#barista woozi

[captain-joongz]

summer recap/favourite fics/fic recommendations for the first half of 2024

Professor Rapline by @joonsmagicshop

♡ professors! joon, hobi and yoongs x f!reader, professor x student relationship, the rapline takes turns on reader, namjoon centric, smut smut smut

backtrack by @mapofthesea

♡ producers!jimin and yoongs x assistant!reader, studio sex, situationship, reader gets absolutely railed and it's accidentally recorded

Masked miracles by @remedyx + Shadows we trust by remedyx + Boyfriend for hire by remedyx + Trouvaille by @spookyserenades

♡ these series' were already mentioned in my previous recommendations list, but i cannot stress this enough - go read them, they're absolutely amazing!! i will literally never shut up about these and i'll put them on every fic rec list i make until the end of time :D

Golden boy by @kpopfanfictrash

♡ pornstar!jin x f!reader, neighbours au, it's very sweet and funny, absolutely amazing smut

fast lane by @yminie

♡ racer!jin x pitcrew!reader, slowburn but so fucking worth it, kookie gets hurt but it's for character development, e2l/annoyances 2l, smut

midnight by @miniminimermaid

♡ yoongi struggling with burnout and reader helps relax him, soft sex, body worship

Sugar rush ride by @lo1k-diamonds

♡ producer! yoongs x producer!reader, coworkers au, reader is bratty and yoongi is a little shit, mutual pining, smut

A new rhythm by @sluttywoozi

♡ producers! yoongs and jihoon x yoongi's gf!reader, virgin!jihoon, soft sex, they help woozi lose his v-card, allusions to possible poly

three tangerines by @kithtaehyung

♡ brother's best friend!yoongs x f!reader, fuckboy!yoongi, reader asks him for help in the bedroom and gets everything and more, some angst

The early shift by @hobidreams

♡ barista!yoongs x barista!reader, coworkers au, e2l, angsty but gets sweet, yoongi is struggling and reader tries to help, smutty smut smut

love roulette by @whatifyoulivelikethat

♡ producer!yoongs x jin's bff!reader, a bet gone... right??, slowburn, humour and fluff, they help each other, smut, reader has a noona kink and nobody lets her breathe

noise complaints by @jkstompers

♡ producer!yoongs x bassist!reader, neighbours au, reader is in a rock band, smut

strike a chord by @snackhobi

♡ pianist!yoongs x f!reader, reader gets stood up and instead listens to bar musician yoongi, slowburn, smut

Illicit favours by @yoongiofmine

♡ producer!yoongi x writer!reader, bff2l, virgin reader needs help with writing sex scenes, shenanigans ensue, mutual pining, idiots in love

Tricks of the trade by @stutterfly

♡ shopkeeper!yoongs x f!reader, body swap au, jin is a deity of chaos, awkward flirting cause they don't know hot to talk to each other, misunderstandings, sexual tension and smut

Performance evaluation by @kookscrescent

♡ fuckboy!yoongs x f!reader, college au, one night stand?? au, reader asks yoongi to tell her whether she's bad in bed, yoongi is a little shit but what's new

Bad idea... right? by @joonsmagicshop

♡ college party au, e2l, sexual tension, tae is a little bit of a douche but hobi makes it all better, smut

a word from our sponsors by @ugh-yoongi

♡ podcast co-hosts joon and reader, they read smutty fanfic of themselves, sexual tension, f2l, humour, smut

porn director drabble by @badbtssmut

♡ director!tae x pornstar!reader, tae shows reader's co-star how it's done, public sex, dubcon in a way

Risk management by @chateautae

♡ investment banker!tae x f!reader, s2l, sexual tension (i mean, who could blame her it's tae), smut, window sex

petty by @hamsterclaw

♡ rich kid petty criminal!kookie x lawer babysitter!reader, reader is in charge of making sure kookie doesn't get in trouble, idiots in love, sexual tension but with feels, smut

Redamancy by @gimmethatagustd

♡ alpha!tae x omega!kookie, a/b/o, imprinting, scenting, older tae (*cough* daddy), s2l, love at first sight, smut

Like a river by gimmethatagustd

♡ alpha!tae x omega!yoongi x alpha!joon, a/b/o, unexpected heat, college professors coworkers au, semi-public sex

The love witch by gimmethatagustd

♡ demon!tae x romance blogger witch!yoongs, incubus tae, "how to summon a boyfriend" au, s2l, modern fantasy, smut

(actually you should go read everything jai has put out, she's incredibly talented and i love like every fic she's ever published)

My library | ATEEZ fic recs

[mangocustard16]

CALLING SEVENTEEN BY THE WRONG NAME AS A PRANK

genre fluff, crack? pairing svt x reader word count 0.8k warnings mentions of cheating, jealousy(obv), mentions of sexy times?

seungcheol would pout, asking, "what did you just call me?" his voice held a hint of disappointment. his eyes searching yours for any jest. when you confessed that it was just a prank, his smile would turn into a relaxed smile as he whined about you always pulling some stupid prank on him

jeonghan's head would whip around so fast, as if he couldn't quite believe what he heard. "what did you just call me, baby?" he'd ask with a blank stare. and now he won't stop calling you all the random names known to mankind

joshua would freeze at first but he would reply just as normal leaving you confused. when you call him by a different name again, he'd ask you to sit down and talk. when you explain the prank, he'd release a sigh of relieve

jun would freeze in his tracks, his eyes widening in panic as he processed your words. his heart would skip a beat, and for a moment, he'd feel a surge of insecurity and fear. "love, why would you call me that?" his voice trembling, "you're not…cheating on me with him, right?" when you tell him that it was just a prank, he'd fall over, clutching his heart dramatically "oh no y/n! what would i ever do without you~~?"

hoshi would be caught completely off guard, his eyes widening in surprise as he hears you call him anything except baby, let alone any other man's name. he'd sputter, almost choking on the water he was drinking, before managing to set the glass down with a thud. "That's not my name!" he'd shout. "hey, hey, I'm sorry, baby, it was just a joke…" you'd say. "no! horanghae power attack  launch!" he'd exclaim as he tackled you

wonwoo would pause for a moment, and his eyes would lock onto yours with a hint of seriousness. "Excuse me?" his voice would be calm, but there's a firmness to it that would make you pause. as you try to backtrack, explaining that it was just a prank, wonwoo's expression softens slightly, but the seriousness in his eyes remains. "i see," he responds, booping your nose

woozi would almost not catch what you called him, but he'd quickly get up and follow you around the house, asking you who that person was. "just tell me who it is. your coworker? the barista down the block? just who?" when you tell him that you were pranking him, he'll just hug you, telling you how much he loves you

dokyeom would fall for it instantly, his eyes almost filling with tears. "do you not love me anymore?" you'd have to assure him again and again that it was truly just a prank and that you love him more than anything. he'd be over it after a night full of cuddles and comforting kisses

mingyu wouldn't even bat an eye at your slip-up. instead, he would simply raise his eyebrows in mild amusement, his lips twitching with a hint of a smirk. "now now, did I hear you right?" he'd ask, his tone casual as he'd wait for confirmation. when you confirm that he indeed heard correctly, mingyu will chuckle softly before effortlessly lifting you up and tossing you over his shoulder. "I thought by now you'd know my name since you scream it all the time—" "mingyuu"

minghao wouldn't be impressed, not in the slightest. Why on earth would you call him by some random name? he would glare, his eyes narrowing with irritation. as you continue to call him by this ridiculous name, his glare intensifies into a blank, annoyed stare

seungkwan's head would turn so fast that it would almost scare you. "what did you just call me?" he'd say giving you his iconic side-eye, making you burst with laughter. which would make him even more confused. when you tell him about the prank, he's not at all impressed, but he'd just laugh at his own reaction to your prank

vernon would react with his usual nonchalant demeanor, his expression barely changing at your slip-up. he'd raise an eyebrow, a subtle hint of amusement dancing in his eyes as he casually remarks, "did I hear you right?" upon confirmation, he'd simply shrug. "guess i've got a new nickname now," he'd say with a casual shrug before continuing whatever he was doing as if nothing had happened

dino's reaction would catch you off guard. instead of showing any sign of annoyance or amusement, he'd simply blink, his expression unreadable for a moment. then, without a word, he'd gently take you out to the balcony, making you feel a lil bit weird. but just when you're about to ask, he'll stop and turn to you, a small smile playing on his lips. "You know, sometimes it's fun to keep them guessing," he'd say, his eyes sparkling with a mischievous glint as you both laughed your hearts out

@kflixnet @k-films@k-labels

taglist-˚���‧ ୨୧ ‧₊˚ ⋅: @bangchansbae @haecien @aaniag @aaasia111 @weird-bookworm @gigification @bewoyewo if you want to be added just send me an ask ♡⸝⸝

pls reblog if you liked !!

