#exo business au

[curtins]

CREAM SODA — gojo satoru minors dni

prologue. → you've always known that gojo satoru is a real piece of work. arrogant, haughty. definitely has a praise kink for when people always call him 'the strongest.' but you're not even friends anymore, so this isn't any of your business...right?

what you didn't know is just how nasty he is, caging you in front of a mirror to lick away blood that he spilled from the veins of another man, one who dared to touch you.

pairing. gojo satoru x afab!reader

warnings+. secondary love interest in the form of a random oc, jjk lore being mildly twisted, history around the world, in-jujutsu universe (not an au), gojo going feral and batshit bonkers, rough séx, créampíe, INSANE glass-shattering jealousy, hate séx but only a bit, brééding, oràl (f. receiving). enemies to lovers, former friends, PLOT AND WORLD BUILDING BTW this isn't pẃp, éxhibitionísm, mirror séx, overstímulàtion, bratty reader but with a reason to be a hater, working together on a mission, mentions of alcohol and the crime underworld, DEFINITELY a bit dark because reader goes through emotional whiplash, descriptions of a fight and heavy injury, biting because i always somehow write gojo as a vampire type of freak?? the PRIME example of the miscommunication tropes and a case where neither person is in the right...nuance is your friend here, fake bodyguard!gojo, reader wears a dress + makeup for a formal event, angst, hurt, lashing out, some comfort and fluff

excerpt: part of you knows that you just aren't seeing those pearly gates of heaven.

you know there's going to be a bouncer at the doors, with your face printed on a photo titled: dni! fraud! liar! the world's most incompetent jujutsu sorcerer! would bounce into a criminal's bed at first chance!

word count. 22k!!!!!!! AURKAY!! song inspiration. cream soda — exo, is there someone else — the weeknd

a/n. spent way too long trying to learn ps for the header 😭 wrote this only because of the new grey suit gojo art <3 there's a secondary love interest in this for the ✨ plot ✨ but he's just a character i made up for this story. i would have used one of the other jjk men but it would made it into an au that i didn't feel like expanding on 😭

mp3.. feel that tinglin', that silky smooth cream, each swirl deepens the flavor, babe. baby, go dumb dumb!

"f-fuck, if i had known it felt like this, would've stuck my fingers in h-her a long time ago," gojo unfurls his fingers that only just separated from your fluttering pussy, and you can only watch.

equally mesmerised as his slender fingers are coated in strands of your slick, clinging to the curves of his short nails and coating them in a mirror sheen.

"have some c-class, gojo! you've lost your fuckin' mind -"

smack!

the dewy pads of his fingers have come down in a harsh arc, slapping right at your throbbing clit, and the jolt sends such an incredible crack of lightning down your spine that you're bucking your hips back up into his hand, back for more.

"some class? hah, 'm not able to do that now, baby," and you can feel gojo shudder under your touch, as you paw at the linen of his black dress shirt, raking your nails over his pectorals, "not when it f-feels like your pussy is about to, fuck, vacuum my fingers off."

"i swear to god, gojo. never say that corny shit a-again."

but it's hard to convey any sense of righteous fury like this. not when he's back to pushing the tapered ends of his long fingers in and out of your tight heat. each brush from the pads of his fingertips leaves you squealing, tugging at the snowy strands on the back of his head.

but gojo's teeth are sharp as they sink into the damp skin of your neck with an almost reverent press, easily snapping through the delicate flesh.

and you're squealing, shocked at how fucking bold gojo satoru has become, whining at how a sharp hiss pulses through you, and you can feel the warmth of blood beginning to bloom and pool over your collarbone.

"shit, 'm sorry, baby. so sorry. but i'm gonna need to see you l-like this," and suddenly gojo snaps away the pussydrunk babble falling from his candied mouth, and he's pressing a searing kiss to your jaw, and the air becomes hazy with the scent of an insanely expensive cologne, cedar and something...sweet, like cardamom.

still, there's hardly time to dissect that.

not when his thick arm is around your waist, handling you until you're smack bang between his legs, right between dark slacks. and gojo has shifted, so your back is flat against the hard planes of his chest, and your knuckles can only grip at the vanity sink. so your eyes can only see your naked torso twisting in the mirror.

"keep your eyes h-here, sweets. on us."

wait. you need to pause this tape, and do a little rewind.

how did you end up here, getting finger-fucked in a luxury five star suite? by the one man on earth that you swore that you could never stand?

(earlier that day)

the chandeliers had been shimmering overhead like stars, each fine crystal caught the golden light and scattered it across the grand lobby, and it was making your eyes flare and twitch.

this entire hotel felt frozen in time, some opulent relic of the roaring twenties, translated straight into tokyo's beating heart.

it was all so...pristine, and gaudy. and even the air carried that faint scent of hefty chanel no.5 and furniture polish.

but hey, this cheque wasn't coming out of your pocket, so who were you to complain?

that's how you rationalised it to yourself, right after a smartly-dressed waiter had floated past with a tray of shimmering champagne, one that you had easily helped yourself to.

ah, fuck it.

let the bill rack up on yaga's card. the least he could do after volunteering you to the higher ups for this mission.

a thick folder rested in your lap, clipped papers inside threatening to spill over from the sheer volume of information, that made your head spin.

of course, it was all courtesy of the jujutsu administration's obsession with drowning sorcerers in needless bureaucracy. and so you leafed through it idly, your thumb skimming over the crisp edges.

names, places, dates, all laid out in haphazard detail.

what a mess, it was a lot, but not enough to fill in the gaps that gnawed at you. the higher ups never gave you everything, fuck, they hated making it easy. still, your eyes caught onto key phrases.

urgent recall of cursed object. yes, that's why you were here. and not enjoying your saturday afternoon at home.

declaration of most expenses covered, in the instances of losing a limb. fair enough, insurance was honestly hell these days.

gain access to the auction being held by the voiceless. find their leader, naoki sato.

you knew of the voiceless, most higher grade jujutsu sorcerers did. a crime syndicate so shrouded in mystery. operating overseas for decades without so much as a cloudy whisper to the general public.

you made an unimpressed face as you kept reading, crinkling sheets under your fingers. smuggling, extortion, and a great deal of unexplained murders that would leave the cast of criminal minds scratching their heads.

how tasteless. still, you weren't the law, each to their own.

however, something made this case different. it made it your apparent problem.

for the voiceless were not your usual ragtag team of ruffian criminals, intent on scamming the vulnerable and sad.

their ranks comprised of wayward jujutsu sorcerers, with a hearty appetite for special artefacts, including cursed objects.

and now here they were, back on tokyo's soil, their hands covered with more than just the regular mundane crimes that could land a man behind bars for life.

you shifted in the plush, sinking seat. flipped to a page that had been practically painted in the most unforgiving shade of neon yellow highlighter.

ah, so this was the cursed object. raijin's amulet.

there was a grainy, slightly off-centre photograph clipped to the top of the document. the image was not much to look out, all washed colours and shadows that clearly didn't speak highly of the skills of whoever was behind the camera.

a circular pendant, a darkened forged creation of bronze and jade, covered in the soot of the ages gone by. spiralled with intricate carvings that reminded you of swirling storm clouds on a summer's evening.

and at it's centre sat a jagged shard of some precious golden stone, rough-hewn at the edges.

you were certain that this was the cause behind the distorted photography, for a modern camera was simply just not meant to capture such high levels of cursed energy.

there was even a faint shape of a dragon coiled around the pendant's edges, with its claws gripping the frame as if guarding it...or imprisoning it.

you weren't sure which. you're not sure you wanted to know which.

the accompanying notes were sparse, filled with frustrated gaps that left you squinting.

believed to be an ancient relic of the heian era. captured from the treasure hoard of the early medieval sorcerer, ryōmen sukuna, after his death.

huh, you hadn't heard that name since your school-days, back when you had poured over fraying history tomes, trying to pen the perfect essay to beat out suguru's flawless grades.

said to be imbued with the power of the lightning deity, raijin. capable of summoning and manipulating thunder, and disrupting various veils and curtains. last known location: the british museum, 1982. current location: unconfirmed.

clearly not an artefact meant to sit behind public museum glass.

dangerous in the wrong hands, and priceless in the hands of all. this must have been at least leagues above your current pay grade.

your thumb hovered over the corner of the page, bruising the white paper underneath as you scanned over the rest of the text, hoping and looking for a section that would be titled: and here's how to track raijin's amulet down and find it, with no bloodshed, and just in time for dinner!

no such luck.

"figures," you muttered under your breath, shoving the folder shut with a disgusted sigh.

this entire mission reeked of playing politics. for years, the voiceless had operated under the radar of other nations, disguising the tell-tale jujutsu as unexplained natural disasters and accidents.

there had been no intervention. they had been untouchable because no-one had the foreign jurisdiction, nor the guts to intervene.

but now, with the voiceless back on home soil, it seemed the higher ups wanted to make a statement. something like 'hey, we're actually useful at our jobs of protecting the jujutsu world!' and who better to clean up their mess than you and...

gojo satoru.

speak of the devil. you glanced up towards the grand entrance of the hotel lobby, as an unfortunate doorman stood by revolving, glass doors.

your...partner strode in, with dark sunglasses perched on his nose, and you scrunched your nose, taking in his appearance.

despite gojo's striking features that could render anyone speechless, he always looked like an odd bird of prey to you.

hawkish with creepy eyes, like a big snowy owl that had been hit by a curse, transforming him and forcing him to assimilate into the world of humans.

"i wasn't sure if you would come," you called, hoping that you masked the bitterness well that he had arrived, and significantly decreased the quality of your day.

"you wouldn't say that in bed," was gojo's snarky, automated reply, before he gave you a mildly embarrassed look, as if his immature mouth moved faster than his common sense did.

"still, sorry to keep you waiting," and gojo was crushing the heel of his boot into the cream marble of the floor, tapping it, all ridiculously long legs in the same uniform dress pants that you also donned, "traffic was hell."

"you don't even have a license," you grouched with a glare that you hoped was sharp enough to cleave time and space, but you stood up all the same, "and i wasn't waiting, i was working."

click! click!

gojo snapped his fingers, reaching for the folder stacked in your arms, "yes, of course you were, sweets," and he clicked his tongue, "now, why don't you hand that to me, and go check us in? i can look over what i need to do, let's get this done before night falls."

the audacity. the absolute nerve. how so typically gojo. swooping in at the last minute for kill shot, as usual, while others poured through all the paperwork, and did all the mental heavy lifting.

"you mean what we need to do, gojo," you snapped, your scowl deepening, "you're the late one. you go check us in."

gojo arched a pale brow, and the corner of his mouth twitched as though he wished he could just unwalk through those doors now, caught between amusement and exasperation. "you used to be so nice. what happened?"

"tsk! i think you happened, gojo. didn't ask to be stuck here with you."

"ah, so you do think about me, at least. but now you're jus' so difficult all the time."

"fuck off, i'm not difficult!" you shot back, before shrinking at the foul look that an elderly couple had directed your way, muttering something about how youth just didn't know how to act indoors, "i'm just saying it's not fair -"

"fine, whatever. don't care, sweets," gojo interrupted, already rolling big, blue eyes and turning away, "i'll go do it. you just stay nice and comfortable here."

and just like that, after comfortably raising your blood pressure (and heart rate), gojo satoru strode off towards the vast front desk, hands shoved lazily into his pockets, as though the two of you weren't on the clock to hunt down and find a dangerous criminal, his syndicate and a cursed object.

you trailed behind him, resisting the violent urge to grab his stupid sunglasses and fling them across the lobby. or stomp on them.

or just sit on them.

meanwhile, your eyes landed on the last and final page of the file, where a bright pink sticky note stood out sharply against the dull black and white of the case file.

final task: retrieve artefact. execute naoki sato on site. alternatively, bring in for execution.

the words were scrawled in thick, impatient strokes of a black marker. the kind that spoke more of efficiency, than humanity.

typical. there was just nothing that higher ups of the jujutsu world loved more than lopping the head off anyone that they deemed inconvenient. quick, clean and final.

still, this decision wasn't your business, not really.

you looked up to see gojo casually leaning against the counter, and his entire demeanour radiated smooth confidence as he spoke to the receptionist.

the sweet-looking woman had fumbled her worlds almost immediately, and she had dropped her pen twice. and he had caught it with an easy smile and wink that would have made you roll your eyes clean out of your skull.

you wanted to gag.

in less than a minute, gojo had the black keycard in his hand, spinning it between his fingers like some trophy as he sauntered towards the elevators.

you sighed as he stopped in front of you, extending the card with a flourish, like a knight presenting a courtier with a wreath of fresh-cut flowers.

"we're here for a mission, gojo. not to get it wet."

the tips of his ears flushed a bright, vibrant red. but his grin didn't falter as he huffed, and snatched the keycard back. leaving your arm floundering in the air before you dropped it.

"how crude. that's not even what i asked her. but still, you're welcome, sweets," he had said, stepping into the elevator and holding the door open for you with an exaggerated stretch of his arm.

"i didn't say thank you."

gojo smiled, tilting his head in that distracting, no. what? in that irritating manner of his, "no need. i could feel the gratitude radiating off you," and he's crossing his arms against his broad chest in a way that made the tailored uniform seem unfairly snug, "warms my heart."

"what if you don't have a heart?

for a fleeting moment, something unreadable flashed in gojo's eyes, irritation easily — but something unrecognisable, but he must have smoothed it away with practised ease. for that same cocky grin returned like clockwork, infuriatingly charming and just as insincere.

"what if it only beats for you?" he shot back, wiggling his fingers dramatically, and the motion was so over-the-top that it leaned closer to sleazy than heartstopping.

"now i'm worried, you need to get shoko to check that out. sounds like a serious health issue."

"your tender concern for my well-being is what keeps my blood pumping," and you know that gojo has little regard for the personal space for others, the way that the distance between you is closing once more, in a way that makes your own pulse flicker.

"please," and you take a deliberate step back to reclaim your own space, "if i wanted you gone, i wouldn't waste my time hoping for a heart attack. i'd do it myself."

gojo shrugs, tilting his head like you had just told him a sweet joke, "you're cute when you're homicidal, y'know that?"

"and you're insufferable all the time. we all have our talents."

gojo's barked out a laugh, and the sound is annoyingly genuine. it has you grinding your teeth together, making your jaw tight.

"hey, gojo," you swivel back to the towering bean-pole behind you, leaning against a steel bar.

"mhm, what?"

"i'll give you a hundred thousand yen if you keep your mouth shut during the entire elevator ride," you mutter, staring at the ground floor map, and up to where your suite was meant to be, hands fiddling over the buttons.

"deal."

you glance back, "that easy? clan money running low, gojo?"

gojo sighs, shaking his (ridiculous) snow-cone hair, "you have no idea. spent it all on a sweet talkin' girl who kicked me to the curb. even took the dog with her. who takes the fucking dog?"

despite yourself and your iron-clad resolution to not validate gojo satoru in anything, you snort, the first genuine laugh he's pulled out of you.

you choose not to notice how his eyes suddenly seem a shade brighter, as you snicker, "you're so ridiculous."

he doesn't reply as you press an index finger into the cool metal of the elevator button, and you turn around to see him sadly miming out his broke plight, with a sack of imaginary things over his shoulder, jingling the few coins he has.

tsk. you bite your lip to stop the corners of your lips lifting up to match gojo's own, wrinkling your nose in faux distaste as you spin back around, with gritted teeth. away from the mild bane of your existence.

true to his word, and shockingly so, gojo stayed silent through the elevator ride. mostly.

you caught his restless sighs, the shuffle of his ridiculously polished boots, and the occasional sharp intake of breath like he was simply dying to say something, but kept biting it back.

good. for once, it was nice to make gojo satoru stew.

the elevator dinged, and you had already stepped out, planning to ditch him in the suite, but clearly, gojo had other ideas.

"alright, sweets," he said, hand extended, "i won the bet. hundred thousand yen, i can take a cheque too."

you stopped short, glaring at his outstretched (sculpted) hand.

"right now? just as we're gonna plan how to catch a criminal? can't we do a pay later type of thing?"

gojo's responding grin was wolfish, and his voice dropped enough to make you bristle, "sure. pay later, with a kiss."

your groan must have echoed down the hall, and without thinking, you shoved past him. your shoulder colliding with his chest in a way that was deeply satisfying.

"my kisses," you snapped, refusing to look back at him, "are worth way more than a hundred thousand yen."

gojo didn't reply immediately, no. and for a second, you thought had finally managed to shut him up enough for a moment's peace to gather the thoughts that the white-haired man always managed to unravel.

but when you dared to glance back over your shoulder, his sharp gaze was fixed on you, and his lips were pressed together oddly — the faintest dusting of cherry pink peeking out underneath his sunglasses, and falling over his cheeks.

nary a peep from gojo then, save for him rushing past you to slot the keycard into the door. but holy fuck, the sheer luxury of this suite almost made you forget that gojo satoru even existed.

sleek dark woods, glowing orange accents, and a massive window that offered a panoramic view of tokyo's skyline. and then, there was the bed.

ridiculous in its decadence. a king-sized masterpiece, draped in plush linens that looked softer than the clouds dotting the afternoon sky. framed by polished ebony bedposts that gleamed in the warm light of the suite. the mattress was practically calling out to you, to sink your back into it.

wait, where was the other bed?

"nope! absolutely not," you blurted, spinning on your heel to face gojo who had sauntered in after you, pausing mid-step and clearly, equally caught off-guard with a stunned expression on his face — before morphing into something maddeningly smug.

"what?" gojo said, leaning casually against the doorframe, "it's a bed. you've seen one before, right?"

you tried to speak in a way that wouldn't quite make it show that you felt like your tongue was lead, jabbing a finger at the bed as though it had personally offended you, "there's only one!"

gojo's lips quirked upwards, his blue eyes gleaming with that irritating mix of amusement and mischief, most likely derived from your displeasure, "now look at that, we can count to ten. baby steps."

"don't start with me," you snapped, "i'm not crashing out there. i'd rather sleep in the hallway."

gojo tilted his head, the white tufts of his hair falling around his face, as though he were considering the suggestion seriously, "not sure the hotel staff would appreciate you loitering in their five-star corridors. won't stop you though, sweets."

"you can sleep on the couch," you try to offer helpfully, relishing in how it's his turn to scowl at you.

gojo's glancing towards the sleek leather sofa in the corner, most likely worth more than your monthly rent, "tempting," he drawls, "but i don't think that thing was designed for someone with legs this long," and he's slapping his hands on his thighs, and you do your very best to not track your stare down.

"then curl up like the overgrown house cat you are -"

"fuck you mean by that?"

"or sleep on the floor!"

"i'm liking these options less and less."

but then gojo straightens, and you're starting to see a small tick reach to the corner of his bright eyes, the faintest hint of irritation seeping through his drawl, "you know, for someone so desperate to avoid me, you spend a lot of time wondering where i'm gonna sleep."

you hate the traitorous flush heating up your face, "i'm thinking about it because you're my problem."

"well i hope i'm at least your favourite problem," gojo murmurs, brushing past you to toss his dark bag onto the bed.

"so, what's it gonna be?" gojo's voice was a lazy purr, patting the mattress beside him with a grin that could have launched a thousand arguments, "join me, or keep fighting a losing battle? because -" he faked a yawn, "i think i'm starting to get a bit sleepy."

"sleepy? you're a grown man, and it's barely three in the afternoon."

gojo arches a pale brow, and you have to force yourself to stop staring at the pink curve of his lips, "and? scared you won't be able to resist me in the middle of the night?"

"you should be scared you'll wake up with a pillow smothering your face."

gojo sighs, melodramatic and loud, rolling over onto his back, "i'd rather be smothered by -"

"gojo!"

his laugh is low and rich, and it vibrates in the air in a way that make your teeth itch, and your eyes roll, desparate to change the subject and actually get back on track.

you shove the hefty file in his direction, letting him flounder to grab a hold of it, "last page. naoki sato."

gojo's entire demeanor shifts, and falls under the mention of the name, eyes a touch darker, and suddenly serious in a way that almost makes you regret being on the clock. but he's pushed himself up from the bed, his legs dangling off the edge.

"what about him?"

you frowned, still turning over the situation in your mind, "well, he's supposedly working out of this district right, i mean, even this hotel? but why? i always thought crime bosses had creepy lairs in dark alleyways or something. and not," you gesture to the five-star architecture around you, "this."

gojo's broad shoulders shrug in that lazy way of his, like everything was beneath him, but there was something else flickering behind his perched sunglasses, "i've never even met him. just heard of him," but gojo seems to be chewing each word, as if choosing them carefully, "but what i've heard? not your typical criminal? he flies high, lives the wild life out in the open, rich and shameless."

you privately held back any biting comment that came to you as easy as breathing, about gojo also being the epitome of rich...and shameless. time and place, yeah?

gojo, thank the lucky stars, had not noticed you fighting demons to keep a straight face, "but then every so often sato vanishes off the radar, and then, bam!" your partner splayed his fingers, "he strikes again. always showing in a different place. the united states, france, england, egypt..."

you raise an eyebrow, tapping at your phone, "egypt?"

"egyptian artefacts are ridiculously powerful, sweets. i mean, on a whole other level. they aren't linked with y'know...jujutsu," he gestures vaguely between the two of you, "but whatever they've got is ancient and ridiculously potent. last the higher ups heard, naoki sato managed to get his hands on an old obelisk."

you shake your head at the prospect, humouring gojo, "whatever for?"

"whatever twisted things he does in his free time, fuck if i know. but of course, he couldn't control it. instead, it summoned the spirit of a massive serpent, killed a bunch of innocent civilians."

you have the faintest collection of the mythos surrounding an ancient serpent, and the thought makes you shudder, "wouldn't the local authorities have arrested him for that?"

gojo pushes his sunglasses up his head, so you're now looking back at unblinking blue eyes ringed by white lashes, "how do you arrest a guy who's practically a ghost? they couldn't even find him after all that shit. besides, his technique is something else. enhance. practically has control over every cell in your body."

you nod slowly, hoping that you're piercing it all together correctly, "so this auction is because he's got more of these artefacts? like raijin's amulet?"

gojo nods sharply, and you're struck by the intensity of big blue eyes with whorls of storm clouds lingering between his gaze, "i guess even villainous criminals want to make profit. but we can get a front row seat to whatever he's planning next."

"and stop him before that."

"right. that's what i said."

your frown deepens, "how the fuck does an entire auction stay hidden from the public?"

after all, you had scoured the floorplan of this hotel from base to rooftop, and not a single room or corner would accomodate naoki sato, and the voiceless that follow him.

gojo shrugs with infuriating nonchalance, his fingers tapping idly against the edge of the bed, "there's jujutsu that can create entire illusions. beneath this very hotel lies an entrance to a hidden ballroom, but it's been in and out of use for decades. we jus' need to slip in, find sato, and maybe shake him a few times until he spills the amulet's location."

you cross your arms, and the unfortunate truth lingers on your tongue, "if it were that easy, the higher ups wouldn't have sent you with me as backup."

"was that a compliment for me? careful, you might actually start liking me now."

and at your affronted expression, laugher is spilling out gojo satoru, sharp and cocky and awfully infectious.

you hated the sound, not because it wasn't nice, but because it was. too rich, too easy. the kind of laugh, from the strongest sorcerer to walk the earth, that made you wonder if ever took a damn thing seriously. with the unfortunate side effect of questioning why it was so annoyingly attractive at the same time.

nobody should get to look that good while being such an unbearable ass. it was unfortunate, you thought grimly, how much you liked seeing him laugh though.

"i don't think i'd ever like you at all, gojo."

but alas, the world has a cruel way of making you wish that the earth swallowed you whole. and your heart and mind certainly aren't on speaking terms with each other to coordinate properly. for the barb flies out of your mouth like an uncontrolled reflex, a rogue arrow hitting its mark.

and you're left grimacing as gojo's smile stills. not vanishing completely, but frozen while something cooler and sharper slips into his gaze. the awkward silence that follows is loud enough to make you wince and pray that a lightning bolt strikes you down right now.

gojo gives a quiet cough, and you're wondering just how much of his nonchalant facade he has left intact. fuck, you were a bit of an ass yourself.

"ah, gojo. i didn't mean -" you started, stumbling over the words, desperate to backpedal, if only for the sake of the mission. right?

"don't strain yourself pretending," gojo cuts you off, and you're mildly stung by the smooth edge of venom coating his voice, despite his relaxed smile, "let's just get this job done, yeah? it's just us two here because no-one else could put up with you. i was the only one left who actually wanted to try."

well. ouch, that was a low blow. motherfucker.

your jaw tighten, and for a moment, all you can do is stare into vibrant blue eyes. surely, that wasn't true...right? and how awful that the sharp look in his eyes softened into a smug satisfaction as he registered how his own barb had found his mark.

now, gojo satoru is leaning back with an air of victory, crossing his arms as if to bask in it. talk about drawing more blood from a wound than necessary.

"you're awful, gojo," you bit out, praying that whatever tremor lives in your throat is not enough to appear in your voice.

"yes, i know. you say that all the time."

it was almost tragic, you thought bitterly, how in those fleeting few minutes, you had found gojo satoru bearable. likeable even. insightful, in his own smug way.

but now, the two of you were back to square one, staring each other down with walls firmly back in place.

sure, your quip had been mildly unnecessary, but it wasn't like he hadn't heard your blithe and bland comments by now?

but still, gojo's words gnawed at you. the idea that no one else wanted to put up with you, except him, of all people, burrowed deeper than it had any right to.

maybe it was petty, but you weren't about to let gojo satoru have the last word.

"remember that the higher ups want naoki sato executed," you said, breaking the terse silence.

gojo didn't even glance up from the file he'd been pretending to skim, his long fingers casually flipping a page. and that nonchalance made your stomach churn with irritation.

when he finally looked up, his expression was a mix of curiosity, and disdain, as if you had become a particularly stubborn puzzle that he'd decided was not worth solving, "yes, i know that too. so what?"

"you and i both know you've had trouble executing criminals in the past."

a calculated jab, sharper than they needed to be. and you saw the impact hit almost immediately. gojo's jaw tightened, and the glint in his frosty blue eyes disappeared, replaced by something darker, furious even.

suguru geto was still well and alive, often appearing on television as a friendly priest who would cure one of all their ails such as lower back pain or bad headaches, for the low price of joining the ranks of his organisation (read: cult). but he still remained a sore point for...everyone. you, included.

gojo, especially.

and now the air between you shifted, chilling like a winter draft had snuck into the room. your eyes fell on gojo's knuckles as they tightened around the file, his expression stony.

you shouldn't have felt proud of yourself for getting under his skin, for pulling a genuine reaction from him. but you did. you'd found a crack in his flawless armour, without needing to bypass infinity.

and it was satisfying.

"f-fuck you," gojo said finally, the razor edge in his voice was matched only by the glare he pinned on you.

you crossed your arms, doing your best to feign indifference despite the adrenaline surging through you. ignoring how you felt an awful pit in your stomach sprout, rendering you rather nauseous, and quoting his previous words, "don't strain yourself pretending it's not true."

gojo satoru's glower could have melted steel, and for a moment, you wondered if you'd gone too far. but he stood, slowly, his movements deliberate as he slammed the file shut with a resounding snap.

you watched as he snatched up his smaller bag, and swung the door open with enough force that you were surprised that it didn't fall off its hinges, "just be ready by the time i get back. 'm gonna take a walk."

and you were left, alone, in a room that suddenly felt so much more suffocating.

you weren't sure how long it had been since gojo had stormed out, leaving the room icy in his absence. you hadn't moved from your spot by the door, though you told yourself that you were entirely fine.

arms crossed, lips pressed into a thin, defiant line. but even as you stared at the dark panels of the door, the lie began to unravel.

you told yourself that you just didn't care for gojo satoru. that you didn't like how he was too loud, too reckless, too overwhelming, a force that just didn't fit into the neat confines of your world.

the heat rising to your cheeks must have betrayed you, as did the tight knot in your chest. it had been...not your wisest choice to lash out at him, or to even bring up his name. suguru geto, a wound that would never close for anyone.

but more than that, you hated the memory of his expression just before he left. hurt, and anger. and something far more raw.

he would come back, you knew that much. gojo was much too dutiful to leave a mission and abandon a chance to do some good in this world. it should have been a comfort, but it did little to ease you. instead, that certainty only twisted the guilt tighter in between your ribcage.

finally, you yanked the door open, fuelled by an impulse you didn't care to name. you wanted to catch him outside, mid-pace and brooding. just so you could say...something. anything.

but the hallway was empty, stark and silent, with only the dim flicker of warm light as your witness. you bit your tongue as your stomach churned sourly with disappointment.

and instead, you just slammed the door shut, letting the sound reveberate with just as much force that gojo had slammed the door with, on his way out. you leaned against the wood, closing your eyes as you did your level best to swallow that lump of regret making a home in your throat.

pacing helped for about...three minutes. shuffling through the case files on the table did nothing but remind you of why you were here, why you had both been sent. after all, was this mission not bigger than you, or him? was this not about bringing naoki sato to justice?

it didn't feel that way.

your gaze landed on the garment bag handing from the chair, untouched from when you had pulled it out earlier, back when gojo had been inviting you...to bed.

sort of.

you unzipped the bag with (mildly) trembling hands, letting the fabric spill into your grasp. no doubt that the dress was beautiful, a masterpiece of icy, powder blue and shimmering sequins that caught the light like scattered stars.

well, this had certainly been worth half your paycheck.

your fingers brushed over the delicate embroidery, and for a moment, you felt a mild sting of your own hypocrisy and yearning heart. you accused gojo of being cold, distant and unfeeling, and yet here you were, holding a dress that reminded you of him in every way. the pale blue of the fabric, like the frost in his storm-eyes when they rested on you for too long.

if you ever came face to face with cupid, you would beat him with a baseball bat.

you sighed, dropping the dress onto the bed before gingerly stepping out of your uniform, as cool air stung your skin.

what had you been thinking, treating gojo like that? he didn't deserve your anger, not truly. you knew how much your former classmate carried, how much he gave himself to this cursed and thankless world.

but of course, the little pronged-devil on your shoulder whispered around the shell of your ear. he often drew equal blood from stinging cuts, no-one wanted to put up with you, anyway.

still, there was no use in showing up to a gathering of some of the world's most rich, wealthy and seedy looking like a hollow and shaken ghost. and this mission was just not about gojo, it was about the greater good of the jujutsu world, and that's what you repeated in your head like a mantra, as you swiped plush-red across your cheeks and lips.

a diamond necklace around your throat was the final touch. well, you say diamond, but the truth was more...cheap. still, the strand shone in linked chains of pretty crystals. and that had still been a minor fortune for one who lived on a jujutsu paycheck.

the hours had stretched the afternoon into evening, settling a fragile calm over the suite that made you ache to stretch your limbs out, and take in some fresh air.

but the silence was shattered by a sharp knock at the door, purposeful and deliberate. and it made you freeze, hands still resting on the straps of your glitzy shoes, a frown knitting your brows.

gojo had the keycard, did he not? but who else would be banging your door down?

with a sigh, you stood and lifted the hem of your dress as you crossed the room. opening the door with every intention of scolding him for whatever drama he was dragging in this time.

instead the words just about died a sad and lonely death on your tongue.

gojo satoru.

for a brief second, your thoughts emptied entirely, as though he had cast infinite void right over you, leaving you staring with a heart that hammered like a caged bird.

gone was his usual, drab uniform. instead, he had swapped the dull fabric for a sleek, black dress shirt that clung just right, paired with a crisp, grey jacket that framed his broad shoulders.

you tried to not let your gaze linger on the open gap right under the white tie that hung slightly loosened from his neck, where silk kissed creamy skin.

but gojo��s face was unreadable, distant and cool. you hated how his mere presence always seemed to tilt the world off its axis.

and you blinked, forcing your mouth to close, and you stepped back to let him in. 

"you’re late. again," you snapped, but your voice lacked its usual venom, tempered by the sharp edges of minor guilt that refused to settle in you.

"whatever. ‘m here now, aren’t i?" gojo’s tone was casual, but his eyes lingered a second too long, leaving your skin prickling with self-conscious awareness. 

it seemed that the universe needed to hit you with some karmic intervention, and you decided to take the rare moral high ground, "about earlier," you began, trying to steady yourself, "i shouldn’t have said -"

"forget it, sweets," gojo interrupted with a shrug, though his jaw was tight, "i’m not keen on hearing excuses. i get it."

you bristled, biting back the immense urge to shove him, an urge that becoming disturbingly frequent, "i wasn’t making excuses," sounding out each word slow and deliberate. anger simmering under the surface at his holier-than-thou attitude, "that was an apology."

that made gojo pause, and now he fully turned to you, expression shifting. though it was hard to read, caught between painful acknowledgement and absurd pride that would include him admitting that he was affected by what you said.

for a moment, he said nothing, and the silence stretched unbearably heavy. but then gojo’s ice-gaze dropped to the necklace scattered over your throat, and he tilted his head, "not too bad," a flicker of a scoff curling at his lips.

