For the Love of Plants...and You
Pairing: Bucky Barnes x female reader (plant!dad Bucky AU)
Word Count: 1,229
Summary: You and Bucky go shopping for new plants and he has the best idea.
Author's Note: My lovely friend @sagechanoafterdark shared this wonderful little idea with me and I was so happy to have inspiration for more plant!dad Bucky! YAY! Thanks so much Sage! Thank you all so much for reading! Much love always! ❤️❤️❤️Divider by @firefly-graphics thank you sweet Daisy! 🥰
Warnings: it's soft, sweet and fun, spicy and silly, some implied sexy times and Bucky is delish.
*If you want to read more about plant!dad Bucky you can find his other stories on his Masterlist labeled with 'plant!dad Bucky AU'*
“Are you sure you don’t want anything else doll?”
You look up from the current plant in front of you and stare unblinkingly for a moment before bursting into giggles.
Bucky’s arms are full of plants and his handsome face is obscured by various leaves and flowers.
You sift through the flora that hides him and find his blue eyes bright and crinkled at the corners with his wide smile.
“What?” he asks.
“It’s just…you’re so cute.”
His cheeks become tinged with a flush of pink and you lean through the leaves to place a sweet kiss to his lips.
“Thank you for carrying everything. We really need to start getting a cart.”
“Nah doll, then we’ll go home with even more plants. And you don’t have room for more plants. At least this way we are limited to what I can carry.”
“What are you saying Bucky?” you ask with feigned shock.
He’s quiet for a moment and you worry that he thinks you’re serious.
You open your mouth to speak and reassure him you were just teasing but he beats you to it and says, “I’m going to build you new shelves.”
Now it’s your turn to be quiet.
“Doll?” he asks, trying to see you from around the armfuls of plants.
“You want…you want to build me shelves for my plants?”
He finds a free space on the plant stand outside and places a few down so he can actually see you.
“Yeah. Of course. I want you to have all the plants you can fit.”
“I didn’t know you could build things.”
Your voice comes out slightly breathless.
The corner of his mouth lifts into a devious smirk.
“Sounds like you like that I can do that,” he murmurs as he slips his free arm around your waist and tucks you into his side. “I’m pretty good with my hands.”
“Mm,” you hum, laying your flat palm against his chest. “Very good actually.”
He dips his head to capture your lips, lingering with a soft kiss that has your fingers fisting in his shirt.
“Do you have a tool belt?” you ask him when he finally pulls away.
“I do.”
“You should do it shirtless. So, you don’t get too warm.”
“So shirtless with my toolbelt. Anything else?”
You tap your chin playfully.
“Your dark wash jeans. The really fitted ones.”
“Is this some secret fantasy you have?”
You bury your face in his neck and mumble something incoherent.
“What was that?” he chuckles.
“It wasn’t until you said you could build me shelves!” you squeak.
“This is gonna be fun,” he simpers as he releases you to grab the plants again. “Let’s go check out.”
As promised, later that day Bucky shows up at your place in his dark jeans with a tool belt hanging low on his hips.
“Why are you wearing a shirt?” you ask.
He covers his laugh with a cough and grabs your waist, pulling you into his chest.
“I didn’t want to take the train shirtless.”
“Oh. Yeah.” You answer. “Right.”
He laughs. “Right.”
“I know you think this is hilarious, but you don’t understand…”
His expression softens. “What do you mean doll?”
“It means a lot to me that you’d do this, and you support my love of plants.”
“Of course I would. And of course I do. And you know I love plants too.”
“I know, but even if you didn’t I just know you’d do it anyway.”
He brushes his lips lightly across yours, holding your gaze as he whispers, “I would.”
“Can we take this off now?” you ask as your fingers slide down his chest and under the hem of his shirt.
“Sure.”
He kicks the door shut with his booted foot and lifts his arms above his head. You start to peel the shirt from his body, the action deliberate as you watch every inch of his toned stomach come into view.
After staring at the distinct V shape at his hips you focus on the dark trail of hair just under his belly button then practically let out a moan when his abs flex and move as he shimmies.
