#and what i mean by that last sentence is like

[esotericbluntbaby]

compensation

hamzahthefantastic x reader

description: going against your wishes, your boyfriend decides to fight another match after spraining his wrist the last time he boxed. injured, he returns home to his girlfriend, who can't help but feel more than just "angry."

mentions: boxer!hamzah, bf!hamzah, angsttt, female reader, sub! hamzah, blood, bruises, nsfw!

GUYS IM SORRY I FORGOT TO POST THIS PLS DONT KILL ME

--

this was the first time that hamzah kept you in the dark, betraying your trust in him.

he was always a strong-willed, passionate boy; in fact, it was one of the things you found attractive in him. he kickstarted his youtube with his resilience and determination. giving up was simply not an option for him; one way or another, plan after plan, he'd get his goal even if it meant he had to cut off his limbs and sell them. if hamzah wanted something, he would get it, similar to a horse kicking whenever it's being restrained. though, normally, he knew when to stop pushing, especially when the cost was more than the benefit.

the last time hamzah boxed, his wrist fractured like a 6 year old cracks a wishbone. you, obviously, knew that getting hurt was apart of his hobby; you didn't like it, but you accepted that it was inevitable for some part of him to be banged up and broken. he allowed you to stay in the hospital with him during the time he was getting monitored, meaning that you were allowed to hear the doctor tell him that he had to wait 6 weeks to box again.

during the hospital visit, hamzah realized he had a match in exactly 5 weeks. you argued with him, telling him that there would be no way in hell that he'd be able to box until his wrist is fixed. of course, being as stubborn as a mule, hamzah argued back that he had to fight if his life depended on it. eventually, the night settled in as you laid in bed together that night, cuddling; he told you that you were right. reassuring you that he wouldn't be fighting, he kissed you goodnight. you thought you wouldn't have to worry about it anymore.

that was, until tonight, an hour after the match: when hamzah walked in the front door, bloody and bruised.

his eye began to swell, darkening around the indents of his skull. the black eye that adorned his face was accompanied by a deep gash that exposed the layer beneath his skin. he looked at you with guilt plastered in his banged up face, furrowed eyebrows and pursed lips being muted by the extent of his injuries. you didn't have to guess where he was: you felt betrayed by the fact that you knew exactly what he went out to do. alongside his injuries and deception, came a girlfriend who wasn't going to speak to him.

--

not a single word was said when you grabbed his other wrist and walked to the bathroom with him; the room was filled with silence and guilt radiating off of him. he was currently sitting on the toilet seat as you rummaged around the medicine cabinet for materials that would help you fix his wounds. though you were upset, you weren't going to leave him to tend to his own injuries; you were still his girlfriend, after all. sitting on the floor, you grabbed his wrist to check how worsened it became.

"baby-"

"no, hamzah."

from your previous arguments, you knew that hamzah has a habit of overloading you with pet names. he knew he fucked up; you know he fucked up. him starting his sentence with "baby" helped you realize that he knew he's in the doghouse.

taking the textured, cotton gauze, you began to wrap his wrist with a softness that foiled your emotions towards him. you felt his eyes trained on you like the aimbot of a video game; his gazed fixated on every single movement you made. he noticed the way that you still looked so pretty even when you were mad at him. the way your face looked, tensed and full of agitation, created a pool of guilt that he swam in. he hated making you upset, but he simply needed to box. it was passion. it was commitment. he had to do it; at least, that's what he was telling himself. however, no matter how much he told himself that he had to fight, he knew it was wrong of him to go against your wishes and back. he knew you wanted the best for him and his physical being.

"i'm sorry. i shouldn't have gone tonight. i was being stupid and i shouldn't have went behind your back like that."

you listened to him apologize, yet, didn't respond. in fact, you didn't even look at him. there was no acknowledgement of his apology; it was almost like it never even happened in the first place. he needed to know how truly upset you were. instead, you focused on wrapping his wrist with a second layer of gauze, to keep everything in place.

"baby, please. just talk to me- i don't care if you cuss me out or give me hell for betraying you like that, just- please talk to me," his mannerisms were tense and rushed, "how do i fix this? how do i get you to speak to me? i'll do anything- i swear- you want me to quit boxing completely? i will. you want me to do all the housework in this house? i will- i'll do every single chore. shit, if even just sitting in a corner for days with no food or water would get you to speak to me, i'd do that. please, baby- please."

you finished wrapping the gauze by the time he finished his speech about what he'd do to get you to speak to him. you began to touch his face, examining the bruise on his eye and cheekbone like a scientist looking through a microscope. suddenly, he grabbed you by the cheek, forcing you to look up at him.

"i'm sorry. please, just speak to me. i'll do anything. talk to me. i just wanna hear your voice."

listening to him yearn for your voice made you feel a certain type of way. yes, you were mad. however, in a way, this whole situation was turning you on. you hated to admit it, but your boyfriend looked attractive with a black eye and bruised cheekbone. the fact that he was begging for you to speak to him made the sexual tension you were feeling within you even worse. his submissive side was creating a potion of ecstasy in your stomach; you wanted to see how far he'd go.

you sighed, "i don't know anymore, hamzah. you told me you wouldn't. i trust you less."

"i know, pretty, i'm sorry. i'll earn it back, i promise. i shouldn't have gone tonight. i was being an idiot."

standing up as his face followed where your eyes were, you rubbed it against his open wound, earning a wince from him as he gripped onto your waist. butterflies emerged in your stomach, causing you to feel similar to how light a fairy is.

"thanks for the warning," he said with sarcasm and irritation laced in his voice, opening his eyes from the hard shut he indulged in

"you don't deserve one."

he pulled you onto his lap, causing you to straddle him on the toilet seat. taking your cheeks, he cupped your face in his hands and sighed. he looked at you with a level of submissiveness you haven't seen in him. normally, hamzah was the dominant one; yet, you didn't mind that the roles switched.

"what can i do to get you to not be mad at me?"

"i dunno. you're a smart boy," you grabbed his cheek and stroked it with your thumb, "figure it out, baby."

you saw a lightbulb flicker on in his eyes. he sensed the tension in the room wasn't only angry, but there was also sexual tension in its silver lining.

"you want me to make it up to you?"

you leaned towards his ear, now whispering, "how are you gonna do that, hamzah?"

you felt something poke at your ass from beneath you, a slight twitch emerging from it too. your words made him as hard as a rock.

that's so fucking hot.

"baby, i thought you were mad at me."

"oh, i am. trust me, i'm fucking pissed."

he kissed you on the cheek, "i'm sorry."

he kissed you on the jawline, "i'm sorry."

he kissed you on the lips, "i'm sorry."

moving down to your neck, he kissed it longer than the pecks he gave you previously. you felt a sucking motion, as well as his tongue swirling on your sweet spot, shortly after. your breath got heavier, almost as if your lungs were being weighed down by hot air. your lips parted as he sucked a dark spot onto your neck.

"i'm sorry, pretty girl. forgive me?"

"not yet."

his eyebrows furrowed in confusion, "why not?"

"i need more than that."

"tell me what you need, pretty. i'll do it."

you leaned closer to his ear, kissing his neck and the area between, "you know what i want from you."

standing up from the toilet seat, your legs wrapped around his waist as he carried you to your bedroom. your lips began to intertwine with his as he walked through the hallway, your tongues melting together like two lollipops on a hot day. he laid you down on the bed, still kissing you with everything he had; he needs you to forgive him.

letting go of your lips, he moved closer to the edge of the bed, taking off your shorts and leaving you in your underwear. feeling exposed in front of hamzah was always nerveracking in your own way; however, this time it was different. you knew hamzah had to please you, leaving you with a newfound confidence.

"are you okay with this?" he asked, exhibiting a level of care that you were all too familiar with.

"do whatever you want to me, hamzah."

taking your underwear off, you were left laying on top of your sheets in a tank top. his arms wrapped around your legs like a snake to its prey, prying your legs apart with a sense of desperation.

"you're so pretty like this baby," he kissed the inner part of your thigh, "you're so fucking pretty."

he spit on the area between your legs, earning a subtle gasp from you. his tongue began to lap on you, dropping saliva on the area of you that was already wet. between your legs, you felt the roughness and neediness of his tongue. his hands squeezed your inner thighs as pleasure began to unravel the metaphoric yarn located in your stomach. hamzah was eating the fuck out of you, leading to your moans getting louder and louder with each and every movement his tongue created against you.

his tongue produced a dance that only the both of you would know. some parts were as fast as light, while other ones were full of yearning and slowness; he knew exactly how to balance it for you to feel the best that you could feel.

your hands made its way to his hair, "you're so pretty like this, hamzah. my boy- my pretty boy."

his movements got faster as his grip against your thighs tightened even more, as if you were going to fly away if he let go. similar to his hands, you squeezed his hair as his movements quickened in pace; you could feel the yarn unraveling like a rubber band about to snap.

"f-fuck- hamzah, i'm close-"

he kissed your core, before his tongue sped to a pace you haven't felt before. you watched him eat you out like there was no tomorrow, leaving loud moans echoing the room, before he felt you release into his mouth. kissing it once again, he looked up at you as his hands massaged the pillows that he was in between. you looked at each other with love while he watched your heavy breathing and fucked-out expression.

"forgive me?"

"i forgive you. please go box someone else, baby."

confusion was apparent in his face, "what?"

"you're so fucking hot when you're bruised and yearning."

--

author's note!

this is so short omfg i hate using anatomical words for smut LOL more coming soon!

[otiksimr]

Okay. So I saw a reblog that mentioned that they relinked their sources. And the reblog was being mean about it so I personally went and reviewed their sources.

Also only really the first sentence relates to their point. Which, to be nit picky, is a blunder on an argumentative standpoint.

Three of their links go to Wikipedia. Not to say that Wikipedia is uncredible, just to say that it is more credible to find sources that go into those specific topics. Also on the Wikipedia page those sections didn't have citations. For the following paragraphs, the information is gathered from the sites they linked.

Clipping wings, destroying queen cells and the usage of pheromones-as far as the citation says, is a way to swarm bees. + 1 point for getting something right. There is a big difference between 'getting rid of queens because of aggression' and 'getting rid of queens because you don't like them.' And yes. This is beekeeping. Beekeepers would obviously not want their hives crossbreeding with aggressive and or dangerous bee species. Africanized honey bees are notoriously dangerous.

Male drones die after breeding. Crushed or not, either way after the deed is done they die. For culling, only one of the sources mention it. So I cannot say whether or not this is standard practice. Someone else can research into that. And during the process they take care in making sure the Queen in not harmed. Unless they're trying to say that artificial inseminations is an issue in itself.

The sources they give for 'commercial beekeepers even cull their hives during winter' do not say that beekeepers cull their hives during winter.

Yeah bugs feel pain. I'm fairly sure most animals do.

For the last three sources it's a science journal (congrats!), YaleEnviorment360 (I don't know how credible that site is but the article sites scientific data so it's seems okay to me). And BBC news. It gives quotes but it doesn't cite anything. It says "Stricter controls are needed to protect bees from other emerging diseases, researchers report in Science, external journal." But it doesn't cite the reports themselves. Just the website link. Either way. So far the most credible section.

And just to be clear. My ass does not own bees or work in any areas in relation to them. So read the sources yourself and make your own opinion about it. This is all a very dumbed down version of what the sources said.

Wild that folks keep saying beekeepers abuse bees as if bees are not both venomous flying animals and fully unionized

[armpirate]

The Vows Between Us || Jungkook

pairing: JK x fem!reader || Arranged marriage

w.c.: 13.6k

Warnings: smut, dirty talk, oral sex (male receiving), female masturbation, unprotected sex, teasing, edging (Minors DNI! Refrain from reading if you're not +18, and ignore if you don't like this type of content)

Aprox. time of reading: 40 / 50 minutes

Summary: For Jungkook, marrying you was a calculated move -a necessary step to secure the company that was rightfully his. But also a move to know you'd be his after years of looking at you from afar. For you, it was an escape from the gilded cage your family had locked you in. What neither of you anticipated was the spark that would ignite in the ashes of your arrangement. But in a world where every touch felt like a promise and every whisper hid a secret, falling for him was your first mistake. Because just when you thought his heart might truly be yours, you uncovered the truth. Or so you thought.

MASTERLIST

The air inside Jungkook's office was warm and suffocating despite the minimalistic modern design and large floor-to-ceiling windows that overlooked Berlin's skyline. You stepped inside with measured steps, your heels clicking softly on the marble floor. Jungkook was already there, leaning against the edge of his grand wooden desk with his long tattooed fingers wrapping around the pen that kept swirling on his digits every few seconds, the faintest smirk tugging at his lips.

"You're early," he said, his voice smooth but laced with something smug.

"I prefer to get unpleasant things over with quickly," you replied, your tone cool and detached as you slipped off your coat. "I assume your father told you why I'm here."

Jungkook chuckled, swirling the pen one last time before putting it down. "Oh, I know. The future Mrs. Jeon wants to 'discuss terms,' right? Sounds like a business merger already." his dark eyes gleamed with interest as he looked you up and down, deliberately slow. "But I'm curious, why did you finally agree? You seemed so determined to avoid me before."

You crossed your arms, meeting his gaze without flinching. "Not everything is about you, Jungkook. My reasons are my own."

The smirk faltered for a split second before returning, this time tinged with something bittersweet. "Fair enough," he said, straightening up and taking a step closer, his voice dropping just slightly. "But you'll have to get used to things being about us. At least, that's what everyone else will expect starting next weekend."

Your pulse quickened, but you refused to show it. You kept your expression neutral, tilting your head just slightly. "Let's get one thing straight, this marriage may be inevitable, but that doesn't mean I have to like it."

Jungkook smiled -slow, dangerous, and entirely too pleased. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

That sentence alone had you rolling your eyes, trying to control yourself from slipping your tongue on how disgusted you were by that whole thing.

You exhaled slowly, your fingers tightening around the strap of yourbag. "As long as you understand where we stand, this arrangement might work. We'll play the perfect couple for the public. But behind closed doors, we keep our distance until we sign the divorce papers. Simple."

Jungkook stepped closer, closing the space between you just enough to make your breath hitch. His cologne -warm and spicy- wrapped around you like an invisible trap. "Keep our distance?" he repeated, his voice low, almost amused. "Is that what you want? Because that's not what it looked like back at that business gala... when you couldn't stop staring."

As much as you wanted to deny it, your eyes were indeed on him the whole time. He was charming and captivating, it was impossible to move your eyes away from him. But that hypnosis lasted until his family came up with the idea of imposing that marriage on you. He lost all his charm just at that moment.

You narrowed your eyes. "I was staring at the disaster unfolding around me, not at you."

Jungkook smirked, tilting his head. "Right. That's why your eyes followed me the entire night." he leaned in, his lips just a breath away from your ear. "You're good at playing it cold, Y/n. But I wonder how long you can keep that act up once we're married."

You refused to back down, your voice calm despite the spark of irritation in your chest. "I've dealt with men far more intimidating than you, Jungkook. Trust me, keeping you at arm's length won't be a challenge."

A flicker of something darker crossed his eyes -something almost dangerous. For a moment, the air between you felt heavy, charged with unspoken words and years of unresolved tension.

"Good," Jungkook finally said, his voice a whisper. "Keep trying to resist me. It'll make it that much more fun when you fail."

Your jaw tightened, and you took a step back, reclaiming the distance. "You're delusional if you think I'll ever fall for you."

Jungkook raised his eyebrows in amused awe as he took on the challenge. "We'll see, future Mrs. Jeon. We've got a lifetime to test that theory."

You turned on your heel, refusing to give him the satisfaction of seeing how his words affected you. But as you walked toward the door, you couldn't shake the feeling that Jungkook was right. The real challenge wasn't staying distant -it was making sure you didn't get burned by the fire between you.

"By the way, you mentioned divorce... didn't you?" your tracks stopped the second he mentioned that detail, hearing his heavy steps behind you as he approached his body.

Slowly, you turned to him, unable to back down on your stance "That's what we agreed on."

"Some deals suffer changes as they have to meet different necessities, don't you think?" the way his eyebrows arched, while his lips pursed on a mocking grin almost had you losing your patience. "Divorce was ever on the plate? Because I don't think it was one of my conditions".

"No, it was one of mine" you spat back. "Either sign those divorce papers on good terms, or I'll drag you from one trial to another" Jungkook loved the challenge, he loved the way your eyes fixed on him to make sure he understood everything you were saying.

"What if I don't want to sign them?"

"Then you'll have to find another dumbass to agree to get married to you" you rolled your eyes, thinking that would be the end of your conversation, but his fingers hooked on your elbow to stop you from walking away.

You weren't sure exactly when he got so close, but you could feel the warm air escaping his nostrils on your cheeks.

"Don't try to throw a fist at me" he stopped you. "You're so used to getting what you want, don't you? You pout a little, you act a little bitchy and daddy gives you all you want. Let me give you a spoiler: that won't work with me. The moment you're my wife, you'll do as I say. And if I say I don't want to get divorced, then you won't get those fucking papers".

Your eyes started to water: rage, sadness, frustration... All those feelings were building up as you realized you got to a no-exit stop. Your plans were crumbling down, all your ideas were getting ruined, and all you could do was tighten your lips and open your eyes as much as possible so tears wouldn't escape with a blink.

Daddy's girl? He had absolutely no idea. If you were living in such a perfect place, you wouldn't have agreed in the first place, but the fact that your parents -or people who gave you shelter when you needed it- agreed on engaging their daughter with a complete stranger for money should've given him enough of a hint of your reality.

"Your choice" you managed to get rid of his grip. "Either sign those papers, or I'll make sure to tell everyone what all of this is about".

"You won't. And you wanna know how I know?" he took one step closer to you. "I'll make your life a living hell if you do".

"With what power?"

Your mocking tone was the last straw before he moved his hand from your elbow to your throat, wrapping his fingers around it and slamming your body against the wide door.

"I don't need any power for that." his eyes were dark, his threat becoming a promise "Even if it's the last thing I do, I'll make you regret ever messing with me. So you better come with a pretty dress and the best of attitudes next weekend". He let go of your throat slowly, calmly placing his shirt properly "I know you'll make the best decision" he finally said.

Your eyes were fixed on him, confused at how easily he let you go. And, somehow, his words were even scarier than his actions, because you could see the threat through them.

The grand hall was filled with muted whispers and expectant gazes, the air thick with anticipation. The soft hum of violins played in the background, their melody delicate but almost haunting. The guests sat in rows beneath an arch of white roses and crystal chandeliers, their eyes flitting between the tall doors at the back of the aisle and Jungkook, who stood at the altar in his perfectly tailored black suit, waiting.

His fingers twitched at his sides as he stole a glance at the watch, sliding the sleeve of his jacket just a bit far up.

Ten minutes late. Then fifteen.

You weren't there.

He told himself you'd show up. You had to. But with each passing second, doubt sank its claws deeper into him. His heart pounded, and the polished facade he wore so well began to crack. Was this your way of backing out? A silent rebellion against a marriage neither of you had chosen? Were you actually telling the truth when you said you wouldn't show up if he didn't promise you a divorce?

The doors remained closed, and Jungkook's jaw tightened. His father, seated in the front row, shot him a warning glance -one that practically screamed "Handle this".

Then, just as his patience teetered on the edge of collapse, the heavy doors finally creaked open.

A hush fell over the crowd.

And there you were.

You stood at the entrance in your wedding dress, the long veil trailing behind you, catching the soft light like a halo. For a moment, the room seemed to blur around you, everything fading except the heavy thud of your heart. You could feel every eye on you, the weight of their expectations pressing down on your chest, stealing the breath from your lungs.

Your feet felt like concrete as you took your first step. Hesitation rooted itself deep inside you, your body caught in a battle between instinct and obligation.

Jungkook watched you with an intensity that bordered on desperation. His dark eyes flickered with a thousand questions. You couldn't miss the way his shoulders tensed or how his lips pressed into a thin line, betraying the fear he was trying so hard to conceal.

Step by step, you made your way down the aisle, but each step felt heavier than the last. Doubt whispered cruelly in your ear. "You don't have to do this" you told yourself.

Your fingers clutched the bouquet so tightly that your knuckles turned white. You forced yourself forward, your gaze fixed ahead, refusing to meet Jungkook's eyes until you stood just a breath away from him.

"Finally," Jungkook muttered under his breath, his voice low enough for only you to hear.

There was relief in his tone, but it was wrapped in a layer of frustration.

The officiant began to speak, his words echoing in the cavernous hall. You barely registered them, your mind a tangled mess of emotions. Jungkook's eyes never left yours. His expression was calm on the surface, but you could see the storm raging just beneath it: fear, frustration, and something dangerously close to longing.

"And now," the officiant said, his voice cutting through the fog in your mind, "if the bride and groom would like to exchange their vows."

Jungkook went first. His voice was steady, but the practiced words carried an unexpected weight, laced with sincerity that caught you off guard.

"I promise to protect you," he said, his gaze locking onto yours. "To stand beside you through whatever comes next. No matter what happens... I'm yours."

There was a flicker of vulnerability in his eyes -just a flash- but it was enough to send your heart lurching in your chest.

Then it was your turn. The officiant turned to you expectantly, waiting for your response.

You opened your mouth to speak, but no words came.

A heavy silence hung in the air. It stretched long enough to make the guests shift uncomfortably in their seats. Even the soft melody of the violins seemed to falter.

Everything you had prepared so mindfully disappeared at the feeling of being so watched, as if you were under watchful eye. You were sure it'd be obvious you weren't feeling either of the words you were pronouncing.

Jungkook's fingers curled slightly at his sides, his eyes searching yours for a sign, for anything.

The officiant cleared his throat. "Do you, Y/n, take Jeon Jungkook to be your lawfully wedded husband?" his tone was insistent, as if he wanted to get any words from you to get all of that over with.

The pause that followed was suffocating. You felt Jungkook's breath catch, his entire body coiled tight, ready to unravel.

Although he hoped you wouldn't humiliate him that way, he saw you completely able to do it.

Finally, you whispered the words.

"...I do."

Your voice was barely audible, a breath more than a declaration. But it was enough.

Jungkook exhaled, his shoulders relaxing, though the tension in his jaw remained. His eyes never left yours, dark and unreadable, as if trying to solve a puzzle with too many missing pieces.

The officiant smiled, oblivious to the war waging between the two of you. "By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."

Jungkook hesitated, just for a heartbeat, before leaning in. Your head immediately threw back slightly, enough for him to know you didn't want that kiss and make it seem like a shy move for the rest of the assistants. His hand found your waist -firm but not forceful- as he tilted his head and pressed his lips to yours.

The kiss was brief, calculated for the audience, but the heat of it lingered far longer than it should have. Jungkook had been daydreaming way too long about it to waste that chance.

His lips were warm against yours, but there was something else beneath the surface. A question. A challenge.

When he pulled back, his eyes locked on yours once more. He didn't smile. Neither did you.

The applause from the crowd felt distant, like it belonged to another world entirely.

As the two of you turned to face the audience, Jungkook leaned in close, his breath warm against your ear.

"We're just getting started," he whispered, his voice dark with promise.

You kept your face neutral, your expression unreadable, but your pulse betrayed you, thudding wildly in your chest.

The reception was a spectacle of luxury and elegance, just as expected from a merger of two powerful families. Crystal chandeliers cast a warm glow over the grand hall, where hundreds of guests mingled, sipping champagne and exchanging polite congratulations.

You smiled and nodded your way through countless conversations, always keeping one eye on Jungkook. He was never far, and every time you saw him start toward you, you slipped between groups of guests or ducked behind another table.

You had managed to avoid him all night. At the cake-cutting ceremony, his hand had hovered near yours on the knife, holding tighter over your skin as you threatened to let the long sword slide from your fingers to his throat. And for a fleeting moment, you thought he might say something, yet he only smirked and moved closer to you. You were quick to turn away, disappearing into the crowd the moment the applause broke, trying to get away from him.

Jungkook, however, was nothing if not persistent.

The moment you saw him again, his dark eyes locked onto yours from across the dance floor. This time, there was no escape. The crowd parted just enough for him to make his way toward you, his strides deliberate and confident.

"Running from me again?" he said when he reached you, his voice low, a challenge glinting in his eyes.

You lifted your chin, forcing your expression to stay composed. "I wasn't running. I was... mingling with the guests."

His lips curled into a smirk. "Right. Mingling." he offered his hand, palm open and waiting. "Well, it's time for the first dance, Mrs. Jeon. You wouldn't want to disappoint our guests, would you?"

Your stomach tightened at the weight of his words. There was no getting out of this. Not without causing a scene.

With a quiet sigh, you slipped your hand into his. His fingers curled around yours, warm and firm, and you couldn't help but notice how easily they fit together.

The lights dimmed, and the soft melody of "You Are the Reason" by Calum Scott filled the air. A sweet, tender song -one that felt far too intimate for the situation, as if it was meant for two people who loved each other.

Jungkook led you to the center of the dance floor, his hand resting gently on your waist, pulling you just close enough to make your pulse stutter.

"I was starting to think you wouldn't show up today," he said softly, his voice barely audible over the music. His eyes searched yours, the teasing edge gone now, replaced by something far more serious. "You made me worried."

You swallowed, your gaze dropping for a split second before meeting his again. "I was... thinking things through."

His hand tightened slightly on your waist. "Did you change your mind at the last minute?"

For a moment, you didn't answer. The question hung in the air between you, heavy with meaning. The song swelled around you, the lyrics wrapping around your heart like a bittersweet lullaby.

You knew hell would be nothing compared to your life if you didn't show up to the wedding. Not because of Jungkook or his family though, but your adoptive parents. The moment you twisted all of their plans, there would be no escape from it.

At least with Jungkook you wouldn't owe anyone anything. Instead, you'd be the one they owe something to.

Jungkook's eyes softened, his voice dropping to a near whisper. "If you had, I would've waited. I would've found another way."

Your breath hitched. His words caught you off guard -unexpected and disarming. For the first time that night, the wall you had so carefully built around yourself began to crack.

He seemed so genuine, so caring.

"I'm here now," you said, your voice steadier than you felt. "That's all that matters."

His gaze lingered on you for a long moment before he nodded. "Yeah. You're here."

The music continued, the world around you fading as you moved together in perfect synchrony. His touch was light yet grounding, his eyes never leaving yours.

For a fleeting second, you forgot about the crowd, the expectations, the tangled mess of your circumstances. It was just the two of you, swaying gently beneath the chandeliers, the lyrics of the song weaving a story neither of you was ready to admit aloud.

As the final notes faded, Jungkook leaned in just slightly, his voice a soft murmur against your ear.

"You can keep running all you want," he said, his breath warm on your skin. "But sooner or later, you'll stop. And when you do... I'll be right here, waiting."

You pulled back just enough to meet his gaze. There was no smirk, no mask, just him.

The applause from the crowd broke the spell, and you quickly stepped back, your heart thudding painfully in your chest. Jungkook let you go, but his eyes stayed on you, dark and unreadable, as if daring you to run again.

And maybe you would. But for the first time, a small part of you wondered if running was really what you wanted. No, you stayed by his side, answering to his challenge with the same power he was showing off.

The party blurred into a collection of clinking glasses, polite congratulations, and watchful eyes. Despite the sea of guests surrounding you, you felt like you were holding your breath the entire time. So when Jungkook leaned close and whispered, "Let's get out of here," you didn't argue. If he hadn't said it, you probably would've escaped by yourself.

Now, the two of you sat in the back of a sleek black car, the hum of the city filling the silence between you. The driver navigated the streets with ease, the warm glow of streetlights flashing across the car's interior.

Jungkook sat beside you, his posture relaxed, but his eyes kept drifting toward your hand -the wedding ring glinting softly on your finger. He didn't bother hiding the fact that he was staring.

You caught him once, raising an eyebrow. "Something wrong?"

His gaze flicked up to meet yours, and for a second, something unreadable flashed across his face. "No," he said quietly. "Just getting used to the sight."

You turned your hand slightly, the light catching on the diamond. The ring was beautiful, of course -a complex design that was probably picked out by your parents and Jungkook's father rather than by either of you. It felt foreign on your finger, a constant reminder of the deal you'd made.

Jungkook's lips twitched into something that wasn't quite a smile. "It suits you," he said, his voice soft, almost contemplative.

You said nothing, turning your head to watch the city rush by through the window. Jungkook simply smirked, knowing that your silence was better than a sassy response from you.

When the car finally pulled up to the luxury hotel, you let out a breath you didn't realize you were holding. The driver opened the door, and you stepped out, feeling the cool night air brush against your skin. Jungkook followed close behind, his hand hovering near the small of your back but never quite touching.

The suite was exactly what you expected -grand and luxurious, with floor-to-ceiling windows offering a stunning view of the Brandenburg Gate. A bottle of champagne and a tray of chocolates waited on the marble table, while a large king-sized bed sat at the center of the room, draped in crisp white linens.

You set your bag down and turned to Jungkook, folding your arms across your chest. "I'll take the bed. You can sleep on the couch."

His eyebrows lifted slightly, a hint of amusement in his eyes. "The couch?"

"It's comfortable enough," you said, nodding toward the plush, oversized sofa near the window. "Plenty of space."

Jungkook took a step closer, his expression unreadable. "We're married now, remember? Sharing the bed won't kill us."

You scoffed lightly, crossing the room to stand by the couch. "Not happening." You glanced back at him, raising an eyebrow. "Fine. You take the bed. I'll sleep here." you rushed to say, feeling your energy consumed by the small talk you made with all the guests.

"No." his response was immediate, his tone firm. "You're not sleeping on the couch."

"Then am I sleeping on the floor?" you arched an eyebrow "Because I won't sleep with you in the same bed".

You stared at him, daring him to argue further. But to your surprise, he sighed and ran a hand through his dark hair. "Alright. I'll sleep on the couch."

His sudden surrender caught you off guard. "Just like that?"

He smirked faintly, tossing his jacket onto a chair. "I'm not going to win this argument, am I?"

You watched him for a moment, suspicious of how easily he gave in, but ultimately decided not to push it. "Good. I'll get ready for bed."

As you disappeared into the bathroom, Jungkook sank onto the couch, leaning his head back against the cushions. He glanced at the wedding ring on his own hand, turning it slowly between his fingers. For all his confidence and charm, there was something strangely grounding about the weight of the band.

As much as that wasn't the way he wanted you to be by his side, it somehow made him feel good.

When you returned, dressed in something far more comfortable than your wedding gown, Jungkook was already stretched out on the couch, one arm draped over his eyes.

"Comfortable?" you asked, standing by the bed.

He peeked at you from beneath his arm, his lips quivering into a faint smile. "I've had worse."

You rolled your eyes and climbed into bed, pulling the blankets up around you. For a few moments, silence filled the room, the only sound the soft hum of the city outside the windows.

Just as your eyes started to drift closed, you heard Jungkook's voice -quiet but clear in the darkness.

"Goodnight, Y/n."

You hesitated before responding, your voice soft. "Goodnight, Jungkook."

Neither of you said anything after that, but sleep didn't come easily. You lay in the dark, staring at the ceiling, painfully aware of his presence just a few feet away.

The distance between you felt both vast and dangerously fragile. And as the minutes stretched into hours, you couldn't help but wonder how long it would stay that way.

The morning started quietly -too quietly. You woke up, blinking against the soft morning light spilling into the room, only to find Jungkook already sitting on the couch, his phone in hand. His jacket was gone, and his dress shirt, slightly wrinkled from the night before, was unbuttoned at the collar. He looked far too relaxed for someone who had spent the night on a couch after your wedding.

"Good morning," he said, his eyes flicking to yours the second you stirred. His voice was calm, but there was something smug lurking just beneath the surface, as if he was already one step ahead of you.