"tch, they’re not even real," you blurted, then immediately regretted it, what was wrong with you today? you reached up, fingers grazing the cool crystals as if to shield them from his bemused scrutiny, "just thought i needed something to fit in."

gojo slid a pair of tinted sunglasses from his pocket, sliding them up his nose, smooth and practised, "in a room full of the filthy rich and tastelessly overdressed?" his pink mouth twitched, "you’ll fit in perfectly."

gojo was right. this was just…tacky.

the ground floor of the building had been nothing but a sleek, cold lifeless maze of marble, and now he had led you down into what could only be described as a scene for criminals with bad taste. an abandoned parking lot stretched out in front of you, a grimy stretch of concrete that left you expecting a quiet dead end.

until gojo waved his hand, and the illusion clearly met for non-sorcerer eyes shattered.

before you, a set of massive double doors emerged, seemingly from nowhere, and the lifting of the veil had left you disoriented, nauseous. but when the doors swung open, you almost felt like you were stepping into a warped fever dream.

this room inside was the most bizarre mixture of garish opulence that you had ever seen. gold…everything. the walls plastered in a deep red, like someone had dipped the entire place in velvet swathes and then covered it with more gold leaf.

plush, overstuffed settees sat like soft, jewel-toned thrones in every corner, and glass boxes lined the walls, each holding what looked like nothing more than expensive junk, tacky figurines and diamond-encrusted trinkets.

it was the kind of place you’d absolutely expect a mob boss to call home after a particularly long, indulgent afternoon making questionable life choices.

the hall reeked of wealth, the kind that demanded to be seen. opulence dripped from every corner — gilded fixtures, crystalline chandeliers, and glass displays showcasing treasures that screamed money but whispered nothing of taste. you twitched as you passed a goblet encrusted with enough jewels to buy a small city-state. the thought of how much it probably cost made your stomach twist.

"focus," gojo muttered at your side, his tone clipped. he squinted slightly, his sunglasses doing little to shield his six eyes from the garish light that spilled over the room like liquid gold., and you could tell it was a bit...much for his senses, making him blink rapidly. "we’ll sweep the displays, see if the amulet’s here."

you tilted your head, gesturing toward his snowy mop of hair, the unruly strands falling messily over his face and grazing the edge of his glasses. "and you’re sure they won’t recognise you, in this whole...circus?"

gojo's responding glance was sharp, flat, and utterly devoid of humour.

"most of these people wouldn’t recognise a threat if it was biting them in the ass," he said, voice low and laced with disdain. "they’re not sorcerers. just your garden-variety rich and bored — criminals, trust fund brats, maybe a politician trying to look cultured. the kind of people who buy antiques because they match their curtains and makes them look good for their friends."

the corner of your mouth betrayed you, twitching upward at his cutting dismissal of the glittering nonsense around you. he had hit the nail on the head, making contempt seem like an art form.

and worse, you hated how there was something almost…sexy about it.

the thought hit you like a slap, and you forced it down immediately. gojo and sexy didn’t belong in the same sentence. not in the same universe. fuck, not even as a passing joke.

"charmed as i am by your high opinion of humanity," you said dryly, trying to ground yourself in sarcasm, "maybe don’t make it obvious you hate everyone here. we're not here to arrest every person in this room."

gojo snorted softly, his lips curving into what might have been a smirk — or at least the ghost of one. "you think so little of me. i don’t hate everyone." his eyes flicked toward you, just for a second, before returning to the vast hall ahead.

it wasn’t much. barely a glance of electric blue. but it was enough to send your pulse into a sprint, and fuck him, he had to know it. you turned your attention to the nearest display, praying he didn’t notice the warmth blooming in your cheeks.

traitorous.

"let’s just find the amulet, and sato. and get out of here," you said briskly, your voice a shade too sharp.

"mhm," gojo's voice was infuriatingly calm, but when you looked up, his gaze wasn’t on the displays. it was on you.

"you look lost."

a voice, smooth and low, slid over you like silk, stopping you cold in your tracks. it hadn't come from gojo by your side, thank the heavens above, but it didn't make your heart any steadier. you turned towards the source, and your stomach did a three-point flip.

well. hello, gorgeous.

the type of good-looking that just felt unfair. the type that made you forget your name for half a second, and then hate yourself for it. the strnger stood out against the room of puffed-up men in overpriced suits, glittering with real diamonds of their cuff-links, and rolled cigars in their hands.

your eyes fell on dark auburn strands that fell in perfectly tousled strands over his forehead, and a tailored black suit that hugged a slender waist.

"i hope you didn't wander into the wrong hall," the stranger said, curling his lips into a faint smile, fraught with suspicion as it was.

you forced yourself not to stare — at an absurdly sharp jawline, at big brown eyes. but words were a different matter entirely. you struggled to conjure them, grasping for anything remotely coherent.

you settled on an appropriate response.

"um. no, we didn’t."

not your finest moment. not even close.

before you could mentally regroup with a few brain cells, a sharp jolt yanked you back to reality. you sucked in a sharp breath as gojo's long fingers pinched the underside of your arm, a deliberate sting that left you glaring at him.

he didn’t even bother to meet your eyes.

his entire focus was fixed on the stranger, his posture taut with unspoken tension, gojo's jaw clenched so tight you thought he might crack a perfect tooth.

the air shifted subtly, a faint hum of energy emanating from gojo. you knew that hum. it meant trouble. gojo, ever the master of simmering hostility, was gearing up for something, and he was looking weirdly agitated.

and you found it tasteless to jump the first person you had run into here.

"i usually know most of the guests at my events," the stranger continued, his voice calm, unbothered — but there was an edge to it, like he already knew the answer to the question he hadn’t asked.

oh.

you felt your stomach plummet as recognition dawned.

naoki sato.

no wonder gojo looked ready to snap someone in half. naoki wasn’t just anyone — he was the head of the voiceless. the host of this auction. the man whose fortune was built on enough shady dealings to fill a large library. the one who had more blood on his hands than those who had been dealt life sentences.

one of the most wanted jujutsu criminals in the world.

"you've — " gojo started, his voice sharp, but you cut him off with a forced, almost too-bright smile.

"you've thrown quite the party," you said, your words tripping over themselves as you elbowed gojo subtly, hoping to god he’d take the hint. "i’m actually quite new to the area. just exploring, hoping to find something good tonight."

gojo let out a low grunt, a sound that promised retribution later. you ignored him and plastered on a wider smile, one you hoped would distract from your partner's upcoming reversal: red.

"and, ah. this is my bodyguard...genji," you added, giving gojo's arm a firm retributive pinch through the fabric of his jacket.

the look he shot you could've melted steel, but you held your ground, determined not to let him ruin this.

if for once, he could take your plan into account, a great deal of bloodshed could be avoided.

naoki's faint cherry smile widened, bemused, "your…bodyguard?" he echoed, gaze flickering to gojo satoru.

gojo who stood like a coiled spring, gojo who certainly was no method actor. his icy glare practically speaking volumes of 'i will burn this room down.'

"well," naoki drawled, his tone almost playful now, and you flushed, "i hope you find what you’re looking for here."

behind him, his entourage, a cadre of hulking men stuffed into suits barely containing their bulk, followed with synchronised precision. they looked more like walking fortresses than bodyguards, with their cold and suspicious eyes cutting through the room as they passed.

one of them shot you an odd look, and you forced yourself to feign interest in a nearby display of sapphire-encrusted forks.

the moment the criminal was out of earshot, gojo leaned down, "genji? really?"

you shrugged, ignoring how you felt your nerves fray. and refusing to meet him half-way, "what? okay, i panicked. it was the first name i thought of."

"yeah, that was so convincing," gojo muttered darkly beside you, and you caught some bitten off words about how he was never going on a mission with you again, how yaga should never have roped him into this.

all things you blithely ignored.

you didn’t need to look at him to know he was furious. it rolled off him in waves, the tension in his posture, the barely audible hum of cursed energy still crackling under the surface.

"we don't even know where the amulet is. and imagine if we show up in front of yaga without it. you can do whatever you like with him after we get our hands on the cursed object," you whispered back, pretending to study the ridiculous cutlery with exaggerated focus.

gojo lowered his head, as though he suddenly saw the worth in gemstones embedded in cutlery, but just enough so he could glower at you. "you're flirting," he hissed, "i could have blasted through half this room, and just finished the job by now."

you coughed and hackled, "not all of us think effective battles are fought with a hollow purple."

"and not all of us,” gojo bit back, "feel the need to blush like schoolgirls the second someone bats an eyelash at us."

heat shot through you, part anger, part something you didn’t want to name. "blush?” you snapped. "i wasn’t blushing."

"you just wanted to jump his bones. thought we weren't here to get it wet."

"i'm not entertaining this conversation," but your voice was mildly higher pitched, drawing attention, "is that why you were there? standing like an idiot, or a jealous ex-boyfriend?"

gojo's sneer faltered, just for a split second, but it was enough to make your heart lurch with a strange, vindictive triumph.

"i wasn’t jealous," he said, "i was doing my job. y'know, being a jujutsu sorcerer. bringing a criminal to justice."

you opened your mouth, ready to retort, but no words came. because he wasn’t entirely wrong, and that infuriated you more than anything.

so instead, you lifted your hand, placing it firmly on his shoulder, onto the crisp and fine fabric of his jacket. you didn't miss the way he stiffened, briefly disarmed.

"look, i've got this. just stay close."

gojo's jaw tightened, and you could feel the unspoken protest simmering there. before he could get a word in, you turned away and called out.

"hey! naoki!"

the red-haired man stopped mid-stride, turning his head back toward you with a quizzical look. the confident words you’d planned evaporated the moment his sharp, brown eyes pinned you in place.

"i mean, naoki sato. mr. sato," you fumbled, mentally kicking yourself.

brilliant start. truly one of jujutsu tech's finest.

naoki raised an eyebrow, his expression shifting from confusion to faint amusement. his gaze flicked to gojo, who had crossed his arms like a fortress of disdain and immense ill-will.

"found something you like?" naoki asked smoothly.

you ignored the huff that escaped the white-haired man next to you, and forced a smile, "actually, i was hoping you could help me choose something out. i'm not an expert here, and there's just so much to see."

naoki's bodyguards shifted, their expressions darkening as if you’d committed some unspoken faux pas. but the crime boss merely tilted his head, the faintest hint of a smirk playing on his lips.

"ah, well," he said, drawing the word out lazily, "i don’t usually get this forward with my clients, but i suppose i'll make an exception."

his eyes slid once again to gojo, who was now glowering at a waiter hovering too close to his personal space, on the edges of infinity. "your bodyguard," naoki added helpfully, "can walk behind you. perhaps he'd like a drink to keep him occupied."

gojo's snarl could have peeled garish paint off the walls, "i don't want it."

you resisted the urge to roll your eyes at the stubborn ass.

instead, you pasted on a smile, tight and sweet, and shot gojo a look that could cut glass, "our host is offering you something. you want that drink, genji."

"i don’t want cream soda," gojo muttered, all mulish in his six foot three glory.

gritting your teeth, you flashed naoki a helpless look, like what can you do? bodyguards, am i right?

and you reached for the waiter's tray, grabbing a tall glass of the offending soda and thrusting it into gojo's warm hand. then you leaned in, your voice a whisper, "take it. smile and act normal. ten minutes, that’s all i need."

for a moment, his blue eyes locked on yours, a storm of irritation twirling in them. you were now close enough to feel the heat radiating off him, close enough to notice the faintest hitch in his breath.

but gojo, for once, didn’t argue. with a final glare, he downed half the glass in one long, defiant gulp, his adam’s apple bobbing as he drank.

naoki laughed, watching the scene unfold with thinly veiled amusement, "you're very kind to the help. shall we?"

you shot gojo satoru one last look — a mix of triumph and warning —before stepping forward.

but your partner, predictably, looked like he'd rather swallow glass than stand a moment longer here. still, bodyguard is as bodyguard does, and he trailed after you like a reluctant shadow.

"i must admit," naoki began, his brown eyes catching the glittering lights as they swept over you, "it's rare to see someone so beautiful at these things. i think i would have remembered seeing you before, too. i'm usually stuck with old men trying to swindle me out of my fortune."

a flush climbed up your neck, unwelcome and irritating at what must have been calculated words, enough to flatter and also to disarm.

behind you, gojo audibly scoffed, clearly abandoning all manner of proper etiquette. you glanced over your shoulder to see him gripping the stem of a champagne flute, his knuckles white. the empty glass of cream soda had been abandoned in favour of something stronger.

he caught your eye and rolled his, making a slicing gesture at his neck followed by a pointed hurry up motion.

"ignore him," you murmured to naoki, pushing forward.

naoki’s eyes gleamed with amusement, easily unbothered as he gestured for you to continue walking. "does your bodyguard always look like he’s seconds away from murder, or is this special treatment for me?"

you didn’t dare look back at gojo, “he’s just protective," you said carefully.

naoki chuckled, "protective, sure. but of his job...or you?"

the words struck a nerve you refused to acknowledge, so you pressed the conversation forward. ignoring the jitter that erupted in your stomach.

"can i ask...," you said, tilting your head just enough to feign casual curiosity, "are these all cursed objects? or just pretty trinkets?"

naoki's amusement didn’t falter, but his gaze sharpened, assessing you like you were a puzzle he was only now beginning to piece together.

"why?” he asked smoothly, "are you interested in jujutsu? i thought you were here to...browse."

fuck, caught, but not completely.

you played it off with a small shrug. "some members of my family dabble in jujutsu," you said, letting a sliver of truth escape, but letting the rest of your words drip with lies, "i can only see curses, i'm not a sorcerer. but most of my family still hates me for how i was born."

behind you, gojo shifted, his movements a touch sharper than before. he hadn’t known that, hadn't known the small truth that you had snuck into your words.

but naoki's expression softened, his smile more thoughtful now. "that’s rare. and often not appreciated, i imagine.”

you hesitated, cautiously, but nodded. "not by them, no."

"i understand. my parents hated jujutsu. thought it was unnatural, and against the way of the world. my grandfather...he was the only one who didn't," and there's a quiet sincerity threading naoki sato's words, "he raised me when my parents refused to. at least, until he passed."

something in his story tugged at you — a familiarity you hadn’t expected. your family’s disdain for your own jujutsu, their rejection, mirrored in his words. it was unsettling, but oddly not unwelcome.

"i’m sorry about your grandfather," you said softly.

"and i, about your family,” naoki replied, a calm mask settling over his features once more, reminding you so painfully of the sorcerer who trailed behind you, "no-one should be made to feel lesser, sorcerer or not."

you caught your lip between your teeth, hoping the red stain didn't catch onto your teeth, "i thought most sorcerers hated humans."

naoki shrugged, "we aren't all that different. all flesh and blood with temporary lives."

oddly wise words from a mass murderer, thief and criminal.

you glanced over at gojo again, and just as you predicted, his scowl deepened and the glass looked like it was about a shatter in his hands. if looks could kill, naoki sato would be the first to go, no questions asked, followed by you.

naoki snickered, "your shadow grows restless."

"ignore him, please," you muttered, stepping closer to a glass case to distract yourself, "what’s this?"

naoki followed, stepping closer so you could catch the scent of expensive almond and saffron, "ah," he said, gesturing at the artefact inside, "a blade, from ming dynasty china. the jade serpent on the hilt grants its wearer the ability to control minds. some say it can even raise the dead."

the claim sent a shiver down your spine, but you masked it with feigned interest, nodding as naoki moved on.

"and here," he continued, pointing to a golden ring, with an oddly boyish grin for someone dealing in murderous items, "the lion's eyes. said to see through any veil, any curse. the last treasure of the dynasty of the pharoahs."

you tried to listen, but gojo's presence loomed larger with every word. his disdain for naoki sato, his barely concealed anger at the stolen objects— it was all too palpable. when you glanced back, his scowl had deepened, and the champagne glass in his hand looked on the verge of shattering.

if looks could kill, naoki sato would already be six feet under. you would be next on the list.

you swallowed hard, turning back to naoki sato and pointing at the next display. "and this?"

naoki pushed his hands into the pockets of his slacks, "the broken english crown. apparently worn by the last king to die on the battlefield, and i haven't tried it on," he shares this with you, with a conspiratorial smile, "but legends say it fractures the bones of anyone deemed not powerful enough to wear it."

this criminal was not what you had expected at all. it was hard to reconcile the image of a hardened criminal with years of ruthless ambition, with this effortless charm and disarming way of making you lose the blurred line of correct propriety. you tried not to stare at how the warm light caught his auburn hair, like the autumn leaves in the dappled sun.

and yet, it wasn’t just his looks that threw you off. it was the way he carried himself — like he had nothing to prove and everything to hide. dangerous in a different way, one that was far harder to guard against.

it reminded you of gojo satoru.

"you know, i have to admit," naoki said, gesturing to the gilded displays around him, "most of this stuff? tacky as hell. but then, you would be surprised what most people would pay for tacky."

from a swindler, fraud and scammer? you were quite sure.

"funny, coming from someone whose livelihood depends on it. isn't that gaudy by association?"

naoki winked, and you averted your gaze from long brown lashes fluttering against soft skin, "touché. but people don't want to just buy the artefact, or the cursed object. they want the story. that shit's priceless."

you swallowed, focusing on how gojo was trying to draw your attention to a glass case hidden by all the others, and you hoped you weren't squinting, "so, you're just a storyteller then?"

but beside you, naoki sato tilted his head, "you could say that."

you thought of the clipped photos printed into the file. some in black and white, and some in raging shades of colour. where naoki sato's hands had painted entire buildings in shades of sticky red, and heads rolled on the floor. where his enhance technique could burst arteries and lungs, leaving people in pieces on the floor.

"sounds dramatic," you said, though your voice came out quieter than you intended.

"life's dramatic, and too short to not take what i want," naoki replied with a faint smile, his hand lightly brushing your waist as he guided you further past long tables.

you leaned into it without thinking, a tiny movement that made a creamy, berry flush paint over naoki's features. and the sorcerer's laugh was warm, low, like he’d already won something you didn’t realise was at stake.

behind you, a sharp cough broke the moment.

gojo.

you let your lips curl into a faint smile and leaned into naoki's just a fraction more, with a very deliberate look, one that spoke of triumph and having tamed a beast.

gojo's scowl deepened, his shoulders taut with barely restrained frustration, and he started mouthing at you, silent as his lips parted. if you read his mouth carefully, well...

he was calling you rather unflattering names.

"what's that?" but it was gojo's voice that roughly cut through the air, like gravel grinding underfoot. his shaded eyes were fixed on the glass case tucked in the corner.

you followed his gaze, past his outstretched arm, and your stomach twisted.

raijin's amulet.

the cursed object you’d been hunting, the one you’d sworn to protect at all costs, gleamed innocently behind its protective glass. you could recognise the serpentine dragon coiled protectively around the stone at its centre, its intricate carving daring anyone to claim it.

your frantic eyes met gojo's. his were sharp, seething. then, both your gazes flicked to naoki.

naoki, of course, noticed nothing — or pretended not to. he let out a soft hum, following gojo's pointed stare.

"the bodyguard's interested too?"

you coughed, cutting through the rising tension before gojo could turn that look into something explosive. the glass case between them might as well have been kindling for the fire brewing.

"it's mainly for academics," you said, feigning an air of curiosity. then, with practiced innocence, you tilted your head and smiled at the dangerous special grade cursed object as if it were nothing more than an ordinary trinket.

"but it’s so pretty. what is it, really?"

naoki's hand tightened subtly on your waist, and you tried to ignore the guilt that bubbled up in your chest when his sharp features softened at your feigned interest.

"it’s just an old thing," he said, his voice lowering as if sharing a secret meant only for you, "did you know it once belonged to ryomen sukuna?"

your mouth was dry, but you kept your face blank, tilting your head as though you’d never heard the name before, "sukuna?"

naoki pressed his palm to the glass case, his expression shifting into something darker, more reverent.

"the king of curses," he murmured. "lived over a thousand years ago. ruthless. when he died, most of his treasures were plundered by clans too greedy for their own good. but this..." he tapped the glass softly. "this one? it wasn't easy to get my hands on."

you leaned closer, feigning fascination while calculating your next move, trying to figure out how you could get close enough to that glass case without shattering the illusion cast on naoki sato, "what does it do?"

for a moment, naoki's eyes narrowed, suspicion flickering in their depths. but just as quickly, his expression smoothed out, and he chuckled.

"trust me, beautiful," he said, his voice like silk with an edge of warning. "you don’t want to wear that thing. i could get you something far more...safe."

you forced a smile, ignoring the chill that ran down your spine. instead, you threw a quick, desperate glance at gojo — a silent plea for the strongest to listen to you: i'll distract him. you get the amulet.

gojo's expression tightened, but his head snapped once, briefly, in the faintest hint of acknowledgement.

time to move.

you let out a soft, breathy laugh and tugged naoki toward a table, your hand brushing his arm with casual ease. "let’s sit," you suggested, leaning into his toned chest just enough to sell the act. "all this walking is making me tired."

naoki's laughter was warm, a touch too easy, and he let you guide him without resistance, "tsk, whatever you want," he murmured.

now you're trusting gojo satoru, simply because you had no other choice. he had to get the amulet out of the glass before alarms began to blare, and before needless blood was spilt over the glimmering floor.

and so you sat, letting naoki have his back to gojo, oblivious to the white-haired shadow slipping closer to the case. your eyes lingered on gojo, pulse racing each time he disappeared behind one of naoki's own burly guards.

but then naoki sato's gaze locked onto you, drawing your attention back with a searing warmth that caught you off guard.

"so," he asked, eyes glinting, "what do you think of all...this?"

"it's impressive," and you're surprised at how the truth has found a home in your mouth, "i didn't ever think of different sorcerers, around the world."

naoki leaned closer, with his elbows on his thighs, propping his face upon his hands, "most people don't. here, it's all about jujutsu. tokyo, this. kyoto, that. the higher ups are so narrow-minded. stuck in their ways, obsessed with tradition. they don't know anything about the world out there."

for a moment, his words startled you. they weren’t the boastful musings of a crime boss but something else. they reminded you of how gojo spoke about the rigidity of the old ways, about why he fought so hard to change things, to create a better world for jujutsu sorcerers.

ah, focus.

"hey," naoki suddenly said, pulling you out of your thoughts. his gaze was sharper now, more intense. and over his shouder, you caught the faintest blur of white hair in the background, gojo's movements.

but it was hard to focus on anything but naoki sato's face — the sharp lines softened by his proximity, the warmth in his dark eyes that you didn’t want to admit was almost magnetic.

he was a man marked for execution, and the warrant must have been burning a hole through your suite on the highest floor.

yet here he was, looking at you like you were something worth risking everything for.

and suddenly, you weren’t sure you wanted to see autumn's locks matted with rusted blood. to see eyes go dull and lifeless.

you felt like you had the moral spine of a sponge.

"can i kiss you?"

the question hit like a punch to the gut. your lips parted, but no sound came out. and suddenly, the steps in the background stopped too.

naoki's hand came up to your jaw, his touch unexpectedly reverent, and all you could think was: distraction. right. distract him for gojo. what the fuck is taking him so long?

so you closed the distance.

naoki's lips captured yours with a softness that disarmed you, but the kiss was anything but tentative, and you could taste a sweet tang like lemons and sugar. but you let his large hands pull you closer and his touch was warm and intoxicating.

the kind that made you forget, just for a moment, that this was all a ruse.

his lips moved against yours with a heat that made everything else fade to black, and his hands slid down your waist and back, tracing lines that felt dangerously real.

when you finally pulled away for air, your lips tingled, and your breath came in short bursts. you couldn’t help yourself — you reached up, your fingers brushing against his now-flushed lips, glossy under your touch, and you hated the way your stomach twisted from the way naoki sato melted under your touch.

focus, again.

you hoped, prayed, that gojo was doing his part, taking advantage of the way you had naoki sato, one of the most dangerous men in the entire world, wrapped around your finger, and bruising his tongue into your mouth.

but your gaze flicked upwards, past his shoulder and collided with something that stopped your heart cold.

electric blue. devastatingly vibrant, crackling with a fury that hit the air like a thunderstorm.

gojo's eyes pinned you in place, shadows pooling in sharp cerulean, from shades that had slipped just a touch down his nose. no mask to shield whatever expression gojo had clearly painted across his face.

hurt? anger? what the fuck, was that betrayal?

your throat tightened, and you resisted the urge to dig your nails into naoki's tailored jacket, to hiss at gojo to get a move on. to stop standing there like he had been hit with a shovel.

but the words didn't quite form, didn't pull at the corners of your mouth to silently shape them. his expression just held you captive, no. shamed you.

and that made you angrier. he had no right to look at you like that, like you had just crossed a line that you didn't even know was there.

but under you, naoki shifted, tilted your chip up to meet his lips again, and you let him. you...wanted him to. but the heat of his lips didn't drown out the chill of gojo's stare. your own body betrayed you with a shiver, one that you couldn't quite place yourself.

nerves, or desire.

the kiss was firmer this time, insistent, as if naoki sato was staking his claim in front of an invisible audience. his hand cupped the back of your neck, his thumb brushing the edge of your jaw with maddening ease, over the pulse of your neck.

and for a second, it was too easy to fall into the lie. but you felt it: the searing weight of gojo's glower burning into you, not far away.

naoki pulled back just slightly, his breath fanning your lips, "hey, you're distracted," he murmured, his voice low and teasing, his eyes scanning your face as though he wanted to read every thought. "should i be offended?"

"no," you said quickly, almost too quickly, "just a lot to take in."

naoki smiles, all coy and glazed lips, clearly pleased by what he thought was pure flattery, and not the glowering six-eyes shining behind him. "good. i think 'm gonna like leaving you speechless."

part of you knows that you just aren't seeing those pearly gates of heaven.

you know there's going to be a bouncer at the doors, with your face printed on a photo titled: dni! fraud! liar! the world's most incompetent jujutsu sorcerer! would bounce into a criminal's bed at first chance!

naoki's warm thumb lingers against your jaw, and your breath hitches just enough for the sorcerer to notice. you don't miss how his eyes darken, a hint of triumph gleaming in them.

you risked a glance past his shoulder again, and gojo was still there, stony-faced as naoki's own guards. but there's something else broiling in his eyes, rolling over his face like a thunderstorm cracks over a grassy plain. the fury in his eyes hadn't lessened, but now it was laced with something sharper, something that you can finally read.

jealousy. absolute glass-shattering, world-stopping levels of envy paint over gojo satoru's face.

the realisation hits you like a punch to the gut.

was he jealous of naoki sato? of you? of this entire charade that you both had agreed to? or rather, the one you had roped him into.

the idea shouldn’t have thrilled you, but it did. and it terrified you just as much.

you let naoki kiss you again, forcing yourself to deepen it this time, your hands coming up to rest against his hard chest. you don't miss how he suddenly parts from your lips, panting softly into your mouth, and suddenly you're hit with the most awful wave of longing for a man who cannot have.

naoki’s large hands, however, weren’t idle. one brushed the edge of your dress, under the shoulder strap of your powder-blue gown, his thumb grazing against the fabric, and your breath hitched.

you shift, your breath stuttering as naoki's other hand slides higher, his fingers brushing against the flesh of your thigh, pushing your dress higher, and his hand brushes against the silver details on the side, scratching your skin. it's maddening how cool air meets the heat of your now exposed skin, and naoki's mouth crushes against yours, as if he's equally savouring the taste of you.

"t-there are people here," you gasp, your voice a fractured whisper, trembling at the edge of composure, "what if they can see or watch?"

gojo satoru is here. gojo is watching. you know your partner is close enough to hear every breathless sound you make, every treasonous whine that slips past your lips.

but naoki sato's mouth is curved into a plush, wicked smile, "let them look," and his teeth are grazing against the curve enough in a way that makes you arch your back into him, he who is now leaning over you, as if he's the one trying to capture you, "who cares - hah?"

any reasonable thought of your duty. of honour, of a mission flees from your head.

the sight of gojo's softly parted mouth and darkened eyes as he watches you in another man's arms spurs you on, and you let naoki sato press his lips against the hollow of his throat.

naoki's long fingers are blazing as they reach the very apex of your thighs. as they press two rough pads into the sopping slick that's gathered in your panties, as they run themselves along dampened fabric in a way that has you openly keening.

"can i?" and your eyes meet the mahogany gaze of the man above you. it's electrifying. you should be ashamed, furious at how you're just being taken like this, on display. but this is a room of the seven deadly sins, where each corner of the room is a lesson in hedonism, and obscene wealth.

"please."

but your eyes are only on gojo satoru behind him. on how he catches the pale-pink of his bottom lip between his teeth, and his face is seething. how his darkened eyes drop to naoki's hand working its way between your legs, and you wantonly roll your hips up to meet him there.

you let writhing fingers slip under the waistband of your pale-blue underwear, dipping into glossy, thick arousal. but you also don't miss the tent in gojo satoru's grey slacks, only metres away, and the frenzied look making him look pained.

you would be lying if you said you didn't enjoy moaning openly, spreading your legs just a bit wider, so gojo could get a glimpse of your drooling cunt.

"fuck, 's good. so good, naoki."

a finger travels up, away from your winking entrance to press a soft flick against your throbbing clit, "yeah?"

and the beautiful man in between your legs all but purrs. pleased beyond measure at how you've apparently been captured, heart and soul by him. and your attention snaps back to how he suddenly draws his fingers off your soaked cunt, and brings them up to his mouth.

"sweetest thing i've ever tasted, i think 'm gonna have -"

and then, it hit you.

a hot, sticky spray of liquid.

the scent of iron slammed into your senses as fresh blood splattered across your face, your chest, and stained the delicate blue of your dress into a deep and damning red. it clung to your skin, to your lips as you pressed your mouth shut, fighting the bile rising in your throat.

reversal: red crackled in the air, cursed energy humming sharp, and it had sliced through the hall like a whip. naoki's arm had been torn from your waist, wrenched away as he staggered back with a guttural hiss, and you avert your eyes from the blood that paints the space between you.

"that's enough."

gojo satoru's voice is like a thunderclap, reverberating around your ears, and when you finally meet his gaze, you're met with unbridled fury. you're not sure where his shades have gone, but you're met with the full weight of six-eyes, blazing and unrelenting.

naoki stumbles ahead of you, clutching his shoulder where blood seeps through his fingers, torn between shock and raw rage. his cherry-lips are curled back into a snarl, flush with indignation.

"hah, you're a sorcerer?," and naoki sato's voice drips with venom, heavy with disbelief.

you're not quite sure gojo satoru needs to answer. not when his presence alone sends waves of cold through the hall, cutting the air precisely, cleaving it.

but there's a man running towards the commotion, a guard encumbered by a hefty black suit, and there's a cold shock that runs through you as your eyes fall on the gun at his side.

"we think that's gojo satoru," the guard wheezes, breathless.

"you're telling me this now? i gave you fuckwits one job," naoki snarls, shaking the man, with his nails dug into the guard's shoulder.

and you're quickly pushing your dress down, letting the fabric spill over your legs once more, fighting back the hot sparks that sting at your eyes.

it's enough to snap naoki's attention back to you. and for a moment, for the briefest of moment, he wasn't the hardened criminal you had been playing this dangerous game with. a boy your age, wild and beautiful, and utterly undone.

and it heaves your stomach at how the fury in his gaze trembles slightly, just enough to reveal betrayal underneath that strikes you harder than any limitless could.and it struck you harder than any whip of magic ever could.

"i must be stupid, fuck," naoki's voice cracks as he spits the words, his expression twisted with something raw, something painfully human, "you’re a jujutsu sorcerer too, aren't you?"

the accusation was a dagger, his voice trembling with disbelief but its wholly true, and your head wavers in a half-shake, half-nod.

"you’re with him, aren't you? just another one of the higher up's lapdogs?"

the words weren’t a question — they were a condemnation.

naoki's lips are curled, and his bloodied arm is now trembling but steady, defiance burning through the pain.

and a whisper in your mind tells you to smash the glass case holding the amulet, to push through it with your bare hands, just so you can bleed alongside him.

but naoki sato's bitter scoff shatters that thought, and his gaze must have followed yours, sharp and knowing, for his hand has moved faster, pulling the gun from the guard's holster.

the blast came before you could even think, loud and jarring.

but you never saw the bullet's path, only gojo.

gojo, whose arm has snapped in front of you like a barrier, impossibly fast, and well within the bounds of his infinity. as if he had tore through space itself.

the bullet collides with infinity, ricocheting into the chaos of the panicking crowd.

naoki’s gaze didn’t waver. it slices back to gojo, sharp, calculating, and darkly amused. he must have seen it now, everything.

the truth was etched in the way gojo had positioned himself, the way his blazing blue eyes never left you, the unspoken claim humming in the air like a second heartbeat.

naoki sato's laugh is lower, bitter, and you watch the mesmerising plink! of crimson on the floor.

