#and you’re not even sure what words exactly were used

[dreamwritesimagines]

Sunshine [9] - Tranquility

AN: My loves, thank you so so much for your patience! ❤️ You’re amazing! ❤️

I hope you like this as well, and please don’t forget to tell me what you think, thank you! 🥰

Pairing: Logan Howlett x Female!Reader

Summary: Simple days can be calming.

Word Count: 2853

CW: Explicit language, mentions of sex, drinking, adult themes MDNI

Series Masterlist

Well.

This was very fun.

“I mean to repeat, I do have a hammer at home,” you said, leaning your elbows on the cart as you pushed it slowly and Logan raised his brows.

“Just a hammer?”

“Yeah, I wanted to put up that framed picture of me and Theo so Jamie brought it and then forgot it.”

“Exactly why we’re here.”

Home Depot wasn’t really your favorite place to shop in, you couldn’t even remember when the last time you had been there was. Needless to say, you felt a bit overwhelmed as you looked at the aisles with many tools and construction products, but Logan seemed right at home there, and the simple act of going shopping together -whether it was at a store you were familiar with or not- made you feel all warm inside.

Who knew the aftermath of breaking your bed would be fun as well?

Logan grabbed a pack of what seemed like tiny pieces of metal to put it in the cart, and you looked around, then gasped.

“Let’s get these, they look prettier!”

“Screw anchors?”

You tilted your head.

“Well if you feel that strongly about them…”

“No I mean— that’s what they’re called.”

“They’re yellow, I like yellow!” you said, grabbing the pack off the hook to hold it up and Logan chuckled.

“Sweetheart, if we’re going to use them on your bed, they need to be metal. Your bed frame is metal.”

You looked down at the pack. “Oh, these look plastic.”

“Mm hm, they are plastic.”

“Well, where do people use these?”

“On drywall, mostly,” he said. “When you’re hanging—hold on, did Jamie just put a screw into the wall for those frames you mentioned?”

“Yeah.”

He blinked a couple of times, then cleared his throat and took the pack from you to put it into the cart as well.

“Yay!”

“Anything else you want from here?”

You looked over at the shelf, then shook your head and Logan threw an arm over your shoulder to pull you closer to himself as you both went into another aisle.

“So wait, you need to put stuff into the wall to put stuff into the wall?”

“Mm hm.”

“Why?”

“Well, otherwise the screw can slip out of the wall when you hang something,” he said. “Anchors make sure whatever is on the wall doesn’t fall on anyone. It’s the same logic with anchoring furniture.”

“None of my furniture is anchored.”

“Babe, you have a mirror in your living room.”

“I just leaned it to the wall,” you pointed out and Logan heaved a sigh, then gently guided you into another aisle.

“I’m guessing you don’t have a drill?”

“Good guess—Logan, we’re not buying a drill!”

He went closer to one of the shelves to grab one to check it. “Why not?”

“I’m not gonna use it.”

“I’m gonna use it, I don’t want that mirror to fall on you.”

“It’s on the other side of the room.”

“Accidents happen,” he said. “That thing needs to be anchored along with God knows what. Every home needs a drill.”

You scrunched up your face, leaning back to the shelf.

“Debatable,” you said. “Every home needs a medicine cabinet. A drill is just something people in home makeover shows use.”

“What are makeover shows?”

Your jaw dropped. “Oh my God, you’ve never watched those? We’re so watching those, I need your commentary.”

Logan turned the drill in his hand and you bit inside your cheek, trying to fight the urge to jump on him in the aisle of Home Depot. Clearing your throat, you tried to focus and crossed your arms.

“Not that one,” you said and Logan turned his gaze to you.

“Why not?”

“We should get that one,” you pointed at the other drill on the shelf and Logan bit back a smile.

“Babe, that one is 12 volts. This one is 18.”

“Volt isn’t everything,” you said as if you knew what you were talking about and Logan pulled his brows together.

“It is kind of important in a drill—”

“Yeah but Logan, that’s orange,” you said and grabbed the pack of yellow plastic anchors out of the cart to hold it up. “See? They’ll match if we get this one!”

Logan stared at you as if he was trying to find the right words to disagree with you but you pulled your brows together before putting the pack next to the drill so that he could see it better.

“Same shade!” you insisted as you pressed your finger on the drill, looking up at him and the corners of his lips twitched, that fond light shining in his eyes before he nodded slowly, then put the drill in his hand into the shelf to grab the one you were pointing at.

“Okay,” he said. “Let’s get the matching drill then.”

                                                 *

At first you had been worried about being too much of a bother when Logan said he’d be fixing your bedframe but now, sitting on the couch eating the snacks you got on your way back home, you couldn’t help but notice Logan looked very comfortable and happy to be helping you out. Right after you got back home, he fixed your bedframe but apparently having a drill and a toolbox within his vicinity had awakened something in him that he was now working on what could be “fixed” in your living room.

You could’ve sworn his face had lit up like a Christmas tree when you mentioned you had shelves somewhere that you had been procrastinating on putting up.

“Are you sure you don’t want my help?” you asked as you popped a piece of chocolate in your mouth and he shook his head, holding the shelf against the wall to draw on where he’d put it up.

“No need princess.”

“I could help, I have some experience in it,” you pointed out. “Not very pleasant experience but experience nonetheless.”

“How’s that?”

“Um, when I was a child, whenever something broke in our house my dad would want to fix it himself,” you said. “And he’d ask me to hold the flashlight and but then scold me for pointing it at the wrong place.”

“Seriously?”

“Oh yeah.”

He looked at you over his shoulder before grabbing the drill and turned it on, making you grimace at the loud noise. He drilled two holes in the wall, then grabbed the plastic anchors and the hammer to nail them in.

You’d had a wet dream like this.

“How did you learn how to do all this?�� you asked him and he shrugged his shoulders.

“I’ve been around for some time. You pick up hobbies.”

“And that’s your hobby?”

“I like fixing things,” he said. “And building stuff.”

You sat up straighter, your whole attention on him.

“Okay, so I can add it to the list of things I know about you,” you said with a bright smile. “I’m quite proud of myself you know, growing that list isn’t the easiest thing in the world.”

Logan shot you a small grin. “Subtle.”

“Hey I’m just warning you beforehand,” you said, holding your hands up. “You won’t even see me coming and before you know, you’re opening up to me.”

“Oh is that what’s gonna happen?”

“Yeah,” you said. “I’m too stubborn to quit.”

Logan’s smile was calm before he took a deep breath, then started working on the shelf again.

“It’s just…” he murmured. “A long story, you know? Too much to tell.”

“That’s okay,” you said softly. “I’ve got time. And until then, you can listen to me talk about absolute nonsense.”

“I like doing that, in case it escaped your notice.”

Warmth bloomed in your chest and you took a deep breath, pulling your knees up to your chest.

“So yeah, I apparently held the flashlight wrong. And there was also that one time—I’m just not the best at fixing things, there was that one time Julie tried to teach me how to change a tire but I ended up convincing her to go get mimosas instead. She’s really good at all that, I swear she and IKEA manuals have something going on that the rest of us human kind cannot understand, she built my wardrobe and I honestly just provided her with cookies—oh my God, Logan!” you said with a gasp. “Do you want cookies?”

A fond smile curled his lips as he looked at you over his shoulder.

“No seriously, I know you liked the chocolate chip ones but I’ve been dying to try this new recipe, it has mint chocolate—do you like mint chocolate? I hope you’re not one of those people who say mint chocolate tastes like toothpaste because I am a ride or die mint chocolate lover, but I think I can also make—”

You were cut off when he strode to you to lean down and kiss you, cutting you off before you let out a giggle.

“Yeah,” he said, pulling back to look at you better. “I’d love some.”

You beamed up at him and stole another kiss from him.

“So yes to the mint chocolate cookies then?”

He stroked his thumb over your cheekbone, that loving look in his eye making your heart skip a happy beat.

“Sure thing sweetheart,” he said. “Yes to the mint chocolate cookies.”

                                                        *

The more time you spent with Logan, the giddier you felt. You knew that you were supposed to keep yourself in check and play it cool considering everything between you two was very new, but it felt as if since you two had got together, you hadn’t been able to stop smiling.

Or it could’ve been just mind-blowing sex.

Either or.

“I’m not really much of a TV person.”

“And I respect that, but not having seen Titanic is simply just not acceptable,” you said as you poured the popcorn into the bowl and made your way to the couch. He wrapped his arms around your waist to pull you to his lap, making you let out a squeal as you straddled him with a giggle.

“You’re not distracting me this time,” you told him, pecking him on the lips before getting off his lap to sit beside him, still holding the popcorn bowl tight. You grabbed the remote to start the movie while Logan frowned at the screen as if it had personally offended him.

“I mean I heard about it,” he said. “It’s romance, right?”

“The best romance in the history of humankind.”

Logan pulled his brows together.

“So low expectations, got it,” he said. “The title suggests it’s not gonna end well?”

“Listen, they may have only known each other for four days—”

“Four days?!”

“Yeah but it was true love,” you said in a solemn manner, nodding your head and Logan’s frown deepened.

“I don’t think that’s how it works, babe.”

“That’s totally how it works,” you said. “It’s like opposites attract wrapped in star-crossed lovers wrapped in a tragic love story. I watched it for like 50 times, it’s my comfort movie. I always cry at the end.”

“Your comfort movie is a movie that makes you cry?”

“Yeah,” you said and grabbed at his arm when turned to look at the screen. “Look, that’s Jack! That’s who Rose falls in love with—wait, Logan, I have a question.”

“Hm?”

“So you were around when Titanic happened?”

“Yeah.”

“Do you remember it?”

“I remember the news of it, yeah,” he said. “Everyone was shocked by it.”

You took a deep breath to ask him another question but your doorbell rang. You turned your head and stood up but Logan was faster than you, so he walked to the door to open it and as soon as he did, Julie’s voice reached you.

“Holy shit you’re tall.”

“Julie?” you asked as you approached the door and Logan stepped aside. “Hi!”

“Hey, sorry I didn’t…” she motioned at Logan. “It’s just that I texted you and you didn’t answer, and I was on my way here anyway because who just got out of a terrible argument with her ex dickhead of a boyfriend and needed some distraction?”

“Jesus, that asshole again?” you asked and she nodded.

“Yep.”

“Come in!” you said and Julie shook her head.

“No no, I really don’t wanna interrupt your sexy time.”

Logan tilted his head while you shot her a lighthearted glare.

“Come in,” you insisted, pulling her by the arm before closing the door. “We’re watching Titanic. Logan, this is Julie, my best friend. Jules, this is Logan—” you paused for a moment, trying to find the right words.

Boyfriend was a big title and you hadn’t really talked about it before, and you actually didn’t know where Logan stood on this whole thing so you decided to play it safe.

“I told you about him,” you ended up saying and Logan extended his hand.

“Nice to meet you.”

“Nice to meet you too,” Julie said, shaking his hand. “You really are a good looking dude, and I was so right about the lumberjack vibes.”

Logan blinked a couple of times as if he didn’t know how to answer. “…Thanks?”

“No problem.”

“I’m pouring you wine,” you said, making your way to the kitchen with Julie following you, and Logan lingered in the hallway for a moment before going back to the living room.

“Are you sure it’s cool I’m crashing your date?”

You took out a wine glass before pouring some wine in it.

“I’ll be offended if you ask me that again,” you told her and she hugged you, making you smile and press a kiss on her cheek.

“Are you okay? Do you want me to like, buy a baseball bat and threaten him?”

“Nah I’m fine,” she said as she pulled back to take the glass from you. “It’s just fucking frustrating.”

“Screw him, he’s an idiot,” you told her as you held her other hand and you both went into the living room.

“Hey man, sorry about the interruption,” Julie told him, flinging herself on the armchair and Logan shook his head.

“Don’t worry about it. No interruption other than me trying to figure out how these two people will have the ‘greatest love story’ in four days.”

“It is true love!” you said, smacking the back of your hand into your palm to emphasize each word and Logan chuckled.

“Yeah alright, sorry. True love.”

“Weren’t you around when this happened?” Julie asked, motioning at the screen and you grinned.

“We share one braincell,” you told her and Julie crossed her arms, looking at Logan.

“Did you meet Thomas Edison?”

Logan looked almost confused. “Uh, no?”

“Good, he was an asshole. Did you meet Victor Hugo?”

Logan paused for a moment, then turned to look at you. “Are you guys all secretly French?”

“No, we just watched Les Miserables one hundred times,” you answered while Julie sighed.

“A masterpiece, if you will.”

“Better than this whole true love in four days thing?” Logan asked, motioning at the screen and you narrowed your eyes at him.

“Careful there buddy, you’re on thin ice.”

Logan shot you a grin, making you smile back before you turned to Julie.

“Seriously, what happened with that jerk?”

“Oh you know, the usual drill. He called me drunk, started with begging and then that whole thing turned into him listing every single bad thing about me.”

“He was the one who cheated on you.”

“Yeah and you’d think he’d remember that.”

Logan threw an arm over your shoulder to pull you closer to him.

“I can beat him up if you want,” he said in such a matter-of-fact tone that it made you look up at him in confusion. Julie let out a small laugh.

“You, I like you,” she said, pointing at him before she looked at you. “I approve.”

“Aw thank you.”

“That being said,” she said. “Logan, you seem like a really nice guy but make no mistake, if you upset her in any way, I’ll get the biggest magnet I can find and point it at you so that I can pull that metal skeleton of yours out of your body.”

“Julie!” you exclaimed, your eyes widening and Logan’s smile widened as if he was merely amused. “Don’t listen to her. She’s nice to me and terrible to everyone else.”

Julie blew you a kiss and Logan nodded his head.

“Noted,” he told Julie and Julie grinned at him.

“See? You and I are gonna get along just fine.”

You heaved a sigh, then grabbed the bowl to hold it out for Julie to take some popcorn. She grabbed a handful, then leaned back to watch the movie while you leaned your head on Logan’s chest, trying to pay attention to the movie. Logan nuzzled into your hair and pressed a kiss on top of your head, making your stomach do a happy flip and you felt a smile warm your face before you bit on your lip, then turned your gaze to the screen again.

[fckmebarnes]

Bucky’s reaction to finding out you’re not wearing underwear? Especially in public?

i got carried away… 18+!!!

he would have you cockwarm him <333 oh god he’d turn feral the second he feels exposed pussy under a skirt you’re wearing

“oh, babydoll..” he purrs softly in your ear from behind, the two of you sitting out on a blanket in the park and you’re in his lap

you have some food spread out, a book or two opened and a laptop to watch something if you two so desired

he desired you

his fingers trail up the sides of your thighs and you’re thanking the lucky stars that your view is of a lake surrounded by trees, mid afternoon and not a person for miles that you knew of

it meant he could take full advantage of you

“what’s a such a pretty little thing doing out here with a man like me, no panties on, hm?” his right hand is trailing soft touches up to your hip, his left metal hair digging into your other and keeping you in place

you bat your eyelashes and feign innocence. you love playing this game with him. “i don’t know sir i, must’ve gotten lost…” you bite your lip as you look at him, his eyes darkening

“well it’s so good that you stumbled upon me, hm? i can keep you safe…” his middle finger trails lighting over your mound before diving a bit deeper in between your thighs. you could feel yourself dripping down on to the blanket and bbucky’s hard cock pressed against you

he chuckles as his middle finger finds your wet hole, flicking the tip of his finger slowly, enough to get you riled up and the sound of your pussy making noises.

“fuck,” he starts, nosing his face into your neck and kissing it gently. he pushes his middle finger into your hole, his thumb pressed firmly against your clit. you let out a gasp, the stretch small bit enough to make your brain fuzzy and want more. “you’re already ready for me, huh?”

you felt embarrassed how wet you had gotten from the time you had gotten ready to leave up until he found out you didn’t have anything on. you were more than ready for his fingers and cock

you let out a small whine with a little nod. his left hand leaves your hip before it finds its home around your neck, pressing firmly. “what was that, baby?” he asks, stern voice making you shiver.

“yes, sir…been ready for you…” you let out a breathy moan as you feel your cunt throb with the added pressure around your neck. you trusted bucky, and he only wanted to make you feel good. and he was doing just that

“good girl.” he praises, and you feel a rush of pride flow through you. you whimper softly as his fingers loosen around your neck, before pushing a second finger into your wet hole. you let out a soft moan, head falling back on his shoulder and he smiles against your neck.

“so warm, so tight…” he mumbles gently, and you feel him starting to rut his hips against your from behind. your brain felt fuzzy, feeling his hard he was up against you made you need him even more

“bucky..” you gasp softly, hands dinging their way to his clothed thighs, almost trying to claw him out of them. he chuckles behind you, knowing exactly what you were trying to so desperately do

“beg for it, baby.” he’s firm with his voice and his thumb against your clit, his fingers curling deep inside you as he pumps them slowly. he scissors them open, making sure to stretch you out for whet you needed most

“please i…” you let out a soft gasp as you feel his teeth nip your neck, biting softly.

“please, what? use your words, come on baby. be a good girl and tell daddy what you need.” he presses a gentle kiss against your neck before biting the sensitive skin again and sucking on the spot gently.

“i…need your cock, please daddy…” he lets out a low groan, grip tightening on you as you moan out his name to the added pressure. he mumbles a soft ‘good girl’ before he rips away from you and pushing you forward gently — just enough to unzip his pants and free his cock

you hear his groan behind you, the sound of his hand fisting his cock and spreading the pre cum. you licked your lips as you felt your hole clenching around nothing, dripping a spot on the blanket

“c’mere babydoll.” he grunts softly as he grips your hips and slides you on his lap. the tip of his cock pushes into your hole before you slowly slick down his shaft

you both let out moans, gripping each other as he fills you, and he can feel how stretched out you’re getting — how much wetter you’re getting just at him being stuffed in you.

you let out another moan as you bottomed out on his cock and he let out a low moan, pulling you closer to him before grabbing a book and handing it to you.

“be a good girl and read to me, hm? make sure to be loud enough that no one can hear how i’m fucking your wet pussy, okay?”

[goingmerryfics]

Calling them ‘daddy’ - Law, Sanji, Katakuri, Ace

Content: NSFW content, minors DNI. Daddy kink, fem reader in Sanji’s part, kinkshaming, two are accidental slips, pet names, some are established relationships

Law

Shachi grins, continuing the conversation, pulls up another pirate’s wanted poster

“Alright. Daddy, or not daddy?”

It’s such a stupid game -choosing which pirates are hot by labeling them as ‘daddy’- but it makes you all laugh, so you answer

You don’t even hear Law calling you three over the laughter

Fed up with it, he sharply calls out all three of your names

You turn, and in a moment of brain fog, you shout

“Yes, daddy!”

Immediately you see your error, mixing up replying with his usual title of Captain and saying ‘Daddy’ due to your game

It’s not what it looks like, but the damage is done. Shachi and Penguin are laughing their asses off, half the crew is losing it, and the other half is just confused, and Law is glaring daggers into you

You quickly correct yourself by shouting, ‘Captain’, trying to will away the heat in your cheeks

He’s not impressed

“You.” He points to you, “are going to meet me in my office after this.”

Sanji

The both of you were in the kitchen after you’d offered to help him prep for dinner. It was nice to be alone with him, and watching him so focused was fascinating

“Can you cut the carrots, princess?”

and you’d answered, “Sure, daddy.”

You intended to tease him a little, but he doesn't even have a reaction to it. He’s so focused that if it’s not food related, he doesn’t seem to realize what’s going on

So every time you’re asked a question, you sneakily add the word to the end of your reply to him

It takes so long for it to set in, but you know exactly when he realizes it because he suddenly shouts and backs away from the stove, blood rushing out of his nose

He drops to his knees before you, face as red as the cayenne pepper you’d spilled on the counter earlier

he takes your hands, his grip gentle as if handling a porcelain doll

“My sweet, sweet pumpkin pie!”

It takes an hour to get him off of you

Katakuri

“Don’t.”

You’re lying against him, in the privacy of his Merienda, both snacking on your favorite treats

You ask him what he means- don’t what?

“I know what you were going to say.”

He’s so calm about it. You don’t even know what you mean until you remember what you were thinking of- you had been wondering what he would be like as a father

Judging by the hint of blush on his face, easy to see here in the Merienda with his scarf set aside, you realize you were probably at some point going to connect the thought to another and call him ‘daddy’

You end up grinning and poking at him, asking why he’s blushing

He won’t answer you, just looks away with a little grumble. You’ll have to bring it up later to see if his reaction leads to something more

Ace

You were distracted and Ace was pestering you for attention, chatting your ear off and asking you questions

“What’s for dinner?”

“What are your plans today?”

It had slipped out of your mouth without you even thinking after answering one of his stupid questions and now he won’t let it go

You hadn’t even noticed it when you said it- you were too annoyed to pay attention to what words you were using, but he did

You’ve never seen someone turn around so fast. His hat even falls off his head.

“Huh? What did you say?”

He knows damn well what you said, he just wants to hear it again

He pokes at your reddened cheek all day, refusing to say it again and swearing you don’t know where it had come from when you said it

“Say it again, c’mon, I wanna hear you say it!”

Honestly, you have no idea why you put up with this guy sometimes. He’s lucky he’s cute

[jeonstudios]

fontana di trevi | 02

you seek out a vampire to help you with something.

pairing: vampire!jk x sadgirl, blood donor!reader

genre: vampire au, angst, fluff (really a sadgirl fic lol)

word count: 9k

warnings: same as last time basically: blood, needles, suicidal thoughts and intentions

rating: NC-17 – Adults Only

masterlist

part 2/2

<previous | next>

© between takes is copyright jeonstudios. this fic can not be modified, re-posted, or translated without my permission.

“Thanks,” you smile politely as you close the car door, hearing the Uber drive off behind you. The walk up to the house is no different than last time, yet it definitely feels different. Both because of what happened almost a week ago, but also since you’re hoping this will be the last time.

What certainly is different is the surprised look on the vampire’s face as he opens the door to see you standing there with your hands in the pockets of your winter coat.

He himself is wearing a black hoodie, and once again, black shorts. His hair looks a little messier than how you’re used to seeing it. Almost like he’s been sleeping. Vampires don’t sleep, though, do they?

“I… didn’t think you’d show,” he admits honestly, nonetheless opening the door wider for you, and as you enter, you can’t help but think that he looks… almost cuddly.

Of course, he still gives off the usual intimidating aura, and he should probably be even scarier to you considering what happened last time you met him, but… you don’t know. Perhaps you’re just so deprived of human touch that a bloodthirsty vampire’s cold embrace seems inviting.

This time, he waits in the hallway while you step out of your shoes and remove your coat. 

“Yeah, I still want this. I just… wasn’t prepared,” you explain rather vaguely, knowing that he understands exactly what you’re getting at anyway. You want to die but on your terms.

“It wasn’t my intention. To do what I did.”

You meet his eyes. It’s not an outright apology, but it feels eerily close to one.

“You were there to… feed, weren’t you?”

He nods. “Didn’t get the chance to on Thursday or Friday.”

It’s your turn to nod in understanding. For a short moment, you stand there, looking at each other. 

Until you break the silence. “So, can we start?”

“Sure,” he agrees, turning around to head toward the kitchen.

Like the first time you showed up to his house when he didn’t think you were going to, he has to bring the supplies from wherever he keeps them. You take your spot at the table, slip off your cardigan, and wait.

The vampire returns with his hands full, placing the stuff down on the table before he pulls out another chair and positions it the same way as always. But his focus lies on your skin.

“These are new bruises?” he asks, carefully grasping your hand and very gently lifting it to better inspect the yellowing marks covering your skin. “You always bruise like this after?”

You follow his gaze. There are currently three bruises on your right arm, none the same as the night he almost killed you. Two are yellow and from when you bumped into a dresser at home a few days ago. The third is purple but smaller and its origin a mystery. If he wanted to see bruises, he should’ve seen the ones on your legs after you fell when he attacked you.

“Not the first time, but yeah. Usually just from the needle site, but lately, it’s all over. I guess I’m a little deficient in something,” you joke quietly, but the vampire doesn't laugh. 

“Why does it interest you so much? Do you have some kind of medical degree?” you ask, thinking back to when he first asked you why you didn’t wonder about his apparent knowledge.

“Not officially, but being dependent on humans like we are to some extent, you tend to pick up on stuff, and having been around as long as I have, it’s even more unavoidable. But I’ve never seen bruising this severe from blood loss.”

Fair enough. Your body should definitely try to keep the little blood remaining inside your veins, where it belongs. 

He starts prepping your arm, but instead of looking away, you close your eyes. Are you imagining things or has he been… softer lately? Making sure you got home safely instead of leaving you to your fate, almost worrying about your bruises, and being gentler in the way he attaches the needle? Then again, he’s only making sure you can give him as much blood as possible, and he also would’ve probably killed you if he’d gotten ahold of you last week.

“I take it you’ve killed before?” 

There’s a few seconds of silence, but then he answers, and there’s nothing hidden in his words or voice that reveals something more.

“I have.”

“How do you…,” you start, unsure of how to phrase your question. “I mean, what do you do… after?”

“Are you asking…?”

“How do you… dispose of them? And… I guess, how will you dispose of… me?”

It’s not really a sensitive question for you, so you’re not sure for whose sake you’re so careful. You doubt the vampire really cares.

You hear him exhale. “I guess it depends on the circumstances. I haven’t planned anything.”

