view of the dark cherry butcher block island, the top-of-the-line range top, and other appliances, all immaculately clean. For a moment, he wondered if that was because Whiskey ordered out more than he cooked, but then he saw the bags of takeout on the counter and immediately felt guilty.

“I’m sorry, looks like I interrupted your dinner plans.”

Whiskey closed and locked the door behind him, hanging his jacket up on the nearby hook. He glanced over at the takeout, then put his hand on Frankie’s shoulder.

“Don’t worry about it, partner. I just told her something came up. You hungry? I ordered her Drunken Noodles, be a shame to put them to waste.”

Frankie was about to decline when his stomach rumbled, and Whiskey chuckled.

“C’mon, Flyboy, go sit down on the couch and I’ll bring the food and some whiskey round.”

With a nod, he toed his dress shoes off (they were all he had without his go bag) and made for the brown leather couch. He sat down a bit stiffly, feeling awkward given the circumstances. Whiskey brought over the containers of food, handing one to Frankie and resting his own on the coffee table before grabbing them the promised drinks. He sat down, and Frankie took his drink in one hand, relishing in the smooth burn as he took a sip, then set it down to dive into his food.

They ate in a relaxed and cozy silence. Frankie finished first, which wasn’t a surprise. When Whiskey finished, he took Frankie’s empty container with him to toss in the garbage before he made his way back. An awkward silence replaced the previous comfortable one, and Frankie found himself having a hard time pulling his gaze from the amber liquid in his glass. Whiskey took a deep breath, then turned on the couch to face Frankie.

“Santiago said you’ve been clean for three years? That’s quite the accomplishment.”

“Yeah, thanks. Doesn’t really feel like it right now. I feel like I failed. I’m worried I’ll slip up.”

“I don’t think you will, Frankie. Neither do Pope or Bourbon.”

Jack didn’t know why, but the words rang true in his mind, even though he hadn’t known Frankie for very long.

“You don’t seem like the kind of guy to throw three years of hard work away, Flyboy.”

A small smile tugged at Frankie’s lips and he took a sip from his glass.

“Must’ve been weird for Halcón. Last time she saw me, fuck, I was barely with it. The suspension hit me hard. I had been getting my shit together before Colombia and the funeral. I just wanted to be able to fly. I couldn’t and still can’t stand the idea of being grounded. That, and I knew my fianceé would leave me if I didn’t get it together. But then, well, we all went to Colombia.”

“I couldn’t imagine being grounded. I don’t fly often, but to not have the option? I dunno what I’d do.”

Whiskey shook his head and grimaced. Frankie perked up, head snapping to meet Whiskey’s gaze.

“You fly?”

“Mmmhmm, was in the Air Force for a bit, did jets. Statesmen has an F-22, the Silver Pony, that I fly.”

A small buzz of excitement was washing over Frankie, and he subconsciously scooted closer to Whiskey. He didn’t really have anyone to talk to about flying, even if helicopters and jets were two very different means of flying.

“What made you risk it, Flyboy? What happened in Colombia?”

Frankie frowned and let out a deep sigh.

“Pope had been down there for a few years, chasing a narco named Gabriel Martín Lorea. He finally got a break when his CI told him she knew where he was hiding out and where he was stashing his money. He showed up outta the blue asking us, our old team, to come down and do recon, $17k just for a week of recon. If we wanted to stay on after that, we’d be entitled to 25% of whatever we seized, and the rumour was that Lorea had $75M on him. I’m guessing Halcón was busy with a mission for you guys, and I’m glad she was. It ended up being a fucking shitshow.”

Whiskey noted the faraway look in Frankie’s eyes as he sighed and took another swig from his glass, shaking his head as Frankie recalled the events.

“After the recon, Pope said he thought we could do the job ourselves, take all the money and not tell the local governments. We found out that the local agency hadn’t been the ones to pay us the $17k. That had come out of Pope’s pocket. He was so sure that the locals were on Lorea’s payroll, and if he went to the local agency, Lorea would disappear with the money. At the end of the day, none of us could say no. Turned out the rumors of Lorea having $75M were wrong. The house was stuffed, literally, with cash. Tom, our captain, got greedy. He ignored our hard-out time and insisted we take more loads of cash. We ended up stealing close to $250M, then we burned the house down.”

Whiskey whistled. “$250M is a lot of money, partner…”

Frankie barked out a humorless laugh, his eyes rueful.

“Too much. Our helo couldn’t take it all and make it over the Andes. I knew it before take off, and I warned Tom and Pope, but all any of us could see was the money. Tom didn’t want to leave it on the runway. I almost had us over the Andes when a gearbox blew, and I had to get us back to flat. We had to cut the money net, and it was just our luck that it happened to be over a coke farm. It was a bad landing. I honestly don’t know how none of us were seriously injured, but Pope and Tom went to go and convince the farmers to get out of the money. Our comms were out, so we were going off of hand signals. Tom got too trigger happy, and he dropped a few of the villagers. I-I provided cover fire, too…”

Frankie hung his head, no matter how much Will, Benny, or Pope had tried to reassure him, he still held an enormous amount of guilt over what had happened. He felt Whiskey’s hand rest on his shoulder, and he leaned into the touch.