"he's protecting you, isn’t he?" his voice dripped with venom, each word striking like a dagger, "how sweet.”

and just like that, something broke. gojo's restraint, most likely.

you can see how his fingers are flexing, his hands lifting and cursed energy is coiling at his fingertips. his thumb and index finger brush, a telltale sign of an impending blast. hollow purple.

you clench your eyes shut, bracing for the devastation of the impact —

but naoki sato was faster.

his arms snapped outward, a surge of his own jujutsu ripping through the space between you. the bodyguards around you crumpled like ragdolls, their bodies bursting under the pressure. blood sprayed in thick, sticky waves, painting the walls, the floor — against the edges of infinity.

you opened your eyes in time to see gojo falter, his hands trembling as he stared at the carnage. even he, the unflinching sorcerer, the strongest, looked shaken by the sheer brutality of what cursed technique: enhance was capable of.

and in the heartbeat of his hesitation, naoki was gone.

"fuck's sake! s-satoru! let go of me!" you snap, voice cracking with fury as you fight against gojo's tight grasp.

his vivid focus shoots back to you, his expression a storm of anger and disbelief, "what?" and gojo's voice is razer-sharp, "if you think i'm letting you go after that stunt you pulled -"

"shut up!" and you can feel your own desperation cut through the air, "you go after him, i'll go after the amulet."

you toss your head to the shattered glass and the chaos erupting all around you, "if that thing gets lost in the mess, we've done this all for nothing!"

gojo's jaw is clenched, his mouth pressed into a hard and furious line. for a moment, you think he's going to argue with you again, but then you're dropped unceremoniously to the ground.

pain shoots through your knees as you land, but you're soon hauling yourself up.

"go!" you hiss, shoving at his shoulder, "i'll come find you when i have it."

gojo hesitates for a fraction of a second longer, then he's gone — a blur of movement faster than your eyes could track, leaving you alone in the chaos.

your hands tremble as you grab a heavy steel bar from the wreckage, swinging it with all your strength at the glass case. the sound of shattering glass barely registers as you reach inside, your fingers curling around the cold, smooth surface of the amulet.

wild shocks run through you, and you almost keel over, feeling the rush and pulse of such a cursed object against your skin. but it's safe. you have it now.

with it clutched tightly in your hand, you turned and run.

by now, you can't find it within yourself to stop the hot tears from running down your cheeks, streaming freely as you tear through the blood-soaked scene.

you run, the air sharp and cold against your skin, your heartbeat an unrelenting drum in your ears. the thump! making your head pound.

you can follow the residuals of gojo's cursed energy, lingering like a sickly beacon, drawing you back to the dull parking lot. you pushed open the doors with both hands, red smudging onto the concrete as you ignored the sting of your palms

and then you saw it. saw it all.

the scene hits you like a wrecking ball, knocking the breath clean from your lungs.

a body lies crumpled on the ground, its lifelessness more harrowing than the carnage that surrounds it. blood, thick and sticky, smears across the concrete. massive pillars, toppled like a child's toys in the wake of a clear explosion.

your gaze snags on a limp hand sprawled on the floor, and you feel your stomach twist. instinctively, your tongue slides against the back of your teeth, and the metallic tang of iron is already sleeping into your senses.

and then, there was gojo satoru.

he stands amid the wreckage, like a figure carved from shadows, and ice. and fury. his chest softly rises and falls, as though he had been running for miles, his hair disheveled and darkened with sweat.

the sight of him might have almost been human, almost comforting. if not for the gore streaked across his hands, and the thing he drops onto the concrete with a hollow thud.

you don't look at it. you don't think you can. your stomach knows the truth before your mind catches up, bile heaving within you once more.

the head of naoki sato. he would never have stood a chance against the strongest sorcerer in modern history.

final task: retrieve artefact. execute naoki sato on site. alternatively, bring in for execution.

you mind flashes back to that dastardly pink sticky note, still stuck to the case file.

what did you feel now? anger? sadness?

maybe both. maybe neither.

the blood pooling in front of gojo is already congealing, its sickly shine dimming in the cold, fluorescent light of the lot.

you were tired of seeing blood, of tasting it on your tongue, of breathing it in like the very air you needed to survive.

you’d thought there would be relief in the end. but instead, disappointment had rooted itself deep inside you, twisting itself.

naoki sato, for all his crimes and cruetly, had been...something. somewhere beneath the sly smirks and sharp words, there had been glimpses of something that almost looked like hope. he had said he wanted better — for everyone. for you. was it a lie? or had you twisted his words into something more comforting than the truth, desparate to see light where there was none?

your throat burns, but no tears come. just a hollow ache that matches the cold weight of raijin's amulet in your hand. you looked at it now, the thing you’d fought so hard to win, its edges biting into your skin, the dragon leaving its mark.

gojo's voice cut through the silence, low and ragged, and tired, "don’t look."

you hadn’t even realised you were staring, your eyes hovering dangerously close to the lifeless hand on the ground.

"i'm sorry," he had continued, his tone strangely neutral, as if apologising for a cracked glass rather than the irrevocable violence around him, that seemed to trail after him, "i had to do it."

you laughed then, short and bitter, the sound cracking like a whip against the cold air. "had to, gojo?" your voice trembled, not with fear, but something darker. something far more raw.

his gaze had snapped to you, and there it was — the thing that always churned between you two. a storm of emotions, tangled so tightly you could no longer tell where hate ended and yearning began.

"you think this is the resolution i wanted?" gojo shot back, his voice laced with something too jagged to be regret. "you think i enjoyed that?"

and in the most twisted, perverse theatre of your mind's eye, you see gojo's open-mouthed stare, focused on how another man touched you, made you his.

"i don’t know what you enjoy anymore," you take a step closer, your grip tightening on amulet until your knuckles whitened. but the air pushed from your lungs, "but - god, gojo. forget it. i-i don't even know. 'm sorry, too."

gojo sighs, and you see the exhaustion hanging over him too, "we'll go back tomorrow morning."

the walk back to your room is…suffocating. the air is thick with everything that you just cannot say, words that you can't even bring your heavy tongue to shape.

gojo is beind you, and you can feel the weight of his presence pressing between your shoulder blades, but you just can't turn around. you don't dare to. raijin's amulet is still clenched in your hand, and its edges are cutting into your palm, a form of self-flagellation you suppose.

you push the door open, and your breath catches and hitches as you slip inside, slamming it shut after he follows. locking it with shaking hands.

in the suite, the moonlight now slices through the half-drawn curtains, as the tokyo skyline glimmers underneath you. it's painting silver lines across gojo's spectral frame, and he strides to the amenities sink, a smaller outlet near the door.

you watch, as though you're holding a sacred vigil.

your gaze doesn't leave gojo's figure as he throws his jacket off his sharp torso with a disgusted sigh, leaving him in his black dress shirt and a loosened tie.

still watching as his movements are tense, restless as he cups water from the faucet in his hands, splashing it onto his face.

when he finally looks up, gojo's white is hair dripping, his tie slightly askew, and his tired eyes catch yours like a snare.

for a moment, you’re frozen. neither of you say a word. the air feels too thin to breathe, and his gaze is too much — too piercing, too relentless, too him.

you can’t take it.

with a sharp motion, you slam the amulet onto the table, the sound echoing through the quiet room. you spin on your heel and lock yourself in the bathroom, shutting him out.

inside, the luxurious space feels surreal. marble floors gleam under the soft glow of recessed lighting, gold fixtures glinting and stinging your eyes. it smells faintly of jasmine and mint, too perfect for the mess you're about to create.

you grip the edge of the sink as the first sob wrenches its way out of your chest, hot and raw.

tears spill over, cascading down your cheeks in waves you can’t control. they come faster, harder, until you’re gasping, choking on gulps of air that burn in your throat.

you sink onto the cool floor tiles, your knees pulled to your chest as the sobs wrack your body. the weight of everything, what you did, gojo's eyes gleaming, naoki sato's hands on you, the smell of blood, it all crashes over you like a tidal wave. it’s too much for a human heart to bear in one night.

but your hands are shaking as you reach for the hem of your once beautiful dress, peeling it off with clumsy, desperate motions. the air is cool against your skin, you who is now left in undergarments.

and you stare blankly at the blood that smears your arms and legs, before grabbing a small towel, dampening it under the sink and wiping crimson stains away.

small cuts sting on your skin, faint patches where glass struck you, and you hiss.

a knock rattles the bathroom door, sharp and unrelenting, dragging you back to reality.

you close your eyes and exhale through gritted teeth, your voice brittle, "not now, gojo."

silence follows, stretching out long enough to offer the illusion of peace. but then it breaks. another knock, louder, more insistent this time.

"satoru, i swear to god," you snap, your exhaustion fraying into something sharp, laced with more venom now.

there’s a sigh from the other side, audible even through the thick wood, "don't make me blast this door down."

you groan, rolling your eyes as you toss the bloodied towel onto the counter, "you wouldn't dare."

"try me. just open the door, would'you?"

you don’t have the energy to argue, and something in his tone tells you that gojo isn’t bluffing. and so you dragged yourself upright, swinging the door open with more force than necessary.

gojo stands there, with damp hair still clinging to his forehead, beads of water trailing down his templates. and his sleeves are rolled up now, revealing thick forearms flecked with rust and crimson. it wouldn't be his. no, gojo hasn't bled in over a decade.

you straighten, aware of your own state right now. in your undergarments, only shielding you from being entirely bare under his gaze. but the only clothes in this room with you are now crumpled on the floor, in a heap of ice-blue and dark red.

let him look. he's seen more than enough now.

and so you lean back against the sink, crossing your arms as your eyes meet blue, "what do you want?"

gojo hesitates, his jaw tightening as he braces himself. when he finally speaks, his voice is low, rough around the edges, "just...asking if you're alright."

the laugh that escapes you is sharp and hollow, devoid of any humour, "why wouldn't i be?"

gojo's faze flickers, his expression unreadable, but his eyes linger a moment too long. you let him trace the dried blood smeared across your collarbone, the faint scratches on your skin.

"after all of that tonight..." he starts, but the words hang in the air between the two of you, unfinished. his voice suddenly falters, and you're struck by how gojo's razor-sharp confidence has dulled into something weaker, more conflicted.

you know exactly what he means. the stunt he's referring to, in his own earlier words. you wonder what exactly is eating at him now. is it honest concern, pride? residual envy?

"please, trust me. i'm fine, we managed to do what was asked of us, anyway," you clip curtly, hoping your tone is final enough.

gojo looks at you like he doesn't believe a single syllable that slips from your bitten lips, but then his shoulders sag and he exhales sharply, "fine," he mutters, turning on his heel as if he's the one that can't stand to be near you any longer.

"wait."

the word slips out before you can stop it, and gojo pauses, and his eyes are narrowed with suspicion.

you swallow hard, suddenly unsure of yourself, and lift a clean towel from the counter, helping yourself to another one of the hotel's free amenities, "can you help me with this?"

an olive branch.

you gesture with a single finger, over dried blood that has streaked over your back, your neck. the hollow of your collarbone.

you can see the refusal dancing on his tongue, the hesitation in the way his throat bobs, and how gojo's eyes flicker over you once more.

but he doesn't refuse. gojo just wordlessly steps forward, taking the towel from your outstretched hand. you watch, silently, as he moves to the sink and runs it under cold water. you're sitting on the edge of the counter now so you face him, watching the warm golden glow of the overhead lights in his pale hair.

the porcelain is cold against your thighs as you angle yourself away from the mirror, facing gojo. the towel in his hand drips faintly, and you watch as he hesitates again, just for a fraction of a second before stepping closer.

at first, his movements are slow and careful. he's raising the towel, and his hand is steady as you feel the first touch of the cool fabric against your back. a shiver practically races down your spine, not from the cold, but from the way his arm snakes behind you, brushing against your bare skin.

it's subtle at first, but you notice it. the hitch in his breath, the faint tremour in his movements.

gojo, who is always so infuriatingly composed, is shaken. you hear it in the sorcerer's uneven exhale that he doesn't quite manage to suppress, the way his fingers press the towel just a little too harshly.

the suite is silent now except for the faint drip of water and the rasp of fabric against your skin. you should say something, anything, but the words don’t come. instead, your gaze fixes on him, his profile illuminated by the warm glow of the bathroom light.

gojo's features are always striking, almost ethereal: the ice-white hair that falls messily against his forehead, the long white lashes that frame those sharp, cerulean-blue eyes. there’s something softened by the warm light, as though the harshness of his presence, of a man who stands above heaven and earth, has been dulled just enough to make him seem almost...human again.

but you feel as though your heart must just give way, pounding so hard that it may burst. where the blood that fell from another man's veins had somehow drawn a line to gojo satoru instead.

an hour ago, you had been arched into another, naoki sato, one who had been a dead man walking. an hour ago, his hands were on you, his lips hot and insistent, and his eyes were warm, and now he’s gone. dead. gojo made sure of that. and that was always meant to happen.

the thought should make you furious. it should make you push gojo away, but instead, all you can do is sit there, feeling his hands —gentle now, impossibly careful, on your skin.

it's wrong. it's so deeply, fundamentally wrong, and yet the space another man left feels like it was carved out for gojo satoru all along.

gojo's touch slows as he runs the towel over your skin, tracing the line of your collarbone with a precision that feels almost tender. your eyes slip closed for a moment, the warmth of his hand lingering even as the cold water wipes away the blood.

then he moves again.

it happens fast enough that you barely register it. one second, gojo satoru is standing tall and focused on the task, and the next...he's leaning down. his breath ghosting over the hollow of your neck.

you feel your entire world tilt as his lips press softly against the curve where your neck meets your shoulder, a touch so light that it feels stolen.

but now you've frozen, every breath catching as though the air was snatched from your lungs. every nerve feels as though it's on fire, hyper-aware of how soft the brush of his lips was, the faint scrape of his teeth just shy of your skin.

how gojo's lips were almost reverent, like a prayer offered in silence. how he was worshipping something he couldn't ever have.

but your eyes snap open to meet his.

gojos's cerulean eyes are molten, the usual ice cracked and melting into something deep and desperate and all-consuming. they bore into yours, wild and unguraded, and the pale lashes framing them tremble lighting as though even he's unsure of what he's just done.

but gojo's pupils are also blown wide, and electric. like a storm trapped in glass.

you swallow hard, your pulse thundering in your throat. slowly, cautiously, you dip your head, just enough to give him permission without saying a word.

the look in his eyes shifts — hunger, disbelief, and something darker all tangled together. he presses his lips to your neck again, firmer this time, lingering as though committing the feel of your skin to memory. then again, slightly higher, his breath hot and uneven against you.

"satoru…" the name slips from your lips in a whisper, trembling and unbidden.

the warmth of his tongue catches you off guard, tracing the curve of your neck in a way that sends a jolt through your entire body, heat down to your thighs. it's...unhinged, but the part of you that should push him away is nowhere to be found.

gojo pulls back just enough for you to see the faint smile curling at the corner of his mouth, though his eyes remain dark, intense, and burning with something that feels too big for the room.

"another man got to taste you," he whispers, "now i've tasted him."

you almost laugh, sharp and bitter. the sound lodging in your throat. the absurdity of it all, the jealously lacing his words like a poison vine, the way his breath still fans against your skin.

"that's insane," you manage, your voice shaking. it does little to stop the searing heat curling low in your stomach.

for a second, gojo's breath is still hot against your neck. and then suddenly, his hands are on you.

and fuck, it's not delicate at all. there's a roughness to his touch, desparate and unrestrained, as though something inside him as finally snapped.

his palms trace along your bare shoulders, sliding down to your arms, and then to your waist. his fingers press into your skin with a heat that makes you feel like you're burning from the inside out. you don't even realise when you had opened your mouth slightly, panting as if you're trying to pull more air in.

"gojo," you manage, barely audible, and you're acutely aware of the low tense ache beginning to throb in your groin.

his hands slow for a moment, resting on your sides as if he’s trying to ground himself, or stop himself. and gojo's eyes find yours again, and they’re ablaze.

"can i keep going?"

you wonder just how you've managed to unravel this man, to leave his voice hanging by a thread in the air.

you don’t answer right away, your head swimming with confusion, slick desire, and something dangerously close to surrender. gojo satoru is watching you so intently it’s like he’s searching for every unspoken answer written on your skin.

finally, you shift — subtle, but enough. your knees part slightly, just enough for him to step between your bare thighs.

"what do you want me to do?"

you're aware of the insistent, rhythmic pulsing under your panties. of how every small shift of gojo's body against yours amplifies the soft arousal forming, as your heart pounds faster.

and so you let your fingers hook onto the pale waistband of your underwear, and you watch as his gaze follows your movements.

"i want you to touch me, there. please."

you hear the white-haired man breathe out a thankful, reverent fuck before he's following the path of your own hands, hooking a slender finger into your waistband and pulling your underwear down, and off.

and you're so painfully aware of your own arousal right now, the wet that is pooling beneath you. it feels like a relief, parting your legs so your searing heat meets cool air.

"that's perfect, look at t-that," and you're suddenly whining as gojo's fingertips begin grazing sloppy folds, raking themselves over your fluttering entrance, "she's practically been beggin' for my touch all this time, hah!"

"you - ohh, gojo!" you moan, feeling awfully faint from the rippling warmth making your cunt tighten around him, each pshh! echoing in your burning ears, "y-you wish!"

gojo's laugh is a little crazed, undone as he rolls his fingers in practiced curls, at an inhuman pace. bullying his fingers into your opening, as he rasps, "yeah, i w-wish. 'm wishing for this all the time. you never knew, huh?"

"f-fuck, if i had known it felt like this, would've stuck my fingers in h-her a long time ago," gojo unfurls his fingers that only just separated from your winking pussy, and you can only watch.

equally mesmerised as his slender fingers are coated in strands of your slick, clinging to the curves of his short nails and coating them in a mirror sheen.

"have some c-class, gojo! you've lost your fuckin' mind -"

smack!

the dewy pads of his fingers have come down in a harsh arc, slapping right at your throbbing clit, and the jolt sends such an incredible crack of lightning down your spine that you're bucking your hips back up into his hand, back for more.

"some class? hah, 'm not able to do that now, baby," and you can feel gojo shudder under your touch, as you paw at the linen of his black dress shirt, raking your nails over his pectorals, "not when it f-feels like your pussy is about to, fuck, vacuum my fingers off."

"i swear to god, gojo. never say that corny shit a-again."

but it's hard to convey any sense of righteous fury like this. not when he's back to pushing the tapered ends of his long fingers in and out of your tight heat. each brush from the pads of his fingertips leaves you squealing, tugging at the snowy strands on the back of his head.

but gojo's teeth are sharp as they sink into the damp skin of your neck with an almost reverent press, easily snapping through the delicate flesh.

and you're squealing, shocked at how fucking bold gojo satoru has become, whining at how a sharp hiss pulses through you, and you can feel the warmth of blood beginning to bloom and pool over your collarbone.

"shit, 'm sorry, baby. so sorry. but i'm gonna need to see you l-like this," and suddenly gojo snaps away the pussydrunk babble falling from his candied mouth, and he's pressing a searing kiss to your jaw, and the air becomes hazy with the scent of an insanely expensive cologne, cedar and something...sweet, like cardamom.

still, there's hardly time to dissect that.

not when his thick arm is around your waist, handling you until you're smack bang between his legs, right between dark slacks. and gojo has shifted, so your back is flat against the hard planes of his chest, and your knuckles can only grip at the vanity sink. so your eyes can only see your naked torso twisting in the mirror.

"keep your eyes h-here, sweets. on us."

and god, that's exactly where your eyes are. falling on a tense forearm around your waist, as the other works its fierce way through the clamping, gummy walls of your leaking cunt. and you're shuddering underneath him, feeling each brush of his fingers in you.

"w-we make a pretty sight, don't we, yeah?" and the words are spilling from gojo's lips with a certain smugness, but it's rough around the edges, strained. and you just can't look away from how utterly ruined he looks, from touching you.

you watch the glossed shine of your trickling pussy twinkle in the warm lights, as gojo pushes your thighs open wider. his frame leans over yours, taut and straining. and his lips are flushed and parted, betraying the deep ache of his breath.

"go onnn, say it. c'mon," and now gojo's whining in your ear, letting his hand push further into the mess as your pussy is practically weeping onto his fingertips, "won't let you c-cum if you don't say it."

your chest heaves with each desperate, gulping breath. and you can see gojo's vision narrow on how your tits threaten to spill out from their confines, the swell of your chest rising as you try to draw air through your close orgasmic daze. where the edges of your vision blur, and your heart is pounding erratically, "ahhh, gojo! 'm gonna, i think 'm gonna, oh my god!"

but there's more, you want so much more.

and against better thought, you push and elbow back into gojo's chest, heaving as he flicks his thumb over your aching clit.

"hah, what is it now? fuck was that for?" and the man is scowling at you, seemingly irritated that you drew him away from the hypnotic pull of your pulsing walls.

you swivel, away from the mirror so you're facing him. and your eyes fall on the heavy, pitched tent in gojo's grey slacks, one that must be aching and awfully painful from the way he's running his pink tongue over his bruised mouth.

"wan' more, gojo. on the bed."

you've reached up behind your back, unhooking the clip that was holding your bra together. it falls, and you toss it into the pile where gojo had flung your clingy panties, over your gorgeous dress.

and you think gojo satoru might have just had a minor heart attack.

his expression has shifted, lips parted as he takes in your naked form. you think you hear his breath hitch, as his eyes roam over you, unblinking. you're certain that the mildly brighter light in the room has nothing to do with what's overhead, rather the bright blue of gojo's six eyes.

you snicker at his dumbstruck expression, letting your hand curl around his wrist — marvelling at how he almost whines at the sight of you pushing him out of the bathroom suite, and onto that glorious bed that the two of you had argued over earlier in the day.

"n-not so opposed to sharing a bed with me now, sweets? oh, fuck," you don't let him get any more words out, since you're reaching for the sleek leather belt threading through the loops of his slacks, pawing at them so you can finally undress him. have him as bare as you are now.

something in your desparate touch must have made gojo snap, because now he's shuffling the two of you around, so you're practically splayed out under his warm, large hands. thighs spread, parted so your dripping cunt is displayed to the room, as he scoots closer. his knees pressing against the carpet.

"hnnghh, f-fuck, look at her. practically cryin' on me."

and what a sight. gojo satoru, the most powerful man to walk this earth in centuries is slumped beneath your thighs, close enough to your clit that when he breathes, he knocks his nose right over the sensitive bud, coating his face in that syrupy glaze.

and then its slow, painful. how his long tongue descends onto your weeping pussy, writhing flat in wide, broad strokes that leave you whining out his name.

you spread your legs even wider, fighting against gojo's tight grip on the flesh of your thighs. the thighs that are trembling as he brings his teeth up to graze your clit, and your arousal drips from his lips. making candied pink lips look like they've been glazed and dipped in sugar.

briefly, in the back of your mind, you wonder how you're going to continue to function tomorrow. how you're going to even be able to walk after gojo satoru has rendered you boneless.

you also wonder if there's a cosmic deity out there, looking at an invisible and heavenly camera with a dull look on their face. something like what can you do?

"mmhph, y'know i l-like this a lot better than that drink from earlier," and he's cooing at how you squeal and moan, "hah, what was that s-shit called? a cream soda."

you pull at the white strands of his hair, yanking gojo's head back from where his tongue had been lolling around your clit, ignoring his whine, "if y-you make a stupid, fuckin' joke about creaming, i'm g-gonna leave."

gojo rolls his eyes, but this time? this time, there's no malice in it, no irritation. his expression is almost fond, if not shadowed by the enormity of his own lust, "leaving before the main event is dumb choice, sweets."

"tch! get to i-it then, oh! what the fuck, gojo!"

he's found the right place to prod, to roll his fingers over the hood of your clit, occasionally propping his mouth down to suck at it lightly. your mouth is clamped shut, so you don't release an absurd amount of babble, wordless and airless about how good he's devouring you.

"hah," gojo huffs, pressing three flat fingers against your entrance, letting them curl into your walls, enough to tease you, "i can feel her beating for me. 's pulsing all over."

"c-can't you jus' make me cum?" your hands are desparate for some friction, running past your perked tits, down to his hair again. now clamping your thighs around his head, and the soft, snowy hair of his head tickles at your skin.

"can' believe you're talking shit when i'm e-eating you out," gojo chuckles, but you're just too mesmerised by the glint of your slick lighting a beacon over the lower half of his face, strands of slick as he pulls away from your pussy, "y'not that patient, huh?"

he's practically attached to your clit now, kissing it with a tender and yet firm press of his lips, seemingly aware of just how sensitive you are to that type of pressure.

you whimper and mewl as gojo's head disappeared back between your legs, deeper and lower as his tongue pushes into your pussy, flicking shallow thrusts that makes you breathe out gasps of his name.

"now i think 'm gonna cum, so close, satoru," with your hand firmly lodged in his platinum strands, you're rocking your hips messily, sloppily against his awaiting mouth.

"y-yeah? go on, sweets," he's moaning now too, and you don't miss how the edge of the bed rocks just a bit from him grinding the frame for some release on his own erection.

your orgasm makes your mind foggy, and you practically quake in gojo's large, warm hands. with a sharp cry of his name, followed by an endless chant of praise for the unearthly man between your legs, lapping at you as though you are his last drink, his last meal on this earth before he ascends elsewhere.

the hard streaks of white shoot through your vision, even as you come down from the incredible high, and you realise gojo has not stopped.

gojo's jaw is still locked as your slick dribbles down your folds, into his open mouth and onto his waiting tongue. the extra stimulation makes you deliriously cry out, "fuck, s-satoru! 's too much, holy fuck!"

you were still shaking, and a second orgam blurred your sight into an incredible spectrum of colours, white hot starlight and streaks of blue. that cascade of vivid tints flood your vision, each one jerking your hips and cunt forward until you felt your legs give way.

until gojo finally separated himself from your thighs, satisfied at how he had pulled two climaxes from you.

he's absolutely lost it, lost in that daze of being pussywhipped, and his eyes gleam with a feverish intensity. and when he crashes pink, glossy lips down on your mouth, you can feel him shake under your touch.

you moan, loud, as he nips at your lower lip. at how you can taste yourself on his tongue, syrup strands falling into your mouth as gojo suddenly twitches.

"i think 'm gonna have to be in you right now, otherwise i'll literally fuckin' die."

a breathy laugh falls from your lips as your partner pulls himself up, heavy limbs finally extracting themselves away from your naked body, reaching up to hook his fingers over the black crinkle of his rumpled dress shirt, pulling the fabric off.

leaving your mouth dry.

the moonlight spills over gojo's torso, and you track your eyes over his broad chest, rising and falling and flushed from his own arousal.

you follow the faint dusting of pale white hair as it disappeared past the waistband of his slacks that he's quickly making short work of, and you feel your pussy clench thinking about how badly you need to jump gojo satoru's bones.

but you're too transfixed by him, by the sculpted figure of a supposedly cold and arrogant bastard you've spent months and years rolling your eyes at.

he's real. all hot flesh and blood, and stunning. not that sneering, and infuriating man who's always one step ahead, always one callous word away from making your blood boil.

for a different heat has settled in you now, as your eyes fall on his throbbing cock that has sprung forth, up over his stomach. the tip is an angry, and furious berry-pink and you wonder just how you're going to make these inches fit.

"hah, didn’t think you'd be this shy, you know,” he says, voice a low, husky tease, as if he’s been watching your struggle. gojo's eyes glint with amusement, but there’s something deeper beneath it, something that you hope with lead him to take mercy on you.

"n-no. no," you repeat yourself more firmly, but it's far too breathless to be convincing, "no, 'm not shy."

but it's hard to form coherent thoughts when gojo satoru is towering over you, and his absurdly long and girthy shaft is twitching in between your slick folds.

"fuck you, s-satoru," you're whimpering, feeling the pulsing, rounded head of his flushed tip brush past your sensitive, drooling slit, "taking too long. jus' put it in already."

"mhmm, sweets," and gojo's bustling at your thighs now, pinching the soft and tender skin in retaliation for your touch undoing him so easily, "she can't even be patient, hah, trus' me. just lay back."

you comply, just this once. just because gojo satoru's cock looks so big, you think you need to gather all your thoughts so you'll be able to form coherent sentences later.

resting your head back on plush sheets, with the skyline twinkling in your peripheral vision as gojo's aligning himself with your cunt. he's gasping in low, shuddering breaths as his tip teases and hooks onto your inner walls.

"look at thaaat, oh! baby, fuck, wasn' even joking before, just sucking me up so fuckin' good!"

you don't reply, just mewling as he pushes inch after veiny inch into your dribbling walls, gasping as his large hands rest on the back of your thighs, pushing them further up so he can slot his torso in between your legs.

"oh my god, satoru! s-satoru, hnnhgh, it's too much — i don' think it's gon' fit," you always thought you would be embarrassed to lose composure like this in front of gojo, but you find yourself panting into the crook of his neck, raking nails down his flushed neck.

he's big, and you can feel every vein of his tapered curve hitting the right spots within you, as you shift your hips, desperate to let his sinuous cock kiss every inch of your pussy lovingly.

"gon' dumb already?" gojo's huffing, but you can see that he's not unaffected. his eyes are glazed over, hazy as he slowly draws his hips back just an inch, before scooting them forward already, "jus' gonna have to make this pussy learn from now on. don' worry, sweets. it'll fit."

the 'from now on' makes something in your pounding heart flutter.

but you have little time to focus on it as he bottoms out in your drenched cunt, as though you're hearing the slosh of your pussy coat him entirely, right up to the wiry, white hairs on his groin.

"hahh, there we go! the w-wonders of a positive attitude, don'tcha think?" and you're left with your eyes rolling to the back of your head, as he begins to pick up the pace. a steady staccato that has you jostling underneath his ministrations.

you let his mouth chase yours, capturing glossy lips with your own bite, letting him pant, and whine and praise the heavens above for how tight you're snatching him right now.

"she's p-perfect, isn't she? t-thought about it so much, y'got no idea, got no c-clue about how much i thought about you under me like this n' how you'd f-feel!"

gojo satoru is absolutely drunk from a nectar that he has tasted once. the same nectar that coats his cock in frothy, filthy rings as he pistons his hips out of your pussy.

"happy for y-you, satoru," and you're letting your nails scratch over the shell of his ear as he twitches and shudders, "but fuck, y'talk too much! jus' focus on fucking me!"

gojo's mouth quirks upwards, that knowing smirk playing on his lips as he looks at you bemused, and so hazy.

"god, a lot of that attitude now, hahh?" and he's drawling the words out, and you don't miss how he shudders when you clench around his shaft, on purpose. he's leaning in closer, barely brushing past your lips, and you wonder briefly for a split-second, gojo satoru might just really love you.

and then, without warning, his hand comes down to your side, just underneath the fat of your tits, pinching lightly at the abdomen. causing you to take a sharp intake of breath, and a dizzy huff of his name.

if you ever believed that gojo satoru was malicious in the workplace, a bane on your sanity, you had not been prepared for how he was stretching you out in all the right places.

that inhumane pace of the strongest had him snapping his hips sharply, over and over until he's hitting the spongy patch, deep within your walls.

"clamped around me like, ohh, like a fuckin' vice," gojo's grunting now, each breath coming out short puffs that match the timing of the slap! each whack of his cock delivers, pressing your hips together and coating his hips in sweet slick.

"mmph, feels so good, satoru!" you squeal, pressing a hand over your mouth so you don't wake up the entire top floor of the hotel, tits jostling with each shuffle and movement.

it's all coming down on you too quick, that electric haze shooting down your spine. made all the worse by gojo groaning and slipping his hand between his jackhammering hips, down to where your clit is practically throbbing for his touch.

he's running tight circles, before pressing the flat of his thumb under the hood of your clit, ripping a raw cry from the back of your throat, rolling your eyes to the back of your head as gojo's lips are leaving blooming marks over your neck.

"satoru, i t-think 'm gonna c-cum again," you moan, fluttering your lashes against your skin, rolling your hips up into gojo's quick fingers and brutal cock. but it feels different this time, nothing like your past two orgasms. you feel something draw its claws further into your groin, like you're going to burst and the breath will be stolen away from your lungs.

you hear gojo say something, snarky but tender as he laughs into your collarbone, as he's slapping his fingers down quickly over your clit, making you jolt. but you don't hear his words as blood roars in your eears, gushing all over his cock with a clear, sticky sheen that coats him deliciously.

makes gojo satoru groan out filthy praises over your marked skin, "didn' know you were that nasty? hahh, squirtin' over me on your first go, yeah? it's gettin' too much for me too, s-sweets. think 'm gonna hafta maaa -"

you have no inkling as to what gojo was aiming to groan out, fluttering his own blue eyes shut as his orgasm catches up to him, pumping you insanely full of thick, stringy seed. practically painting your inner walls a translucent white as you huff and whine.

but in the back of your mind, you think he wanted to marry you. a bridge you'll cross when you get to it.