You wince when he sticks you, more painful this time for some reason. The ball is placed in your hand like always, and you start to squeeze it.

Your curiosity isn’t that dire, so you’re not disappointed by his answer. Maybe he’s not even being honest, and it’s for your sake? Which brings you back to why he’s being extra gentle. The only other explanation you can think of is that he feels sorry for you. Maybe he just truly wants to spare you unnecessary pain and worry in the last moments of your pathetic life? Because this is it. With how shitty you’ve been feeling these last couple of weeks and especially since last time, you know it won’t be long. Today’s the day.

One bag. He can take one bag and after that he’ll have to end it. That way, you don’t have to bleed out, and he’ll get as much blood as possible. If he takes your advice about how to drain the rest, well, that’s up to him.

You’re startled by the sound of knocking, opening your eyes to see the vampire rise from his chair, seemingly sharing your surprise. “I’ll be back in a minute.”

Nodding, you close your eyes again, getting as comfortable as you can in the chair while wondering who’s at the door. A vampire friend? A vampire partner? Surely, he doesn’t hang out with humans on the regular? You always got the impression, both from him and vampires in pop culture, that they don’t really care for humans. In fact, a dirty human only pesters a vampire’s environment unless they’re actively dying.

Your heart hurts. It’s beating heavily inside your chest, a feeling you’ve grown somewhat used to over the weeks, but it feels undeniably worse. Like every beat is a painful and exhausting accomplishment. Your breaths grow heavier too. 

Surely, it’s been more than a minute. Is he on his way back? If he were a human, chatting with another human at the front door, maybe you would’ve heard them, but you can’t discern anything. 

It feels a little like your head’s in the clouds, and you’re not sure if your eyes are still closed or if they’re open and you just can’t see anything. You have a feeling that not only can’t you hear the vampire, you can’t hear anything anymore.

Realizing that this is it, you try to call for him quietly to tell him so, but although you’re pretty certain you’re dying, for some reason, you don’t want to interrupt whatever he’s doing with his visitor.

“Fine, alright, I’ll talk to him, but please, this is not a good time.”

“But he’s being an ass, and you were the last person he spoke to before he left for fucking Iceland.”

Jeongguk rolls his eyes at his friend, Yuqi. With how much she and Taehyung love each other, there’s a surprising amount of drama. 

“I don’t wanna get involved. I’ll call him later.”

“Fine, get back to me after. If he doesn’t answer, I’m taking the first flight.”

“Vampire?”

Yuqi, who was just about to turn around to leave, stops in her tracks.

“What… was that?” she asks, standing still before discreetly scenting the air. “Is that… blood?”

Jeongguk’s eyes widen. He’s used to smelling blood whenever you’re there to leave it, but not this much. Quickly, and without regard to Yuqi, he turns to rush back into his kitchen, eyes going even wider at the vision in front of him.

“Vampire?” you call out quietly again from the chair, eyes closed and unknowing of his return. You seem out of it, bordering on unconscious, and it’s not without reason. Jeongguk curses himself for not double checking the blood bag when he knows that brand is prone to ripping because the bag isn’t full; it’s broken, and your blood is dripping into a big puddle of red on the floor.

You think… you’re being… carried? By someone firm and… warm. You like that.

“I’m not warm," a low voice comments. "At least I’m not supposed to be.”

“I’m dying… right?” you mumble, feeling how the vampire puts you down on something soft.

“Probably, yeah.”

He does something to your arms, and you can’t figure out what, but you realize it has something to do with collecting the remaining blood when you’re gone.

There’s another voice.

Next time you open your eyes, you feel… different. And upset. You’re not as dizzy as you’ve become accustomed to, and the room doesn’t spin when you sit up on the bed. Your body hurts, but it feels more like you’re simply tired and beat than extremely weak. Most importantly, you feel, which means you’re not dead.

As if he could sense your awakening—or just possesses superhuman hearing—a door opens to reveal the vampire. He's wearing other clothes, grey sweatpants and a black t-shirt, and his face doesn't give you anything.

“What happened?” you question, looking around the room that’s clearly a bedroom. “And where am I?”

“You passed out. There was a hole in the bag, so the blood was just leaking onto the floor. I had my friend steal some from the hospital, and I gave you a transfusion. Yuqi also brought some clothes and stuff for you, so you’re staying here at least until tomorrow. Then you’re free to leave whenever you want.”

“I… don’t understand. Why would you—why not just let me go then?”

“I changed my mind.”

You look at him, bewildered and trying to find the words. “What do you mean you changed your mind? We had an agreement?”

“I know, but I changed my mind. I’m not doing it. If the blood matters to you, the bags are in the freezer.”

“Why–what would I do with blood?” you question in frustration. Is he offering it back in case you want to drink it? Try to put it back inside your veins? Apparently, you’ve already had transfusions, so you have exactly zero use for frozen bags of blood. “Why can’t you just get on with it? Why not let me die?”

“I do not. Want. To,” he hisses.

You stare at him in silence, feeling confused and betrayed. He looks away but doesn't seem affected. No shame, no regret, no anything but a moment of frustration to breach otherwise calm determination.

“Here’s the stuff,” he gestures toward a duffel bag by the foot of the bed. “You have a bathroom right outside, and I’m gonna order some food for you. You should take it easy; I wasn’t able to give you as much blood as you really need, and unfortunately, what I’ve previously collected isn’t fit to give back. Since it’s been frozen and stored improperly for that kind of purpose, there would be a risk of clotting.”

You look at him from where you’re sitting on his bed, and he looks back at you. The irritation you feel grows beyond what you’re capable of conveying, and so it turns into defeat. It makes you angry, how he managed to back out of giving you what you wanted at the very last second. You spent months upholding your end of the deal, and when it finally came time for him to do the same, he didn’t. 

“Don’t bother,” you lie down slowly, your back facing him where he stands at the door. Silently, you curse your body for feeling so tired; ideally, you’d stomp out of there, slamming the door behind you. “I’ll leave tomorrow morning.”

Your own clothes are still wearable. The few stains of blood are relatively small and dried, and the vampire already placed you on his bed, so you don’t feel like you’ll do any more damage by sleeping in them. The house is quiet, but you don’t think he’s left it, which begs the question of where he is. And also if he sleeps and if he does, then… where? He never gave you a tour or anything, so you have no idea what the rest of his house looks like. Whatever; you don’t care, anyway.

His sheets smell clean, though, and it doesn’t take you long to pass out, truly exhausted.

When you wake up, you can’t find your phone, and without any other time measuring device, you don’t know what time it is. It appears like the sun rose not too long ago so that narrows your guess a little bit at least.

Sitting up slowly, you take a deep breath. You feel… okay. A bit sore almost, but more energetic than you have in a while. Unfortunately, it’s not necessarily a good thing in your book.

Sighing, you put your feet to the hardwood floor. They carry you with only a little dizziness, and you set your sight on the bedroom door. It opens smoothly, and you peer out, looking for the bathroom the vampire mentioned. There’s a door immediately to your left which you guess must be it, and so you head toward it. 

After successfully finding the bathroom and using it, you decide to continue the search for your phone. Since you thought last night would be your last and therefore arrived by Uber rather than driving, it means that without your phone, you have no way home.

You make your way down some stairs, recognizing the hallway as the one the vampire has led you through what feels like countless times. Last time you remember having your phone was in the kitchen, so that’s where you steer your steps.

As luck would have it, the kitchen is also where the vampire happens to be. Upon your entrance, your eyes immediately fall on the tall man where he stands, leaning back against the counter. Although he surely heard you approaching a long time ago, he only turns his head slowly toward you when you’re well into the room. He’s hard to read; doesn’t offer much.

“Do you know where my phone is?”

The vampire twists his body to look at the counter behind him, sliding something toward you. You take a step closer, inspecting the device when it’s in your hands. Three percent.

“Do you have a charger I can borrow?”

“Yeah,” he answers with a nod and pushes off the counter, leaving the kitchen. You wait, quietly wondering what exactly goes on inside his head. He seems unfazed by the whole ordeal, which doesn’t necessarily surprise you. But what you still don’t quite understand is why he claimed to have changed his mind. Could it be that he just didn’t want to deal with your body? 

The vampire returns with a white charger in his hand, his skin cold against yours when you accept it from him. Finding a fitting outlet near the table, you plug the charger in and sit down, gazing out through the window while you wait for the phone to charge enough for the trip home. The vampire has gone back to leaning wordlessly against the counter, and you ignore him.

Opening your phone, you find that the only unread notification you have is a spam email. Why are you surprised? With a small sigh, you lock the device again, hoping it’ll charge faster if you don’t use it. Forty percent should be enough.

It’s snowing outside, and you watch the big snowflakes fall slowly and silently to the already white ground. Waiting like this gives you time to go over all the things you’ve done wrong in your life.

Next time you unlock your phone, the battery has reached thirty-seven percent. You open the Uber app to see that a car can arrive in ten minutes. You confirm it, noting the time as eleven twenty-three. You’ll wait five more minutes before you start getting ready, which honestly is just putting your shoes and coat on. 

The seconds pass slowly one after the other. You wonder briefly how long it took the vampire to clean because, although you didn’t notice the blood dripping to the floor while it was happening, you understood that there was a lot of it. Must suck for him to have it wasted like that. The question is also why he would waste even more blood by giving you a transfusion? If he went through the pain of acquiring bagged blood, why not just drink that?

At eleven twenty-nine, your phone’s battery is at fifty-two percent. You unplug the charger from the wall, and as you stand, you place it on the table with a quiet ‘thanks.’

“Going home?” the vampire wonders, black eyes watching you. He looks casual, but there’s that hint of softness shining through again. 

You pass him on your way to the front door. “Yeah.”

“Reconsider,” he encourages, and you know he’s not talking about your journey home. 

You roll your eyes. “No.”

“Yes,” he follows. “Whatever’s troubling you doesn’t matter. There’s so much for you to see and do, so many places to visit and people to meet. Your life is so incredibly short, and you won’t have time to see even a fraction of the world as is.”

“Thanks for the pep talk,” you say, bending down to put your boots on.

“Have you even been outside of this town?”

Why is he trying to control you? He doesn’t know you; he doesn’t care. It’s not like you’ll magically be fine after his ‘cheer up, pal,’ and ending your life is not a decision you have taken hastily or easily.

“No.”

“Don’t you want to see what’s out there?”

“Of course. But it’s not…” you straighten up to look at him, frustration dripping from your words. “Don’t you see that I’m all alone? I don’t have anybody, no one to experience things with, and much less the money to just up and leave. Sure, maybe I could get a loan and travel through Italy for two weeks, but then what? I’ll be miserable and in debt.”

The vampire tilts his head, looking at you with his black eyes but not saying anything. He just doesn't understand. You put your other foot into your boot and reach for your coat before he can try to persuade you again for whatever reason.

“Whatever,” you sigh, “I’ll be going.”

He doesn’t stop you from opening the door, and he doesn’t follow you when you leave, one boot undone and with your coat held to your chest. Irritation turns to sadness and defeat as you wait for the Uber to arrive, taking the opportunity to actually put your coat on and tie your laces properly. Snow falls around you, and when you're done, you stand there, waiting pathetically by the side of the road in the cold. You’re back at square one.

Despite having slept for countless hours at the vampire’s house, you head straight for your bed the moment you return home. For another few hours, you sleep, and then you spend a few more lying there in the dark, thinking. 

It’s seven p.m. on a Saturday. You’ve wasted a lot of time, months even, waiting for the vampire to get what he wanted and follow through on his part. But that’s over now, so what are you waiting for right now? 

Two and a half hours later, you put your boots back on and throw a lighter jacket over your shoulders, one that allows easier access to your neck.

Still not feeling your best, it takes you fifteen minutes to walk what the vampire did in six, carrying you on his back. You don’t understand him. He acted like he didn’t want you to die, but if he cared about you at all, he would’ve backed out earlier and not waited until his actions brought you within an inch of your life for what, the third time? Was he hoping you’d stay alive so that you’d hopefully continue donating your blood, even if less frequently? 

Although nearing his feeding grounds, you’re hoping not to run into him. He did state that he changed his feeding days to Thursdays, and last week, when you did run into him, it seemed like a coincidence. Besides, this place is your best bet tonight; even the vampire admitted that there were others there last time. Surely, they’re around here somewhere tonight as well. 

Since you assume vampires don’t want unnecessary attention, you stake out near the same club as last week, but this time, you hide in the shadows around a corner. Then, you wait for a victim.

Thirty minutes to midnight, a woman stumbles out through the door, a bouncer holding it open for her. She’s obviously had a bit to drink, and as she clumsily fixes her little cross body bag and sets off along the street, you look around from your hiding spot.

But you don’t see or hear anything; not a dark figure moving nor the sound of footsteps. Still, you follow her, hoping for the best. Wanting to keep your distance, you instead find it hard to keep up with her, which is saying something about your current health.

About two hundred meters from the club, she suddenly slows down, her attention seemingly drawn to something in an alleyway. You weren’t sure exactly how the vampires hunt, but by how the woman begins to slowly drift inside the dark alleyway of her own accord, you guess they do have some kind of pull. Most women, even when slightly drunk, typically try not to do… that.

You quicken your steps as much as possible without breaking into a sprint. Not only do you want to speak to a vampire; if you can take that woman’s place and leave her unscathed, it’s an added bonus. Before you’ve caught up, the woman slowly and quietly disappears, and when you turn the corner with your phone in hand and flashlight turned on, you spot a man holding her to his body. 

Evidently hearing you approaching, the man has placed them against the wall, halfway obscured by a dumpster and hoping you’d walk past them, which you would have if you weren’t so focused on the woman and your mission.

The man squints in the light, and you very clearly discern long fangs. You take another step into the alleyway, but what you didn’t expect was to be grabbed from another direction. 

Gasping, you feel strong arms hold your back against someone’s chest, effortlessly keeping you immobile. 

“What can we offer? Though you smell like vampire already?” The man who holds you says, sounding surprised, and your phone is taken from your hand and the flashlight turned off. 

Obviously, they assume you’re one of the freaky ones looking for vampires because any normal person would run. Your reason for wanting to find one is different, though. 

“I have a proposition,” you stutter, not too scared but uncomfortable with how the man noses at your neck. Despite knowing that if the vampire bites, it’ll most likely be your neck, you can’t help trying to pull away. It’s just another bodily reaction. 

Your words intrigue him, and he moves, creating just a tad bit more space between your bodies and looking down at you with a curious smirk.

“A proposition, you say?”

“You can have my blood—all of it—if you take it right here and now.”

“What’s the catch?” he asks, raising an eyebrow much like a certain vampire you know. “What’s in it for you?”

“There is no catch. I want to die.”

The other vampire, curiously listening to your conversation, whispers something in the other woman’s ear, and lets her go. She stumbles away from him and then casually leaves the alleyway, turning the corner calmly as if nothing happened. 

You meet the vampire’s puzzled yet curious eyes. “There’s nothing wrong with my blood if you think I’m trying to trick you into something. Except that it’s apparently B positive which I understand is not that desirable, but—”

“You’re Jeon’s human?”

“Uh—what? Who?” you ask, confused but slowly putting two and two together.

“Fuck, should we?” the other vampire questions quietly.

“Jeon,” the closest one to you starts, “is the vampire you smell of. He’s been very persistent no one touches his human.”

“Yeah. Can’t blame him. If I was lucky enough to have someone offer to be a walking blood bag, I wouldn’t let them outside at all.”

“I’m not… I’m not anyone’s, and I’m not a walking blood bag,” you explain, feeling belittled. “He made me a promise that he broke. He was going to help me die in exchange for my blood, but he just used me to collect blood, and then he didn’t deliver.”

The two vampires look at each other, and you feel like they didn’t really pay attention to anything you just said.

“I don’t know, man. I’m not sure I wanna get on his bad side.”

“But he’s too arrogant,” the first one complains. “If I want something, why should he prevent me from getting it? He doesn’t own the supply here. I’m a thousand years old; I shouldn’t need to ask for permission.”

“Dude’s like three thousand years old, though? You don’t need to ask permission; you can literally choose anyone. Except this one, for some reason. I don’t think I would if I were you.”

“Our agreement is over,” you try to enter the conversation the two vampires are holding over your head.

“Well,” the one holding your arms peers down at you, “He said that under no circumstances is anyone allowed to touch you.”

You scoff, growing irritated again, “Okay, well, are there any vampires around that aren’t such wimps? If I can’t find anyone to just snap my neck, I’m going to the train tracks and then my blood will be wasted.”

That’s a lie, of course. There’s a reason you picked death by vampire; you’re too scared to do it any other way, and no matter how much you want to die, you can’t subject anyone else—like a poor train driver—to it. Vampires are cold and heartless. They don’t care.

“Hold on. Wait,” the vampire holds you tighter when you haphazardly try to wiggle out of his grasp.

“Look,” he says to the other, “He can’t tell us what to do. Besides, if he gets angry, we can just say that she said their agreement was over, and we did her a favor out of the goodness of our hearts.”

“You don’t have a heart; you just want to annoy him.”

The vampire grins. At first, it’s a boyish smile directed at his friend, but when he slowly tilts his head down to look at you, it turns almost sinister. “I think I’m gonna do it.”

You gulp. No matter how much this is what you want, it does scare you. Mostly because you’re afraid it will be painful.

“Is there a way you can kill me first? I don’t want it to hurt.”

The smiling vampire shakes his head. 

“No.”

You thought death was supposed to be a void. A void of darkness, devoid of physical matter, emotions, and thoughts. But it hurts. It hurts so much. 

Then, a void does take over.

Jeongguk knew you’d try again. If he wouldn’t kill you, you were going to find someone who would. And despite hoping that you would’ve changed your mind, he was unfortunately right. He spent an hour roaming the dark streets around the town’s attempt at a nightlife, but he didn’t come across you. Not until he visits the same place where you first found him, a place he wouldn’t take as your first choice since you ran into him there a week earlier. 

He’s spent hours and hours these last weeks with you on his mind; the little human who wants to die so badly. It’s just something about you and your willingness to die that doesn’t sit right with him, and you won’t leave his thoughts. It’s not his business, he told himself as he saw you curled up and unconscious in your car. Who is he to tell someone what they should do with their life? If anything, respecting your wishes and consuming freely donated blood is easier and more ethical than taking it from plastered people who aren’t really sure what’s going on, right?

The scenes replaying the most in his head are more recent. It’s the way you suggested he kill and butcher your body, saying no one would look for you anyway, and how you called for him, unknowing that your blood was dripping to the floor but still trying your hardest to squeeze that ball for him. Your fingers were barely moving, but you tried since he wanted that blood. 

He’s not entirely sure what he’s doing, trying to convince you to live, but he guesses that he simply needs to know that you experienced some good things in life too. He can’t let you end it this way, as a lifeless body, discarded somewhere where no one will find you.

Anger, frustration, and an odd feeling of helplessness flood him as he takes in the sight of the vampire in the process of draining you dry. He rushes into the dark alleyway, the vampire looking up from your neck just as Jeongguk strikes. There’s not much of a fight after that. The first vampire stumbles backward, and Jeongguk grabs your lifeless body from him as the second vampire approaches, eyes wide and with his hands raised shoulder height.

“Easy, man.”

“I fucking told you to leave her alone.”

The dazed vampire grumbles something, but Jeongguk doesn’t pay him any attention. He places your body down on the snow-covered ground and looks at your pale face while searching for a pulse right under your jaw. 

“She wanted to die.”

“Shut the fuck up,” Jeongguk growls. “How much did you take?”

There is no pulse.

“At least three fourths. Possibly more.”

Jeongguk shuts his eyes. There’s no coming back from that.

You’ve lost and regained consciousness due to blood loss one too many times by now, but this time, it really feels different. Opening your eyes, the sunlight filling the room irritates your eyes, forcing you to squint for a few seconds. 

Without moving, you focus on something. The vampire. Jeon, was it? You watch as he rummages through his closet, practically soundlessly, taking out a few items and looking them over before settling on what looks like two black shirts, one long-sleeve and one short-sleeve. Then he digs out a pair of shorts and another pair of sweatpants. 

You’re not used to seeing him in direct sunlight, but now, the rays filtering through the half-opened blinds paint him in a new light, and you let your eyes linger on his arms as he folds the clothes. The green t-shirt he wears is doing a great job at highlighting his veiny, muscular forearms as they work. Light and shadows play along those very defined muscles, accentuating them further.

Your first impression of him was a cold one, one that slowly warmed a little over time both physically and mentally. But in this light? Without even touching him, he looks… warmer to you. Inviting, almost like when he wore that black hoodie. 

You sigh quietly and pull the blanket that’s thrown over you closer. The vampire hears and turns around, placing the clothes at the foot of his large bed.

“Hey. How are you feeling?”

You take a moment to consider his question. Though you’ve certainly felt better in a lot of ways, you don’t feel the way you’ve come to associate with severe blood loss. 

“Cold. And tired, but in a weird way.”

Weird is probably the best way to describe how you’re feeling in general. You feel light, but not weak. Tired, but not sleepy. 

He nods understandingly, “It’ll pass.”

You catch his gaze, holding it for a quiet moment. “You changed me, didn’t you?”

It’s the only explanation you can come up with. That vampire was hungry, and you remember slowly losing control in his grasp, both over your body and consciousness. With how many near-death experiences your body has endured in the last weeks—all blood loss related—there just wasn’t any chance you’d survive another draining.

“Yeah.” He looks away, sitting down on the edge of the bed. “I couldn’t…”

You think you understand well enough what he’s trying to say, although you’re not too sure of his reasons or how to feel about it. He couldn’t let you die. In a way, you’re disappointed because you were finally getting what you wanted, and dying has proved itself to be surprisingly difficult for you. 

But you’re not angry; not like you were after the vampire saved you the first time. He mentioned once that not even vampires are immortal, so at least you know that you’re not doomed to an eternal life in suffering; you can always try again if you want. However, you’d be back at square one when it comes to options, but you don’t really feel the urgency anymore. At least not at the moment.

He turns his head toward you, meeting your eyes with his deep, dark ones. “Let me show the world to you.”

Surprised to say the least, you mumble a quiet “What?”

He angles his body further toward you, and you see that despite the softer look on his face, he’s certain. “I want to show you everything the world has to offer. All the good things; the magical places and people.”

Not sure what to say, you just stare at him.

“Vampires are not immortal,” he continues. “If you really don’t want this, I’ll help you die. I promised. But please, think about it. No catch, no expectations.”

“But why… Why would you want that?” 

You’ve been alone for so long, unable to keep people around and interested, so why would this being be?

“Because I found that I really didn’t enjoy draining you of your life, especially when you were already so low to begin with. I want you to get the chance to experience the good things life has to offer, and I can’t help but want to be around when you do.”

“You don’t know me though.”

“I kinda want to,” he says, standing up with the cheekiest smile you’ve ever seen on him. “Think about it, okay? I’m not expecting anything from you other than that you consider.”

Still very much processing his words, you feel a cold shiver wreck your body, something the vampire notices.

“I’ll get you another blanket. Your body is still in the process of changing, and with that comes a decrease in temperature. It’s normal to feel cold.”

He’s about to leave when you call for him.

“Wait. What… What's your name? Your given name?”

He stops, and he smiles again. “Jeongguk. And I know yours already; it was on your door.”

You sleep for a little while longer, but when you start to feel better, you also start to think. You’ve been so certain for so long, and you still are—you think—but… either way, you’d like some answers; a clearer view of the whole picture.

“Jeongguk?” you call, unsure how loud you need to be. It feels strange to use a name for the vampire.

It doesn’t take long before the door opens. “Yeah?”

“I have some… questions.”

He nods, stepping into the darkness that is his bedroom and closing the door behind him. 

“Light sensitive?” he nods toward the window, where you’ve pulled the curtains closed over the blinds.

“Yeah… Is that normal?”

“It is. So is feeling sensitive to sound, touch, smell; basically all the senses. But it will pass pretty quickly.”

“Okay. Well, can you… tell me everything about being a vampire? I didn’t think you slept, but you do? Or why do I still sleep?”

He rounds the bed to sit next to you, and you feel it sink as he gets comfortable. Slowly, you turn to face him, watching him lean back against the headboard.

“So, basically, we can do all the things humans do. For instance, you’re still programmed to breathe, but it’s more of a habit and a way to smell than a means of survival.”

While he speaks, you try it. It’s strange, holding your breath and not feeling that strong, strong urge to take in air after a while.

“You can eat human food, but it’s not what sustains you, so most vampires don’t. It gets kinda boring after a while; you’ll see what I mean. Most also don’t sleep as they consider it a waste of time, but you can if you want to. I do pretty regularly. I find it… peaceful, and when you get older, it can be nice, getting a break between days.”

Hearing him talk so casually and almost… softly has you smiling slightly, unable to help it. So he had been sleeping when you knocked on the door, and his hair was all messy, and he looked so cuddly? You don’t know why, but you like that thought.

“You can exist in sunlight, you can consume garlic. Mirrors work for us as well. We don’t age like humans, but we can die if we’re pierced through the heart by something wooden—”

“—You mean staked?”

He looks at your wide, amused eyes and rolls his. “Yeah. Staked. Anyway, you’ll notice that your senses are heightened, and you’ll become stronger too. Not stronger than me, though,” he grins. “As for the blood, you can survive on any.”

“Any?”