You rubbed your eyes, forcing yourself to sound composed. "Morning."

A few beats of silence passed, too long to be comfortable.

"You were tossing and turning last night," Jungkook said casually, stretching his arms behind his head. "Couldn't sleep?"

"I slept just fine," you lied, standing and heading for your bag. You could feel his eyes on your every move, sharp and assessing.

"You sure? You sounded restless." his voice was smooth, laced with amusement.

You froze, giving him a flat look. "Were you listening to me sleep?"

He grinned, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees. "It's hard not to when someone mutters 'This is a mistake' at 2 a.m."

Your face heated. "I did not..."

"You did." his smirk widened. "I thought about waking you up to ask what you meant, but I figured I'd let you dream about it instead."

You crossed your arms, your patience wearing thin. "Thanks for your consideration, Jungkook."

"Anything for you, love," he said, drawing out the word with deliberate sarcasm.

"You've really mastered being annoying, haven't you?" you shot back, heading toward the closet.

"Years of practice," he said, standing up and stretching, his shirt riding up just enough to reveal a sliver of skin. "You'll get used to it."

You rolled your eyes, yanking open your suitcase with unnecessary force. "God forbid."

Jungkook chuckled under his breath, walking over to lean casually against the wall beside you. "You can deny it all you want, but deep down, you like this."

You turned to glare at him. "Like what?"

"This," he said, gesturing between the two of you. "The bickering. The back-and-forth. Admit it, it's fun."

You took a deep breath, trying to keep your voice steady. "Jungkook, not everything is a game. And if you think this -whatever this is- counts as fun, then we're going to have a very long, very difficult marriage."

He tilted his head, pretending to think. "A long marriage... Sounds like you're planning to stick around. It does sound really good to me."

"Oh my god," you muttered, turning on your heel. "I can't do this right now."

You stalked toward the bathroom, determined to get a moment's peace.

"You're already giving up?" he called after you. "We've been married for less than 24 hours, Y/n!"

"I'm not giving up. I'm taking a shower," you snapped, slamming the bathroom door shut.

The water was a relief, washing away some of the tension, but your frustration lingered like a storm cloud. And then, halfway through shampooing your hair, you realized something.

You forgot to bring clothes.

You let out a frustrated groan, rinsing the shampoo quickly before wrapping yourself in a towel. The last thing you wanted was to ask Jungkook for help, so you cracked the door open and peeked out.

He was still there, leaning against the counter with his arms crossed, clearly waiting for your return like some smug predator.

Of course.

You squared your shoulders and stepped out, keeping your head high as you made your way toward the bag.

Jungkook's eyes found you immediately, sweeping over your damp hair and the towel wrapped tightly around you. He didn't even try to hide it.

"Forgot something?" his voice was low and teasing.

"Not a word," you warned, grabbing your clothes.

But before you could escape back to the bathroom, his hand wrapped around your wrist, stopping you in your tracks. His fingers were warm, firm, and far too steady for someone who was enjoying this way too much.

"Why bother going back?" he said softly, his voice dropping into that dangerously calm tone that always made your pulse race. "You're already here."

You tightened your grip on your towel. "Let me go, Jungkook."

His eyes darkened, his thumb brushing against your wrist in a slow, deliberate motion. "Why? What's the big deal? We're married now, remember?"

Your breath caught, but you forced your voice to stay steady. "I'm not afraid of you, if that's what you're thinking."

He leaned in just slightly, his lips curving into a smirk. "Then prove it. Get changed right here." His gaze dropped for a split second before meeting yours again, his voice barely a whisper. "Unless you're shy."

Your heart thundered in your chest, heat rushing to your face. "I'm not shy."

You weren't shy, but you didn't like the way your body was reacting to his voice, to his petition and his proximity. And you certainly didn't want him to see it so clearly either.

"Then go ahead," he said, his voice practically daring you.

You glared at him, yanking your wrist free. "Turn around."

"I'm not turning around" he sighed, sitting on the edge of the bed. "What's the fun of it if I can't see you?"

He was trying to intimidate you, challenge you to do something he thought you wouldn't dare to do, so he could then tease you about it.

Two could play that game.

You placed the clothes on the bed, next to where he was. Taking one step back, your hands were placed on both edges of the towel, slowly undoing the knot to let it pool at your feet. Jungkook gulped thick at the sight, not expecting you to actually get naked in front of him, and even less that way, and it gave you a pinch of pride at how nervous he looked for a second.

You didn't need to do anything, just that stare and the sight of your body alone was enough to awaken the most primal needs. His body responded to you, even if it had been just a second he saw you. Your humid skin, the way some drops fell from your hair and rolled down the curve of your breast to get to your hardened nipple. His mouth was watering just with the need of tasting you.

Jungkook blinked, confused at the way your hand was stretched out for him, "The panties" you mentioned as if it were obvious.

His hand moved to his left, grabbing the fabric to hand it out to you. You put them on torturously slow, covering your lower half to snap your fingers and asking him for your bra. Placing the strips on your shoulders, you turned to him, your body fitting perfectly in between his semi-parted legs as you silently asked him to tie the clasp.

Shivers ran through your body at the contact of the reverse of his fingers on your skin, his touch holding on longer than necessary, just because he liked the way you felt as he touched you a little bit too much.

You didn't need to ask, because Jungkook moved to the next item the moment you stepped away.

He should've seen it coming for him when he saw you lifting your feet, placing it on his thigh -way too close to a place where he needed you like crazy. Your fingers moved calmly, sliding the tight over your leg, up the curve of your knee, moving it past your thigh. Yet Jungkook could only focus on how your warmth spread over his skin like wildfire, making him feel you were touching him in places you were not.

When you finally stepped back to put on the other side of the tight, and the rest of clothes, Jungkook felt like he could breathe again, his control coming back to him when he was able to think straight -which also happened when you were fully clothed again.

You thought he'd hesitate or act shy, but instead his cocky attitude came back as he stood up, the height difference becoming obvious again as he towered over you.

"See how it isn't that difficult to be a good girl?" he muttered, just loud enough for you to hear.

You'd have thrown a shoe at him if he hadn't hidden inside the bathroom immediately after airing out that response.

He was insufferable.

The car ride to Jungkook's house was quiet, tense, and far too long for your liking. The morning sun bathed the streets in gold, but it did nothing to lighten the atmosphere inside the vehicle. Jungkook sat beside you, one arm draped lazily across the back of the seat, his eyes occasionally drifting toward you as you stared resolutely out the window.

He had been surprisingly well-behaved since the towel incident, keeping his teasing remarks to a minimum -though his occasional glances were enough to keep you on edge.

When the car finally pulled up in front of his house, your eyes widened slightly. House was an understatement. It was a sprawling modern estate with sleek glass panels, sharp architectural lines, and an air of quiet luxury.

"Home sweet home," Jungkook said, stepping out of the car and holding the door open for you with a half-smirk.

You stepped out, clutching your overnight bag tightly. "Big enough so we won't have to see each other for a whole day"

"Thanks for noticing," he quipped. "Come on. I'll give you the grand tour."

You followed him up the steps, trying not to be too impressed as you took in the pristine interior-marble floors, minimalist décor, and massive windows that flooded the space with light.

"Kitchen's over there," Jungkook said, gesturing toward an open-concept area with gleaming countertops. "Dining room, living room... you know, standard rich-guy stuff."

"Right," you said dryly. "Because this is completely normal."

He glanced back at you with a grin. "You'll get used to it." the mockery on his tone, knowing damn too well you were used to all that luxury and more, shouldn't have been as funny as it seemed for you.

You rolled your eyes, walking a little faster to avoid his gaze. The tension from earlier was still there, simmering just beneath the surface, but it was muted now, replaced by an odd sense of anticipation.

"Upstairs," Jungkook said, leading you to the second floor. You followed him down a hallway lined with modern artwork and huge windows, your footsteps echoing softly on the hardwood floors.

He stopped in front of a door near the end of the hallway and turned to you. "This is your room."

You blinked, caught off guard. "My... room?"

Jungkook nodded, his expression unreadable. "I figured you'd want your own space."

Your hand tightened around the strap of your bag. For a moment, you didn't know what to say. You had fully expected him to make some smug comment about sharing a bed -or worse, insist on it. But there he was, offering you something you hadn't dared to hope for: distance.

"Thanks," you said quietly, stepping into the room. It was beautiful -spacious, with a king-sized bed, soft cream-colored walls, and a large window that overlooked the shared garden of the building. There was even an en-suite bathroom with a walk-in shower and a deep soaking tub.

You indeed wouldn't need to get out there, except to eat.

"Your things are in the closet" he started. "You didn't bring a lot of things, so I guess you'll bring the rest later?"

"No, that's it" you whispered.

Jungkook stopped for a second, shocked about the fact that you only brought a medium suitcase and the bag you were carrying to pack up all of your things. It wasn't like he was expecting a full suitcase display from you, but certainly not something so minimal.

"I'll be down the hall if you need anything," Jungkook said, lingering in the doorway. His eyes softened, his earlier bravado fading just a little. "Seriously. Anything."

For a brief second, the air between you shifted. He wasn't teasing or smug. He just looked... sincere.

You hesitated, feeling the strange urge to say something more, but the words caught in your throat. Instead, you gave him a small nod. "I'll be fine."

He smiled faintly, stepping back. "Alright. Settle in. I'll see you downstairs."

As he walked away, you closed the door and leaned against it, exhaling slowly.

Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all.

But then again, with Jungkook, nothing ever stayed calm for long.

The first month of marriage was nothing short of a battlefield.

It didn't take long for every small interaction to turn into a heated argument. Jungkook always had something to say -sharp and sarcastic, ready to push your buttons at every opportunity. You were no better, meeting his smug remarks with icy glares and curt responses. It became a game, a war of words and wills, with neither of you willing to surrender.

There were good moments, but they were fleeting. It started with you finding out Jungkook filled up your closet with different clothes and accessories, adding up to the small suitcase you first brought. And it slowly evolved into a laugh shared over breakfast when Jungkook nearly burned his toast. A surprisingly comfortable evening spent watching a movie in silence, where the tension seemed to ease just a little. But those moments were always overshadowed by the endless tug-of-war that followed.

It was exhausting, that constant dance of hostility and fleeting truce.

Every day felt like a test of who could push the other further without breaking. The house, despite its size, felt stifling. His presence lingered in every room -a constant reminder that your marriage was nothing more than a cage disguised as luxury.

And today, you'd had enough.

The argument started in the kitchen that morning, over something as trivial as a set of misplaced car keys. It escalated far too quickly, voices rising, accusations flying.

"You always think you can control everything," you snapped, crossing your arms.

Jungkook leaned against the counter, his jaw tightening. "Control? I'm trying to help you, but you treat everything I say like it's some personal attack."

"Because it always is!" you threw up your hands in frustration. "You don't know how to back off, Jungkook! You just keep pushing and pushing... Fuck, you don't let me breathe!"

"Maybe because you keep running away instead of facing things!" his voice dropped, low and sharp. "You're so obsessed with shutting me out that you can't even see when someone's trying to meet you halfway."

You stared at him, chest heaving, words caught in your throat. For a second, neither of you moved. The silence felt heavier than the argument itself.

Then, without a word, you turned on your heel and stormed upstairs. You needed air, space, anything to escape that suffocating cycle.

In your room, you grabbed a coat and your purse, your hands trembling with frustration. Your eyes caught on your wedding ring, glinting in the sunlight. The sight of it only fueled the fire burning in your chest.

You slipped it off, the cool metal unfamiliar without the warmth of your skin beneath it. For a moment, you stared at the ring in your palm, your thoughts a chaotic swirl of emotions.

Then you set it on the dresser and walked out of the room, not bothering to look back.

Jungkook was still in the kitchen when you came back down, his back to you. You didn't say a word as you grabbed your keys from the counter and headed for the front door.

The sound of your footsteps must have caught his attention because he turned around, his eyes narrowing. "Where are you going?"

"Out," you said shortly, not slowing down.

"Without your ring?" his voice was calm, too calm. It sent a shiver down your spine.

You paused, hand on the door handle, refusing to turn around. "I need some time alone."

"And you think taking off your ring is the way to do that?" his footsteps echoed behind you, slow and deliberate. "Is this your idea of freedom?"

You finally turned to face him, meeting his eyes head-on. "What does it matter? It's not like this marriage is real anyway."

The words hung in the air, heavy and final.

For the first time in weeks, Jungkook didn't have a quick response. He just looked at you, his jaw clenched, his eyes dark with something you couldn't quite place -hurt, maybe, or anger, or both.

"If you walk out that door without it," he said quietly, "don't expect me to come looking for you."

The threat was clear, but it only made your resolve stronger.

"Good," you said, voice steady. "That's exactly what I want."

And with that, you opened the door and stepped outside, the cool air hitting your face like a slap.

As you walked toward your car, your heart pounded in your chest. Part of you expected him to follow, to stop you. But when you glanced back, the door was already closed.

Maybe he didn't care enough to stop you after all. Although you wouldn't think too much about it. The more he ignored you, the more freedom you'd have.

The bar was harmonized with a low hum of conversation and soft music filling the air. You had no plan when you walked in -just an overwhelming need to be anywhere but at that house. You found a spot at the bar, ordering a drink and savoring the temporary escape it promised.

The alcohol warmed your throat and dulled the frustration swirling in your chest. One drink turned into two, and for the first time in weeks, you felt like you could breathe again.

"You look like you could use some company."

You glanced up to see a man standing beside you, his smile easy and confident. His eyes lingered on you just a little too long.

"Not really," you said, turning back to your drink.

"Come on, don't be like that," he said, leaning in closer. "It's just a conversation. You shouldn't be alone in a place like this."

"I'm fine," you insisted, but he didn't seem to get the hint.

The air shifted before you could say anything else, a new presence filling the space behind you.

"She's not alone."

You froze at the familiar voice, low and commanding. Turning slightly, you found yourself face-to-face with Jungkook. His dark eyes were locked on the man, his jaw tight, his entire body radiating quiet danger.

The man raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed. "And who are you?"

Jungkook's lips curved into a slow, dangerous smile. "Her husband."

The word hung in the air like a gunshot, silencing everything around you.

The man's eyes flicked between the two of you, suddenly less confident. "Right... well, my mistake." he backed away with a muttered apology, disappearing into the crowd.

Your heart was pounding, though you weren't sure if it was from the alcohol or the way Jungkook's eyes hadn't left you once.

"What are you doing here?" you asked, trying to sound unaffected.

"I could ask you the same thing," he said, his voice calm but laced with barely restrained frustration. "But I guess taking off your ring and disappearing without a word answers that for me."

"I needed space," you said, crossing your arms. "You don't own me, Jungkook."

His eyes darkened. "You're right. I don't. But I'm still your husband. If you disappear in the middle of the night, I'll come looking for you. And if some creep thinks he can hit on you, then I'm going to do something about it."

You rolled your eyes, the alcohol emboldening you. "So this is about your ego?"

He took a step closer, the tension crackling between you. "No. It's about the fact that I care, whether you want to believe it or not."

His words caught you off guard, leaving you momentarily speechless.

"Let's go," he said, his tone softening just a fraction. "It's late."

"I'm not going anywhere," you said stubbornly, turning back toward the bar.

Jungkook let out a humorless laugh, shaking his head. "Fine. You want to be difficult? Have it your way."

Before you could react, his arm looped around your waist, and in one swift motion, he threw you over his shoulder like it was the easiest thing in the world.

"Jungkook!" you gasped, pounding your fists against his back. "Put me down!"

"Not a chance," he muttered, already weaving his way through the crowd. Heads turned, curious eyes following the scene as you squirmed in his grip. "You brought this on yourself."

"Jungkook, I swear to God..."

"You can yell all you want," he said calmly. "We're leaving."

Once outside, the cool night air hit you like a slap, but it did little to cool the heat rising in your cheeks -from anger or embarrassment, you weren't sure. Jungkook carried you all the way to his car, finally setting you down beside it.

"You're insane," you snapped, your breath coming fast as you straightened your clothes.

"Maybe," he said, stepping closer, his eyes never leaving yours. "I thought you'd have learned to love it by now."

For a moment, you stood there, caught in a standoff.

"Get in the car," he said softly, but there was no mistaking the authority in his voice.

Your pride told you to refuse, to stand your ground and make this even more difficult. But something about the intensity in his eyes made you falter.

Wordlessly, you opened the car door and got in, your pulse still racing.

Jungkook slid into the driver's seat, starting the car without another word. The ride home was silent, the air between you charged with tension. You could feel his occasional glances, the way his hands tightened around the steering wheel every time your bare finger caught the light.

The ride home was silent. He didn't speak, and neither did you. But the weight of everything unsaid filled the car, pressing down on you both.

When you pulled up in front of the building, Jungkook finally broke the silence.

"I'm not going to pretend I know what you're thinking," he said, his voice low. "But if you want to leave, really leave, just say it. I'll let you go."

You turned to look at him, surprised by the vulnerability in his eyes. It was the first time you'd seen him drop his guard like this.

But instead of answering, you opened the door and stepped out, your heart pounding in your chest.

Jungkook stayed in the car for a moment before following you inside. Neither of you said a word as you climbed the stairs, the tension thick enough to cut with a knife.

When you reached your room, you paused in the doorway, glancing back at him.

"Goodnight," you said softly, your voice barely audible.

For once, Jungkook didn't have a clever comeback. He just nodded, his eyes lingering on you a little longer than they should have.

"Goodnight," he echoed, his voice rough around the edges.

As you closed the door behind you, you couldn't shake the feeling that something had shifted between you -something neither of you was ready to admit yet.

The tension between you and Jungkook had been palpable since that night. Every word, every glance, felt like a battle -a silent war that neither of you was willing to lose. And just when you thought it couldn't get any worse, you found yourself trapped at one of his company's lavish parties, drowning in champagne and meaningless small talk.

It wasn't your kind of crowd. Polished executives and their equally polished partners swirled around you, exchanging pleasantries and hollow laughs. Being the accessory of the main character of the party wasn't your thing at all. You stood near the bar, sipping your drink, counting down the minutes until you could escape.

That's when you saw him, Jungkook, standing at the center of a group of people, commanding their attention with ease. He was dressed in a sharp black suit, his hair perfectly styled, exuding the kind of confidence that made it impossible to look away.

And then you noticed her.

She was standing beside him, too close, her hand resting lightly on his arm as she laughed at something he said. A striking woman in a sleek red dress, her eyes sparkled with something far more than professional interest.

Your grip on your glass tightened as you watched her lean in, whispering something into his ear. To your horror, Jungkook didn't pull away. Instead, he turned toward her with a slow smile, his eyes dropping deliberately to her lips before meeting hers again.

It was a calculated move -one meant for your benefit. You knew it. He knew it.

Your stomach twisted, a mix of anger and something far more dangerous bubbling in your chest. But you refused to give him the satisfaction of a reaction. Not here. Not in front of everyone.

You turned your back to him, willing yourself to focus on the conversation happening nearby. It was meaningless chatter, something about stock prices, but you latched onto it, pretending you didn't notice the way your pulse was racing.

"Jealous, love?"

The voice was low and teasing, right behind you. You didn't need to turn to know who it was.

"Hardly," you said, taking a sip of your drink without looking at him. "Do what you want. I couldn't care less."

"Is that so?" Jungkook stepped into your line of vision, his eyes glinting with amusement. "Because it looked like you were about two seconds away from throwing your drink at her."

"More like two seconds away from smacking this glass on your head" you finally sentenced.

"That does sound like someone who's jealous"

You forced a smile, meeting his gaze head-on. "Please. If I wanted to make a scene, you'd know it."

Jungkook chuckled, leaning in slightly, his voice dropping to a whisper meant only for you. "Careful, Y/n. You might give me the wrong idea: that you actually care about me and what I do."

Your pulse jumped, but you refused to let him win. "Trust me, I don't." you narrowed your eyes while looking at him "Just be careful of how you behave in front of everyone. We're still married. In private, do whatever the fuck you please".

His smile was slow, almost predatory. "Good. Because I'd hate for you to get hurt playing a game you can't win."

With that, he turned and walked away, leaving you standing there, breathless and furious.

The rest of the evening passed in a blur. You couldn't stop watching him: laughing, smiling, always with her by his side. Each glance felt like a deliberate push, a challenge to see how far you'd let him go.

By the time the party started winding down, you'd had enough. You grabbed your purse and made your way toward the exit, your steps quick and determined.

But before you could leave, a hand wrapped around your wrist, stopping you in your tracks.

"Running away again?" Jungkook's voice was calm, but his grip was firm.

"Let go," you said, your voice low and dangerous.

"Not until you admit it." His eyes locked onto yours, the amusement gone, replaced by something far more serious.

"Admit what?"

"That you care," he said simply.

You yanked your wrist free, your eyes burning with fury. "You're unbelievable."

"And yet, here you are," Jungkook said softly, his eyes never leaving yours. "Still standing in front of me". You didn't know when he stepped so close that your chests were pressed together and your breaths were mixing between you two "I'm only yours, love. You just need to ask me, and I'll declare to you my love without thinking twice".

For a moment, the world around you seemed to fade, the party noise a distant hum. You hated how close he was, how easily he could get under your skin.

But you refused to give him what he wanted. Not tonight.

Without another word, you turned and walked away, ignoring the way your heart was pounding in your chest.

The car ride back was suffocatingly quiet. The air between you felt like a loaded gun, ready to go off at the slightest provocation. Jungkook's hands rested on the steering wheel, his jaw clenched, his eyes fixed on the road ahead. You sat stiffly in the passenger seat, arms crossed, staring out the window in stubborn silence.

The tires crunched on the gravel as the car came to a stop in front of the building. You didn't wait for him to say anything -didn't even glance his way as you pushed the door open and strode toward the front entrance.

But the sound of his footsteps trailing behind you, steady and deliberate, made your pulse quicken.

You barely made it inside when Jungkook's voice cut through the silence.

"Care to explain what that little stunt at the party was all about?" his tone was deceptively calm, but the underlying tension was unmistakable.

You spun around, glaring at him. "Are you seriously accusing me of something after what you pulled tonight? Flirting with her right in front of me?"

Jungkook smirked, stepping closer. "You noticed."

"Of course I noticed!" you snapped, your voice rising. "You made sure I would."

He shrugged, his eyes gleaming with something dangerous. "Maybe. But you didn't have to leave the party like that, running off again like you always do. It's getting old, Y/n."

"Maybe it's because I can't stand being around you," you shot back, your voice trembling slightly with the force of your anger. "Did you think of that?"

Jungkook tilted his head, studying you. "No," he said quietly, stepping even closer until there was barely any space between you. "I think you left because it bothered you. Because for once, you didn't have control, and it drove you crazy."

Your breath hitched, but you refused to back down. "You think too highly of yourself."

"Do I?" his voice was a whisper now, low and deliberate, each word wrapping around you like a challenge. "Then why are you shaking?"

You hated him for being right. Hated how easily he could strip away every layer of defense you had built.

"I'm not..."

"You are," he interrupted, his hand brushing a stray strand of hair from your face. "And it's not because you're angry. It's because you feel something."

You opened your mouth to protest, but no words came out.

His eyes dropped to your lips for the briefest moment before locking onto yours again. "Tell me I'm wrong, and I'll back off," he said softly. "Tell me you don't feel anything, and I'll stop."

You stared at him, your heart pounding so hard it was almost painful.

But you couldn't say it.

The words wouldn't come.

Jungkook's smile was slow and triumphant. "That's what I thought."

He turned and walked away, leaving you standing there, breathless and furious, your skin still burning from his touch.

"You're insufferable," you called after him, but your voice wavered, the heat of your frustration blending with something far more dangerous.

Jungkook stopped mid-step, his back still to you. For a split second, you thought he'd ignore you, that he'd let you stew in your own whirlwind of emotions.

But then he turned, slow and deliberate, his dark eyes locking onto yours like a predator sizing up its prey. His steps were measured, each one bringing him closer, the air between you thick with electricity.

"You know what's really insufferable?" his voice was low, almost a growl. "The way you keep running. The way you keep fighting me when we both know exactly how this will end."

Your breath caught in your throat as he came to a stop just inches from you, his body radiating warmth, his presence overwhelming.

"I'm not running," you said, though it sounded more like a whisper than the firm declaration you intended.

His hand reached out, fingers brushing against your jaw, tilting your face up toward him. His touch was light, almost teasing, but it sent a jolt of heat racing through you.

The space between you disappeared in a heartbeat. His lips crashed against yours, and the world seemed to tilt on its axis. The kiss was anything but gentle -wild, desperate, and filled with every bit of frustration and desire that had built up between you.

Your hands found their way to his chest, clutching the fabric of his shirt as if it were the only thing grounding you. His arms wrapped around you, pulling you flush against him, his grip possessive and unrelenting.

It felt better than anything neither of you could've ever imagined. It wasn't just a kiss -it was a battle, a collision of everything you didn't say, everything you'd tried to ignore.

His lips moved against yours with an urgency that made your head spin, his teeth grazing your bottom lip before deepening the kiss. You gasped when he sank his tongue in your mouth, quickly meeting yours at the same time he cornered you on the wall next to the door, his hand gently cupping the back of your head before moving it back to your neck.

You hated him for making you feel this way, for always knowing how to push you to the edge and catch you before you fell.

But at that moment, you couldn't bring yourself to care.

When you finally pulled back, your breaths were ragged, his forehead resting against yours. His eyes searched yours, dark and unreadable, his chest rising and falling in time with yours.

"Say it," Jungkook whispered, his voice rough and breathless. "Say you don't feel anything."

You stayed silent, your lips still tingling from his kiss.

But the way your hands lingered on his chest, the way your body leaned into his, spoke louder than any words ever could.

He took your silence as the perfect answer, smirking to himself before he linked your lips together again. His fingers sank in your hair at the back of your head, twirling them on some locks to pull from them and throw your head to the side as he kissed you down your neck.

"You're absolutely everything I've ever fucking dreamed of" he heavily whispered on your skin. "I want to admire you, worship your body and make love to you so you'd meet a devotion you had never seen in your life. But hell... when you look at me that way..." his thumb brushed over your cheekbone "I want to ruin you so bad, show you no one will fuck you so good to make your ears beep so loud you won't be hearing your own pleas when you ask me to stop".

Your kiss grew more passionate, your breaths coming in ragged gasps, when he kissed you again. His hands began to wander, tracing the curve of your back, the swell of your hips. You could feel the hardness of his body against yours, and it sent a thrill through you, craving for something you didn't know you were desperate for. You moaned softly into his mouth, pressing yourself against him, at the same time his hands held your hips to keep your body glued to him.

Jungkook broke the kiss, his lips trailing down your neck again, nipping and sucking at the sensitive skin. You arched my back, a soft sigh escaping your lips, when his fingers brushed against the little skin that was shown off through the cleavage of your dress. It frustrated you, but it also felt so good the way your body responded to his touch without a resistance, your nipples hardening against the fabric of your bra, your entrance clenching around nothing as you kept waiting to feel him inside you.

When he looked down at you once again, his hands moved down to the zip of your dress, his thumb brushing on your skin while his other fingers slid the material down. He didn't need to ask you, he didn't need to tell you, you helped him take off your dress.

His eyes darkened as he took in the sight of you, his breath hitching. You were definitely better than he could've ever imagined. No light pajamas would ever compare to the vision in front of him.

You reached for the hem of his black shirt, pulling from the buttons to reveal his toned chest. Jungkook had to hold back the growl in his throat when you ran your fingers over the muscles, feeling the heat of his skin, making him sure your fingerprints were burning every inch you were moving through.

He wasn't going to let you take control so easily though.

He lowered his head all of a sudden, capturing one of your nipples in his mouth through the lace of your bra. You gasped, your hands fisting in his hair as a way to control your own self. He teased and suckled, his other hand cupping your breast before he dragged his fingers down with the fabric, exposing the flesh, his thumb rubbing against your nipple before he pinched it with his index. You could feel the wetness pooling between your legs, your body aching for more.

Jungkook slipped the straps of your bra off your shoulders, letting it fall to the floor. He took his time, exploring every inch of your body with his mouth and hands. He made you squirm beneath him, he filled your head with pleas you never thought would ever be aimed at him, your body was on fire for him.

You reached for his belt, unbuckling it slowly. He lifted his hips to help you, his jeans and boxers coming off in one swift motion. You looked down at him, your eyes widening at the sight of his hard length. He was thick and long, the tip glistening with pre-cum. You licked your lips when a sudden urge to taste him overwhelmed you. Was it how sexy he actually was? Or how bad you wanted him to beg for you and finally accept you were in control? Maybe both?

You leaned down on your knees, not wasting a moment before taking him into your mouth. He groaned, his hands tangling in your hair as your tongue swirled around him. You sucked and licked, your head bobbing up and down at a tortuous speed. You could feel him getting harder, his hips thrusting gently. You took him deeper when he pushed you lower, your nose brushing against his skin to look up to him.

And hell, if that image wasn't the best sight ever...

He pulled you up with one swift motion, your lips still parted to the size of his length when he crashed his lips against yours again. Your back slammed against the door, and your head banged against it the moment he pulled your panties down and slid two fingers in you. His thumb brushed over your clit gently, slowly, which was opposite to the way his curved digits moved and rubbed against your walls.

He earned another moan from you, and his cock twitched in the air against your body once more.

"Who do you belong to, Y/n? Who owns you now?" his voice was thick and raspy as he whispered. His voice was a mix of cockiness and need to prove you always belonged to him.

The moment you tried to move your head forward to rest on his shoulder, his fingers wrapped around your throat and stuck your head against the wood to keep your eyes fixed on him.

You didn't know what to do with your arms, how to keep yourself on your feet, but you did know you had to keep your eyes fixed on him.

"My love" he almost sang when he felt the way your walls clenched around him and your clit throbbing "I've only been yours" his digits squeezed your throat tighter, unaware of how that dragged you closer to your orgasm.

Your body squirmed and folded under his grip when that hurricane hit you, yet he didn't stop. His movements were more delicate and slower, but he fingered you through your orgasm until he felt your breathing settling again.

Your lips were parted when his wet fingers slid through them, and you blindly obeyed, closing your mouth around his digits to lick every drop of his work of art. Jungkook barely gave you time to let go of them before his lips crashed against yours again, his tongue looking out for yours to taste you directly on it.

You were so addictive.

Jungkook picked you up effortlessly, humming at your legs wrapping around his waist, as he made his way to his bedroom.

When he let you down on his mattress, he couldn't help but admire the way your naked skin stood out so clearly while lying over his sheets, dying to twirl his fingers on those locks spread over his pillow. You brought in him a feral attitude he didn't know was so strong.

You looked up to him, eager for what was to come, your body ready to jump as he kneeled on the bed and crawled to you. His hands parted your legs easily, resting your calves on his thighs when he redirected his length to you.

He rubbed the head of his cock against your clit, making your moan. "You're so wet," he whispered, his voice hoarse with desire. "Will you let me fill you up? Hmm?" he looked up to you while still rubbing himself against you "Let me mark you now that you've finally accepted that you're mine".

His words, the idea, the look in his eyes... all of them influenced you to finally nod.

He slid into you slowly, his eyes locked on yours. You gasped, your body stretching to accommodate him. He felt big, bigger than you could've guessed when you took him in your mouth. You wrapped your legs around his waist, pulling him deeper, until your hips met and you both moaned with relief.

You stayed like that for a few seconds, giving the two of you time to get used to each other before he began to move, his hips thrusting against yours. The sound of your bodies coming together filled the room, your moans and gasps echoing around you. You could feel every inch of him, the sensation overwhelming.