“This is like porn,” you sigh dreamily.
That makes him laugh and he gets tangled in the sleeves of his tee.
You keep staring, enjoying all the shifting muscles of his torso.
“Little help here doll face.”
“Oh!...sorry Buck!”
You slip the shirt over his head and drop it to the floor, letting your fingertips run along the smooth metal of his left arm.
“There. Perfect.”
He takes you in his arms and spins you around until your back is against the door. Trapping you in place he settles both hands on either side of your head.
“You’re distracting,” he murmurs. “Not sure I can get to work just yet.”
“Me?” you ask incredulously. “Look at you.”
Your finger slips into the waistband of his jeans, and you give him a sharp tug, drawing him closer.
His hips press into your stomach, and you feel the hard length of him. You catch your bottom lip between your teeth and toy with the button of his jeans before running your fingers along the leather of his tool belt.
The muscles in his stomach tense every time your skin touches his and you watch his dark eyelashes flutter against his cheeks with his barely controlled restraint.
His toolbelt drops to the floor with a loud thud and you pull the zipper of his jeans down.
“Doll,” he hisses when your hand slips inside his jeans.
You slide down to your knees, taking his jeans with you.
“Fuck you look so perfect on your knees for me,” he grits out.
You stretch out along the hard wood floor and press yourself against him.
Bucky’s fingers soothingly slide up and down your arm, his eyes closed and his breathing finally even.
“You need to make me a list of all the things you want me to build,” he says.
You laugh as you twirl a strand of his hair between your fingers. “It will be the longest list ever.”
“It better be,” he says, finally opening his eyes and pinning them on you. “I’ll building anything and everything if we can start every project like that.”
You kiss his neck, working your way to his chin and then along his jaw before climbing on top of him and kissing his lips.
“Deal!”
His hands are soft as they reverently trace the curve of your hips and waist. “You know what we still have to do?” he asks.
“What?” you smile.
“Name all the new plants!”
Your smile widens. “WE DO!”
You kiss him again and reluctantly move off him so he can get up. Once you’re both dressed, Bucky sans shirt of course, he starts working on the shelves.
You hold up one of your new plants, Devil’s ivy, and twirl the pot between your fingers, gently fingering the leaves.
“What do you think Buck?” you ask. “How about…Spaghetti!”
He looks up from the wood in his hands and nods with a smile. “That’s a good one, especially for the ivy.”
As soon as he finishes the thought his stomach promptly grumbles, making you both laugh.
“I’m just going to name these last two then I’ll start dinner…how does spaghetti sound?”
“Perfect doll face. It sounds perfect.”
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ok so the new trailer for episode 3 just dropped. big hype. here are some theory's, notes, and observations.
also I took a lot of screenshots...
anyway here we go.
so the adventure is set to be "The Mystery of Mildenhall Manor". Now, I do think that Caine is gonna be the quest giver this time, sending the gang to find something inside the spooky, probably haunted manor.
small guess is that they gotta find Matilda, one of the ghosts haunting the manor, and trap her in a vacuum. idk why, it's literally just a hunch.
Jax also takes a moment to harass Pomni with a vacuum, which just makes me think of Luigi's Mansion.
anyway, the gang (minus Zooble) are gonna go in the manor and try to find whatever they're looking for, and either by agreement or random set of events, the gang is gonna split up, Pomni and Kinger being paired up. I don't really know if Ragatha, Gangle, and Jax stick together or not, as they're not really shown much in the trailer.
I am inclined to believe it is a set of events that separates the gang tho.
it's the one of the reasons I can think of that'd make Pomni climb on the door like that.
I mean... outside of the very spooky decorum.....
which Pomni has a pretty reasonable reaction to
btw, I fucking love Pomni's cartoon physics with the squash and stretch rubber-hose animation. it's so expressive and fun to watch.
anyway, it seems Caine is determined to have Zooble go on adventures. so he literally sits them down and tries to therapize them.
though with Caine being an AI with very little knowledge of how the human mind works, this goes predictably horribly.
