#and not like. them just being assholes to random strangers
Explore tagged Tumblr posts
Text
anyway dc x dp is my new fixation hell and i've had so many ideas for aus but one that's really sticking with me is a classic "danny has to run away to gotham because his home is no longer safe" au where danny is explicitly looking for other ghosts or at the very least is pulled to gotham because there are so many of them there.
he flies around for a while and finds this manor and he can sense so many nice ghosts! so he just. goes there! and stays! and this can be human danny showing up at their door injured or it can be ghost danny just flying in but regardless, the waynes would never turn him away. bruce would get suspicious absolutely, but he's seen enough traumatized abused kids to know the signs. thomas and martha? they think this new ghost kid is adorable!!
there could be angst sure but idk i love the idea of danny getting hurt by his parents or the giw and being so wary of more humans, and this place full of friendly ghosts would be so enticing. ghosts that don't try to immediately wreck his shit? ghosts that get territorial but are also extremely welcoming and have a habit of letting new kids into their haunt? the batfam who've dealt with the paranormal before and wouldn't give a shit? that's a normal tuesday for them babes. like please, danny just found heaven and it's in gotham.
despite all the "batfam adopts danny" aus i've seen, i rarely see people mention the ghosts of dead family members who would absolutely still be there and would definitely want to help danny :(
#anyway unrelated but as much as i love the concept of the batpham i do hate how all of it is soo ooc for the bats#like bruce may think danny is a meta at first but he wouldn't discount ghosts or Not believe him#and cmon the whole 'this bat doesn't even believe in ghosts' like babes santa clause is real in the dcu#ghosts is normal actually#and usually it doesnt bother me that much like i get that most people arent here for the bats#but i do really hate seeing hurt danny aus where the bats are just so... callous and uncaring about danny#like i get that its for the angst but like. the blorbos would Not say that ajkdhg#like they are The Protectors of Gotham and you seriously think theyd ever act uncaring or rude to an injured kid?#i feel like people forget that that batkids fighting each other has everything to do with family sibling issues#and specifically not wanting said siblings to be their siblings#and not like. them just being assholes to random strangers#like i get them maybe being rude if its an adoption au or secretly related au but even then#danny is also very nice and likeable and he's not gonna fight for their roles or try to insert himself in their dynamics#he's like the best random kid bruce Could pick up#anyway very unrelated to the post im just feeling some kind of way :(#i love the bats and i wish the fandom cared about them more :(#ANYWAY i love this little idea im specifically thinking alfred would be the first to figure it out#he just does man. he just Knows that someone else has been added to the family#i think itd be fucking hilarious if a new random tombstone got added to the family grave#bruce visits and he's mourning his parents and then he just sees daniel fenton and he's like who the fuck#'do i have amnesia?? concussion?? dementia????? who the fuck is this ancestor???????'#danny is eating alfred's cookies in the background and sweat laughing#danny: do i tell him or nah?#alfred: if you don't you'll get to see master bruce's detective skills in action đšđŒâđŠł#.txt
8 notes
·
View notes
Text
learned a very valuable lesson today
#for each DICKHEAD you encounter there will always be a kind person waiting for you :)#i was flabbergasted that everyone had decided to be an asshole towards me. a stranger#first scenario: i was in the train watching my phone and this older guy comes up to me and starts going off on a 'kids these days!!' rant#he basically told me that i was BEGGING to get my ass beaten and my phone stolen and he wouldnt come console me when i cried abt it#me being used to this treatment from my grandma i just went ok. and put my phone away#and obviously that pissed the guy even more so he continued to rant until it was his stop#i wasnt too pissed because i was going to HAVE A BURGER!! but still. what??#so i went to get that burger and wait for my mom so we can go to the farm#and the burger guy was extra niceys to me :) we joked around and stuff#AND THEN. scenario number two#i had my delicious burger and i was looking for a table when i saw two ladies sitting with and empty table next to them#and so i went! i was just about to sit down when a random lady SNATCHES the chair i was about to use#i was like WTF???#the two old ladies saw this and instantly went like wtf are you ok??? and starting having a go at the random woman#she ofc in good karen fashion didnt care. so the ladies let me have one of the chairs so i could sit next to them#the woman decided to sit right in front of us and so we started shit talking her between us. it was very fun tbh#i was genuinely bummed at these interactions till i realized that there were lots of strangers that were niceys to me#and have me extra ketchup#anyway!! im off to see my dog now#love u
24 notes
·
View notes
Text
Having lost my cat, my uncle, my great grandmother, my grandma's best friend (& one of the people who helped raise me), AND my dad all within the span of 9 months,
I have little sympathy for people who use deaths as an excuse to be an asshole. I get it, it sucks. Get the fuck over it. Your grief is not an excuse to treat others like shit. What the fuck.
#speculation nation#this isnt anything personal. im just reacting to a post that kind of pissed me off.#to be fair i was never close with my great grandmother so im not particularly broken up about that one#but it's still yet another death in the family within such a short period of time.#my cat is on this list bc he was the first one and it majorly fucked me up. so yeah it deserves to be here.#the others. well. my grandma's best friend makes me sad but at least she was getting up in years#my uncle and dad though. especially my dad. yea those have fucked me up the most.#im never gonna be the same after experiencing all of this in such short succession.#it sucks in a major way. and things are still continuously tumultuous.#but you dont see me lording it over people and using it as an excuse to be an asshole.#maybe i make people uncomfortable with how casually i mention it. but like whatever. it's simply my truth.#that's still just like. me just talking about what ive been up to. that kind of thing.#idk acting like someone needs to be treated with the most tender of touches after experiencing a major death#to the point where you cant even tell them when theyre being a manipulative little asshole?#i dont fucking think so!#yeah okay all grief hits different but ive pulled myself up by the bootstraps and kept my head on straight#even after i experienced death after death after death after death after Fucking Death#whats your excuse? youre Sad? we all fucking are. thats just life.#it's horrible and awful and it sucks that we have to live with this but you CANT let that affect how you treat other people!!!!!#and here i am making my own post venting about it instead of replying to the aita post that sparked this#bc the person the post was about just made me so angry to hear about.#but i am... a reasonable adult who separates themselves from situations before reacting in anger...#and so im making a tumblr post to get the emotions out instead of getting emotional at random strangers lol#anyways i actually had a pretty good day today. but in the way of grief. the smallest things can trigger moods sometimes.#but i am letting the emotions flow... here they are... i have expressed them... and i shall now release them... amen...#negative/#i guess lol. i sure did rant enough for it.
5 notes
·
View notes
Text
yknow what, man? i will laugh at fascists. keyword at. because aside from obviously being pissed off at them and wanting nothing more than to strange them with my bare hands, what else am i supposed to do?
everything i am is everything fascists hate. im literally jewish and trans and bisexual. i want everyone to have safety and homes and food and education unconditionally, i dont believe bodies are binary, i believe medicine and healthcare should be a right, not a luxury. i believe in a lot of things that are so opposite of fascists and if they knew i existed theyd hate me like they hate everyone else.
there is no world in which id agree with them even if my life depended on it. especially if my life depended on it.
and also, lets just be real here, they are ridiculous. the way they act is manipulative, but fucking ridiclous. i had people accusing me a few days back of being awful because i said that calling art 'degenerate' is funny. yknow why i said that? because thats just fucking stupid to me! its art dude! its not gonna do anything to you! maybe it can suck or depict shitty things, but its just a drawing/sculpture/what have you bro!
like, i know why fascists attack art. art is often the ultimate expression of the self, or love, or joy, or simply humanity. expression attacks oppression. to get rid of art would help them, so of course they would attack it like an enemy. but like... bro, come on. its still just art, man. degenerate.... you sound so ridiculous đ
and like. ive been drawing for over 10 years now, whether it shows or not, so like, i get it if people find it not sounding the best that my first reaction is to laugh at the face of someone trying to attack something so personal and such, but also thats exactly why i do. these dickwads thrive on reaction, they want you to get upset, or insecure, or whatever. i draw because it brings me joy, if my art is somehow devoid of morals or whatever they even mean by "degenerate"... oh well? i dont usually show my art to others anyway, and even if i do its still just an image, and usually pretty tame ones at that. i hurt no one with my art lmao.
id rather just laugh in their face. what are they going to do about it?
i am stronger, any of us are stronger, than every single one of them. all of us who allow ourselves to be free, who dare to think outside of what weve been told, have more of a backbone than theyve ever had in their whole lives. they want to uphold systems that do nothing but hurt everyone, even the top, because it is inherently poisonous to the human brain. systems that want anything except for humanity from the human experience.
i laugh because i know that aside from the way they hurt others, they are just shells of a human being, and that is so hilariously sad.
#i still stand by everything i said on that one post#but seriously fuck everyone else on that post who was either devoid of reading comprehension or just wanted to make a random person sound#sound bad because it made you feel better about yourself...#literally people on that post were congratulating one person who misinterpreted EVERYTHING i said and it was like.#fuck all of you for real dude.#being teamed up on sucks but especially when im not even in the wrong#like if im wrong ill admit it dude but i was not wrong#like i admit my wording can come off confusing as hell but i dont think it came off bad enough to make it sound like i agreed with fascists#just. smfh. assholes fr. i blocked all of them cause i dont need that shit in my life. if some stranger wanna think bad of me#and talk shit on me just to make themselves feel better. go ahead i guess. hope it helps you sleep at night ://#with that out of the way. idek dude#my post#anti fascism#ALSO THEY WERE TRYING TO SPIN MY WORDS TO MAKE IT SOUND LIKE IM ANTISEMITIC? BRO?#they thought i was talking about a specific person (i was not?) who happened to be jewish.... dude what....#nothing i had said indicated that i was talking about a specific person.
5 notes
·
View notes
Text
While this post is in part because of @ladyshinga's monsterfucker post and the way people have acted on it, it's not about that post.
I think that a lot of the time, people who have not ever stood in the firehose of internet attention that happens once you pass a certain number of followers or a certain longevity of existence in certain circles of the internet genuinely cannot understand the way that it feels. Then, when you combine the firehose of interaction with the fact that a rather unnerving number of people think that "randomly being an asshole to strangers" is cute and charming, and stack on top of that the number of people who feel totally entitled to treat high-follower-count people like they've been actual friends for years, it becomes...
... quite often literally unbearable.
And then when you respond to this onslaught of overly familiar people doing the verbal equivalent of snapping your ass with a towel at the pool in any way except wholeheartedly inviting more of it, it turns into YOU being the bad person for ... not wanting to be spoken to rudely, and sometimes in ways that are really cruel or nasty.
And that sucks.
Please stop being rude to random strangers for no goddamned reason on their posts. You don't need to tell a random person "fuck you" bc of their taste in monster alien dudes. You don't need to comment, "I hate vaspider, but he has a point" in the tags on my posts. (And before you say, "They're just trying to get your goat," a lot of them are actually shocked that I'm like 'dude that was really shitty. Who raised you?' & don't see anything wrong with that.) You don't need to say "that didn't happen, but this is a funny post" when @thebibliosphere talks about whatever bullshit medical nonsense is going on in her life now.
Or whatever.
Just... stop. It's exhausting. You aren't being funny or cute or clever. You just look like a jerk.
And don't argue with me about this, okay? I'm not gonna argue about this. It's shitty behavior that needs to end, and arguing about it will get you blocked with no response.
2K notes
·
View notes
Text
my caffeine mix-up!
contents ౚৠâ hawks x fem reader. fluff. slightly suggestive. you accidentally pick up the number two heroâs coffee so picks you up instead. | pt. ii
You take a sip of your morning coffee and almost spit it out on your dashboard.
This could not be your order. It was so⊠unusually sugary. Too sugary. Like someone liquified a whole candy store and shoved it into a venti cup.
Still reeling a little from the overly sweet aftertaste that lingers on your tongue, your eyes trail down to read:
Vt Crml Crnch Frap
5 Banana
Ex Caramel Drizzle
Extra Whip
Extra Ice
Ex Cinnamon
7 pumps Add Dk Crml Sauce
Ex Caramel Crunch
1 pump Honey Blend
Heavy Cream
Double Blended
What kind of pretentious asshole orders this garbage? Were their taste buds dead?
You mentally sent your condolences to the poor person that had to make this disgusting monstrosity of a drink. Please, you wouldâve taken one look at the order and thrown it in the trash.
Your eyes searched the paper cup for who your local coffee shop transgressor wasâ catching sight of a scribble in blue marker reading âH-A.â You moved your hand a bit to reveal a âW-K-S.â A sense of dread creeps in as you numbly stare at the squiggly heart next to it.
It was like someone slipped an ice cube down the back of your shirt.
You had mistakenly picked up the wildly famous winged pro heroâs order and to make things even worse, put your mouth on where his was supposed to be.
Okay that sounded kind of dirty. But itâs not like you could drive back and return it now, what with your lip gloss already staining the lid.
Hey, um, I think I accidentally took a sip of the Hawksâs coffee? Oopsies? You guess you could pay for his order to be remade, but whoâs to say heâll even come back for it, much less accept it from some random stranger?
You were already running late to your desk job as is, and your coworkers were probably scratching their heads, wondering where you were since you always arrived at least half an hour before them. Should you just throw it away and pretend it never happened?
Oh god, would some person dig through the trash the moment you turned your back and extract your DNA from your lip gloss on the lid, thinking you were a deranged fan who stole his drink on purpose?
Or worseâthat you were his secret girlfriend picking up his drink who had just wanted a little taste first before delivering it to him?
Your brain starts to wring itself dry of all the possibilities that could happen, shuddering despite each one being as unlikely as the next. An impressive mental workout for an un-caffeinated person at barely eight in the morning.
You wish you never even went to get your usual little treat today. That barista definitely looked right at you when you went to pick up your order, you swear they did.
But now that youâre thinking about it, maybe they were looking at the person standing behind you that you didnât see as you rushed out of the shop? How do you even miss a man with wings that big?
Something gently knocks on the driver side window and you almost jump out of your seat.
As you roll it down with caution, your brain momentarily stops functioning as youâre met with a pair of striking golden eyes. Another inch of tinted glass down, a strong Grecian nose.
Forget work, the hell. You didnât even know noses could be that pretty, and as your last bit of window disappears into the car so does your self-respect as you realize heâs abandoned his usual tan-colored jacket, standing before you in his black compression shirt with gold embossment.
Forget everything, actually.
You don't realize youâre holding your breath until he laughs at you, and you sheepishly close your slightly parted lips.
âDidnât know coffee thieves came this cute.â Drinking in your appearance his keen eyes stray from yours, slowly trailing down to your trembling lips, a stark contrast to the growing smirk on his. âOr this nervous.â
His fingers drum absentmindedly on the side of your car door, clear amusement written across his handsome face as he waits for you to say something. You collect yourself and snap out of your thoughts, taking a deep breath.
âIâmsososorryIdrankyourcoffee!â You squeeze your eyes shut in embarrassment as your words come out in a jumble. âI totally grabbed the wrong order and I canât believe I didnât see you waiting behind me, I swear Iâm not a creepââ
âHey, hey,ïżœïżœïżœ Hawks gently interrupts you, reassurance laced in his voice. âItâs all good, no harm done.â He taps the paper cup that somehow miraculously hasnât slipped out of your fingers yet.
âSooo was it good?â
You choke on air, not expecting that. âYour drink?â
âYeah, my drink.â He shoots you a cheeky grin. That bastard. âGood or nah?â You pause, contemplating if you should lieâno. No, today you chose honesty.
â...Genuinely, I have no idea how you drink this shit.â
Hawks laughs at your bold answer. âThanks for being my little taste tester anyways. Too sweet, huh?â The tip of his finger traces around the remnants of your lip gloss on the lid, the cup still in your now slightly shaky hand as you nod.
His touch seared against your skin, as his pretty fingers closed around yours to raise the drink up to his lips to take a slow sip, eyes never leaving your own.
With a gaze that was infuriatingly sultry as it was sweet, like a bird of prey beckoning a field mouse to be their next meal, he murmurs, âJust how I like it.â
Youâre not really sure he was talking about the coffee anymore.
He hums, and your thighs involuntarily clench a bit as his soft-looking mouth closes around the opening of the lid to take another sip.
âIâd say youâre a villain that deserves their own special category.â He grins, eyes sparkling conspiratorially. âOne that involves letting me take her out to dinner.â
If you werenât sitting down you know your legs would have given out. âLike⊠like on a date?â You gape at him incredulously. Because there was no way. Hawks. Just asked you out.
âNow sweetheart, what else would it be?â Hawks smirks at your dazed expression, like youâre sure you misheard him. So cute. âI mean, unless you donât want toââ
âNo!â He blinks, and your hand flies to cover your mouth at your sudden outburst.
âI-I mean, I want toâŠâ You shyly say at a much quieter volume, fidgeting with the rings on your fingers. He leans closer to you with a grin, languidly resting his folded arms over the open frame of your car door.
âItâs a date then. I know this really good sushi and ramen place down the block near my agency, my treat of course.â
âIf Iâm a villain is this your idea of rehabilitation?â You joke dryly. âBecause itâs working.â
He tips your chin up. âOh donât worry pretty, Iâm just getting started with turning you into a good girl.â A hot flush creeps up your neck to your cheeks, and you almost melt into a puddle right then and there at your steering wheel.
âIâd love to stay but Iâm actually so late for work right now.â You utter weakly, chin still resting against his finger. Hawks tilts his head at that, unfolding his vibrant crimson wings as he wordlessly opens the front door of your car.
With little effort and an impressive flex of his biceps, plus a sharp intake of breath from you, one of his arms slips under your thighs and another firmly hugs you just under your shoulder blades as he lifts you up to his firm chest.
A smirk tugs at his lips as he feels your flustered arms hastily reach up to wrap around his neck. Honeyed eyes like molten gold meet yours as he gives a gentle squeeze to your thigh through your pencil skirt, and once again you find yourself needing a reminder to breathe.
âSo, where to?â
â
â
â
â
â
â
â
â
âIS THAT FUCKING HAWKS OUTSIDE OUR COMPANYâS BUILDING?!â
say you canât sleep, baby i know, thatâs that me expresso~ âȘ
#my bsf read this and said her car about to get stolen IM SCREAMING#hawks x reader#keigo takami x reader#bnha x reader#mha x reader#keigo takami#mha hawks#mha oneshot#hawks fluff
2K notes
·
View notes
Text
Behind Closed Doors
SUMMARYÂ |Â The quiet guy who lives next door to you hardly seems to notice you, but you can't help but notice himâhe's gorgeous. You've given up all hope of striking up a conversation until he comes to your rescue one night after your ex shows up to your house, drunk and looking to take you back, whether you want him or not.
PAIRINGSÂ |Â Seonghwa x Reader
RATING | Mature, NSFW, EXPLICIT, MDNI, 18+
GENRE |Â neighbor!Seonghwa, neighbor!Reader, smut, non-idol au, next door neighbor trope
CONTENT/WARNINGSÂ |Â drunk cheating ex, profanity/strong language, filthy dirty thoughts, unprotected sex (wrap it up yaâll!), fingering, oral sex (both receiving/giving), dirty talk, praise kink, pet names, creampies
LENGTHÂ |Â Â 6,053 words
TAGLIST |Â â
NETWORKS |Â @illusionnet @atzhouse @cromernet @wonderlandnet @k-vanity @othersideoutlawsnetwork @ksmutsociety
AUTHORâS NOTEÂ |Â Â I love writing next door neighbor tropes just as much as I love writing college aus. I hope you all like this. Show support by liking, commenting and reblogging. Love you all đ
"I told you to get out!" you yelled, throwing pillows at the sorry excuse of an ex-boyfriend you dated. You didn't miss when they hit him right in the face, and it gave you a weird satisfaction seeing him be hurt, even though it was from the small weapon.
"C'mon, babe, please. We were so good together!" He complained, attempting to get on his hands and knees and crawl over to where you stood on the opposite side of the sofa.
"Oh yeah? Does that mean that me finding out about you fucking all those random tramps was us being 'good together' too?" you scoffed at him.
"Now, babeâ"
"Don't you 'babe' me, you asshole. Go find some other chick to go play house with! I never want to see you again, are we clear!?" you seethed. This had gotten annoying rather fast, and now you could barely stand looking at his face any longer.
"Baby, you know that she's nothing compared to you. You're the only one I ever want. I can't get you out of myâ"
"If I was the only one that you cared about, you wouldn't have done that in the first place," you said as calmly as you could, trying not to get more upset by thinking about what he did.
âWe all make mistakes sometimes!â He pleaded.
"FUCKING MY LANDLORD IN MY BEDROOM AFTER THINKING I WAS OUT OF TOWN IS A MISTAKE!?!?" you screamed, picking up another pillow from behind you and threw it with full force at him. He only missed the attack by dodging.
"Babe..." He tried crawling to you again but you just punched the sofa as hard as you could.
"I have had it! I am so fucking done! There is no chance in hell we will ever get back together and get married like you'd wantedâwe're done. Are we clear on this, Park Donghyun!?" You used his full name in a way that wasn't appealing or desirable. It was in a harsh, angry voice that rang through his ears and scared him slightly. He just stayed on the ground, still crawling as slow as he could and acting as if it pained him for you to feel the way you did.
"Sweetheart, please," he croaked. "You know we belong together. I never really loved them, it was you."
You weren't sure if you two were ever good together or just good fucks to each otherâeither way, you weren't going back to a person like that. When he reached over the couch for you, you went to dodge out of the way and unfortunately, with your shitty luck, you tripped over the leg of the coffee table and fell, hitting your head hard against the corner as you hit the ground.
There was a lot of pain and the stench of soju filled your nose as Donghyun bent over you with lust filled eyesâŠand then suddenly nothing.
A few blinks later, the blurry figure above you was now much clearer, but it definitely wasn't your shitty ex-boyfriend. It was a much more beautiful sight: Seonghwa, your gorgeous neighbor who seemed to care more than he should about the stranger across the hallway, not that you were going to complain.
"Hey, hey, you should stay still," Seonghwa spoke softly.
"Oww," you groaned, taking an attempt to move to show you were feeling fine. Seonghwa gently grasped your arms and helped you into a sitting position. "Did that fucker leave?"Â
"Don't worry. I made sure he wouldn't be bothering you again," Seonghwa replied, letting his eyes glide down to the purplish mark on the side of your face. It broke his heart to see that someone would ever consider treating someone else, especially a woman, this way. "Did he do that to you?"
"This?" you winced at the slight pain. "No. I was trying to get away from him and I tripped. Unfortunately, there was a table there that knocked me out, not the creep." You let out a long breath and blinked rapidly. "God, why did my life turn into a drama?"
You and Seonghwa sat there awkwardly, neither of you too sure what to do in the current situation you were both in. You were never that close, having only waved at each other a handful of times when you had happened to catch each other at the same time and your eyes met. Other than that, you hadn't gotten past acquaintances with the handsome male, though your friends seemed convinced you should start a relationship with him or at least have a nice quick fling for a week or so.
"Hey," he broke the silence that had been lasting a while. "If you want me to, I can put an ice pack on that for you. Might help to prevent the swelling, not to mention the pain."
You hadn't noticed the ache before, but now that it was mentioned, the spot throbbed almost as if in response. A look of surprise had etched onto your features as you finally answered. "That's alright," you answered a little too fast to be natural, "you don't have to do that."
Seonghwa watched you for a second before his expression melted into one of reassurance. "It's okay, I insist," his features brightened with a genuine smile. "Do you have any in your freezer?"
Before you could respond, he was walking over and grabbing them. With the ice in hand, he sat next to you. His shoulder rested gently against yours, his warmth spreading from his thin cotton shirt to you and you were tempted to sink against him and feel his muscles under his shirt. His smell was intoxicating, the light scent of his body wash still lingering from when he showered before coming to rescue you.
Seonghwa was coming home from running errands when the sound of shouting across the hall caught his attention. He knew it was no place for someone to be alone in such a situation, so he rushed over without a second thought. He didn't even question why the front door was unlocked; he assumed someone was preventing you from leaving and Seonghwa did not like that.
Bursting through the door, Seonghwa's protective instincts surged when he saw your ex looming over you. He didn't hesitate â grabbing the man, shoving him out, and slamming the door shut. Concern flooded him as he turned to you, lying on the living room floor.
Seonghwa was relieved to hear your injury was from a fall, not your ex's abuse. As he held the ice pack to your bruised cheek, his heart ached, wishing he could erase your pain. A permanent frown settled on his concerned face. "How are you feeling?" he asked softly, pulling the ice back to gauge your reaction.
You nodded your thanks, then took the ice pack from him. "My head's pounding," you admitted, "but it was doing that before. The ice actually feels good..." You trailed off, glancing at Seonghwa. He was watching you with such focused attention, it made you self-conscious. "Though, yeah, it is pretty cold."
"Hm... How are things with him? Better now? Do I need to scare him off some more?" He joked, despite the tone and the expression on his face showing nothing more than that.
A dry laugh fell from your lips. "I honestly can't believe him."
"He seemed really obsessed." He nodded as he agreed.
"It's not just that," you scoffed bitterly. "He slept with other women the entire time we were dating, even after he said he loved me. He even slept with my landlady when he thought I was out of town." You shook your head, exasperated. "And here I am, unloading all this on you when we barely know each other. I'm sure you have better things to do than listen to me complain about my ex."
"Well, my schedule is empty at the moment, and I don't mind listening to you talk, either," Seonghwa shifted so that your right knee pressed against his own, his arms resting against his leg. "And about us not really knowing each other, we could get to know each other now and worry about that another day."
You thought about his offer to try and get to know each other while pressing the ice against the bruised spot once again. "So, I should be expecting you in my apartment more often now?"
A slight grin flashed over his lips, a deep chuckle shaking his body lightly. The vibration seemed to radiate into you, a sweet buzz tingling throughout your body and making it warmer than before. "Only if you need rescuing."
The corners of your lips curved into a smile as your free hand reached and ruffled Seonghwa's hair. "Careful now. What would your girlfriend say?"
He let out a laugh. "I'm single if that's what you're asking."
This gorgeous man was single? Even a guy like him was still unattached in this dating scene? As much as you were shocked, you were grateful for the information. You made sure not to let out a relieved sigh as he leaned in toward you.
Seonghwa removed the ice from your hand and held it against your face. It felt like it was much colder now that his fingers were brushing against your skin, especially since the bruise felt a bit better. Not to mention that you could see something sparkle in Seonghwa's eyes. This guy...
"Sorry for coming in unannounced earlier. I just needed to make sure that he wouldn't be able to hurt you," he said with a tinge of guilt in his voice. "You must be surprised I didn't even knock or anything."
You blinked rapidly, pulling back slightly. Then, you reached out and placed your hand over his, helping him hold the ice pack to your cheek. "You don't need to apologize," you reassured him with a warm smile. "I'm just grateful you were here. Who knows what could've happened otherwise, to me or my apartment." Your smile softened. "And don't worry about surprising me. Thank you, Seonghwa."
The shared warmth of your hands on the ice pack faded as Seonghwa withdrew his touch, leaving a lingering warmth on your skin. A flicker of disappointment quickly gave way to a flutter of excitement as his fingers gently grazed your cheek, careful of the bruise. This wasn't the casual acquaintance you'd known from brief encounters at the mailbox; a deeper connection was sparking to life.
Seonghwa kept the ice pack in place, but his focus shifted. His right hand traced your jawline, fingers hesitant yet drawn to your warmth. The intimacy of the moment was unexpected, a spark igniting where only polite exchanges had existed before. His touch lingered, a silent question hanging in the air, as if seeking permission to bridge the gap between comfort and something more.
He pulled his hand away and picked up the now melting bag, bringing it into the open-plan kitchen that connected with the living room. You followed behind him, confused as to why he had stopped the closeness the two of you were sharing before.
You stood in the doorway to the kitchen while Seonghwa refroze the ice pack. "Are you hungry? Thirsty?" His dark brown eyes seemed to sparkle with interest as he studied you.
"Uh, well..."
"Or should I give you some space?" His eyebrows knit together as he fidgeted nervously, tugging at the sleeves of his shirt. "I mean, I shouldn't impose, right?"
As if the fates were giving you the signal to tell Seonghwa that, yes, he was always welcome to 'impose', your stomach growled, growling loud enough that the gorgeous man couldn't have ignored it. You groaned and hung your head slightly while laughing lightly, embarrassment burning across your face and through your body.
Seonghwa let out a laugh. "Come over to my place. I'll whip something up," he said with a gentle voice. He walked out of the kitchen and past you, his fingers lightly brushing against yours. You weren't entirely sure if it was done on purpose or if it was coincidental. But you let him guide you out of your apartment and across the way to his.
A few weeks later, Seonghwa had invited you over for coffee and conversation. Spending more time with the tall and gorgeous man across the hallway didn't sound bad at all. Sure, it had only been a few days since the 'incident', but you had already learned so much. For instance, Seonghwa juggled studying business with bartending gigs and helping out at a friend's car rental. It wasn't the most conventional career path, but he managed it all with surprising ease. Not to mention the fact he had the ability to stay motivated to pull it all off and somehow stay as calm and cool as he is. Then there was the way he effortlessly slipped into his charming demeanor. And how that never left whenever you were together.
Okay, you had to admit you had it pretty bad. This wasn't how you expected to be feeling, given how your relationship with your ex had ended just recently. Yet here you were, admiring this amazingly talented and attractive man sitting in front of you, wearing the most casual clothing possible. Despite looking quite sleepy and lazy with a bit of hair mussed and a very big, comfortable shirt, a small portion of skin was showing and it took all the willpower you had not to stare at him for a little longer. He was that incredible to look at. He'd even fallen asleep in his arm chair, and when you heard soft snores emitted, a light giggle had escaped your lips. Even in sleep, he still looked handsome and you could feel the growing urge to run your fingers through his silky hair and graze his face delicately.
Oh yes, you had it pretty bad... But how would he react? Maybe he would be the one running away. Or not. If he's anything like your ex, then there is a large probability he will leave like all the men you've dated had. Still...
You heaved a sigh and peeked over at Seonghwa, watching his chest rise and fall in a steady rhythm. You quietly cleared your throat and leaned over the table where his mug still remained, most likely cold. Placing your fingers against the handle, you began moving to grab the mug, planning on placing it in the kitchen sink. But just as you touched the glass of the mug, the sleepy man stirred awake, blinking to get ahold of reality and waking up. Seonghwa yawned widely, the sound catching in your throat. Your heart skipped a beat, a shy smile spreading across your face.
"Didn't mean to fall asleep..." His voice, rough with sleep, sent a shiver down your spine, and you swallowed hard, trying to maintain your composure.
"Nah, don't worry about it," a genuine smile graced your features, "I don't mind."
Your reaction seemed to comfort him as he rose from the chair and stretched before gathering his coffee mug and reaching out for yours, collecting them to take them to the kitchen and making more coffee for the two of you. You watched intently as his fingers went to his hair to mess it up a bit before coming back to the living room and sitting. He leaned back, exposing more skin at the neck of his shirt, making you realize he didn't have a shirt underneath it.
"So I've been thinking. About that creep," he paused and sipped the coffee. "I was thinking. You and I should hang out together when the creep is nearby. See if it helps to show him that you've moved on."
"Oh? And you think it would work?" You raised your brow, interested and skeptical.
"Yeah," he said it too quickly. His hand went to rub the back of his neck and his gaze stayed down, avoiding you. "He might just have gotten the hint that you don't want anything to do with him. Maybe we can help the process move along? That's if you want to."