“That’s what you were trained to do, Flyboy. You couldn’t have known any different, especially without comms.”

Frankie nodded, taking a large gulp of his whiskey, then continued on.

“A couple days later, we took fire in the mountains, and they got Tom. It ended up being a kid and another guy from the coke farm. We killed them, but there was nothing we could do for Tom. Headshot, he died instantly. 10 years we all served together, and then he was gone, leaving behind an ex and two daughters. It could have been any one of us though, Jack… we all took lives during that mission. Tom just took the wrong ones. It… it could have been me even, I shot some of those villagers, too.”

Frankie felt Whiskey’s grip on his shoulder tighten and looked up to see the empathetic sadness of someone who truly understood how he felt reflected back in Whiskey’s eyes. Frankie cleared his throat.

“We ended up bailing on a lot of the cash, taking only what we could carry in our daypacks and tossing the rest in a ravine so we could haul Tom’s body out with us. At the end of it, we made out with around $5M, but we all agreed it should go to Tom’s family. I got back to find my fianceé had left. She couldn’t stand my leaving with Pope. Looking back, my addiction is probably what really did us in, but I was devastated to come home to an empty house after everything that had happened. Things got… dark after that. I fell back on old habits, fuck, I had barely been clean a few months when we went to Colombia. I didn’t want to think about what we’d done there, didn’t want to feel the emptiness, didn’t want to sleep and deal with the nightmares. I was a mess, and I… uh, I took too much one day. Pope found me unconscious, lying on the ground, and got me to the hospital. When I came to, I realized I didn’t want to end up dead in my shitty apartment, once they discharged me, I checked into rehab.”

Frankie took another drink. No one other than Pope knew that knocking on death’s door had been the turning point for him. Whiskey chewed on his lip, taking a drink and debating whether he should share his past as well.

“Drugs are… a terrible thing to get hooked on. My high school sweetheart, carrying my unborn son, was murdered by two meth head freaks robbing a fucking convenience store. I was on leave from the Air Force, waiting for them to come home when I got the call. I didn’t realize how much it festered in me until about a year back when we were taking down the Golden Circle.”

Frankie nodded. He remembered that he had been glad he was clean by then.

“I’m sorry, Whiskey… I didn’t know, I shouldn’t have-”

Jack’s hand moved from Frankie’s shoulder to rub his back reassuringly.

“Listen, the things you’ve done and seen for our country… and not, well, it’s a lot, and I know it’s not the same as the freaks who… it’s not the same. I almost sabotaged the mission. My hate-addled brain thought it would be justice… It was Bourbon who very literally knocked me on my ass and kept me from making a decision I’d regret. She encouraged me to see a Statesmen counselor, which has been a lot of work, but has been more helpful than I ever thought it would be. Have you thought about that?”

Frankie was distracted for a moment by Jack’s hand. It felt nice, reassuring, safe, things that had been sorely lacking for him today.

“I have and I did, well, I had to as part of the program, and I kept it up for a bit after. It helped, but… I couldn’t really talk about what happened with Tom. Sure there’s confidentiality and all that, but what we did is all kinds of illegal. I couldn’t exactly bring that to a session or group.”

Frankie snorted, a ghost of a smile tugged at a corner of his mouth.

“Really though, aside from the program I was in after rehab to get my license back, I’ve gotten some hobbies and some other out-outlets. This was just a lot. I needed to not be alone.”

Jack cocked his head at the way Frankie stuttered and subconsciously fidgeted with the bandage on his right wrist. He had picked up from the night prior that Frankie had a thing for pain, and Frankie’s reaction when he had bandaged him up was further proof of that. But using it as his sole outlet or method of working through his issues was something he wouldn’t enable. His eyes narrowed, and before Frankie could blink, Jack snatched his left hand, mindful of the tender marks as he held fast and fixed Frankie with a hard stare. Frankie flinched at the sudden movement then his eyes widened a little.

“You know this ain’t a solution, Flyboy.”

Jack’s voice had an edge to it bordering on a growl. Frankie shook his head quickly.

“Shit, no, Whiskey, the i-impact p-play stuff, i-it’s an outlet, and it’s not my only outlet. I met my old partners, Sam and then later on her husband, a year and a half or two years ago. I was a year clean before I even had my first session with either of them. I met Sam when she booked a flight tour, and one thing led to another… She’d come back into town and sometimes her husband would come with, but we all kept everything pretty quiet. They helped me relax, and they had their fun.”