I imagine Zooble tries on some level to convey to Caine the ludicrousness of their situation. stuck in a digital world getting repeatedly traumatized by meaningless adventures that seem to do more harm than good. though I get the feeling Caine would miss the point, leading Zooble to correct him, and/or get upset at him for not understanding. watching this verbal fight happen between these 2 will probably lead to us, the viewer, understanding more about Zooble.
anyway, back to the manor with this cute little guy.
look at him, he's so cute and squishable. unfortunately this guy is the only cute and squishable NPC here because Pomni and Kinger seems to really be going through it.
they're mostly poking around, opening drawers and stuff. maybe they're looking for a key to get back with the others or something? who knows.
they both probably stumble around in the dark for a bit, both figuratively and literally.
they might end up stumbling into an antagonist NPC, which is the only way I can explain some of these screenshots.
it looks to me like Kinger is facing something. I mean, He's missing an eye in the first one, smacking something with a gun in the second, and looking really worried in the third. Plus the fist 2 have similar lighting so I'm inclined to believe those 2 pics come from clips in close time frames to each other.
there's also another image that has similar lighting...
now... this may sound weird, but I think that either Pomni got Possessed somehow, or something tried to take her shape. Possession seems more feasible since we know at least 2 of the NPC's in this adventure are ghosts, and at least in media ghosts are known to possess people. seeing as digital circus seems to love pulling from video game mechanics, this wouldn't surprise me at all.
this would also kind of explain why in the "POMNI WAKE UP!! IT'S TIME TO GO ON AN ADVENTURE" video, in the "Kinger with a shotgun" clip, he seems to be hitting Pomni with the gun. it makes a lot more sense if Pomni ends up getting possessed somehow, forcing Kinger to hit her in order to defend himself from the ghost.
this also could tie back to the worried look on Kingers face in the screenshot before Possessed Pomni. Cause he'd know what he has to do, even though he doesn't want to hurt Pomni.
Hell, I'm pretty sure Kinger even openly protects Pomni in this episode.
because of the shot in the trailer taken from this hole's perspective
not only is Pomni hiding behind Kinger, but he has one of his hands out in front of her, as if to protect her from whatever is in that hole.
also in regards to guns, Kinger isn't the only one who gets to have a gun.
Pomni gets to wield a shotgun too, and it's likely to help both herself and Kinger fight off whatever was after them in the hole.
Ghost possession and gun-slinging aside, I do think that Pomni and Kinger have a little heart to heart in this episode.
boy doesn't that screenshot look familiar. reminds me of episode 2 with the blue lighting and concerned expression on Pomni's face. That scene in the test room where Pomni comforts Gumigoo. this time tho, she's comforting Kinger. it almost makes me wonder if this will be a reoccurring theme, with all the other characters eventually having a heart to heart with Pomni, and Pomni comforting them.
it'd really make her live up to her quote in episode 2 "I guess I just don't want you to feel like you're nothing. I don't want anyone to feel like that".
the only thing I do still have questions about, is wtf is Kinger looking at here?
I mean, it looks like the eyes of a ghost, if they could make their eyes glow like that.
ya know what, maybe he's looking at a mound of pillows or something.
yeah, like that.
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Inter(n)twining
synopsis: you’re an intern at JYP Corp, you get suddenly moved to a different floor and meet the woman of your dreams
cw: basically pure fluff, jealous Tzuyu, minor cursing, alcohol, grimey He*chul, please let me know anything else, also Tzuyu is like rich but it doesn't relate to the plot
word count: 4k
notes! hi! I hope you enjoy this!! It was sooo fun to write. I thought about this on my way to my own internship hahaha. Has anyone watched Queen of Tears? I referenced that one (<-watch it if you haven't!) scene in this that I thought was soooooo cute ahh~ anyways! Let me know how you feel about this or if you’d just like to chat. Love youuuu (:
You’d been interning at JYP Corp for about a month and a half now, and so far, things were pretty good. The people you met were okay, and while the work was definitely stressful, the fast-paced environment made the days fly by.
All in all, it wasn’t bad.
Well, almost.
Your floor boss, Heechul, was the one exception. He was in his early 40s, arrogant, and rude—those were the kindest words you could think of to describe him. You despised him secretly, but you were careful never to show it.
