#f2l is one of my favorite tropes!!

[st4rwon]

distance

non-idol! seungmin x reader (ft. felix and jeongin)

friends to lovers

word count: 1.8K

contains: fluff, miscommunication, angst, lots and lots of dialogue, yn’s a bit blind

where seungmin is confused on why your acting strange to him

seungmin entered the dorm while greeting his friends, though something was wrong tonight and everyone in the room noticed it. “where’s yn?” jeongin asked. “i don’t know, she was acting really weird. she just sent me a ‘i’m busy’ text and then didn’t answer any of my other questions” seungmin said recalling the events that had happened. he was so confused about your behavior, you never would miss a saturday hangout with the boys and him. it had been an ongoing tradition for almost a year not, and for you to just not come without a valid reason made seungmin worry.

now from your perspective it wasn’t your fault you were so vague to seungmin, for you had discovered the second more horrifying thing in your existence (the first being seungmin and felix’s cooking), you had a crush on your best friend seungmin. maybe missing your weekly hangout with the boys wasn’t the smartest thing to do, but you didn’t know how you could ever face seungmin without your face turning into a tomato. of course you felt bad because you missed out on seeing all your friends (and minho was cooking, who would want to miss on that) but with your confusing feelings you didn’t know what to do. you couldn’t lose seungmin as your friend, he has been with you for years, and the chances of him liking you back were slim. a small ding coming from your phone snapped your out of your thoughts

lixie 🫢

yn is there something your not telling me 🤨

cause there is no way you didn’t show up because you were “busy”

you weren’t surprised felix had caught on, he was your second closest friend and had always been by your side when you needed it. you didn’t want him worrying about you, but also didn’t want to say too much in case one of the other boys, or even worse seungmin, saw it.

sorry lix :(( got busy with some work for one of my classes, you know how my professor can be 😭

you closed your phone and set it down on your night stand, you needed something to distract yourself, if you thought about seungmin for even a second longer your brain would explode. you walked over to your living room, grabbing some snacks in the process, and put on a show praying that thoughts of seungmin would disappear. it didn’t work.

you shuffled around on the couch before finally opening your eyes, the bright light of the sun making you immediately shut them again. it was only when you heard a knock at your door that you had finally gotten up. you opened the door and almost stumbled back for a second

“seungmin? what are you doing here so early?” you questioned “what are you talking about? it’s 12, did you just wake up?” “yeah” “i guess your professor really did give you a lot of work” he chuckled letting himself in. “so...why'd you come over?" you said, your voice sounding uneasy "you make it sound like you don't wanna see me” he said playfully “i thought we could hang out together since we didn’t yesterday!” the bright smile on his face made you feel horrible about the words that stumbled out of your mouth. “i have plans” you blurted, you couldn’t even think of what these so called plans would be, but until you sorted out your feelings you didn’t trust around seungmin, especially when the two of you were alone. “you’re busy…again?” “yeah i’m sorry min, but we can hang out together another time” you said plastering a smile on your face, but seungmin could tell it was forced, “so what are these plans you have today?” he asked, eyes locked on yours. he was hurt, and rightfully so, his best friend was being weird with him for no apparent reason, clearly lying straight to his face. “i have plans…with felix! yeah with him..” “…oh”

seungmin couldn’t wrap his mind around it, you were completely normal with him a couple days ago and now you were ditching him for felix?! seungmin had already been questioning it because of the fact that you had texted felix yesterday, but didn’t text him back. “well I guess I’ll leave you to it…” he mumbled, not even trying to hide his disappointment. you immediately picked up on it and grabbed his wrist, “hey we’ll hang out soon alright? I just needed to do something with lix today, but after that i’m all yours!” seungmin liked the sound of that ‘all his’ he smiled and gained back his composure. “okay then! you better treat me tomorrow” “yeah yeah, i will” you closed the door after he exited and sighed, what were you going to do with yourself! you felt the heat on your cheeks and the racing of your heart. you needed to figure out what to do with these stupid feelings, you needed and third person perspective on it. and that’s what led you to go to felix’s apartment.