Frankie was doing his best to be nonchalant, but he couldn’t help the slight bitterness creeping into his voice. Maybe it had to do with the fact that Jack’s tone had thrown him off guard, unexpectedly stirring something in him. Whiskey, of course noticed on both counts, having been trained to do so. He could see through Frankie a mile away. Frankie nervously took another sip from his glass, shuddering as Whiskey’s thumb gingerly rubbed circles over the marks, seemingly accepting his explanation.

“You know, had I known about your… interests, I would have done things a bit differently last night, Flyboy.” He winked at Frankie, then smirked as he examined Frankie’s wrist more thoughtfully. “How are they doing?”

“G-good, thanks. And uh, well, you’re one of 3 people who know.” Frankie murmured.

Whiskey’s eyebrows raised slightly in surprise as he nodded and released Frankie’s hand.

“Really? Not Pope or Bourbon?”

“Are you kidding me? Pope would never let me hear the end of it. There are some things he doesn’t need to know.” Frankie chuckled and shook his head. “And Halcón? Well, there was never any reason for her to know. We never did anything together before last night.”

“How long has it been since you last saw Sam or her husband?”

Frankie downed the rest of his whiskey, eyes far away for a moment, remembering their last session, the sharp pain followed by a rush of endorphins and the occasional soothing praise. He shook his head gently, blinking himself out of his memories at the feeling of Jack’s warm hand on his knee.

“It’s been a while, six months? They moved overseas.”

There was a beat of silence, Whiskey could sense there was something up, it was a subtle shadow flitting across Frankie’s face. He decided to push a little more.

“Did you have feelings for them?”

“It was complicated.”

The edge in Frankie’s voice was tinged with pain, and he tried to cover it up with a laugh that came out humorless.

“I guess it isn’t that complicated. After six months, things shifted, and they made it clear I wasn’t part of their long term plan. It became very transactional, which was fine, but there was less and less... care after.”

“Oh.”

The response slipped from Jack’s lips, and he was momentarily stunned quiet before his temper began to flare. His index finger and thumb gently gripped Frankie’s chin, forcing him to meet his gaze.

“Listen carefully, Flyboy. What I did last night was the bare minimum of what someone should do in that kind of situation. Anything less is negligent. Christ, how was this ever stress relief for you if you were left to free fall afterwards?”

Whiskey’s voice was calm and even, but Frankie could see the fury raging in his eyes. Sensing Whiskey’s desire for understanding, he nodded then shrugged.

“I guess I’d try to go on a hike with one of the guys or go train at the gym.”

Silence fell between them, a muscle in Whiskey’s jaw clenching before he glanced at the clock and let out a deep sigh, willing himself to calm down.

“It’s already just about midnight, Flyboy. Why don’t you go shower, and I’ll put on a clean bandage for you once you’re done. You can use my bathroom. There’s a clean towel hanging you can use. Don’t worry about clothes, I’ll leave something for you to sleep in on my bed so you can change while I set up the guest room for you.”

Frankie was about to protest, saying he could do his own bandages, but Whiskey fixed him with a stare and shook his head.

“Go on Flyboy, get yourself in the shower. Head down the hall, second door on the left. Your room is across the hall. I’ll be waiting there with the medkit when you’re done.”

Whiskey took Frankie’s empty glass and stood, taking their glasses to the sink while Frankie got up and made his way to the shower. A pensive frown tugged at Whiskey’s lips. Tonight certainly explained a lot of things. The sharp fury that permeated Whiskey’s chest when they were talking about Frankie’s previous partners returned. How could someone not be bothered with aftercare? It was also clear that Frankie felt abandoned by them. On some level, the poor man was probably terrified of that happening again, if he even entertained the thought of something between the three of you. Whiskey waited a few moments until he heard the water running before heading into his room. He let out a sigh as he grabbed a white t-shirt and a pair of linen shorts for Frankie to wear, leaving them on the bed before he left to make sure the guest room was all set.

Frankie undressed quickly, folding his clothes and setting them down on the vanity in a neat pile crowned with his hat. Next, he made quick work of unwrapping the bandage around his wrist and tossing the materials in the garbage. He let out a sigh of relief as he stepped into the shower and the hot water scoured the last two days from his skin. The relief was quickly replaced with a small whine of pain as the water hit his wrist. Closing his eyes and bracing himself against the wall with his forearm he breathed through the pain, acclimating to the sensation. Frankie took a minute to just exist, trying to enjoy the quiet that had slowly crept back into his mind. Taking a deep breath, he set to work getting himself clean. The steam made the air thick and heavy with the scent of Whiskey’s soap, something akin to leather and tobacco leaves. It clung to Frankie’s lungs, and he could have stayed there enjoying it for considerably longer. But, he didn’t want to keep Whiskey waiting, so he rinsed off and hopped out of the shower. He toweled off, smirking to himself when he saw it was monogrammed (because of course it was), then headed out and changed quickly into the shirt and shorts that had been left for him.