[bee-the-loser-recs]

~~~~☼ My Woozi One-shot Fic Recs ☼~~~

𖤓 The perks of being that guy By @ncteez 14k, strangers to lovers, sex shop worker Woozi, he has multiple jobs - caterer/mechanic/etc, smut, fluff, really cute relationship build up

𖤓 Beautiful feeling By @viastro 1.4k, soulmate au, bell ring signifies first time meeting soulmate, meet cute, Jihoon is a non-believer at first, fluff, humour

𖤓 Homie train By @bitchlessdino 5.8k, Wonwoo|Woozi|Hoshi x reader, ex boyfriend's friends au, dick of an ex, friends to lovers (kind of), smut, slight fluff, drunk-ish sex

𖤓 Hug By @escapewriter 1.8k, Woozi's birthday, cute celebrations, reader sings to him for the first time, cute, really fluffy

𖤓 Jihoon's puppy By @rubyreduji 11.9k, university au, pining, following around, angst, fluff, attempting to date someone else, teasing, asshole!Woozi, jealousy, side Mingyu x reader, tsundere Woozi

𖤓 What you don't know By @rubyreduji 4.3k, idol Jihoon, graphic designer reader, relationship talks, reader feels a little lonely, communication is key, light angst w/happy ending, established relationship

𖤓 Standing guard [of my heart] and A knight's devotion By @rubyreduji 14k and 2.7k, royalty au, Prince Jihoon, personal guard reader, fluff, initial dislike on Jihoon's side, wounds, fighting, smut in the 2nd part

𖤓 Sunflowers and Snapdragons By @aclowntiny 5.7k, idol Woozi, florist reader, finding excuses to see one another, fluff, really cute, sunshine reader, quiet/sunshine duo

𖤓 Heartstrings By @wavelikewhat 4.5k, producer Woozi & reader, immediate connections, fluff, first meetings, really cute, strangers to lovers, Svt meddling & snooping around

𖤓 Let them see I'm yours By @ksywoo 1.3k, established relationship, jealous Woozi, cute relationship, talking about your partner a lot, fluff, really adorable

𖤓 Never-ending By @bluehoodiewoozi 14k, college au, first relationships, learning to be a better boyfriend, adorable couple, teasing, fluff, cute, friends providing advice

𖤓 My muse By @ch3ol-deactivated20240228 Secret dating trope, idol Woozi, album inspired by their partner, fluff, revealing a relationship, cute, anniversary gift

𖤓 Live By @wondernus 1.2k, idol Woozi, non-idol reader, established relationship, public relationship, going live on weverse, fluff, reading is sleeping in the background

𖤓 A new rhythm By @sluttywoozi 7.8k, Yoongi (Suga) x reader x Woozi (Jihoon), established relationship between Yoongi & reader, bringing in a new person, smut, fluff, trusting partners, inviting Woozi to join them

𖤓 Heartache and a latte By @dkfile 9.3k, college au, slice of life, strangers to lovers, coffee shop au, barista Jihoon, spotify mutuals, falling in love, oblivious reader, blind dates, fluff, meet-cutes, meddling friends

𖤓 No song without you By @hannieehaee 12.6k, idol au, producer Woozi & reader, idol collaboration, fluff, hopelessly in love, smut, pining, kinda emotionally stunted Jihoon

𖤓 Girl code By @beefboyandbabygirl 12k, college au, helping out with a crush, wingmanning a friend, fluff, angst, smut, past hook-ups, pining, bsf Mingyu, friends Red Velvet

𖤓 Don't sweat it By @miraclewoozi 18k, non-idol au, gym crushes on one another, strangers to lovers, kind of idiots to lovers, fluff, smut, light teasing from friends

𖤓 In which love is a loop By @lololololchips SMAU, idol au, secret relationships, DK exposing another relationship, part of a series of one-shots, fluff, Woozi wrote a song about reader

𖤓 Pretty U and Pretty U [2] By @horangboosadan SMAU, canon compliant au, reader is dense, idiots in love, cuties, sending love songs, confession moment, fluff, sequel focuses on their relationship

[laurenairay]

I can't help it if I like it - M. Martin

Summary: Dhara Nicholls is just trying to make ends meet while working on her Masters degree. Enter Matt Martin.

This is my entry for @wyattjohnston’s summer fic exchange 2k24! My giftee is @comphy-and-cozy and I hope I incorporated everything we discussed. This is the second longest fic I’ve ever written on here and I had genuinely so much fun writing it! Definitely written with a lot of creative license, not only because Matt and Sydney are couple goals, but also because I completely fudged the season dates. I also modelled Dhara’s degree and work after one of my best friends, and her Sikh faith after another friend, so it is as accurate as I could make it without experiencing it all myself.

I hope you enjoy it C! And thank you to Demi for reading through the first half of this monster!

Words: 13.7k

Warnings: age gap, flirting, pining, extremely slow burn, implied intimate moment, some bad language, changed names of Matt’s irl wife and children

Title from Shotput by Still Woozy Lyrics used from Middle of the Night by Elley Duhé

~

Waiter/Waitress…

Bartender…

Tutor…

Barista…

Cashier…

Of all the things to leave to the last minute. Dhara usually prided herself on her organisational skills, but with her summer internship taking up most of the past couple of months, finding a part-time job to give her disposable income (and food, for that matter) for the final year of her postgraduate degree had slipped her mind. Rents had gone up quite significantly in the past few months, so anything extra she had last year was pouring directly into paying for her tiny apartment, and she needed to eat, damn it.

Unfortunately, now that it was already August, there was nothing truly suitable. She needed flexible hours, that was for sure – some of her data modelling work couldn’t just be stopped in the middle of a good coding flow to pick up a shift at a bar. And some of her classes were online this final year, so she wouldn’t find it as easy to travel back and forth to a job on campus. Tutoring could potentially work but it would involve a fair amount of planning and structure that she wasn’t sure she could commit to.

This was the worst timing. And she’d sworn to herself that she wouldn’t ask her parents for help, not when she was so close to finally finishing her education. But what could she do?

“Hey Dhara!”

She turned her head to the side quickly, dark curls whipping over her shoulder, before she smiled. The familiar voice indeed matched one of her former dormmates, Melissa. They had lived on the same floor in freshman year at NYU, but with limited student housing, most of the friends on that floor had gone their separate ways into private renting. She’d lost touch with a few of those girls too, after they graduated from their undergraduate degrees, but those she still kept in touch with had carried on their education like she had – only Melissa and another of their friends Janelle had taken up postgraduate study at Long Island University – Brooklyn though, so it was good to see her familiar face outside of the occasional coffee catch-ups, especially after the long summer break.

“Melissa! Hi! How are you?”

“I’m good, I’m good, glad to be back in the city. How are you? Did you travel back to LA to see your parents in the end?”

“I’m pretty good too, thanks. And no, the internship offer was too good to turn down. My parents went on a few trips by themselves anyway, so it’s not like I missed out on too much time with them,” Dhara shrugged, smiling, “Now I’m just trying to get myself set up for final year.”

She loved her parents – really, she did – but she wasn’t as close to them as she had been growing up. The downfall of choosing to study far away from home. Dhara had barely been back to Los Angeles since she moved to New York when she turned 18, if she was being honest, and her parents valued her independence as well as her dedication to her studies. At least they could rely on video calls to see each other’s faces.

“Oh man, tell me about it. Shitty rent increases, right?” Melissa groaned.

“Exactly!” Dhara laughed, “I’m just trying to find something that’ll let me be flexible so I can graduate to the best of my ability, you know?”

“I know exactly what you mean,” Melissa sighed, smiling sympathetically, “I’ve got a couple of interviews at coffee chains lined up, but the hours are going to be brutal.”

Dhara grimaced. Yeah, there was a reason she wanted to avoid working as a barista unless there was no other option.

“Hey, you like kids, right?”

Dhara raised an eyebrow at her friend’s question. “I…do. I have plenty of cousins who have kids already, if that’s what you mean. Why?”

“A friend of my roommate works for a nannying agency. Completely certified company, really well paid, you can input your available hours into their website so they match you up, and they cater to a lot of wealthy clients. She told me they’re opening their books, but I’m not a huge kids person myself. If you’re interested, I could pass you her details?”

“Wait, really? Just like that?” Dhara asked, surprised.

It almost sounded too good to be true.

“Really really. The agency do background checks and would want to see your resume as well as do an interview with you in person, but I can’t see you getting rejected from this. You’re crazy smart and super competent,” Melissa shrugged, smiling.

Nannying. For a potentially wealthy client. There were a whole host of problems that could come from that, with both the parents and the children, but could the flexibility be worth it?

Then again, what did she have to lose?

“Okay sure, pass me her details and I’ll give your roommate’s friend a call,” Dhara smiled.

She could only hope this worked out in her favour.

~

Time was running out, Matt knew that much. There were only a few weeks before the season started up again, and it was beyond time for him to hire a nanny for his daughter. He’d been a single dad for two years now, his marriage ending mostly amicably. Sure, his ex-wife’s announcement that she was tired of following him around for his career had been hard, but not as hard as her second announcement that she was following her own career abroad. But she’d not contested anything he'd asked of her, and hadn’t made any unreasonable demands herself, so it was as clean as a divorce could be. Being solely responsible for the upbringing of their daughter Sarah was not something he’d been prepared for, not with his lifestyle. He knew he was lucky that his mom had been willing drop everything and move in with him after his wife left them, but it was time to let his mom live her own life – and for him to move on with his.

Hockey was his first love, nothing would change that. But his daughter Sarah had taken over so much of his heart that he was struggling with the idea of hiring a stranger to take care of her when hockey took precedence. But it was time – for all of them. In the end, he’d decided to go through a reputable agency that a few of the guys on the team recommended, but after three unsuccessful interviews Matt was just about ready to beg his mom to stay a little longer.

The first interview had started well. But it had quickly deteriorated when he realised that they weren’t as flexible as he needed. It was fair enough that the nanny wanted set hours – he knew his schedule was all over the place – but he obviously couldn’t offer that, so he wished them well and cut the interview short.

The second interview had started bad and gotten worse. He didn’t know if it was the way the woman smiled at him when he saw the elegant interior of the house or how she spoke of him being a single dad with a wide-eyed pity smile, but he didn’t like the vibes she was sending at all. He didn’t need a nanny that was more interested in him than his daughter. No, just no.

The third interview sounded promising on paper. The candidate had all the right qualifications and experience, but when it came down to processes and how she handled tantrums and tears? No way. He knew Sarah sometimes got upset when he was on long roadtrips – it was only natural – and there was no way he was leaving his daughter with someone who would punish her for showing understandable emotions.

So Matt could only hope that this fourth interview – his last for the day before he gave up and started from scratch – would finally be positive.

Dhara Nicholls.

When he’d first seen the name, he hadn’t known what to expect. Dar-Rah. That was how the agency lady had pronounced it, so he could only hope she was right – the last thing he wanted was to say the nanny’s name wrong out of ignorance. While he would ask for more detail during the interview, he knew the basics about her from the information the agency had sent over. Born and raised in Los Angeles, California, studied BS Computer Science at NYU, went on to study for a Masters in Computer Science at Long Island University – Brooklyn, and was currently in her final year for that. It was the flexibility that he was most intrigued by – and her apparent intelligence. He didn’t care that she didn’t have nannying experience outside of family. If she could take care of his daughter, make sure she was happy and healthy, that’s all that he cared about.

The doorbell rang right on time. Good start.

When he opened the door to greet her, Matt found himself freezing a little. He’d assumed that she wouldn’t be Caucasian based on her first name (as much as he hated assuming anything), but he somehow hadn’t been expecting the sheer beauty of the Indian woman standing in front of him now. At least he assumed she was Indian – and again with those assumptions. He would have to check for sure with some subtle questions because the last thing he wanted to do was act like an ass. But right now, her big beautiful brown eyes, smooth skin, glossy dark curls and sweet hopeful smile had his mind whirling. What was wrong with him?

“Hi! Mr Martin?”

Huh, a typical Valley girl accent. Not what he’d been expecting. Damn assumptions.

“Matt, please. Mr Martin makes me feel like my dad’s standing behind me,” he managed to force out.

The laugh that spilled from her lips sounded like music. He was doomed alright.

“Good to know. Matt it is,” she mused.

“Thanks, Dhara. Please come in,” he said, smiling warmly.

The way she smiled as he said her name let him know he’d said it right. Dar-Rah. Beautiful. No, he needed to be professional about this. He couldn’t let himself be bowled over by a beautiful girl, not when she was (hopefully) going to be employed by him. That wasn’t fair to her. Or to Sarah.

“Can I get you a drink? Water? Coffee?” he offered.

“Water would be great, if you don’t mind,” she nodded.

Matt quickly grabbed her a bottle of water from the fridge, before leading her into the living room, handing her the bottle as they sat down on opposite sofas. She was tall even in flat shoes, maybe 5ft10, and she looked around the room with a smile before her eyes landed on Matt. Captivating.

“Let’s start, shall we?” he said, trying to clear his thoughts.

Right from the get-go, she was impressive. Her upbringing in Los Angeles was very family-orientated, living near her father’s 3 siblings and all their children, her cousins. Her studies alone were remarkable but the way he could tell how passionate she was for her work was the most interesting part of all. He liked that she could be flexible with timings, happy to stay overnight in a guest room during roadtrips, and she was willing to work around her class schedule to even take classes from his house while Sarah was occupied with something she could still keep an eye on. It was more than he could have asked for, if he was being honest. It was all just a bonus that she was warm and genuine on top of it all.

Matt knew what he wanted the conclusion of this interview to be. Dhara was exactly what he’d been looking for, and he knew that Sarah would quickly accept her too. He could only hope that she felt like she’d been a good fit for them too.

“Is there anything else you wanted to know?” she asked.

“I think I have everything I need. I’m not going to lie, this whole process has been a struggle,” Matt admitted, “Trying to figure out who to trust my daughter with is the last thing I thought I’d be doing.”

“I’m sorry to hear that,” Dhara said softly, smiling sadly at him, “Would you like me to take any preferences back with me to the agency? So the next person is a better fit for you?”

If he hadn’t been convinced about her before, he absolutely was now.

“You don’t need to take feedback to the agency, Dhara. Because I want to offer you the job,” he said, smiling.

Her lips parted slightly in surprise, before a wide grin spread over her face. Somehow the pure joy in her expression made her even more beautiful, if that was even possible.

“Thank you, Mr Martin. Thank you so much!” Dhara said happily.

“You’re welcome. You’re exactly who I was hoping to find for my daughter. And please, call me Matt, remember?” he mused.

“Of course, whatever you want…Matt,” she said, ducking her head slightly to hide what looked like a shy smile.

Whatever you want.

Now that was just dangerous.

~

Dhara felt like she was dreaming. Three days ago, when Matt had actually offered her the job, she’d felt like her head was spinning, and it wasn’t until she had the official contract sorted and signed with the agency that everything started to sink in. He was willing to be as flexible as she needed, in return for her being as flexible as he needed – it was a small price to pay to stay in the guest room when he was away for her to still be able to attend all her classes. The only thing they’d had to negotiate was her one in-person class every two weeks that she couldn’t do online that was outside of Sarah’s Kindergarten hours, which he’d arranged for one of his teammate’s wives to look after Sarah for a couple of hours until she was finished. And wasn’t that a trip, learning who he was. An NHL player. She was really going to be the nanny for an NHL player’s six year old daughter, and she could still complete her degree. Mindblowing. The only thing that was still sort of in the works were the Kindergarten drop offs themselves – she wouldn’t be put on the accepted pick-up person list until after a first week’s trial, just to make sure Sarah was okay with her. It was fair enough, but still nervewracking. Matt apparently had full faith that everything would be fine though, and had already given her all the details. Drop off was between 8.30am and 9am, and pick up was at 2.30pm – Matt was happy for her to work from his house on the days she didn’t have to go into campus, to save travelling back and forth, which she was absolutely going to take him up on.  It almost felt too good to be true, that everything was working out the way it was, but she wasn’t going to let such a good opportunity to balance work and her degree slip through her fingers.

When Dhara arrived at Matt’s house, having been given a brief introduction to Sarah before Sarah excused herself to the living room, she tried not to let the nerves get to her. Matt looked lighter, like a weight had been taken off his shoulders, and she could only hope it was partly to do with her. He might be nearly 10 years older than her, but he was one of the most handsome men she’d ever laid eyes on, that was for sure. Not that she’d ever tell her new employer these completely inappropriate thoughts of course.

“Now, I have some meetings and final pre-season things to film and so on at the rink today. I’m hoping it’ll all be done in a few hours but it’ll be a good little start for Sarah to get used to me and my mom not being around. I’ve already explained everything to her, and I think she understands the concept of a nanny and that it was time for grandma to get back to her own life in Canada, but if there are any major issues then please call me,” he said seriously.

“I’m sure everything will be fine, especially if you’ve already talked with her, but I absolutely will call you if Sarah needs you. And please don’t rush home? You deserve to spend some time catching up with your friends. Team bonding, and all that, especially if someone suggests lunch. Sarah and I will be fine, I promise,” Dhara said firmly, but with a smile she hoped was encouraging.

Matt let out a shaky breath but nodded, and her heart ached for him. She could tell how much this was affecting him – it was obvious – but the whole reason for her being here was to make his life easier. She could do that, she knew it.

“Sarah, I’m going to the rink!”

She smiled to herself at the sound of fast-paced walking (not running inside the house was clearly a rule) and soon enough Sarah was clinging to her dad’s legs.

“Be nice to Dhara,” Matt said, smiling warmly.

“I’m always nice!” she said, pouting.

He just ruffled her blonde hair, nodding to Dhara with a shaky smile, giving Sarah one last hug before leaving the house. This was it – Dhara was officially responsible for the wellbeing of a child.

“I’m going back to colouring. You can come if you want.”