"fillin' you up, good, aren't i?" and he's lost in a daze, and you watch as his muscles ripple in the light of the moon, pectorals gleaming as he stuffs you further, as if plugging his seed to stay in you, making you squirm from the delicious stimulation.

you should have paid a little more attention to your surroundings. less attention to the thick veins of his cock drilling a home in you. or less attention to how his lips curl up into a sweeter smile as he presses soft, happy kisses to your cheek while you lay exhausted, caged by his thick arms.

then, you might have noticed the lights flicker and then shatter for half the hotel's rooms.

the morning sun peeks through the curtains like an overenthusiastic alarm clock, dragging you out of sleep with its gentle warmth. you stretch lazily, limbs still heavy and sticky from the weight of...the previous night's activities.

the sheets feel ridiculous soft, kudos to the insanely over-priced hotel. and for a second, you entertain the thought of just staying here. forever.

that is, until your eyes fall on raijin's amulet over on the wooden table.

and the fact that gojo is nowhere to be found.

you blink, squinting at the empty space beside you. your first instinct is to check besides the bed, and then under it, for fear that the six-foot three man has simply fallen off.

but your gaze falls on a tiny pink sticky-note on the nightstand. one that you suspect was pilfered from the scattered case file on the couch. you peer at looping cursive, scrawled in a blue marker.

don't eat anything yet! gone to get a proper breakfast!

you can't help the soft huff that leaves you, fond in its escape. you feel this sudden urge to don some proper clothes, to go down and join him in the warm sunlight.

but then you pause. perhaps, you ought not to. it would be fun to let him miss you just a bit. the thought of the gojo satoru standing there, waiting in line for entirely average pancakes is amusement enough for you.

but before you can pull the crisp sheets over your head, your eyes catch a glimpse of something else by the bed. a small, satin-blue box that didn't exist yesterday, in the world of cruel choices and...semi-successful missions.

the memory of yesterday pulls a frown from you, but you shake your head, determined to clear your thoughts.

you reach for it, letting your fingers run over the smooth surface, before tugging at the silver ribbon cautiously. half-expecting to find something weird like gojo's usual idea of a joke like a half-naked framed photo of him with a lipstick print.

ah!

but instead, inside the box lies a thin necklace. you've stared longingly enough at shop windows to know that these are real diamonds. not the cheap kind either, a well-cut carat that makes you gasp to yourself, a flush running over your cheeks.

for a moment, he said nothing, and the silence stretched unbearably heavy. but then gojo’s ice-gaze dropped to the necklace scattered over your throat, and he tilted his head, "not too bad," a flicker of a scoff curling at his lips. "tch, they’re not even real," you blurted, then immediately regretted it, what was wrong with you today? you reached up, fingers grazing the cool crystals as if to shield them from his bemused scrutiny, "just thought i needed something to fit in."

you pick it up, feeling the cold weight of it in your hand. what is this, romance? a necklace? gojo satoru doesn’t even do romance. at least, not in the way anyone would expect.

he’s the kind of guy who would absolutely get you diamonds just to throw you off balance. mission accomplished.

you glance at the sticky note again, then back at the necklace. this is way too much for your sleep-addled brain. and yet, there’s this funny little thing inside you, a warm spark that you don’t know what to do with.

fuck, when did he even have the time to get this gorgeous gift?

you’re definitely not soft, but gojo does this thing to you — he has a way of turning your whole world upside down, and now…apparently, he’s gone and done it again.

your cheeks warm, but you don't admit to it. not yet. but there's no denying the softer spot that's growing in you, the urge to have gojo satoru in your arms in this very moment so you can run your hands through soft, white hair to watch him purr. to see his cheeks flush from a sweet blush as his blue eyes flutter shut.

your eyes fall on his crumpled uniform jacket from yesterday, his discarded clothes. perhaps, you could just join him. after all, you feel words threatening to spill from your mouth and you want him to hear them.

a surprise of your own? you think you want to see gojo satoru speechless for once.

do not plagiarise or repost! likes and reblogs appreciated. btw, this jenny packham was the dress i envisioned for reader but imagine whatever you like!

[kookslastbutton]

Those Eyes Chico ༓ myg (m) | chapter one

✑ Summary: As the new marketing director for Min Yoongi’s upcoming D-Day album & tour, you’re expected to bring your expertise to the table. This shouldn’t be a problem—you’re the best in the business and you’re used to drawing a strict line between your professional and personal life. But what happens when the lines you’ve fought to keep as separate blur for the first time?

pairing: idol!yoongi x plus size!poc!reader

genre/AU: angst, fluff, smut, slowburn, coworkers2friends2lovers, winter setting, forbidden love,

word count: 6.5k+

warnings: oc is 28, Yoon is 30, oc is not originally from South Korea, oc has light brown eyes, swearing, mentions of alcohol consumption, mentions of anxiety, panic attacks, body insecurities, fear of being blacklisted, emotionally restrained yoon, unstable parental relationships, conservative parents, rude Hybe executive that should be fired, bestie!tae is wonderful support 🥹, and cute yoon and oc interactions bc yeah....its thier first time actually meeting so it must be cute!

now playing: Sweet Dreams by The Last Shadow Puppets

a/n: YAHHH chapter one!! Ok i apologize if the meeting is so long and drawn out...I really tried to make it fun but so much info is needed too haha. Anyway this series is dedicated to my wonderfully crazy friend and sorta beta, Gloom @theuselessdaydreamingidiot, and to all our fellow Yoon lovers bc we miss our sweet man SO MUCH 🥺 Enjoy! 🥰 Also huge thank you to @itaeewon for designing this beautiful series header! Love it!!

Series Masterlist | next chapter >>

Winter in Seoul feels like stepping onto the set of your most beloved holiday film.

As the brisk air wraps around you, delicate snowflakes gather atop your head, urging you to cocoon in your finest wool trench coat. Yet, despite the chill, the sight of frost-bitten trees basking in the morning's golden rays offers a source of warmth and delight. Perhaps the most radiant tree of them all is the towering Christmas tree that sits proudly in the heart of the city. Adorned with shimmering red and gold baubles, the giant evergreen catches the eye of every person that walks by–both tourists and locals alike.

Nearby shopping malls buzz with holiday fervor too as shoppers scour for treasures, couples engage in friendly competition to find the ultimate gift, and children line up to take their picture with Santa. But the best part is when night falls. The whole city comes alive with joy and laughter as loved ones meet one another on the ice-skating rinks, while karaoke bars echo tipsy renditions of timeless songs sung by overworked professionals, each with a bottle of soju in hand.

Yes, Seoul is a place for making memories and you’re in the thick of it.

Having been in the city for three years, one might assume you’ve become well accustomed to the energy of the season. You've really grown to love it here. But adjusting to the new environment is still proving to be a challenge, the most outstanding being the prevailing beauty standards.

Massive billboards featuring stunning models serve as constant reminders of the type of beauty one should aim to achieve as you commute to work. Impossible to miss are the shining examples themselves – iconic k-pop groups Seventeen, Red Velvet, EXO, BlackPink, Mamamoo, TXT, and of course BTS plastered on the side of every flat surface imaginable. You’re not exactly complaining about that aspect as you’ve helped design a good handful of them as a top marketing and advertising professional. But the strict image of what constitutes a beautiful and worthy individual weighs on you more than you’d like.

While a conventional body type isn’t what you’ve been given in this life, you don’t consider yourself to be completely unattractive either. Having high cheekbones, a strong jawline, striking light brown eyes, good enough ass, and a full chest shouldn’t classify as undesirable. Still, you wish you’d adopt this more body positive mindset rather than your current overthinking one. It’s easier said than done, being that you not only see idols everyday on the streets in digital form but at work as well.

You continue further into city until a set of tall, glass doors meet you mere steps away. You tilt your head back to catch the name of the skyscraper before nearing the building’s sturdy, silver handle.

BigHit Music.

Feeling its cool metal under your fingertips, the door swings open with an easier pull than imagined to welcome you into the bustling lobby. You feel a rush of confidence return to you upon entering– this is your domain, this is where you truly shine.

“Did you get the files I sent to you?”

The woman nods her head in affirmation while sweeping a few pieces of her long, silky hair behind an ear. To strangers, she appears to look about 24 which is only four years younger than yourself but nonetheless she’s the same age as you. Hei-Ran is her name, meaning “graceful orchid” according to Korean translation.

Hei-ran is one of Hybe’s newest hires and based on her experience, a near perfect fit to being South Korean boy group Tomorrow X Together’s new marketing manager. Until about three months ago, this had been your job.

You never imagined giving up the position after three years of working in the role. But with December right around the corner Hybe had other plans for you.

"Graduated summa cum laude with a bachelors degree in BTech in Electrical and Electronics Engineering and a MBA in Marketing from NYU Stern. You worked two years as a brand manager for U.S record label Atlantic Records immediately after graduating, and are now working at BigHit Music as a marketing manager for TXT including liaison with their global marketing team.”

You recall Bang PD's voice vibrate in the back of your mind from mid-August. You thought you were called into his office to discuss details of TXT’s latest promo, so having your resume read back to you was a sweeping curve ball. Your determination must have far exceeded the heaviness you felt in your chest because before you knew it you, you were shaking hands with your boss in acceptance of your role – the new marketing director for Min Yoongi’s upcoming D-Day album & tour.

The tedious knot that’s formed in the nape of your neck reminds you that as surreal as the situation might be, it’s undeniably real.

Months spent drafting a comprehensive marketing proposal for D-Day; often until the wee hours of the night, inevitably takes its toll on even the mightiest of warriors. An entire new team of fifty people, all of who you’ll be in charge of orchestrating for the next eight months, doesn’t provide much to relief either.

You’re excited nevertheless. Working with one of the most respected artists in the music industry is an opportunity you couldn’t let slip by, especially since the album’s rock-inspired genre aligns closely with your own music taste.

“Thank you so much for helping me get settled __,” Hei-ran’s gentle voice returns you to the present. “I appreciate the time you’ve taken these last few months to train me despite the tight deadlines you have.”

Smiling, you shake your head. “It’s no problem at all and if there’s anything you need in the future, feel free to give me a call or stop by my office.”

“On the 16th floor right?”

“1656A. Take a left off the elevator and walk to the end of the first hallway. The door on the right is mine.”

Referring to any room on the 16th floor as your own is something you don’t take lightly. For one the offices are double the size of any other office spaces in the building. Yours in particular has a giant skyscraper window draped with heavy white curtains. Secondly, the floor above is the 17th floor which is exclusive to Hybe artists only.

"How's the proposal coming along, by the way?" Her curiosity is palpable, genuine in its nature. You’ve always appreciated that in an individual.

“It’s done,” you respond. “Only thing left to do is to prepare for our meeting with C-suite executives next Monday. It’s nearly perfect as is, but the presentation could use a bit of refining in terms of organization.”

Hei-ran is silent for a moment longer than usual before her next inquiry, which is undoubtedly the question on both of your minds. “I can't help but wonder what it'll be like to meet him for the first time,” she muses.

You don’t bother asking for clarification on who the “him” is; you’re already well aware that it’s Min Yoongi. The same subject has managed to intrude your own thoughts more and more as the date of meeting him draws closer. It's peculiar honestly, considering you’ve encountered him before.

Granted, it was only a small handful of times the hallway, both heading in opposite directions. Min Yoongi typically greeted you with a hoarse 'Good Morning' those instances, along with a curt nod of his head. You would nod back with a brief 'Morning' yourself. Deep down you feel he'd make a quality friend, though it's only a premonition. It’s not like you actually know much about him beyond those small exchanges.

"I'm not sure what to expect, honestly," you admit. "I imagine it'll be similar to previous professional collaborations—composed, focused, and intense. D-Day is poised to become a global sensation for the next year, so it's going to need our full, undivided attention."

Hei-ran gives a knowing nod. “Good luck __,” she wishes you well as you head towards the elevator doors. Breaks over, back to work.

After another late-night prep session for Monday’s D-Day proposal, you trudge through your apartment door well past 8:30 pm with an empty stomach and a throbbing headache. Good news is that your graphic design team seems to be well on track with their album mockups ready to present.

The same can’t be said for your U.S. promo team however, who required additional guidance on their projects. The social media team was in a similar boat. Somehow several of their members lost track of time and were convinced the proposal was still two weeks away.

Despite the hiccups, you managed to tie up the loose ends, but it meant that none of you got to leave early.

When you finally get to curl up in your fluffy sofa, a loud, exasperated sigh leaves your lips. Your lids flutter shut too as you rest your head against the soft cushion. Silently, you make one last mental rundown of all the tasks you checked off today.

Did you miss anything?

D-Day is the most crucial project you’ve ever taken charge of—you need it to be flawless.

When nothing pressing comes to mind, you grab the tv remote from your dark oak coffee table and aimlessly flip through the channels. You’ll unwind for an hour and then call it a night.

Ten minutes into an episode of Brooklyn Nine-Nine and the light chime of your phone's notification bell catches your ear.

Tae 💚: Haven’t heard from you all day. Everything alright?

Taehyung, your best friend. You smile fondly at his message as your thumbs hover over the reply button. He's always checking in on you. You and Taehyung have been friends ever since you first moved to Seoul and started working at Hybe. You didn't expect your friendship to become this strong, but both of you are sociable individuals, which led to discovering several unexpected commonalities. One of those is a shared love for jazz, which has been one of your all-time favorite genres for as long as you can remember.

You: yeah, I’m good. Just tired. Been working on D-Day's proposal for months and finally got it fully prepped for.

Tae 💚: Well, that's amazing news! You feel good about it?

You: I don't know. I’m definitely ready for this project but I’m also starting to feel a little burned out. The proposal is only the beginning you know, and it's already taking the wind out of me.

Tae 💚: Sorry to hear that 😞 I'm sure it must be draining, but I also know this is your territory. No one is more fit to head this project than you. Everyone thinks so. How about you take the weekend to rest?

You: Yeah...I'm watching B99 rn

Tae 💚: B99?! Without me?

You can't help but giggle. Somehow over the course of three years you've roped your best friend into becoming obsessed with your mindless sitcoms. You've done more than a handful of binge watching together, until all hours of the night.

You: Wanna come over for an hour?

The company might be nice.

Tae 💚: Be there in 20 🏃

Your door bells rings exactly twenty minutes after you and Taehyng finish exchanging texts. He's so prompt it scares you sometimes.

“Hey.” His deep, baritone voice greets you first, along with a friendly hug. Taehyung slips his snow covered boots off upon entering your apartment and hangs his wool jacket on your coat rack. His limited edition Gucci scarf is next. Taehyung loves the winter as it’s the time he can wear his most luxurious clothes.

“What’s this?” You peak inside a brown paper bag that Taehyung has conveniently set on your kitchen countertop. He flashes you a playful grin and gestures you to open it. Naturally, you're suspicious but it all washes away when a new, unopened bottle of whiskey presents itself. “Oh my god, you didn’t!" You swat his arm in a rush of excitement.

“I had to!" Taehyung opens a kitchen cupboard and grabs a glass from the top shelf. He's been in your apartment enough times that he’s grown comfortable with your place. That and he's also your best friend.

"With all the recent events you've had going on, I think it calls for a celebration." Taehyung expertly pours you a glass of the smooth, rich liquor and offers it to you.

“Thank you, Tae," you say, taking the glass from his hand. "Come sit down. Jake's about to sing I Want It That Way with the police lineup.” Taehyung pours himself a glass of Pinot Noir and follows your lead.

After about forty minutes of sitcoms and booze with your best friend you begin to feel yourself relaxing. Whatever challenges lies ahead, you know you'll be able to handle them one whiskey at a time.

All stream of thought is interrupted when your phone dings off again. It's now half past 9, who on earth is trying to reach you?

Fuck.

You tighten the grip on your phone as soon aa the message appears. Taehyung, previously occupied by the end credit scene, catches the sudden shift in your demeanor and calls your name but he's inaudible to you.

Mom: It’s been almost two weeks since we last heard from you. We know you're busy but your father and I want to know if you’ll be coming home. The holidays are coming up right? Why don't you use some of that time to come see us? There's someone we want you to meet.

"__, who is it?" Taehyung's voice manages to break your intense concentration.

“Just my mom.” You answer briefly, still averting eye contact.

“What’d she say?”

“She wants me to come home for the holidays.” You shut your phone off in an effort to calm yourself.

Unlike Taehyung your relationship with your parents has always been rocky. Expectations are set high from birth and you never see eye to eye. Likely, the only accomplishment that's earned genuine praise from them was when you accepted your initial job proposal with Hybe. A respectable career is only second to health to them after all. Your father was more torn with the news that you’d be moving hundreds of miles away than your mom however, not that you’re surprised.

Of course while having a healthy and respectable career is priority for your parents, there is no mistake that their greatest wish is to see their daughter married. A stable man with ample resources to provide her a secure home and healthy children is preferable.

You love your parents and you'll always be there for them, but you must admit that their traditional outlook is one you can never live up to. They tried setting you up dozens of times before, and tonight's request to have you come home "for the holidays to meet someone” is simply another attempt to marry you off.

Yes, you would like some sort of companionship in your life and you hope if you find it that they’ll approve. But giving your hand in marriage to the first notable suitor isn't your forte. You consider yourself to be an independent woman with a tender heart, and you'd rather be single for the entirety of your life than be forced into another obligation.

Preserving your independence is highly important to you. So no, you draw the line when it comes to relational affairs.

If only you could be firm and repeat all the above to them aloud, rather than within your own head— if only.

“So are you gonna go?"

You don't respond immediately, still weighing out your options. "Not sure," you murmur. "I don't really want to but maybe I should. I haven't gone home to see my parents since last year."

Taehyung recognizes the growing tension in your voice as well as the flushed expression playing on your face. He wishes he could take it all away but instead he moves closer to your side of the sofa and lets you rest your head on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry." He's silent for a moment before continuing. "Why don't you tell them you can't go because of work? There must be a number of things you'll need to get ahead of for Yoongi's album."

"True. But it's too easy, they won't buy that. I have to go."

"What if you say I invited you to celebrate with my family this year? We're going to a nice, cozy cabin a few hours north of here for Christmas."

The offer is temping and you know he means it but it's also not enough.

"No," you reject. "They'll think we're dating and ask to meet you."

"I'll do it!" Taehyung's voice lifts into a more playful tone, earning a soft chuckle from you.

"Very cute Taetae, but no. Neither of us are going to say 'that was a good idea' in the end, trust me. I'll have to make this decision on my own."

Taehyung grimaces slightly at your last choice of words. "I really think you should consider telling them you can't due to a full schedule. We don't get that much time off at the company any way. Don't your parents live at least 7-10 hours away? Come on, spend the holidays with me and the guys. Plus, it'll be my birthday soon. I want you there at my party."

When you look at your best friend to gently scold him for not so sneakily using the guilt tripping technique, he's pouting. Like a baby. Not even you can resist him with that face on.

"Fine. I'll think about it."

"Good," Taehyung chirps and snatches the tv remote to flip through episodes of Brooklyn Nine-Nine. "I want you to be around those closest to you, especially around the holidays. You're my badass best friend who deserves more than some stupid forced marriage to a guy with an unhealthy alpha male complex. Should we top the night off with one more episode by the way?"

You nod and Taehyung hits play on the remote. "Thank you," you coo, feeling a tad better.

The weekend is a blur at best and you’re back at the office before you realize. Of course this is no ordinary work day however, given that today signifies the day you officially start work as D-Day’s marketing director. You’ve been perfecting every detail of the proposal like a madman since the beginning, meticulously obessing over every element. Your new team members must have a pretty eye-opening understanding of what it’ll be like having you as a lead for the next year–you pity them to be honest.

Between your fingers clutches a small tube of lip balm, berry flavored with a faint tint to match. You love chapstick for some odd, inexplainable reason and you felt the need to apply a generous amount of it on your lips for good luck.

“No one’s here yet,” Yi-joon, one of the members of your graphic design team, speaks first upon stepping foot into your assigned conference room. Others hum, unsurprised. Being the ones leading the presentation, you’d be startled if anyone actually arrived beforehand.

A grand mahogany table, seating up to 14 individuals, boasts itself to you in the middle of the room with every chair lined in genuine black leather. Traditional seating arrangements have one chair at the head of the table, but today’s meeting has two, both positioned to face the wide presentation screen at the opposite end.

Undoubtably, they’re reserved for Bang PD and Min Yoongi.

A momentary shiver courses down your spine, yet fades quick when one of your team members asks if anyone's seen the remote to the projector. There’s no time for nerves to be acting up, you remind yourself calmly. Only 15 minutes remain until every C-suite executive in Hybe congregates into the room.

With a composed demeanor, you swiftly gather your thoughts and respond, "Try checking inside the podium. It's likely close by, but if not, we can always power it on manually." You then start delegating tasks to the rest of your team, mentally rehearsing key points of the proposal between each instruction.

Time appears to have vanished in the blink of an eye because in a matter of seconds a gentle breeze slips through the conference door, accompanied by the arrival of several Hybe executives. You offer a polite "good morning," which is briefly reciprocated as they take their respective seats around the conference table.

You count twelve at the table in total, including your own team.

"Sajangnim should be here in about–"

Hybe's Chief Finance Officer doesn't get to finish his sentence when an older gentleman in a freshly pressed suit walks through the door, fully immersed in conversation. The person following close behind him is none other than the man of the hour himself–Min Yoongi, fitted in a clean white dress shirt that's unbuttoned at the collar and sleeves rolled to the elbows. His soft, raven hair falls gently in front of his eyes, framing his face a little too well.

Unexpectedly, both your gazes shift from Bang PD and onto one another. His dark, intense eyes pierce through you as they observe you from the opposite side of the room. You're certain he recognizes you from your previous shared encounters, though you don't have the slightest clue what he's thinking. Min Yoongi has been known to be many things, but an open book isn't one of them.

He then walks in your direction until he's directly toe to toe with you for the very first time. Completely against your wishes, you feel all the tiny hairs on the back of your neck stand straight. You've never officially met before.

"It's nice to finally meet you __-nim. Those nods we give each other in the hallway hardly count as a proper introduction." He extends a hand to you, offering you a sturdy handshake which you accept.

"Absolutely, it's a pleasure to meet you as well Min PD-nim," you say, smiling warmly. "I'm looking forward to working with you on your new album. I truly appreciate the opportunity."

For a split second, Yoongi allows his professional demeanor drop. "I should be the one thanking you. You'll be the one leading this whole operation right? So I'll be in your care."

You want to respond with gratitude, but you're not given the chance due to an authoritative voice speaking up from behind.

"Min PD-nim," Hybe's Vice President calls out to the man in front of you, requesting his attention.

Yoongi is hesitant to leave you mid-conversation but you assure him that it's alright. "Please, feel free to take a seat," you offer. "The presentations will begin soon."

A small, subtle smile graces Yoongi's lips before he turns around to take his seat beside Bang PD at the head of the table. He engages in small talk with Hybe's Vice President who's conveniently seated across from him. Yet despite their conversation, he's only half focused; his eyes repeatedly wandering back to you. At this point, however, you've already stopped looking at him.

"Good morning, all," you address the room when the time comes to commence the meeting. "We'll be getting started now that everyone's here. I'm sending down samples of the album design our graphics team has created for D-Day. Please pass them along." You hand the stack of copies to Hybe's Chief Technology Officer who smiles courteously.

"On behalf of my team and me, I want to thank you for joining us today to discuss our marketing strategy for Min PD-nim's upcoming D-Day album. Our agenda will be as follows," you guide everyone's attention to the presentation board, which provides a rundown of all the points you plan to cover for the remainder of the meeting.

"Let's begin with introductions. My name is ___ ___, I hold a Bachelor's degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from NYU Stern, as well as an MBA in Marketing. Over the past five years, I've worked in the music industry as a marketing manager. Three of those years were spent here at Hybe. The recent promotional campaign for TXT's The Chaos Chapter was lead by my previous team and me, resulting in a positive return on investment. Now, with a new team, I aim to achieve similar success with Min PD-nim's D-Day album."

Once you finish your introduction, you introduce each member of your team. This is soon followed by a brief introduction from each c-suite executive.

The whole room falls silent when you begin diving into the bulk of the proposal; every measurable objective, goal, and market analysis is shared for D-Day. When it comes time to present the brand guide and album design, you invite your graphics team to speak.

"You'll notice that we have two versions of Min PD-nim's albums on the sheet in front of you," Yi-joon refers to the mockups you handed out earlier. A few executives nod quietly as they study the proposed album packaging while Yoongi leans over to Bang PD. He's whispering something but you're far to distant away to hear. His expressions aren't telling either.

Does he like it? Does he not? You don't know.

Nevertheless, you give a subtle smile to Yi-joon as encouragement to continue.

 "We've opted for a sleek, pitch-black design for the first version, and a dusty brown for the second. The first version symbolizes the past, characterized by societal expectations and internal struggles, while the second represents the present and future, conveying a message of liberation. To complement these themes, we've selected a bold and daring font to exude the album's transparency. This design consistency extends to the album's contents; for instance, lyrical cards will reflect the respective color and style of the version they belong to."

Hybe's Chief Marketing Officer appears to be in approval with the entirety of the plan so far, yet it's short lived when a low voice interrupts.

"I think the vision of album's design aligns closely with mine, so I like what I see in front of me." Yoongi pauses and places the mockup on the table. "There's one aspect that I'd like to discuss in hopes of some insight however. I've been mauling over it for a while now."

"I'll do my best to–" Hybe's Chief Marketing Officer opens his mouth to respond yet closes it immediately when he notices Yoongi's gaze sharply shifts to you. It's a signal that it's your insight he specifically requests.

"Please go on," you reply.

"Regarding the name under which the album should be released, should it be 'Agust D' or 'Suga'? I'm personally biased towards Agust D because it holds more weight for me. It's close to my heart and the stories I have to tell as Agust D are heavier than those of Suga, right? The D even stands for Daegu, my hometown where I grew up and where my parents still live. Suga on the other hand is my stage name, which I have some identity in as well."

You don't answer immediately, preferring to carefully process everything he's said. Your team has already proposed to release the album under 'Agust D', yet he makes a valid point that 'Suga' is also a part of him.

"I understand that releasing the album under 'Suga' has its merit. However, I still support the original idea of releasing it under 'Agust D'. As you've mentioned, the name carries a deeper meaning, evoking memories, emotions, trials, and tribulations. I'd also like to emphasize that by releasing D-Day under 'Agust D', you can showcase who the real Agust D is. The collaboration with IU in People Pt. 2 already has you one step in that door."

Like you, Yoongi considers your words cautiously, weighing them in his mind. "Thank you ___-nim," he finally speaks. "Your perspective is reassuring. We'll proceed with releasing the album under 'Agust D'.

Following your short discussion, the graphics team continues presenting their design materials. Minor comments are made by Hybe executives, but Yoongi doesn't comment again until half-way into the social media segment.

"Why do we need to schedule this many Weverse Lives? People might get tired of seeing my face after so many in a row. ARMY will read, 'Min Yoongi started a live' and say to their friends, 'This is the fifth time in a row, is he in love with his own voice or something?'." His joke sparks a light in the room as Bang PD gives a chuckle.

"I don't think that's going to be an issue for you Yoongi," he replies. "Don't you know the strength of your own fanbase?" Bang PD's statement is undeniable. Everyone in the room is well aware of Min Yoongi's international fanbase who willingly stay up all hours of the night just to catch a glimpse of him. In fact, rather than seeing less of him, they hope to receive his live notifications more, as Yoongi isn't as active on Weverse as other idols.

It's clear that compliments like these aren't easy for Yoongi to take though, judging by the flushed look that subtly sweeps over his face. You'd react the same way to be honest.

"If I may Min PD-nim," you speak up, deciding to offer an alternative plan. "Leveraging Weverse Live to help promote D-Day will draw significant international engagement. We know that time differences pose to be a challenge which is why we proposed an increase of live sessions per week. However, we understand that going live this often might be exhausting. Would you consider reducing the frequency to once or twice a week instead?"

"I'm open to once a week but didn't we film the 'Suga: Road to D-Day' documentary for a similar reason? Won't it be too much to add more than two Weverse Lives throughout the entire promotional phase?" Yoongi's challenge is met with an unanimous hum of support from his fellow executives. You'd feel intimidated if you didn't already have a justification mapped out.

"The objective behind releasing 'Suga: Road to D-Day' on Disney+ differs from that of Weverse Lives," you rebuttal confidently. "While the documentary presents a structured behind-the-scenes view of D-Day's development, the Lives focus on building hype among your existing fans who know you well, will spread the word to their peers, and will likely pre-order the album. As you're aware, Lives are more personal and stripped down, allowing your fanbase to feel closer to you."

Thinking of no further objectives, Yoongi, still somewhat unsure, accepts your suggestion. "Once a week will be fine then. While we're still on the topic, do we know when 'Suga: Road to D-Day' is set to release on Disney+?"

"Our digital marketing and promo team will be reviewing the specifics of that soon," you inform. "Right now we have the documentary releasing April 23 of next year. The poster for the film will release a week and a half earlier on the 12th."

Rather than furthering the discussion, Yoongi sends an understanding nod your way which allows the social media team to resume their portion of the proposal. Recording more Weverse Lives than usual remains a pain point for him, but he's willing to move forward if it means connecting with his fanbase.

Alast, after what seems like three hours of social media; followed by financing & budget talk, the last team to present their material takes lead of the meeting.

"We'd like to provide a timeline for D-Day's promo schedule as a way to wrap up today's proposal," So-hyun from your digital marketing and promos team explains. "Promotions will begin April 10, 2023 and will run until April 25th. During this time the album's track list, concept photos, MV Teaser, and official MV will drop. As far as concert schedule, we're proposing April 26-June 24. These dates include U.S, Asia, and Korea Tours."

"We might need to rethink concert dates but for now I'm on onboard." Yoongi remains brief in his interjection, allowing So-hyun to continue.

"As far as other marketing channels, we plan to implement both print and digital methods including billboards, banners, paid search ads, and YouTube. We'd also like to reach out to a variety of magazines like Rolling Stones Magazine for interviews. If we want to extend our global reach even further, we can book a time slot on the Jimmy Fallon Show. Bare in mind that if we go this route, we'll need to decide fairly quick, as slots are in high demand."

You notice Bang PD whispering amongst Yoongi and his Chief Finance Officer when Jimmy Fallon is mentioned. Yoongi seems the least interested. Perhaps he isn't fond of being front and center of talk shows, you guess.

"When will we need a decision for the Jimmy Fallon Show?" Bang PD inquires for the group.

"No later than three weeks from now," So-hyun answers. "It's a tight deadline but it can been done if we get the official go."

Bang PD directs his attention to Yoongi who's chosen to be silent in this conversation. "What do you think, Yoongi? It's your call."

"Maybe," he says, "give me a day or two to think on it."

Another ten minutes of productive overview with your promos team pass and soon, you're standing up to adjourn the meeting. You have to admit that out of all the proposals you've given in your career, this goes right to the top.

Your team was phenomenal today, and despite the the fact that several Hybe executives are biting at the bit to finally go on their lunch break, you feel confident that everyone is leaving on the same page.

"Min PD-nim."

You're ears inevitably pick up the conversation in front of you as you make your way out of the conference room. Yoongi and his Chief Financial Officer are running through some quick numbers only a few steps steps ahead, but with everyone simultaneously rushing in the same direction, neither must have realized you were within earshot.

"There's no doubt that she's good at what she does," Hybe's Chief Financial Officer continues. "Still, it's hard to believe that she's only 27 or 28. A person should take better care of themselves don't you agree? Like our Eunchae for example."

If there was a way to erase what you just heard, you'd do so, because in an instant, all previous successes you felt from today's proposal shatters to the ground. You're no stranger to receiving these sorts of comments about your appearance, yet it leaves your confidence fleeting, along with any amount of resilience you've built.

Blinking back the tears that threaten to spill, you exit the conference room the first chance you get. You have no desire to stick around for Yoongi's reply.

Not long after you leave does you phone ring off.

Tae 💚: Hey! How's the meeting going? Still available to get lunch this afternoon? I'm heading to the cafeteria as I type this.

You: It went okay. But I don't think I'll be coming to lunch, just a lot to do. I'm also not that hungry.

You second-guess how convincing your message is, knowing that it's your best friend on the other line. Regardless, it's the only words you can come up with right now. You really do have a lot of work ahead of you though, at least that part is true.

Tae 💚: Are you sure? I was looking forward on hearing how the meeting went! Wasn't there something you had to give me too?

The meaning of the last line suddenly dawns on you as you make your way down the long hallway. How could you forget? You made Taehyung one of his favorite foods to surprise him for lunch; Japchae, a sweet and savory dish of stir-fried glass noodles and vegetables.

You: Right, sorry it slipped from my mind for a second. I'll meet you in the cafeteria to give it to you.

"Why won't you stay and eat with me?" Taehyung devours the homemade Japchae you made for him with delight, a pair of chopsticks clamped in his hand.

"I don't have much of an appetite, Tae."

You've already told him this twice already, clarifying that you'd be heading back to your office once you deliver his food. Evidently, he's not letting you slip away easily.

"Then take a break with me instead, even if it's only for ten minutes." You watch as your best friend swiftly pulls out the chair next to him from under the table, gesturing you to sit. "Tell me what's got you down," he says. "Did Yoongi say something to you? He can be a bit too outspoken with his opinions sometimes."