It was 9:20 a.m., and you had been at your desk since 7:30, typing up a last-minute report Heechul had dumped on you the moment you stepped through the office door. A report he honestly should have done yesterday.
“Get this done by 10, ’kay?” The way his smug grin appeared as your face faltered for a split second was permanently burned into your memory.
You mimicked his tone quietly to yourself while you made a face, “Get this done by 10, ’kay?” The bitter satisfaction of hitting ‘send’ on the email 40 minutes ahead of schedule almost made up for the annoyance.
“Hey, uh…”
Your heart dropped when you saw Heechul’s head suddenly poke over your cubicle wall.
Did he have super-hearing or something?!
You froze, horrified at the thought that he might’ve overheard your mocking.
“I’m so—” you began, your words stumbling out, but he cut you off without even glancing in your direction.
“Intern #5…” he drawled lazily, “someone on the 3rd floor got pulled into another project. They need someone to fill in for a 12 week case.” He flashed an indifferent smile as you exhaled the breath you hadn’t realized you were holding.
“Oh, okay. When do I start?” Not even questioning what you’d be doing for the next TWELVE weeks
“Hmm.. like now. Just grab whatever you need and head down there. Thanks!” And with that, he turned on his heel and walked away, leaving you blinking in disbelief.
What the hell. No details, no briefing? Just like that?
Grumbling under your breath, you grabbed your briefcase and stuffed your sparse desk items in it before making your way out the door and into the elevator. It wasn’t until you were inside that it hit you.
He didn’t even know your name. After over a month of interning, you were still just ‘Intern #5.’
“Ahh~ Seriously, fuck that guy…” you muttered to yourself as the elevator dinged, straightening your posture instinctively.
The third floor felt like a completely different world. The cubicles were laid out in a way that was the total opposite of what you were used to, leaving you standing there awkwardly, much like a worried puppy with the way your eyebrows furrowed.
After a few moments a soft voice broke through your thoughts. You turned your head to see a woman peeking out from her cubicle, you only needed to see half her face to realize she was stunning.
“Are you okay?”
“Oh! Uh, yeah… I was sent here to help out on the 12 week case,” you replied, rubbing the back of your neck. “But the layout is completely different from the 4th floor, so I’m a bit lost.”
She smiled warmly and stood up from her desk. “Oh! It must be the case I’m working on, my boss mentioned something earlier about another intern joining me so I think she is expecting you! Her office is down that hall, last door on the left.” Using her long arms to point you in said direction.
“Thanks a lot!” You started to walk away but paused, realizing you hadn’t asked for her name.
“Tzuyu,” she said with a smile, extending her hand.
“Y/n… Or, as my boss calls me, Intern #5.” You sighed with a small laugh, shaking her hand.
Tzuyu giggled softly. “I’m also an intern and I’ve heard stories about how he treats us. I think I can safely say Jihyo-nim is much nicer” assuaging your worries
As you exchanged smiles with Tzuyu, her warmth immediately calmed your nerves. You couldn't help but feel a sense of relief knowing you'd be working with someone friendly for once.
"Thanks for the heads-up. I'll try not to embarrass myself in front of her," you said with a small grin.
Tzuyu chuckled softly. "You'll be fine. She's really understanding—definitely not the type to make you feel like Intern #5," she reassured you, her voice playful.
With one last nod, you turned and made your way to Jihyo’s office, the nerves slowly creeping back in. You took a deep breath, knocked twice, and heard a clear voice from inside.
I really can’t deal with another Heechul situation
"Come in."
Opening the door, you found Jihyo seated at her desk, her space neat and organized but stacked with files. She looked up from her work and smiled brightly. "Y/n, thanks for stepping in on such short notice."
"No problem at all," you said, relieved she actually used your name.
Jihyo stood up and grabbed a folder from her desk. Jihyo motioned for you to sit. "The project we’re working on is a client case that’s been a bit tricky, but with the extra hands, we should be able to get things done faster.” She handed you the file to briefly read it over, “I’m assigning you to work on it with another intern, and I’ll walk you over to your station. You’ll be seated next to your partner."