How generous. Dhara grinned to herself at the young girl’s candour, following her quietly through the house back to the living room where Sarah had a small stack of paper and colouring pencils laid out. Sarah seemed happy enough to thump back down onto the floor and continue with her drawing, silent but focused, and Dhara watched for a little while from the doorway. The most important thing for today – and the rest of this week – was for Sarah to feel comfortable in her presence. She’d never had any problems getting her cousins’ children to like her, so she could only hope the same gentle methods would work with this child.

Sarah didn’t seem to mind Dhara sitting down next to her, barely giving her a glance, allowing her to settle in quietly. So far so good. After a few minutes of Dhara watching her peacefully, Sarah slid a piece of paper over to Dhara, and looked up at her with blue eyes eerily similar to her father’s.

“I’m drawing a picture for daddy, to make him smile when he gets home,” Sarah said simply.

“That’s very kind of you. I’m sure he’ll love it,” Dhara said, melting on the inside at the sweetness.

Sarah side-eyed her briefly before seeming to deem Dhara’s answer acceptable.

“You should draw him one too. He likes my pictures so I’m sure yours will be fine,” she said, sliding over the colouring pencil box.

Kids. You had to love them.

“I will do my very best then,” Dhara said seriously.

Sarah just nodded, going back to her drawing with all the focus a six-year-old could. Dhara just smiled to herself, picking up a pink crayon to attempt to draw some flowers. This was a good start, right?

~

The first month of Dhara’s employment (and final year of her degree) flew by. Somehow, everything was going well so far. There were no dramas, no big issues, and her classes weren’t unmanageable with her new schedule. She could admit that it initially felt weird to be dropping a kid off at Kindergarten that wasn’t hers, especially so early on into knowing Sarah, but that first big smile her charge had given her at pick-up time made everything better. Like, genuinely her heart felt like it had puffed up in size – yeah that’s right, I made her smile – and everything had only gotten better from there. They’d even settled into a decent routine, to the point where Matt even joked that Dhara was becoming Sarah’s favourite person (apparently her bedtime stories were the best?) – and neither of them had even looked at her like she was crazy when she explained her work for her Computer Science Masters like most people tended to.

(“Daddy she’s so smart.” “I know sweetheart.” “I want to be as smart as Dhara when I grow up!” “Well then you’d better show me the new spellings you learned at Kindergarten today.”)

She’d only needed to stay an extra night in the guest room once so far for a roadtrip, which also felt weird, but Matt’s flight had been delayed so there really wasn’t another choice. Thankfully, he’d been there by the time Sarah woke up, so there had been no major tantrums, but the bedtime tears were still an experience she hoped to avoid as much as possible. After looking at Matt’s schedule, she knew exactly how many roadtrips he was going to be on, so hopefully she could come up with some ideas for what to do if that ever happened again.

There were many things she was learning in this new world of being a nanny.

She knew she’d be learning something new tonight too. It was the first game of the pre-season and Matt was in the line-up to play. Traditionally, Sarah always went, and tonight was no exception. Dhara had been hesitant to accept the ticket initially, content with dropping Sarah off with the WAGs she knew and picking her up at the end,  because she was quite literally just the nanny - but Matt insisted. He also insisted that Sarah wanted her there too, and how was she supposed to say no to that?

The plan would be that Dhara and Sarah would take the train over to the arena with plenty of time to spare ahead of warmups (so Sarah could hold her newly-made poster up against the glass), and then Matt would drive them all back to the Martin house – with the late timings, Dhara would need to stay late again. At least this time she had enough clothes in her overnight bag packed.

Nerves washed over Dhara as she entered the UBS Arena, but with Sarah chattering away, holding tight to her hand, it wasn’t too difficult to cover her nerves with a smile. She’d already met Kristy Cizikas – the teammate’s wife who covered looking after Sarah during Dhara’s class once every two weeks – so she would at least know one friendly face. Sarah led the way to the family suite, Dhara making sure her pass was clearly on display so no-one thought she was a fraud, and soon enough they arrived to a blonde-haired sea.

“Dhara! There you are!”

Kristy. Good.

She was thankful for the instantly-warm welcome – she was so out of her comfort zone that it wasn’t funny. Tonight really was her first time being thrown in at the deep end. At least she’d have a break soon to collect her thoughts when everyone in the suite (who wanted to) would head down to the ice for warm-ups. She could do this. She could totally do this. It helped that Kristy introduced her around the group, Grace Lee in particular making her feel at ease with her beaming smile.

The game itself was electric. Dhara mostly kept her eye on Sarah playing with the other kids in the family suite – you know, as it was her job – but by the start of the third period Sarah had fallen asleep on her lap, leaving her free to watch her first ever game of ice hockey with her full attention. Grace helped her out by murmuring along some of the rules and pointing out names of people that Dhara didn’t know yet, and she just felt herself getting fully entranced. She’d never seen anything so graceful and yet so physical. And the speed!

Dhara felt like a bit of an idiot for gasping when Matt full-body checked a player from the opposing team into the boards with a load crash, immediately throwing his gloves off to fight him, her eyes wide as Matt easily took him down to the ice. Fuck, that was hot. Why was that so hot? She could only thank her dark skin for hiding the worst of her blush as Grace and Kristy smiled knowingly at her. Whatever, they didn’t know anything. They could infer all they liked.

That didn’t mean her eyes stopped tracking Matt every second he was on the ice though.

“How was she tonight? Truly?”

Dhara smiled up at Matt, shifting a sleeping Sarah up on her hip as Matt unlocked the front door.

“She was so good. The way her face lit up when you saw her sign in warmups? She didn’t stop talking about it for ages. And she fell asleep on me during the third period so I just let her nap, I hope that’s okay,” Dhara said.

“Of course it is. I’m happy that she feels comfortable enough to do that around you!” he said, smiling.

She was too. She really was.

“I’ll put Sarah to bed, if you want to sort out your bandage?” she offered.

The cuts on his knuckles from his fight had needed a couple of stitches and would need to be cleaned then covered for at least one night, he’d told her that much on the drive home.

“You’re the best,” Matt said, nodding.

Dhara just grinned and headed up the stairs. It didn’t take her long to carefully lay Sarah down in her bed, pulling off her shoes before tucking the duvet over her. But as she slowly crept out of the room and gently shut the door, she could hear Matt cursing in the bathroom, and she frowned.

“Matt?” she whispered, trying not to wake up her young charge.

He cursed again, so she knocked on the bathroom door, and smiled slightly as he cursed in surprise and slowly opened the door.

“The bandage is caught on the dried blood in the stitch and I can’t get it off. Don’t want to rip it,” he murmured when her head poked around the door.

“Let me?” she offered, slowly walking into the room.

Dhara looked up at him through her lashes, holding her hand out, and Matt silently placed his hand in hers. His skin was warm, if a little callused, and it was all she could do to bite her bottom lip as she gently eased the bandage off his knuckles. Matt didn’t take his hand away as she reached for the cotton ball he’d already dipped in the cleansing liquid, allowing her to gently dab at the stitches until they were clean. The two of them stood close together, silent, only their hands touching, and yet somehow this was more intimate than she’d ever been with any man. It was intoxicating to be allowed to take this level of care with him. It was only when she gently pressed down the edges of the fresh bandage that she caught eyes with him once more, the intense blue making her breath catch in her throat, and she forced herself to break out of the moment.

Because it was a moment, and she didn’t know if it thrilled her or terrified her.

“That should be okay now,” she murmured, finally letting go of his hand.

“Thank you, Dhara. I appreciate it,” he said, voice just as soft.

Intoxicating.

Dhara just smiled, nodding her head as she slipped out of the bubble he’d unknowingly boxed her into, and stepped out of the bathroom with a racing heart. She needed to pull herself together. She needed to pull herself together, fast. Otherwise she was going to run the risk of ruining everything.

~

“So give us the details then.”

Matt took a sip of his beer, before frowning at Casey.

“What are you talking about?”

Casey shared a glance with Anders, who just smirked and shook his head incredulously. What?

“Seriously, what details?” Matt asked.

“About Dhara?” Anders prompted.

“Kristy and Grace told us all about meeting her at the game last week, how she was super sweet with Sarah and how much Sarah adored her. What really caught our attention was that they told us about her reaction to your fight. How her eyes lit up, how she gasped, how she was on the edge of her seat,” Casey said innocently, although the sparkle in his eyes was anything but.

“Shut up, she did not,” Matt grumbled.

Their words lit something inside of his though. It was just typical that they waited to interrogate him until they were all six beers deep at Casey’s house, Kristy and Grace having a girls night slash kids sleepover with some of the other WAGs, including Sarah. They were gossip vultures, the lot of them.

Did she really react like that?

He hadn’t been able to get that night out of his mind. The way Dhara came into the bathroom so carefully, like she was trying not to spook a horse. How she held his hand so gently, her skin surprisingly warm and soft. How her cleaning touch was so light that he’d barely felt it, how her ministrations hadn’t hurt at all. How her gaze had been so intense when they caught eyes that he’d felt his breath catch in his throat.

Matt hadn’t been able to stop thinking about that moment they’d shared, and it was driving him crazy knowing there was no way she was having the same thoughts.

But then again, if Casey and Anders were right, if Kristy and Grace were right, maybe she was?

“Bud, you know Grace wouldn’t gossip if she didn’t think there was some truth to it,” Anders mused.

He wasn’t wrong there.

“Dhara is my nanny. Sarah’s nanny. Everything is completely professional,” Matt said firmly.

“Everything is completely professional?” Casey prodded.

“Yes?”

At the hesitance in his tone, Casey and Anders grinned.

“I knew it!” Casey hooted.

“What happened?” Anders asked, eyes lighting up.

“Nothing! Literally nothing has happened. She cleaned the stitches on my knuckles for me because I couldn’t get the bandage off, that’s it,” Matt said sharply.

“Booooooo.”

“Seriously, don’t make it a thing. I don’t want her thinking that I’m some kind of creep,” he groaned.

“Now why would she think that, if you weren’t having creepy thoughts?” Anders teased.

Matt sent them both a flat look, making them hoot with laughter.

“Aww you have it so bad!” Casey cackled.

“You two are the worst. I don’t know why we’re friends,” he muttered.

“You love us,” Anders grinned, toasting him with his beer bottle.

Matt just stuck his tongue out in response, taking a big swig of his own drink. He needed to nip all of this in the bud. There was no way he wanted this to get back to Grace and Kristy, and then back to Dhara. Absolutely not.

“She is pretty,” Casey said, smirking slightly, “Kristy said her smile and her laugh lit up the whole room.”

“And Grace said that Sarah worships her, literally fell asleep on her without a care in the world,” Anders added.

They both knew his weaknesses so well. Matt groaned, tilting his head back, before staring his friends down.

“Enough, okay? Yes, Dhara is beautiful. And smart. And so beyond capable with Sarah that it isn’t funny. But I’m not going to be that guy, okay? I’m her boss and I’m not even going to consider crossing that professional boundary, understood? That’s not cool,” Matt said seriously, “I’m not that guy.”

“We know you’re not,” Casey mused, holding his hands up in surrender.

Anders just nodded his agreement. “We only tease you because we love you. And like I said, I wouldn’t have brought it up if Grace hadn’t seen something herself.”

“Just…don’t make it a thing? I don’t want to make Dhara uncomfortable around me. Sarah adores her and that’s all that matters,” Matt sighed, mostly in defeat.

“If you’re sure, then we won’t,” Anders said.

“But we reserve the right to change our minds later,” Casey grinned.

“Oh my god, get me another drink,” Matt groaned.

Seriously, the worst.

~

Sparkling lights, tinsel, and candy canes everywhere – it only meant one thing. Christmas was coming. With continuous snowfall and the way that she couldn’t escape Christmas songs anywhere, Dhara could hardly deny its upcoming presence, especially with how excited Sarah was getting. As usual, Dhara wasn’t going home for the two weeks break, and the moment Matt found out that her roommate was going home (leaving Dhara alone), he insisted that she came over to spend Christmas day with him, Sarah, and his parents.

(“Matt, no, I can’t intrude.” “No-one should be alone on Christmas.”)

He even tried to offer to pay her for coming over, with that she put her foot down. Christmas was Christmas, after all. In the end, they decided that, with her last class of the semester on the 19th, Dhara would stay over from the 20th to the 22nd, until his parents arrived on the 23rd. They would take over taking care of Sarah with Matt not getting home until late in the evening of the 23rd, and then Dhara would come back over on the 25th, leaving again in the evening of the 26th. It was a lot of back and forth, she could admit, but she’d never had someone in her life so insistent that she spend the holidays with them – and the fact that it was Matt? She couldn’t find it in her heart to say no, especially when he got Sarah and her puppy dog eyes on the case.

Somehow, travelling on the trains on Christmas Day wasn’t as bad as she feared, even with her overnight bag and holdall of gifts. It was only lightly snowing on her short walk to Matt’s house, so she wasn’t fully shivering when she knocked on the door but she was definitely glad that Matt didn’t take too long to open it.

“Hey, you made it! Why didn’t you call me from the station? I would’ve picked you up!” he said quickly beckoning her inside.

“I’m used to the walk now, and I didn’t want to disturb you,” she shrugged, unwinding the scarf from her neck.

“You would never have disturbed me. You’re…never mind, come into the kitchen, my mom’s making hot chocolate,” Matt murmured.

She left her bags in the hallway after taking off her boots, coat, and woolly hat, nervously following Matt into the kitchen. Why was she so nervous to meet his family?

“Guys, Dhara’s here!”

“Dhara! You made it!” Sarah cried out happily.

She knelt down to give her charge a big hug, grateful for the friendly face, before standing up with a nervous smile.

“I’ve heard so much about you – I’m Dawn,” Matt’s mom said, big smile on her face identical to Matt’s.

“And I’m Jim. It’s great to finally meet you,” Matt’s dad said warmly.

Was it really that easy?

“I’ve heard only good things about you too. Thank you for letting me join your family Christmas,” she said, smiling back at them.

“Letting you? I had to practically beg you,” Matt teased.

“Because I see you all year round – your parents don’t get that luxury,” she shot back, still smiling.

“I like you already,” Jim laughed.

“Drinks anyone?” Matt mused.

Once the hot chocolate was passed around, they made their way into the living room, Dhara having grabbed her holdall on the way with the gifts.

“I like your scarf, Dhara,” Sarah piped up, once she was settled on a big cushion on the floor.

Dhara’s fingers brushed over the lightweight blue patterned material draped over her chest and pinned in pleats at her shoulders with a smile. She didn’t usually indulge in her South Asian heritage with her outfits, but her holidays it always felt like a must. She might be wearing a casual plain grey sweater underneath, with light wash jeans, but the chanderi dupatta added a much-needed level of elegance – a casual but respectful outfit. Her mother had loved it at least when she called her this morning, and it was nice to know that Sarah did too.

“Thank you! It’s a dupatta – many South Asian women wear them in many different styles. I like to wear a chanderi dupatta, this lightweight patterned silk, over casual clothes to add a little something extra,” she said, smiling.

“It’s really pretty. Never seen you wearing anything like that,” Matt said softly.

“Thanks,” Dhara said, thankful her dark skin hid her blush, “I tend to only wear dupattas for special occasions. I don’t practice Sikhism as much as I did back in LA, and even then not nearly as much as my mother would’ve liked us all too.”

“Why not?” Sarah asked.

“Sarah!” Matt frowned.

“It’s okay, really,” she said, reassuring, “Well, my upbringing was fairly mixed. My mom’s parents came over from Punjab when they were newly married – my Baba Ji, my grandpa, is an Engineer. My mom and her brothers were born and raised Sikh in Los Angeles. Mom met Dad in university and they fell in love. The only problem was, he was Christian. Or at least, loosely Christian – and very white. While my mom didn’t care about all of that, because she’d fallen head over heels for him and him for her, her parents didn’t approve. She left home and married him anyway, and we haven’t really seen much of my mom’s side of the family ever.”

“But they fell in love!” Sarah cried.

“Culture and religion are complicated things,” Dhara said simply, smiling sadly, “my mom knew what she was giving up, she was very brave. She still had a lot of her friends in the community so she had that connection, and Dad’s family is huge and loud and welcoming, so she never felt alone. She raised me with a knowledge of Sikhism and the welcome to join her in celebrating any holidays I wanted to, but my parents left me to forge my own path, which I did. I have some contact with cousins on my mom’s side thanks to Instagram, so it’s not all a loss. I like to think I get the best of both worlds.”

She couldn’t have asked for more with her upbringing, she knew that. Dhara had been given the world, and been taught kindness for others always, and had an education that others could only dream of, and all the love she could ever want from her parents. She also knew that sometimes her mom struggled but that she had her husband, Dhara’s dad, to rely on for strength. Her mom truly was a hero of hers, and she could only be grateful for everything she’d done for her.

“Thank you for sharing that with us. It can’t always be easy, being so far away from your family,” Matt said softly.

“It isn’t always, no. But I’m following my passion with my degrees, and they understand that,” Dhara nodded, smiling at him, “Besides, we have modern technology, no?”

Matt and his parents just laughed, making her smile a bit wider.

“But Dhara, what about…”

“How about we give Dhara a break from interrogation and pass out gifts, hm?” Dawn mused, interrupting Sarah.

Dhara laughed, shrugging, Sarah just pouting.

“You can ask more questions later okay?” Matt said, glancing up at Dhara to make sure she was okay with that.

Dhara just nodded. The way he checked to confirm with her sent out butterflies she tried desperately to ignore. This was not the time.

As they all passed around presents, Dhara had been pleasantly surprised to learn that she had gifts to open too. She hadn’t expected anything from his parents but they’d still surprised her anyway, with a gorgeous earrings and necklace set that felt fancier than anything she owned in New York. Sarah had gifted her a set of pens and a pretty notebook (which she’d picked out herself, apparently) and she’d looked so pleased with herself that it warmed Dhara’s heart.

For Matt’s mom, she’d gifted her a set of Indian spices, because Matt had told her in passing that his mom liked to cook from all different cuisines – so she’d bought her cumin seeds, coriander powder, garam masala, turmeric, and green cardamom. Dawn had looked so touched when she opened them, giving Dhara a big hug that she hadn’t been expecting. Matt’s dad looked just as pleased by his craft beer tasting tour back home in Ontario, and promised to give her reviews of every single one.