His flustered state was adorable, a blush dusting his cheeks as he averted his gaze. You couldn't help but giggle at his bashfulness.
"Are you certain about this? It would mean spending a lot more time together," you teased, enjoying his flustered reaction. His grip tightened on the mug, and he avoided your eyes. "Unless you're only suggesting this out of concern, and you don't actually want to..." you trailed off, leaving the implication hanging in the air.
"It's not like that," his voice was a tad shaky and almost sounded panicked as his eyes locked with yours, the flush still coloring his skin. "I'm kind of interested. In you..."
His confession brought heat rushing to your face as well, and your embarrassment was written all over, judging from the amused smirk on Seonghwa's face and how you averted your eyes to focus on the floor. âIâm interested in you tooâŠâ
"Y-yeah?" he stammered, his voice catching in his throat. He looked every bit the nervous schoolboy, clutching his coffee mug like a lifeline and darting his eyes anywhere but your face. His lips parted, then closed again as he licked them nervously.
Seonghwa's flustered reaction was endearing. It was hard to believe this confident, capable man was reduced to a blushing, stammering mess in your presence. The realization that he was interested in you, of all the women in the complex who likely vied for his attention, sent a thrill through you. It was impossible not to fall for him a little harder in that moment.
With your mutual confessions hanging in the air, the atmosphere shifted. It became charged with a new intimacy, though a hint of awkwardness lingered. Seonghwa's eyes darted around the room, while your face couldn't help but break into a wide smile. This was a new beginning, a thrilling and uncertain one. As the initial tension eased, Seonghwa visibly relaxed, though he still couldn't quite meet your gaze. He fidgeted with his mug, taking a few sips, and your eyes met in a shared moment of laughter, a silent acknowledgment of the unspoken feelings now laid bare.
"Ah," he set his mug down before standing. "Do you maybe want to go out to dinner sometime? Just the two of us?" His gaze returned to you as you got up and put your mug down, keeping it by the table as he placed his in the sink to be cleaned later.
"I'd like that. Let's do it," you couldn't contain your excitement, and your hand instinctively reached out, slipping over where it rested on the sink. Your fingers intertwined with his, causing him to gasp softly. But he didn't pull away; instead, his grip tightened slightly, sending a warm jolt through you.
Seonghwa couldn't speak, his joy evident in the widening of his smile and the tightening of his hold on your hand. As if remembering his usual charm, a playful smirk tugged at his lips. He covered his mouth with his free hand, trying to contain his happiness, while his fingers intertwined with yours. "Yeah?" he managed, his voice barely a whisper.
A rush of heat burned your cheeks as you swallowed a nervous lump before answering. "Yes, I want to spend time with you."
His grip loosened, and he closed the distance between you, his warm breath washing over you. A moment of hesitation, a flicker of nervousness in the air, and then your eyes met. In an instant, you were enveloped in his embrace, his nose brushing affectionately against yours before his lips found yours. The kiss was intoxicating, a dizzying sensation heightened by the gentle pressure of his lips guiding yours.
All too soon, the feeling came to an end when he pulled back, leaving you a mess while he remained fairly composed, his smile beaming brilliantly. "Let me know when you want to go out and I'll take you anywhere. And anytime," Seonghwa cupped your flushed cheek with his palm. His touch sent electric sparks flying over every spot of your skin. "Call me, text me...come over any time."
"Okay," a smile that you didn't even feel could exist came to life as he leaned down again and kissed you, deepening this one a bit more and sending you further into an intense and head spinning trance.
He gave a bright and wide smile that shines as brightly as the sun as he took your hand in his, locking the two of your fingers together as he guided you out to the apartment hallway. He leaned against his open door frame, watching as you opened your front door. Before you could step through, you spun to face him, wanting to thank him, only to be met with him pulling you back and pecking your lips briefly.
"Hey, I'll stop by later if you want," his gorgeous dark brown eyes were sparking and begging you not to reject his offer. "I'll bring dinner. Sounds good?"
"Sure, yeah. That'll be nice," you answered, words slightly slurred since your head hadn't completely returned from being caught in the bliss of those kisses.
"Cool. I'll see you then," he placed a light kiss upon your nose before watching you return to your place.
The sound of the lock clicking shut echoed behind him as Seonghwa practically flew back into his apartment, his joyous shouts filling the living room. He was overflowing with pure elation, warmth spreading through him like wildfire. Rescuing his beautiful neighbor had been an impulsive act on a seemingly ordinary day, but who could have predicted it would lead to this?
"I can't believe how lucky I am," Seonghwa thought, already planning how to shower his new girlfriend with affection. She deserved so much more than that awful ex. The best dates, the best gifts, everything she wanted would be hers. He vowed to dedicate himself to her happiness, helping her erase every painful memory of the past.
After numerous dates filled with stolen kisses and lingering touches, you couldn't deny your growing desire for something more. The passion intensified with each shared moment, often leading to intimate cuddles on the couch or in bed, despite having dinner waiting or a movie paused in the background. Resisting the urge to take things further was a constant battle, but your patience was rewarded during a particularly heated make-out session one evening.
You were the first to move, rising off the couch to settle in his lap, arms finding their way around his neck while your hips were taken control of by Seonghwa's hands. Those skillful and very long fingers seemed to know exactly where to knead and grab as his teeth and tongue both went to work to drive you crazy. The fabric of his jeans was not comfortable at all and you tried to adjust your hips a bit to seek more comfort and maybe to send him some messages that you really enjoyed what was occurring. However, this movement seemed to rile Seonghwa up a bit.
"Can we..." you started to ask but couldn't find the rest of the words that you desperately sought out.
"We can... We can move it to the bedroom," he had already read you like an open book and his arms wrapped around you. "Or stay here if you don't mind the couch? We can go weherever you want to go."
As much as you liked the idea of staying right where you were and continuing this there and then, you weren't certain if you wanted the first time to be on the couch, even if that's where all the previous kissing had led. Shaking your head lightly, your answer was given and Seonghwa gladly lifted you and carried you with his long legs taking large and quick steps to his room, leaving kisses along the sides of your neck and behind your ear, a known sensitive spot for you.
He pressed you onto the mattress, his lips finding the sensitive spot beneath your ear, a low groan rumbling in his chest as you cried out his name. How had this incredible man become yours? His touch was magic, igniting sparks wherever his fingers traced, leaving you weak and pliant in his arms. You threaded your fingers through his soft, thick hair, the boyish style contrasting with the raw passion in his eyes.
âYou're so handsome, Seonghwa," you whispered, your voice barely above a breath.
"Handsome and talented? Hmm? And totally yours," his bright eyes shined with his dazzling smile and his eyebrows rose. "I'm yours, angel. All yours."
"I want you, Seonghwa..." you couldn't contain how badly you wanted him, the yearning strong as you watched him move his head to one side and his face nuzzle your neck. A light growl and he bit the spot he'd just exposed by moving out of the way before his teeth dragged his lower lip slowly back across the surface.
"You can have all of me," the smirk was obvious from the sound of his husky tone. "Whatever you want, I'll give it to you. Do whatever you ask and I'll gladly listen."
"You should probably know... I've never been on top. Always the bottom," you admitted.
"Hmmm...so you want to ride this tonight?" He grinded his crotch over top of yours, allowing the rough friction to give you a preview, the movement so expert and sensual as his eyes shut and he threw back his head, lips parted to let out a groan. "Because I can make that happen if it'll please my angel."
You couldn't stop your fingers from raking along his bare skin beneath his shirt, digging slightly as your back arched for more contact. "Yes. I want that. Will you give it to me?"
"Hell yes," his husky growl had you burning for him with anticipation and the excitement made your hands shake as your shirt was removed. In seconds, the rest of your clothing had been peeled from your form and Seonghwa stood by the bed to toss off everything.
There wasn't time to admire the masterpiece that he had under his pants because those hands returned, sliding along your curves and hips before flipping you up to straddle over him. Once settled and comfortable, your eyes fixated on how aroused he was before you as your core was positioned directly over the bulge pressing firmly against your heat. Your hands supported you in his lap with the flat of your palms pressed against the soft sheet, just below his firm, perky chest. With each slight wiggle of your hips, an enticing moan erupted and his head pushed back while his length grinded against your sex, creating a lovely mix of heat and wetness that coated over his growing arousal. The slick and wet noises each time you rolled or swiveled your hips sent your head spinning and you wanted nothing more than to continue that until you would eventually need a taste of that pulsing, red, swollen tip.
"Hwa? Can I suck you for a bit?" you whispered as your lips spread out across his upper chest.
A light hum that was filled with pure desire came as a response from him before a broken 'fuck' slipped free as the first touch of your tongue and lips worked across his defined collarbone and your fingers began working his growing length. Each pump made your core swell and dampen more, and the anticipation and arousal nearly blinded you, so badly were you just yearning to be filled and used.
When he seemed to be unable to handle it any longer, Seonghwa flipped you back around so your rear faced him and you had your mouth leveled with the object that would very soon satisfy that part of your aching sex. "Why don't I eat you out while you suck me? Sounds fair to you, babe?"
You could only hum against the smooth skin of his arousal and closed your eyes when you felt his palms roaming across the curvatures of your rear before spreading the plump cheeks. He didn't waste any more time before diving right in with a long, deep lick to your soaking pussy. Each swirl and circle had you wanting to moan and push your hips back for more while at the same time, trying to take him deep, gagging slightly until you began to find the right balance and breathing technique. Seonghwa was a lot bigger than your last boyfriend, but luckily for you, there was enough practice and pleasure before, thanks to your skills, to prepare for him.
"Fuck Hwa, right there...ohh!" your cries got a little louder and your body felt more restless when he began nibbling and licking over your clit.
"Come on, angel. Don't stop sucking me," he purred against your heat and the vibrations drove you higher and more insane.
As soon as he returned and increased his attention on you, you returned yours to his deliciously thick and hard length. You would make sure to give it the utmost care and attention, no matter how good it felt to have those masterful lips and tongue working you in the most sensitive spots. You pulled out all the tricks and techniques you knew, bobbing your head at just the right moment and at the perfect angle that you could take him in more and at the right moment would stroke his base. Meanwhile your other hand carefully rolled his sack and when you weren't completely focused, would pull up lightly from its place. Each moan he let out into your dripping cunt had your legs quivering and you weren't sure how much longer you could take before coming undone.
Your head was beginning to cloud more and more with desire and lust while the hot and slick sounds and your panting grew louder the longer the oral stimulation went on for. It took your whole power and energy to remember that you had your hands working while you felt like a puddle, near your limits of coming undone as his tongue swiped against the most sensitive nerves. It became increasingly difficult to focus and concentrate on keeping your throat and gag reflexes under control with each bob. You definitely weren't going to be able to handle this for much longer if things kept going at that pace.
"Hwa, I can't...ahhhhh," your screams echoed as his talented tongue and the slight prodding of a long, slender finger at your entrance had you finishing in no time.
"Me too, angel," his breathy moans were encouraging as were the heavy panting from his mouth while he pushed his hips back and forth, gliding easily within your mouth with the help of your hand. "Oh, fuck... Fuck! Here it comes, babe..." Seonghwa grunted as he shoved his cock back further into your warm, wet, and waiting mouth and you swallowed and held him in there, eyes watering and stinging slightly.
Once he eased up and the load that had shot directly down your throat was swallowed, you turned around and crawled up his body, your lips latching onto his neck.
"I'm not quite done with you yet, Hwa," your hand gripped his throbbing member once more, rubbing teasing circles along the sensitive flesh and feeling it twitch within your fingers. Your thumb smeared the moisture from the head across the entire, swollen shaft, making the pumping slick and quick. "Need you in me...right fucking now..."
"Take it as much as you need, angel," the raspy voice growled back as he used your soaked entrance to slick and prep his length.
In the matter of a single second, his full length slid straight into you and you let out a drawn out moan. With the size of your new lover, he hit spots that no one had ever even come close to touching. He was that thick and long, hitting places you'd never imagined having touched. He must have been blessed by the gods and you were incredibly lucky.
"If I'm hurting youâ" Seonghwa began to ask, concern etched on his face.
"No! Hwa, you're fine... Better than fine," a breathy, eager, and almost desperate whimper met his ear as you grinded your hips on his length, begging for movement and pleasure from him. "Fuck, you fill me up so well. It feels so amazing," you added.
His hips rolled and with each stroke, each thrust was controlled and steady as he made certain to hit your deepest spots, rocking his pelvis at the perfect angle so he could continuously graze along that spot deep inside, coaxing it to explode and send you over. "So tight and wet...perfect...fuck, this pussy is gorgeous and sweet. And only mine. Right, angel? My girl's perfect tight little pussy is all mine?" Seonghwa asked and smirked after hearing your sweet sounds.
All you could do was nod, clutching him and running your fingers through his sweaty hair, trying to hold off your second climax as long as you possibly could, even though the way his cock kept sliding, prodding and working along that one sweet spot would become your undoing. That, and his filthy words. Those filthy words mixed with the beautiful grunts and moans from him were so sexy. He was already wrecking you so much.
"All yours, baby," you said softly. "Only yours."
"So perfect, my angel. Come on, my sweet angel," his husky voice murmured and encouraged you to keep going and let the feelings come to their highest peak.
"H-harder. Fuck me harder, Hwa." The sensations within you built, the pressure and knot deep within ready to burst. Just a little more. Only a little more and you could finish and feel free of the bliss and pleasure that your boyfriend was so skillfully bringing forth.
"Prettiest, most angelic voice...just listen to the little moans you're making... Fuck!" Seonghwa pounded and pounded deeper and deeper into you until you were a babbling mess. He fucked the words completely out of you, replacing them instead with sweet moans and screams of his name. That angelic sound of you reaching your climax did not go unnoticed as it bounced along his bedroom walls and your tight walls squeezed him.
It was all too much. After giving you such a glorious release that had you seeing stars, Seonghwa reached his high, moans mixing together as the two of you panted and clutched each other with strong arms. The two of you basked in the high the two of you had just taken part of and came down from slowly, hearts beating at erratic rhythms while your breath returned.
"Wow..." Seonghwa spoke softly. "You're amazing, angel."
"That was...that was great," you still hadn't fully recuperated from the waves and the intensity of the mind blowing experience with him. "But Hwa...baby?" you questioned.
"Hm?" Seonghwa questioned, his voice raspy with contentment.
"We definitely need showers," you giggled.
"Hm... But I can't walk yet, my legs are numb," Seonghwa stated as he gently patted your rear.
You giggled and smirked, "Get stronger ones, mister," before settling down on his chest.
"My legs can barely move! A shower sounds awesome, but I'm so comfy and tired right now," he made a fake, overly loud snoring sound.
You poked the tip of his nose. "How about I draw a bath for us then?"
"Perfect. Or we could skip the bath all together and just do some more...adventures...in bed," he had a smile full of mischief and the wink had you giggling and shaking your head, a blush finding its way into your cheeks once more.
"You and your dirty mind..." you went to get up and start the water, only to have him grab your wrist and sit up slightly, the sweat dripping down and his cheeks rosy pink.
"Angel, one more? Then we can be good and clean," his pleas were soft and inviting, and very convincing when coupled with the sweet smile and twinkling eyes.
"How about sex in the bathtub instead? As a compromise and to satisfy your neediness," you said and put a finger to your lips.
Seonghwa chuckled. "You drive a hard bargain. That's a deal."
#illusionnet#atzhouse#cromernet#wonderlandnet#kvanity#other side outlaws network#ksmutsociety#ateez#ateez imagines#ateez scenarios#ateez stories#ateez fanfics#ateez smut#ateez seonghwa#park seonghwa#seonghwa#seonghwa smut#seonghwa x reader
873 notes
·
View notes
Text
Take a Chance With Me | j.ww (18+)
You could not believe that no one ever told you how frustrating (and beautiful) it was to be hopelessly captivated by a boy who thinks love is overrated.
one | two | three | four | five
Genre: college au, strangers to lovers, slow burn Pairing: Jeon Wonwoo x afab!Reader Warnings: fluff fluff, she fell first he fell harder kinda slow burn lol, mature themes, explicit sexual content (18+) Notes: 25k words. Part 3 of the Heartbreak Hotel series, but it can be read as a standalone fic. Listening to Take a Chance with Me by NIKI. Longer fic because writing this was my coping mechanism for the devastating tragedy that was Backburner. Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction. I do not know them personally and do not claim they would ever behave like they were portrayed in this story.
Playlist: Take a Chance with Me by NIKI, Forces by Japanese Wallpaper, I Think He Knows by Taylor Swift, Taglist: @katfaceu @mansaaay @scoupsjin @iarayara @gaslysainz @silvermist002 @ssmebody @alyssa19123456
Jeon Wonwooâs story began one hot evening, just two weeks into your senior year of college. It was at a partyâone where youâd arrived late after a supposedly quick pre-game session with your girlfriends at Leaâs apartment turned into a full-on mini-party on its own. Youâd almost ditched the party altogether, but Mina said she had to meet this guy at the party, or sheâd regret it forever. Of course, she was exaggerating at the time, but you went anyway.
You were the designated driver since you were the only one who didnât drink, which was because you were late even to the pre-game. Some things just never change, and being late is one of your many talents.
As soon as you pulled up to the driveway of the party venue, your friends rushed out of the car and into the house, leaving you behind to park. Just as you were stepping out of your car, you spotted Wonwooâtall standing next to the lamppost, and handsome under the yellow-orange glow of the light. He was attractiveâthe slight flush on his cheeks, his skin glowing under the lamplight, and even in simple square glasses and a plain white tee, he radiated a quiet confidence that made you pause.
He was cute. And he was heading toward you.
Why though? Did he want to talk to you? Maybe get your number? Oh my god. What are you gonna do?
You stood frozen, heart pounding in your chest as Wonwoo closed the gap between you. Sure, he wasnât the first guy to ever approach you, but he was cute, and it was ridiculous how fast you were crushing on him.
Heâs coming, you told yourself, glancing around casually, trying not to look too eager. But just as he was about three steps awayâbam! He hit the ground, limbs sprawled out in every direction.
You gasped, rushing over. âOh my God, are you okay?â
He groaned, kicked at the offending rock that had tripped him, and then dramatically flopped onto the grass as if it had betrayed him too.
You crouched beside him, waving a hand in front of his face. âHey, you alright?â
Wonwoo blinked up at the sky, glaring like the stars were personally out to get him. Then, locking his glassy eyes on yours, he said, âHi. My asshole friends abandoned me here.â He hiccupped. âIâm kinda drunk and youâre kinda gorgeous. Would you be so kind to help me out?â
Caught off guard by his random compliment, you chuckled. âHere, let me help you up,â you said, tugging his arm, trying to haul him back to a sitting position. âYou can walk, right? You were walking just now.â
âWalkingâs overrated,â he muttered, but with your help, he managed to get back on his feet, wobbling slightly.
You told him your name. âWhatâs yours? Where do you live? Do you need a ride?â
He opened his mouth to speak but someone suddenly appeared beside him, patting his chest. It was Hoshi. âThere you are, Wonwoo. Weâve been looking all over for you!âÂ
âHosh! You know this guy?â you asked.
âLook,â Wonwoo said, turning to you and pointing a very unsteady finger at his friend. âSee that? Fake friend. Never trust people who abandon you.â
âWhat are you talking about? Youâre the one who wandered off!â
Wonwoo smirked, leaning in as if sharing a deep truth. âPeople who gaslight you arenât your friends. Donât forget that.â
âI canât believe I ditched my girl for this. Okay, that's enough from you.â Hoshi slung Wonwooâs arm over his shoulder. âWhereâs that idiot Jun? Junhui!â
A second later, a man came jogging toward you. âFound him?â
âYeah, help me get him out of here,â Hoshi said, struggling to hold up Wonwooâs weight.
Jun smiled apologetically at you as they shifted Wonwooâs arm off your shoulder. âHe seems like a handful, but heâs nice sometimes.â
You stepped back, watching them as they wrangled him toward a black pickup truck. âHe doesnât seem that drunk, though.â
Jun chuckled. âYouâd be surprised. One time he got wasted and started working on a coding project. Finished the whole thing in one sitting.â
âDidnât even remember it the next day,â Hoshi added, making a mock exploding gesture at his temple.
You couldnât help laughing, finding it both amusing and adorable that a fine man like him would have such drinking habits.
âAnyway, thanks again,â Hoshi said, flashing you a quick grin as they started loading Wonwoo into the truck.
âBye, gorgeous lady!â Wonwoo called from the back seat, waving weakly. âI love you!â
Jun scoffed. âYou donât even know her name.â
âWho cares what you think, Jun? Youâre a fake friend!â
You couldnât help but laugh again, waving them off as the truck pulled away. Standing there, you found yourself thinking about Wonwooâstrangely intrigued by this cute, clumsy guy. But before you could dwell on it for too long, you heard Leaâs voice calling your name from inside the house.
âWhy are you out here alone? Letâs go!â
You skipped toward her, linking arms as she pulled you inside. âI just met the cutest guy ever.â
If Seungcheolâs face wasnât the first thing you saw as you stepped into the pool pavilion, you wouldnât have recognized him at all. His neat blue suit from yesterday had been swapped for something far more relaxedâcrisp white pants and a cream button-up that made him look more⊠approachable. He greeted you the moment you arrived, gesturing to the lounge chair beside his.
âI ordered cocktails,â he said, motioning to the bellinis on the table. âBut I took liberties since I didnât know what you like.â
âYou didnât have to include me, but thanks,â you smiled, taking one of the flutes.
Seungcheol watched you take your first sip before saying, âSo, what depressing tale would you be telling me today?â
You coughed, choking very slightly on your drink. âYou said you wouldnât judge.â
He shrugged, leaning back on the chair and fixing his eyes at the infinity pool. âI wasnât judging. My expectations are based on past experiences. In this case, the experience was yesterdayâs story. It was quite heavy.â
âExactly,â you nodded, setting your glass down. âYesterday was intense, so Iâm dialing it down today with a lighter story about my favorite ex.â
âYou have a favorite ex?â
âAs a matter of fact, I do,â you replied, rolling your eyes. âBut thatâs not the point. Do you wanna hear it or not?â
Seungcheol nodded. âPlease. Proceed.â
âAlright.â You took a sip of your drink before starting. âHis name is Jeon Wonwoo.â
THE DAY after you'd first met him at that party, youâd prioritized looking for Wonwoo. Living in the on-campus dorms gave you time to walk around the campus before your class. The problem was, you didnât know where to start. Your friends could swear they were sick of you, gushing about him and retelling the story of how he called you gorgeous and basically confessed his love for you in under five minutes of meeting each other.
âI know he was drunk, Jill. But people say you become more honest when youâre drunk,â you insisted, not even trying to hide your excitement as you scanned the cafeteria for any sign of him.
âWhatâs his name anyway?â Mina asked, scowling slightly as she watched you crane your neck, practically spinning in your seat.Â
âWonwoo. I donât know his last name.â
Mina scoffed. âWonwoo? Arenât you like neighbors?â
You stopped mid-scan, turning to her with wide eyes. âWeâre WHAT?â
As it turned out, Wonwoo lived in the on-campus dorm too. He and Hoshi were roommates, and you only knew this because, apparently, the guy Mina just had to meet at last nightâs party was Hoshi.Â
âYouâre telling me Iâve been looking around campus for him like a lunatic when heâs been right under my nose this whole time?â you asked, clutching your pearls.
Jill snorted into her iced coffee. âYouâve been obsessed for, what? Twelve hours?â
âThirteen,â you corrected. âBut whoâs counting?â
For a while, you tried catching glimpses of Wonwoo around your apartment complex. You even took slightly longer routes on campus, hoping to spot him by chance between classes or during meals. But every time, you came up emptyâno sign of him at all.
âJust where does this hot specimen hide his gorgeous self?â you grumbled. âItâs been three days.â
Lea watched you with a glimmer in her eyes. âThis is a first. Youâve had crushes before but never hyper-fixated on one until now.â
âRight? I was just thinking the same thing,â Jill affirmed.
âThereâs no one like him,â you gushed, tilting your head dreamily. âI think he might be the one.â
Mina choked on her drink. âYouâre not serious.â
You laughed, stroking her back gently. âOf course not. Iâm just having fun, guys. Relax.â
âAnyway, why donât you just ask Hoshi?â Jill suggested, sounding like the only sane one in the group.Â
Oh. Right. Hoshi. Why didnât you think of that earlier? You paused, considering the idea. It was practical. Sensible.
âDo you think thatâs weird? Just asking out of nowhere?â you asked, biting your lip.
âYouâre the one whoâs been running around campus like a headless chicken,â Mina pointed out dryly. âAsking Hoshi would be a lot less weird than that.â
You smiled at Mina, batting your eyelashes prettily. âAsk him for me.â
Mina swatted your hand away when you tried to hold her. âWeâre not talking right now. And no, I wonât tell you why.â
You grimaced. âWell, no oneâs asking!â
Jill laughed. âJust go to Hoshi. You guys are friends. And itâs not like youâre asking for Wonwooâs hand in marriage. Youâre just curious.â
âAlright, alright,â you relented, standing up from the table. âIâll ask Hoshi.â
Mina gave you a thumbs up as you left the cafeteria, heading out to start your quest. You just hoped your heart didnât explode from the anticipation before you got there.
You spotted Hoshi in the dance room, drinking water after practice. Perfect. You strode over, determined but trying to keep it cool. He saw you coming and grinned, clearly already knowing what this was about.
âWell, well, well,â Hoshi said, putting his bottle down and crossing his arms with a smirk. âWhat brings you to my humble corner of campus today? Or should I say... who?â
You rolled your eyes but couldnât help laughing. âOh, stop. I just wanna ask you something.â
âUh-huh,â he said, leaning in conspiratorially. âYouâre about to ask me where Wonwoo is, arenât you? Donât worry, Iâve seen this before. Youâre already head over heels. Itâs okay, itâs a common reaction.â
You tried to look annoyed, but your lips twitched, betraying you. âFine. Yes. Where is he?â
Hoshi raised his eyebrows, looking overly impressed with himself. âSee? Iâm basically psychic. I should be charging for my services.â
âJust tell me!â You lightly shoved him.
âOkay, okay,â he chuckled, clearly enjoying himself. âHeâs usually holed up in the tech building, doing nerd stuff. You know, coding, hacking the mainframe, whatever those guys do.â He waved a hand in the air. âOh, and Iâm gonna tell you this only because you and I are tightâyouâre gonna need to bring a snack. Wonwooâs been known to forget to eat when heâs in the zone.â
You crossed your arms, half-joking but half-serious. âWhatâs that supposed to mean? Do I need to worry about him starving to death before I even get the chance to talk to him?â
âMaybe,â Hoshi said, eyes twinkling. âBut hey, if he does, Iâll make sure his last words are something romantic. Like, âTell her... she was... gorgeous.ââ
âOh my god, youâre impossible,â you groaned, turning to walk away, though you couldnât help laughing.
He called after you, still grinning. âDonât say I didnât warn you! And heyâif you need a wingman, you know where to find me!â
Now you had a solid lead... and maybe a ridiculous wingman if things got really desperate. But most importantly, you had a plan: bump into him casually.
You spent the next few days timing your trips past the IT building. At first, it felt sillyâpretending like you were just âhappening to walk byââbut today, your patience paid off. There he was, standing just outside the doors, tapping away on his phone. Your heart fluttered the second you saw Wonwoo, that same flush you remembered from the night before creeping up your neck.
You were about to walk over, but then a group of people spilled out from the building, laughing loudly as they passed by Wonwoo. You turned away, worried someone might recognize you. As soon as they were far enough, you spun back to see Wonwoo, only to find him gone.
You sighed. âNext time.â
The next time cameâseveral next times, actually. You just couldnât land the perfect opportunity! The universe was against you, you could swear with how each encounter was always interrupted by other people, unexpected circumstances, and now, even the weather!
You stared at the sky with a deadpan expression. âReally? Just tell me you donât want me to shoot my shot with him, why donât you?â you spoke to the sky, as if it would respond.
You were supposed to do your routine attempt at âbumping into Wonwooâ but the rain started pouring right when you stepped out of your building. As if that wasnât bad enough, you didnât bring an umbrella with you. You sighed, scuffing your shoe against the pavement, debating whether to make a run for it or just wait it out.
âMaybe Iâm just unlucky?â you muttered to yourself.
Staring at your feet, you noticed a new pair falling into step beside you. You looked up and gasped audibly upon seeing Jeon Wonwoo standing there with an umbrella in his hand. He looked as handsome as you rememberedâneat appearance, well-kept hair, and his glasses that suited his face perfectly.
âWonwoo!â you exclaimed, making him glance at you.
He scanned you for a second. âIâm sorry. I donât think I know you.â
You told him your nameâclearly and in full. âWe met at the party last Friday,â you smiled, hoping heâd remember.
âOh, I met a lot of people that night.â
âYou called me nice and gorgeous?â you offered, gouging a reaction from him, but so farânothing. âAnd, uh, you also kinda said you love me.â
Wonwoo blinked, clearly taken aback. âDid I?â You saw the confusion in his expression, followed by a flicker of embarrassment. He looked away, his jaw tensing slightly. âSorry, I donât remember any of that,â he said, his voice softer, but there was no warmth in it. It felt more like a brush-off.
âYeah, itâs okay,â you said, waving it off casually. âYou were really drunk, so I guess it makes sense.â You grinned, hoping the playful tone might make the moment less embarrassing
He seemed like an entirely different person. He was fun that night, sweet even. Was that a one-off thing?
For a moment, neither of you spoke. The sound of the rain pounding on the concrete was oddly loud. You could feel your heart hammering in your chest, not entirely sure if you should say something or just let it go.
âWell, then. I should go.â
You nodded. âOf course. It was nice seeing you.â
You watched him walk into the rain, dry and safe under his umbrella. You couldnât help but scoff. If it was the Wonwoo youâd met that night, he would probably share his umbrella with you.
âWhat a bummer,â you muttered, looking down at your feet again as you kicked your tiptoes on the floor.Â
You kept your gaze there, replaying the encounter with Wonwoo and how awful it made you feel. You barely noticed the car that pulled over in front of you until you heard someone call your full name.
When you looked up, you saw Wonwoo in a car with his window rolled down. He turned to reach for something behind him before extending his umbrella out to you. You stepped into the rain for a second to grab it and then backed away with a confused look on your face.
âThank you,â you called out.
He just nodded, lips tight. âLeave it to the dorm lady when youâre done with it.â
âI will!â you replied, smiling at him.
As he drove away, you waved your hand in the air, your smile getting impossibly wider as you clutched his umbrella in one hand.
Just like that, your quest to make Jeon Wonwoo fall for you was on. You chased him aroundâwell, not really, but you seized every chance to talk to him. First, you personally delivered his umbrella to his dorm, which surprised him because obviously, he wasnât expecting it.
When you found him at the cafeteria that day, sitting alone at a table while working on something on his laptop, you walked over with your tray and casually slid into the seat across from him.
âYou look like you could use some company. Lucky for you, I could use some too. Letâs accompany each other,â you beamed, and he looked up from his laptop brieflyâjust to see who you were.
âIâm working,â he said, reverting his attention to his work.
You leaned forward with a grin. âI can multi-task. Do you want me to be quiet while you work?â
âDo what you want,â he said, noncommittal.