Whiskey looked up in time to see Frankie stride through the doorway wearing his shirt and shorts, smelling like him, his soap. He swallowed thickly and tried to recover with a smile.

“Feel better, Flyboy? C’mon, sit down. Let’s have a look.”

Frankie nodded, then took a seat next to Whiskey on the bed and gave him his right hand. Whiskey hummed his approval at the lack of resistance from Frankie, something the pilot felt tug at his chest.

“This is looking much better, Flyboy, should be completely healed in a few days.”

Whiskey smiled as he finished tending to and wrapping up Frankie’s wrist. Without prompting, Frankie offered his other wrist and Whiskey couldn’t bite back the smirk that followed. He was glad though, glad that Frankie was trusting him with this and was embracing these moments, even if it was for something small. Frankie’s left wrist was considerably better off, but even so, Whiskey was still gentle as he looked him over.

Frankie’s heart fluttered at the intimacy of what was happening. Here was Jack, a man he’d known for barely 48 hours, who was taking care of him, who had dropped everything to come get him, who had spent his evening letting Frankie talk. He couldn’t remember the last time someone had treated him this way.

There was an overwhelming urge building in his chest, and without thinking, he acted on it.

He gripped the collar of Whiskey’s t-shirt with one hand, tugging him closer as Frankie leaned in and kissed him. Whiskey was shocked for a moment, it had been the last thing he had been expecting, but he quickly recovered when he felt Frankie’s tongue swipe at his lip. His hand rested along the column of Frankie’s throat, thumb grazing over the scruff along his jaw as he deepened the kiss, leaning into Frankie and tasting him.

A small moan pulled Jack back to his senses, resting his forehead against Frankie’s and cupping his jaw with this other hand. They both panted, trying to catch their breath, and Whiskey smiled as he gave Frankie another quick kiss. For a moment, Frankie was worried he had overstepped when Whiskey cut off their kiss, but looking into the other man’s eyes, he knew that wasn’t the case.

“You’ve had a long day, Flyboy, we’re not gonna do anything tonight. Tomorrow though, if you want, I could help you get rid of some of that stress and help you come down the right way. No rush, no pressure, you can say no and nothing changes. I don’t want an answer right now either, sleep on it.”

Frankie’s breath quickened and his pupils dilated at the thought, but one thing nagged at him.

“What about Halcón?”

Whiskey chuckled and patted Frankie’s shoulder.

“Well it’s what we both want, in a manner of speaking. She’d be onboard, but she doesn’t have to know exactly what we do for now unless you’re comfortable with it. A lot of this is stuff I know she wants to go over on Friday, but for now, when it comes to me and Bourbon, keep an open mind and try not to overthink it, partner. If you want to do this tomorrow, then we can do it. If not, no harm, no foul, you’re still welcome to stay here and keep me company.”

Frankie nodded, still processing what Whiskey had said and more than a little surprised that Whiskey was inviting him back regardless of his decision. Whiskey stood up then, squeezing Frankie’s shoulder.

“G’night, Flyboy. Holler if you need anything.”

Frankie was back in Colombia. He felt sluggish, his feet refusing to respond the way he wanted them to. He saw the villager from the cocaine farm pop up from the rocky outcrop, but Frankie couldn’t move, couldn’t draw his gun to take him out. He cried out in anguish as the man fired.

“No! Tom!”

Then he was surrounded by Pope, Benny, Will, you, and Whiskey, statuesque as the man who killed Tom lined up and dropped Pope, moving his way down the line. Frankie was sobbing now, he was being swallowed up by the ground, sinking helplessly as the people he cared for were murdered.

Whiskey woke with a start to the sound of shouting.

Ripping the sheet and comforter off, Whiskey glanced at the clock. It read 01:30 and he sighed. Frankie just couldn’t catch a break.

“P-please, No! Po-Pope, God, n-no, Hal-Halcón! Whiskey!”

He really didn’t want to shake Frankie awake, worried as to how he might react waking up from that sort of dream, but Jack had to do something.

“Hey, Frankie, I’m right here, you gotta wake up. Wake up, Flyboy.”

Frankie shot up, feeling like ice water had been poured down his spine. He was wild-eyed and breathing heavily, but once again, Whiskey’s soothing words served to ground him, and he clung to them with all he had. He felt Whiskey pull him into a hug, and Frankie didn’t care about the awkward angle, he clung to the embrace as well.

Whiskey’s heart ached at the way Frankie clutched at him after hearing him call out Pope’s, his, and your names. He had a vague idea of what might have happened, he still had dreams where he couldn’t save his loved ones every now and then. Once Frankie’s breathing calmed a bit, Whiskey tugged him up out of bed.

“C’mon Flyboy, you’re coming with me.”