What does he mean by that? Human and animal?

“Human, animal, vampire,” he says, the last one surprising you.

You blink, taken aback. “Vampires drink from other vampires?”

“We can. It’s not as common as feeding on humans as it’s mostly… a pretty intimate thing to do.”

“Oh, okay.” 

Thinking about it, you guess you can see why. Having someone so close, feeding on you without the power imbalance of prey versus predator that feeding on humans entails, must feel… intimate. More of a give and take. 

“You’ll need to feed in about a day or two, so you can choose. I have more human blood than just yours as it might be weird to drink your own blood, and I can get animal blood if that feels easier. Or… if you want to, you can drink from me.”

You look at him questioningly. “Didn’t you just say that it’s an intimate thing?”

He shrugs. “Yeah, but if it would make for an easier transition for you, I don’t mind. I’ve taken a lot of blood from you, after all.”

“Okay,” you nod, briefly biting your lip. “I’ll think about it. About all of… this.”

Is death the thing you wanted above all else, or was it to get out of the life you were living? Now that your old life is, in a way, over, you’re not sure. Regardless, there are other worries still plaguing you. You look—almost stare—at his pretty face. 

“What?”

You bite your lip nervously again. “What if you change your mind? I’m assuming this was quite a rushed decision on your part. What if I don’t live up to your expectations? I barely knew how to navigate this world as a human, there’s no way I could… manage on my own as… as a vampire.”

Say you decide to give it a shot; what do you do if he grows tired of you?

“Changing someone is not something we take lightly. We don’t…” he looks around, seemingly searching for the right words. “We don’t change anyone if we’re not prepared to guide them, at least through the first years. Usually, vampires only end up turning their romantic partners, so for most, it means staying together for life. Regardless, it’s a big decision.”

Noticing your wide eyes, Jeongguk smiles and chuckles. “I’m not saying you have to hang around me for the rest of your life, and I won’t ask you to play my wife or anything, but I won’t abandon you.”

It’s surprising enough to hear that vampires not only regularly fall in love with humans but take changing someone so seriously. But you’re even more surprised to hear him use the word ‘wife.’

“Your wife?” you ask, truly bewildered that word was even in his thoughts. “You said vampirism doesn't make you much prettier?”

He looks at you like you’ve grown another head. “It doesn’t. But you didn’t need to become prettier anyway.”

“Oh, come on.”

“I’m telling the truth? Don’t you remember what I told you when I carried you home that night?”

‘You’re a pretty girl, you know?’

Of course you remember, but it doesn’t mean it was true.

You roll your eyes. “You were feeling bad for me.”

“Hm,” Jeongguk looks away, thinking. “Okay, do you remember the very first thing I said to you?”

“That you weren’t going to turn me?”

“For sex, yeah. But I said I’d still fuck you.”

The smile he gives you reminds you more of the vampire that took your blood once every fortnight than the one who saved you. You don’t know what to say, and he seems to realize that, his smile turning softer.

“Like I said, I would’ve fucked you because you were pretty even as a human. Also, about luring said humans in? You will not have a problem with that if that’s something you’re interested in. I kinda want to see you do that, actually,” he grins, sending a shiver down your spine. “Hot.”

Jeongguk is sitting spread out on the rented apartment’s low couch, reading the back of a bottle of red wine when you pass him. It’s hot—a lot warmer than what you’re used to from your little hometown—and you sigh as you open the door to the balconet wider and fresh air starts to play with your dress. The weather doesn’t affect you like it used to, but some aspects are still more enjoyable than others. 

“I think I like Rome,” you place your hands on the railing, looking down at the scene two stories below you. It’s just after ten p.m., and people are dining outside the restaurant below you, their happy chatter accompanied by the romantic sound of street musicians. The air is humid, and besides the moonlight, the street is mainly illuminated by lights from the restaurant and surrounding shops.

You hear Jeongguk put the bottle down on the glass coffee table and stand up, something your human ears wouldn’t have picked up.

“We can stay longer if you want,” he offers quietly from right behind you.

Turning around, you let your gaze travel over his white dress shirt, held together by two single buttons—the rest lazily unbuttoned—and exposing most of his drool-worthy chest. He smirks, looking down at you, and you’re hit by how he hasn’t changed that much since you first met him in that alley. You’ve just gotten to see more sides of him.

You hold your breath, carefully reaching your hand out to pinch the fabric of his shirt between your thumb and index finger, pulling a little on it and nodding.

“Then we’ll stay,” he smiles, slowly stepping back and taking your hand softly in his. His skin feels warm against yours, and it’s almost like some sort of electric current courses through you. You grin as he pulls you toward him, moving to the slow and sensual music drifting up from outside.

Jeongguk lifts your hand above your head and twirls you. It makes you smile even wider, and you decide to place your arms loosely around his neck. He doesn’t object, just looks down at you, still smiling. 

One thing you'll never get used to is how handsome he is. Soft, black hair parted across his forehead, dark eyebrows and eyes, and a dimple that pops out when he smiles. One day, you’ll kiss his nose, you promise yourself. He looks so carefree, peering down at you like nothing else really matters; a mindset not too difficult to follow with him.

“How come everything is so… easy?”

He tilts his head, trying to make sense of your words as he places his hands on your waist. “Well… do you feel cared for?”

You think about it. All the new people—vampires—you’ve met so far are very funny and kind. They see you, and they listen to you. Especially Jeongguk’s friends, and even more so, Jeongguk. He’s easy to be around, and he’s been incredibly sweet to you, understanding that you’re going through a big change and that your previous life wasn’t all that great.

So you nod.

“Do you have anything that worries you?” He continues. “A looming anxiety regarding something?”

“No.” Turns out that Jeongguk and all his friends are filthy rich and also very generous, which means that you have no rent to pay, no stuff to buy, or bills to pay. Nor do you have people to impress or time-sensitive achievements to stress over.

Jeongguk’s smile turns extra cheeky. “Do you perhaps… also care a little bit for someone?”

You’d blush if that was something you could do. “You’d like to know, wouldn’t you?”

He chuckles before he turns a little more serious. “Jokes aside, there could be many reasons. Like I said, not feeling lonely or overly anxious surely helps a lot, but also stuff like… the change of scenery and seasons. But also…”

“Also…?”

He looks at you with a searching gaze, as if he’s trying to figure something out. “Tell me, did you ever see someone about how you felt?”

You shake your head.

“So you never got a diagnosis or medication?”

“No.”

“Then, maybe… you weren’t ‘only’ sad, and vampirism corrected some chemical imbalance in your brain. It could also explain why things are easier.”

Maybe. You thought that your mother dying was the catalyst for your sadness, and without seeing the point of the world, you got “weirder,” and the few people in your life withdrew. Then it was just you, and no matter how hard you tried, you couldn’t connect with people anymore. But maybe, like he said, it wasn’t ‘only’ feelings. A small part of you wishes you would’ve tried to get help, but a bigger part—although sad for the years you spent suffering—thinks this ending might be better.

He continues to sway your bodies, and you rest your head against his chest. When you left with him three months ago, one month after he changed you, you weren’t entirely certain where things would lead, because despite definitely feeling attracted to him, you didn’t really know him. But as the days pass, you don’t regret it, and you’re pretty sure you’re more than halfway to head over heels. You can’t deny that he gives you butterflies.

Sighing, you catch the scent of his naked skin against your cheek, reminded of something.

“You smell good. I remember thinking that you didn’t smell like anything?”

He laughs as you move your face slowly over his chest and up to his neck, smelling him.

“Do I?”

“Yeah,” you say, breathing him in and closing your eyes. There’s the same notes of laundry detergent, soap, and cologne, but also something unique to him. He doesn’t smell like a human, but… almost. It draws you in, that’s for certain.

“Are you hungry?” he wonders quietly. 

“Not sure,” you answer honestly. It’s turned out to be harder to tell than you imagined.

“Well, if you want it… go for it.”

“Like this?” you ask, pushing on his chest with a smile. He lets you walk him slowly back toward the couch, and when the back of his knees hit the edge, he sinks down onto it. 

“Mhm,” he hums happily.

High on the vampire equivalent of adrenaline, you straddle his lap, only to be caught off guard by his scent again. “No, but really, you smell so good.”

He chuckles. “Vampires who are more… compatible tend to smell good to each other.”

His revelation has you sitting back, curious but almost a little worried. Despite the details of your relationship being... a bit unclear—mostly due to his unwillingness to pressure you, you think—you can't help but want him to like you. “Does that mean that I smell good to you as well then? I mean, I remember that you didn’t like my blood?”

“You smell incredible to me. Almost addictive,” he reveals quietly, softly, resting his hands on your thighs, and you think your human heart would’ve raced. “And about your blood… I lied.”

Though grinning happily, there’s at least a trace of regret in his eyes.

“You lied? About not liking my blood?”

“Yeah. B is actually one of the more highly regarded blood types. I’m also B, but negative.”

You shake your head at him before carefully leaning in. With a soft touch of your lips, you locate the pulsating artery in his neck, gently angling his head away with your hands. Then, as you’ve done regularly for the last months, you pierce his skin with your fangs.

“I’m kinda surprised you still believed I didn’t like your blood,” he continues, though it sounds a little strained, like he’s trying to keep still. “If I didn’t like your blood, I wouldn’t have needed to change my feeding days to the day before you came. Nor would I have tried to attack you.”

You listen to his words, but you’ll have to process them better later because his blood is pretty much the only thing on your mind. His blood and his body. It took you a few times to get over the mental association with blood and drinking it, but now, it’s not something bad. It tastes and feels good, energizing you in a way food just doesn’t anymore. And it’s a chance to bond, making you feel closer to him. 

He likes it too, if his body language is anything to go by. You know he tries to stay still to give you the best chance to get what you need without distractions, but the little… almost purring sound that reverberates from somewhere deep in his chest is hard to miss. As is the way his hips shift almost unnoticeably, but you haven’t spoken about that.

Being smaller and recently changed, you don’t require nearly as much blood as he does, and as soon as you feel the urge filled, you run your tongue over the wound to close it, just like he’s taught you to.

“Good?” he asks when you pull back, and you nod, licking your lips. 

You keep your eyes on his skin, knowing that it only takes a second for the wound to heal but up to two weeks for the scar from another vampire's teeth to fade to nothing. 

“All of the vampires we’ve met, they’ve looked so… amused when they understand I drink from you. Why is that? I get that it’s ‘intimate’ but they were pretty much all couples, weren’t they? Not that we’re… you know…”

You haven’t spoken about that, either, really.

It confused you, more so since you last week stumbled across a local couple smiling very cheekily when they saw the scar on Jeongguk’s neck that he’d made absolutely no effort to conceal.

He laughs. “It’s because only I have marks.”

You look puzzled. Yeah, sure, but you don’t understand why that would be amusing.

He looks at your confused face and continues. “The fact that you drink from me but not I from you usually means that I’ve submitted to you. That I belong to you. Which is not very common when I’m so much older than you. It’s usually the other way around if anything.”

“Oh,” you exclaim quietly, lifting your hand to your neck. “Should I…? Do you… want to feed from me? Cause I’m not sure that I…”

You don’t like the idea of losing blood. You know that Jeongguk has said that as a vampire, you quite literally can’t run out, but you don’t like it. Thinking about someone biting your neck has images from the night you died flashing before your eyes. You don’t remember much,  but you remember being scared and how much it hurt. Surely, it would be different to let him bite you, but… you don’t know. You can’t help but feel like maybe you should? Don’t you kind of owe it to him?

“I want to, of course I do, but not that badly. I get that it’s an uncomfortable concept for you, so that’s why I haven’t brought it up. If you ever feel comfortable enough, we can try, because it’s very hot, but otherwise, it doesn’t matter.”

You lower your hand, smiling carefully down at him. He runs his hands over your thighs softly.

“So, you’re really just… ancient?”

“Excuse me?” 

“Yeah? You’re literally older than Jesus?”

He rolls his eyes, still smiling.

“Jokes aside, doesn’t it get boring? You were kinda grumpy when I first met you.”

“Truth be told, it does. I’ve seen everything, mostly even many times over. But getting to see everything with you is like getting to experience it for the first time all over again.”

“That’s kinda… cheesy,” you chuckle, but you can’t deny that it makes you feel warm inside. “Yuqi said you probably needed a change of scenery as well.”

“So what if it’s cheesy? It’s true," he grins, and it's your turn to roll your eyes. "And, yeah, she might’ve been right. I guess vampires get lonely too sometimes.”

Although he's still smiling, you can't help but hurt a little, thinking about him feeling lonely too.

“So then, what’s next?" you ask. "When do we leave for Portugal?”

“Depends on when you want to. I’ll just tell Taehyung we’ll meet them later. As for now, you know Fontana di Trevi?”

“Yeah?”

“Wanna take a dip?”

“What? Isn’t it pretty shallow? And probably… illegal?”

“What are they gonna do? Stop us?” He smiles a wide, happy smile, his white fangs almost glimmering in the romantically dimmed light.

<previous | next> author's note: i hope you liked it!! please reblog if you did <3<3<3

[thebigbadbatswife]

Sippin' on Sunshine

Pairing - Bruce Wayne x F!Reader

Summary - You and Bruce get away from Gotham on his yacht.

Warnings - Established relationship, Mild sexual content, Age gap, Swearing, Intoxication, Fluff, Bruce's POV, a very brief mention of past unconsenual touching (not Bruce's doing!).

Word Count - 2.1k

The sun is shining brightly, making the brilliant blue of the sea glisten. The smell of salt fills Brue’s nose whilst a gentle breeze ruffles the open shirt he’s currently wearing and waves gently lap at the side of his yacht. He’s lounging on a sun lounger, a glass of whiskey, neat, in his hand. You’re just ahead of him, in a bikini of your favourite colour, dancing and singling along to the bubblegum pop that’s blaring from the speakers. All of it is almost enough for him to completely forget about how much older he is than you.

Almost. 

Until he is catching sight of his distorted reflection in his drink and he’s reminded of the grey in his hair and the wrinkles by the corners of his eyes. He stares at it for a moment before downing the rest of his drink in one and setting aside the now empty glass, on the table next to him. If someone he trusted was to ask him he doesn’t know if he would be able to lie for once. The constant implications from every article surrounding the two of you and your relationship, implying he’s a cradle robber (because they know what will happen if they say it directly), and that he’s in the middle of a midlife crisis have started getting to him way more than he ever thought they would.

None of them change the way that he feels about you. You are completely and utterly intoxicating to him. The way that you look at him and say his name. The way that you curl up against him at night and the love songs that you sing to him from the playlist you have curated specifically for him, while he drives you somewhere. How you comb your fingers through his hair and you pepper his face with soft kisses. Or the sound of your laughter, your giggles especially, when he tells a bad joke or teases you. 

All of it has him feeling a way that he has never felt before. It scares him and if he was a younger man it would make him run. In that way, he supposes, it’s a good thing he’s not a younger man.

You are none the wiser to his inner turmoil. You’re still dancing and signing along to the music which, of course, you’re great at. It’s the type of thing that, he supposse, is to be expected from a woman whose parents discovered she was talented early on in life and decided to exploit that for as long as possible. Until one day you finally turned around, told them to fuck off and started doing everything that you could to destroy the cute and friendly child star image you had attached to you. Which is another thing that the tabloids like to latch on to. Claiming that you’re using him to continue your rebellion and destruction of that image, dragging him down with you.

None of them bother you and he doesn’t believe a single word of them anyway. Besides, the several playboy photoshoots you have done, each one more risque than the last, have surely already done that damage you were looking for. Even if they hadn’t, and if you wanted him to help out, he’s always more than happy to do exactly that. You only need to ask him and he will help you put on a show that no one will be able to erase from their minds.

Your eyes finally meet his, your body turning to face him as you stop dancing. Your chest is heaving as you catch your breath. With his hand, he gestures for you to come over to him. Bruce wants to indulge in you, have you chase away the thoughts that are currently plaguing him. Your face immediately lights up and you eagerly make your way over to him.

He catches you as you almost fall as you make a move to straddle his body. Bruce makes a mental note to slow down your alcohol and to get some food inside of you, knowing all too well how yachts and intoxication don’t mix well with each other. 

Though it is a sign of how comfortable and safe you feel when you’re around him. He knows that you have been on plenty of yachts in the past, but were always surrounded by men who only wanted to discuss “important things” and were way too comfortable with touching you when you really didn’t want them to. 

It’s been a few days since you first told him that. It had come up shortly after he had presented the idea of getting away from Gotham for a little while on his yacht, that honestly never gets used anymore. You had been apprehensive about the idea until he had explained that, other than some staff, it was just going to be you and him. No one else. You had been excited about it after that. And if you hadn’t been? Well, he always had the private jet on stand by, ready to whisk you away and take you wherever you want at a moment’s notice.

Bruce still feels himself boiling over with rage over it when he thinks about it. When the two of you get home, he already has plans to to find these men and ruin their lives. Perhaps even put the fear of Batman into all of them. It doesn’t matter how long ago it was, he refuses to let them get away with any of it, but that will have to happen after you get home.

“Careful,” he chides softly, his hand coming to rest high up on your waist to support you.

“Sorry,” you mumble. Your hands come up to cup his face and you lean in to kiss him. You taste like the lemonade and melon liquor you have been drinking today. Sweet and delicious. 

He sighs softly as you part, a hand coming up to tuck some of your hair behind your ear. ‘ I’ll never get tired of kissing her,’ he thinks fondly as he gazes into your eyes.

“Are you having fun?” he asks.

His question seems to take you by surprise as you pull away from him a little and frown. You weren’t expecting him to ask you that.

“Of course I am. Why wouldn’t I be?” You don’t give him a second to reply, however, the gears in your inebriated mind spinning and working hard, quickly coming to your own conclusion before he can think of what to say. “Are you asking because of what I told you?”

He nods. “Yeah. Just wanted to make sure that you’re doing okay.” 

Your frown disappears as your face softens and you look at him in a way that you never have before. He can’t name the emotion in your eyes, but it’s enough to make it feel like his heart has just skipped a beat, like he’s a damn teenager again. It doesn’t last long and you’re breaking the moment as you giggle. Something else occurring to your inebriated brain.

“Is that why your hands are so high up on my body?” You giggle again, finding the whole thing very amusing. One of your hands covers the one that’s resting on your waist and you move it down until he’s cupping your ass, your bottom lip caught in your teeth. “You know I don’t mind it when you touch me in less than gentlemanly ways.” 

He huffs a laugh and moves his hand off of your ass, bringing it to rest on your thigh instead. He can already see where your mind is headed, but he’s still focused on being a gentleman and not overstepping. Especially with the state that you’re currently in.

“I know, but I don’t want to overstep and make you uncomfortable, sweetheart,” he tells you.

“You’re not making me uncomfortable,” you reply. You lean in and rub your nose against his. “I want you, Brucie.” 

He hums. “I think we should have some lunch first,” he suggests. As much as he loves taking you to his bed and drawing every sweet noise of you that he can, whenever he can, he wants to sober you up first. It’s no fun if you’re too drunk to properly enjoy yourself. Not to mention that he doesn't want to take advantage of your current state.

There’s no argument from you, your mind quickly switching away from thoughts of sex to thoughts of what the chef might be serving for lunch. He helps you up and, with a hand on your waist, he keeps you close to him as you both head inside.

Lunch certainly helped with sobering you up. It helps that the chef had made your favourite, per Bruce’s request. You are no longer as giggly as before and Bruce is no longer worried about you potentially falling overboard. Not that he was going to let you get anywhere close to the edge of the yacht to let that happen anyway, but it’s better not to tempt things.

Neither of you have any interest in returning outside to the lounge in the sun. For the time being at least. Instead you are more than content to stay inside, enjoying the air conditioning, while you’re laying on top of him. His fingers resting on the back of your neck, while he kisses you soft and slowly.

He love this. Being lazy and indulging in you. No rush to do anything and not having to worry about the next problem on his never ending list of problems. At least for the moment. 

To think that there was once a time where he had thought he would go crazy if he wasn’t working on his next project or case file. From the moment that he laid eyes on you at that charity event, you have changed a lot of things for him.

Bruce’s free hand trails down your body, mapping out all of your curves, before finally coming to rest on your ass; which he gives a squeeze. You gasp and give him the perfect opportunity to slip his tongue inside of your mouth. Moaning into the kiss, your hand fists his shirt while you start to grind against him, making him twitch inside of his shorts. You definitely feel it because your grinding grows more insistent, making him grow hard.

“Fuck,” he groans against your mouth. He gives your ass another squeeze in retaliation, as well as a light slap that has you gasping again. Letting you know that two can play at that game. It does nothing to discourage you. If anything, you only grow bolder as you take hold of his hand and slip into your bikini, letting him feel just how aroused you are from him. He groans again. 

Bruce shouldn’t reward you. He really shouldn’t. It will just cause you to think that you can get away with this again, in the future. At the same time, he can’t help himself. He does so love to spoil you and you deserve to be spoiled. He presses his fingers up against your engorged clit, enjoying the stutter in your breathing. He plays with you for a moment, drawing soft, breathy noises from you, before finally pushing his fingers inside; loving the way your mouth drops open in a perfect ‘O’ shape. 

He has half a mind to finish you off right here, right now, but he catches movement out of the corner of his eye. It serves as a reminder that the two of you aren’t completely alone on the yacht. You whine when he pulls his hand out of your bikini.

“How about we move this to the cabin?” he suggests. 

“And if I want to stay and do it here instead?” You bring his slick covered fingers up to your lips and, one by one, start to suck them clean. The sight is almost enough to make him reconsider, but then he hears the clatter of plates and glasses.

“As much as I would love to–” he gestures with his head toward the open door– “I prefer being the only person knowing what you look like when you’re riding me.” 

You consider what he has said for a moment before nodding, deciding that he’s right. “Okay,” you agree with him. “And then we can have a copious amount of chocolate?” 

He laughs softly. Your sweet tooth is almost as bad as his own. Bruce sits up, getting you to wrap your legs around his hips before standing up. You giggle as you wrap your arms around his neck and he rubs his nose against yours. “How about both at the same time?”

[a-pute11as]

Magic Touch

warnings - MNDI 18+ suggestive

words - 1434

“Again?” you huff for the third time, as you lay face down on the floor as play continued around you. You had been purposely tripped up, multiple times. You could hear your teammates around calling for play to stop, however considering this ref had a personal vendetta against you, you know it’s no use so you’re quick to get back up and brush yourself off even when the opposition player had now committed several clear fouls against you. 

You continued to play, actively avoiding the player who had given you a hard time for the past 60 minutes of play. Every minute that ticked on made your anger build. 

A corner was awarded in Barca’s favour allowing Alexia a few moments to catch up with you, she knew you inside and out which meant she knew exactly how you felt in the moment.

“Dios mios, she better not touch you again, estás bien?” She asked, taking hold of your shoulders and inspecting you thoroughly. You nodded in response, not wanting to verbalise how angry the situation had made you, knowing if you started complaining about the obvious mistreatment then you probably wouldn’t stop. 

“I’ll make sure this ref doesn’t step foot onto a pitch ever again” She added, her obvious over-protective side taking over, the anger was evident on her face.

You shook your head, “No Ale, it’s okay, she’s doing her job” You sighed, moving yourself into position for the corner, trying your best to ignore the anger that was coursing through your body. 

Luckily you were positioned well allowing the ball to come off your head, straight to the feet of Pina who was able to angle the ball through the crowd of defenders and right into the back of the net. The goal had given you a chance to breathe, Barca was already 3-0 but being able to earn an assist allowed a moment of relief where you felt as if you had done something right during your time on the pitch. 

You celebrated with your team, everyone bounding into a group hug that nearly knocked both you and Pina off your feet. You were congratulated with a round of pats on the top of your head before Ale found you. 

“Even when you’re being fucked, you’re still a superstar” She whispered, as she held your face with both hands and beamed down towards you. Even if the duration of the game had left you frustrated, angry and straight up pissed off, Ale always found a way to make you feel seen and valued. “Mi superestrella”, she added, placing a kiss on your forehead before running back to her position to restart play. 

Running off the temporary euphoria from your assist you felt as if you were finally able to show what you were capable of, yet it wasn’t long until you were back on the floor.

This time the player had committed a clear foul that was very much in need of a yellow card, you were both floored and she was rolling with her knee in her hands. You laid on the floor with your hands gripping at your head as the pain grew every time you breathed. 

“Are you okay?” Ingrid said, kneeling down at your side. There was a gash across your cheekbone that had begun to trickle with blood. All you could do was nod as the sting overtook your senses. 

Out of the side of your eyes you watched as the ref held up a yellow card and pointed it towards you. Alexia had been truly aggravated, as the captain, her previous calls for the player to be fouled should’ve been paid attention to, yet the ref completely disregarded her words. You heard Alexia arguing with the ref and the player that had floored you, she continuously insisted that the ref had allowed multiple fouls against you and that a yellow card was beyond ridiculous. The argument had preoccupied the ref so much that she didn’t bother to call over the medics waiting on the side.

You steadied yourself enough to get up, much to the protest of your teammates around you. Even though the world was slightly spinning, you needed to stand up for yourself. The attention was quickly turned on you as Alexia’s eyes flashed with worry. The throbbing pain throughout your face didn’t stop you from arguing with the official in front of you. A few curse words later, another yellow card was swung up into your direction, quickly followed by a red card. You had never meant to take it that far, but the anger you felt was quick to release and the cut across your face only fuelled that, you were treated unfairly and you wanted to make that clear. 