"You feel so good," he groaned, his forehead resting against yours. "So tight and wet." he rubbed his nose on yours. "It was really worth it to wait for you".

You clung to him, your nails digging into his back. "Harder," you whispered, your body aching for more.

He obliged, his thrusts becoming faster and deeper. The bed creaked beneath you, the sound of your bodies slapping together filling the room. You could feel your orgasm building, your body tensing in anticipation.

He reached between you, his fingers finding your clit at the same time his lips found your mouth. He rubbed it in time with his thrusts, sending you spiraling over the edge. You cried out, your body convulsing around him as waves of pleasure crashed over you.

He continued to move, his own body tensing as he chased his own release. You felt him getting harder, his thrusts becoming more erratic. With a final thrust, he groaned, his body shaking as he came deep inside you, his load hitting a deep spot.

You lay there for a moment, your bodies slick with sweat, your breaths ragged. He rolled off you, pulling you into his arms. And as much as that feeling felt foreign, you didn't push it away. Instead, you snuggled closer to him.

The weeks after that night were nothing like the stormy start of your marriage. Slowly, without even realizing it, you began to lower your defenses. Jungkook softened in his own way, his sharp-edged words losing their sting, replaced by warm glances and lingering touches.

It wasn't love -at least, that's what you told yourself- but it was something dangerously close. You found comfort in his presence, in the late-night conversations you shared after you agreed on sharing bed with him, the stolen moments of laughter, and the way he made you feel like you were the only person in the world when he looked at you.

The night he was officially named the head of the company, the entire building was alive with celebration. People congratulated him left and right, raising glasses in his honor, praising his charm, his brilliance, and his unstoppable rise to power. You stood by his side, smiling softly as he greeted his investors and thanked his board.

But despite the glamour, something felt off. Jungkook was different -detached, colder than usual, like the man you first met. He didn't seem to notice your growing unease.

Later that evening, after slipping away for a moment to get some air, you made your way down a quieter hallway in the building. As you rounded a corner, voices stopped you in your tracks.

It was Jungkook's.

"You're really settling into this husband role, huh?" the voice was familiar -Eunwoo's, you realized after a second.

His tone was light and teasing, but it was what came next that made your blood run cold.

Jungkook let out a low chuckle. "Don't get carried away. This marriage means nothing. It was a deal, plain and simple. I finally got what I wanted"

There was a pause, followed by the sound of a glass clinking.

"And the rest?" Eunwoo asked, his voice taking on a more serious tone. "Sleeping with her?"

Your breath caught in your throat, your heart hammering painfully in your chest.

"That's just part of the game," Jungkook said casually, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Keeping her close keeps everything in control. She's predictable now. She's exactly where I need her."

Your vision blurred, your mind racing to process what you'd just heard. Every moment you'd spent with him, every touch, every whispered word in the dark -it had all been a lie. A calculated move in a game you didn't even know you were playing.

The sound of their laughter echoed down the hallway, cutting into you like a blade.

You turned and walked away before they could notice you, your steps quick and unsteady. Your chest ached, a painful mix of anger and heartbreak constricting your lungs.

By the time you reached the main hall, the noise of the party felt like a distant hum, your surroundings spinning as you tried to catch your breath.

You thought you had started to know him. You thought maybe, just maybe, there was something real between you.

But you were wrong.

You were nothing more than a pawn in his game -a game you never agreed to play.

The rest of the night at the party, you avoided him like the plague, your attitude a huge contrast to how you behaved when the night had started. Whenever Jungkook tried to approach you, you found an excuse to step away -chatting with guests, refreshing your drink, even pretending to admire the floral arrangements like they were the most fascinating thing in the world.

"Y/n" his voice caught you off guard as you lingered near the exit, your hand brushing the stem of an untouched champagne flute. Jungkook's dark eyes studied you, his brow furrowed in concern. "What's going on? You've been distant all night."

"I'm just tired," you said flatly, forcing a tight smile. "It's been a long day."

His frown deepened, but he didn't press further. Not yet.

The ride home was quiet -tense in a way that made the air between you feel suffocating. Jungkook sat beside you, his eyes occasionally flicking toward you, as if waiting for you to explain what was wrong. But you kept your gaze fixed out the window, your thoughts swirling in chaos.

Once you were back home, you made a beeline for the stairs, wanting nothing more than to put distance between you as you closed yourself back in your room.

"Y/n" his voice was sharp now, demanding. You stopped halfway up the stairs, your hand gripping the banister tightly. "Talk to me. What's going on?"

You turned slowly, meeting his gaze. The man you had once started to trust, the one who had held you so tenderly just nights ago, now felt like a stranger.

"I want a divorce."

The words fell from your lips with a finality that hung heavy in the air.

Jungkook froze, his eyes widening for a split second before narrowing dangerously. "What did you just say?"

"You heard me," you said, your voice calm despite the storm raging inside you. "You finally got what you wanted. You're head of the company now. There's no need to keep up this farce anymore."

His jaw tightened, his hands curling into fists at his sides. "Is that what you think? That this was all just some business arrangement, and now it's over?"

"Isn't it?" you shot back, your voice rising. "You've gotten everything you wanted, Jungkook. There's no point in pretending anymore."

"You're unbelievable," he growled, stepping closer. "You want to throw everything away just like that? After everything we've been through?"

You laughed bitterly. "What exactly have we been through, Jungkook? Lies? Manipulation? This marriage was never real. It was just a means to an end for you."

His eyes darkened, his lips pressing into a thin line. "And what if it wasn't?"

You crossed your arms, refusing to let him sway you. "It doesn't matter. I'm done."

"You're not done," he said, his voice low and dangerously calm. "You don't get to decide that impulsively."

"It's not an impulse," you snapped. "This was part of our deal since the beginning. I've made up my mind."

Jungkook's eyes burned with fury, but beneath it, there was something else -something raw and unguarded. "And when exactly did you make up your mind about it, huh?" he said softly, his voice barely above a whisper.

"I think it's better for both of us," you said, ignoring the way your heart clenched at the look in his eyes.

But Jungkook wasn't having it. His hand gripped the banister beside you, his body blocking your path. "No," he said firmly. "We're not done. Not until I say we are. And you're not leaving," Jungkook said, his voice steady but barely restrained, his body now fully blocking your path. His gaze locked onto yours, fierce and unrelenting.

"Move, Jungkook," you said through gritted teeth, trying to push past him. "I'm done having this conversation."

His hand shot out, gripping your wrist -not hard, but firm enough to keep you from walking away. "No. We're going to finish this right here"

You glared at him, your pulse racing. "What's the point? You made it clear I was just a means to an end. Now that you're head of the company, what reason is there for us to stay married?"

"Because this isn't just about the company!" Jungkook snapped, his voice rising, frustration boiling over. His chest heaved with each breath, and for the first time, he looked genuinely unhinged, like he was losing control of everything he'd carefully built.

You yanked your wrist free, your eyes burning with unshed tears. "Then what is it about? What part of this marriage was real to you? Tell me!"

His silence was deafening. His jaw clenched, his eyes searching your face for something -anything. But no words came.

Your heart twisted painfully in your chest, and you laughed bitterly, shaking your head. "Exactly. You can't even answer that."

Jungkook's eyes darkened, his frustration tipping into something dangerously possessive. "You really want to know what's real?" he said, stepping closer until there was barely an inch of space between you. "You." his voice was low, his eyes burning into yours. "Every damn second with you was real"

But for some reason, those words that night felt like the most painful stab at your chest. If there was something clear to you that night, it was that Jungkook never really cared for you, but his own control over you. That idea alone made your head spin, trying to decipher if all of his words in that moment were part of the act as well.

His proximity sent a jolt of heat through you, but you refused to back down. "Words mean nothing, Jungkook. Actions do."

"Then watch me," he said, his voice barely above a whisper.

Before you could say another word, his lips crashed against yours in a kiss that stole your breath. It wasn't soft or sweet -it was raw and consuming, a war between his frustration and desire. His hand cupped the back of your neck, holding you in place as his lips moved against yours with an urgency that made your head spin.

You tried to fight it, to remind yourself of everything you'd just overheard, but your body betrayed you. Your hands gripped his shirt, pulling him closer even as your mind screamed at you to push him away.

His tongue swept across your bottom lip, coaxing a soft gasp from you, and he took the opportunity to deepen the kiss. It felt like drowning, like falling too fast and too far, and you hated how easily he could unravel you.

When he finally pulled back, your hand slapped across his face, making it turn. He stayed in that position for a few seconds, until he finally moved his head back up, his eyes searching yours, dark and unreadable. "You think I don't care?" he whispered, his voice hoarse. "You're wrong."

Your heart thundered in your chest, and for a fleeting moment, you believed him. You believed every word, every touch. But the sting of his earlier betrayal still lingered, refusing to let go.

"I can't do this," you whispered, your voice breaking. "Not like this".

Not when you couldn't trust him, or know what he was saying was real or not. Not knowing when he was playing with you or showing off his feelings.

It was too much.

Jungkook's grip on you tightened, his thumb brushing against your cheek. "Yes, you can. You're not leaving."

"I don't want to be near you" you let go of his grip once again. "You disgust me. I can't even stand being near you right now. Who knows? Maybe it had always been like that and now that the reason that kept us together is gone I can be honest with the two of us. Be honest with yourself, too".

The next afternoon, sunlight streamed through the kitchen windows, casting a warm glow across the marble countertops. You sat at the kitchen island, quietly picking at your lunch, your mind still tangled in the events of the previous night. Sleep had been elusive -every word, every touch, every kiss replaying in your head on an endless loop.

You were lost in thought when the sound of the front door slamming snapped you back to reality. Heavy footsteps echoed down the hall, growing louder until Jungkook appeared in the doorway, his expression dark and unreadable.

Without a word, he reached into his coat and pulled out a stack of papers. He strode over to you and threw them onto the counter in front of you, the crisp white pages fanning out across the surface.

Your heart stopped for a second as you glanced down at them: "Divorce Agreement". Signed.

"You wanted this, right?" Jungkook said, his voice cold and biting. "There. You've got it. Congratulations, you're free."

You looked up at him, stunned into silence, your fork frozen in mid-air. His eyes were like shards of ice, his usual warmth completely gone. He looked almost... victorious, but underneath it, you could sense something else, some of his vulnerability was still obvious in his eyes.

"Jungkook, I..."

"You don't need to say anything" he interrupted, his voice dangerously calm. "You made it clear last night that this marriage means nothing to you. So, I'm giving you what you want. No more pretending. No more games."

Your chest tightened, and for a moment, you struggled to find your voice. "You think this is what I want?" you finally said, your voice trembling.

"Isn't it?" he shot back, his eyes narrowing. "You were the one who asked for the divorce. I'm just making it easy for you."

You swallowed hard, your throat burning. "You're unbelievable."

Jungkook crossed his arms, leaning against the counter with a bitter smirk. "No, what's unbelievable is that you think you can just walk in and out of my life whenever you want. You're the one who pushed me away, Y/n. I'm just giving you the freedom you begged for."

"Don't you dare act like you're some kind of victim here," you snapped, rising to your feet. "You lied to me, acting like you cared, like you were into me. You said you were after me long before all of this happened... Bullshit! You used me for your business, just like you admitted to Eunwoo. But I was dumb as fuck to believe we were more than that".

His eyes flickered with something -surprise, perhaps, or regret- but it was gone in an instant, replaced by that same infuriating calm. "So, that's what this is about," he muttered. "You overhear one conversation, twist it in your head, and suddenly I'm the villain?"

"I didn't twist anything," you said, your voice shaking. "I heard exactly what you said. That I'm just a pawn in your game. That sleeping with me was just part of your plan. Hope you enjoyed the bit of control you had while you fucked me."

Jungkook laughed, but it was a hollow, bitter sound. "You really think that's all you are to me?"

"Isn't it?" you challenged, your heart pounding so hard it hurt. "Tell me I'm wrong."

The silence that followed was deafening. His jaw clenched, his eyes searching yours for a long, agonizing moment. Then, slowly, he stepped back, his expression hardening.

"You already made up your mind," he said quietly. "So what's the point in convincing you otherwise?"

Your breath caught in your throat, tears stinging your eyes. You wanted to scream at him, to demand answers, to tear down the walls he had so carefully built around himself in less than a few days. But instead, all you could do was stand there, your heart breaking all over again.

"Fine," you whispered, your voice barely audible. "If that's how you want it."

He nodded once, his face devoid of emotion. "It's what you wanted, remember?"

Annoyed, you reached for a pen, signing up the papers next to him, slamming it against the table before getting up and walking away, leaving the papers on the counter in front of him. The sound of the front door slamming shut echoed through the house, and for the first time since the start of your marriage, you felt truly alone.

[checkeredflagggs]

Febuwhump Day 8: Bleeding Out

pairings: gen

summary: a story about y/n, Redbull’s new second driver, told in non-sequential order

a/n: I love febuwhump and have participated before for other fandoms but this is a first for me — attempting to compete it via smau only. Hopefully I can write a complete story eventually and I will be posting it on its own masterlist in the correct order to read but it’ll be written based on the febuwhump prompt list! @febuwhump

a/n2: based on the 2024 year; sorry checo but you got replaced earlier!

a/n3: sorry Pierre but I’m not gonna give you the perfect no damages season that you had

y/n_rb

liked by maxverstappen1, logansargeant, oscarpiastri, and 2,193,429 others

tagged: maxverstappen1, redbullracing

y/n_rb: what a year it’s been…from car crashes to new girlfriends to lessons in menacing, 2024 you have been a dream!

I want to thank Redbull for taking a chance on me — hopefully I was worth it! Max, you have been absolutely the best teammate I could have asked for! Oscar and Logan, I am so glad we got to fulfill our dream of racing together this year! And Mr. Fenando sir it’s been a pleasure! I’ll make sure to make use of all of your advice!

One last race left! Abu Dhabi here we come!

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user1: anyone else catching those threatening tones in that last sentence??

↳y/n_rb: what tones???

↳user2: the very sweet tones you always talk in!

↳y/n_rb: that’s better!

↳user1: girl you’re kinda scary…

↳y/n_rb: 😁😁😁

oscarpiastri: you’re being suspiciously nice…what did you do!

↳logansargeant: why is my mom calling me!?! What did you do!!

↳y/n_rb: 😁😁

↳oscarpiastri: did you seriously call our mothers to plan a group vacation?

↳logansargeant: I want to use winter break as a time to get away from you! Stop invading my family time!

↳nicolepiastri: boys please be nicer to y/n! She was so kind to invite us on a European trip this winter!

↳oscarpiastri: stop trying to steal my mom!!

↳y/n_rb: who’s trying? I already won liked by nicolepiastri, hattiepiastri

↳oscarpiastri: I’m throwing things at you 🍎🛞🪨

user3: girl don’t remind us you haven’t been resigned yet 😭😭

user4: sooo did you like take actual notes from Alonso’s lessons or…

↳y/n_rb: if I told you, I’d have to kill you

↳redbullracing: y/n you can’t say that. please refer to the handbook, page 229

↳fernandoalo_oficial: Puede que ella no pueda pero yo lo haré. She might be able to but I will.

↳user5: i can’t believe we all forgot about her grid father 🙈 liked by y/n_rb

maxverstappen1: It certainly was…an experience…having you as a teammate

↳y/n_rb: don’t lie! I know I’m your favorite

↳danielricciardo: those are fighting words!

↳y/n_rb: bring it old man Aussie!! I bite

↳danielricciardo: stop calling me old! And threatening to bite me

↳oscarpiastri: it’s not a threat — she does

↳user6: if Daniel is old man Aussie — what are Oscar and Mark?

↳y/n_rb: baby Aussie and ancient Aussie

↳user6: 😂😂😂

↳aussiegrit: kid…

↳oscarpiastri: do you see what I have to put up with? redbullracing please don’t resign her

↳y/n_rb: well that’s fucking rude!

↳redbullracing: 🫢🫢🫢

↳y/n_rb: wait what does that mean?!?

francisca.cgomes: Mon amour! My love!

↳y/n_rb: run away with me

↳pierregasly: I’m gonna run you over

↳y/n_rb: try it!

alexandrasaintmleux: Ce fut un plaisir de faire votre connaissance cette année! It was a pleasure to get to know you this year!

↳y/n_rb: my offer still stands! I can treat you so much better

↳charles_leclerc: S'en aller! Go away!

↳alexandrasaintmleux:😘😘

↳charles_leclerc: Alex…

↳y/n_rb: haha

user7: I’ll certainly miss you terrorizing everyone…

↳y/n_rb: even if I’m not a driver, I’ll still be doing that!

↳charles_leclerc: fuck

↳pierregasly: non

↳oscarpiastri: please no

↳y/n_rb: 😁😁

f1

liked by user, user, user and 3,723,183 others

tagged: pierregasly, y/n_rb

f1: and that’s major contact between redbullracing’s y/n_rb and alpinef1team’s pierregasly. This is not the first time this season these 2 have crashed together. The race is currently under red flag as the marshals work to clear the track of debris.

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user8: of course it was those 2…

user9: they couldn’t resist one last crash to finish off the season could they…

user10: it’s taking a while for the marshals to remove them from the car isn’t it?

↳user11: yeah…it doesn’t usually take this long unless something has happened…

↳user12: god I hope they’re both alright…

user13: did they have to bring in extra medical cars???

↳user14: they did — it’s not looking good…

↳user13: fuck

f1gossippage

liked by user, user, user, and 1,923,284 others

f1gossippage: during the beginning laps of Abu Dhabi - y/n l/n and Pierre Gasly made contact that resulted in a red flag. After a lengthy delay, extra medical cars were called to the site of the crash where both l/n and Gasly were cut from their cars. They were both rushed from the scene — it looked like they were bleeding out pretty badly…

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user15: I was right above them — it did NOT look good but they were both seemingly conscious

↳user16: Jesus…at least they were conscious?

↳user17: that is a good sign (I think)

user18: has anyone official said anything?

↳user20: not that I could tell but the race has been started again…

user21: I can’t even imagine going out again to race after seeing that crash

↳user22: those drivers are stronger than me for real

user23: listening to their radios right now — everyone keeps asking for updates on them!

↳user24: are they getting updates?

↳user23: everyone is being told that there are no updates yet

↳user24: ugh…

Taglist

@anamiad00msday @suns3treading @daniskywalkersolo @awritingtree @justheretoreadthxxs @coral7161 @lost4lyrics @mastermindbaby @freyathehuntress @angelluv16 @nichmeddar @mxm47max @Voidvannie @justaf1girl @a-beaverhausen @tallrock35 @elizamoe133 @yawn-zi

[narcjsistx]

— 𝐉𝐔𝐒𝐓 𝐀 𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐓𝐋𝐄 𝐊𝐈𝐒𝐒 ; words: 0.4k

"What do you mean you've never given a kiss?"

Sitting so close to him, you're surprised to see him so serious about such a topic. In your head you had often imagined who knows what things about RINDOU HAITANI, but in none of these you imagined him as someone who had yet to have his first kiss. He's a delinquent, who knows how many girls have fallen at his feet all these years... and he still has to kiss?

He looks down, a light pink blush coloring his pale skin "I'm not as desperate as my brother. I wanted to wait, that's all" he says taking your hands in his, squeezing them gently as he begins to massage your knuckles. You observe how your hands seem intended for his, how together they almost look like a painting, one of those you often saw in the art galleries you visited together. Maybe all the thoughts you've had about him so far are wrong, perhaps more than you care to admit

"But you told me you wanted to kiss me" you say unsure, still with the words from earlier echoing in your mind. Rindou looks up not letting go of your hands, but his sudden boldness is betrayed by his tense shoulders and the way he breathes, almost as if he's out of air "So what? I'm tired of waiting"

"It's strange, I thought..." you say stuttering, but he interrupts you "I know, the usual story of the delinquent with all the women at his feet, who kisses them and even spends the night together. No, I'm not exactly that kind of person... plus, I spent half my life in prison, let's say there weren't many women there" he says, and you can't help but chuckle a little at the last part of his sentence "Maybe I just thought wrong"

"I can prove the opposite to you, that there is a part of delinquents who if they love a girl, only her exists" he says, his hand leaving yours as he shyly cups your chin. Two purple amethysts study your soul, as you slowly relax under his touch, the distance between your lips slowly reducing to zero

You have always been used to toxic loves, decent guys who however had no intention of treating you as you deserved. Yet, since you met him, he who has always been the opposite of them at least in appearance, has given you everything you deserved even before actually being in a relationship. He, a delinquent, who would get the whole Roppongi beaten up if you asked him, just to see you smile for a few seconds

"Can I, then?" he asks softly, his breath beating against your cold lips, divided by only one millimetre "You can"

✶ 𝐌𝐘 𝐌𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐓 ; take a look, trust me!

[my-rose-tinted-glasses]

I've been thinking about Futtara pretty much non stop since it aired and I rewatched the episode and I have a couple of thoughts. First of all, I've read the novel sex scene so I'm aware of the differences. But here is why I don't have a problem with it. I have no idea how they arrived at that scene in the novel. I have no idea of the conversations they had before. Since that scene is so different, perhaps in the novel things leading up to it are also different so no use, in my opinion, to compare the two at this moment. I understand some people's disappointment with this part, even before the translation was known, but that wasn't really the case for me. So this is my view on the episode, and I respect that people had different feelings about it. Anyway...

Like I said before, it was never about the sex. Not really, as @emotionallychargedtowel l said here, and I agree, sure the sex was important cause it was the catalyst for everything so far. Them not having it and wanting to and all that came with that. But the way I see it, the actual sex was just the last step in the progression of these two coming together and by extent cheating on their partners. I should say that the flatmates relationship continues to be the most nebulous so I'm not sure, if it would even be called cheating, but since Sei said that keeping a secret was the reason for him to be in that room in the first place, I'm gonna use the general term of cheating for both of the pairs for now.

"I'm not gonna break or anything." - Sei

One of the things I really liked about this whole episode was that I felt like Sei was just wanting control for once. He left the house, he wanted to go to Hagiwara, he wanted to be touched and he wanted to have a secret from Fujisawa. He's been caged in for so long, that those emails and this relationship, more than just allowing him to have sex, it allows him a freedom he's been missing. Their house is this still place, untouched and unspoiled by exterior forces, but it's also a fragile state of things. Because all it takes is a small change in their routine to bring it all down. That first email exchange was the first disruption in this home, in this stillness. And from there, every day the ripples get bigger until something breaks and cannot be easily put back together.

"To think nobody wants this body. What a waste." - Sei

I love this sentence. Because it can go both ways. Yes, Sei is speaking to Hagiwara, so of course he means Kaori, but I also think he's talking about himself here. Because although he has expressed desire for Fujisawa, he never had that returned. So in a way he never really felt that anybody wanted his body too.

"Saying something like that is unfair. Felt like I was gonna cry." - Hagiwara "You're neither bad nor dirty." - Sei

I'm not taking anything away from the sex itself, and the fact that they are finally able to have it. But in the end, more than it is about the act, it's about validation. And that's why this is such an emotional moment for Hagiwara. I think he had given up on that. On being able to show all of himself and feel accepted. For the first time in a long time his desire was not met with rejection or perceived disgust. And again I think Sei is talking about himself here too. He has tried more than once to get this from Fujisawa, but he was always rebuffed and in a not so subtle way. So he has come to accept that, in this context, what he's been feeling is bad or dirty.

"Nothing will change. Nothing will be destroyed." Sei "We promised right? We wouldn't destroy anything?" Sei In the hotel room. / At the end in the office.

This is where things really get messed up. I think Sei and Hagiwara before they had sex, where looking for some of the same things but also something different. Sex, obviously, connection and validation. Everything I mentioned before. But for Hagiwara, it quickly became about something else. It was about sex first, then it was about sex with Sei, specifically. He no longer simply wanted to be touched, he wanted Sei to be the one to do it.

For Sei, I think he had a plan in mind. Just get the thing done, and get out. Almost like an item to check off a list. And somehow he thought that after it, he would be fine, and he could just carry on with his life as it had been so far. And not destroy what he had with Fujisawa. Like sex was the problem, and once he had it, everything would be fine. So the life he had at home was still untouched, if all he got from Hagiwara was something that was absent there.

"What are we going to do now? Now that it's come to this... What are we going to do?" - Sei

He never entertained the possibility that it would be more than that. That it would go beyond the sex act. And all of a sudden, Hagiwara is bringing emotions into this, that go beyond the physical and Sei is a bit lost. Cause he needs to be able to go back. And this is where the nature of the flatmates relationship becomes an important piece that it's still mostly missing. Why does he want to go back? Why is it so important that this doesn't destroy what he has with Fujisawa? Does he love him? Does he feel indebted to him? Has he been conditioned in some way? Or does he believe that that is all he deserves?

He left that hotel room, and a part of him believed, that everything that had happened there, stayed there. It only existed in that place and time, and wouldn't touch anything beyond it. He went back to what his familiar. The glass box Fujisawa built for him. But things are not so easy for Hagiwara. He let feelings in and they follow him beyond the walls of that hotel room. And the fact that Sei seems so unaffected by it, hurts him deeply. Because he thought he found himself an equal, that since he understood him, he would also match him emotionally after the fact. But Sei, is not capable of that. Or not willing at least.

I'm trying not to focus on the preview right now, as difficult as that is, and just look at what we know so far. And I need to understand Sei better. I need to know what is motivating him right now. What exactly is he holding on to with such determination?

[yourislandgirl]

*:ꔫ:*ₓₒ IRRESISTIBLE ˚ ༘♡ੈ✩ || 심재윤 x fem!reader || drabble

— KISS ME, DON’T SAY NO series

summary: distracted by the charm of your darling boyfriend, you find yourself unable to resist his need for attention, but in all seriousness, who’d be able to resist jake?

genres: fluff, romance, non-idol!jake x non-idol!reader, est. relationship, ft. mentions of huh yunjin and layla

warnings: attempts at humour, swearing/cursing, pet names, slightly suggestive bcs jake’s a simp and doesn’t bother hiding it, mentioned the book ‘to all the boys i’ve loved before’ . ya know, in case you don’t like that book ..

[archive]

“Stop.”

His giggles were glittery. Just hearing them would set off a flutter in your chest. “What? I’m just appreciating nature and its beauty.” You could practically hear the smile from his voice.

It took a lot of strength to not look up, to keep your gaze firmly situation on the letters that ran along the page in front of you. Your fingers tightened around the soft copy covers of the novel in your hands, thumb rubbing against the paper as you tried to read the next sentence.

It was an impossible task, you quickly realised, your senses distracted by the ticklish sensation of grass against your ankles. The culprit, however, wasn’t the innocent grass field of the park, but actually your attention whore of a boyfriend, laying on his stomach by your feet, drawing little invisible doodles on your bare calf with the tip of the grass blade.

more under cut !!

You knew what he was doing, the unsubtly in the teasing glances that he’d sneak your way, observing your reaction, seeing how long it would take for you to break. It was one of his more annoying qualities that you couldn’t help but find endearing… eventually.

At that moment though, you resolved to simply tap your finger against the corner of the book, your eyes unfocused, not a single word on the page registering as you pursed your lips, squashing whatever tiny smile wanted to make itself known. You were gonna last this time.

See, previous times it had happened — and yes, it happened a lot — Jake would usually win. Whether it was his inconspicuous back hugs which eventually had him pulling you away from whatever you were doing previously, or the more blatantly obvious way he’d smile, quirk his head to the side, and pull you along with him.

Jake was simply irresistible. And he knew it, which is always a problem.

That afternoon, however, you‘d decided the best way to defeat him, is to divert him, distract him, and so you set your plan into motion;

“Jakey, what does this word mean?”

“Hm?”

Immediately the grass blade was abandoned, the pursuit to tease was thrown aside and your puppy dog of a boyfriend had pulled himself up and shuffled closer, leaning his back against the large tree trunk, just like you.

He pouted his lips, following your finger as you pointed out the word. “Iota? I thought you were reading a romance book…”

You scoffed, “I am.” Slipping your bookmark into the spine you closed the book to show him the cover. ‘To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before’ was printed in pretty ribbon-like loops of text, glossy and black against the light baby pink background.

Jake smirked, opening the book once more to read out the sentence before he started explaining the origins of ‘iota’ (ancient greek text), and the significance of that letter (it’s the smallest in the alphabet), and how it applies in a modern context (“Basically, babe, it means you couldn’t give less of a fuck”).

You bit your lip, suppressing your laughter as you carefully pulled out your bookmark and continued reading. Your head rested against Jake‘s shoulder, his voice slowly helping you relax as he continued to explain random yet somewhat applicable definitions to the word ‘iota’.

You couldn’t really understand, mostly because you were only paying like 40% of your attention on what he was saying. Zoning in and out every now and then, catching a few anecdotes about his senior year maths class and imaginary numbers, whatever those mean.

Just as you reached the next chapter, you felt Jake tap your forehead. “Are you sleeping?”

“What? No!” You shuffled back a bit, looking at him incredulously.

Jake’s eyes darted down to the novel in your hands, noticing the next chapters number on the page. “You’re reading? I thought you were listening to me,” he whined, an embarrassed little smile on his lips.

You shut the book in an instant, completely forgetting about your bookmark. “I am!” You insisted, choosing to summaries his explanation as proof. “You said it was ancient greek alphabet, the smallest of them all, means I couldn’t give less of a flying fu—”

“Fine, what was the last thing I said?”

You stilled, “Uh…” Mind going blank, you figured a blind shot in the dark wouldn’t hurt, safest option, honestly. “…That I’m the love of your life?”

Jake‘s expression fell flat. “No, I didn’t—”

“I’m not the love of your life?!”

“That’s not what I— …Well played.” Quirking his lip a little, Jake sighed, holding out his fist as a peace offering.

“Thank you.” Smirking, you fist bumped him, before looking back down to open your book. But you paused, eyes glancing back to your unused bookmark. You flicked your head towards Jake, “I don’t—”

“Chapter twenty,” he said smoothly, before turning around and using your fumbling to rest his head on your lap.

“Enjoy the flattering angle,” you mutter, dryly.

Jake stayed silent, his gaze fixated on you, on the way your hair fell in front of your eyes and you constantly brushed it away and yet refused to pin it back. Or the way you very, very softly mouthed the words you were reading, ever so faintly, it’s barely a whisper. Or how you’d smile at the stories events before quickly controlling your expression so you don’t look like a fool, grinning at a book.

Jake sighed, brushing his hair back. “I guess the story’s interesting?”

You hummed. “Somewhat.”

“Somewhat?” He sat up. “Then pay attention to me.”

You leaned forward and kissed his cheek, before settling back against the tree. “I would, baby, but I need to beat Yunjin at this month’s goodreads challenge. And I would have beaten her last week but—”

“But I dragged you to the couch for movie night—”

“Which I loved. Among other things that night.” You suppressed your smile.

Nudging your knee with his, Jake let out a breathy chuckle. “Shh, there’s kids running around”

You shook your head, amused. “What I’m saying is, I love spending time with you. So much so that I want you around even if I’m just doing something by myself. But you make it so damn hard for me to concentrate.”

Your eyes had completely left the page yet again, finding your focus purely captured by the comfort that Jake gave you whenever he was present, the kind of relaxation where you simply get to exist, side by side, and that’s enough. It truly was his fault that you were this distracted.

Though, he obviously didn’t think so.

“That’s on you,” his eyes shone with that cheeky charm that he seemed to never run out of. His fingers rested on your knee, tapping away as he spoke. “I can’t exactly just stay put like some loser when I have the most irresistible person for a girlfriend.”

You scoffed, “I thought you were the irresistible one.”