Frankie didn’t argue, he just followed, grateful that Whiskey was pulling him by his hand, needing that point of contact. Whiskey pulled back the covers on the side opposite of his and waited until Frankie crawled in before he pulled the covers over him, then slid in on his side of the bed. He scooted a bit closer, not wanting to crowd Frankie unless he wanted the contact, and was pleased when the other man scooted back until his back rested against Jack’s chest.

“Get some sleep, Flyboy. I’ve got you.”

Sooner than he expected, Whiskey heard soft snores coming from Frankie. He smiled then wrapped his arm around him and pulled him closer.

Thank you for reading! Reblogs & comments are much appreciated!

If you want to be added to my taglist just head on over here. If your blog is crossed out, it wouldn't let me tag you, sorry!

Taglist: @danniburgh @pascalslittlebrat @yespolkadotkitty @mothandpidgeon @mouthymandalorianalso @phoenixhalliwell @itsme-aj467 @kesskirata @rosiefridayrogersunday-reads @driedgreentomatoes @pintsizemama @neganwifey25-blog @wheresarizona @absurdthirst @sarahjkl82-blog @duchesschameleon @sherala007 @beautyagegoodnesssize @all-hallows-evie @a-bang-for-your-bucky @starlightmornings @empress-palpat1ne

[realcube]

class 1-A’s love languages headcanons 💕

tw// swearing, crying, she/her reader

Yuuga Aoyama

his love language is words of affirmation

like tell him that he looks fabulous but he is also a talented hero 

and. he. will. die. 

of happiness ofc 🥰

and whenever you are feelin’ insecure he’ll do a pretend fashion show with you to boost you spirits (o゜▽゜)o☆

Mina Ashido

her love language is physical touch

but not in a *holds your hand 🥺* *kithes🥰* sorta way

but rather in a

“YOU’RE SO FKN CUTE, (Y/N)!!!” *aggressively pinches your cheeks*

and whenever she kisses/hugs you, it’s always a surprise attack form behind

she is also 159cm in height (almost 5″3)

so if you are shorter than her, she’ll sprint up to you and before you have time to react, she’ll engulf you in her arms

if you are around the same height as her, she’ll sneak up to you and try to jump onto your back, peppering you in neck kisses

and if you are taller than her, she’ll grab your hand and place a kiss on the back of it 

Tsuyu Asui

i think her love language is gift giving 

but not typically gifts from the store

it’s usually cute flowers or any sort of pretty flora that she finds on her walks 

and she’ll sometimes come to your room just before lights-out and hand you a shiny rock or a colourful flower like “hi, (y/n). i found this flower in the park a nd it reminded me of you. so here, i hope you like it.”

then you cry (❤´艸｀❤) it’s too precious

also when she visits your dorm, she notices that you have a jar filled with all the flowers she’s every gave you and shE BRAIDS THEM INTO YOUR HAIR

and if you don’t have hair, she makes you a flower crown out of them

Tenya Iida

the king of gifts periodt ✋

to him, gift giving is kinda like a sport and if it was, he’d definitely be winning

he’ll be out getting groceries or sumn then he’ll pass the candy aisle and just *flashback to 3 months ago when y’all were studying together and you randomly said you were craving sour patch kids*

then he buys two packs of sour patch kids (❤ ω ❤)

so obviously excels during holidays like christmas, valentines day or your birthday 

and if you make it explicitly clear that you need something (ex. water, medication, cutlery, soap etc.) and you will go get it in x amount of day(s)

expect it to be in your hands within 1-9 hours 

“Iida, you didn’t have to rush out to get me Ibuprofen - I was going to go get some in a few days anyway.”

“Yes, but as a hero in training, you must agree that seeing your partner potentially suffer to due a preventable cause would be inhumane.”

“I-..”

Ochaco Uraraka

her love language is probably quality time

OR words of affirmation BUT ONLY ONLINE

like irl she loves going on lil’ picnic dates with you or dates to go watch the sunset or star-gazing..or literally anything where she gets to spend as much time in your presence as possible

you could literally take her on a date inside the sewers and she’d be like 🥰

in the moment (during the date) she just looks at you and wants to tell you how beautiful you are but she is way too nervous

but as soon you leave she texts you sumn like ‘OMG >< YOU ARE SO GORGEOUS 😍 AND I WANTED TO TELL YOU SO BAD BUT I COULDN’T 😩’ 

also, hypothetically, if she had a phone which supported social media platforms like Instagram and Snapchat 

she would definitely be the sort of girl to post cute candid pics of you on any special occasion and i mean ANY

like she doesn’t want to just random post pics of you bc she thinks that’d be weird so she looks for any excuse she can

deadass she’d post a beach pic of you and her on her insta with a caption like, ‘happy pancake day to @y/n.l/n 🥰💖 on our first date we shared a stack of pancakes so this is a really special day for us 💓 i’m so blessed to have a stunning, smart, amazing gal like her by my side always 💕’

Mashirao Ojiro 

he’s a physical touch kinda guy

sometimes he’ll randomly drape his tail over your shoulder to pull you close

or he’ll pat your head with either his hand or tail when ever you do anything remotely impressive