Your eyes pricked with tears as you marched yourself off the pitch, clutching your cheek as you went straight down the tunnel, unaware of the scene that was still unfolding behind you. Multiple of your teammates continued arguing with the ref, to the point where Alexia was pulled away by Irene and Patri was also given a yellow card. 

The game continued and as soon as full time hit, Alexia raced down the tunnel to find you, she had no intention of stopping for any reason. You were sat on the bench in the locker room with your head in your hands, tears stained down your face, your breath heavy and fast and a gauze covering the cut. 

“Amor, are you okay?” Alexia asked, kneeling down in-front of you, her hands resting on top of yours. 

“I’m sorry ale, I’m so bad at this and I know you’re so disappointed, I can’t believe I got that red card, it was stupid and reckless and I shouldn’t have started swearing, fuck, I know i’ll be back on the bench again and I’ll get dropped from the England squad. I can’t believe i’ve fucked up this bad” The words split out of your mouth as your rambling started and refused to end, your anxiety was through the roof as your mind was running at a 100 miles per hour and you couldn’t figure out how to slow it down. “I’m so sorry, I am so so fucking sorry ale” You added, tears now spilling out of your eyes again.

“Carino, listen to me, i’m not disappointed in you at all, you did nothing wrong” She tilted your head up so your eyes would meet. “Nothing like that will happen, it’s one or two games that you’ll miss and then you’ll be back like nothing ever happened” She continued to reassure you as your breathing slowed down and the tears stopped flowing from your eyes. 

“I feel so shit” You sighed, your breathing returning to normal. The whole situation had made you numb.

Alexia took a second to think before a slight smirk appeared on her face, “Let me make you feel better”.

“Babe, I don’t know” You sighed. 

“You know I can make you feel so…” She ran her hands up the outside of your thighs painfully slow, “so much better”. 

You contemplated it, you knew ale had a magic touch, and it certainly did make you feel better. 

“Let me show you how good I can make you feel, I can make you forget about all of this” Her hands sat on the tops of your thighs as her fingers traced patterns over your skin. “You can show me just how good you are for me, can’t you?” She questioned, one hand reaching up to tuck a strand of hair behind your ear. 

You couldn’t help but nod in response, the effect she had on you was massive and that was all you needed to hear to make you weak at the knees and you’d most likely end up on your knees too. 

“Let’s go home?” She suggested, rising to her feet and holding her hand out for you to take. 

“What about your post-match stuff?” You asked, your face scrunched up, hesitant to take her hand in case you were about to take her away from something important that she was actually required to do. 

“Nothing is more important to me right now than making you feel better” She smirked, “And i’m sure they’d all understand”.

You took her hand, rising to your feet and swinging your bag over your arm as she led you out of the stadium and straight to her car. You had a very overprotective alexia on your hands and one that was determined to make you forget about the mess that occurred on the pitch.

[mixingandmelting]

Bojack Horseman/ “Maybe cause you’re pretty” Meme

Summary: When you go off after he irritates you only for him to catch you say “maybe cause you’re pretty”

Dick:

“Maybe pretty?”

He very much knows he’s pretty. And not just randomly pretty. He’s YOUR pretty whether you were aware or not when you made him yours

Amused but also not where he’s wanting to know what exactly made you think he’s a “maybe”. Like on what basis, standards. Just who exactly is he competing against?

He does make a side note how adorable you look when you huff though it’s most definitely not the time to mention that or bring it up

If you manage to sass him before he gets a word out along the lines of “in what world makes you think you’re pretty when being irritating?” or “you think i’m going to think you’re pretty when i’m this annoyed”, he won’t say anything and listen. If you don’t, he’ll change the argument and make it over the “maybe pretty”

Either way, it’s going to bother him for the rest of the week as he continuously thinks about it during a mission, spam every group chat he’s in asking if they think he’s pretty

Gone as low as asking Haley if she thought he was pretty. He didn’t appreciate the way she tilted her head in confusion

It’s when you tell him that despite what you said, he’s your one and only pretty both inside and out after receiving a text from everyone to do something about him and his mood, that he stops and goes back to normal

Pulls you into a bear hug, nuzzling his cheek into your hair to then proceed to place kisses all over your neck and face with content that’s he’s the only pretty one for you

Jason

“Oh? So you think I’m pretty?”

He’s insufferable and smug, quickly catching to what you just said

A big ol` smirk on his face, eyes sparkling in amusement when you pause and start getting flustered

Sure, you didn’t mean to say that. Yup, of course, he totally understands. After all, he’s pretty to you isn’t he?

Doesn’t let you take what you said back, it makes him feel warm and fuzzy inside knowing that you found him pretty

Especially considering all the scars he has and the things he went through, most would not use the word pretty for him. 

He’s an extremely self conscious person who doesn’t often get compliments. Even if he does, it’s for his work as an outlaw rather than his own person. So don’t fault him too much for him teasing you, he’s simply really happy

He does stop teasing you and take you seriously when you snap at him, asking if he was paying attention to what you said. Despite half his mind being on cloud nine, the other half has been paying attention so he is aware what you’ve been telling him

Gives an apology, half heartedly but still an apology, agreeing to whatever conditions you propose. Has to hold back from laughing from the way you look annoyed without realizing how instead of looking agitated, you looked like you were pouting - and that’s freaking cute. 

Purposely gets you to topple over the edge of the sofa for an impromptu snuggle session where he rests his head on your chest and enjoy the hand that plays with his hair from giving up in ranting at him 

Tim

“I’m pretty?”

Poor boy is completely flustered. A blubbering, hot mess that doesn’t help you to calm down when you realize what you said

He’s going through a crisis in his head, brain going “oh my god they think i'm pretty” to “holy crap,  they think i’m pretty”

No, he is not paying attention to what you try saying as an excuse to cover up that you thought he was pretty. Or anything after that. 

Help, he can’t even look at you in the eyes, your words echoing in his ears to point it got him to turn red from the tip of ears down to the base of his neck

Smart? Yes. Fun to hang out with? Yes. Pretty? Pretty???

When you yell out his full name, he finally snaps his attention back to you, fumbling over his words to make it seem as though he was listening the whole time

He’s hyper aware and extremely conscious to the point when you go “you okay?” with a  look of concern and try touching him, he jumps

When he tells you the reason for him to be jumpy after you ask what has gotten into him all of a sudden, both of you were matching, blushing as red as his Red Robin suit

The conversation ends with choppy sentences including you intention to lecture his ears out going out the window as he holds your hand and leans his head over yours with a silly, derpy grin as it settles in that you thought he was pretty

Duke

“You think I’m pretty?”

His brain short circuits, all sass dies inside him

No thoughts, just you calling him pretty, repeating his head like a broken record. Actually can be considered brain dead since that’s how he feels

Snapping your fingers, shaking him by the shoulder, calling his name a million times won’t work. He’s not responding not because he doesn’t want to, rather he can’t. Literally, he can’t formulate a response

Is this how stans feel when their favorite celebrities compliments them? `Cause he’s ascending into heaven right now over how the person he is loyal and devoted completely to called him pretty

He doesn’t realize how long it takes you to get him to snap back to reality though it seems like it was a while when he comes back to the living you were look more concerned rather than irritated

Side note, he doesn’t really know how you were able to get him back though he might have an idea from how his head, slightly, stings a bit

Not like that’ll even matter when his voice isn’t his usual confident and sarcastic voice but has a slight stutter, quieter, and polite

He’s also jumpy, cheeks and ears burning when you voice out your concern only to end up asking if you really think he’s pretty as a reply

He manages to pass out while standing, blissful yet happiest smile on his face when you give up trying to give him a piece of your mind and give him a bear hug, telling him he’s more than pretty

Damian Wayne

“Obviously I’m pretty?”

Raises an unamused eyebrow at you, unsure why you’re stating the obvious. Have you met his parents? Of course he’s going to be pretty. Or that’s how he acts on the outside at least

Inside he’s absolutely flattered and filled with joy, his mind recognizing how you thought he was pretty/he is pretty to you

Definitely is getting a kick of you being flustered on top of being irritated especially seeing how you’re blushing from belatedly realization what exactly you just said to him

It’s to the point that when you try to go back to what you were saying, it goes in one ear and out the other as he counters with “but you think i’m pretty.”, “didn’t you say i was pretty?”, or “why can’t you answer my question: am i pretty?” He’s extremely smug when he says that btw

The more you react to it, the more it’ll amuse him. Worst part is that no matter how much you deny saying along the lines “when have I ever called you pretty?” or “do you really think i think you’re pretty right now”, he’ll bring out a voice recorder who knows where he got it from or when he had it on him and plays what you said to him back on speaker

If you manage to sass him back about how “wow, to think that’s all it takes to stroke your ego” or something similar, he’ll get petty and sulk. Might even try to start a childish argument with you

If you don’t, expect him to pretty much be in a good mood for the next few days around you and the others. Especially with others, his family and Jon are going to be wondering why he’s suddenly smiling to himself and in such a good mood. It’s scaring them especially when he does it out of nowhere, without any reason they personally know of

He’s going also let you indulge with anything you want to do with him whether it’s simply hugging, cuddling, hand-holding, spend time at a park - he’s at the point he wouldn’t mind since he’s too happy to be called pretty by you

[rikupid]

[3:00] 💭 your teeth in my neck . . . wc: 1.7k

warnings: haechan x afab!reader, nsfw (MDNI), dom!haechan who is still kinda whiny, pinv sex, unprotected sex (wrap it up plz), breeding, degradation, light humiliation, use of pet names (baby, angel, whore), dacryphilia, overstimulation, hyuck is just stressed!!

author’s note: winnie writing dom haechan… WHAT HAPPENED TO ME… looks around nervously bc Who am i!!!!! anyways i hope u all enjoy 😖😖

haechan didn’t mean to snap.

he didn’t mean to grab you by the waist and push you up against the wall with so much force that you thought you had done something wrong, staring at him with a confused expression.

you know he’s not usually like this, his behavior catching you completely off guard, and his only excuse is that he’s just stressed. he hasn’t gotten a break, jumping from schedule to schedule, being told to do this and do that, pushing him over his limit. haechan’s stressed, but he really didn’t mean to snap.

his hands are rough, roaming all over your body and groping whatever he can reach. haechan’s normally sweet, treating your body with so much care that it makes you want to cry, but suddenly, like a flip had been switched, his hands begin to trail lower and lower, squeezing your ass and tugging your hips forward.

you gasp as you feel his bulge pressing against your core, mind trying to process what exactly’s going on because haechan’s never acted like this before, never taken what he wants without desperate little pleas, begging for you to make him feel good.

“hyuck,” you whine, wrapping your arms around his neck and grinding against his bulge, despite your earlier confusion. “what’s—mm, what’s wrong, baby?”

haechan just groans, burying his face into your neck and pulling you impossibly closer, itching for your body against his. he mouthes messily at your neck, biting and licking your skin until it’s wet, flushed red and properly claimed.

“hyuck—“ you try again, but it’s obvious that haechan doesn’t wanna talk, too wound up to even think about voicing his stress properly if the rough sink of his teeth is anything to go by.

he pulls away from your neck, sliding his hands up towards your waist and underneath your shirt, mapping the smooth feel of your skin. “mine,” haechan mumbles, leaning in to nip at your bottom lip. it’s the first word he’s said all night, and something about it makes you throb with desperation, this new side of your boyfriend weird, but not unwelcome.

you nod your head, leaning forward to connect your lips fully and tangling your fingers in his hair. haechan moans into your mouth, slipping his tongue inside and gripping your waist with so much force that you’re sure it’ll bruise.

everything’s so hot, making your head spin as your boyfriend practically eats you alive, almost as if he was trying to prove that you were his, leaving no room for argument.

haechan’s the first to pull away, leaving the both of you gasping for air, lips slick with spit and swollen a pretty red. his gaze is heavy as he locks eyes with you, swimming with a mix of emotions that you can’t quite read. without a word, he slips a hand down into the front of your pants, past the waistband of your sweats and underneath your panties, fingers immediately sliding between your folds and spreading them, marveling at just how wet you are.

“barely even touched you,” haechan mumbles, staring at where his hand is deep inside your pants, rubbing small circles on your clit with his middle finger. “so fucking wet,” he adds, biting his lip.

“yeah—yeah,” you breathe, head falling back against the wall with a loud thump. you roll your hips into his hand, chasing more of the pleasure that comes from him touching you.

“stop moving,” haechan hisses, using his other hand to hold your hips down, forcing them to stay still. his words are harsh, void of any emotion as he growls, “you’re gonna take what i fucking give you.”

you can’t help the whine that slips from your throat, nodding and not daring to try moving again. your pussy throbs at the rough treatment, turning you on even more.

haechan says nothing else, pulling his hand out of your pants and flipping you around, crowding you up against the wall. you moan, an unexpected noise at the sudden switch in position, and his bulge strains against the curve of your ass.

his movements are rushed, little to no care behind them as he tugs your sweats and panties down, leaving them pooling around your knees. you shiver at the sudden exposure, closing your eyes and pushing your ass back against him, desperate for whatever he’s about to do to you.

“hyuck,” you moan, pressing your forehead up against the wall. you hear the faint sound of his zipper, biting your lip in anticipation.

haechan ignores you, pulling his leaking cock out of his pants, barely even bothering to pull them down, before grabbing the base and guiding it towards your slit. he teases, dragging the tip between your folds and wetting it with your own arousal.

“could jus’ slip it in if i wanted,” he whispers, talking to nobody but himself and pressing the tip inside as if he were really going to. “gonna fuck this pretty pussy, make it all mine,” he breathes out, hands pressing into your back, forcing it down into a pretty arch.

“please, hyuck,” you whine, walls fluttering around the tip of his cock that’s just barely pressing inside you.

haechan scoffs, a lazy grin on his face as he takes in the sight of you, pressing your ass back into his cock as if you were some kind of cheap whore. “begging and i haven’t even done shit,” he sneers, holding your hips in place to keep you from moving.

he pulls the tip of his cock out before spitting into his hand, slicking up his length and groaning at the stimulation. before he can lose himself in the pleasure, he places both of his hands on your ass, spreading your cheeks to slide his cock inside your pussy, bottoming out in one slow and deep thrust.

a long moan is ripped from your throat, the girth of his cock stretching you out so good, any thoughts you had disappearing and melting from your brain. “hyuck—oh,” you cry, squeezing your eyes shut.

“tight—so fucking tight,” haechan gasps, hunching over your back and digging his face into the back of your shoulder. he pulls out, just barely leaving the tip inside, before slamming his hips against yours, bullying his cock back into your pussy. like this, he builds up a rhythm, fucking you without mercy, his thrusts too fast for you to stay coherent, moans choked and words stuck in your throat.

he’s so deep it feels like you can’t breathe, your hands scrambling for something to hold onto, fingers digging uselessly into the wall. your body rocks with slam of haechan’s hips, legs going weak as you try to keep up.

“take it so good, baby—fuck,” haechan whines, voice shaky and out of breath, but his hips keep the same relentless pace, never letting up. “made to take my cock,” he babbles, wrapping his arms around your waist to pull you closer, “gonna make me fucking c-cum.”

“please,” you moan, feeling your orgasm build up. your pussy throbs, heat boiling in your stomach and threatening to explode so hard you’ll break.

“yeah? maybe s’all you’re good for,” he says, slowing his hips and rolling them in deep, pointed thrusts. “just a whore that’s only good for cock,” haechan mumbles in your ear, bringing a hand down to rub at your clit. a choked moan leaves your lips, spit beginning to pool inside your mouth.

“so dirty baby, so fucking dirty, getting off on me fucking you like this,” he continues, words punctuated with each thrust.

“hyuck—hyuck,” you gasp, barely managing to get the words out. he picks up the pace again, leaving you breathless, and finally, the tension in your belly snaps, orgasm washing over you in strong, powerful waves. your legs give out, body supported only by haechan’s grip, and fuck, he’s still going.

“that’s it, baby,” haechan groans, hips stuttering from the way your pussy clenches around him, practically sucking his cock back inside.

“too much, s’too much,” you whine, loud and pathetic, tears welling up in your eyes. your hand flies down to grab his wrist, trying to stop him from rubbing at your oversensitive and throbbing clit.

“shut up,” haechan spits, grabbing both of your hands and pinning them behind your back. “k-know you can take it, angel, c’mon,” he pants, thrusts turning sloppy as he feels his orgasm getting closer and closer.

“hyuck,” you sob, too stupid to think of anything else, haechan’s cock having properly fucked you silly, leaving you with nothing but the thoughts of hyuck, hyuck, hyuck.

finally, after what feels like years, haechan pushes in with one last final thrust of his hips, groaning as he spills inside your pussy. “fuck,” he whines, biting his lip as he cums, the tension in his shoulders disappearing with every last drop.

you’re both panting, completely spent, and for a moment, it’s silent. haechan nuzzles into the back of your neck, rubbing his sweaty bangs against your skin, and it should be disgusting, but you’re too tired to actually scold him.

he pulls his cock out, backing away to watch as your hole flutters, a small trickle of cum beginning to pool and spill out. “mine,” he whispers, hands caressing your skin like an apology, trying to make up for the rough treatment.

you nod, finally coming back to your senses. “yours,” you agree, sniffly and quiet. haechan gently guides you back into a standing position, crowding you against the wall and nuzzling back into your neck.

“love you,” he mumbles, voice quiet and obviously drained, his body slouching against you. he tightens his arms around your waist, sighing.

“love you too, hyuckie,” you hum. “what was wrong?”

“just—you know,” haechan whines, not wanting to elaborate.

and yeah, you know. with you, words aren’t necessary for you to know what your boyfriend needs.

a/n: ummmmm… Not sure. the haechan voices got to me and that video of him moaning during the asmr with jisung did Not help!! lmk what u guys thought about this :>

tags: @haetrack @injunnie-lemon

[moonchild9350]

Whispers of Beauty

summary: you find your way again after a horrible breakup with the help of poetry and Hyunjin.

pairing: Hyunjin x fab!reader

genre: strangers to lovers au (slow burn), angst, fluff, smut-18+ MDNI

word count: 6.8k

warnings: time jumps, nipple play, clit play, unprotected sex (don't), creampie, multiple orgasms, cum tasting, finger sucking

notes: reminiscing of hyunjin as always. this will also probably be it until i finish the series i'm working on lol. the poems used in this fic are Now Sleeps the Crimson Petal by Tennyson and She Walks in Beauty by Lord Byron if you'd like to read them in full!

if you enjoyed, please consider a like, reblog, or comment as it keeps me motivated ♡

dividers by @saradika-graphics

please do not copy, translate, modify, use, or repost my work elsewhere without my permission. ©moonchild9350 (2024)

It was another busy day at the cafe, people coming in to order their usuals as they made their way to work, school, or elsewhere. You lose yourself in the art of making their drinks, the familiar task giving you a sense of comfort.

You definitely needed comfort after a recent breakup, the wounds so fresh, you could still feel your heart rip in two at just the thought. You were in need of some healing and your friend, Ember, knew just the activity that will help.

Every Friday, the cafe you worked at hosted poetry night where others can spend their evenings sharing their original works or reciting works of some of poetry’s greatest authors.

You loved poetry, loved getting lost in the words of those who walked this earth centuries before you. The works always incited emotion, your eyes welling up in tears, or scowling in anger at the passion of the writers.

You also loved listening to others, as they poured their heart out through words, weaving their stories through happy narratives or euphemisms.

While you were dating your ex, your passion for poetry dimmed, finding no comfort from the words on the page as your love for the stories was berated and considered worthless.

You sat aside your poems in exchange for the thought of love, burying the feeling of hopelessness deep within your heart.

Now that you were free, you started engaging in poetry reading again, getting lost in the words once more, your smile returning as you found some comfort from them. Ember suggested you start going to poetry nights, so you could get out of the house, meet new people, and of course engage in your ultimate love.

At first, you weren’t keen on the idea, having not gone to an event like this in years, but overtime you changed your mind, deciding it was exactly what you needed.

So you busied yourself in your work, counting down the hours until the end of your shift and when you could take a seat and enjoy the entertainment of the night.

Time passed, people came, drinks were made. Before you knew it, you were clocking out, taking off your apron and setting it on your hook. You fixed your outfit in the bathroom, then went in search of your friend, hoping she had already arrived.

You smiled as you spotted Ember, sitting on a couch in the corner. You walked over to her, embracing in a hug before sitting down with a sigh, happy with the relief of getting off your aching legs.

“I’m so excited you agreed to do this!” Ember exclaimed, pulling you close so she could hug you.

“Same, it’s been too long,” you replied, wrapping your arms around your friend.

She playfully ruffled your hair, laughing as you protested. “Seems like it’ll be a good turn out.”

You scanned the room, noticing that the tables and couches were filling in, friends, couples, and singles alike settling in for a good night.

“Yeah, the turn-out is usually good,” you replied.

You listened to the chatter, your mind wandering elsewhere in the cozy atmosphere. You’re not sure how much time passed as you stared into space, your mind running nonstop.

“Y/n! It’s about to start!” Ember said as she elbowed you in the side.

You shook your head to come back to the present. The lights were dim, a small spotlight shining on a spot in the center of the room. You assumed this would be where those who wanted to share their thoughts would sit, as there was a small wooden stool present, along with a microphone.

The crowd quieted, their attention focused on your boss who walked to the mic. She tapped on the head before clearing her throat.

“Welcome to poetry night! Tonight we will listen to some talented people recite some of literature’s greatest works. So sit back and let the words flow through your soul.”

You clapped as she left the makeshift stage, the first performer taking their place. You listened to poem after poem, your mind opening up and your heart beating at the promise of the words that were flowing through the small space.

Before you knew it, the night was almost over, the event coming to a close. You clapped as the last performer took to the stage, your eyes widening at the sight of him.

He was dressed in a black sweater and jeans, the fit loose on his slim body. His brown hair framed his face perfectly, the strands hanging down to his neck. His eyes were a beautiful shade of chocolate brown and seemed to shine with the spotlight that shone from above. His lips were large and plush and a pretty shade of pink that had you blushing.

He sat on the stool and pulled the mic closer and adjusted it. He cleared his throat as he looked out into the audience, his eyes roaming those gathered as if he was summoning their attention.

The extra step was moot however as everyone’s eyes were trained on him, awaiting the beautiful words that would fall from his lips.

You watched with bated breath as he opened his mouth and began to speak:

“Now sleeps the crimson petal, now the white; Nor waves the cypress in the palace walk; Nor winks the gold fin in the porphyry font. The firefly wakens; waken thou with me.”

As the man spoke, you felt like you were transported to another time, as a princess professes her love for the prince. The words that he spoke were smooth like velvet, yet full of emotion.

His eyes gazed upon the crowd, his eyes catching person after person as he recited the poem, making sure to captivate the audience. Eventually, his eyes made it to you and remained there as he continued to speak.

You couldn’t help but watch his lips as they opened and closed, as he continued his prose. You could feel your face heat up, as you dragged your eyes to his, holding his strong gaze.

He finished in a beat, the crowd erupting in cheers as he stood up and bowed slightly, before returning to his seat. He wasn’t sitting far from you as he was only a few tables away, his back turned toward you.

As the night went on, you couldn’t help but stare at the man, your mind still reeling after that performance. You wondered who he was as you haven’t seen him around the cafe. Ember tapped you on the thigh, causing you to turn and look at her.

You rolled your eyes as she wriggled her eyebrows at noticing how you were staring at the mystery man.

Once the lights came back up, people milled around chatting, discussing the choices of the night. You noticed a crowd of people surrounding the mystery man, mainly women gushing at how well he did.

“I’ll be right back,” you told Ember, who was speaking with some random person that was sitting next to you.

“Sure thing babe,” she replied, a sly smile forming on her face.

You walked over toward the man, determined to speak to him before the night ended. You definitely wanted to compliment him on his choice of work as Tennyson was one of your favorite authors.

You waited patiently as the flock of groupies gushed to him about irrelevant things, probably trying to see who could get his number first. You smirked at their desperation, watching as he tried to disentangle himself from a girl who was trying to hug him.

Chuckling, you decided to help him out.

“Eh mm,” you said, raising your eyebrow at the girls who turned around to see who had interrupted them.

“Others are waiting to speak with the gentleman, just wanted to let you know.”

The girls looked at you with disdain, their eyes narrowed as they hesitated to move. When you opened your mouth to say more, they scrambled away, muttering under their breaths about how they were rudely interrupted.

Shaking your head, you approached the beautiful man and smiled.

“Hi, great job tonight. Tennyson huh?” You said, watching as the man blushed and tucked his head down.

“Thank you, uh…yeah. He’s one of my favorites.”

“Really mine too! I’m y/n,” you responded, holding your hand out to shake his hand.

His eyes lit up at your words, excitement etched on his face. “Ah! Another fan, that makes my heart sing y/n. I’m Hyunjin.”

Hyunjin reached his hand to you, wrapping his fingers around yours and giving you a firm handshake. You couldn’t help but think how soft his hands were, albeit a little sweaty.

“I’d love to chat with you more about him…or poetry in general,” you said dropping your hand.

“Of course, of course, that would be excellent!” Hyunjin said as he nodded, his hair falling into his face at the movement.

