#but like. again… if he ever FELT like it

[yueebby]

the end times — gojo satoru

synopsis. gojo satoru thinks he’s going to die because you’re giving him the silent treatment. (aka your first big fight with gojo).

contents. hurt/comfort, ooc, lovesick!gojo, you give him the silent treatment and he goes crazy, he is so pathetic in this one, tw obsessive behavior (he makes it EVERYONE’S problem), gojo’s pov

notes. loosely inspired by that one scene from yakuza fiance. not proofread whats new

Gojo knows he’s screwed up the second he steps into the common area of Jujutsu Tech’s dormitory. The air feels thick, wrong. And then there’s you, curled up on the couch, a book open in your lap, but your eyes aren’t moving.

His grin falters for half a second before he masks it with his usual bravado. “I always knew you had a little freak in you, but reading your erotic books out in the open? Who knew my girl was such a perv.”

The joke usually earns him a laugh, a shove, maybe even a teasing retort. But tonight, the silence that follows is deafening.

The pit in his stomach grows.

“Sweetheart?” He tries again, waving a hand obnoxiously close to your face.

You finally react, swatting his hand away, but there’s no playfulness in the motion. Your eyes don't even meet his.

“You’re late,” you say flatly, still staring at your book. “Again.”

Gojo scoffs, irritation bubbling. Not at you, never at you, but at the damn book that’s getting more attention than him.

“Ah, you know how it is. Got held up in Kyoto,” he says with a shrug.

The words leave his mouth too easily. He doesn’t realize his mistake until you finally, finally look at him.

And it’s nothing like usual.

There’s no warmth in your gaze, no sparkle of amusement or exasperation. Instead, you pin him with a look so sharp it strips him bare, leaving nothing but the hollow weight in his chest.

“You missed our date.”

His breath catches. His throat goes dry. “I–”

“I’m not mad about that.”

Relief floods him too fast, too soon. His shoulders sag as he leans down, tilting his head for a well-earned kiss. “You’re the best. I swear, I’ll make it up to you.”

You pull away before he can touch you.

Gojo freezes.

“[Name]?”

You exhale sharply, shaking your head. “You know, it’s funny.”

There’s nothing funny about this moment.

His pulse thrums as you continue, voice eerily steady. “That your mission was in Kyoto. I mean, we have a whole sister school there, full of sorcerers ready to handle a first-grade threat. So why would they need you, specifically?”

His stomach drops.

He’s never been good at guilt, not when he’s spent his whole life believing he’s untouchable. But now, standing before you, unable to meet your eyes, it sits heavy in his gut.

And you don’t let up.

“Of course, I asked around. Thought maybe I was overthinking it.” A humorless scoff escapes you. “Imagine my surprise when I found out my boyfriend was too busy meeting with his future bride.”

Gojo’s mouth opens, but for the first time in his life, he doesn’t know what to say.

“That’s–” he starts, then stops because, shit, you’re staring at him like he’s a stranger. Like he’s someone you can’t trust. The realization makes his stomach churn.

“Oh, don’t stop on my account,” you say bitterly, arms crossing as you lean back into the couch. “I mean, I’d love to hear how you were going to explain this one, Gojo Satoru.”

Full name. That’s how he knows he’s really fucked up.

“It’s not–It’s not what you think,” he says quickly, voice unusually hoarse. His usual bravado, his charm, none of it is coming to him. He doesn’t even know where to start. “I wasn’t–I wasn’t hiding it. I just–”

“You just forgot to tell me that your clan is arranging a marriage for you?” you cut in sharply. “That slipped your mind?”

“No! Yes—Fuck, that’s not what I mean,” he groans, pushing a hand through his hair. He’s never felt like this before. Like he’s scrambling for footing on uneven ground. “I didn’t tell you because it didn’t matter, sweetheart. I wasn’t ever going to go through with it. You know that, right?”

You let out a short, humorless laugh. “Do I? I mean, Suguru seemed shocked when I didn’t know that these were recurring dates set by your clan.”

Gojo falters.

“You didn’t even think to tell me, Satoru,” you say, voice quieter now, but somehow even more devastating. “You didn’t think I deserved to know?”

His heart clenches. That’s not–God, that’s not what this is.

“Of course you deserve to know! But I—” he exhales sharply, trying to gather his words. “I just—Fuck, I thought it was stupid. I thought it wasn’t worth mentioning.”

You shake your head, looking almost tired now. “Right. Because I’m just supposed to assume you’d never go through with it. After your multiple dates with her. Because I’m supposed to read your mind, just like always.”

The weight of your words crashes into him, and Gojo suddenly realizes that this isn’t just about Kyoto. This isn’t just about one lie, one mistake. This is about every time he’s brushed things off, every time he’s let silence speak for him, every time he’s sat through those excruciating meetings, knowing he would never go through with it, but never once thinking about how it would feel for you to find out this way. This is about every time he’s expected you to just get him without him ever having to say a word.

This is about how, even after everything, you still don’t know how much he loves you.

And now, looking at you, Gojo is terrified that he’s already lost his chance to prove it.

“I’m going to sleep,” you stand up from your place on the couch. 

Gojo tries to follow you, “Listen, baby–”

“I don’t want to talk to you right now. I need some space.” you turn around to send him a teary glare and that stops him in his tracks. He had never seen you cry. And it tore him apart knowing that he was the cause. 

The sound of your door slamming echoes in Gojo’s mind. 

Gojo Satoru is the first one in class the next day.

He drums his fingers against the desk, restless in a way he can't explain, but he knows it has everything to do with the fact that he spent the entire night not sleeping. His mind was too busy replaying the way you had looked at him, no, the way you hadn’t looked at him.

He had left you alone and upset. He had made you feel like you were second to someone else. And worst of all, he hadn’t even realized it until it was too late.

“This must be a first.”

Gojo glances up as Suguru enters, raising an eyebrow at him.

“Gojo Satoru, on time? It must be the end times.”

He knows it’s a joke, but it might as well be the end times. Gojo doesn’t respond, just presses his lips into a thin line as he goes back to mentally reciting the apology speech he’s been revising in his head all night.

Then the shoji door slides open again.

You walk in with Shoko, your head tilted slightly as you whisper something to her, something he’ll never get to hear because you don’t so much as glance in his direction. Instead, you take a seat at the farthest desk, as if he isn’t even there.

A part of him withers away.

But Gojo Satoru isn’t one to give up.

If words won’t get your attention, he’ll just have to be Gojo Satoru about it. He leans back in his chair and stretches obnoxiously, before loudly exclaiming, “Yaga-sensei! Are those grey hairs from your recent divorce?”

He grins, waiting for the familiar sound of your laugh, for that little shake of your head, for you to scold him like always.

But you don’t even look at him.

Instead, he’s met with Geto and Shoko’s twin expressions of abject horror, and before he has a chance to register what’s happening–

BAM!

Yaga’s palm collides with his head, sending him face-first into his desk.

Even through the throbbing pain, he can only think about one thing.

You didn’t even react.

“And how exactly is she ignoring you?”

Shoko’s grumpy voice echoes through the morgue, where she’s been attempting to practice her technique. She’s clearly unimpressed that Gojo Satoru has decided to spam-call her instead of dealing with his own problems.

“She’s ignoring me, Shoko,” Gojo groans dramatically from the other side of the Jujutsu Tech campus, rubbing the fresh bump on his head as he stands in front of your door. “I’ve been knocking for an hour. She’s in there. I know she’s in there, but she won’t answer.”

“Maybe she finally got tired of your bullshit,” Shoko says dryly. “Honestly, I don’t know why it took her this long to hold you accountable. She’s let your bad behavior slide for way too long.”

“Why are we talking about me like I’m some kind of dog?!”

Shoko ignores him.

“From the sound of it, you really messed up. I mean, who keeps a marriage a secret from their girlfriend?” She pauses, then adds with a smirk in her voice, “Oh, right. You.”

Gojo groans, pressing his forehead against your door. “You and I both know that’s not what happened. But she doesn’t. And she won’t even give me the time of day to explain.”

Shoko sighs. “Give her time to cool down.”

“And what, let her decide she wants to run off and marry some other guy? Move to a cute little beach town in Enoshima, start a family, have three kids, and leave all Jujutsu sorcery behind?”

There’s a long pause before Shoko makes a disgusted sound. “O-oi. Keep your weirdly detailed fantasies to yourself.”

“I’m just being realistic,” he insists, clutching his flip phone dramatically.

Shoko promptly hangs up on him.

Gojo stares at the device for a moment before slowly lowering it, exhaling hard.

Then he rests his head against your door again, defeated.

But Gojo Satoru was never one to admit defeat, so he tries again. He returns to your door the very next morning, bright eyed and bushy tailed.

“[Name]!” he chirps. “I bought us some parfait! Let’s talk things over, yeah?”

Silence.

Not even the sound of movement.

But Gojo Satoru is not easily discouraged.

So Gojo Satoru comes again the next morning.

“[Name]!” he knocks again, this time balancing a slice of strawberry cake in one hand. “This is all my fault, so come out and let me apologize properly!”

Nothing.

Gojo sighs, leaning against the doorframe, about to knock again when—

Your phone rings.

His breath catches as he presses his ear to the wood.

“Hi, Suguru?”

His heart stops.

“Yeah, we’re still on for the movie. I’m just about to leave right now.”

For the first time in his life, Gojo Satoru understands what people mean when they say they feel like they’ve been punched in the gut.

Because you’re going to Suguru.

You’re not just ignoring him, you’re choosing someone else.

His fingers twitch at his sides as a feeling he doesn’t like at all creeps into his chest. It’s something ugly, something unfamiliar. Something that feels a lot like jealousy. Was that how you felt?

He wants to knock again, wants to demand that you open the door, look at him, let him fix this before you walk away from him any further.

But he doesn’t.

Instead, he presses his lips into a thin line, shoves his hands into his pockets, and forces himself to step away from your door.

Forces himself to give you the space you deserved.

You don’t know why you relent so easily.

You shouldn’t. Not after the way he lied, the way he kept something so important from you.

And yet, when you hear him pacing outside your door, his nervous energy practically seeping through the walls, you feel something crack.

He’s been outside your room for the nth time this week. Every day, like clockwork, he’s knocked. Brought your favorite snacks. Talked to you through the door, filling the silence with his ridiculous banter, even when you refused to answer.

You squeeze your eyes shut, gripping your blanket a little tighter. You should stay angry. But you can't.

You sigh, pressing your forehead to your knee.

Maybe it’s time to stop punishing the both of you.

With a deep breath, you stand, crossing the room to the door. When you open it, Gojo nearly stumbles forward, mid-step in his pacing.

His eyes snap to yours, wide and filled with so much desperate hope it makes your chest ache.

And the way his face lights up like you’ve just handed him the entire world tells you that, maybe, you were never going to be able to stay mad at him forever.

But you’re here, leaning on your door frame with your arms crossed, your nails digging into your skin as you glare at the man who has spent the last ten minutes tripping over his words, looking wrecked in a way you’ve never seen before. His hair is messier than usual, lips are parted like he wants to say something, anything, but he doesn’t know where to start.

Finally, you scoff, breaking the silence. “If you don’t have anything to say, I’m going back into my room.”

“No!,” Gojo steps forward instinctively, like he’s afraid you’ll slip through his fingers. And after everything, he is. “I screwed up.”

You give him a deadpan look. “Oh, really?”

He groans, dragging a hand down his face. “Okay, yeah, I really fucked up.”

Silence.

You should say something. You should demand an explanation, yell, maybe even cry, but you’re so tired. You’ve spent days twisting yourself into knots over this, convincing yourself you never meant as much to him as he did to you.

And then Gojo says it.

“I should’ve told you.” His voice is hoarse. “I should have told you after the first meeting. After the first second they brought it up.” He swallows hard. “But I was stupid. I thought if I ignored it, if I went through the motions, if I waited for the right moment… then it wouldn’t matter. That it would be over before you ever had to know.”

You shake your head, letting out a hollow laugh. “Satoru, do you even hear yourself? Do you get what it was like for me to find out from someone else? To hear that the person I–” you cut yourself off, but the damage is done. You see it in the way his breath hitches, in the way his fingers twitch at his sides, like he wants to reach for you.

“The person you what?” he asks softly, pleading.

You clench your jaw. “It doesn’t matter.”

“It does matter.”

Your shake your head. “You lied to me.”

“I know,” he says, and the sheer brokenness in his voice makes your throat tighten. “I know, sweetheart. And I swear to you that I never meant to. I never wanted to hurt you.” he exhales shakily, rubbing the back of his neck. “I swear on everything, I was never going to go through with it. I never even showed up to any of the dates, so they kept ambushing me under the guise of missions! I sat through every single one of those goddamn meetings thinking about how ridiculous it was, how there was only ever one person I wanted.”

He stops himself, inhaling sharply.

And then, quieter, almost afraid:

“How there’s only ever you.”

The words hit you like a fist to the chest.

Gojo watches you carefully, breathless, waiting. Hoping. He’s given you the truth, raw and unfiltered, and now it’s up to you.

And maybe it’s the exhaustion, maybe it’s the way he looks at you like you’re the most important thing in his world that makes you believe him.

For the first time in a week, your lips find his, and Gojo swears he can finally breathe again. The warmth of your palm against his cheek, the way your fingers curl slightly as if grounding yourself in him. It’s enough to make him melt.

"You’re so insufferably cheesy, Satoru," you murmur against his lips, your breath warm, teasing. "It makes me so angry that I love it." A pause, a soft exhale. "But I forgive you."

His grin is instant, smug and shameless. "That was good, huh?" He tilts his head, cerulean eyes twinkling. "I’m willing to bet your heart skipped a beat."

You roll your eyes, but you kiss him again, slower this time, because, damn it, he’s right.

extra!

“I demand some extra loving!” Satoru sprawls dramatically across your bed, limbs hanging off the edge like a defeated king.

You barely spare him a glance, flipping a page in your book as you lie comfortably on your stomach. “And why, exactly, do you deserve that?”

He lifts his head, pouting. “I deserve it after a week’s worth of psychological trauma. Don’t think I forgot that you ditched me for Suguru.”

“Oh… that.”

“Yeah. That.” His voice is thick with exaggerated betrayal.

You finally look at him, a smirk tugging at your lips. “It was a fake phone call, Satoru. You were just so insufferable camping outside my door that I had to make up an excuse.”

His jaw drops. “Huh?!”

[stardustquills]

thinking about sylus making you be on top, despite your protests. currently giggling and kicking my feet like a schoolgirl with a crush. 18+ mdni. wc; 1.5k

-

“come on, sweetie,” sylus teased, half-lidded eyes and a smirk cast your way. his hand lazily pumped his hard cock, head thrown back on the pillows behind him. “you’ll be fine-”

“sylus.” you cut him off with a whine. you hid your flushed face in your hands. he thought that was pointless. you’re naked in his bed. “i’ve never been on top before. i don’t wanna. why can’t you-“

“i’m always on top.” now it was his turn to cut you off. he didn’t mind always being on top - he was just being a prick because you were the one who initiated. sylus grabbed one of your wrists, pulling you closer to him. “you’ll be okay. i’ll help you through it.”

you let him pull you towards him, apprehensive and hesitant. he guided one of your hands down to his cock, his hand encasing yours as he helped you pump. sylus’ eyes closed as your hand moved under his. you watched his adam’s apple as he swallowed, a soft moan escaping his parted lips.

you didn’t even notice when his eyes opened again, garnet iris’ flickering all over your body. your own eyes were fixated on his pretty pink lips, still parted as he let out a melody of sighs. your gaze slipped down to his neck, where you could see the marks you’d left a few days prior, then down to his chest, hard muscles tensing as you stroked him, a light sheen of sweat on his abs.

finally, your eyes went further south, landing on the veiny cock in your hand. pearls of precum leaked from the angry tip and you could feel your own pool of arousal building. you couldn’t take your eyes off of it even if you tried. it was just too pretty - just like every other part of sylus.

his laughter snapped you out of your trance. “see something you want, kitten?”

“perhaps…”

“get on top, then.”

another whine left your throat. you shot him a pointed look, but he could see through it, see the hunger that laid just past that layer of annoyance. he could always see through you, no matter what irritated glance you sent at him.

maybe he’ll let it go if you give him a treat? so you leant down, licking your lips. you only managed to kiss the tip before his free hand dug itself into your hair, yanking your head up away with from his cock.

“ah ah,” he chided, raising an eyebrow. “being nice won’t get you out of this, sweetie.”

“sylus-“ you pleaded with a pout.

“it’s either you on top or nothing.” his eyes stared into yours, his tone leaving no room for your pathetic arguments. “what’s it going to be?”

when you didn’t say anything, only glaring at him, he knew what the answer was. but still, he decided he needed to hear your words be.

“well?” his rich voice purred. he grabbed your chin between his thumb and forefinger, bringing your face towards his. “i need words, kitten.”

a beat of silence, then, “fine.”

“fine, what?”

“…i’ll be on top.”

sylus smirked, letting go of your chin and lightly tapping your cheek a few times. “good girl.”

you found yourself on top of him, letting yourself leisurely sink down onto his dick. sylus was still being a jackass - he didn’t help you at all! just kept his hands resting on your thighs, watching with hungry eyes as he disappeared into you. your hands were splayed on your chest, bottom lip tucked under your teeth as you ever so slowly sat on him. you let out a breath you didn’t know you were holding once your hips connected with his, a sigh of relief escaping you.

you felt awkward being on top. you didn’t know how to move, didn’t know how to do anything as you just stared at the spot where you and sylus connected. you like that for a moment too long, causing sylus to speak up.

“you gonna move?”

“i-“ you cleared your throat when you heard how meek you sounded. “i don’t know how,”

“just roll your hips,” sylus whispered, surprisingly gentle and soft compared to the last time he spoke. his eyes landed on your face, taking in the blush on your cheeks that began to grow. “like you do when you sit on my face.”

“sylus-!”

“what?” he laughed, fingers tapping your thighs. “maybe if you’re good, i’ll reward you.”

“you’re mean.”

“should i take away the offer?”

“no!” you responded almost too quickly, shaking your head and earning a chuckle from the man underneath you. you loved sitting on sylus’ face, but he cherished it more than you did.

he was a giver, after all.

you rolled your hips like he said, shakily exhaling as he reached a new depth in you. you weren’t used to the deep penetration from the get go - he’d always ease you into it, starting with slow, shallow thrusts before they blurred into hard and fast ones.

but still, it felt so wonderful. continuing to rock your hips against his, a pretty string of moans and sighs of sylus’ name left you. you took what you wanted, eyes closing as you threw your head back, and sylus watched proudly as you finally were on top of him, doing all of the work.

you started gaining confidence as you heard his own sounds of pleasure, soft murmurs of “there you go, kitten,” and “atta girl, you got it,” as his own eyes closed. you decided to start bouncing in his cock, a darling whine as you felt him ram into your cervix violently.

only a handful of bounces later and your thighs started burning, so you went back to rolling your hips against him. sylus noticed, of course, another demeaning snicker leaving him as his eyes opened.

he reached towards your face, brushing the strands of hair away from your face while your hips worked against his. “does it burn?” velvety and caring voice making your eyes snap to his. his hands moved up your thighs, settling nicely on the curve of your hips. “do you want some help, kitten?”

he already knew the answer before you nodded. his hands helped you up and down, his own hips bucking up to meet yours. tits bouncing in front of his face, your fucked out expression, and you on top of him - sylus thinks he’s at the pearly gates of heaven.

if he died, this is what he’d see in the afterlife. his perfect, sexy girlfriend riding his cock, absolutely losing herself. he thinks he’s enjoying this more than you are!

“s-sylus, h-ahh!” you lifted your head to look at him, hands still splayed on his chest. his dick absolutely ruined you, even more so with this new angle. brushing against that spongy spot, you let out a loud noise. “fffuck!”

“mm-yeah, you like being on top, don’t you?” he groaned when your nails dug into his chest, leaving crescent-shaped indents. “you’re doing so well, too.”

his hands wrap around your waist, pinning you against him as he starts slamming his thick cock into you, unable to hold back any longer. and just like all the times before, you took it like the amazing girlfriend you were. “hah, squeezing my cock so good,” he moaned into your ears.

his moans were much more musical than when he was actually singing.

only a handful of thrusts later and you’re coming undone quicker than you ever have - sylus has strong suspicions it’s because you’re on top, riding him like you fucking own him. he follows soon after, releasing his own pleasure into you. the sound of skin slapping skin slowly subdues as his tempo came to a halt, his face falling forward onto you chest.

he stayed like that for a few moments. just catching his breath as he buried his face into your tits.

sylus is a man of his word. so obviously, he kept his word - slipping himself out of you with a whine from you. he shifted so he laid on his back, his hands on your thighs encouraging to move up his body.

“wanna eat this pretty pussy,” he practically purred, eyes trained on your cunt. he grinned happily as you complied, thighs on either side of his head as you lowered yourself down onto him.

out of habit, one hand seized a fistful of his hair as the other held onto the headboard, steadying yourself as he ate you out like a man starved. a long lick, from your gaping hole to you clit, before he moved back to your slippery slit, greedily lapping up your combined fluids. he deliberately shook his head against you, making sure his nose rubbed against your puffy clit.

it was a nasty sight - your boyfriend’s mouth working wonders on you as his laughs were muffled by your cunt. he drank up your combined come as his hands wrapped around your thighs, immobilizing you against him.

with hearts floating in his red eyes, he looked up at you so lovingly, watching your every expression and reaction to his ministrations. sylus thinks he could stay like this for hours; eating out his girl after coming in her might be his favourite pastime. but fuck he can’t get the way you looked on top of him out of his head. next time, he thinks he’ll make you tie him up so you’d really have to do all of the work.

he’ll make you be in top more often from now on!

-

likes, comments, and reblogs are always appreciated:)

[seungisms]

( skz reaction ) condom or no condom .ᐟ 

📂🖇️ who in skz likes to fuck with or without a condom

genre: smut, minors dni, warnings: unprotected sex, public sex, slight breeding kink with chan cause grrrr, humiliation kink, overstimulation, small size kink with seungmin (his dick is too big for you cause i said so) creampies 🗣️🗣️🗣️ note: got super carried away and this is kinda dog but let’s gooooo

방찬. BANG CHAN

condom. he already has seven other kids he doesn’t need one more. mainly uses them cause he can’t be trusted when he swears he’ll pull out and cum on your stomach or tits instead. the faster his orgasm is to approaching the less he’s able to think about what he’s actually doing, every single coherent voice inside of him screaming for him to pull out is ignored as his cock fucks into you deep and sloppy - the promise of finally filling you up until his cum is spilling out past your little hole just makes it far too appealing to stay buried inside of your tight pussy, determined to leave you a sticky used mess once he’s done. hates himself for it but his breeding kink is dangerous, this man has to battle himself everyday to not fuck you until you’re full and pregnant, so convincing him to ditch the condoms will take some work. beg cutely enough and he’ll give in. swears he’s only doing it to shut you up but the second he sinks his bare cock into you he’s losing every lousy ounce of self-control he might’ve had, mouth drying up and eyes trained on the way your cunt struggles to take him. and he can feel every single nook and cranny of your plush cunt in ways the condom just doesn’t allow and he just can’t find it in himself to rid himself of the pleasure of finally filling you up the way you so desperately crave.  he can normally hold his orgasm out for a few good rounds, ensuring you’re completely fucked out when he finally does cum - but the first time you go without protection he’s busting inside of you within minutes. always buys you the morning after pill though and apologises for cumming inside of you, trying to ignore how good it felt to fuck your pretty pussy with no barrier.

리노. LEE MINHO 

no condom. when he cums, he cums hard. so wearing a condom just makes no sense to him and he’ll just end up ripping it off mid fuck, filling you up over and over until it’s leaking out of you, cussing under his breath that he should’ve fucked that stupid thought out of you for even suggesting to wear one in the first place. prefers having you on some type of brith control instead cause with the amount of cum this guys feeds into your pussy a condom isn’t gonna do shit. he’ll wear them when you first start dating just cause he wants to make sure you feel safe and comfortable with him but the second he catches wind you like it RAW?? he’s taking a lighter to every single condom he’s ever owned, in the trash, never to be seen again. and anytime you try to suggest using them again he’ll act so fucking offended, knowing fine rightly how much you love receiving the loads of cum he gives your greedy little pussy to even humour the idea. far too addicted to the feeling of filling you up over and over until your pussy is left all creamy and sticky and you’re crying that you can’t take anymore to ever think about going back, especially not when he’s felt the addicting press of your cunt smothering his dick and milking him for all he’s got, he couldn’t even fathom the thought of wearing them again.