Your mind replayed memories of past instances where Jake would send you a smug grin, throwing his arms wide open, surmising that he was simply irresistible and you should just give in (translation: he just wants hugs).

Jake shrugged. “Well, I am. But it’s not like I’ve got monopoly over it.”

“Mhm.”

He watched as you, yet again, tried to concentrate on the novel at hand, to get some progress in your reading. But your competitiveness was faltering and he could see it.

On the one hand, he wanted you to win, for your own happiness.

On the other hand… “C’mere.”

“Hm?”

Jake leaned closer, cupping your jaw as he went in to kiss you. You knew there was no hope of finishing another chapter anymore. Let alone the book. Jake had this way of capturing your entire soul, of holding it in his warm hands, keeping it safe. The same way it felt to have his hands holding your face, his thumb softly rubbing your cheek, his tiny giggles unable to be contained between your kisses.

“You’re a jerk,” you whisper, smiling so wide that the implication of such a sentence made no sense in comparison.

“Right,” Jake leaned forward and gave you a quick peck. “But you know, if you’d really wanted to read today, you wouldn’t have brought me along.”

You nudged your forehead against his. “Fair point.”

The novel slid from hands, flat on your lap as you moved your fingers along nape of his neck. You’d just started pulling him closer by his chain necklace when—

“Hey mister!”

Jake flinched and looked to the side at the tiny irritated mass in light up sketchers standing a meter away.

“Your dog has my ball!”

“Oh shit…” You shifted back as you watched your boyfriend scramble to get up, cursing his clicking joints as he ran. “Layla!!”

“Guess you win this month, Yunjinnie.” Hurriedly putting the book back in your bag, you got up and ran after Jake.

a.n: third instalment of the kiss me, don’t say no series !! even if it’s officially feb 9th i’m holding off until i get up again in the actual morning to publish jungwon’s — skipping sunsun for now! sorry :( i just really wanna get jungwon’s out on his birthday !!!! anyway, i hope you liked this one <3

taglist: @oceanstide — @sheepsgf

2025 © yourislandgirl

[croquis-el]

Authentic Japan in Gyakuten Saiban pt. 3

And we continue our acquaintance with authentic Japan accompanied by Naruhodo and case 3-5. And our guest today is Mei Karuma (Franziska von Karma).

成歩堂龍一。この黄色いポスターは何かしら?

naruhodō ryūichi. Kono kiiroi posutā wa nani kashira?

Naruhodo Ryuichi. What is this yellow poster?

ああ。それは《掛け軸》だよ。描かれている女のヒトは･･･.....

ā. Sore wa “kakejiku” da yo. Egaka rete iru on'na no hito wa.....

Ah, that's a hanging scroll. The woman depicted is...

せんべいブトンが たたまれている。

Senbei Buton ga tata mare te iru.

The rice cracker butons are folded.

何かしら?《せんべいブトン》って。

nanikashira? “Senbei buton” tte.

What is it? "Senbei Buton"

ウスくてペッタリした、おせんべいみたいなフトンだよ。

usu kute pettari shita, o senbei mitaina futon da yo.

It's a thin, sticky futon, like a rice cracker.

この国じゃ、そう言うの。

kono kuni ja, sō iu no.

That's what we say in this country.

アメリカで言えば････

《ビスケットタオルケット》かな。

Amerika de ieba “bisuketto taoruketto” ka na.

In America, it would be... "Biscuit towel blanket."

そ、そうなの。

････勉強になったわ。

-so,-sōna no. Benkyō ni natta wa.

Oh, that's right... I learned something.

If everything is clear with the scroll or, as Karuma called it, the "yellow poster", then the following dialogue simply blew my mind. Let's figure it out.

The first thing that causes misunderstanding is the "senbei buton" that Naruhodo talks about.

Senbei (煎餅), also spelled sembei, is a type of Japanese rice cracker. 

It is served as a snack during tea ceremonies, festivals, and other celebrations.

Which, by the way, Naruhodo himself explains a little later.

Now about "buton".

This is a slang word meaning "futon".

The kanji for "futon" is written as 布団 [futon] and read as [buton]. There is also the spelling ぶとん, where ぶ is read as [bu].

The difference in pronunciation:

ブトン [buton] from the first sentence.

フトン [futon] where Naruhodo already explains the meaning of the word to Karma.

And now together:

Shiki-buton which became hard and flat like a senbei (a Japanese rice cracker). That’s why it is called senbei-buton. A futon made of cotton tends to become a senbei-buton, because the cotton fibers get entangled after absorbing moisture.

Well, you know what a futon is without me.

Next is "bisuketto taoruketto" or Biscuit towel blanket.

ビスケット [bisuketto] - biscuit

タオルケット [taoruketto] - towel-blanket

To be honest, it seemed like a bunch of words to me. Because this is the first time I've encountered a "biscuit blanket". However, a little searching yielded the result - it's a synonym for Puff quilts.

Well, now everything has become clearer. For a bit. (And how on earth does Naruhodo know such things).

It turned out to be even worse with the towel blanket. However, the word タオルケット [taoruketto] has meanings:

● towel blanket (towel (blan)ket)

● terry-cloth blanket

Well, how could I not have guessed that this was a terry blanket! And if you put everything together, then a terry-cloth quilted blanket. (Although, honestly, I couldn't even think of it, because I've only seen terry bedspreads and towels, but not blankets.)

Well, Karuma agreed, and okay, then she understood. Yes, and I agree with her last phrase, today I also learned something new.

[everettswritings]

HELLO! CAN I HAVE LEE!SHADOW MILK AND LER!PURE VANILLA, PLEASE???

(つ･･)つ｡･:*:･ﾟ’☆

OMG YES! I watched the teaser for the next update today and I am so unbelievably hyped! This sort of takes place in the next update, but it’s just me doing a bunch of guess work- obviously Pure Vanilla isn’t going to tickle the heck out of Shadow Milk, no matter how badly I want that to happen. (Kink/NSFW accounts DNI!)

Lies… the center of everything in this world, it seemed. Especially to Pure Vanilla Cookie, or rather the truthless recluse he had become. It really broke him when it was revealed that all of his life, every last part of it, was an elaborate lie crafted by Shadow Milk Cookie- who had spent all those years puppeteering him from the shadows, pulling every last string just right to create his best show yet. I mean, how would you feel? What would you think? At that point, could you even think? Would those thoughts be your own?

However, while swallowed in the darkness of deception, there was still a light that Pure Vanilla Cookie could see, glimmering faintly like a dying star. His entire life may have been something crafted by deception incarnate, but it was still life. One of the undeniable truths of life is that it will always find a way; it will always slip through the shackles you lock it into and blossom and grow.

The healer was in front of the beast, standing him down. His eyes were blank and hollow, there was just barely a gleam of life within them.

“Hehehehe! You really are just me with different colors, aren’t you?” Shadow Milk Cookie taunted “Look at you! In shambles and ashamed! The old proverb is true: the bigger they are, the harder they fall!” He moved in, intent on taking the Soul Jam back once and for all. However, whether on reflex or on active thought, Pure Vanilla Cookie moved out of the way. He was silent, though. “Seriously!? Don’t you ever give up? Everything has been a lie, my boy! Does that not kill you inside?!” The beast shouted in frustration, his voice cracking a little, it was as if his act was cracking alongside it. The glimmer of that light in Pure Vanilla Cookie’s mind started to seem a little brighter, as if it were cheering him on. Shadow Milk Cookie swung again, the frustration was growing just like that light, but that darkness could never overpower the light- no darkness can overpower light. Just as he was about to land a blow, he was blinded!

Pure Vanilla Cookie was swallowed and bathed with light, transforming right before the jester’s eyes! He landed on his feet, holding himself with confidence and a newfound air of strength that Shadow Milk Cookie tried to crush.

“It may have, but I overcame that despair.” Pure Vanilla Cookie slammed his staff on the ground and tiny flowers bloomed beneath it, “There will always be both truth and despair in this world, that is what you are right about. However, allowing one to consume the other is what leads to destruction! The two sides of the same coin are together for a reason, otherwise the coin could not be. And that coin is knowledge! The knowledge you swore you preached, but betrayed in favor of deception because it was easier to accept!”. Shadow Milk Cookie’s jaw hung open, his eyes were wide, for a moment he couldn’t put together a sentence. “W-W-WHAT!? You CANNOT be serious! I-It- No! NO, NO, NO!” He refused to accept it, how could this little pest just do that!? The jester’s face burned hotly with anger, “NO! I REFUSE TO BELIEVE MY EYES! YOU ARE NOTHING MORE THAN A PUPPET!” He tried to attack Pure Vanilla Cookie again, blinded by rage, but was stopped when the hero grabbed his hand and pulled him closer into a hug.

“But all the same, I understand why you would buckle under the lies.” He said, his voice suddenly a little softer, “I was just in your shoes and it hurt.” His voice was so deeply laced with empathy. “Wha-? No- huh?” Shadow Milk Cookie was so confused! Where is the anger? Where is the despair that was just there moments ago? He was this close to getting the Soul Jam back! It’s not fair! “However, I can’t say that I’ll let your actions go unpunished. I believe you can be set on the right path once again with a little coaxing, like anyone can.”, Shadow Milk Cookie tensed up as he felt fingers crawling up to his rib cage, “W-What do you think you’re doing?! Stop!” He tried to push Pure Vanilla Cookie away, but it was already too late. Oh, this was even more humiliating! Now he was being tickled by the little pest!

“Hahahahaha! Hahahahehe! Hehehehe! Nohoho!” He struggled meekly, while the healer somehow kept a vice grip. Pure Vanilla Cookie grinned and chuckled softly as his fingers lightly skated over Shadow Milk Cookie’s ribs. “Hehehehe! Hohohahahaha! Stop iiiittttt! Hahaha!” The beast was squirming even more now as he was tickled. It was so gentle, but somehow so effective! He snorted, “Hahahaha! You d-divahahaha!”, “S-Script! Hahahahaha! Ahahaha! Hehehahaha!”, he tried to speak but every word was washed away with waves of laughter.

Pure Vanilla Cookie gently lowered himself and his adversary to the ground, continuing his ticklish assault on him. His hands stayed firmly on his ribs, but would occasionally go up for a little bit to trace the hollows of his armpits, then drag back downwards. “Hahahahaha! Hahaha! Nohohoho! Please!” Shadow Milk Cookie snorted again, his pleas falling onto deaf ears. He found himself leaning against Pure Vanilla Cookie unintentionally, but the healer ceased the opportunity to poke a little more fun at him, “So you know you can be better? Well, definitely don’t be shy now! Let me embrace you!” He pulled the beast closer, one hand was now at his ribs while the other was stationed on his stomach.

Shadow Milk Cookie squeed as he felt the tracing of mindless little patterns on his tummy. When would this torture end?! “Nah! Nahahahaha! Hahahaha!” He laughed louder and louder, the sound echoed throughout the entire spire! His blue face was turning pink as he was at Pure Vanilla Cookie’s mercy, at least he was used to laughing so much, otherwise he’d be completely out of breath by now. He gave up on trying to get away now, resigning to his ticklish fate and continuing to laugh. It was apparent that Pure Vanilla Cookie wouldn’t be releasing him from his punishment anytime soon.

The healer hummed as he tickled Shadow Milk Cookie, noticing the resignation, “Giving up, are we? Tsk, tsk, tsk! Maybe I should tickle you more for that!”. Shadow Milk Cookie’s eyes widened again, but before he could protest the tickling suddenly got a little more intense and Pure Vanilla Cookie’s fingers were moving much faster. “HAHAHAHA! HAHA- HEHEHEHE!” His voice got high pitched as he was laughing way harder, “NO! PLEHEHEHEHEASE!” He tried begging for mercy, but it was far too late for any kind of mercy now. Pure Vanilla Cookie shifted the beast in his grasp, laying him horizontally across his kneeling lap.

Uh oh…

The tickling stopped for a moment, and Shadow Milk Cookie knew exactly what that meant. “W-WAIT! Please! No, anything but the-“, he squealed loudly as Pure Vanilla Cookie’s head came down on his stomach, “RASPBERRIEEEEEES! HAHAHAHAHA! AHAHAHAHA! AHAHAHA! HAHAHAHAHAHA! HOHOHAHAHAHEEE!”. The squirming started again as he was desperate to get away from the dreaded raspberries. However, that didn’t stop the hero! Pure Vanilla Cookie started to take shorter breaths to blow more raspberries, and he planted them all over Shadow Milk Cookie’s tummy as he laughed like crazy. It didn’t help that his fingers were still digging at his sides and ribs as he held him close. Now the beast was beginning to become breathless!

“S-Stop!” He finally got out and Pure Vanilla Cookie paused the tickling “N-No more! I surrender!” He sighed, wanting to take those words back as soon as they left. The healer finally released the beast, a smug grin on his face, “I’m glad that you do.” He placed a hand on his shoulder “Maybe now we can understand each other, and maybe the coin that we belong to can be whole once again.” The hero spoke hopefully and his tone was kind. Shadow Milk Cookie huffed, almost offended by all the redemption nonsense, but didn’t say anything… for once.

Who knows? Maybe deep down, seriously deep down, the Beast of Deceit yearned to be the Fount of Knowledge once again. It’s hard to say, isn’t it?

End of fic! Okay, I know most people don’t like the thought of the Beasts being redeemed, understandably, but I can’t help it. I find the idea so intriguing, I’d wanna see how they get there. I wouldn’t be mad if they aren’t redeemed, I understand that, it’s just that it’s so compelling to me to think of some kind of redemption arcs for them. I dunno, I just think that watching Zuko’s redemption arc from a young age permanently affected the way I see villains in their entireties. Also, I AM SO HYPED FOR THIS NEXT UPDATE! Pure Vanilla’s awakened form is so pretty and I desperately need to see the rest of the story unfold! Okay, I’ll stop rambling, have a good one 🫶

[crackedpumpkin]

All Too Human (04)

taglist: @chennqingg @theblindhag @elysiuansstuff @professionalrodent @mikadough @jenniferontheblock @blackparacosm @goth-detectives365 @crystalbeetle888 @filiswingman @beescomet

a/n: if anyone would like to be removed or added to the taglist, do let me know!

| 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭 | 𝗺𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁 | 𝗻𝗲𝘅𝘁 |

You can’t remember the last time you said ‘I love you’ to your parents. Their faces are blurry in your dream, stuck in a time when you’d stormed out of the house after a heated argument about your future. 

The whole idea that blood is thicker than water has always made no sense to you. Just because they made you doesn't mean they know what's best for you.

It's like watching an old movie, an out-of-body experience as you see your past self storm out the door with a packed suitcase and bag, plane tickets to another country already purchased and transportation arranged .

The door slams shut behind your past self. You silently watch the tears roll down her cheeks before gripping the handle of her luggage with a newfound intensity. Mom always said that you inherited your temper from your dad, but you never really understood what she meant until now.

Defiance and fear swirl within her gaze, each footstep away from the front door growing heavier. 

Shards of grief that you’ve pushed down a long time ago begin to resurface, slicing your heart and leaving raw, open wounds in their wake. The scene shifts to a later memory — when you’d first got lost in a country after leaving your home, crying alone at a bus stop.

During this moment, a pickpocket had taken your phone, your lifeline. Everything was gone: personal info, bank cards, even your one contact back home. You watch your past self wipe her eyes and wander to a nearby phone booth.

She picks up the receiver, fumbles for a coin, and dials by muscle memory. The rings echo across the line until, finally, a familiar voice breaks through.

“Hello?”

A strangled sob escapes from your lips as you watch your past self, silent and staring blankly at the phone pressed to her ear. You’re the one sinking to the floor, as if the weight of it all has finally buckled your knees, tears streaming down as if a dam has burst. "Mom," you whisper hoarsely, feeling the words break free, “Mom, it’s me.”

It’s been so long since you last heard her voice, almost long enough to have forgotten its warmth. But that same warmth brings about a chill, knowing that she can’t hear you. 

Pain blooms in your knees as they scrape against the ground, but the blood goes unnoticed. “Mom, I miss you. I’m so sorry. I’m sorry for everything. I want to come home.” Your words tumble out in broken fragments, your chest heaving, breaths shallow between each shaky sentence. "I’m sorry I let you down, I’m sorry I left. I miss Dad. I miss home.”

Your past self remains motionless, a shadow oblivious of your pleas. But here, reliving it, you feel the words ripple through your body, pulling raw grief and regret to the surface. The ache has never left; it’s only buried itself deeper.

“Hello? Must be a spam call,” you hear her mumble to someone else before a click in the line signals that she’s hung up. Your past self remains there, tears forming in the corners of her eyes but her pride refusing to let them flow. 

Then, the scene shifts once more. 

You’re in San Francisco now, a brand new apartment a friend of yours had let you stay in. She’d been gracious enough to lower the rent, though it’s still pretty expensive given that you’re only working part time in a bar and at the community pool. 

Picking yourself off the ground, you wipe away the tear streaks on your face through the sniffles. Feeling your breathing calm somewhat, you watch on as your past self lays on the floor with a smile, blissfully unaware of the future that awaits her. 

Then the world spins.

Inhaling sharply as your eyes snap open, you’re met with the worried faces of Bilbo, Fili, and Kili hunched over you. Your body jerks up with a choked cough, water spilling from your mouth and into the water below.

Throat burning and eyes watery, you assess the situation. The riverbank, with no orcs in sight. Just as relief hits you, so does the pain with full force. A soundless gasp pushes past your lips as your fingers clench into fists. 

You’re almost afraid to look. 

However, you force yourself to angle your head down, and your gaze falls on the arrowhead still lodged deep in your thigh. The metal tip glints darkly, surrounded by a ring of torn fabric and smeared blood. 

Crimson trickles from the wound, pooling around the shaft and soaking into your clothes, each heartbeat sending another wave of fresh blood spilling over your skin. The area throbs, a pulsing agony that radiates up your leg, making it difficult to keep from crying out.

Your breath catches, eyes darting to Kili, who grips your shoulder firmly, his face drawn tight with worry. “It’ll be alright,” he says, though his voice wavers just slightly, betraying his own anxiety. His hand hovers near the arrow, uncertain, clearly torn between wanting to help and knowing that removing it now could make things worse.

Bilbo’s face pales as he watches the blood seep steadily from your leg, and Fili clenches his jaw, casting nervous glances between the wound and his brother. The pain sharpens, and a tremor runs through you as the realisation sinks in. You’re hurt, badly. Moving seems impossible, yet the urge to press on gnaws at you.

“We must leave now.” Bilbo’s worried eyes turn into a glare that’s aimed at Thorin from the announcement he makes. 

“Thorin, she’s injured!” He protests, stepping forward in a protective stance. “She can barely move, and you’re here in one piece thanks to her!” 

Your lips part in a murmur. “That’s sweet.” The hobbit remains firm in his posture, the leader of the group relenting. 

Kili gives your shoulder a reassuring squeeze, his gaze steady. “I’ll carry you if I must,” he murmurs, a quiet resolve in his voice.

“Two minutes. Bind the wound and prepare to leave in two minutes.” Bilbo’s shoulders relax, moving to stand near you. He’s too kind for his own good, and that bull-headed dwarf Thorin could learn a thing or two from him. What a bastard, truly.

Maybe he’s a Taurus.

But as much as you want to cry like a baby and just writhe in pain, you can’t die now. 

“I need a knife,” the plea barely makes it past your lips, Bilbo fumbling around briefly before handing you his own blade. Unsheathing it, you muster all the strength in your body to cut through the fabric, revealing bare skin that’s been torn open.

Blackened veins spider around the wound’s edges. Poison, you realise with dread. “Stay still lass,” Balin pushes past the brothers to the forefront, grabbing the closest arm and pulling it to you. Unfortunately, it happens to belong to Fili, who officially becomes your stress ball replacement.

“I’ve got you,” he says, bracing himself as Balin’s steady hands close around the arrow’s shaft. Balin glances from the arrowhead to your teary eyes, muttering, “On the count of three. One—”

He yanks the arrowhead out in one swift motion. A pained scream rips from your chest, and your face buries into Fili’s arm as the agony sears through you, leaving you breathless. The arrow clatters to the ground, stained in crimson, and blood flows freely from the puncture in your thigh.

Your breath comes in shallow, shuddering gasps, and for a few moments, you simply let yourself cry. Each sob rakes through your body, as though it might somehow release the pain. 

When you finally manage to draw in a shaky breath, the metallic taste of blood taints your tongue. Forcing down a swallow, you squeeze your eyes shut one last time before mentally putting on your big girl pants.

Patching up the wound before it bleeds any more comes first, but your frantic gaze finds no bandages or supplies around you, nothing even close to resembling gauze. Once again, you’re left with the bitter reminder that you’re in another world with none of the resources you’d grown so used to.

Desperation sharpens as you glance back and forth from Balin’s empty hands to Bilbo’s wince. The river washed away anything you might have used, and the rest of the group definitely lacked anything to do with medical supplies.

Swallowing the bile rising in your throat, you look down at your soaked tunic. It’s waterlogged and bloodstained, but it’s all you have. With a grim determination, you slip your arms out of it, leaving you bare with only a bound cloth around your chest, shivering slightly in the cool air.

As you pull off your soaked tunic, the dwarves go silent, their gazes averted — mostly. Fili’s eyes linger a little too long, clearly caught between worry and curiosity at seeing you in just your undergarb. 

But before he can get too distracted, a firm nudge from Kili snaps him out of it, his brother throwing him a hard, narrow-eyed glare. The unspoken signal is clear, and with an apologetic cough, Fili looks away, his cheeks turning the slightest shade darker.

Meanwhile, Kili’s focus remains locked on your face, searching for any sign of your discomfort beyond the pain before you hear a loud thwack, Balin having smacked the side of his head and forcing him to turn his back as well.

Amusement darts through you in the haze of pain for a mere moment, catching the reddened tips of his ears. With no other option, you set to work, cutting the tunic into strips and winding each piece tightly around your leg. 

Unfortunately, most of your strength is spent. Your left arm falls down, numb beyond belief. Everything in you is screaming to not ask for help, to not be a burden any more than you already are. But without someone to assist in bounding your leg, you’d bleed out and die.

“Kili.” The dwarf in question turns, eyes widening when he sees the helpless look in your eyes. “Please,” you croak, gesturing to the remaining material barely clinging to the skin of your thigh. 

He’s instantly by your side, his hands getting to work as he binds up your leg using the same method you’d taught to him back in the dungeons. Gritted teeth don't hold back the sharp inhales at each jolt of pain he can feel. 

In an attempt to distract yourself, you cast your gaze up to the clear blue sky. It helps somewhat, blinking away the involuntary tears that form. Once his movements cease, you look back down and meet his eyes briefly.

A flicker of admiration sits in his irises, mingled with worry and guilt. Your breath hitches for a split second before you both look away. “It’s done,” he announces with a shake of his head. He glances around at the company, scanning each dwarf quickly as you tug whatever’s left of your tunic back on.

There’s no spare fabric left from the packs, and most of their clothes are just as worn and torn from the escape. Watching him pause and his jaw tense as he makes a decision, you’re caught off guard when he reaches for his own tunic. 

Without hesitation, Kili slips his knife from his belt and cuts a length of cloth from its bottom. The tear leaves his shirt a bit shorter than usual, but he hardly notices. “Hold on now,” he murmurs gently, inching closer to you. 

The makeshift covering he’s prepared in his hands is soft, but sturdy enough to offer a thin layer to protect your modesty. "Like you said,” his voice warm but still teasing, “we should still take care of ourselves when injured.”

Your voice dies in your throat as he leans down, wrapping the cut fabric around the exposed skin between the bottom of your now torn tunic (or makeshift crop top, you silently dub), and the top of your pants. 

His fingers work deftly but carefully, tightening the bandage with an ease that belies the tension in his jaw as he tries not to look too closely at the scrape and blood pooling around your thigh.

You’re pretty sure your brain’s short-circuited now, forgetting how to breathe when his gaze meets yours once more. The ground doesn’t even feel solid under your fingertips at this point, heart turning to mush.

His gaze should be illegal, you decide. He should be in jail for the things he’s doing to my stomach right now.

The other dwarves, sensing Kili’s dedication, glance over now and then but quickly return to their tasks or their stances, giving you both the privacy the moment demands. Fili keeps his head turned but can’t resist casting a sideways look every so often, protective but still wary of intruding.

Kili pulls the bandage securely once more, his hands warm and steady. He finally lets go, resting one hand lightly against your knee for a moment as he steadies himself, catching his breath. “It should hold,” he says, his voice soft but resolute, and you can sense the relief mingled with pride beneath his words.

The pain subsides slightly with the firm bandaging, and for a moment, there’s a shared silence between you, broken only by your own slightly laboured breathing.

“You were—” Kili begins, then hesitates, a trace of his earlier admiration still in his gaze. “You held yourself well. I doubt many could do as much.”

His praise stirs something in you, though the discomfort of vulnerability lingers just beneath the surface. You’re exhausted, but his words somehow give you strength, grounding you through the pain and fatigue. 

You manage a faint smile, nodding to him in silent gratitude, watching as he rises and moves back, though his eyes linger on you just a moment longer than usual. Fili coughs loudly to shatter the moment, trying his very best to ignore whatever just happened. 

Don’t blame him at all, because what the fuck was that all about?

You blink. Get a grip. You’re not actually supposed to feel this way. He’s just a character. Just focus on surviving, that’s all you have to do now until you can go home.

Your fingers press against the makeshift bandage, testing it, and though the pain has dulled somewhat, each movement sends a sharp reminder throbbing through your thigh. You grit your teeth, willing yourself to focus. The pain is almost grounding, in a twisted way; keeping you alert, reminding you that you’re still here. Still needed. You won’t let it slow you down.

“I think I’ll be alright now. Why don’t we-” 

The sound of a branch being split open makes the breath hitch in your throat, interrupted when you spot a man standing on a jagged rock above everyone else. His shoulder-length hair is tied back into a scraggly half-up style, an arrow notched onto his bow in expert manner. 

The arrow pierced through the branch in Dwalin’s hand makes everyone else hesitate. His figure seemed familiar. Where do you know him from? Your fingertips brush against the edges of another memory partially shrouded by exhaustion, a name rings clear in your mind.

Bard. The fisherman? Or ferryman of Lake-town. Again, the details remain frustratingly out of reach, scraggly bits and pieces floating around in your head like an unsolved puzzle waiting to be pieced together. One thing’s for sure though, he’s one of the good guys.

Before you can tell the others what you know, another arrow slices through the air, knocking away a rock that Kili instinctively picked up. 

“Do it again, and you’re dead.” 

Okay, so maybe you might be wrong.

Fuck it, only one way to find out.

“You’re Bard, aren’t you?” you ask, voice strained as you struggle to remain composed through the dull throb of pain in your thigh. His head tilts in mild confusion when he spots you among the band of dwarves. “Of Laketown. The… guy.” You manage a faint smile, but the lingering ache distracts you from delivering anything close to poise.

Bard’s expression hardens, narrowing his eyes as he lowers his bow, though his stance remains guarded. There’s a flicker of surprise in his gaze, perhaps at the way the dwarves seem to fall into step behind you. “And what does it matter to you?”

The question lingers as you struggle to get up from the rock, pushing past the ache in your thigh. Bofur, quick to notice, moves to your side, offering a steadying hand, which you accept gratefully. Together, you hobble forward, keeping Bard in your sights.

Oin’s sceptical voice cuts in from behind. “Ye know this lad?”

“Not personally, no.” You shake your head, trying to inject some nonchalance. “But if we need to get into Laketown, he’s our best chance. We’re just some… merchants.” You direct your words at Bard, keeping your tone light despite knowing the cover is flimsy at best.

Bard’s eyes narrow further, clearly unconvinced. “Merchants.” The flatness of his voice draws a tired nod from you.

By now, he’s drifting toward a small boat nearby after deeming you a non-threat, and you press on, following with uneven steps, each one jarring your leg. Kili’s worried gaze catches yours, and he inches closer, hands poised to help if you stumble. You look away, avoiding his concern. There’s no point overanalyzing whatever tension lies between you two. At least, not now.

Balin steps forward, taking over with his usual warmth. “Aye, and I’ll wager you’ve hungry mouths of your own to feed?” As he speaks, Bofur helps you settle onto a nearby rock, and you give him a grateful smile, shifting your attention back to Bard.

Bard’s stance relaxes slightly, a touch of softness entering his expression at the mention of his family. Balin notices and pushes a bit further. “How many bairns?”

Bard sighs, pride slipping into his voice. “A boy and two girls.”

“Aye, and your wife’s a beauty, I’ll wager?” Balin continues, keeping his tone gentle, disarming.

Before Bard can respond, you blurt, “Oh no, she’s dead, actually.”

The bluntness drops like a stone into the conversation, the air growing heavy as all eyes snap to you. The dwarves freeze mid-reaction, their expressions ranging from horror to disbelief. Balin looks like he might choke on his own words, while Bard’s gaze sharpens, settling on you.

Well, shit.

You bite your lip, heat rushing to your face as you realize the weight of what you’ve just said. The ache in your thigh is messing with your focus, your usual filter unraveling with every throbbing pulse. Now your mouth is just running wild, practically begging to land you in trouble.

Bard doesn’t flinch, though his eyes narrow slightly, studying you with unnerving precision. “I suppose you’ve seen many a dead body, then?”

The question hits harder than you expect. His gaze dips to your bandaged thigh and the faint bloodstains on your clothes, a flicker of understanding sparking behind his eyes. You can’t tell if it’s pity or suspicion, and frankly, you’re not sure which would be worse.

You shake your head, feeling the rawness of his words cut through the haze. “Just my grandfathers and grandmother,” you say quietly, the vulnerability slipping through your usual guard with a hint of shame that clouds your words.

A beat passes, and Bard’s expression shifts slightly, perhaps a mix of understanding and solemnity. “Were you there when it happened?”

You shake your head again, guilt seeping into your cheeks in the form of a heated flush.

He nods slightly, turning back to his barrels. “Then you are blessed.”

There’s no malice in his tone, just the hard edge of someone who’s weathered his own losses. For a moment, you’re caught off guard by the strange gratitude his words evoke, though defensiveness lingers in your chest. You hadn’t expected him to care.

Kili’s sudden voice breaks the silence. “Please.” He takes a step forward, glancing at you before focusing on Bard. “She’s injured. She needs medicine, and we have none. You may choose not to help us, but surely you wouldn’t forsake your own kind.”

For a moment, Bard says nothing, watching Kili with a sharp, assessing look. But as the silence stretches, he finally steps into his boat, shuffling through his belongings.

A flash of doubt crosses Kili’s face, but before he can speak again, a heavy fabric lands on your head. Startled, you grab it, realising it’s a cloak. “Put it on,” Bard mutters, his voice firm. “Your tattered clothing will draw unwanted eyes.”

Relief flickers in Kili’s expression as Bard helps you into the boat — a quiet, unspoken agreement in his actions. As you settle in, you clutch the cloak around your shoulders, watching Bard closely.

Before he pushes off, you reach out and catch his sleeve, surprising even yourself. “My companions. I won’t leave without them.”

He raises an eyebrow, his expression cautious. “And what makes you so sure that it will matter to me?”

His question lingers, a subtle warning in his tone. You steel yourself, masking the tremor in your voice. “Because you don’t leave people in need. We’ll pay you — double, in fact,” you add, feeling Thorin bristle behind you. Balin gives him a firm look, urging him to stay silent.

Relief washes over you in waves when Bard pauses, assessing the state of the dwarves, and the desperation in your eyes. “Triple, and you will do exactly as I say.”

Balin seizes the opportunity by the neck, stepping forward with an outstretched hand. “Seems like we have a deal.”