Feeling defeated, you slide into the chair. "No, the meeting was fine. I'm just overthinking something that happened."

You then proceed to explain what you overheard Hybe's Chief Finance Officer say about you from earlier, that you didn't look healthy enough for your age and using Eunchae as an example. The scowl that appears on Taehyung's face as you retell the incident is unmistakable–he's clearly pissed.

"First of all," Taehyung starts once you finish, jaw clenched. "Eunchae is 17 and is a part of a Korean girl group. She has an entire team dedicated to making sure her appearance is flawless. It's the idol life; trust me, I'm well acquainted with it, so it's not a fair comparison. Secondly, Hybe's CFO is an asshole who I'd replace in a day. I don't want you letting him make you feel insignificant just because you don't conform to his narrow idea of how a woman should look."

You appreciate Taehyung's efforts to cheer you up, though you remain unaffected. Besides, he still isn't aware of Yoongi's involvement since you purposely left that detail out due to their close friendship.

"Yeah, I don't know. We don't have to talk about it anymore." You decide to dismiss the topic entirely and reach for your phone, along with a pair of earbuds bundled in your pocket. "Wanna listen to something?"

Music has always bonded you and Taehyung's friendship, as you've frequently found yourselves fully immersed in timeless songs from King of Leon and Led Zeppelin together. Taehyung nearly accepts the offer to listen with you once again, but then he freezes all movement. An eager grin follows close after.

"Hyung!" His voice echos though the room, earning the attention of Min Yoongi who's just entered the cafeteria. This time, you feel nothing but discomfort when the man looks your way.

"I have some material I need to review from my promo team. I'll text you later, okay?" You leave your best friend no time to reply as you quickly rise from your chair, stick your phone in your pant pocket, and head for the nearest exit. Yoongi attempts to make eye contact with you on your way out, but you avoid it completely.

When he approaches Taehyung, he acknowledges your semi-odd behavior. "I didn't mean to make her leave," he states, joining the younger at the table.

Taehyung offers a light shrug in response. "Don't worry, you didn't. She had other matters to get to. Something with her team members I think."

Yoongi grabs a fresh clementine from a nearby fruit bowl and beings peeling it little by little. "You two must be pretty close if you're having your lunches together."

It's not hard for Taehyung to read between the lines of what his member is insinuating.

"We've been friends for a while," he clarifies. "Just friends, nothing else."

a/n: Hope you enjoyed! Lmk what you think 🥰

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no reposting, copying, or translating my work– © kookslastbutton

[cas-skz]

Back to you (Crumble pt 2.)

Wooyoung x FEM!reader

| non-idol au | drama/romance | 18+!! |

Weeks apart from Wooyoung and San have effected you mentally and physically. Your travel companion has no luck breaking through to you and with all your energy drained, you pass out. What happens after the hospital will change everything.

[writers note]

THANK YOU SO SO FLIPPIN MUCH!!!! I seriously always feel so touched when I get good feed back & responses. It means a lot & I appreciate your support so so much!!!

I hope this pulls at your heart strings just as much as the first

Tag List: @a-teez-4-exo @ppeachyttae @pearltinyy @yujuvly @kiwimash12 @neteyamandloakisfoine @mayblues @miaatiny

Every part of you felt numb. Your body was heavy and heart shattered. The whole event of last night played through your head over and over again, hurting more each time.

You didn’t want it to be real. You didn’t want San and Wooyoung to be gone.

“Wake up. We’re here.” The males voice came from the front seat.

You sat up to look at your surroundings, a small cabin on a lake front with not much else in sight. To most it would be peaceful, but to you it was hell at the moment.

You took Ella from her car seat, holding her in your lap as you sighed quietly. “Guess we’re here.” You told her, exiting the car.

“Where are we?” You asked the male, who was grabbing the bags from the car.

“Somewhere safe.” He simply replied, motioning for you to follow him to the cabin.

You rolled your eyes at his answer, following inside. It was decent enough, a living room with tv, the kitchen was stocked with new pots and pans, and a pile of groceries were stacked on the floor.

You made your way down the hall, glancing in at the bathroom before finding your and Ella’s bags in a room at the end of the hall. You got her freshened up and grabbed a bottle before setting in a crib that had been set up.

You laid on your side on the bed across from the crib, watching as she played with the toys and stuffies Woo had grabbed for her. You couldn’t help but cry again, feeling hopeless and confused.

San and Wooyoung had always kept the business side of things hush hush, but over time you started to pick up on little things. Woo arranged boxing matches where people placed high bets to watch San fight an opponent.

99% of the time San was victorious, in exception for Leeknow. Every few weeks the boys would come home after a loss and chat over how to defeat him the next time. Woo always said the loss left a dent in their wallets.

The knock on the door woke you up. You groaned quietly, not even realizing you had fallen asleep.

“Sorry…she’s been fussing. I can take her if you want.” The male said.

It was only now you realized who had been accompanying you this whole time. “Mingi?”

“Yea..I didn’t think you remembered.” He chuckled, taking a few steps towards the crib.

“No.” You said quickly, “I got her.”

You rushed to your feet to swoop Ella into your arms, hushing her as you dug through one of the bags.

“Sorry.” Mingi said quietly, scratching the back of his head. “I have dinner going. It’ll be ready soon.” He smiled softly before turning and heading back to the kitchen.

You didn’t exactly remember Mingi, but he had been one of your elementary school friends and you thought he’d left town years ago.

Once you found a soother for Ella, you both made your way into the kitchen. You didn’t know how long you’d been asleep, but the cabin looked much cozier than when you arrived.

A small play area had been set up in the living room, which you placed Ella into after giving her a kiss on the forehead.

“Are you hungry?” Mingi asked from the kitchen.

“Uh, no. No thanks. Ella’s probably starving.”

“I made her mashed peas and potatoes. There’s a few pieces of pork chop cooling for her too.”

To your surprise, the food at prepared correctly for her age and was made into a smiley face on a cute dinosaur plate.

“Don’t worry, I know how to not kill a baby. I have a three year old and a handful of nieces and nephews.” Mingi smirked, passing you the plate and a baby spoon.

“Thanks.” You mumbled quietly.

You sat inside Ella’s play area and propped her inside the bumbo seat before feeding her dinner.

“I think she approves.” Mingi said from the kitchen table as he munched down on his own meal.

You ignored his comment, focusing on keeping Ella’s face clean as your thoughts wondered to Woo and San. You couldn’t help but worry and wonder where they were, if they were okay. Not to mention the hurt you felt from then suddenly leaving you.

The day creeped into night and you went along with your normal routine with Ella, bathing her and reading a couple of stories before settling her down in bed with a bottle.

Mingi had made himself comfortable in the smaller bedroom, setting up a little gaming station and some mood lighting. It seemed like he was always making someplace feel like home.

“You still haven’t eaten.”

His deep voice creeped out from his room, you peaked in to see him sitting on a bean bag chair, playing gta on a small tv screen.

“I just don’t feel hungry. I’m fine though.” You smiled softly before turning towards the bathroom. “I’m gonna take a shower. Do you mind listening out for her?”

“No problem at all.”

The hot water washed over your face as you sobbed as quiet as you could. There was a million questions running through your head. Why San would just send you off without explanation. Why they couldn’t go with you. There was no off button to the mess in your head.

As you opened the bathroom door, Mingi gave you a small wave, “She’s snoring. I’m heading to sleep soon.” He stretched out before standing up and heading to the door, leaning onto the side as he started to close it.

“Let me know if you need anything.”

“Thanks. Night.”

You tried to comfort yourself with Woo’s shirt, the familiar sent of him brought you mixed emotions, which you tried your best to push aside. At some point you drifted to sleep on your tear stained pillow, thought it was nothing compared to falling asleep in Woo’s arms as he fucked you slowly.

The next few days felt numb. You went through day by day, moment by moment just focusing on Ella. You were a mess. You had barely eaten, barely spoken to Mingi. The only update you had gotten was that Leeknow had thrown a fight and his people were angry with the loss.

You were too exhausted to focus on what was being told to you as Mingi filled you in the latest events.

“I guess it’s almost resolved. There was some sort of confrontation but they ended up actually chatting.”

Your eyes tried to focus on Mingi cleaned dishes, but the room started to spin.

“If all goes well, you should be going home pretty so-”

Your body fell to the ground with a hard thud as you blacked out. The lack of food and hours of crying finally had you hitting a brick wall.

Mingi cursed as a glass dropped from his hand, he ran to your side and patted your face a few times. “Fuck. Come on, wake up.”

He grabbed your glass of water off the table and splashed it on your face, “Y/N.” He tapped your face a little harder as you woke a bit, still very fuzzy and spaced.

You remember being in the car as Mingi drove towards the nearest hospital. Ella was strapped in her seat and you laid fading in and out on the seat next to her.

The beeping of a heart monitor rang in your ears as you came out of unconsciousness, you mumbled to yourself as the nurse greeted you and let you know what was going on.

“We gave you some fluids but you’re going to need to eat before you leave, other than that, you and the baby are overall fine.”

“What?” Your tone was unexpectedly harsher than you expected.

“Well we had to run a blood test just to make sure it was lack of nutrients…I-I’m sorry, if you didn’t know.”

You stared blankly for a moment, “No-“ you paused to look at her, offering a small smile. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know.” You laughed quietly as a tear fell down your cheek. “Thank you.”

After following the doctors orders and apologizing to Mingi and Ella for not taking care of your self, you were happily on your way home.

Though your heart ached for Wooyoung more than ever, you couldn’t help but smile down at your stomach.

“I think you should name them Grey.”

“Grey?”

“Yeah. It’s my favorite color - well actually charcole, but that’s a weird name for a kid.”

You shook your head and laughed as the drive continued, filled with small chat and plans to make the best of things.

“By the way” Mingi started as he pulled into the long driveway down to the cabin, he paused and quickly checked his phone before pointing to a car parked near the house. “You have a visitor.”

Your eyes filled with tears at the sight of your brother as the car came to a stop, you rushed out and over to hug him tightly.

“I swear to god if you ever do that again”

“It won’t happen again. Ever.”

“Promise.”

“Promise. We’re going straight.”

San explained how Wooyoung had made a deal with Leeknow’s people to get them out of the game and in exchange they would own and operate a car repair shop.

As San continued to speak, your eyes drifted to the cabin door opening and you took off running towards Wooyoung as he walked out.

Tears were streaming down your face as you leaped into his arms, kissing his lips as deep as you could.

“You came back.” You whispered against his lips, pressing your head against his.

“I’m not going anywhere ever again.”

“Good. Ella and her little brother or sister are gonna need their daddy.”

Woo looked down at you with a look of shock and wonder, which you nodded a few times to confirm what he was thinking.

He wrapped his arms around you again, spinning you around as he kissed your cheek repeatedly.

“Get a room!” San yelled with a laugh.

Woo gave him the finger as he carried you back into the cabin and closed the door behind him.

You laughed in his arms and held onto him until he put you back on the ground, “Go get your daughter.” You laughed, giving him another kiss.

“Our daughter.” He whispered.

[archernarbeta]

For all the moments

✴︎ pairing : Chanyeol x Reader

✴︎ genre : domestic!au, idol!chanyeol, editor!reader, angst, fluff, comfort, yearning

✴︎ summary : For all the moments, you were always by his side. For all the moments, he was always next to you.

✴︎ warning : none, maybe mild cursing but nothing else!

✴︎ word count : 4.2K

✴︎ author’s note : hii! It’s archie! This one has been hanging out on my drafts for way too long and I finally decided it’s time to take it out! Anyways, this fic was initially for Baekhyun but I felt that the scenario fits better with Chanyeol. I was highly inspired by EXO-SC’s Jet-lag and Kyungsoo’s recent birthday party where he sang Beautiful Day! I hope you enjoy this one and feel free to leave feedback or comments! likes are also much appreciated ♥ 

⁠—

The loud drizzling sounds of rain hitting your apartment window can’t help but stir you up from your deep slumber. What the hell, you thought, rubbing your eyes a little to wash away your sleepiness. The clock beside your bedside table reads 3.40am, the timing indicates that it’s too early for anyone to be awake at the moment. The sky kept rumbling, with thunders flashing every minute and you groaned at the sight of the storm rolling in front of you. Being woken up from a storm was one thing but being awake without your husband, was another thing. You knew you wouldn’t be able to sleep again so you grabbed your phone to check if Chanyeol had landed in Seoul from his recent work trip from Paris. 

Notifications 02.30am KST Yeol: > Babe? > I just landed with the worst weather ever! > I can't wait to see you > I missed you so much :(( Read 03.43am KST

Being married for 2 years to one of the most famous idol in Korea, you were accustomed to his busy schedule. Flying out here and there to attend concerts, award shows, photoshoots and prestigious events was part of the job. With you working as a fashion editor, his daily agenda was not out of the ordinary for you. The difference only being the fact that he works under the limelight, but you don’t—not that you mind at all. Nevertheless, both of you made it work. It was too easy to understand how it feels to work under a tight schedule without any time to breathe. You with your never-ending deadlines and meetings, and him with his idol life. 

However, dating him for 6 years and being married to him for three, being away from him never gets easier.

You zoned out for a while before a loud thud distracted your attention, followed by your bedroom door clicking open. Your husband was finally home, his tall frame resting against the door with a huge grin on his face. Even with the minimal lighting of your bedroom, you could make up the bags under his sparkling eyes and the sight made you frown. 

“Hii honey,” his voice soft as ever, “I missed you so much..”

You sat up beaming at him while reaching out, welcoming him with open arms. He took a step closer to the bed, engulfing your sleepy figure. You replied with a small ‘hello’ as you melted into his hug. You really can’t help but wonder how he’d smell so nice after a long-haul flight, but nevertheless, you love inhaling his scent that brings you nothing but comfort.

“How long have you been awake? The storm must’ve woken you up.” His voice was laced with worry.

You held his cheeks with your hands and he practically melt under your touch, 

“Not too long ago.”

“Please quickly shower and join me in bed, huh? Pretty please…” you pouted at his tired state. 

“Anything for you, baby. Give me a while and I’ll join you as soon as possible!” 

He didn’t close the door as he showered, not that you’d mind, at this point you were too sleepy to even think of peeking. As the water ran down on his back, he unconsciously kept you awake by chatting with you. He really couldn’t help that he missed his wife so much. 

“Babe, do you have plans tomorrow?”

“No? Not that I could think of…I might drop by the studio and the office tomorrow morning but other than that, I don’t think I’ll be booked the whole day. Are you going somewhere tomorrow?” 

“The office? Isn’t tomorrow like..Saturday? Is Saerim giving you a hard time? What about the interns? They’re not helping you enough? Are you working too hard again?” He rambled on with concern with a raised voice as the running water muffled his voice.

“I- Uh..” you stammered, “Yeol, I t-told you work is fine” you quipped. The sound of the water subsided as a tall figure emerged from the bathroom. Chanyeol dried his hair, ruffling the soft brown locks with a towel as he frowned at your response. He knew you were having a hard time at work and had asked you to quit a thousand times by now. Even without the math, anyone would know that his pay would be enough for the both of you to live comfortably. 

You looked at your golden-retriever husband in the eye, “So where are you going tomorrow?” 

A thing about Chanyeol is that he’d waive things out so easily, as easy as shifting the conversation to another topic and he won’t go back to pester the elephant in the room. 

At your question he blinks a few times, “Would you mind if I take a day out tomorrow with the boys? Baek said he needed some pointers for his upcoming solo album and Junmyeon-Hyung had things to discuss for the group.” He scratched the back of his head. 

“But that is…if it’s okay with you?” he nervously asked. 

“That’s okay, babe…” you half yawned, sleep lulled you once again as you tried snuggling inside the comforter, 

“I really don’t mind”, the drowsiness took you as the soft satin sheets came in contact with your skin. He smiled at the sight as he returned the towel to its place. Chanyeol didn’t take long to join you in bed, cuddling you in his arms. 

After his hectic schedules and weeks without holding you, being beside you was the perfect medicine to charge his tired form. He sighed, relieving all his weariness before the slumber took him out.

He knew, this was home. 

You, were home.

⁠—

Morning came faster than you’d like. The rain from last night hadn’t stopped, raindrops trickling on your high-floor apartment as the sky was still dark as ever. Beside you, a tired giant, possessively hugging you amidst his sleep. You giggled at this grown-up man’s clingy behaviour.  Chanyeol will always be the cutest, ever. 

You blamed your body clock for waking up so early on a Saturday, especially on this dreading Saturday. 

With a little struggle, you free yourself from Chanyeol’s hold and tiptoed to the kitchen. It was just 6.00am but you quickly prepared breakfast for the both of you and salad, for Chanyeol just in case he wants a light lunch. 

As you sipped your coffee, last night’s conversation went through your head. He knew you had troubles at work, he had plans and you said you were okay, you didn’t mind.

You internally sighed because mind you did.

You were far from okay.

Because even though you’d hate to admit it, you’d love to have him for yourself. In fact, you have missed him so much these past few weeks that it physically hurts. 

But no. 

You had work. 

Your useless-piece-of-a-shit-partner Yoon Saerim, will probably taunt you if you don’t come up with a better concept for this month’s pictorial. So even though you miss being around your ball of sunshine more than you’d like to admit, fate was just not in your favour this Saturday. 

You could always quit, is what Yeol usually says after your long rant about your horrible boss and the disgusting amount of workload you had to handle. Sure you have subordinates and interns working under you, but working in fashion for so long, you came to the conclusion that nothing is never ever enough when it comes to the industry. 

Thinking back, Chanyeol always loved being under the spotlight as an idol ever since his debut days and making music was as precious as that. After both of you settled down and eventually got married, you were quick to admit that Chanyeol sacrificed a lot for you, even if you didn’t ask him to. He paid the bills, every bill. He took care of the parents, dinner dates with your parents and his every other week were a staple and he’d never miss sending health supplements once in a while. You never asked him to do so but married Chanyeol just stepped up and took on the role as a caring husband so naturally. 

Even with his burning passion in music, he went the extra mile, producing countless songs by the count of months. At times he goes on an overdrive, he’d lock himself up in the studio and he would forget about everything else. Situations like this scares the shit out of you. You remembered the first time he went berserk, it took you and his members two days to figure out where he was. He’d gone AWOL and you had to call the police to track down his phone, just to find out that he’d been coping himself in the studio for 48 hours without sleep or food, only water. You and Sehun found him sitting down in front of the recording booth with a guitar in hand, music sheets sprawled on the floor. His eyes were already bloodshot red, it was clear that he was sleep-deprived, very tired and out of focus. Sehun sighed, ready to scold Yeol for his stupid behaviour before your husband quipped, 

“Please don’t take me away, not yet…” 

his eyes all over the place with brows furrowed, his forehead creasing.

“I swear if you give me more time, I’ll finish this tomorrow and I’ll go but please leave and don’t come here until tomorrow, yeah? I need to finish this song because they’ll pay a huge amount for this one… Give me more time, please?” He is disassociated as ever, you were aware that he didn’t notice you due to his state.

“Hyung…” the younger sighed again.

“S-Sehun-ah, I have Y/N now.. You might not know how it feels now but I- I want to give the world to her. We’re idols but our prime time is way past us, when the momentum is gone, we might too.” He dropped his head to the door of the recording booth as he sighed,

He mindlessly draws patterns on the floor, “I need to save up for Y/N, for our future.. and it won’t happen if I don’t work like this. So-“

In a blink you crouched down, embracing him with tears already wetting your face. Words couldn’t form but the pressure, the knot that he bear was starting to unravel. He got your message,

You’re enough. 

Moments like these, his breakdowns, were one of the things that kept you grounded. If you’re being honest, your job also keeps you on your feet. Working as an co-chief editor in fashion was always your dream and to be frank, you enjoyed the job more than you let on. But the past year has been nothing but hell, thanks to the newly appointed co-chief editor Yoon Saerim. You habitually ponder how she got the position as she wasn’t really suitable for the job, she didn’t really have the knack for fashion. But moreover, you just didn’t like the fact that she ogled Chanyeol and Sehun when they came by for a photoshoot. 

You quickly snapped out of your deep thoughts when you gulped your last drop of coffee, thinking of Yoon Saerim never fails to make you turn sour. 

Without wasting more time, you prepared yourself to head to your studio. For disclaimer, the studio was Chanyeol’s, not the office’s. Not long after you started the job years ago, both of you decided that it would be nice to rent out an old apartment in the city for the both of you to work. The studio has a built-in recording booth, production space for Chanyeol and a creative working-space for you. However, with time passing, you ended up using the space more than your husband. 

Before you left the house, you gave him a forehead kiss and stuck a post-it-note on his phone, 

‘Good Morning My Happy Virus ♡  thank you for always working so hard,  sometimes you worry me, love :( have a great time with the boys today! am out for work - it’s deadline week ◡̈   i love you 3000 —  much, much love, Y/N ‘

—

You arrived at the empty studio with your shoulders slumped, looking at the stacked paper, pictorials and mood boards around your disoriented workspace. The interns must’ve sent these yesterday, fucking hell, here we go again. 

Not long after, you succumbed to the job you love and hate at the same time. To be honest, as one of the high-ranked chief editor in your company, it wasn’t your share to do these tasks anymore, those days were over you. But reviewing each and every item, every trend that goes into the magazine is a job you love no matter how meticulous it actually is. Besides, the information you extract from all this has proven to help your career so far, making you one of the sought-out fashion editors in Seoul. However the fact doesn’t relieve you from the burden and pressure you get from your useless co-chief editor.

“She’s bossy and pushy but useless— and you’re too compliant, Babe,” Chanyeol would always joke and you’d usually tackle him back with a pillow, leaving both of you cackling in the process.

Speaking of Chanyeol, the man in question just stirred up from bed, barely opening his eyes, adjusting to the gloomy weather in front of his open-windowed bedroom. He instantly rubbed his sides, sleep evidently washed away when he realised his beloved Y/N weren’t there. He called your name out a few times to make sure that maybe, you were outside the room, just to know that his voice had filled the void of your apartment. 

As expected, he immediately sat up and grabbed his phone to call you. Before even unlocking his cell, he found your oh-so-lovely note that you stuck on this morning. Chanyeol sighed, he knew you were having a hard time but you never fail to warm his heart with your sweet note, he particularly loved the use of his favourite iron-man quote. 

He stared at the note lovingly for a while before heading to the bathroom and freshened up for the day. When he entered the kitchen to see a packed lunch box and another one with breakfast inside, he sulked further. Your puppy-like husband misses you and you doing this, made him sappier. He carefully unpacked the meals you prepared, gratefully munching your cooking. He was supposed to meet his members at 10 and so, he drove quickly as he was running late. When he parked his car in front of the company’s building, a text came from Baekhyun. 

Notifications 10.08am KST Baek: > Yeol? > the meeting’s canceled > Junmyeon-hyung said something came up > and my mom called, she wanted my help :O > Really sorry for the sudden intrusion! But have a good rest day with Y/N ^^  > Send her my love too!! Read 10.15am KST

< BYUN BAEKHYUN YOU LITTLE SHIT < THANKS FOR THE ‘HEADS UP’ < Picture sent < LOOK WHERE I AM YOU LITTLE SHIT!!! Sent 10.16am KST

Baek:  > Oh.. > The message didn’t come through 😅 I texted you way before,, must be the reception?  > But you can always have a good time with y/n!!  > I’m so sorry 🥺 Read 10.17am KST

Chanyeol couldn’t be sulkier. His ears literally drooped down as he huffed in annoyance. He didn’t reply back to Baekhyun as he slid the phone back in his pockets. He drove home in silence, even the thought of going back to bed to aid his tiredness didn’t make him feel better. He entered the foyer of the empty apartment and he shuffled inside lazily. You’d probably melt if you see him right now, his shoulder slumped slightly with a goo-goo look on his face. Especially now, with his buffier-form, compared to his pre-debut lanky state is something you’d administer as a cute change as a result of his exercising habits over the years. But it doesn’t matter because you’re not there and alas he came home to a cold, dark, empty apartment with his love nowhere to be seen. 

The sky dark, rain still pouring down, much like his mood. The thing about Chanyeol is the fact that he’s a clingy extrovert when it comes to people he loves. You love that about him. He didn’t care about the hectic schedule, it’s the ‘being away from you’ that made everything hard to surpass. That’s why after every schedule abroad, Chanyeol would love going home when he knows his love is waiting for him. There’s nothing better than coming home to a warm apartment with you snuggled on the couch. However, now, he’s the only one on the couch, alone. 

He pondered for more than an hour, zoning out, before deciding to stand up and head to the door once again. The silence is deafening, he misses you too much and he had to do something about it.

— 

In your studio, coming in your nearly fifth hour of productivity, you’re starting to break down. You were now on the verge of crying while doing your work, it’s the creativity block, you mentally cursed. You’ve been dealing with it lately but having to work in fashion, it’s inevitable and you never really told anyone about it, especially not Chanyeol. You felt that his occupation demanded more of him than yours did to you, you wouldn’t want to burden him with your problems. 

“Fuck.” 

“Fucking hell!” 

“This is so not happening right now…” tears welled as the screen of your precious laptop turned pitch black. You scoffed at the situation with the waterworks falling down your eyes. You were over this. 

You slumped near the corners of the room, hugging your knees as you stared at your now dead device, silently crying as your head whirls for other, worse negative possibilities of happening. Numb, is probably the best way to describe your current state after crying your heart out for 30 minutes straight. You end up curling yourself into a ball, hanging your head low in the corners of the room as your mind goes blank. 

As you hid yourself in the darkest corners of your office, you failed to notice the jiggling sound of the key, the clacking locks and the noise of the door opening. 

“Babeeeee?” the sound traveled from the hallway. Lo and behold, a sulked Chanyeol is here. His mood is still on the low but the idea of meeting you gets him excited like a puppy. 

You couldn’t hear him though,  your head still in a blocked-state and the room you’re in was the furthest from the hallway. 

Chanyeol entered the studio, footsteps tapping against the hardwood flooring. It puzzled him why he didn’t receive an answer back, but knowing your shoes were on the foyer, he knew you were somewhere inside. He set foot to the break room, your coat was on the couch but where were you? 

He continued peeking into his recording studio, the nearest space to the break room. The lights were out, signalling him that you’re probably not there. The bathroom and the other rooms were also empty, your office was the only place left. He slowly knocked, hoping to get an answer. To his surprise, nothing. He then gently pushed the door open, just enough for his head to peek inside. Before he could call your name, he heard sniffles from the farthest corner, he could make up your hunched, clearly crying figure and your favourite beige socks too. He exhaled as his worries washed away. Even though his heart ached more than ever, finding you with a meltdown was a relief as he initially thought you passed out or worse. 

He didn’t enter the room. He shuffled himself out as quietly as possible to grab his guitar in his recording room. This should do, he thought.

He re-entered your office, walked closer and sat on the floor near you. The cramped space barely fits his long legs. 

“Hey,” he greeted you with a hushed voice. 

Noticing his voice, you instinctively lift up your head to see your husband, sitting in front of you. In your shocked-state, you forcefully brushed off your tears in embarrassment, your skin will probably turn red later.

“Hey.. No, no, no..” he reached out, wiping your tears, caressing your disheveled hair. 

“Gently, yeah, yeah.. You’ll hurt yourself” he continued as he patted the areas under your eyes with his long sleeves.

After you calmed down, you didn’t have the courage to even say anything to the man. Deep down, you were embarrassed to be found in a silly breakdown, even if it was your husband. Besides, you didn’t know what to say to him anyways. While you were overthinking and avoiding eye contact with him, he pulled the guitar behind him and started to play a familiar song,

“It's a beautiful life 난 너의 곁에 있을게 (I'll stay by your side) It's a beautiful life 너의 뒤에 서 있을게 (I'll stand right behind you) Beautiful love”

Slowly but surely, your heart warmed up to the sound of his voice and you couldn’t help but stare at your husband. He stopped singing when your eyes met and he gave you a comforting smile. 

“C’mon, let’s get you up princess,” as he helped you stand up, circling his arms around your waist. You haven’t articulated a sound but he didn’t mind, he just let you lean into his sides as he guided you to the couch in the break room. He sat you down before abruptly standing and rummaging a brown paper bag on the coffee table, 

“I got your favourite cake and hot chocolate actually,” he grinned, facing your puffy face. “I thought you were having a hard time, well- I know you are having a hard time… But you never tell me you know, Babe?” He rambled as he unboxed a variety of sliced cakes and pastries on the table. 

“I-I get the fact that you wouldn’t want to burden me, but I’m kinda your husband and best friend too.. I wish you wouldn’t keep these things from me” he picked up the fork and scooped a piece of cheesecake to feed you, 

Before you had the chance to reply,

“I mean—open up a lil’ baby— I don’t mind you working and all, it’s your passion and I will support you either way, but you don’t get to shield your meltdowns from me… Who’s gonna hold you when you cry, huh?” he kept on chattering while feeding you, giving you no room to talk.

“I’ve said a thousand times that we’re super comfortable right now, yet I know it’s not about the money, I’m super cool with you working.. It’s about the workload a-and the pressure you get from your subs and colleagues!!” He raised his arms as a sign of annoyance. 

You gulped down the big chunk of cheesecake and shut him up with a peck. The action took him by surprise but it didn’t fail to shut him up.

“Okay, Chanyeol.” you softly replied, followed by another peck on his lips

“I get what you mean” you smiled at your husband. 

You then began on telling the troubles you had at work, silently thanking the universe that he came in the right moment and that he was your saving grace. He listened intently, even going to the measures of contacting his technician friends to help fix your laptop as soon as possible. He made jokes too along the way to lighten your mood and gave you warm touches here and there to comfort you further. 

You were his home, his ground zero.

He was yours too.

— 

Hours passed and now you were back working, Chanyeol in the other room, busying himself in the recording studio.

“Yeol?” you called him.

“Hmm? What’s up princess?”

“Uh- I just remembered, didn’t you had like- plans? You were supposed to go with Baek and the members today right?”

Footsteps were apparent as he walked closer to the opened door of your office, his head peeped through the door.

“Junmyeon-Hyung canceled, Baek too.. I was quite grumpy because I reached the office when Baekhyun texted me” He walked in further.

“Then I came home but the house wasn’t warm enough even though I cranked the heater up!” He sulked, and sulked further. 

“I was alone, I don’t want to be…I also don't want you to be alone too Y/N.

I only wanted to be around you, I really tried staying in!! But I couldn’t be alone in the house without you when you’re my home.” he pouted. 

You want to die then and there, you miss him as much and he was sad, it makes you sad too, but he was being sulky-cute… Can you turn into a putty of love?

“Come here you big baby!” you excitedly threw yourself in his arms. He buried his soft locks on the crook of your neck as he whispered ‘I miss you' s and you couldn’t help but let out a hearty laugh.

“I miss you too, Yeol..

I miss you so, so much.” He hugged you tighter as he giggled too.

This was it, you thought. This was love at its finest and you couldn’t be happier that you’ve found it. For all the moments, good or bad, both of you never failed to become each other's home.  

[kjmcotton]

omg i need another exo enemies to lovers from you! i enjoyed that one

Metanoia | Bbh

Byun Baekhyun x fem!reader

Flatmates!AU

Enemies to lovers!AU

Plot:moving to Seoul was stressful,but it got worse when you found out that your flatmate was Byun Baekhyun,your best friend’s ex

Warnings:mentions of a troubled past and troubled relationship,fights,swearing

Masterlist

Author’s notes:thank you for requesting a story!! Can’t wait to write more! This story is pretty long and full of drama,so get your popcorns!♡

Tumblr works with reposts:if you enjoyed my story please repost and leave a feedback! Help me growing!♡

Metanoia (μετάνοια):the journey of changing someone's mind,heart,self or way of living

“Open this damn door,come on Y/n! Open the door!” Baekhyun had been knocking and complaining for the past ten minutes but you had no intention of leaving the bathroom to open the front door:it was his fault if he had forgotten the key again.

“I’m coming” you repeated for the fourth time,while massaging your hair with a revitalising mask.

One month,it had been already one month since you moved from your hometown to Seoul after receiving the first well paid job offer of your recent graduate student life;and it had been one month since you had made the most terrible discovery you could have ever done:Byun Baekhyun would’ve become your flatmate.

You had visited the flat twice before moving in and,even tho both times it was empty,you were well aware of the fact that you would’ve shared the house;however you would’ve never considered the possibility that your flatmate could’ve been that idiot of your best friend’s ex.

When you had brought in the first box and saw him sitting on the couch,you shivered.

With all the people out there in Seoul how much unlucky could you be to end up with the one you wanted to forget forever?

Baekhyun had never hurt you personally,but made your best friend’s life hard.

When he was younger,and still leaving in Bucheon,he used to be known as the troublemaker of the town. He was constantly involved in fights,little crimes and dramas.

Many girls had dated him and all of them used to say that he was quite a fuckboy;however you were sure he had never cheated on your best friend Lin,but it wasn’t enough to make things works.

You used to see her often picking him up after a fight or,worse,talking to her father,one of the policemen of the town,asking to be patient and give him a soft penalty.