You nodded, feeling your nerves settle. "Sounds great!"
Jihyo led you out of her office, down the hall, and toward a cluster of cubicles. As you approached, your heart skipped a beat when you realized she was guiding you right to the cubicle next to Tzuyu’s.
“Tzuyu, this is Y/n," Jihyo said with a smile as she motioned toward you. "You’ll both be working together on this case."
Tzuyu smiled warmly as she stood up. "Oh, we've already met!"
Jihyo blinked in surprise for a moment before chuckling softly. "Well, that’s perfect. That makes things easier." She gestured toward the empty cubicle next to Tzuyu’s. "Y/n, this is where you'll be sitting. Tzuyu’s already familiar with the case, so she’ll help you get caught up, and you two can take it from there. Let me know if you need anything, alright?" She made a slight notice how the tips of your ears were beginning to turn red before turning away.
"Thank you," you said, bowing before stepping into your new space and setting down your things.
As Jihyo left, you turned toward Tzuyu, a grin tugging at your lips. "Looks like we’re officially teammates."
Tzuyu nodded, her expression playful. "I guess that means I’ll be seeing a lot more of you."
"It seems so," you said, trying to keep your voice steady, though the idea of working closely with her made your heart flutter just a bit.
Tzuyu sat back down and gestured toward a stack of neatly organized documents. "Okay, let’s get started. I’ll walk you through what we were working on so far, and we can go from there."
You nodded, scooting your chair closer to her, your shoulder just barely brushing against hers as you both leaned in toward the table. The soft sound of paper flipping echoed against the steady lull of the room as Tzuyu began to explain the case, her voice was so calming. Her perfume—a subtle, sweet scent—seemed to linger in the air between you, and though you were trying to focus on her words, it was hard not to get a little distracted.
As she spoke, you couldn’t help but admire how composed and thoughtful she was, her long fingers moving gracefully over the pages. You found yourself glancing at her more often than the documents in front of you, drawn in by her presence. There was something undeniably captivating about the way she carried herself—poised, elegant, but still approachable.
“Do you understand it a bit more now? If not I can go over it again,” Tzuyu’s voice broke through your thoughts, and when you looked up, her eyes were already on you, curious. There was no judgment, just a soft smile that tugged at the corner of her lips.
You cleared your throat, trying to play it off with a grin. “Oh~! No, that’s okay,” you assuaged. “I’m just trying to process all of it”
She gave a small, knowing smile and turned her attention back to the documents. “Well, you're doing great, I know I just said a lot of words” she giggled, her tone soft but warm.
Over the last eight weeks, you and Tzuyu had gotten to know each other better. Your work together became a steady rhythm—casual conversations, shared laughs, and, to your delight, a shared love for music. It made the long car rides during company trips feel less like work and more like a comfortable escape.
One afternoon, while heading back to the office after a client visit, you caught Tzuyu quietly nodding along to a song from your playlist.
"You like Twice?" you asked, glancing over with mild surprise.
Tzuyu smiled, still looking out the window. "Yeah, I didn’t expect anyone here to listen to them."
"Same here," you chuckled. "You ever seen them live?"
Tzuyu turned her head, her smile growing. "Once, back in college. It was unforgettable."
"I’ve been meaning to for years but never got around to it," you replied. "Maybe next time they’re touring here."
"Maybe we can go together," she said, her voice was so forward yet soft, and the thought of seeing a concert with her lingered in the back of your mind long after the conversation ended.
That evening, after another long day, you found yourself staying late to finish some reports. Tzuyu had already called it a night, stopping by her neighboring cubicle as she prepared to leave.
"Hey, don’t stay too late," she said, offering a tired but warm smile.
"I won’t be long," you replied, stretching your shoulders. "I’ll see you tomorrow!"
"Good night, Y/n" she said, and with a soft wave, she headed out.
It was nearly an hour later when you finally finished up, the office almost eerily silent. You grabbed your things and headed out, only to find Tzuyu standing by the entrance under the building’s foyer, her arms crossed as she looked out at the rain pouring down.