— — — — — — 

“So what really brings you here?” It’s difficult to answer the sudden question that Bard springs forth, fiddling with the edges of your cloak as you lean against Balin. There’s a certain familiarity in his demeanour, one that resembles that of your own father.

 Hesitating, you look to Balin for approval. He nods. 

“I can only speak for myself.” The words come out slower than you intend, as though admitting them makes the whole ordeal more real. “Thranduil…let's just say he didn't take well to me pointing out that he's… a few brain cells short of a functioning idiot. So he locked me up for it.” You manage a weak smile, shrugging as if you’ve come to terms with the absurdity of it all. “I don’t know what I’m doing here. I just want to go home.”

You’ve lost track of the number of times you’ve made that wish, both out loud and to yourself. Maybe if I do it two hundred more times, there might be a pot of gold by the end of this rainbow, you think wryly. 

Wow. I’m actually going insane, aren’t I?

“Did you run away?” Bard’s follow-up question catches you off guard. There’s a gentle curiosity in his gaze, as though he’s seen this kind of longing before.

It’s difficult to answer without seeming like an absolute lunatic seeking asylum at the mention of other worlds, so you just nod, offering a half-smile. “Guess you could say that.”

Bard chuckles lightly, a sound warmer than you expected. “I’d bet you were a handful to your own parents.”

You manage a small laugh, feeling a flicker of warmth in spite of yourself. “They might’ve mentioned that… once or twice.”

At that, Bilbo, who’s been listening in with a quiet attentiveness, speaks up with a thoughtful look. “Leaving home is no easy thing,” he says, his voice soft. “I did the same, not so long ago. Not quite running away, but… close enough.” His eyes meet yours, sympathetic and knowing. “Sometimes, what starts as a reckless idea can lead you exactly where you’re meant to be.”

You arch a brow. “Even when it means getting thrown in prison?”

Bard raises an amused brow at Bilbo, half-smiling. “This hobbit here has an odd way of putting things.”

Bilbo clears his throat, a little embarrassed but smiling anyway. “Let’s just say it doesn’t always turn out so badly.” He shifts closer, lowering his voice conspiratorially. “And… between us, I think Thranduil might be due for a few more words from you. For his own good, of course.”

Bard chuckles, shaking his head. “Let’s hope he doesn’t put a bounty on your heads by the time you reach Laketown.”

For a moment, the tension eases. You drift along in the heavy mist, watching the shifting shapes of stone structures emerge on either side. There’s a chill in the air that seeps through your cloak, though you find a strange comfort in the silence shared between the three of you.

Even the pain in your leg has lowered to a dull throbbing, but you know better than to simply move it. Your fingers itch for the familiarity of your phone once more, wanting nothing more than to go to a hospital and get proper medication and treatment. 

But when in Rome, do as the Romans do, you suppose. 

The boat rocks gently, and you glance at Bard. His hands work the tiller with practised ease, his gaze steady, navigating the inky water as though the mist doesn’t faze him at all. His silhouette is calm, almost statuesque against the ghostly outline of ancient archways rising from the lake’s surface, relics of a world much older than you can fathom.

You lean back, letting the mist curl around you, but your gaze drifts to Kili. He’s watching the ancient stone structures slip by, the flickering light from the lantern near him casting shifting shadows over his face, softening his usual sharp, playful edges. 

You can still feel the tension from earlier. His hands steady against your skin, the warmth of his gaze in that unguarded moment. It’s enough to make your chest tighten all over again.

A part of you aches to reach out to him, but another part, one you can’t ignore, wonders if it’s really a good idea. You’re already more involved with him than you wanted to be, and each shared glance, each touch, seems to draw you deeper. 

Oh. Oh god no. 

It dawns on you with mortification, your heart sinking in your chest. You are not about to get into a situationship with him, not with your literal life at stake. You shake your head slightly, as if to clear the thought, focusing instead on the mist-laden waters and the steady, quiet pain that reverberates in your leg that anchors you to reality.

Thorin approaches, his impatient voice cutting through the silence.

“What are you trying to do? Drown us?”

Bard doesn’t even flinch, his expression calm as he turns to Thorin. “I was born and bred on these waters, Master Dwarf,” he replies smoothly. “If I wanted to drown you, I would not do it here.”

The dwarves exchange glances, and you hear Dwalin mutter darkly to the others, “I’ve had enough of this lippy lakeman. I say we drop him over the side and be done wi’ it.”

You bite back a grin at Dwalin’s suggestion, sharing an amused glance with Bilbo. Unable to hold back an exasperated roll of your eyes, he stifles a chuckle of amusement from your blunt honesty. 

“We do not have to like him. We simply have to pay him ... come on now lads, turn out your pockets.” Balin instructs calmly, as if he’s used to the unfriendly attitude the rest have. You frown slightly.

“You could at least say thank you to him.” 

“Of course. After you apologise for speaking about his dead wife, perhaps?” The harshness of Thorin’s reply sends a jolt of embarrassment through you, a heated flush creeping up your neck and into your cheeks. 

Bard’s indifferent voice drifts over, his eyes focused on the waters ahead but still within earshot of the conversation. “She is injured and by my estimate, lost quite an amount of blood. I did not think that you would treat your companion with such unkindness, especially when she insisted on not leaving you behind.”

Kili glances between you and his uncle, conflict in his eyes. The warmth in your cheeks fade, reality sinking in as you realise that Bard has come to your defence. “I’m sorry about earlier,” you say softly, head slightly bowed in apology. “I really didn’t mean to blurt it out like that.” 

“I am not worried about your bluntness, but I am curious as to how you came to know of this.”

Bard’s question lingers in the air, his voice calm but probing. You hesitate, eyes darting to the dark waters slipping by as you fumble for an explanation. “I…” you start, but the words dissolve on your tongue, weighed down by the impossibility of explaining the truth.

Everyone’s watching. Bard with mild, detached curiosity, Balin with a hint of concern, and Kili with something softer, almost protective. Thorin’s gaze, however, is more impatient for answers.

So much for thinking that he’s chill with you joining the group. 

Unable to meet their eyes, you swallow, finally settling on a response, however insufficient it feels. “I can’t tell you,” you murmur, barely above a whisper. Your hands knot together in your lap, a shield against the expectant silence.

Thorin’s jaw tightens, but his expression doesn’t turn openly hostile. “You’re a mystery to us, it seems,” he says slowly, the suspicion in his voice tempered by caution. “But you've proven helpful thus far. I'll grant you that.”

But Bard’s expression softens, though his eyes remain sharp. “Everyone has secrets, Master Dwarf. Especially in times like these.” His gaze returns to you, a hint of understanding in his eyes. “I won't ask you to share anything that you're not ready to answer.”

Kili shifts beside you, his hand hovering near your arm before he quickly pulls it back, as if unsure. “She’s done more than enough,” he mutters under his breath, almost defensively.

You glance at him, surprised by the support, though it only makes the tightness in your chest more acute. His eyes hold a warmth that cuts through the tension, silently assuring you that he trusts you, even if the others don’t.

Balin clears his throat, ever the diplomat. “Aye, let’s leave things as they are. We’ve a long journey yet, and nothing to gain by second-guessing those beside us.”

Bard returns his attention to the tiller, the boat cutting through the mist as silence settles back over the group. Thorin finally looks away, though his stance remains tense, as if he’s reserving judgement until he can be certain of your intentions.

In the stillness, you sense Kili’s gaze drift back to you, his expression softened, though he quickly looks away when he catches your eye. For now, his silent support is enough.

It’s a while later before you wake up from having dozed off, finding yourself on Kili’s shoulder. Blinking away the sleep in your eyes, your hands find the edge of the boat’s seat, pushing yourself to sit upright. 

His gaze is warm and slightly teasing, but there’s a flicker of something else too—a hint of hurt that surprises you. “Looks like you needed the rest.” The smile in his voice doesn’t quite reach his eyes.

You give him a sheepish look. "I didn’t mean to doze off on you."

"Don’t worry about it," he replies, but there’s a hesitation, like he’s holding back. "You’re injured after all. Just let me know if you need it again."

There’s a small pause as you glance at him, feeling the familiar pull to let your guard down, to simply enjoy the warmth and kindness he offers so freely. But it’s not mine to take, you remind yourself, an unease settling in your stomach. Kili belongs with someone like Tauriel — someone from his world, with his bravery and his spirit.

Yet, here he is, looking at you with that softness in his eyes.

"Why are you always so… nice to me, Kili?" you murmur, hating how vulnerable the words sound but unable to stop yourself. "You barely know me, and you don’t… you shouldn’t have to go out of your way like this."

Kili looks at you, brows knitting in gentle confusion. "Because I want to." He pauses, voice lowering. "And you’re not as alone as you think, even if you feel that way. I can see it."

His words settle around you like a blanket, both warming and suffocating. A pang of guilt tugs at you as you look away, biting your lip. This isn’t supposed to happen. Not with him. But the thought of putting distance between you, of brushing off his kindness, hurts more than you expected.

"Well," you manage, forcing a playful smile as you steady your breathing, "maybe you’re just terrible at making new friends."

Kili chuckles softly, but there’s a question in his eyes. "Maybe. Or maybe I just see something good when it’s right in front of me." He hesitates, searching your face as though waiting for you to let him in. "Are you sure you’re alright?"

You feel your heart race at the sincerity in his question, the way he sees right through your defences. But the closer he gets, the more you realise that pushing him away now might hurt him, especially since he doesn’t understand why. "It’s nothing," you lie, hearing how hollow the words sound.

Kili watches you for a moment, his gaze lingering, as though he can sense the struggle within you. He doesn’t press you further, but his voice is softer when he speaks again. "You know, you don’t have to pretend with me. If you ever need to… talk, I’m here."

Your heart tugs painfully, and you fight the urge to reach for his hand. "Thank you, Kili," you murmur, forcing a smile that barely reaches your eyes. "I’ll keep that in mind."

He nods, his expression kind but uncertain, as though he’s trying to decipher the wall you’ve put up between you. But before he can say anything more, you turn away, pretending to be interested in the dark shapes of trees drifting by. You tell yourself that distance is for the best, that keeping him at arm’s length will prevent the hurt that’s bound to come. But dread pools in the depths of your soul, inching closer with each betrayed flutter of your heart.

A few clearing of throats and shuffling of feet draw your attention, spotting an uneasy look on Balin’s face as he counts the coins in his hands. He glances up at the dwarves around him, before turning to their leader. “There’s a wee problem ... we’re ten coins short.”

Without thinking, you instinctively reach into the cloak Bard had lent you, rummaging through the inner pockets. Your fingers graze something cold and rough, and you pull out two coins, which must have been left there by Bard himself. 

With a soft hiss of pain, you manage to push yourself to your feet. Bilbo, ever attentive, quickly moves to steady you, helping you shift closer to the group. “I don’t have much, but this is all I could find.”

Balin accepts the coins with a grateful nod, his eyes softening. You silently hope Bard won’t notice that his own money has ended up among the dwarves’ funds.

But as you settle back, trying not to aggravate your injury further, the atmosphere shifts. Gloin is grumbling about the expense of this venture, but the rest of the company has fallen silent, their eyes transfixed on something in the distance. You turn, following their gaze… and the sight stops you cold.

There, looming far ahead, is the Lonely Mountain. Its peak cleaves through the morning mist, jagged yet majestic, as the first light of dawn spills over the horizon. The dwarves fall silent, captivated, reverent, their gazes fixed on their distant homeland.

You stare, awestruck yourself. For all the marvels you've encountered in your own travels, like the serene slopes of Mount Fuji, and the magnificence of the Colosseum…none of it compares. The mountain is more than a landmark; it’s a vision woven from longing and memory, a piece of lost history carved into stone and sky.

But then, like a crack through still glass, the memory hits.

So came the hot dragon breath from the north, about dusk, over the Lake... Smaug came hurtling from the North, licking the mountain-sides with flame, beating his great wings with a noise like a roaring wind... Then he settled over the town, slowly turning up the heat with fire and wrath.

A wave of nausea swells in your stomach, and you press your lips together, forcing back a gag. The image in your mind is too vivid. The flames licking at Laketown, the choking smoke, the screams. You close your eyes, clutching the edge of the boat as if grounding yourself could push the memories away.

Really? Right now? Talk about bad timing-

Beside you, Gloin silently presses a leather purse into Thorin’s hand, his voice thick and reverent. “Take it... take all of it.”

Thorin’s eyes stay fixed on the mountain, unreadable, but you sense the significance of their silence, each dwarf carrying the burden of years and losses. You breathe deeply, willing the nausea to subside, focusing on the chilled air and the steady rhythm of the boat snaking through the waters.

As you manage to steady yourself, a soft nudge from Bilbo catches your attention. His brow furrows, eyes flickering with concern as he glances between you and Bard, who’s steering with an intent gaze on the dwarves’ silent devotion. Bilbo opens his mouth to speak, but before he can voice his question, Bard interrupts, his voice firm.

“The money, quick - give it to me.” he commands, drawing you all back to the task at hand.

Maybe it’s the sight of his homeland that spurs forth the sudden distrust in Thorin’s voice, his hands gripping into fists at Bard’s urgency. “We’ll pay you when we get our provisions and not before.”

“If you value your freedom, you will do as I say. There are guards ahead.”

Turning at the loud shout that travels across the water, the memory from moments earlier fades away at the sight of a town looming out of the thinning fog. Every building and path is made of wood, the dimmed lanterns revealing dark shapes of crooked buildings and the golden glows of torchlight.

“In the barrels, if you value your lives.” 

Muttered complaints and glares directed toward him go ignored. Making a move to stand up, you’re stopped by Thorin who places a heavy hand on your arm. “You will stay here. I will not have another dying before we reclaim our homeland.”

Too exhausted to argue and too numb to disagree, you sit back down. “Have you at least thought of a better disguise than a merchant?” Bard questions, sarcasm laced through his gaze. “If I were you, I’d go with mercenary.” His eyes drift down to your injury once more. “It’d explain that, at the very least.” 

His advice rings true, and you nod your head in response. “Mercenary it is.”

He gestures to the back of the cloak, a silent instruction for you to flip up the hood. The material rests atop your head, shadowing your face to the dwarves in barrels behind you. 

As his boat nears the town, you take in row upon row of crooked, thatched houses that balance on slumping piles. A long wooden bridge is the only connection with the shoreline a distance away. 

So this is Lake-Town.

A small fleet of early morning fishermen, pulling nets in from small boats, eye your hooded figure on Bard’s boat as he passes. The boat comes to a slow stop, and you watch as he moves a few boats down with practised ease.

He stops, exchanging a nod with a couple of fishermen in a hushed conversation. 

A couple of guards patrol nearby, and you hold your breath in anticipation, praying they wouldn’t notice you. Luckily, they get distracted by a noise to their right, veering sharply away from the boats and into the town. 

“What’s he doing?” Dwalin’s baffled question elicits dissatisfied mumbles from the rest.

“He’s talking to a couple of fishermen,” you say, just loud enough for them to hear. Your fingers twine together in your lap, a form of prayer for steadiness. “They’re pointing at us now, and shaking hands.”

“What?!” Thorin’s outrage is prominent, Dwalin chiming in. 

“He’s selling us out!”

“No, you guys!” You hiss, frustration creeping into your voice. “He’s bribing them. You all have trust issues, I swear.”

A sharp, audible inhale cuts through the rising tension, and you glance over at Bilbo. His eyes are wide, his expression unreadable at first, until they flicker to Bard. A glint of distrust forms in his gaze, sharp and fleeting when he sees him gesturing towards the barrels. For a moment, that look in Bilbo’s eyes feels like a betrayal…like you’ve been doubted, like something you thought was understood has been called into question.

You flinch, the hurt stark and unexpected, but just as quickly, you shake it off. It shouldn't matter. After all, it's nothing but words on a page, written by a stranger, long before any of this started. But even so, the sting lingers for a moment longer than you’d like.

The fishermen hand Bard baskets of freshly caught fish, and he makes his way back to the boat without spilling any. The parkour skills this guy displayed is enough for you to grow a newfound appreciation for him, a sense of awe in your eyes. Even at your best, you’d probably have tripped over and fallen face first into the murky waters.

Not probably. Definitely.

He reaches the boat and approaches the barrels, pausing when he sees you stand up with difficulty and reaching out your hands for one. He ponders for a moment before deciding that time is of the essence, and pours half a basket of fish over Dwalin’s barrel before handing you the remaining. 

As you approach Kili’s barrel, the dwarf looks up at you, glancing from the basket to your sympathetic smile in mild panic. As he accepts his fate with a small sigh, you proceed to pour the rest of the fish on top of him. 

You and Bard work quickly, the fishermen handing him more fish as needed. You manage to cover Balin, Oin, and Bombur who gives you a reassuring nod, though the disdain at the extreme smuggling is clear in his gaze.

“Now, you will have to be quiet. Let me handle the talking.” You sit back down, the sudden movement sending another shock of pain through you. Biting back yet another groan, you take slow, deep breaths. 

His demeanour becomes watchful, shoulders tense as he steers the boat towards a canal that leads into the heart of Lake-town. Audible dwarvish grumbling from the barrels makes Bard kick at one with his foot, the boat nearing the bridge.

“Quiet - we’re approaching the toll-gate.” 

A heavy iron gate blocks the canal entrance, reminding you of the pictures of mediaeval drawbridges you’d walked past in museums. A voice calls out in the gloom. 

“Halt! Goods inspection, pull alongside! Papers, please!” A voice cuts through the fog as the boat drifts closer to the checkpoint. Your heart skips a beat as the lantern light sweeps over the boat, and the guard peers in. He squints for a moment, then recognition flashes across his face. “Oh, it’s you, Bard.”

The guard lifts his lantern a bit higher, casting a wary glance at your figure, cloaked and keeping to the shadows. Your grip on the fabric tightens as you try to shrink further into yourself, hoping to blend in, but the movement only draws more attention. 

If you can’t see them, they can’t see you, right?

Bard nods in easy familiarity. “Morning, Percy.” He hands over a paper (maybe their version of a passport?) and you try to keep your breathing steady as Percy studies it. The guard’s eyes flicker back to you, brow furrowing with obvious curiosity. He hesitates, and your pulse quickens.

Is he going to say something?

“Anything to declare?” Percy’s gaze lands squarely on you, and you stiffen, forcing yourself not to shrink further or look away. Every instinct screams to turn and bolt, but you keep still, willing yourself invisible.

“Nothing — except that I’m cold and tired and ready for home.” Bard’s smooth answer cuts in, calm and final. The hint seems to work; Percy shrugs, his curiosity satisfied, and stamps the paper with a grin. “You and me both. There we are... all in order.”

Just as you feel the relief starting to settle in, your shoulders dropping, the paper is intercepted mid-air by a pale hand, snatched with a suddenness that makes you involuntarily flinch. 

“Not so fast!”

A short man holds the document up to inspect it, his long fingers curling possessively around the edges. His small, narrowed eyes sweep over Bard and then land squarely on you. 

“Consignment of empty barrels from the Woodland Realm…” he drawls, his gaze now shifting to the barrels stacked with fish. As he pauses, his lips curl in a sly smirk. “Only… they’re not empty, are they, Bard?”

Out of the corner of your eye, one of the barrels shifts ever so slightly — the one you recall Kili had climbed into. Even through the wood, you can sense the simmering frustration of the dwarves, each second in this tense exchange testing their patience.

“And who might this be?” he sneers, looking back at you.

“She’s no one of importance,” Bard replies quickly, his tone tight.

The man’s smirk broadens. “I can’t just let strangers slip past without proper inspection, can I? Pull back your hood.” His voice drips with false charm and a hint of malice, his smile stretching to reveal teeth yellowed by age and neglect.

You glance at Bard, who gives a brief nod. Reluctantly, you lower your hood, revealing your face and hair, messy from the journey. Realisation dawns on you, a name flickering in your mind: Alfrid, the gross coward from Lake-town. 

Alfrid’s brows shoot up, and he steps closer, leaning in with a sickly grin that tries (and fails) to pass as charm. The look he gives you is laden with oily interest, each lingering second making your skin crawl.

Bard steps forward, his voice calm but edged with tension. “She’s with me — a mercenary from the southern lands,” he explains, keeping his tone firm and steady. “Hired to help navigate some of the more dangerous roads. Not that it’s any business of yours.”

Alfrid’s oily grin doesn’t falter, his gaze now shifting between you and Bard, calculating and clearly unconvinced. “A mercenary, is it?” he repeats, his tone mockingly sceptical. “Quite the unusual ally for a bargeman. Seems you’ve found yourself a rather… unique guard.”

You lock eyes with him, fighting to keep your face neutral, even as your heart pounds against your ribs. His gaze feels like a rotting weight, heavy and invasive, each moment dragging on longer than the last. "I go where the coin does," you say, your voice steady despite the unease coiling in your stomach. "Bard's needs matched my skills."

Alfrid’s brows arch as his grin turns sickeningly sweet. “Oh, I’m sure you’ve got plenty of… skills.” His tone is drenched in insinuation, and your stomach tightens with revulsion. From behind him, Bard’s fists clench, a muscle ticking in his jaw as he barely restrains himself.

That motherfucking BITCH-

Stomach tightening, you hold your ground, forcing yourself to meet Alfrid’s gaze without flinching. You can practically hear the dwarves behind you, the muffled, contained fury rolling off them like a tide, and just as you tense, one of the barrels shifts behind Alfrid with an audible creak. A low, strained groan follows. You instinctively stiffen, placing the voice immediately.

Kili. It has to be. You can almost feel the seething anger radiating from the barrel he’s packed in. If it weren’t for the tight walls of the barrels and the risk of giving their position away, you know they’d be out by now. 

Alfrid doesn’t seem to notice — yet. He shifts slightly, distracted by the movement. His eyes flicker back to the barrels, a flash of suspicion crossing his face. "If we’re not done here," you say, forcing the words through your clenched teeth, "do know that I bill by my time. And unless you plan to pay on his behalf," you gesture with a dismissive wave to Bard, "I suggest you stop wasting it."

Alfrid’s eyes narrow, and for a brief moment, it seems like he might back off. Then his gaze slides back to you, lingering on your face with something more predatory. He tilts his head ever so slightly, and a low chuckle escapes his throat, like a rat sniffing around for something it can devour. "I do wonder, mercenary," he drawls, his voice sweet and mocking, "how much you're really worth... in coin, or otherwise."

You fight the urge to shudder at the way his gaze slides over you, not just seeing you, but almost stripping you with his eyes. The stifling atmosphere feels too thick, the air pressing down on your chest, but you force yourself to breathe through it.

Behind him, the faintest creak from the barrels sends a warning shot through your body. You glance quickly at Bard, and for the first time, you notice the barely contained rage in his eyes. 

You’ve handled creeps like Alfrid before, more than your fair share of them back home after years of living alone. "It’s not like you could afford it," you scoff, leaning back with deliberate indifference, inspecting your nails like this is just another boring encounter.

But the pain that flares in your thigh sends a sharp sting through your senses, a cold sweat prickling the back of your neck. You swallow it down, giving nothing else away. “Now, are we done here?”

Playitcoolplayitcoolplayitcool-

Bard steps forward, his voice colder than before, and you can feel the weight of his presence rise behind you. "Yes, are we done here?" His words drip with authority, and as he towers over Alfrid, it's clear the situation is reaching its breaking point.

Alfrid sneers, reluctant to let you both go without one final jab. He glances from you to Bard, but the impatient tap of your knuckles against the boat makes him pause. He hesitates just long enough to dig in one last time. "Ever the people's champion, eh, Bard? ‘Protector of the common folk.’ You may have their favour now, but it won’t last. The Master has his eye on you. You would do well to remember — we know where you live."

As the gates open, Bard steps back onto the boat, pushing off. “It’s a small town, Alfrid,” he calls out, a tremor of anger in his voice, “everyone knows where everyone lives.” As the boat drifts away, you slide the hood back on in an attempt to block out the lingering stare before the gate closes behind you.

Bard navigates through the canals, drifting past alleyways filled with scattered scraps of food and animals fighting over the remaining. “Don’t pay him any mind.” You look up at Bard, who glances down briefly in an assuring manner. “He has no courage to try anything, especially around me.”

“I’ll do my best,” you reply, throat dry while you try to mentally shake off the remnants of slimy creepiness from the earlier interaction. Besides, if Alfrid pulled anything, you’d kick his balls with your good leg, or punch it if needed. 

The villagers you pass by throw suspicious glances, but they immediately return to their tasks when they see who you’re with. It’s like you’re with a police officer during a parade, his assured gait warding off any threats. 

So this is what main character plot armour is really like.

One of the barrels shifts again, drawing the attention of a stall owner nearby. Leaning down slightly, you use your good leg to kick its side, a pained grunt belonging to Dori making your eyes widen. “It’s not yet time,” you whisper with a sheepish smile.

“So, how does a child of Men end up in the company of dwarves? I imagine you’ve gone through the ordeal getting out of the Woodland Realm together, but loyalty being developed so quickly is almost unusual.” 

His observational skills are parallel to none. A part of you hesitates, yet you decide to speak. “They’re my best bet at surviving,” you say truthfully, “sure, some are a little rough around the edges, but they’re not as bad as you think they are. They helped me, after all. Could’ve left me behind.” Your voice drops to a whisper, mild happiness tinging your words, “but they didn’t.”

The dreariness of Lake-town is hard to ignore. It’s not quite as you expected. You'd read about this place before  — of its waters, its sturdy wooden bridges — but now that you’re here, it’s more of a cold, grey, intersecting web of buildings than the majestic town you had pictured.

Bard glances at you, sensing your momentary distraction. “Something on your mind?” he asks, his voice softer now, though still carrying that knowing weight.

You can’t help it. The words slip out before you realise what you’re saying. “It’s just… nothing like I pictured it. It sounded... grander, like a beacon of hope or something.” You laugh softly, though it doesn’t quite reach your eyes. “I was expecting bright lights and clean streets, maybe a place where hope is still something you can believe in.” You quickly recover, forcing a smirk. “Guess that’s the romantic in me.”

Bard raises an eyebrow but doesn’t press, though his silence speaks volumes. You regret the words as soon as they leave your mouth, hoping you haven’t revealed too much, but the damage is done.

“What did you expect?” Bard asks after a beat, his curiosity piqued. “To be honest, I’ve never thought much about how others see this place. For me, it’s just… home.” He watches you carefully, his expression unreadable, though there’s a subtle softness behind his gaze.

You hesitate, then shrug, choosing to be as guarded as possible. “I guess I thought it would be more... full of life. Like the people here were all bound together by something. But instead, it feels like everyone’s just going through the motions.”

Bard’s eyes flicker for a moment, but he says nothing, merely nodding in understanding. “Here we are,” he says, his voice breaking through your thoughts, though you barely hear him as you take in the surroundings. 

The more you see, the more industrial this part of the town looks. The wooden walkways, so prevalent in the main part of Lake-town, are replaced by grimy planks and decrepit platforms, making the whole area feel more like a forgotten factory district than a place of life. The smell in the air shifts too, thick with the scent of metal, oil, and the faintest tang of decay.

It’s an eerily similar vibe to the industrial areas back home.

I guess architecture transcends worlds, you think, almost disbelievingly. The reality of Lake-town seems like a far cry from the idea you once had, but seeing how the people who live here adapted to survive, it’s a sobering thought that grounds you to this reality.

Bard’s eyes flick to you again, though this time, there’s a quiet understanding. It’s almost like he’s aware of the thoughts swirling behind your expression, but he doesn’t press, letting the weight of the moment settle between you. 

The boat slows as it reaches a series of docks. There are no shops here, no people idly wandering. Just empty spaces, and the faint echo of villagers from the village marketplace. You glance back at him, but his face is unreadable. This is just another place to him, just another part of his harsh life. 

RIP Bard, you would’ve loved skyscrapers and electricity.

Once the boat stops, Bard uses his foot to tip the barrels over. 

Fish and indignant dwarves spill onto the deck. A singular dock worker watching on is amazed at the sight, as Bilbo and the dwarves extract fish from all parts of their clothing. Bard presses a silver coin into the dock worker’s palm. 

“You didn’t see them. They were never here. The fish you can have for nothing.”

He is so fucking cool.

Casting a brief glance back at you, he deems your injury as non-critical. “Follow me,” He orders, helping you stand up and acting as your support. Before he can make another move however, a young boy runs toward the group. 

“Da!” Bard’s steps slow to a halt, eyeing his son with concern. “Our house,” he says through rapid pants as he catches his breath, “it’s being watched.”

The panic in his voice is enough to make you snicker, and the look of confusion his son gives you when you giggle only makes it worse. Bard peers down at you, like he’s just realised he’s helped an idiot. 

You know this scene. You’ve read it a hundred times, and it was hilarious back then, but now that you’re actually standing here, all you can feel is a deep, almost painful pity for the poor dwarves.

You turn to the group behind you, and Bilbo — bless his oblivious little heart — blinks innocently. You open your mouth, barely able to hold back another laugh.

“You guys are really not gonna like this.”

— — — — — — 

The stairs creak beneath your weight, each step a battle as you grip the wooden railing like it’s the only thing keeping you upright. Every breath is laboured, but you push forward, determined to make it to the top without looking completely out of breath. No way you’re letting Bard see you struggle. Not when you’ve already made a fool of yourself enough today.

“Do they even have elevators in this place?” you mutter under your breath, trying to take your mind off the ridiculous number of steps. (10. There were 10 steps.) Whoever decided to make up the standard route to any house in this town needed a serious reality check.

Finally, you reach the door, entering it quickly before Bard shuts and bolts it behind you. The sound of his children’s voices follows, lilting and full of that chaotic energy only kids have. You’d almost forgotten what it felt like to hear that kind of noise in a home, what with being in prison and all.

At least you could check that off your bucket list and Bingo for this year.

A small girl runs up to him, her face scrunching in a mix of impatience and joy. “Da! Where have you been?” she repeats, a hint of a pout tugging at her lips.

“Father! There you are,” another girl, much taller than the first, says, letting out a long breath as if she’s been holding it in forever.

And for a second, it strikes you—a simple, quiet moment of what could almost be normal. 

“Sigrid, Tilda,” Bard introduces them to you, pausing to add your name like it’s something to be remembered. You barely keep a straight face—like you really need an introduction right now. You already feel like you’ve been here for a decade, getting your life threatened, nearly dying in a few places. One more person wouldn’t make much of a difference at this point.

Bard’s gaze flickers toward the window, his usual caution coming through, then turns back to his son, his voice low and steady. “Get them inside.” Bain who’d been introduced to you along the way nods, rushing down the stairs.

Sigrid’s concerned eyes fixate on the fresh patch of blood leaking through your bandage. You hadn’t realised it had started bleeding again. “I’ll get you some water,” she says brightly before hurrying off to what you guess is the kitchen.

Tilda guides you to a seat you all but collapse into, a weariness in your body that threatens to drag you back down into the depths of unconsciousness.

“Thank you.” Taking a moment to finally breathe, your adrenaline decides to take a rain check at the exact moment the scent hits. You smell them before you can see them, the all too familiar smell of ammonia and worse, drifting through the house.

And then — just as you're about to choke on your own laughter — Dwalin appears in the doorway. You don't even need to look up to know exactly who it is, the smell's that distinct. You can only imagine what their expressions look like.

Just then, you glance up and see Bilbo, still hovering at the back of the room. He points at you with a raised finger about to say something — only for him to pause. His mouth opens, then closes. A long sigh escapes him. “Yeah, I’m done with this…” he mutters under his breath, his shoulders slumping. You watch, struggling to hide the smile tugging at your lips.