창빈. SEO CHANGBIN

both. he’ll always try to remember one but gets such a bad case of pussy tunnel vision that most of the time he’ll forget about the stash he keeps in his bedside drawer. tries to keep one on him cause the amount of times you’ve found yourself getting fucked in some random empty supply cupboard or bent over his studio desk have been too many to count cause this man can’t keep his dick in his pants for the life of him, only realising he doesn’t have one when it’s far too late and he’s already painted your pretty pussy sticky with his cum. he’s far too impatient and just can’t ignore the feeling of needing to get his dick wet no matter how hard he tries, somehow always manages to convince you to let him fuck you raw when he doesn’t have a condom, swearing he’ll pull out but he wasn’t prepared for how much he’d love filling your little cunt up again and again until you just can’t take anymore of him. hates the part of him that gets off on seeing you stained and dripping in cum, and might even start telling you he ‘forgot’ to buy more while he was at the store - just to have the sight of your cute cunt all used and spilling over marked into his brain. 

현진. HWANG HYUNJIN

no condom. nothing gets him off like fucking you with no condom. he loves the risk of it all and the fact that he can turn you into a pretty mess with just a few pumps of his dick. loves fucking you raw so much that he’ll have videos saved on his phone of his cock stretching you out - soft praises of, ‘taking me so well angel,’ hardly audible over the sloppy sounds of his cock pumping into your pussy. needs to be as close to you as humanly possible so wrapping a piece of rubber around his dick to devoid himself of the heavenly feeling of your cunt suffocating around him just makes no sense. completely loses himself in the heat of your pussy, locks his jaw and rests his forehead on your shoulder when he’s fucking into you - just so he doesn’t lose all sense of sanity just from the mere feeling of your cunt milking him for all he’s got, and he’s prepared to give you it all. in the early stages of your relationship he’ll try to at least pull out for your sake, but the more he did the more he noticed your thighs locking around his hips to keep his dick firmly planted inside of you, forcing him to empty his loads into your greedy cunt and he just has to thank whatever god there is out there for blessing him with a girl that’s as eager for his cum much as you are. 

한. HAN JISUNG

condom but he forgets half the time. jisung gets so pussy drunk so quickly that protection will be the last thing on his mind, especially when he gets the chance to finally bury himself deep into his favourite place - your pussy. he likes the idea of being safe and protected but his hunger for your pretty little cunt to be wrapped around his cock any chance he can get just stands in the way of actually doing so. it’ll get to the point where you’ll have to carry them instead cause this man is prepared to fuck you nearly everywhere you go, doesn’t matter if you’re in public or not, he’s gonna beg to have your sweet walls wrapping around him near daily. if you actually do make him wear them it won’t last for long, he’ll whine and beg and near damn cry cause it’s just not the same :( and you have him so pussy spoiled that he might actually get blue balled all thanks to the rubber separating you both, might even pull out and take it off just when he’s fucked you dumb enough that you won’t notice, slipping back in and near sobbing the second your pussy swallows him up again, every raw twitch and spasm making his dick swell up even more. likes making a mess of you far too much to commit to condoms so they’ll become an increasingly rare occurrence in your relationship. 

필릭스. LEE FELIX 

condom. as much as he wants to he’s just far too paranoid about accidentally knocking you up to actually fuck you raw. also likes knowing you feel comfortable during sex and as appealing as thought of making your pussy all creamy with his cum is, he’d be a worried mess afterwards. makes sure he always has one in his wallet, cause with the amount you beg this man for his dick he’d rather be safe than sorry. even when you’re being all needy and he’s teased you to a state of being completely fucked out, whining about how much you need him to fuck you when the heavy weight of his cock bumping against your clit just isn’t enough - he’ll still find the will to ignore the painful swell of his dick to pull away and go grab a condom, chuckling and kissing away the cute pout of disappointment that sits on your lips when your hope of having him fuck you raw was once again shattered. tells you to stop being so goddamn ungrateful and take what he gives you :( with or without a condom this man KNOWS how to work his dick so he’ll fuck you stupid no matter what. the further you get into your relationship the more willing he’d be to finally ditch the condoms, but the second he slips into you with no rubber for the first time is the second he loses every ounce of control - fucking into you like an animal and suddenly your sweet, doting felix is gone and is now fucking you deeper and harder than he ever has before, wondering how he’s went all this time without the feeling of fucking you raw. 

승민. KIM SEUNGMIN 

no condom. this man will laugh straight in your face if you ever try to make him wear one. he knows fine rightly how greedy you are for his cum so he won’t take you seriously at all, fully arguing that a pussy as cute as yours shouldn’t be left all empty and sad without a cock in it and would look much, much prettier if it was dripping in cum. and he’s more than happy to be the one covering your little cunt in it. anytime you try to suggest using a condom he’ll make sure you regret it, forcing you to sit on his dick and fuck yourself over and over until that stupid thought was completely rid out of your pretty little head - pumping load after load into your pussy until it’s left all messy and sticky and begging for a break. loves reminding you how much you’d miss the feeling of his cock filling you up if he actually used one and deep down you hate that he’s right. sometimes he gets a little carried away cause the sight of you covered in his cum just goes straight to his dick, likes fucking you in public and making you walk around after with his cum dribbling down your thighs, knowing if you bent over just a little everyone around would get an eyeful of your cute ass painted in it peaking out from under your tiny skirt. and he’ll just have to fuck another load into you later that night from the thought alone. his cock is too big for you, and he gets such a nasty kick out of this fact, watching the way his cum from earlier that day trickles out of your pussy when he’s fucking you - only for him to push it back in with his cock and force you to take even more of it. loves seeing his cum drip to of your used cunt when he’s done and no amount of condoms is gonna take that away from him. 

아이엔. YANG JEONGIN

condom, but he’s easily persuaded to ditch it. jeongin is just there for a good time and as long as he gets his dick wet he doesn’t really care. he’ll always have one in his wallet just in case but the second he gets a taste of your pretty pussy he’s only able to think with his cock and completely forgets the concept of protection. this man needs you almost every hour of the day and most of the of the time wrapping a condom on his dick is the last thing on his mind, he’d much rather it be your pussy instead. can’t think straight when he’s turned on and the only fix is you. you’ll literally have to pry him off you when he’s this eager, lips chasing after you with a small whine of protest when you pull away from him in the backseat of the company car he’s somehow managed to squeeze you into after the rest of the boys and managers were busy setting up for rehearsal, trying to get him to focus long enough to grab a condom but he’s just too busy rubbing the fat head of his cock into your cunt. he’ll be so pouty when you stop him again, ‘forgetting something jeongin?’ and he’s just like, ‘uhhh, no? i remembered to turn my computer off this time,’ and just gets right back into trying to stick his dick into you finally. only realises he forgot a condom when he’s already fucked a load into you, letting out a small sigh of relief once he pulls his softening cock from your used pussy, watching the way his cum follows and dribbles out past your folds. but he can’t find it in himself to care cause you’ve never looked prettier. always helps you clean up after though :( 

© seungisms - all rights reserved. reposting/modification of any kind is not tolerated. 

[luveline]

hi 🙈 would u do a request of steve with a reader that’s an emotional drunk? love ur work 💖

thanks for requesting lovely! fem, 1k

“I think that you think you have a way higher threshold for getting drunk than you actually have.” 

You nod emphatically. “Yeah!”

Steve grins. You’re sitting on the high stool next to his slowly attempting to spin yourself around. He’s holding the chair steady with his leg under the bar. A milkshake and a burger sit in front of you largely untouched. 

Steve takes a sip of his own milkshake and feels the frozen vanilla hit the roof of his mouth as you fill the silence. “‘Cos I always drink a bunch right at the start of the night thinking it won’t get me, and it does!”

Steve doesn’t drink at all anymore. He doesn’t like the idea of being inebriated, whether of his own will or not, but he doesn’t mind being your guardian for the night, any night you want. Robin got you plastered because you’re drinking for two, a joke she insists on and nobody finds all that funny sober. If she said it to you now you’d crumple off of your seat to the floor and cry tears of joy. Everything is heightened. Your excitement, your boredom, your hunger. You’d pleaded with Steve to buy you a burger, and have quickly forgotten it’s there. 

He takes your knife and cuts the burger in half, then again into quarters. “Here,” he says quietly, more subdued than he means to be in the face of your freneticism. “Before it gets cold, baby.” 

He likes all of the pet names now he’s with you. You’re a sweetheart, an angel, his bub, babe, baby, it doesn’t matter how corny the word is, if he thinks about you in the right way he can say it with full sincerity. Babygirl was a bad phase, but baby sticks. 

“Thank you,” you say, reaching under his arm to link you together as you pick up one of your quarters, lettuce and tomato and sauce spilling out the sides. 

“You’re welcome. You know that.” 

You smile around a huge bite and wipe your appled cheeks clean with the side of your hand, giving him these looks you’ve perfected, not shy but almost, I’m so lucky unsaid but felt. Steve can’t really understand why you’d feel that way about him, he’s a loser, he’s not pretty, he doesn’t work out anymore, but none of that stuff matters because why should it? He doesn’t care that you’re a lightweight, that you snore like a freight train, that you pull your lip in between your teeth whenever you’re thinking too deeply and accidentally look like the victim of a botched face lift. It’s all inconsequential. The stuff that matters is your arm like a weight through his and how happy you were when he paid for your burger and fries. 

He squeezes you under the chin as you chew to hold you still for a kiss. “Love you. You look beautiful.” 

“I do?” you ask through burger. You try to cover your mouth best you can, but Steve doesn’t care. 

“You do. Tonight was fun, yeah? I had a great time with you, like always.” 

Your eyebrows pinch up. Your eyes begin to swim. Steve blinks in shock as you swallow and grab onto his wrist, your lips shiny with what might be ketchup as you begin to pout. “Steve…”

That’s his fault. My bad. He knows what kind of drunk you are but he knows how much it means to you regardless to hear that you’re appreciated. He shouldn’t have said it yet, maybe a little later when you’d calmed down and your fries had soaked up the beer in your stomach, but it’s too late. He lets his gaze soften. “I mean it,” he says, rubbing your chin with his thumb swiftly, before wrapping his arm around you, lest you feel wobbly again. “Spending time with you is my favourite thing to do.” 

“What’s your problem?” you ask, eyes filling with tears, the biggest one he’s ever seen flushed over you waterline as you screw up your face. “That’s so nice. I love you, too.”

“I know,” he says, and if he dips into a babying tone, well, that’s his business. 

“You had a good time?” you ask through a shuddery sob. 

“I had the best time.” 

You turn your face into his arm. Steve ignores the waitress staring at you both to smile into your temple. “You’re not supposed to cry, it’s a good thing!” he says lightly. “I just wanted you to know I had a good time tonight.” 

“I had a good time too!” you splutter. 

“I know,” he says, “I know you did, why don’t you try and eat some more of your food? You’ll feel less… like this.” 

“Sorry!”

“No, don’t be,” he says, firmer now, “it’s okay, I don’t mind, I just don’t want you to be upset–”

“I’m not upset! I love you!” 

He can hear the girls in the booth by the door giggling. Steve laughs into your head, ushering your face into his neck to give you some time and a space to calm down. “I love you too. Even if you’re, like, ninety percent bud light right now.” 

It takes you ages to calm down and he can’t blame you. You’re super, super drunk, and despite your best attempts at dinner you’ve basically got an empty stomach. He’s trying to save you from puking with the burger, so after a couple of minutes of you saying that you love him and that tonight was really fun, he pulls you out of his neck to meet your eyes. “Can you eat some more for me?” he asks, smiling, knowing it’s ridiculous. 

You love it, digging in with your cheeks still wet. Steve wipes at them with the back of his index finger. 

“Thank you for taking care of me,” you say around a crinkly bite of romaine lettuce. 

“I’m not, but I don’t mind.” 

You sniffle. “You have to eat too,” you say. 

He offers his hand for holding. You take it, letting them swing between your two chairs, returning for now to your meals. Steve’s opened the floodgates and he’s expecting another bout of crying before bed. Hopefully not while he’s holding your hair back over the toilet bowl. 

[mssishipi]

devil in disguise - sjy

anon asked: infidelity with jake would go crazy bro like he’d be saying “you’re so disgusting” and it’s true it disgusts him how his bestfriend’s pussy milks his cock

warning: cheating, jake is an asshole, explicit content (smut): unprotected sex, degradation. MDNI.

It was almost laughable—how you always clung to Jake's side, no matter what he did, no matter how much trouble he got himself into. It was as if loyalty blinded you, shielding you from the truth everyone else could see so clearly.

You were an angel, the one his parents adored, the soft-hearted girl who couldn't even bring herself to harm a fly.

Polite, gentle, the kind of person who would apologize even when someone else stepped on your foot.

It was hilarious how you always had an excuse for him, always a justification on the tip of your tongue every time he do something.

Like that time when he got into a fight because of some fraternity nonsense. His parents had been furious.

And yet, there you were, standing in front of them, your eyes wide, your voice trembling with conviction.

"Jake defended me!"

Except that was a lie.

Jake hadn't been defending you. He don't care. The guy had simply pissed him off. He always did. It had nothing to do with you, but you refused to see that. Maybe it was easier that way—to pretend Jake had some noble reason, that his fists weren't just another weapon he wielded whenever he felt like it.

It was almost amusing—the way you always listened to him, how you followed him around ever since the two of you were kids.

You were the kind of best friend who never strayed too far, always orbiting around him, always there. He wasn't sure if he should find it endearing or just plain irritating. Maybe a bit of both.

He could do the most questionable things, and without fail, you'd always have his back.

"Thank you, Jaeyun-ah! You know I don't like Jungwon—he's always ranked first. He deserves to be caught cheating."

You grinned at him, clutching your notebook to your chest as if he had done you some great favor. But Jake hadn't done it for you. He hadn't even thought of you when he slipped that answer key into Jungwon's bag. He was just bored, looking for something to break the monotony. Watching the teachers drag Jungwon to the disciplinary office had simply been an added bonus.

"It's okay, Jaeyun-ah! What you're feeling is valid. I'm sure Yuta deserved that punch—he's a creep."

You had been so quick to reassure him. But Yuta wasn't a creep. Jake had made that up on a whim, an excuse to put the guy in his place, to see him crumble. Because he was bored.

It was almost amusing—how you, of all people, always knew the difference between right and wrong. You were kind, the type to preach fairness, to stand up for what was just.

And yet, when it came to him, all of that fell apart. You always had an excuse, always a justification ready on your lips, as if his actions existed outside the rules that applied to everyone else.

Sim Jaeyun had you wrapped around his finger so effortlessly, it was pathetic.

And honestly, it was disgusting.

"Jaeyun-ah!" you squealed, your voice breaking into a moan as your fingers dug into his back, clinging to him. Your breath hitching as he hit that spot over and over again.

The room was dimly lit, the air thick with the scent of sweat and sex. His phone buzzed relentlessly on the bedside table, the screen flashing with his girlfriend's name. Over and over, the call came, the shrill ring cutting through the muffled sound of skin slapping against skin. But neither of you moved. Neither of you cared.

It was disgusting—how easily you spread your legs for him, how willingly you became his escape whenever she couldn't satisfy him. You never hesitated, never even flinched when he came to you, already knowing what he wanted.

He still loved his girlfriend. With everything he had. But she could never give him the kind of mind-numbing, toe-curling release that you did.

"It's in a man's nature, Jaeyun-ah," you had whispered to him once, your fingers lazily tracing patterns over his bare chest, your body still warm from the aftermath of what you had just done. Your voice always had been soft and sweet. "Men have needs. It's only natural to seek satisfaction elsewhere when she can't give you what you want."

Jake remembered those words vividly, the way you had said them with such certainty, as if you truly believed them. As if your presence in his bed, tangled in his sheets, was anything but a betrayal.

"Maybe it's even her fault," you had added, tilting your head to look at him through heavy-lidded eyes. "She should know better. She should do better. If she really loved you, wouldn't she try harder to make you happy?"

Your justifications were always so effortless, so convincing. You never made him feel guilty, never accused him of being selfish or cruel. Instead, you framed it like you were the only one who truly understood him, the only one who could give him what he needed without judgment.

It was painfully obvious that you were in love with him.

And it disgusted him.

Every longing glance, every adoring smile, every saccharine word that spilled from your lips—it all made his skin crawl.

Yet, despite the repulsion twisting in his gut, he kept coming back. Again and again. Because at the end of the day, you were the only one who truly understood him. The only one who never judged, never asked for more than he was willing to give.

"I said don't give me marks!" Jake growled as he grabbed your wrists, prying your hands off his back where your nails had been sinking into his skin.

Without giving you a chance to react, he shoved you down, caging you beneath him. His arms wrapped tightly around your shoulders, trapping your limbs against your sides as his weight pressed into you. His knees planted firmly on either side of your thighs, bracing himself as he drove deeper, making you take every inch of him.

The bed creaked beneath you, the room filled with the sound of skin meeting skin, your ragged breaths mixing with his.

And despite the way he loathed the way you looked at him, despite how much your affection disgusted him—he still couldn't stop.

"You love fucking like this?" Jake growled into your ear, his breath hot against your skin as he drove into you with unrelenting force.

"Yes! Fuck, I love your cock inside me, Jaeyun-ah! Fuck me harder!" you sobbed, your voice breaking with each thrust. Your mind was drowning in the pleasure he ruthlessly forced upon you.

Jake exhaled sharply, his breath ragged as he buried his face in the crook of your neck.

His arms tightened around you, locking you in place beneath him. He didn't give you a second to breathe, because your body was nothing more than a means to chase his own satisfaction.

Jake groaned as he felt you clench around him, your walls tightening, desperately trying to keep him buried deep. The way your body surrendered so easily, so pathetically. It was hilarious, how little self-control you had when it came to him.

"You fucking disgust me," he sneered. His thrusts never slowed as he tilted his head slightly, watching the way your face twisted in pleasure, eyes glazed over, lips parted as broken moans spilled from your throat.

"Getting off on your best friend’s cock? That’s just pathetic."

You shook your head wildly, fingers clawing at his back, legs trembling around his waist. "I don’t care!" you gasped, "just want you, Jaeyun-ah! Just want your cock—please!"

Jake let out a breathy chuckle, "Of course, you don’t," he muttered. His teeth grazed your shoulder before he bit down, hard, marking you. Your body jerked beneath him, a sharp whimper escaping your lips as he tightened his grip on your waist, pressing you impossibly closer, molding you against him like you were made to take him.

Your tongue traced the ridges of his collarbone, wet and hot, leaving a trail of saliva as if you wanted to claim him just as much. Jake hissed, his muscles tensing beneath your touch, his pace turning brutal. His name tore from your lips in screams, your body writhing, thrashing, but his arms locked around you, keeping you exactly where he wanted.

And then, without warning, your orgasm crashed over you—sudden, violent, leaving you gasping, eyes rolling back as your body went rigid beneath him. No slow build-up, no warning. Just raw, overwhelming pleasure that left you completely undone.

As the aftershocks of your orgasm pulsed through you, leaving your body trembling beneath him, Jake didn’t slow. If anything, he fucked you through it, dragging out every last bit of your high until you were left whimpering, overstimulated, body twitching against his pace.

"Look at you," he scoffed as he watched your fucked-out expression. "Completely ruined over your best friend’s cock. What would your parents think if they saw you like this?"

Your lips parted, but only breathless moans escaped.

Jake chuckled darkly, his pace faltering just long enough for him to grab your chin, forcing your dazed eyes to meet his. "And what about my girlfriend?"  he mused, tilting his head as if genuinely curious. "She has no idea you’re spreading your legs for me every time she turns her back. That you’re nothing but a cheap fuck whenever she can’t satisfy me."

For a split second, he saw that pathetic flicker of sadness in your gaze. But Jake didn’t care.

Because he knew you. Knew the way you worked. No matter how much he degraded you, no matter how cruel his words got, you would always come crawling back. Always.

Because that’s who you were.

Jake pulled out abruptly, leaving you gasping at the sudden emptiness. His hands were rough, impatient, as he flipped you over, manhandling you into the position he wanted. You barely had a moment to react before he shoved your face down against the mattress, pressing hard against the back of your neck, keeping you in place.

"Stay still," he muttered, his other hand gripping your hip, lifting your ass high in the air.

You barely had time to process the shift before the sharp buzz of his phone filled the room again, the sound coming from the bedside table. His jaw ticked in irritation, but he didn’t reach for it. Instead, he lined himself up with your entrance, cursing under his breath.

Then, without warning, he thrust back inside.

Another scream tore from your lips, your fingers scrambling against the sheets, trying to ground yourself as the force of his movements sent shocks of pleasure and pain coursing through you. Your walls fluttered around him instinctively, struggling to adjust to the new angle, but he didn’t slow down.

"Tighten up," Jake growled. "Feels like I’m just fucking my fist."

You clenched around him immediately, an attempt to please him, but the effort only made your body tremble harder. Your vision blurred as fresh tears welled in your eyes, spilling down your cheeks, soaking into the sheets beneath you.

Jake noticed. His fingers tangled into your hair, yanking your head up, forcing you to look at him. Your eyes were glassy, lips trembling, breath coming in short, shaky gasps.

"Aww," Jake cooed mockingly, tilting his head as his grip on your hair tightened. His fingers twisted cruelly in the strands, yanking your head back until your neck arched, forcing your tear-streaked face into view. "Is my sweet angel hurt?"

You sniffled, trying to steady your breath, but the way he kept thrusting into you made it impossible to think, let alone speak. Your fingers dug into the sheets, knuckles turning white as your body rocked in time with his brutal pace.

And then you smiled—soft, sweet, broken. The kind of expression you knew would make something dark flicker in his eyes.

"I don't care, Jaeyun-ah," you whispered, your gaze met his, unwavering despite the tears threatening to spill. "That's my purpose, right?"

His reaction was instant. A low growl rumbled in his chest, and without hesitation, he shoved you back down, pressing your face into the mattress. The force knocked the air from your lungs, but you still moaned.

Jake cursed under his breath, his grip on your hips tightening as his thrusts turned erratic. You could feel it—the way his cock twitched inside you, the way his breath grew uneven, muscles tensing. He was close.

"Fuck, I trained my angel so well," he grunted, punctuating his words with a harsh slap to your ass. The impact stung, a sharp burst of pain that made you whimper. His moans were growing louder, more desperate, the telltale signs of his impending climax.

"That's right, Jake!" you cried out, voice breaking. "Make yourself cum in me—your fucking boring girlfriend could never!"

The second those words left your lips, his hand shot forward, slapping over your mouth and muffling your moans.

"Shut the fuck up," Jake growled. His other hand dug into your hip, his grip so tight you knew there’d be bruises tomorrow. "You don’t get to talk about her. Don’t fucking ruin my orgasm by running that filthy mouth of yours."

A sharp, burning twist coiled in your chest at his words. But at the same time, the thick drag of his cock against your cervix make your walls clamped down around him, squeezing so tight it forced a strangled moan from his throat.

"Fuck—" Jake groaned, his head falling forward against your back, breath ragged, body tensed as his thrusts turned erratic. His fingers dug into your hips, keeping you locked in place as he chased his release. "I'm gonna cum, angel."

A strangled sound tore from his throat, his grip bruising as he drove himself deep one last time. And then, with a low, guttural moan, he spilled inside you.

The heat of it, the way he pulsed and twitched against your walls, sent you spiraling instantly. Your orgasm hit violent, all-consuming, crashing through you with no mercy. Euphoria flooded every nerve, burning through your veins, leaving you boneless beneath him.

You gasped, lips parted in a silent cry, your body convulsing around him as wave after wave of pleasure wracked through you. It felt endless, like falling through space with no ground to catch you, no way to stop.

Jake groaned again, feeling the way your walls fluttered and clenched around him, milking every last drop from his spent cock. He twitched, giving a few more lazy thrusts, fucking his cum deeper into you, pushing past the oversensitivity that made your thighs shake and your breath stutter.

Slowly, his pace lost momentum, his thrusts turning shallow, sluggish, until finally, he stilled. His weight pressed against you as he exhaled heavily, letting the last remnants of pleasure fade into exhaustion.

The room was filled with nothing but the sound of your ragged breaths, the sweat cooling on your flushed skin, the lingering heat of what you’d just done.

And then, as the high began to ebb, as the last shocks of pleasure melted into nothingness, the emptiness settled in.

A hollow ache replaced the euphoria, leaving you nothing more than a trembling, used mess sprawled out beneath him.

Jake let out a slow, heavy breath as he ran a hand through his sweat-dampened hair, his body still humming with the remnants of release. The warmth of you still clung to his skin, but he didn’t spare you a glance as he pulled out, leaving a mess between your trembling thighs.

Grabbing his phone from your bedside table, he stared at the screen, scrolled through the flood of missed calls and unread messages. The screen illuminated his face, jaw tightening slightly before he sighed, thumbs moving quickly to type a response.

Your gaze followed him, watching as he moved around the room without hesitation. He didn’t look at you—not even once—as he grabbed his discarded clothes from the floor, slipping his jeans back on, adjusting his belt with the ease of someone who had done this a hundred times before.

The scent of sex still clung to his skin, and he knew it. Without pause, he reached for the bottle of cologne he always carried, spritzing it over himself, masking the evidence of what had just happened between you.

You were still sprawled out on the bed, your chest pressed against the damp sheets, your body aching, marked, used. 

"I gotta get home before she starts getting suspicious," Jake muttered, slinging his bag over his shoulder.

But before leaving, he paused at the door, casting a dark stare over his shoulder. His expression hardened, his voice colder.