“ooh, i’ve apparently taken 17k steps so far today, ojiro.” 

then he’d be like “that’s good” *pat pat* 

he also gets butterflies whenever you hug his arm or tail while he is talking to someone

AND HE WILL KISS YOUR WOUND BETTER IF YOU GET A PAPER CUT OR SUMN

Denki Kaminari 

bb is blushing profusely when you hand him a pikachu plushie , saying it reminded you of him

before that, he was probably a physical touch sorta guy but once he realised how awesome and special that simple action made him feel, he became a gift-giver 

however, 99.9% the gift is a plushie and the other 0.1% it’s a doll

(he literally bought a whole fkn barbie bc you owned a dress similar to the one the doll was wearing)

“it looks exactly like you!” 

“i don’t think so..” “it literally does!”

anyway, whether he is at the mall, in the town, in a gift shop or at the carnival, if he sees something that he knows you’d like or that reminds him of you, he’ll stop at nothing to get his hands on it

flashback to that one time at the carnival, there was a stall that had a huge fkn Kuromi plushie up for grabs 

so he asked the lady running the stall if he could have it and she said it was all his, if he could get a ball into the basket 3 times in a row

-- my man was sTANDING THERE DESPERATELY TRYING FOR 30 MINUTES STRAIGHT 😭

and once he figured he couldn’t do it on his own, he got the bakusquad to help him out 

(bakugo was all like ‘i’m not helping you, dumbass’ but kirishima convinces him to give it a shot and as soon as he misses on the third shot, he is livid.)

(”YOUR STUPID PARTY GAME MUST BE BROKEN, LADY!”)

anyway, after an hour of holding up the line, the lady just gave the plush to kaminari for ¥1000 

but it was all worth it after he saw how thrilled you were 🥺

he came round to your dorm one day and noticed every plushie he had ever given you, sitting on your bed 

you told him that they help you sleep and he just..died..

IT MADE HIM SO FKN HAPPY TO THINK THAT YOU TREASURE HIS GIFTS SO MUCH (≧▽≦*)

Eijirou Kirishima

his love language is words of affirmation imo but with a sprinkle of physical touch 

like whenever he sees you looking nice or sumn..he’ll just tell you

he has no shame and why should he? he’s just telling the truth

if you walk into the room looking ✨immaculate✨ he will tell you 

he’s just like ‘if nobody else is going to say it then I will.’

when your face lights up after he has just told you that you’re beautiful or that you’re one of the most likeable people he’s ever met; it makes his day every. single. time.

the sprinkle of physical touch is because he tells  you what he is thinking all the time

and he thinks you’re stunning even when you are lounging around the dorm complex in casual wear and no makeup

so he’s aware that he might’ve watered down his compliments a bit by saying them too often 

(even though he’s telling the truth every time)

so he likes to give you hugs and kisses to express his affection without  seeming like he’s buttering you up

Kouji Kouda

honestly, idek which category he falls under bc he does so many different things to show his love

like, he’ll use his quirk to get a butterfly to land on your head so you can take the perfect photo for instagram

he always holds your hand in crowded areas so y’all don’t lose each other

(he would end up crying in the corner of a Hot Topic or sumn if he couldn’t find you tbh)

he writes mini-love notes v. late at night and uses his quirk to get an insect or bird to carry it up to your room

religiously takes you out on dates to the park

or library/study dates (p≧w≦q)

Rikidou Satou

acts of service but mostly to do with baking

if his s/o doesn’t like sweet treats then..it just..can’t work

he’s very good at noticing when you are down and what he bakes depends on the severity of the situation

like, if you’re just a bit bummed because you got a bad mark on a test, he’ll bake cupcakes and leave a few outside your dorm

obvs accompanied by a cute lil note abt how proud you make him and how you’re the most diligent person he’s met so he knows that you’ll succeed if you just persevere

and as soon as you come to him with your improved mark, he’ll bake you a cake with ‘congratulations, (Y/N).’ written on it

Mezou Shouji

acts of service. but like..service service

he treats you like royalty-

he is the kind of bf to give you his jacket if you’re cold

he can and will use his quirk to form more arms just so he can hold your bags along with his own

if you enter is dorm and he doesn’t offer to take your jacket immediately then i’m sorry to inform you but that is not shouji..that is toga in disguise 

you’ll never have to open a door if you are walking next to him and don’t you dare even try to 

just an overall gentleman tbh 

sometimes you try to get him to stop being so kind bc you’re afraid ppl will think you treat him like a butler 

so he’ll be like “sure ..

i’ll hold just your gym bag rather than your gym bag and school bag.”

“don’t hold any bags, shouji..”