He’s completely defeated. You almost feel bad for him, but the humour of it all? You really wish you could film this and get it on video.

“Well,” you manage, feigning innocence, “it’s nice to know I’m not the only one who stinks around here.”

The reaction is instant: a few groans, a couple of muttered “I-can’t-believe-this” comments, and you can’t help but laugh despite the ache in your leg. You look up at the dwarves' faces — tired, exasperated — and in that moment, you know they can't even be mad at you. 

After all, you did help in their escape and get shot while doing so.

Fatigue comes in waves, eyelids starting to drift shut when it occurs to you that you’re probably still bleeding out. Still, you manage a tired wink at the group before one last exhale has you fully passed out on Bard’s chair.

[armpirate]

The Vows Between Us || San

pairing: San x fem!reader || Arranged marriage

w.c.: 13.6k

Warnings: smut, dirty talk, oral sex (male receiving), female masturbation, unprotected sex, teasing, edging (Minors DNI! Refrain from reading if you're not +18, and ignore if you don't like this type of content)

Aprox. time of reading: 40 / 50 minutes

Summary: For San, marrying you was a calculated move -a necessary step to secure the company that was rightfully his. But also a move to know you'd be his after years of looking at you from afar. For you, it was an escape from the gilded cage your family had locked you in. What neither of you anticipated was the spark that would ignite in the ashes of your arrangement. But in a world where every touch felt like a promise and every whisper hid a secret, falling for him was your first mistake. Because just when you thought his heart might truly be yours, you uncovered the truth. Or so you thought.

MASTERLIST

The air inside San's office was warm and suffocating despite the minimalistic modern design and large floor-to-ceiling windows that overlooked Berlin's skyline. You stepped inside with measured steps, your heels clicking softly on the marble floor. San was already there, leaning against the edge of his grand wooden desk with his long thick fingers wrapping around the pen that kept swirling on his digits every few seconds, the faintest smirk tugging at his lips.

"You're early," he said, his voice smooth but laced with something smug.

"I prefer to get unpleasant things over with quickly," you replied, your tone cool and detached as you slipped off your coat. "I assume your father told you why I'm here."

San chuckled, swirling the pen one last time before putting it down. "Oh, I know. The future Mrs. Choi wants to 'discuss terms,' right? Sounds like a business merger already." his dark eyes gleamed with interest as he looked you up and down, deliberately slow. "But I'm curious, why did you finally agree? You seemed so determined to avoid me before."

You crossed your arms, meeting his gaze without flinching. "Not everything is about you, San. My reasons are my own."

The smirk faltered for a split second before returning, this time tinged with something bittersweet. "Fair enough," he said, straightening up and taking a step closer, his voice dropping just slightly. "But you'll have to get used to things being about us. At least, that's what everyone else will expect starting next weekend."

Your pulse quickened, but you refused to show it. You kept your expression neutral, tilting your head just slightly. "Let's get one thing straight, this marriage may be inevitable, but that doesn't mean I have to like it."

San smiled -slow, dangerous, and entirely too pleased. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

That sentence alone had you rolling your eyes, trying to control yourself from slipping your tongue on how disgusted you were by that whole thing. 

You exhaled slowly, your fingers tightening around the strap of yourbag. "As long as you understand where we stand, this arrangement might work. We'll play the perfect couple for the public. But behind closed doors, we keep our distance until we sign the divorce papers. Simple."

San stepped closer, closing the space between you just enough to make your breath hitch. His cologne -warm and spicy- wrapped around you like an invisible trap. "Keep our distance?" he repeated, his voice low, almost amused. "Is that what you want? Because that's not what it looked like back at that business gala... when you couldn't stop staring."

As much as you wanted to deny it, your eyes were indeed on him the whole time. He was charming and captivating, it was impossible to move your eyes away from him. But that hypnosis lasted until his family came up with the idea of imposing that marriage on you. He lost all his charm just at that moment. 

You narrowed your eyes. "I was staring at the disaster unfolding around me, not at you."

San smirked, tilting his head. "Right. That's why your eyes followed me the entire night." he leaned in, his lips just a breath away from your ear. "You're good at playing it cold, Y/n. But I wonder how long you can keep that act up once we're married."

You refused to back down, your voice calm despite the spark of irritation in your chest. "I've dealt with men far more intimidating than you, San. Trust me, keeping you at arm's length won't be a challenge."

A flicker of something darker crossed his eyes -something almost dangerous. For a moment, the air between you felt heavy, charged with unspoken words and years of unresolved tension.

"Good," San finally said, his voice a whisper. "Keep trying to resist me. It'll make it that much more fun when you fail."

Your jaw tightened, and you took a step back, reclaiming the distance. "You're delusional if you think I'll ever fall for you."

San raised his eyebrows in amused awe as he took on the challenge. "We'll see, future Mrs. Choi. We've got a lifetime to test that theory."

You turned on your heel, refusing to give him the satisfaction of seeing how his words affected you. But as you walked toward the door, you couldn't shake the feeling that San was right. The real challenge wasn't staying distant -it was making sure you didn't get burned by the fire between you.

"By the way, you mentioned divorce... didn't you?" your tracks stopped the second he mentioned that detail, hearing his heavy steps behind you as he approached his body. 

Slowly, you turned to him, unable to back down on your stance "That's what we agreed on."

"Some deals suffer changes as they have to meet different necessities, don't you think?" the way his eyebrows arched, while his lips pursed on a mocking grin almost had you losing your patience. "Divorce was ever on the plate? Because I don't think it was one of my conditions".

"No, it was one of mine" you spat back. "Either sign those divorce papers on good terms, or I'll drag you from one trial to another" San loved the challenge, he loved the way your eyes fixed on him to make sure he understood everything you were saying. 

"What if I don't want to sign them?"

"Then you'll have to find another dumbass to agree to get married to you" you rolled your eyes, thinking that would be the end of your conversation, but his fingers hooked on your elbow to stop you from walking away. 

You weren't sure exactly when he got so close, but you could feel the warm air escaping his nostrils on your cheeks. 

"Don't try to throw a fist at me" he stopped you. "You're so used to getting what you want, don't you? You pout a little, you act a little bitchy and daddy gives you all you want. Let me give you a spoiler: that won't work with me. The moment you're my wife, you'll do as I say. And if I say I don't want to get divorced, then you won't get those fucking papers". 

Your eyes started to water: rage, sadness, frustration... All those feelings were building up as you realized you got to a no-exit stop. Your plans were crumbling down, all your ideas were getting ruined, and all you could do was tighten your lips and open your eyes as much as possible so tears wouldn't escape with a blink. 

Daddy's girl? He had absolutely no idea. If you were living in such a perfect place, you wouldn't have agreed in the first place, but the fact that your parents -or people who gave you shelter when you needed it- agreed on engaging their daughter with a complete stranger for money should've given him enough of a hint of your reality. 

"Your choice" you managed to get rid of his grip. "Either sign those papers, or I'll make sure to tell everyone what all of this is about". 

"You won't. And you wanna know how I know?" he took one step closer to you. "I'll make your life a living hell if you do". 

"With what power?"

Your mocking tone was the last straw before he moved his hand from your elbow to your throat, wrapping his fingers around it and slamming your body against the wide door. 

"I don't need any power for that." his eyes were dark, his threat becoming a promise "Even if it's the last thing I do, I'll make you regret ever messing with me. So you better come with a pretty dress and the best of attitudes next weekend". He let go of your throat slowly, calmly placing his shirt properly "I know you'll make the best decision" he finally said. 

Your eyes were fixed on him, confused at how easily he let you go. And, somehow, his words were even scarier than his actions, because you could see the threat through them. 

The grand hall was filled with muted whispers and expectant gazes, the air thick with anticipation. The soft hum of violins played in the background, their melody delicate but almost haunting. The guests sat in rows beneath an arch of white roses and crystal chandeliers, their eyes flitting between the tall doors at the back of the aisle and San, who stood at the altar in his perfectly tailored black suit, waiting.

His fingers twitched at his sides as he stole a glance at the watch, sliding the sleeve of his jacket just a bit far up. 

Ten minutes late. Then fifteen. 

You weren't there.

He told himself you'd show up. You had to. But with each passing second, doubt sank its claws deeper into him. His heart pounded, and the polished facade he wore so well began to crack. Was this your way of backing out? A silent rebellion against a marriage neither of you had chosen? Were you actually telling the truth when you said you wouldn't show up if he didn't promise you a divorce? 

The doors remained closed, and San's jaw tightened. His father, seated in the front row, shot him a warning glance -one that practically screamed "Handle this".

Then, just as his patience teetered on the edge of collapse, the heavy doors finally creaked open.

A hush fell over the crowd.

And there you were.

You stood at the entrance in your wedding dress, the long veil trailing behind you, catching the soft light like a halo. For a moment, the room seemed to blur around you, everything fading except the heavy thud of your heart. You could feel every eye on you, the weight of their expectations pressing down on your chest, stealing the breath from your lungs.

Your feet felt like concrete as you took your first step. Hesitation rooted itself deep inside you, your body caught in a battle between instinct and obligation.

San watched you with an intensity that bordered on desperation. His dark eyes flickered with a thousand questions. You couldn't miss the way his shoulders tensed or how his lips pressed into a thin line, betraying the fear he was trying so hard to conceal.

Step by step, you made your way down the aisle, but each step felt heavier than the last. Doubt whispered cruelly in your ear. "You don't have to do this" you told yourself.

Your fingers clutched the bouquet so tightly that your knuckles turned white. You forced yourself forward, your gaze fixed ahead, refusing to meet San's eyes until you stood just a breath away from him.

"Finally," San muttered under his breath, his voice low enough for only you to hear. 

There was relief in his tone, but it was wrapped in a layer of frustration.

The officiant began to speak, his words echoing in the cavernous hall. You barely registered them, your mind a tangled mess of emotions. San's eyes never left yours. His expression was calm on the surface, but you could see the storm raging just beneath it: fear, frustration, and something dangerously close to longing.

"And now," the officiant said, his voice cutting through the fog in your mind, "if the bride and groom would like to exchange their vows."

San went first. His voice was steady, but the practiced words carried an unexpected weight, laced with sincerity that caught you off guard.

"I promise to protect you," he said, his gaze locking onto yours. "To stand beside you through whatever comes next. No matter what happens... I'm yours."

There was a flicker of vulnerability in his eyes -just a flash- but it was enough to send your heart lurching in your chest.

Then it was your turn. The officiant turned to you expectantly, waiting for your response.

You opened your mouth to speak, but no words came.

A heavy silence hung in the air. It stretched long enough to make the guests shift uncomfortably in their seats. Even the soft melody of the violins seemed to falter.

Everything you had prepared so mindfully disappeared at the feeling of being so watched, as if you were under watchful eye. You were sure it'd be obvious you weren't feeling either of the words you were pronouncing. 

San's fingers curled slightly at his sides, his eyes searching yours for a sign, for anything.

The officiant cleared his throat. "Do you, Y/n, take Choi San to be your lawfully wedded husband?" his tone was insistent, as if he wanted to get any words from you to get all of that over with. 

The pause that followed was suffocating. You felt San's breath catch, his entire body coiled tight, ready to unravel.

Although he hoped you wouldn't humiliate him that way, he saw you completely able to do it. 

Finally, you whispered the words.

"...I do."

Your voice was barely audible, a breath more than a declaration. But it was enough.

San exhaled, his shoulders relaxing, though the tension in his jaw remained. His eyes never left yours, dark and unreadable, as if trying to solve a puzzle with too many missing pieces.

The officiant smiled, oblivious to the war waging between the two of you. "By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."

San hesitated, just for a heartbeat, before leaning in. Your head immediately threw back slightly, enough for him to know you didn't want that kiss and make it seem like a shy move for the rest of the assistants. His hand found your waist -firm but not forceful- as he tilted his head and pressed his lips to yours.

The kiss was brief, calculated for the audience, but the heat of it lingered far longer than it should have. San had been daydreaming way too long about it to waste that chance. 

His lips were warm against yours, but there was something else beneath the surface. A question. A challenge.

When he pulled back, his eyes locked on yours once more. He didn't smile. Neither did you.

The applause from the crowd felt distant, like it belonged to another world entirely.

As the two of you turned to face the audience, San leaned in close, his breath warm against your ear.

"We're just getting started," he whispered, his voice dark with promise.

You kept your face neutral, your expression unreadable, but your pulse betrayed you, thudding wildly in your chest.

The reception was a spectacle of luxury and elegance, just as expected from a merger of two powerful families. Crystal chandeliers cast a warm glow over the grand hall, where hundreds of guests mingled, sipping champagne and exchanging polite congratulations.

You smiled and nodded your way through countless conversations, always keeping one eye on San. He was never far, and every time you saw him start toward you, you slipped between groups of guests or ducked behind another table.

You had managed to avoid him all night. At the cake-cutting ceremony, his hand had hovered near yours on the knife, holding tighter over your skin as you threatened to let the long sword slide from your fingers to his throat. And for a fleeting moment, you thought he might say something, yet he only smirked and moved closer to you. You were quick to turn away, disappearing into the crowd the moment the applause broke, trying to get away from him. 

San, however, was nothing if not persistent.

The moment you saw him again, his dark eyes locked onto yours from across the dance floor. This time, there was no escape. The crowd parted just enough for him to make his way toward you, his strides deliberate and confident.

"Running from me again?" he said when he reached you, his voice low, a challenge glinting in his eyes.

You lifted your chin, forcing your expression to stay composed. "I wasn't running. I was... mingling with the guests."

His lips curled into a smirk. "Right. Mingling." he offered his hand, palm open and waiting. "Well, it's time for the first dance, Mrs. Choi. You wouldn't want to disappoint our guests, would you?"

Your stomach tightened at the weight of his words. There was no getting out of this. Not without causing a scene.

With a quiet sigh, you slipped your hand into his. His fingers curled around yours, warm and firm, and you couldn't help but notice how easily they fit together.

The lights dimmed, and the soft melody of "You Are the Reason" by Calum Scott filled the air. A sweet, tender song -one that felt far too intimate for the situation, as if it was meant for two people who loved each other.

San led you to the center of the dance floor, his hand resting gently on your waist, pulling you just close enough to make your pulse stutter.

"I was starting to think you wouldn't show up today," he said softly, his voice barely audible over the music. His eyes searched yours, the teasing edge gone now, replaced by something far more serious. "You made me worried."

You swallowed, your gaze dropping for a split second before meeting his again. "I was... thinking things through."

His hand tightened slightly on your waist. "Did you change your mind at the last minute?"

For a moment, you didn't answer. The question hung in the air between you, heavy with meaning. The song swelled around you, the lyrics wrapping around your heart like a bittersweet lullaby.

You knew hell would be nothing compared to your life if you didn't show up to the wedding. Not because of San or his family though, but your adoptive parents. The moment you twisted all of their plans, there would be no escape from it. 

At least with San you wouldn't owe anyone anything. Instead, you'd be the one they owe something to. 

San's eyes softened, his voice dropping to a near whisper. "If you had, I would've waited. I would've found another way."

Your breath hitched. His words caught you off guard -unexpected and disarming. For the first time that night, the wall you had so carefully built around yourself began to crack.

He seemed so genuine, so caring.

"I'm here now," you said, your voice steadier than you felt. "That's all that matters."

His gaze lingered on you for a long moment before he nodded. "Yeah. You're here."

The music continued, the world around you fading as you moved together in perfect synchrony. His touch was light yet grounding, his eyes never leaving yours.

For a fleeting second, you forgot about the crowd, the expectations, the tangled mess of your circumstances. It was just the two of you, swaying gently beneath the chandeliers, the lyrics of the song weaving a story neither of you was ready to admit aloud.

As the final notes faded, San leaned in just slightly, his voice a soft murmur against your ear.

"You can keep running all you want," he said, his breath warm on your skin. "But sooner or later, you'll stop. And when you do... I'll be right here, waiting."

You pulled back just enough to meet his gaze. There was no smirk, no mask, just him.

The applause from the crowd broke the spell, and you quickly stepped back, your heart thudding painfully in your chest. San let you go, but his eyes stayed on you, dark and unreadable, as if daring you to run again.

And maybe you would. But for the first time, a small part of you wondered if running was really what you wanted. No, you stayed by his side, answering to his challenge with the same power he was showing off. 

The party blurred into a collection of clinking glasses, polite congratulations, and watchful eyes. Despite the sea of guests surrounding you, you felt like you were holding your breath the entire time. So when San leaned close and whispered, "Let's get out of here," you didn't argue. If he hadn't said it, you probably would've escaped by yourself. 

Now, the two of you sat in the back of a sleek black car, the hum of the city filling the silence between you. The driver navigated the streets with ease, the warm glow of streetlights flashing across the car's interior.

San sat beside you, his posture relaxed, but his eyes kept drifting toward your hand -the wedding ring glinting softly on your finger. He didn't bother hiding the fact that he was staring.

You caught him once, raising an eyebrow. "Something wrong?"

His gaze flicked up to meet yours, and for a second, something unreadable flashed across his face. "No," he said quietly. "Just getting used to the sight."

You turned your hand slightly, the light catching on the diamond. The ring was beautiful, of course -a complex design that was probably picked out by your parents and San's father rather than by either of you. It felt foreign on your finger, a constant reminder of the deal you'd made.

San's lips twitched into something that wasn't quite a smile. "It suits you," he said, his voice soft, almost contemplative.

You said nothing, turning your head to watch the city rush by through the window. San simply smirked, knowing that your silence was better than a sassy response from you. 

When the car finally pulled up to the luxury hotel, you let out a breath you didn't realize you were holding. The driver opened the door, and you stepped out, feeling the cool night air brush against your skin. San followed close behind, his hand hovering near the small of your back but never quite touching.

The suite was exactly what you expected -grand and luxurious, with floor-to-ceiling windows offering a stunning view of the Brandenburg Gate. A bottle of champagne and a tray of chocolates waited on the marble table, while a large king-sized bed sat at the center of the room, draped in crisp white linens.

You set your bag down and turned to San, folding your arms across your chest. "I'll take the bed. You can sleep on the couch."

His eyebrows lifted slightly, a hint of amusement in his eyes. "The couch?"

"It's comfortable enough," you said, nodding toward the plush, oversized sofa near the window. "Plenty of space."

San took a step closer, his expression unreadable. "We're married now, remember? Sharing the bed won't kill us."

You scoffed lightly, crossing the room to stand by the couch. "Not happening." You glanced back at him, raising an eyebrow. "Fine. You take the bed. I'll sleep here." you rushed to say, feeling your energy consumed by the small talk you made with all the guests. 

"No." his response was immediate, his tone firm. "You're not sleeping on the couch."

"Then am I sleeping on the floor?" you arched an eyebrow "Because I won't sleep with you in the same bed".

You stared at him, daring him to argue further. But to your surprise, he sighed and ran a hand through his dark hair. "Alright. I'll sleep on the couch."

His sudden surrender caught you off guard. "Just like that?"

He smirked faintly, tossing his jacket onto a chair. "I'm not going to win this argument, am I?"

You watched him for a moment, suspicious of how easily he gave in, but ultimately decided not to push it. "Good. I'll get ready for bed."

As you disappeared into the bathroom, San sank onto the couch, leaning his head back against the cushions. He glanced at the wedding ring on his own hand, turning it slowly between his fingers. For all his confidence and charm, there was something strangely grounding about the weight of the band.

As much as that wasn't the way he wanted you to be by his side, it somehow made him feel good. 

When you returned, dressed in something far more comfortable than your wedding gown, San was already stretched out on the couch, one arm draped over his eyes.

"Comfortable?" you asked, standing by the bed.

He peeked at you from beneath his arm, his lips quivering into a faint smile. "I've had worse."

You rolled your eyes and climbed into bed, pulling the blankets up around you. For a few moments, silence filled the room, the only sound the soft hum of the city outside the windows.

Just as your eyes started to drift closed, you heard San's voice -quiet but clear in the darkness.

"Goodnight, Y/n."

You hesitated before responding, your voice soft. "Goodnight, San."

Neither of you said anything after that, but sleep didn't come easily. You lay in the dark, staring at the ceiling, painfully aware of his presence just a few feet away.

The distance between you felt both vast and dangerously fragile. And as the minutes stretched into hours, you couldn't help but wonder how long it would stay that way.

The morning started quietly -too quietly. You woke up, blinking against the soft morning light spilling into the room, only to find San already sitting on the couch, his phone in hand. His jacket was gone, and his dress shirt, slightly wrinkled from the night before, was unbuttoned at the collar. He looked far too relaxed for someone who had spent the night on a couch after your wedding.

"Good morning," he said, his eyes flicking to yours the second you stirred. His voice was calm, but there was something smug lurking just beneath the surface, as if he was already one step ahead of you.

You rubbed your eyes, forcing yourself to sound composed. "Morning."

A few beats of silence passed, too long to be comfortable.

"You were tossing and turning last night," San said casually, stretching his arms behind his head. "Couldn't sleep?"

"I slept just fine," you lied, standing and heading for your bag. You could feel his eyes on your every move, sharp and assessing.

"You sure? You sounded restless." his voice was smooth, laced with amusement.

You froze, giving him a flat look. "Were you listening to me sleep?"

He grinned, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees. "It's hard not to when someone mutters 'This is a mistake' at 2 a.m."

Your face heated. "I did not..."

"You did." his smirk widened. "I thought about waking you up to ask what you meant, but I figured I'd let you dream about it instead."

You crossed your arms, your patience wearing thin. "Thanks for your consideration, San."

"Anything for you, love," he said, drawing out the word with deliberate sarcasm.

"You've really mastered being annoying, haven't you?" you shot back, heading toward the closet.

"Years of practice," he said, standing up and stretching, his shirt riding up just enough to reveal a sliver of skin. "You'll get used to it."

You rolled your eyes, yanking open your suitcase with unnecessary force. "God forbid."

San chuckled under his breath, walking over to lean casually against the wall beside you. "You can deny it all you want, but deep down, you like this."

You turned to glare at him. "Like what?"

"This," he said, gesturing between the two of you. "The bickering. The back-and-forth. Admit it, it's fun."

You took a deep breath, trying to keep your voice steady. "San, not everything is a game. And if you think this -whatever this is- counts as fun, then we're going to have a very long, very difficult marriage."

He tilted his head, pretending to think. "A long marriage... Sounds like you're planning to stick around. It does sound really good to me."

"Oh my god," you muttered, turning on your heel. "I can't do this right now."

You stalked toward the bathroom, determined to get a moment's peace.

"You're already giving up?" he called after you. "We've been married for less than 24 hours, Y/n!"

"I'm not giving up. I'm taking a shower," you snapped, slamming the bathroom door shut.

The water was a relief, washing away some of the tension, but your frustration lingered like a storm cloud. And then, halfway through shampooing your hair, you realized something.

You forgot to bring clothes.

You let out a frustrated groan, rinsing the shampoo quickly before wrapping yourself in a towel. The last thing you wanted was to ask San for help, so you cracked the door open and peeked out.

He was still there, leaning against the counter with his arms crossed, clearly waiting for your return like some smug predator.

Of course.

You squared your shoulders and stepped out, keeping your head high as you made your way toward the bag.

San's eyes found you immediately, sweeping over your damp hair and the towel wrapped tightly around you. He didn't even try to hide it.

"Forgot something?" his voice was low and teasing.

"Not a word," you warned, grabbing your clothes.

But before you could escape back to the bathroom, his hand wrapped around your wrist, stopping you in your tracks. His fingers were warm, firm, and far too steady for someone who was enjoying this way too much.

"Why bother going back?" he said softly, his voice dropping into that dangerously calm tone that always made your pulse race. "You're already here."

You tightened your grip on your towel. "Let me go, San."

His eyes darkened, his thumb brushing against your wrist in a slow, deliberate motion. "Why? What's the big deal? We're married now, remember?"

Your breath caught, but you forced your voice to stay steady. "I'm not afraid of you, if that's what you're thinking."

He leaned in just slightly, his lips curving into a smirk. "Then prove it. Get changed right here." His gaze dropped for a split second before meeting yours again, his voice barely a whisper. "Unless you're shy."

Your heart thundered in your chest, heat rushing to your face. "I'm not shy."

You weren't shy, but you didn't like the way your body was reacting to his voice, to his petition and his proximity. And you certainly didn't want him to see it so clearly either. 

"Then go ahead," he said, his voice practically daring you.

You glared at him, yanking your wrist free. "Turn around."

"I'm not turning around" he sighed, sitting on the edge of the bed. "What's the fun of it if I can't see you?"

He was trying to intimidate you, challenge you to do something he thought you wouldn't dare to do, so he could then tease you about it. 

Two could play that game. 

You placed the clothes on the bed, next to where he was. Taking one step back, your hands were placed on both edges of the towel, slowly undoing the knot to let it pool at your feet. San gulped thick at the sight, not expecting you to actually get naked in front of him, and even less that way, and it gave you a pinch of pride at how nervous he looked for a second. 

You didn't need to do anything, just that stare and the sight of your body alone was enough to awaken the most primal needs. His body responded to you, even if it had been just a second he saw you. Your humid skin, the way some drops fell from your hair and rolled down the curve of your breast to get to your hardened nipple. His mouth was watering just with the need of tasting you. 

San blinked, confused at the way your hand was stretched out for him, "The panties" you mentioned as if it were obvious. 

His hand moved to his left, grabbing the fabric to hand it out to you. You put them on torturously slow, covering your lower half to snap your fingers and asking him for your bra. Placing the strips on your shoulders, you turned to him, your body fitting perfectly in between his semi-parted legs as you silently asked him to tie the clasp. 

Shivers ran through your body at the contact of the reverse of his fingers on your skin, his touch holding on longer than necessary, just because he liked the way you felt as he touched you a little bit too much. 

You didn't need to ask, because San moved to the next item the moment you stepped away. 

He should've seen it coming for him when he saw you lifting your feet, placing it on his thigh -way too close to a place where he needed you like crazy. Your fingers moved calmly, sliding the tight over your leg, up the curve of your knee, moving it past your thigh. Yet San could only focus on how your warmth spread over his skin like wildfire, making him feel you were touching him in places you were not. 

When you finally stepped back to put on the other side of the tight, and the rest of clothes, San felt like he could breathe again, his control coming back to him when he was able to think straight -which also happened when you were fully clothed again. 

You thought he'd hesitate or act shy, but instead his cocky attitude came back as he stood up, the height difference becoming obvious again as he towered over you. 

"See how it isn't that difficult to be a good girl?" he muttered, just loud enough for you to hear.

You'd have thrown a shoe at him if he hadn't hidden inside the bathroom immediately after airing out that response. 

He was insufferable. 

The car ride to San's house was quiet, tense, and far too long for your liking. The morning sun bathed the streets in gold, but it did nothing to lighten the atmosphere inside the vehicle. San sat beside you, one arm draped lazily across the back of the seat, his eyes occasionally drifting toward you as you stared resolutely out the window.

He had been surprisingly well-behaved since the towel incident, keeping his teasing remarks to a minimum -though his occasional glances were enough to keep you on edge.

When the car finally pulled up in front of his house, your eyes widened slightly. House was an understatement. It was a sprawling modern estate with sleek glass panels, sharp architectural lines, and an air of quiet luxury. 

"Home sweet home," San said, stepping out of the car and holding the door open for you with a half-smirk.

You stepped out, clutching your overnight bag tightly. "Big enough so we won't have to see each other for a whole day"

"Thanks for noticing," he quipped. "Come on. I'll give you the grand tour."

You followed him up the steps, trying not to be too impressed as you took in the pristine interior-marble floors, minimalist décor, and massive windows that flooded the space with light.

"Kitchen's over there," San said, gesturing toward an open-concept area with gleaming countertops. "Dining room, living room... you know, standard rich-guy stuff."

"Right," you said dryly. "Because this is completely normal."

He glanced back at you with a grin. "You'll get used to it." the mockery on his tone, knowing damn too well you were used to all that luxury and more, shouldn't have been as funny as it seemed for you. 

You rolled your eyes, walking a little faster to avoid his gaze. The tension from earlier was still there, simmering just beneath the surface, but it was muted now, replaced by an odd sense of anticipation.

"Upstairs," San said, leading you to the second floor. You followed him down a hallway lined with modern artwork and huge windows, your footsteps echoing softly on the hardwood floors.

He stopped in front of a door near the end of the hallway and turned to you. "This is your room."

You blinked, caught off guard. "My... room?"

San nodded, his expression unreadable. "I figured you'd want your own space."

Your hand tightened around the strap of your bag. For a moment, you didn't know what to say. You had fully expected him to make some smug comment about sharing a bed -or worse, insist on it. But there he was, offering you something you hadn't dared to hope for: distance.

"Thanks," you said quietly, stepping into the room. It was beautiful -spacious, with a king-sized bed, soft cream-colored walls, and a large window that overlooked the shared garden of the building. There was even an en-suite bathroom with a walk-in shower and a deep soaking tub.

You indeed wouldn't need to get out there, except to eat. 

"Your things are in the closet" he started. "You didn't bring a lot of things, so I guess you'll bring the rest later?"

"No, that's it" you whispered. 

San stopped for a second, shocked about the fact that you only brought a medium suitcase and the bag you were carrying to pack up all of your things. It wasn't like he was expecting a full suitcase display from you, but certainly not something so minimal. 

"I'll be down the hall if you need anything," San said, lingering in the doorway. His eyes softened, his earlier bravado fading just a little. "Seriously. Anything."

For a brief second, the air between you shifted. He wasn't teasing or smug. He just looked... sincere.

You hesitated, feeling the strange urge to say something more, but the words caught in your throat. Instead, you gave him a small nod. "I'll be fine."

He smiled faintly, stepping back. "Alright. Settle in. I'll see you downstairs."

As he walked away, you closed the door and leaned against it, exhaling slowly.

Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all.

But then again, with San, nothing ever stayed calm for long.

The first month of marriage was nothing short of a battlefield.

It didn't take long for every small interaction to turn into a heated argument. San always had something to say -sharp and sarcastic, ready to push your buttons at every opportunity. You were no better, meeting his smug remarks with icy glares and curt responses. It became a game, a war of words and wills, with neither of you willing to surrender.

There were good moments, but they were fleeting. It started with you finding out San filled up your closet with different clothes and accessories, adding up to the small suitcase you first brought. And it slowly evolved into a laugh shared over breakfast when San nearly burned his toast. A surprisingly comfortable evening spent watching a movie in silence, where the tension seemed to ease just a little. But those moments were always overshadowed by the endless tug-of-war that followed.

It was exhausting, that constant dance of hostility and fleeting truce.

Every day felt like a test of who could push the other further without breaking. The house, despite its size, felt stifling. His presence lingered in every room -a constant reminder that your marriage was nothing more than a cage disguised as luxury.

And today, you'd had enough.

The argument started in the kitchen that morning, over something as trivial as a set of misplaced car keys. It escalated far too quickly, voices rising, accusations flying.

"You always think you can control everything," you snapped, crossing your arms.

San leaned against the counter, his jaw tightening. "Control? I'm trying to help you, but you treat everything I say like it's some personal attack."

"Because it always is!" you threw up your hands in frustration. "You don't know how to back off, San! You just keep pushing and pushing... Fuck, you don't let me breathe!"

"Maybe because you keep running away instead of facing things!" his voice dropped, low and sharp. "You're so obsessed with shutting me out that you can't even see when someone's trying to meet you halfway."

You stared at him, chest heaving, words caught in your throat. For a second, neither of you moved. The silence felt heavier than the argument itself.

Then, without a word, you turned on your heel and stormed upstairs. You needed air, space, anything to escape that suffocating cycle.