Sarah had squealed in happiness at the book Dhara bought her. A Is for Awesome: 23 Iconic Women Who Changed the World. It was important for Sarah to learn about how powerful she could be as a woman, and from Matt’s smile he seemed to agree with her.

For Matt – she’d bought him a cufflink box.

“I’m always losing cufflinks on roadtrips. You remembered,” Matt murmured.

The way her heart fluttered. Wow.

“And now you have a place to store 4 sets, wherever you go,” Dhara said softly.

“Thank you, this is…I love it,” Matt grinned.

Well now she was a goner.

Her last gift to open was from Matt. Again she hadn’t expected anything from him – he was opening his home to her on Christmas, after all – but when she opened the instant camera, Fujifilm Instax Mini with multiple packs of film cards, her heart felt like it was going to burst out of her chest.

“Matt, this is…wow. This is too much!” she gasped.

“You’ve talked about wanting to preserve memories and I thought this would be a fun way to do it,” he shrugged.

A fun way to preserve memories. A whole ass camera. This was just like him.

“Thank you,” she murmured, smiling so widely at him that it hurt.

Matt just smiled helplessly at her in return.

“Can you tell me more about Sikh stuff now please?”

Sarah’s pleading interruption made her laugh, saving her from the explosion of butterflies in her stomach. “If your family don’t mind, I’m happy to tell you more about Sikhism, sure.”

Dhara looked at Matt and his parents, who all nodded and smiled at her. Well, here goes nothing. Time for a basic lesson in Sikhism.

“Sikhism was founded by Guru Nanak around 500 years ago in an area called the Punjab. That’s where my grandparents came from on my mother’s side, if you remember – Punjab is an area which spans part of India and Pakistan now, and they come from the Indian side of it. There are lot of different elements to Sikhism, but some of the main things that Sikhs believe are that your actions are important, and you should lead a good life. You should keep God in your heart and mind at all times, live honestly and work hard, treat everyone equally, be generous to those less fortunate than you, and to serve others,” Dhara listed.

“That sounds really nice,” Sarah said, smiling.

Dhara smiled back at her, heart warmed by the sweet words.

“It is, yes. I don’t attend temple, the Gurdwara, as much as I should, but it’s always really peaceful there. I always try to go for Lohri, the harvest festival in January, and I definitely celebrate Diwali in late October because my family always has, but there are many more holy days that Sikhs commemorate,” Dhara explained.

“Can you tell me about them?” Sarah asked hopefully.

Dhara glanced around the room, seeing Matt and his parents listening raptly, and nodded.

“Of course I can! Firstly…”

~

“Watch yourself, Matthew.”

Matt lifted his head from where he was washing up, seeing his mom standing next to him with a dish towel in hand. His dad, Sarah, and Dhara were all in the living room still, playing Go Fish, but Matt and his mom had moved to the kitchen to tackle at least some of the dishes.

“What?” he said, frowning.

“Don’t think I can’t see the way you look at Dhara,” she said pointedly.

Fuck.

Matt took a shaky breath and opened his mouth to protest, but his mom quickly shook her head.

“She is a lovely young woman with a bright future. Unless you can see marriage in the cards, then don’t mess her around. She deserves the best,” his mom said firmly.

Oh.

Oh.

“Yes, yes she does,” he murmured.

~

With Matt’s parents staying through until the 2nd January, the day before her classes started up again, Dhara had the full rest of the week to herself. The only thing she had planned was getting through work for her Database Management Systems class, but Dawn and Jim had insisted that she came to the game with them on the 28th. That whole evening had been so wholesome; it was clear exactly how much Matt’s parents loved and supported him, and to see his smiling face when they went down to see him after the game? Heartwarming.  Matt had also asked her to come to the New Year’s Eve party that Anders and Grace were throwing – his parents weren’t going to that, but he’d paid for them to have a nice dinner in Manhattan for their own celebration. Dhara almost said no to Matt’s invitation (because who was she to go to a private event like that?), but when he said that Grace had invited her specifically, she couldn’t resist. An invite from Grace Lee to her own party was not something that someone turned down. She knew she’d made the right decision when Grace texted her to say how excited she was that Dhara was coming, which made her feel like a little bit less of an intruder.

What was it with these people and forgetting she was literally just the nanny?

“You look nice,” Matt murmured.

“No daddy, Dhara looks beautiful,” Sarah said firmly.

Dhara laughed, ducking her head shyly just in time to miss the way Matt blushed. Her black sparkly long-sleeved bodycon dress was something that she kept on hand as the only semi-formal thing she had in her closet – so it was really her only option for the Lee’s New Year’s Eve party tonight.

“You’re right, my apologies Sarah,” Matt mused, grinning, “You do look beautiful, Dhara.”

Even if it was prompted by his daughter, it was still spine-tingling to hear Matt say those words.

“You’re too kind, both of you,” she laughed, shaking her head.

Matt just winked before kneeling down to help Sarah put her shoes on, leaving Dhara more flustered than she’d ever been in her life. Thankfully they didn’t have to wait long for the car service that Matt had insisted on, and soon enough their party of three arrived.

“Ah, welcome Martins and Nicholls!”

Dhara giggled at Anders’ booming voice, Matt rolling his eyes fondly as they entered the house.

“Thanks for having us,” Matt mused, handing over a bottle of very nice bourbon to his Captain.

Anders just grinned. “You’re always welcome, bud. Grace is in the kitchen making cocktails for the girls – we’re not invited to that, Matt, but you should definitely head in there so you don’t miss any good gossip, Dhara.”

“Oh, but Sarah…”

“Sarah can stick with me while we go and say hi to all her uncles before they get too drunk, hm?” Matt suggested.

“Drunk Uncle Casey is funny,” Sarah giggled.

“That settles it then!” Anders said cheerfully.

He pointed Dhara in the direction the kitchen and whisked Matt and Sarah away, leaving Dhara reeling. This wasn’t what she had expected at all – and now she was being shuffled over to the WAGs like she had any right to be there?

“Dhara! There you are! Grace is just finishing a fresh batch of mojitos – join us!”

She let out a shaky breath at Kristy’s happy exclamation, but followed her with a smile. She could totally do this. She could go with the flow, especially with Matt’s insistence, and she could just get back to watching Sarah after this drink, right? If Matt was okay with it?

In truth, nothing happened the way she thought it would over the night. While she did return back to watching over Sarah, all of the other WAGs with kids insisted they she took breaks to enjoy herself because they could all chip in to watch the kids. It did make her feel weird because hello, it was literally her job to nanny, but Matt’s happy face every time she took a break to socialise was too strong to resist. The main thing that struck her though was how much she stuck out like a sore thumb. Not just in terms of appearance – she figured she was going to be one of the only people of colour there – but just in terms of importance? Not even all the team was here – the youngest ones were off clubbing apparently, which made Dhara all the more aware of how intimate this gathering was. She didn’t belong here, not in this world. What was her life coming to?

She didn’t know if Matt’s presence helped either. All through the night he made she sure had enough to drink (she stuck to water or soda after that first lethal mojito from Grace) and enough to eat. He included her in every conversation, introduced her to people she hadn’t met yet, and checked in on her when she was watching Sarah. Every time she could see a couple of his teammates and/or the WAGs smirking slightly – but not in a mean way. And certainly not mocking her. It was confusing to say the least, like the lines were blurring without giving her any way to read the meaning of the situation, and it was all she could do to try to let it go. Matt was just being a gentleman, that was all.

When it came to a couple of minutes until the ball drop though, Dhara found herself squished onto a sofa in front of the TV that Anders was setting up, with Sarah fast asleep on her lap and Matt sitting down at her side.

“Champagne?” Matt said, holding out a second glass.

“I suppose one glass couldn’t hurt to bring in the new year,” Dhara mused.

She tried to ignore the way her stomach fizzled as their fingers brushed. Eventually, with just 30 seconds to spare, the living room was packed with party guests, Dhara essentially pressed fully up into Matt’s side. All she could do was remember to breathe, keeping her focus anchored on Sarah to distract herself from the warmth of his thigh against hers. It was intoxicating to say the least, and she was grateful at least for the noise of the room drowning out her thoughts.

“3…2…1…HAPPY NEW YEAR!”

As fireworks exploded across the screen and out the windows, and couples embraced all around the room, Dhara’s breath caught in the throat as she looked up at Matt to see him already looking down at her.

“Happy New Year, Dhara,” he murmured.

“Happy New Year,” she said softly back.

The intensity in his eyes made fire burn through her skin, barely softened by the champagne she poured down her throat. The way he looked at her…it almost felt real.

~

Dhara’s birthday was always a strange time of year for her. She never did anything massive to celebrate it, just casual dinner and drinks with friends and a phone call with her parents, but this year it fell at the end of January on a Saturday, at the end of Matt’s bye week. He had no other plans that spending time with Sarah anyway, so he gave her the week off to relax.

Relax, hah.

She had her thesis proposal to finish, with the final submission of the full finished thing due at the beginning of May, but she’d managed to sort out the data she wanted to use in the first half of January – so she was able to use her week off from nannying to finish the proposal. She holed herself up in her bedroom, surrounded by drinks and snacks, barely taking any breaks other than to reassure her roommate that she was still alive, until she submitted it to her supervising professor.

It was worth it, to feel like she’d accomplished something she was proud of.

Dhara emerged from her ‘coding cave’ the day before her birthday, her roommate shoving her straight into the shower while she ordered them both Thai food to celebrate. It felt good to have a little time to actually relax before her birthday, because before dinner and drinks with her friends, Matt had planned a surprise lunch for her.

She should have expected the restaurant he chose to be a fancy one. She’d never eaten anywhere so nice, not even when her parents came up for her undergraduate degree graduation.

“I have one more surprise for you,” Matt announced, just as he paid the bill, “if you have time to come back to the house with us.”

Sarah was basically wriggling in her seat, quietly begging please please please, and how could Dhara say no to that? All through the drive back to Matt’s house, Sarah was whispering to him and giggling away, making Dhara smile to herself. Seeing the young girl so excited made her excited – and after the incredible surprise Christmas gift he’d gotten her? She could only hope it wasn’t something crazy.

“Okay Sarah, you go ahead and open the door while I make sure Dhara isn’t peeking,” Matt said with a smile.

“What,” she said flatly.

Matt just smiled innocently, stepping behind her, and it was all Dhara could to do gasp as he gently placed his hands over her eyes from behind. Fuck.

“Door’s open daddy!”

“Okay sweetheart, why don’t you take Dhara’s hands and slowly guide her indoors,” Matt instructed, “if you’re okay with that?”

“Yeah sure, go for it,” Dhara laughed.

As if her today could get any stranger than this. So with Sarah’s small hands in hers and Matt’s large hands over her eyes (his cologne smelled so good this close, it was unreal), Dhara was slowly guided into the Martin house, taking heed of Sarah’s instructions not to bash into things, until she was standing in what she was sure was the rarely-used dining room. Matt and Sarah always preferred to eat at the kitchen island, but she knew where this room was. Why was she here?

“Ready?” Matt asked.

“Ready. I think,” Dhara mused.

Sarah let go of her hands at the same time as Matt removed his, and as soon as she opened her eyes, her breath caught in her throat. What the hell. In front of her, on the dining room table, were two computer screens, high definition and huge, with a docking station and all the appropriate wires to connect them to a laptop. To her laptop? What the hell.

“Matt…” she breathed.

Sarah just giggled at her reaction before skipping out of the room, leaving them alone. Leaving Dhara with her mind whirling.

“I know you were talking about how it’s easier to see your code side by side, and rather than doing the split screen thing you have been doing on just your laptop, I thought this would be more helpful,” he explained.

He remembered that from her rambling? He was listening?

“I can’t believe you bought me two computer screens. And a docking station. This is too much, Matt, really. I can’t accept them,” she murmured.

This was so personal – no-one had ever paid attention to her like this, and it was coming from him?

“Hey, no, this is important for you. For your work. I want to make sure that you have everything that you need to finish your degree in the best way possible – you’ve done so much for us and I just wanted to do this little thing for you. Besides, you only turn 25 once, right?”

“This isn’t little, Matt. And I’m just a nanny, I’ve barely done anything,” Dhara protested.

“If that’s all that you think you are to Sarah, and to me, then I’m clearly not doing enough to show you differently,” he said firmly.

The tone of his voice made her shiver in all the right ways.

“Matt, I…”

She trailed off at the intense look he was giving her.

“Happy birthday, Dhara,” Matt murmured, smiling softly.

It was all she could do to hug him tightly, sinking slightly into his chest as his arms immediately wrapped around her too. His shirt was soft against her cheek, that intoxicating cologne filling her senses, so much so that as she moved to break the hug, she impulsively kissed his cheek. Fuck. Dhara froze for a moment, stunned at her own audacity, but as she leaned back, Matt looked just as stunned – other than the pleased smile on his lips.

“Sarah! Come and say goodbye to Dhara so she can go out with her friends!” he called out, dropping his arms to let her go.

Dhara smiled at the sound of pattering footsteps, even more so as Sarah hugged her legs tightly.

“Dhara! You’re still my friend too, right?”

Be still her beating heart.

“Of course I am. I’ll be back here on Monday, ready for Kindergarten as usual,” she promised.

“Good. Happy birthday Dhara!” Sarah said happily.

Matt’s eyes never left her once.

~

With only a few weeks left until Spring Break, Dhara didn’t know where her final year of her degree was going. She knew she was going to use that Spring Break time to finish as much of her thesis as possible – and she knew she was going to be spending the whole week at Matt’s. Her new computer screens had stayed at his house as there was way more room for her to work there, and the couple of occasions she’d used them there for her classwork and he’d been home, he always smiled a pleased little smile like he was proud of himself for providing for her. It was…strange.

Everything was strange.

Since that kiss on the cheek, the dynamic between them had grown even more tense. Every stolen glance, brushed fingers, sweet smile, all felt like she was getting away with something forbidden. If anyone knew the illicit way she thought of Matt, she knew she’d burst into flames. And it wasn’t like she could be sure about how he felt about her either. Sure, he looked – but she was a beautiful Indian woman, and many men looked. It just felt different when she felt Matt’s eyes on her body, that was all.

She knew it was futile though. She was his nanny, nothing else. And she didn’t dare mess anything up with her employment now that she was only a couple of months away from turning in her thesis and finishing her Masters in Computer Science. She knew that she had to seriously start applying for jobs for starting in June, knew she didn’t want her years of hard work to go to waste – but it was so hard to decide exactly what she wanted when her head was spinning.

In a dream world, she’d have the career she’d always fantasised about, with Matt and Sarah by her side. But this was reality – girls like her didn’t get the career and the guy. She had to be realistic with herself, otherwise she was going to drown. She knew she had to stop indulging her daydreams and wake up – it wasn’t worth the inevitable heartache, as much as those dreams were nice to fall asleep to.

Still, when Spring Break arrived and Matt refused to let her nanny for him, rather than holing herself up in the bedroom of her tiny apartment, she holed herself up in Matt’s dining room, only emerging when Matt dragged her out to get some sleep or Sarah begged her to eat dinner with them. It was a weird but welcome change, to have people care about her wellbeing like that (her current roommate had her own weird work hours), so when she finally came out of her week of thesis writing and showered, she felt more human than she usually did after a data spree like that. It was refreshing to say the least.

“I can’t believe you spent your final ever Spring Break sitting at my dining room table,” Matt teased, handing her a plate of sliced apples.

Dhara stuck her tongue out at Matt as she happily took the plate, making him laugh.

“I needed to get my thesis finished as soon as possible so I can work on editing it and proving the data works. And I managed to get it nearly finished – now it’s just concluding it and all the weeks of editing to get done. Otherwise, all the hard work of the past three years will come to nothing, and I won’t be able to get a good job like I deserve,”

“Right, yes, of course. A job using computer science,” Matt nodded.

The way he said it though, and the way he looked like a kicked puppy, made her heart ache. “Matt, you knew I would only be able to work for you for a year. We talked about this, right from the start.”

“I know,” he said quickly, shaking his head with a smile, “It’s just going to be strange not having you around. You feel like part of the family already, and you know that Sarah loves you.”

Fuck.

“Matt, you’re killing me,” she murmured.

“Sorry,” he quickly said.

“No you’re not,” she said dryly.

“I am a little bit.”

Dhara huffed out a laugh, shaking her head. “I love systems analysis and the increase in importance of connectivity to keep up with modern systems within growing infrastructure, and I would love to work in something like that because it’s where my passion is. I just…I hope I can find something that takes a chance on a nobody like me.”

“You are the furthest thing from a nobody, Dhara. You’re incredible and talented and a beautiful person inside and out, and you deserve the best. Whatever you need, whatever I can help with, I will, okay? References, making calls, whatever. You name it and I’m there.”

Her lips parted in surprise at his supportive words, eyes stinging with tears, but she found herself smiling. He was such a sweetheart.

“That might be the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me,” Dhara said, voice thick with emotion as she stepped forward to hug him.

She felt herself tremble slightly at the warmth of Matt’s hands on her back, even more so at the way he buried his face in her long thick curls, and tried to savour the feeling of his arms around her while she still could. How had their time together come to an end so quickly? How was this fair?

“Yeah, well, you deserve everything and more,” Matt said gruffly as he stepped back.

If only she could read his mind right now, to see what thoughts were running behind the complicated expression on his face, then she would do it in an instant.

“Thank you, Matt,” she murmured.

“You’re welcome. Make sure you start applying soon, okay?”

~

Network Operations Engineer – Madison Square Garden Entertainment – full time.

Submission – completed.

~

March.

April.

May.