“yn! you seemed bothered when you texted me, what’s up?” felix asked “how did you know i was bothered from a ‘can i come over text’?” you laughed “the way you wrote it was just…off” “whatever you say lixie” you said walking into the cozy living room. felix’s apartment was one of the places the brought you the most comfort, you had spent countless hours there just chatting away with felix, he was always by your side when you needed it most.

“i feel like you need a brownie to cheer you up” felix hummed “i think your secretly a mind reader” “oh no my covers been blown” he gasped. after grabbing the brownies for the two of you, he joined you on the couch and handed you the brownie. “so what’s up?” “so you know how i didn’t come to the hangout yesterday? well yeah of course you do… anyway i didn’t come because i realized something recently. i like seungmin…” you looked up at felix, and saw him laughing? “felix this is serious why are you laughing your ass off?!” “it’s just that it took you absolutely forever to realize your feelings! also i’m pretty sure all the boys caught on about this before you. your eyes literally turn into hearts when you see him-“ “okay okay i get it!” “so what’s the issue with you liking seungmin?” “what do you mean what’s the issue? we are best friends felix! it’s gonna be so awkward, i can barely hold a conversation without my heart beating like crazy” felix looked at you dead in the eyes “how are you so blind?! i didn’t wanna say it to you straight to your face, but since you are this oblivious i think i’m doing to have to, seungmin like you too idiot” “you’re not serious are you? no way he is..” “have you seen the way he looks at you?” “felix you don’t have to just say these things to make me feel better” “i mean it yn, he definitely likes you the same way you do.” “okay then, i’ll believe you…now let’s play some mario cart, i can’t come here without beating you at least once” “you wish!” felix laughed

while you were with felix, seungmin has gone back home and was now practically interrogating jeongin. “why would she go to felix’s house?” “why would i know!? can i just eat in peace?” ignoring the boys pleads he continued “you think it’s because she likes him? or worse…they’re already dating!” “seungmin your getting ahead of yourself, felix and yn are definitely just friends.” “how do you know? they could be anything…” “i wouldn’t be feeding you lies for no reason, plus i’ve heard from some top secret sources that she likes you back” seungmin’s head whipped up “you better not be joking jeongin or i’ll-“ “chill out!” the younger boy laughed “you better buy me some good dinner tonight to make up for this stupidity of yours” “ugh fine whatever” seungmin groaned while heading back up to his room. his thoughts were messy and his heart was racing, was it true did you really like him? it was as if you read his brain, a short message reading ‘are you free tmrw?’ he immediately typed back a response, not caring if he seemed too desperate. now all that he could think of is the ways he could confess.

when seungmin woke up the next day, he immediately got to work with his confession, going out and buying you flowers, getting you your favorite breakfast, he wanted it to be perfect. now he just had to pray that what jeongin told him was true.

minnie!😈

i’m gonna be over in 30

just a heads up

those were the messages that showed up on your screen as you were laying in bed. your eyes practically fall out of your head, what was going on? you had planned to talk to seungmin today after felix’s pep talk, but thought you would have a little bit of time today to think about it.

you quickly washed up and right after heard the sounds of rapid knocked on your door. “yn my hands hurt! let me in” “coming!” you walked over to the door and were surprised to see a bouquet of flowers as well as a take out box, you glanced at seungmin and saw a small smile on his face. “what’s all this for?” “ahh yn your so impatient, at least let me in first” yu excused yourself from the door and let the boy in. after he has put everything away properly and taken the food out you both sat at the table together.

“so you gonna explain what this is about yet or am i gonna have to wait until I’m done eating?” “well if it’s not obvious enough my the flowers and the fact i got your favorite breakfast, i like you” it took you a second to fully process his words, but when you did you immediately regretted the fact that you had just taken a bite of food. “woah there you okay?” seungmin said walking over to pat your back, “i’m not trying to kill my future girlfriend before we are offical” you sipped your water trying to prevent yourself from chocking any further, “are you trying to kill me?! gah how did i end up falling for you…” you mumbled “i’ll take that as you like me back” he said smiling. “congrats you got me buddy” you said sarcastically “that’s not something you say to your boyfriend” seungmin said frowning “come closer and i’ll make it up to you” he moved his body closer to your and you took the chance to place a small peck on his lips, “better now?” “hmm i’m not sure, i think you still owe me a date for all our missed time” “alright then minnie” you laughed

a/n: hope you enjoyed! my first long fic, so if you have any feedback it would be much appreciated!