Kyouka Jirou

her love language is definitely quality time

there is nothing she loves more than vibing with you in her room - whether y’all are studying, cuddling, playing videos games or something else - while chill music plays in the background, either from a playlist or from her playing it herself on one of her instruments 

and sometimes when she’s feeling especially comfortable, she might hum a tune or sing some lyrics to match the mood

she asks you for suggestions for music to put on bc she loves introducing herself to new music

but when you’re concentrated,  she doesn’t want to disturb you so she just puts on a playlist she made prior 

she doesn’t create a new playlist each time you hang out but there is at least 10 new songs added to it every day 

the playlist is called ‘lazy days w/ (y/n) 💕’

anyway, she just loves hanging out with you bc you’re one of the very few people who don’t annoy tf out of her 

also - she’d never say it aloud but - she thinks you’ve got a very comforting presence and you make her feel so exhilarated whenever you laugh (´▽`ʃ♡ƪ)

Hanta Sero

Sero loves spending as much time with you as possible - hence, he’s a quality time sorta person

but i also think he’s barely a quality time guy bc he expresses his affection in so many different ways

he’s like a mix of 4

( not gift-giving, whenever it comes time to get you gift for whatever occasion, he’s always stumped and ends up asking someone for help)

he preforms acts of service in a sense that if you are both cuddling on the couch and you are cold - even if he seriously can’t be assed to move - he’ll force himself to get up and bring you a blanket

he is really good at compliments bc he barely has a filter so if he sees you looking good, he’ll straight up tell you

plus, he loves seeing your reaction - especially when you get all flustered

and physical touch bc..cuddles :)

to him, there is just something reassuring about having you in his arms

Fumikage Tokoyami 

a quality time man mwah

he doesn’t play music on speakers when y’all hang out though, he just likes to sit with you and either mindlessly chatter or chill in comfortable silence 

he also doesn’t put in earbuds bc he thinks it’s rude 

(you assure him that you don’t mind if he puts his earbuds in but he is always like..no..)

he just loves your company bc he seriously can’t think of somebody he’d rather spend his time with 

also he is convinced that he does things 10 times better with you around

when he’s not with you though, he misses you- like- seriously

sometimes he’s just out with his friends or watching a movie with his family and he is just like ‘this’d be more fun if (Y/N) was here-’

and you said that you missed him too when y’all weren’t together 

so he did the reasonable thing and made you a playlist for you to listen to whenever you missed him ( •̀ ω •́ )

he sent you the link and your heart stopped bc it was literally called ‘i love you 🖤’ AND THAT WAS THE FIRST TIME HE’S EVER TOLD YOU THAT AAAAA

‘you’re so sweet, tokoyami 🥺 i love you tooooo’

and good thing that was over text bc otherwise you would’ve seen him blushing profusely (= ╯▽╰ = )

as for the contents of the playlist; it’s probably quite diverse

some alt pop, some indie, a bit of R&B, pop rock and a lot of Metal/Rock 

Shouto Todoroki

his love language is acts of service

most of them are school related though

he can easily tell if you’re struggling with the coursework and asks you if you want go on a lil study date at the library or in his dorm 

he also helps you with homework or explains the material to you if you don’t understand it

and he’s the best teacher since he’s extremely patient and well-spoken

if you’re feeling under the weather, he’ll head to your dorm to fetch your notebook so he can write the class notes for you 

and he’ll put in the effort to make them as similar to your other notes as he can

so he flicks through the pages and (for example) if you have a highlighting code, he’ll look for the legend and highlight the notes he took accordingly 

once school is over for the day, he goes to your dorm to drop off the notebook, putting it back in the respective part of your bag

and the next day when you open your notebook to check the notes, you notice that he wrote a little note for you;

‘get well soon 💛�� 

it was a simple, kind gesture but the small details like how he coloured in the heart with a glittery yellow highlighter he must’ve took from your bag had you blushing (^///^)

also, whenever you’ve scheduled a study date at his dorm, there is no way in hell you’ll walk into his room and there isn’t 2 bowls of fresh soba sitting on the desk

no way. impossible.

(or if you don’t like noodles, then two bowls of rice.) 

Tooru Hagakure

physical touch bb

she just likes you to know that she is there 

also she loves how soft your skin is ^^

she really likes surprise hugging you from behind and you’d think that she’d be very good at that considering that she is.. invisible.. but she’s really not

she has very unique and recognisable voice 

and whenever she creeps up behind you, she’s always snickering quite loudly 

but you like seeing her happy when she thinks she surprised you so you just think to yourself ‘get ready to pretend to be shocked’ 

so as soon as she wraps her arms around you and goes ‘boo!’, you jump and always say the same stupid line you wish you would   stop using but it just comes out naturally

“ope, didn’t see you there, tooru.”

but it makes her laugh every time so maybe it’s not such a bad habit

Katsuki Bakugo

he’s definitely a physical touch kinda guy but tries to be an acts of service man..y’know?