That made you perk up. As long as he didnât tell you to leave him alone, you were fine with being quiet. He was quiet too, but didnât seem to mind your presence. So you stayed, eating your lunch while on your phone and occasionally sneaking glances at him.
One time, you find him at the library sitting at a table with his headphones in, immersed in whatever he was working on on his screen, again. You plopped down next to him, spreading your books out.
âIt appears you might need some intellectual stimulation. Iâm excellent company for that too,â you said.
Without looking away from his screen, Wonwoo said, âPass.â
âAre you coding?â you asked, ignoring his refusal.
âI'm studying.â
âFor what?â you asked, leaning back to take a peek at his screen. âYou're reading a book on your laptop?â
âIt's convenient.â
You grimaced. âI bet you don't know what books smell like.â
âNo, and I don't really wanna know,â he said, facing you. âNow, can I have some peace and quiet?â
âOh, of course. Sorry. Iâll just be over here being pretty and smart. Donât mind me.â
He didnât respond, just nodded slightly, continuing to work. You watched him for a bit, playfully resting your chin in your hand.
âWow. My man is so cute and smart,â you muttered and Wonwoo suddenly glanced sideways at you.
You looked away immediately, opening a book, and burying your face in it. Wonwoo reached for it, taking it out of your hand and flipping it.
âItâs upside down,â he said before fixing his gaze on his screen again.
If it wasnât for your prior commitment to your friends, you would probably stay in the library until he leaves. Half-heartedly, you packed away your books and got ready to leave. Wonwoo noticed you then but didnât say anything.
You tapped on the table next to his laptop, making him take off his headphones and look at you inquiringly.
âI was thinking of watching a movie this weekend. Youâre welcome to join me.â
Wonwoo raised an eyebrow. âI donât watch movies.â
You shook your head disapprovingly. âGuess weâll have to change that about you.â
âGood luck with that,â he replied, putting his headphones back on.
He didnât seem put off by your forwardness, which was all that mattered to you because it didnât seem like you were bothering him. You were resolved to continue what you were doing.
Another time, you saw him at the gym when you were there with your friends. He was lifting weights, and you confidently strode over, showing off your figure in your gym outfit. You casually leaned over the machine he was using.
âWow, so youâre not just working out your brain, you work out your biceps too? Impressive,â you complimented.
âI come here to avoid conversations,â he deadpanned.
âYouâre still talking to me, so youâre not really doing a great job,â you chuckled.
Wonwoo sighed, but again, he didnât tell you to leave. He just continued what he was doing, and you watched for a minute, smirking. You were enjoying yourself, despite his lack of reactions.
âIâll be over there if you need me,â you said, winking.
âWhy would I need you?â he asked, resting his hands for a second.
You shrugged. âYou never know when you might.â
As you walked away, your friends were waiting for you with playful smiles. Mina said, âGirl, is it just me or are you kinda embarrassing?â
You scrunched your nose cutely at her. âI am, kinda. But itâs okay. Heâll warm up to me soon.â
You kept âaccidentallyâ bumping into him at random spotsâby the vending machine, dorm hallways, the library aisles, or even walking to class despite being in different buildings.Â
Sometimes, you felt a little embarrassed, but you liked how fun it was to tease him and flirt with him, despite his aloof attitude. He was gonna break sooner or later, and whatever he decided to do when that happened, you were prepared to accept. You had projected about a dozen different scenarios of him confronting you, but the reality was far more unique.
âLook at us, fate keeps putting us together. Ever think the universe is trying to tell you something?â you told Wonwoo when you coincidentally (for real this time), ended up in the same college seminar together.
He stared at you. âThe universe doesnât work that way.â
Unfazed, you shrugged, opening your laptop. âMaybe not, but itâs more fun to believe it does.â
Wonwoo closed his laptop and turned his body slightly toward you. âDo you have feelings for me?â
âYes,â you replied without missing a beat. âWasnât it obvious? I made sure youâd get the message though.â
He was quiet for a while, staring at you with a blank expression. After about thirty seconds, he asked, âWhy?â
You shrugged, keeping your smile. âBecause I do. Hey, you confessed your love to me first!â
âWhen did Iââ he stopped and then sighed. âI donât even remember any of that.â
âItâs okay. I remember enough for the both of us,â you teased, tilting your head with an innocent smile.
Wonwoo seemed to realize arguing wasnât going to get him anywhere. He shook his head slowly, as if accepting defeat. âDo whatever you want, but I wonât take responsibility for your assumptions.â
âYouâre not telling me to leave you alone?â you asked, raising your brows in genuine surprise.
He looked at you, baffled. âWhat?â
âYouâre not telling me to leave you alone,â you repeated, this time more matter-of-factly. âSo can I take that as a sign that I can keep following you around?â
Wonwoo grimaced, though it was more out of exasperation than irritation. âYouâre not seriously going to follow me everywhere, are you?â
You grinned mischievously. âNo, not really. But now that you mention it, maybe I should. What do you think?â
âWell then, leaveââ
âGood afternoon, sir,â you exclaimed upon seeing the professor walk in.
You lay sprawled on Leaâs bed, eyes fixed on the ceiling, scowling. Next to you, Lea was perched on her stomach, typing away on her laptop.
âThe guyâs a tough nut to crack,â you muttered, shaking your head in frustration. âDo you think⊠maybe heâs just not interested?â
âI thought he made that pretty clear with how he keeps brushing you off?â Lea replied, not looking up from her screen.
You sat up with a sigh just as Mina and Jill strolled into the room. âHe doesnât really brush me off though,â you argued. âMore like⊠he lets me do whatever I want.â
âYou guys talking about Wonwoo?â Mina asked and you nodded. âHoshi is inviting him over for movie night. Apparently, he said âyesâ.â
Your jaw dropped. âNo way? He said he didn't like movies!â
Mina nodded, pulling out her phone and flashing you the screen. âI don't know the details. Hosh says heâs wingmanning you,â she added with a grin.
You squealed, grabbing Lea by the arm. âQuick! Lend me a cute dress. No! I should just go back to my dorm and get one!â
âItâs a pajama party,â Jill interrupted, sitting beside you with a bowl of ice cream in hand. âYouâre supposed to wear pajamas.â
You paused, considering. âYes, but... like, do you have a cute nightgown? Those count as pajamas too, right?â
âI do,â Jill said, shaking her head, âbut Iâm not lending it to you. Youâll just complain about being cold.â
You slumped back onto the bed dramatically, face-first. âFriendship is dead. It never existed.â
Lea gasped. âJill! Not you eating ice cream on my bed!â
âOops, sorry!â Jill mumbled, quickly getting off the bed.
You rose when you heard ice cream, following Jill off the bed and asking to share. Mina was watching you with a soft smile on her lips. Then she said, âYou changed a lot, did you notice? Remember when you took a break from school when we were freshmen? You were so different back then.â
You rolled your eyes playfully, mouth full of ice cream. Jill answered for you. âThat part of her life was her character development arc. It wouldnât make sense to remind her of such a depressing time when sheâs done a really good job getting over it a long time ago.âÂ
You shot her a pair of finger guns and winked, appreciating the save.
âYouâre right,â Mina said, her expression softening as she came over to hug you. âIâm just so proud of you.â
Jill joined in the hug, and Lea followed soon after, sandwiching you in the middle.
Feeling warm and fuzzy, you leaned over and kissed Minaâs cheek, only for her to pull away, grimacing. âEw, sticky lips,â she complained, wiping the smudge of ice cream from her face.
âSorry,â you grinned, unapologetic.
The smell of popcorn filled the apartment as you rummaged through Leaâs closet, pulling out a cozy sweatshirt that still looked stylish enough for the movie night. âThis will have to do,â you muttered, tugging it on over your pajamas.
Lea, now in a matching set of flannel, raised an eyebrow. âYou really think Wonwooâs gonna notice your outfit at a pajama party?â
âI donât know,â you admitted with a shrug. âBut itâs better to be prepared.â
When you got back to the living room, the usual chaos of movie night was already in full swing. Hoshi and Jun were bickering over what movie to watch while Seokmin raided the snack stash.
Hoshi called out your name, waving you over with a mischievous grin. âLook who actually showed up.â
You froze mid-step. Wonwoo was sitting on the couch, casually leaning back with his arms folded across his chest, looking as aloof as ever. He was wearing pajamas, which was unexpected because you didn't think he'd be the type to engage in silly activities like this one, but he was cute nonetheless.
You blinked. âHeâs real,â you whispered, eyes wide, and Mina stifled a laugh. To Hoshi, you said out loud, âHosh, youâre my most favorite person in the world.â
Just as you were about to claim the spot next to Wonwoo, Jun swooped in and plopped down right where you were headed. Without thinking, you grabbed Jun by the arm. âMove!â
Jun blinked at you, laughing. âWhatâs going on?â
You picked up a throw pillow and hit Jun with it again and again until he moved out of your way.
âYouâre ruthless,â Jun chuckled, shaking his head but laughing anyway. âGood luck.â
âThanks,â you winked at him before turning to Wonwoo. He watched the whole thing unfold with mild amusement, shaking his head as you settled in.
âComfortable?â he asked, raising an eyebrow.
âVery,â you grinned, inching just a little closer to him. âFancy seeing you here. I didnât think youâd really show up. And in pajamas, no less,â you said, flashing him a wide grin.
Wonwoo glanced at his clothes briefly. âHoshi insisted,â he said flatly.
âWell, Iâm glad you came,â you said, batting your eyelashes in what you hoped was a cute way. âItâs not every day I get to sit next to my favorite person.â
Wonwoo raised an eyebrow, unamused. âI thought Hoshi was your favorite.â
You pouted. âYouâre no fun, you know that?â
âWasnât trying to be,â he replied, unbothered.
Determined to get some sort of reaction, you leaned closer, pretending to examine his face. âDo you always wear glasses?â you asked, feigning curiosity. âThey make you look extra smart.â
He pushed his glasses up his nose, side-eyeing you. âI am extra smart.â
You giggled, undeterred. âI bet youâre super smart, Mr. IT Genius. You could probably hack into all our phones right now.â
Wonwoo didnât seem fazed. âIâm not that smart. And hacking is illegal.â
âWell, thatâs good. Otherwise, youâd see all the photos I took of you before,â you teased, leaning even closer so your shoulder brushed his. âFor research purposes, of course.â
This time, Wonwoo did look at you, but only briefly. âResearch for what?â
âOh, just, you know,â you waved a hand vaguely, âstudying the behavior of elusive, handsome introverts.â
âSounds like a waste of time,â he replied dryly, though his lips twitched into a faint smile. Youâd almost missed it if you werenât staring right at him.
You grinned, feeling triumphant at his tiny show of amusement. âDid I just make you smile? Am I your source of happiness and joy now?â
âJust what is up with you?â he questioned, genuinely bewildered.
âIâm persistent. Havenât you noticed?â
âI have.â
Before you could respond, Hoshiâs voice boomed across the room. âMovieâs starting, everyone! Grab your snacks, get cozy!â
The lights dimmed further, and the opening credits began to roll. You wiggled in your seat, purposely leaning just a little closer to Wonwoo, your head brushing against his arm. Wonwoo glanced at you but didnât say anything, so you tilted your head playfully and whispered, âYouâre not gonna move away, are you?â
He looked away, clearly unimpressed. âWhy would I?â
âI donât know⊠because Iâm annoying?â
âYou are,â he said, eyes fixed on the screen.
âHey!â You nudged him with your shoulder, a mock pout on your lips. âIâm charmingly annoying.â
âIf you say so,â he replied.
Every now and then, youâd make little comments, trying to catch his attention. Wonwoo remained mostly unresponsive, only glancing at you occasionally, but he didnât seem bothered either. In fact, the more you nudged him or commented, the more relaxed he seemed.
Finally, you âaccidentallyâ let your head rest on his shoulder. âOops,â you whispered, eyes still fixed on the screen. âMy bad.â
Wonwoo sighed, but to your surprise, he didnât push you off. âYouâre really pushing your luck tonight.â
You grinned up at him, batting your lashes. âWhat can I say? I like taking my chances.â
âJust watch the movie,â he muttered, but you could tellâhe didnât actually mind.
With a satisfied smile, you snuggled a little closer, content with your minor victory.Â
After the movie, everyone stretched and yawned. Hoshi and Seokmin were already debating what to watch next, while Jill and Lea were dramatically complaining about the lackluster conclusion to the movie. You continued the night with laughter and conversations over light drinks. It was a school day, so no one was entertaining the idea of getting wasted.
You glanced at Wonwoo, who had stayed quiet throughout the night, except for a few quips here and there. You often flirted with him in between conversations, but as usual, he couldnât even be bothered.
When the group started to pack up, you took a deep breath and turned to him. âHey, do you wanna walk back to the dorms together?â you asked, keeping your tone light and hopeful.
You were the only ones going back to the dorms, since the rest of your friends lived off-campus, and Hoshi was obviously staying over at Minaâs.
Wonwoo stood up, gathering his things without making eye contact. âNo, thanks,â he said simply, pulling his jacket over his shoulder. âIâll head back on my own.â
Your heart sank a little, but you didnât want to let it show. âOkay, sure,â you said quickly, trying to brush it off with a casual laugh. âDidnât think youâd say yes anyway.â
He paused for a moment, adjusting his jacket before looking at you with a slight frown. âI just donât think itâs a good idea,â he said, his voice firm but not unkind. âYou donât need to follow me around.â
The words stung more than you expected, even though youâd been joking about it all night. You opened your mouth to reply, but nothing came out. Instead, you just nodded, forcing a small smile. âGot it.â
Wonwoo gave a short nod, then turned and headed for the door without a second glance. As you watched him leave, the lightheartedness youâd felt earlier fizzled out. You knew he wasnât trying to be cruel, but his rejection still hurt. Youâd pushed and pushed all night, and for a moment, it felt like maybe he was warming up to you. But now, it seemed like you had been wrong all along.
Mina noticed your shift in mood and walked over. âHey, you okay?â
You plastered on a smile, shrugging nonchalantly. âYeah, Iâm fine. Iâll head back now. See you guys tomorrow, okay?â
Your farewell was noisy, with your girls dramatically begging you to stay. There was a big smile on your lips when you exited the door, but as you headed back to your dorm, thoughts of Wonwooâs words stayed with you.Â
Maybe this little game of flirting wasnât as fun for him as it was for you. Maybe you were pushing too hard. Maybe this was more one-sided than you wanted to admit. It had been fun for the most part, a lighthearted chase that kept your heart racing, but now it was starting to feel tiringâdraining, even.
Your brows furrowed in frustration. âI should stopâŠâ you muttered under your breath, kicking at a stray pebble in your path. Then, with a small pout, you crossed your arms tightly over your chest. âMen ainât shit,â you grumbled, though the bitterness in your voice didnât quite match the half-hearted way you said it.
âNow, now, sweetheart,â said a greasy, slurred voice from behind you, giving you goosebumps all over. âYou donât really mean that, do you?â
How deeply distracted were you that you didnât notice the dragged-out footsteps behind you?Â
You tried to brush it off, but when the pace quickened and the slurred voice called out again, you got ready to run. Before you could, however, he grabbed your arm.
âNot so fast, sweetheart,â the man drawled, his breath reeking of alcohol as he eyed you. âWhatâs a pretty girl like you doinâ out here all alone?â
You shot him a sharp glance, trying to ignore the knot tightening in your stomach. âIâm not interested. Leave me alone,â you said, trying to swat his hand away but his grip tightened.
âIâm not so bad, am I? Câmonâjust a little company,â he slurred.
You yanked your hand back, eyes narrowing as you tried to fight him off. âLet go!â you snapped, your voice rising in panic.
The man chuckled, tugging you toward him. âWhatâs the rush?â
With a rush of adrenaline, you elbowed him in the ribs and stomped on his foot with all the force you could muster. But despite your efforts, he was stronger, and your heart pounded as he forced you back against a wall, your breath catching in your throat.
Just as you started to fear you couldnât fight him off, a sharp voice cut through the air. âHey!â
Before you could process what was happening, Wonwoo appeared, eyes blazing with fury. He swung a solid punch, landing it squarely on the guyâs jaw. The man stumbled, dazed, before collapsing to the ground with a heavy thud.
You stared in shock, chest heaving, barely registering the fact that Wonwoo had just knocked the guy out. He reached for your hand, his grip firm but reassuring. âLetâs go,â he said, his voice calmer now, though still laced with urgency. âBefore he gets back up. Come on.â
Grabbing his hand, you ran with him, your pajamas flapping awkwardly as the two of you bolted down the street. Imagine getting harassed in oversized Pucca pajamas? The ridiculousness of the situation wouldâve made you laugh if you werenât so shaken. Â
Your heart was still pounding, and you could feel Wonwooâs hand tightening around yours as you rounded the corner, not stopping until you were safely back inside the campus walls.
When you finally slowed down, panting, you glanced at him. âYou justââ you started, still breathless, âYou punched him!â
Wonwoo looked at you, still catching his breath. âYeah.â
The simple acknowledgment sent a strange warmth through you. You both stood there for a moment, the adrenaline fading. You were still catching your breath, trying to process everything that had just happened.Â
âThank you,â you breathed out. âYou really saved me back there.â
âI think you wouldâve done well by yourself even if I wasnât there. You probably broke a rib or two with that elbow,â he quipped, a small smile tugging at his lips.
âIs that a joke?â you questioned, pointing at his lips. âAre laughing at your own joke?â
He looked at you, his expression shifting back to his usual. âI didnât laugh. Next time, be more careful. Donât walk by yourself at night.â His voice was steady, almost scolding, but there was an unmistakable note of concern in it.Â
You blinked up at him, feeling your heart flutter in a way that had nothing to do with the scare you just had. He had just knocked out a guy without breaking a sweat, and now he was here, telling you to be careful. You couldnât help itâthe admiration in your eyes mustâve been painfully obvious because you were falling even harder for him.Â
Wonwoo noticed your dazed expression, the way your eyes lingered on him a little too long. His brow furrowed slightly before he sighed, clearly not amused by whatever was going through your head. Without saying a word, he took off his jacket and threw it over your face.
âGo back to your room,â he muttered, his voice carrying a hint of exasperation. âAnd stop being weird.â
You pulled his jacket off your face, blinking up at him with a grin, but he was already turning away, clearly done with the situation.
âHey! Wait for me! What if he comes back?â you called out, running to catch up to him.
This wasnât part of the plan. You were doing just fine on the sidelines of college life, navigating the highs and lows of being a student. You were content not drawing attention to yourself in places that didnât need your presence, happily enjoying the fun college functions from a distance.
Why did you have to join the student council on a whim?
âIâm so sick of this,â you muttered, hauling a large box of banners back into the storage room. Someone else could do it if only there were other hands available to help. Frustrated, you kicked the box, only to recoil in pain when it slammed against your foot. âOuch!â
âMove,â came a familiar voice from behind you. You glanced back just as Wonwoo pushed you aside, his movements smooth and efficient. With ease, he picked up the box and carried it to the storage room. You followed him, a wide smile creeping onto your lips.
âThanks a lot,â you said, genuine gratitude lighting up your tone.
Wonwoo gave you a side-eye. âNext time, ask other people for help if you canât do it by yourself.â
âThere was no one to ask! Everyoneâs busy with other stuff,â you defended, pouting at being scolded.
âYou didnât ask me.â
âYou were busy too!â
âThen you shouldâve waited until I was done.â
âWhat are you so mad about? I didnât ask because you were busy, and youâre not even in the council to begin with. This isnât your job.â
Wonwoo sighed, turning away. You followed him out, trying to keep up with his long strides. When he stopped, you halted too, glancing up at him. He stared at you for a moment, inspecting your appearance with an intensity that made your heart flutter.
âAre you checking me out?â you quipped, knowing how heâd react.
Wonwoo scoffed. âAre you heading back to the dorm now?â he asked, and you nodded. âWait here,â he said before climbing up the sound box to fetch his backpack. When he came back down, he pulled out a jacket and handed it to you.
âOh, Iâm good. I have a jacket in my bag,â you chimed, dismissing it.
âForget it, then,â he said, putting it away, but you stopped him.
âNo! Iâll take it! Mineâs not warm enough,â you grinned. âThank you!â
Wonwooâs deadpan expression remained as he rolled his eyes. âGo get your things. Weâre leaving.â
You blinked, confusion washing over you. âHuh? Are we leaving together?â
âWeâre going the same way anyway. Might as well just go together,â he said, glancing away with a slight furrow in his brows. âYou might get yourself in trouble again.â
âWeâre on the campus, I donât think anyone would try something like that here,â you stated, but you couldnât help smiling.Â
After what happened the other day, Wonwoo seemed to be warming up to you now. It felt good to know that he cared enough to walk home with you and ensure nothing happened again.
âIf you donât want to, suit yourself,â he said, turning his back.
âNo, wait! Letâs go!â
You rushed back to where youâd left your things, bidding hurried goodbyes to your student council friends. When you returned, Wonwoo was still waiting for you. He sighed at the sight of your massive grin and started walking first, so you ran to catch up with him.
âWait for me,â you called, giggling as you intertwined your fingers with his. He didnât shake you off.
âPut the jacket on. Itâs cold.â
âOooh, Jeon Wonwoo,â you teased, peeking at his face. âAre you trying to get promoted to green flag?â
âIâm not a red flag,â he said monotonously.
âWhen did I say you were?â
âYou kept implying it.â
You chuckled lightly. âYou know, I heard that people who claim that theyâre not a red flag tend to be⊠well, a red flag.â
âJust wear the jacket. I donât want to be responsible for you if you get hypothermia.â
You pouted, backing away to put on the jacket. As you did, you unlinked your fingers with his but Wonwoo chased after it, tightening his hold. âLet go. I need to put this on.â
âHuh?â he blurted, retracting his hand like heâd been electrified. His fingers slipped away too quickly, but the warmth lingered on your skin.
âDo you hate it that much?â you scoffed as you wore his jacket. It was warm and smelled like him. âAnd no oneâs getting hypothermia in this weather. Itâs not that cold.â
âCanât we just walk quietly and pretend we donât know each other?â
âNo, we canât,â you chimed, linking your arms with his. âItâs impossible because we look like a couple right now.â
âNo, we donât.â
âYes, we do,â you sang, leaning your head on his shoulder as the two of you strolled down the dimly lit pathway. You allowed yourself to savor the moment, your steps perfectly in sync with his, a warmth spreading in your chest as you walked together under the soft glow of the pathway lights.
The school festival was coming up, and you got to work with Wonwoo on the preparationsâyou as a student council member, and him with the IT Club. Your tasks were different, not overlapping at all but you were content just being in the same space with him.Â
While Wonwoo worked with a clubmate on the sound systems, you were assigned to help with decorations and logistics. Despite your tasks not overlapping, you made a point to stroll by his area often, a smile lighting up your face whenever your eyes met. Wonwoo would only nod to acknowledge you, but each exchange was a little jolt of happiness for you.
The hours passed in a blur of laughter and hard work. You organized tables, hung streamers, and made sure everything was in its right place, all while stealing glances at Wonwoo and his team.
During a break, you found yourself near the sound booth, leaning against the wall to catch your breath. Wonwoo was adjusting a microphone, and you couldnât help but watch. He looked effortlessly cool, his concentration making him even more attractive.
âDonât just stand there, youâre making me nervous,â he teased when he noticed you staring.
You flushed, momentarily caught off guard. âJust appreciating the view!â you shot back with a grin.
âRight,â he deadpanned, shaking his head. âJust donât break anything.â
âOh please, Iâm the master of decorations! No broken things here!â you replied with mock seriousness.
As the day wore on, the festival started to take shape, and your excitement grew. You loved this sense of unity, the way everyone worked together to bring a festival to remember. It was very tiring, wearing out your bodies with work and your minds with how much you kept brainstorming for the best ideas. But as the sun began to set, and the field was transformed into a magical scene with the glow of fairy lights, all your labor had been worth it.
âLooks great,â Wonwoo said, suddenly at your side.
You nodded, unable to suppress your grin. âIt does, doesnât it? You guys did a great job too. The LED displays are cool.â
âWe did what we do best. You guys at the student council worked harder, coming up with cool ideas and stuff,â he replied, giving you an appreciative nod.
Feeling a rush of warmth at his compliment, you could only smile. âLetâs just say we make a great teamâeach in our own way.â
Wonwoo shrugged. âSome of the council guys were a bit pompous and bossy but, yeah, youâre right.â
You laughed at that, hitting his arm and letting your hand stay there. Wonwoo didnât flinch, even flashing a small smile as you both stared at the fruit of your labor.
The school festival was finally here, and the campus was alive with excitement. You could feel the energy in the air, the smell of food wafting from the stalls, and the cheerful sound of laughter and chatter.Â
The day kicked off with a formal ceremony in the main courtyardâwith the school band playing a march. Students and faculty gathered under a large banner that read Welcome to the 00 University Festival! You stood with your friends, cheering as the college president gave a short speech about the importance of community and collaboration.
âLet the festivities begin!â he concluded, and the crowd erupted into applause.
As the ceremony ended, you raced to the game booths that had been set up around the campus. Your friends challenged each other to various gamesâring toss, balloon darts, and a giant inflatable obstacle course. The laughter was infectious, and you lost track of time as you tried your hand at each game, reveling in the thrill of friendly competition.
In between the fun, you made your way to the sound booth, where Wonwoo and Jihoon were busy setting up for the afternoon performances.Â
âSnacks for the most hardworking people on the whole campus,â you called out, showing them the containers of food and drinks.
âThanks a lot!â Jihoon said with a bright smile, taking a snack before returning to his controls. âYouâre so thoughtful.â
Wonwoo, on the other hand, merely nodded, a small smile breaking through his serious demeanor. âThanks,â he said, taking a sip from the drink you brought him.
âYou guys are doing an amazing job! Canât wait for the party tonight!â you exclaimed, your excitement bubbling over.
âWeâll make sure itâs a good one,â Jihoon replied, his enthusiasm infectious.
âAre you kidding me? DJ Woozi is here. I know itâs gonna be a good one,â you chimed, pointing finger guns at Jihoon.
The latter couldnât help grinning at your compliment. âYou should come over more often! Itâs not all boring work here.â
âOh, of course. Iâll be here often. Gotta make sure you stay hydrated. Youâll need the energy to keep up with the crowd.â
Jihoon tilted his head slightly, unconvinced. âPretty sure Wonwoo will appreciate it,â he chuckled, nudging Wonwooâs arm.
You just smiled, winking at Wonwoo before you bid your goodbyes and promised them youâd be back.Â
As the afternoon rolled in, the booths and games continued. You lost yourself in the fun, but each time you never forgot to stop by the sound booth, checking in on Wonwooâand Jihoon because he happened to be there too.
âWant a break?â you asked during one of your visits. âYouâve been at it for hours!â
Wonwoo looked at you, the serious expression on his face softening slightly. âIâm good. Just need to make sure everything is perfect for tonight.â
You nodded, admiring his dedication. âWell, I brought more snacks,â you said, pulling out the waffles you got from one of the booths.
âThanks,â Jihoon said, taking the bag with a grateful smile.
Soon, the day transitioned into the evening. Students gathered around the stage, and the sounds of music filled the campus. You joined your friends, dancing and enjoying the beats as Jihoonâmoniker, Woozi got the crowd hyped.
You could see Wonwoo in the sound booth, focused on the music, and your heart swelled with admiration. Every now and then, you made your way back to him, offering him drinks or just sharing a quick laugh about something funny happening in the crowd.
âHaving fun?â he asked during one of your visits, his gaze momentarily leaving the controls.
âDefinitely! This is amazing!â you replied, breathless from dancing.
âGood. Just keep your distance from the speakers,â he said and you could see a playful glint in his eyes despite his deadpan expression.
âDonât worry, Iâm not here to break anything,â you shot back, grinning.
The night continued to unfold, filled with dancing, laughter, and an electric atmosphere. Later, when the party wound down and the crowd began to disperse, the working group gathered again for a final clean-up.
âI canât believe how well everything turned out,â you said, looking around at the remnants of the festival.
âYeah, it was a success,â Jihoon replied, glancing at you. âThanks for all your help today.â
âOf course! It was so much fun being part of it,â you said, feeling a warmth spread through you.
The student council president clapped his hands together to grab everyoneâs attention. âBefore we call it a night, how about we plan a weekend escapade to celebrate our hard work? A little break after all this?â
Cheers erupted from the group, and you felt your heart race at the thought of spending more time with everyone, especially with Wonwoo.
âGood to know everyoneâs up for it!â the president said, smiling. âFor now, let us pack up what needs to be packed up, make sure not to miss anything, and then we can head to the after-party.â
You helped pack up the necessary stuff that could not wait until tomorrow. Luckily, the university had a cleaning personnel who would handle the rest, so your work was lighter. Afterward, the group dispersed, some resigning to their dorms to rest, and the others heading to the after-party at an off-campus frat house.
Your friends were waiting for you outside the dorm, and you all hurried off to the party. It was a big shift from the organized chaos of the festival to a more liberated vibe. The living room was packed with students, and the atmosphere was thick with the smell of alcohol, vape, and perfumes mixed with the faintest hint of sweat. Colorful lights dance across the walls, along with the bodies of partygoers moving along to the catchy music.
âLetâs grab some drinks!â Mina shouted over the music, and the group surged toward the makeshift bar set up in the corner. You followed, adrenaline coursing through you as you filled a cup with whatever was on offer.
With drinks in hand, you scanned the room, your eyes searching for a familiar face. And there he wasâWonwoo, standing in a corner, a drink in hand, watching the chaos unfold with an amused expression. His dark hair glimmered under the strobe lights, and he stood out in his plain white t-shirt.
Without hesitation, you weaved through the crowd, clutching your drink tightly. âHey, you made it!â you said, trying to sound casual despite the excitement bubbling inside you.
âNot willingly,â he replied, taking a sip from his cup.
âWant to join the madness?â you asked, gesturing toward the dance floor, where a group of students swayed and grinded, lost in the music and alcohol.
âPass,â he said, not even giving it a thought.
âI knew it, but why did I still ask?â you mumbled, chuckling over your cup.
Across the hall, you spotted Mina and Hoshi, getting touchy as they danced to the rhythm. You smiled at the sight of them, lifting your cup in greeting when Hoshi waved at you.
âThey look so in love, itâs annoying,â you snorted, but your fond smile was anything but snarky.
âDoesnât look like it to me,â Wonwoo commented, making you glance at him.
âYou donât see it?â you questioned, genuinely perplexed. âItâs so obvious. They canât even get their hands off of each other.â
Wonwoo hummed, but he looked unconvinced. âIt could be the alcohol, you know, making them hot and touchy⊠and horny. You donât need love to feel that way.â
You observed him for a while, trying to gouge what was in his mind but to no avail. You could tell though that he was a cynic. âYou donât believe in love, do you?â
âLove is overrated,â he said, sipping from his cup.
You just nodded, acknowledging his admittance and respecting his opinions. âAre you sure you should be drinking? You canât handle your liquor.â
âOh, this is plain soda,â he replied, showing you the contents of his red cup. âIâm not drinking. Canât afford to make stupid mistakes.â
âMistakes? Like calling some stranger gorgeous and confessing your love for them?â you quipped but there was a bit of snark in your tone.