She used to spend nights crying or arguing with him;until one day,out of nowhere,he broke up with her and disappeared,saying that he would’ve moved to Seoul…and he surely did.

“Open the door,Y/n I’m about to call the cops!” Baekhyun complained again,so,once you were ready,you wrapped yourself in a towel and let him come in

“Oh,I’m so sorry…sometimes I forget they’re your besties” you teased him

“That joke doesn’t work anymore. I’m no more a stupid teenager. I’ve got a good job and I’ve put my shit together. Remember that the rent of this pretty flat is half payed by me”

“The fact that you’re a jerk still remains” you spat out

“You’re talking like you’re better than me” he rolled his eyes.

That was one of the many brief conversations you used to have with Baekhyun. The two of you never really talked,only exchanged put-downs and argued even on the smallest things. It was no one’s fault,but your complicated past.

Lin had always forbidden you from saying anything to him,even tho you were dying at the idea to do so,but since her relationship wasn’t really your business you kept your mouth shut for a while,until you had found out that he was leaving.

After receiving a call by your friend in the middle of the night,with her screaming and crying,cursing Baekhyun,you snapped:you called Jongin,the only one you were sure knew everything as he was close to that idiot,and forced him to tell you what he had in his mind.

Once you had found out the train he was about to catch,you drove to the train station and told Baekhyun everything you had always wanted.

The two of you ended up yelling insults at each in the middle of the night,you even risked to get involved in a fight with him after slapping his face;however the boy had to run off because the train arrived. You were sure it was the day in which Baekhyun begun to reciprocate your hate.

And now you were there,trying to tolerate each other as the flat you were living in was so beautiful,and hard to find at a good price in a city like Seoul,that no one wanted to leave.

Once your hair had dried,you went to the kitchen to cook yourself an omelette for dinner. You weren’t good at cooking,you could make just a few dishes,but you’d rather eat the same things instead of asking for help to Baekhyun,who,on the other hand,was a quite good chef.

You looked outside the window while waiting for your dinner to be ready:grey clouds were approaching,meaning that a huge thunderstorm was about to arrive.

Once the omelette was ready you sat at the table,noticing Baekhyun leaving from the door

“Where the fuck are you going with this weather?”you said,realising how handsome he looked in that white shirt that was matching his platinum hair

“Clubbing with friends,it’s Friday. I’m not antisocial like you” he scoffed,disappearing without bringing his umbrella.

You laughed:someone would’ve looked like a drenched mouse in a few hours.

The next morning you woke up ad 8 am. You took a shower and then went to the kitchen,where you found a sick Baekhyun warming some milk up. He looked at you and coughed,without even saying good morning.

“That’s on not bringing an umbrella with you” you mumbled,opening a cupboard to get some biscuits

“You saw me leaving,you could’ve said something”

You laughed “What am I? Your babysitter? You’re an adult,it’s none of my fault if you always forget the important things”

Baekhyun sneezed,making you step back

“Take some meds” you said

“Keen you are! I would’ve never thought about it!” he scoffed. You looked at him easily,noticing that his eyes were watery.

“Have you checked your temperature?” you asked,resting your hand on his forehead:it was pretty hot.

Baekhyun stared at you for a while. His cheeks were flushed,his face was pale and his shoulders were curved;he didn’t even look like the usual cocky Baekhyun,he seemed a lost kid.

Seeing him in those conditions made you feel sorry,so your attitude automatically softened.

“Answer me,have you checked your temperature?” you asked again,with a sweet voice this time.

Baekhyun shook his head

“Then you should go” you said,looking at him dragging his body to his bedroom.

As you had imagined, the boy had a fever;however you didn’t expect it to get worse by the same evening,so,without even realising it,you found yourself sitting on the bed next to a sleepy Baekhyun whose cheeks had turned as red as an apple.

You sighed,putting some ice on the top of his head:damn it,how could it happen that in less than 24h you went from scolding that idiot to look after him? Life was funny sometimes,or maybe more than sometimes considering how things had changed in the span of a month.

You were lost in your thoughts when you heard Baekhyun grunt. You looked at him,noticing that his sleep had suddenly become fitful. The poor boy was shaking and moving,mumbling words that you could barely hear. You understood only one phrase,something that left you speechless:

“I’m sorry Lin…”

At those words you got paralysed,your hands tightly holding the sheets of the bed

How could it be possible? How could it be possible that after all this time he still had her in his mind? And why? He was the one leaving her,so why after so many years her name was still being pronounced by his lips?

“I’m sorry…I’m sorry…I’m…Lin…I’m sorry…” he kept repeating those words,louder and louder,panting,with more and more pain in every word until,you swore,a tear fell along his cheek.

“Baekhyun…” you tried to call him,but the boy didn’t wake up;otherwise he was getting more and more agitated. Then,with a startle,he sat.

“Baekhyun!” you exclaimed,collecting some strength to move.

The boy didn’t even look at you,he simply hid his head in between his hands and started sobbing. He wasn’t lucid,you knew it,but you were still confused.

“It was just a dream…-you reassured him,massaging his back. His pyjama was soaking because how much he was sweating,but you didn’t care,all you wanted was helping him calming down-it’s gone Baekhyun. The past is in the past”

At those words your flatmate rose his head,looking at you with teary eyes;you slid closer,wrapping your arms around his body as he rested his head on your shoulder.

You moved aside the wet strands of hair falling on his forehead to check his temperature:even tho you had given him a bunch of meds he was still burning. You were really concerned now.

“You need to lay down-you whispered,caressing his cheek-I’ll get you a towel and a new shirt”

You wanted to stand up but the boy didn’t seem willing to move aside

“Baekhyun,have you heard me? I-“ you stopped talking as you realised he was still sobbing. Your heart shattered. Was it because of Lin? You couldn’t understand,but you had no strength to push him away,so you just adjusted yourself against the headboard and gently stroke his back.

“It’s okay. It’s just a fever” you kissed his head,resting your chin on it.

The boy’s hug tightened as he buried his face in the cloth of your shirt. His breath was heavy and his body kept shaking. It took him a while before calming down,but after half an hour he was peacefully sleeping in between your arms.

You looked at him,so many questions were going on your mind,but,most of all,you were asking yourself how to behave after that. Even tho Baekhyun had seemed completely over his past,he clearly wasn’t,he was still hurt,which made you feel bad…how much had he been suffering because of all the hate you had been showering him with? All those rude words,the put downs and stuff like that…how much did it hurt him? A lot,you were sure.

You sighed

“I’m so so sorry-you whispered-I’ll be better,just like you. I promise”

That night you called the doctor who changed some meds,allowing Baekhyun to get back on track in a few days.

In that span of time you would cook for him and bring anything he needed to his bed

“Why are you so nice all of a sudden? What’s the scam?”

“No scam,I’m acting like a decent flatmate. Don’t get me wrong. I’ll go back to insult you once you’re fine”

That was a lie,obviously,even after the fever was completely gone you never stopped being kind.

Now that you knew the wounds of his soul hadn’t healed yet, you didn’t want to pile on. However,Baekhyun wasn’t dumb,that was why he immediately noticed you had changed your behaviour and asked for explanations as soon as he had the chance.

It was a Sunday night,none of you had any errand that day,that was why the two of you ended up drinking a beer on the couch.

“I think we need to talk” Baekhyun said,looking at you

“About what?” you pretended to not know what the point was,so you carelessly put the beer on the table in front of you,avoiding eye contact to not show your real feelings

“Look at me” the boy called you out

“Why are you acting this odd?-you faked a laugh-anyway,I gotta go to the bathroom…” you tried to stand up,but your flatmate grabbed you by the wrist and dragged you back on the couch.

Baekhyun put his beer on the ground and slid his body closer to yours:your faces were a few inches away and you swore your heart suddenly lost a beat. He looked so pretty under the dim light of the living room,you had never realised how handsome he was and how polite could he be when he wanted;in fact,since you softened your attitude,he did the same.

“We haven’t argued since I got sick,and you’re always so sweet. What is it?”

“Nothing…”

“You’re lying”

“I’m not” you tried to get up,but Baekhyun stopped you again

“Tell me. I need answers. Everything got so strange all of a sudden. I-I…I can’t even say that I hate it” his hand left your wrist to end up on you tight. It gave you shivers.

“It’s just that…-you bit your lips,you didn’t know what to say-….I’ve realised that maybe we both should leave our past behind. We’re adults now”

“Why? Why all of a sudden?” he asked,his breath warming your skin

“There’s no a precise reason…”

“Don’t lie!”

“Fine…-you huffed-I know that you haven’t gotten over Lin and what happened”

At those words you saw his face frown and his body stiffen

“I’m sorry,pretend I didn’t say anything” you tried to get up, but Baekhyun held you by the thighs

“No,it’s okay. How do you know it?”

“You had a nightmare while being sick and said something about it in your sleep”

“The fact is…-the boy paused-no…I’m not over it. There’s no reason to lie. I’m not over anything I did in the past. It doesn’t matter how much I grew up and worked hard,my past still haunts me;but maybe I deserve to suffer for all the pain I caused to the people around me…Lin in particular”

You gulped:those words had pierced you like knives. How could he say something like that? No one deserves to suffer for their mistakes.

You shook your head,hugging Baekhyun

“Without those mistakes you wouldn’t be here today. You learned from them and became a better person,there’s no reason for you to still be suffering”

The boy looked at you,his hand moved up to your cheek as he caressed it with his thumb. You got lost in his beautiful deep eyes,but never wanted to find your way out. What was happening? Why were you feeling strange things in your stomach? What was it? Butterflies? You didn’t know,all you knew was that you wanted that instant to never end.

Baekhyun licked his lips,then he leaned in,kissing you softly. You closed your eyes,intertwining your fingers in between his soft hair and,without even realising it,you found your back pushed against the couch,with a shirtless Baekhyun towering you.

He looked so beautiful,and his skin against yours felt so right. He left wet kisses all over your neck,then he went back to kiss your lips until he was out of breath. His hand slipped under your shirt,there was nothing sexual in that gesture,he was simply seeking for more contact. Your fingers were tracing lines along his back as you pressed your waist against his.

Baekhyun’s eyes chained with yours:he seemed enchanted while his index caressed your face,then he smiled.

“No one has ever said anything this beautiful to me” he whispered,looking at you with smiling eyes. You could tell those words had comforted his soul.

“Why are you talking like this. What did they say?” You asked,moving a few strands of hair away from his face.

Baekhyun lowered his eyes,holding his head up with a hand. You moved aside,giving him a little more space so both of you could lay down together comfortably.

“They said many things-a sorrow smile appeared on the boy’s lips-especially in Bucheon”

“I’m listening” you said

Baekhyun took a deep breath and started opening up

“Well,re-start a fucked up life it’s not that easy. It doesn’t matter how much you try,or how much you work hard,there will always be someone that will always label you as the crazy asshole .That’s what happened to me. I tried to change multiple times while staying in Bucheon:I stopped hanging out with wrong people,I learned how to control myself and I looked for decent jobs;however,no one ever wanted to put up with me. They would either reject me or hire me to later fire me because of the smallest error. People would look at me with mistrust in their eyes. That’s why one day I decided to move to Seoul. No one knows the old me here,I’ve started a second life”

“Jongin didn’t tell me that…”

“I knew someone would’ve come for me,so I asked him to shut his mouth. I just didn’t expect to see you,I expected to see Lin. You left me speechless”

“She was kinda busy crying that night-you pointed out-that’s why I was completely mad. Furthermore I had never tolerated your behaviour,but I couldn’t say anything since it wasn’t my business. You gave me a chance to finally talk to you so I just took it”

Baekhyun smiled

“I’ve never stopped thinking about you since that day”

“What??” you felt your cheek heating up

“I swear. As I said it was unexpected,I didn’t know that you would come,nor that you would snap like that. Since then,anytime I’m about to do something I ask myself if it would make you that angry”

“Oh come on…-you laughed-this is embarrassing”

“It’s not. You would never be embarrassing, you’re just…-Baekhyun bit his bottom lip-you’re just amazing. That’s what I’ve always thought about you. Since then,all through these past months,and now even more. Besides Lin,no one has ever cared so much about me like you did when I was sick. Thank you- the boy pressed a kiss on your forehead-I think I fell in love again”

Your heart fluttered as you buried your face in the crook of his neck

“If you believed that I was amazing all this time,then why you pretended you couldn’t stand me? Was it because of the way I acted?”

“Let’s say that I didn’t really know how to approach you in a different way”

“I’m sorry. I was wrong” you murmured

“It’s okay-he caressed your shoulder-we can start everything again”

You nodded

“Yes,we can. And-you stood up,grabbing your phone-I think you have an unfinished business”

Baekhyun looked at you,his eyes were unsure

“Call Lin,apologise,and put your soul at peace once forever” you smiled,sitting next to the boy.

He grabbed your smartphone,looking for Lin’s number while bouncing his leg up and down. He was extremely anxious,so you sat next to him and held his hand,resting your chin on his shoulder.

“You can do it” you kissed his cheeks

Baekhyun sighed,then he called Lin.

He didn’t know that in a few minutes all his demons would’ve disappeared.

[jongbross]

(hi ! 🥺 sorry for the bad english) you can do an exo!mafia au reaction, where they are mobsters and bump into their ex after they broke up because she found out he is mafia. they still love each other and want to be together, they are suffering apart? please💞 thanks, have a good day!

a/n: your english is just fine! my first language isn't english either, so don't worry. i hope you like it 🥺

xiumin: minseok is good at hiding his feelings, he did it all this time. he was a mess after you left, but you don't need to know that so he would probably try to play it cool, talking with you but never, ever showing what he's truly feeling. that's until you ask him "have you been okay?" - then his eyes will give in the truth. that's when he'll stutter to answer you, only confirming your suspicious. to someone who has been okay, minseok definitely agrees way too quickly to meet you someday so you two can talk...

suho: he's mature, that's for sure. no matter how shattered he was when you two broke up, he respected your decision and your space. still, junmyeon hurted a lot, so when he meets you again i think he will definitely try to come up at you and ask if you wanna talk to him, if it's okay for him to approach you (because deep down he's scared you'll reject him again). little did he know that you're suffering just like (or even more) than him.

lay: mobster or not, yixing is a softie. he will never admit it, but he cried after you left. when you two meet again, his eyes get glassy with tears the moment he lies his eyes on you, feeling like you were so close but so far away at the same time. the first move will have to come from you, so don't be afraid to approach him - he will love that. yixing doesn't think he deserves to be with the one he loves, especially after you left him for such a good reason, so he doesn't fight for you because of that. please bear with him, he misses you a lot but he just wants you to be happy with whatever you decide it's good for you.

baekhyun: the first thing he felt when you left him wasn't heartbreak, but anger; maybe at himself, at you, at life... but it was there. so, because of that, baekhyun is so petty once you two meet again. he's the one to come talk to you, but he's also the one who will sarcastically say "well, you're the one who left me...", only because deep down that's still a question for him. baekhyun wants to know that you suffered just as much as he did, because after all, the breakup was all on you, he never wanted that.

chen: another one who would be ANGRY. yes, he didn't tell you he was a mobster - that's not something you just tell people, you know? but he never put you in danger, he never brought work home, and you always claimed you loved him? how could you leave him so easily, then? so yeah, once you two meet up again, be ready to deal with the most stubborn version of jongdae you've ever met. he might be feeling like he can't live, can't breathe without you - but he he will never, ever admit that to you.

chanyeol: poor chanyeol couldn't focus on his work for weeks after you left him. he might be the only one from all of them to actually consider leaving the business just so he could be with you. when you two meet again, chanyeol will make it very clear how much you hurted him, how messed up you left him, but will also let you know that he absolutely understands you and why you don't agree with his line of work. he'd be the easiest to talk to and make up, though.

d.o: honestly? it's almost like he's heartless. kyungsoo loves you a lot, he always said he does, but the moment you questioned him about the mafia you planted a seed on his brain - "if they can't love me for who i am, then maybe they don't love me at all". of course, he felt bad and lost when you left, but he's also very logical and rational. so when you two meet again, you can cry all you want in front of him - it doesn't matter how much it hurts him -, the question will still be the same: can you accept him and his job? it all depends on your answer.

kai: oh, he's stubborn. he's very stubborn. his hyungs will tell him that it's okay if he's sad after you left him, but jongin will always deny it. he pretends like he doesn't care, but that crumbles the moment he meets you again - and it gets worse when you tell him you missed him. jongin is as needy as he's stubborn, so that's all he needs to hear to finally come through with his feelings and, then, ask you to come back because he's dying without you.

sehun: you have no idea how bad you've made sehun feel when you left him. sehun spent weeks thinking about how he can't have anything good in his life, but how he also can't leave his business now because he's way too far gone. when you two meet again, more than wanting to have you back, sehun puts effort into understanding if you're fine with his line of work, and making it clear that he loves you so much and wants to spend the rest of his life with you, and he will do everything in his power for this to happen.

[justwritedreams]

Only one King | Baekhyun

Gangster!Baekhyun x Pregnant!Reader, mafia au! Word count: 1339 Genre: slight angst, action. Author: maari  Warnings: mentions of death and violence. Note: Well this is short but I enjoyed writing it so much 🥺 Request: I WANT SO BAD GANGSTER DAD BAEKHYUN AND HIS PRECIOUS PREGNANT S/O ⫷ Exo Masterlist

"Babe?" Y/N spoke quietly as she eyed the dark room alertly.

She had heard a noise in the presidential suite where she was staying with her fiance, it wasn't customary for her to tag along on business trips but it wasn't like she could argue with him about that right now. Ever since she found out she was pregnant, Baekhyun didn't leave her side and didn't let her stay away from him for longer than necessary, it was a matter of protection. Like he said.

Even though she preferred to be at home, Y/N didn't complain because better than being at home was being with Baekhyun. His travels were often long enough that she missed him and felt lonely as well. At least now that feeling is gone.

She never felt alone when was with him.

He'd said he'd work something out with the security team who'd called him in the middle of the night so she figured he'd be back shortly.

But when she saw that the suite was the same as she had seen it before getting dressed for bed, she was surprised.

She heard the noise, she wasn't delirious.

"Sweetheart?" she asked a little louder, stopping in the middle of the dark suite. "If it's you, please don't scare me!"

Baekhyun had this habit of sneaking back in the middle of the night and appearing behind her without making a sound, she was startled, he laughed and hugged her as she turned to smack him in the chest.

But now pregnant, they would have to stop that joke for a very good reason: Y/N already felt like going to the bathroom more than usual, so she would end up peeing her pants.

She shrugged, realizing that it had nothing there and was about to head over to the bed to wait for him when she felt a hand grab her face, covering her mouth. She complained of fright and held her breath when she felt something cold on her back.

"Be still, doll." she didn't know that voice but she realized the danger, mainly because the thin fabric of the nightgown allowed her to feel the barrel of the gun that was leaning against her. "Or I shoot without a second thought."

Y/N nodded nonstop, her eyes already filled with tears as her body shook. She was scared, she couldn't deny it.

"Go slowly to the couch and don't look back." She swallowed hard and knew she had to obey, but her legs felt like cement. They were so stiff. "Hurry up!"

The man released her face, and she raised her hands in surrender.

"Alright." She spoke low and tried to regain strength in her legs, walked slowly to the sofa that was in the middle of the suite and stopped on the side. She wouldn't do anything she wasn't told to, she knew how things worked. "Now sit down."

She obeyed without hesitation, her heart beating so fast she felt it against her ear but her body stiffened even as she caught her breath as the man positioned himself behind her and put the gun to her head.

Y/N couldn't control the tears that were now flowing down her face like a river.

She didn't have time to think about anything else when she heard the bedroom door slam shut.

"Stay still!" The man whispered close to her ear, sending a shiver through her body. It wasn't just any shiver, it was panic.

"Honey, I-" Baekhyun turned on the light in the suite and his eyes landed on the scene in front of him.

"Close the door." The man ordered and Baekhyun changed his expression in the same second.

The smile he carried faded, giving way to a dark, angry look. He obeyed angrily, closing the door slowly as he watched his fiancee crying silently and asking for help with red eyes.

"You made the biggest mistake of your life." Baekhyun's voice was cold, harsh and his jaw was set.

Y/N could see the fire of pure hatred in his face.

"I don't think so, Byun. I have you where I want and the way I want." The man chuckled sarcastically and Baekhyun raised his eyebrow defiantly. "Now kneel!"

"Excuse me?"

"Kneel!" the man screamed and cocked the gun, pressing it even tighter against Y/N's head who let out a sob as she squeezed her eyes shut. "Or I blow your little girlfriend's brains out," he threatened. "If she has any."

Baekhyun swallowed hard and held his breath, he felt all his blood bubbling in his veins, he didn't obey what they forced him to do. He was the one in charge.

But that man had a gun to his girl's head.

Against his will and gritting his teeth, he knelt on one leg as he glared at the man. If looks from him could kill, that bastard would already be lying on the floor.

How dare he threaten his fiancée and their baby in front of him with a gun. How dare he call her stupid.

Y/N opened her eyes, begging for her fiance's help, whatever he could do. All that was on her mind was their baby and how she was going to keep safe.

"Now I'm the one who will call the shots here." The man boasted and Baekhyun got irritated, when the man looked away at Y/N, he took the opportunity to bring his hand to his waist. "First, you'll pay me back for everything you did to my brother. And then, you'll beg me to kill you real quick, but I'll do exactly what you did to him, it will be slow and painful." The man then raised the gun, grinning upward as if he found his moment of glory amusing. Baekhyun took the opportunity to take the gun from his waist in silence.

"You just forgot one detail." He grinned deviously and the man turned his attention to him, brow furrowed. "There is only one king." he replied, cocking the gun. "And it's me!"

Baekhyun raised the gun and without thinking a second longer, he squeezed the trigger, the noise of the shot was followed by the impact on the man's head and the scream of Y/N, she closed her eyes and put her hands to her head in a way protective and heard the body fall behind her.

Y/N let out the breath she was holding and started crying like a baby, Baekhyun stood up while looking at the already dear body in disgust, walked over to Y/N and put the gun back in his waistband.

"Love." He spoke in a low voice, bringing his hands to Y/N's arms and helping her to her feet.

Staggering, she did so and opened her eyes, seeing her fiancé looking at her with concern. Y/N threw herself into his arms, crying even harder, and he held her tight resting his face on the top of her head as he stroked her back, trying to make her calm down.

Baekhyun could only feel more anger at the already dead man, he had put a bullet in his forehead but it wasn't enough.

Whoever had given him information, who had let him upstairs, who had helped scare his girl, deserved it too.

He wouldn't allow anyone to threaten or harm his family.

"It's okay, it's okay, angel. I'm here." he spoke and Y/N grabbed his clothes, as if she wanted to prove that this was indeed true.

"I was so scared." She admitted between sobs and moved the log away so she could face her fiancé. "I thought… that he would…"

Baekhyun forced his lips and brought her head closer, where he placed a kiss on her forehead.

"Don't say anything else, you're safe, it's over." he pressed her tighter against his body. "You two are safe and I will never let anyone hurt you." He promised.

And Baekhyun always kept his promises, no matter what the means.

[bunnyjunmyeonie]

Blog Navigation and Fic Recs Masterlist

Note:- All of the works listed below DO NOT belong to me. Credits to the talented authors who wrote them.

Groups:- EXO

Kim Junmyeon / Suho

The Book Of The Dead By @marshmallow-phd

Case File 01 By @xiubaek-13

Not Without Her (Series, Smut) By @myeoning-call

Drabbe Prompt By @decantingstxrs

Kinktober Day 31, Junmyeon (Smut) by @itstheoneshot

Hard Enough (Freinds to lovers, suggestive) by @writemekpop

Snowed Up (Smut) By @bluenereid

Day After Day By @chaecchi

Doctor's Orders (M) by @prettywordsyouleft

Junmyeon Smut By @bluenereid

A Pleasant Way To Beat Boredom, a Junmyeon Drabble by @seawitch62

One Week

Junmyeon Drabble By @kpop---scenarios

Junmyeon Drabble By @itstheoneshot

Junmyeon Request Prompt (Smut)By @yeoldontknow

The Pact by @gamerwoo

Stranded By @noona-clock

Halloween Rumors By @noona-clock

Junmyeon Smut Drabble By @gamerwoo

Junmyeon Request prompt By @biaswreckingfics

Junmyeon Request Prompt By @biaswreckingfics

Junmyeon (Exes To Lovers) Request Prompt By @biaswreckingfics

Replay (Smut, Mature Themes) By @yeoldontknow

Park Chanyeol

The Greatest Gift (Smut) By @wonderlustlucas

Business favours (Smut) By @itschanyeolfic-blog

Free Spirits (Series, Smut) By @exoheadspace

Police Officer AU (Smut) by @seungcheolsthighsss

Dating Park Chanyeol Headcannon By @you-can-be-the-moonlight

Chanyeol Prompt by @lustbile

Bitten By a Spider (Smut) by @byunbhyunz

Oh Sehun

Do Kyungsoo

Chen / Kim Jongdae

Providence (Fake Boyfriend! Chen, a little smut) By @xiubaek-13

Tinted Lips AU (Series, Smut) by @myeoning-call

Kai / Kim Jongin

If Only By @iridescentxstars

Brat By @sinnerforexo

Byun Baekhyun

Let Me In By @xiubaek-13

Heartless By @soujougeurilla

Blindly In Love by @myeoning-call

Xiumin / Kim Minseok

Case File 99 By @xiubaek-13

Far, Far Away by @mrkswrld

Lay / Zhang Yixing

Lu Han

So Handsome (Implied Smut) by @xiubaek-13

Masterlist Posts Of Other Fic Writers:-

Mobile Masterlist Of @marshmallow-phd

Masterlist Of @pesiko

Masterlist Of @hobicomeholla29

Lost In Translation Masterlist By @xiubaek-13

Masterlist Of @oh-beyond aka @myeoning-call

Reading List Of @baekxytocin (Baekhyun fics)

Masterlist Of @byunstation

Masterlist Of @iibonniee

Turn Masterlist (BBH, KJM, KJI, PCY) by @kpop---scenarios

KJM and ZYX by @bluenereid

Kinktober Masterlist Of @mint-yooxgi

Masterlist of @chanyeolsbiggestfangirl

[justkpopjokes]

Sunshines on my Shoulder || Pocket!Enha

Ft. Borrowers!Jay & Sunoo + gender neutral!reader (no ships) AU: inspired by The Secret World of Arriety Word Count: 747 A/N: Originally was gonna be something with Chanyeol (EXO) but it took me 5 years to write this so. I changed career paths lol

These will be headcanons but lemme set the scene for you first:

When you move into your new house in the countryside, you’re more than shocked to find tiny humans living there before you

For a while, you think you’re just seeing things out of the corner of your eye, or that the darkness is playing tricks on you when you head downstairs for a midnight snack

BUT THEN YOU SEE THEM—two little people who could balance on one of your fingers each—knocking over the salt shaker

You can hear them bickering faintly as they try to hide from you

They’re both being pretty snappy at each other 🙄

Jay: “You couldn’t have done that any quieter?!”

Sunoo: “You’re the one who wants the salt for your cooking!”

Jay: “You’re the one who wants all the food!!”

Eventually you just cut in since it doesn’t seem like they’re gonna stop arguing anytime soon

The tiny people are more shocked than you are LOL and the one you’ll later learn is Jay starts yelling at you instead while the other one, Sunoo, hides behind the toppled salt shaker

Such a loud voice for such a tiny guy,,,

After a quick, hesitant introduction, you help them grab a handful (their hands, not yours) of salt, which isn’t that many granules due to their tiny bodies

And after that, they’re on their way, retreating into a hole in the wall

The next day, the two visit you in your room to say thank you!!

Sunoo gifts you a tiny button he usually uses as a frisbee because he notices one missing from your shirt

You: "HEY isn't this the exact button from my shirt…?"

Sunoo: "Ummmmm......I found it on the floor! I was just borrowing it!!"

Anyway that's when you learn about them being "borrowers," which are this whole species of tiny people

(Must be why your neighbours complain about snacks going missing…)

But from then on, you’re friends with Jay and Sunoo 😌

Jay has always been the more responsible one of the two when it comes to survival instinct

Mostly he feeds Sunoo good meals and makes sure the younger one is taking care of himself

Sunoo is the one who goes out more into the Big People World™️ to “borrow” things from them, returning to Jay with his findings and a wide array of trinkets

But since you’ve become friends, Sunoo’s job has gotten a lot easier!! They only need to hide from your family and any guests now

Jay’s a little apprehensive, thinking that they’ll go soft if you keep helping them get supplies

But after seeing how happy Sunoo is when you let him have the tiniest scoop—more like a drop—of ice cream, having help from the Big People to open the freezer is allowed

At this point, they only need to leave their home to borrow whenever you’re busy or not at home, which keeps them both in shape

They also visit you in your room often just to hang out, lounging on your desk and helping you by giving opinions on whatever work you’re doing

Jay seems to warm up to the idea of talking to you more when he notices you can’t really cook that much

He’s like “why have you only eaten ramen the past five days,,, WHY DID YOU ONLY HAVE A BOILED EGG FOR BREAKFAST!! GROWING BIG HUMANS NEED BIG MEALS!!!”

After discovering you just don’t know many recipes and how to cook them well, he immediately goes Remy Ratatouille on your ass and climbs onto your soldier to direct you

Picture it, you’re in front of your stove, there’s one tiny person on each shoulder

One of them is shouting at you to STOP BREAKING THE PASTA WHEN YOU PUT IT IN THE POT and the other is telling you to add mint chocolate to the spaghetti sauce "just to test" if it’ll make it taste better

It’s like an angel and devil on your shoulders but the angry one isn’t the one trying to make you make a bad decision lolol

Eventually, you produce a wonderful bowl of spaghetti with some delicious sauce (sans the mint choco)

It’s surprisingly good, considering you’re going off of a mix of Jay’s instructions and the internet since there is no way his cooking times and portions convert well to Big People measurements

Maybe it’ll be fun living with Little People for a while!!

And to end the day, you have a movie night…with your phone propped up on the table to give Jay and Sunoo the movie theatre experience, one singular piece of popcorn shared between them to last the evening

[mybiasisexo]

Hiiii! It's me again! Can I ask you from your drabble game :) #5 with Kai please :) Thank u in advance author-nim ✨🥰

Familiar 🕛

Genre: angst | power!au Pairing: Kai x f.Reader Length: 1.8k (again dont ask) Warnings: Language | Alcohol Consumption

a/n: i just feel like you wanted something soft and fluffy and cute. And tbh i wanted that too. I really did. But one thing about me????? when you put in a request, expect the unexpected~~. Im on an exo power kick apparently so there is that. I hope yall like this one i think its v interesting 🤔 But yes, thank you for requesting ☺️

DRABBLE GAME | MASTERLIST

Jongin and Chanyeol found themselves in a familiar place they hadn’t been to in years.

‘We really did jump,” Chanyeol said in awe, taking in the old bar they would frequent when they were much younger adults than they were now.

Jongin felt jittery, like this wasn’t right. He had been told that his power could do much more than allow him to travel the world. He could travel dimensions, travel other worlds….

And time travel apparently.

He had no idea where exactly they were. Suho had told him to think of a time before shit hit the fan, before they lost everything.

“Excuse me,” Chanyeol called to a bartender. “Silly question, but what’s the date today?”

The bartender took him in wearily. Probably wondering if he needed to be cut off or not.

“Please,” he pressed. “It’s important.”

She sighed. “It’s the fifth of September. Twenty eighteen.”

“Twenty eighteen,” Chanyeol repeated with wide eyes, locking them with Jongin. “Bro, you fucking did it.”

“That’s too far back,” Jongin said between clenched teeth. He was aiming more towards 2021. Three years before The Attack.

“But there’s a reason why you sent us here.”

Chanyeol may be right about that, but he couldn’t understand it himself. The reasoning behind this specific time, this specific spot.

But then he heard a recognizable laugh and all the color drained from his face.

Chanyeol heard it too, throwing him a look full of warning. But Jongin ignored it, walking deeper into the dim building in search of the voice.

At a table, surrounded by a group of familiar faces, he saw the reason why he brought himself back here.

You.

The love of his life. The one who sacrificed everything that day. The one he lost.

You were there. Alive. Laughing. Unaware of the journey you were about to embark, of how drastically the world was going to change.

You were the reason why he even attempted to time travel.

He took a step towards the table, but then Chanyeol had him pressed against a wall, his forearm dug into Jongin’s neck.

“We don’t know what will happen if we interact with them,” he hissed. “We’re here to observe. To search for the red force. To discover the traitor.”

Jongin’s eyes were frantic as he tried to look at you again. “They’re here. The traitor is sitting at that table as we speak!”

“Yes,” Chanyeol agreed gravely. “With your wife. Your dead wife.” Jongin went still in his grip. “Shit, we might already be here. What’ll happen it we bump into our younger selves?”

Jongin wasn’t sure. He didn’t understand how any of this stuff worked. He just knew that it did. But, he couldn’t accept Chanyeol’s words yet. He searched his memories, wondering if he had met you, by now. But, you hadn’t. It wouldn’t be for a moment still.