You frowned, assuming she was waiting for the storm to calm down. "Seriously?" you muttered to yourself, amused that someone so seemingly put-together would forget an umbrella on a night like this. With a sigh, you walked over to her.
"Tzuyu, did you forget your umbrella?" you assumed lightly, a teasing smile on your face as you stood beside her.
Tzuyu turned toward you, blinking in surprise. "Oh, no, I'm just waiting for—"
"For the rain to stop?" You asked as you frantically put your stuff down on the concrete while taking off your blazer.
"You'll get sick if you try to walk home like this," you interrupted, pulling out your own red umbrella of your bag and pressing it into her hands while also throwing your blazer around her.
Tzuyu opened her mouth to respond, but you didn’t give her a chance.
"Here, take mine."
Tzuyu blinked, a bit taken aback. "But what about you?"
"I’ll be fine," you said with a reassuring smile. "The bus stop is just around the corner, and so I’ll be good. Besides, this umbrella’s way too nice to just be used in a short walk!"
Tzuyu hesitated, looking between you, the umbrella, and the pre-warmed jacket around her. She opened her mouth again, probably to explain, but you waved her off, already heading toward the street. "Seriously, don’t worry about it! It looks better on you anyway!"
Before she could protest, you were jogging away, flashing her a quick cheeky smile over your shoulder. "See you tomorrow, Tzu~!"
She stood there, the unopened red umbrella still in her hand and blazer around her as she watched you dart off toward the bus stop, your silhouette slowly disappearing in the fog of the heavy rain. Tzuyu glanced down at the umbrella, confusion flickering in her eyes.
“I .. have a driver..”
Just as she stood there, still processing what had happened, her driver finally pulled up, headlights cutting through the downpour.
"Miss Chou, I apologize for the delay—the rain's been causing awful traffic," the driver said, stepping out to open the door for her.
Tzuyu looked down at the umbrella again, momentarily lost in thought. "It’s okay, don't worry about it" she murmured, climbing into the car, the umbrella still firmly in her grip.
As the car drove off, Tzuyu’s thoughts drifted back to you—how you’d rushed off into the rain without a jacket nor without a second thought, stupidly smiling despite the storm, leaving her with your umbrella. She looked out the window as the bus drove off in the distance, watching your soaked form disappear from view, wondering about you, and why you so easily gave her the clothes off your back.
The next morning, when you arrived at the office, you saw Tzuyu already at her desk, the red umbrella propped up against your chair.
“Good morning Tzu!” You cheerfully greeted her while making your way to your respective space.
She glanced up as you approached, her usual calm expression shifting to something more thoughtful.
"You know, you didn’t have to do all that last night," she said softly, as if she’d been thinking about it all morning. (she was)
You shrugged, giving her an easy smile. "I couldn’t let you walk in the rain like that. It’s just an umbrella and I bought that jacket from Amazon, no big deal! I’m glad you got home safe."
Tzuyu held your gaze for a moment, her eyes lingering on yours before she looked down. "Still… I appreciate it. I’ll give it back when it’s dry-cleaned"
Dry-cleaned?
"No it’s okay! Don’t worry about it," you replied, brushing off her concern with a wave of your hand. "It’s really okay!"
But as you settled into your seat, something about the exchange left an unspoken feeling between you both, small but undeniably there. You couldn’t quite shake it—the way her gaze lingered, it seemed like a quiet weight resting beside her.
And maybe, just maybe, that gesture meant more than either of you were ready to admit
Twelve weeks had passed, and you and Tzuyu had finally closed the case(successfully!) you’d been working on it for so long. It felt like a weight had been lifted, and both the third and fourth floors were buzzing with excitement. As the end-of-year office tradition dictated, Jihyo—and unfortunately, Heechul—organized a work dinner and drinks to celebrate the years successes.
Dinner started smoothly. Everyone was relaxed, conversations filled with lighthearted laughter and stories of the past few months. Tzuyu sat beside you, nursing her drink, her small, contented smile only adding to the warmth of the night.
But then, the drinks started flowing.