âYeah, pretty much.â
That dampened your mood. âWell, good luck then,â you said, bumping your cup gently against his. âEnjoy the party.â
As you turned to walk away, Wonwoo grabbed your hand, stopping you in your tracks. âWhere are you going?â
âIâm gonna go have some real fun. Dancing, drinking, maybe some games because Iâm quite good at them,â you smiled, motioning to the chaos around you. âItâs a party after all.â
He released your arm and you couldnât quite tell what expression he was wearing. âHave fun then.â
âThanks. I will,â you said with a salute before disappearing into the crowd.
You didnât see him around the house after that, neither did you try looking for him. You just enjoyed the night, trying to take him off of your mind and the nagging thought at the back of your mind that going after him would not result in anything but disappointment.
Early Saturday morning, you gathered at the school plaza with other members of the festival working group. You were set to leave at 9 am, and despite the hangover from last night, you managed to make it there on timeânot without a splitting headache that a handful of other members seemed to share.
âAlright?â asked Wonwoo, appearing beside you with a slight scowl as you pressed your fingers to your forehead, trying to ease the pounding pain.
âHi!â you greeted him, smiling from ear to ear only to wince again. âOuch. My head is killing me.â
âAnd whose fault is that?â Wonwoo smirked.
Before you could retort, Jihoon hopped over, a small plastic bag in hand filled with water and medicine. âHere. Itâll help with the hangover,â he offered, his expression earnest.
You groaned dramatically, pouting at him. âThanks a lot, Jihoon. Youâre a literal angel.â
Jihoonâs cheeks flushed at the compliment, the corners of his mouth twitching into a bashful smile. âThatâs⊠Well, itâs not much.â
âNo, I mean it. You really are an angel. Your skin is so fair, itâs blinding,â you said, squinting playfully as if his glow was too bright to bear.
âTake the medicine if your head is hurting that much,â Wonwoo chided sternly on your other side, making you turn back to him.
âOh, right,â you mumbled, opening the bag. You popped a pill in your mouth and fumbled with the bottle of water, struggling to twist the cap off. Just as Jihoon was about to help, Wonwoo snatched the bottle from your hand, effortlessly twisting it open.Â
âThanks,â you said, raising the bottle in appreciation. You mirrored the gesture to Jihoon, grinning widely. âThanks, my angel.â
Soon, the rest of the group arrived, ready for the trip. Since the university didnât sponsor this outing, you all had to pay for expenses and transportation. Some students had cars and agreed to carpool with those who didnât.
Without giving it much thought, you headed straight to Wonwooâs car, making yourself comfortable in the front seat like you belonged there.
He didnât seem to mind, though he did ask, âAre you carpooling with me? I thought you were going in Jihoonâs car.â
âOh, he didnât invite me. Weâre not that close,â you replied, buckling your seatbelt. âBesides, Iâd rather ride you.â
You noticed his hand freeze mid-air, the awkward silence that followed stretching between you like a taut string.
âWith you!â you said in a panic. âI meant to say, Iâd rather ride with you.â
Wonwoo nodded with a blank expression. âYeah. I know,â he said coolly.
You chuckled awkwardly, looking outside his window and mentally cursing yourself. When the other cars started driving away, you realized that Wonwoo still hadnât turned on his engine.
âAre we waiting for someone?â you asked and he nodded.
âThere he is,â he said, gesturing at Seokmin, who was rushing toward you with a backpack slung over one shoulder.
He yanked the backseat door open and hopped in immediately. âWow. Thanks for not leaving me behind.â
âYou had three minutes left,â Wonwoo replied, a hint of exasperation in his tone as he finally fired up the engine and drove out of the campus.
The car ride was filled with laughter as Seokmin took charge of the music, blasting upbeat tracks that made it impossible not to move. He sang along, his voice rising above the catchy beats, and every now and then, he added exaggerated dance moves from the passenger seat, making you and Wonwoo laugh.
âCan you believe we actually survived the festival?â Seokmin exclaimed, throwing his hands in the air. âI thought weâd end up in a full-on food fight or something! Just imagine itâstreamers flying, popcorn everywhere, total chaos!â
You chuckled, picturing the scene, however impossible it was. âYeah, and weâd be the ones cleaning it up afterward.â
âExactly! But it wouldâve been legendary!â Seokmin insisted, a mischievous glint in his eyes. âNext time, Iâm bringing a water balloon launcher. Whoâs in?â
Wonwoo rolled his eyes but couldnât hide his amusement. âYouâd just end up hitting someone with that.â
âDetails, details!â Seokmin waved off the concern. âIt doesnât matter as long as you had fun and made lots of memories.â
He stopped and gasped quietly as he watched you extend the iced coffee toward Wonwoo so he could take a sip. You noticed him only when Wonwoo had taken a sip and youâd placed the coffee back in the cup holder.
âWhat?â you asked.
âWhy donât you guys just kiss in front of me?â
Wonwoo scowled, glancing briefly at his friend. âWhy would we do that?â
âRight?â you blurted, snorting. âDidnât know you were kinky like that, Seokmin.â
Seokmin leaned back in his seat. âYou guys. You know thatâs not what I mean.â
You felt your cheeks heat up. âI was just being nice, okay?â
âRight, just being nice,â Seokmin teased, wiggling his eyebrows. âBut I mean, he didnât look like he was complaining. When did he stop complaining about you invading his space?â
âOh, heâs never complained to me before,â you replied, you didnât even need to think about it.
Seokmin gasped dramatically. âHe did not?â
âNot that I remember,â you said, peering at him in the backseat. âAnd I remember every single interaction we had,â you added with a proud smile.
âBut he doesnât like it when people are in his space,â said Seokmin, pointing at Wonwoo with a surprised expression. âHe hates it.â
You shot a glance at Wonwoo, who kept his eyes on the road, his expression unreadable. âEnough, Seokmin. Youâre gonna make her think Iâm enjoying this.â
âArenât you?â he shot back with a grin. âI mean, who wouldnât want a cute girl following him around, giving him drinks and all that?â
âExactly!â you exclaimed. âLook at me! 1-800-hot-n-fun.â
Seokmin leaned between your seats, pointing a finger gun at your temple. âExcuse me, maâam. Youâre under arrest for being 10 out of 10 and 2 hot 2 handle.â
You and Seokmin burst out laughing, and even Wonwoo couldnât hide his grin.
âSettle down, or I'll kick you two out of the car,â Wonwoo chided.
âIs it strange that Iâm more invested in your relationship than you are?â Seokmin asked after a momentâs pause.
You shushed him. âShut up. No one is more invested in our relationship than I am!â
As the miles rolled by, the countryside unfolded around you, with fields of wildflowers swaying in the breeze. Just as you were nearing the location, you had to stop at a gasoline station because Seokmin needed to use the restroom.
âHow about you?â he asked, just as Seokmin had left the car.
âNo, Iâm good,â you replied, glancing at him and found him scrolling through his phone. He just hummed, eyes fixed on his screen.
You took in his featuresâhandsome, of course, with that natural air of confidence he always seemed to carry. His jawline gave him an angular, sharp look, yet there was something almost delicate in the way his eyes softened when he looked at you, or the way his lashes fell gently against his skin when he blinked.
Your gaze fell to his lipsâsymmetrical with a defined cupidâs bow and subtle but natural fullness. There was that ever-present slight curve. It wasnât quite a smile, but it always seemed like it was on the verge of one, and it made you wonder what itâd take to coax a real one out of him.
âYou know,â you said, voice dripping with playful mischief, âyou have really pretty lips.â
Wonwoo paused, blinking as if processing your comment. His eyes flicked to your mouth, and for a second, the silence between you seemed to thicken. But then he shifted his gaze back to the road, brushing off your words like it was nothing. âThanks,â he replied, as nonchalant as ever.
At the back of your mind, you wonder if it was as soft as it appeared to be.
âCan you tie a cherry stem into a knot with your tongue?â you asked again, leaning a little closer with an innocent smile on your lips.Â
You knew exactly what you were doingâthe teasing tone, the loaded question. It was playful, sultry, but in a way that you could brush off if he didnât bite. You fully expected his usual indifferent response.
Then again, there was the possibility that maybe heâd pick up your hints this time, and maybe heâd do something about the tension that was building up between you right at this moment. Maybeâ
âI donât think anyone can,â he answered flatly, the corner of his mouth barely twitching.
You threw your hands up dramatically. âOh my god. What was I expecting?â you groaned, looking away.
Wonwoo remained quiet, so you glanced back at him. You met his eyes, dark with an intensity that you hadnât seen before. His jaw was clenched tightly, and somehow it felt as though you had done something wrong.
âWhat?â you asked, cocking an eyebrow at him.
He didnât say anything. He just unbuckled his seatbelt and leaned towards you. Before you could react, he was already cupping the back of your head and crashing his lips into yours.
You were momentarily stunned, grappling with the sensation of his lips pressing against yours. He tightened his grip on your head, tilting it just right, allowing him to kiss you more deeply. It was firm, yet slow, like heâd been thinking about it for much longer than youâd realized. You closed your eyes as you melted into him, kissing him back with a rhythm that made your skin prickle with the warmth that was slowly creeping into your chest. Your heart raced in its cageâso wildly that you swore Wonwoo could feel it echoing in his own.
When he finally pulled back, his expression was unreadable, but there was a flicker of triumph in his eyes.
âSo?â His voice was low, teasing. âCan I?â
You blinked, still a little dazed. âHuh?â
He smirked, the smug confidence catching you off guard. âCan I tie a cherry stem into a knot with my tongue?â
Your mouth fell open in disbelief before you burst out laughing, the tension between you now crackling in the air. âY-yeah,â you stammered, the flustered grin spreading across your face. âAbsolutely. Youâre amazing. Basically a pro. Heh.â
Luckily, Seokmin arrived before the mood could get any more awkward. He did notice the shift between you, but when he asked about it, you just brushed it off. Deep inside, you were reeling in the bliss of kissing Wonwooâwait, noâof being kissed by Wonwoo.
You soon arrived at the villa, its warm stone exterior blending beautifully with the surrounding trees. There was a welcoming warmth to it, and you hoped it was as comfortable as it looked.
âWow, this place is massive,â Seokmin commented dramatically as he stepped out of the car, looking up at the villa as if it were a five-star resort.
Just then, a girl with beautiful long hair and a bright smile appeared on the porch. âHey, guys! You made it!â she called out, waving enthusiastically.Â
âClaire?â Seokmin blurted, evidently surprised.
âSeokmin!â she squealed, running to him for a quick hug.
You noticed Wonwoo stiffen slightly at the sight of her, his expression shifting as he watched the reunion. It didnât go unnoticed by you, but Claire seemed blissfully unaware.
âWhat are you doing here?â Seokmin asked, backing away with a neutral expression.
The student council president came out before Claire could respond. âYouâve arrived! Good. Good. Have you met Claire?â he said, smiling at Claire. âClaire here was kind enough to offer their family villa, so this is going to be our home for the weekend.â
âOh, I know these guys. We go way back,â said Claire, referring to Seokmin and Wonwoo.
Prez introduced you to her and Claireâs smile widened as she extended her hand to you. âNice to meet you!â
âNice to meet you too!â you replied, trying to match her enthusiasm. You were still processing the sudden tension in the air, especially from Wonwoo.
âCome on in! The others are waiting.â
As the president guided you inside, you watched as Claire held Wonwoo by the arm and walked ahead of you. You felt a sudden surge of annoyance at her, clearly out of jealousy.
Seokmin leaned in to whisper in your ear. âThatâs Wonwooâs ex.â
The revelation hung in the air as you watched them. Wonwooâs expression was blank, while Claire remained upbeat.
As you stepped further inside the villa, you couldnât shake the feeling that this weekend was going to be more complicated than you had anticipated.
The first order of business in the villa was dinner. After arriving early, everyone gathered around for snacks and chatted, but by dinner time, the group split into twoâthose helping in the kitchen and those exploring the villa.
You hadnât planned on helping out in the kitchen, but when you noticed only a few had volunteered, you reluctantly joined in. A mistake, you realized, as your eyes drifted to the living room where Wonwoo sat with Claire beside him. She looked far too comfortable, leaning in close as they talked, her laughter ringing out over the murmur of conversations. Your chest tightened at the sight, the feeling of irritation and insecurity creeping up on you.Â
Itâs fine. Heâs allowed to have a past, you told yourself, gripping the knife a little tighter as you sliced through a watermelon. But does she have to sit so close? Exes shouldnât be too nice to each other. And does she have to appear now?
âHey, focus!â Jihoonâs voice cut through your thoughts as he nudged your shoulder. âYouâre going to cut yourself if youâre not careful.â
âOh, shit,â you muttered, blinking down at the cutting board. You had nearly reached the end of the watermelon and were dangerously close to nicking your finger
âWhy are you so distracted?â Jihoon teased, glancing briefly at Wonwoo and Claire before turning back to the stove. âRelax. Heâs yours. Iâm sure of it.â
You let out a dry laugh, though your stomach twisted. âYou canât be so sure. Not with his ex clinging to him like that.â
âI donât know... Heâs heading this way now, so I think Iâm right,â Woozi replied, stirring the contents of the pan with a knowing smile.
Before you could process Jihoonâs words, Wonwoo appeared beside you. His presence made the kitchen feel smaller.
âWhat are you doing?â he asked, his gaze fixed on the watermelon as he gently nudged you aside. His body brushed against yours as he took the knife from your hand, his touch lingering a little longer than necessary. He began slicing the fruit with ease.
Your pulse quickened. âWhat do you think?â you pouted, stepping aside but staying close enough for your elbows to brush every now and then.
âI think youâre trying to get my attention. Getting hurt and all,â he replied, making your jaw drop. He laughed at your expression. âArenât you?â
âI wasnât hurt,â you told him, rolling your eyes although your heart was fluttering at the sight of his smile. âAnd even if I did want your attention, I donât need to hurt myself to get it.â
Wonwoo nodded, agreeing. âYouâre right. You donât need to. Itâs one of your many talents.â
You took a paring knife and started slicing the pears, scooting closer to Wonwoo so your elbows touched slightly. âSeokmin told me Claire was your ex.â
Wonwoo hummed in response, not looking up from the watermelon he was slicing. âShe is. Freshman year.â
You stopped the urge to roll your eyes. âSo you did believe in love.â
âJust because I had girlfriends before doesnât mean I believe in love.âÂ
âYou know, I heard somewhere that people who claim not to believe in love tend to be the most hopeless romantic individuals to ever walk the Earth.â
âWhoever said that was lying,â he replied, shoving a small piece of watermelon in your mouth, his fingers lightly brushing your lips.
You chewed slowly, feeling a blush creep up your neck. The way Wonwooâs eyes lingered on your lips didnât go unnoticed by you. On an ordinary day, that would be a good opportunity to make fun of him, but after what happened in the car earlier, you could not bring yourself to tease him.
He cleared his throat, looking away and resuming his task. You glanced around, suddenly feeling self-conscious and didnât know where to put your hand, so you grabbed a slice of watermelon.
âItâs very sweet. Try it,â you said, offering the slice to him.
Without looking, Wonwoo leaned sideways to you and took a bite of the fruit. You instantly regretted that because now you were the one staring at his lips, recalling the vivid imagery of earlierâs kiss.
âWonwoo!â a voice called out from the living room, snapping you out of your imaginations. It was Claire and she didnât have anything to say, just waving at Wonwoo with a smile.
You glanced at Wonwoo who didnât even bother to show a reaction, let alone respond.
âDoes it bother you that sheâs here?â you asked, your voice softer now, more curious than playful.
He paused, his gaze finally meeting yours. âNo, it doesnât bother me.â
âSo youâre unbothered?â
âIâm unbothered.â
You tilted your head, eyes narrowing in playful suspicion. âYou know, I heard that people who say theyâre unbothered tend to be... well, very bothered.â
Wonwoo let out a small, resigned laugh, finally setting the knife down. His gaze softened as he turned to face you fully. âAgain with your odd wisdom.â He raised an eyebrow, his tone teasing but warm. âWhatâs next? People who claim to have allergies arenât actually allergic?â
âOh, I wouldnât go that far,â you shot back, laughing. âAllergies are backed by science. But being bothered when youâre in the same room as your ex? Thatâs a little harder to prove. Just like not believing in love.â
âYouâre too smart for your own good,â he said sarcastically. âI might need to practice my patience so I can keep up with your antics.â
âOh? Youâll do that instead of telling me to leave you alone?â
Wonwoo scowled lightly. âDid you forget what Seokmin said? That I hate it when people bother me?â he asked, reaching to tuck a few stray hairs behind your ear. âI donât hate you, so I wonât tell you to leave me alone.â
Your heart skipped a beat, but before you could reply, Claireâs voice carried over from the living room, breaking the moment. You glanced over, watching as she stood up, her eyes briefly meeting Wonwooâs before she looked away.
I have a feeling in my gut that sheâs doing this on purpose, you thought to yourself, narrowing your eyes slightly at the other girl.
âDinnerâs almost ready!â someone called from the kitchen, pulling your attention back.
Wonwoo didnât seem to notice Claire at all as he turned to the stove to help Jihoon with the final touches. After that, you moved to the backyard just as the evening settled into a cool, dusky warmth.Â
The smell of barbecue filled the air, rich and smoky. The large grill crackled and popped as steaks, skewers, and vegetables sizzled under Seokminâs watchfulâalbeit playfulâeye. You could hear him narrating the process dramatically to anyone who would listen, complete with sound effects.
âAnd now, behold! The perfectly grilled steak, sizzling under my masterful technique,â Seokmin proclaimed, waving his spatula like a wand.
You sat at one of the long picnic tables on the patio, nursing a cold drink and watching the light from the grill flicker across the faces of your friends. Wonwoo sat beside you, quietly observing the scene while Claireâwho had rejoined the groupâchatted animatedly with some others across the table. You were trying not to feel too aware of her presence, but it was impossible not to glance her way now and then.
âHey, are you going to give me a hand, or are you just going to sit there looking cute?â Seokmin called to you with a playful wink.
You snorted, setting your drink down and getting up. âYou know, you canât use that line for everything.â
Seokmin shook his head, grinning widely. âWho said itâs a line? You just happen to look cute all the time, okay? Now, get over here and help me with the skewers.â
Wonwoo chuckled beside you, and you gave him a teasing glance as you headed toward the grill. âDonât laugh too much, or youâll be next on Seokminâs target list.â
âIâll pass,â Wonwoo replied dryly, though his eyes followed you with a hint of amusement.
You reached the grill, where Seokmin handed you a plate of marinated vegetables to arrange onto skewers. âSo, howâs it going over there with Mr. Mysterious?â Seokmin asked in a low voice, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively as he leaned closer.
You raised an eyebrow at him. âWhat do you mean?â
Seokmin nudged you with his elbow. âDonât play dumb. I saw how you and Wonwoo were looking at each other earlier. Youâre practically making out with your eyes.â
You rolled your eyes, trying to hide the smile tugging at your lips. âOkay, you win. You are more invested in our relationship than me.â
âI told, didnât I?â he asked, giving you a knowing grin. âIâve known the guy for ages. Heâs not usually this... I donât know, present. Itâs like he actually pays attention when youâre around. Normally, heâs off in his own world.â
You opened your mouth to respond but were interrupted when Wonwoo appeared at your side, casually grabbing one of the skewers you had just finished assembling.
âHey!â you exclaimed, laughing. âYouâre supposed to let them cook first.â
Wonwoo raised an eyebrow, popping a piece of bell pepper into his mouth. âItâs good raw.â
Seokmin gasped dramatically. âItâs what?â
Wonwoo flicked Seokminâs forehead, discouraging his thoughts. âTake your mind out of the gutters.â
Seokmin rubbed the part of his forehead that Wonwoo flicked, grinning at you and wiggling his eyebrows knowingly. You playfully swatted his arm with the back of your hand.
âSo dirty-minded, go away,â you scolded though you were grinning.
Wonwoo smiled softly, and for a moment, the noise of the group around you faded. His gaze held yours, and you felt that familiar warmth spread through your chest again, that quiet tension that always seemed to hover between you.
Seokmin cleared his throat loudly, breaking the moment. âOkay, lovebirds, enough with the eyes! Weâve got mouths to feed.â
You blushed, turning back to the skewers as Seokmin gave you a teasing grin. He leaned over and whispered, âSee? What did I say? Sparks.â
âShut up,â you muttered, though you couldnât help smiling.
Seokmin sighed reminiscently. âMan, Iâm so single. I wish the others were here too.â
âRight? I wouldâve been fun to have them here,â you noted, remembering your rowdy friends.
âWe should do this again with them. Say âyesâ.â
âYes,â you replied, not missing a beat. âAbsolutely, yes.â
As the grilling continued, you could hear laughter and chatter all aroundâSeokminâs over-the-top narrations, Jihoon offering sarcastic commentary from where he stood near the grill, and Claireâs voice chiming in from the table, still carrying that same vibrant energy she had when you first arrived.
Once the food was ready, everyone gathered around the picnic tables, the platters piled high with grilled meats, skewers, and sides. The scent of charred meat and fresh herbs mixed with the cool evening breeze. The plates clinked as people passed around dishes, and conversations overlapped in the comfortable chaos of friends enjoying a good meal.
You found a spot next to Wonwoo again, your plate full, though you were more focused on the way his knee brushed against yours under the table. Each little touch felt like a secret between the two of you, unnoticed by everyone else.
Across the table, Prez pointed his fork at you and Wonwoo, grinning. âYou two are awfully close for two people who arenât dating.â
You almost choked on your food, but Wonwoo calmly sipped his drink, completely unfazed. âWeâre just eating, Prez,â he said, but his hand landing gently on your thigh under the table contradicted his statement.
âYeah, and sitting suspiciously close while doing it,â Seokmin quipped, wiggling his eyebrows. âJust saying. The grill master knows things.â
âYou really need to stop calling yourself that,â one of your companions teased, shaking her head at Seokmin.
Seokmin gasped dramatically. âExcuse me, maâam, but this title is earned through years of culinary excellence andââ
âHey, Claire, do you think Seokmin deserves the title of âgrill masterâ?â someone called from the other end of the table, cutting off his exaggerated speech.
Claire, who had been quiet for a while, looked up with a smile. âI mean, he did a good job, but I wouldnât go that far.â
The group erupted into laughter, and Seokmin threw his hands up in defeat. âFine, fine. Iâll accept the demotion.â
As the laughter died down, you felt Wonwoo lean a little closer, thumb rubbing your thigh over your jeans. He didnât say anything, but the way he quietly stayed by your side, even in the midst of all the noise, spoke volumes.
The evening carried on, full of easy laughter, good food, drunk anecdotes, and the soft glow of lanterns that lit up the patio as night fell. You couldnât remember the last time you felt this light, this content, as the warmth of the barbecue wrapped around you like a comfortable blanket and the buzz of alcohol numbed the cold air hitting your skin.
âYou alright?â Wonwoo asked, placing a hand over your back as you were resting your head on the table.
Everyone had gone back inside, save for a few others who continued their drinking by the poolside. You and Wonwoo were the only ones left at the table, mainly because you were tired and he didnât want to leave you.
You sat up and stared at him. âMy god, youâre so handsome. I could kiss you.â
âYouâre drunk.â
You snort. âIâm not drunk. I never get drunk!â you paused, staring at your index finger. âActually, I did get drunk⊠once, twice? Was it thrice? I donât remember. Anyway!â
You took a deep breath and tucked your hair behind your ears. âEven if Iâm not drunk, I always want to kiss you.â
âYou do?â he questioned, amused.
You stood up and stepped closer to him, he remained in his seat, watching you with soft eyes. You wobbled a bit but Wonwoo caught your arms firmly, keeping you steady. You held his face with your hands, squeezing his cheeks slightly. âDonât dodge this, okay?â
âSo? Did youâŠâ Seungcheol paused, hesitating. There was a hint of embarrassment on his face as he finished his sentence. â...kiss?â
You laughed, lolling your head back. âYouâre a grown-ass man and youâre hesitating to say the word âkissâ?â
Seungcheol shifted uncomfortably in his seat, looking away with a small pout. That expression intrigued you, surprised to know he could make such a face. Then again, what do you really know about him?
âItâs not my fault. The mood of your story is quite⊠Iâm not sure what to call it. Innocent? In a way?â
âI get what you mean. But to answer your question, we didnât kiss,â you jeered, rolling your eyes. âI blacked out and forgot, but he told me that we didnât kiss. He dodged it.â
âYou believed that?â
You shrugged. âWonwoo had no reason to lie about it. I mean, thatâs just out of character for him.â
âI see,â said Seungcheol, thinking. âSo? What happened next?â
You groaned, taking a big sip of your drink before continuing. âRemember Claire?â
âYeah, we do not like her.â
âGood, sheâs annoying,â you said, rolling your eyes. âShe was even more annoying the next day after that...â
Prez had a hike planned for the next day. The area was a popular spot for its beautiful river up the mountain, so you all agreed to go. When you heard a knock on your door, you had expected it to be Wonwoo, but instead, Jihoonâs smile greeted you.
âLooks like weâre carpooling today,â he said.
âWe are?â you asked, blinking in confusion.
Jihoon gave a half-shrug. âYeah, I thought the same. Figured youâd be with Wonwoo, but apparently, he already left.â
âWonwooâs gone?â You tried to keep your voice steady, masking the sting of disappointment that followed his words.
âYeah, he headed out early with Prez, Claire, and a few others,â Jihoon explained, noticing the subtle shift in your expression.
You forced a smile, quickly masking the sinking feeling in your chest. âWell, canât be helped. Iâll just grab my jacket.â
âTake your time. Calumâs not even ready yet, so weâve got a bit.â Jihoon leaned against the doorframe as you moved back inside to grab your things.
âWho else is with us?â you asked, emerging with your jacket and a small backpack.
âJust Calum,â Jihoon replied with a smirk. âWhich means we get to listen to him complain the whole way.â
You snorted, shaking your head. âWell, we better go before he decides to ditch us too.â
As the three of you arrived at the foot of the mountain, you spotted the rest of the group already gathered around the guide for a quick briefing. Your eyes immediately searched for Wonwoo. Sure enough, he and Seokmin were at the front of the line, both seemingly unaware that youâd arrived. A strange tension filled the air as your gaze lingered on Wonwoo, but you quickly pushed it aside, focusing on the hike ahead.
âOkay! Everybody ready to go?â the guide asked and everyone responded with a chorus of yesses.
You saw Wonwoo scanning the crowd behind him, stopping only when he locked eyes with you. There was a subtle change in his expression, something softer as if in recognition of you. He patted Prez on the back, saying something to him before he jogged toward you.
âThere you are,â he said with a small smile. âI thought you werenât coming?â
âWho said that?â you asked, genuinely perplexed.Â
âClaire. She said she heard you tell someone that you werenât coming out today.â
You smirked, annoyed at Claire and her obvious attempt to sabotage you. âAnd you didnât think to check with me?â
Wonwoo shrugged. âI didnât wanna wake you. You seemed pretty drunk last night.â
The annoyance you were feeling suddenly dissipated, replaced by shame as you recalled trying to kiss him last night. You looked away, covering your mouth in shock.
âAre you shy?â he asked, chuckling lightly. âThatâs new.â
You tutted at him and hit his arm playfully. âShut up.â
He chuckled, casually taking your sling bag and wearing it across his chest. âIâll take this.â
You grinned playfully. âAre you a gentleman now? Is it because youâve fallen in love with me?â
âNo. I just donât want to deal with you complaining about a heavy bag halfway through the hike.â
The hike started out smoothly, with the morning sun filtering through the trees. Your group moved at a comfortable pace, with chatter filling the air as you climbed higher, nearing the mountainâs scenic river. Claireâwho somehow found a way to walk next to Wonwoo and you, was leading the conversation close to Wonwoo, which irritated you more than youâd like to admit.Â
âAre you alright?â Jihoon asked quietly, his voice pulling you from your thoughts. He flashed you a knowing smirk, catching the direction of your gaze.
âIâm fine. Just⊠taking in the view,â you replied quietly.
Jihoon didnât seem convinced but dropped the subject. âWell, weâre almost there. Save your energy. Thereâs still the climb up to the ridge,â he added, pointing ahead to a steeper incline.
You felt a hand on your back and glanced at Wonwoo who just smiled at you. As the group made its way up, the conversation turned to reminiscing about old hiking trips. Claire, of course, found her way into this again, laughing as she talked about a time she and Wonwoo had hiked a similar trail.Â
âWonwoo was such a show-off back then,â she said with a laugh, nudging him. âYou remember that, right?â
You could hear the hint of nostalgia in her voice, but Wonwoo barely reacted. He just gave a polite nod, keeping his eyes on the trail ahead and his hand on your back.Â
âI was younger. Probably didnât know better.â
Claire smiled at his response, but there was something about the way she looked at himâlike she was waiting for more. It twisted something in your chest.
âYeah, when youâre younger, you make stupid decisions,â said Seokmin, laughing a tad bit louder than necessary. âYouâre so relatable, man. I try to forget my stupid decisions too. Especially the worst ones.â
You didnât know the context, but you grasped the picture Seokmin was trying to insinuate about Wonwoo and Claireâs history. For some reason, it made you feel better about yourself to know that Wonwooâs friend didnât like his ex.
After another thirty minutes of steady climbing, you reached the ridge, overlooking the crystal-clear river that sparkled in the distance. Everyone took a breath, the beauty of the view silencing the group momentarily.
âThis spot is perfect!â Prez called out, breaking the stillness as he bounced forward with his phone, ready to take pictures. âLetâs get some photos, everyone!â
Some of the group began to gather for a group shot, while others wandered around, taking in the scenery. You stayed back, wanting to enjoy the moment without Claireâs constant presence.
After a few photos and a lot of teasing from Seokmin, everyone dispersed, walking back toward the trail to continue on. As you moved ahead, you glanced at Wonwoo, who seemed quieter than usual, lost in his thoughts. You wondered if it was Claire getting to him, or if he was just being his typical reserved self.
The hike continued around the river, with a playful challenge thrown in along the way. Seokmin, always full of energy, dared anyone to balance on a fallen log that stretched across a small stream.
âCome on, whoâs got the best balance?â he called out, clapping his hands together. âItâs a rite of passage for this hike!â
Prez shook his head, grinning. âIâm out. Iâll leave that to the younger ones.â
Seokmin turned to you, eyebrows raised. âHow about you? I bet youâve got some hidden skills.â
You shook your head. âHave fun without me.â
âCome on!â Seokmin grinned, motioning for you to step up. âJust once. Letâs see who wins.â
âFine. You asked for this,â you told him, taking off your jacket and tying it across your hips.
The challenge began, and as you wobbled your way across the log, the others cheered from the sidelines. Seokmin was right behind you, steady but focused, and you could feel his presence as you tried not to lose your balance. A few slips here and there, but you made it across, jumping off the log with a victorious grin.
âNot bad, not bad!â Seokmin cheered, clapping his hands as he followed behind you, landing with ease.
You were catching your breath when you noticed Claire, standing a bit too close to Wonwoo, again sharing some kind of inside joke. Your stomach twisted as you watched them, the sight more irritating than the thought of falling off the log.
Feeling a bit frustrated, you turned away, pretending to check your bag but realized it was with Wonwoo. You sighed again, and then suddenly you felt a hand on your shoulder. You turned to see Wonwoo, holding out his water bottle.