His fleeting time left with Dhara was slipping through his fingers. The harder he tried to hold on, the faster the days flew by, until she submitted her thesis and the end was in sight. He couldn’t blame her for being excited – fuck knows he wouldn’t be sane after all the years of education she’d gone through – but he couldn’t stop the anxiety that built in his chest when he thought of how, soon, she wouldn’t be laughing and smiling and typing away at her computer in his house.

The Islanders had barely lost the first round of the playoffs, kicking and scraping to the last minute, and now with the whole summer stretched out in front of him, the thought of spending it without her was excruciating. But Matt knew he had no claim on Dhara, had no right to feel this way, no matter how she looked at him or smiled sweetly at him or that one time she’d kissed his cheek. She was everything he hadn’t known he’d wanted and needed, and now she was soon to be gone from his life forever.

He, Matt Martin, was completely gone for Dhara Nicholls, and he didn’t know what the hell he was supposed to do about it.

“Dhara, come on, you’re not watching!”

Matt rolled his eyes fondly at Sarah’s petulant whining. “Sarah Dawn Martin, that’s not how we speak to our friends.”

He could see Dhara biting her lip to hide a smile as Sarah huffed dramatically.

“Dhara, please will you watch this with me? You said you would!”

“Of course, why don’t I just get us some more water each and we can settle in, hm?”

“Deal!”

Matt watched Dhara walk over to where he was putting together lunch in the kitchen, unable to stop himself smiling at her the moment she smiled at him.

“Hey.”

“Hey.”

She giggled, shaking her head at herself as she pulled a couple of bottles of water out the fridge.

“How’s it going in there with the Drill Sergeant?” he mused.

“Oh it’s tough, but I think I’ll make it out alive,” she grinned.

Why was everything so easy between them? Nothing had ever been this easy before.

“Look, I, uh…I was hoping to ask you something?”

Dhara raised an eyebrow with a bemused smile but nodded, leaning against the counter next to him. “Go for it.”

“So you know it’s my birthday on Saturday?” he started.

Dhara just nodded, smiling.

“Okay cool, so I know you have things to finalise this week, with administration at your university, but Casey and the guys and girls have organised a night out and I was hoping you’d come? So yeah, come out with us, please,” he said, cursing himself for rambling.

“Oh, thank you – I just…what about Sarah?” she asked.

So sweet.

“She’s having a sleepover with a friend from Kindergarten, I already sorted that,” Matt said simply, smiling.

“Well in that case, I’d love to. If you’re sure?” Dhara said, uncertainly.

“Of course I’m sure. I want you out celebrating with me,” he said firmly.

While he couldn’t tell if she was blushing or not, the flash of surprise and something else in her eyes satisfied something inside of him that felt distinctly feral. He really was losing his control around her, wasn’t he?

“Then I’ll be there,” she said sweetly, “You only turn 35 once after all.”

Matt just grinned.

Saturday night rolled around quicker than he’d expected. The WAGs had taken Dhara out with them to get ready – the full works apparently, hair, make-up, and manicures, all of which he paid for Dhara because it was last minute – and when the ladies finally arrived to the restaurant he’d booked out for dinner? Well, it felt like he’d been punched in the face. It wasn’t that her dark curls were glossy and teased to volumed perfection. It wasn’t that her make-up was flawless, full glam like she never did herself. No, it was the emerald green mid-thigh strappy silk dress she’d clearly borrowed from one of the other ladies. The dress was so dainty and unlike anything he’d ever seen her wear, close enough to a negligee that it sent his mind reeling. He knew she had a great figure already, and that her legs were long and toned, but seeing them like this? It was mindblowing. And, obviously, it had taken everything in his power not to drool or let his jaw drop.

Naturally he missed Casey and Anders smirking at their wives and receiving triumphant grins in response from Grace and Kristy. Dhara’s sweet greeting and warm hug made everyone else in the room disappear.

Still, after dinner and going to a couple of bars, they ended up in a night club nearing midnight, Anders having booked a couple of tables upstairs in the VIP area. The whole group had a couple of shots together, toasting Matt’s 35th birthday, before the WAGs all dragged Dhara off to dance with them. From their table he could just about see her in the middle of the dancefloor, looking like she was having the time of her life, body swaying and moving in a way that had his full attention. Captivating.

He watched her on and off for the next half hour, switching between talking to the guys, sipping on his whisky and coke. But it wasn’t until Casey thumped down next down next to him and clapped him on the shoulder with a huff that he realised anyone had noticed.

“Come on man, just go down to the dancefloor and put us all out of our misery,” Casey groaned.

“What the hell are you talking about?” Matt frowned.

“You’re pining after Dhara and it’s driving us crazy,” he retorted.

“We’ve talked about this. She’s my nanny,” Matt said sharply.

“Yeah okay, like that even matters. I’ve seen the way you look at her and Kristy’s seen the way she looks at you, and it’s not like she’s going to be your nanny for much longer, right?” Casey smirked.

“Oh fuck you.”

“Fuck her.”

“Don’t talk about her like that,” Matt all but growled.

Casey just grinned, clearly getting the answer he wanted, goading Matt just like he intended. Damn it, he really did know him too well.

“Love you too bud. Stop being a coward,” Casey just snickered, patting Matt on the shoulder, a clear indication to just get out of there.

And if the desire to dance with Dhara hadn’t won out, he knew he’d be scowling at his friend. Instead, he found himself drifting down the stairs from the VIP area to where he lasted spotted Dhara in the crowd, and soon enough he found her. She looked like a goddess: swaying from side to side, multi-coloured lights brushing across her brown skin like a Picasso painting, and he felt himself mesmerised. She turned her head slightly at the prompting of Grace, wide smile stretching across her lips when she spotted him.

“Mind if I join you?” Matt said, raising his voice.

“Of course not birthday boy!” Dhara said happily.

Matt stepped closer to her, barely registering the rest of the ladies grinning at each other and slipping away through the crowd to leave them alone. His attention was completely captured – Dhara’s hips swaying so close to him were a massive distraction – and it wasn’t until a familiar song started playing that he finally looked up at her face.

“I love this song!” she said happily.

Dhara turned her back to him, confusing him slightly, until she looked back over her shoulder expectantly. He knew they’d both had a fair amount of alcohol to drink at this point, but her eyes were clear enough – dance with me. He could barely control himself as he stepped up behind her fully, hands on her hips, pulling her gently back against him, the soft moan that sounded from her lips making him feel wild. Fuck, he could feel himself stirring where his crotch was pressed just above her ass, even more so as she continued to sway her hips.

“Come, lay me down, 'Cause you know this, 'Cause you know this sound

In the middle of the night, In the middle of the night, Just call my name, I'm yours to tame...”

“Matt,” Dhara murmured, looking up at him.

He followed his base instincts for once, staying silent as he used the grip he had on her hips to spin her around to face him, taking pleasure in the look of surprise on her face and the flash of lust in her eyes, swaying their bodies together again.

“…I'm wide awake, I crave your taste all night long, 'Til morning comes, I'm getting what is mine, You gon' get yours, oh no, ooh, In the middle of the night.”

“Matt please.”

It was all he could do to guide her quickly through the crowd to the edge of the dancefloor, to an empty spot against the wall, leaving them mostly in the shadow, the bright flashes of light illuminating them just about enough to see each other’s faces.

“Tell me to stop,” Matt murmured into her ear, hands threading into her thick curls.

“Kiss me,” she replied, lifting her head in challenge.

He didn’t hesitate to press his lips to hers, kissing her just as she’d demanded, his heart immediately soaring. Dhara moaned into his mouth, moaned again when he pushed her firmly up against the wall, kissing him back just as eagerly as her hands clutched at his shirt. It was like she melted against his body as he slid his tongue past her lips, fire zipping through his blood, his head swirling. Matt kissed Dhara over and over again, one hand leaving her hair to clutch at her hip, the silk of her dress driving him mad and doing nothing to mask the heat of her skin, and while the music washed over them, he wanted nothing more than to get her away from this crowded dancefloor and take her home.

Fuck, it was intoxicating how well she fit into his arms, how her body was moulded to his, how their tongues danced together as intimately as their bodies had done. In all the times he’d thought about kissing her, about holding her, nothing could compare to the real thing. Nothing could compare to this.

But he needed to know that it wasn’t just him, that she wasn’t just kissing him because she was drunk. He didn’t think he would survive that. The confused noise she made when he broke the kiss just about broke his heart though.

“Dhara, baby, I gotta know…”

He groaned, kissing down her neck, feeling like he was shaking apart at her soft moans.

“What, Matt?” she gasped as he nipped at her skin.

“You’re not…you’re not too drunk right now, right? You want this?”

“Matt, I’ve been drinking water throughout the night between drinks. I want this. I want you. I just didn’t know if you wanted me,” she said, shrugging with a sheepish smile.

She didn’t know if he wanted her?

He rested his forehead against hers, pressing her fully into the wall again so she could feel where he was half hard in his jeans. Dhara giggled, pulling him down into another kiss with her grip on his shirt, and Matt was all too happy to oblige her, knowing he’d never get enough of her now that he’d tasted her.

“It’s not just sex, baby, I swear. I want all of you,” Matt murmured, breaking their kiss again to suck on the thin skin behind her ear.

“You promise?” she asked softly into his ear, almost shyly.

“I promise,” he nodded, as serious as he could manage in this moment.

“Then take me home.”

“Yeah?” he grinned.

“Yeah, take me home Matt,” she grinned back.

~

Dhara woke with a soft groan, eyes feeling gritty and mouth as dry as an old sock. She blearily lifted her head, grabbing the glass of water on the side table and chugging it, body not recognising the weight of an arm over her waist until her head was a bit clearer.

An arm over her waist.

Over her bare waist.

Matt’s arm.

She let out a shaky breath as all the memories of the night before flooded into her head. Dancing intimately with Matt in the nightclub where anyone could see them. Making out on the side of the dancefloor. The two of them leaving the club without telling anyone, barely keeping their hands off each other in the uber back to his. Then a rush of lips and hands and teeth and bare skin, and waves of pleasure over and over again, crying out his name without a care in the world.

It was everything she’d ever dreamed over, and now, waking up in his bed with his bare body pressed to hers, it was her nightmare all the same.

She’d never acted like this before in her life. Never slept with a man she wasn’t dating. Absolutely never slept with her boss. What kind of trashy behaviour was that? How could he ever think she was worth his time if this is the way she acted the first time he showed interest? Fuck.

But she remembered his words too. How he checked that she wasn’t too drunk, that she wanted this. How he swore it wasn’t just sex, that he wanted her. How insistent he was on promising that it wasn’t just talk to get her into bed. And in between each of the many orgasms he brought her to, he checked in with her each time, making sure she was okay, just because that’s who he was.

He was Matt Martin, gentleman under a rough handsome exterior, and he wanted her.

None of that changed her insecurities though, how all of this was so out of character for her. Not to mention, she knew damn well that everyone knew what they did last night, why they left the club early, and wasn’t that mortifying? No, she needed some air, she needed to think. And to maybe put on some clothes she’d left in the spare room because there was no way she could wear Kristy’s tiny silk dress home in broad daylight.

With a shaky breath, Dhara gently picked up Matt’s arm, moving it off of her body, before slowly sitting upright. If she could just stand up without waking him it would be…

“Good morning. Going somewhere?”

Matt’s husky voice made her freeze, a wave of guilt washing over her, before she turned to face him, sheets clutched to her bare chest.

“I…I don’t know. I don’t know what I’m doing,” she murmured, more honest than she cared to be.

And if that wasn’t a metaphor for her life since she met him, what was?

He just frowned, sitting upright, and she couldn’t stop her gaze from raking over his chest, his biceps, his shoulders. Damn. “What’s wrong?”

“What’s wrong? Where should I start?” Dhara said, feeling a little hysterical.

“I thought we were on the same page last night,” Matt said hesitantly, “I thought we both wanted this.”

“We did,” she said quickly, “I did. But…you know this doesn’t make any sense right?”

“Why not? You like me, I like you. You want me, I want you. It’s simple,” he frowned.

If only.

“It’s not simple at all, Matt. Not for me. It’s one thing for you to have the hots for your young pretty nanny, but to actually hook up with her? And to say you want something more? People are going to think I’m a gold digger! That I trapped you! That I manipulated my way into your life!”

“Dhara, all of that is bullshit. I don’t care what people think. Anyone who dares to call you a gold digger is an asshole who doesn’t know us. Everyone who knows us knows it isn’t like that at all. You’ve already got a job lined up waiting for you with Madison Square Garden Entertainment Group and you only just handed in your thesis – like, you’re going to be making your own money so it’s not like you only like me for that, right?”

“Well, no, but…”

“And you didn’t even know who I was when you first interviewed with me, so it’s not like you planned this, right?”

“Of course I didn’t, but…”

“If you don’t want anything more than this one night with me then obviously I would accept that. It would suck and the last few weeks of you working for me would be really awkward, but damn Dhara, I want a future with you,” Matt finished, taking one of her hands in his, the other still clutching at the bed sheet.

He really wants a future with her?

“You do?” she asked softly, almost as if she didn’t believe it.

“Yeah, I do,” he nodded, smiling warmly, “I mean, I’m not sure what you see in me – I’m a 35 year old hockey player who’s nearing the end of his career, already divorced once with a kid who doesn’t have an off switch or a volume control, and I have no idea what I’m going to do with my life…but I just know that I want you in my life, however I can have you.”

“You’re the kindest, sweetest, most handsome man I’ve ever met, with a daughter who loves you so much, and you see me for more than the Indian girl stuck behind a computer screen. I…I never expected this, any of this Matt, but I want to try?” she said, biting her bottom lip.

The way his face lit up with sweet genuine smile made her heart soar.

“You have no idea how happy that makes me. I’m going to do my best to make you so happy too, Dhara, I swear,” he grinned.

Dhara huffed out a laugh, laughing properly as he tugged the sheet out of her hand and guided her to lie down again in the messy bed, sliding his thick arm over her waist to tug their bare bodies together, lying face to face in the most intimate yet soft way she’d ever lain with another man.

And in that moment, it didn’t matter that her career was just about to kick off while his was in its hockey-twilight. And it didn’t matter than he was 10 years older than her, a whole wealth of life experience that she barely had. And it didn’t matter what people would whisper about them, or what judgemental looks she was get, or that her mother had never met him, or even that none of this would ever have happened in her wildest dreams.

All that mattered was that he wanted her, in his bed, in his family, in his life.

“Can I kiss you, baby?”

“Yes.”

~

Tagging a few people: @jostyriggslover96 @misshoneyimhome @senditcolton @fallinallincurls @2manytabsopen

[aclowntiny]

♱ My Masterlist! ♱ About Me/Rules

༺♰༻ ༺♰༻ ༺♰༻ ༺♰༻ ༺♰༻

(I have tags for groups, members, female reader, & gender neutral reader, so you can also use my search bar to filter fics that way 🥰)

☆ = a personal favorite! hehe

🏴‍☠️Ateez🏴‍☠️

All Members (Gender Neutral): How Ateez Act Around Their Crush

When Their Crush Kisses Them & Runs Away ☆ Finding Out Their Crush is Allergic to Flowers When They Accidentally Walk in on You Changing ☆ How Ateez Confess To You

Ateez’s Ideal First Date How They Tell the Other Members You’re Dating

Ateez’s Preferred PDA

Ateez With a Tall S/O

S/O Watching Their Fancam ☆

Things Ateez Do That Make Your Heart Flutter ☆

Ateez + Kisses to Prove You Can Make Them Blush ☆

When You Call Them ‘Pretty Boy’

Call Your Bet! (Ateez Losing Bets Against You) When You Get Clingy

Taking Care of a Sick S/O Sharing Clothes With Their S/O

Spa Day With Ateez

What Type of Kisser is Ateez? ☆

First ‘I Love You’ With Ateez ☆

When Their S/O Kisses Their Neck ☆

Ateez + Love Languages

Ateez + Aftercare

Ateez as Hogwarts Students

Meeting Pirate!Ateez (Female Reader)☆

Black Flag, Black Hearts? Falling for Pirate!Ateez (Pirate AU Part 2) Meeting Superhero!Ateez (Superhero AU) ☆

Who in Ateez

When You Don’t Like Popcorn

Most Likely to Prank You

Most Likely To- 24 Hour Saying Yes Challenge

Most Likely to Go For a Childlike, Happy-Go-Lucky S/O

Most Likely to Let You Hypnotize Them

Unathletic & Clumsy S/O

Individual Members:

🐯Hongjoong🐯

Ink Trails- Hongjoong x GN!Reader (Soulmate AU) ☆

Hongjoong + Firsts

🐰Seonghwa🐰 May the Flirts Be With You- Seonghwa x Female!Cosplayer!Reader ☆

Seonghwa + Firsts

🐻Yunho🐻

Puppy Love- Yunho x Female!Barista!Reader

Yunho + Firsts

🍓Yeosang🍓 Blue Skies- Yeosang x Female!Baker!Reader Yeosang + Firsts

🏔️San🏔️

Down the Drain- Barista!San x Female Reader

Mon Petit Chou- Best Friend!San x Gender Neutral Reader

San + Firsts

🦁Mingi🦁 Unstoppable Forces and Immovable Objects- Mingi x Female!Reader ☆

Mingi + Firsts

🐺Wooyoung🐺 Business Booster- Wooyoung x Shy!Female!Barista Reader

Wooyoung + Firsts

🍎Jongho🍎 It’s Not Easy Being Green- Jongho x Female!Writer!Reader

The Wind Again- Jongho x Paranormal Investigator!Reader (Gender Neutral)☆

Jongho + Firsts

💎Seventeen💎

All Members (Gender Neutral):

How Seventeen Act Around Their Crush

When Their Crush Has a Guy Best Friend How Seventeen Confesses To You

Seventeen’s Ideal First Date

Carnival Dates With Seventeen Seventeen’s Preferred PDA What Type of Kisser is Seventeen? ☆ Other Members Catch You Together First ‘I Love You’ With Seventeen ☆ Things Seventeen Do That Make Your Heart Flutter ☆ Seventeen Meeting Your Parents For the First Time

Your Birthday With Seventeen Spa Days With Seventeen

Seventeen As Hogwarts Students

Individual Members:

🍒S.Coups🍒 Smell You Later- Gryffindor Quidditch Captain!S.Coups x Slytherin Quidditch Captain!Reader (Gender Neutral) ☆

👼🏻Jeonghan👼🏻

🦌Joshua🦌 Love is Blind- Joshua x Gender Neutral Reader

🐱Jun🐱 Kalon- Model!Jun x Female!Assistant!Reader

🐯Hoshi🐯 Brush Strokes- Hoshi x Female!Face Painter!Reader

🦊Wonwoo🦊

Silent War- Wonwoo x Gender Neutral!Reader

🍚Woozi🍚

Sunflowers and Snapdragons- Woozi x Female!Florist!Reader ☆

Ska Day- Woozi x GN!Soulmate!Reader

⚔️DK⚔️

🐶Mingyu🐶 A Date Like No Other- Basketball Player!Mingyu x Female!Reader (College AU) ☆

🐸The8🐸 Nails and Nighttimes- The8 x Gender Neutral Reader ☆

🍊Seungkwan🍊 Foolproof- Seungkwan x Female!Best Friend!Reader ☆

🐢Vernon🐢

In Every World- Vernon x Gender Neutral Reader

🦦Dino🦦 The Dancing Effect- Best Friend!Dino x Gender Neutral!Best Friend!Reader (College AU)

🌟Stray Kids🌟

All Members (Gender Neutral):

Things Stray Kids Do That Make Your Heart Flutter

Cute Dates With Stray Kids

Stray Kids’ Preferred PDA

Stray Kids as Dads

Stray Kids as Hogwarts Students

Who in Stray Kids

Most Likely to Trick You Into Saying Something Funny in Another Language

Individual Members:

🐺Chan🐺

🐰Lee Know🐰

🐖🐇Changbin🐖🐇

🥟Hyunjin🥟 Task Failed Successfully- Hyunjin x GN!Reader (College AU)

🐿Han🐿

🐥Felix🐥

🐶Seungmin🐶

🦊I.N🦊

➖Enhypen➖

All Members (Gender Neutral):

Enhypen as Meet-Cutes

How Enhypen Act Around Their Crush