“Great, I actually work here, so maybe we can meet-up after one of my shifts?”

“Sounds perfect,” he said, fiddling with his sleeves.

You smiled at how nervous he was, thinking he was pretty cute. “I’ll see you around then,” you said with a wave of your hand.

You turned on your heels and walked away, making your way back to Ember. You couldn’t miss the sly grin she had plastered on her face.

“Well, well, well, someone’s been busy,” she teased, giving you a wink.

“No, no, I just wanted to speak with him and see if he wanted to talk more about Tennyson. Turns out that’s his favorite poet too.”

“Mmhmm, sure whatever you say babe. Did you get his name?” Ember asked.

“Hyunjin,” you said simply, a warm feeling spreading throughout your body as you said his name.

“Well, may great things be in store for you two,” Ember said, as she genuinely smiled at you.

-- --

Weeks passed with you filling your days with work. You picked up long shifts which left you exhausted by the end of the day, causing you to tread home and immediately fall into bed out of exhaustion.

You saw Ember sporadically over the weeks on your few off days, which was a nice change of pace.

You haven’t seen Hyunjin, as he hasn’t stopped by. You pretty much gave up on the idea of the man showing up, chalking it up to that he forgot or wasn’t interested….not that he owed you anything anyway.

Despite this, a part of you hoped he would have stopped by, wanting to discuss with him his love for literature. You were fascinated with him, remembering how velvety his voice sounded as he brought centuries old words to life.

You were working the register one day, taking people’s orders, which you didn’t mind as most of your customers were regulars and really kind. However, the sight of a particular person made you gasp, your eyes widening at the sight of them.

The man sauntered over, a smirk on his face as he approached the counter.

“Well, well, hi love,” he said.

You felt bile rise-up at his words, your mind swirling with a million thoughts.

“What are you doing here?”

Your ex, Elias chucked and ran a hand through his hair.

“Can’t I just stop by for some coffee and to see my favorite girl?”

“I’m not your girl,” you sneered, your fists balling up at your side.

“Oh come on love, don’t be like that. I’ll take you back you know. Just be a good girl and be mine again.”

You were furious, heat rising to your face as your blood boiled. You could feel your hands shake, wanting to punch this man in front of you.

You were about to respond when another person stepped behind Elias, his eyes narrowed.

You looked up and recognized Hyunjin, your heart skipping at a beat at the sight of him.

“You’re holding up the line,” Hyunjin said, crossing his arms and adapting a threatening stance.

“I’m almost done,” Elias said as he continued to focus on you.

You swallowed as you saw Hyunjin’s face turn red, his fists balling up.

“Is he bothering you y/n?” Hyunjin asked you, concern in his eyes.

You merely shook your head yes, scared your voice would betray you as you were close to tears.

“Leave.”

Hyunjin spat the word out with so much venom, even you were taken aback. He seemed so sweet and innocent, but it seemed he had a tough side as well.

“Oh, I see how it is,” Elias said, looking between you two. “Good luck man she’s a piece of work.”

At that, Elias turned on his heels and walked away, walking out into the crowded sidewalk. You found yourself letting out a breath you didn’t know you were holding as your eyes landed on Hyunjin.

Hyunjin let out a huff and then uncrossed his arms, as he walked up to the counter. His eyes searched yours, making sure you were ok.

“Hi,” you sheepishly replied as you fiddled with your apron.

“Hi,” Hyunjin replied as he smiled, clearly happy you were ok.

“So, can I get you anything?” You asked as you smirked.

“Hmmm, I was thinking we could have that chat. Sorry I haven’t stopped by sooner, work has been busy.”

At his words, you felt your heart flutter within your chest, your excitement rising at the prospect of spending time with him. You tried to control yourself before responding, willing your heart to slow.

“I’d love that. I get off at 8.”

Hyunjin smiled, elated that you accepted his proposal. “Perfect, how about I swing by and pick you up then?”

“Sure,” you said as you tried not to bounce on your feet.

“It’s a date then. Oh, and I guess while I’m here, might as well get an iced americano!”

You chuckled and began to ring him up, a smile on your face all the while. When you selected his cup to write his name down, you drew a cute smiley face, adding little stars around the face. You smiled at him as you set the cup down.

“See you tonight y/n,” he said as he turned to walk to the pick-up area.

Your mind was reeling, your heart pounding in your chest. Hyunjin called it a date, an actual date. Is it a date? Did he just ask you out? Or was he just saying that to be cheeky?

The rest of the day, the thought was on your mind, causing you to make a few mistakes as you helped out customers. As the time for your shift to end got closer, you began to feel nervous and jittery, as you weren’t able to stand still.

Hyunjin was right on time, a huge smile on his face as he walked in looking like an absolute angel. You couldn’t take your eyes off him, not realizing you were staring until he called your name.

Apologizing profusely, you clocked out and grabbed your stuff, rushing to stand by his side.

“Where to?” You asked, looking up into his eyes.

“Well, I thought we could take a walk around the city? Chat a little and enjoy the night atmosphere?”

A walk after a long day sounded perfect.

“I love that, let’s do it!”

Hyunjin grinned and bowed, ushering you ahead. You giggled and blushed as he opened the door for you, the little bell tinkling lightly against the glass.

You stepped out into the night air, the crispness a nice welcome after being in the cafe all day. You both joined the many others making their way down the sidewalk.

“So you like poetry?” Hyunjin asked in a serious tone as he stared straight ahead.

“Mmhmm, I do. I studied English literature back in university. I don’t know, it’s just something about reading the words of those from long before you that creates such an intimate look into their life and thoughts.”

“I get it. I’ve been studying and reading poetry a few years now. It’s a comfort to me.” Hyunjin said, as he contemplated his thoughts.

“How long have you been reciting poetry?” You asked, turning to look at him.

Hyunjin paused in thought as he considered your question. “I’d probably say the last three years or so.”

You hummed in response, impressed with his dedication. You both were silent for a moment, the sound of crickets chirping through the night, their song almost melancholic.

“So…” Hyunjin began, “who uh…who was the guy that was harassing you earlier? Of course you don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to! I was just curious…” he continued, his voice trailing off.

You let out a heavy sigh. You deserved to give him an answer, especially since he came to your aid.

“That was my ex, Elias. We broke up a few months back. He um…I caught him with another girl in our bed…”

Your mood fell at the thought, remembering the day when you came home, exhausted from your long day at work. You were excited to see your boyfriend and have a relaxing evening…that is until you found out he wasn’t exactly excited to see you as he was between some other girl’s legs.

You recounted to Hyunjin how Elias tried to deny the affair, even though you saw the proof with your own eyes, but you didn’t give him a chance to grovel, ending the relationship that very night.

Hyunjin listened intently, his heart breaking at the fact that someone who was supposed to love you betrayed you instead. He definitely thought you deserved better as you seemed intelligent and kind and not to mention beautiful.

“I’m sorry y/n… he seems like an asshole to be honest.” He replied as he balled his hands into a fist at the thought of the sleaze bag he encountered earlier in the day.

“I recognize that now. There were definitely signs leading up to that night, but I guess I chose to ignore them.”

Hyunjin nodded, “I get it. You were blindsided by what you thought was a loving relationship.”

You hummed in agreement. You were blinded and so stupid, but Elias was in the past. You didn’t have to worry about him anymore.

“You deserve better y/n, just thought I’d mention it.”

You felt the corner of your eyes prickle with tears, threatening to spill over at any moment. Your chest felt heavy at his way of consoling you.

You did deserve better, and you believe that’s why his betrayal hurt so much. Your heart was healing, one day at a time. You could feel another stitch find its way within you at his words, Hyunjin’s company soothing. Somehow at that feeling, you knew you would be ok, and could continue to heal with the help of Hyunjin.

Your mind wandered to the man next to you. Maybe it was fate that you met him that night. If it wasn’t for your friend pushing you out of your comfort zone, you’d have never stayed to listen to others pour their heart out in prose and ultimately never met Hyunjin and his beautiful soul.

Months have passed and you are now dating Hyunjin. Each day is full of bliss as he showers you with love, making sure you feel like a queen.

He is picking you up after work and taking you to dinner as today is your birthday. You tried asking where he was going to take you, but he kept saying it’s a surprise.

You were excited to say the least at the thought of the night to come. Your shift couldn’t end soon enough, as the clock struck six, your boss letting you go early in honor of the special day.

Your face lit up at the sound of the bell, Hyunjin walking into the cafe. He looked handsome in his jeans and sweater, his hair styled neatly.

“Hi angel! Ready?” He asked, stopping at the counter.

“Yep! Let me clock out and grab my bag.”

Hyunjin chuckled as he watched you scramble around, picking up your bag and hurrying to his side.

“Now I’m ready,” you smiled, looking up at your boyfriend.

Hyunjin grinned and took your hand, his fingers lacing with yours as he brought the back of your hand to his lips for a kiss.

Even though you’ve been dating for a few months now, you still blushed at his antics, the novelty never wearing off.

“Then let’s go, angel.”

Hyunjin led you out of the cafe and outside. You looked around your surroundings, your eyes widening at every restaurant you passed, wondering if it would be the one.

However, you passed building after building, not stopping at any of them.

Hyunjin could sense your curiosity, as he gave your hand a squeeze. “We’re almost there, see?” He asked, pointing to a building in the distance.

You took notice of a brick building that seemed empty. You were confused as he guided you to the door, the corridor beyond eerie looking.

“Where are we going?” You asked as you were more than nervous at this point.

You trusted Hyunjin but a part of you was a little scared, not knowing what awaited you within the building.

“Don’t worry angel, let’s keep moving, just one more flight of stairs,” Hyunjin cooed, as you both walked up a flight of stairs.

At the top of the staircase there was a large door, the metal frame seeming unwelcoming. Hyunjin stopped in front of it and grasped the handle while looking at you with a bright smile on his face.

“Ready?” He asked.

You nodded your head and held your breath, prepared for whatever was on the other side. As he opened the door, you were greeted with a balcony overlooking the city, the skyline lit up against the night sky. There were fairy lights strung around the perimeter, casting a soft glow on the rooftop.

In the center, there was a small table, set up for two, the flicker of two candles casting shadows across the table. It was all so surreal. You couldn’t believe Hyunjin did all of this for you.

“Surprise!” Hyunjin said, dramatically wiggling his fingers.

You chuckled at his antics, all of your nervousness gone.

“It’s beautiful! I can’t believe you did this for me,” you said, your voice breaking as you looked at Hyunjin.

“Aww angel, don’t cry,” Hyunjin said as he rushed over to you.

He gently wiped the tear that had escaped while he pulled you closer to his body.

“I’d do anything for you y/n. I love you so much.”

Your heart skipped a beat at his words as the feeling of butterflies fluttered within your stomach. You couldn’t believe your luck, happy that you were able to share this moment with the most perfect man.

“I love you too,” you gushed, your cheeks flushing with the statement.

Hyunjin flashed his beautiful smile before taking your hands in his once more.

“Shall we?”

“Yes please,” you softly said, letting him pull you toward the table.

You watched as he pulled your chair out, gesturing for you to sit. Once seated, he rushed to his chair and sat down. Your eyes followed his every move as he plated up dinner, the food smelling delicious as it was piled up on your plate.

He poured both of you a glass of wine and then signaled he was done. You both began to eat, the food seeming to melt on your tongue as a burst of flavors invaded your taste buds.

Hyunjin filled the evening with chatter, asking you about your day in detail. You were more than happy to discuss your day, as it was a little rough, having some difficult customers come through.

Once you were done eating, Hyunjin dished up dessert, setting down a slice of chocolate cake in front of you.

“You know me so well,” you said as you eyed the cake, your mouth watering in anticipation at eating the sweet treat.

“Of course angel, have to make sure you have your chocolate!”

You giggled and picked up your fork and cut a piece off. You moaned at the taste, your eyes closing as it melted in your mouth. You were in heaven, or close to it.

“So,” Hyunjin started as he twirled his fork around in his hand. “I am going to enter into the poetry night contest at the cafe. I think it would be something fun to do.”

Hyunjin looked at his plate, nervous in how you would respond. He wanted to share his talent with more people, and what better way to do so than through a friendly competition? The prize was also nice, one he believes would be worth winning.

“That’s a great idea baby!” You exclaimed, clapping your hands at the idea.

Hyunjin’s eyes lit up at your enthusiasm, his body relaxing further into the chair at your acceptance.

“Mind if we practice when we get home?” He asked, hope in his eyes.

“Of course, I’d love to help you,” you gushed, excited to hear which poem he chose.

“Great, let’s pack up and then we can head back.”

You nodded and began to gather your trash, helping hyunjin clean up. Once done, you both walked back to his apartment, giggling and chatting the whole way, your arms swinging back and forth between you.

“Thank you for dinner baby, I really did enjoy it,” you said, as you continued your walk.

“I’m happy you liked it angel, anything for my baby.”

You chuckled, your heart swelling at how sweet he is. You walked in silence, enjoying the quiet of the city as it was late. Within the last few blocks from Hyunjin’s apartment building, an idea popped in your head.

“Wanna race the rest of the way and see who can get there first?” You asked, wiggling your eyebrows.

“Oh yes! Let’s do it,” Hyunjin said.

“Just so you know, I plan on winning,” you teased as you dropped your hand from his.

“I’d like to see you try,” Hyunjin responded while squatting, preparing to take off.

“Ok, ready? 3…2…1..go!”

You both took off down the walk, a fluster of laughter and shouts as you both raced to his building. You couldn’t remember ever feeling this happy as you felt the wind blow through your hair as you raced your boyfriend. Tonight was a perfect night indeed and would definitely be one of your favorites.

— —

Once inside, you both made yourself comfy, changing into your sleep clothes. You giggled as Hyunjin pulled you into bed and pressed kisses all over your face.

“I love you sweet girl,” he murmured in between kisses.

“I love you too baby, that tickles!” You chuckled as he tried to pull you closer, all the while continuing to kiss you.

Once he was satisfied, he pulled back to look you in the eyes. “Happy birthday angel,” he whispered as he tucked a loose strand of hair behind your ear.

You smiled before leaning over to kiss him on the lips, your heart swelling at the gentleness of the kiss. You both laid there for what felt like a lifetime, snuggled into each other’s embrace as you lazily kissed each other. You tugged your fingers through his hair, the soft locks gliding easily through them.

Hyunjin whimpered against your lips, as he pressed himself against you, his length hard against your thigh. You rolled your hips, grinding against him as you deepened the kiss, running your tongue against his bottom lip asking for entrance.

He pulled you closer, your bodies flush against each other as his tongue danced with yours. You wrapped a leg around his waist so you could feel him better and continued to grind against him, sighing against his lips as his cock brushed against your core.

Disconnecting with a gasp, you laid there catching your breath as you stared at your lover, taking in the love mixed with lust in his eyes. Your eyes fluttered as Hyunjin lightly dragged his finger down your cheek, to your lips, his thumb catching at your bottom lip.

You moaned as he slowly pushed his finger within your mouth, your lips immediately wrapping around the digit. You lightly sucked on his finger, your tongue swirling around the digit, your eyes on his.

You smirked as you felt his cock twitch against your thigh. As you released his thumb with a pop, Hyunjin pounced on you, rolling you onto your back. He attached his lips to yours in a hurried kiss, his hands fumbling with your sleep shorts.

He dragged them down as best as he could, you aiding the process as you wiggled out of the fabric, your feet pushing them down your legs. Hyunjin pulled away briefly as he gripped the hem of your shirt and pulled it over your head.

You moaned as he attached his lips back to yours, your pussy clenching as he rocked his clothed cock into your core. He lazily kissed you, his pace slowing down, his heart beating against yours. You were lost in the feel of him when you heard him murmur, his voice sultry in your ear.

“She walks in beauty like the night, of cloudless climes and starry skies; and all that’s best of dark and bright, meet in her aspect and her eyes; thus mellowed to that tender light, which heaven to gaudy day denies.”

You pulled away slightly, confusion plastered on your face.

“Baby…what…”

But Hyunjin just silenced you with a kiss. “Shhh my angel, I’m practicing remember?”

It took you a moment to realize what he was talking about, lost in thought as his lips moved with yours, until it clicked a few seconds later. The poem. Ahh it made sense now.

At that, you relaxed further, letting out a sigh as his lips moved to your neck, sucking the skin there and licking the area to sooth it. Your fingers played with his hair, twirling the ends around the digit. As he continued to leave purple marks on your skin, he continued murmuring, his voice soft in the otherwise quiet room.

“One shade the more, one ray the less, had half impaired the nameless grace, which waves in every raven tress, or softly lightens o’er her face; where thoughts serenely sweet express, how pure, how dear their dwelling place.”

Once he was done reciting the next part, he trailed his lips on your chest, pressing wet kisses down the valley of your breasts. He wrapped his plush lips around your nipple, letting out little moans as he suckled the hardened nub.

“So beautiful angel,” Hyunjin murmured in between kisses as he fondled your breasts, his eyes closed in bliss as he savored your body.

His fingers trailed down your tummy, leaving goosebumps in its wake as he made his way to your core, his fingers swirling around your swollen clit. You sighed as he continued to gently play with the nub, shocks of pleasure wrecking your frame as you surrendered to his ministrations.

As he tortured your sweet flesh, his eyes snapped up to watch you writhing in pleasure. Licking his lips, he took a shaky breath before continuing on.

“And on that cheek, and o’er that brow, so soft, so calm, yet eloquent, the smiles that win, the tints that glow; but tell of days in goodness spent, a mind at peace with all below, a heart whose love is innocent.”

You opened your eyes as he finished, his voice trailing off at the end. You looked down at the love of your life between your legs, watching the veins pop out of his arms as he continued to pay attention to your clit.

You were close, the pleasure building, your chest heaving as you tried to breathe. Your hands gripped the sheets, the white fabric bunching up as you rocked your hips against his fingers.

“So sweet, so beautiful, delicate like a flower. Cum for me angel.”

You groaned at his words, your orgasm hitting you hard as he continued to gently fondle you. He grinned as you fell apart, his eyes roaming your face, taking in the look of pleasure, the scent of you as your slick made a mess of his hands.

Once you came down, Hyunjin shuffled up, parting your legs even more. At some point he had rid himself of his clothes, his hand stroking his leaking cock.

He brought his length between your folds, running his cock through your slick, before pushing into you. You both let out a moan, your arms reaching out for Hyunjin as he began to thrust into you.

“My baby,” Hyunjin cooed as he leaned down, your hands wrapping around his neck as you brought him closer to you.

Hyunjin slowly thrusted into you, taking his time, his cock dragging through your walls and hitting your sweet spot each time. You whined as he buried his face within your neck, placing sloppy kisses there, as he murmured his love for you.

You felt overwhelmed as he made love to you, the heat within your core building again. You clutched onto Hyunjin anywhere you could, his hair, his back, his waist as he brought sweet bliss upon you.

You reveled in the sound of both of you, as you breathed as one, punctuated with a low moan as he continued to rock into you. Hyunjin groaned each time your pussy made known how good he was fucking you, his hips stuttering as you squeezed around him.

“Come on angel, cum for me, be a good girl yeah?” Hyunjin moaned into your ear, his pace becoming more erratic as he got closer to his high.

You felt his cock twitch within you, your pussy clenching again and again, locking him in. You were blindsided as the coil within you snapped, your orgasm hitting you hard as you gasped, your pussy dripping with your arousal, drenching Hyunjin’s cock as he continued to fuck you through it.

Hyunjin let out a loud groan at the feel of your walls spasming around him, triggering his high, his cum spurting out within you, thoroughly coating your walls.

As you came down, you watched the man you love fall apart above you, a sight you will never get used to. He looked down at you, sweat dripping down his face, his hair disheveled as he thrusted his hips within you a few more times for good measure.

“Such beauty in your afterglow,” Hyunjin cooed as he pushed a strand of hair behind your ear and trailed a finger from your lips, down your chest, your breasts, your tummy, all the way down to your core.

He dragged his finger through some of the cum that was leaking around his cock that was still buried within your heat. Taking his soaked finger, he brought it to your lips, smiling as you opened and took the digit in.

You swirled your tongue around his finger, licking up the salty liquid, humming as you swallowed.

“Good girl,” Hyunjin praised as he withdrew his finger and his cock.

You whimpered at the emptiness, your arms reaching out for Hyunjin. He snuggled into your embrace, pressing sweet kisses all over your face.

“Stop baby,” you giggled, turning your head side to side.

“Nope, won’t stop angel,” Hyunjin teased as he continued his assault.

You both battled for a little while longer, the room filled with laughter as you both teased each other. Hyunjin settled down however and stared at you, almost as if he was staring into your soul.

“You know I love you right?” Hyunjin whispered, as he memorized your face for the millionth time.

“Mmhmm,” you said as you brushed your fingers through his hair. “And I love you.”

Hyunjin smiled at your confession as he leaned to press another kiss to your lips.

“Happy birthday,” he said as he rested his head on your chest.

This would be one of your best birthdays yet, filled with special moments with the man you love.

The days passed as Hyunjin prepared the competition. He was ready to win, ready to receive that prize so he could surprise you. He had a plan after all.

You helped him practice as much as possible, your nights spent at your place or his, snacks scattered around the table as Hyunjin paced the floors reciting the poem. You were sure he would win, as he improved greatly over the last few weeks.

You had to work the day of the competition, however, Hyunjin would meet you there before your shift ended.

“You got this babe,” you said to him as you left for your shift, giving him a smile as you walked out the door.

Your shift passed, your nerves getting the best of you as the time of the competition drew nearer. Ember showed up early, wanting to support your boyfriend and cheer him on.

You directed her to a table, so that way you both would have good seats for the night. It didn’t take long until Hyunjin showed up, handsomely dressed as always.

He smiled as he approached you. “Hi angel!” He gushed, his body radiating with excitement.

“Hi baby, ready?”

“Of course, gonna win this thing!”

You chuckled at his optimism. “Go sit, Ember saved us seats. I’ll be there soon.”

Hyunjin nodded and blew you a kiss before walking away, taking a seat next to your friend.

You finished your shift and clocked out, the time passing fairly quickly. You sat down next to Hyunjin and placed your hand on his giving it a squeeze. He seemed to be buzzing with enthusiasm, but deep down you knew he was nervous.

“You got this baby,” you whispered, giving his hand another squeeze.

Hyunjin smiled and relaxed, elated that you were there to cheer him on.

The event began in no time, the little cafe packed with patrons. You watched as contestant after contestant performed, their words filling the small space, and taking the listeners to a different place and time.

Before you knew it, it was Hyunjin’s turn. You and Ember cheered him on as he took his place on stage, his confidence oozing as he gazed at the crowd. You were captivated as he began to speak, the words reaching each person, telling a story of love and beauty.

Hyunjin maintained eye contact with each person, his voice raising and falling at the appropriate moments, his hands flowing in movements that helped tell the story.

You couldn’t take your eyes off of him and neither could anyone else. After he recited the last line, there was silence in the cafe as everyone recovered from the journey, before a thunderous applause rang out.

You grinned as you cheered enthusiastically, watching as your boyfriend bowed before walking back to your table.

“Good job babe!” You said as you kissed his cheek, the flesh reddening at the action as all eyes were on him.

As he was the last contestant, the award ceremony began shortly after his performance. You listened as your manager thanked everyone for being there to support these talented people as cheers rang out once more.

Once she was done with logistics, the time came to announce the winner. You held your breath as she slowly unfolded a piece of paper, your hand reaching out to hold on to Hyunjin’s.

She took a moment to read what was written before a smile broke out on her face.

“And the winner is….Hwang Hyunjin!”

Cheers rang out at the announcement, but loudest of all was you. You hugged Hyunjin tightly, tears forming in your eyes at his win.

Hyunjin stood up to go claim his prize, the loud uproar not dying down until he sat down.

“You did it!” You exclaimed, grasping his hands in yours.

Hyunjin beamed, his eyes shining as he tried not to cry.

“I did it for us love.” He said as he gazed into your eyes.

You cocked your head in confusion. “For us?” You inquired.

Hyunjin nodded as he handed you the prize he’d won. “Open it.”

You took the envelope from him and opened it, eyeing two pieces of paper nestled within. It took you a moment to notice what they were.

“Plane tickets?” You looked closer. “Oh! We’re going to Paris!” You exclaimed as you began bouncing on your seat.

“Yes we are angel,” Hyunjin said as he watched you dance in your seat.

Hyunjin needed to win this trip. He wanted to take you to Paris, the city of love, to shower you in love. He also had another plan up his sleeve, one that he had to keep secret for just a little longer.

His mind wandered to the little black box tucked away in his sock drawer, a beautiful diamond nestled in the velvet within. He knew you were the love of his life from that first day he saw you, sitting in the crowd listening to him speak.

You were his muse, his love, his everything; your aura radiating whispers of beauty.

He wouldn’t want to spend his life with nobody else but you. That he was sure of.

Taglist: @jehhskz @jeonginsleftcheek @simpforleeknaur @armystay89 @palindrome969 @slut4hee @ivydoesit23 @amarecerasus @kaysungshine @fun-fanfics @baby-stay92 @velvetmoonlght @possum-playground

[lovetaroandtaemin]

Think About Us

Bang Chan x Reader

Word Count: 4,609 Genre: Angst, Smut, Fluff Rating: Explicit, MINORS DNI!