[domoriu]

kiwis fic recs pt.2 !! bonedo edition

definitely not all of the bnd fics ive read but just my personal favorites !! also sorry in advance there’s literally no gongfourz fics on here since i mainly read for my biases but i do dabble in their fics sometimes 🫦 ill do a part 2 one of these days and i promise ill put some taesan and leehan in it !!

❀ = nsfw !!

solace // jaehyun ❀ - jaehyun who just needs to be taken care of… my favorite trope… also was just so cute and comforting

wcbf // jaehyun - SUCH A GOOD SMAU !!! funny, sad, the good stuff. also ariana grande is my favorite artist so ill eat up anything inspired by her music 😋

space & time // sungho - so good i love some mutual pining where they’re so oblivious to eachothers feelings even when ITS SO OBVIOUS!!!!

satin // sungho ❀ - idk if you guys understand what i mean when i say this but sometimes i read a fic so good it really feels like im there fr… and this is one of them…

evening glow // riwoo - so cute. i love f2l so much. and im not usually a big fluff reader but when i do read it i really always just smile and giggle and swing my feet. i love the idea of friends pining for each other even without actually realizing, and they realize that its always been them from the start <3

pretty mess // jaehyun ❀ - now this was hard because, i really could just put every fic that berry has posted in this list, but i think this one is my #1 favorite. i love the way berry writes for bnd and i love the sub!idol agenda SO MUCH… and she just delivers time and time again and i LOVEEEE subby whiny desperate jaehyun 🤤 i know im like dickriding berry so hard right now but SERIOUSLY!!! I MEAN IT PLS READ ALL THEIR FICS EVERYTHING IS DELICIOUS.

sweet, pretty boy // riwoo ❀ - MY GOD. ur actually only able to read this on web browser but it is SO worth it!! i love the way vivi writes for riwoo… like she just scratches the riwoo part of my brain every single time… fantastic give me 14 of them right now !!!

whos that girl? // jaehyun - okay shameless promo time 🤤 my pride and joy and my first smau sometimes i read it as if im not the one who wrote it and im like wow i really did that…

needy // sungho ❀ - just scrumptious tbh. i love when sungho is the perfect boyfriend and in bed he kinda gets a little rough cuz he’s just locked in… yes…

help, im stuck! // jaehyun ❀ - its crazy to say but the cheesy porn plot fics are kind of a guilty pleasure 😭 corny and unrealistic? sure! good fic nonetheless

[hyewka]

top 5 beomgyu smuts!

a lot of beomgyu smut ive really enjoyed come from authors who’ve deactivated so it was a struggle getting anything that isnt strictly pwp 😭 nevertheless, here’s some i found deep in my likes section

1. hey emo boy remains my favorite even if its been a while, the set up of opposites attract made the smut 10x more flavorful

2. airport crush it’s really high for me because this is the one fic i’d wait till the ends of earth for a part 2, the jealousy by the end 😪?? the smut was also just so good, especially for the strangers set up lol

3. keepin’ secrets i love a good old brother’s best friend trope, and this serves to quench my thirst just enough

4. warmth cuuute stuff, everything i love in smut—plot and a good pace (also a semi f2l plot). the dry humping always gets me.

5. one way i enjoyed part 2 more but for better experience i recommend reading part one as well. it’s honestly just pure genuine hate fucking and for that i deem it to be a personal fave. a lot of fics are tagged as a hate fuck and it usually …isn’t, so love the pure outrage from both characters (though beomgyu is an unreasonable ass)