How Enhypen Confess To You

Enhypen’s Preferred PDA

Enhypen as Hogwarts Students

Crossover Special!

Wooyoung & Changbin as Each Other’s Wingman (GN!Reader)

[fairyhaos]

seventeen and being cafe workers

requested by anon: "hi! i really liked your take of svt having a cold! what are your thoughts on svt as cafe workers? thank you for your hard work! "

notes: LMAO this was actually sm fun

masterlist

seungcheol

he doesn't know why he's working in a cafe tbh. he doesn't even know how it happened. jeonghan brought him to the cafe he worked at one day and the next thing he knew, he was being hired as a barista at that very same place. oh well, he supposes it's kind of fun (?) to work alongside such chipper people, and it encourages him to talk to a vast range of people while he works

jeonghan

assistant manager, sleeps in the back room half the time, only ever gets called out for it by chan. somehow a master at handling orders during rush hour, though? gets through coffees in a flash, taking orders and yelling at minghao to get on with it and also packaging pastries and working the cashier and still smiling and greeting people nicely. but don't call for his help until it's rush hour again okay he needs another nap now

joshua

doesn't actually do, like . anything. he's out there on the floor chatting to people and (sometimes) taking orders and (not really) clearing the tables and smiling and doing nothing whatsoever. gets away with it bc he's pretty and good at talking to people so it gains them more customers anyway. works in a cafe, but doesn't like coffee. asks people if they want a cake instead when they ask what coffee he recommends

junhui

bright and sweet and has the weirdest recommendations when customers ask him how he normally takes his coffee. either looks like he's buzzed up on way too much caffeine or looking like he's about to doze off any second. has probably slept during a lull in his shift before. whizzes around the shop with his broom going "wheee!!" while he's cleaning up when they're closing up the coffee shop for the day

hoshi

bids all the customers goodbye with a wave and his signature move (his horanghae hands), gets slapped on the head with a tea towel by woozi every time he catches him. is always stealing the pastries from inside the display during the lazy times of the day, swears he's innocent and pins the blame on poor seungkwan who was on the other side of the cafe at that time

wonwoo

has literally every customer in their early 20s giving him their phone numbers/ asking him if he wants to go grab something to eat with them. typically hides behind the coffee machines and doing the barista work bc ngl he's kinda terrified because one time this lady just Kept Coming Back to talk to him and his social battery was just not up for dealing with her level of bright chatter. 

woozi

he gives me manager vibes. he's the one who scolds mingyu whenever he gets within a three foot radius of the coffee machines, who hits hoshi over the head for his excessive tiger agenda, who lets jeonghan sleep in the back room but denies that it's because he's lowkey scared of him. very very good at manager-ing and can also barista when it gets too busy. the cafe would fall to pieces without him tbh. 

minghao

one of the best baristas ever. memorises complicated orders in the blink of an eye. rattles off the order back to the customer when they claim that he made their drink wrong and then raises an eyebrow and goes "isn't that what you wanted, sir?". grins almost sadistically whenever someone orders an insanely caffeine-loaded drink. is in horror at junhui's coffee preferences. 

mingyu

isn't allowed near the coffee machines after that one time he almost broke one of them while pulling the lever too hard. is great at doing cashier work because he's such eye candy, pulls in the greatest amount of tips because of it. sometimes works the floor, but that's also risky bc there have been times where he's gotten in the way of his colleagues as they hand out coffee and spilt it all down his uniform

dokyeom

brighest sunshine smile ever. asked to work mainly morning shifts, and woozi agreed because putting seokmin and his sunshine brightness in an evening shift would probably make their tired customers feel even more exhausted while talking to his unending brightness. has gotten the second most amount of numbers given to him after wonwoo, but the clueless boy doesn't even understand why

seungkwan

that one chatty barista who talks about anything and everything to anyone who looks at him too long while he's working. hates the opening shift. always complains long and loud at how sloppily the shop was cleaned up by the people on the closing shift of the day before. scolds hoshi when he snatches a cake pop when he thinks no one is looking. 

vernon

Good And Honest Worker™. nothing to say tbh, he's just actually genuinely good at the job. everyone wants to be put on the same shift as him. gives customers song recommendations too whenever they ask him what drink he recommends they have. once tried to write the prop-up sign for the cafe, was laughed at by woozi bc it looked like it was written by a child

chan

newbie. doesn't know how to work the coffee machines, isn't allowed to figure them out in case he becomes the next mingyu and destroys the machine that was almost killed by the guy's hands. is in charge of drawing smiley faces on the coffee cups. writes everyone's name wrongly on the cup, and yet calls it out flawlessly every time as he hands them their coffee with a beam and a chipper "have a nice day!"

request guidelines

reactions tags: @jeonginssa @hanranghae17 @magicaltonaru @weird-bookworm @minhui896 @turningcarat @zarara @bunnyiix @slytherinshua @haowrld @belladaises @iheartyujin @summery-bat @newgirlygirl @moonlitskiiies @ejspencer14 @mirxzii @wonranghaeee @saythename-chess @yonabutnotyuna @youthoughtiwasfeelingyou @crackedpumpkin @wqnwoos @sunshinekyeom-sang @ocyeanicc @zozojella @thesmellofcoffeeandrain @kthstrawberryshortcake-main @kawennote09 @a-wandering-stay @icyminghao @nananacomeonnnn @valenhui @sweet-like-caramel @hansolaria @gam3bo1z @marisblogg @evasaysstuff @odxrilove @kyeomyun @chansburgah @pepperonijem @jeonride @kellesvt @butiluvu

[luvingwoo]

seventeen hyung line as baristas

a/n: my first writing on this blog, enjoy! also, english isn’t my first language so please correct me if i made any mistakes:)

word count: 380

seungcheol: the type of barista that gets worried when you don’t come to the shop at your usual time. If you always make your way there at 8:30 am, that man is gonna be stressed when you’re not there at 8: 31.

jeonghan: jeonghan is the barista that makes some people wonder how he is still employed. he is known for doing slight pranks at the customers, such as misspelling their name. Your name ends up being misspelt the way that isn’t even possible, just to see the small chuckle as you read your cup.

joshua: he is the barista that always makes small talk with the customers, asking them about their day, school ect. you once mentioned to him that you had a horrible day and later you found on your cup, written under your name ‘you did great today!’.

jun: he has got some complaints because he takes a longer time with the drinks. he always draws something on the cup for the customer, just wanting to make their days better. you once mentioned that you love cats and now you’re always getting cats drawn on your cup.(so cute omg)

hoshi: this man would hold an entire conversation with you when making the drink, but he can’t multitask that well so the order isn’t exactly right. You don’t have the heart to tell him, he’s way too cute and the drink doesn't taste that bad either.

wonwoo: wonwoo is the opposite of barista joshua with the talking. he only asks the needed questions when taking an order. when you come he doesn’t need to ask at all as he has your order memorised, but he still does and one day he added the question ‘how was your day?’ 

woozi: woozi rarely makes small talk, but he flashes a smile at the customers. but when you once just mentioned music this man got excited and asked you about your favourite song. when you came the other day, the first thing you heard was your favourite song playing in the coffee shop.

[jae-bummer]

Know Your Worth

Request: Hello, could I request #9 with Seventeen Woozi ?

Prompt:

9) "I don't want them. I want you."

Pairing: Seventeen Woozi x Reader

Genre: Angst

.

Your phone vibrated next to your plate, causing your friend, Ari, to eye it warily. "Why bother carrying your phone around if you never use it?"

"I don't know what you mean," you muttered, taking an uncomfortably large bite of your food. Strategically, this would keep you from having to phrase a rebuttal in what you knew would be an upcoming argument.

"You know exactly what I mean," she sighed, setting her fork on the table. She reached toward your device, but you quickly grabbed it, and set it further away from her.

Pointing to your mouth, you exaggerated your chewing before giving the smallest shrug.

"You're a menace," she groaned. Just as you thought she was going to pick up her utensils again and go back to safe dinner conversation, you nearly choked as she launched herself toward the opposite end of the table.

You scrambled in an attempt to get your phone before she did, but it took only a few seconds before you realized it was a lost cause. As she held your device, clutched protectively in her hands, she looked up at you with a grin.

"Who's the menace?" you croaked, finally finished chewing your last bite of food.

She ignored you and chose to unlock your phone instead. Narrowing her eyes at the screen, she looked back up. "What is your problem?"

"I mean, should we start with the childhood trauma or-"

"Don't be cute!" she gasped, flashing the screen in your direction. "Why, may I ask, do you have multiple unread messages from Woozi?"

"I cannot shut down my cuteness, Ari," you sighed, focusing fully on the plate before you. It had suddenly become much more interesting in the past few moments.

"Stop deflecting and tell me the truth!" she groaned. "I'm trying to live vicariously through you and it's really hard when you're sabotaging both of our dreams!"

You leaned your head back and tried to suppress a groan. There it was.

Reflecting back, the day had been just like any other. You had stopped at your favorite cafe for a cup of tea and ran into your friend who was not a friend. Jihoon was someone who you only knew by his order being called out by a barista, but in your head, he was one of your comfort people. You had a normal routine that he had fallen into. Whether it was waiting for your drinks at the to go area (in companionable silence) or sitting next to each other at the bar (also in companionable silence), you knew of each other in the barest of ways. He was an NPC in your life until he decided to slip you his number before leaving the coffee shop one day.

It took giving yourself a pep talk to finally text him. He was attractive and a great tipper (very important), but that was all you knew. In time, you learned he was a (self-admitted) bad texter, an emotional drinker, and someone who tended to keep his struggles to himself. The handful of dates you had gone on went above and beyond what you had hoped. Jihoon was incredibly kind, listened well, and was always considerate. His vibe was soft and something special that you could never relate to anyone you had met before.

Once you had finally grown comfortable with the idea of dating someone, you slowly began to tell your friends. It was then that their expectations slapped you in the face. You knew Jihoon was a musician and had even listened to his music before the two of you had grown close. The gravity of who he was, however, hadn't hit you until you started bringing him up.

"It wasn't my dream to date someone high profile," you muttered, shooting your friend a look. "I just want to be with someone in a normal way."

"He's still a human, Y/N," your friend whined. "I'm sure he's great at being normal."

"Yeah, but you're not," you huffed.

Taken aback, your friend tilted her head. Sliding you your phone, she crossed her arms. "And what does that mean?"

"It means that everything was fine until everyone started telling me about how famous he was!" you gasped, throwing your hands in the air.

"But that doesn't mean-"

"No," you cut her off. "It doesn't mean I shouldn't date him, but it made me realize just how much attention he got. It made me realize that he may be too busy, too famous, or honestly, too attractive to ever fall for me in the way I was for him."

"Y/N," Ari said quietly. You looked to her face and noticed her expression was remorseful. "I never thought my excitement for who you were dating would make you feel like that...I was more excited for you to be happy."

"Happy with an idol," you grumbled.

"I'm sorry," she squeaked. "But he's obviously texting you...he's showing he's interested. Are you really putting everything on hold because you have the dumbest friend in the whole world?"

"You aren't dumb," you sighed. "It's more about me than you. It just felt better to blame you."

"No, I made you realize something you never should have even thought of," she muttered. "Because you're the best and he could love the shit out of you if you let him."

.

Taking a deep breath, you looked up at the sign dangling from the coffee shop that you had been regrettably going to for the past week. It felt awful sneaking around to places you knew Jihoon wouldn't be. The indigestion from the crappy drinks was second to the guilt.

Walking forward, you tugged at the door, and slid into the cafe. Pulling at the handle to close it behind you, you were surprised as it swung open again with force. Looking over your shoulder, you let out a whimper. Jihoon stood before you, white knuckling the edge of the door.

"So this is where you go to avoid someone," he said, deadpan.

If you could shrink into yourself and then melt into the floor, now would be a great time to do that.

"I'm not avoiding anyone," you whispered. The words already sounded like a lie.

"I never took you for someone who ghosted, Y/N," he sighed, shaking his head. Letting go of the door, he backed away, and let it slam in your face.

Shit.

Immediately pushing back outside, you were relieved to see he hadn't made it very far. Plopped on a bench, he was hunched over, and typing furiously on his phone. You tried to make yourself as small as possible as you walked over and plopped on the seat beside him.

"I know it may be a really bad excuse," you said quietly. "But honestly, it's not you. It's me."

Sitting up, Jihoon swiveled his head toward you and narrowed his eyes.

Yeah, you probably deserved that look.

"I've been in my head about us," you continued. "And honestly, my head is the worst place to be. All cobwebs and shitty coffee."

This caused a small smirk that ignited a bit of hope in your chest. If he was even the tiniest bit receptive, maybe he'd understand.

Actually, you were sure he would. He was Jihoon.

"I started talking to my friends," you grumbled. "Which was a huge mistake. They made me very aware that you were THE Woozi of Seventeen."

"You hadn't already noticed?" he asked. You could tell by his mannerisms that he was tired. Whether that was because of his job or you, you weren't completely sure.

"Of course I noticed," you sighed. "I just hadn't really...thought about it."

"I'm going to need some context to that one."

"You were Jihoon," you shrugged. "I knew what you did for a living, but that had very little to do with the version of you I came to know."

"My career is part of who I am," he said. "It's shaped me in a lot of ways."

"I recognize that," you nodded. "And I appreciate that side of you too. I guess I just hadn't really considered you as a celebrity or anything. You were just this guy I met at the coffee shop and thought was cute."

"Is there a reason why I can't be both?"

"Yes," you grumbled. "Because a celebrity and a boy who gave me his number are two things that could not possibly correlate."

"I am so terribly lost that I don't even know how you want me to respond, Y/N," Jihoon said, almost apologetically.

"You can't like me," you insisted. "At least that's what I thought. How could you like me? I'm no one."

Jihoon's mouth popped open and he stared at you as if you had just sprouted a second head. "Is that why you haven't been talking to me?"

"Well...yeah."

This made him openly laugh as he scooted closer to you. Reaching over, he took your face between his hands. Smiling sadly, he began to shake his head. "You thought I'd decide you weren't worth it."

"Or that some other person would come along," you said quietly. It was growing harder and harder not to nuzzle your face into his palm. "Someone more notable or better looking."

"I'm not sure if you've hit your head lately," Jihoon grinned. "But I don't want them. I want you."

"Are you sure?" you squeaked.

"Wasn't I the one who gave you my number?"

"Well yeah, but-"

"No buts," he said quietly, this time his face serious. "No if's, no maybes. You are worth every bit of attention I give you, and then some. You cannot equate your worth based on your lack of celebrity. Do you know how many celebrities I know who are worth absolutely nothing at all?"

You could feel the tears start to well on your lower lashes. You had been so incredibly clueless all along. You had learned Jihoon's heart and you should have known better.

"I'm stupid," you whimpered. "And I'm sorry."

Jihoon's eyes were so soft as he looked at you, like he could never make you understand. "You are not and don't be. Just talk to me. I know I'm not the easiest person to be with, but I will make it so damn worth it for you, Y/N. Just give me the chance."

Gasping out a choked off sob, you pulled his face toward yours. Placing a kiss firmly on his lips, you pulled away again to wipe the tears falling down your cheeks. Giggling, you realized you had gotten some on Jihoon as well. Reaching up, you dabbed at his skin with sweater paws.

Smiling like your chest would burst with happiness, you looked into his eyes. A smile was waiting there too.

Everything was going to be okay as long as you let it.

[lvscoups]

svt as types of love interests

a/n guess who's been reading.. not me but i wanted to write this anyway tags fluff (?), mostly jokes

seungcheol: absolutely horribly written sugar daddy (twisted love's love interest in specific) jeonghan: highschool bully joshua: shoujo manga mc's crush junhui: work husband soonyoung: childhood best friend wonwoo: loser woozi: mean boss minghao: the stereotypical mysterious ya romance novel love interest mingyu: guy whos had a crush on you since like middle school but was too big of a loser to confess and now it's too late dokyeom: netflix original love interest vernon: coffee shop regular OR barista to the mc's coffee shop regular. gives me very meet cute. seungkwan: first love in a really old romance novel dino: older brother's best friend

[bbokicidal]

Get to Know; Bboki !

A general, small 'get to know me' post so you can know more about the writer behind the screen.

On Tumblr, I go by Bboki. I'm 22 years old ('02 Liner) and my day job consists of me being your basic barista - but soon I'll be working a second job, because how else would I pay off my SKZ concert ticket? Lol.

I've been into K-Pop since I was around 15 years old, starting with BTS and falling in love with them. But of course I never bought any albums or photocards, never went to any concerts; That just wasn't something I really knew about at the time. But now that I'm older and have the money (thank God) to blow on all of that, I'm currently into a few different K-Pop groups, that being; Stray Kids, Seventeen, ATEEZ, & Enhypen.

Currently my bias' and bias wreckers are - a fucking mess because I cannot make up my mind, and honestly I'm like OT7/OT8/OT13 at this point because I really just love every member as they are. BUT:

Stray Kids: Bias - Seungmin | Bias Wrecker - Felix

Seventeen: Bias - Woozi | Bias Wrecker - Vernon

ATEEZ: Bias - Hongjoong | Bias Wrecker - San

Enhypen: Bias - Jake | Bias Wrecker - Sunghoon/Sunoo

If you ever want to ask me anything about myself or have any curiosities/questions, let me know in my inbox and I'll be happy to answer. :]

As always, thanks for reading!

[winterchimez]

MOOT GAME: " make up a trope for your moots and their biases. doesn’t need to be romantic. can be crackfic/funny. ^ㅇ(๑>◡<๑)ㅇ^ "

hi anon-ie!! yayyyy ok this is so fun imma just *rubs hands* cook up some scenarios 😋 (tagging the ones i talk to on a daily basis!! 💗)

@sungbeam acedemic rivals - theres something about you just being rivals with changmin and it gets on your nerve whenever he outperforms you but then all that bickering slowly turn into romance and thats something i will be watching from afar with my popcorn.