"Shut your mouth. You already know that, don’t you?"

You swallowed thickly, throat tightening as you forced a small, obedient "Yes."

For a moment, there was nothing. Just silence stretching between the two of you, thick and suffocating. Then, as if flipping a switch, Jake’s entire demeanor shifted. A slow, sickeningly sweet smile spread across his lips as he turned back toward you.

Walking over, he crouched slightly to meet your tired gaze, brushing a few damp strands of hair from your face before pressing a lingering kiss to your forehead. The gesture was soft—mockingly so.

"See you next time, angel. Don’t do something stupid, hmm?" His voice was gentle, almost affectionate, like he actually cared.

And like the fool you were, you smiled at him, nodding eagerly despite the rawness in your throat, despite the soreness in your body.

Jake exhaled a quiet chuckle, tilting his head as he watched you. "My good girl."

Leaning in once more, he pecked your lips, his touch featherlight, almost tender. But beneath it, there was nothing. No warmth, no real emotion. Just obligation.

It was a role he played, a meaningless act that kept you tethered to him. And seeing you smile so sweetly, so utterly oblivious—it made his stomach twist with something akin to revulsion.

As the door clicked shut behind him, Jake let out a slow, irritated breath, rolling his shoulders as if shaking off something unpleasant.

Without sparing a second thought, he pulled out his phone, thumbs scrolling through his girlfriend’s messages.

You had always stood by Sim Jaeyun’s side—through every mistake, every decision, every selfish impulse. You defended him when no one else would, gave him everything without hesitation. It didn’t matter what he did; you always understood, always forgave, always stayed.

Your fingers curled into the sheets, nails digging so deep into the fabric they nearly tore through it. Your chest rose and fell in uneven breaths.

You stared at the door he had just walked out of, the one he never even bothered to look back at.

You let a quiet breathy laugh—before it bubbled up into hysterical and unhinged. Tears streamed freely down your face.

"His angel, my ass."

The words dripped from your tongue. a wicked little smile curling on your lips.

You had always been there for him. Always the loyal one. Always the perfect, obedient little toy he could use and toss aside when it was convenient. You had let him take and take and take.

Your gaze flickered to the ceiling, to the tiny red light blinking faintly in the dark.

You were his angel, after all. His good girl. So predictable, so harmless.

How cute.

You tilted your head as your nails dragged lazily across your own thigh, smearing the mess he left behind.

You almost felt bad for him. 

Because, Sim Jaeyun did not, in fact, train his angel well.

[my-castles-crumbling]

thought - jegulus microfic - @into-the-jeggyverse - word count: 270

“So….I’ve had a thought,” James said slowly, tracing his fingers over Regulus’s bare back as they cuddled in Regulus’s bed, blankets and curtains giving the illusion of privacy.

“Don’t let it die of loneliness,” Regulus murmured cheekily, sighing into James’s chest and moving even closer to him. “Share.” But as he waited for James to speak, his ear, pressed to James’s warm skin, took in the hammering of the other boy’s heart. What was he so nervous about?

“I was thinking, maybe….maybe we only do this with each other.”

Regulus fought with himself to stay still, to not react, even as he wanted to both scream in fear and shout with joy. “Do what?” he mumbled, desperately needing confirmation. “Snog in my bed?”

“You know what I mean, Regulus,” James replied stiffly, voice strained.

It was this stress that made Regulus move to meet his eyes. “No,” he said, his own eyes narrowed. “What do you mean, Potter?”

The Gryffindor sighed, blinking a few times before visibly steeling himself. “Go out with me. Properly,” he said firmly. “Please.”

Regulus only panicked for a moment. He only gave himself half a second to think about all the ways this could go wrong. Because then, he got lost in the genuine awe and desire in James’s hazel eyes, and he couldn’t help but let out a breath, and answer how he wanted, not how he thought was best.

“Fine,” he nodded, moving to lay on top of James again. “Okay.”

“Oh, thank Merlin.”

James’s arms tightening back around him were the most comforting thing Regulus had ever felt. Like home.

[babsf1world]

IT WAS OBVIOUS.

pairing. Oscar Piastri x Norris! fem! reader

synopsis. Oscar accidentally shows too much excitement after his win, revealing your true relationship to your brother and the whole world.

warnings. none. AGAIN, IN THE HONOR OF OSCAR’S WIN IN CHINA ‼️🥹 (two posts in one day, crazy ik)

music. The Alchemy by Taylor Swift.

OP81 masterlist. // Main masterlist.

YOU WEREN’T ENTIRELY SURE if hooking up with your brother’s teammate was the best idea you’d ever had—or the worst. But here you were, tangled up in something you couldn’t quite resist.

It all started when Lando and Oscar became teammates. Their friendship blossomed quickly, the kind of bond that seemed effortless. So, naturally, it wasn’t long before Lando introduced you to Oscar. And, well, Oscar caught your eye in a way you hadn’t expected.

He was everything your brother wasn’t—polite, calm, and kind. Where your brother was loud and relentless, Oscar was steady and thoughtful. You couldn’t help but wonder how the two of them could even be friends, let alone teammates.

But the real surprise? You caught Oscar’s eye, too. What began as casual texts and lighthearted calls quickly evolved into something more. Dates, secret meet-ups, stolen moments that felt like they belonged to another world. You didn’t tell your brother for a multitude of reasons. First, it wasn’t any of his business. And second, you knew exactly how he’d react—relentless teasing, endless questions, and a level of overprotectiveness you weren’t in the mood to deal with.

When you and Oscar decided to make it official, it was a quiet decision, just between the two of you. Well, the two of you and your best friend—because keeping secrets from her was impossible. Beyond that, no one else knew. And maybe that was part of what made it so thrilling. The secrecy added a layer of excitement to every interaction, every glance, every touch.

The moments before a race were your favorite. The paddock buzzed with energy, the air electric with anticipation. And amidst it all, there were the secret kisses, the fleeting touches when no one was looking. It was a game, a dance of stolen moments that only the two of you understood. The thrill of it all made your heart race almost as much as the roar of the engines.

Lando's invitation to the Chinese Grand Prix felt like the perfect follow-up to his stunning victory in Australia. You couldn’t be prouder of him, and being here felt like a privilege. The atmosphere buzzed with energy, and you were eager to cheer not just for him, but for Oscar as well—your two boys.

Now, you found yourself standing behind the barriers, shoulder to shoulder with McLaren team members who shared in the collective anticipation. The hum of engines roared in the background as the cars sped around the track, each lap bringing Oscar closer to something extraordinary. His first-ever pole position had already felt like a monumental achievement, but now, with the race on its final lap—lap 56—Oscar was leading. His car, sleek and powerful in its vibrant McLaren orange, glided through the turns with precision, almost effortlessly.

The tension in the air was palpable, but you couldn’t help the smile tugging at your lips as you cheered with the team. Oscar had practically won by now, the gap between him and the car behind him widening with every second.

Standing there, witnessing the culmination of hard work and talent, you couldn’t help but feel overwhelmed with pride—not just for Oscar and his incredible performance, but for Lando, who was right behind his teammate. The cheers around you grew louder as the finish line approached.

The chequered flag waved, signaling the end of the race, and as Oscar crossed the finish line first, with Lando right behind him, a surge of overwhelming pride and joy coursed through you. It was a moment of pure triumph, made even sweeter knowing how much Oscar had struggled during his home race in Australia. To see him claim victory here felt like vindication for every ounce of effort he had poured into this season.

As Oscar parked his car behind the gleaming P1 sign, your gaze never wavered from him. His car came to a halt, and in the corner of your vision, you caught sight of Lando parking just behind, the two McLarens standing like trophies of the team’s efforts. But your focus was locked on Oscar, on the way he climbed out of the car, exuding both exhaustion and exhilaration.

Helmet off, his face glowed with triumph as he threw up his arms in his signature victory pose, the crowd erupting in cheers. The moment was electric, but your heart raced for a different reason as you watched him turn—not towards his team, who stood waiting with cheers and open arms, but towards you.

Oscar’s strides were purposeful, his gaze unwavering as he crossed the distance between you. Your breath hitched when he reached you, ignoring everyone else, his arms wrapping around you in an embrace that was full of relief, joy, and something so uniquely him. You held onto him tightly, feeling the intensity of the moment.

As you pulled away slightly, his face was so close to yours, his brown eyes meeting yours in a way that made the world around you blur. For a fleeting second, there was a pause, a shared understanding, before he closed the gap. His lips met yours in a kiss that was unplanned but utterly perfect—an unspoken testament to everything he couldn’t say in words.

The team’s cheers rang louder behind you, but in that moment, it was just the two of you. The thrill of victory, the secret you shared, and the raw emotion of it all were woven together in that single instant. And for that brief, breathtaking moment, nothing else mattered.

As he pulled away, his voice was quick but steady, the words tumbling out before he turned away: “I love you.” And just like that, Oscar was off, moving to embrace the cheering team members who waited to celebrate his victory. The moment hung in the air for a beat, the rush of emotions swirling inside you.

You didn’t need to think twice about what had just happened. That kiss—bold, unapologetic—wasn’t just seen by the team. It was seen by the cameras, the crowds, and possibly even the entire world. And your brother. But none of it mattered anymore. Oscar had chosen this moment to make it clear where he stood. His love, his support, his pride in being with you—none of it wavered, regardless of what anyone thought. To him, the name you carried meant nothing in comparison to the connection you shared.

As your eyes trailed back to him, now surrounded by his teammates, the warmth of the moment was interrupted by a familiar presence. Your brother was already in front of you, arms crossed, his face set in that classic judgmental look he’d mastered over the years.

You tried not to squirm under his gaze, instead forcing a smile and stepping forward to embrace him before he could say a word. "I’m proud of you," you said quickly, deflecting with a playful tone as your arms wrapped around him.

Lando’s body stiffened for a split second, his eyebrows raised in suspicion, but he eventually hugged you back. "Hmm," he muttered, clearly not convinced but letting the moment slide—for now. You could already see the gears turning in his head, and you knew this wasn’t the end of the conversation.

As the top three entered the Cool Down room, the adrenaline still seemed to linger in the air, blending with the excitement and chatter from the race outside. The drivers were greeted by monitors showing highlights of their performance, the distant roar of the crowd fading into a steady hum. Lando followed a step behind, his usual playful energy evident in the slight bounce of his step as he grabbed a water bottle from the corner table. The tension of the race seemed to dissolve, replaced by camaraderie as they settled in, catching their breath.

It didn’t take long for Lando to break the ice in true Lando fashion. He turned towards Oscar, pointing at him with dramatic flair, his expression mock-serious. “Osc, don’t think for a second I didn’t see that,” he began, his tone accusatory yet laced with humor. The way he gestured, finger wagging as if scolding a misbehaving child, made it clear he was enjoying every second of this.

Oscar, who had just picked up his towel to dab the sweat from his face, froze mid-motion. He glanced at Lando, a mixture of confusion and resignation flickering across his features. “Here we go,” he muttered, almost too quietly to be heard. But he didn’t need to say much. He knew exactly what this was about.

“My poor eyes!” Lando cried dramatically, his free hand flying up to shield his face as if he were genuinely scarred. The theatrics escalated quickly, his voice rising in exaggerated despair as he staggered backward a step for added effect. “I’ll never recover from this trauma.”

Oscar sighed, shaking his head slightly, though the smallest twitch of a smirk threatened to betray his amusement. “Yeah, yeah, I get it, man,” he said, his voice dry but tinged with tolerance—the tone of someone well-practiced in dealing with Lando’s antics.

But Lando wasn’t about to let him off that easily. “I mean, honestly,” he continued, his mock indignation unwavering, “a little heads-up would’ve been nice. You know, like—‘Oh, hey, Lando, I’m about to make the whole world cringe by publicly making out with your sister.’ Something like that. Is that too much to ask?” His grin widened as he tossed the water bottle between his hands, his eyebrows arched in that trademark cheeky expression.

Oscar rolled his eyes, lifting the towel to hide his face for a moment as if shielding himself from Lando’s relentless teasing. “It wasn’t that bad,” he replied, his voice firm but quieter now, as if trying to downplay the moment.

“Wasn’t that bad?” Lando repeated, his voice climbing an octave as he placed a hand to his chest like he’d been mortally offended. “Mate, I think I just lost three years of my life.” His grin made it clear he was enjoying this far too much, but beneath the jest, there was no malice—just Lando being Lando.

Oscar finally allowed himself a small chuckle, shaking his head. “Alright, fine. Next time, I’ll send you a formal invitation first,” he deadpanned, the sharp wit of his retort earning a mock gasp from Lando.

“Oh, how thoughtful,” Lando shot back, finally leaning against the wall as if he’d exhausted his dramatic reserves. But the mischievous glint in his eye remained, a silent promise that he wasn’t going to let Oscar off the hook anytime soon.

The night paddock lay in near silence, the excitement of the day's events now reduced to a soft hum in the background. The dim glow of the overhead lights cast long shadows across the asphalt, illuminating the reflection of Oscar's trophy as he carried it proudly in one hand. His other arm rested securely around your shoulders, a gesture that brought a quiet warmth as the two of you walked side by side.

Lando walked just a step behind, still buzzing with energy despite the lateness of the hour. His natural playfulness was impossible to suppress, and it wasn’t long before his voice broke through the calm, cutting through the stillness with a sense of exaggerated drama. “Soo…” he began, his tone drawing out the word as if he were preparing to deliver a theatrical monologue.

Oscar groaned quietly, already anticipating where this was headed. “Oh no,” he mumbled under his breath, his head dipping just slightly. You felt his arm tighten around you briefly, as though bracing himself for impact, while you stifled a small laugh. Lando was nothing if not predictable.

“You two have a lot to explain,” Lando finally said, his voice laden with mock sternness as he caught up to walk alongside you. His brow furrowed in an attempt to appear serious, but the mischievous sparkle in his eye gave him away. He raised an eyebrow for effect, his gaze darting between you and Oscar as though he were demanding a confession for some unspeakable crime.

Feigning innocence, you tilted your head, a sly smile playing on your lips. “What do you want to explain?” you asked, your voice light and teasing. It was clear you weren’t going to make this easy for him. Even as your heart raced slightly at the idea of confronting the topic, you couldn’t resist the urge to play along.

Lando stopped walking for a moment, crossing his arms as he stood in the middle of the path, looking every bit like a self-appointed interrogator. He narrowed his eyes, his lips twitching as though he were holding back a grin. “You two are like… a thing?” he asked, his words slow and deliberate, emphasizing the weight of what he was asking.

Oscar exchanged a quick glance with you, a small, amused smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. He didn’t need to say anything for you to know what he was thinking—this was so typically Lando. As much as the question lingered in the air, it was impossible to take him completely seriously. Still, the tension buzzed ever so slightly beneath the surface, and it was clear that neither of you could sidestep the question for much longer.

But after a few lingering seconds of silence, Lando cleared his throat dramatically, clearly preparing to fill the void. “I mean, it was obvious,” he declared, his tone laced with faux confidence, as though he had pieced it all together from the start.

You couldn’t help but laugh, the sound bubbling out of you before you could stop it. “No, it wasn’t,” you shot back, shaking your head at him. “You had no idea, Lan.”

Lando’s eyebrow shot up as he feigned offense, placing a hand over his chest in mock indignation. “Excuse me? I’m incredibly observant, thank you very much.”

Oscar, who had been quietly amused throughout the exchange, finally chimed in, his voice calm but teasing. “Yeah, right,” he said, glancing at Lando with a smirk. “You only noticed because we made it too obvious today.”

Lando threw up his hands in a theatrical shrug. “Well, maybe. But still. I figured it out. That’s what counts,” he insisted, though the grin on his face betrayed how much he was enjoying winding the two of you up.

You rolled your eyes, giving him a playful shove. “Alright, Sherlock. Sure, you ‘figured it out,’” you teased, unable to keep the grin off your own face. Despite the teasing, there was an undeniable warmth in the moment—a mixture of relief and lighthearted acceptance. Leave it to Lando to turn even the most awkward revelations into something almost comforting.

“But seriously now,” Lando said, his tone softening as he let his teasing demeanor fade away for a moment. He glanced between the two of you, his lips curling into a genuine smile. “I’m happy for you guys,” he admitted, the sincerity in his voice catching you off guard.

Oscar smiled warmly in return, his arm tightening slightly around your shoulders, as if silently thanking Lando for his support. It was a simple moment, but you felt the weight of Lando’s words—his approval meant more than you’d realized.

“Just a bit mad for not telling me sooner,” Lando added, raising his eyebrows as though pretending to scold you. Though the hint of mischief in his smile quickly undermined any seriousness. “You could’ve spared me the whole awkward guessing game, you know.”

[fireinmoonshot]

Pairing: Joaquín Torres x Fem!Reader Summary: Joaquín loves referring to you as his wife after your wedding... even when it's driving Sam insane at work. Warnings: I don't think there are any. Word Count: 937 A/N: I had a request to write something about this and since the fic about Joaquín loving to be called husband has done so well, I thought this one would be a cute one. It's not very fluffy or romance based and Sam is in it a lot but I think it turned out pretty cute and funny and very Joaquín. Enjoy 💗

It’s uncharacteristically quiet inside Sam and Joaquin’s base. The two men are sat at their desks, eyes focused on their computer screens as they look up information about their next target, trying to memorise as much as possible before it’s inevitably time for them to save the world again. 

Sam leans back in his chair and stifles a yawn. “So, when’s your girl coming by?” He asks, looking across the room at Joaquin, who is sat at his own desk, staring blankly at his computer.

Joaquin blinks, sitting up a little straighter at the mention of you, and turns to look at Sam. Despite the fact that staring at a computer screen is part of his job, even he’s getting tired of it today. 

“Oh, my girl? You mean… my wife?”

Sam immediately regrets saying anything. Joaquin has been talking all morning about how you’re coming by to visit and take him out for lunch this afternoon. He’s been excited because you’ve never come to visit their base before and after marrying you last month, being apart from you is harder than ever. 

The thing is, every time Joaquin mentions you lately he never mentions you by name. It’s always ‘my wife’ or some variation of it. Sam has never heard of anyone liking a word so much.

“If you say one more word I’m sending you home and finishing off this mission plan alone,” Sam sighs, turning back towards his own computer where he’s been reading up on their target.

For a moment, Joaquin just stares at Sam. “Okay, what’s so wrong about me referring to her as my wife? Just cause you’re not married doesn’t mean I can’t talk about my marriage, Sam.”

If it were anyone else, Sam would’ve been surprised by their confidence in saying something so bold directly to him. But with Joaquin… well, this is really just a regular Tuesday.

“Cause she has a name, man, and I don’t need you trying to rub the fact that you’re married and I’m not in my face, Joaquin,” Sam shakes his head. He’s not as annoyed about it as he sounds – he’s really just trying to get Joaquin to use your name for once. It’s almost like a challenge to him at this point.

As if you’ve been summoned, there’s a knock on the door of the base. You push it open a little, just enough to poke your head through to make sure you’ve got the right room. When you see Sam and Joaquin, you smile. “Am I interrupting?”

Joaquin springs from his chair and is across the room, wrapping his arms around you like he hasn’t seen you for weeks. He moves so quickly Sam barely even registers him moving.

“How you doin’, Mrs Torres?” Sam asks, spinning around in his chair so he’s facing you. He feels like he’s the one interrupting based on the way Joaquin is hanging off you like a koala. 

You pull out of Joaquin’s arms, smiling a little at the way that he still keeps a hand on your waist. “I’m good, Sam. How has this one been today?” You point a finger towards Joaquin.

“The usual,” Sam grins. He knows that you immediately know what he means by that. His smile grows even bigger at the look on Joaquin’s face. “He’s talked about you so much that it’s felt like you’ve been in the office with us all day.”

Joaquin pouts a little but quickly removes the look from his face, not wanting Sam to notice and tease him about it later. “Hey, don’t talk about me like that to my wife, man.”

“Oh, here we go again,” Sam huffs out a laugh. He’s pretty sure Joaquin hadn’t even meant to say it that time, but he jokes with him anyway. “You can’t call her by her name just once?” 

“I am. It’s ‘my wife’,” Joaquin protests, looking proudly between you and Sam as he says the words. Then, his grin fades. “Wait. That did not sound as good out loud as it sounded in my head.”

Sam puts a hand over his face and tries not to laugh. 

Beside Joaquin, you’re also trying not to laugh. You hadn’t taken offence at his words – you knew what he meant by them. But his realisation was amusing.

“I’m sorry, angel. I know that’s not your actual name,” Joaquin apologises, his grip tightening on your waist a little. “It came out all wrong.”

You meet Joaquin’s eyes and smile at your husband. “I know what you meant, but you’re right. It did not sound good in the slightest.” You look over at Sam. “You mind if I steal him away for an hour or so?”

Sam shakes his head. “You can take him for the rest of the day as far as I’m concerned.”

“Hey,” Joaquin narrows his eyes at Sam. 

“Go on,” Sam waves his hand at Joaquin, ignoring the look he’s giving him. “Your wife wants to take you out to lunch and you’re wasting time, Joaquin.” He smiles a little as he speaks, knowing Joaquin will enjoy him giving in and referring to you as his wife.

Joaquin smiles a little – just as Sam had expected.

You reach down and take one of Joaquin’s hands in yours. “Come on, husband. We have an hour and I intend to make the most of it. I’m sure Sam feels the same way.”

At hearing the word husband come out of your mouth, Joaquin’s smile grows. He happily starts to lead you out of the office, hand holding yours tight. “I’ll lead the way, my wife…”

[littleredhotsridinghood]

The two of you have been fighting for as long as you can remember.

Great battles of strength and wit, taunts and jeers, wins and losses. Every time you would each retreat, nursing wounds both emotional and physical but all the while riding the high of adrenaline.

Yes, you’ve fought others – but none challenge you like he does. None make your blood buzz in your veins or leave you thinking and training on how you can be better next time.

Maybe it’s because the stakes have been lower as of late, the taunts sounding more like teasing and the hits landing lighter. Maybe it’s because you’ve walked away feeling the victor more often than not – and even then, the rare taste of defeat hasn’t been as bitter.

Still, it takes you by surprise, the hot swell of pain radiating from your chest – being impaled tends to hurt, after all. It just hadn’t happened in so long – and never anywhere important… until now.

You look up in… in what? Betrayal? Hadn’t the two of you started this whole thing trying to kill each other? When had you lost sight of that?

And why does he look just as taken aback?

For a moment, it almost looks like he is going to run to you – or maybe you’re just projecting. Maybe the blood loss is getting to you and you don’t want to die alone.

Regardless, between lengthening blinks and your body growing heavier and colder, he’s gone.

And not much later, so are you.

*

You’d never given much thought to dying and almost regret it now. What awaited you? Would it be a hellish gauntlet of everyone you’ve defeated and slain? Would it be a heavenly reunion of everyone you’ve befriended and saved? Or would it be nothing? Would all that’s left of you be your body, rotting away until it too turned to nothing? Would you just have the empty comfort of your legacy?

Yes, you would come to find.

Death is… emptiness. An endless void of nothing. An empty, yawning pit of the nothing that is you. No thoughts or emotions or sensations in an endless stretch that might be seconds or centuries. And outside the bubble of that universe of nothing is true oblivion, where the sliver of you that you still are would cease to exist entirely. You are trapped there in the very worst type of purgatory – conscious of the fact but not truly aware, like a fly caught in a spider’s web in a bubble of amber.

*

You wake with a gasp, air scorching your lungs and light searing your eyes. Your body throbs and it takes a moment to realize that it’s sore muscles and not the pulse of blood in your veins that aches.

It is many minutes before you’re able to drag your eyelids back open, and even more before they adjust to the dimmed light and land on… him?

He is holding an ornate book, older than any you’ve ever seen, and he looks… just about as bad as you feel. You can’t read the strange look on his face (in his eyes) but when you try to ask why – why he’s here, why you’re here, why he did what he so obviously must have done – all that comes out of your throat is a tired croak.

Still, he understands. “Life has been… boring without our fights,” he pauses for a moment, as though he’s going to say something else but instead turns towards the door. “I’ll give you one month to recover – use it wisely.”

*

The first few days, you can barely drag yourself from your bed, let alone train to fight again.

After a week, you tell yourself that you still need more time to redevelop your fine motor skills, if you’re to be able to fight properly.

After two weeks, you can’t put off the truth anymore – not when your hands tremble upon even looking at your armor and weapons. Not when every noise outside makes your blood run cold but the silence makes it colder and the darkness at night has your heart pounding until it feels like it’ll give out.

It has been many years since you’ve felt like prey and the thought angers you enough to grab a small blade, just a little thing but definitely an easy start – except you nick your finger and the fear that rises inside of you at the thin sliver of blood is so strong that the world goes black.

*

Three days until he promised to return, and you have come to terms with your new circumstances. You can’t fight, can barely leave the safety of your home without cowering from shadows and flinching at birdsong. More often than not you stay inside, finding comfort in cooking and knitting – you’ve certainly retrained those fine motor skills by now.

You just hope that you’ll be able to finish this blanket before he arrives. Before you have to admit that you’re no longer a worthy opponent to anyone, let alone him. Before he kills you (again) and leaves you to die alone (again). Before you have to go back to that yawning maw of nothing.