Summary: Y/N struggles with the fact that she almost cheated on Chan before he left for Australia. When he comes back, their relationship goes through a series of ups and downs, forcing them to confront whether they're actually compatible.

Content Warnings: Arguments, toxic relationship, Chan lowkey uses Y/N for sex near the end, mentions of cheating, angst with a bittersweet ending, smut (unprotected sex, creampie, slight daddy kink, breeding kink if you really squint), some alcohol consumption. If you think I missed a warning, please let me know! A/N: This is part 3 to "Start of Something New?" and "Doing This Again!" If you haven't read parts 1 and 2, I definitely recommend doing that first. There will not be a part four.

Fic is under the cut.

The morning after your outing with Felix, you decided to call Chan. Sure, it was partially because you missed him, but it was also because you wanted to ease your guilty conscience by reiterating to your boyfriend how much you loved him. The second he picked up; he started apologizing profusely for losing track of time when the two of you were supposed to be on a date. When you got an opportunity to talk, you apologized too. Initially, he assumed that it was because you didn’t respond to his texts and calls and said, “Honey, I promise you that it’s ok. You were understandably mad at me.”

You decided not to correct his assumption by telling him what you almost did, instead saying, “But that’s not why I didn’t answer. I didn’t answer because I went out with Felix, and I didn’t hear my phone ring.”

“Oh, ok. Where did you go?”

“We went to a club.”

Immediately, Chan was both confused and suspicious. You had never shown an interest in clubs before, so why were you there last night? And without even telling him? He had a feeling that there was something more to what you said, but he decided not to push. Instead, he told you that he loved you before getting ready to board his long flight home.

You spent the entire time that Chan was in Australia thinking about your relationship with him. It had hurt you that he blew you off for the studio so soon after you started to see each other again. However, it was immature and petty to flirt with another guy while he was busy, and you knew that. That doesn’t mean you didn’t still go out with Felix regularly to forget about how much you missed Chan. After what happened the first time, however, you made a conscious effort to behave yourself instead of doing something you would later regret.

Chan’s time in Australia was filled with both joy and sadness. Seeing his family was a blessing, of course, and he was grateful that he had a bit of time to spend with them instead of the usual routine of being stuck on another continent working. At the same time, however, he missed you and the boys a lot. His family’s constant interest in talking about you when he told them the news didn’t exactly help matters.

Hannah was especially pleased to hear that the two of you were back together, threatening to hurt Chan if he didn’t treat you better this time. On top of his sister’s threats, his parents asked him at least once a day when you they would get to see you again. Each time they asked, he promised to talk to you about coming with him for his next visit. He could only hope for his own sake that you’d say yes.

When Chan finally came home, one of the first things he did was ask you to spend the night at the dorm with him. You happily agreed and made your way there after you got done work. Upon arriving at the dorms, however, instead of being greeted by your boyfriend, you were greeted by a concerned Felix. Before you could say a word, he pulled you into a hug and asked, “How are you doing? Is everything ok?”

“I’m alright, Lix. I’m excited to finally see Chan.”

“Are you sure that you’re alright? You’ve been acting different lately.”

“I’m ok, I promise. Thank you for checking on me, though.”

“Any time,” he said, letting you go.

You made your way through the dorm, greeting the rest of the group as you did. Changbin and Jisung smiled when they saw you, relieved that you and Chan hadn’t split up. When you saw Minho, he told you that everyone else would be leaving soon before giving you a knowing smile. You made a mental note of that as you knocked on Chan’s door.

The moment his door was open, Chan pulled you into his room and kissed you. You let out a small sigh at the feeling, ecstatic to have his lips on yours again. When he pulled away from the kiss, he held you so tightly you could barely breathe, a tranquil silence filling the room as the two of you just took in each other’s presence. You stayed that way for what felt like hours before he finally spoke, choosing to break the silence by saying, “I missed you.”

“I missed you too, Channie.”

“I love you.”

“I love you more.”

“I love you most,” he said before kissing you again. The kiss he greeted you with was soft and gentle, but this one was different. It was more desperate. That’s when you remembered that the two of you hadn’t had sex since before he left, and you couldn’t help but hope that the two of you could change that now that he was home.

Chan had been desperate to feel you the entire time he was gone, but his desperation only intensified when he came back to Korea. Now that you were back in his arms, he could hardly contain himself. As his lips moved against yours, his hands slowly made their way down to your ass. When you felt him squeeze, you let out a soft moan. God, he loved your moans. Hearing you again made it even harder to control himself. As badly as he wanted to be inside you, however he also wanted to take his time with you today. His goal was to make you want him as much as he wanted you.

Little did he know, you already did. You had been thinking about how good he would feel inside of you for weeks, and now that there was a chance to actually feel him, you could barely contain your excitement and arousal. When the feeling of need between your legs was too much to bear, you pulled away from the kiss and said, “Please fuck me, daddy.”

Before you knew it, both of you were naked, and your clothes were in a pile on the floor. Seeing all of you made the last little bit of self-control that he had fly out the window as he dragged you over to his bed. Next thing you knew, he was on top of you, carefully aligning his tip with your entrance. He slowly pushed his hips forward with a groan, and you let out a breath you didn’t realize you were holding as his cock made its way into you.

Chan waited to move until he was certain you were ready and comfortable. Even when you gave him the green light to start thrusting, he started slowly. He had missed you a lot, and he wanted to savor the moment because for just a little while, nothing mattered except for you underneath him. It was one of his favorite feelings in the world, and one of the many reasons that he loved intimacy with you.

You felt like you were on cloud nine as you felt Chan start to increase the speed of his movements. He knew exactly how you liked to be touched, teased, and fucked; and every time the two of you had sex, he used his knowledge to his advantage. It honestly amazed you how well he still knew your body, especially when you spent such a long time away from each other.

“Fuck, baby girl. You feel so good,” Chan said with a groan.

“Feels so good, daddy. Love how it feels you fuck me.”

Chan let out a loud moan at your words and started fucking into you harder. You held onto him so tightly he was certain that there would be marks when the two of you were done. He wasn’t complaining, of course. He loved it when the two of you got rough. You loved it just as much as he did, if not more.

It didn’t take much longer for Chan to ask, “I’m close, baby. Where do you want it?”

“Inside, please, please, please. Want you to fill me up, daddy.”

That was all Chan needed to hear to still inside of you, his release hitting him like a truck. Feeling him cum inside of you was all you needed to reach your own orgasm, and you came undone around him with a loud moan of his name. As you rode out your highs together, he held you close and told you what a good girl you’d been for him. After you both caught your breath, Chan carefully climbed off of you to help you clean yourself up and get dressed.

Once you were cleaned up and fully clothed, Chan grabbed your hand and pulled you back to his bed to lie down. Then he got up just long enough to get you each a glass of water. He carefully brought the two glasses back to his room, making sure you drank the entire glass before he even considered touching his. Once you did, he finished his own drink and set the glasses aside before and getting back into bed with you. Immediately after he found a comfortable position, he held you like you were going to disappear any second.

“I love you so much, you know that right?” Chan asked before kissing your head.

“I know, I love you too,” you whispered before drifting off to sleep, your boyfriend not far behind you.

When you woke up the next morning, Chan was nowhere to be found. You briefly wondered where he was, but before you could worry too much, he came back into the room with two plates filled with food. He smiled when he saw that you were awake and said, “Good morning, sleepyhead.”

“Good morning, Channie. What’s that?”

“Breakfast. Minho cooked for everyone this morning.”

“Tell him I said thank you, please.”

“I will. Here you go,” he said, handing you one of the plates. The two of you ate in silence, choosing to just enjoy the food as well as each other’s company as you mentally prepared yourselves for the day ahead. Once you were done eating, Chan decided to ask you about what you did while he was away. You told him about all of the times that you went to the club with Felix.

“I thought you didn’t like going to clubs,” Chan said, his suspicions growing.

“So did I, but Felix suggested it and I enjoyed it more than I thought that I would.”

Chan had to admit that he was a bit jealous of your closeness with Felix. He tried not to be the possessive boyfriend that didn’t let his partner have male friends, but he couldn’t help but wonder sometimes if your bond was strictly platonic. If he had taken the time to just ask you or Felix about it, he would have immediately been reassured, and a conversation about boundaries and trust would have happened. However, Chan’s pride prevented him from telling you about how he was feeling, so he said nothing about it. Choosing to ignore his suspicions, he just said, “Hey, by the way, I do need to go to the studio in a little bit.”

“Ok, I need to leave soon for work anyway. I love you.”

“I love you too, princess.”

The two of you got ready together to go about the rest of your day. When it was time for you to go, Chan gave you a kiss on your forehead before leaving for a studio session with Changbin and Jisung. You left shortly after to go to work. Your day was long and boring, and you texted Chan about it to complain several times. He didn’t respond to your texts, but you assumed that he was busy. When you tried to call after work, however, he still didn’t answer. You hoped that he wasn’t still at the studio, but you wouldn’t have been surprised if he was. So, you sent one more text telling him that you loved him and went about your evening at your apartment.

Three days passed without hearing from Chan. Even when you dated the first time, you never went more than 24 hours without at least a text telling you that he was ok. At this point you were worried sick, so you decided to call one of the guys to make sure that nothing bad had happened. In the end you chose to call Minho because you knew that if something had gone wrong, he would be the one most likely to be handling everything in Chan’s place.

When your name flashed on Minho’s phone as it rang, he was surprised to say the least. The two of you had never been close, so he wondered why you were calling him as opposed to Chan or Felix. Still, he picked up his phone and said, “Hello?”

“Hey, Min. Is Chan ok?”

“Yeah, he’s sitting right next to me, actually. Why?”

“I haven’t heard from him in three days.”

“I’m sorry, what?” Minho asked, the sudden anger obvious in his voice.

“I’m not trying to start a problem, I just wanted to make sure that he’s safe. We’ve never gone more than a day without talking before.”

“He is safe, and you’re not starting a problem. I’ll handle it, I promise.”

“Please don’t–”

Minho hung up before you could finish speaking and turned to Chan. Even before Minho spoke, Chan was nervous. He had heard part of the phone call, and he knew that he was going to be in trouble from the tone in his friend’s voice.

“Hey, Chan, why did (Y/N) just call me and tell me that she hasn’t heard from you in three days?”

“It has not been 3 days,” Chan mumbled as he pulled his phone out of his pocket. “Oh my god, it’s been 3 days.”

“Make it right, Chan.” The tone in Minho’s voice as he spoke made it clear that although Chan was the leader of the group, he needed to listen to his friend.

Chan quickly called you and apologized, telling you that he had lost track of time and forgotten to reply to your texts. You didn’t really believe him, but you chose not to press the issue. After all, he was safe, and that was what mattered. He also promised to make it up to you and asked you to accompany him to your favorite restaurant for dinner that night, which significantly brightened your spirits. After you accepted his apology and his invitation, you hung up and got ready to go.

The date went better than you expected it to, if you were being honest with yourself. The entire time you were at the restaurant, Chan’s sole focus was you. It was selfish, and you knew it, but that was all that you wanted. You wanted your boyfriend to treat you like a priority instead of an option. The success of your date gave you hope that your relationship would improve.

Chan regretted not taking you on a date like this sooner after the two of you got back together. Seeing you excited was one of his favorite things, and he loved giving you excuses to get dressed up because he loved to show you off. And he would certainly be showing you off at the restaurant. You’d done your makeup in a style that was simple, but still flattered your features. Your hair was styled in an elegant updo. Sure, that was done so you could avoid looking like a mess if you left your hair down, but he didn’t need to know that. Chan’s favorite part of your look was your dress. It was a navy-blue cocktail dress that accentuated your curves perfectly. Frankly, he was in awe when you got into his car.

The date at the restaurant mostly went the way you expected, with one exception. At the end of your meal, Chan apologized to you for not texting or calling you after you left the dorm a few days before, and in general for how he’d treated you since the two of you got back together. He explained that he’d been busier than usual with Stray Kids’ upcoming comeback, and he truly did not realize how much time had passed. You wanted to be angry with him, you really did, but you really couldn’t stay mad when you saw the look of pure guilt on his face.

When Chan dropped you off at your apartment after your date, he promised you that he would treat you better. He swore to put in more effort when it came to your relationship, and he swore to prioritize you more often. You would have been lying if you’d said that you weren’t hopeful that your relationship could actually be better this time. Hearing Chan promise to be different was the exact reassurance that you needed that he still loved you.

The hope that you had when you left the restaurant barely lasted a week. To be fair, Chan did start putting in more effort when it came to your relationship. However, did that effort last? No, it did not. It took a concerningly short amount of time for him to fall back into his new habit of not responding to you for days at a time. Each time, you tried to have a conversation with him about how much it worried you when you didn’t hear from him, but he would just say that he was trying. At the end of each conversation, you found that you had less and less faith in his apparently empty promises.

The exception to that, of course, was that Chan texted you every single time he was in the mood to fuck. Whenever he was stressed about the new album or a fight with one of the other members, you were the first person he called to blow off some steam. At first, you didn’t necessarily mind it. You liked being able to help your boyfriend take his mind off of the things that bothered him, and he was good in bed after all. As the pattern continued, however, you found yourself feeling used and worthless.

You realized that something had to give on a random night when he called you to ask if he could come over. He’d been stressed about work deadlines, and he of course wanted to fuck the stress away. You told him that he could come to your apartment, and the two of you did what you always did.

The sex was mediocre this time, probably because of the increasing disconnect between the two of you, but the aftercare was incredible. You had no idea why, but he was more attentive than he’d ever been whenever he gently coaxed you out of subspace and helped you feel more like yourself. That was always the case. It was strange, really. Even if the sex wasn’t good, you could count on the aftercare being great. If you were being honest with yourself, it was probably the main reason you let the games continue as long as they did.

The feeling that Chan still loved you started to fade when he quietly asked, “Will you be ok if I go back to the dorms for tonight instead of sleeping here? Jisung just texted me and asked me to help him with a song.”

You badly wanted to say no and beg him to stay just for the night, but you knew better than to get in the way of his work at this point. Instead of begging for attention from your boyfriend, you just replied, “Yeah, I’ll be fine. Go ahead.”

“Ok, I love you. I’ll text you when I get home.”

You waited for the rest of the night, but he never texted you. Instead, he went right to the studio with Jisung and went back to writing what was going to be Stray Kids’ new album. You knew that it would happen. In your mind this was just another example of what really seemed like his lack of care for you. He was incredibly loving when he wanted to be, like after sex or when he was apologizing to you when something he did hurt you. The problem was, he frequently acted like you either didn’t exist or like you were just a toy to him. You desperately wanted to hold on to the relationship because of how much you loved the good parts, but in the end, you decided that enough was enough.

The opportunity to have the conversation that you knew needed to happen presented itself about a week later when Felix invited you to yet another movie night at the dorm. This time Jisung wanted to watch “Spirited Away.” To tell the truth, you were conflicted. On the one hand, you loved spending time with the guys and didn’t want to ruin the night by arguing with Chan. On the other hand, you didn’t know when you would see Chan again in person to have the conversation that you knew you needed to have. In the end, you decided that this conversation was too important to not happen, though you were upset that you wouldn’t be able to enjoy the movie night with your friends.

When you got to the dorm, it was Chan that greeted you outside instead of Felix. He hugged you and tried to kiss your cheek, but you moved out of the way and told him that the two of you needed to talk. Your frustrated tone caught him by surprise, but he agreed. Once he let you into the dorm, quickly greeted the rest of the group and followed Chan to his room.

“What do you wanna talk about?” he asked, nervous about what was about to happen.

“Since you’ve gotten home, you’ve only talked to me for sex or when Minho yells at you. Why?”

To say that Chan was surprised by your question was an understatement. He knew that he had been distant, anyone would be with how he had been feeling, but he hadn’t realized the extent of it. It was wrong to ignore you, and he knew it, but he also didn’t think that he wanted to continue the relationship anymore. Still, he tried to give a flimsy excuse by saying, “I didn’t do it on purpose. I’ve just been so busy since the album, and- “

“Are you serious? Stop blaming it on work, Chan. I know there’s more to it than that. You’ve been busy with work before, but you’ve never gone days at a time without so much as a text to let me know you were safe. You’ve been busy with work before, but you’ve never treated me like I was nothing to you but a sex doll.”

“Do not accuse me of treating you that way.”

“Is it an accusation if it’s true? We only talk when you wanna fuck because you’re stressed.”

With a deep sigh, Chan said, “Fine, do you want me to tell you why I’ve been distant?”

“Yes! That’s why we’re having this conversation!”

“Felix told me that something happened at the club the night before I left.”

“What the fuck did he tell you?”

“He said that he saw you dancing a guy, and that you were crying when you left.”

“I met this guy, and we talked and danced. Nothing beyond that.”

“Then why were you crying?” You were quiet for a moment, and he added, “That’s what I thought. It was guilt, wasn’t it? You never cry unless you feel guilty. Even if nothing else happened, you probably wanted it to, right? To get back at me for forgetting about our date?”

The argument only continued to escalate as the two of you tore apart each other’s flaws and threw your own insecurities in each other’s faces. You still wanted to try to work everything out until he accused you of sleeping with Felix. That was when you said, “I am not fucking Felix. He’s my friend, and he always has been. It is not his fucking fault that you’re so worried about what I do when you’re not around you can’t bring yourself to give a fuck about me when you are.”

“Get out,” Chan spat in response.

“Gladly.”

You stormed out of Chan’s room, gave hasty goodbyes to the rest of the guys, and drove back to your apartment. When you got there, you blocked Chan on as many apps as you could and sent Felix a quick text explaining that you and Chan were done. Then, you shut your phone off and sobbed, hating yourself for getting back into a relationship with someone that you knew from the start would only hurt you in the end.

A few months after you left the Stray Kids dorm for the last time, you found yourself at a familiar nightclub. Even when you and Chan were together, it was one of your favorite places to go when you needed to distract yourself from difficult emotions. Tonight, you were missing your ex, which meant you badly needed a distraction.

The distraction that you needed ended up coming in the form of Hongjoong, the guy that you’d met during your first visit to this particular establishment. He flashed you a smile when he saw you and asked how you had been, excited to be dancing with you again. You kept your answers brief, choosing to flirt shamelessly instead of getting overly personal. He was amused by your boldness, but he still matched your energy. The two of you danced while you talked, and it made you feel better for a little while.  Maybe your relationship with Chan had ended, but that didn’t mean that you had to be sad forever.

Chan hated going to clubs. He always had. They were far louder than he liked, and he hated crowded spaces. When Changbin and Jisung asked him to go out to celebrate the group’s latest comeback, he wanted to say no. However, he knew that they were only asking because they thought he needed to get out more, so he reluctantly agreed. He would soon regret his decision, wishing he’d stayed home instead.

Almost immediately after walking into the club, he spotted you. You were laughing and dancing with a guy that wasn’t him, and it hurt to see another man be the reason you were smiling. It had been months, but he still loved you and wanted you to be his. However, when he considered all that had happened between you, he knew it wasn’t meant to be. While he still loved you, the two of you were far too toxic together. So, he went right to the bar and ordered a drink in an attempt to ignore the fact that you were across the room. As he sat at the bar, he found himself unable to stop thinking about you. At least, he couldn’t stop thinking about you until Ryujin sat on the stool next to him.

Whether it was the desire to get over you, the desire to get back at you, or some combination of the two, Chan would never know. However, when he saw your former best friend sitting next to him, he decided to strike up a conversation. She looked gorgeous, after all, and he had been desperate for a distraction from you. As they sat at the bar and caught up, he started to feel just a little bit better. Maybe he couldn’t have you, but that didn’t mean that he couldn’t have anyone.

Thank you so much to everyone that has shown continued support for this accidental mini-series! It was so much fun for me to write. I can only hope that y'all enjoy reading it as much as I've enjoyed writing it. If you like what you read, please consider liking, reblogging, and checking out my masterlist! If nothing there catches your attention, or you want to see something specific, feel free to send a request via my asks or dms!

Once again, thank you for reading!

[creative-frequency]

Lucanis Dellamorte x Reader: Late Nights & Delayed Confessions, pt.3

Summary: There is only one bed. Part 3 of 5. Word count: 980 Notes: (Unresolved) romantic tension, pining, you’re an Antivan Crow, no spoilers for Veilguard → Part 2 → My writing masterlist

“I’ll sleep on the floor,” Lucanis prompted instantly as you stepped inside your room.

“Don’t be silly,” you replied.

“Then where do you suggest I rest? In the closet?” He spread his arms and pointedly looked around.

“Hm, it might be a tight fit, but…”

Lucanis scoffed.

This familiar back and forth brought back remnants of times that were somehow simpler, somehow more filled with hopes and dreams. You had long since abandoned those three notions in everything related to Lucanis Dellamorte.

“There’s enough room for us both,” you continued as nonchalantly as possible. Meanwhile the thought of sharing a bed with him made your pulse quicken.

You both looked at the said bed. It looked even smaller now.

Lucanis inhaled deeply and searched your face for a moment. He probably didn’t find what he was so intent on seeing since he sighed again, clearly vexed, and crossed over the floor to sit on the bed. Without any further ado, he started taking off his cloak, jacket and boots, and lovingly placed three throwing knives, a dagger and a short sword on the bedside table.

You just stood there. Staring. Probably your mouth hanging open with a high probability of a line of drool. So ladylike.

Sure, you had seen him taking off his… stuff and not just in your daydreams. You had seen men undressing, and been an active participant in the activity and what usually ensued after, but witnessing Lucanis go through the motions made your heart lodge in your throat. It felt somehow very wrong and very right.

Suddenly it also felt like decades had passed since the last time you had been alone with him. Memories of flowing wine and a secluded balcony in Treviso surfaced. It had been a hell of a contract and the execution had been flawless. Some visuals of the celebrations afterwards were still hazy and you hadn’t dared to ask Lucanis to clear up the fog.

There was… heat. And heartache. A wine-induced drunken haze? Or maybe something more.

You shook your head to dissipate the tingling sensation. You hadn’t asked Lucanis about that night before and you wouldn’t start that conversation now.

You started taking off your earrings, gaze bouncing between the master assassin and your own motions in the mirror.

“Are you sure the man wasn’t just trying to rob you because you’re walking around in those?” Lucanis met your eyes through the mirror and nodded to the small pile of jewellery on the side table.

“Mm. Maybe,” you ventured softly, “But they were a gift from Illario on last Satinalia, so I wanted to wear them.”

Lucanis looked away, but didn’t comment. That frustrating, perfectly blank slate on his handsome face would be a frightening opponent in Wicked Grace.

You didn’t exactly hurry in preparing – mostly mentally – to bed, and yet the moment still arrived altogether too soon. Lucanis was waiting for you, stalling. You could see he didn’t approve of the idea, but had likely arrived through a very precise, logical line of thought to the conclusion that this couldn’t be helped. For one night, you could sleep standing on your head if need be. Lucanis was probably thinking along the same lines. You needed to be up early and well rested for the journey back to Treviso in the morning. Viago would actually murder you if the Merchant Prince contract wouldn’t be handled by the end of the week.

“I’ll take the door’s side,” you said and embarrassment burned hot because of how squeaky your voice was.

“Right.”

You avoided looking at Lucanis and shuffled to your side of the bed. It was so small. This was a terrible idea.

The mattress dipped behind your back as Lucanis laid down. There was only one blanket and you cursed yourself for not having the foresight to snatch an extra one from Illario’s room.

You lifted the blanket and tossed the other half of it behind you so that Lucanis could have what little comfort it offered. Both of you were mostly dressed, but it seemed disrespectful to hoard it all to yourself.

Lucanis didn’t say anything as he settled the blanket over his side, but you were already feeling the warming effect of sharing. You scooted just an inch backward to narrow the gap between your bodies.

“You’re going to fall off the bed. Come closer,” Lucanis said quietly.

Those two last words rushed the air from your lungs, attached your heart into your throat to prevent inhaling more and threw a match into the barrel of gaatlok inside your chest. Heat rushed through your whole body to chase the escaped air and for a second, breathing ever again seemed impossible.

Lucanis turned slightly to look over his shoulder. You were petrified.

“Fiore?”

Could he not.

“I-I’m fine,” you managed.

He turned back and silence fell.

You really needed to calm down. Treat it as just a job. It was not the first time you were sleeping next to another warm body. You both were reasonable and functional adults. This was a matter of convenience. If Lucanis realised you were doing calming breathing exercises, he didn’t address it.

He shifted a little, tugged at the blanket and let it loosen again. You focused on breathing.

Lucanis scooted backward just like you had done and all of a sudden your back was pressed against his. A backwash of the heat flooded back into you. Forcing your body to relax was suddenly effortless. Like this warmth had been what you were just waiting for in order to settle in for the night. Your breaths were steady. Lucanis’ back was moving subtly in tandem with his breathing.

Now, if only you could have fallen into dreamless sleep.

He had called you ‘Fiore’.

Who had you been kidding, there was absolutely no way you could fall asleep next to Lucanis Dellamorte.

-

→ TBC

[orleans-jester]

“You’re welcome,” Maddy said with a small smile, watching Arthur go. Maybe she’d get in trouble for giving that tidbit of information later but she was in too much bliss to care at the moment. Hopefully Arthur would get his private moment - or as private as one can be around Delta and Frank. She was cheering him on.