@from-izzy strangers to lovers - you and hyunjae (as much as i wanna mention the other guy but i won't bcs im trying to be nice 🥰) would meet as strangers on your first day of uni orientation, seemingly also ends up as deskmate in class and boom hes the goofy funny guy, always trying to get you involve in activities when you're just shy and reluctant and then the both of you start falling for each other

@daisyvisions best friends to lovers - we all know how much you love this, esp with hyunjae when yall be doing things that are pretty much obvious that's more than just friends 😏 so by the time yall end up together its more of a meh we've already done this before but then it gets awkward cs you're both now labelled as bf/gf

@aimeecarreros / @momhwa-agenda enemies to lovers - bcs of what you told me yesterday....but juyeon who's always teasing and bullying you...but then it's bcs he actually likes you sm but bcs of his ego he refuses to believe nor accept reality...but then it eventually hits him and hes confronted by you with a revenge dress and he goes oh. 😌

@snowflakewhispers mutual pining - realistically you and jacob would be having feelings for each other but then you both have your doubts (even though you don't look like it when you have beef with me everyday 🙄 HOWEVER it'll be cute but then the rest of us at the side will be all frustrated (aka me, daisy, elena) be like HE ALSO LIKES YOU BACK WTF but you're just "IDK MAN I DONT THINK HE WOULD"

@kimsohn unrequited love (but with a happy ending) - sunwoo's been head over heels over you since day one but you're always just ignoring his advnaces be like "this dude is hella weird", this goes on until one day you eventually see the other side of him, he makes you blush and he gets a high and giddy be like "okay confirmed maya likes me now i've won in life"

@justalildumpling rich kid au - ok i know it sounds cliché but hear me out!! na jaemin aka the rich boy from uni and he gets all the girls and naturally you fall for him too cs hell hes a fine-looking man but then maybe one day you are forced to live with him and thats when you see his true colours which makes you go ew, but then bcs of your personality you'll be like "i will change this man" (which you do) and he realises that you're not like the other girls out there

@ethereal-engene coffeshop au - you just give me calm sunshine vibes so!! you and woozi in the coffee shop, woozi as the barista (WHEW WITH A WHITE SHIRT- 😮‍💨) either you both work tgt as coworkers and eventually become a couple, or you would often visit the store not just for the good coffee but also for the good looking barista 👀

@drunkdrazed childhood friends to lovers - you're literally the sweetest human being so it would only be appropriate for this trope!! either with ten / jacob, you would fit so well 🥺 love the way how yall know literally anything abt each other and when yall reach uni / work and thats when you both realised that you're falling for one another instead 🫶

@h0mebody-heaven soulmate au - you're so funny and another ball of energy!! i can't imagine a better soulmate for hendery than you! lmao i can imagine all the chaos, the jokes that you both are gonna pull, probably asks you to film plenty of questionable tiktoks but then you oblige bcs YOLO 🤭

@strayed-quokka established relationship - do i need to say more, husband sangyeon and you're the housewife. you can replay that scenario in your mind.

@sanaxo-o arranged marriage - chanhee the rich son of dior's ceo ✨ but imagined getting pampered by him??? what a life it'll be 😮‍💨

[staranghae]

MOOT GAME: " make up a trope for your moots and their biases. doesn’t need to be romantic. can be crackfic/funny. ^ㅇ(๑>◡<๑)ㅇ^ "

well, i'm late to this but let's goooo

@thepoopdokyeomtouched -> dokyeom

aznik! both of them a equally unhinged. crack fic for sure. maybe a strangers to lovers where they met on a ride at an amusement park and competed to see who could scream louder lmao.

@aaniag -> hoshi

aania! very lovely and chaotic. defo a high school friends to lovers arc. like a school trip where one of them confesses to the other at 3am when they found the other outside stargazing or something.

@urfavouriteanon -> scoups

haven't interacted much but gives off very fluffy vibes. a coffee shop meet cute for sure. maybe he's a barista who memorised your order and draws cute doodles on your cup and one day he straight up just writes his number on the cup hehe.

@eightlightstar -> seungkwan

vittoria! my literal older sister lmao. i see a academic rivals to lovers type arc for her. like, idk, maybe kwan absolutely loathes her and she's the same, they hate each other's majors. and then one fated night in a library and the next thing you know, they're getting married next spring lolz.

@smileycarat -> wonwoo

em! haven't interacted with much but wonwoo for sure. i'm thinking idolverse love at first sight because of her idol! reader x idol! wonwoo works. like that, exactly.

@chweverni -> woonhak

hyeon! one of my favourite kids on here. like a childhood friends to lovers with woonhak. they end up parting in high school due to circumstances but meet again in university and start seeing each other in a new light kind of thing.

@welcometomyoasis -> joshua

shu! both of them are very lovely and gentle people. i feel like elementary school teachers in a secret relationship is such a nice trope for them. like the students she the way their teachers look at each other oml i'm gonna fic this!

@mangocustard16 -> mingyu

mango! i feel like it would be a classic case of love at first sight. he falls for her after seeing her for the first time on a fancall lmaoo. or maybe, he sees her pop up occasionally at a cafe he frequents and musters up the courage to ask her out one day hehehe.

@woozvc -> woozi

nora! guitarist x vocalist trope 100%. maybe add secret/hidden relationship to that as well. yeah, that seems about right where woozi's the vocalist. ohmygawwwd. even better if the fans ship them and they frequently see edits of themselves on social media lol.

@slytherinshua -> jeonghan

zanna! i haven't interacted much with her but from what i know of her she's seems very chaotic and cute. kinda like a opposites trope. chaotic x tired 24/7 heh. also, she has a BOMB taste in music like in god. every single ONF song she recommended to me, literal GOLD.

@nonononranghaee -> myung jaehyun

hafs! both of them radiate golden retriever energy to the max. like a high school sweethearts trope. definitely the most beloved couple of the entire school and also probably got the superlative for 'most likely to end up married' in their yearbook for 2 years in a row. but i also agree with what mia said about shipping her with hao here.

@kikohao -> dino

mia! my child (real). a college setting where they're in different majors but end up paired together for a year-end project. most likely dance major x music major. also, has fire taste in music which backs up this claim so. meeting every week to work in the project and falling a little in love everyday. i see the potential for some mutual pining and slow burn as well.

thank you sm to the anon who sent this in. also, hmy if you want me to write the trope i gave to you lol.

[she-karev]

The Worst Day (Andrew DeLuca x Alex Karev’s Sister Angst with a Happy Ending)

Age Rating: 12+

Chapters: One of Three

Fandom: Grey’s Anatomy

Ship: Andrew DeLuca x Amber Karev (Alex Karev’s Sister)

Warning: Panic Attack

Canon Episode: Season 17 Episode 6

AN: Here we go guys, the bad episode we wish never happened is happening here but don’t worry there’s a happy ending coming. As far as I am concerned the last 18 minutes never existed and DeLuca’s injuries weren’t that severe. But that doesn’t mean there’s not gonna be angst so be prepared. Like and reblog below and let me know what you think and if my description of a panic attack is on point due to never having one myself. And don't worry I'm not a cruel person so the next chapters will be released today with the next one coming at 12 and the last one coming at 6.

Summary: Andrew DeLuca was stabbed and while unconscious he has flashes to the day he and Amber Karev first met. Meanwhile Amber comes to the hospital where she finds out what happened.

Words: 2970

April 30th, 2020

Andrew DeLuca is lying on his side in the mostly empty train station clutching his stomach. He was so focused on following Opal and making sure the cops knew where she was going that he barely registered a man bumping into him to make it look like an accident when really he was stabbing Andrew. One minute he was running after a sex trafficker and the next he is lying on the floor in unimaginable pain without anyone to help.

He is barely able to discern what is happening, but he can make out Carina coming to him. He can see the devastation and panic on her face while she presses on his side trying to stop the bleeding. He sees the other firefighters gathering around him while Maya holds Carina back so they can work on him. He can barely hear what they’re saying as the pain in his side makes him feel woozy and his hearing muffles the sound around him.

Time feels like it’s going both slow and fast for him. He feels like their going slow around him and not getting him off the floor soon enough. But then he can barely remember when they put him on the gurney and loaded him into the ambulance convinced, they were working at warp speed. He must’ve lost consciousness during that time, or his body went into shock from the excruciating agony. Either way his body doesn’t feel like his own, he feels like he’s drifting off into nothingness.

He tries to fight it off knowing it’s his body shutting down, he knows he needs to be awake so he can live. He wishes he didn’t know what was happening in his body right now. He understands the term ‘your life flashes before your eyes’. It feels almost like he’s going to another world as his mind flashes to three years ago when he first met the woman he loves.

July 17th, 2017

“Can I get an iced mocha latte with an extra shot?” Andrew DeLuca asks the barista at the coffee kiosk outside.

He’s in his baby blue scrubs and lab coat as it’s the uniform for a second-year resident like him. He’s getting a coffee for Amelia Shepherd as she has a tough case with a 14-year-old that has osteoblastoma on his jaw. Seeing his boss work so hard to try to operate on an inoperable tumor has him worried she’s taking a big risk. But she’s his boss and he knows better than to question her methods.

The barista gives him the open clear container with the latte inside. DeLuca gives him the cash and takes the lid and straw ready to head back until he bumps into someone he didn’t know was behind him. The female gasp causes him to see that the coffee he’s holding sloshed as he bumped into the woman causing a good amount to splash on her upper breasts that are covered by the sweetheart line of the black dress she is wearing.

He looks down in wide eyed shock before looking up at the distressed woman and it makes him want to kick himself that much more. The woman that was behind him waiting in line is drop dead gorgeous with her blonde hair that is neat in an updo and her eyes that are wide with shock. He can’t discern if their blue or green or gray but either way he is flabbergasted that he just spilled his boss’s coffee on a beautiful woman he would normally ask out if they met under better circumstances. He decides to put that aside and try to repair his massive error.

“Oh my god I am so sorry.” It’s the only thing he can say, and he says it with all the regret and shock he can to the woman who shudders looking down at her dress.

“Cold coffee in my breasts very cold.”

Andrew turns around and grabs a stack of napkins, “Here let me help-”

“Ow!” Andrew felt a pain in his elbow that he realizes was from hitting the woman in the face because he turned too fast without looking behind him.

She groans in pain gripping her nose with her eyes closed while Andrew looks even more horrified by his ability to make this so much worse. If embarrassment could kill, he would be dead on the sidewalk at that very moment.

“I am so sorry…again, are you okay?” Andrew asks the woman who groans letting go of her nose before kneeling down. He sees that in the midst of the chaos she dropped her purse, and all of her items fell out as a result.

DeLuca once again tries to mend his mistake and kneels down to help the woman who looks like she could be a runway model, “I’m fine I just have coffee in my dress thanks to you and I probably need a rhinoplasty thanks to you but hey at least this hospital has a plastic surgery wing.”

Andrew grins slightly as he picks up white tube-like objects he now sees are tampons as does the woman who speaks out in humiliation as well, “Please leave my lady essentials alone before I die of embarrassment thanks to you.” DeLuca curses himself again before quickly dropping the items that the woman quickly picks up before standing and rubbing herself with the napkins he offered, “Who do I thank for this short moment of physical and emotional torture?”

“Um Andrew DeLuca, hi.” He holds his hand out offering a shake at the woman in the hopes she isn’t too mad at him. He is proven wrong with the narrow eyes that could stare daggers at him and the frown on her red lips that he feels creeping in his soul. Andrew see’s he’s not gonna get on her good side and returns his hand before clearing his throat, “Is there anything I can do to help?”

The woman chuckles in a way that makes him feel worse for his transgressions, “I don’t know you could dislocate my shoulder or shave off my eyebrows if you didn’t get your fill in today.”

“I’m sorry it was an accident I swear.” Andrew says once again and tries to make it up to her somehow pointing at the kiosk behind him, “How about I buy you a coffee?”

“No thanks I’ve had enough, and I don’t trust you holding liquids around me so…” The woman starts to walk backwards as if afraid his mere presence will cause more injuries for her, “I’m just gonna ring out my dress, shove these tampons up my nose and I’m sure the people interviewing me won’t notice so thanks a lot.”

With that sarcastic statement the woman briskly walks away from Andrew who she doesn’t see dropping his head down in shame. He closes his eyes and groans under his breath for driving a woman away without even trying. In that moment he can say for certain that would be the first and last interaction they have and it’s fitting for him that it would be a complete disaster.

Present

Amber walks along the ambulance bay feeling nervous about today, or more accurately running into Andrew DeLuca. Last night she left him a message telling him that she is willing to give their relationship another chance. It’s what he wanted for weeks, and she hasn’t given him the time of day because of the things he said and did to her while he was having a mental breakdown.

But now she can see that he’s working hard to overcome his illness and be the best version of himself like he promised her last night. It’s something she wanted him to do when they were together, and she gave up on him convinced he was never gonna be the man she loved again. He proved her wrong by getting better and taking his meds, but she was still hurt and angry at him.

It wasn’t until he checked on her everyday when she had covid and she could see up close from behind a closed door that the Andrew she knew wasn’t gone. She could see that his priorities have evolved. She could see that he was working hard to earn back her trust. And it wasn’t until last night after her talk with April that she decided to give him that chance. Now she’s anxious to see what his answer is to her voicemail and what is about to come next for them.

“Morning.” Amber sees her oldest brother, Alex, walk next to her looking like he is about to start his day too, “I would have added a good, but you know.”

“I know, what are you doing here? I thought Hayes was covering your service today?”

“He is but Jo told me that Val is feeling worse than she lets on.” Amber remembers Val as the mother with the baby in her liver that they took out, “I thought another familiar face in there might be good for her. And maybe I can find a way for her to see her kid outside a screen.”

Amber is surprised by her brother’s generosity, “You’re going to a lot of lengths for this family. Does Jo need to be concerned?”

Alex rolls his eyes at his sister’s half joke, “Shut up. It’s hard enough having a baby in a pandemic let alone having one come from your liver and be in an incubator for weeks. Plus, Val got in touch with Luna’s father last night, he signed away his parental rights.”

“Isn’t that what she wanted?”

Alex fumes, “Yeah but having the father of your kid respond with a two worded text and a baby emoji makes you feel worse than you already do. Here I am wanting a kid with the woman I love and this guy just tosses his like week old garbage. I don’t know why I’m so mad.”

“As a woman who was also abandoned by her father as a baby I share your anger.” Amber tells her brother, “But it’s good that they have you there.”

“I just hope me and Jo are enough to keep this family from falling apart.”

The Karev’s are close to the pit entrance when an ambulance comes blaring in with Owen Hunt and Levi Schmitt already gowned up. They stop to let the rig park and wheel the trauma in when what comes out stops Amber and she looks on confused.

“Carina?” Amber asks her ex-boyfriend’s sister who comes out looking disheveled. Alex widens his eyes as he knows the look Carina has all too well. It’s the look he had when his little brother or sister would get hurt.

“It’s Andrea.” Carina tells a shocked Hunt and the gurney coming out stops Amber cold. Andrew is on the gurney with an oxygen mask on and 4 by 4’s against a bleeding wound in his abdomen. Amber gasps in horror at this and wants to reach out and help but her brother holds her back by her upper arms knowing she would get in the way.

It hurts him to see DeLuca come out of that ambulance knowing Alex was another reason for his trauma visit four years ago. Seeing him like this because of someone else makes him want to go back and kick his younger ass for doing this to another human being. However, he knows his sister needs him in this time as she is frozen in shock and can’t ask questions so he does them for her asking Warren and Bishop.

“What the hell happened?”

“Stab wound to the abdomen, possibly into the chest.” Amber shudders at Warren’s description as a thousand thoughts run through her head that feels like it’s gonna explode, “Slightly hypotensive and tachycardic after one liter of NS.”

“What happened?” Schmitt asks in shock.

Bishop explains, “He was following a sеx trafficker, and she attacked him.”

“They got her.” Even through the blood pounding in her ears Amber can hear the struggle in her loves voice, “I-I think I'm okay.”

Alex is still holding Amber by her arms as Owen talks to Andrew, “DeLuca, try not to talk. It's Dr. Hunt. You're at Grey-Sloan. Let's get him to trauma one. Let's move. Schmitt, let's go.”

The team wheel the gurney in with Amber breaking out of Alex’s hold to follow. Her chest feels like it could burst with her heart beating so fast, her feet feel tingly with every step she takes but she persists needing to see how he is.

She stops outside the trauma room where the door is open so she can see what’s happening. While her sight is working her hearing stopped at some point and all she can hear is a ringing that would drive her crazy if she wasn’t face to face with her worst nightmare. She’s done enough trauma to see that they’re inserting a chest tube into DeLuca.

So far, a few scenarios run through her head of what could go wrong in a chest tube. The blood could overflow, the clip could be taken out too late, the tube could miss the target completely and hit his heart instead causing it to give out. All of these thoughts in her head make her chest tighten like a MagicBag and she can discern herself rubbing her own chest trying to lessen the constriction, but it doesn’t work. The mask on her face feels like someone is suffocating her and it makes the large building around her swirl like she’s on a roller coaster.

Amber doesn’t know what she looks like at this moment or if she’s even reacting to Andrew obviously being in pain from the chest tube insertion. She feels like her brain is somewhere else and all she is doing is standing and seeing. She doesn’t even know if she’s breathing at this time, but she has to be even if it’s a little because she would be passed out if she wasn’t. On the other hand, her chest tightening could indicate she’s having trouble breathing but she can’t bring herself to worry about that, not with Andrew suffering in front of her eyes.

Her feet suddenly move backwards, and she can feel someone pulling her back as Andrew is wheeled out of the trauma room. She begins to lose sight of him as they turn a corner down the hall. Her worries are still with her as she knows where he’s headed too well, and the scenarios run through her head at hyper speed.