he doesn’t want you thinking that he likes hugging, cuddling, kisses or any of that none-sense bc..he is a big macho king explosion murder 

and he knows that if he gets to comfortable with showing affection through physical touch, it’d become a habit then he might do it in public and the last thing he wanted was a rumour coming out that ‘king explosion murder is actually a huge cuddle-bug dork!’

so he hides it the best he can and expresses his love by like letting you wear his hoodie and not cussing you out when you do something stupid

but the fact is, nothing makes him feel better than holding you in his arms - under a blanket or not -  with your face buried into his chest and your arm lazing draped over his shoulder

he usually does a good job at resisting his urge to randomly kiss you or take your hand in public

but there was that one time

luckily, it was on a date rather than on a school outing so it was only you who knows about it 

it was probably around 6 months after y’all first started dating and he took you on a date to the carnival

there was a gang of boys who looked around a few years older than y’all and they were chatting amongst themselves until they approached the line you and Bakugo were waiting in (to get onto a ride at the carnival) and the group of boys stood behind you in line

at first everything was alright; they were just chatting while you were raving on about the ride to bakugo but he kinda tuned you out after he heard one of the guys say something along the lines of

“she’s kinda hot- a bit young but so fit. i think she’s from the UA too.”

that comment was enough to make his blood boil but a separate comment from one of the other guys tipped him over the edge,

“yeah and look at the guy she’s with. he’s the feral guy that needed to be put in chains at the sports festival - how embarassing.” he snickered, which was genuinely one of the most annoying noises bakugo has ever heard

his voice was low, in a whisper so they probably didn’t expect bakugo to hear it over the background noise of the carnival along with the girl yapping in his ear

but he did

and when i tell you this man was livid 

in that moment he seriously considered just turning around and burning each and every one of those guys into a crisp

but the law-abiding citizen and hero inside him said no 

instead, he fiercely snaked his arms around your hips to pull you into his chest and looked over his shoulders to shoot literal daggers at the guys

he led you out of the line for the ride in silence and you followed him without question - having heard the things those guys said but choosing to pretend as if you didn’t 

“What was that about?” You finally asked as he brought you over to a bench, pulling you onto his lap

“Nothing.” He said, oddly calm as he stared into the void

“Okay.” You rolled your eyes, deciding not to pry as you obviously already knew what provoked him to do that. “I’m gonna go get some cotton candy then. Do you want some?”

“No.” He replied monotonously, allowing you to hop off his knee but immediately grabbing your hand, preventing you from going any farther than arms length from him.

“you needy cow.” you giggled, playfully kicking his shin, “I’m so hungry - let me go!” 

“No.” He replied in the same monotone voice. “I can’t be assed to move.”

You leaned back, pulling your whole weight backwards to try get Bakugo to release his grip on your hand and eventually he gave in and got up, sluggishly following you to go get cotton candy 

you gleefully popped some of the delectable fluff into your mouth before sneaking some into bakugo’s mouth too.

 “are you gonna let go of my hand any time soon?” you asked, wanting to hold the bag of cotton candy for yourself but instead having one hand interlocked with his and the other being used to rip small pieces off as Bakugo held the bag in his spare hand 

“No.”

[(a/n): not the over-used jealousy trope 🙊]

Izuku Midoriya 

definitely a words of affirmation kinda guy

bc he knows what it’s like to have to go through life with barely anyone besides your mother telling you that your great and that you’re worthy. it’s depressing and traumatic and he wouldn’t wish that misery on his worst enemy 

so he’s like your personal hypeman :)

making sure that you always feel appreciated, confident and loved 

during the sports festival or anything similar, he’s always louder than the cheerleaders when it comes to your turn to shine

“GO, (Y/N)! YOU’RE SO POWERFUL, YOU CAN DO THIS! I BELIEVE IN YOU! REMEMBER TO BREATHE!”

slightly embarrassing for him but when he sees you smile confidently back at him, every ounce of embarrassment melts away and he is just filled with joy

he gets really emotional sometimes as well 

but not like ‘you just faced an opponent and won bc one all your hard work and training - i am so proud of you’ sorta emotional

but like ‘omg you walked into his dorm wearing a new dress and you look really beautiful and you smiled at him so emotions wash over him and he just cries bc he realises how lucky he is to have you.’

he loves to receive words of admiration from you too though

one time you wrote him a birthday card and signed it off as ‘the future wife of the #1 pro-hero’

and as badly as you wanted to just sign it as ‘from the future pro-hero 😘’

you didn’t bc you knew how happy the other option would make him

Minoru Mineta

idk perversion ig?

wait no his love language is titties and/or ass

Momo Yaoyorozu

gift. giving. 

like you have no idea how much serotonin she gets when she sees you overjoyed at gift she gives you

bc in her mind she knows that it was her that made you that happy and no amount of trophies will ever compare to how accomplished she feels for being the reason behind your smile 

she’s a QUEEN 👑 UGH 😩💓