âYou didnât bring water, did you?â he said simply, eyes soft but unreadable. âDrink up.â
You blinked, caught off guard by the gesture. âOh⊠thanks.â
âDonât wanna have to carry you all the way back.â
You rolled your eyes, knowing he was only trying to downplay his concern for you. âOf course, of course.â
You took the bottle, your frustration softening as you realized heâd been paying attention. It wasnât much, but you loved it anyway. You basked in itâin his attention which seemed to be on you most of the time.
He didnât say anything more, just walked beside you as the group started unloading their stuff for a quick lunch by the river. The others went for a swim, led by Seokmin, as expected. You quietly took a sip of the water, the cool water hydrating you as you glanced over at Wonwoo in his usual quiet demeanor. He handed you a sandwich that heâd peeled open for you. Even though he wasnât saying much, his actions were enough, and you couldnât help but wonder what exactly was going through his mind.
After lunch, Seokmin managed to talk you into looking for wild berries. The guide mentioned there were plenty of wild berries around, so it sounded like a harmless adventure. You walked with Seokmin, Jihoon, and a few others, but Wonwoo decided to sit this one out, saying he was a bit tired. You glanced back at him, wondering why he didnât want to join. He simply gave you a small wave before sitting by the waterâs edge, his quiet presence still lingering in your thoughts.
As you wandered deeper into the trees with the group, the sound of laughter and rustling bushes filled the air. Seokmin was practically bouncing from one patch of greenery to the next, exclaiming every time he found a small cluster of berries.
âLook, these are the good ones! I told you I had an eye for this!â he boasted, holding up a handful of bright red berries.
âOkay, okay! We know youâre the berry master,â you teased, bending down to pluck a few yourself. But as you reached for another low-hanging cluster, you misjudged your footing on a slippery rock. The moss-covered surface gave way under your shoe, and before you could catch yourself, you stumbled forward, scraping your hand against a sharp branch. A sharp sting shot through your palm, and you hissed in pain, clutching your hand.
âOw!â You winced, inspecting the cut. It wasnât deep, but a small trickle of blood appeared, and the sting was enough to make you stop in your tracks.
âAre you alright?â Jihoon was quick to notice, walking over to check on you.
You waved him off with a sheepish smile, trying not to make a big deal of it. âYeah, I just slipped on a rock. Itâs not that bad.â
Seokmin, always the dramatic one, rushed over too. âWhoa, are you bleeding? Should we get you back? Do we need a first aid kit? A stretcher?â
You rolled your eyes but couldnât help laughing. âIâm fine. I just need to wash it off.â
But despite your attempts to brush it off, the sting lingered, and you felt a little foolish for not watching your step. Jihoon offered you his handkerchief to wrap around your hand for now. âHere, itâs not much, but it should help until we get back.â
âThanks,â you muttered, feeling a bit more embarrassed than hurt.
After a while, the group decided it was time to head back to the riverbank. As you approached, the sight of Wonwoo sitting alone by the water came into view. He was gazing out at the stream, looking serene.
When he saw you returning, his eyes instantly dropped to your hand, the makeshift bandage catching his attention. Without a word, he stood up and walked over to you, his brow furrowed slightly.
âWhat happened?â he asked sternly, his gaze locking onto yours.
âOh, I just slipped. Itâs nothing, really,â you said, trying to sound casual, though the throbbing in your palm said otherwise.
Wonwoo, however, didnât seem convinced. Without asking, he gently took your hand, carefully peeling back the cloth to look at the cut. His touch was soft but firm, and you felt your heart skip a beat as he inspected the wound.
âYou should clean this properly,â he said, his voice low, a hint of concern in his tone.
âI will, itâs justââ you started, but he was already pulling you toward the riverâs edge.
He crouched down by the water, motioning for you to follow. âCome here, rinse it off.â
You knelt beside him, dipping your hand into the cool water. The sting intensified for a moment before the fresh stream washed the dirt and blood away, leaving the cut cleaner. As if on cue, the guide appeared with a small first-aid kit, handing it to Wonwoo. He opened it, cleaning the wound with a steady hand before covering it with a Band-Aid.
âHere,â he murmured. âThis should be better than that cloth.â
You glanced at your hand, grateful, but Wonwoo's next words caught you off guard.
âYou said you donât need to hurt yourself to get my attention?â he asked, an almost teasing glint in his eyes.
You blinked, caught between amusement and exasperation. âI didnât do this on purpose! And you werenât even there when it happened. How is this an attempt at getting your attention?â
âYou came here with a wound,â he replied, his gaze softening slightly. âThat got my attention.â
You scoffed, shaking your head. âI didnât ask for you to clean it up or worry about me.â
For a moment, his brow furrowed as he studied you. âYou donât want me to?â
âWhat? Of course, I do!â you stammered, caught off guard by the sudden shift. âBut if youâre just going to hold it against me, no thanks. Iâll take care of myself.â
Wonwoo didnât let the comment slide. âAs if you have to take care of yourself. Lots of people will do that for you,â he said, scoffing as he nodded at Jihoon who was chatting animatedly with other people in a distance. âLike Jihoon, for example.â
You felt a spark of irritation flare. âGod, I hope youâre saying that because youâre jealous.â
Wonwooâs scoff came out a little too loud, and he quickly cleared his throat. âWhy would I be jealous?â
âExactly,â you said, pouting as you stood up abruptly, a wave of frustration rising in your chest. âYou donât like me enough to get jealous of other guys.â
Wonwoo stood up too, his expression softening just slightly. âLetâs go back together, okay? Donât go with Jihoon.â
You crossed your arms, turning away. âDid you hear me complain when you came here with your ex?â
Wonwoo fell quiet for a second longer than expected. When you turned to look at him, he was smiling. You raised an eyebrow, making him chuckle lowly.
âYou don't have to worry about her.â
âI'm not worried,â you denied, huffing. âWhy would I be worried? I'm a 10. 2 hot 2 handle.â
Wonwoo chuckled, pulling you by the waist and wiping your damp forehead. âDon't hang out with Seokmin too much, you're starting to sound like him.â
You didn't say anything, too caught up in the feeling of being close to him to form a coherent sentence.
âCome on. Letâs pack up,â he said, quietly dismissing whatever it was that just happened between you.
After the hike, you all went back to the villa to pack and get ready for the long drive home. Everyone seemed to be moving in slow, tired motions, still buzzing with the high of a day spent outdoors, but ready to settle into the comfort of a car seat. You grabbed your jacket and water bottle, feeling a slight soreness from the hike, but overall content with how the day had gone.
When Wonwoo finished loading your stuff in the trunk, you made your way to the shotgun and sat there while waiting to leave. Claire appeared at your window, startling you a little. She was smiling as she knocked.
âHi, Won,â she greeted as if she couldnât see you there. âYou didnât forget your promise, right? That youâd give me a ride back?â
âOf course,â Wonwoo replied.
âYay, thank you!â she said, opening the front seat door, much to your confusion.
Claire stared at you for a while, making you feel self-conscious all of a sudden. You gave her an inquiring look, which she returned with a raised eyebrow, gesturing for you to get off.
âDo you want me to get off so you can sit here?â you asked aloud, genuinely curious. âSeriously?â
âWhatâs going on?â Wonwoo asked, making you glance at him.
Claire spoke before you could respond. âOh, I donât mean to offend you or anything. Itâs just⊠well, I get woozy when I sit in the backseat for long drives. Wonwoo knows this. I hope you understand.â
Her words seemed innocent enough, but her tone grated on you. You glanced at Wonwoo, half-expecting him to shoot down the excuse for what it wasâa blatant attempt to sit next to him. Instead, he gave a simple nod, signaling for you to move.
Your heart sank. Seriously? It was obvious what she was doing. Glaringly obvious. And yet, he was just... fine with it? You bit back your frustration, forcing a polite smile as you got out of the shotgun seat.
âOh, thanks a lot! Youâre such an angel,â Claire gushed as she slipped into the seat beside Wonwoo. Her voice was dripping with exaggerated sweetness, but there was a glint of malice in her eyes that you were sure only you could see because her back was on Wonwoo.
âI have snacks,â she added to Wonwoo, pulling out a bag. âWe can share it. I know you like to nibble on something when driving.â
Still silent, deadpan, you slid into the backseat, trying not to let it bother you. You stared out the window, hoping somethingâanythingâwould distract you from the irritation building up. Then you spotted Seokmin jogging toward the car, his usual carefree grin plastered on his face.
That was a relief. Seokmin is fun so youâd probably be too busy laughing to even notice the two other people in front of you.
You moved to open the door for him, but he went straight to knock on Wonwooâs window.
âWhatâs going on? I thought you said you were too tired to drive?â Seokmin called through the rolled-down window.
âYeah, I was waiting for you,â Wonwoo replied, his voice light as he opened the door to step out.
You blinked in confusion as Seokmin slid into the driverâs seat, chatting animatedly. Wonwoo made his way to the back, where you sat still trying to piece together what just happened. When he reached for the door, you instinctively tugged it shut, surprising both of you.
âOh, sorry,â you blurted, opening it again quickly, your cheeks flushing. Wonwoo raised an eyebrow but said nothing, just chuckled softly as he pulled the door open himself.
He settled next to you, draping an arm over the seat. âWhereâs our blanket?â he asked, glancing around.
âOurâïżœïżœ you started, then caught yourself. âItâs⊠uh⊠there!â
You pointed toward the compartment near the gear shift. Wonwoo reached for it, undoing the fold and casually covering himself with it.
âHey, I brought that for myself,â you protested, though there was no real heat behind your words.
âIâm cold. If you need it, you can scoot closer,â he teased, the corners of his mouth twitching into a small smile.
âDonât just hog it,â you complained, tugging the blanket but Wonwoo tutted, glaring at you playfully before scooting closer to you and covering you with the blanket.
Seokmin, who had been fiddling with the carâs controls, sighed dramatically, tilting his head toward you two. âIâve never felt so single until now.â
You rolled your eyes, but the smile tugging at your lips was undeniable. As the car finally started moving, you caught Claireâs icy stare in the rearview mirror. She was not enjoying the ride at all, and you hadnât even left the parking lot yet.
The ride back to the university had been a blur. After the initial chatter and laughter, the exhaustion from the hike finally caught up to you. You vaguely remembered the sound of Seokminâs playful banter, Claireâs chipper voice fading in and out, and the muffled conversations that filled the car, but most of it was a fog.
By the time you woke up, the sun had dipped lower in the sky. You blinked groggily, your eyes taking a moment to adjust. It was then you realized your head was resting on Wonwooâs arm, nestled comfortably against his shoulder. The scent of his hoodie filled your senses, and you stiffened slightly, unsure how long youâd been using him as your personal pillow.
You hesitated to move, not wanting to wake him if he had dozed off too, but then you felt him shift. His arm flexed slightly under your weight, and you quickly sat up, feeling your face grow warm as you straightened yourself.
âSorry, was I heavy?â you started, voice still heavy with sleep.
Wonwoo turned his head toward you, a soft smile playing on his lips. âItâs fine. You looked tired.â His voice was calm, as if it was no big deal, and somehow that made you relax a little.
You glanced out the window to see familiar buildings coming into view. The car was already pulling into the university parking lot, the journey back seemingly much shorter than expectedâprobably because youâd slept through most of it.
Seokmin was the first to break the silence from the front seat, stretching dramatically as the car came to a stop. âFinally! I thought weâd be driving forever.â
Claire, who had been unusually quiet toward the end of the ride, turned in her seat to glance at you and Wonwoo with a tight smile. âDid you get enough sleep back there?â she asked, her tone sugary but edged.
You smiled politely, pretending not to notice the underlying tone of her question. âYeah, I feel better now, thanks.â
Stepping out of the car, you pulled the blanket tighter around your shoulders as the cool evening breeze hit you. Wonwoo came around the side of the car, his backpack slung over one shoulder and yours in his hand, his expression as calm and unreadable as always. You walked together in silence toward the dorms, the sounds of your friendsâ voices fading behind you.
âI guess thatâs the end of our little trip,â you said softly, breaking the quiet between you.
âYeah,â Wonwoo replied, glancing over at you. âIt was fun.â
You nodded, the memory of the hike and the car ride settling into something softer, quieter. You couldnât recall every detail of the trip, but a few things stuck with youâthe feeling of warmth each time he attended to you, the quiet closeness that had lingered in the space between you, and although it had been a silly joke, the kiss that you shared with him in the car.
At the dorm entrance, he paused, turning to you with a small flicker of worry on his face. âHowâs your hand?â
âThis? Oh, itâs totally fine,â you said, showing him your hand. âYou took really good care of it.â
Wonwoo gave a slight nod, his lips curling into a faint smile.
He walked you all the way to your room, with your bag in his hand while you kept talking to him, asking him this and that like a curious toddler.Â
âWhat are you doing today?â
Wonwoo shrugged. âProbably working on an assignment.â
You raised a brow, pushing the conversation further. âAnd after that?â
âGaming, maybe,â he replied with a small smirk, clearly entertained by your persistent questioning.
You tilted your head, pretending to think deeply. âDo you need help with the assignment?â
He gave a short laugh, shaking his head. âNo, Iâve got it.â
As you reached the door to your room, you hesitated, glancing at him. The idea of letting the day end here felt anticlimactic, and you werenât ready to let it slip away so easily. He stood there, still holding your bag, his usual calm expression giving nothing away.Â
âDo you wanna come in for a bit?â you asked, glancing at him.Â
He blinked, a little surprised. âWhy?â
âSo I can hang out with you more,â you answered honestly, flashing him a playful smile. âYou can get started on that assignment and I promise not to bother you too much.â
His eyes flickered to the door, then back to you, his lips quirking into that small, barely-there smile he often wore. âSure.â
You opened the door and stepped inside, the cool air from your room greeting you as you flicked on the lights. It wasnât muchâa cozy little dorm room with just enough space for a bed, desk, a single couch, a built-in closet, and a small shelf where you kept a stash of snacks.
âMake yourself comfortable,â you said, motioning to the small couch by the window. You placed your bag down and went over to the mini-fridge. âIâve got some juice or water. Or⊠ah, here we go,â you smiled, pulling out a couple of sodas. âWould you like some?â
Wonwoo took a seat, casually stretching his long legs out in front of him, his gaze following you as you handed him a can. He accepted it with a nod, popping it open with a soft hiss. The sound filled the quiet room, making the moment feel more intimate somehow.
He opened his laptop and began working, but you couldnât help glancing over at him every now and then. The subtle shift of his focus, the way his fingers moved over the keyboardâit was distracting in a way you werenât expecting. You grabbed a bag of chips and sat on the floor next to the couch, close enough that your shoulder pressed slightly on his leg.
âWhy are you on the floor?â he asked, reaching for the side of your head and rubbing his thumb through your hair.
âI donât wanna eat on the bed,â you replied, leaning slightly in his touch. âIâm fine, you can keep working,â you added, pulling up an app on your phone.
You were content with the quietâboth of you immersed in your own different bubbles, but still feeling the warmth radiating from each other. You didnât think youâd actually keep your promise to be quiet and let him work, but here you are.
âSo, about the hikeâŠâ Wonwoo said after a while, leaning back into the cushions as he stretched out his fingers. âDid you enjoy it?â
You took a sip of your soda, trying to act nonchalant. âYeah, it was nice. Different.â
âDifferent?â
âIn a good way.â You smiled. âI didnât expect to have that much fun either. Well, except for the part where I hurt myself,â you added with a playful grimace, showing him your bandaged hand again.
Wonwooâs eyes softened as he glanced at your hand. âJust be careful next time.â
There was a pause. You could feel him watching you, and when you finally looked up to meet his gaze, there was something in his eyes that made you feel both nervous and confident at the same time. It felt like the perfect moment to say something, to push the boundary of whatever this tension was between you.
Wonwoo put his laptop away. âCome here,â he said, patting his lap.
You stood up almost immediately, placing your arm around his neck as you lowered yourself down on his toned thighs. Not many words were exchanged between youâyou didnât need to anyway, you both knew exactly what you wanted.
Wonwooâs lips met yours in a soft, lingering touch, as if testing the waters. But after a second, a wave of heat surged through you, and you felt your entire body come alive. His lips were soft, warm, and tasted faintly of the soda he'd had earlier, and you couldnât help but lean in closer, deepening the kiss.
He responded almost immediately, a low, quiet sound escaping him as his hands found your waist, pulling you flush against him. His fingers dug into your sides, not harshly, but enough to make your breath hitch. The room around you disappearedâthere was no bed, no walls, no anything. Just the two of you lost in each other.
Your lips parted, allowing the kiss to deepen, and when his tongue swept across your lower lip, a shiver ran down your spine. It wasnât just a kiss anymore. It was something more, something primal, and hotâvery hot. Your fingers tangled in his hair, pulling him closer, needing more of him, and he obliged, his lips moving against yours with more urgency, more need.
You gasped when his teeth grazed your lower lip, the sensation sending a shock of pleasure through your body, and your knees weakened. His arms tightened around you, holding you steady, as though he could sense how much you were melting into him.
When you pulled back, you were in awe, staring at him with your mouth hanging open. Wonwoo smiled a content smileâproud, even, as he traced the outline of your face with his thumb.
âWow, that was so much better than what we did in the car,â you blurted before you could think about it. âI mean⊠heh. Not saying that one was bad, just, you know. This one is better.â
He chuckled softly, his gaze lingering on you a moment longer before reaching for his laptop. His focus reverted back to his work, which caught you off-guard since you were still sitting on his lap, with his hand supporting your back.
Heâs not seriously going back to his assignment, is he? you pondered, a bit disappointed. But he did, pulling you closer slightly as he used his two hands to type.
You casually slid out of his lap, sitting your butt on the armrest, but he held your legs in place just as you were about to get off completely, so you just left it there. For the next hour, you sat there together, him working on his assignment, and you scrolling through your phone.
You were both silentâheâd always been quiet, but you? Your mouth may be quiet, but your mind is spiralingâoverthinking, replaying, wondering, and projecting different scenarios in your headâall while celebrating another blissful kiss from Wonwoo.
In the days that followed, things between you and Wonwoo felt differentâ and unmistakably so. It wasnât just the quiet, stolen glances anymore, or the playful teasing that came so naturally. There was a shift in the way you interacted, in the way he smiled more often, and in how he seemed more comfortable around you.
Before, it had always been you who initiated any kind of physical touch in publicâholding his hand, a playful nudge, resting your head on his shoulder when you were tired. But now, it was him, too. Wonwoo would casually drape an arm across the back of your chair when you sat together in the library, or he'd give your shoulder a quick squeeze as you passed him by in the hallway. In private, he would hold your hand, or rest his hand on your thigh when you were out with friends. There was nothing over the top about itâjust small, simple gesturesâbut the warmth of it lingered each time, leaving your heart racing a little faster.
One afternoon, you both sat in a quiet corner of a cafe, sipping iced coffee while you pretended to focus on your assignments. Wonwoo was clicking away on his laptop, his attention mostly on the screen, but every now and then, heâd look up, meet your gaze, and flash you that rare, quiet smile that made you melt just a little.
âYouâve been smiling a lot lately,â you teased, narrowing your eyes at him.
He didnât look up, but his lips curved upward. âWhat? I always smile.â
âNot like this. Youâve been smiling because of me.â
Wonwoo finally met your gaze, rolling his eyes in mock exasperation. âI smile for a lot of people.â
âOh? Do you kiss a lot of people too?â you shot back, leaning forward and watching as a faint flush touched his ears.
He shook his head, still smiling but retreating behind his usual mask of aloofness. âThat was a fluke. And I didnât kiss you, you kissed me.â
You gasped dramatically. âYou filthy little liar!â
He simply chuckled but didnât argue further. Instead, he glanced over at your half-empty cup and nudged it toward you. âFinish your drink, or youâll complain about all the ice melting away later.â
Your heart fluttered at the subtle care behind his words. Wonwoo wasnât the type to outwardly fawn over anyone, but these little moments showed how much he paid attention. You wanted to impress him, so you drained your cup in one go, even though you were already full. He chuckled softly, giving you a look that said he saw right through you.
It wasnât all just the proximity and teasing, though. Youâd started noticing how you both went out of your way to take care of each other. You would save him snacks from lunch or remind him about deadlines, just wanting to show you cared. He, in turn, would grab an extra coffee for you in the mornings or walk you to class when it got dark, without making a big deal out of it. He was thoughtful, considerateâgenuinely so.
Later that evening, you met up with him for dinner at a small restaurant near the campus, you greeted him with your usual chipper smile.
âIs that a scrunchie?â you asked, eyeing the yellow lace scrunchie around his pulse.
âHmh?â He glanced at his wrist. âOh. Yeah, itâs a backup.â
âBackup?â
âYou keep losing yours when we go out. I got this for backup.â
âAw. Youâre so obsessed with me and I totally understand. I meanââ With flair, you flicked your hair out of your shoulder. âJust look at me.â
âDonât push it,â he warned, taking the scrunchie from his wrist and handing it to you. âFix your hair. I donât want it in my soup.â
You took it with a teasing grin. âThanks. You could have just gotten those plain black hair ties though. That way, I wouldnât feel too bad for losing them.â
âI thought it would look good on you,â he mumbled but you heard him just fine.
Out of habit, you wouldâve teased himâasked if heâs falling for you. But the way he looked away with the tiniest hint of shyness, the red tint on his ears, and the slight furrow of his browsâthey all made your heart race. You needed not to ask, the fact was staring right back at you.
The thought of Wonwoo finally falling in love with you was dauntingâterrifying in the best way. But you didnât know how to navigate this phase.
You decided to keep things playful, like always. âAre you falling in love with me, Jeon Wonwoo?â you teased, leaning forward with a mischievous glint in your eyes.
Wonwoo scoffed, leaning back in his chair with an air of practiced indifference. âIâm not falling in love with anyone,â he denied smoothly.
âMaybe not,â you shot back, a knowing grin curling your lips. âBut you definitely like me.â
Just then, the server approached, a middle-aged woman with kind eyes and a gentle smile. âOh, to be young again,â she said, her gaze flitting between you two. âYou two look adorable together. How long have you been dating?â
âWeâre not dating,â you said automatically, flashing the woman a charming smile. âItâs just me. I like him a lot, and heâs⊠well, heâs just putting up with my antics.â You scrunched your nose for added effect, fully expecting the server to move on.
But the woman tilted her head thoughtfully. âIsnât that what a couple is?â she said, her smile widening.
You blinked, taken aback by her question. âSorry?â
âIf you like him, and he puts up with all your silly antics,â she continued with a hearty laugh, âthen youâre a couple.â
Your heart skipped a beat, the teasing atmosphere suddenly charged with a different kind of tension. You glanced at Wonwoo, half-expecting him to deny it too. But he just stared back at you, lips quirking into an amused smile, saying nothing.Â
This wasnât the first time someone mistook you for a couple. Youâd lost count of how many times people asked things like, âWhen did you start seeing each other?â And every time, you laughed it off, always the first to deny it, brushing away the idea with a joke. Not because you didnât want it to be trueâbut because you were scared of making Wonwoo uncomfortable, scared of pushing something he wasnât ready to acknowledge. Wonwoo, however, never once denied it, though he never really confirmed it either.
âHave you decided on your order yet?â the woman asked, prompting your attention.
After dinner, you walked back to the campus, completely satisfied by the good food. You were clinging on Wonwooâs arm, your head swaying from side to side as you hummed a song that you liked listening to these days.
âWhy do you keep telling everyone weâre not a couple?â he asked out of nowhere, making you glance up at him in surprise.
âBecause weâre not?â you replied, brow furrowed.
A smirk tugged at his lips, his gaze fixed straight ahead. âFor someone whoâs supposedly head over heels for me, you seem to hate it when people think weâre a couple.â
âI donât hate it. I actually like it!â you defended, tightening your grip on his arm. âIâm denying it for your sake. I donât want you to feel uncomfortable.â
âUncomfortable?â he echoed, glancing down at you.
You paused, biting your lip, trying to think of how to respond. âBecause⊠I guess I just didnât want to assume you were okay with it. I didnât want to make it weird by pushing something you hadnât even said you wanted.â
âWhy would you go out of your way worrying about me when I donât even make a big deal out of it?â
His tone was casual, almost indifferent, but there was something in the way he said itâsomething that made your heart skip. You opened your mouth to respond, but nothing came out. You couldnât quite piece together what he was really getting at. It was confusing and you didnât want to make your own conclusions.
Wonwoo let out a soft sigh, moving a step ahead of you, his hands slipping into his pockets as he walked on.
âHey, wait up!â you called after him, jogging to catch up, completely unaware of the small, knowing smile that played on his lips.
BACK IN the present, Seungcheol scoffed and started clapping, shaking his head as he leaned back in his chair. âWow.â
You frowned, confused. âWhat? Why are you clapping?â
He stopped, resting his hands on his thighs and giving you a sarcastic smile. âYou were so dense, itâs embarrassing.â
âHey! Whatever happened to just listening and not judging?â
You were in your dorm room again, the familiar comfort of your space wrapping around both of you. It had become routineâspending time here, where you could sit across from him or lie together in peaceful silence. Wonwoo, as usual, had his legs crossed, leaning on the backrest of the couch, looking more relaxed than ever as he talked about his plans for the future.Â
It was the kind of conversation that youâd expect from Wonwoo. He had been so open about his future, talking about post-college job prospects and what he planned to do with his IT degree. You listened, intrigued by his calm and composed outlook.
âWhat about you?â he asked, catching you off-guard.
It was odd to be caught off-guard because of the way your conversation was going, it was expected of Wonwoo to ask about your plans too. At the time, it hadnât sunk in yet, but you remembered that you were already a senior and would soon be graduating. It was a difficult question for youâa student who didnât know what to do to launch the career she wanted to pursue.
âWhat do you wanna do?â he asked again, tilting his head in the way he did when he knew you werenât paying attention.
You found yourself drifting, your gaze shifting from his eyes to his lips. It was a habit now, the way your eyes traced the curve of his mouth whenever he spokeâhow his lips moved with each word, the subtle way they pressed together in thought. You barely registered the question he had just asked, lost in the subtle details of him.
âHey?â
You blinked, your gaze snapping back to his eyes, but the words tumbled out before you could think. âI so badly want to kiss you right now.â
Wonwoo sighed, like he was almost bored, and you could feel the heat rising in your cheeks. His non-reaction is only comical to you now.
You shrugged, already moving to stand up. âNever mind, then.â
You turned to leave but then came a sudden tug that had you sitting on Wonwooâs lap, a brief glimpse of him swiftly taking his glasses off and tossing them aside before his lips crashed into yoursâall in a span of two seconds.Â
You were dumbfounded, but you immediately returned his kiss with the same amount of fervor.
âThere. Happy?â he muttered, looking bored, though you werenât fooled by his attempt to downplay what had just happened.
You blinked, still catching your breath. Slowly, you pouted as you reached out to fix the collar of his shirt. âI donât really wanna talk about careers right now.â
âOkay,â he said, shrugging. âThen letâs talk about us.â
âUs?â you echoed, trying to sound casual, though your pulse had quickened.
He nodded, watching you with gentleness on his face that gave you butterfli. âYeah. Us. Me, you, and what we want this relationship to be.â
The room felt still, his words hanging in the air between you. You couldnât stop staring at himâat the way, his dark eyes softened as they traced your face, the way his lips parted ever so slightly as if there was something more he wanted to say but couldnât bring himself to.
Your heart was pounding, your pulse echoing in your ears, and the proximity of himâso close, so invitingâwas intoxicating. He looked at you with a quiet intensity, his gaze flickering down to your lips, and in that instant, something between you snapped.
Wonwoo grabbed your face and pressed his lips onto yoursâsoftly, languidly, like heâd been deprived of it for so long that he wanted to savor every second of it. You quietly kissed him back, closing your eyes to immerse yourself. Every touch felt electric. The way his hands slid up your back, leaving a trail of heat in their wake. The way his lips moved with a rhythm that seemed to match the pounding of your heart. It was overwhelmingâthe intensity of it, the way you could feel his heart beating through his chest, how the heat was engulfing you from head to toe.
You pulled back for a moment, just enough to catch your breath, but your forehead stayed pressed against his. His breath was warm against your lips, and his eyesâhalf-lidded and dark with desireâlocked onto yours. He didnât say anything, but he looked at you like you were the only person in the world that mattered. You could still taste him on your lips, the memory of the kiss lingering, sending a thrill through you all over again.
âKiss me like that again and Iâm gonna take it as your confession of love,â you said, breaking the silence.
Wonwoo rolled his eyes and kissed you again with the same amount of sweet abandon. You gasped when he pulled away, utterly shocked.
âIs that⊠Is that your confession of love?â
âYouâre impossible,â he sighed.
Before you could say anything else, his hand cupped the back of your neck, pulling you in for another kiss. This time, it was deeper, hungrier. His lips molded against yours, his grip on you tightening as though he couldnât bear to let you go. You moaned softly into his mouth, the sound swallowed by the kiss as he tilted his head, changing the angle to kiss you even harder.
You felt dizzy, lightheadedâcompletely consumed by him. His lips, his touch, his scentâall of it was too much, yet not enough at the same time. You wanted more of him, more of this.
Your hips bucked forward, slamming onto his crotch where you found out that he too was being spurred further into the pit of desire. The contact made Wonwoo grunt, nipping your lower lip and wrapping strong arms around your waist.Â
Breathless, you pulled away, staring into his eyes and wondering if this was actually happening. Wonwoo lifted you by your thighs and moved from the couch to the bed in a heartbeat. There, he carefully laid you down, running gentle fingers through your hair.
âWonwooâŠâ you whispered, unsure of what you were going to say, but needing to break the silence.
He pressed a thumb on your lip, shushing your softly before kissing you again. This time, he abandoned your lips too quickly, moving his kisses down to your jaw and up to your earlobe. The tickling sensation spread through your nerves, intensified by his hand slipping under your shirt to palm your breast. You moaned out, arching toward his touch as your way of asking for more.
Wonwooâs lips left your ear, trailing to your neck down to your collarbone. His hands were busy with the buttons of your shirt, all while you were angling your neck to give him better access of your skin.
He pulled back once he was done with the buttons, marveling at the sight of your body, and letting out a sharp exhale before lifting the hem of his shirt and tossing it across the room.
âI can do a lot more without those,â he rasped, gesturing at your underwear and you hurriedly took them off.
While you were fiddling with the hook of your bra, Wonwoo dived down to kiss your belly, sucking with an intensity that you knew would leave tiny bruises on your skin. He was moving upwards, grabbing a boob as he peppered his path with kisses and then taking his mouth to meet your nipple. As if by his design, he sucked your nipple and pressed his fingers on your sex at the same time.
The moan you let out was throaty, spurred on by the ministrations of his mouth and his fingers. He rubbed tentative circles on your cunt, trying to find your clit based on your reactions. When he did find it, your mouth parted open as you took a sharp intake of breath, and the confidence on Wonwooâs face made you want him even more than you already did.
âOh, I see,â he grinned, licking a stripe on your neck. âThatâs the spot, isnât it?â
You bit your lower lip, trying not to lose your mind with just this. âSince when were you so arrogaâagh!â
âShh, youâre distracting me,â he said after pushing a finger in your cunt that had you gasping. He watched you writhe underneath him, going absolutely feral with just a finger. When he pushed another one inside, you were close to crying, whimpering, and clenching around his fingers.