You try not to think about it all too much – it tends to leave you buried, trembling under your covers for the rest of the day and you only have so much time left to finish this blanket, after all.

*

He arrives a day early, while you’re sitting outside and knitting.

You didn’t even get to finish the border, needles clacking against each other as your hands shake. You set them down and look up at him. He’s wearing his strongest, fiercest armor, looking like some god ready to wage war. You’re wearing your softest, most comfortable clothes for the last time, looking… you don’t even want to think of how you must look to him.

“I-I’m sorry,” your voice has never shaken like this before and the shame eats away at you, “I can’t f-fight anymore.”

“No. No, I brought you back perfectly – your body should be fine by now,” he takes one step towards you and you can do nothing to hide the full-body flinch that overtakes you.

What a useless coward you are now. You can’t bring yourself to look at him, to see the disgust in his eyes as you admit in a whisper – too weak to even announce it, “I’m too afraid.”

You wait, eyes closed, for the merciless blow that will send you back to that oblivion. But it never comes.

“Then... I’ll have nothing more to do with you.”

By the time that you open your eyes, feeling gutted in an entirely different way, he is gone.

It’s not until now that you feel the tears streaming down your face – and you didn’t know to be scared of the possibility of living the rest of your life like this until this moment.

*

Time passes slowly after that, and you drift as best as you can, trying to make the most of your new life.

You finish the blanket, draping it over the couch by the fire – now you might actually be alive to use it when winter rolls around.

Try to go for a walk outside that lasts until a wolf cried in the far distance – upon returning home, you bury the pelt that a younger you had hunted with father at the bottom of the closet.

Read a book that you’d been meaning to get around to – it’s funnier than you’d expected, but there’s no one to talk about it with.

Try to go out the next day, thoughts of starting a garden in that empty bed that you’d never paid attention to until it starts pouring – a bolt of lightning flashing and thunder immediately crackling far too close to your home leaving you nearly pissing yourself and scrambling inside.

Cook up some food for yourself, wishing for someone on the other end of the table to share it with – but you’d been so comfortable with a solitary life in the past. You’d enjoyed the silence that now eats away at you.

Life is peaceful in a way that you’d never thought it could be – but is also emptier than you’d ever thought possible. Lonelier, despite the bouts of paranoia that you are being watched.

Still, anything is better than the void of death.

*

You’re back in the garden, trying again when you hear them. They’re not exactly being subtle about it, crashing through the brush and calling out for you. You know them – know of them – associates of someone you defeated when you weren’t fighting him.

They are here to kill you, having heard that you aren’t as dead as the world had thought.

You grip the shovel in your hands, the only ‘weapon’ on hand, knowing that it’ll be useless against theirs. That is, if you can even bring yourself to move, your body locking in terror at the knowledge of what is awaiting you if don’t – can’t – fight them off. It’s a vicious cycle of fear that you can’t shake as they encircle you, laughing at how far you’ve fallen.

And maybe this half of a life is pitiful, shameful compared to who you once were, but it’s still yours and if you can just get your damn muscles to unfreeze, you can go down fighting for it.

The leader swings his sword at you – sloppy, taunting – and you just barely dodge it in time, heart pounding. You try to counterattack, but it’s slow and weak and uncoordinated. Pathetic, and they know it. One of them laughs from behind you, swiping and you just know that they’re toying with you but you still jump away in panic– right into another waiting blade.

White hot pain lances into your side and it feels so terribly new now – where had your tolerance gone? – that you can’t not scream. You sound like a terrified, wounded animal, feel like one too as another blade nicks your arm causing you to drop the shovel. Another sinks into your calf and you collapse to the ground.

The leader raises his sword with a sneer, and with terribly clarity, you know that this is it, and force yourself to look anywhere else. To the sky, to the trees around you, to the soil beneath you. You were going to plant peppers here.

Once again, the blow never comes.

Instead, you hear an awful gurgling sound – you know it to be the sound of someone choking on their own blood and distantly wonder if it’s you. But then a body crashes to the ground before you. The leader is clawing at his throat, where an arrow has pierced cleanly through and blood is dripping from both the hole and his mouth.

Another man falls to your left, dead before he even hits the dirt from the arrow protruding from his eye. You recognize those arrows, the grey fletching – they are his.

Two more of your attackers are dropped before he appears, axe drawn and already descending upon those that were left standing. You’ve never seen him fight like this before – it’s nothing like the battles between the two of you, not even at the start. It’s not that he’s fighting with more skill or strength, but rather… he’s fighting like he’s furious, like he could just throw his weapon down and tear his opponents apart with his bare hands. He actually does drop it once he’s down to the last man standing and you vaguely identify him as the first to stab you. He uses the man’s own sword instead.

The silence that settles around the two of you after that isn’t the kind that fills you with dread. It’s not even the awkward kind. In fact… it’s almost comfortable, the way that he brings your into your own home and begins bandaging you without a word. He’s practically untouched, apart from a small slice on his forearm that you wrap in return.

It’s only later, when you are both eating a hastily thrown together meal that he speaks, “You know that they won’t be the only ones that come for you.”

It’s tough to swallow past the lump in your throat, “I do… but I can’t fight anymore.” If you’d had any hope of being able to push through the crippling terror before, it’s been thoroughly disillusioned now.

He reaches across the table and covers your hand with his own, “I can.”

Your heartbeat picks up, but for once it’s not from fear, “I’m not the same as I was before.”

He leans in, “Neither am I.”

You can’t help but match him, “I–”

He cuts you off with a kiss - and if you ever know that emptiness again, he's always right there to chase it away.

"came back wrong" what about Came Back Afraid. You used to be brave. Too brave maybe, defying the odds at every turn, a fighter, cocky, playing with fire, first to throw yourself at the enemy. Until one day it all caught up to you. You came back, somehow, but now you know all too intimately how it feels to lose, to die, to be destroyed. Now you flinch and freeze and cower at the slightest provocation. Who even are you now if you can't be brave? The grave may have let you go, but the mortal fear still grips you tighter than ever.

[writingwisterias]

Belonging

Single Dad!Leon Kennedy x AFAB!Fem!Reader

Warnings: Smut, MNDI, Needy Dom!Leon, Touched-Starved, DILF!Leon, Unprotected Sex, Fluff, Comfort, Edging, Oral, Overstimulation, Orgasm-Denial, Praise Kink,

Summary: Maybe sometimes it's worth being a bit selfish

I hope you enjoy, it's inspired by all my anons Headcanons over DILF!Leon !! Also I read somewhere on Reddit that his favorite film was French connections so his daughter is named after a character in that

Words: 7.6k

Thank you Eva for beta reader @clitorphosis 😘

Mornings like this were always his favourite, where the breeze flowed through that gap in the window that he never shut. His soft sheets wrapped around his body encasing himself in warmth that the fabric provided and let's not forget the small breaths that fanned over his chest as he tugged the little body closer. Her blond hair spewn out across his arm and chest as she clinged onto him for dear life. He’d ignore the pain that rose as her fingers dug into his flesh, the action feeling somewhat familiar to others in his past. Leon was never sure how his life gave him these moments, how despite all the shit he has gone through his little angel shines brightly in it. Marie Kennedy, the guardian angel that saved her father from himself. 

He would now never come to regret the decisions that led him to this point. All of his years of self torture wondering where his life was going and what his true purpose was meant to be; came crashing down as soon as her little finger held onto his when she was finally in his arms. It didn’t matter that her mother wasn’t a part of the picture, not when he promised himself to fill that role as much as he could for her. For now it was easy, listening to the 4 year old ramble about the disney princess’. Half the words coming out as a babbled mess with a few he could understand mixed in. 

The harder parts he was sure would soon come, but he now has an army of people who would help him.There was little point in him thinking about her older years, not when she was still so clingy that he couldn't do the reports at home without her sitting in his lap. Her pink crayons always end up scribbling a few lines in the corner of his reports. Thank god it wasn’t unusual for Hunnigan to proofread them before she handed them in, there was now an eraser on her desk stained pink as she tried to scrub them away for him. 

Leon’s work attitude improved, he no longer felt the never ending doom within his service. Instead, he focused on working hard to make the world a better place for his angel. 

Leon worked his fingers through the blonde stands of her hair, detangling them before she's even woken up. He watched her as she snuggled further into his chest, as if she could get any closer without being completely on top of him. He wasn’t sure when she had snuck her way into his bed last night but he wasn’t going to argue or tell her off. He never did – not when his body instantly reacted everytime, pulling her into his safe embrace. The action was his favourite, the most soothing to him; after all it was the only place in the world he could ensure nothing would get to her. Not without the lack of trying anyway. 

It was surprising that even with the sun periodically lighting up the room when the curtains would blow with the breeze that she still didn't wake. Leon no longer needed an alarm clock, not when Marie would come running in jumping on the bed excitedly begging for him to take her to the cafe. 

Leon knew he couldn’t cook for shit; he never really had to learn, not when he barely had the time to sit in his apartment before being called on another mission again. Most of the meals she ate were frozen foods, something quick and easy for him in case he did have to leave quickly. So it came to no surprise that her favourite meal of the day was breakfast. He wouldn’t blame her either when you delivered the food, always with a large and welcoming smile.

Leon only ever tried his best for her. Everyone that had met the pair could see it. There wasn’t anything that man wouldn’t do for his little girl. He was never late to collect her or drop her off from kindergarten. Never bought his work home besides a few non-descriptive reports. Leon made sure that the home was filled with everything she needed; it was her little palace not his. It went as far as him even choosing to eat off the pink princess plates instead of boring ‘adult’ ones. Of course his angel made sure to get him his favourite character, Mulan always staring back at him once he finished. 

Leon kissed the crown of her head, smiling at the waft of apple shampoo that filled his nose. In terms of waking up your energetic 4 year old, that's at least a pleasant way to do it. He chuckled as he felt her head shaking against his skin as she slowly rose, her tiny fists rubbing at her eyes before the smile came. The one that was always brighter than any star, sun or flash bang he’s seen. His favourite sight in the morning. “Morning sleepy head” He soothed as she finally looked at him. Her arms wrapped around his neck giggling as she peppered his face with her small kisses. 

He couldn’t help but laugh along with her holding her body close. “Morning Daddy” she replied, pulling back to look at him with nothing but love. He often found himself wondering if she would do the same as she grew up, if she would keep looking at him like the stars shined out of his ass. There was no hiding her from his past when she was older, the horrors were still too present in his mind and with technology advancing, who knows how long he would still be doing this. 

However, he was forever thankful that he had people that looked after her a year ago. The world beat him too hard but for her…he had to pull through. That situation now left her with an army of uncles and aunties, all willing to step in for him. To make sure that no matter what happened he could rest easy knowing she was taken care of.  

Leon didn’t get a chance to sit up before she bounced off the bed, her excited feet going in the motion to drag him awake. He smiled as she tried with all her might, just like every morning, to get him up. “Alright alright, I’m getting up” He laughed, his hand falling on her head stroking the hairs lovingly one more time before standing up. His body popped and cracked as he stretched it out, the abuse it's been through for many years now catching up to him.

Once dressed, Leon turned to see her playing silently with her rabbit, blabbering god knows what to the well loved toy. Her blond hair messy on one side, her cheek still red from where it was pressed against his warm chest. Once he was situated it was her turn, he practically chased her to the room. Following the sounds of playful giggles as she ran away. The pink walls were a form of comfort for him, the fairy stickers he remembered being a nightmare to place now made it feel magical. He always let her choose what she wanted to wear, only reminding her the items of clothing that she needed to find. 

Outfit situated Marie sat in front of him, playing quietly with her toys as he worked on her hair. Carefully detangling it with the brush before braiding, silently reminding himself of the steps that Claire taught him. It was only a basic braid, nothing too complicated for him but it was enough to ensure her hair never got tangled and he didn’t have to deal with nits when they broke out in her class. Leon cringed at the memory of the only time it happened, shuddering at her little sniffles as Claire and Jill worked the combs through the hair as gently as they could, whilst he stood there helpless. Only being able to offer her cuddles once the ‘torture’ was over.  

“Breakfast?” She asked him, looking at him with her version of puppy dog eyes. Not that she needed them with him. Leon grinned as she tried to contain her excitement, wiggling on the spot as he zipped up her coat. “Stay still or I’ll get you angel” He chuckled. It was a repeated phrase, her excitement and enthusiasm was one of the things he treasured most as she grew up. Sure she got in a few cupboards she shouldn’t have when she began crawling and silence always unnerved this household. Ending up being the most common signal that she was up to something. 

“Do you think she’ll be there today?” Her small voice asked as she watched him secure her mittens. He knew she was talking about you, her favorite person in the world. A title bribed with your seemingly endless knowledge on the princess’ she cared so much about and the tiny pancakes you forced the chefs to make for an infamous bunny. None of the other staff members seemed to care about them as he walked in there with her. Maybe it was because he had to deal with her mini meltdowns over it being your day off.

“I’m sure she will be Angel, she was there last saturday” He chuckled, watching as she paused, her features scrunching as she thought about it. Trying to determine if her dad was cruel enough to lie again. 

There was a possibility that he should put more thought into you being her favorite person. Having to explain the connection and routine he’s created for his little one where her mood for the rest of the day is determined by your presence would be a tricky one. Even more so if it was to someone he was trying to date, not that he was trying to find someone. His love life had run dry since the screaming baby was introduced, the welfare of his toddler was more important than any woman he bought home. The drinking had slowed as soon as she was born, he can't drink himself to sleep every night if a newborn cries every 2 hours.  

Her fingers clenched around his hand, holding tightly as he guided her to the car. The Disney CD started playing once he began to drive; he never really had the heart to turn it off and put something that he would have preferred instead. Even when she wasn’t in the car. His Dad Rock days were on a pause for now. 

The car was filled with the sound of his humming. Occasionally broken by half hearted responses to Marie as she babbled about the things they passed. Her sticky fingers left marks on the window, that he never would clean off, as she pointed at them. It didn’t matter that they passed the same sights everyday or spoke about the same tree that was sprouting flowers now spring was around the corner. These moments are what made everything worth it. 

Your body turned towards the entrance of the cafe, the sound of the bell above the door signalling someone had entered. The smile you wore was bright but it was still the fake one that was reserved for the customers you weren’t familiar with. However, it was quick to change when you saw the familiar mop of brown hair and heard mummers of the deep voice you had grown familiar with, whispering a small curse as he tried to stop the toddler from colliding into your legs. You didn’t care, he knew that but at least this time you had warning. You crouched to her level, arms open wide as she collided with you. 

“There's my favorite customer! You’re later than normal, I thought I missed you” you chuckled, holding her tight as she giggled. Leon stood to the side a smile forming on his lips as he watched over the interaction. He was holding her little pink backpack over his shoulder, His leather jacket was done up tightly around him, a black scarf laying uneven around his neck. “She finally decided to have a lay in,” he chuckled, his hand soothing the girl's head once again as you pulled away from her. The interaction had gained the attention of the other customers, all of them smiling at the poor 4 year old who now cowered behind her daddy's leg. “You guys just want the usual?” You asked him, holding your hand out for her to take as you began guiding them to the closest booth. 

Leon watched as his angel sprinted to your hand, grasping it tightly before her rambles began again. No longer scared thanks to your distraction. “Please, though a latte instead of the usual black coffee today” Leon replied as he took off her coat and helped her slide in the booth. “Finally get some sleep?” You asked with a sweet smile. You always gave him one of those, it was his little treat in the morning. One of the reasons he even came back here, seeing you interact with his daughter whilst he nursed the headache. You didn't care if your shift just started or you were about to finish, you always slid into the booth and spoke to him. Gave him the sense of normalcy he needed when stress ate away at him, when he would return from a mission the horrors still haunting him every time he blinked. You were there. Always there.

“Enough that the coffee doesn't need to be strong” he chuckled. You smiled again, a silent encouragement towards him that he needed. You didn't know what he did for work, you didn't care. That's why you were loved here, sitting with anyone that looked like they needed it. The interactions give a sense of community to the lonely souls that washed up here. He was proud that he and his little girl got all of it when they came in. She needed a bond like this, maybe someday she would be able to turn to you for things she couldn’t talk to him about. It was a dangerous line to think about, it often left him thinking about what things could be if he took it further. If maybe you were a part of her life in a way that was more than just the kind lady that gave her extra pancakes. 

“I mean it's an improvement at least. Do we have Bunny with us today?” You asked, turning towards the girl that finally got herself situated. You laughed as Marie proudly showed it off, her small fingers wrapped tightly around the droopy ears. “What flavour pancakes are we both having today?” 

Leon couldn’t help but flash another smile at the way you were talking to her…and the rabbit toy. Watching these interactions didn’t stop the yearning for you he felt. However, Marie was still so young, introducing someone in her life that could possibly fill the role he couldn’t might end badly. Having to explain why they aren’t there anymore if things didn’t work out was something that always lingered in the back of his mind. When it comes to the relationship that she had with you he doesn’t want to ruin it because of a small blooming crush. It wouldn’t be fair for her or you. 

He watched you disappear to the kitchen, Marie finally turning to him again with the colouring activities you had placed on the table. Just like everyday he found himself colouring neatly in the lines of the silly cartoons on the paper. Whilst she scribbled blue over the top. She was lucky it was his favorite colour, so he could pardon her for ruining his neat lines. The vibrations in his pocket broke the bubble of peace he has created, a reminder of his responsibilities. The world didn’t care if it was a saturday. 

You watched from the coffee machine his brows pinch in frustrations, heard his tone become short as he looked down at his angel. You knew it wasn’t a good phone call, likely him being called into work again. When you finally placed his drink next to the crayons that were chaotically laid around the table. The phone call ended and Leon was now laid back against the seat in defeat. “Is there anything I can help you with?” You asked him, sitting across from him in the booth. Your knee bumped against his, drawing his attention from the rather boring ceiling lights back to you. You offered him a tight lipped smile whilst he thought about your question. 

“Work called me in…something about…important reports” He groaned, his hand reaching for the latte. It was funny watching his brows pinch at confusion as the latte art that stared back at him. A funny idea at the time, a cute smiley face. “You always order a black coffee so I never get to do my infamous art” You laughed. Leon smiled a soft chuckle escaping his lips, his frustrations momentarily on hold as he looked at the smiley face that stared back at him. You watched his adam's apple bob as he sipped the hot beverage. The burn of the liquid is a more favourable one compared to the other drinks he was used to. “There's no one to watch her. Everyone I trust is busy” He sighed, leaning back against the chair in defeat. 

“Do you trust me?” 

Leon paused, his whole body stiffened at your question. His gaze was intense as he scanned you contemplating your words. “I do” He nodded, “But whilst you’re at work? I can’t ask you to watch her as you do that” 

“Leon, I promise you it’s fine. I go off shift in a few minutes anyway. You both came in later remember” 

You watched him think it over again, his eyes flicking between you and his angel. It wasn’t about her this time, he knew she would be in good hands with you. The time you spend bonding over the years he’s visited didn’t account for nothing. He was just…thankful you would do this for him. To change the plans of your day to help him, it was a strange feeling in his chest. Perhaps his weakness is his little girl, if any woman showed an ounce of love towards her he would fall to his knees it would appear. “If it’s not too much trouble, I can drop you off at mine or yours…I don’t know which is easiest” He sighed, his hands grasping the mug tightly. 

You didn’t miss how tight his grip was, his nerves put on a back pedal for her. A wall that he held proudly and strongly to ensure Marie never knew what was happening. “Your place is fine. Besides, watching Movies all day with this little sweetheart sounds much better than laundry” You joked, looking over at the young girl that finally perked her head up at your sentence. Her blond hair swished rapidly as she nodded excitedly at the idea of a playdate with you. 

Marie’s reaction sold him. She was never this excited when the others looked at her, it was like she had forgotten about him entirely. He watched as she scooted around to your side of the table, the scribbled mess being dragged with her. “Thank you” He sighed, his posture finally relaxed again. “You don’t have to thank me” 

“I do” 

The car ride lacked any awkwardness. It felt almost like you belonged in the passenger seat, belting out the songs with your favourite duo. Despite the fact you were the only person in tune and singing the correct words. You didn’t miss his smile or the twinkle in his eyes. Leon had his arm propped up on the door of the car, his eyes remained on the road. You almost wanted to reach over the center console and lay your hand on his thigh but that would be wrong. You weren’t doing this to get in his pants. 

You did it because despite the way he hid behind a wall of cringey dad jokes and his care for others…for his daughter, you saw his longing for a complete family. So he didn’t have to explain why every kid had a mommy and she didn’t, to have a conversation as to why she wasn’t wanted by someone in that way. He craved for someone to fill the gap that was so glaringly obvious in this house– you could see it despite the fact he never mentioned it. Never asked for it either, he dealt with the hand he was given just as he always did. 

It wasn’t wrong for you to think it could be you. To hope it could be you. You loved them both, they created a sense of safety just as you did for them. It was clear that you would be a perfect match with how natural this felt. You understood why he was cautious, you knew he was a man with a dark past – a closet full of skeletons. It didn’t stop you from wanting him to dive head first into his arms without caring about what happens after. You needed them as much as they needed you. 

Leon gave you a quick tour as well as a scribbled note of her evening routine in fear he couldn’t escape early enough. Until eventually with enough reassurance from you and slobbery kisses from his toddler he left. Leaving you both to a house stocked with enough blankets to build a fort. 

“So…how about we build a palace?” You asked the girl, looking down at where she was standing next to you. Her face covered in a small pout, her bunny clutched tightly in her arms as she waited for her dad to come back. It was adorable to see this side of her because normally you would only catch the energetic side where she would talk to you for hours over pancakes. You didn’t see the quiet toddler, the shy one that needed her daddy to feel safe.  Marie looked up at you, her brain considering the idea before shyly nodding a grin slowly replacing the frown. You knelt before her, taking one of her small hands in your own. A large grin plastered on your face when you asked “Where are all the blankets?” 

Some would call it a mess but you would call the perfect palace for the perfect little princess. At least she was treated as such in this house. The floor was covered in the couch cushions, Leon’s duvet laid over the top creating a layer of comfort. Trust the man to not cheap out on his bedding, the feather duvet felt heavenly as you both tested out beforehand. You tried to ignore the butterflies that became persistent as you became surrounded by the scent of him. The Cedarwood and musk instantly calms the two of you. 

She helped you hold the blankets as you pinned them in place. Running around giggling as she collected her favorite stuffed toys to add inside, the giant squishmellows worked as the perfect cushions. As you were setting up her star projector for ambience she appeared at the door of the fort in her onesie. The perfect slumber party, it was a shame you didn't have your PJs.

 “Looking cute” you smiled at the girl, watching her spin around to show it off. The unicorn onesie was a clash of bright pinks and purples, but it suited her perfectly. You couldn't have picked out a better one for her yourself. “Do you not have one?” She asked, walking closer to you for help with the zipper. You watched her brain contort as you helped her. Seeing the adorable comparison between her and her father's micro expressions, the way her brows pinched together as she thought. Her toothy grin now replaced with a tight lipped smile, almost like she was thinking of a solution that didn't involve you just cuddling in your work uniform. “It's okay, sweetheart. You're so cosy that it's enough for the both of us” you grinned hoping it will wipe away the slight frown on her face. 

You held out your hand offering it to her so she could follow you to the kitchen as you prepared her dinner. She sat on the counter watching you from a safe distance, rambling about anything that came into her mind. You tried to ignore the rising baby fever in the situation. Tried to ignore how natural this felt…how domestic it felt. 

The two of you were so engrossed in the domestic atmosphere that you missed the slam of the front door. As well as missing the muttered ‘what the fuck’ as the intruder approached the living room and was met with the cosy fort. Leon was home earlier than he thought, not that he was going to argue anyway. He was grateful for it, not wanting to keep you any longer than he needed. He also knew first hand how hard bath and bedtime was with his girl. However when he turned around, naturally following the sound of laughter his heart stuttered at the sight. It was everything he wanted for her…for himself. 

After putting the dinner in the oven you were now dancing around with the young girl to some random disney song you chose on your phone. Her small hands in yours, her blond hair whipping around with her. Laughter filled his home, it warmed the space up, ignited the home feeling he always craved for her. Leon wanted nothing more than to move and press himself against the sway of your hips. His eyes flicked between the enjoyment of the moment and you. There was no denying his attraction anymore, not when he wanted nothing more than to finally claim you as part of this family…as his. You slotted so perfectly – there was no other option than you belonging here. 

“So was I not invited to this party?” Leon chuckled, his voice cutting through the enjoyment of swaying and jumping. Marie let go of your hands, her small frame bolting it to him, the laughter following her. Was it wrong to think about how good it would feel to join in their hug? To have him press a kiss against your temple as you both welcomed him home. The more you stayed the more you wanted it. Wanted him. “Well, we set up a movie night for the two of you to enjoy” You spoke, smiling at him softly before gathering your things. You needed to leave, they didn’t need you here. He had told you countless times he wanted to focus on her and not a woman…not until she was old enough. 