“We’re not. I haven’t.” He swallowed thickly, which was hard to do with Chanyeol’s arm still pressed against his neck. “I haven’t met her yet.”

Chanyeol sighed. “This isn’t a good idea, Jongin.”

“Please, just let me see her,” he begged. “It’s been over a year, Chanyeol. I promise I won’t do anything, but I need to talk to her. I need to hear her voice again. I….”

He was so messed up without you. A ghost of the man he used to be. He swore he died the same night you did. Chanyeol saw that. Saw what the loss had done to his partner.

It was reluctantly, but he let him go, ignoring the relieved smile that bloomed on Jongin’s face. He pointed at him. “No funny business. We have a mission. We have to stick to it.”

“And we will,” Jongin was quick to say. “But for today, let’s just be normal, while we still can. This is the only peace we’ll ever get again. Let’s enjoy it.”

Chanyeol took in the bar that no longer existed in their timeline. Took in the smells and voices, and Jongin saw just how tired his friend was. How the war had drained him. He’d lost just as many people, had suffered just as much.

“Okay,” Chanyeol fully relented. “Let’s order some drinks.”

After getting a couple drinks, the two of them made their way over to the table you were sat at. Jongin couldn’t take his eyes off of you. You were even more beautiful than he remembered, nearly glowing under the yellow lights ahead.

“Mind if we join?” He asked, looking nowhere else but at you.

“Oh?” Another girl at the table, your best friend he realized, said. She took in the tall handsome men. “We could really enjoy the company.”

Jongin wasted no time sliding into the empty chair beside you, thankful for that. He sat a cup in front of you and you studied it for a brief moment before braving a sip.

Your eyebrows raised when it hit your taste buds.

“This is my favorite. How did you know?”

He grinned knowingly at you. “I could tell you were a woman with class.”

You laughed breathlessly at that, a bit intimidated under his intense stare. Still, he was ridiculously handsome—handsome enough to ignore the red flags. So, you introduced yourself.

“Jongin.” He held onto your hand and nearly sobbed at the familiar contact. When you went to pull away, he refused to let go. You giggled before shyly turning back to your drink.

Chanyeol cleared his throat, and Jongin remembered himself, finally letting your hand go.

He took in the others at the table. There were three girls and two men, including you. The men he recognized instantly as Kyungsoo and Baekhyun.

It was one of them, the traitor. The one who gave the Red Force their plans, leading to the attack that changed everything, that killed Jongin’s wife.

No. He wouldn’t think about that right now. Not when he had you back.

“So, you come here often?” Your best friend, Kim Jiwon, asked. Jongin was suspicious of her as well. She was a lousy friend, and was rather close to Kyungsoo. She also disappeared after the attack.

Chanyeol and Jongin locked eyes.

“We do,” Chanyeol said, sipping the brown drink he had ordered for himself. He closed his eyes as it coated his tongue, savoring the old taste he once enjoyed.

“Usually after work. A little treat after a hard day.” Jongin supplied.

“We do too!” You said excitedly. He fought his smile at your joy. That was something you would always say everytime you ended up at the bar.

“Oh?” He played off. “What is it that you do?”

“We’re engineers,” Baekhyun spoke up. “We work for the government. We build—”

“Planes,” Kyungsoo interrupted.

Jongin lifted an eyebrow at you, questioning the legitimacy of Kyungsoo’s answer. You shrugged. “You can say that.”

The night continued on. The table went round for round on drinks. Jongin was finding himself getting drunk for the first time in years. He was never much of a drinker to begin with, but today he needed all the alcohol he could get.

“I’ll have the Flying Dutchmen,” he ordered to the waitress, who rolled her eyes at the mostly juice drink. “And my wife here will have another Pink Lady.”

Chanyeol kicked his leg. He pouted.

You tilted your head curiously. You were pressed so close to him, he could feel your chest rise and fall against his arm. “Your wife? You know, that’s the third time you’ve called me that tonight.”

“Is it?” he asked, falling more into your space. You allowed him.

“Yeah,” you smirked up at him. “Why is that?”

“Because,” he slurred, nose touching yours. “I’m gonna marry you one day.”

“You don’t even know me,” you pointed out, but he caught how breathless you sounded, how warm your face grew.

He hummed. “Not now maybe, but I already know that I love you.”

You watched him for a moment, appearing very sober as you wondered if this was okay. If he meant what he was saying, and wasn’t being a creep. Gorgeous be damned. Telling a stranger you loved them was definitely a red flag.

You swallowed thickly. “Love? That’s…that’s a serious word.”

He nodded slowly, staring at the sensual shape of your mouth. God, he wanted to kiss you. He wanted to show you just how much he loved you, to tell you he never stopped. Ever.

“And I’m very serious when it comes to you.” His tone revealed as much.

Your drinks arrived, and to his satisfaction, you didn’t turn away from him. “Prove it.”

And maybe it was the drinks that made you so bold. Or it was the way the handsome stranger looked at you. There was… a sadness in his eyes. A sadness and a devotion that you found both startling and intriguing.

He went to do just that. His lips brushed against yours when his friend called his name. A reminder.

“Maybe it’s time to go,” his friend—Chanyeol, you recalled—suggested.

“But we just got our drinks,” Baekhyun whined.

“At least finish those first. We have to go soon too. Work in the morning.” You laughed awkwardly under the weight of the tall man’s gaze.

“One more drink,” he said, but his attention was on the man beside you, who couldn’t seem to focus on anything other than you.

He was a bit more solemn than a moment ago. He didn’t reply, instead lifting his drink and clinking it against your own before chugging it empty.

“Jongin!” You gasped, disappointed that he finished it so quickly. Was he that eager to leave you?

He shivered before getting to his feet. Not even gracing you with a goodbye before he was heading to the door.

“We’ll take care of the bill,” Chanyeol said as he followed his friend.

No. There was no way you were going to let the man who just told you he was going to marry you walk away without even a goodbye.

“Wait!” You called after them, running past Chanyeol to grab Jongin’s sleeve.

He stopped walking immediately. The men shared a glance as Chanyeol walked past, but didn’t say anything.

Finally, he turned to you.

“Will I see you again?” You couldn’t help but ask. It was unlike you to chase after a man, but Jongin was different. You could tell.

He threw a look over his shoulder, at Chanyeol, and then grabbed your face, pulling you in to kiss you.

You had never felt something like this before. You wrapped your arms around his neck, holding him close to you as he kissed you as if a man reunited with a lover after being torn away from them. Like he wanted you.

Like he loved you.

When he finally pulled away, with difficulty on both parts, there were tears in his eyes.

“I’ll see you soon,” was all he was able to get out before he stormed out the door.

You swore you saw him vanish into thin air before it closed.

[dreamylittlesugarcube]

Delivery

Genre: EXO AU

Characters: Yixing x Female Reader

Warnings: None

Word Count: 2.2k

Summary: Your holiday stint as a food delivery worker isn’t going as well as you’d hoped. Will a chance meeting with a handsome bartender be just the gift you need? 

A/N: A very happy Secret Santa reveal to my giftee, @leewalberg. I hope this brings you some holiday cheer! It’s been great getting to chat with you about Yixing and our mutual love of baking and food! @exols-silver-christmas

*Please note: I do not own the image used, so credit should go to the original creator/owner.*

~*~

“I specifically said ranch, not mustard, you idiot!”

Sauce packets bounced off your helmet and for the millionth time tonight you wondered why you were subjecting yourself to this. 

Oh, that’s right–Christmas presents. Times were tough in this economy and gifts didn’t buy themselves. 

“ –um, HELLO, are you even listening to me?” Unfortunately. 

Restraining yourself, you fished a copy of the receipt out of your pocket and held it up for her inspection. “I’m sorry ma’am, but the receipt specifically said mustard and–”

“ –well you should have known what I meant!” she sputtered. “Who eats mustard on a pizza anyway? That’s so stupid!”

“Ma’am, I don’t tell anyone how to eat their food, I just deliver what’s in the bag.” You started to back away towards your moped, ready to be done with this conversation. “If there’s a problem with your order, please contact Food2You support and they’ll be able to offer you assistance.” With that, you got on your moped, strapped on your helmet, and backed out of the driveway, as the customer continued to scream about “lazy, good-for-nothings, don’t think you’re getting a tip”. 

And true to her word, you did not get a tip. She’d gone into the app and removed it. Sigh. 

Thankfully, the rest of your deliveries went without a hitch. You’d even scored an extra large tip from a heavy order of sushi platters to a penthouse suite downtown. With enough cash to add to your Christmas Fund, you figured you deserved a little treat of your own for what you’d had to deal with tonight. 

The craft beer passport burning your roommate had gotten you for your birthday was just burning a hole in the button of your purse, so you figured you might as well use it. Flipping through the pages, you noticed one included location was not far from here: The Black Sheep Bar & Bistro. It advertised itself as having local, custom brews paired with bites to complement the individual notes of each beer. Right up your alley.

As busy as it was downtown, you were lucky to find a parking spot not too far from the bar. From the outside, the bar looked welcoming with festive Christmas lights Upon entering, you were greeted by a friendly host, a tall dark-haired man who told you his name was Chanyeol. The dining room was dimly lit with pale yellow twinkle lights on the ceiling and a variety of booths and small tables that gave it a cozy, intimate atmosphere. Situated on the other end of the room, was a shiny, mahogany bar. The low hum of conversation was quiet, surprising, since it seemed like all the tables were filled. 

“It looks like we’re fully booked tonight, so unfortunately I don’t have a table for you.”

You were about to say “no problem”, when Chanyeol’s gaze shifted over your head. He paused for a second, then smiled. 

“ –unless you wouldn’t mind sitting at the bar? Looks like a spot just opened up.” 

It must have been your lucky night, as you soon found yourself promptly seated at the shiny, wooden bar, perusing the many drink and food options. Beer flights, specialty cocktails, and appetizer pairings with an array of global dishes that changed monthly, according to the menu. 

“So, what can I get started for you?” 

You looked up to see a handsome man, probably in his mid-twenties to early thirties. Blonde hair, dark eyes. Cute. Not that you were looking. He’s here to ask you for your order, not for you to ogle like a piece of meat. 

You cleared your throat. “Ummm…it’s my first time here and there’s so many good choices…do you have a recommendation?”

He took the menu and flipped through to the entree page. “We do small plates here, but some are more generous than others. If you’re hungry, the beep tenderloin with garlic potato puree is very popular. More adventurous, I’d recommend the bison barbeque sliders. And finally, my personal favorite, the loaded mini hotdog bites. They’re stuffed with cheese and caramelized onions.”

You scratched your chin in thought. “Hmm, I think I’ll take the hotdog bites, you made that sound really interesting.” 

“And to drink?”

“Whatever you have on tap that would go well with the buns.”

He finished scribbling on his little pad of paper. “Sounds good, I’ll go put this order right in. I’m Yixing, by the way, in case you need anything else”. He winked then walked away. 

You watched him as he went. Yixing. You knew his name!

After hanging your ticket at the kitchen window, he went about his business, taking orders, making drinks, chatting with guests who were clearly regulars. It was calming to watch him move about the bar; it was rhythmic and he flowed as though a dancer might. 

Finally, he came to you again, holding a pint of pale liquid and a plate of little bites made of what looked to be puff pastry. He presented them to you with a flourish. “Our brewmaster recommends a nice, amber ale to cut through the richness of the meat and complement the cheese and caramelized onions. Both the chef and the brewmaster are very open to feedback, so please let me know if it isn’t to your liking.” 

You dutifully followed his instructions, and mindful of his watchful gaze, attempted to take a some-what elegant bite out of the steaming mini hotdog bites. Not expecting to heat, you reached for your beer and chugged a third of the glass. Smooth. 

“Sorry, sorry! I should have warned you. People usually wait for them to cool off a bit.” Yixing said, pressing his hands together in repentance. 

You swallowed. “That’s okay, it’s my fault. They just looked so good that I couldn’t wait.”

“I’m the same way,” he said, grinning. “I’d rather look like a fire-breathing dragon, than wait a whole five minutes.”

You smiled, staring at his face and wishing you were better at small talk. Come on, think of something. You did improv in high school and this is what you have to show for it?

“...well, enjoy your first couple bites and let me know if you need anything else, okay?”

You tried to say something to get him to stay, you really did, but all you could manage was a small smile and a thumbs up. Oh my god, really, that’s all the game I have? 

He raised an eyebrow, returning your thumbs up with one of his own. You could swear you heard him chuckling as he walked away. 

You tried to eat your food slowly, taking small bites and even smaller sips of your drink to make your time here last longer. After an hour, you’d finally finished your food, taking your time to people-watch, well person-watch, without making it too obvious.  The bar had pretty much cleared out and only a few diners lingered in the restaurant. 

“Kitchen’s closing in five minutes, so last call for orders. Do you want anything else?” Yixing asked. He stepped towards you from the other end of the counter where he’d been drying glasses. Which you had not been watching him do. 

You were, in fact, very full. And honestly, at this time of day, you’d typically smash a bag of salty kettle chips and call it a night. 

“I think I’m good, I usually finish out my night with junk food, so I’m not used to eating rich food so late. I’ll take another order of the hotdog bites to go though, my roommate would kill me if I didn’t bring anything home for her.”

Yixing nodded and headed over to put in the order, but instead of stopping at the window, he went through the doors and all the way into the kitchen. Moments later, he was back and walking towards you. He stopped and thought for a second before bending down behind the counter. You heard rustling, as though he was looking for something. Finally, he popped back up with a look of conspiracy on his face. His eyes darted around, as though making sure the coast was clear, before shoving a small box across the bar to you. 

Peering in the box, you saw a variety of packaged snacks: Lay’s chips, rice crackers, Pocky, Kit-Kats, cream wafers, pretzels, and many more snacks you’d never seen before. You furrowed your eyebrows, unsure of what was happening. 

Having seen your confusion, Yixing leaned forward, to whisper. “I love junk food, but the brewmaster, Xiumin, is my gym partner and he’s very strict about food. I hide these here so I can eat them when he isn’t watching. You want one?”

Mesmerized at his closeness, you reached into the box and grabbed a snack, not caring which one you actually ended up with. You smiled, fingering the waxy material. “Well, then I appreciate you sharing your secret stash with me.”

“And you can’t tell Xiumin, okay?”

“Of course. I will guard your secret with my life.” You made a serious expression, thumping your hand over your chest in promise. It didn’t even matter that you had no idea who Xiumin was. You just liked the moment you were sharing. 

The sound of a throat clearing made you jump and you looked up to see a short dark-haired man with glasses wearing a chef’s uniform. He held a white, to-go box, no doubt your hot dog bites. His gaze shifted between you and Yixing, almost like he knew something was up. “You better put that away before Xiumin comes in here and sees that.” He jerked his chin towards the box of contraband. 

Yixing nodded, the box disappearing as though it had never been. 

The chef placed your food on the counter and slid it towards you. “Here you are ma’am, have a wonderful night and thank you for stopping at The Black Sheep Bar and Bistro.”

Taking that as your cue to leave, you slipped on your coat and grabbed the box. Looking up, you locked eyes with Yixing. “Thanks, uh, for the recommendation,” you held up the box and your bag of snack, “ –and um, thank you for the chat.” 

Yixing smiled warmly. “You’re welcome. Feel free to come back anytime. I’m always here.”

You nodded, feeling almost light-headed, before awkwardly stumbling out the door. Chanyeol bid you farewell, smiling slyly as you left, like he hadn’t just watched you stare at his bartender all night. 

Outside, you leaned against the wall, fighting off an existential crisis. He wanted you to come back. To see you again. Had he been flirting? Or was he just being nice, the same as he was to all customers? Did he give special secret snacks to all the girls at the bar? You hoped he didn’t. You texted your roommate that you needed some “girl talk”, hoping she’d catch on that there was an emergency here. 

Trudging up the stairs to your apartment, you let yourself in. And as expected, Jessica was waiting up with ice cream and an expectant expression. Handing off the takeout, you went to change your clothes, happy to get into some comfortable sweats. 

“Hey, did you meet a guy or something?” Jessica shouted from the kitchen. 

“Yeah, why?” you shouted back.

“Come take a look.”

You padded out to the kitchen, where Jessica was waiting with a gleeful expression. 

Look!” she exclaimed, turning the open takeout container, so you could see the open lid. The open lid with numbers written on it. Numbers that looked suspiciously like a phone number. 

“Are you seeing what I’m seeing?” you asked. 

“Yes!” Jessica squealed. “OMG spill, what happened? Because last time I heard from you you had mustard packets thrown in your face. This is SO much better than that!”

Jessica wouldn’t let you out of the room before you spilled all the dirty details. Not that there were any. 

“This is JUST like what happened in the drama I’ve been watching!” Jessica said, stamping her feet in excitement. “You HAVE to text him.” 

“And say what? ‘Hi, I’m the girl that you gave prohibited junk food to at the place of your employment that was staring at you all night because I think you’re hot?’ Besides, how do we know he even meant it for me?”

Jessica sighed. “Maybe because he wrote it on the back of your takeout container? Who else would it be for?”

“Okay, but what do I say?”

Jessica cracked her knuckles and patted you on the shoulder. “Thankfully, Big Sister Jessica is here, I don’t watch rom-coms for nothing.” She grabbed your phone and proceeded to type. 

You peered at the screen over her shoulder. “ ‘Hi, it’s Chips Girl.’  That’s what you came up with? No, ‘Hi, it’s Chips Girl, thanks for tonight, what are you up to? Want to get married?’.”  

“Nope, we’re giving an air of mystery, darling. He has to make the next move.” 

Your phone buzzed in Jessica’s hand. Jessica squealed while you tried to remember to breathe. She handed you the phone, staring pointedly, as you read what was on the screen.

“Hi Chips Girl ;). I was hoping you’d get my message. I was wondering…if you wanted more chips…maybe tomorrow at 6:00 at the movie theater next to the bar?”

“He asked you on a date, OMG!” Jessica screeched, running into your room. “Come on, let’s go,” she called, “outfits don’t plan themselves.”

You sent off a quick “Yes, that sounds nice!” text, holding the phone to your chest. 

Smiling to yourself, you thought perhaps this day hadn’t been bad at all. “Merry Christmas to me,” you whispered. A perfect present for a perfect Christmas. 

~*~

I hope you enjoyed reading “Delivery”. I love writing food and restaurant themed fics for EXO because it just fits so well! Thanks for reading!

XOXO, 

Emmy

[dragonowl]

Pathcode:

Light Through a Broken Lens

The Sky That Doesn't End: Part 2

Masterlist

Genre: EXO AU, Romance, Mystery

Rated: PG

Pairing: Byun Baekhyun x Lara (OC)

Summery: Exo has scattered. Now in hiding after the Red Force closed in on them and Luhan went missing. Baekhyun finds himself in a small town while he waits until they can reunite again. Guarded after everything that has taken place, he’s not looking for friendship, or anything else, until a light shines through, even as the darkness closes around them.

First, Prev, Next. AO3

Chapter 3: Composition

A little bell dinged above Baekhyun as he pushed open the old wooden door and he sighed as the smell of freshly baked goods surrounded him. His heart tightened slightly, remembering the smells that would fill their small home when D.O. would cook. 

“Hello,” a young woman said from behind the counter. “How can I help you?”

“Umm…” he hesitated and craned his neck to see behind the counter as he took some small steps forward. “Is Lara…?”

“Oh,” the woman’s face looked surprised, but she covered it up quickly with another smile. “Just a moment.” She disappeared quickly through a doorway towards the back of the room and Baekhyun busied himself with looking at the goods behind the glass case as he tried to ease his nerves while he waited.

“Hello stranger,” a familiar voice said, and he straightened to look over the glass case to where Lara now stood. 

“Hi,” he said. “Thought I’d grab some breakfast before getting to work.”

“Well, everything is pretty fresh,” she said, slipping her hands into her apron pockets. “What can I get you?”

“What do you recommend?”

“Hmm…” She looked through the back of the glass case. “Well, these are the muffins that I just made,” she said, pointing at a loaded tray. “Or, if you’re wanting something with jam you should try the kolache.” She pointed at another tray that had some red-filled pastries. “And these are really good if you’re wanting something like a cookie.” She pointed at a tray of round, icing-coated desserts.

“Hmm,” Baekyun hummed as he looked over her recommendations. “I guess I’ll take a muffin for now…and a few of each of the others for later.” He met her eyes, slipping his hands into his pockets to match her stance. “Something to snack on.”

“I’ll get right on it,” she said with a wink and grabbed some tongs. “So, back to the field today?” she asked as she wrapped the muffin in a napkin and handed it to him. 

“I might take some pictures in town today,” he said. “I think black and white would be nice.”

She nodded as she listened while filling a paper bag with the baked treats. 

“Actually,” he said, looking around the bakery. “Would it be alright if I snap some pictures in here?”

“I’ll have to ask the owner,” she said, moving over to the counter. “He’s in the back working on another batch of bread.”

“Okay,” he said, handing over some money. “I’ll just take a seat out here and eat my breakfast.”