âWonwoo pleaseâŠâ you whined, forehead creased and lips downturnedâdesperate, needy. âInside, baby. Please.â
âCome on. Say it properly. I canât give you what you want unless you speak to me clearly.â
You threw your head back and sobbed before meeting his gaze again to say, âFuck me, Wonwoo. I need you to fuck me really really good.â
Wonwoo groaned softly, clenching his jaw as he pulled his fingers out of your pussy. He shimmied out of his sweatpants and positioned himself between your legs, watching you with half-lidded eyes.
You watched in anticipation as he licked his fingers and used them to palm his erection. As he did, your breath hitched, chest heaving up and down as you waited patiently for him to do what he came to do. He lowered himself, placing his hands beside your head as he prodded your entrance with his cock.Â
Finally, you let out a guttural moan as he pushed inside you with one messy stroke. The nerves all over your body were rejoicing, feeling both relief and a delightful pain as your cunt stretched exquisitely.
âDamn, look at you,â he drawled, leaning lower to give your open mouth a sloppy kiss. âI didnât know you could get any prettier. If I did, I would have done this a long time ago.â
âMove, Wonwoo,â you managed to rasp out, not even trying to hide the desperation in your voice. âPlease, move. Please, please, please, please!â
He did as you asked, moving languidly as he practiced the clench. That didnât take long. In no time, he was rocking inside you over and over in a rhythm that made you lose your mind. You writhed and whimpered, urging Wonwoo to keep going.
When it looked like you couldnât take any more, he paused for a bit, squeezing your skin as he whispered sweet nothings in your ear. Then he lifted your leg over his shoulder and rammed deeply into you, grunting at how tightly you clung onto his manhood.
âFuck,â he groaned, pausing to take a break. You reached to wipe the sweat forming on his forehead and saw the expression on his faceâsomething between pained and delighted. âWeâre not done yet,â he said, hovering over you and ravishing your neck before picking up where he left off.
You kept at it, moving in sync with each other, getting lost in a blur of passion and desire. Your mind was clouded, thinking about nothing except satisfaction and release. You rose to meet his thrust, clawing at his back as you desperately chased a high that was almost within reach.
âOh, Wonwoo,â you cried out, eyes rolling back just before the pulsating release engulfed you with euphoria.
âDamn it,â Wonwoo murmured, his thrusts becoming sloppy and unsteady as he chased his own climax, driven further into a high by your blissed-out face.
When you finally broke apart, both of you were breathless, staring at the ceiling with nothing but the sound of your ragged breathing to break the silence. You turned on your side, moving toward him and resting your head on his arm. His hands found a spot on your waist, thumb absentmindedly tracing small circles on your skin.
âIs this the part where I ask if I could be your boyfriend?â he asked, breaking the silence.
You giggled. âWeâre way past that now. But Iâd say âyesâ just for the sake of it.â
âBut I donât believe in love. Is that okay?â
You rolled your eyes. âItâs okay.â
âItâs overrated.â
âYes, youâve told me that,â you replied, chuckling lightly.
He turned on his side so he could face you, his eyes gleaming with affection and fondness. Those eyes were directed at you. âIâm not good at this. And I donât know what to call this, but I know I canât stand the idea of not being yours.â
You kissed his cheek. âItâs fine, Wonwoo. If you want me like I want you, it doesnât matter what we call it.â
âOkay, babe,â he grinned, pushing your hair out of your shoulder. He brushed his thumb over the skin of your neck, staring intently at it. âI may or may not have left someâŠâ he trailed off. â...marks.â
You gasped, sitting up with a jolt and hitting his chest. âJeon Wonwoo!â
Wonwoo simply grinned, propping himself on his elbow as he wiggled his eyebrows at you.
âThe girls are gonna see that and know that we had sex!â
He shrugged. âTheyâll probably just say something like, âAbout damn timeâ, you know?â
You rolled your eyes. âYouâre annoying,â you said, standing up at once and heading for the bathroom. Wonwoo followed behind you, draping an arm around your shoulder and then kissing the side of your head.
âIâm sorry. I wonât do it again,â he said, chuckling lightly.
âNo, do it again,â you said sheepishly, looking away. âJust⊠not where people can see it.â
You peeked at Wonwooâs face and saw him sporting a massive grin. âIâll keep that in mind.â
From the start of your official relationship, things shifted dramatically. Wonwoo was completely different from his usual aloof self. Heâd be all over youâholding your hand, lying on your lap, hugging you from behind, anything as long as he was attached to you. Heâd hold your hand even when the two of you were quietly reading booksâa habit he eventually picked up from you after your constant attempts to get him to read an actual physical book made of paper.
Your dorm room, as always, was the prime spot for these intimate moments. Heâd lazily wrap his arms around you, leaning in to steal kisses when you least expected it. The guy who once seemed indifferent now craved your touch.
When hanging out with friends, it was no different. Wonwoo would always reach for you without looking because he knew youâd always be within his reach. He would casually intertwine his fingers with yours, or simply place a hand on your thigh. It was so second nature that he did it once to Hoshi by mistake, his hand absentmindedly landing on Hoshiâs knee while he played a game. Hoshi, immediately recognizing his chance to mess with him, leaned his head on Wonwooâs shoulder, pretending to cuddle closer.
Still blissfully unaware, Wonwoo absentmindedly reached up and cupped Hoshi's cheek, rubbing gentle circles with his thumb.
âMan, I didnât realize you were this clingy,â Hoshi teased, leaning into the warmth.
Wonwoo blinked, his brain catching up, and when the realization hit, he let out a horrified gasp, retracting his hand so quickly it was like he'd been burned. âHoshi, what theâ!â he stammered, scooting away from him as far as possible.
Across the room, you were in stitches laughing with the rest of your friends, watching the whole thing unfold.
âBabe,â Wonwoo called out to you, almost desperately, making a beeline toward where you sat. The sudden, affectionate tone in his voice had everyone cringing.
âI could never get used to this,â Jun said, shaking his head with exaggerated disbelief
âI hate it when they call each other that,â Seokmin added with a mock grimace. âLike, okay, youâre not single and lonely. We get it.â
Wonwoo pouted as he made his way to you, wrapping his arms around you like a child seeking comfort. âI missed you,â he mumbled dramatically into your shoulder, sending another wave of exaggerated groans through your friends.
You playfully tapped his forehead. âIâm like five steps away.â
âThatâs five steps too far,â he said, all mock seriousness, burying his face into the crook of your neck while the others looked away in mock disgust.
Moments like this had become common now, where he let little things slip that showed just how much he cared. Yet, he still clung to his old habit of feigning indifference, as though denying his feelings made it easier to hide how deeply heâd fallen for you. But it was all in good fun, and you found it adorable when he would switch back to his aloof, âtoo coolâ personality just to see you smile.
Despite the teasing, you liked this new side of him. It felt good knowing Wonwoo was willing to show both you and your friends a part of himself that not everyone got to see. Your relationship had leveled up, and it was evident not just in the way he acted but in the ease you felt together now
âCan we go back to when the only simp in this friend group was her?â Jill asked, pointing at you. âWonwooâs giving me the creeps.â
Feigning offense, you placed your hands on your hips and said, âWow, okay. Sue me for being drop-dead gorgeous and having a boyfriend whoâs head-over-heels with me. Whatever.â
âDonât listen to them, babe. Jealous friends are fake friends,â said Wonwoo, covering your ears and kissing the side of your head.
âHe was perfect. The best boyfriend one could ever ask for, except for the part where he didnât believe in love. Actually, that didnât even matter in the long run because he was still such a great guy,â you recounted, sighing contently as you gazed at the horizon, the warm colors of the sunset painting the sky. âI had never met anyone like him again. I donât think I will.â
Next to you, Seungcheol furrowed his brows slightly, the confusion evident on his face. âIf he was so perfectââ
âIâm gonna stop you right there,â you interjected, turning to him with your palm raised. âThere was no âif.â Wonwoo is perfect.â
âNo, hear me out,â he insisted, grabbing your hand and gently putting it down. âIf he was so perfect, why did you break up?â
You retracted your hand and glared at him, pretending to be offended. âIt is, what it is.â
âWhat does that mean in this context?â
âIt means, we were just not for each other,â you said, shrugging in acceptance. âHe was lovely and perfect, and all that. ButâYou know, I read somewhere that we were all created in pairs, and that we were put in this Earth to be with that one personâour pair.â
âPolyamorous people are not gonna like it when they hear that,â he shot back, a teasing grin on his face.
You tutted, shaking your head. âListen!â Narrowing your eyes at him, he mimed zipping his lips, letting you continue. âAs much as I wanted Wonwoo, we werenât the perfect match.â
âOkay, I get it,â he replied, nodding thoughtfully. âSo how did it end?â
You let out a heavy sigh then flattened your lips together in a tight smile. âI donât know if you noticed, but the whole time I was telling the story, I never once mentioned anything about us fighting.â
Seungcheolâs face lit up in realization.
âThatâs because weâve never had a fight. Not even once,â you added. And somehow, that was everything.
How did it end?
It wasnât anything grand, much like how you got together in the first place. Wonwoo continued to be a great boyfriend, one you could always boast about. Your friends were envious of such a perfect relationshipâone where your man was obsessed with you and adored you to death, not to mention good-looking and smart. He was a catch.
Wonwoo had a quiet patience that made it easy to handle your boundless energy. When youâd burst into a room excited, full of chatter, he would always listen with a soft smile, never overwhelmed by your liveliness. He didnât need to match your enthusiasm; his calm presence was enough.
And you understood him just as well. You knew when he was getting tired, even when he tried to hide it behind his usual stoic demeanor. Like when heâd sit a little closer than usual or his fingers would linger on your arm. Thatâs when youâd ease up, toning things down without him needing to say a word. You were attuned to his subtle cues, a silent understanding between the two of you that others rarely noticed.
But Wonwoo wasnât just passive; he knew how to take care of you, too. When your stress bubbled over, heâd pull you into his arms, resting his chin on top of your head, whispering words of comfort so softly they barely broke the silence. Youâd feel the tension melt away in those moments, reassured just by being close to him.
âI hate dental checkups,â you complained, slumping on Wonwooâs bed the moment you entered their dorm room.Â
You had just arrived from a dentist appointment and had to have your teeth cleaned as a regular procedure. Wonwoo sat in front of his computer, eyes fixed on the game he was playing, but he was listening to you.
âWas it bad?â he asked, fingers moving rapidly on the keys and eyes darting left and right as he focused on the screen before him.
âIt was! I forgot it was time for a cleaning procedure, so I went there totally unprepared. I didnât get to meditate and mentally prepare myself for the torture. It was awful,â you grumbled, burying your face in the sheets.
âCome here,â he called, glancing only briefly at you.
You walked towards him with a slouched back, sitting on his lap and burying your face in his neck.
âIt canât be helped, itâs not like you can just neglect your teeth. You did a great job back there,â he murmured, his voice gentle and comforting. âI hate dentist appointments too.â
You lifted your head and peeked at his face. âRight? Itâs the worst.â
He hummed. âI canât even last two minutes on that table without gagging. Itâs a nightmare.â
âReally?â you asked, surprised to learn something new about him. âYou know, I donât have a gag reflex.â
Wonwoo cocked an eyebrow, finally meeting your gaze just as the unmistakable sound of âVictoryâ echoed from his headphones. âReally now? Should we put that mouth to use then?â
You gasped, covering your mouth dramatically at how incredibly attractive he sounded. The atmosphere shifted, a sultry heat igniting the air between you.
âWhat? You didnât tell me that just to brag about it, did you?â he teased, his lips curling into a smirk.
At this point, you were sure your panties were already on the floor. âJeon Wonwoo, you hot specimen of a man,â you said, lunging at him with an urgent kiss.
Your relationship was not only built on mutual respect and adoration but also on an undeniable passion. As your lips met, you could feel that familiar spark, igniting something deep within you.
And despite his usual laid-back attitude, Wonwoo would go along with your plans. Youâd drag him to social gatherings with friends, where he might seem indifferent, but you knew better. His hand always found yours under the table, and though he stayed quiet, the squeeze of his fingers let you know he was happy to be thereâjust because you were.
Even when you coaxed him to take breaks from gaming or studying, heâd give you that knowing look, letting you win every time. âAlright,â heâd say with a sigh, but the way he let you guide him outside for fresh air told you he enjoyed the break more than heâd ever admit.
Yet, as you basked in these moments, a thought nagged at you, echoing in the back of your mind. You turned to Wonwoo, breathtakingly handsome in the golden light of the sunset.Â
âBabe,â you began, âdid you know we never had a fight yet? Not even about the smallest things.â
His brow furrowed slightly, realizing the truth in your question. Then he looked at you curiously. âI didnât realize. Isnât that a good thing?â
You pondered his response. âI think it is, but itâs weird, isnât it? Why donât we fight? Couples fight all the time. Look at Hosh and Mina.â
Wonwoo shrugged, taking a bite out of his churro. âMaybe because we donât let small things get in the way of our relationship?â
âHmmh. We understand each other so well, donât we?â you replied, a small smile tugging at your lips. âI donât know why, but somehow, I canât help but think that maybe itâs too easy. Like we never challenge each other or have those deep conversations.â
âWe have deep conversations all the time.â
âYouâre right, but not because of a fight,â you stated in a matter-of-factly tone.
Wonwoo frowned, and you could sense the wheels turning in his mind. Then he hummed, and said, âIt does make you wonder if weâre really communicating or just avoiding issues.â
What he said struck a chord with you. Days turned into weeks, and the questions loomed larger with each passing moment. You began to notice the cracks beneath the surface of your perfect relationship. The playful teasing became tinged with seriousness, and the easy laughter felt strained at times.
You pondered over the conversations with Mina and your other friends about love and relationships, and it began to dawn on you: What if what you have was limiting your growth instead of nurturing it? What if you had mistaken stagnation and decay for safety and comfort?
One evening, you and Wonwoo sat in your dorm room, the atmosphere cozy as you both worked on separate assignments. He was focused on his computer, while you scribbled notes on a notepad. You glanced at him, the familiar sight of his concentrated expression making your heart flutter. It was in these moments that you felt most at peace. And then came the thought that you couldnât seem to shake: How could something so good not be enough?
âHey,â you said, breaking the silence. Wonwoo looked up, his brow furrowing slightly. âIâve been thinking a lot about us.â
He tilted his head, taking in your every word. âWhatâs on your mind?â
âRemember when we talked about how weâve never fought at all?â you began, fidgeting with your pen.
Wonwoo hummed, nodding.
âWell, I couldnât stop thinking about it andâŠâ you paused to sigh, biting your lower lip to prevent the words from spilling out of your mouth. You knew it had to be said, that it was necessary to see if you should continue moving forward or move on with your lives.
Wonwoo reached for your face, wiping away a tear that you didnât realize had rolled down your cheek. âI know. You donât have to say it.â
Your lips turned downward, trying your best to hold back your tears. âBut isnât that avoiding the issue too?â
He chuckled lightly, pulling you toward him in a tight embrace. âIt is but, isn't it better than saying things that will only hurt each otherâs feelings?â
âWhat do you mean?â you asked, nuzzling against his chest.
Wonwoo was patting your back in a slow, soothing rhythm, calming your nerves and helping keep your tears at bay. âI know what youâre thinking, baby. Iâve been thinking about it too. And itâs okay, it canât be helped. Maybe itâs for the best too.â
You exhaled sharply before letting yourself sob in his shirt, tears rolling down your face like a sudden downpour. Wonwoo tightened his hug, shushing you gently as he rubbed your back, muttering soft âitâs okayâs in your ear.
âI donât wanna lose you,â you admitted, your voice cracking.
âMe neither,â he said softly, pressing a kiss on your head. âBut I think we need to face the reality of our futures. Our paths are set to diverge anyway, even if we try to change it. It might be for the best if we part ways now, while we still have these great, happy memories of each other.â
You pulled away from his embrace, looking up at him with your tear-stained face. The thought of never laughing together again weighed heavily in your heart, but there was also a flicker of understanding that this was the right choice.
âRemember when we were in that seminar, and you asked me if I liked you?â you chuckled through your tears, the memory bringing a smile to your lips.
Wonwoo laughed, a soft sound that felt like a warm hug. âHow could I forget? That was when I started falling for you.â
âReally?â you asked, eyes widening at his revelation. Wonwoo rolled his eyes as if he regretted telling you that. âNo, but seriously?â
âYes, yes,â he gave in. âYou were so confident then. So straightforward and honest. I may have experienced having my heart skip a beat for the first time.â
âNo way!â you giggled, snuggling into him. âWhy were you pretending to be so nonchalant for a long time?â
âI kinda liked having you chase me around,â he admitted sheepishly. âWhy? What were you gonna say about that day?â
You pulled back, sitting up. âOh, I wanted to ask if you were gonna tell me to leave you alone that day before the professor came in and I cut you off.â
He scoffed, feigning indifference. âWell, I guess you know the answer to that now.â
You giggled, wrapping your arms around his torso while you looked up at him. âI love you so much.â
âI love you too,â he replied in a heartbeat. âLove was worth a try with you.â
âIâm gonna remember you forever.â
âThatâs quite a big promise, but okay. Iâll take you up on that.â
And you spent the rest of your college days in each other's embrace, dreading the inevitable but also accepting the reality of your future. Jeon Wonwoo was a breath of fresh air, the warmth of the early morning sun, a prelude to a beautiful song, and a sweet memory of your youth that would stay with you forever.
[fin]
#wonwoo x reader#wonwoo smut#wonwoo fluff#wonwoo fanfic#wonwoo x you#wonu x reader#seventeen fanfic#seventeen wonwoo#seventeen imagines#seventeen scenarios#seventeen au#seventeen fluff#seventeen fic recs#seventeen smut#wonwoo fic#seventeen ff#wonwoo ff#calcali
858 notes
·
View notes
Text
What We Want - Chpt. 8 - Jason Fucking Todd
In Which A Romantic Breaks The Universe
(Yandere!batboys x f!reader) 18+ MDNI!
SUMMARY
Another lonely birthday, another empty year. You miss your family. You're late for your bills and rent, and even then, you got robbed last Tuesday.
Still, you buy yourself a cupcake, because you need it. I mean, hey. What's dessert for if not to get over cheating boyfriends and dead relatives?
As you blow out the candle, watching the clock switch from 11:59 pm to midnight of the next day, you make a wish.
And because the world doesn't like to make much sense, it comes true. Your life is suddenly flipped on a dime, and you're stuck trying to catch up with it. Fantasy becomes reality. You're a Wayne now, apparently. Or you used to be. You're loved, you're rich, you're talented and powerful.
Well, sort of. Careful what you wish for, right?
(TRIGGER WARNINGS AND MASTERLIST HERE)
PREV - NEXT
Well, look on the bright side of things. Youâre not crying right now. Thatâs nice. Youâre not an intern anymore. Thatâs nice. You struggle to think of anything else. Oh yeah, youâre rich! Thatâs also nice. Youâre not dead. Nice.
This is kind of pathetic. You just feel bummed after having to break up with George a second time. And getting smacked right in the face by him. Which you know, anybody would be, you think. You donât think a single soul has ever known the George Lancaster Break-Up Special more than once. And you didnât think anyone would be stupid enough to fall for that asshole more than once.
You couldnât fake a brave face anymore, you just didnât have the energy for it.
âŠAnd letâs not forget almost dying via Joker goon. Not even the man himself, just a random lackey. You think of how he literally disappeared in front of your eyes, and decide you are going to stop thinking. Itâs doing you no good anyway.
Instead, you just start walking. Letting your feet and your intimate knowledge of Gothamâs streets, even in this area you donât often frequent, guide you. You find yourself at the train station. With little consideration, you buy a ticket to the southern part of the city. The bad side of town, the docks, where your apartment used to be.
You feel like a little rat scurrying back into the sewers as you hop on the subway, tucking yourself in between people who donât recognise you, probably because of your general dishevelment.
Shoulders knocking against strangers, you feel the most at home since this whole disaster started. You stare across the train car, watching a baby babble to its mother. It catches your eye, gives you a big toothless smile, and some snot dribbles into itâs mouth. The mother notices and cleans the baby up with a tissue. When she catches you staring, you give a very awkward but friendly smile, and she smiles back.
A tiny weight lifts off your shoulders. Surrounded by the chaos of Gotham, as the subway exits the tunnels and heads up onto the sky rails, you find yourself warm by the rays of sun through the clouds. The view is beautiful, as it always is. Usually, youâd be looking at your phone, too busy to enjoy the sights. But it really is beautiful.
Itâs only when you hear the announcer calling out that you realise you did this for a reason, and dart out of your seat and through the narrowly closing doors. The metal closes behind you with a small hiss. The Docks station, for most people, would be one of the better Gotham train stations. Newly built, and with all the tourist money it was clean. Well, clean as it could get. Youâd read some article about the bacteria the rats were carrying being not found anywhere else on earth, and youâd decided to stop reading articles.
Anyway, for you, even the shining marble of the station was a sad sight. Because you only ever came here on your very worst days.
This seemed like one of them.
The familiar streets flit past you, barely something youâre even cognisant of. This part of the city was mostly new, the concrete fresh under your feet instead of littered with potholes. Still, it wasnât at the centre of the blast radius, so it hadnât been totally demolished.
No, that was just up ahead. And like everything else in this weird new world, you immediately noticed something different. Where your family had died was⊠still there, for some reason.
With confusion, exhaustion, and no small bit of despair, you stop in the middle of the pathway outside the remnants of what used to be an old diner and was now just a pile of rocks. Some very charred rocks. Looking at the wreckage, you raise your brows. Its crumbling form is still under construction after all these years. The yellow caution tape is only a deterrence to you because you donât want to end up on the gossip reels for a second time today. Looking around, you find yourself further confused. Lots of other parts of the pier had been redeveloped, but this piece of the puzzle still lay bare.
It didnât, in your home, your world. It had been replaced with high-rise apartments, and since they were so close to the water, so pretty and new, you had no hope of affording them. It probably wouldnât be very good for your mental health even if you could. Still, youâd taken many walks past the street. Enjoyed the little bit of dirty white concrete that had survived. You and your siblings had signed your names into it, and youâd stroked the sidewalk like the weirdo you were many times.
Like you did today. And today, for some reason, the rest of it was here. Untouched. A remnant of the disaster. As you run your thumb along the sharp edge of Julieâs J, you find yourself once again lost in your memories. They were like honey traps to you these days.
The mum-and-pops diner had been run by your uncle. Itâd been in the family for three generations, and he was incorrigibly proud of it. Youâd all had your birthday parties there, because it was free and you were poor. It wasnât like your uncle would let you pay for the food anyway, it was just one of the few times Mum could stand the generosity. She didnât like it when you had disappointing birthdays, and no matter how much you tried to fake your happiness, she could always see to your core. Eventually, you and your siblings all gave up on trying.
You were late. You were often late, but this time it was⊠it was the difference between life and death. If youâd been a few blocks further, a little bit earlier, youâd probably be dead too. Or at least have some serious hearing loss instead of just suffering mild tinnitus.
You had felt more than seen the destruction. The earth had rumbled, and a deafening roar had swept through the streets. You remember falling to your knees, the worry about being late morphing to worry for your best clothes to a true terror when you realised where the blast had come from.
When you realised your family was in the epicentre.
You sometimes wish you were on time that day. That youâd gotten to see them all, even if you went with them. It didnât sound so bad, really. At least you wouldnât be alone. Hmm, you should probably stop thinking like that. Or maybe go to a therapist about it.
Not that you could afford it. Oh, right. Rich now. That was really taking some getting used to.
You wonder if people who won the lottery felt the same way. Probably not, because the rest of the world reflected the changes the person felt. Theyâd have to go pick up the check, go to the bank, and if they let their family and friends know, deal with the consequences of that.
Youâd just woken up rich. No time to adjust, your new life was here and it was demanding your attention very loudly. And soup-ly, unfortunately. After a few minutes of staring blankly at the rubble, you look towards your left, where you know the Memorial awaits you. Itâs in the centre of the new shopping district, built on top of the bombed parts of Gotham. It sits right next to the water, the cold breeze a comfort that youâd turned to on more than one occasion.
Youâd feel bad if you didnât change your clothes. You told Grayson you would, and you already felt bad enough about... everything to do with him. You suppose he was your brother. Your ex-brother. Ex-step-brother. The ex-step-brother of a woman who you werenât.
Really, he was just a stranger. It seemed he didnât feel that way, though.
You start the walk towards the shopping district, and into the first clothes store you see. The prices on the tags would usually make you flinch, but well, it doesnât matter anymore. Nothing seems to matter. Your survival is now guaranteed, might as well wear some clothes that feel nice on your skin.
You walk out of that store looking like you just robbed it. Even the clerk had given you a weird look but accepted the black card tucked in your phone without much complaint. Itâs an improvement if a small one.
Once youâre done, like a moth to a flame, you drift towards the Memorial centre. Youâre following all the steps you used to in the past, but somehow, it all feels a bit alien. The world looks a little different, a little uncomfortable. Your shoes are worn in, and yet they still feel too tight.
Uncanny valley. You feel unwelcomed here, unwanted. Like the very earth can tell that thereâs something wrong in this scene, some intruder. You ignore the feeling as best you can.
The Memorial is just as unfamiliar as the diner was, maybe even more. You know that your mother was a Wayne before she died. You know that. But still seeing your familyâs framed photos, right alongside Jason's is so shocking you nearly jump. It takes a moment of wide-eyed staring before you can manage to get past that. When you do, for some reason you still go back to your old habits. You walk by them, the bouquets and to where their names used to be in thin letters.
You count with your fingers, finding the fifty-second line.
A manâs name replaces the spot where your motherâs is. The little grooves the oil in your fingers had left behind were gone, and instead was sharp stone like when the monument was first erected. It cuts at your fingers. It no longer welcomes your touch.
James Whitaker. Thatâs the name of the man who took their spot.
You can already feel a rising obsession with the random dead man. If you were going to psycho-analyse yourself, youâd recognise that you didnât feel that the images of the Waynes youâd created were no longer real, no longer safe to your escapist mindset. Youâd realise, that this was all pretty unhealthy, and you really, really needed therapy.
Instead, you give the guy your condolences and start reading the other plinths. They seem largely the same. Itâs not like you hadnât read all of these towers of stone at one point or another, your eyes glazing over the many, many names. So much devastation, all in one moment.
And still, this was not even a tenth of all the lives the Joker had taken. You kinda wanna go take a kick at one of the Bat signals littered around the city. Maybe thatâd make you less⊠broiling with incompetent rage.
Again, maybe you should just go to therapy. You should call Jeanine about that or something.
Eventually, you circle back to your family and Jasonâs shrines. You know, back then youâd been jealous that Jason Todd had been so well mourned. Youâd wished your family had gotten the same treatment.
Now, you⊠felt jealous again. Possessive, over their memory, their image. You didnât really like that random strangers that never knew them⊠knew them. That Sam always got As in English and Art class but would sometimes skip math and would hide in the bathrooms to do so. That Chasey had struggled with going to school because of her anxiety but kept going because she had a friend going through the exact same thing. That Julie was the ace of her schoolâs soccer team, and that sheâd almost gotten them to nationals even in the presence of all the super-rich schools in Gotham. That your Mum was a great cook but genuinely hated doing it, but for some reason, baking was her favourite thing even as she had never made a proper macaron.
They didnât know them. They knew their faces and a facsimile of them, but they didnât know them. It reminded you of the people at the orphanage. Nice, but not kind. Theyâd had their own lives, they didnât want some bratty, demented teenager who was going down and planning on taking everyone with her.
You really couldnât be happy, could you? Maybe you didnât know what you wanted. What you want now. What youâd wanted for a while, actually.
Ugh. You close your eyes and let out a deep, soul-shaking sigh. It takes a moment for you to shore up the willpower to open them again. Come on, flower shop, finish your weird little ritual then you can go home and hide for the next millenia.
The walk there is the same as always, if a little more morose. Itâs in a good spot, near the church just a block away and the memorial on its other side, as well as less sombre atmospheres down near the pier. Well, as little sombre as Gotham can manage.
You feel like you blink and youâre there. Too quickly, you find a rainbow of blooms in front of you, the scent of the blossoms washing over you. When you walk into the flower shop, the bell at the door rings the same as it always does. On autopilot, you walk over to the small, cheaper buds. Your hand clenches around the crinkly wrapping paper, a bundle of posies in your hand. You go to the counter with your prize in hand.
Larissa, the counter worker, smiles at you. Your breath hitches. Itâs a working smile, not one of the real, toothy ones she used to give you.
âOh wow, I thought all the posies had sold out. Lucky you!â
You think of something to say, but the moment passes and you donât. She rings you up, tells you the price, and when you pay, asks sweetly if you want a receipt.
She doesnât say your name. Doesnât acknowledge how you come here every week and buy this same handful of flowers. She doesnât ask about your job or the weather. She doesnât cheerfully tell you about how her apprenticeship is going, or about the next sweet thing her partner has done. No, she just stares at you, growing more uncomfortable the longer it takes for you to answer.
She doesnât even seem to recognise this other version of you. It feels like another string that tied you down to the earth has been snipped. You have an image in your head of a child losing a balloon, desperately grasping at the air. Youâre going to float up into the atmosphere, and then youâre going to pop.
You can see the foil glinting in the sunâs light, so, so clearly.
You squeeze your eyes shut, âYes, a receipt, please.â
Taking it blindly, you barely flutter your eyes open as you walk out of the shop. She didnât know you, didnât remember you. That doesnât matter, you tell yourself. You hadnât really known her. It doesnât matter. Thereâs no real difference, it doesnât matter.
Itâs okay, itâs okay, it never really mattered. You keep telling yourself this as you walk back over to the memorial. As you lay your flowers down with the others, the little posies are dwarfed by the other donations. It didnât matter. You didnât know her. None of this matters. Their flowers donât matter.
You donât matter. You hit that errant thought with a mental fly swatter.
Exhausted, you sit down next to the monument. You used to be able to lay your head on the stone, able to feel your family in the warmth it had absorbed in the sun. Now you just sort of, awkwardly reached out to the small bit of uncovered plinth at the side. You have to stick your hand through a wreath to do so.
Itâs not warm. You wonder if your family are sad. And then you wonder if youâre an idiot for attributing feelings to a literal rock.
After a while, you get up. Cross your arms. You stare at your family's portraits, eyes moving over their smiles. One by one. You recognise some of the photographs, those are your favourites. A smile cracks across your face when you see the picture of when Chasey lost her two front teeth. She still grins cheekily at the camera, uncaring for any changes to her appearance, as all kids shouldnât.
Your shoulders fall just the slightest bit when you see the picture of Jason Todd. Itâs one of his older pictures. Probably seventeen or something. Heâd always been a lovely boy when he was younger. And he still was up till he died but youâd always thought youâd seen something start to change in him. That sparkle of innocence, dulled, just the slightest.
And then heâd died. And youâd wondered if maybe heâd felt it was coming.
You certainly hadnât. It had been like a hurricane tearing through your life. Youâd ended up on the other side completely abandoned, the only friend whoâd bothered to keep seeing you being one whoâd learnt to dodge train ticket costs like a damn ninja. And youâd had to decide whether you could keep doing this, whether you even wanted to.
You were an obsessive creature by nurture. It had been all you could do to hang onto the Waynes, pretend they would love and care for you even if theyâd have never even noticed you in real life. You werenât sure that was strength or simple human survival. Dying was scary. Of course, you were scared of dying.