“You’re leaving?” Leon questioned, placing Marie back on her feet before guiding her gently to her toys. She didn’t argue, not with him. “Uh…yeah, you are back right? I don’t want to intrude or anything” You replied standing awkwardly at the doorway of the hall. Leon looked between you and the fort, his brows furrowing as he fought with himself to let the question slip between his lips. The invitation to stay the night. He would be more than happy to sleep on the couch…or what remained of the couch. If it meant that you stayed, that you could keep the happiness you bought in the home he wanted you in and not the booth. “Please stay, I hate for you to waste all your time making a cool fort and not use it” He invited, a small smirk placed on his lips. 

There was no argument that would be valid, not when he looked at you like that. When his eyes spoke louder than his mouth, his silent admission that he wanted you here. “I suppose it would be pretty lame to miss out after all that effort” You smiled, setting your bag back down on the kitchen table. Your coat was forgotten from where it was draped along the dining chair. You couldn’t help but blush as the intensity of his expression increased, for once he looked relaxed and happy. 

It was hard not to admire him in the dim light of the laptop screen, to see the way his arm held the now sleeping toddler against him. He knew he should have carried her to bed a while ago but she was the only thing keeping you separate from him, a barrier he didn’t realise he needed until he looked at your content face. Watch the rise and fall of your chest as you laughed at the movie. “Guess I’ll put her to bed” He whispered, adjusting the girl onto his lap so he could carefully carry her. It was hard not to notice the muscles move, his arms on display now his jacket had been discarded. 

It was cute seeing him struggle to manoeuvre himself out of the door, silently fighting with the blanket you used. Leon froze when your fingers brushed past him, his breath catching in his throat as he caught the smell of your perfume as you leaned forwards to pull the blanket aside. “Thanks,” He muttered. He couldn’t look at the soft smile on your face, not when you were this close. The few loose strands of your hair tickling his cheek as you nodded. 

He took the time to steady himself as he put Marie to bed.He sat in the silence of the room watching the slow rise and fall of her chest; a sign that she was okay as always. It reminded him of when she was first born and he would sit and watch her newborn chest rise and fall not quite believing that she was okay, that she was really there. He was so alone in those moments, spending so many nights wondering if he was really cut out for this shit. Yet, when he texted you, late at night begging for someone to talk to after she wouldn’t stop crying, you always replied. Then when morning came and the tired father made his appearance at the cafe, a baby finally asleep in the car seat still, you soothed him and her. 

It was only then he realised that you integrated yourself in their life, helped them in the role they both needed…a mother and a partner. With one more kiss to her head Leon left the room finally deciding to be a little selfish for once. 

He had to admit it felt pretty stupid crawling back into the tent, the lack of his child changing the atmosphere now there wasn’t a barrier in between the two of you. “Did she wake up?” You asked him, his thigh pressed against yours. It felt childish sitting in this fort, like no one was going to hear the admissions you both clearly wanted to release. “She didn’t” 

The silence wasn’t awkward, that much Leon was thankful for. He just had so much to say, so many things to thank you for. This was too much, helping him out, looking after her like this. Marie never argued whilst you looked after her, he didn’t have a text to inform him of a tantrum she had. “I need to thank you” He whispered, his attention solely remaining on his hands, picking at the skin nervously. You didn’t respond, instead you watched him. Watched as the slow creep of blush bloomed upon his cheeks under your gaze. His eyes flicking to the side and back to you. Leon always oozes confidence, never once showing you the person behind the front. Now his daughter wasn’t here…he didn’t have to pretend he was strong. That he didn’t need validation of his efforts in her life. 

“You’re a good dad, Leon. The best I’ve seen” You spoke softly. He jumped as your hand slid into his, squeezing it gently.

 “You think so?” 

When he turned to look at you, you finally broke. His eyes were soft  as if he couldn't believe the words you spoke, the small praises that left your lips. It was foreign to him. He gasped when your lips pressed against his, his hands instantly pulling you onto his lap holding you tightly. “I know so” You whispered when you pulled away, your foreheads touching. The longer you sat on him like this, relishing in the feel of his hands – his cock hardened. He couldn’t help it, not when your lips learned his quickly already tugging on the bottom one with your teeth. The harder he got, the more greedy he became. 

Leon’s tongue ran along the bottom of your lips, prodding gently between them demanding access before slipping in. He whimpered as you moved, the subtle attempt at getting closer dragging along his throbbing dick. You heard his breaths as you pulled away, your hands slipping underneath your shirt. Dragging the fabric above your head slowly. “Fucking hell” He groaned, his hands already moving up your waist. You moaned as his lips attacked your sides, kissing and biting his way along them. You threw your head back, breathing heavily at his affection. Each pinch of pain adds to your now throbbing core. 

The more he tasted, the more he wanted. You didn’t care how he pulled you to the side, manoeuvring you so he was above. You watched his abs clench as he pulled his shirt off, you were sure he was flexing them but you weren’t one to judge. Not when he was so pretty like this and it wasn’t because of the stars that projected over his skin. “That thing is so bright” He laughed, lowering his head to nip at the nape of your neck, sucking softly at the skin, whilst he hid away from the projector. “I mean it’s sort of romantic, we are under the stars I guess” 

It was only fitting that as he removed your final layers you were both enclosed in the fort, that this little moment was for the both of you and not the outside world. He wouldn’t let his horrors taint you or Marie. Not in this apartment. His mouth attached itself to your pussy, his tongue working on thick stripes between your folds. Leon needed to worship you, to taste the sweetness you allowed him too. No amount of orgasms he could give you would even make up the slow burn of this moment. Of all the time you listened to both him and his daughter crying down the phone offering only your kindness. 

He nipped at your sensitive bud, sucking the whines out of your body. He loved the way your thighs squeezed around his head, muffling his senses. His hands pried your thighs apart, keeping you open for him as he continued his assault. “Don’t close up on me now” He mumbled against your lips, each breath cooling the arousal and saliva that collected on your skin. 

Leon got lost in you, the taste, feel, scent of you. Nothing else mattered. It wasn’t fair you couldn’t please him; give him the pleasure and relaxation he needed. Leon wasn’t sure he was going to be able to look you in the eyes and take your love, the pleasure and attention he needed from someone that wasn’t his little girl or his friends. For now he allowed himself to get drunk on the taste of you. 

Your hands tugged at his brown hair, pulling him closer to your core. You could feel his breaths against your skin, sucking in harshly against your twitching clit. “Leon-” 

He moaned at the plea of his name, wanting to draw it from you again and again. He worked harder, his tongue prodding against your entrance entering you briefly before continuing its sloppy attack on your clit. He could feel you buck against this face, your thighs shaking as they tried to close around him. He needed to give this to you, to allow you one orgasm before his own. It had been so long since he experienced this, the love was suffocating, making him dizzy. He wasn’t sure how long he would last when he was finally able to sink into you. 

Leon smirked as he felt your body relax and slump against the bed. It was only then he lifted away from you, spit and arousal coating his puffy lips. His eyes were hazy as they stared down at your form. You watched his cock twitch above you in the dim light, the heat you were both creating causing a light layer of sweat to form over the two of you. When you finally met his eyes again you smiled, so sweetly at him he felt his arms buckle. “I want you Leon…I want to be a part of your life, this home…please” You begged. 

It was different than anything he wanted, you weren’t begging for the pleasure he could give you but instead for the love. The stability of a family. You were begging to intricate yourself in this home, in their life deeper than you already have. Who was he to deny you? Leon didn’t respond when he hitched your thighs on his, aiming his leaking tip towards your entrance. You felt his fingertips run along your hips, his eyes watching for your approval. “I want you to be too” He groaned as his tip notched at your entrance. 

Your eyes flicked down waiting to watch as he sunk himself deep inside of you, but he didn’t move. Leon’s eyes were shut tights, his breaths coming out short and sweet as he felt your entrance twitch around his hip. Your intense gaze begging for him to move silently. Instead, once he had collected himself he moved. Sliding his cock throughout your folds, the tip making its appearance before sliding back out of view. You felt every one of his veins then ran along the underside of his dick, his pre-cum smearing with the arousal that dripped out of you. 

Leon smirked as he watched you whimper each time he pressed himself against your clit. The sharp bolts of pleasure had you arching into him, wriggling in an attempt to notch himself inside you. Just like the both of you needed. To your credit it worked, his lubricated cock slid in with ease, a moan of his filling the tent. It was loud, of course he was going to be loud…it had been so long since he felt this. Poor guy was so selfless. 

Your breath hitched as you stretched to accommodate his size. He filled you perfectly. There was no stopping him, not when he felt you like this. Not when he sunk so perfectly in your warmth, your body doing nothing but love him back. Your body arched into him, your hips angled perfectly to add the friction you needed from his happy trail. His arms flexed next to your head as he hovered above you further. You hadn’t expected him to be so vocal, to be so demanding with your pleasure before his. 

“Fuck-” He grunted, the restraint snapping as he craved more, craved to be deeper. To bury himself to the hilt inside you. You didn’t object, you wouldn’t - not when it felt so fucking good. The wet sounds of your pussy and his low grunts filled your ears. It was too much, you lost yourself in the sounds, drooling and begging for more. His hips snapped harder, his hand grasping as the sheets near your head. You were suffocated in the feel of him, the scent that lingers the duvet beneath you, his lips that dragged across your breasts. 

“Come on, you’re so close for me baby…I can feel it” He begged. “Please…baby…” 

He felt his balls tighten, he was too close…far too close. He wanted the release, to feel his cum spill inside of you but it’s been so long. So long since he’s felt this, buried his cock in something that wasn’t a cheap flesh light or his lubed hand. You whined when he stopped moving, instead sat his cock so far inside you. It now twitched as your walls clenched around him, his eyes screwing shut as he willed his orgasm away for just a little longer. Edging himself like he’s done many times before. 

Leon’s grip was tight on your hips as you attempted to writhe against him, to draw the pleasure that was fading away back. “Stop…I don’t want to cum yet” He grunted, his grip was bruising as he desperately commanded you to stop. “Leon – Please..I was so close” 

“I know…christ woman be patient please” 

You waited, your hips stilled but the whimpers still escaped your lips. His fingers toyed with your clit, pulling the hood back to expose the erect nerve. Your whimpers turned into moans, your hands grasping at his wrist leaving small crescent marks as you dug them “Please…yes…” You begged as he continued his assault. Your walls clenched around his stiff length that was still buried inside you, stuffed so far inside it made your eyes water. He didn’t stop the squirm of your hips, not when they loosely circled around his cock. Giving him some form of pleasure as he throbbed inside of you. 

He knew you were close, the volume now being replaced with breathless whimpers. “Come on baby…I know you’re there” He mumbled against the skin of your breast. His teeth tugging and sucking on the peaked buds, devouring the flesh as you pressed it further into his mouth. The pleasure was searing hot throughout your system, your brain lingering on the edge of too much and not enough. You needed him to pump everything he could inside you, to feel his cock drag in and out of your walls in a desperate speed. 

“Leon please…move…There’s going to be more times we can do this” 

You were right, he knew you were but it didn’t stop him from wanting to take his time. To worship you at the same time he got to sink himself into you. He knew a few thrusts is all it would take to send him over the edge, his pleasure too close to guarantee the feeling of yours first. “No baby…you can do it like this, I’m filling you up nice” He groaned, his lips detaching themselves from your swollen nipple. His attention already moved to your other one whilst his finger flicked and circled around your sensitive buds. “Leon–” 

He ignored you, his hips never moving. His cock twitching inside you, his fingers and tongue working on your nerves was all you were going to get. Leon eventually smiled when he started to feel your body tighten up around him. Your thighs twitching over his, hips grinding against him no matter how hard he tries to stop it. With a whine you came, gushing around his cock as it twitched painful like it was begging for him to finally move. 

Leon whimpered as he began to drag his cock out of your walls fucking you to overstimulation. His head falling into the crevice of your neck kissing the soft skin of your collarbone. “Fuck…you are so good” He whined. He focused on himself, his balls tightening, preparing to release himself deep inside of you for the first time. “I love you Leon” You breathed against his hair, kissing the crown of his head. His thrust was sharp as he finally spilled himself inside of you. You smiled at the warmth it gave off, the feeling of him filling you. 

Leon didn’t move away, he remained where he was, in this small bubble of safety – comfort – love. 

“I love you too” He mumbled against your skin. With a small tug on his hair he lifted his head. The kiss you shared was nothing short of perfection, the unspoken words you both had to say pouring into it softly. Not like before. The two of you settled, exhaustion lingering as you watched the stars move around on the blankets. The silence felt right, his heart beating steadily lulled you to sleep. He pulled one of the many blankets around the two of you, holding you close as the tiredness crept in for him as well. 

The sound of giggles awoke you, the soft music filling the room. You spotted his shirt next to you, folded neatly with a clean pair of his boxers placed on top. The blanket closed, giving you the privacy you needed to change. As you pulled back the blanket you faltered observing the scene in front of you. Marie was propped against his hip, her head tucked against his shoulder as the scent of bacon welcomed you. Soft rock filtered around the kitchen, different to the usual disney songs. “Morning” You greeted him, your hand encircling his waist on the other side. He jolted at your touch, still not used to someone other than his daughter wanting to be close. 

His unease faded as he smiled, brighter than any you have seen in the years you have known him. This is what he wanted, what he needed. You smelled of him, the slight musk that lingered on his shirt permating your skin. You looked adorable, comfortable, happy. 

“We were just making you breakfast, someone was excited to see you stayed the night” He laughed. Adjusting Marie on his hip as he tried to prepare the breakfast. “Lucky me” You spoke, holding your hands out for his daughter. The small girl smiled, happily moving from Leon to you. Her arms wrapped tightly around your neck as you both watched him finish off. You truly did belong here. 

[anhesacardia]

Forbidden Promises

Chapter 7 (Series Masterlist)

Pairing: Modernau!Sukuna x Mother!Reader

Genre: Hidden Baby Trope

Summary: Reader opens up a bakery after running away from her three year relationship with Sukuna, effectively ghosting him and hiding away in the middle of the countryside. Unknown to Sukuna, reader also had a baby, and now is living peacefully until an unfateful meeting starts to pull her back into the life she so desperately escaped from.

Tw: Reader lowkey cries again, Misunderstandings resolved!! Finally!! Sukuna does kiss reader but consent is kind of implied. More drama ensues!! No Hana :(

Wc: 2.4k

Sukuna had always prided himself on being somewhat of a good actor, or at the very least masking his emotions better than anyone else. From a young age he learned the hard way that his emotions were to be suppressed, he wasn’t supposed to feel anything but anger and frustration. 

He can still remember his mothers disgusted face when Sukuna had taken barely a week to conform to the new rules set on him, distaste weighing heavy in her mouth as she pushed him away from her embrace.

“Don’t ever try that with me, Ryoumen. You will regret it.”

Her indifferent tone hit him like a bucket of cold water. The man couldn’t remember what happened next, Jin rushing in and comforting his younger twin as Sukuna held back tears.

That’s why he finds himself plastering a business smile on his face, masking the shock with a charming smile as he extended one arm out to Aoi, the other coming to wrap around your waist and pulling you closer,

“Ah it is good to meet you too…?”

He paused, letting Aoi introduce herself, shaking Sukuna’s hand with enthusiasm.

You quickly interjected before Aoi could go any further than her name and occupation, wrapping an arm around Sukuna’s and making up some excuse to pull him away from the sea of onlookers,

“I didn’t know you were going around telling other people I was your husband?”

Though Sukuna sounded offended, he was nothing but relieved. His eyes trailed down to the chain on your neck, a simple golden ring glinting in the morning sunlight. It felt like a heavy weight had been pulled off his chest. His arm dropped from your shoulder to the small of your back, resting comfortably like it did years ago. 

“That’s not- I haven’t been telling anyone you are my husband, it’s a simple misunderstanding,”

Sukuna hummed, high on the euphoria of the thought that you had no husband to be paying any actual attention to the words stumbling from your mouth. 

“Whatever you say wife,”

He smirked, feeling far too happy for himself as he turned his head to look at you, eyes gleaming in happiness. 

“That’s not the point- oh god you’re just so!”

That fond feeling rose up in Sukuna’s chest as he watched you fuss over the situation, freeing yourself from his grasp as you walked up the sidewalk faster. 

Sukuna merely took longer strides to catch up with you, eating the distance up in a few seconds as his hand wrapped around your elbow, tugging you away from the curb and claiming the space you left.

The action made you flush, highschool feelings returning all at once at the sweet gesture. So many people asked you what you saw in Sukuna, some even straight up asked you if you were being held hostage. They just didn’t know about your Sukuna, they didn’t know about how sickeningly sweet he treated you. 

He’s not even on social media, neither does he even know about the pathway rule but it’s ingrained in him to look after you, to make sure you were the most comfortable at any place. Maybe that’s why it’s so hard to let go of him after all these years. 

“Where did you even find out that I have a husband?”

Sukuna turned his head to look at you, almost pouting as his eyebrows furrowed together opening his mouth just as you opened the door to the bakery. 

“Let’s talk inside your house,”

He mumbled under his breath, making you pause as you sighed, flipping the sign on the glass doors of the bakery to display closed.

Sukuna sat quietly at your dining table, no longer awkwardly trying to fit himself in the cramped space, instead just staring at the tiny piece of furniture like it had personally insulted him. 

You whipped a few more pancakes, making sure to reduce the sugar content just like how the CEO liked it, placing a few berries on top along with a cup of black coffee. You were surprised he didn’t blow up on you without his daily fix- then again you suppose you wouldn’t know a lot of things about him, not after all this time.

Sukuna eyed the pancakes with a hungry look, scarfing them down as you watched him amused, a smile tugging at the corner of your lips,

“Is Uraume not cooking for you anymore?”

Sukuna glared at you, gulping down mouthfuls of the scalding coffee as he wiped his mouth with a napkin, 

“Nah they’re working at some fuckass restaurant, just been a while since I had your food,”

Sukuna continued eating his pancakes without a care in the world, like him saying that sentence didn’t have a million thoughts swirling in your head,

He missed me.. 

You thought to yourself, looking down at the cup of coffee in your own hands, twirling the cup so the liquid was sloshing around inside the ceramic. 

“Where did you get the information that I had a husband?”

You peeked through your lashes watching Sukuna finish the pancakes and the rest of the coffee. He looked like he was struggling to get the words out, licking over his lower lip and pressing his thumb to his temple as he was left in deep thought. 

Under his lip was the light pink stain of a strawberry and you instinctively reached over to wipe at with your thumb, eyes widening as Sukuna’s own shocked gaze met yours, 

“Oh uhm- Hana- she gets messy- so I,”

You pulled your hands back, immediately going to explain with a flustered expression while Sukuna started barking out in laughter. You glared at him with a pout, sitting back in your seat white your arms crossed under your chest,

Sukuna stopped laughing, wiping away imaginary tears as he took another napkin, wiping his mouth with it as he grinned at you. He then crumbled up the tissue in his hand, looking out at the balcony that was a few steps away from the dining room with a complicated expression.

“I guess you deserve to know what really happened back then,”

When Sukuna finally came home after five long weeks of not seeing you, he made a beeline for your room, then your shared bedroom, then the kitchen, then the specialized baking room he had built for you, then the living rooms followed by all the washrooms and guest bedrooms.

His heart was thumping irregularly in his heart, body drenched in cold sweat when he sent a thousand missed calls only to  find your phone abandoned  on the dining room table.

His head chanted your name like a mantra, like it would suddenly make you appear in front of him. A few days passed by where he didn’t really move from the house, praying to the gods out there that you were safe and would come back home. 

Uraume stayed over with him for a few weeks, cleaning up after his messes and cooking for him. They got to work immediately, slowly removing the traces of you that were left behind, pacing them all into a box and storing it in the attic lest Sukuna find them and go on a witch hunt. 

Sukuna had already established himself in the company- he had a few more fuckers to send to the afterlife and he could finally stop these month long trips away from you. He had officially been recognized as the CEO by all the board members, a velvet box tucked into his pocket when he came home, just for the ring to be discarded in one of his bedside drawers. 

He waited for a grueling three months before he decided enough was enough and hired people to go look for you. What he got in return was photos of you with an obvious baby bump, a man helping you walk with a hand on your back, smiling at each other like you were a lovesick couple. His ring was glinting in the light, both of you disappearing into the bakery as the man held open the door for you. 

Sukuna felt his heart stop, dread crawling up every blood vessel, scalding and freezing him at the same time. He crumpled the photo in his hand, frozen in place as he felt his head go blank. 

Uraume watched him with a careful eye, ripping the photo from his hand and frowning at the sight, 

“Sukuna-” 

The CEO held up a hand, chair screeching as he got up from his office chair, effectively silencing Uraume as they pocketed the photo.

“Get a new place for me. I will move in by tonight,”

You were silent when Sukuna finished his story, red eyes glancing at you every now and then at you as you picked at your nails,

“I was never married, I- there's been no one, not after you..”

Sukuna nodded, eerily quiet as he scratched at a sticker on the dining table, trying to scrape it off with his nail. 

“The man you saw, I think you mean my cousin. He’s married, three kids and all- Hana plays with them,”

You finally looked up, meeting Sukuna’s gaze as you continued, voice feeling far too raw and much too exposed. You took a deep breath, calming yourself 

“I would never-,”

You shook your head, biting your lip as you scowled at the mere thought, 

“I would never cheat on you- Ryo you meant far too much for me to even think of that-,”

Sukuna cut you off, voice unnaturally cold as he spoke, you wondered how long it had been since you heard that tone directed to you,

“Why didn’t you reach out,”

You took another long breath, looking down at your hands and then the worn out house.

“I was hoping you’d have moved on. I don't know- I hoped you would have found someone better, not someone like me. It was obvious that your board didn’t approve of me and I just-” I felt like you were holding yourself back for me, you were doing things you didn’t have to- just for me and that scared me. I never thought I’d have become the coward in our relationship. I just craved when we didn’t have to think so much just to be together. I was scared you wouldn’t want Hana even though I did. Maybe I was trying to fill in the hole you left when you went on those week-long missions, I was scared- I was just so scared Ryo. 

You wondered why the words you wanted to say didn’t come out, stuck in your throat like it was held down by cement, weighing heavy on your chest. The hurt of those unspoken phrases was far more than you thought them to be. The words swirled in your head, your mouth pulled to a thin line as you stopped talking, 

“I got rid of them all.” 

Sukuna finally spoke, getting up from his chair and pulling his seat closer to you, 

“Huh?”

Your voice squeaked out and Sukuna had a crazed grin on his face, cradling your face with his hand, thumb brushing over your cheekbones, 

“Every fucker that didn’t approve of you- thats why I left for so long,” You felt like time had stopped again, it was just you both again and it was like you were in his college dorm room again, cleaning up the cuts he got from punching a guy who was talking behind your back. 

“I promised I’d protect you, didn’t I?”

Sukuna leaned in closer, pressing his forehead against yours as his breath fanned against your face. You leaned into his hand unconsciously, biting your lip as tears streamed down your face. 

“Ryo I’m sorry- I’m so sorry, I just didn’t realize what I had done and by the time it was too late and I didn’t have the courage to face you-”

Sukuna shushed you, pressing his lips to yours in one go. He tasted like pancaked and salty tears and nostalgia all at once. He pulled away staring into your eyes as he wiped away your tears, 

“Stop crying you baby,”

Sukuna teased, pulling you closer by your shoulders and enveloping you in a hug. 

Sukuna and You stayed like that for a while, hugging each other till Sukunas back started to ache and he pulled you into his lap, resting head on your shoulder as he mumbled reassurances into your ear. 

“So why are you going around telling people you have a husband?” 

You stilled in Sukunas arms, pausing for a second before you continued. 

“Didn’t want people prying into Hana’s life and teasing her. She already gets into so much trouble for fighting with the boys in her class. Honestly I don’t know how she even learned how to fight,”

Sukuna chuckles, his laughter settling deep into your bones as you let yourself enjoy the timbre of his voice, 

“That’s my girl.” 

You rolled your eyes, scoffing as you got up from his lap and looking at the time, 

“Don’t you have work?”

You asked raising a brow at the carefree man, 

“Nah I’m letting the Gojo handle it for now heh, took a week off too” 

You smiled, Sukuna was having far too much fun relaxing around in your home. You started your way up the stairs, glancing back to see Sukuna on his heels trailing after you like a big tiger. 

“Well I’m going to get to work then,” 

Sukuna caught up with you on the top of the stairs, twisting you around to face him as his hands rested comfortably on your hips, rubbing smooth circles. 

“We’re not done talking though are we?” 

You stopped, averting your gaze as you avoided speaking on the topic. Sukunas hand came to rest above your collarbones, twisting the ring on your chain and tugging it off you, 

“When are you going to tell the kid?”

You sighed, pulling Sukunas hands away from you, he looked dejected for a second, immediately masking his emotions as he took a step forward, bending his neck to look at you  properly, hands fisting at his sides, 

“Are you trying to run away again pet?” 