As the evening wore on, you noticed Heechul’s eyes repeatedly drifting toward Tzuyu. From the moment he saw her, it was clear what his intentions were. His predatory gaze, the same one you’d witnessed with other interns, made your blood simmer. He was so zeroing in.
Tzuyu, who was carefully sipping her beer, had stiffened as Heechul sauntered over with a smug grin, the two small glasses in his hand wobbling slightly from how much he’d already consumed.
“Hey, Tzuyu, right?” Heechul drawled, leaning on the table beside her. “Let’s do a love-shot. It’s for team bondinggg~” He flashed her a grin, his voice dripping with sleaze.
Tzuyu froze, glancing away uncomfortably. “I’m not sure if that’s a good idea, I don’t really drink..” she murmured, clearly looking for a way out.
“Oh, come onnn~!” Heechul leaned in closer, his body practically pinning her against the wall which happened to be your back. “Don’t be shy. It’s just one drink~!”
That was enough.
Without missing a beat, you stood from your seat, a little unsteady from your own drinks but filled with purpose.
“Boss-nim, how about… you come here!” You feigned excitement while the whole tables’ eyes were on you two
In a few steps you guided him and you closed the distance, slipping Heechul away from Tzuyu smoothly, effortlessly blocking her from his sight with your body while wrapping your forearm around his.
“How about this, Boss-nim?” you said with a playful grin, your voice steady despite the alcohol in your system. “Why don’t we take that love-shot together!?”
You leaned in closer, one arm propped against the wall beside his head, the other smoothly taking one of the glasses from his hand.
Heechul blinked, visibly surprised but clearly intrigued by your boldness. His smirk widened. “Oh? I didn’t think you’d be so forward, Intern #5.”
God did you hate this man.
You internally rolled your eyes as you tilted your head, giving him a fake smile. “Why not? I’m a big team player, right? ” You clinked his glass, maintaining your position between him and Tzuyu.
Heechul's initial shock melted into something more. His grin grew cockier, but now with a hint of appreciation. He raised his glass, eyeing you with newfound interest. “Well, you’ve got guts, I’ll give you that.”
You turned out to the table of people watching, letting the tension simmer. “To teamwork! ” You said, your voice is just loud enough for your table to hear.
Heechul clinked his glass against yours, his gaze still locked onto you. “To teamwork,” he echoed.
You both threw back the shots, and while the burn of the alcohol hit your throat, you couldn’t help but hide a face of disgust at the sight of Heechul staring at you with a mix of admiration and something else entirely.
As you set your glass down, you noticed some of the female coworkers nearby watching you both, whispering among themselves.
“Wow, did you see that?” one of them murmured, clearly impressed. “She totally flipped the situation and helped that one girl”
“Right? That was so smooth. She’s got some serious charm.”
“I think Heechul-nim’s into her now.”
“Hell— I’m even into her now! What’s her name?”
Their whispers weren’t exactly quiet, and the compliments floated through the air, filling the space around you. You caught snippets of their words, and even in your slightly tipsy state, you could feel the heat rise to your cheeks due to flattery.
But then, you glanced at Tzuyu. Her usually soft expression was tight, her eyes focused on the table, hands gripping her drink a little too tightly. She wasn’t saying anything, but there was something in her silence—something that felt like quiet jealousy.
Before you could process it, Heechul broke the moment by leaning in toward you with a grin. “I’ve got to say, Intern #5, you’re full of surprises.”
You chuckled, but there was no mistaking the sharp edge in your voice. “Gotta keep you on your toes, right boss-nim? Can’t let you make just anyone uncomfortable!” You said while slipping back into your seat
His laughter boomed through the room, seemingly laughing off that sly jab, the other colleagues joined in, you felt Tzuyu’s presence beside you, still silent, still reserved. You turned toward her, catching her gaze for just a brief moment, her eyes meeting yours before she quickly looked away, her expression unreadable.
Leaning down slightly, you whispered to her, “Hey, you okay?”
Tzuyu nodded, though her smile didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Yeah, just... tired. Maybe I’ll head home soon.”