Your whole family had died. So, you told yourself, that Jason Fucking Todd would be sad if you killed yourself, and somehow, you had made it all these years.
And now here you were, and the Waynes did notice you in real life. You were important to them. You didnât want to be, but you were. And again, you have to ask yourself, what would Jason Todd ask of you? What would he want you to do now, in this impossible situation youâve found yourself in?
You stare at the picture. Stare at the way the sun hits his dark hair and blue eyes. Stare very, very hard. Like he might crawl out and give you a detailed list of what to do. Youâd really like a detailed list. Or any guidance at all. Maybe you could go hit up a seance or something.
Your head falls forward into your sun-warmed palms. This is so stupid. No answers are going to fall from the sky, you need to find them yourself. And youâre not going to find them here.
Someone walks up beside you to the old memorial, and you quickly tuck yourself back into an acceptable image. Fold in all the rough edges you can. A tall and well-built man, with a face mask, sunglasses and a trucker hat, he looks like he could be a celebrity or something. Someone important, much more than you.
And you werenât, not technically, at least. The universe had done the equivalent of a shelving error, and now here you goddamn were.
He does an odd pose next to you, something military-esque, where he clasps his hands together and bows his head. With a quick flick of your eyes you confirm, yes, his feet are equal with his shoulders. Itâs obvious that heâs paying his respects so you do your best not to judge him too hard.
And then he speaks to you.
âIâm sorry.â
You look up, startled and confused.
âFor your loss,â the deep voice finishes, jerking his head toward the pictures in front of the two of you.
âWha- oh uh, um,â you blink and then realise that this person has recognised you, which would make sense since you are literally in one of the photos in front of you, and manage to pull your fading conscious mind back together for a moment more.
âThank you, uh-â you stare at him a moment longer, âYou too?â
Almost worse than that time you told the barista who gave you your coffee you hoped she enjoyed hers too, but not quite. Well, you know, heâd probably lost someone here too. You donât know why heâd be here otherwise unless he wanted an autograph or something. The thought almost makes you laugh.
He snorts at your words. You donât know what to make of that.
He looks back down at the pictures and flowers. You think he does, at least, from the slight shifting of his head. Heâs kind of mysterious. Pair that with the deep voice, the muscular and tall physique, and youâre an odd mix of attracted and socially anxious. Not that youâre not always socially anxious, but this guy feels⊠strong. Dumb again, you can see his biceps from here butâŠ
You just canât quite shake it off. Strong. Strong.
âThey didnât deserve it, none of them did,â he speaks again, and you wonder what the fuck heâs going on about at all.
You admit, you sound a little bitter when you mutter, âWell, thatâs obvious.â
He lets out a bark of laughter, and you see his eyes flash to you from under his sunglasses. A shade of blue. Thereâs another odd pause, and then he turns to you. You donât know why heâs looking at you. He crosses his arms, and seems to size you up.
âWhat are you doing here?â he asks you like he knows you.
Your brow furrows. Okay, kind of losing any hotness points here. Bothering someone who was grieving couldâve been seen as rude from the very start, but youâd just thought he was weird. Now, you thought he was weird and rude.
ââŠPaying my respects. Obviously,â you gesture downwards, âMy mother, my siblings, andâŠâ
Well, how would you describe the relationship between you and Jason Todd now? He was still just a stranger to you and-
âWith who, that guy?â
Now, it isnât often that youâre stunned into silence, but at the moment you canât find it in you to do anything but stare and gape. Frankly, youâre astonished! Youâve never met anyone who spoke so rudely of the dead, and well, he couldnât have picked a worse person to do it in front of.
âExcuse me?â your voice canât seem to convey even half of your offence, even as you sound like youâre about ready to bite a second person for today. The man pauses like youâve surprised him, which- what the fuck is going on? Why do you feel like an alien crash-landed on Earth these days?
âNo, I just meant-â he huffs, shakes his head, and continues, his voice now offended too, âWhat the fuck am I saying? Yes, I did mean that. That little twerp was a naive idiot who was manipulated by the people he believed in most.â
You stare, absolutely speechless, as the stranger goes on a damn-fucking-near crazed rant about one of the people most important to you. Never met? Sure. Dead as hell? Absolutely. But still, he was one of your lifelines. Your candlelight in the dark, guiding your way even when you felt completely lost. And now heâs calling him a naive idiot? You can practically feel the steam coming out of your ears.
âHe changed nothing, made no difference in the end-â
âNothing?!â you practically shriek, finally able to find your voice just to use it to shout, âHe changed⊠so much! He donated millions of dollars, did heaps of charity work, was practically a treasure to our city⊠He made multiple homeless shelters, an orphanage, helped rehabilitate criminals and countless other things.â
Your fists are clenched tight enough that they shake. You hide them behind your back, but you still feel like he can probably see them. Your emotions are simmering too close to the surface, bubbling over and onto the floor. About to burn his sneakers to ash.
âYou seem like you care a lot,â he says, sounding reserved.
âOf course, I care.â
ââŠItâs just, you didnât seem the type, on the TV,â he keeps talking, poking at you for some god-awful reason, and you bark out a harsh laugh.
âMaybe people need to stop making so many fucking assumptions, then? It certainly hasnât gotten you anywhere,â you throw your hands up, damn sick of all the constant fucking surveillance youâre under. You can see why this version of you lost her mind. Youâre near about to as well.
He stares at you for a moment longer, and you start feeling too uncomfortable. Itâs a stupid and useless protectiveness that has you staying. Like heâll somehow try and harm the shrine to your people. Itâs happened before, Joker fanboys defacing it and such. This guy could be one of those bastards.
And yet⊠somehow you feelâŠ
âIâll keep that in mind,â he finally says.
âGood, you do that.â
âBut in the end, nothingâs really changed. Jokerâs still out and about, as you well know.â
You physically flinch like youâve been slapped. For a good minute there, all you can do is stare at him in disbelief. You raise one shaking fist, and lift one trembling finger, pointing. The man looks in the direction youâve pointed, and when he doesnât see anything, turns back to you. His sunglasses reflect the grey afternoon sun.
âGo,â you order, voice shaking just like the rest of you.
He just keeps staring at you. You wish heâd take off those dumb fucking glasses, so you could see this assholeâs face. Etch it into your mind. He doesnât move, doesnât say anything, doesnât take any action. He simply waits for you to⊠Well, you donât know what youâll do. You havenât known what youâd do since you left Dick behind two hours ago.
âYou need to go,â you say again, and again, he doesnât fucking move, âYou⊠thereâs⊠you have no right.â
You can hear the buzz of the city around you, the wind rushing by. His clothes rustle in the wind. Your voice sounds too loud in your ears, but he wonât just⊠he wonât leave. You donât want this stranger here, watching you. Judging you. Itâs allâŠ
âJason didnât do anything wrong,â you say, and you think to yourself, desperately, âI didnât do anything wrong.â
Thereâs a slight shift in the strangerâs posture. His shoulders tensed.
You think youâve offended him.
âThe Joker⊠Thatâs nobody's fault but the government for not just sucking it up and giving him the death penalty, or Batmanâs for not doing it himself a long time ago. Theyâre all fucking useless, but theyâre the ones who are supposed to be dealing with this!â you continue, your words growing more heated. Itâs only the already looming threat of an assault case that keeps you from shoving the guy. Not like youâd be able to move him an inch, of course, he was huge.
Youâre sure it would feel good, though.
âIt was never some random teenager's responsibility, and it wasn't mine either,â you say, but find yourself pausing for a moment when you hear the end of your sentence. It doesnât matter. Itâs not like it wasnât obvious anyway.
Youâd tied yourself and Jason up together in your head. To you, you were both two sides of the same coin. One foot in the grave. Youâve got one foot in the graveâŠ
âJason Todd was a good person, and he made the world a better place.â
You look down at the portrait of the boy, his toothy smile twisting at your heart. None of this was fair. None of this had ever been fair. Why was this guy acting like anybody here had ever been able to do anything about it? Like Jason shouldâve been smarter, and avoided a fucking bomb blast?
It was stupid. This was stupid, and you were over it. You were tired.
âAnd I miss him.â
Itâs quiet after you say that.
âI donât know how you can think itâs fair to act like his death was pointless when⊠of course it was, all of this was pointless,â you say, throwing your hands wide and gesturing to the entire memorial. âThis was a tragedy, but Jason was a victim. And Iâm sick of people like you who think they can decide whether someone elseâs life was lived right. Itâs not your damn right.â
âNow⊠fuck off!â you announce, and to your shock, he does. He fucks right off. The man gives you one last lingering look, and then turns and leaves without another word. Not like you needed them.
You huff out a shocked breath, and then turn back to the memorial.
The framed faces of your loved ones stare back at you, and for all you know itâs stupid, you canât help but feel embarrassed for the display. You know your mother wouldâve scolded you for your language, at least.
âSorry,â you say, and youâre unfortunately reminded of that irritating man again. Likely that wonât be the first time he pops up again in your head. He seemed well, insane. Which wasnât that odd in Gotham but⊠god, you just couldnât seem to let it go.
It pissed you off to high heaven. His rudeness was something youâd usually be able to shrug off, especially from some random stranger, but, but, but-! Argh, damn it all. And it wasnât like that was the first time you had had that sort of conversation, but it was certainly the first time someone had been so bold as to bring it up in front of your dead motherâs smiling face.
Earlier today had snuffed out the fire in you, but that encounter had been the spark to reignite it. More than that, actually. It had made you so damn pissed, made your blood boil in a way you just couldnât ignore, to the point that you wanted to prove him wrong.
Jason Todd had mattered and had made a difference and change in Gotham. He had made a change in you. You put your hands on your hips, stare down at the flowers, and make a decision.
Youâre going to fix your goddamn life. For Jason Fucking Todd.
Your body feels like shit, your brain feels like itâs stuffed with cotton wool, and yet this is the greatest opportunity youâve ever been given. You have a chance to save yourself, and save your friends, and fix all the tiny little problems in Gotham that youâve suffered through since childhood. Surely just throwing enough money at all your problems would fix some of them.
You were rich. If you couldnât fix your life with millions of dollars available, then you had no chance.
And yeah, you donât know what youâre doing. You know you canât really change what happened. Back then or even just a few days ago. But you hate that. You hate it so much. You hate how weak you are in the face of loss. How both then and now, thereâs nothing you can really do. And maybe if just out of spite, towards that asshat, Batman, Joker and everyone else, you want to make a change.
You want to be able to do something about it. You want it, so fucking bad.
First order of business?
âŠYou want more flowers.
MASTERLIST - NEXT
#Series:WWW#yandere batfam#batfam x reader#yandere dc#yandere batfamily#yandere x reader#dick grayson x reader#nightwing x reader#jason todd x reader#red hood x reader#tim drake x reader#red robin x reader#damian wayne x reader#robin x reader
710 notes
·
View notes
Text
Reunion - Aftermath
Masterlist
Pairing: Dick Grayson x (f)reader
Tags: slight NSFW, angst, toxic, you cant fix him, smut, grad school, halloween, Dick is the reader's friend's ex's best friend, reunion, oral, penetration, praise, heartbreak, heartbroken reader,
It took some time to get over your initial jealousy after seeing Dick with the girl at the bar. You excused yourself and left your things with your friends, then headed to the bathroom. You held it together surprisingly well, that is until you saw yourself in the mirror and let out a quiet sob.
Damn you. You fell for it again. Visions of that night replayed in your mind. His kind words, the gentleness of his hands on your body, of his lips on your neck, the way his eyes geld yours - it all meant nothing!
You wished you were a like that. Wished you could indulge in intimate activities without being emotionally attached or vulnerable. That you could just have fun and feel nothing the next day.
"Asshole," you cursed under your breath.
Your mascara was smudged at the sides, giving you away despite your attempts to calm your emotions. You ripped a couple of pieces of paper and tried your best to wipe off the tear smudged eyeliner and bring yourself back to normal.
A knock at the door interrupted your thoughts.
You sniffled, calling out, "Just a minute!" And collected your things.
Opening the door, you questioned if the universe was testing you today because you came face to face with the same girl you had just been mentally cursing. She was pretty, dressed in a simple sweater and skinny jeans, tucked into high leather boots. The outfit slapped. It actually mirrored yours, and you almost laughed at the thought that Dick had a type. Speaking of, he was right behind her, his face nuzzled between her ear and her shoulder as the couple giggled to each other.
His gaze registered you, and then a look of surprise took over his face. His smile dropped, and he straightened up, clearing his throat.
You blinked, partly in surprise, partly to clear a fresh wave of tears threatening to spill. Swallowing uncomfortably, you moved out of their way, pressing yourself against the wall in the narrow hallway and trying to escape.
"Honey," the girl took you gently by the wrist. You squeezed your eyes shut at hearing her kind voice. "Are you okay-"
"I'm fine, thanks." You rushed without meeting her gaze. Then you made a mistake. As you walked past Dick, your shoulder nudged his - more aggressively than it needed to, for a random stranger passing by.
You knew your evening was positively ruined. To avoid ruining the mood of your fellow interns, you offered them a made-up excuse about a headache and took your bag on your way out.
"Y/n," the last voice you wanted to hear right now called our behind you.
You didn't turn around, instead holding your eyes closed and sniffling quietly under your breath. "Why, god?"
"Y/n," Dick prompted behind you. "What happened?"
"Oh, shut up." You said, stopping yourself too late.
He paused in front of you, leaning back as if ti assess you. "You're mad at me..." He observed.
Too tired to argue, you took out your phone and checked the bus schedule.
"Why are you mad at me?" He asked.
What a stupid question. You glared up at him from your phone. "Dont you have a face to suck on in there?"
A knowing smile spread across his face, and he shook his head. "I see."
"Good for you." You snapped, murmuring to yourself, "Go after her." You said, feeling your cheeks heat in embarrassment and began walking towards the bus stop, grasping at your coat as you shivered.
"She can wait." He took you by your hand and turned you to face him, nearly dislocating your shoulder in the process. You tore your arm away, only to be backed up against the wall of the bar, caged in by his frame.
You lifted you chin, challenging him with your red eyed gaze. You sneered, "Aren't you worried she'll see us?"
"Not really." Dick gazed back at you with equal challenge. This close you could smell the mix of his skin with his cologne, a painful reminder of how close you let him get to you. "At least she knows the meaning of 'no-strings-attatched'."
"Oh yeah?" You shot back at him "Well at least -" Your shoulders rose and fell as you searched for a retort, only to come up empty-handed. "At least..."
Giving up, you felt your shoulders sag along with your gaze as you let out another sob you'd been holding back. You sniffled, too ashamed to meet his gaze.
Something in him shifted. The vision of you crying? He never saw that, nor had he wanted to see that again.
He let go of you, feeling his own shame rise in his throat. His voice lowered to an apologetic tone. "I'm sorry. That was... uncool. Had i known you would see us... I would never have done anything in front of you."
Shaking your head, you admitted between sniffles, "I wish I was like you."
His brow furrowed. "Why?"
"I wish I could..." He swallowed. "Not get attached."
"I don't... not get attached -" he attempted half heartedly.
"Please," you rolled your eyes, taking out a napkin to wipe them. "I'm still covering up hickeys you left two days ago -" You pulled down your turtleneck to demonstrate "-and you're already shmoozing with someone new."
"I..." He swallowed thickly, studying to purple marks on your neck. Ones he left there. They had even begun to fade. It was like he branded you. But now that brand was disappearing. That image summoned a possessive flash to course through him.
You noticed his expression shift. Nostrils flared as his breathing begame heavy, and his gaze was scorching, you could almost feel where his eyes looked on your neck.
Quickly, you covered back up, putting some distance between the two of you. You didn't know what that look meant, but you knew you were just going to end up sad again. "I have to go,"
"Wait," he said, you stood, waiting for him to speak. "This isn't right."
"What?"
He ran his hand through his hair, the action causing his leather jacket to lift, revealing the gun and handcuffs on the belt of his jeans. Your eyes narrowed. Was he out on the field today? Was that how he ended up in the bar?
"Damn it, y/n," he let out in a quiet frustration. "I dont like this, you being mad at me. Our night was good. It was fun. I didn't ever wanna see you hurt. Please believe me."
"I believe you." You said, grasping at the strap of your back.
He met your gaze, searching.
"I believe you." Air left your mouth in a cloud as you repeated yourself. And you did. Truly. You didn't think his actions were in any way deliberate to hurt you. That was just... the way he was. "I'll see you around."
ăăăăăăăăăăăăăăăăăăăăăăăăăăăăăăăăăăăăăăăăăă
Yeah... he fucked up.
Not in his decision to have sex with you. That was great.
No, what he fucked up in was not picking up on the clues that you were not the kind of girl who had casual sex. The women he usually slept with were all looking for the same as him. No attachment, no feelings, just a good few rounds.
And you had him convinced. How early you got up and got dressed the next day, ready to leave quickly. You didn't even wake him up. So he'd assumed you two were on the same page.
He assumed wrong.
No, he had you all wrong. Back in sophomore year, you'd always carried yourself with nonchalance. You underreacred where others overreacted. You prefered to listen rather than speak. You always appeared so... conservative of your energy. That's what made seeing you cry for the first time, which is much more shocking. Dick felt like he'd ended years of inner peace.
What was worse is that that night when he brought home the girl from the bar, he'd closed his eyes, imagining he was with you he was in bed with.
ăăăăăăăăăăăăăăăăăăăăăăăăăăăăăăăăăăăăăăăăăă
"Hey, I'm not like a... bad person, right?" He asked out loud, eyes wandering off behind his mask as he finished dragging a perps unconscious body to the corner of the hangar.
"Who cares?" His youngest brother, Damian, spoke into his comm unhelpfully. The kid had just started the eighth grade, and his voice began to drop. Sometimes, when he spoke over comms, Dick found himself asking who that was.
"What?" Jason asked behind his own mask a meter from him, kicking the limp body of another henchman.
"Where's this coming from?" Tim asked over the comm. He was currently on lookout on the warehouse roof. "Also, you got two perps coming into the warehouse - no, hold on, one."
"Copy that." Dick nodded. "And for the record, I care, you heard me, and -" Dick put up a gloved finger as he listed his answers, then shrugged. "Just curious."
"Nightwing," Jason sighed in annoyance. "There is nothing you could do that would make you a bad-"
Another henchmen ran in, just to be knocked out with a single punch from Nightwing.
"-person." Jason finished.
But Dick wasn't so sure.
ăăăăăăăăăăăăăăăăăăăăăăăăăăăăăăăăăăăăăăăăăă
The morning rain poured against the gymâs windows as Dick landed another punch against the bag, harder than necessary. He gritted his teeth, trying to focus, on his stance, his core, anything except the remnants of that night that kept slipping into his mind.
The memories were relentless. Flashes of you beneath him, the feel of your skin on his hands, the way your breath hitched when he kissed a path along your collarbone - they crept in despite his efforts to shove them away. The warmth, the breathiness of your voice, the way you looked at him like he was more everything to you. He shook his head, forcing himself to snap out of it.
He threw another punch, this time more controlled, as if he could hit the memory right out of himself. But even now, he couldnât ignore the way his stomach twisted, that irritating rush of excitement mixed with something he didnât want to name. Youâd thrown off his rhythm. All it took was a couple of tears. And he hated it.
Hell, he was Dick Grayson. He was supposed to have his heart compartmentalized by now - no strings, no lingering thoughts. Just one night and done. So why did the thought of you keep pulling at him, driving him back to those damn memories? It wasnât like him to get distracted. Yet here he was, haunted by the way your lips had felt against his skin, the softness of your touch. Fuck.
A curse slipped from his mouth as he gave the bag one final hit, feeling the pain in his knuckles. Heâd have to get over it, right? But no matter how many times he told himself heâd forget you, he knew the way youâd laughed, the way youâd looked at him like he was worth something real, had left its stupid mark.
Yeah, he fucked up.
#batboys#batman#batfam#nightwing imagine#nightwing x you#nightwing x reader#nightwing#dick grayson imagine#dick grayson smut#dick grayson x reader#dick grayson
189 notes
·
View notes
Text
GĂ€vle Goat v.s. two drunk half-ghosts (DCxDP)
â
Tw: alcohol consumption (no way), one(1) mention of sex
Summary: Jason and Danny accidentally burn down the GĂ€vle goat. You all voted for this, and I delivered. Merry crisis, tis the season and all that.
â
Jason wove through the ever-shifting crowd, an irritated scowl on his face.
Kori and Roy had dragged him here to celebrate a successful mission together, but the two had wandered off together not thirty minutes after they arrived, effectively stranding him in an unfamiliar club in Europe.
Now, his only two options seemed to be stealing someoneâs car and getting back to their temporary safehouse himself, or waiting for the two to come back for him.
Still, considering the lecture heâd get from Dick if he hotwired a random guyâs car just because he didnât want to wait for his friends, option one wasnât much of an option at all.
It was humiliating. He was a crime lord, not a little kid whoâd lost their mom in the store.
Jason sighed, slumping against the wall as he watched the drunken crowd swirl together.
He had never really felt at home in places like this, especially not since his resurrection. It always felt like people were staring at him, like they just intrinsically knew that he was other.
Jason startled when he felt someone tap on his shoulder.
âSorry!â The stranger said, âI just, um, are you okay?â
Jason blinked. The person talking to him was clearly somewhat tipsy, wearing a blush on his face and a slightly loopy smile. How had he possibly snuck up on him? Was he really that deep in thought?
âMy asshole friends ditched me, and now Iâm stuck here,â Jason blurted out without thinking. The stranger barked out a laugh, clearly surprised.
âThat sucks,â he said, leaning on the wall next to Jason. He hummed in response.
The stranger looked back at the open bar, where quite a few people were frantically miming to him. He motioned back to them, clearly hoping for them to stop, before just flipping them off. Jason chuckled at that.
âThose your friends?â
The stranger blushed brighter, the tips of his ears going red.
âUh, yeah. Weâre here to celebrate some legal stuff that I finally got done with, but, uh, they wanted me to go talk to you.â
Jason hummed again, giving the stranger a quick once-over. He was actually pretty cute; he had messy black hair, icy eyes, and an outfit that screamed âIâve never been in a club before but my friends dragged me here anywaysâ.
If he was gonna be waiting for Kori and Roy anyways, why not have some fun?
âWell, I am technically here alone, now that my friends wandered off,â he said, looking at the stranger meaningfully.
The stranger grinned brightly, holding a hand out to him.
âThen, dâyou wanna hang out with my friends and I? I promise weâre lot of fun! Iâm Danny, by the way.â
Jason took his hand, the beginnings of a smile on his face.
âCall me Jason,â he said, following along as the (surprisingly strong) man dragged him over to his friends.
-
Danny was having the time of his life.
The restraining order on Vlad had finally been granted. The abolition of the Infinite Realmsâ monarchy had gone through. And, on top of all that, he was on the most incredible club-hopping adventure of his un-life.
And sure, it might not have been the best idea to give ghost alcohol to Jason, the mortal his group had picked up in Germany, but he was taking it like a champ!
He hadnât thrown up yet, in any case, so clearly it wasnât that much of an issue.
Danny giggled, leaning up against Jason as they walked along the street, his ghostly friends filling the street.
As the night went along and they all got more and more tipsy, theyâd mostly let go of their mortal forms. Despite being surrounded by a bunch of ghosts with death-blows clearly exposed and mythological creatures, Jason didnât seem to be too bothered. He had an arm wrapped around Dannyâs shoulders and was singing along with some of the ghosts in Arabic(?), his lovely baritone voice echoing out amongst the dead and unborn.
Danny just snuggled further into his side, enjoying the novel feeling of human warmth. Heâd have to get Jasonâs number after this, Danny sluggishly thinks. If he wasnât freaked out by Danny being dead once he was sober, at least. He found that most people werenât quite so open to cuddling up to a corpse. Even if that corpse could talk and walk around.
The streetlights around them began to spin as they once again walked into a rip in the veil. Everyone cheered as the lights warped and distorted, the sky becoming neon green and foggy.
Danny stumbled forward on unsteady legs, dragging Jason along with him. He wanted to get to the front of the group, to see where they were going before everyone else!
Jason tripped as Danny continued to drag him along, stumbling off the path and straight off the Realms island they were currently on. Danny, still clinging to him like a lifeline, fell alongside him.
A cheer from the spirits rang out above them, unaware of their mistake, fading as they fell. Before Danny had a chance to call out, though, they fell through another rip in the veil.
-
Jason sat up. Heâd fallen face-first into a snowbank, and judging by the pair of legs sticking out of the snow, Danny had a similar fate. He dragged Danny out of the snow by the feet, tumbling over nothing and falling over in a heap.
Danny rolled over, laying down in the snow next to him with both arms around his waist.
Jason just looked up at the sky in awe.
It was most certainly the alcohol, or maybe the lack of pollution, but the sky looked so much more beautiful than usual.
There were so many stars in his blurry vision, and each one twinkled and shone and spun like they were dancing.
With a tremendous amount of effort, he got to his feet, dragging Danny up with him.
He twirled the man in his arms, his legs unsteady as he tried to waltz. Danny giggled, trying to match his uneven steps.
The arctic wind blew over them, carrying with it the snow and ice of the ages. The wind curled around them, spinning in circles around the pair as they danced. Sprites of fire glimmered in the corners of Jasonâs vision, glimmering cheerfully. It seemed that something had caught alight, but nothing was going to distract him from the man in front of him, grinning widely with a blush that covered his entire face.
Jason fell over again, collapsing in the snow, and Danny fell over on top of him.
-
Light shimmered down from the snow-covered trees, falling onto Dannyâs face. He scrunched his eyes closed, groaning in agony.
He was so, so hungover.
Served him right for agreeing to go out partying with Johnny of all people.
Dannyâs head pounded to the beat of his heart, his core humming in rhythm. He buried his face into the fabric beneath him, trying desperately to block out the light from reaching his sensitive eyes.
Where was he, anyways?
The area around him was definitely snowy; even arctic, maybe, judging by how strongly his core was thrumming. Still, he was perfectly warm, laying on top ofâŠ
âŠa person?
Fuck, he was never partying with Johnny again.
Through great willpower, Danny squirmed off of the stranger and sat up, scrunching up his face as he turned away from the sun. It didnât make his headache any better, though; the snow reflected the light almost as bright as the sun itself.
Fresh snow can have an albedo of 0.9, Danny remembered, a college lecture popping into his head. It had the highest level of albedo of anything on earth. Thatâs why it was bouncing the light of the sun directly into his poor sensitive eyes.
Of course Danny would wake up next to a strange man and the first thing that he thought of was science facts.
The man next to him groaned, immediately bringing his arm up to block the sun.
âWhat the fuck did I do last night?â
âI know, right?â
The man went abruptly still. It took all of Dannyâs willpower not to laugh.
ââŠDo I still have my kidneys at least?â
Now Danny did burst out laughing, bright and cheery. And then he groaned and clutched his head.
âOh gods my head hurts,â Danny hissed, âdoes this happen every time you drink?â
âNot unless you hate your liver.â
Danny laughed, and they both fell into silence for a few moments. It wasnât comfortable silence by any means, though; it was unbearably tense and uncomfortable. Danny almost wished he could die on command, if only to get out of this.
ââŠWanna go get breakfast?â
âFuck yes,â Danny said, getting to his feet before helping the other man up. âYour treat?â
The other man laughed loudly.
âWeâve known each other properly for a total of five minutes, and youâre already bleeding me dry?â
âCome on, Iâm a college student, itâs basically my job to ask for free food.â
-
The two of them sat in utter silence as they ate, watching the TV in the corner of the diner with a fascinating flavor of giddy horror.
Someone had burnt down the GĂ€vle goat, and from the footage, it was very clearly them.
It wouldnât be obvious to anyone else, luckily; the video had gone so staticky that it was very nearly unwatchable. But when combining the scene on the shitty box TV to Dannyâs (very limited) memories of the night before, it was clear that they had done it.
ââŠKnew I forgot something that happened last night.â
Danny barked out a laugh at Jasonâs comment, which earned him a sly grin in return.
âBetter or worse than getting laid?â
âEh,â Jason shrugged. âWith most people? Better. With you? Worse.â
Danny laughed harder, wrapping a leg around Jasonâs and waggling his eyebrows.
âHey, arson isnât the worst end to a first night out.â
Jason snorted.
âBy the way, are you a meta? I just assumed, with the fire and allâŠâ
Danny looked at him in surprise.
âOh, I thought that was you.â
âWhat?â
Danny summoned a small burst of wind, twirling it around in his hands, creating tiny snowflakes.
âI can do that,â he said, gesturing to the snow, âbut, like, fire? Nope.â
To Dannyâs utter shock, a core in front of him pulsed in confusion, his own mirroring it.
Jasonâs core. Jason was dead.
Jason looked at him, his face pale.
âDid you feel that too, or am I having a heart attack?â
Danny laughed nervously.
âAs long as we donât get arrested, I promise Iâll explain everything on the way back to Germany.â
â
Notes:
If Jason really was alive, he wouldnât be for long after drinking ghost alcohol.
I brought up albedo because I learned something new in science class. Godbles
The wisps were Jasonâs core forming and activating for the first time. Thatâs also what got the goat
#dcxdp#dc x dp#dp x dc#dpxdc#dp x dc crossover#dc x dp fic#dead on main#dead on main pairing#merry crisis đđ merry chrysler#itâs extra funny that Iâm doing this because I donât even like christmas
770 notes
·
View notes
Note
I was wondering, what with the lovely couple aiming to cure Astarion's vampirism and allâ
when the time actually comes, if ever, for Astarion to take that leap and abandon immortality, would DU!Drow have second thoughts? Perhaps, even, try stopping him? Not because he doesn't want Astarion to be happy, but because he would begin to age and has new vulnerabilities, making DU!Drow immensely paranoid/insecure.
This came to me because of the Bhaalist!AU where we see him sabotage Astarion's ascension. I mean, I'm going to assume he's much less toxic in the canon path đ
Yes he is not as humongous of an ass canonically, LOL. Still an asshole, but he's very earnest and fairly eager to learn how to be a better person to those he cares about, not to mention the random bout of stranger's empathy here and there.
But for your actual question, it depends! There are two wolves inside the man: one who suffers whenever he has to see Astarion being hindered by his vampirism, and one who still secretly enjoys him depending on him to an extent because of it. There is also a third, secret wolf called "maybe he's trying to be okay with this vampire thing and he would be better off for it, actually" that has been trying to crawl its way to the forefront on two broken legs for months, but we ignore that one.
And, of course, DU drow is easily swayed by Astarion's will when he puts things just the right way to convince him - which he knows how to do. If becoming mortal was a snap of the fingers away, all Astarion would have to do is get the wet eyes out and he would probably get his way.
His "baby please I only wish to take one last mortal piss before I perish for good" face. (I was laughing at some screenshots on another tab and had to come up with an excuse to put this one here, sorry.)
Anyways, while DU drow is canonically and vehemently searching for a "cure" for Astarion, his actual opinions on how the outcome of such would affect them vary depending on the day you ask him about it, and just how much thought you can assuade him to put into it. Things definitely begin to fall apart when you press.
But, generally, I think spawn Astarion would be ecstatic about having his mortality back. Sure, that means foregoing things like eternal "life" and regenerative powers, but no longer having to worry about daylight, rivers, and holy artefacts would very much balance it out. Astarion's hapiness would be enough to give DU drow the necessary peace of mind when facing any of the related downsides.