In your room, you grabbed a coat and your purse, your hands trembling with frustration. Your eyes caught on your wedding ring, glinting in the sunlight. The sight of it only fueled the fire burning in your chest.

You slipped it off, the cool metal unfamiliar without the warmth of your skin beneath it. For a moment, you stared at the ring in your palm, your thoughts a chaotic swirl of emotions.

Then you set it on the dresser and walked out of the room, not bothering to look back.

San was still in the kitchen when you came back down, his back to you. You didn't say a word as you grabbed your keys from the counter and headed for the front door.

The sound of your footsteps must have caught his attention because he turned around, his eyes narrowing. "Where are you going?"

"Out," you said shortly, not slowing down.

"Without your ring?" his voice was calm, too calm. It sent a shiver down your spine.

You paused, hand on the door handle, refusing to turn around. "I need some time alone."

"And you think taking off your ring is the way to do that?" his footsteps echoed behind you, slow and deliberate. "Is this your idea of freedom?"

You finally turned to face him, meeting his eyes head-on. "What does it matter? It's not like this marriage is real anyway."

The words hung in the air, heavy and final.

For the first time in weeks, San didn't have a quick response. He just looked at you, his jaw clenched, his eyes dark with something you couldn't quite place -hurt, maybe, or anger, or both.

"If you walk out that door without it," he said quietly, "don't expect me to come looking for you."

The threat was clear, but it only made your resolve stronger.

"Good," you said, voice steady. "That's exactly what I want."

And with that, you opened the door and stepped outside, the cool air hitting your face like a slap.

As you walked toward your car, your heart pounded in your chest. Part of you expected him to follow, to stop you. But when you glanced back, the door was already closed.

Maybe he didn't care enough to stop you after all. Although you wouldn't think too much about it. The more he ignored you, the more freedom you'd have. 

The bar was harmonized with a low hum of conversation and soft music filling the air. You had no plan when you walked in -just an overwhelming need to be anywhere but at that house. You found a spot at the bar, ordering a drink and savoring the temporary escape it promised.

The alcohol warmed your throat and dulled the frustration swirling in your chest. One drink turned into two, and for the first time in weeks, you felt like you could breathe again.

"You look like you could use some company."

You glanced up to see a man standing beside you, his smile easy and confident. His eyes lingered on you just a little too long.

"Not really," you said, turning back to your drink.

"Come on, don't be like that," he said, leaning in closer. "It's just a conversation. You shouldn't be alone in a place like this."

"I'm fine," you insisted, but he didn't seem to get the hint.

The air shifted before you could say anything else, a new presence filling the space behind you.

"She's not alone."

You froze at the familiar voice, low and commanding. Turning slightly, you found yourself face-to-face with San. His dark eyes were locked on the man, his jaw tight, his entire body radiating quiet danger.

The man raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed. "And who are you?"

San's lips curved into a slow, dangerous smile. "Her husband."

The word hung in the air like a gunshot, silencing everything around you.

The man's eyes flicked between the two of you, suddenly less confident. "Right... well, my mistake." he backed away with a muttered apology, disappearing into the crowd.

Your heart was pounding, though you weren't sure if it was from the alcohol or the way San's eyes hadn't left you once.

"What are you doing here?" you asked, trying to sound unaffected.

"I could ask you the same thing," he said, his voice calm but laced with barely restrained frustration. "But I guess taking off your ring and disappearing without a word answers that for me."

"I needed space," you said, crossing your arms. "You don't own me, San."

His eyes darkened. "You're right. I don't. But I'm still your husband. If you disappear in the middle of the night, I'll come looking for you. And if some creep thinks he can hit on you, then I'm going to do something about it."

You rolled your eyes, the alcohol emboldening you. "So this is about your ego?"

He took a step closer, the tension crackling between you. "No. It's about the fact that I care, whether you want to believe it or not."

His words caught you off guard, leaving you momentarily speechless.

"Let's go," he said, his tone softening just a fraction. "It's late."

"I'm not going anywhere," you said stubbornly, turning back toward the bar.

San let out a humorless laugh, shaking his head. "Fine. You want to be difficult? Have it your way."

Before you could react, his arm looped around your waist, and in one swift motion, he threw you over his shoulder like it was the easiest thing in the world.

"San!" you gasped, pounding your fists against his back. "Put me down!"

"Not a chance," he muttered, already weaving his way through the crowd. Heads turned, curious eyes following the scene as you squirmed in his grip. "You brought this on yourself."

"San, I swear to God..."

"You can yell all you want," he said calmly. "We're leaving."

Once outside, the cool night air hit you like a slap, but it did little to cool the heat rising in your cheeks -from anger or embarrassment, you weren't sure. San carried you all the way to his car, finally setting you down beside it.

"You're insane," you snapped, your breath coming fast as you straightened your clothes.

"Maybe," he said, stepping closer, his eyes never leaving yours. "I thought you'd have learned to love it by now."

For a moment, you stood there, caught in a standoff.

"Get in the car," he said softly, but there was no mistaking the authority in his voice.

Your pride told you to refuse, to stand your ground and make this even more difficult. But something about the intensity in his eyes made you falter.

Wordlessly, you opened the car door and got in, your pulse still racing.

San slid into the driver's seat, starting the car without another word. The ride home was silent, the air between you charged with tension. You could feel his occasional glances, the way his hands tightened around the steering wheel every time your bare finger caught the light.

The ride home was silent. He didn't speak, and neither did you. But the weight of everything unsaid filled the car, pressing down on you both.

When you pulled up in front of the building, San finally broke the silence.

"I'm not going to pretend I know what you're thinking," he said, his voice low. "But if you want to leave, really leave, just say it. I'll let you go."

You turned to look at him, surprised by the vulnerability in his eyes. It was the first time you'd seen him drop his guard like this.

But instead of answering, you opened the door and stepped out, your heart pounding in your chest.

San stayed in the car for a moment before following you inside. Neither of you said a word as you climbed the stairs, the tension thick enough to cut with a knife.

When you reached your room, you paused in the doorway, glancing back at him.

"Goodnight," you said softly, your voice barely audible.

For once, San didn't have a clever comeback. He just nodded, his eyes lingering on you a little longer than they should have.

"Goodnight," he echoed, his voice rough around the edges.

As you closed the door behind you, you couldn't shake the feeling that something had shifted between you -something neither of you was ready to admit yet.

The tension between you and San had been palpable since that night. Every word, every glance, felt like a battle -a silent war that neither of you was willing to lose. And just when you thought it couldn't get any worse, you found yourself trapped at one of his company's lavish parties, drowning in champagne and meaningless small talk.

It wasn't your kind of crowd. Polished executives and their equally polished partners swirled around you, exchanging pleasantries and hollow laughs. Being the accessory of the main character of the party wasn't your thing at all. You stood near the bar, sipping your drink, counting down the minutes until you could escape. 

That's when you saw him, San, standing at the center of a group of people, commanding their attention with ease. He was dressed in a sharp black suit, his hair perfectly styled, exuding the kind of confidence that made it impossible to look away.

And then you noticed her.

She was standing beside him, too close, her hand resting lightly on his arm as she laughed at something he said. A striking woman in a sleek red dress, her eyes sparkled with something far more than professional interest.

Your grip on your glass tightened as you watched her lean in, whispering something into his ear. To your horror, San didn't pull away. Instead, he turned toward her with a slow smile, his eyes dropping deliberately to her lips before meeting hers again.

It was a calculated move -one meant for your benefit. You knew it. He knew it.

Your stomach twisted, a mix of anger and something far more dangerous bubbling in your chest. But you refused to give him the satisfaction of a reaction. Not here. Not in front of everyone.

You turned your back to him, willing yourself to focus on the conversation happening nearby. It was meaningless chatter, something about stock prices, but you latched onto it, pretending you didn't notice the way your pulse was racing.

"Jealous, love?"

The voice was low and teasing, right behind you. You didn't need to turn to know who it was.

"Hardly," you said, taking a sip of your drink without looking at him. "Do what you want. I couldn't care less."

"Is that so?" San stepped into your line of vision, his eyes glinting with amusement. "Because it looked like you were about two seconds away from throwing your drink at her."

"More like two seconds away from smacking this glass on your head" you finally sentenced. 

"That does sound like someone who's jealous"

You forced a smile, meeting his gaze head-on. "Please. If I wanted to make a scene, you'd know it."

San chuckled, leaning in slightly, his voice dropping to a whisper meant only for you. "Careful, Y/n. You might give me the wrong idea: that you actually care about me and what I do."

Your pulse jumped, but you refused to let him win. "Trust me, I don't." you narrowed your eyes while looking at him "Just be careful of how you behave in front of everyone. We're still married. In private, do whatever the fuck you please". 

His smile was slow, almost predatory. "Good. Because I'd hate for you to get hurt playing a game you can't win."

With that, he turned and walked away, leaving you standing there, breathless and furious.

The rest of the evening passed in a blur. You couldn't stop watching him: laughing, smiling, always with her by his side. Each glance felt like a deliberate push, a challenge to see how far you'd let him go.

By the time the party started winding down, you'd had enough. You grabbed your purse and made your way toward the exit, your steps quick and determined.

But before you could leave, a hand wrapped around your wrist, stopping you in your tracks.

"Running away again?" San's voice was calm, but his grip was firm.

"Let go," you said, your voice low and dangerous.

"Not until you admit it." His eyes locked onto yours, the amusement gone, replaced by something far more serious.

"Admit what?"

"That you care," he said simply.

You yanked your wrist free, your eyes burning with fury. "You're unbelievable."

"And yet, here you are," San said softly, his eyes never leaving yours. "Still standing in front of me". You didn't know when he stepped so close that your chests were pressed together and your breaths were mixing between you two "I'm only yours, love. You just need to ask me, and I'll declare to you my love without thinking twice". 

For a moment, the world around you seemed to fade, the party noise a distant hum. You hated how close he was, how easily he could get under your skin.

But you refused to give him what he wanted. Not tonight.

Without another word, you turned and walked away, ignoring the way your heart was pounding in your chest.

The car ride back was suffocatingly quiet. The air between you felt like a loaded gun, ready to go off at the slightest provocation. San's hands rested on the steering wheel, his jaw clenched, his eyes fixed on the road ahead. You sat stiffly in the passenger seat, arms crossed, staring out the window in stubborn silence.

The tires crunched on the gravel as the car came to a stop in front of the building. You didn't wait for him to say anything -didn't even glance his way as you pushed the door open and strode toward the front entrance.

But the sound of his footsteps trailing behind you, steady and deliberate, made your pulse quicken.

You barely made it inside when San's voice cut through the silence.

"Care to explain what that little stunt at the party was all about?" his tone was deceptively calm, but the underlying tension was unmistakable.

You spun around, glaring at him. "Are you seriously accusing me of something after what you pulled tonight? Flirting with her right in front of me?"

San smirked, stepping closer. "You noticed."

"Of course I noticed!" you snapped, your voice rising. "You made sure I would."

He shrugged, his eyes gleaming with something dangerous. "Maybe. But you didn't have to leave the party like that, running off again like you always do. It's getting old, Y/n."

"Maybe it's because I can't stand being around you," you shot back, your voice trembling slightly with the force of your anger. "Did you think of that?"

San tilted his head, studying you. "No," he said quietly, stepping even closer until there was barely any space between you. "I think you left because it bothered you. Because for once, you didn't have control, and it drove you crazy."

Your breath hitched, but you refused to back down. "You think too highly of yourself."

"Do I?" his voice was a whisper now, low and deliberate, each word wrapping around you like a challenge. "Then why are you shaking?"

You hated him for being right. Hated how easily he could strip away every layer of defense you had built.

"I'm not..."

"You are," he interrupted, his hand brushing a stray strand of hair from your face. "And it's not because you're angry. It's because you feel something."

You opened your mouth to protest, but no words came out.

His eyes dropped to your lips for the briefest moment before locking onto yours again. "Tell me I'm wrong, and I'll back off," he said softly. "Tell me you don't feel anything, and I'll stop."

You stared at him, your heart pounding so hard it was almost painful.

But you couldn't say it.

The words wouldn't come.

San's smile was slow and triumphant. "That's what I thought."

He turned and walked away, leaving you standing there, breathless and furious, your skin still burning from his touch.

"You're insufferable," you called after him, but your voice wavered, the heat of your frustration blending with something far more dangerous.

San stopped mid-step, his back still to you. For a split second, you thought he'd ignore you, that he'd let you stew in your own whirlwind of emotions.

But then he turned, slow and deliberate, his dark eyes locking onto yours like a predator sizing up its prey. His steps were measured, each one bringing him closer, the air between you thick with electricity.

"You know what's really insufferable?" his voice was low, almost a growl. "The way you keep running. The way you keep fighting me when we both know exactly how this will end."

Your breath caught in your throat as he came to a stop just inches from you, his body radiating warmth, his presence overwhelming.

"I'm not running," you said, though it sounded more like a whisper than the firm declaration you intended.

His hand reached out, fingers brushing against your jaw, tilting your face up toward him. His touch was light, almost teasing, but it sent a jolt of heat racing through you.

The space between you disappeared in a heartbeat. His lips crashed against yours, and the world seemed to tilt on its axis. The kiss was anything but gentle -wild, desperate, and filled with every bit of frustration and desire that had built up between you.

Your hands found their way to his chest, clutching the fabric of his shirt as if it were the only thing grounding you. His arms wrapped around you, pulling you flush against him, his grip possessive and unrelenting.

It felt better than anything neither of you could've ever imagined. It wasn't just a kiss -it was a battle, a collision of everything you didn't say, everything you'd tried to ignore. 

His lips moved against yours with an urgency that made your head spin, his teeth grazing your bottom lip before deepening the kiss. You gasped when he sank his tongue in your mouth, quickly meeting yours at the same time he cornered you on the wall next to the door, his hand gently cupping the back of your head before moving it back to your neck. 

You hated him for making you feel this way, for always knowing how to push you to the edge and catch you before you fell. 

But at that moment, you couldn't bring yourself to care.

When you finally pulled back, your breaths were ragged, his forehead resting against yours. His eyes searched yours, dark and unreadable, his chest rising and falling in time with yours.

"Say it," San whispered, his voice rough and breathless. "Say you don't feel anything."

You stayed silent, your lips still tingling from his kiss.

But the way your hands lingered on his chest, the way your body leaned into his, spoke louder than any words ever could.

He took your silence as the perfect answer, smirking to himself before he linked your lips together again. His fingers sank in your hair at the back of your head, twirling them on some locks to pull from them and throw your head to the side as he kissed you down your neck. 

"You're absolutely everything I've ever fucking dreamed of" he heavily whispered on your skin. "I want to admire you, worship your body and make love to you so you'd meet a devotion you had never seen in your life. But hell... when you look at me that way..." his thumb brushed over your cheekbone "I want to ruin you so bad, show you no one will fuck you so good to make your ears beep so loud you won't be hearing your own pleas when you ask me to stop".

Your kiss grew more passionate, your breaths coming in ragged gasps, when he kissed you again. His hands began to wander, tracing the curve of your back, the swell of your hips. You could feel the hardness of his body against yours, and it sent a thrill through you, craving for something you didn't know you were desperate for. You moaned softly into his mouth, pressing yourself against him, at the same time his hands held your hips to keep your body glued to him. 

San broke the kiss, his lips trailing down your neck again, nipping and sucking at the sensitive skin. You arched my back, a soft sigh escaping your lips, when his fingers brushed against the little skin that was shown off through the cleavage of your dress. It frustrated you, but it also felt so good the way your body responded to his touch without a resistance, your nipples hardening against the fabric of your bra, your entrance clenching around nothing as you kept waiting to feel him inside you. 

When he looked down at you once again, his hands moved down to the zip of your dress, his thumb brushing on your skin while his other fingers slid the material down. He didn't need to ask you, he didn't need to tell you, you helped him take off your dress. 

His eyes darkened as he took in the sight of you, his breath hitching. You were definitely better than he could've ever imagined. No light pajamas would ever compare to the vision in front of him. 

You reached for the hem of his black shirt, pulling from the buttons to reveal his toned chest. San had to hold back the growl in his throat when you ran your fingers over the muscles, feeling the heat of his skin, making him sure your fingerprints were burning every inch you were moving through. 

He wasn't going to let you take control so easily though. 

He lowered his head all of a sudden, capturing one of your nipples in his mouth through the lace of your bra. You gasped, your hands fisting in his hair as a way to control your own self. He teased and suckled, his other hand cupping your breast before he dragged his fingers down with the fabric, exposing the flesh, his thumb rubbing against your nipple before he pinched it with his index. You could feel the wetness pooling between your legs, your body aching for more.

San slipped the straps of your bra off your shoulders, letting it fall to the floor. He took his time, exploring every inch of your body with his mouth and hands. He made you squirm beneath him, he filled your head with pleas you never thought would ever be aimed at him, your body was on fire for him.

You reached for his belt, unbuckling it slowly. He lifted his hips to help you, his jeans and boxers coming off in one swift motion. You looked down at him, your eyes widening at the sight of his hard length. He was thick and long, the tip glistening with pre-cum. You licked your lips when a sudden urge to taste him overwhelmed you. Was it how sexy he actually was? Or how bad you wanted him to beg for you and finally accept you were in control? Maybe both? 

You leaned down on your knees, not wasting a moment before taking him into your mouth. He groaned, his hands tangling in your hair as your tongue swirled around him. You sucked and licked, your head bobbing up and down at a tortuous speed. You could feel him getting harder, his hips thrusting gently. You took him deeper when he pushed you lower, your nose brushing against his skin to look up to him. 

And hell, if that image wasn't the best sight ever...

He pulled you up with one swift motion, your lips still parted to the size of his length when he crashed his lips against yours again. Your back slammed against the door, and your head banged against it the moment he pulled your panties down and slid two fingers in you. His thumb brushed over your clit gently, slowly, which was opposite to the way his curved digits moved and rubbed against your walls. 

He earned another moan from you, and his cock twitched in the air against your body once more. 

"Who do you belong to, Y/n? Who owns you now?" his voice was thick and raspy as he whispered. His voice was a mix of cockiness and need to prove you always belonged to him. 

The moment you tried to move your head forward to rest on his shoulder, his fingers wrapped around your throat and stuck your head against the wood to keep your eyes fixed on him. 

You didn't know what to do with your arms, how to keep yourself on your feet, but you did know you had to keep your eyes fixed on him. 

"My love" he almost sang when he felt the way your walls clenched around him and your clit throbbing "I've only been yours" his digits squeezed your throat tighter, unaware of how that dragged you closer to your orgasm. 

Your body squirmed and folded under his grip when that hurricane hit you, yet he didn't stop. His movements were more delicate and slower, but he fingered you through your orgasm until he felt your breathing settling again. 

Your lips were parted when his wet fingers slid through them, and you blindly obeyed, closing your mouth around his digits to lick every drop of his work of art. San barely gave you time to let go of them before his lips crashed against yours again, his tongue looking out for yours to taste you directly on it. 

You were so addictive. 

San picked you up effortlessly, humming at your legs wrapping around his waist, as he made his way to his bedroom. 

When he let you down on his mattress, he couldn't help but admire the way your naked skin stood out so clearly while lying over his sheets, dying to twirl his fingers on those locks spread over his pillow. You brought in him a feral attitude he didn't know was so strong. 

You looked up to him, eager for what was to come, your body ready to jump as he kneeled on the bed and crawled to you. His hands parted your legs easily, resting your calves on his thighs when he redirected his length to you. 

He rubbed the head of his cock against your clit, making your moan. "You're so wet," he whispered, his voice hoarse with desire. "Will you let me fill you up? Hmm?" he looked up to you while still rubbing himself against you "Let me mark you now that you've finally accepted that you're mine". 

His words, the idea, the look in his eyes... all of them influenced you to finally nod. 

He slid into you slowly, his eyes locked on yours. You gasped, your body stretching to accommodate him. He felt big, bigger than you could've guessed when you took him in your mouth. You wrapped your legs around his waist, pulling him deeper, until your hips met and you both moaned with relief. 

You stayed like that for a few seconds, giving the two of you time to get used to each other before he began to move, his hips thrusting against yours. The sound of your bodies coming together filled the room, your moans and gasps echoing around you. You could feel every inch of him, the sensation overwhelming.

"You feel so good," he groaned, his forehead resting against yours. "So tight and wet." he rubbed his nose on yours. "It was really worth it to wait for you".

You clung to him, your nails digging into his back. "Harder," you whispered, your body aching for more.

He obliged, his thrusts becoming faster and deeper. The bed creaked beneath you, the sound of your bodies slapping together filling the room. You could feel your orgasm building, your body tensing in anticipation.

He reached between you, his fingers finding your clit at the same time his lips found your mouth. He rubbed it in time with his thrusts, sending you spiraling over the edge. You cried out, your body convulsing around him as waves of pleasure crashed over you.

He continued to move, his own body tensing as he chased his own release. You felt him getting harder, his thrusts becoming more erratic. With a final thrust, he groaned, his body shaking as he came deep inside you, his load hitting a deep spot. 

You lay there for a moment, your bodies slick with sweat, your breaths ragged. He rolled off you, pulling you into his arms. And as much as that feeling felt foreign, you didn't push it away. Instead, you snuggled closer to him. 

The weeks after that night were nothing like the stormy start of your marriage. Slowly, without even realizing it, you began to lower your defenses. San softened in his own way, his sharp-edged words losing their sting, replaced by warm glances and lingering touches.

It wasn't love -at least, that's what you told yourself- but it was something dangerously close. You found comfort in his presence, in the late-night conversations you shared after you agreed on sharing bed with him, the stolen moments of laughter, and the way he made you feel like you were the only person in the world when he looked at you.

The night he was officially named the head of the company, the entire building was alive with celebration. People congratulated him left and right, raising glasses in his honor, praising his charm, his brilliance, and his unstoppable rise to power. You stood by his side, smiling softly as he greeted his investors and thanked his board.

But despite the glamour, something felt off. San was different -detached, colder than usual, like the man you first met. He didn't seem to notice your growing unease.

Later that evening, after slipping away for a moment to get some air, you made your way down a quieter hallway in the building. As you rounded a corner, voices stopped you in your tracks.

It was San's.

"You're really settling into this husband role, huh?" the voice was familiar -Wooyoung’'s, you realized after a second. 

His tone was light and teasing, but it was what came next that made your blood run cold.

San let out a low chuckle. "Don't get carried away. This marriage means nothing. It was a deal, plain and simple. I finally got what I wanted"

There was a pause, followed by the sound of a glass clinking.

"And the rest?" Wooyoung asked, his voice taking on a more serious tone. "Sleeping with her?"

Your breath caught in your throat, your heart hammering painfully in your chest.

"That's just part of the game," San said casually, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Keeping her close keeps everything in control. She's predictable now. She's exactly where I need her."

Your vision blurred, your mind racing to process what you'd just heard. Every moment you'd spent with him, every touch, every whispered word in the dark -it had all been a lie. A calculated move in a game you didn't even know you were playing.

The sound of their laughter echoed down the hallway, cutting into you like a blade.

You turned and walked away before they could notice you, your steps quick and unsteady. Your chest ached, a painful mix of anger and heartbreak constricting your lungs.

By the time you reached the main hall, the noise of the party felt like a distant hum, your surroundings spinning as you tried to catch your breath.

You thought you had started to know him. You thought maybe, just maybe, there was something real between you.

But you were wrong.

You were nothing more than a pawn in his game -a game you never agreed to play.

The rest of the night at the party, you avoided him like the plague, your attitude a huge contrast to how you behaved when the night had started. Whenever San tried to approach you, you found an excuse to step away -chatting with guests, refreshing your drink, even pretending to admire the floral arrangements like they were the most fascinating thing in the world.

"Y/n" his voice caught you off guard as you lingered near the exit, your hand brushing the stem of an untouched champagne flute. San's dark eyes studied you, his brow furrowed in concern. "What's going on? You've been distant all night."

"I'm just tired," you said flatly, forcing a tight smile. "It's been a long day."

His frown deepened, but he didn't press further. Not yet.

The ride home was quiet -tense in a way that made the air between you feel suffocating. San sat beside you, his eyes occasionally flicking toward you, as if waiting for you to explain what was wrong. But you kept your gaze fixed out the window, your thoughts swirling in chaos.

Once you were back home, you made a beeline for the stairs, wanting nothing more than to put distance between you as you closed yourself back in your room. 

"Y/n" his voice was sharp now, demanding. You stopped halfway up the stairs, your hand gripping the banister tightly. "Talk to me. What's going on?"

You turned slowly, meeting his gaze. The man you had once started to trust, the one who had held you so tenderly just nights ago, now felt like a stranger.

"I want a divorce."

The words fell from your lips with a finality that hung heavy in the air.

San froze, his eyes widening for a split second before narrowing dangerously. "What did you just say?"

"You heard me," you said, your voice calm despite the storm raging inside you. "You finally got what you wanted. You're head of the company now. There's no need to keep up this farce anymore."

His jaw tightened, his hands curling into fists at his sides. "Is that what you think? That this was all just some business arrangement, and now it's over?"

"Isn't it?" you shot back, your voice rising. "You've gotten everything you wanted, San. There's no point in pretending anymore."

"You're unbelievable," he growled, stepping closer. "You want to throw everything away just like that? After everything we've been through?"

You laughed bitterly. "What exactly have we been through, San? Lies? Manipulation? This marriage was never real. It was just a means to an end for you."

His eyes darkened, his lips pressing into a thin line. "And what if it wasn't?"

You crossed your arms, refusing to let him sway you. "It doesn't matter. I'm done."

"You're not done," he said, his voice low and dangerously calm. "You don't get to decide that impulsively."

"It's not an impulse," you snapped. "This was part of our deal since the beginning. I've made up my mind."

San's eyes burned with fury, but beneath it, there was something else -something raw and unguarded. "And when exactly did you make up your mind about it, huh?" he said softly, his voice barely above a whisper. 

"I think it's better for both of us," you said, ignoring the way your heart clenched at the look in his eyes.

But San wasn't having it. His hand gripped the banister beside you, his body blocking your path. "No," he said firmly. "We're not done. Not until I say we are. And you're not leaving," San said, his voice steady but barely restrained, his body now fully blocking your path. His gaze locked onto yours, fierce and unrelenting.

"Move, San," you said through gritted teeth, trying to push past him. "I'm done having this conversation."

His hand shot out, gripping your wrist -not hard, but firm enough to keep you from walking away. "No. We're going to finish this right here"

You glared at him, your pulse racing. "What's the point? You made it clear I was just a means to an end. Now that you're head of the company, what reason is there for us to stay married?"

"Because this isn't just about the company!" San snapped, his voice rising, frustration boiling over. His chest heaved with each breath, and for the first time, he looked genuinely unhinged, like he was losing control of everything he'd carefully built.

You yanked your wrist free, your eyes burning with unshed tears. "Then what is it about? What part of this marriage was real to you? Tell me!"

His silence was deafening. His jaw clenched, his eyes searching your face for something -anything. But no words came.

Your heart twisted painfully in your chest, and you laughed bitterly, shaking your head. "Exactly. You can't even answer that."

San's eyes darkened, his frustration tipping into something dangerously possessive. "You really want to know what's real?" he said, stepping closer until there was barely an inch of space between you. "You." his voice was low, his eyes burning into yours. "Every damn second with you was real"

But for some reason, those words that night felt like the most painful stab at your chest. If there was something clear to you that night, it was that San never really cared for you, but his own control over you. That idea alone made your head spin, trying to decipher if all of his words in that moment were part of the act as well. 

His proximity sent a jolt of heat through you, but you refused to back down. "Words mean nothing, San. Actions do."

"Then watch me," he said, his voice barely above a whisper.

Before you could say another word, his lips crashed against yours in a kiss that stole your breath. It wasn't soft or sweet -it was raw and consuming, a war between his frustration and desire. His hand cupped the back of your neck, holding you in place as his lips moved against yours with an urgency that made your head spin.

You tried to fight it, to remind yourself of everything you'd just overheard, but your body betrayed you. Your hands gripped his shirt, pulling him closer even as your mind screamed at you to push him away.

His tongue swept across your bottom lip, coaxing a soft gasp from you, and he took the opportunity to deepen the kiss. It felt like drowning, like falling too fast and too far, and you hated how easily he could unravel you.

When he finally pulled back, your hand slapped across his face, making it turn. He stayed in that position for a few seconds, until he finally moved his head back up, his eyes searching yours, dark and unreadable. "You think I don't care?" he whispered, his voice hoarse. "You're wrong."

Your heart thundered in your chest, and for a fleeting moment, you believed him. You believed every word, every touch. But the sting of his earlier betrayal still lingered, refusing to let go.

"I can't do this," you whispered, your voice breaking. "Not like this". 

Not when you couldn’t trust him, or know what he was saying was real or not. Not knowing when he was playing with you or showing off his feelings. 

It was too much. 

San's grip on you tightened, his thumb brushing against your cheek. "Yes, you can. You're not leaving."

"I don't want to be near you" you let go of his grip once again. "You disgust me. I can't even stand being near you right now. Who knows? Maybe it had always been like that and now that the reason that kept us together is gone I can be honest with the two of us. Be honest with yourself, too". 

The next afternoon, sunlight streamed through the kitchen windows, casting a warm glow across the marble countertops. You sat at the kitchen island, quietly picking at your lunch, your mind still tangled in the events of the previous night. Sleep had been elusive -every word, every touch, every kiss replaying in your head on an endless loop.

You were lost in thought when the sound of the front door slamming snapped you back to reality. Heavy footsteps echoed down the hall, growing louder until San appeared in the doorway, his expression dark and unreadable.

Without a word, he reached into his coat and pulled out a stack of papers. He strode over to you and threw them onto the counter in front of you, the crisp white pages fanning out across the surface.

Your heart stopped for a second as you glanced down at them: "Divorce Agreement". Signed.

"You wanted this, right?" San said, his voice cold and biting. "There. You've got it. Congratulations, you're free."

You looked up at him, stunned into silence, your fork frozen in mid-air. His eyes were like shards of ice, his usual warmth completely gone. He looked almost... victorious, but underneath it, you could sense something else, some of his vulnerability was still obvious in his eyes.

"San, I..."

"You don't need to say anything" he interrupted, his voice dangerously calm. "You made it clear last night that this marriage means nothing to you. So, I'm giving you what you want. No more pretending. No more games."

Your chest tightened, and for a moment, you struggled to find your voice. "You think this is what I want?" you finally said, your voice trembling.

"Isn't it?" he shot back, his eyes narrowing. "You were the one who asked for the divorce. I'm just making it easy for you."

You swallowed hard, your throat burning. "You're unbelievable."

San crossed his arms, leaning against the counter with a bitter smirk. "No, what's unbelievable is that you think you can just walk in and out of my life whenever you want. You're the one who pushed me away, Y/n. I'm just giving you the freedom you begged for."

"Don't you dare act like you're some kind of victim here," you snapped, rising to your feet. "You lied to me, acting like you cared, like you were into me. You said you were after me long before all of this happened... Bullshit! You used me for your business, just like you admitted to Wooyoung. But I was dumb as fuck to believe we were more than that".

His eyes flickered with something -surprise, perhaps, or regret- but it was gone in an instant, replaced by that same infuriating calm. "So, that's what this is about," he muttered. "You overhear one conversation, twist it in your head, and suddenly I'm the villain?"

"I didn't twist anything," you said, your voice shaking. "I heard exactly what you said. That I'm just a pawn in your game. That sleeping with me was just part of your plan. Hope you enjoyed the bit of control you had while you fucked me."

San laughed, but it was a hollow, bitter sound. "You really think that's all you are to me?"