“It shouldn’t take long.”

~~~

After gaining permission, Baekhyun went about taking pictures of the treats behind the glass case and the breads packaged and on display in the small bakery. The lighting and decor gave the perfect vintage look he was hoping for and he was completely lost while looking through the lens. 

“Would you like some lunch?” Lara asked and Baekhyun glanced up at her from where he was crouching in front of a table. 

“It’s a bit early for lunch,” he said and glanced at his watch. His eyes widened in shock at how much time had passed, then he glanced at his stomach in betrayal as it chose that moment to alert him about his need for food. He looked back up at Lara and rubbed the back of his neck with a chuckle which she met with a smirk, but she spared him the embarrassment of laughing at his expense. “I guess I should go, huh?”

“We’re making sandwiches in the back,” she said, pointing her thumb behind her. “We trade our second-day goods for other food and make our lunches and dinners with that. The boss said he’s happy to trade lunch for some of your pictures. We need some better ones for advertisement. Hopefully, we can pull more business in from other towns.”

“That sounds great!” Baekhyun said, finally getting to his feet. “If he even likes any of them.” He paused for a moment as he looked over his camera. “Uh…hmm…I’ll have to come back later with my digital camera though. I’ve been using my analog camera lately, so these pictures will be physical unless they get scanned into a computer. But, they won’t look as nice.”

“Whatever you think is best. He doesn’t seem to be in a hurry, but you can run it by him if you want,” she said with a bright smile. “Come on back and we’ll get you some lunch.”

First, Prev, Next. AO3

[onyourhyuck]

𝐇𝐢𝐬 𝐊ᵃ𝐫𝐦𝐚 [ Season 3 ]

synopsis; • Fast forwarding six years, Park areum is coming back to the journalist industry. A case from thirteen years ago re-opens when Areum finds something suspicious around a drug ring in clubs and her parents car accident from thirteen years ago have suspicious links. However something always trails back to past that she’s never knew about.

warnings; • mafia jeno Au, mystery, thriller, SMUTTT NO MINORS, ANGST, police exo au, romance, park areum and lee jeno are married , minjae and nayoung are cuties, horror (scary death scenes). gruesome graphic detailed language.

Now Part 12 !! || —> Next Part 13.

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They arrived by the dozen, each corner within the event horizon had influencing people leading the society wether it would be private tutoring or political participation everyone dressed in a fancy attire leaving a clear dress code to fit in. Areum and Jeno arrived hand to hand with their two children on the side; she wore a long slim black dress occupied with a necklace belonging to the light reflecting it. Long hair stranded to the side with a pretty smile on watching everyone welcome them. Jeno with a taller height wore a black suit to match with his wife, hair slick and styled out neatly.

The children were taken into a formal attire too. The twins stole the show however, especially Nayoung. She wore a light blue dress glittering round the place it could cause combustion. Her hair was put into a high bun whereas Minjae wore a black suit with a little bow tie on.

The whole family was ready and set to go. It didn’t take a minute for the children to run off when seeing another kids hanging at the party table somewhere in the event. It leaves Areum and Jeno holding hands while scouting around. All the eyes were on them watching with awe as they arrival was quite an entrance. Many people here know Areum thanks to the working she does and many people here know Jeno due to his presence and suspicions about the work.

But no matter, they were a powerful couple ruling everyone’s hearts now.

People exchange drinks and chatting about whatever fuels the economy. Many people riding in this area were all for one thing: themselves. Areum could tell them from a single glance if they were a fake rat or a selfish dog tied to a bone. Her husband would rely on her perceptions. She wrote articles upon articles on these people.

A sweet melody was drifting through the busy atmosphere, and it seems to be coming from the ballroom. Areum waves her through the crowd with her husband lingering next to her following angling towards the crowd. Soon a dangerous angle stops them with two silhouettes smiling at them ear to ear. They have been trying to locate them in touch, eventually they got what they were looking for.

The collection of violinists, harp players and pianists were placed at the far end of the hall and Areum could identify the smells of green tea leaves coming from the two people approaching them midway with the two cups in their hands — presumably the green tea where the aroma has come from.

“Ah! I wasn’t aware you were coming to the party what a pleasant surprise you have no idea how much of a big fan i am of you, Park Areum.” The man with a grey back headline said reaching to shake the woman’s hands and she smiles not knowing what to say at first it was a compliment that took her by surprise. He turns around. “And your husband is so handsome i must say.” Jeno stares at the man thanking him quietly.

Areum exclaims humbly. “Thank you, are you perhaps the dictator of the Hwang Hospital?” At this point and wrote too many articles on the Hwang Hospital; none being positive, most of them had raging complaints and sue folders pointing at them from the previous patients for the unfair prices and bad treatment from staff. Especially from the dictator.

The older man smiles ear to ear to know the person he views to be amazing know about him, but this was one sided. Areum wasn’t as pleased to know who the person was. “I am indeed Director Hwang.” He continues blabbering over about nonsense which Jeno wanted to block out.

Seriously these rich people do him the worst headache.

At this point he could see his wife trying to seem more interested but she really wasn’t and he could see it on her face if you look closely.

“You should definitely come see my hospital Mrs Park. You and your family are welcome to get free treatment if you wish so.”

‘Free treatment but you can’t offer it to the ones who cannot afford it?’ Areum thought. It was a cruel game out here. The world was unfair.

With the overlapping classical music playing at the scene she only wished it could block out the man’s voice through the background blending it away from the ears because it could only make the bleeding worse.

Areum faces the older man, bluntly stating. “It’s quite alright. You should give this opportunity to people who want it more.” She’d emphasis hoping he gets the point across in which stunning the Hospital Dictator.

He wasn’t expecting the woman in front to flat our reject him unlike Areum many other people would take the freaking deal and even strike one back but Areum? She wasn’t like that. She was well off but definitely not desperate to get some free treatment from another rotten apple in the barrel.

“What?”

They heard him say and Areum was about to say he heard her she won’t need to repeat it twice for him, but a hand pushes Areum’s waist behind bringing the body closer to another warmer spot the man suddenly coming in. The man’s gaze turns to her husband who brought her back away from the conversation before it got ugly.

Without Jeno Areum would have hundred enemies from each side and would be eaten alive.

“Sorry our children are calling us over, im sure you would understand since you have children of your own.” Jeno said back walking away bowing the head at the director and his wife.

The next thing she knew they were standing by the drink aisle with a long cloth white table with all sorts of energy beverages full of alcoholic liquid within them as well as side dishes; deserves and what not. The children food aisle was somewhere further down which only held a small portion compare to the adult section. The man and woman stay on the side keeping an eye on each other until Areum grabs a champagne glass drinking it in deep thought.

Her husband could tell she was slightly upset about the conversation earlier, I mean who wouldn’t be? She knows the dirty crimes he’s committed.

Yet the old man still stands there.

Drinking the champagne not a little long after a hand pulls the bottom of the glass making her letting go the drink as Jeno puts it back down on the table as he softly whispers, warningly. “Areum we both know you and alcohol are not a match made in heaven.” He stated as a matter of fact.

He was only looking out for her considering the alcohol intolerance was very much low. He speaks from experience, so it’s best to trust his gut.

Every time any alcohol hits the inside of the woman’s stomach it leads to a very unserious Areum who fights back, or, she turns into a complete baby. Now he would have to take care of not two babies but three babies at the party. And then when he comes home it would be four babies.

She didn’t disagree taking a mental note on the conversation. “I can’t believe that Dictator stops treatments just like that. You have no idea what he’s gotten away with.”

He could see the frustration in Areum, no doubt. She looks like she could explode any minute talking about it.

“I know it’s not okay, but you can’t make enemies here alright?”

Areum sighs nodding, he was right. If she makes a singular enemy here it would result in having hundred more enemies. Everyone at this party is as evil as the other.

Areum turns around staring at Jeno. “You’d know a lot about that won’t you?”

He replies. “About what?” She adds. “Having lots of enemies.” Hearing her husband form a line on his face letting out a soft laugh coming closer. If there’s anything he knows Areum has a way of insulting him at the same time flirting with him.

There wasn’t a time where she was sweetly loving him. It has to be a mix between a burning hatred and loving him so much you couldn’t tell the difference. “Oh yeah I do. My wife is my worst enemy.”

“Be careful then.” The stare slowly diverts from the eyes landing carefully on the lips in front looking slightly more kissable than before, she has no idea how to hold back from her devilishly handsome husband. Sometimes he wonders how he could stay calm with a gaze like that when Areum watches him with a playful jinx behind those bambi-like pupils.

He carefully threads becoming stunned in the message across that their eyes were communicating telepathically. They did not need words. The bodies knew before their brains could figure out the morse code.

“What is it?” Jeno said bringing the hands closer where they unknowingly place between the waist and down the hips letting the black slim dress become groped between the fingertips of his. The nails feeling the fabric that was blocking him from touching her skin frustrates him more than it should. He was questioning why she was staring at him like she was planning to eat him tonight, with such an intense desire for him.

She’d playfully slither closer to his body speaking against the mouth as the head moves like a wind brushing on the skin prickling goosebumps on it when the mafia feels a loving kiss forming on the surface of his lips. Shocking him with the romantic gesture she pulls away leaving him craving for more, a lot more than before.

“Nothing darling. You looked kissable.”

He hears her say like it was nothing serious but to him this was a world war crimes against his own conflicting feelings about wanting the kiss to stay longer even though they are in public. Anyone could see them but he can’t help himself.

“You’re making it harder not to kiss you again.” Jeno says like it was a plea to get a deal out of her chest before he would grab on the thread.

Areum wanted to laugh seeing how much her husband was closing the gap again very carefully making sure she knew he doesn’t want this to stop, but as much as she didn’t want it to end too; she was a slightly more aware of everyone’s eyes on them.

“Lee Jeno.” She breathes his name out making him go into a huge brain rot with how his name sounds on her tongue rolling off like that. He was drunken or he was bewitched by her, Park Areum, the one and only who’s got the war and havoc mafia leader wrapped round her finger like a red ribbon.

“Hm?”

“We are in public eye. Everyone’s watching us.” She explains logically but unlike her husband he smirks cowling at the words. “Then let them take pictures.” Jeno wraps arms round the waistline pulling her closer kissing Areum once more.

“I don’t care if they see us.”

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The blonde young woman waking up to a white all-room with a strange bed she has never slept in before casts confusion over her face and the minute she turns around to look up she saw a young boy looking down at her with a wide smile full of relief as he stands up checking up on the patient.

Ryujin sits up letting out a strain cough. “Where am i now. I don’t remember being here.”

Haechan puts the cloth down sitting back down as he looks over at the young woman who was shot in an alleyway and he happened to found her lurking nearby. Little to no choice he took her to the infirmary at the base.

Even though Kun helped he told her to leave immediately after, but then a side effect fever came on. Ryujin was bed ridden and she doesn’t remember much it seems.

“You’re at my friend’s infirmary, remember? You got shot but once he took care of your bullet wound you ended up getting a fever.”

All of this sounded more or less plausible reasoning she wasn’t used to being helped at all. This guy who has been on her side constantly bothering her trying to figure out who she was and who was helping her out has even risked getting her treated immediately. Even though she could’ve died. He could’ve let her to die it would solve all his problems.

There was a pausing session for a minute leaving Haechan guessing the time and if she were hungry he stood up getting tiny snacks from the tray rack on the counter table. “You hungry? I’ll make you something later but for now we have these pretzels?”

He shows a bag of salty and sweet pretzels in one. Ryujin dismisses it awkwardly. “No I’m good.”

And then all of the suddenly her stomach makes a large growl stunning the both of them. He smirks coming forward opening the pretzel bag. “Yeah sure you are, here take some, eat up. You need your strength back.”

He vows making Ryujin take a few in the hand biting on to them looking around the infirmary. It looks like a normal doctor infirmary with a desk and an operating table. A bunch of beds for the patients to lay down on and rest.

It wasn’t the most talkative thing in the world yet Donghyuck was eyeing down the young girl who has this grudge biker girl style going on with two heart eyes. If you told him why he was watching her like she was the most fascinating animal through a box watching her as if she was an extinct being roaming earth to ever exist — he wouldn’t know how to respond. He would just reply with ‘because I am’ and that’s how it would go.

It’s a feeling he cannot quite escape nor explain it because it’s such an engrave experience that no words could simply describe how much it makes him feel. He gets goosebumps sometimes just by hearing her speak to him. Even though their conversations were long the feeling she left on his heart heavily was longer. Ryujin might not be feeling like this, maybe he’s the one sided coin longing to be with her at all costs.

Or maybe they’re both looking at each other thinking the same thing but are too afraid to say it?

The smell of a warm soap flaring up the smoke as it was newly made and poured into the bowl on a trap with a side dish of rice cooked to perfection because there was no way he’d serve something purely half-assed when it’s someone like her eating it. Usually he won’t cook for anyone. He doesn’t even cook for himself but ended up rounding himself to cook a ‘get well soon’ soup to make the young woman gather her energy. She must’ve skipped yesterday meals.

The soap was a simple chicken and vegetables but the whole grand scheme of it stuns Ryujin. No one was ever really going to take care of her, no one did things like this for her. No one helped her out whenever she needed it so she was used to being on her own, having to help herself out without a complaint. Raised in an independent environment. She doesn’t know how to feel about this kind gesture.

Should she thank him? What does this even mean? She has many questions about to ask, but the boy was quick to speak cutting Ryujin out of her head.

“Why are you staring at the food, it will get cold.” He softly pressed the spoon into her hands, smiling at her as Ryujin is looking at him with trembling eyes.

Was it possible to get overwhelmed by someone’s kindness? Because she definitely feels like that.

She turns around when Haechan motions with his eyes telling her to practically eat already without verbal words. She’d pour some on the spoon taking the taste of the broth first.

It was warm which helps through her sore throat she woke up with and it was really good enough to make her eyes widen and sparkle. Haechan swore he saw Ryujin smile for once, no longer she would have a dark and grim face looking like she’s fighting the world alone.

She murmurs gently going back for more into the soap taking bigger bites. Haechan couldn’t believe that she went back for more, slowly exclaiming. “Do you like it? I hope it’s to your taste.”

“It’s okay.” Ryujin quietly replies trying to hide the fact that this might actually be the nicest soap she’s ever tasted.

He pouts watching the girl. “Oh I was expecting like a… oh my god! It’s the best soap I’ve ever tasted.” He sighs. “But I’ll take an Okay.”

“You’ve got a serious ego problem.” She says turning to him and Haechan smirks. “Well if you were me with a face like mine, you’d have an ego issue too.”

‘Well he wasn’t wrong…’ Ryujin trails in thought watching the devilish smirk carving on his beautiful bronze face that could only be a pure representation of natural beauty almost like he was the sun himself and you’re just revolving around him measly.

The banter between them suddenly fades away when the boy in front who barely cares for anyone but himself. The boy who’s putting duty before anything else. The boy who is the righteously pain in ass to everyone around him, not the best person to be relying on, occasionally he’s selfish yes he won’t deny that. He was gone now when he brings a serious face pulling closer to Ryujin.

The voice spoke with relief and genuine joy full of relief nothing gorse behind the words he said like it was a song he sang for Ryujin.

Haechan smiles. “I’m glad you woke up. You had no idea how worried I was.”

He was terrified of never being able to not see her again. As much as he found Ryujin to be suspicious he believes she is a good person on the inside. It’s a feeling in his stomach and in through the heart. His body was activating every second he was with her.

It’s a first to hear this, Ryujin has never seen a boy be so freaking happy to see her wake up from what felt truly like the longest sleep she ever took.

Ryujin avoiding his gaze turning back to the food taking another bite of it, she softly responds unknowingly how to handle him. “Why’d you help me? You know nothing about me.”

She asked the question that’s been playing in her head since the minute she’s awoken in this infirmary.

“You would do the same for me wouldn’t you?”

Ryujin mentally agreed with his words. She would help anyone not just him if they were in an alleyway bleeding out to death from a bullet wound, she wouldn’t have the guts to leave them to die because if anything she knows how it feels to be left alone to fend for yourself but you can’t because you’re not strong enough.

So yeah, she couldn’t deny it. Ryujin simply wants to help the innocents from harms way.

He smiles again knowing that she was agreeing with him even if it was silence coming from her. “See. You’d do it for me or anyone if they were in your position.”

Ryujin sighs. “Fair point.”

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@onyourhyuck please refer from translating and copyrighting my work thank youu! Reblog and follow me for more.

HIS KARMA MASTERLIST.

[the-casual-cheesecake]

WHAT A GREAT QUESTION, ANON! I have been wildly (and uncharacteristically for me, an ex omegaverse hater) obsessed with omegaverse Exos since I got into Exo, and my thoughts on them recently changed drastically, so what good timing you have! 

I’ll first start with saying that I don’t like betas, and never include them in any thoughts about omegaverse. I just think they’re boring– though I do have friends who have managed to make them VERY interesting; I just think I don’t have anything insightful or interesting to say about them myself.

And for a second note, I think it’s important to describe what I think omegaverse is for really: because it has many meanings that change based on who’s writing in it. For me, omegaverse makes most sense as a formalization of power dynamics. One could make the argument that it’s inherently kinky (and in fact, I do). It’s less about inherent sexuality OR gender, and more about inherent power structures and how someone could play with them. This is not to say that interesting discussions can’t happen in omegaverse about sexuality or gender– because they absolutely can and do, but I think mostly, it’s about biological power, in a way that our actual society thinks exists and tries to enforce (violently and forcefully), that is actually made real via omegaverse.

For the Fandom Olds among us, this interpretation would not come as a surprise, considering omegaverse took the place of BDSM AUs in fandom!

A third note, all of my omegaverse content always and forever will be poly! Poly packs 5eva!!! 

ANYWAY, EXOS!

[vibrates] they are pack, your honor… 

Pack alpha: Minseok

Alphas: Junmyeon, Jongdae, Chanyeol, Kyungsoo

Omegas: Yixing, Baekhyun, Jongin, Sehunnie

Minseok:

As the oldest, and from the fact that Minseok in canon refused to be Exo-M’s leader, it just makes so much sense for him to be the pack alpha but not the band leader. He has the character of a supervisor dom. He’s not involved with everyone in the band and entangled with them– because, frankly, they are too loud and too messy, and he has no energy to deal with so many people needing his attention and involvement. But he is a steady presence that they can all depend on. He listens to their problems and pets them about them. He scruffs the alphas into place when necessary (and reassures them that even if they fuck up, he’ll be there to help), and spends time with the omegas when they need him, and makes sure that their needs are taken care of and that they don’t feel too lost in the pack. 

I’m pretty sure that even in omegaverse, Minseok is queer, and he probably prefers alphas to omegas; less mess, and more satisfaction in bringing them to heel.

Naturally, the person he’s closest to in the pack is Jongdae, this is canon in any and all universes. They’re the gossip husbands, drinking late at night and talking about the rest of the band like two intensely invested aunties, but being steady and gentle with the others the rest of the time. They probably sleep together, but they’re definitely not monogamous, and as in canon, probably are both aware that Jongdae would actually like to settle down with a mate at some point.

Minseok spends the omegas’ heats with them if they want him to, as do all the alphas– because the Exos are all very very busy and alternate being with the omegas depending on their schedules. His favorite is probably Sehunnie though, because Sehun is whiny but pliant and obedient in heat; the rest are complicated (will get to them!)

Junmyeon:

I imagine him to be as neurotic in omegaverse as he is in canon. He’s a sadist and is terrified of this fact. He takes his job as leader so seriously that it fucks with his head and makes him make very strange personal decisions. He’s an alpha and a dom, but the fact that he’s so scared of his sadism makes him show his belly to his pack and try so hard to be gentle and soft that the overcorrection makes him seem awkward instead. 

I think, if I were to transplant canon onto omegaverse, that Junmyeon did not overcorrect so hard until a while after debut; because at first he would punish the Exos for mistakes as harshly as a supervisor, and oooof that probably gave him such a headrush that it turned into kink for him IMMEDIATELY.

Junmeon is Like This in canon really, so what makes omegaverse so much worse for him is that it formalizes all the power dynamics in head in a way that makes it so easy to take advantage of. And he is so convinced the sadism makes him a bad person, that having omegas begging for him in heat, crying and in pain without him even having to do a single thing to them except be there, simply would take him to pieces. Just imagine canon Junmyeon with the power to bite someone and claim them biologically forever… the man wrote the Exos’ names on his damn body, he would lose his fucking mind!!!

Anyway, I think therefore, that Junmyeon is terrified MOST of Baekhyun and Yixing, the resident omega masochists in the band– and to an extent, Chanyeol, who is a masochist but not omega. So, I would imagine him being SO WEIRD with all three of them. Too strict and mean to Chanyeol, and so wary as to almost be avoidant of Yixing, and strangely both overprotective and overconfident in Baekhyun.

Hilariously, he and Sehun click very comfortably, because Sehun isn’t a masochist or a sub. He’s just very into being indulged and having things done for him and to him, and it makes him vibe enough like a sub that it’s hot, but not enough to terrify Junmyeon or cause him to have intense sadistic emotion about Sehun. This also means they’re not super compatible actually lmao, they’re just comfortable enough that they stick together.

I think Junmyeon and Minseok have an interesting relationship, where Minseok would like to be hyung and head alpha for Junmyeon but Junmyeon is too weird about being perceived to be submitting to anyone that whenever Minseok tries to support him, Junymeon just pretends to be Fine™ harder.

Generally though, Junmyeon is a good leader. He’s incredibly competent when it comes to the band’s relationships with management, and he’s incredibly protective and invested in the wellbeing of his pack members. All of his weirdness sort of impacts him internally, but it works to present him the way he desires his image to be externally.

Yixing:

[vibrates] He… the baby… 

He’s an omega and a sub. He came into the band with much Trauma™ (familial, as in canon D: ), which made him need so much affection and love that it makes him seem hungry. He pushes himself so hard that it makes him ill often, and it makes it difficult to care about him, because to do so means people have to constantly love him and see him be hurt. He doesn’t have the instincts that lets him trust people to catch him if he falls, so he simply always feels that he’s on his own, even if he isn’t.

In omegaverse, he probably has very difficult heats. Trauma and hormone fuckery do not go well together in any universe, so his heats probably fuck with his emotions massively. And the fact that most of his injuries are spine-related, means that his pelvic floor is just fucked, and would mean his heats actually physically hurt!!!! 

The emotional part means that during his heats, he clings so hard to the people next to him to make sure they don’t leave, that he leaves bruises and scratch marks. He probably cries and howls if any of the alphas get up to get him food because he’s scared they’re not coming back and that he’ll be abandoned. He probably wants to be mated and sobs when he isn’t, even though outside of heat he would know it would be a bad idea to mate.

The physical part means he’s in miserable (very unusual) pain throughout.

This makes it a large ordeal to deal with for the pack. Especially considering they are all so tired and so busy and barely have time to rest anyway. And the fact that they have a rotational system for alphas spending time with the in-heat omegas so they don’t miss schedules, which in Yixing’s case simply doesn’t work. 

They do love him, but he’s difficult to help. It stresses everyone out and makes the alphas feels horrible and bad at their jobs.

Yixing probably gets on suppressants at some point and simply never comes off them, especially when he starts spending more time in China without any pack around :( 

Outside of heat, he smells sweet and is comforting to be around. He’s so skin hungry that he’ll always want to cling to a pack member when they’re home, which they are only happy to do. And he’s good at being hyung to the younger members. He’s also massively good at his job as an artist, it just, you know, kills his body oops… TT

Being away from the pack does make everything worse for him, though. It’s a sore subject for Junmyeon and Minseok especially, that they let one of their pack omegas run off that way where they can’t help him at all. It makes everyone sad.

[Cake lies down on the floor] Yeah… Yixing… 

Baekhyun:

He’s an omega, a sub, and a sadist (masochist too, fun combo!) Baekhyun is highly invested in being important to everyone. He wants to be loved so much that he wants to own all the Exos and be owned by all of them, but he’s very aware of how this sounds so he’s just privately insane about this, but publicly all jokey and fun, rather than deeply intense.

The fact that he’s a sadist makes him a strange omega for alphas. So, I bet Baekhyun enjoys being with the omegas most often– bet it almost makes him think he’s like Minseok, and likes omegas more than alphas; but that’s not true. What he really needs is an alpha who would put a hand on his neck and put him in his place but also lets him bite and scratch and be mean to them as well. He needs to sub for his health and well being, but he also needs to feel that it’s safe to sub by being allowed to do horrible things to his alpha/dom and feel like he has power in the relationship. Subbing is so so vulnerable for Baekhyun, it makes him terrified to his bones, but he also wants it really badly.

Anyway, as in canon lmao, Minseok finds Baekhyun too messy and difficult to deal with, so he just flirts and toys with him a little, and probably sleeps with Baekhyun during heats if he’s needed, but doesn’t really let Baekhyun in his bed outside of heat. 

Chanyeol is too vulnerable to deal with Baekhyun’s barbed wire words and pointy claws, he takes it too personally, and Baekhyun has to be careful around him. Though when Baekhyun is careful, they’re good friends, and Baekhyun does enjoy sleeping with him and toying with him a little. 

Sehunnie is probably Baekyun’s go-to for sex outside of heats (points to the unreal amounts of Baekhyun biting Sehun photos in canon.)

Junmyeon and and Baekhyun are insanely compatible but they have no idea. Junmyeon is terrified of being too much and hurting people but if he actually does hurt Baekhyun (sexy), Baekhyun would lose his goddamn mind. Because Baekhyun needs intensity most of all, he needs to feel like his partner is obsessed with him: and Junmyeon is the most intense person in this band.

Kyungsoo and Baekhyun probably have good sex, but Kyungsoo has absolutely no tollerance for Baekhyun trying to exercise power– which is hot! But you know, it doesn’t let Baekhyun relax entirely with him. It’s the same with Jongdae probably, except Jongdae is nicer about it. 

Chanyeol:

He’s an alpha but he’s not interested in holding power over people, it makes him deeply uncomfortable. He’s not a dom, and not a sub, but he does enjoy power games when they’re meant to bring people closer together and build trust. 

He frequently goes through periods of being super insecure about how he presents as an alpha, and trying to be more masc and domineering, but it only ever ends up making him feel worse. And during those periods, he often feels like going to the other alphas for help and support is a weakness and tries to do everything himself, including figuring out his own mental blocks– this almost never works.

He clashes with Junmyeon a lot, because he both wants Junmyeon’s attention and admiration and praise, and wants Junmyeon’s to see him as an alpha and respect his authority, and Junmyeon is, as stated before, WEIRD about power things!!!

Though Minseok knows how to be good to Chanyeol and often compensates where Junmyeon fails. So does Jongdae, though he spent a while not really understanding why Chanyeol is the way he is and why he struggles with the things he struggles with. 

Kyungsoo’s steadiness and assuredness in himself makes him a good friend to Chanyeol. It helps to look to Kyungsoo when Chanyeol is in flux and feels like nothing is static enough to hold onto. 

Sechan are like canon Sechan, naturally. They are weird about power dynamics together in a way that helps both of them. It makes Chanyeol feel at ease that he’s not holding any power via the fact that he’s alpha or hyung over Sehun, and it makes Sehun happy to feel like he holds Chanyeol’s leash and can make him do whatever he wants. What Sehun often wants Chanyeol to do though, is to take care of things for him: take care of food and buying things, and making sure Sehun is comfortable, to fuck Sehun well and not make Sehun do things, and to praise Sehun in front of other people and let Sehun bask in the fact that he’s getting everything he wants. All of this makes Chanyeol feel good and useful and like a good alpha! It’s great! 

Jongdae:

He’s one of the people I hesitated for a very long time before assigning an omegaverse dynamic to. I eventually settled on alpha because he’s a caretaker and – although subtle– is actually a little bit of a control freak. He also finds too much contentment in, for example, calming Baekhyun down and making him behave, for him not to be some sort of flavor of dom. 

He and Minseok fit well together because they both respect hierarchies a lot, and they respect inner pack workings. They also have the same casual but firm way that they approach their own internal moral compasses. They’re both stubborn and hard to convince to change, which makes them both comfortable, considering they are also both very influential and find it easy to change other people just by being around. They make each other feel safe to exercise the full breadth of their inherent power without the threat that this would affect the other in any way.

The fact that they are both doms, however, makes them incompatible long-term as sexual and romantic partners, even though they adore each other and probably do sleep together often. It’s a fact they are both aware of– though I am unsure if they both feel the axact same way about it. I change my mind often about this. Is Minseok sadder than Jongdae about this? Are they both just Fine? Don’t know. I’m not a Xiuchenist for real, but I do believe in them! So, I find myself thinking about this often. 

Jongdae, like Minseok, finds Baekhyun too much to deal with. But he finds Junmyeon funny and gets less stressed out about the fact that Junmyeon won’t let him help than Minseok does. Because Jongdae isn’t the pack leader and he’s younger, he finds it easier to insert himself into Junmyeon’s business and meddle sometimes, without stepping to hard on Junmyeon’s toes. 

He is soft with Yixing, and is sad for him, but Jongdae is very strict with himself about things which he cannot change, so he doesn’t let himself dwell on this often. 

It took him a few years to understand Chanyeol’s little neuroses but he did eventually, so now he knows how to care for Chanyeol and that satisfies him greatly.

He’s generally very gentle and full of advice and pets for all younger and older pack members.

He has a stroke of sadism in him, but it’s not consuming like Junmyeon’s is, and he’s Normal about it. It’s very to do with sex for him, rather than his personality.

Kyungsoo:

He’s an alpha, and he’s possessive as fuck. He’s also a very sensible person, and has decided very early on that he will not be getting romantically involved with any of his members because they’re all insane and they’ll drive him out of his mind if he wants to go full possessive alpha on them! 

He does think Jongin is incredibly hot and is very soft with him. He’s also known to be soft with Sehun, though he’d never admit to it. 

He’s a neutral party in the pack, though he has a deep sense of justice and will stand with whoever he thinks is wronged in an argument. 

I don’t have many Ksoo thoughts, he gives me a headache, his personality is impenetrable! Sorry 🙈

Jongin:

You might have noticed I’ve not spoken much about him with the other members, and that’s because I firmly believe that, while he is a part of this pack, he’s bonded to Taemin. Taemin is his alpha, and they are each other’s persons. Jongin only spends heats with the pack when Taemin is unavailable.

In the Exo pack, Nini is soft and baby. He lounges over the alphas and scents the other omegas and takes care of them. But he’s also stubborn and strong, and because he’s been mated for such a long time, thinks that all the others and their weird relationship problems are so tiring and silly! 

That’s why he gets on with Kyungsoo a lot. Kyungsoo does not have weird relationship problems, because he simply has no messy relationships in the band XD They get to make fun of the others from their little cocoon. 

Nini knows how to depend on the others to help him, and he’s very good at being a stabalizing and sensible influence in the pack.

Him and Taemin make each other so much better, and take care of each other’s needs so well that Nini effectively doesn’t need a pack. They just add to his life and he adores them. It makes him a very steady presence.

Sehun:

He effectively takes the role of a pack omega but not because he needs it, because the pack does. It’s good for them to have someone they can spoil and love this way. He gives them the opportunity of all feeling like they get to take care of him and be good for the pack by doing so; and by doing so, he gets to comfort them and take care of them without them feeling like they’re asking for care. 

Sehun has large emotions about the pack, he needs all of them, and feels like they all need each other. He’s mostly quiet about it, though, he’s not a words person. He just flops in someone’s lap when he’s having emotions.

As in canon, he’s been in love with Chanyeol for years, but it takes them an insanely long time to work out what they are to each other. This lands Sehun in Junmyeon and Baekhyun’s beds often. 

He’s an omega, but not a sub or a dom. Like Chanyeol, he enjoys toying with power dynamics broadcast trust. Though he would melt into the center of the earth if Chanyeol bit him and mated him. And he would die if Chanyeol had a collar on and let himself be ordered around by Sehun. It’s all very deeply unusual and not standard bdsm XD 

I feel like I talked about Sehun’s relationships with the other members throughout the answer above, so I won’t repeat them here! 

Anyway… wow that was long. Anon, I am so sorry if this is way more than you expected!!! I hope you enjoy it regardless!!!!!!!! I have many thoughts about this, clearly! XD 

[ddoxhan]

snowy christmas

all I want is you

word count : 2k words

genre : fluff; minjeong loves the snow during the christmas season but this year is different; winrina au

tw : none :)

a/n : merry christmas everyone and happy new year in advance :3 enjoy !!

it was christmas eve. the first snow happened some time ago and the forecast did not help anymore with minjeong's wishes. snow and christmas had always came in a set ever since forever to the girl who sat by the window with a hot cup of chocolate milk in her hands. she was home alone, with her girlfriend on an extra shift at work so she would be late.

another sigh left her lips, being the nth one on this christmas eve night. drinking the last sip of milk, she stood up from her seat after being on it for an hour now, just admiring the night scenery it had offered that night. figuring that being down just because it hadn't snow wasn't the best way to spend the upcoming christmas, she decided to take a night walk in the neighbourhood park.

walking to their shared bedroom, she slipped into a thick cardigan and wrapped a scarf around her neck to keep herself warm in the cold atmosphere. although it didn't snow for the past week, temperatures would occasionally drop below zero degrees and that night was one of them. she had brought heat packs just in case her hands freeze.

as she made her way to the park, she seemed to have some company. families had come after having their dinner and everyone seemed to have much fun, except for minjeong. although she knew it wasn't nice to be grumpy, she couldn't help but to feel disappointed. the year's been rough for not only her but everyone and she had really looked forward to this holiday.

a bench was empty so she found a comfortable spot on it. looking at the different families who had some of the children run around and at the playground, she felt her heart clench a little at how she was alone on this christmas eve night. she knew her girlfriend would be busy despite it being all festive with the holiday feels. and that as an understanding girlfriend, she shouldn't be clingy when her girlfriend has important work to attend to.

just as her thoughts came to an end, her phone buzzed in her cardigan pocket. picking up the call, she seemed to have forgotten about her saddening thoughts.

minjeong : mm, jimin-ah. why did you call?

jimin : where did you go? the house's empty so i got a little worried.

minjeong : I'm at the park. I'll be-

jimin : what? why are you out in such a weather?

minjeong : it just felt a little stuffy, being in the house...

jimin : hah, alright. stay put, I'll be coming over now.

minjeong : okay.

with that, she hung up first. her hand plopped on her lap and let her phone rest there. the children were shouting and running around and they looked so happy. should i be that happy too, minjeong questioned herself. a sudden thought struck her, it would be so nice that she had a family like that. 

"oh look at you, look at how thin you've dressed."

she had quickly rushed to the park after hearing that her girlfriend was at the park and she knew that she wouldn't have dressed warm enough to not catch a cold. wrapping her coat around her tiny frame, it wasn't really hard to do so. she made sure she was comfortable in her embrace.

"no, look. it's a thick cardigan and i put a scarf on. also, I brought a heat pack just in case."

she reached for the heat pack in her left pocket and showed it to jimin, proud of herself. she just shook her head at how she was and let out a soft chuckle at how cute she looked under the moonlight.

"but still, you can still catch a cold."

"no, I'm warm enough."

"trust me, I've worn three layers and still caught a cold when I was 15."

"that's because you're weak."

"hey! I was athletic even when I was young. so much from someone who hates to exercise."

"at least I don't get sick often unlike someone."

minjeong put out her tongue at jimin, who's in disbelief because of her words. she couldn't say anything because she was right. although she works out almost every day, she still got sick more often than she did. deciding to get revenge at her, she tickled her, knowing that she was a weak one when it comes to tickles.

"hey! stop, haha!"

"not until you say sorry!"

"okay okay! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! now will you stop!"

she did stop but here came another request.

"what?"

"give me a kiss then I'll stop. if not, you won't be able to leave this spot and I'll go on."

without hesitation, she leaned in for a quick peck on her lips. she was taken aback and just stared at her with wide eyes. minjeong was never one to initiate skinship, let alone kisses. the last time she had kissed her first was probably at the start of the year during the new year.

"what now? do you need more?"

"n-no. j-just u-uh..."

"aw, is my baby shy?"

"wha?? are you minjeong?"

"then who am I? of course I am."

"you don't... you never..."

"but you liked it... right?"

a little worry was evident in her eyes, afraid that she didn't like it. she didn't know if it was something right to do as jimin was her first love. they had been dating for about 2 years now, ever since they were first years. the older noticed and immediately cupped her cheeks, not wanting her to feel that way. she liked it that she was being initiative. like was more of an understatement, she loved it. she loved it with her whole heart.

"oh, bunny, of course I liked it, I loved it. though, I wish you would do it more often."

"really? then I'll.. try..."

"you don't have to force yourself, okay? I just need you to be by my side."

"I'll always be by your side. will you too?"

"mhm. how can I get myself to leave this angel?"

"you and your cheesy lines. you were pretty cute, looking a little flustered back there."

"who wouldn't? it's not every day I get kisses first AND hear you call me baby."

"then I'll kiss you first and call you that every day, baby."

"maybe this isn't such a bad christmas after all."

she placed a soft kiss on her forehead before looking into her brown orbs and admiring them. jimin was truly lucky to be able to be her girlfriend. when the younger said yes to her confession, she felt like her heart was about to explode that time.

"jimin-ah."

"yeah? I thought you said you're gonna call me baby."

"alright then, baby."

"yes, bunny? what do you need?"

"do you think it's gonna snow tomorrow?"

"depends, I don't really believe the forecast so if we wish harder, it may."

"really? you really think so?"

"of course, I know you want it to snow because it's christmas tomorrow."

"but aren't chances low?"

"it doesn't hurt to try."

minjeong just snuggled closer into jimin's chest and wrapped her hands around her waist, taking in her scent. they stayed like that for a while before she had suggested for them to get back and sleep as it was getting late and colder by the second.

before they did, she took a shower after being out for the whole day. the younger had sat on her side of the bed and scrolled through the shopping site, awaiting for her orders to arrive tomorrow.

"what you looking at?"

"hmm, the couple rings we ordered last week, they said that they would send it tomorrow."

"that's nice, maybe we can flex it to aeri and yizhuo.

"seriously? that's all you can think of?"

"well, I can't forget that the ring is for our 3rd anniversary."

"I thought you forgot."

"how can I? I literally confessed to you on new year's and the fireworks went boom! as you said yes."

she blushed at how she just said that and placed a kiss on her lips right after she said yes. and of course, it didn't go unnoticed by jimin, who still found it cute of her to blush at the event. she just hugged her out of the blue and buried her nose into her neck. minjeong too wrapped her arms around her and they stayed in that position.

"minjeong-ah."

"yes, baby?

"I can never get used to you calling me that.

"of course you can't, I just started calling you that about two hours ago."

silence engulfed the two before jimin spoke up again.

"thank you. thank you for being my girlfriend. thank you for being there when I was having it hard. thank you for accepting me for who I am. thank you, kim minjeong for being in my life."

she didn't receive a response from the younger so she let go from the embrace to see her teary eyes. seeing them, she panicked, wondering if she had said something wrong.

"bunny, look at me. what's wrong?"

"I know I shouldn't be like this, but I just miss you so much. it's not like you don't come home, but I just felt a little lonely these days. I do have my social life however it's different when it comes to you. you are someone special and precious in my life too."

she felt bad, guilty. jimin had been coming home late at midnight and leaving early in the morning, not letting minjeong see her properly. she too had missed cuddling to sleep and waking up to cuddle again then going for brunch. work just hasn't been allowing for her to do so.

"bunny, don't cry. I'm the one at wrong here."

"no, you're not. it's work after all, it's something you can't ignore."

"no, I can. it is important but you come first. you're the first priority in my life."

minjeong just nodded at her and sniffled a little. jimin just laughed at how cute her red nose was although she had just cried. how did she get to meet such an adorable bunny and make her the love of her life? she patted her back slowly to calm her down before they had cuddled to sleep. it was christmas and she had the day off, planning to spend all of it with her. starting with her waking up by her side.

☆゜・。。・゜゜・。。・゜゜・。。・゜゜・。。・゜゜・。。・★

the next morning came and it was colder than the usual winter mornings. though they had the heater on, the slight chill had minjeong shuddering in jimin's embrace, waking her up from her slumber in the process. she pulled the younger closer, making sure she was warm. her warmth had warmed the older up too.

jimin slowly opened her eyes to see her sleeping beauty, from her closed eyes to her nose to her slightly parted lips. pecking her lips, the younger's eyes fluttered open, adjusting to the bright light shining in through the window. although she should be admiring jimin who was finally able to spend time with her, she couldn't help but notice the sight she had been waiting for the entire time.

sleep was soon a long gone matter as it was snowing outside right now. throwing the blanket off, minjeong ran to the window and placed her hands on the window as she felt the cold seep through the glass onto her palms.

"jimin-ah, look! it's snowing! it's actually snowing!"

"yeah it is..."

"aren't you excited?"

"I am, just that I'm still feeling a little groggy..."

"then will this wake you up?"

she tipped toe to place a morning kiss on her lips, returning the earlier favor.

"yup, definitely did. good morning by the way."

"good morning to you too, sleepyhead."

jimin hugged her from behind as the younger was still mesmerized by how it actually snowed on christmas day. she had little to no expectation since the forecast said it wouldn't. she looked at jimin and smiled like a little kid. she smiled back at her too, glad that she was happy. because of the snow and because she was there with her as well.

"merry christmas, baby."

"merry christmas to you too, bunny."

"anything you wanna do today?"

"umm.. everything you wanna do with me. I'm all yours today, and forever."

[seiwas]

Hi Sel!! Sorry i'm replying a bit late - it's assessment week for me again :( I used to listen to exo all the time!! BTS and EXO were my first kpop groups back in 2017-18... I absolutely LOVED 'Lotto' 'Overdose' and 'The Eve'

AND OMG ICB U SINGLED OUT THE LYRICS TOO FOR THE EX!GOJO ONE 😭😭😭 U GET IT AKNSKDJDJ i get so sad thinking abt it fr 😭😭😭

The lyrics are so dear to me 🥺 Even if it's not Ex!Gojo, they are very Satoru coded regardless.. his love is so tragic even when happy 😭😭 and the haikyu movie!! omfg I have been craving sm Kuroo it's crazy.. I don't know a lot of haikyu writers tho.. if you have any recs please let me know 😞🙏🏼 I gasped when he came on... my precious cocky bastard (affectionate). And the fact that he's Gojo's VA!! when he laughed i was so 🥺🥺 I miss him too... and I definitely agree! how they will fit everything in one movie idk... I really hope they listen to reviews and make another season... I'm so so sad that Haikyu end is coming.. like Sel I can't I'll cry 😭😭

may i ask why u give it an 8/10 ?? 😮 like why the minus 2!!!!

I docked one point because they didn't have an Oikawa cameo :// which is CRIMINAL after how crazy everyone went for the earphone scene.. HAHA but honestly it was just too short imo.. it was very focused on the background of the characters (which I absolutely love!! we got to see baby KuroKen after all 🥺) but... at moments I was on the edge of my seat and then a (almost oddly timed) flashback would occur which would take away the adrenaline rush. Unlike usually, there was not much tension in the first set .. and then it felt like all of a sudden we were at the final set. There was not much emphasis on the game playing itself - I didn't even realise the game was over 😮 In a season the match would be more paced out, detailed and longer which I kinda wish for.. But i don't regret it going to watch it!!

I hope you have a lovely weekend <3 🍧 anon

🍧 anon hello!!! welcome back!! 🥺 no worries about it at all 🥺 i hope you're catching breaks in between your busy sched!!

omg!!! an exo 2017 fan 🥺🥺 lotto is one of my fave exo eras bc baekhyun looked SOOO good in it (and im a sucker for mafia aus LOL)

so true omg his love is tragic even when happy djgbjas and haikyuu fics!! omg @tetsuskei @tetzoro are the resident kuroo lovers that i know of 🥺 as for fic recs... i tag my kuroo fics with #tetsurou !!! so you can browse through there if you'd like 🥺 i'll share some of the ones i remember under the cut too!

irda ( @haztory ) writes some of my fave fics, kuroo ones included! you can browse through her masterlist

lia ( @chimielie ) is my iwaizumi girlie but i think she has a few kuroo ones too!

monty ( @shibaraki ) has also written a ton for haikyuu!! and i love everything monty makes 🥺

augustine ( @augustinewrites ) also has a fair bunch of haikyuu!! stuff!! looove augustine's takes always

new light by @/eightonenine (college!kuroo, which is my fave way to read him)

wanderwithme on ao3; somewhere only we know (4 + 1 fic) & good luck, have fun (gamer!kuroo)

and omg ure so real for docking a point bc of the lack of oikawa cameo 😭😭😭😭 i would throw a fit. jHBSDHFS and i completely get what you mean!!! i kinda hate when things are shown like that jshdbfsd i agree that having it be in a season would have had better pacing 🥺 i'll think about it some more 🥺 but how it looks right now, it feels like i'll just end up watching it from my laptop one of these days 😭

i hope you have the loveliest weekend as well!!!