Also - they are still relatively ambitious and power-hungry. When time started rolling through, DU drow would prooooobably come up with the brilliant idea to pursue some other means of immortality for themselves, which for the record I think is absolutely hysterical and says a lot about the guy's thought process (FIRST, we cure you of your vampirism, THEN, we give you immortal life - the logic is infallible).
But also this is all presupposing he wouldn't come to accept Astarion's eventual death through old age just through like, you know, personal growth. I don't have these guys' lives planned from start to finish, and anything could happen.
(As an addendum, this ask isn't about my thoughts on whether or not it is thematically better for Astarion to turn back or not - I'm just entertaining the concept.)
240 notes
·
View notes
Note
hi sir đ i'm a female and recovering feminist and uuh i want to ask your advice on how to ways to like kinda apologize for my past? đ„ș like i was so brainwashed into thinking yknow "women" have rights blahblah but um i know now females are just a set of holes with tits. đ€ still i feel the urge to yknow make up for being a feminist in the past. i dunno if it's worth your time, but i have 3 main mistakes i made and i'd like to ask for a punishment for each if that's okay đ„ș my mistakes (amongst many) were:
1. disliking even hating men... i know BAD start :(( i promise i'm better!!! i now worship men, call them sir/daddy/etc. and respect only them. đ„° but i feel so bad about talking bad about my superiors so i would like to be punished đ„ș
blaming not the victim (me) but the rapist (a man with the right to abuse me). i would say things like "i didn't deserve to be raped" or something, but now i know that if a man want to hurt, molest, rape, abuse or otherwise me in anyway he can and should! i'm sorry i was sooo stupid :(( can you give me another punishment? đ„ș
i am still unlearning being a brat. words like 'no' or 'stop' are unfortunately still part of my vocabulary altho i'm working so hard to be tamed. anyway i would so wish for a punishment i can do regularly, preferably everytime i make a mistake or am a brat. can you help me please? đ„ș
that is all, but pleeease don't be too hard on me, i know i don't deserve to be respected and heard, but i get scared easily đ„ș
thank you so much for your time đđđ
- đ
This is a great question. Helping girls recover from feminism is a complex and important job.
Your punishment/rehabilitation for hating men should be watching lots of disgusting porn that demeans women. Instead of touching your pussy, finger your asshole while you watch. Don't stop until your asshole is sore and you're absolutely disgusted with yourself.
When it comes to being raped, you're absolutely right. Any man has the right to use your body however he pleases. As punishment for questioning this natural order, you will send nudes to five random men on tumblr and tell them that your body belongs to them. If you're not ready to send nudes to strangers, just describe your body to them and ask them how they would use it to pleasure themselves. While you read their responses, hump your pillow or a similar object (something that will stimulate you, but not enough to make you cum) and repeat the mantra "I deserve to be raped, I was born to be raped, I love rape."
Finally, smacking your tits or pussy with a hairbrush is a great go-to punishment for when you act like a brat. For a more severe punishment, pluck one of your pussy hairs.
I hope this helps you on your journey to recover from feminism, and you can always send a DM or another ask if you need more help.
#patriarchy kink#human fleshlight#bimbo doll#bimbo girl#bimbo training#bimboification#corruption kink#dumb slvt#mind corruption#degredation kink#cnc free use#cnc rough#fr33use
149 notes
·
View notes
Text
way hay, and up she rises! (opla!zoro x you)
summary: zoro leads the crew to an informant from his bounty-hunting days; they don't know his history with the pretty singer in the bar.
wc: 2.6k
cw/tags: swearing, implied fem!reader (wearing a skirt and makeup) but they/them pronouns used, basically singer/bodyguard trope, strangers to lovers, brief guy being an asshole (and protective zoro!), simp zoro, i love zoro, can you tell how much i love this man
note: do i imagine lucy gray baird when i think about reader singing in a bar? maybe a little bit. do i wish i could sing like rachel zegler as lucy gray baird? abso-fucking-lutely. i've been listening to a lot of random sea shanties lately so this is where that came from. hope you enjoy!
likes, reblogs, and replies are much appreciated!
âYouâre sure you know what youâre doing?â
âOf all the times for you to doubt me, cook,â he says, catching the door with the toe of his boot and kicking it open, âI can say for certain, I have this under control.â His feet step through the doorway and heâs bombarded with jolly laughter, drunken singing, and a dancing fiddle. The patrons cheer with flasks and goblets in their hands, liquor splashing onto their neighbors when they slam their cups onto wooden tables. Itâs warm like a hearth, not a hell, and the unkempt atmosphere wraps around him like a familiar blanket. Within seconds, heâs not a pirate anymore; heâs back to being a hunter.Â
And there, swinging the edge of your skirt with a tambourine in hand, was you. The lantern light catches in your eyes in a way that makes them glow, enchanting him like a spell. Youâre just as breathtaking as the last time he saw you, singing clearer than the stars shining on a winter night. When you speak, itâs like invisible ropes extend from your lithe fingers, grabbing each man by the ears and pulling them in to listen further. Heâs no different, finding himself drifting toward your stage when a sudden hand tugs him away.Â
âHey, weâre going this way. Luffy found a table in the back,â Nami informs him over the controlled chaos of the bar. Her voice quiets as he follows her to a secluded corner, but her teasing was not lost to him.Â
âPretty interesting place youâve led us to.â
âThatâs one way to put it,â he replies blandly, still slightly awestruck from seeing you again.
âGot a crush on the singer?â
âI donât know what youâre talking about,â he deadpans, sliding into the booth next to his beaming captain. He gladly accepts the bottle Usopp offers him, taking a swig without so much of a flinch when it burns down his throat and goes straight to his head.Â
âWhat were you guys talking about?â Luffy pipes up and he doesnât hide his grimace in time. âDid Nami say something to bother you, Zoro?âÂ
âDoesnât she always?â An uneasy feeling settles in the pit of the swordsmanâs stomach, one he could only explain by not having eyes on you. He was used to being here alone, where he could admire you without distraction. He knew he wasnât ready for the crewâs interrogation about his history with you. âI just need something to drink.âÂ
âYouâre already holding a bottle, if youâve forgotten already,â Sanji reminds him. âDonât make us drag your sorry ass out of another bar.â If looks could kill, Zoro couldnât fathom the number of coffins the stupid cook would need.Â
âAlright, alright,â Luffy interjects. âZoroâs just beenâŠstressed. We all deal with stress in our own ways.âÂ
âThere are healthier ways to deal with stress than alcoholism,â Nami points out. âFor instance, talking it out works wonders.â
âWhile I appreciate the concern, weâre here for information, not therapy,â Zoro states tersely, taking another gulp from his bottle. âWe came a little early, so weâll have to wait until the band is done with their set before we move in on the target.â His eyes drift back into your general direction, hoping there werenât any guys giving you trouble.Â
âWhy canât we just move in now? Thereâs enough chaos in the bar to be a distraction,â Luffy asks.
âSanji and I could start a fight,â Usopp offers in response, holding up the cookâs wrist like he was ready for the first punch. âThat worked last time.â Zoro shakes his head.Â
âToo risky. The informant wonât say anything if we interrupt the music, especially if itâs a bar fight,â he replies, a fond look blinking across his face. âTheyâre a littleâŠdifficult, sometimes.â The pieces click together in Namiâs brain before he can stop her and the realization dawns on her in no time. Â
âYour contact is the singer.â He shrugs one shoulder, not looking any of his crew in the eye and instead watching the growing crowd around your stage. âThe singer you have a crush on?â Zoroâs head snaps back to reality and becomes all too aware of the heat growing on his cheeks.Â
âI donât have a crush on them,â he mumbles half-heartedly.Â
âAw, Zoro is in love!â Usopp sighs. âI always knew he had a heart.âÂ
âItâs not love. Itâs just admiration, if anything,â he counters, but itâs no use. His crewmates were already on a roll.Â
âI thought you said you had this under control,â Sanji recalls with a taunting smirk.Â
âI do have this under control.â
âYour red complexion says otherwise,â the cook replies and Zoroâs frown deepens. It wasnât part of his plan for the rest of his friends to find out about his relationship with you. In fact, accompanying him to the bar was not part of the plan in the first place. âLook, Iâm happy for you. Honestly, I am. If you could do it, then I surely will find someone even better.âÂ
âThatâs enough,â Nami cuts in before Zoro can unsheath a sword. He nods in curt gratitude, but she doesnât let him off the hook. âHowever, as payback for not telling us about your little sweetheart, youâre gonna explain how you know them until their set is done.âÂ
âSays who?â
âSays us,â Usopp answers, holding up Sanjiâs fist again and miming the cook punching him in the face. âOr, weâre gonna cause a scene and make them come to us first.âÂ
âYou guys are impossible,â Zoro mutters under his breath. With a deep exhale, he establishes a single rule. âYou donât tell anyone about what Iâm about to tell you, understand?â The crew nods. âGood, because if someone finds out about them, Iâm gonna shave your heads while you sleep.âÂ
As with most people Zoro interacted with, you met him because of a fight.
âI didnât need your help,â you had told him that night, resting your boot on a ribcage for leverage and yanking your sword from the dead assailantâs chest. âSo, you can leave now.â
âI thought you said you had this under control,â he remarks, cleaning the blood from his blade and inserting it back into its sheath.Â
âI do have this under control,â you reiterate with a glare. âIt was just an off night.âÂ
âPretty impressive for an off night, though your swordsmanship could improve.â His hand gestures vaguely at the half-dozen attackers lying at your feet, amateurs whose strength depended on their numbers. Numbers, which he'd helped you cut down when you didnât show up at the meeting spot youâd agreed upon.Â
âI canât tell if youâre trying to insult me or compliment me,â you scoff.
âDoesnât matter, as long as you keep talking,â he replies without missing a beat, following you through the backdoor of the bar and down a dusty hallway into what he presumed was a makeshift dressing room. âYou could make a good career out of bounty hunting if you wanted to.â Closing the door behind him, he settles into a nearby chair and watches you tidy up trinkets on the vanity.Â
âI donât remember letting you come in here, much less telling you to have a seat.â Your guarded nature only intrigues Zoro more, but heâs more than willing to leave if you truly didnât want him present. Something in his gut told him, though, that you secretly enjoyed the company. âAnd, no. Iâm not interested in the violence of your world, only the information part.âÂ
âThe information part you didnât show up for,â he recalls with a scowl. You hum in fake sympathy at his displeasure.Â
âAnd my sincerest apologies for getting attacked while on route to our meeting place,â you bite, shaking your head when he rolls his eyes. âLook, weâre here now, so just ask your questions and get out.â Zoro does ask his questions and you give him the answers he needs, but the lingering feeling of disappointment when he bids you farewell stays with him even after he collects the head you helped him find. So, with the reward money sitting heavy in his pocket, he returns to your run-down little bar the following week.Â
Without the pressure of fulfilling a hunt weighing on his chest, he catches himself enjoying your performance a little too much. It was mesmerizing, the way you danced across the stage and blew kisses to drunken audience members. Zoro even found himself smiling when he was able to catch your eye.Â
âI take it the hunt went well,â you say in greeting when he appears in the doorway of your dressing room. Itâs after your bandâs last set and youâre visibly more relaxed than the previous time he saw you. Instead of barging into your space, he simply leans a muscled shoulder against the doorframe, arms crossed and observing you remove your makeup.Â
âIt did. Your little tip about the maid worked wonders.âÂ
âSheâll always turn a blind eye if it means a little extra money.âÂ
âShe also knew the place better than the maps I was reading,â he adds. âI wouldnât think to talk to her if it werenât for you.â You dismiss his compliment with a wave of your hand.Â
âThe Lady of the Houseâs true right-hand is not her husband, but the one that cleans up after him,â you muse with a satisfied smile. Heâs still standing in the doorway, you notice from the corner of your eye. âYou can come in if you promise to explain why youâre back again.â
âConsider the promise made, then,â he replies, shutting the door and taking a seat the same way he did the week prior. âI wanted to apologize for getting off on the wrong foot.â
âThe Demon of the East Blue apologizing to me? What a world we live in,â you quip and he chuckles. âFor the record, I wasnât mad at you. Well, not entirely.â
âWhat do you mean?âÂ
âYeah, I was mad at you for interrupting the set to ask your questions, but I canât blame you too much. Itâs your first time here, after all.â He listens to your explanation intently, like there was no other voice heâd rather be hearing. âBut for future reference, interrupting me while Iâm singing will make other clients I serve a little jumpy.â
âThey think youâre conspiring against them?â
âExactly. I try to keep the same after-the-show policy with everyone, so if I give priority to one person, theyâll question my reliability.â He nods, your irritation suddenly making much more sense.Â
âAnd when they question your reliability, they attack you outside the bar,â he concludes.Â
âMhmm, which was why I was late for our meeting. For that, I am sorry.â Your voice is softer than the candlelight illuminating the small room and he finds himself being drawn into you again, like a magnet. An idea pops into his mind, one that was sure to cost him a few hunts, but heâs sure youâre worth it.
âEver think about hiring stage security?âÂ
âFor a dirty-ass bar like this? Definitely not,â you laugh. âMaybe if I were playing for the general of the Marines, but here? Thatâs funny.â You thought that would be the end of your conversations with Zoro, but decided not to question his intentions when he showed up the following night. You spied him sitting in the same dark corner with a glass in his hand, watching you like you were the only being that mattered in his world. As the songs pass, your eyes find him on instinct and youâre rewarded with a rare grin that makes your stomach float. No sooner did you start your last set of the night, though, did a new client come storming into the bar.Â
He was a Marine defector, one that was trying to make it onto some pirateâs ship before the government found him. In the second drawer of your dressing room vanity, you had a list of ships and ports that would guarantee him a smooth disappearance into the sea. He desperately needed the list and, being a new client, was clueless about your after-show policy.Â
âAlright, give me the list. Letâs go,â he hissed once he reached the front of the stage, his words barely audible over the sound of your band. You attempt to smile and play him off as another drunk, but your amiable expression disappears when he tries to grab the edge of your skirt. âIâm not fucking messing around. Give me the fucking list.â As expected, your regular clients started to shift uncomfortably in their seats, looking at you and the greenie suspiciously. In their minds, you were giving special privileges to a new guy. âStop being a bitch and give me the list.â The man reaches out to grab your skirt again when a strong hand shoves him away from you.Â
âGet lost. Theyâre in the middle of performing.â You steal one glance at the swordsman in front of you, the one resting his hands menacingly on the hilts of his swords. His broad shoulders become a wall in front of you, impossible to pass without risking instant decapitation. The new client scurries away and you release a shaky breath, sending Zoro a grateful look when heâs back at his seat. Please stay, you mouth wordlessly. Iâm not going anywhere, he mouths back.
He stays with you during your official meeting with the ex-Marine, arms crossed and stationed in the corner of your dressing room like a guard dog. When the meeting is over and Zoroâs all but thrown the man out of the building, he walks you home and waits until he hears your door lock before leaving. Heâs back the next night, and the next, and the next, and all the nights afterward for nearly a year. You start to ask him about his past, his hunts, and his dreams. Little by little, you both start to take down your defenses and trust each other with vulnerability. Heâs late, sometimes, when he gets caught in a hunt; but, you always end up finding him waiting for you in your dressing room.Â
After he kisses you for the first time, you start inviting him in once heâs walked you home, impatiently locking your door before pulling him to your room. Itâs little things that make you fall in love with him: waking up to find him hogging all of your blankets, resting on his bare chest and relishing in the feeling of his skin against yours, running a hand through his hair until he wakes up with a sleepy smile. He falls freely, hopelessly, and completely in love with you, too.Â
He knows nothing has changed when you rush into his arms as soon as you see him in your dressing room.Â
âHey, songbird,â he mumbles while his arms lock around your waist. âI burn from missing you.â
âIâve missed you more.â Your voice sounds muffled against his shoulder as your arms wind tightly around his neck. He buries his face into the crook of your neck, pulling you as closely to him as humanly possible. For the first time in what felt like an eternity, Zoro felt at ease. âI thought I saw you walk in, but you didnât go to your usual spot.â
âI know, Iâm sorry. I have someâŠfriends with me,â he says slowly, nudging the door open to reveal his crewmates eavesdropping from the hallway. You smirk knowingly, running the pad of your thumb over his cheekbone. âAlright, alright. Just say itââ
âI didnât know you could make friends,â you tease and he prevents you from saying anything else by pressing his lips against yours. âWanna introduce me to them?â
âGive me a second, baby,â he murmurs against your skin. âI need you to myself for a bit.â
if you enjoy my writing and would like to support me, you can buy me a coffee on my ko-fi! you can also check out my full masterlist here :)
#zoro x you#zoro x reader#zoro x y/n#roronoa zoro x you#roronoa zoro x reader#roronoa zoro x y/n#one piece x you#one piece x reader#one piece x y/n#opla x you#opla x reader#opla x y/n
424 notes
·
View notes
Note
So uh, I realise I wrote too much again, so like, I don't expect the questions to be answered, I just think in questions and what ifs. I don't expect the questions to be answered at all just go for a general respond to the vibes if u want.
I think you should have Reader go back to her world and the duo try and go after her.
According to JTTW isn't the world in the palm of Buddha or something? Would Reader's world be in the future or an alternate world/palm?
I'm just imagining after they go through all their adventures and grow and mature as people[monkies?], they should get a power of friendship[romance] power boost to go to Reader's world and immediately cause chaos there, with all the drama that is involved.
What would they think about everyone knowing so much about them? Is there a heavenly realm/court thingy they can ransack, so we can have shenanigans of two heavenly courts fighting the duo and each other on what to do regarding the situation?
How would the duo react to meeting Reader's family? Would there be a Sun Wukong and Macaque in Reader's world? How would they react to the Cursed Warlords duo?
What if Reader goes home with them still cursed instead?
Imagine Reader being separated from them because as far as anyone knows, these are wild animals that should live in a zoo or something.
Nobody would believe that the monkeys came from another world, they would just wonder how Reader managed to steal 2 monkey cubs from their parents and habitat most likely across country lines
People probably think Reader is an abusive, cruel, ignorant asshole who probably got them from a poacher or something.
Can u imagine the amount of harassment, hate and vitriol Reader would get, and the monkeys would witness?
And they would only see a bunch of humans, targeting the one human who no matter what tried their best to keep them safe, saying that Reader is a horrible person that they will "save" them from, only to be shoved into tiny cages[carriers] only to be taken into a prison where they are stared at 24/7 with flashing lights from all sides with no privacy[zoo], forced to eat pellets while reader would probably starve before letting them go hungry[fruit has been bred to have too much sugar that it gives animals cavities so zoos don't use them], being manhandled by strangers poking random things into them[vets giving check-up and bloodwork]?
Imagine if they broke their curse after experiencing all of that, oh their reaction to everything:
monkey duo: "ok, there is no way we will leave Reader here, court-napping kidnapping 'rescue' reader plan is a go!"
reader, who only saw them as cubs and was imprisoned shortly after they were separated: "Who tf are you???? Why do these two monkey demons act like they know me??? How did they even get here??? WAIT WHY AM I BEING TAKEN BACK??? WHAT ABOUT THE CUBS?? are these the cubs parents??"
monkey duo, touched that reader still remembers to think about them after all this kerfuffle:"⊠ok we are definitely going to marry reader, gonna have to shift plans to move it up the schedule"
This had me absolutely busting a gut as I was reading it. The idea would be something that would be fun to play with for sure.
I donât think that Iâll have them go to her world this early in the Au, but eventually theyâll probably go there because they donât like her being anywhere that isnât with them. Well other than Flower Fruit Mountain, as they believe that she is safest there. (Havenât decided when they actually go to her world yet, or if theyâll go there quietly or if theyâll bust into the place or not)
Now for Readerâs World, I realize itâs something I havenât really mentioned before. Readerâs world is a modern world, one that doesnât have demons or monsters lurking around every corner. My thought is itâs just like Earth in this way. I like the idea of Readerâs world being one that isnât on Buddhaâs palm at all, in fact itâs a world that should be impossible for her to leave or travel to. However due to a specific magic that flows through her, she is able to get pulled to and from her world. What magic? Honestly havenât decided on that yet. But the only way she can control it is with magical artifacts, her magic simply powering the artifact and guiding it to the right dimension. She and two other people are the only ones who can even do this properly, even if her own is a complete accident usage every time.
No there isnât a Sun Wukong and Macaque in her world. That would be funny true, but with her world being a modern one I donât feel like it fits.
My thoughts on Reader traveling between the worlds, hehe~ Letâs just say Iâve got a few fun plans for that. Especially when the Monkey Duo canât do anything about it (At least not for a while). đ Heck due to the nature of Readerâs nullification to magic, Macaque canât even just know when she arrives in their world. They will get rather desperate to get her back on more than one occasion. HA! I am going to make them work for this girl! They want her, they will have to work / fight for her. Though the fighting comes like second nature to them, heck more than second nature to them actually.
On the topic of marriage though, Wukong and Macaque think more along the lines of courting. They just want to court-nap her and mate with her and then she would be their wife by Demon standards. So they wonât really think to have an actual wedding⊠at least not until they learn about that human custom.
I loved your ideas btw, thank you so much for sharing them with me â€ïž
As always if anyone else has any other ideas, then send them my way! I love to hear everyoneâs thoughts. Such as this Anonâs who had me laughing so hard I swear my stomach hurt from it.
Just thinking about the monkey duo being put into a zoo was hilarious. The absolute rage Wukong would feel would be something to behold, including the fact that heâd probably tear down the zoo if the curse vanished while he was in it. Reader would be all worried about your monkeys trying to figure out how to free them when suddenly thereâs some sort of fire happening at the zoo they were brought to. You would probably fear for the worst.
Until two monkey demons probably enter through your window, ready to take their darling back home.
âHowâŠâ Reader gasps as you stared into beautiful golden eyes that stared at you with a love stuck smile.
âHello Reader~ Are you ready to go home?â Wukong mutters, his tail swaying back and forth like that of a cat.
âWho are you!?â you want to run. The demon in front of you is covered in blood and walking towards you at a rather quick pace, too quick.
âNow, now. We canât have you running,â Another demon mutters as arms wrap around your waist, seemly out of no where.
Turning you are about to yell when you notice a set of three ears on each side of his head. Immediately your thoughts going to your little monkey cubs as she's picked up effortlessly.
"Ahh! Let me go! Who the heck are you!? Are you Plum and Peaches parents? Is that why you're here? I swear I don't have them, they- they're trapped at the zoo... I didn't do anything to them-" you would get cut off rather quickly.
"Shh, shh we know. We know that you didn't do anything other than care for them. Gotta say being called Plum for months was strange but can't say I hated it," Macaque would whisper in your ear.
As this is revealed to you, a sense of terror washes over you. Slowly you find yourself turning to look at the other monkey demon in the room. The similarities were so distinctive and they were right in your face. You couldn't deny it now.
"Now, let's get you back home. We aren't going to leave you for this stupid world to take care of you. No, they can't take care of you like we can," Wukong mutters, nuzzling his face against your cheek.
You can try to get out of their hold all you like, but you won't succeed with these two. They love you too much to let you go now. You sealed your fate the moment you gave them food, if I'm being honest. Especially with what the zoo tried to feed them.
#dead dove do not eat#sun wukong x macaque#yandere sun wukong#yandere macaque#Sun Wukong x Reader#Macaque x Reader#sun wukong x macaque x reader#Shadowpeach x Reader#Shadowpeach x Female Reader#cursed warlords au#cursed warlords lmk au
135 notes
·
View notes
Text
The subtlety of Cale Henituse
SPOILERS for those who haven't finished the first part of the novel. If you don't like spoilers, please don't continue. Thanks!
- This is kind of a review about the novel but it's basically my analysis of Cale/KRS.
___
For someone who has trust issues with people, I first had an initial distrust with Cale Henituse/Kim Rok Soo as a reader.
I think it's because of how he was first introduced.
As a first-time reader of the novel back then, Cale/KRS was introduced as a very indifferent person. He was calm at the face of a sudden transmigration and acted like nothing could surprise him (aside from Ron and Choi Han). And of course, like anyone who was fooled, I also thought that he was selfish. He's not the trash that he thinks he is but he's selfish and I didn't place my full trust in him because I still didn't know him yet. And I like it that way. The author kept me on my toes and didn't force fed me a truckload of information about Kim Rok Soo.
Like I said in my previous post, he didn't actually give us his whole introduction. He left a few crumbs here and there that told us he didn't have a great childhood but it wasn't enough for me to build an image of him in my head. There were still some blanks and question marks about Kim Rok Soo.
Sure, there were moments when he gave a bigger tip to someone without blinking an eye and acting all smug about it but I really just thought that he was happy because he's finally rich. Or when he was being so polite and gentlemanly in front of an old man that Venion was disgusted with and then later on went back to being indifferent and I thought it was just him being extra petty and angry (which he was) at Venion for being an asshole. He's very quick to change from smug to indifference and it made me switch back and forth on how I see him as a person.
Yeah, you need to read between the lines when reading this novel.
[side note: Actually, If I remember correctly, I thought that I wouldn't like his character because I find it weird when MCs in KR manhwa and novels easily shrug off the isekai bullshit they're in. The influence of KR manhwa on me affected my opinion about him and it shows.]
So when he first met the kittens and Choi Han, I was reading it with the feeling of "Run away, guys! Run while you still can!" lingering at the back of my mind. He was nice to them, as much as he could with random strangers he just met, but he's very distant with them.
Another thing about him that makes it harder to understand him is because he's always distant with people. He relies on them and helps them but he's always at arms-length when dealing with them. This, if you didn't think of or was reminded of his thoughts about his abuse and pity, simply makes him look indifferent.
Before I continue, I don't like tsundere characters. I absolutely find them cringe and sometimes, I just wanna bash my head when they blush at the bs they're spouting at someone they like.
Because that's the thing with Cale. He is a tsundere. He says one thing and does the opposite. And he's so in denial about it which makes it more hilarious and sad.
He's subtle about it at first. He didn't even give me the vibe that he's more complex than what he shows because he's so quick to disprove my sudden epiphany that there's something deeper than what he's showing. He's so good at hiding his emotions EVEN WHEN I'M READING HIS POV.
This bastard is so in denial about himself that he fooled me so bad! I think I only realized it when he saved Raon but even then, there were still some doubts about his character. I liked his words to Raon and thought about how kind he is for giving the dragon the freedom of choice but because he later thinks of making Raon do things for him, it shook my trust in him just a little bit. Just a little, I promise.
...Maybe I just have major trust issues.
Taylor Stan
The weirdest thing to me that actually snapped me from my doubts that he's actually a kind person is oddly enough, because of Taylor Stan.
Remember when Taylor and Cage suddenly arrived at the area they were camping in and he finally talked to Taylor face to face? Yeah, he was indifferent there but it's when his tsundere traits actually exploded at my face.
He, while trying to hide from everyone, told them to give Taylor and Cage the best care and protection as if it's the most normal thing in the world.
Mind you, they don't even actually know him aside from OG Cale's reputation as trash. And he also technically isn't supposed to know them because, in the duo's POV, this is their first time meeting him so he didn't have to help or care for them.
He basically acted as if what he was doing was bad in their eyes but in reality, it's not???
He's just helping them and he's in denial about it? He's genuinely being a kind person and he thinks he's trash?
He later gives them money (and acts cool about it) and helps with smuggling (lmao) them to the Roan Kingdom so they can arrive there safely and he thinks he's trash???
He gave this man hope to finally heal himself and fight against his brother and he thinks he's trash?????
Seriously?
Self-hatred
It's why whenever he calls himself trash, I shake my head because it's amusing but I also want to cry because, as I go further into the novel, he fully believes that he's actually trash.
I don't know if this is ever talked about but Cale is hiding a huge self-hatred about himself.
Cale pointed to himself with his index finger.
âI have lived my life as trash. That is my dream.â
- Chapter 33: You
At first, when he called himself trash, I thought it was because his soul is in OG Cale's body and thus, he inherited the title and uses it to cause chaos. It's a part of the reason why but, if I think about it, he doesn't have to call himself that??? He can still cause chaos without using that title.
It's why I think he fully believes it. That he's trash.
I didn't understand back then and thought it was just him loving the title and the chaos that comes along with it.
Him and his smirks or "selfish" ideals made it seem like he's fully embraced the title and liked it that way.
And the way the author hides a deeper meaning behind his words and actions is by making it feel humorous or comical. The author makes it feel extra.
We laugh and find it amusing because it's chaotic. The secrets behind those wild ideas and explosive destruction are brilliant and subtle.
It's why I fully believed back then, that it's a simple story about a man who just wants to cause mischief in a strange world.
And then...his past as Kim Rok Soo is finally revealed by the author.
And it suddenly turns all this humor about himself into a freaking tragedy.
Kim Rok Soo is a tragic character. He's a person who has lost far too much and can only react in indifference even when he's hurting. He's cold in another person's perspective because he doesn't cry when in front of those he lost.
He hates himself for something he couldn't control. He hates himself for being weak. He hates himself for a lot of things. And he hates the scars Kim Rok Soo has because they're the reminder of all his failures and all his sacrifices that only ended up with making him alone. Like he will always be alone. (Which makes his distant personality in the beginning make sense too wtf)
So he takes in their words of him being cruel enough not to cry in a funeral of his friends and fully believes it.
He believes, as Kim Rok Soo and Cale Henituse, that he's trash.
And it absolutely made me cry like a kid when he, as he woke up surrounded by those he befriended and could call family, finally cries with a smile.
This is the first time they and us readers see him cry and smile and it's just heartbreaking.
The whole lead up to this reveal was me seeing him as a tsundere and a freaking crazy bastard that utters "slacker life" like it's comic relief.
It's completely unexpected and I love it.
Because him crying and smiling for the first time is him finally shedding his shields and walls from these people who see him as a kind person.
Cale Henituse, for all his masks and secrets, is just a broken but endlessly kind person.
It's why those who meet him, trust him. His actions are a big reason why they trust him but his words, when it feels hopeless, are eye-opening and full of wisdom of a 36 year old man. He's straightforward in front of those he trusts and tells them something that flips over everything they think about the current situation. And he says it with the experience of Kim Rok Soo.
I believe the only times he lies to them is when he was given the thing that he was gonna use to stab himself and also when he hides his identity as Kim Rok Soo. There's actually a hint of his guilt sometimes...or maybe I'm just thinking too much about it.
Anyways, that's all my thoughts for now.
This subtle bastard made me cry, damn it.
___
That one scene of him crying and smiling is etched in my mind and was reminded of it when I recently saw a fanart. So I decided to write about my feelings about his character and personality.
It's not a mindblowing post or anything new and it goes from humor to angst pretty fast but I think it's just like him. If you analyze his words in one way, it's just hilarious but if you analyze it in another way, it's sad.
I like how the author wrote him. He's a crazy bastard and a tsundere (the only tsundere I'll ever like) and I'm so glad I found this novel.
#tcf#tcf cale#tcf novel#tcf manhwa#tcf spoilers#tcf cale henituse#lcf cale#cale henituse#trash of the count's family#lout of the countâs family#lcf manhwa#lcf#lcf novel#tcf taylor#lcf taylor#tcf taylor stan#tcf choi han#tcf raon#raon miru
328 notes
·
View notes