"Isn't it?" you challenged, your heart pounding so hard it hurt. "Tell me I'm wrong."

The silence that followed was deafening. His jaw clenched, his eyes searching yours for a long, agonizing moment. Then, slowly, he stepped back, his expression hardening.

"You already made up your mind," he said quietly. "So what's the point in convincing you otherwise?"

Your breath caught in your throat, tears stinging your eyes. You wanted to scream at him, to demand answers, to tear down the walls he had so carefully built around himself in less than a few days. But instead, all you could do was stand there, your heart breaking all over again.

"Fine," you whispered, your voice barely audible. "If that's how you want it."

He nodded once, his face devoid of emotion. "It's what you wanted, remember?"

Annoyed, you reached for a pen, signing up the papers next to him, slamming it against the table before getting up and walking away, leaving the papers on the counter in front of him. The sound of the front door slamming shut echoed through the house, and for the first time since the start of your marriage, you felt truly alone.

[starrysan]

nouvelle vague

↳ ᴘᴜᴇʙʟᴏ [15]

masterlist || prev chap || next chap

pairing: korea local!yunho x new to city!reader [smau]

a/n: this ones sad.. sorry, not proofread

2nd person pov

after the long meeting with her boss and some agents from the other branches on a zoom call right after, you were exhausted. laying on your bed and scrolling on your phone. it was barely 3pm. you still weren't 100% sure what to do, but you had an idea. you called the only person you knew to call. "chris? you're still up?" you ask to which you get a slightly sleepy but awake chris answer.

"yeah I am what's up?." of course he was up.. typical crazy hours of the night awake chris bahng. "I think.. I know where im going to pick" you say closing your eyes to make sure this was the right decision. "oh that's grea-" he starts to say. "im coming home" you say before he could finish his own sentence. "oh that's great y/n" he replies after a moment of silence on his end. "you don't sound as happy as I thought you'd be" you reply. "well I am excited I promise. I just.. are you sure?"

"I thought it through and.. yeah im coming home chris" you say again. "I miss you a lot and.. as much as I know you won't admit it, I know you're struggling chris.. lix called me last night" chris curses slightly away from his speaker so you couldn't hear it but you obviously could. "what'd he say?" chris asks. "I mean a lot but basically what we talked about the other day. chris you know you don't have to hide anything from me"

"I know y/n but I know you love Korea.. it's all you talked about for the past year. are you sure you're making the right choice?" he asks, almost a bit nervously. "I had a lot of time to think.. and yeah I do. some things that happened only confirmed it. but anyway, I'm coming home flights in 2 days so I've got to pack. bye chris"

you hang up the phone and stare at your empty suitcases in front of you. or.. one slightly packed suitcase and 2 empty ones. you almost second guess yourself but stop your thoughts before going to start packing your things. you go easy packing clothes first. luckily it was still summer. no heavy jackets to pack.

you put in your shirts, pants, the skirt you wore when you first met san.. the pants yeosang and mingi insisted you bought. they were a strange shade of pink you'd never wear, but looking at them now, they were almost endearing. you finished packing most of your clothes before packing other things you brought or bought while in Korea.

you put in your polaroid camera. not before looking through all the photos you'd taken on them. the first photo you took with wooyoung and jongho after they picked you up, the street food with yeosang and mingi, han river and ice cream with san, ducks and the pretty picnic you had with seonghwa and hongjoong, seoul tower with yunho and san, the beach with yunho.. oh and of course how could you forget? the lock you had bought hoping to put it up with yunho.

you feel a tear drop onto the lock you grasped in your hand. "fuck" you mutter, wiping it away with your sleeve. you put it in your bag as well before covering it with some plushie mingi had bought you from a store in myeongdong. you were making the right choice. at least you thought you were. it was too late to think a coherent thought anyway.

fucking yunho. you think to yourself as you finished packing the second suitcase. you think about the kiss he so casually left on your cheek. like it was still there. it was like it stung your face. like a memory you only slightly wanted to get rid of. you didn't even realize how exhausted you were as you fall asleep on your packed bag and only wake up when you see your friends through the ring camera. shit your friends.. you didn't even tell them...

you quickly buzz them up, and panic slightly. what would you do? how would you tell them? what would they say? what if they hated you after? your thoughts were interrupted by the doorbell which you stood up to go answer. "hi guys" you say quietly as the seven boys pile in. they notice your bags on the floor.

"so what'd you decide to do?" wooyoung asks, breaking the silence first as they were all either at your table, on the floor, or on your bed. "I-" you start. but your mouth goes dry, you lose your words, you forget how to fucking speak. even though they said this was your choice, which it was, you still felt so fucking guilty for leaving them.

but chris- you didn't know what to do not like you had a choice anyway as your passport sat on the table with your boarding pass you had printed earlier that morning nestled inside it. it seemed to go unnoticed by the boys at first till- "ah.. back to Aussie Australia?" mingi said, trying to make you laugh when he saw the look on your face.

"um.. yeah back to-" your voice broke.. you couldn't even say it out loud as you feel your tears start back up again. "Im sorry" you said. you didn't even know what you were apologizing for. going home? for crying and absolutely falling apart in front of them? for not telling them till now? you didn't know.

seonghwa gets up from the floor and hugs you first. you two weren't as close as say you and wooyoung and jongho were but that hug alone was comfort enough. you cling onto his arms like he would vanish if you let go and sobbed into his shirt. probably drenching it but you didn't even care. the rest followed close behind. even jongho who you knew hated physical contact was joined in on the hug.

after you calmed down a bit and got some water yeosang grabbed from your fridge you sit back down and collect yourself. "yeah i'm going back I think seeing how everything's going to play out I think its my best option" the boys nodded. no one said anything not really sure what to say anyway. "if that's what you have to do then its what you have to do." yeosang says. "when's your flight?" san asked. "tomorrow" you say quietly.

"TOMORROW?" wooyoung practically yells which you nod. "but we cant even have a goodbye party or anything?!" mingi exclaims after. "its ok" you say simply. "its not goodbye.. its see you later" you say to which jongho side eyes you. "cringe as hell" he says and you laugh. you laugh for the first time in 4 days.

"did you tell yunho?" san asked which made the room go silent again. "I tried texting.. and calling he never responded" you sighed. maybe it was for the better? you didn't want to think about it. the yunho topic was soon glazed over as everyone helped you pack before leaving in the late hours of the night everyone giving you hugs and saying goodbye one by one. "don't crash the plane" jongho says to which you laugh and flick his forehead.

your left in silence once again as the clock strikes 1:30am. your flight was for 10am. wooyoung insisted he drove you but you declined, not wanting him to mess up his sleep schedule even more. you try to get sleep which barely worked and you were out the door by 7:30am.

you put your house key in a box in your landlord's office, thanking him before you start your walk to the subway to get to the airport. before you could comprehend what was happening, yunho appeared infront of you, looking absolutely out of breath. "yunho?" you say confused.

extras!

I honestly dont like writing in anything pov other than 3rd but I did this in 2nd person pov very deliberately so it wasn't in third person where you're just watching this unfold from the outside, or 1st person where you're in it, its in 2nd person where its like you're right there but you cant change anything about it. (I love deliberate storytelling mwahaha).

ty for reading!

pls fill out the taglist form if you'd like to be added <3

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[pixiecactus]

Arya gave him a whap on the arm with the flat of her blade. The blow stung, but Jon found himself grinning like an idiot. "I know which end to use," Arya said. A doubtful look crossed her face. "Septa Mordane will take it away from me."

.

And Arya … he missed her even more than Robb, skinny little thing that she was, all scraped knees and tangled hair and torn clothes, so fierce and willful. Arya never seemed to fit, no more than he had … yet she could always make Jon smile. He would give anything to be with her now, to muss up her hair once more and watch her make a face, to hear her finish a sentence with him.

.

"Sometimes I dream about it," he said. "I'm walking down this long empty hall. My voice echoes all around, but no one answers, so I walk faster, opening doors, shouting names. I don't even know who I'm looking for. Most nights it's my father, but sometimes it's Robb instead, or my little sister Arya, or my uncle." The thought of Benjen Stark saddened him; his uncle was still missing.

.

"He's frightened. We're leaving him." He remembered the day he had left Winterfell, all the bittersweet farewells; Bran lying broken, Robb with snow in his hair, Arya raining kisses on him after he'd given her Needle.

.

"They were as close as brothers, once." Jon wondered if Joffrey would keep his father as the King's Hand. It did not seem likely. That might mean Lord Eddard would return to Winterfell, and his sisters as well. He might even be allowed to visit them, with Lord Mormont's permission. It would be good to see Arya's grin again and to talk with his father. I will ask him about my mother, he resolved. I am a man now, it is past time he told me. Even if she was a whore, I don't care, I want to know.

.

Jon Snow straightened himself and took a long deep breath. Forgive me, Father. Robb, Arya, Bran … forgive me, I cannot help you. He has the truth of it. This is my place. "I am … yours, my lord. Your man. I swear it. I will not run again."

.

As he rode, Jon peeled off his glove to air his burned fingers. Ugly things. He remembered suddenly how he used to muss Arya's hair. His little stick of a sister. He wondered how she was faring. It made him a little sad to think that he might never muss her hair again. He began to flex his hand, opening and closing the fingers. If he let his sword hand stiffen and grow clumsy, it well might be the end of him, he knew. A man needed his sword beyond the Wall.

.

May those deaths be long in coming. Jon Snow sank to one knee in the snow. Gods of my fathers, protect these men. And Arya too, my little sister, wherever she might be. I pray you, let Mance find her and bring her safe to me.

.

It had been so long since he had last seen Arya. What would she look like now? Would he even know her? Arya Underfoot. Her face was always dirty. Would she still have that little sword he'd had Mikken forge for her? Stick them with the pointy end, he'd told her. Wisdom for her wedding night if half of what he heard of Ramsay Snow was true. Bring her home, Mance. I saved your son from Melisandre, and now I am about to save four thousand of your free folk. You owe me this one little girl.

he just loves her so much, thank you for your existence in arya's life, jon snow.

[cuubism]

WIP Word Train

Rules: tagger gives a word, then for each letter of that word you share a sentence/excerpt from your wips that start with that letter.

Tagged by @kydrogendragon :)

Fun!!! The word was STAB

-- for S --

[ from equestrian au pt. 5 ]

So on day three Hob got Dream situated in the hotel room, then hauled Ruby five hours back to the farm—begrudgingly taking Alex with him, though fortunately not Roderick who’d presumably gotten himself a limousine or something—and then drove five hours back to the hotel where he’d left Dream. It was a long day. He found Dream pretty much where he’d left him that morning, asleep in bed with the curtains pulled shut and all the lights off so the room was in complete darkness. Poor thing.

-- for T --

[ from 3rd Stormlight Archive fic ]

The city’s growing on him as they walk. Then again, Adolin’s rarely met a city he didn’t like. He’d even fallen a little bit in love with Azimir, siege and all. “Have you ever been somewhere you don’t like?” Kaladin asks, as if reading his mind. “Wasn’t a huge fan of Lasting Integrity. They put me in jail there. Two out of ten stars.” Kaladin laughs, actually laughs out loud, a quick, helpless burst of it, and Adolin can’t help his grin. “Azimir was nice,” Adolin continues. “Strong sense of architectural style. Loses points for the mortal injury, but you can’t have everything.” “I’m not sure we fully healed that head injury after all,” Kaladin says, but he’s smiling to himself. “Fine. If nothing’s gone wrong by nightfall, maybe we can find some place out of the way and get you the bar experience you desperately crave.” “Wow, you’d really do anything for me,” says Adolin, meaning it as a joke, but Kaladin just sort of nods, and Adolin feels himself blush. Hopefully the sun will obscure it.

-- for A --

[ from "Good Horses" ]

And he took off down the path, dragging Dream along behind him. Hob was much faster than him, and certainly fitter too, and Dream nearly tripped and fell several times trying to keep up, but didn't let go of Hob's hand. His nice school loafers skidded on the wet leaves. His tie flapped along over his shoulder. Dream could not remember the last time he had been so out of breath, the last time his heart had beaten in his chest like so. "Shit!" Hob yelled, and skidded to a stop. Dream was not so fast, and quickly learned what had brought such an abrupt end to Hob's run. The path veered off sharply to the right above a steep embankment, and Dream's momentum carried him right over the edge, dragging Hob with him. The next few moments were a tumble of dirt and leaves and flashes of sky, Hob's laughter, Dream's very unbecoming shriek. Then a splash, as they landed in the shallow brook at the bottom of the embankment. Hob was still laughing as Dream pushed himself upright, took stock of himself. His trousers and the back of his blazer were drenched and mud-soaked, certainly ruined; his socks sloshed in his shoes; his tie was twisted and mangled around his neck. Hob looked no better, wet and muddy and with leaves stuck in his hair. Only on Hob, there was a natural ease to it, a sense that he would pick himself up with a grin and go on like that. Dream was certain he himself looked merely disheveled and ridiculous.

-- for B --

[ from In Waking Dreams ]

But Dream was still looking at him with his hollowed-out eyes and his hair an even more chaotic wreck than usual, and his body that hadn’t touched something soft in seven decades, seeming more uncertain the longer Hob left stillness between them. And Hob was going to have to take the first step here, he knew he was. He reached out a hand. Can I? he asked without asking, and Dream, knowing him, inclined his head. Still so regal, even after all of that. Hob fit his hand to his jaw, and yes, they still fit together as they did in dreams, what a marvel. 

---

tagging @five-and-dimes, @meadowziplines, @tharkuun

the word is GLOW

[milkymora]

left ✧ tsukishima kei x fem!reader ✧ fluff ending

note: uhh i originally had a different idea for this one, but then art block kicked in and i couldn’t find a way to end it how i wanted to, so, for the life of me, i changed it and this is the result. it’s kinda bland but i thought the idea was nice although clichè.

tw: period cramps, r! throwing up.

“kyoko is right.” said tsukishima in a low voice, so that only you could hear. confused, you turn your head to him, inquisitive stare seeking for his amber eyes.

he had his cheek resting on the palm of his hand, not really returning your stare, rather glancing at his plate, with a neutral expression that had a shade of dreaminess in it you weren’t sure you’ve ever seen before.

he seemed to be spacing out, actually.

“what was that?” you questioned, although having heard just fine his previous statement, stealing a forkful of pasta from his plate to get him to pay attention to you.

a subtle smile made its way across tsukki’s thin lips at your gesture.

“i said that kyoko’s right.” he repeated, eyes finally reciprocating yours, no shame in his apparently sincere compliment.

it wasn’t a tease, nor a joke. his voice was genuine, to your surprise.

“what do you mean?”

you knew. you knew what he meant, and he knew that you knew. yet, you wanted to hear him say it. to hear those sweet words, that never came out of his mouth, from him.

“you look gorgeous.” he admitted as if it was the easiest thing to say, as if that was the most obvious thing in the world, going with his fork to steal one of your french fries, mimicking your previous playful deed. though you didn’t even notice.

you had your eyes locked on his, shifting from his right to his left, too busy processing what you’ve just been told.

“oh,” you let out a nervous cackle, “thank you.” flashing him a timid smile. he responded with a simple nod, that subtle smile lingering on his lips as he did.

“sure but, don’t look at me like that.” abruptly, he added.

“like what?” you tilted your head.

“like i’m never nice.”

“would it be a lie?” you snorted, eyeing him from head to toe.

“yes. a blatant one.” unfazed, he responded.

“uh,” you lift your eyebrows at his words, “excuse me?” shock painting your traits, as you go to fill your glass with the water the waiter just brought to the table.

“wasn’t i lovey-dovey enough yesterday?” chuckling, he watches as you almost choke on your drink, coughing the life out of your lungs.

you keep coughing into your palm for a good moment, after having sent him a kick with the tip of your shoe on his calf from under the table, peering around you to make sure your friends hadn’t heard kei’s last sentence.

too bad you’re met by kyoko’s interested stare; when you make eye contact, it’s like you’ve seen a ghost.

“what happened yesterday?” she curiously wonders out loud. although her angelic face, you recognize those sly eyes.

“nothing,” you laugh, not helping the a little too high pitched tone, “he just dropped a couple books at my house, to, uh–” that would always kicks in when searching for a decent lie to tell.

“–to hand them back. i borrowed them from y/n over a month ago, but forgot to return them.” tsukishima chimed in at the pathetic sight of your struggling figure, being the good actor he’d always been.

“sure.” kyoko’s smile spoke volumes, however she simply accepted your response, leaving you alone... without flashing you a knowing smirk beforehand, though.

swallowing a pool of saliva formed in your mouth, you cleared your throat, detaching your gaze from her, your bashful face glancing at your empty plate.

quietly, you go back to eavesdropping the others’ conversations, finding yourself eventually joining yachi’s jokes after sharing laughters with tadashi and her.

and it went on like that for a good while.

until you felt a sudden, stinging pain in your stomach that made you drop the fork in your hand. nonody noticed you going silent at first, nobody except him.

“you good?” his brows furrow the more the time passes, seeing no response coming from you. “i–” your arm goes to cover your stomach, but the pain is so strong you can’t even speak to explain.

abruptly, you jump up, unable to bear it any longer.

it wasn’t a bellyache from something you’ve eaten, you’d recognize those awful cramps from a mile.

without being able to alert anyone, you dragged your feet towards the restroom, closing the door behind you and letting out a groan as shimizu’s voice spoke from afar.

“y/n? are you okay?”

you ignore her, too busy hastily rummaging into your purse for your portable meds’ box as kyoko’s steps approach you, but when you open it, you remember that you hadn’t taken any pill with you for period cramps from home.

“ow—” you cry, the pain bending you, making you kneel down on the bathroom floor. “hey, hey-” kyoko spoke, laying a hand over your shoulder. “what’s wrong?” she asks, her hand traveling on your back to caress it in slow movements.

“do you have anything for cramps?” with tight teeth, you fight the nausea that threaten to make you throw up at any given second.

shimizu’s features softened at your request, wordlessly realizing the issue. “i think i do,” she begins, “i’ll go back where i left my purse to search it up, okay?” she continues. “i’ll be right back.”

you nod, and as quickly as she came, she was gone, leaving you alone with your aching lowerbelly.

you cursed yourself for your oversight, swallowing several times as to try not to actually vomit, when you hear another voice speak from behind the door.

“are you there?” kei’s knuckles knock on the door.

your voice trembles slightly, “yeah.”

he opens the door of a couple inches, his head sticking in to take a look at you. “come in,” you say, gesturing at him.

“um, are you sure i can...?” he doubts, eyeing the women sign glued on the door.

“oh, who cares!” you exclaim, before letting out another groan, closing your eyes in pain. you crouch into yourself further, as if that was somehow gonna relief that unbearable discomfort.

the door closes. his frame sits next to you the second later, so close to you that your shoulders are touching.

“i saw kyoko running back to the table, i figured she anticipated me.” he talks softly, his calmness somewhat comforting. “what happened?”

“just my period.” you lay your head against the cold tiles of the room, huffing and puffing as you tried to regulate your breathing. failing.

“is it that bad?” his face tilts slightly, glancing over every inch of your grimace. “what do you think, sherlock?” you turn your face on the opposite direction, avoiding his eyes as to not be seen like that.

“sorry,” he timidly apologizes, slapping a sense of guilt into your guts for giving him an uncalled for attitude.

“no–” you shake your head, “i’m sorry.” you sigh. “it’s just that it hurts so bad.”

the door pushes open once more, this time hitoka is behind it.

“oh,” yachi takes a step back, “did i interrupt something?” her squeaky tone makes you smile. “no.” you flash her a weak smile.

“i came in to tell you that kyoko doesn’t have anything for you, she told me... and neither do i.” her hands fidget with the little bows of her dress. “do you wanna go home? we will pay for your part.” her displeased face touched your heart.

however tsukki didn’t allow you to choose.

“i’ll pay for it and get her home, you girls don’t worry. i’ll take care of it.” he gets up from his spot. “go tell the others we’re leaving, please.”

his request meets a nodding yachi, that wastes no time heading back to your friends.

“here,” he lends you his hands, “hop.” he says as he helps you get on your feet.

“you really don’t have to, i ca-” you begin, “y/n, darling, spare me the “i can do it myself” speech for another day, okay?”

you try to rebut, “but, really, i can do this myself.”

“yeah, yeah. you’re an independent, strong, woman. i know. we all know. now let me help you.” he says, taking your hand into his, his warm skin pleasing to the touch.

although the nausea and the hammering pain in your womb, you can’t help but chuckle at his statement. “thank you.” you whisper, going on your tippy toes to print a phantom kiss on his cheek.

tsukishima paid for your and his part as he said, before giving a quick wave at the table where the others were still dining cheerfully, tossing on his shoulders his thick coat and opening the door of the restaurant for you and himself.

you and him walked out of the building, the freezing, nightly, dicember air hitting your skin like a whiplash, making your aching worsen immediately.

“shit,” you whine, his arm going around your waist, pulling you closer to him. “resist. we’ll be home before you notice.” he comforts, your frames starting to walk down the street hand in hand.

half an hour later, you’re finally home.

your face is sloped over the toilet, puking every single thing you’ve eaten. tsukki’s behind you, although your protests of not needing him to, holding your hair out of your face.

the cold hadn’t really helped, and your walk was terrible to say the mere least. you felt as if you were fucking dying.

“i’ll go make you something warm.” he offers, to which you jerk your face in his direction, tears in your glassy eyes, heavy breathing. “what?! no! i’ll throw that up as well!”

“okay! okay. what do you want me to do?” asks his intimidated self, “go grab my hot water bottle and fill it, please.” you command, rather desperately.

just like that, he goes upstairs, in your bedroom, taking a hot minute to find the needed object, that was buried between your peluches and covers.

you hear a bunch of rustling, then his steps descending the stairs, walking into the kitchen, taking out a small saucepan.

after another five minutes, his figure appears back into the bathroom, where your poor self had been sitting, sore.

“there.” he says, handing you the thing.

you grab it, laying your back against the wall and pressing the water bag against your abdomen so hard you almost burn your skin. “thanks.” you murmur.

“you think you can take the medicine now?” his finger goes to softly stroke your cheek, giving you a compassionate stare.

“yes...” you glance inside the toilet you just flushed, that erased all the gross shit that previously was there. “i think i’m done with it, if life wants to give me a break.”

“wanna go lay down?” he asks, the softness in his voice giving you sweet goosebumps. “are you gonna leave if i do?”

“wha- no. why would i?” his eyebrows jump slightly.

“i don’t know. just a feeling.” you look down, at your feet.

“i mean, if you want me to leave, i’ll leav-”

“don’t.” your hand goes over his. his fingers move under yours, bringing your hand to his lips. “okay.” before kissing its back.

“..stay for the night.” you move your head towards him, resting your forehead against his. “please.”

his face colored of a deep bordeaux.

“are you sure?” he questions. “mhm.” you hum.

you were left alone in the bathroom as he went to his house to quickly change into cozy clothes. you took the time to take your medicine, a short shower to get the smell off of you and brush your teeth– which you definitely needed as well.

just as you got out of the bathroom in your freshly washed pajama, he entered your place again, this time with flannel pants and a purple sweatshirt, that had a little yellow moon at its upper right.

“have you told your mom you’re staying here for the night? asking that for the sake of your ears, you know...” you joke, noticing, as you did, that your pain as already significantly lowered.

“ha-ha.” he sarcastically laughs at your joke, “don’t worry about that.”

you chuckled, the both of you walking upstairs into your room. “how’s your..?” he begins.

“good. thank you again, for... you know. everything.” you smile, entering your bedroom with him following.

“anytime, pipsqueak.”

you’ve turned on your pc, posing it on the bed, as he took out of your closet another pillow and a couple more fluffy blankets, in that room he’s been in so many times before.

he crawls up your bed, after having added all the necessities, before laying on top of your pillows and playing with one of your peluche.

precisely, the little t-rex he gifted you for your birthday when you were kids. which reminded you...

“oh!” you exclaim, making him jump upright. “what?” he asks, searching for any sign of pain on your face.

“i,” you blush. “i bought you something.”

he lets out a relieved sigh, “god, you scared me.” that quickly shifts into curiosity, though. “what is it?”

you clumsily slip out of your bed, running downstairs, where you left your purse. you grab it, going back to him.

the old woman at the shop had wrapped it up in christmas themed paper, with a red bow on top.

“before you say anything, i know it’s dumb.” you look away, stretching your arm out to him, with the thing in your hand. “i just... i don’t know. it made me think of you when i saw it, so i got it.”

he quietly grabs the object from you, unwrapping it. his expression remains impassive, which makes you nervous.

more than what you already are. “i got one for me too- a matching one.” you stutter mildly, taking out your own brown little bear.

when you go back to watch his face, you found him already looking at you. actually he keeps going back and forth to you and the white bear in his hand.

“you can give it back if you don’t like it.” you close your hand into a fist, hiding your bear in it, your cheeks darkening as you watch him get up from your bed. “tsukki?” you ask.

his arms wrap around your waist, lifting you up, mouth catching yours into a kiss. you tense up before realizing his gesture, loosing up and kissing him back, wrapping your arms around his neck and your legs around his waist.

it’s the sweetest kiss you’ve ever received. nothing compared to the passionate one he gave you yesterday, no, it was... so tender. so delicate.

he wasn’t using his tongue, he simply pressured your lips with his. again, and again. until finally stopping to look at you.

he sat down, you on his lap, watching you with an adoring gaze that made your breath cut short. “i love it so much. thank you, it’s adorable.” he goes to kiss you one more time. “and...” he whispers into your ear, “i’ve actually bought something for you too.”

“really?” your eyes lighten up at his words, a wave of excitement crushing your heart. “yes.” he chuckles.

“what is it?” you ask, making yourself more comfortable on his lap, resting your hands on his broad shoulders.

“just a pair of earrings. i... don’t really know your taste, but i thought of you when i saw them, so i just got them, like you.”

your heart fastened at his words, a smile painting your face from ear to ear. “can i see them?”

“no. not tonight.” he says, making your excitement drop into disappointment. seeing the change of your traits, he pulls you closer to him, kissing the corner of your mouth.

“don’t be sad. i took them home when i went to change. i’ll show you tomorrow, promise.” he nuzzles his face against your neck, occasionally kissing it, making those goosebumps persist on your skin.

“okay.” you smile, running your fingers through his short, golden hair.

a couple minutes later, you were laying back on the bed. you had the pc on your lap, as he kept watching and watching the bear you just gifted him. “so,” he starts. “which movie are we watching?”

“my little pony equestria girls.” you deadpan, holding in the urge to turn and see his expression.

“no way, how did you know it’s my favorite?” he exclaims with irony, making you burst out laughing wholeheartedly.

“no, seriously though, which movie did you pick?”

“i haven’t picked one yet. i’ll let you do that.” you say, putting the laptop on his lap, going to lay next to him. “how do you wanna call your bear?”

“nice.” he smiles, as you guys fix your positions on the bed, your head going to rest on his shoulder as he bring the blankets over your bodies, fuzzy socks on your feet and a couple more peluches around the two of you. “pipsqueak seems appropriate. small, annoying. like you.” he says.

“what do you think?” he questions.

“i’m not annoying. be sweet for once.” you pinch his hip. “okay. i’ll figure out a kinder nickname.” he sighs, rolling his eyes with fake annoyance, although his smile betrayed him.

eventually, he picked his movie, series actually, something you’ve never heard of before, but that was quite his style.

the lights were now turned off, your hot water bag had gotten cold, but you didn’t need it anymore. tsukishima was a good substitute.

your eyes were slowly closing themselves as your hand caressed his chest, head under his chin, which he’d occasionally kiss, caressing your body in such loving way you felt like you were dreaming awake.

after all that’s happened between you and him, this moment was the last way you’d thought your relationship with this guy could turn into.

you weren’t complaining of course.

“tsukki,” you called, “are you asleep?” whispering.

silence. you moved your head slightly upwards, trying to take a look at his face. you couldn’t see much with only the pc screen’s light, yet his eyes seemed to be closed.

he looked so beautiful, an angelic, sleeping lamb.

his breathing was also slower. you watched as his chest rised and fell.

he must’ve been asleep.

“i love you.”

you confessed, closing the pc and going back to nuzzle your face against him, covering your bodies under the amount of blankets, ready to finally join him.

your relaxed face goes back into a smile, though, when you hear him whisper back,

“me too.”

✧ previous

[serenastark-official]

⚡️07: How to Get Through a Conversation with Thor Without Hearing His Entire Life Story⚡️

(A Survival Guide by Serena Stark, Professional Sarcastic Genius & Part-Time Asgardian Damage Control Specialist)

Alright, folks, if you’ve ever been trapped in a conversation with Thor Odinson, you already know why this guide exists.

The guy means well, but if you ask him a simple question—like “Hey, how’s it going?”—suddenly you’re knee-deep in a heroic saga involving frost giants, some obscure Asgardian goat, and at least one time he “valiantly vanquished a foe” with Mjolnir (which, let’s be honest, happens every Tuesday).

So, to save your precious time and sanity, I present: The Official How-Not-to-Be-Here-for-Hours Guide.

Step 1: Don’t Ask Open-Ended Questions

You’d think this is basic conversation etiquette, but no—not with Thor.

❌ What you don’t ask:

“What have you been up to?” → Congrats, you just unlocked a three-hour retelling of his last battle.

“How’s Asgard?” → A dramatic tale of loss, rebirth, and some existential crisis about being king.

“What’s new?” → An ancient prophecy, at least one Valkyrie anecdote, and a side rant about Loki.

✔️ What you ask instead:

“Do you want another beer?” → Answer is always “Aye!” and you’re free.

“Want to see me race Peter in the Iron Suit?” → Boom. Distracted.

“Did Loki do something dumb again?” → You’ll get a short laugh and a nod. Crisis averted.

Step 2: Use Distractions to Your Advantage

Thor is like a golden retriever—easily entertained by anything loud, shiny, or involving food.

Food Diversion: Offer him a snack. He will pause to eat. Use this time to escape.

Battle Talk Trap: Mention a new weapon Tony’s working on. He’ll immediately go bug Tony instead.

Challenge Him: “I bet you can’t finish your drink before I do.” Now it’s a competition. He’s busy.

Bonus: If Loki is in the room, just casually say his name. Thor will immediately forget you exist and start looking for him.

Step 3: The Strategic Exit Plan

If, despite all efforts, you’re still caught in a full-length Asgardian epic, deploy one of these exit strategies:

🚨 The “Emergency Call” Escape

Pretend CARLOS is calling you.

Bonus points if you say, “Oh no, Emma's messing with the suit settings again.” He’ll nod solemnly and let you go.

🚨 The “I Have to Do Science” Excuse

Look serious. Mutter something about quantum mechanics.

Thor won’t question it because he respects science (and doesn’t understand it).

🚨 The “Vanishing Act”

If all else fails, just slowly back away while he’s mid-sentence. If you do it confidently enough, he won’t notice.

Step 4: The Nuclear Option—Turn It Back on Him

If Thor refuses to stop talking, flip the script.

🔥 Ask him about something confusing.

“So, can you explain how Mjolnir’s enchantment works with the laws of physics?”

“If Asgardians age slower, how do your birthdays work?”

“Would you still be able to lift Mjolnir if you turned evil for five minutes, or does it auto-drop?”

Now he’s confused and will either (A) stop talking or (B) get distracted thinking about it. You win either way.

In Conclusion:

Thor is a great guy, but sometimes, you just don’t have three hours to hear about the time he single-handedly wrestled a kraken or whatever. With these proven strategies, you’ll be in and out of conversations faster.

And if all else fails? Wong has a portal open somewhere. Use it.

You're welcome. ⚡️