“Oh! Please, I can walk you home,” you suggested, voice slightly slurred from the alcohol but laced with genuine concern.
Tzuyu glanced at you for a brief moment, her face unreadable. “Alright,” she finally said, her voice soft but clipped as she grabbed her things.
You both bowed respectfully to thank everyone for the dinner before slipping out the door, the cool night air a stark contrast to the warmth inside.
The silence stretched between you as you followed behind her. Her long strides made it hard to keep up, and you couldn’t help but feel that she was walking with a certain purpose—like she was intentionally trying to get ahead of you while you were left following her like a loyal dog.
“Tzuyu-ya, what’s wrong?” you called after her, your voice slightly breathless as you struggled to close the distance. She kept walking, her pace unfaltering, and for a moment, you wondered if she was genuinely trying to avoid you.
“Tzuyu-ya,” you called again, a little louder this time as she reached the edge of the bridge near her apartment. In a moment of panic, you gently grabbed her arm to stop her.
She froze.
“I’m so sorry… did I make you uncomfortable? Did you want Hee—” you started to ask, words tumbling out in your haste to apologize. Your heart sank at the mere thought that maybe you had overstepped, that maybe she had wanted to—
“Yes! You made me uncomfortable!” Tzuyu interrupted, spinning around to face you, her cheeks flushed. Her eyes shone with an emotion you couldn’t quite place, but it wasn’t anger.
You blinked, shocked. “I’m sorry... I thought you were trying to get away from—” Trying to explain
“You were being too cute!” Tzuyu blurted out, cutting you off again, her face flushed even darker as she averted her gaze, clearly flustered.
Your eyes widened at her sudden admission. "W-What?"
“You were being charming... in front of other women!” she huffed, crossing her arms over her chest like a pouting child. “Why would you do that? Are you trying to attract them? It was too charming!”
It all hit you at once. Her awkward silence, her reservedness during dinner—it wasn’t because of Heechul, it was because of you. Even through the fog of alcohol, you suddenly understood.
You took a step closer to her, your heart racing. “Tzuyu, I—” you began, but her vulnerability was so palpable in that moment, it stopped you in your tracks.
Without thinking, you reached up, cupping the right side of her face with your hand. Her skin was warm beneath your palm, and her breath hitched as your thumb gently caressed her cheek.
“I’m sorry,” you said softly, your voice low but steady. “I won’t do that again. I promise... my charm will only be saved for you, my Tzuyu.” You gave her a sweet smile
Tzuyu’s eyes flickered with something raw and unguarded as she looked up at you, absentmindedly nuzzling into your hand, her vulnerability so clear in the way she held your gaze. “It better be,” she murmured, though her words carried no real bite.
In that moment, the air between you felt thick with something unspoken, an invisible thread pulling you closer to her. Your heart pounded as you realized what you had/wanted to do.
Or maybe it was the alcohol in your veins? Or maybe the sheer need to kiss her right in that moment.
Tzuyu’s eyes met yours, wide and vulnerable, but she didn’t pull away. She held your gaze, her breath shallow, her lips parted just slightly as if waiting for something—for you to make the first move.
And so, you did.
Without another word, you gently tilted her chin up with your thumb, leaning in slowly, giving her plenty of time to stop you if she wanted to. But she didn’t. Her eyes fluttered shut, and the warmth of her skin beneath your hand only urged you closer.
Your lips met hers in a soft, tentative kiss—almost like a question. She responded with a slight, shy press of her lips against yours, her breath catching as the kiss deepened. You could feel the soft tremble of her shoulders beneath your hands, as if she was just as unsure and just as eager.
For a brief moment, the world outside disappeared—The bridge, the distant city sounds—all of it melted away.
When you finally pulled back, your forehead rested against hers, both of you catching your breath. You felt her fingers brush against your hand, hesitant but full of meaning, as if she was silently asking, What now?
You smiled softly, your thumb tracing her cheek one last time before you whispered, “I meant it. It’s just you, my Tzuyu.”
Her lips curled into a small, bashful smile as she whispered back, “Just me.”
Maybe come Monday you’ll ask Jihyo for a permanent position on the third floor.
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