You shook your head, words dancing around in your mouth as you bit your tongue, hands resting on Sukunas arms as you tried to comfort him, 

“With Hana, we should take things slow, she’s never asked me about her dad. She's kind of perceptive- never been one to pry about the stuff I didn’t like,” 

Sukunas jaw ticked and he glared at the floor, pulling away from you this time. 

“What- what about us,”

He called out your name when you didn't respond, adam’s apple bobbing in his throat as he stared at you longingly, 

“Sukuna-” 

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Taglist: @lady-of-blossoms @shokosbunny @after-laughter-come-tears @glads-stuff @acidrefiux @linny-bloggs @dahliadaenerys @gojotech @emi311 @poopooindamouf @sadrna @domainofmarie e @sukubusss @nousija @pjofics @katsukiseyebrows @the-reas0n-is-y0u @krispywhisperswhispers @pillkits @rier @needsleep3000 @tangsakura @raquel12 @not-aya @melancholycries @desprrssooo-espresssooooo @tojisbabymommasblog @thebumbqueen @melancholycries @totallygyomeiswife @kiyotosbae21 1 @bwlol7 @ratedrrrr @ihrtbin @kunascutie

A/n: Issues are getting resolved but are they really. I want to build up the tension between Sukuna and Reader a bit more but a kiss was much overdue. MORE DRAMA!!!!

[bewaryofpity]

i come to you not as a filthy little freak this time but as a hopeless romantic. "your heart is beating so fast right now" for my sweet quinny. give me the softness, the yearning, the delicate romance <3 i believe in you <3

quinny will always be a sweet, delicate, lover 🙂‍↕️

7. “Your heart is beating so fast right now.”

.

Quinn stood by the stove, sweats and shirt loose on his frame, quietly humming to himself as he prepared your coffee mugs. His hair was still tousled from sleep, curling all over the place. You watched him for a moment from the doorway, smiling at how domestic he looked like this, barefoot and ever so soft.

He didn’t hear you coming up behind him until your arms slipped around his waist underneath his shirt. You felt him startle for half a second before he exhaled a quiet hum —too early to speak, leaning back into you without thinking. His body warmed instantly beneath your hands, muscles relaxing under your touch. You pressed your cheek between his shoulder blades and held him close, just breathing him in.

“Morning,” you whispered against his back, lips brushing lightly through the thin fabric of his shirt.

“Morning,” he said, voice raspy, still tainted with sleep. Quinn tilted his head toward you, his hair brushing your temple. 

You stayed like that for a while, just swaying a little with him in the quiet of the kitchen, before you moved between the counter and his body, arms never leaving his middle. With your head pressed in his chest, you heard it. His heartbeat was fast, racing beneath your ears.

“Quinn,” you said softly, pressing a light kiss to his chest. “Your heart is beating so fast right now.”

He stilled for a moment as he poured coffee in your mug, trying to act casual, but as you slid your hands higher, fingers splaying over his ribs until you could feel his heartbeat stronger, all you could see was the flush in his cheeks.

“Yeah, that’s all you,” he murmured, his arms now wrapping around your shoulders, fingers brushing away a strand of hair from your face. You leaned up to kiss the edge of his jaw, smiling when you felt him shiver.

“You’re still like this? After all this time?” You said with a hint of teasing in your tone as you brushed your nose against his.

“Yeah,” he admitted quietly, eyes soft, almost shy.

You smiled, sliding one hand up into his hair, gently combing your fingers through the messy curls at the back of his neck. He sighed as you did it, leaning into your touch with half-lidded eyes. You tugged him closer, brushing your nose against his again, slow and soft.

His slightly shaky hands settled on your hips like they belonged there, thumbs tracing little circles as he smiled faintly. You kissed him once, just a ghost of a touch, then again a little deeper. His breath caught, his fingers flexing at your waist, and when you pulled back just enough to look at him, his lashes fluttered open and his expression was nothing but love.

“I still get nervous,” he admitted, voice low, as if it was something to be embarrassed about. “When you’re close like this.”

“You’ve got nothing to be nervous about,” you said, thumb brushing over his cheek. “I’m all yours.”

Quinn rested his forehead against yours as his smile turned a little crooked then, the way it always did when he was fighting not to grin too big. You stayed like that for a while more, not caring that your coffee had gone warm now, and he kissed you again, slow and sweet, his heart still racing under your hands.

[meinii]

“lads boys as your classmates”

content: mentions of food, use of nicknames (pretty)

୨୧･｡｡･♡･∴･♡･｡｡･୨୧

Sylus

being Sylus’s classmate meant dealing with his cocky smirks and sharp remarks on a daily basis. he was the guy everyone either admired or avoided—top of the class without trying, always dressed like he just stepped out of some underground fashion magazine, and never one to back down from a challenge.

“you’re staring again” he’d murmur without looking at you, pen lazily twirling between his fingers. it was infuriating because you weren’t staring—at least not intentionally. but he always caught you when you did. worse, his red eyes would flick to you, that grin tugging at the corner of his lips, and your face would heat up

despite how he acted, sylus had this habit of showing up whenever you needed help. struggling with an equation? he’d lean over your desk, his cologne and warmth entirely too distracting. “seriously? even a kid could solve this” he’d tease, but his voice softened as he guided your hand to the solution. “good job” he’d add under his breath, like he didn’t mean for you to hear

he claimed group projects were a waste of his time, yet he always ended up partnered with you—whether by chance or maybe something else. sometimes he’d walk you home under the excuse of “it’s dark, and you’d probably trip over your own feet.” other times, he’d toss an energy drink onto your desk during finals “don’t pass out before the exam. it’d be boring without you.”

one afternoon, you caught him waiting outside your classroom “what are you doing here?” you asked. he shrugged, gaze flicking away “I got bored” but then he handed you a small box—inside was your favorite snack “don’t read into it,” he muttered, shoving his hands in his pockets. “just… eat it.”

but the biggest giveaway was during a school festival

yet when your fingers brushed while reaching for the same trinket, he didn’t pull away. instead, his hand closed around yours, his gaze softer than you’d ever seen “don’t make me spell it out,” he murmured “just… stay by my side, yeah?”

Zayne

Zayne was the top student everyone respected but no one dared to approach. always dressed in neat, neutral-toned clothes, he seemed untouchable—glasses perched on his nose, pen moving smoothly across his notes

conversations with him were usually met with curt responses, unless you asked something related to class

even then, he’d sigh like you were inconveniencing him, though he always answered

but you noticed the small things—like how he’d pull out a chair for you without a word during group work or how he’d silently place an extra pen on your desk when yours ran out of ink

he’d claim it was “just practical” but the warmth lingering in his gaze said otherwise

“you’re hopeless with this,” he muttered one day during study hall, leaning over to correct your notes. his hair brushed your cheek, and you felt your heartbeat quicken

when you glanced at him, his face was close, brows furrowed in concentration

“focus” he said—but his ears were noticeably red.

despite his aloofness, he seemed to always be around. forgotten lunch? he’d quietly slide an extra sandwich your way

struggling to reach a book in the library? he’d grab it before you could even tiptoe “you’ll hurt yourself” he’d murmur, eyes softening just a fraction

one rainy afternoon, you forgot your umbrella. while everyone else had already left, you lingered under the awning, debating if you should run for it

that’s when Zayne appeared, holding out his umbrella

“you’re going to get sick,” he said flatly “I don’t need you missing class again. it’s… distracting”

walking home together, your shoulders brushed, and you caught him glancing at you out of the corner of his eye

after a moment, he cleared his throat “valentine’s day is coming up,” he said, gaze fixed ahead

“I don’t usually… participate in things like that, but—” he paused, clearly struggling “if you’re not busy… maybe we could go to the café near campus?”

his words were awkward, but the way his hand brushed yours—fingers lingering before slipping into your grasp—spoke volumes

Caleb

Caleb was sunshine incarnate—always grinning, always teasing. he was the guy who ruffled your hair when you did well on a test and draped his arm around your shoulders like it was the most natural thing in the world

you’d known him forever, but lately… things felt different. his touches lingered longer, his smiles seemed softer when directed at you

“hey, pretty,” he greeted one morning, tossing a wrapped pastry onto your desk

“your favorite. don’t say I never do anything for you” he winked, and you rolled your eyes—but your cheeks warmed anyway

he had a habit of pulling you into his orbit—dragging you to late-night study sessions (where more laughing than studying happened), convincing you to skip cafeteria food for street snacks, or sneaking you into empty classrooms to show you something dumb but endearing

like the time he drew a ridiculous doodle of the two of you on the chalkboard

“see? us—conquering life. mostly me carrying you, though.”

but beneath the teasing, there were moments of quiet care. like when you dozed off during a movie marathon at his place and woke up with a blanket tucked around you—or when he noticed your stress and took you out for a spontaneous night drive just to see the stars.

one evening after a school event, you found yourself on the rooftop with him, city lights twinkling below

“hey,” he said, voice softer than usual

“you know how I joke around a lot? but… I’m serious about you. always have been.”

he reached out, gently tugging you closer. his grin was still there—but his eyes held something deeper

“so… wanna make this official? be my person?”

Rafayel

Rafayel was impossible to miss—tall, striking, with dusky purple hair and mismatched eyes that seemed to see right through you. his charm was effortless, his teasing relentless

“oh? blushing already? I haven’t even started yet” he’d say, flashing a grin that sent your heart into a frenzy

he often dragged you to his art studio, claiming he needed a “muse” it usually ended with you perched on a stool, cheeks burning as he sketched you with an intensity that made your breath catch

“hold still,” he’d murmur, gaze flicking between you and the canvas “every detail matters.”

sometimes he’d show up at your classroom door, leaning against the frame with a lazy smile

“come with me” he’d say, not really giving you a choice

those spontaneous adventures—sunsets at the beach, late-night walks where he’d hum tunes—became your favorite moments

but beneath the playful arrogance was a gentler side

when you mentioned liking a certain pastry, he’d show up with it days later. when you shivered in the evening breeze, he’d wordlessly drape his jacket over you.

one afternoon, you found him painting alone—colors swirling in passionate strokes. he beckoned you closer, revealing the canvas. It was you—captured in vibrant hues, surrounded by warmth

“you’re… important to me,” he admitted quietly “more than I let on.”

and when you turned to him, touched beyond words, he grinned softly

“so… how about you let me paint you forever?”

Xavier

Xavier was… different. quiet, calm—like a serene lake hiding unknown depths. he’d often be found napping in odd places: under a tree, on the library steps. sometimes you’d sit beside him, and he’d peek an eye open

“you’re warm” he’d murmur, resting his head on your shoulder as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

in class, he was sharp but never boastful. he’d pass you notes when you looked confused—neat handwriting explaining concepts better than the textbooks

“you’ll understand it,” he’d say softly, voice soothing “just take your time.”

he had this habit of appearing when you needed him most. Walking home alone? he’d suddenly be there, matching your pace.

feeling down? he’d silently offer you his favorite candy

you once asked why he was always around, and he simply said, “I like being near you.”

but the clearest sign was during a festival when you spotted a plushie you liked at a claw machine.

before you could attempt it, Xavier stepped in. “I’ll get it,” he said—and after a few tries (and an adorable furrow of his brow), he handed it to you “for you”

that night, as you walked under the stars, he quietly slipped his hand into yours

“I don’t understand a lot about… feelings,” he confessed “but I know I don’t want to be without you”

[darkmatilda]

𝐜𝐨𝐠𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 | 𝐬.𝐫𝐞𝐢𝐝

𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲: spencer genuinely can't believe that you're being kind to him. and you—well, you weren’t ashamed to admit that seeing him with the child had just a little melted your heart.

𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬/𝐭𝐰: spencer reid x diva!chemist reader, a very fleeting mention of the babysitter kidnapper, but other than that, the fluffiest shit ive ever written (don't get used to it) (love them so much shshaha its unhealthy) (spencer performing MAGIC TRICK!)

𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐬: 2.3k

𝐚/𝐧: requested by lovely @ihatethecrowdsyouknowthat love you so much you have no idea

The yellow Ford Falcon XB was reaching its record speed, slicing through the racetrack like a released arrow, emitting that signature mechanical growl and drawing dozens of captivated gazes.

At least, that’s how it looked through the eyes of a six-year-old.

Through Spencer’s eyes, it was just a toy car being pushed across the wooden surface of the table by a small hand.

The boy’s brown hair nearly touched his shoulders, and he wore a blue soccer jersey with a number on the back. His gaze wasn’t curiously darting around the office where they were alone—it was fixed solely on his favorite toy.

Reid watched him in silence for a moment, letting him play in peace before starting the conversation he, unfortunately, had to initiate.

For some time now, they had been working on a case involving the abduction of babysitters—each disappearing while on the job, vanishing after leaving the house with the children they were watching. Whether heading to the park, the playground, or a store, that was the only variable. The rest of the details were so methodical, so patterned, that there was no doubt they were dealing with a serial offender.

"Liam," he began, drawing the boy’s green eyes to him.

Spencer didn’t feel comfortable in this role. He never considered himself particularly gifted when it came to interacting with children—which was strange, considering everyone around him seemed to think otherwise. Especially since the arrival of his godson, Henry, had given him more opportunities for it.

"My name is Spencer, and…I’d like to talk to you for a moment."

He paused. The boy's face took on an odd expression; he didn’t respond, just looked at him with a certain shyness. Spencer hesitated, opening his mouth only to close it again.

All the previous babysitters had been taken the moment they looked away, leaving the children alone. From a child’s perspective, it must have been confusing. One moment, their beloved babysitter was with them, and the next, uniformed officers arrived, whisking them away to a place where more strange adults asked them strange but gentle questions.

For example, if they saw anything strange.

Strange? The children never really understood what that meant. After all, they had just been playing at the park like they did every afternoon. What could possibly be strange about that?

Spencer sighed. He didn’t want to bombard the boy with questions that would, at best, earn him a nod or a shake of the head. If he wanted answers—testimony (though the word felt absurd when referring to a six-year-old)—he’d have to take a different approach. He needed Liam to open up naturally. Even if it took a little longer.

"Is that a Falcon XB?" he asked, deliberately exaggerating his interest as he nodded toward the toy car teetering at the edge of the table. He moved around to take a seat beside the boy, slouching slightly. It always seemed easier to talk to kids when they were at the same eye level. "Can I see it?"

Liam stared at him for a moment before nodding.

Spencer carefully picked up the toy. His hesitation wasn’t just about earning the boy’s trust—though that was important. No, the real reason for his reluctance was the fact that, just five minutes ago, he had watched Liam absentmindedly shove the car into his mouth, biting down on its yellow surface.

"It’s really cool. Is it your favorite?" he asked, trying to push aside the thought of bacteria. The countless, countless bacteria.

There are an estimated 700 different species living in the human mouth…

Liam nodded again.

Focus, Reid. Cars, not bacteria.

"Did you know the original Falcon XB had an engine that let it reach over 220 kilometers per hour? It was so popular in Australia that the police used it for high-speed chases."

The boy studied him in silence for a moment, but Spencer could tell he had his attention.

“So…it’s a police car? Why doesn’t it have a siren?”

“The ones used by the police did," Spencer explained. "They also had lights on the roof so they could chase criminals. You know, yours might not have them because…”—he lowered his voice—“…it’s actually a secret police car.”

Liam frowned, clearly not following. “A secret police car?”

Spencer nodded.

“Used for undercover missions,” he continued. The boy’s full attention was locked onto him now—he must’ve hit on something that really fascinated him. “By secret agents, so they wouldn’t be noticed. And when they really need to…”

He glanced at Liam out of the corner of his eye, making sure the boy was still watching him closely. Once he was sure he had him hooked, Spencer clasped his hands together, concealing the Hot Wheels car between them. He held them still for a moment, letting the anticipation build.

Then, finally, he pulled them apart—revealing nothing but empty palms.

“…it disappears.”

  The boy’s mouth fell open in amazement, gasping. Spencer couldn’t help but smile at the sight, even though, to him, it was nothing impressive. He had done this trick hundreds of times—it was so simple. And yet, there was something oddly satisfying about watching the boy’s reaction, seeing how intently he studied Spencer’s hands, completely baffled by the disappearance of his toy.

Then suddenly, in the middle of it all, Spencer felt someone watching him.

He shifted his gaze toward the doorway, toward the figure standing in the threshold—the sight of whom caused his smile to falter. Not out of displeasure, but more out of surprise. And it wasn’t just her presence that caught him off guard. Lately, they had been running into each other in the most unexpected situations, to the point where he was starting to get used to it. What he wasn’t used to was the expression on her face.

By now, he had memorized the looks she most often wore around him—irritation, sarcasm, playful exasperation. But the way her head tilted slightly to the side, the faint curve at the corner of her lips, and the softness in her eyes didn’t fit into any of those categories. 

 Spencer felt his shoulders tense. He wasn’t sure if he had always been this paranoid or if it was a newly acquired trait—maybe one tied specifically to her—but a sense of unease settled over him. Before standing up to approach her and find out what she wanted, he cleared his throat and turned back to Liam one last time. He placed his hand behind the boy’s ear, pulling out the toy car as if it had been hidden there all along.

“I’ll be back in a moment, alright?” he informed him.

The boy didn’t even look at him, completely engrossed in examining the car from every angle, as if truly believing it could vanish on command. Spencer found himself smiling again. But that expression faded entirely when he stepped closer to the woman leaning against the doorframe. She shifted slightly backward into the hallway—probably to keep their conversation out of the child’s earshot.

“You know,” she started before he could say anything, raising her eyebrows slightly.

She lifted something in her hand—something Spencer hadn’t even noticed before, too focused on analyzing the look on her face. That suspicious look on her face. It was a plastic box of crayons.

“When JJ ran into me in the hallway, shoving this into my hands and begging me to find Spence and give it to him, I was a little confused. But now I get it.”

She nodded toward the boy.

Spencer instinctively followed her gaze, mirroring its path. At the same time, she shoved the box of crayons into his hands. Caught off guard, he had to grip it tightly to keep from dropping it. She then crossed her arms over her chest.

He glanced at her face once more and suddenly sighed, finally realizing what this meant.

“Oh, well, let me guess,” he began, rolling his eyes upward. “Because you had to deliver this to me, you now expect something in return. And you won’t tell me what, you’ll just keep me in suspense for the next few weeks, casually reminding me that I owe you, until eventually, you demand something absolutely ridiculous.”

He spoke with confidence, convinced of his theory. But as a prolonged silence settled between them, he started to doubt it. Especially when she averted her gaze for a moment.

Someone might think she was crafting a particularly sharp retort—he himself considered it for a second—until he realized she never needed time to think of a comeback. When talking to him, they rolled off her tongue at machine-gun speed.

Another brief glance toward the boy.

"This is about the case with the kidnapped babysitters, isn’t it?" she asked, completely ignoring his entire speech. "I heard something about it. The kid—he's okay?"

Spencer didn't hide his surprise at the question. It took him a moment to realize that it was completely natural in this situation—almost anyone would have asked it. Maybe it was just the rare trace of concern in her voice that caught him off guard.

“Um… yeah…yeah, he's okay,” he stammered, his tongue suddenly twisting over the words. He had no idea why. He shook his head slightly, trying to clear the strange fog in his brain.

“I mean, I was just about to talk to him, but I’m pretty sure he didn’t see anything. Same as in the previous cases. This unsub doesn’t…doesn’t hurt kids.” Suddenly, he became aware of the weight of the crayons in his hands, remembering them again. He added, “And, uh, thanks for this. When we work with kids, we often give them paper and crayons. Sometimes it’s easier for them to draw something than to say it out loud.”

She let out a sound—a hum—suggesting that she understood.

He caught himself mentally keeping track of time. They were probably breaking a record for how long they had gone without arguing. Or at least without one of them slipping in a tiny jab at the other.

He was experiencing so-called cognitive dissonance.

“So, they stuck you with babysitting duty today?” she asked. Before he could respond, she let out a quiet snort. “Well, no surprise there.”

“What do you mean?” Spencer frowned. “By the way, this isn’t a common thing. I’m not particularly good with kids. Usually, they assign someone else for this, like—”

“I’m not particularly good with kids,” she repeated, her voice laced with mockery.

Oh. So they were back to their usual dynamic.

“Congratulations. You heard me correctly.”

“I know I did,” she shot back, sharper this time. “I just don’t agree. I watched you two for a moment. You are good with kids. Didn’t you see how excited he was when you did that trick?”

“He was just surprised. I made his toy disappear.”

“Which doesn’t change the fact that he’s a kid whose babysitter was just…” She mouthed the word kidnapped, only her lips forming the shape of it. “Something he might not fully grasp, but still—he was taken to a completely unfamiliar place, away from his parents. And instead of being terrified, he’s calm, even fascinated by what you showed him. So, like I said, you are good with kids.”

Spencer listened to her explanation, an odd feeling creeping over him. A kind of uncertainty, like she couldn’t possibly be talking about him. He almost wanted to turn around, check if someone was standing behind him, if the words were meant for someone else. But he didn’t—because, strangely, even moving felt difficult at that moment.

“Anyway,” she murmured suddenly, breaking the prolonged silence between them. “I’ve got to go. And don’t worry, you don’t owe me anything this time. I’ll let you off the hook—just this once.”

Before she left, she focused on his face one last time. That strange expression was still there—the same one from the beginning of their conversation, the one that had thrown him into cognitive dissonance. That strange expression that, maybe, was… something kind?

He returned to Liam, so lost in thought that he hadn’t even noticed the boy watching him for quite some time. He gave a small nod, pulling himself back to reality, back to the case at hand.

“She’s your friend?” Liam asked, his gaze drifting to where the woman had just been standing.

Spencer set the box of crayons down on the table, within the boy’s reach. He considered the question for a moment. He decided, however, that a six-year-old didn’t need the complicated details of their relationship.

“Yes.”

A brief silence followed his—well, lie.

“Really pretty.”

Laughter gathered in his chest. It was, in its own way, charming—the infatuation hidden in his shy words.

"Yes," he nodded gently. "I mean, she knows that” 

"Because you told her?"

He hesitated at those words, genuinely unsure of what to say. Fortunately, the boy wasn’t waiting for an answer. For a moment, his green eyes locked onto the toy car still sitting on the table, then back to Spencer, full of silent request.

"Can you teach me that trick?"

*

"Okay, buddy. Don’t stress. You’ve got this. Good luck."

Spencer patted the boy on the back. Liam gave a small nod, as if gathering courage, then hesitantly made his way toward the woman.

At the sight of a child suddenly at her feet, her eyebrows lifted high. She crouched down, asking him something in a soft voice.

Liam held out both fists, the yellow toy barely fitting in one of them. It was obvious where it was hidden, yet the woman pretended to consider her choice carefully before pointing at one hand.

Proud of himself, he revealed both empty palms—then pulled the toy car from behind her ear.

Her lips stretched into a wide smile, exaggerated in surprise. Then, she sought out his gaze, holding it for a lingering moment—just long enough for Spencer to realize he was smiling too.

[zzbubblegumbitchzz]

CONGRATS ON 500 BABE! You deserve it and so much more 🖤

I’d like to request Quinn with the prompt. “weird way to propose but yes.”

Love you. Bye.

BUCKLE UP IM IN LOVE WITH HIM

Quinn Hughes - fluff prompt 11 - “weird way to propose but yes.”

WC: 511

CW: none tbh, just fluff

Quinn loved whenever you were able to join him for an away game, didn't care if it was multiple games or just one. He loved having you there, you were his lucky charm. Some people have socks, or underwear. He has you. He’s always had you. It started in college, every game you were at they won. It followed through into the big leagues. You were there the night he was named captain, and the night they solidified their playoff run. You were always there.

The thought of marrying you wasn’t ever a “maybe” thought. To him it was as easy as 1,2,3. Quinn knew very early on how badly he wanted to put that ring, that's been hidden in his closet for the last 4 years, on your finger. Jack had talked him out of proposing to you his freshman year at umich. To which he's thankful for now, he's had time to perfect his plan.

You’d known for a very long time that Quinn was the end of the endings, Quinn was your lifeline. You were never in a rush. You knew it'd happen, you knew that even if you didn't have a ring or his last name he was yours and you were his. Everyone knew.

When the schedule aligned and you were hand in hand with Quinn in the heart of Las Vegas something felt different. Not in a bad way, just new.

Quinn’s stares lingered a little longer, his hands haven’t not been somewhere on you, his kisses felt

more heavy and relaxed all at the same time.

Your mind kind of just off, focused on the way Quinn’s skin felt against yours. On how he always led you where you needed to go, never putting you in any harm.

“Sweetheart,” his fingers gripped a little harder, pulling me back to reality. “You hear me?”

Heat rushed to your cheeks, “no, i’m sorry. Can you say it again?”

He looked at you with a tooth rotting grin, “I asked if you wanted the last pretzel?”

“Weird way to propose, but yes. I do.” You giggled.

There was a flash in his eyes, his stance tightening. “You know, we’re in Vegas.”

Humming at the boy as you take a bite of the pretzel he saved you.

“We could go to any chapel in a 2 minute walk, and you could walk out a Hughes and I could walk out your husband.”

“You wanna marry me?” Your voice so quiet you were sure he didn’t hear you.

“More than you know. Have for a long time too. Tried to ask in school but Jack bullied me. Told me

to wait it out a little longer. You’re home to me, you’re it for me.”