And then Wulf gave her another amazing compliment. Who sad that the dead were fearsome? There was hardly anyone that she felt more safe with than with Wulf, save for her husband. “Thank you,” She said, looking to see Bastien and Frankie, and smiled fondly. “Did pretty well for myself, didn’t I?”

Maddy had no clue that she was being looked at, whether by someone’s eyes or through them, she was completely in the moment, not thinking about anything other than what she was looking at. Or rather, who she was looking at. Bastien seemed to be having quite a lucid night, even if a few of the things that he said were on the strange end. That was just Bastien. And he kept on lavishing her with the most wonderful words, making her heartbeat quicken.

She felt like the most loved person in the room.

She wanted to acknowledge each and every point because they were all so important to her. The times that he brought up, the things that he liked. Each one was valuable to the both of them, and helped to form their relationship so of course she wanted to talk about all of them - but there was only so much time in a day. Or in a night, rather. And this one, so far, in her pretty dress trying to emulate the night sky, she felt like she was in a fairytale and didn’t want to spend too much time on the past, not when they were making memories in the present.

And then there was a lot of smiling which was definitely odd for her husband. Even when he was overly happy, he wasn’t exactly the big-grin sort. No, she was used to the sheepish little smile that he had for only a couple of seconds before it would settle back into its natural shape. Her dark eyes flickered down to watch his mouth as it moved like that, curiosity starting to grow.

“Oh, thank you,” She said, nodding, smiling herself, though her face was turning more curious than overly-emotional at this point. She did good too - which was always good to note. Only she noticed that he wasn’t looking right at her anymore, but at something over her shoulder. She turned her head as if to look but Bastien managed to interrupt just in time with his suggestion, making her turn back towards him.

“Outside?” She asked, responding to the kiss with one in kind, sweet and gentle. A smile crossed her face again. “Sure, let’s go for a walk.”

Her eyes watched as he got his phone out, texting right there after asking such a question, and the realization finally sunk in. Bastien, her Bastien, was planning something. This made her feel even warmer since his plans were usually interesting, and romantic, and memorable. Like the dinner that he had set up in the old squathouse, where he had bought her a beautiful dress. Whatever this was, it was going to be special. She could feel it in her bones.

There was a text tone. From Elsa. Yes.

Coats was a good idea. It could still get chilly in Louisiana in the fall time, especially in the middle of the night, and around water. So there was not the least bit of opposition in that regard.

“Of course I remember,” She nodded. They had been working up to it for a while. Bastien not only being awake enough to be walking around in dayface, when he usually tried to sleep through it as much as he possibly could, but also the nerves that someone might just be walking by. Maddy had worn her swimsuit that day. And they had managed to put together some sort of trunks for the big guy. It had been a gorgeous day. “Now you can have every day in the sun.”

They really had progressed, and this was a nice reminder of that. They reached their home in the basement of the castle and Maddy started to bundle Frankie up first in a periwinkle puffer jacket, with little white flowers on it. Only then would she put on her own coat.

“Maybe even more special, because we get to see it everyday,” She said, putting her arms into the sleeves. “It’s not fleeting, or seasonal, or far away. It’s .. literally in our own backyard.”

Arthur did believe Maddy never quit caring. Everyone had a nature. That was hers.

"Yes, Yeah. Actually, I should know that."

Heck, she knew him well enough she could see through his faces. The longing must have been written all over it. He was glad for the tip though. His face brightened with it.

"Thanks Maddy. I'll try there first." Then he gave her a squeeze before heading off in the direction of the rooftop stairs. They noticed Figaro and waved before they kept going. He remembered sitting at their table at school before. He was worried about slowing down though. He felt like his clock was ticking even though he hadn't quite stopped and had a full conversation with them. He really wanted to find Frank and Delta.

Maddy spoke so plainly now to Wulf. Time sure did have a way of changing things and clearing the air. Clearing the fog. Yeah, that was it.

"The fog is clear for both of us now. Your family is beautiful." Wulf felt so demystified when it came to the mysteries that hid there in the back of his mind. Everything felt in good order.

Diablo would think about Fig's words. "Good point." Targets? On his face though? He was going to consider that. Fae Magic for the lean in? "Also good point." He added with a sly grin. He'd be off a moment later though.

Little John didn't miss an opportunity to join in silly dancing when he saw Figaro bouncing about either. He partook in that fun with a burly smile.

To the couple of the hour, Bastien and Maddy were having quite the full conversation while dancing. They didn't even know the Laveau couple were off in a seat watching from afar, including them in their admiration of the whole room. They were too busy admiring each other.

Bastien felt like he really messed things up when he couldn't use his words more than once in the history of their relationship and in that she couldn't see what he felt for her. He was trying so hard to make up for that now. Right now while dancing and full of drinks.

He must have done something real good because she not only said he did amazing, but he was watching her face after. He was concentrating so hard he surely hadn't expect any waterworks. It wasn't a bad thing. She was smiling too. Happy tears. He learned that was a thing. He hadn't expected her to go back and say stuff about each thing either. He just wanted her to know it all. Just in case she hadn't figured it out.

In case she didn't know.

Because yes, all that was there in his head and probably so much more.

A tiny part of that more was coming soon. He saw the frost building and he started to not be able to control his smiling. If anyone knew Bastien at all, drinks or weed or not, in a good mood or not, a certain amount of, or certain kinds of smiling would just feel off, and Maddy certainly knew her husband.

He started to realize he and Elsa should have thought of a signal. A text? Should he wait till she came back in?

Between seeing the frost and seeing his wife's emotional face he started to feel stuck in place. His feet stopped dancing. He reached up to those eyes. "I did good." He just needed to say it to reassure himself her crying was good tears.

"You did good." He said about everything she had said back just in case she needed to hear it too.

That window started to be a hyperfixation.

"Let's go for a walk on the beach."

Then he'd kiss her. Then he turned to kiss Frankie's little head too.

Then he'd wonder if he did all that in the wrong order. Should he have kissed Maddy first because of the doing good convo and then asked about the beach? Hugo would tell him to forget it because too late now. Fuck it.

"Beach?" He'd remind as if his mind was still on it through their whole kiss.

He'd be distracted and even start texting on his phone right after a big ol' conversation like that.

Bastien to Elsa: Can we come out yet?

He'd stall a little longer.

"Let's get coats. Frankie should wear a coat."

It was Halloween. It being technically autumn maybe getting coats wouldn't seem too off course.

As they'd walk to find coats he'd ask, "Do you remember the first time on the beach? It was in the day. My day in the sun?"

In the day memories were vital to Bastien. He connected that to Maddy. It became so much more than one. All he ever dreamed of was one.

"You got this." Laverne would encourage with no doubts. Bastien really was on a roll tonight.

He could feel his inside thoughts coming to the surface again. This was what today had been all about for him. It was finally about time and he was leading up to it.

"That's why I love that beach. Us living right here together. It's as special as Paris, pumpkin patches, or Disney World, or rooftops. My first dream come true. You remember when that was my only real dream? One day. Just one. You helped me get new dreams after that."

He was leading somewhere with all this. Of course only Elsa could know that right now and she wasn't in the conversation.

[ask-the-koopa-family]

I love writing little storiiiiies

Heres a story where Bowser and Cherry decide to have a baby together (Cleo of course!)

Art/OC/story are mine dont copy/repost

#story

#supermariobros

#supermario

#bowser

#bowserxoc

#canonxoc

#princesscherry

The sun was setting over Bowser’s castle, casting a warm, golden glow on the stone walls. In the great throne room, Bowser sat, deep in thought. Beside him, his wife, Queen Cherry—once the Princess of the Piranha Plants—watched him in silence. They had known each other since childhood, lost touch over the years, but fate had brought them back together. Now, they were married, ruling the Koopa Kingdom side by side.

Together, they were raising Bowser Jr. and the seven Koopalings, forming a large, chaotic family. But there was something on Cherry’s mind, something she had been thinking about for a while, and tonight, she knew it was time to talk to Bowser about it.

Cherry (walking up to Bowser gently):

"Bowser… Can we talk? I need to ask you something important."

Bowser (looking up, smiling softly):

"Of course, my queen. What’s on your mind?"

Cherry took a deep breath, knowing the weight of her words. She loved Bowser deeply, and while their family was already big, there was a longing in her heart she couldn’t ignore any longer.

Cherry (her voice soft but steady):

"We already have a wonderful family, with Bowser Jr. and the Koopalings. I love them dearly, but…" (she paused for a moment, gathering her courage)

"I’ve been thinking... I’d like for us to have a child together. A baby of our own."

The room fell silent. Bowser, clearly taken aback, blinked at her in surprise. He sat up straight, his massive form looming in the warm light of the evening.

Bowser (smiling hesitantly):

"A baby… with you? Hmm…" (he thought for a moment)

"That’s… a big decision. We already have eight kids to handle, and... it’s not always easy." (a grin spread across his face)

"But... the idea of having a child with you, Cherry..."

"It makes me happy."

Cherry (smiling tenderly):

"So… you’d be okay with it?"

Bowser (nodding but with a hint of worry in his voice):

"I’d be more than okay with it. I’ve already raised eight kids, and I’m proud of them. But…" (he looked at her seriously)

"There’s something that concerns me. You’re human, and I’m a Koopa. What would our baby even look like? Would it… even work?"

Cherry could hear the hesitation in his voice. She moved closer to him, placing her hand gently on his, her eyes full of reassurance.

Cherry (speaking softly):

"I guess.. youre right.. But.. It doesn’t matter what they’ll look like. They’ll be unique, Bowser. A part of both of us. They won’t have to choose between being human or Koopa—they’ll be both. And that’s beautiful."

Bowser (sighing but smiling slightly):

"That’s true. The Koopalings are all different, and yet they’re united." (he scratched his head, still thinking)

"But what if they feel... out of place? Caught between two worlds? I don’t want our child to suffer because of who they are."

Cherry (shaking her head gently):

"They’ll never be alone, Bowser. They’ll have you, me, and their brothers and sisters to help them. And if they ever feel different, we’ll be there to show them they belong. I believe they’ll be stronger than we can imagine."

Bowser pondered her words. He had spent his life proving his strength, fighting for his kingdom, and protecting his family. The idea of a child, one born out of his love for Cherry, began to seem less daunting and more exciting.

Bowser (smiling more confidently):

"You know what? You’re right. This baby would be special. A mix of strength, love, and all the lessons we’ll teach them." (he chuckled)

"And with a family like ours around them, I’m sure they’ll be able to handle anything."

Cherry (laughing softly, feeling reassured):

"Exactly. Imagine a little one with your strength and courage, and maybe a bit of my..." (she laughed)

"Patience to balance things out."

Bowser (letting out a hearty laugh):

"Ha! That would be one formidable kid! That little one would probably have more energy than all the kids combined." (then, more seriously)

"But I’m ready. If that’s what you want, then I want it too. I’m ready to be a father again, and this time, to a child that’s truly ours."

Cherry felt her heart swell with relief. She had known Bowser would have his doubts, but she also knew that, in the end, he would embrace the idea. They had overcome so many challenges together, and this new adventure would be one of the most beautiful ones yet.

Cherry (hugging him warmly):

"Thank you, Bowser. I know this baby will be our greatest adventure."

Bowser (holding her close):

"Yes, an adventure that will change everything. And I’m ready to face it with you, Cherry. No matter what they look like, this baby will be our heir. The heir of two worlds."

They stayed like that, embraced in the soft glow of the fading sun, ready to embark on this new chapter in their lives. Together, Bowser and Cherry were sure they could face whatever challenges came their way, bound by their love and the future they were about to build for their family.

[koji-haru]

Time Travel AU Part: 22

“I completely understand it now,” Michael suddenly blurted out from his spot, head resting comfortably on Adam’s lap.

“Hmm?” hummed Adam, his eyes remaining glued to the wooden tools he was busy carving. 

“It’s so comfortable.” Michael shifted a little to nuzzle himself even closer to Adam, the warmth his human emitted brought about a cosy and homely feeling that he could never seem to have enough of. “I can see why Amora liked to settle herself here.”

And as if on cue, a large paw began clawing at him, not harsh enough to supposedly injure but stern and annoyed enough to send a message – Amora wanted her spot back. She had even begun nipping at Michael’s robes, trying to drag him out of the spot that used to be exclusively hers. Though of course, being an angel, Amora’s effort seemed more like a newborn kitten’s playful pawing to Michael. 

“It’s my turn, Amora,” Michael playfully reminded, a hand reaching out to pet the agitated cat’s head in an attempt to somewhat pacify her. “You’re always with Adam, you should learn to share.”

In response, Amora bit Michael’s hand before deciding to settle on him instead. With a heavy plop, her large furred body established itself on top of him, almost covering the entirety of his being. Michael was almost tempted to pet the jaguar again, thinking that perhaps she wasn’t that upset with him until he saw her large yellow gaze piercing through him, her long spotted tail swishing and swaying impatiently behind her as she let out a low growl. It was a dare. A dare to further push her buttons and the promises she had as consequence. Michael didn’t need to be able to speak to animals then, Amora was clear enough in the message she sent his way. 

“To be fair,” Adam decided to cut in, if anything to somewhat make Amora ease up a bit. “This is her spot, and you’ve been hogging it lately.”

Amora let out a melodramatic grunt at Adam’s words, her eyes seemingly drooping a little. In response, Adam briefly paused what he was working on, carefully placing his tools and his carving on the side to give Amora a soothing pet on her head, scratching behind her ears where he knew she liked best. That seemed to effectively cool down the cat’s hot temperament evident by the soft, satisfied chuffs she emitted as she rested her head on Michael’s chest with her eyes closed.

Michael could do nothing but look on as Adam easily placated the agitated cat. How could he easily manage the jaguar’s continuously swinging back and forth temperament, Michael wasn’t sure but he was amazed nonetheless. 

Looking down at the angel’s curious astonishment, Adam couldn’t help the grin that formed in his lips. He always found it rather funny (and endearing) how Michael seemed to be so easily impressed by things he thought were rather mundane and simple. Every time it occurred two things always bubbled up from within him: One, was to proudly show and teach the angel more things that he knew of, just so he could see more of that sparkle remain in his deep blue eyes; Two, was a playfully mischievous feeling that couldn’t help but want to ruffle some of his angel’s feathers. Right now, Adam was feeling the second one.

“Would you like to be petted too?” asked Adam with a small smile and a teasing glint in his golden eyes. His hands stopped scratching and petting Amora as he moved it over to intertwine his fingers between the wavy strands of Michael’s pale golden hair, fingers gently scratching along his scalp. And within just a few seconds, Michael melted like a puddle on Adam’s lap, happily enjoying the soothing sensations on his scalp. 

“Aww, look at you,” cooed Adam. “Such a good puppy, do you want more?” he teased, but also meant it honestly. What was he going to give? He wasn’t sure himself, but if Michael asked he might just be inclined to spoil his angel.

A small dusting of gold painted Michael cheeks at Adam’s alluring suggestion. Did he want more? Yes, yes he did, though he wasn’t exactly sure which one he wanted first. There were simply so many things he wanted from the first man. He wanted to see his unrestrained smiles and tears, to forever remain so close to his warmth, to feel the softness of his lips against his and how it would taste, he wanted Adam wholly. Oh it was quite the demanding love, but he couldn’t help it, especially when his love was right in front of him, gaze a hot molten gold that seemed to burn passionately. 

“Adam…” Michael whined as he held onto Adam’s hand, nuzzling it against his warm face; the teasing was getting to him a little. 

But of course, they weren’t alone, and whatever moment the two shared between them in longing gazes was ruined by a large paw landing directly on Michael’s face followed by an exaggeratedly loud yawn and a show of sharp teeth. Michael visibly deflated, slumping almost lifelessly in disappointment on Adam’s lap, while Adam himself couldn’t help the snort that escaped him. Amora always seemed to have the greatest timing, which was good for him; he wasn’t sure what came over him, but he knew he was wading through murky waters there. Not yet. He wasn’t about to explore there yet. But…maybe one day. 

“Oh, sorry girl,” Adam apologised as he went back to petting the jaguar. 

If Michael didn’t know any better, he swore that the cat had a smug look on her face. He wasn’t even sure what he did to warrant such pettiness from her. All he did was try to spend as much time as he was possibly allowed to be with Adam, sharing meals with him, playing games with him, creating music together, testing out new inventions with him. Okay, maybe he did deserve her petty wrath a little bit for hogging Adam’s time whenever he visited, especially now that he had apparently stolen her favourite spot on Adam’s lap. 

Michael gently pushed the paw that was still resting on his face, “And I’m sorry for stealing Adam from you. I’ll make it up to you one day, truce?”

He got a soft lick on his face in response. Truce it was. 

“By the way,” Adam suddenly spoke aloud, hand still petting Amora. “How come you were extra early today?”

“Ah, well, I wanted a time away from Heaven,” answered Michael, looking a little awkwardly away. 

Adam knew that look. It meant there was something more behind his words, not precisely a lie, Michael could never, but more like an awkward omission – something he’d find rather embarrassing to divulge. 

“Because..?” Adam trailed on, encouraging his angel to continue his story. Really, as much as didn’t want to return to Heaven, he also couldn’t help but be curious of its current whereabouts and developments.

“Uhm, it’s in a bit of state right now,” Michael admitted. “A chaotic state that is.”

Well, now that was surprising. It wasn’t as if Heaven never panicked, in fact they gushed over the smallest facts and details during his time there, it was just that, for them to be so clustered and unorganised already during the beginning of time when there wasn’t much to worry about; Adam supposed some things just stubbornly remained the same. Still, he was curious, even more curious now in fact, though he had an inkling of an idea as to what caused this chaos. 

His hands stopped petting Amora once he heard her soft snores and her even breathing, her large body still resting atop Michael. Picking his tools up once more, he continued on the piece he was carving. 

“Go on,” he said as he focused half his attention back on his work. 

A sheepish look painted over Michael’s face like a little kid admitting they had broken something, “Well, you know the tea you gave me more of?”

Oh. Now Adam was sure what had happened, but he feigned ignorance of the fact anyway. “Yup, I gave you a bunch of different ones to share with others. I hope they liked them?”

“Yes, well, they might have liked it a bit much…” Michael revealed. “And, uh, it might have affected others a little differently.”

“How so?”

Michael squinted his eyes into nothing in particular as recalled Gabriel speeding past his window, breaking the glass, and then through his wall. Apparently he was feeling ‘extra speedy’. A shiver ran down his spine as he remembered the mess that was Heaven when he decided to investigate out of his broken window. Sure, the hot drink did give him some sort of buzz, an energised feeling, but that day he learned that it affected others differently from him. 

“Let’s just say it made others a little too speedy and bold,” he answered. He would help out right now, and he did, at least for the first few hours, but then quickly realised there was only so much he could do against so much chaos, and so, he sought refuge in the garden with Adam. They had to tire out eventually, right? Oh, he hoped to his dear Father that they would, otherwise he would never hear the end of it from Sera. 

“Sounds like fun,” Adam chuckled. Really, while it was probably a nightmare for someone like Michael, it did sound like fun to him, he wished he could’ve seen the chaos. 

“...Sure…” Michael absently agreed, his thoughts busy worrying about how decidedly unfun it would be for him when he would eventually have to return and see the aftermath.

—-

The sun had passed its highest point of the day and had begun its slow descent towards the horizon. And by this time, Michael had graciously given Amora, who had a satisfied look on her sleeping face, a turn on Adam’s lap, even though he wanted to remain longer – but peaceful negotiations were needed for peaceful coexistence. 

The two had just finished another round of a game, with Michael winning once again. In fact, he had been winning the last couple of rounds, and only now did he notice the slightly distracted look on Adam’s eyes. Was that why the last few games had been oddly easy for him?

“What’s distracting you?” he asked Adam, who suddenly blinked out of his own stupor. 

“Oh, hmm,” Adam pondered aloud. He was a little distracted, it wasn’t anything particularly important, but then he supposed that also meant there was no harm in asking Michael. Moving the board game aside, Adam inched closer to Michael, reaching over to tug lightly at his robes. “It might be a bit of an odd request, but can I also have some clothes?”

It wasn’t as if Adam had suddenly gotten shy, no, he quickly got over that when first woke back up in Eden, he wasn’t ashamed of his body no matter how it looked. But out of nowhere, he simply missed wearing clothes. Honestly, he found clothes to be great, it was one of the ways he could express himself and his clothes felt nicely comfortable against his skin, oftentimes he found himself snuggling into its loose fabrics when he couldn’t completely hide away from the world outside. He missed it, his little comforts. He would make one for himself, but turning raw fibres into threads and then weaving threads into clothing…well that simply took too much skill and time. And makeshift clothes made out of leaves were out of the question, those things were far from comfortable and reminded him too much of his shared hardship with Eve in his first life on Earth.

Though Michael looked a little confused at the request, he happily obliged anyway. “Alright, how would you like it?” asked Michael. 

Adam was half tempted to request a robe that was exactly like his old one in Heaven, the gold and white one (he didn’t even want to remember his extermination outfit, what a nightmare), but then thought against it. He loved it, don’t get him wrong, it brought him comfort during times when he needed it most, but he didn’t need it now, not in Eden anyway. Bringing something like that in the garden might just be a bit too heavenly for his taste. He eyed Michael’s own robes, how it felt soft with a touch of silkiness to it on his fingertips. 

“Can I have one similar to yours?” he asked, lifting the sleeve of Michael’s robe. “We can be matching then.”

Michael had never made something so quick in his entire existence as threads of white and gold flowed in the air swiftly weaving into each other to form a loose robe. The thought of Adam wearing clothes that looked just like his sent such strange happy signals to his brain. Overwhelming him with such triumphant joy. It was almost as if he was staking claim to the first man as his for everyone to see. A happy yellow hue lightly blossomed on his cheeks at the thought. And while he would be more than happy to have Adam essentially wear exactly the same robe as he did, thought a bit more gold and a little less blue suited his human more – it would complement the jewel that were his eyes quite nicely. 

Within no time at all, Adam’s new robe was made, floating down onto his hands. It looked and felt just like Michael’s with slight variances in colour, but the feeling of it remained the same; soft, warm and homely, it reminded him of safety and belonging. Adam held the robe in front of him, taking in its full appearance. It was certainly different from his old one, which was what he had wanted, after all, he was no longer the father of humanity; a change he was fully happy and content with.

“Do you like it?” asked Michael a little nervously. 

A soft, genuine smile graced Adam’s lips, “I love it.”

Part 21

Part 23

[jeonsblackgf-writes]

Forbidden Ties | Rafe Cameron

summary: sanaa knew it was forbidden, but he’s worth the risk, and he was willing to give up everything if it meant sanaa would fall into him the way she was meant to

warnings: angst, fluff

word count: 3,783

───────── ౨ৎ ─────────

Sanaa stood at the edge of the balcony, her eyes tracing the skyline of the city below. The evening sky, bruised purple and fading to a deep blue, cast long shadows across the terrace. She felt the cool air kiss her bare skin, the silk of her gown flowing gently behind her. Despite the opulence of the event—the glittering chandeliers, the clink of fine crystal glasses, the sound of laughter and conversation in every direction—she felt a distinct unease in her chest.

She wasn’t used to being the center of attention in a room full of strangers, even if they were all high society. It was hard to remember a time before her family’s wealth had drawn eyes like moths to a flame. And tonight, the spotlight felt even heavier because of one person.

Rafe Cameron.

He had appeared at the event an hour ago, looking every bit the successful business tycoon he was—tailored suit, expensive watch glinting in the light, sharp jawline and those eyes, the color of whiskey and always so focused, so intense. She hated that she noticed him so much. But there was nothing she could do. Her father had drilled it into her that Rafe was strictly off-limits. Business, he always said, should never mix with pleasure. And that’s exactly what Rafe was—dangerous, enticing pleasure.

Sanaa’s pulse quickened just at the thought of him. She didn’t even know why—he wasn’t like the other men she’d met. Most were more interested in what her family could offer than in who she was as a person. But Rafe was different. He saw her as an equal, someone who could challenge him. And maybe, just maybe, that’s what terrified her the most.

A soft laugh broke through her thoughts, and she turned to find her older sister, Leila, approaching. Leila was already a few steps ahead in her world of social connections, her polished grace and effortless charm making her the star of every gathering. She shot Sanaa a knowing smile as she sipped her champagne.

“Don’t tell me you’re out here feeling sorry for yourself,” Leila teased, her tone light but sharp. “I saw Rafe walking through the room. You know Dad will have a fit if you keep avoiding him.”

Sanaa’s heart stuttered, but she refused to let her nerves show. “I’m not avoiding anyone,” she replied coolly. “Just needed a breath of fresh air.”

Leila’s gaze softened, though there was still an amused glint in her eyes. “Sure you are. Just don’t make things awkward. If Dad finds out you’ve been running from Rafe all night, he’ll have a fit.”

“I haven’t been—” Sanaa started, but her words died on her tongue when she spotted him.

Rafe.

He was standing at the opposite end of the balcony, his attention fixed on something below, his hand resting casually against the stone railing. The sight of him stirred something in her that she wished she could ignore.

“Go talk to him,” Leila encouraged, her voice dropping to a low whisper. “You know you want to.”

Before Sanaa could respond, Leila was already disappearing back into the crowd, leaving her to face the one person she couldn’t seem to avoid. Slowly, almost reluctantly, she walked toward him, her heels clicking softly on the marble floor.

Rafe didn’t look up when she approached, and for a moment, she wondered if he hadn’t noticed her at all. But then, just as she was about to speak, he turned his head, his gaze locking with hers.