Most of these scenarios end with Andrew dying and each one brings her that much closer to collapsing on the floor as her knees get weaker by the second. The ringing in her ears is still there but she can see Alex standing in front of her with worry in his eyes. He is holding her upper arms, but she can’t feel his hands around her. She feels like her body is dying.

Alex pulls his mask down and for some reason, seeing his lips move makes the ringing in her ears lessen. She can hear herself babbling ‘oh my god’, she tries to stop but she can’t. It’s like the little girl who was locked in that trunk possessed her mind and her body and she can’t let go of the woman in that pit right now.

“Look at me, look at me.” Amber can hear her brother but it’s like he’s miles away. She looks up at him as he instructs, and she can tell he’s concerned about her. Alex remembers the techniques Jo’s therapist gave him in case she ever had another panic attack and decides to use this to help his little sister who looks like she’s about to faint.

“Can you name five things you can see?” Amber is still mumbling under her breath, so he tries again, “Amber? Name five things you can see around you now.”

Amber swallows her mumbles and takes a shaky breath before starting. Her eyes look around the building that seems like it’s falling to her, but she makes out the things her brain can ascertain, “Um…you…floor…the walls…crash cart…IV pole.”

Amber’s surroundings begin to still in her vision and her hearing becomes clearer as she can hear the familiar voice of her brother who continues the steps, “Good your doing good. Now can you name four things you can touch?”

Amber puts a shaking hand on her arm. Even though it’s hard she tries to follow Alex’s instructions knowing it’s the only way to get out of her racing head, “My-My jacket…the zipper…my shirt…my jeans.”

Alex nods in pride still holding his sister by her arms, “Good, three things you can hear go.”

Amber closes her eyes and focuses on the sounds around her feeling her chest begin to relax, “Um Carina next to us…wheels turning…the intercom.”

“Okay we’re almost done. Name two things you can smell.”

Amber takes a deep inhale for the first time and her brain processes the familiar scents, “Antiseptic…and your cologne.”

“Last thing, name one thing you can taste.”

Amber swallows and tastes her own mouth, “Um the coffee I got on the way here.”

Amber registers that her body is grounded at last, and all of her senses are stable. And with it the heartache that comes to her like a wrecking ball. Her sight becomes blurry with tears and the next sound that comes out of her is small gasping sounds that follow with heavy sobs.

Alex frowns in despair for his little sister before pulling her towards his chest and holding her against him as she sobs. The sibling stand there in an embrace as the worlds feels like it’s crashing down for one of them.

Next Chapter Here

[excelsi-or]

summoned (pt. 1)

hi everyone! it's been a g e s, but we're back! i've been travelling since about May, and definitely thought editing this story wasn't going to take as long as it did. anywho, this is the demon fic that i teased a while back. kinda different from anything else i've put out before. it's inspired by Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett, definitely a book worth reading if you haven't yet. let me know what you all think :)

pairing: lee jihoon (woozi) x fem OC/fem reader

w.c. 2.5k (i'm not sure what i'd classify this as tbh. silly, maybe?)

"You want what?"

"A venti and medium–" The rest of what Jeonghan says gets garbled as he speaks. Not from lack of phone connection, but just because she has no idea what he's going on about.

As she stands in line, her eyes skim over the menu in a vain attempt to find anything similar to what she'd heard Jeonghan say. When she reaches the front of the line, she's still clueless.

So, she tries to sound out the garble in the hopes that this barista can translate.

"Venti and me–I mean, grande, fructi paemoni–nope, pomegranate?"

Before she can see if the man has been able to understand anything she said, she feels all the air sucked out of her lungs. Sound disappears and she thinks she's passed out. When she gasps for air, she looks around to get her bearings.

Time seems to have slowed, not stopped.

Her brow furrows, as she tries to gauge if she's had some sort of early life stroke. On a whim, she turns, about to walk out of the place. But she jumps back at the man dressed in a suit now present in front of her. He has dark hair with an undercut, his hair silky. His skin is fair; his body toned, at least based on the way he fills out the suit. But it's his eyes that catch her attention. They're black, seemingly catching no light.

And then he opens his mouth to speak, and she notices the sharpness of his canines.

Vampire?

"Hello, human. Thank you for summoning me." The man's tone is flat, as if he's tired of giving this speech. "I am not a genie. If you ask anything of me, you must give me your soul in exchange."

The furrow in her brow deepens. "Soul? So, you're not a vampire."

If the blackness of his eyes could get blacker, they do. "I am a demon. You have summoned me."

"You're a what?" She juts her thumb back in the direction of the barista. "I was ordering a drink. I wasn't summoning anything. I was literally about to leave, because I thought I was having a stroke!" She lets out a long breath to reign in her hysteria. "I didn't summon you."

The demon looks confused. When she blinks, there's suddenly a piece of paper in his hand. He recites her name, the time, the date; all of which she agrees is correct. Then the demon recites what she said and she holds a hand up to stop him.

"I did not say–what did you say I said?"

"Veni ad me, fructus daemonium."

"I definitely didn't say that. I said something like venti and medium--grande, fuck, Jeonghan oppa's order. I think he wanted some pomegranate fruit something."

The demon stares in disbelief. "So, you didn't summon me."

"God, no. Wait, can I say 'God' in front of you?" She shakes her head, likely stopping herself from rambling than deciding whether 'God' is appropriate in front of a demon. "Regardless, I didn't summon you. And I don't need to trade my soul for anything."

The demon huffs. His dark eyes go over her once and then to a pocket watch. "Look, I have a--what do you humans call it--a quota of sorts. A quota that needs to be filled this millennium."

"What?"

"Human, I have a quota to fill. A certain number of souls to collect. And it has been a very slow start this millennium." The demon snorts. "Fewer young souls are being given up and He prefers the young ones."

"Sorry, Mr. Demon, I really did not mean to call on you or summon you or whatever." She looks back at the café, where one woman has finally put her cup down and a man has finished pressing the period key on his keyboard. "Have you slowed time for everyone? I don't want to be late for my creative meeting."

The demon tilts his head. "There's nothing you want that you would trade your soul for?"

"No, not really."

"A lover who can't be yours, oodles of money," the demon's perfect brows furrow, blinking a couple times, "fame, eternal youth?"

"I'm… pretty content right now." She swears his eyes turn green; she takes a step back. "Seriously, Mr. Demon, there's nothing I want to trade for my soul."

"Call me…" It's his turn to look around the café for inspiration. His eyes catch sight of the barista's name tag. "Call me Jihoon."

"Uh… you can't just leave?"

The demon's expression deadpans. She thought the expression he'd greeted her with was his deadpan expression. This is a bit more horrifying. "I can't just go back to Him and say 'oh, she dialled the wrong number'."

"I can't just have you following me around," she protests. "Won't you ruin my chances of getting into Heaven or something? Being reborn or whatever happens when you die?"

This makes the demon–Jihoon–chuckle. "If you believe in any of those things, human, then I would assume you assume that the beings or forces that control those things are always watching."

"I… don't know if I understand what that means, but whatever. Mr. Demon, you can't–"

A guttural voice replaces Jihoon's bored tone, and he glows red. "Don't tell me what to do, human."

Another step back.

The two of them stare each other down. She knows that a demon probably doesn't need to blink, and she'll lose whatever stare down this is. And he's told her he won't leave.

"Okay. Fine. Stay. But, Jihoon," she winces at the name, doesn't suit his demon image, "you better be visible to everyone. I'm not going to let you con me into giving you my soul to stop people thinking I'm crazy."

Jihoon blinks in surprise. He hadn't thought of that. "Fine, human. I'll be visible."

"And you can't wear the suit. I only have one friend who wears a suit and he's a lawyer. You're probably not going to go off and finish a law degree."

Jihoon's eyes narrow, and now, she's sure they turn green. "Then, what," he pauses, "do you expect," pause, "me to wear?" This silky voice is more threatening than that demon voice he'd used before.

She tries to brush it off by breaking eye contact. There's a guy in the corner of the café that catches her eye. The man is dressed in a denim jacket with a hoodie underneath, plain jeans, and Converse. She nods at the stranger.

"I'm a demon, not a… a college student." If demons could spit venom, this one would.

"Well, I'm also not a college student, Mr. Demon, but that's what guys I know wear."

In a blink, he's dressed in a red hoodie, black denim and black Converse. "Any other requests?"

Best not to push her luck. "No."

Suddenly, she feels a burst of air go through her lungs and the familiar thrum of the café fills her ears again. It's almost too loud now. She turns to the barista and he's reciting her order.

"I think you're asking for a venti and grande very berry hibiscus?"

She waves her phone over the card reader. "Sure."

This barista, non-demon Jihoon smiles at her. "Great. And the name?"

When she arrives on time to her creative meeting, she slides the drinks across the table to Jeonghan and Seungcheol. She collapses into the seat next to Jeonghan, who addresses the problem she’d nearly forgotten on her rush over.

“Who’s the new guy?” he asks.

She grimaces and looks over at Jihoon standing by the door. The demon stands with his arms crossed over his chest, clearly unhappy to be here.

“That’s,” she clears her throat, “Jihoon. He’s…” She studies the demon, who isn’t inclined to help her come up with a lie. Jeonghan, Seungcheol, and Hansol all wait for her to fill in the connection. “He’s my friend that’s visiting. One of my brother’s friends… that came to the city.” This lie eases the knot in her chest, but why is he here? “He doesn’t know the city very well yet, so I… I said that I would take him on a tour after the meeting.”

Her three friends take a second to process this information, before Seungcheol breaks out into a smile. He leans forward on his elbows, so he can look past Hansol at Jihoon. “Hi, nice to meet you. I’m Seungcheol. This is Hansol. That’s Jeonghan.”

Hansol, who is sat across from her, waves in Jihoon’s direction. When he makes eye contact with her, she notices the very slight furrow in his brow.

She shakes her head in response to his unasked question.

Jeonghan doesn’t notice the exchange; if he does, he doesn’t say anything. Instead, he begins the meeting and jumps right into the collaborative contract that she and Hansol are working on. They’re collaborating on a large mural in the city, and the city has just provided feedback on the loose design.

Seungcheol, Hansol’s manager, jots down notes for Hansol.

“So, they want less colour? Why did they choose Hansol then?” Seungcheol shakes his head as he writes.

“They want three colours only,” Jeonghan explains. “Preferably the primary colours in their colour palette.”

“My line work can’t be coloured in with three colours,” she says. “There are skin tones.”

Hansol raises his hand and turns his sketchbook towards the group. He tends to multitask during meetings, which is why Seungcheol takes his notes. “I can just adjust my design. We might not be able to do 3 colours only, because I still want the depth to come through. But I agree, we should keep the skin tones. The whole point of the mural is diversity, and that should be real.”

She looks to Jeonghan. “Can you get them to compromise on skin tone and maybe 6 colours instead of 3?”

Jeonghan makes a note of it in his notebook and then moves onto the next slide.

By the time the meeting ends, Jihoon has his eyes closed, arms still crossed, as he leans against the wall.

“Is he okay?” Jeonghan asks as they collect their things together.

“Uhm, yes, I think so.” She slings her tote bag over her shoulder. “We’ll redo the thumbnails, so that they can choose which set they prefer.”

“They were asking for an earlier deadline, but I told them that would be unlikely with all the things they asked you and Hansol to change.”

Hansol finishes chatting with Seungcheol and motions with his head towards the door. “I’ll walk you home.”

“Oh, that’s–” Hansol’s eyes dart to Jihoon, and she understands the offer. “Right. Sure, okay. That’d be great.”

She wonders if she can just leave Jihoon behind. Do demons actually sleep?

When she meets Hansol at the door, she asks him how his comic is coming along. She says nothing to Jihoon and they walk right out of the room.

Hansol shrugs, glancing at Jihoon, but saying nothing about it. “Seungkwan said he doesn’t like where the story is going.”

“Yeah, but that’s because you’re making it dark,” she snorts. She readjusts her bag. “And you know how Seungkwan is about dark stuff.”

Hansol nods. He presses the call button for the elevator. “I guess that’s true.”

She knows what Hansol’s thinking. “He’ll catch up.”

Sure enough, Jihoon saunters their way.

Hansol reaches for her hand and gives it a squeeze. The elevator door slides open and she squeezes Hansol’s hand back twice.

One initial squeeze asks if you’re okay.

One back means yes; two means unsure; a tight squeeze is no.

Hansol frowns at her, but she can’t explain. While Jihoon hasn’t seemed particularly threatening, he’s still a demon.

Periodically on their walk to the subway, she glances back at Jihoon. The demon keeps his distance, but always seems to have her in his sightline.

When they reach the turnstiles, this is the first time she waits for Jihoon to catch up.

“You need a ticket,” she tells him.

Jihoon nods, refraining from rolling his eyes. “I have it sorted.”

She assumes he’ll do some blinky magic that the turnstile will miss. That is, until she and Hansol have passed through, and suddenly the guard manning the booth comes running around. The two of them turn and see a man holding Jihoon by the arm.

“Sir, you need to pay to get in here.”

The red glow begins to pulsate around Jihoon, so she quickly intervenes. “Sorry, he’s a friend of mine that’s visiting. I think he got confused.” She glances at Jihoon, whose gaze is just as steely. 

Okay, earthly solutions only. Her mind runs as quickly as possible.

“Can I pay you for his admission? We’re only going a few stops.”

The guard glares at Jihoon, but when he turns to her, his expression softens. When she smiles, his face relaxes further. “I’ll let the others know. Where are you getting off?”

When he stalks back to his booth, eyeing Jihoon, she tugs once on Jihoon’s denim jacket. It’s warm to the touch. “Come on, Demon. We gotta go.”

Jihoon’s head snaps down to look at her. “Either put a ‘mister’ in front of that or call me Jihoon.”

She pauses to consider her response. Provoke the demon or let it be.

“Jihoon, when you tell me you have things sorted, please, keep it sorted.”

Jihoon looks as if he’s about to argue, but she cuts him off. Her voice is low, so only he can hear. “If you wanted to take my soul, you would have taken it from me already. So, either I need to willingly give it to you or you need to kill me.”

Jihoon’s expression hardens, but he pulls away.

“Now, come on.”

She catches Hansol’s arm and drags him after her.

“Do you have a boyfriend I don’t know about?” Hansol frowns.

“He is not my boyfriend.”

Hansol checks over his shoulder. The icy stare isn’t directed at him, so he wonders if she’s aware of the look. “Can he hear me?”

“Assume yes.”

“Can you tell me what’s going on?”

“Even if I could explain, you wouldn’t believe me.”

He scoffs. “Do you realize who you’re talking to?”

“That’s how unbelievable it is.”

Hansol lifts an eyebrow, his hand reaching for a bar as the train lurches forward. “Well, now I’m more intrigued.”

“When I figure out how to tell you, I will.”

Hansol catches her fingers and gives her hand one squeeze.

She lets out a breath and squeezes back once.

part 2

[leejungchans]

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scored! : l.c

word count | 12.4k (SORRY idk why i do this to myself either)

pairing | lee chan (svt) x female reader

warning(s) / includes | swearing, mentions of drinking and alcohol, food mentions (lmk if i missed anything!!)

genre | fluff, humour, university au, enemies-to-lovers au

notes | uh i don’t really know how game season works bc it’s not really a thing in unis here (?) so ;-; please forgive me for any (inevitable) inaccuracies hghhghe also this is my first time making a moving banner so shhh just ignore how bad it is gwhsha

summary: lee chan should really stop winning so many games for your university, because as the resident writer for the sports column of the student newsletter, you’re starting to get really sick of having to cross paths with him all the time.

a/n: happy birthday to my boyfriend (/j) chan who’s also a loser (affectionate ig) bc he never pays rent for living in my head 🙄💗 also just thought everyone should see this clip that kinda inspired this whole fic okay bye—

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1,203 notes - Posted February 12, 2022

#4

trial and error : k.mg

word count | 2.9k

pairing | kim mingyu (svt) x female reader

warning(s) / includes | food mentions (lmk if i missed anything!!)

genre | fluff, humour (a lil), barista au

summary: three times mingyu tries to ask you out and fails and the one time he actually succeeds… though not without some help.

a/n: can’t have a valentine’s day/season without a present to my very seggsy wifey @seungcy 💗 heyyy babe happy very belated valentine’s day 😻 i hope you like this very little something i wrote about the man you always cheat on me with /j luv u hottie muah muah :hehecat:

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1,430 notes - Posted February 23, 2022

#3

seventeen as streamer boyfriends

༉‧₊˚✧ for my 1k event !

requested by anon : is streamer au on the table for the 1k event :0 if it is then can i request hcs of svt as ur streamer bf :3 if not then u can just ignore this / change it up , no worries !! thenkuu n congrats on the 1k :D

a/n: thank you so much for the well wishes and for requesting 💗 i hope you like this and i had a lot of fun writing this!!

word count | 1.6k

pairing | seventeen x gn!reader

genre | fluff, streamer au

note | i’m not a gamer by any means so there’s a lot of gaming terminology/games that idk, so most of the games mentioned here i looked up online 💔 also tyty to my lovely nny @joshuas @seungcy for helping me w some of these &lt;3

warning(s) / includes | mild swearing, food mentions

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1,586 notes - Posted August 27, 2022

#2

seventeen as new parents

༉‧₊˚✧ for my 1k event !

requested by @joshuas : i would also like to request hehe for a small parent au headcanon (maybe like when they first become parents </3) with svt </3

a/n: hihi shuawife <333 thank you for the req and i hope you’ll like this hehe 💓 requests open until june 1, see this post for more details/guidelines if interested <3

word count | 2k

pairing | seventeen x afab!reader

genre | fluff, parents au

warning(s) / includes | food mentions (please lmk if i missed anything!)

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1,805 notes - Posted May 25, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

seventeen’s reaction to the camera panning to them when their idol!s/o is on stage

༉‧₊˚✧ for my 1k event !

requested by anon : may i req svt reactions w/ idol s/o? you can decide on the scenario but cld i also add a detail that their relationship is public? thank you and congratulations once again!!!

a/n: hehe ty to the other anon who gave me the idea for the scenario <33 our braincells really clicked 🤝 i hope you both like this!!

word count | 1k

pairing | seventeen x gn!reader

genre | fluff, idol au

warning(s) / includes | none (please lmk if i missed anything!)

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2,749 notes - Posted July 2, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[moodcafe]

woozi moodboard: order for @hyeri-yah | want one?