He stopped walking, hands finding home on your cheek. Wiping away a tear that made her way down.

“I have a ring at home, in the closet. Top shelf where I keep all my special game pucks. So, what do you say? Wanna let Elvis call you my wife?”

“Yeah, Quinny. I do.”

[astraystayyh]

Not a lot, just forever.

🪷 In which you make flowers bloom in a heart hyunjin saw as lifeless.

pairing: (tortured) painter!hyunjin x florist!yn.

genre: fluff. strangers to lovers. angst (but not between the characters). just very soft and tender.

wc: 10.2k

a.n.: this entire fic is inspired by the fact that hyunjin has his florist’s number. so i ran with it and it gave way to this!! i really love this fic so i hope you’ll love it in return 🫶🏻 and, of course, happy birthday to my spring, my light, my hyune. thank you for being such an easy person to love. i hope happiness always finds you wherever you may go❣️you deserve it. (pic is mine which is #crazy still can’t believe i’ve been in monet’s home!!!!)

In theory, a heart is simply a heart—an organ, no more sacred than the others, pulsing to pump blood into our veins, working tirelessly to keep one alive.

But to Hyunjin, a heart is a bit more than that. To him, the heart is a graveyard, a hollow, decaying thing where his dreams are laid to rest before they ever bloom. He finds it cruel, almost laughable, that the very thing meant to sustain him is the tomb beneath which he perishes—day after day, night after night.

Hyunjin never understood the notion of ending one’s own life. Weren’t there always reasons to stay? Beautiful things to gaze at, to hold on to— the slant of golden light through a window, the swell of waves as they kissed the shore? Wasn’t the sun always there patiently waiting to be seen?

But now he understands. It doesn’t matter if the sun is there or not. For the sun rises every day, yet Hyunjin can no longer see it.

Hyunjin hadn’t seen the sun for a long time.

He wasn’t always like this. In fact, he loved existing. He loved finding beauty in the smallest of things, in the details that mortal eyes don’t often stop to admire, too busy running, too busy surviving. But Hyunjin was different. He craved living. So, he paused. Almost reverent in the way he’d breathe in the sweet perfume of roses, soak in the way the sea folded itself around his ankles.

And he liked commemorating his feelings, he didn’t have the strongest memory, so he painted. He liked painting. No, he loved it, since he was a child and he found out what a brush is. He loved it the way the ocean loves the shore, relentlessly, endlessly, painted until his hands ached and his bones grew weary. He painted the way he loved too— excessively, hungrily, until the first threads of light stretched across the sky, his fingers stained in oil and watercolor, in reds deep as longing and blues heavy as sorrow.

It felt like a waste not to spend every waking moment painting, loving, yearning. it felt a waste not to feel as grandly as the mountains, as vastly as the stretch of oceans.

It felt like a waste for Hyunjin not to love Scarlet.

It must have felt like a waste, too, for the universe not to let him die at her hands.

So it did.

Hyunjin has not been alive for a long time. He does not think he will ever be again.

He’s staring at the blank canvas before him, a cruel expanse of white that’s almost mocking him. If he looks long enough, he can almost see a shape forming, lips moving to whisper the same word, over and over—worthless. worthless. worthless.

His fist drives through the cloth. The canvas falls to the ground in a thud so loud Hyunjin has to cradle his temple to ease the pang of pain it shoots through him. The wood easel splatters to the floor, though it does not look out of place in the ruins of his studio. Not when his brushes are scattered everywhere, palettes smashed against the walls, paint smeared in angry streaks against his floor.

His chest heaves as he stands there, amidst the wreckage that he caused, the place that once used to be his sanctuary. When did it all change? Perhaps when there was nothing left worth painting. Nothing worth breathing for.

He has always known it. A life does not end when one is laid underneath the soil. A life ends when nothing stirs wonder in your heart anymore, when you pass through the days but they do not pass by you, when they leave you untouched, unchanged.

He buries the sob wrapping around his throat. He has cried enough for things he cannot change, hasn’t he?

With trembling hands, Hyunjin reaches for his phone, thumb pressing Felix’s name—his publicist, his friend.

“Did you paint something?” Felix’s voice is bright, unshaken as he replies instantly.

Hyunjin closes his eyes.

“No,” he breathes. Not anymore.

A pause. Then, “Would you book me that trip to Giverny?”

“Giverny?”

“I’m giving myself one last chance.”

“To paint?” Felix asks, tone too eager, too hopeful.

“Mm,” Hyunjin nods absentmindedly. He can’t find it within him to break Felix’s hope, to whisper bleak things when his voice is so cheerful.

It’s not about painting anymore.

This is Hyunjin’s last chance to live.

—

The bell above your florist shop chimes sweetly as someone pushes open the large wooden doors. You glance up, slipping off the gloves you wore to tend to the newest arrival of white roses, carefully removing every damaged leaf and petal.

Your smile falters.

A man stands in the doorway—not just any man, but the most beautiful human you have ever seen.

You’ve had many visitors in the short year you’ve been in Giverny—locals and tourists alike. There is always a certain gentleness to the people who choose to step inside, those who pause in the midst of their days, their travels, to admire flowers, to buy them for their loved ones. You’ve seen it all—honeymooners exchanging delicate bouquets, old couples finding the smallest excuses to gift each other roses, solo travelers picking their favorite flowers to commemorate their journeys.

But never have you seen someone so heartbreakingly beautiful, so unbearably sad stepping into your shop.

“May I help you?” you ask.

He jolts, as if pulled from deep waters. His eyes meet yours across the shop, and it strikes you then—how effortlessly he belongs among the flowers. How his eyes resemble withering petals, how his sunken cheeks remind you of a bloom left untended.

You take pride in the way you’ve arranged your small shop. No flower is placed randomly, rather, you wanted them to speak to one another, talking in a language only few can understand. All your visitors have never failed to mention just how beautiful it looks. And yet, here he stands, untouched by its light.

“I’m just looking,” he says, his voice barely a whisper, and you have to lean in to catch its fragmented pieces. His gaze skims over the flowers, never lingering, never seeing.

“Is it your first time in Giverny?” you ask.

He nods, tucking his hands into his pockets. A white graphic tee clings to him, a plaid shirt tied loosely around his waist. A cross dangles from his neck. Your eyes trace the hollows of his cheeks—he is beautiful in the way shattered glass is. In the way standing amidst a storm is.

“It is,” he says curtly, then hesitates. “I’ll be here for a little while, though. Three or four months… We’ll see.”

“That’s exciting!” You smile, sidling closer. He smells of something sweet—flowers and musk, warmth and rain. “So, you don’t know what kind of flowers you’re looking for, do you?”

He shakes his head. “No.” He whispers it as if ashamed of not knowing.

“Then I’ll make you a welcome bouquet! On the house.”

“You don’t have to do that,” he murmurs, your eyes locking on his. all you see is his sadness, it’s everywhere, dripping over his face, staining his clothes, the very air around him. He’s so sad it makes you sad too.

“It’s okay,” you say softly. “I’d like to.”

A pause, then, something uncontainable prompts you to add—

“I know what it’s like to need to get away. Even if just for a little while.”

Your cheeks warm under his scrutinizing gaze. You’ve never been this bold with a stranger. Did you overstep?

But he only holds your eyes a moment longer before exhaling, a quiet breath through his nose.

“Thank you.”

You get to work. He lingers by your desk, watching as you deliberate over which flowers to pick. Minutes pass, and you can feel his gaze, burning as it traces the nape of your neck.

You know what to pick then. White Freesia—delicate, trumpet-shaped, the star of the bouquet. You pair them with Delphinium, deep blue against soft white, and baby’s breath, like a scattering of stars. A touch of foliage, then—

“What’s your favorite color?” you ask suddenly.

His eyes widen.

“Hm? Oh. Um—blue.”

You grin, reaching for blue wrapping paper. Scribbling a note, you tuck it into the bouquet before placing it in his hands.

“Ta-da,” you smile. “I hope I’ll see you again.”

It’s a courtesy to say to all your clients, but somehow you find yourself meaning it more when it comes to him. His sadness startles you, you do not know what must be roaming inside his mind for him to be this sorrowful— like an open wound, gushing droplets of blood for everyone to see.

“Will I? Right?” you suddenly add, a touch eager, worried.

His fingers delicately brush the petals.

“Yeah. You will.”

—

It is many hours later, the sky is dipped in an exquisite shade of midnight blue. Yet, sleep still refused to visit Hyunjin.

He lies awake, staring at the bouquet by his bedside. The note you wrote him itched behind his eyelids: Listen to the flowers. They’re always talking :)

He exhales, finally reaching for his phone. He types in a quick search: meaning of Freesia.

Friendship.

A small smile tugs at his lips.

Would you like to be his friend?

He doesn’t have much to offer. But maybe you’d like it if he just sat by your side while you tended to your flowers. He’ll make himself small too. You wouldn’t even feel his presence.

—

Hyunjin hesitates at your shop entrance— Anthomania, the dusty pink sign reads, swaying softly with the breeze. It’s around nine a.m., the quaint town slowly buzzing with life, like a swarm of bees swirling around the first blooms of spring. He’s clad in a white blouse, its first two buttons undone. His jade necklace rests comfortably by his collarbones, and he itches to touch it, to ground himself away from the anxiety thrumming right beneath his skin.

Is it too soon? To see you again in the very first hour of the next day? What if he had misread your gesture? What if the bouquet was nothing more than kindness, a simple marketing strategy? He must not be the only one you’ve given flowers to-

“Oh, hey!” you greet cheerfully, suddenly appearing beside him, a basket of fresh yellow tulips balanced on your hips. The scent of roses clings to you. Your eyes are so bright as if morning dew dripped into them too. You look happy, and it’s nine a.m., and Hyunjin doesn’t regret coming by as much as before.

“Hi,” he smiles, hesitant, awkwardly, only to wince inwardly. Is this what he has come to? Second guessing everything he does, even something as instinctive as smiling?

“I, um... I brought you croissants?” The statement tilts into a question as he lifts the paper bag, the warmth of the bakery still clinging to it. “As a thank you. For the bouquet. For—” He hesitates, his gaze flickering downward. “The Freesia. And… the friendship.”

Your lips curve into a smile, the morning sun catching on the glitter dusted across your eyelids. “So, you did listen to what the flowers had to say.”

You push the wooden door open, and he quickly follows.

“I looked up their meaning, if that’s what you mean.”

“It doesn’t sound nearly as romantic when you word it this way,” you pout, plucking the croissants from his hands. Hyunjin has to smile, pretend as if your words did not just stab him right across his chest in the middle of your shop. A gruesome act in the midst of beauty.

He too used to look for romance in everything. Not anymore. The more you seek it, the more it learns how to wound you.

He clears his throat, swallowing the phantom taste of blood before it can spill past his lips—before it can stain your flowers, stain you.

“I also looked up the meaning of Anthomania, an obsession with flowers in Latin. Are you?”

“Obsessed? You mean?” you giggle softly. “Given that I packed my bags and opened a florist shop in this town despite everyone’s warnings… I’d say yes.”

“Why Giverny?”

“I don’t know,” you muse, gaze drifting toward the window. Two children are walking hand in hand past Anthomania, their giggles make you smile for a fleeting instant. “Some places just feel right to our souls. Maybe because they know before we do that something beautiful is meant to happen there.”

You turn back to him, eyes warm. “Coffee?” You gesture toward the machine, and he nods, lost in thought.

“You seem distant,” you muse, gently placing a steaming cup of coffee before him. The scent of freshly ground beans drifts through the air, but it doesn’t spark anything within him—nothing like it once did. Not anymore. “Like your heart is elsewhere,” you finish.

“My heart?” He smiles softly, a breathy laugh escaping him. “Doesn’t the expression say your mind?”

You giggle, shaking your head. “Our minds wander all the time, that’s natural,” you say, voice trailing off as you study his face. “But you…” You hesitate, unsure. “You look like someone who’s been separated from their heart, and now, you’re almost grieving for it.”

He flinches.

Your eyes widen, and in a panic, you cover your mouth. “Oh god, I’m sorry. I don’t know what I said that I didn’t mean to—fuck, I’m sorry, I never think before I speak—”

“No, no,” he interrupts, shaking his head, his voice gentle. You quiet down, the color rising to your cheeks, and he feels it—seen, in ways he hadn’t thought possible. By a florist on the other side of the world, a stranger, a kind one, a beautiful one.

“You’re right.” His fingers tighten around the cup, his grip a little too tight. “I don’t think I can get my heart back. It feels like it’s buried somewhere far from me… I think I buried it,” he adds in a choked whisper, “that makes it worse.”

It strikes him how easily the words fall from his lips, how terrifying they are to say aloud. Yet, they slip out before you with no resistance, no shame. Maybe it’s the flowers—the thought that their petals might absorb the ugliness of his words, carry them away. Or maybe it’s just you, and the warmth of your gaze, that makes it feel safe to speak.

“Do you know where the lotus grows?” you suddenly ask.

He shakes his head, caught off guard by the shift in conversation.

“Their seeds are buried deep into the mud, forgotten at the bottom of still water. But then they germinate. They break through the darkness, reaching for the sun rays, until one day, they bloom, floating atop the water, untouched by the ugliness of where they have been, beautiful.” Your gaze softens. “Maybe your heart is simply being reborn. Give it time. It will find its way back to you.”

—

Hyunjin sits on a bench overlooking the Epte River, a fresh bouquet beside him—white lilies and pink tulips. Hope and warmth. He insisted on paying this time, slipping you a tip far too generous against your loudest protests.

For the first time in six months, something stirs within Hyunjin. Not quite sadness, not quite grief—something else.

His fingers itch for his charcoal pens, for his pastel watercolors. not to sketch the bouquet at his side, not to capture the river’s beauty. No, only to try, attempt to trace the memory of your smile.

He clenches his fingers into a tight fist. Not yet. But maybe… soon. When he finally learns the sound of your name.

That happens quicker than Hyunjin thought it would.

For three days, Hyunjin has watched his flowers with bated breath, waiting for the first petal to give in, for the first sign of decay. Then, at last, the freesia wilts, one trumpet falling to his bedside. And before he can think, Hyunjin is already out the door, following the familiar path that leads him to Anthomania.

“Back so soon?” you tease, grinning as he steps inside, the bell above chiming sweetly.

He falters beneath your gaze, almost self-conscious, as warmth creeps up his neck, blooming across his cheeks in shades of pink. “I—uh—sorry, I can just—” He gestures toward the door, flustered, but you only laugh, reaching for his wrist and pulling him deeper into the shop.

“Oh my god, I’m kidding! You’re always welcome here.”

The ghost of your touch lingers on his skin, almost burning him right where your fingers rested. It feels unfamiliar, strange—to feel anything other than sorrow resting in his bones.

“I wanted new flowers,” he finally says.

You giggle. “Are you opening a flower shop?”

“Yeah,” he says, a smile tugging at his lips. “Competing with yours, actually.”

You pout, snipping the stems of the sunflowers piled up before you. “That’s unfair. People will keep coming to you just because you’re pretty.”

“So you think I’m pretty?” He grins, a smile that does not feel rehearsed, nor heavy on his face. He’s smiling because he simply wishes to.

“Well, you are. Aren’t you?” you simply say, as if there is no reason to be coy about something as evident as this.

His smile softens, so does his voice. “You’re very truthful.”

“Isn’t it a waste of time to hide how you feel about things? Flowers are beautiful, right? Why is it so easy to say? Why should it be any different for people?”

You aren’t lying, that is your philosophy, you’ve found that lies sit heavy on your lungs, as if you’re caging your breaths in. Hiding the truth feels even heavier, like stones wrapped around your ankles, pulling you down. But still, complimenting Hyunjin makes you feel uncharacteristically shy.

You don’t know what to make of him—this stranger who keeps on returning to see you, his sadness trailing him like a shadow, his eyes dimmed, as if he had to snuff out their light, to pretend as if no soul inhabits his body, so he’d be left alone. So he’d survive.

“You’re right,” he says, gaze flickering toward the street. “I hate lies. I really, really hate them.” he grows quieter, smaller.

Something within you tightens at his words, at the sincerity within them mostly. You set your flowers down, turn to face him with your pinky extended.

“Then I promise that I’ll never lie to you.”

He exhales, his shoulders releasing some of their tension. And after a moment, his pinky hooks around yours. “Neither will I.”

Your fingers are soft, delicate, and he notices that your eyeshadow matches your shirt today. Auburn, a color that makes your irises gleam. He wants to tell you you’re beautiful, but the words feel too fragile in his mouth. Not as easy for him as they are for you.

Hyunjin had come for flowers, but you do not rush him. Instead, you bring him a glass of fresh lemonade, mint leaves and lemon slices swirling in ice, and pull up a stool by the window. The shop is quiet, save for the music floating from the speakers—Neon Moon by Cigarettes After Sex. His pick. You have similar tastes.

He watches you, not in a way that unsettles you, but in a way that makes you hyper-aware of your hands, of your breath, of your heartbeat. Mostly, he looks at the flowers, asking questions, his curiosity insatiable—What does this one symbolize? And this one? And this? But still, it is you who feels scrutinized, as if bathed in a bright, glaring neon light.

A soft hour passes then—soft like the moon light brushing against the window, soft like the way he speaks, voice never rising above a murmur when he answers your questions.

“I’ve been meaning to ask. What’s your name?”

“Hyunjin.”

You taste it, let the letters settle on your tongue before swallowing it down. It will take root within you and bloom into something beautiful later, though you do not yet know it.

You say yours.

“And what do you do, Hyunjin?” his name already feels familiar for you to speak.

“I’m a painter. Was. I… I’m not really sure.” he almost cowers in his place, you pretend as if you don’t notice, but your grip on the scissors falter.

“Was?” you echo.

“I haven’t painted in six months.”

Oh.

“Are you taking a break?”

“No. I… I actually,” he pauses, sighing. “I don’t want to lie to you, so I’d rather not answer,” he says, voice quiet, almost pleading, as if baring a wound too raw to support the weight of his words.

“It’s okay,” you smile, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. You can see his moles from this up close, the shape of his velvety lips as they part to exhale.

“I’d like to tell you, it’s just…”

“Does it hurt you?”

He nods, sudden tears glistening in his waterline. The sight makes something within you crumble. You know this pain—the kind that lingers just beneath the surface, waiting for the smallest touch to release it.

“The burden will ease with time. And then you’ll be able to speak of it. Your pain will be released into the wind, and the wind will scatter it away. it always does.”

“Will it still hurt this much?” he asks, lip trembling as he gazed up at you, pupils wide and lost

“It will be bearable. and soon you’ll grow accustomed to it. And then it will become a friend.”

“I suck at making friends though,” he says earnestly and you both burst into giggles.

“I don't think so. Look, you have befriended me.”

“Yeah, you’re my friend.” he smiles like the afternoon sun, like he has forgotten the warmth he used to carry at his zenith. “I'm happy you are.”

—

Hyunjin first met Scarlet in his art gallery, where the winter winds seemed to carry her in, sweeping past the doorway with each click of her heels.

She moved gracefully through the room, pausing before every painting, her crimson lips pressing together as she tilted her head to the side. Contemplating. Now and then, a hand would drift to her raven hair, tucking it behind her ear, twirling it between her delicate fingers. He was drawn to her— to her olive skin, the depth in her brown eyes, the curve of her neck that seemed to call his name.

Scarlet was a sculptor, and like the name she bore, she was vivid, untamed, catching the eyes of everyone around her. And she basked in their gaze, feeding on their admiration like it was the very oxygen she breathed.

She loved Hyunjin loudly, extravagantly, parading him through the world as if to say, Look what I have found. An artist who only has eyes for me. She draped him in praise, her voice ringing clear for all to hear. And for a while, he believed it.

But Scarlet did not love him—not in the way he had hoped. She loved his brightest hues, the fire in his hands, the sound of his name murmured in circles of art and acclaim. She stood beside him in the gallery, basking in the applause for his paintings as though it belonged to her. She loved the lights, the cameras, the way his gaze softened when it landed on her.

But she did not love his blues—the quiet ache that spilled from him when inspiration faded. She did not love the weight in his voice when he longed for a hand to hold, for a shoulder to rest upon. When the fire in him dimmed, when he was no longer the sun with planets orbiting at his feet, she withdrew. almost bored. He saw it in the flicker of her eyes, in the way her attention wandered elsewhere. As if he was a burden to care for, to tend to.

Hyunjin came to understand that Scarlet did not love him. Not truly. Not despite the way she swore she did. Not despite the way she kissed him before what turned to be his final work trip, her lips scorching against his skin. “So you’d carry me with you,” she had whispered, winking, leaving a mark on his neck like a signature, like a brand.

And he did carry her, he still does—like a weight wrapped around his ankles, like smoke filling his lungs, thick with the taste of his own shortcomings. He was not enough for her. And if he was not enough for her, then perhaps he would never be enough at all. in anything he does.

But the sting on his neck eases when he’s near you.

A month has passed since he arrived in Giverny. He has seen little of it—only the lake that stretches beyond his window, and you.

You do not shy away from his silence. If anything, your smile brightens when you see him. You do not speak of his withering career, his lost passion. You do not question why he needs flowers twice a week, and why he needs to talk to you for an hour—sometimes two, sometimes three—before deciding which blooms to pick. what words he’d like to convey to you without speaking.

Except for once.

He was lingering by the lilies, his fingers gently caressing their pink petals, tracing the lines of crimson right in their middle. Though it took him all his will to not look at you, again, more than what’s deemed socially acceptable. To capture you in his mind since he cannot do so with his pens.

“I saw your paintings,” you suddenly said, words coming out in a rushed string. He froze in his place, hand hovering over the rosy flowers. You sidled up to him. You smelled sweeter than all the blooms combined.

“I looked you up. I was curious and I… I can’t stop thinking of your paintings. They are exquisite Hyunjin.” you said with a conviction that seemed to rekindle something with him, a fire to paint even better so you’d compliment him more.

“Really?” he asked, turning to look at you. His eyes searched yours, looking for something, a reassurance, that he wasn’t a lost cause, that you’d look at him the way you do withering flowers, with the same affection as fully blooming ones.

“Yes. Your use of color… it’s breathtaking. It’s as if you give them voices, emotions, a soul almost. Especially that blue painting, the man screaming. His eyes… they feel endless, like sorrow spilling over. It’s so—” You stopped yourself, laughing. “I’m rambling, aren’t I?”

“No—no,” he rushed to say, stepping closer, a flush creeping up his neck. “Please. Tell me more.”

And you did.

Over a chocolat chaud at your favorite pâtisserie, you pulled up each of his paintings, tracing every detail you loved with words only an outsider to art could offer—unpolished, unrestrained, but brimming with wonder. You asked him questions, too. What inspired you? Why this color, this shape, this technique? Which one was your favorite? Your hardest? Your loneliest?

You talked and talked, until the drink grew cold but his heart felt lighter than it had in months.

Hyunjin was no stranger to praise—he was South Korea’s youngest millionaire-painter, after all. His work was admired, auctioned, owned. And yet, no compliment had ever felt quite like yours—so eager, so sincere, so soothing.

That evening, he walked you home, stopping just before your front door, neither of you quite willing to part.

“Can I have your number?” he asked suddenly.

You tilted your head, smiling.

“For… for the flowers,” he added, a little too quickly. “So I can order them, you know, in advance?”

“Right,” you giggled, typing your number into his phone. His fingers brushed against yours, his soul felt like it was cleaved wide open.

That night, he lay in bed, staring at your empty conversation, heart thrumming. Finally, he types a message.

thank you for today :) i dont think i expressed it well, but your words made me happy

really

Two seconds.

of course!!!

And then—

idk what happened hyunjin, but… i think art will find you again,, i don’t think a painter like you could ever stop painting

it’d be a waste for our world, really

He reads your words again and again, a quiet smile curling at the corners of his lips. They linger in his mind as his fingers brush the worn spine of his sketchbook, as he coaxes it open after months of neglect. And then he draws for the first time in months—nothing grand, nothing worth sharing, surely. Just a rose at first, simple and familiar, like the path to Anthomania.

Then, he turns the page. His posture shifts; he leans into his desk, back curved, brow furrowed in concentration. Time spins forward unnoticed. He doesn’t realize he’s been holding his breath till he finally exhales it, putting his pen down. he sees it then, what he painted in his insatiable frenzy. it’s you, smelling the rose.

He sleeps with a blooming blush on his face that night, as the inks in his dream bleeds into the color of your lips, the lines of his sketches softening into those of your silhouette.

—

Hyunjin started texting you more after that—on the days he forced himself not to drop by your flower shop. Because, yes, you said he was your friend, still, he didn’t know how many visits it’d take for you to realize he’s not worthy of friendship, or love, or the warm way you gaze at him.

But he was still greedy, drinking in the way conversations between you flowed as easily as rushing water. You spoke of everything and nothing: your favorite flower—tulips, his favorite painter—Monet. The way he missed the iced americanos from home, his deep disdain for eggplants, your love for glittery eyeshadow, and the names of the stars outside your window.