“Sanaa,” he said her name like it was a secret he’d been holding onto for far too long. His voice was low and smooth, and she could feel the weight of his attention like a tangible thing.

“Rafe,” she replied, her tone a little colder than she intended. She couldn’t help it. This whole situation—her father’s expectations, the pressure of their families' partnership—made her wary. She had been told time and time again that nothing could ever happen between them.

He smiled then, a slow, knowing smile that made her stomach flip. “It’s a beautiful night,” he said, his gaze never leaving hers. “Isn’t it?”

“It is,” she agreed, her voice tight. She tried to keep her composure, to maintain the boundary that had been set for her. “Though I suppose you’d know that already, since you seem to spend your time in the limelight.”

Rafe’s smile didn’t falter, but there was a flicker of something in his eyes. He stepped a little closer, close enough that she could smell the faint scent of his cologne, something deep and earthy. “I suppose I do,” he replied softly. “But it’s easier to appreciate the night when you’re not constantly under its spotlight.”

There was a pause between them, a tension that stretched for too long, until Sanaa felt her breath catch. She wanted to say something—anything—but all she could do was stare at him. The air around them seemed to crackle, charged with something unsaid, something dangerous.

“So, what brings you out here?” Rafe asked, leaning slightly toward her, his voice quiet but intent.

“I needed some space,” she answered honestly, though the real reason was far more complicated. “The crowd is a bit... much.”

He nodded, his eyes searching hers with an intensity that made her feel exposed. “I get that,” he said after a beat. “I tend to prefer moments of quiet.”

It was strange, how easily the conversation seemed to flow with him. Like they had known each other for far longer than just a few brief encounters. Like the rules of their families, the expectations, the things that should have kept them apart didn’t matter. For a brief, dangerous moment, she almost convinced herself that they didn’t.

But then the sound of footsteps interrupted them, and Sanaa glanced over her shoulder to find her father, Malik, approaching. He wore a stern expression, his sharp eyes quickly assessing the situation. When his gaze landed on Rafe, his face softened, but only slightly.

“Rafe,” Malik greeted, offering his hand for a handshake. “I was looking for you.”

“Malik,” Rafe replied with a firm but polite handshake. “Everything going smoothly?”

Sanaa could see the slight tension in her father’s posture, the way he glanced between her and Rafe, then back again. He was the sort of man who never let anything slip, always maintaining a calm facade, but she knew him well enough to recognize the signs of discomfort.

“I hope you’re enjoying yourself,” Malik said, though his eyes lingered on Sanaa for a moment too long. “I’m sure Sanaa has been keeping you company.”

Sanaa quickly lowered her gaze, trying to read the subtle cues in her father’s expression. He wasn’t angry—not yet—but she could feel the pressure building. He wasn’t the type to interfere directly, but he didn’t need to. His disapproval was felt in every word, every glance.

“I’ve been keeping her company,” Rafe said smoothly, his voice betraying nothing. “We were just talking about the event. It’s quite a crowd.”

“Indeed,” Malik said curtly. “Well, I’m sure you two have much to discuss. I’ll leave you to it.” He turned to walk away, but not before pausing and adding, “Rafe, my office, tomorrow morning. We need to talk numbers.”

“Of course,” Rafe replied, nodding once.

As Malik walked off, Sanaa felt a familiar weight settle over her chest. She turned back to Rafe, her voice quieter now. “I should go inside.”

“You don’t have to,” Rafe said, his tone soft but compelling.

She felt the pull again, like gravity, and for a moment, she almost forgot where they were, who they were to each other. But the reality of the situation settled back in. She couldn’t let herself get too close. Not when it could ruin everything.

“I’ll see you later,” she said briskly, her voice colder than she intended. “Goodnight, Rafe.”

His gaze lingered on her as she turned to walk back inside, but she didn’t look back. The night was still young, and she knew that no matter how hard she tried to avoid him, their paths would cross again.

____________

The days following the event felt like a slow burn. Every time Sanaa crossed paths with Rafe—whether at one of her father’s business gatherings, or simply running into him at a dinner party—the tension was palpable. They both felt it. She knew it. He knew it. But neither of them spoke it aloud.

It was safer that way.

But in the quiet spaces of her life—when she was alone, when she could think without the pressure of family expectations—it was impossible to deny the truth. She was drawn to him. And not just in some superficial way. There was something about Rafe that made her want to understand him, to break through the walls he had so carefully constructed around himself. And the fact that it was forbidden only made it all the more dangerous.

The encounter on the balcony had stayed with her longer than she’d cared to admit, the sensation of his gaze lingering on her like a brand. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw the way he had looked at her—appreciative, calculating, but also something softer, something she couldn’t quite grasp.

Her father’s words echoed in her mind. Business and pleasure don’t mix.

It was as if her father’s warning was now a constant hum, a reminder that what was between her and Rafe couldn’t happen. She had to believe that, no matter how irresistible the pull toward him became.

But Sanaa was used to control. Her entire life had been about balancing expectations: her father’s vision for their family’s legacy, her mother’s expectations of refinement and grace, and her own desires, which often felt small, hidden beneath the weight of all the responsibilities placed on her.

And then there was Rafe—strong, silent, unpredictable Rafe. Everything about him felt like an unspoken challenge, a question she couldn’t answer yet. The more she tried to forget him, the more he lingered, like the faintest trace of cologne on the collar of a jacket that was never really out of reach.

It happened one evening, a few weeks after the gala, when Sanaa found herself once again in the same orbit as Rafe. Her father had invited him to dinner at their house, a gathering that was supposed to be about business, but always had an undercurrent of something more personal.

She had known Rafe would be there. They were both too entrenched in the same circles, too tethered by their families’ business partnership, to avoid such gatherings. But what she hadn’t prepared for was the way her heart raced when she saw him step into the living room, his broad shoulders filling the doorway, his presence like a magnetic force. The moment he looked at her, his expression unreadable, the world around her seemed to pause.

"Rafe," her father greeted, standing to shake his hand. "Good to see you. I trust everything’s going well?"

"As well as ever," Rafe answered smoothly, though his eyes briefly flicked toward Sanaa before he turned to Malik.

There it was again. That moment. That quiet recognition. She couldn’t let herself dwell on it, not with her father right there.

The dinner was a blur of fine wine, small talk, and the constant hum of corporate jargon. But Sanaa couldn’t keep her focus. Her attention kept straying to the man sitting across the table from her, his dark eyes catching hers with unsettling frequency. She told herself it was all in her head, that there was nothing to the looks he was giving her. After all, Rafe was a businessman. He wasn’t interested in her beyond the occasional polite conversation. Or so she had to keep telling herself.

But when the evening wore on and the others retired to the drawing room, Sanaa found herself once again alone with him. She was halfway through a glass of wine when she felt him at her side, silent and steady as always. He didn’t say anything at first, just watched her, as though he were deciding whether or not to speak. Her pulse quickened, but she kept her face neutral.

“You’re not much for small talk, are you?” she asked, her voice a little too sharp.

Rafe chuckled softly, the sound low and almost intimate. “I’m more of a listener.”

She turned her head slightly, catching his gaze, and for a brief moment, the distance between them felt like nothing. As though the years of rules and expectations didn’t exist.

“I didn’t realize you were so interested in me,” she said, her words a little too playful, trying to mask the nerves she couldn’t control.

“I’m not,” he replied, his voice smooth but with a hint of something darker beneath. "But you intrigue me."

Her breath caught. Intrigued? By her? The idea shouldn’t have been so flattering, but the way he said it—so carefully, so deliberately—stirred something inside her, something she hadn’t been willing to acknowledge until now.

"I think I’m intrigued by you, too," she said, the words slipping out before she could stop them. She hadn’t meant to make it personal, hadn’t meant to admit anything, but there it was.

Rafe raised an eyebrow, stepping closer, though he didn’t invade her personal space just yet. His presence, however, was unmistakable. The air between them seemed charged, thick with the weight of unspoken words.

“You should be careful about what you say, Sanaa,” he murmured, his voice barely above a whisper, though she could feel the intensity behind it. “The more you admit to yourself, the harder it gets to walk away.”

She swallowed hard, looking down at her glass, trying to steady herself. “I don’t know what you mean.”

Rafe gave a soft, humorless laugh. “Don’t play coy. You and I both know what this is.”

She bristled at his words, but the truth was, he wasn’t wrong. There was an undeniable connection between them—one that neither of them had been able to ignore, despite the rules and the boundaries. She had tried. She really had. But with each passing day, the pull between them grew stronger.

But they were not free agents. They weren’t just two people making their own choices. Her father’s expectations were always there, an ever-present shadow looming over every decision.

Sanaa’s voice was steady when she spoke again, though it didn’t quite reach her eyes. “This—whatever this is—it can’t happen, Rafe. You know that. My father would never approve.”

“And neither would mine but I’m a grown ass man, and you’re a grown ass woman,” he replied quietly, his gaze searching hers. “And there’s more to it than just their approval, isn’t there? There’s a part of you that wants this too.”

His words hit her like a punch to the gut. For a moment, she thought she might say something, might argue, might try to push back against the truth he had just laid bare. But the part of her that wanted him—wanted to explore what was between them—was too strong, too overwhelming.

“Maybe,” she whispered, before she could stop herself.

The tension between them thickened, and Rafe took a step closer, his body nearly touching hers. She could feel the heat of him, his presence overwhelming everything else in the room. And for a moment, she thought he might kiss her—just lean in, take her lips as if the rest of the world didn’t matter.

But then he pulled back, just slightly, his hand hovering near her shoulder but never quite touching. The moment was suspended, fragile, as if anything more would break it.

“We shouldn’t,” he said, his voice low and almost regretful. Sanaa nodded, her chest tightening. “No. We really shouldn’t.”

And yet, as he turned to leave the room, the tension remained, unspoken but undeniable.

Sanaa stood there, her breath shallow, her pulse racing long after Rafe had walked away. The room felt smaller, the weight of her own emotions pressing in on her chest, suffocating. She hadn’t meant to say it—hadn’t meant to let her vulnerability show. But now, with those words hanging between them, the lines she had so carefully drawn in her life seemed to blur, just like the faces in the crowded room that felt miles away.

Maybe she had been lying to herself all this time. Maybe she had wanted this all along.

She took a slow sip from her wine glass, the coolness of it doing nothing to settle the fire in her veins. The truth of it settled deep within her, and she couldn’t escape it. Rafe did intrigue her. And it was more than just curiosity. It was a magnetic force pulling her toward him, and as much as she wanted to deny it, she couldn’t.

The door to the drawing room creaked open behind her, and she stiffened, expecting to see her father or one of the guests. But when she turned, her gaze met Rafe’s again. He was standing in the doorway, his posture casual but the intensity in his eyes unmistakable.

“I thought you’d left,” Sanaa said, the words slipping out before she could stop them.

“I should have,” Rafe replied, stepping into the room with quiet, measured strides. His presence filled the space, as it always did. “But something told me you weren’t quite finished with the conversation.”

Sanaa’s heart skipped a beat. She wanted to argue, wanted to snap at him to leave, to stop playing these dangerous games, but something about the way he looked at her made the words die on her tongue. It was as if they were the only two people in the room, the rest of the world fading away.

“You’re still here,” she said instead, her voice quieter than she intended. “Why?”

Rafe’s lips curved into a smile, the hint of something darker flickering beneath it. “I don’t know. Maybe because I’m starting to believe that you’re not as immune to this as you pretend to be.”

Her breath caught in her throat. The audacity of his words sent a rush of heat to her cheeks. But it wasn’t anger she felt—it was something else. Something dangerous.

She wanted to argue, to tell him how wrong he was, how impossible it all was, but the words stuck in her throat, her own doubts weighing her down.

Instead, she found herself asking, “And what about you? Why do you keep coming back?”

His gaze softened, though there was still an edge to it. “I can’t get you out of my head, Sanaa. And I think you know exactly what I mean.”

Her heart raced, and her stomach flipped. She took a step back, shaking her head as if that might somehow clear the fog of emotions that clouded her thoughts. “This… we can’t. It’s not just our families—there’s more at stake. I can’t afford to let this happen, Rafe. Not when I’ve been told my entire life that I have to be in control.”

“You’ve been told a lot of things, haven’t you?” he said quietly, his voice taking on a harder edge. “And what have you been telling yourself?”

Sanaa froze, caught in the weight of his words. There was something almost accusatory in them, as though he was challenging her to admit what she had been avoiding all along. That part of her that did want this, that did want him, regardless of the consequences.

She didn’t answer immediately. Instead, she stared at him, her gaze flickering to the door behind him, where she knew her father’s study lay—just beyond the threshold, where decisions were made, where futures were shaped. The life she was meant to live, the path she was supposed to follow, was just on the other side. But with every second that passed, it felt more and more like a cage.

“I have responsibilities,” she said finally, her voice barely above a whisper, as if she were trying to convince herself. “I can’t just throw them away. I can’t risk everything for… this.”

Rafe studied her in silence, and for a moment, Sanaa thought he might walk away, might let the tension dissipate like it had so many times before. But instead, he took a single step toward her, his eyes never leaving hers.

“Sometimes,” he said quietly, his voice steady but intense, “you have to risk everything. Otherwise, you’re just playing it safe, never really living.”

The words lingered in the air between them, heavy and daring, like an invitation to cross a line she had sworn never to cross. Sanaa’s heart pounded in her chest, each beat a reminder of the choice she had to make.

“Is that what you want, Rafe?” she asked, her voice thick with emotion. “You want me to throw everything away?”

His gaze softened, and he stepped even closer, his presence enveloping her. “I don’t want you to throw anything away. But if you’re honest with yourself, you’ll know that you want more. You don’t want to be stuck in a life that’s already been mapped out for you. And neither do I.”

Sanaa felt her breath catch again, her hands trembling slightly as she held her glass, as if it were the only thing keeping her grounded. She knew he was right. She knew the truth was there, buried beneath all the expectations and obligations. She wanted something more. But could she really have it?

“You’re playing a dangerous game, Rafe,” she murmured, though the words felt hollow now. “One I’m not sure I can afford to play.”

His lips quirked into a half-smile. “Maybe. But sometimes, Sanaa… danger is the only thing worth playing for.”

Before she could respond, he stepped away, leaving her in the silence of the room. The door clicked softly behind him as he exited, leaving her standing in the same spot, caught between desire and duty, between a life she had been taught to live and one that might be hers if she had the courage to reach for it.

Sanaa’s mind raced, her heart torn. She knew she couldn’t let herself get swept up in this—she had too much to lose. But a part of her, the part that had been buried for so long, wondered if maybe it was time to risk it all.

She swallowed hard, the taste of uncertainty thick on her tongue.

Maybe the question wasn’t what she had to lose.

Maybe the real question was: What would she be willing to give up to have it all?

───────── ౨ৎ ─────────

Let me know what guys wanna see next ! 🫶🏾

[tomorrowxtogether]

YEONJUN: “I’ll just keep trying till I make it”

TOMORROW X TOGETHER The Star Chapter: SANCTUARY comeback interview

2024.11.15

Let’s hear from the idol who has “nothing to fear” and who’s only grown stronger as he “hit it over and over down down down”: YEONJUN.

What’s it like getting ready to promote with the group again after doing promotions solo for your mixtape? YEONJUN: It put me at ease, honestly. (laughs) When I was working on “GGUM,” I was like, “Gahh!” having to take part in everything on my own, but when it’s with the group, I’m with them. But then it made me wonder if I wasn’t doing as much as I did for “GGUM.” Whenever I felt that way, I tried not to fall short. I kept reminding myself to work just as hard because our group album is more important—so I wouldn’t lose that.

I heard you were focused on your diction and the rhymes while working on “GGUM.” What were you mainly focused on for the new album? YEONJUN: My tone. Like having an overall light and airy voice, maybe? For “Heaven” and “Resist (Not Gonna Run Away),” I tried to make my voice dense and strong, and on “Higher Than Heaven,” for the line, “I’ll take you,” I imagined being able to hear the excitement in my voice and then sang it that way. I have a feeling MOA will really love this album, so I’m really excited. It has a completely different vibe from “GGUM”.

You also contributed lyrics for both “Heaven” and “Danger.” YEONJUN: Right after finishing the lyrics for “GGUM” and going, “Done! Sent it in today!” I jumped straight into “Heaven.” I wrote a lot of lines in the chorus, like, “heaven isn’t far, it’s now,” “the instant our lips touch,” “as long as you’re there, it’s heaven,” but it was really hard. “GGUM” is all about my own view, you know? So writing lyrics for the album was way harder than for “GGUM”. (laughs)

The lyrics to “Touch” (ft. YEONJUN of TOMORROW X TOGETHER) are interesting too. I felt like they really showcased the real you, like how you love food and watch lots of movies—a kind of condensed summary of what you’ve always said about yourself. (laughs) YEONJUN: Exactly. (laughs) And I used the word “ghosting” because we have a song called that. There’s also “YJ” from “GGUM,” which is there in the intro to the “Touch” remix, too. Our producer Slow Rabbit was the one who came up with the idea to put “YJ” in, and he got all excited and was like, “Let’s put ‘YJ’ in again!” (laughs) I liked that. When I heard it, it felt like it’s my signature now. And you know how we sing together from the pre-chorus all the way to the last chorus? That wasn’t actually part of the plan—it got added in after recording. Just a little behind-the-scenes tidbit for you there. (laughs)

That makes me think of how you said you wanted to show more of yourself as an artist, starting with “GGUM.” What does that side of you look like exactly? YEONJUN: I’d say someone who sets trends. I see myself as someone who can make anything work. When it comes to music, at least, I want to try out a ton of different things, and sometimes I want to convince MOA of that by trying new things like that. I think, like, How will it help my music if I don’t explore musically or take any risks?

I see you’re aiming even higher when it comes to music. YEONJUN: I’m always thinking about how important it is to make sure the music tells our story, whether it’s with the group or on my own. I’m the kind of person who wants to be recognized for my continued work in the field and I’m really driven to do a good job. My mindset has always been, no matter what I’m doing, I’ll just keep trying till I make it. And I think that’s really important. Putting my story into the music is always going to be a tough task, but it’s a good challenge. I want to keep dreaming big.

Is that why you wrote on Weverse that you’re happy with your work–life balance? (laughs) You’ve been really busy this year with all the touring, your first solo mixtape—GGUM—and working on a new mini album. YEONJUN: I was overflowing with excitement every single day I was working on GGUM. I actually get anxious when I have some downtime. I was working on the mixtape, getting ready to promote with the group, and featuring on “Touch.” Crushing it all made me feel like I’m at peak life and productivity. I was secretly proud of myself—like, I’m straight fire! (laughs)

And even with all that going on, you streamed an Essence of Dance🦊 on Weverse LIVE. That isn’t exactly the easiest kind of stream, either, given you have to have everything memorized and dance on the spot. YEONJUN: Right. (laughs) But MOA’s always waiting. I already said I’d do it, but it kept getting pushed back because I had other obligations, and even still, MOA was so understanding, and it just made me feel even sorrier. So I ended up squeezing it in after deciding I should do it before “GGUM” came out, even if it was short. I usually keep at it until I’m happy with it, but I was so physically drained that day, unfortunately. (laughs)

You must have felt really proud when “GGUM” finally came out after all you went through. YEONJUN: I knew it was the one the second I heard it. It’s hip hop but has a pop feel, and it’s sexy and mysterious at the same time. It feels really multilayered. It made me happy to see people all over social media covering my song and the dance moves. Even my friends used the gamja-ggang joke on me, and they’re never like that. (laughs) I thought, Whoa, they know my song? Every single reaction was great. And hearing MOA chant my name that loud and clear—like, “Choi Yeonjun! Choi Yeonjun!”—was amazing. Now I have even more things I want to say through my music and more musical styles I want to try, and I love my work even more now. I’d say it’s a combination of, “it was really fun,” and, “it’s exhilarating,” but at the same time, “I’m not fully satisfied yet,” maybe? (laughs)

Why aren’t you fully satisfied? YEONJUN: I tried a lot of new things with the group and with “GGUM,” obviously, but I think there’s still more I haven’t tried yet. I’m a big rock fan, for example. I’ve done a lot of pure, emotional rock with TOMORROW X TOGETHER, but if the chance comes up, I want to try some really hard rock, like, “Let’s tear it up!” When I was working on “GGUM”, I started thinking about trying an R&B ballad, too. There’s different subgenres even within hip hop and R&B, and I want to try the ones I’ve never done before. I really just want to try a wide variety of things.

In the ‘YEONJUN’s Mixtape: GGUM’ MAKING FILM making-of trilogy, you were open about the struggles you experience as an artist. Even though you always work in front of the camera, wasn’t it still a lot of pressure to document the whole process? YEONJUN: I actually feel that I need that pressure to give me that extra push. In my everyday life, I try to keep things chill—put on some chill music, watch movies, eat—but when I’m working, pressure motivates me. (laughs)

Is that what let you send in your rough lyrics for the first verse of “GGUM” without any hesitation? You didn’t seem worried about getting feedback. YEONJUN: I used to feel a lot of pressure, but I think my personality has changed a lot. It’s inevitable that the lyrics will be rejected more often than approved when I send them over, to be honest, so it’s better to just send them right over and get the feedback back quickly to get rewriting. That’s why I don’t feel pressure about feedback anymore. I don’t find the whole, “No good? Okay, I’ll give it another shot,” thing hard anymore. (laughs) If it were before, and things didn’t go my way or something stressful came up, I’d be distracted by thoughts all day, but now I just take a deep breath and say, “It is what it is.” Kinda like TAEHYUN? (laughs) That’s exactly what TAEHYUN says.

Your MBTI changed too, didn’t it? YEONJUN: Yes, it did. Actually, it’s always been the case that, whenever I do an MBTI test, sometimes I get a type N and sometimes a type S. But then I kept getting ENFP for the longest time and that didn’t sit right with me somehow. I always thought I was sort of imaginative, so it made me think I was still a type N! (laughs) But when I took the test again recently and still got a type S, I was like, I guess I just changed. Now I can acknowledge that I changed, and that’s kind of a weight off. (laughs)

You said you used to be the kind of person who couldn’t show anything that wasn’t fully polished. I guess that’s also changed, seeing as you made the process behind your mixtape public. YEONJUN: Hmm … True. The promotional period’s all wrapped up now, and I wanted to show people how I might’ve been lacking at first but that I’ve slowly grown since then. MOA usually only ever sees our highlights, really. I wanted to give as much of a glimpse as possible into my work behind the scenes, like pitching ideas for concepts and finalizing the choreography with everyone. I also wanted to show how it wasn’t just me but all the staff putting in so much effort and how we all worked together to make the most amazing thing we could. I feel like the staff cooks the whole meal perfectly and I’m just there to set the table. I think it’s our responsibility to tell people about how much hard work the staff puts in and make sure they get the credit they deserve.

You also mentioned in another interview with Weverse Magazine last year that you never want to forget that you can’t take anything for granted. YEONJUN: That’s a mindset I plan to cling to until the day I die.

Is there a reason why it’s so important to you to stay humble? YEONJUN: Is that being humble? It seems obvious to me that you can’t take anything for granted. I really stress that a lot when I talk with the other members: We should never take this lifestyle for granted. We also have to be thankful. We get way more than we deserve.

Then I guess that’s why, in the MAKING FILM, you said, “They were like, ‘There’s gonna be a lot of pressure and you’re gonna be really busy.’ As soon as I heard that, my heart started pounding.” YEONJUN: Oh man. I guess I’m just destined to be an idol. (laughs) I used to think I had a really weak mindset—like, bad—but now I think it’s good? (laughs) Everyone goes through rough patches. Me, I’ve practically collapsed while promoting and felt frustrated before. Endless torment and pressure have crushed me many times. That’s the reason I thought I just had too weak of a mindset to be an idol, but after I “hit it over and over, down down down,” I toughened up, you know? (laughs)

Before shooting the music video for “GGUM,” you recorded yourself, pretending the camera’s MOA and getting some things off your mind, expressing how you were feeling anxious and afraid. Talking it through on Weverse could’ve been an option, but you seem more like the kind of person who likes to deal with things yourself. YEONJUN: Yes, that’s true. I used to be the kind of person who would turn to others immediately, but I worry I’ll become overly dependent on them. I thought that constantly talking about having a hard time was making me weaker. I was also worried that the other members or my family especially would feel concerned or that I’d be placing a burden on them if I opened up to them, so I started to bite my tongue. I think I should just know how to deal with problems myself. Sometimes I think I’m no good or hate myself, but I try to love myself. I mean, I have to.

But in “GGUM”, you sing that you’re “not alone, got ma team by my side.” The whole group was there to support you at the music video shoot, in the practice studio, and at the pre-recording. YEONJUN: I really felt those lyrics. I realized I’m really not alone—that I really do have my team at my side and a whole army to back me up that I can rely on. That was my first time shooting alone for that long and it made me feel a little lonely. I could really feel the group’s absence, but I was so grateful to them and so touched that they kept coming by periodically to boost my spirits, even though they were all busy with their own things. And Huening coming by himself, just grabbing a taxi and coming by with dakgangjeong, was so sweet of him. It was so thoughtful. I really appreciated it.

Just like you said in the MAKING FILM : The group comes first. YEONJUN: The group always comes first, no question. The group comes first in everything.