Your messages became a breath of fresh air to him, a little sanctuary hidden within his phone, filled with pictures of the blooms you carefully arranged each morning. He had no paintings to send in return, so instead, he captured his walks by the river, the way sunlight draped over the fruit he laid on his checkered picnic cloth.

Then, it turned to calls, and Hyunjin’s world shifted when your voice rang like an answered prayer through his phone. He was initially timid, calling you to check if you had sunflowers in your shop. It was an excuse, really, because it was nearing midnight and he felt terribly lonely in a way only you can soothe.

Your conversation didn’t stop then. Instead, it continued like the turning of books, spilling from one page to another. You were both so curious about one another, that it seemed as if you never ran out of questions to ask.

“When did you think of becoming a florist?” He asked you one night, the rustling of your sheets told him you were shifting in bed, in search of comfort.

“When I was five.” His eyes fluttered shut, as if to better listen, to pretend you were near. “My mom used to have lots of flowers in our backyard, and I’d tend to them on the weekends and vacation. I knew I wanted to spend the rest of my life surrounded by beauty, and wisdom.”

“Wisdom?” he asks.

“Mm.” And he can imagine you lying on your back, staring up at your ceiling. He suddenly wishes he was next to you, holding your hand as you spoke. “Everything I know is from flowers.”

“What’s the most valuable lesson, you think?”

You’re quiet for a long while, only the softness of your breathing ringing through the phone. It lulls him to a peaceful place he hasn’t set foot in in a long time. Somewhere where his worries drift away, carried by the tide of your presence.

“That flowers always bloom again. Even when the winter stretches for months and months, and the cold feels so harsh you forget what the sun ever felt like. Even then, the flowers will bloom once more. Winter passes, and spring comes.”

He bites his lip, as if trying to sew shut his mouth, physically stopping the strings of words from rolling off his tongue. And yet, they win.

“You feel like spring, little florist.”

A sharp inhale. Yours. A breath, unsteady. His. He wishes to bury himself within his covers. He wishes he could teleport to you.

“Thank you, Hyune.” The nickname settles against the sore places in his chest. He felt bruised by it, split open in the gentlest way.“I hope you have dreams as sweet as you.”

Hyunjin didn't sleep that night, not when his heart hadn’t felt this alive in an eternity, bursting with colors he hadn't seen in so long.

The phone calls continued, night after night, your voice coming to him as his own breath. still, no matter how much he enjoyed seeing your name light up his screen, nothing compared to you in person. Watching your expressions shift with his every word, witnessing your hands coax life into each bouquet, the warmth you pour nto every customer you spoke to.

People seemed to leave your shop a little lighter, as if you had tucked something magical between their petals. Hyunjin knew why. It’s because you understood flowers beyond their beauty, saw meaning even in the ones with bruised roots and browning leaves. And it is that same compassion you extended to humans. Though you seemed unaware of how much grace you carried within you.

It moved him. It unraveled him.

Hyunjin hadn’t known what he had been yearning for these past six months. The ache had been constant, an insatiable hunger for something nameless, a restlessness settling right beneath his skin, an itch he could not scratch. But now he knows—he has always been longing for kindness.

Your kindness, to be exact.

“You haven’t been to Monet’s house?!” you exclaim, eyes wide in disbelief. It’s your lunch break, and Hyunjin has brought you seafood pasta from a place he discovered on one of his walks.

“No, I haven’t seen much of Giverny, to be honest,” he admits.

“But you’ve been here for forty-five days.”

“Have you been counting?” he smirks, teasing.

“No,” your voice grows an octave higher, “it just coincided with a big shipment of roses, that’s all.” (That is a half-truth.)

You clear your throat, waving a hand dismissively in the air. “Anyways, let’s go tomorrow!”

Hyunjin’s heart plummets to his knees. You must notice it—the flicker in his expression, the slight falter in his gaze.

“Don’t you want to go?”

He says nothing. Your voice softens.

“Do you want to go alone?”

Hyunjin sighs, taking a long sip of the strawberry lemonade you prepared that day. The sweetness of the fruit makes it easier for him to speak.

“I told you that Monet is my favorite painter, right? When I started painting, I’m talking thirteen, fourteen, I was obsessed with technique, with proving that my paintings could be as realistic as possible. But then I discovered impressionism. And I… I fell in love with it. I realized that abstraction could hold even more emotion, even more depth than realistic paintings. And I… I’ve always wanted to see Monet’s gardens, to see what inspired so many of my favorite paintings.” He sucks in a deep breath, “but I’m scared… I’m terrified I’ll sit there amidst so much beauty and still feel nothing. That I won’t feel inspired. That I won’t wish to paint again.”

You nod, understanding, your eyes softening like silk honey. A quiet settles between you before your face brightens.

“Isn’t it good then? If you don’t feel inspired right away then we’ll have an excuse to visit such a beautiful place again.”

He exhales, something in his chest loosening.

“How do you do that?”

“Do what?”

“Find a silver lining in everything I say.”

You smile, almost melancholic, your gaze lost somewhere else. “I believe life is made up of lots of sorrows and lots of silver linings.” Your eyes meet his again. “Since my house burned down, I now own a better view of the moon… It’s a Japanese quote,” you clarify after a heartbeat. “I’m not that good with words.”

“Really? I find that I like your words much more,” he says, earnestly.

Both your fingers twitch at the same time.

Do yours hungrily want to reach for his too?

—

You like Hyunjin.

It seemed to be an inevitable outcome, one you didn’t even try to outrun, a tide you did not resist, instead, letting the water carry you wherever it saw fit. It’s as if you knew it was bound to happen when he set foot into Anthomenia for the first time, when his eyes glazed over the flowers with so much sorrow it felt like thorns curling around your throat. When he returned, again and again, when you started awaiting him with your breath clenched between your teeth. When you selfishly wished your flowers would wilt faster just so you’d be able to see him again.

It was inevitable for you to like Hyunjin. The beautiful man who sees beauty in everything but himself. The tortured painter with a heart so bruised you’re scared a single press of your thumb would be his undoing, like an overripe fruit, so sensitive to any touch, aching to be treated with tenderness.

You do not expect anything out of this crush. You do not expect him to reciprocate your feelings. You don’t think he ever would; even fantasizing of him thinking of you as fondly as you think of him makes you feel like you’re floating on cotton clouds. But then, the plummeting would only hurt even more, wouldn’t it? The sweetest dreams always ache at their zenith right before they dissolve into nothingness.

But you understand Hyunjin, in ways even you can’t fully describe or explain. In ways you aren’t sure he would himself. You can’t fault him for that— Hyunjin can only see your glittering surface. After all, you’ve gotten better at concealing your anguish, worn it for so long it has become a second skin to you.

But what matters is that you understand Hyunjin. It is because you understand that you wish for his spark to come back.

A life with no spark is no life, after all.

Hyunjin is growing increasingly nervous as you wait in line to enter Monet’s home and gardens. He’s fiddling with his Vetements t-shirt, tucking his hand into his jeans only to remove them once again. His fingers twist his jade necklace, then spin the rings adorning his hand, only to reach for his necklace once more.

You stare right ahead as you finally take hold of his fingers, entwining them softly with yours. You can feel him staring at you, his gaze burning the curve of your neck as his hand goes limp in your hold. He looks at you, and you look ahead. You’re scared of what he will read in your trembling irises if you dare hold his gaze.

But he doesn’t let go. Only holding on to you tighter, his thumb swiping gently across your palm. Your wrist. Anywhere its softness can reach.

You’ve been within these colorful gardens countless times before. On your first day in Giverny and once per month since, without fail, except when it closes for Winter.

Yet, you are always as bewitched by how beautifully arranged the gardens are, by how vastly their greenery stretches before your eyes. There is beauty to behold wherever your eyes rest, conversations between blooms to catch at every corner. You smell the mingling fragrances— the sweetness of roses and the citrus of orange blossoms. You hear the birds, singing and rejoicing in seeing another day, the rush of water carving its path through stones.

It is buzzing with life, the nature that seems to stretch its hand at you, beckoning you into the warmest of embraces.

Though today, you do not heed its call. Today, you hold on to Hyunjin’s hand.

He doesn’t let go of your hold as he slowly strolls around, stopping by the dahlias, breath caught in his throat as a bee buzzes around a nearby crimson peony. He leans into a yellow rose, his nose nearly brushing the dewdrops gathered on its petals. He breathes in beauty, lets it fill the hollows within him, and you watch—because seeing it through his eyes makes it all the more beautiful.

He smiles as he climbs the stairs of the home. As he pauses in the living room, taking in the dozen paintings hung on the wall—A Woman with a Parasol, The Water Lily Pond, Impression, Sunrise, Poppies, Bouquet of Sunflowers. Then, the lively bedrooms scattered around the home, the vibrant blue kitchen, the Japanese prints, and the pink orchid.

There is a little magic to his step as you follow the flowery path to the Water Lily Pond, with bamboo trees greeting you on your walk. He pulls you onto a bench, his eyes fixed on the turquoise and the floating water lilies, rootless yet still as happy, as beautiful. Like Hyunjin.

You can’t be as truthful as you wish around him anymore. Every compliment is starting to taste like a confession to you.

“I was in love with a girl,” he says, resting your interwoven hands upon his thigh. Your breath stumbles. You did not expect the sharp, sudden sting of jealousy latching onto your ribs, the burn of it. You look at the pond, hoping the water will rise from its place and douse the fire in your chest.

“She was my muse for the longest time. I was foolish, so I… I placed my heart within her palms. Here, take it, it’s yours, I told her. I was too blinded by my own need to be loved to realize that she didn’t love me.”

You steal a glance at him to find his eyes closed, his head leaning back. He’s so beautiful it almost feels like a dagger pressed against your throat.

“She cheated on me. In my own bed. While I was away for work,” he whispers, but his words still ring loudly in your ear. His words are so violent they feel out of place in such a beautiful setting. You swallow them. You don’t let him bear their weight alone.

“I don’t love her anymore. I think it evaporated the moment I saw her with him. But what hurts–” His voice trembles, and when he turns to you, his eyes are glistening, “what kills me is that I showed her all of me. I bared my soul to her, and it did not matter. It wasn’t enough for her to love me. And I… I don’t paint out of thin air, I paint out of my soul. I pour from myself onto the canvas. And if what makes me me isn’t worthy, then how could my paintings ever be enough? How could I ever be enough? In anything, to anyone?”

What do you do when someone hands you their bruised heart, bloody and butchered, when they unveil their deepest pains under the scorching sunlight, out in the open, with nowhere to hide it, nowhere to cancel it? What do you do with this violence? How do you undo it? How do you soothe it?

You don’t know. You wish you knew, more than ever before, as Hyunjin looks at you—almost expectantly, pleadingly—as if he has been waiting for months to speak these words to another soul. To unveil it.

Release me. You could almost hear it on the tip of his tongue. Please. Please. Please.

“Hyunjin,” you choke, your thumbs sweeping away the reflections of the swaying branches on his tear-streaked skin. “Hyunjin, Hyunjin, Hyunjin,” you repeat, as if he could hear the weight his name carries, the way it has taken roots within your ribs. “You are enough. You were enough before her, and you will remain so after.”

His lower lip trembles and quakes; you can feel that he’s standing on the precipice of unraveling, completely, loose threads falling apart at the slightest gust of wind. You can’t stitch him back together, you can’t order the wind to pause in its travels. But you can speak.

“Don’t torture yourself over things that aren’t your doing. She may have been your inspiration, but she was never the sole core of your talent. That is all you, Hyunjin. Your kindness is you, and your paintings are you. No matter who you loved, or if you had loved no one at all. You still would have made it here. Because you are Hyunjin.”

Hyunjin exhales, a sound between a sigh and a sob. “What if I feel like nothing without her?”

“She’s only everything because you’ve given her your entire self. She’s everything because you see in her a reflection of yourself. Your beautiful self.” You exhale softly. His tears gather at his lashes like petals trembling before the fall.

“We promised not to lie to one another, didn’t we?” you say, voice barely above a breath. “I’ve been lonely here, Hyunjin. Not physically. But something has been missing. A friend. You. Having you here makes me happy. And someone who isn’t beautiful could never make the world more beautiful just by being in it.” You smile, your nose tip almost resting against his. “You are enough, Hyunjin. Her wrongdoings aren’t your fault.”

He nods, closing his eyes, leaning into the warmth of your palm, his lips almost brushing against your skin. “I want to paint again. I miss it terribly.”

“You will.”

His next words are softer than the wind rustling the trees. “I drew you.”

You swallow the lump in your throat. “Did I turn out pretty?”

He smiles like a spring sun, warm and kind on your soul. “Of course. It would be impossible for you to be otherwise.”

—

Something has shifted.

Like sailing winds catching the perfect speed to carry a boat to safety, something within Hyunjin has clicked into place. Eased is the better way to describe it, as if his heart, once sinking like a stone in his chest, now floats weightlessly along his ribs, unrestrained.

He has been happier since stepping out of Monet’s house, his smile blooming the way flowers do in spring, the way water rushes down a waterfall, like a second nature.

He pauses before you, the sun that has pulled him from the dark, clasping his hands together. You smile, tilting your head, and his heart swoons at the simple motion, swaying as if caught in the wind.

“Should we rent bikes?” he asks, grinning. “There’s so much I haven’t seen in Giverny.”

You pout, teasing. “Is my shop no longer enough for you?”

He shakes his head fervently. “No, no, your shop is still the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen in my life.” His eyes widen with (exaggerated) sincerity. “I think all the other florists never stood a chance against you. In fact, every flower shop in the world should close right now!”

You laugh as he throws an arm over your shoulder, pulling you close. He leans into you instinctively, as if he belongs there, inhaling your flowery scent, borrowing your warmth.

“Alright, alright,” you giggle, “I’ll be your tour guide, then.”

True to your word, the two of you spend the afternoon biking—past the river, through the narrow streets of Giverny, past the old Mill of Vernon and the Impressionism Museum where flowers sketch your path. The sun sinks behind you, spilling watercolors across the sky. The wind tousles Hyunjin’s hair, and he feels it for the first time in a long time—what it must be like to be a bird. Free. Unbound. Guided by nothing but the pull of his own heart.

You keep glancing over your shoulder as you bike ahead of him, tossing excruciatingly beautiful smiles his way. He feels them in his chest, burning and ablaze where coldness once sat.

By the time you stop to rest, you’re both breathless, slightly sweaty but pleasantly exhausted.

He can already sense it– you’re only seconds away from saying you should head back, but he’s still not satiated of you, he doesn't think he ever will. “Come home with me. I want to cook for you. As a thank you.”

His cheeks are rosy, his chest rising and falling as he awaits your response. He prays you won’t say no. He thinks he’s ready to beg at your feet if you refuse.

But your smile is warm, your gaze soft as it traces the contours of his face. You’re already saying yes with your eyes.

“Depends. What will you cook for me, Mr. Hwang?”

“Anything you’d like.”

That turns out to be just ramyeon as Hyunjin quickly realizes his fridge is unfit for anything more elaborate. He peers inside, dismayed, and you burst into laughter at his expression, clutching the sides of your stomach. But as you watch him move around the kitchen, speaking excitedly about all the paintings he’s inspired to create now, your laughter slowly fades.

Because you see it then—a vision. Hyunjin cooking you breakfast tomorrow. And the day after. And the years to come. You see yourself standing up, wrapping your arms around his waist, pressing a tender kiss to the nape of his neck. It’s so vivid, so sweet to imagine that it disarms you. Leaves you aching and pulsing for nothing. Like a heart beating with no blood flowing through it.

The vision lingers, syrup-thick, as Hyunjin hands you a steaming bowl of noodles. And when he gently wipes a smudge of sauce from the corner of your lips—when he licks it from his own thumb without thinking—your pulse stutters. His gaze darkens, storms brewing behind his irises. You feel as if he’s kissing you with his eyes alone, touching you as he stands a few feet away.

Hyunjin only manages to steady himself when you both settle in the canopy in his backyard, sipping the peach lemonade you made for him days ago, listening to the cicadas humming far away. The breeze is cool against his collarbones. The full moon bathes you both in silver light.

It seems closer tonight, as if watching over him. As if urging him to speak.

“Can I paint you?” he asks suddenly. “I… I’d like to paint you with you here.”

You blink, caught off guard, before placing your hand over his.

“I’d love that, Hyune.” You smile softly. “But tonight, I’d rather you paint yourself. I think it would help you see that you don’t need any muse but you.”

The sincerity in your voice makes him ache, makes him want to collapse into your arms with the certainty that you would catch him. You didn’t run when his pain shadowed you, when his tears slipped down your palm like salty rivulets. You didn’t let go.

He feels you within him now—a soft mass of stars and sunlight, resting below his ribs, expanding, glowing, loving.

So he does exactly that.

As the night weaves itself forward, the two of you settle into his room—you curled up on his bed, thumbing through a book, while he brings out his oil paints, the scent of turpentine invading his senses at once, like an old friend. The sight of you in his room drives him to the edge of delirium. You belong in his home, in his heart, so effortlessly that it makes something deep in his chest ache.

The conversation drifts in and out between you, like waves kissing the shore—never fully retreating, never fully letting go. Shadows stretch and soften beneath the moonlight. You are half-asleep when his voice stirs you awake.

“What do you think, little florist?”

He tilts the painting toward you, his heart lodged somewhere in his throat.

It is a portrait of himself—but not as the world sees him. Rendered in deep Prussian and Manganese blue, abstract save for his eyes, which shimmer with unshed tears caught in the waterline. Yet his expression is not sorrow. No, it speaks of reverence. As if he is gazing upon something unbearably beautiful. Something so profound, it threatens to undo him.

You.

Your breath catches as you push yourself up, eyes widening.

“My God, you are so talented,” you whisper, stepping beside him, drawn in by the painting. He almost—almost—lets his head rest against your side but stops himself. Instead, your hand finds his shoulder, grounding, warm. You squeeze gently.

“How you ever thought you weren’t good enough is beyond me. This is the most beautiful painting I’ve ever seen. I mean it.”

His ears burn. He feels their warmth creeping down his neck, this unbearable, tender shyness you seem to bring out in him every time.

“Thank you,” he murmurs, voice barely above a breath.

Your gaze flickers to the window, to the darkened sky. “It’s 3 a.m. already?” you murmur, blinking as exhaustion settles over you.

He hesitates for only a moment before reaching out, fingers curling lightly around your wrist.

“Stay the night.” It isn’t a demand, nor is it casual—it is hesitant, hopeful. “Unless you want me to take you home. I will, of course, but—I’d like you here.”

A pause. Two paths forging before you.

“I’d like that too.”

You change into the oversized T-shirt and pair of shorts he hands you, the fabric hanging loose around your frame. It smells like him—like paint and something sweet, something flowery too, as if he carries Anthomania on his skin like you do.

As you climb into his bed, he lights a single vanilla candle, its flame wavers, and you watch it for a while, thinking. The bed is wide enough that you do not have to touch. And yet—like a moth to a flame, like a flower bending instinctively toward the light—something in you aches to move closer. To rest against him. To rest in him.

He feels the same.

It starts with his hand, inching toward yours.

Then, the slow, tentative brush of his pinky against your skin, gently tracing the contours of your palm. Your fingers slide over his, resting there.

“You’re still awake,” he murmurs, voice low and drowsy.

“So are you.”

He hums softly, and his thumb begins to move—small, absentminded circles against your skin. As if his body has decided to reach for you before his mind can catch up.

You shift onto your side, edging closer, and now you can see him fully—the candlelight catching on his cheekbone, the way his dark hair spills onto the pillow. His eyes flicker open at the movement, lazy and heavy-lidded, a half-smile playing on his lips.

“Can’t sleep?” he asks.

You shake your head. “Not yet.”

A pause. A heartbeat.

Then, softer, more vulnerable, he whispers, “Can I hold you?”

Your heart stumbles. For a moment, neither of you breathe.

“Can I tell you something first?” you ask, fully turning toward him, and he follows suit. Your fingers inch toward his face, ghosting over the mole by his eye, the one near the bridge of his nose, then down to his jaw, tracing his pulse where it beats wildly beneath your touch.

“Anything, little florist.”

You swallow. “I’ve never been in love before. And I’ve never been loved. I’ve spent the better part of my life craving a feeling that always seemed just out of reach.” A sad smile tugs at your lips. Hyunjin’s eyes soften at your confession. “It’s as if I’ve been deprived of something monumental and grand, something I searched for in everything I did.” You bite your lip. “And I like you, Hyunjin. I like you a lot. As silly as it is, because you are you and I am me, but it would kill me if you only wanted to hold me as a friend.”

“Shh, what are you saying?” he whispers, his thumb brushing over your lips, soft and reverent. “can’t you see it? you are the one who brought me back to life. I was a wilted thing before you. i feel as if you watered me, like one of your flowers.”

“Well, you are as beautiful as a flower.” A tear slips past your lashes. “And I am just a florist.” Perhaps it’s the late hour, or the way his warmth lulls you toward something soft, something safe. Or maybe it’s because the most beautiful person you’ve ever met is looking at you as if you are something holy.

But you start crying, unyielding tears coating your cheeks in their wetness. You don’t cry prettily nor quietly, but Hyunjin doesn’t pull away. He doesn’t leave before this gushing wound you’ve carried—this thirst for love you could never quench—now overflowing, too much, too much, too much.

Instead, he gently takes your hand, and presses it over his chest. Beneath your palm, his heart pounds wildly, you cannot fathom that it is your doing.

“I think you’re more beautiful than all the flowers combined.” His knuckle tenderly wipes your tears away. “And I adore you, my little florist. Not as a friend. In case that wasn’t clear.” He giggles, and so do you, something light and giddy coming to life between you.

“Then, can you hold me? Please.”

And he does. Instantly, greedily—his arms curling around you, pulling you into the warmth of him. You bury your face in the crook of his neck, breathing him in, letting him breathe you in. You both sigh at once, as if you’ve been waiting your whole lives to reach this moment. As if you have spent too many years with no safe space to exhale.

“So, you like me?” he asks, pressing a tender kiss to your hair.

“I think I’ve made it pretty clear.” You smile, and he laughs.

“You feel warm,” he whispers, voice quieter now. “And safe. I never thought I’d feel this way again.” His nose tip grazes yours tenderly. “Please don’t hurt me, my little florist.”

“I think I’d rather hurt myself,” you confess, gently tucking away strands of his hair behind the cuff of his ear.

“Then, never mind. Hurt me instead,” he murmurs. “I don’t want you to cry anymore.”

“Are you trying to outdo me?”

“Mm, just need to prove I like you more.”

You giggle quietly, blushing. It’s nearly five a.m. now.

“I feel like I’m dreaming, Hyunjin. I’m scared I’ll wake up and won’t find you near.”

“I’m here,” he reassures, placing a tender kiss on the crown of your head. “I won’t leave. But would you wait for me? There are parts of myself I still need to heal before I can love you properly. You understand, right?”

“Love?” you echo.

“Is it too soon?” He shakes his head. “You know, I don’t care. I know that if we continue this way, I’ll only end up loving you. I think I’ve always known.”

“So did I,” you grin like the sun. “But I won’t wait for you from afar. I’ll hold your hand till you become even happier.”

He exhales, eyes fluttering shut. It looks like the milky way is swimming within his eyes once they lock on you. “I want to love you so much you’ll forget what it felt like to not be loved. I will. I promise you.”

And you believe him.

“Can you start tonight?”

It happens then—both of you moving at once, drawn together like tides to the moon, like roots seeking water. Your lips meet and something inside you quakes, shatters, is born again. His kiss is gentle, reverent, the kind of softness that makes your skin prickle, makes you ache in places you didn’t know could.

He tastes like peaches, like flowers, like the way his name sounds in your mouth. His hands find your waist, fingers digging into the curve of you, tracing the length of your spine as if memorizing the shape of you, as if afraid you might slip away. And you are floating, slipping in and out of consciousness, dizzy with warmth, with his touch, with the way his lips seek yours again and again, as if he could kiss you for eternity and it still wouldn’t be enough to quench his thirst.

Your hand is the first to move beneath his shirt, fingertips grazing over his fevered skin. He shudders, his forehead pressing against yours.

“Touch me,” you whisper.

And Hyunjin swears he could die like this—if this is death, he would meet it ten times over at your hands.

He is everywhere, all-encompassing, warm, and tender, the weight of him pressing into you, anchoring you to this moment. Still he keeps asking, voice unsteady— Would you like me to stop? Tell me and I will. His fingers slip down the ridges of your stomach, tracing every dip, every line of yours, and your answer remains the same, pleading— No, keep going, please. please. You are a flower cracking through the hard soil, unfurling, meeting the light for the first time.

You have your answer then— why Giverny? It was to find him. It was to be found. It drapes over you like a certainty a year later, when his arm wraps around your shoulders, his chin resting on the crown of your head. As you gaze at the series of paintings he’s created over the past seven months— every bouquet you’ve ever made him since his first visit to you. Your gaze drifts to the central piece of his newest exposition— you, looking out of his window, laying on a bed of wildflowers, the light grazing your bare back like a lover.

He titled it Anthomania. An obsession with you.