[like-a-diamondinthesky]

love songs | skz

pairing... bf!skz x gn!reader (separately) tags... headcanons, fluff, super soft, song recs!, incredibly self-indulgent 😊

stray kids members as my favorite filipino love songs

wc... 1.3k words a/n... hi sorry i'm super obsessed with romantic filipino songs and i wanted to share them with you!!! i translated the titles but i heavily recommend looking at the translated lyrics if you plan on listening to the songs bcs theyre so good i melt every time i swear! i hope you're able to enjoy and share my appreciation for my native language 🫂🫂🫂 (let me know if you're interested in a f2l version cos i've got some ideas brewing haha)

⋆｡ﾟ☁︎｡⋆｡ ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡⋆

ɞ° ‧₊˚ ◡̈° CHAN → when i met you - apo

this song is from the 80s and it’s a classic! the whole song is in english and it’s about how one’s lover opened their eyes to a beautiful romance

i once saw a tiktok saying chan is so “first love trope” coded and i AGREE. he gives first and forever vibes. your love is just so pure and overflowing with meaning yk?

i feel like he’s so used to taking care of others and when he meets you the tables are turned cos all of a sudden you’re the one smothering him with love and care and he’s like 😮

you redefined what love means for chan and that’s what made him fall so deeply in love with you

he has a newfound appreciation for life and he’s always looking forward to tomorrow because another day alive is another day with you. also, each day he finds himself loving you even more than the day before

♡ you gave me a reason for my being and i love what i’m feeling

ɞ° ‧₊˚ ◡̈° MINHO → tahanan - adie

tahanan is tagalog for the word home, and this song fits minho because you are his home

this song is about one’s lover being the brightest aspect of their life and i definitely believe that’s how minho would feel about you

everyday he looks forward to going home, not to the literal physical structure, but to you. he feels safe and so so so loved when you’re right by his side

minho is a big softie on the inside, and he shows it to the public sometimes, but it’s 100% out on display when he’s with you. like he’s so smiley and giggly and lovey-dovey when it’s just the two of you it’s insane

he’s actually sooooo clingy like he’s attached to your hip pls. he’s constantly pulling you into hugs honestly. and he loves them so much it makes his heart feel so fuzzy and warm

labis ang ngiti kapag ika’y ka-harap ♡ i smile the most when you’re in front of me

ɞ° ‧₊˚ ◡̈° CHANGBIN → paraluman - adie

the word paraluman refers to someone with indescribable, god-like beauty

this song is about love at first sight and being completely engulfed in one's beauty

and you can see that from changbin through how he looks at you with literal heart-eyes 😍 no matter what you’re doing. you could quite literally be doing your skincare and in the reflection of the mirror you see him smiling at you with admiration painted all over his face.

changbin holds you above everything and everyone. you are the sole reason for his existence like every fiber of his being belongs to you.

he literally praises the ground you walk on. he’s so drunk on your love like he will do anything and everything for you. you are his muse, his inspiration, his god.

namumukadkad ang aking ligaya sa tuwing ika’y papalapit na ♡ my happiness blooms whenever you’re near me

ɞ° ‧₊˚ ◡̈° HYUNJIN → mabagal - daniel padilla, moira dela torre

mabagal means slowly, and this song is purely about one wanting to slow dance and cherish every moment with their lover

hyunjin wants to cherish every single millisecond with you. and dancing happens to be one of his favorite ways to do so.

he will randomly pull you from wherever you're sitting and lead you in a slow, loving, passionate dance

he's such a hopeless romantic, he's a goner. he falls in love with you all over again whenever you have your hands on his neck and his hands on your waist. you’re just gazing into each other’s eyes and talking in hushed tones.

your conversations while dancing hold so much meaning for the both of you. you could talk about something lighthearted or deep, either way it always ends with you expressing your deep love for each other once again

hawak kamay, pikit mata, sumasabay sa musika ♡ holding hands, closed eyes, in sync with the music

ɞ° ‧₊˚ ◡̈° JISUNG → uhaw - dilaw

directly translated, uhaw means thirsty

and lord this boy is THIRSTY for your attention (but it in the best way possible!) he hopes that you think about him as much as he thinks about you

this song is about being head over heels in love, and that's how jisung feels about you. the way you talk, the way you smile, the way you show kiss him. he’s obsessed with every single part

he wants to know everything about you, he wants to be around you 24/7, he wants to be the one you rely on. honestly, he just wants you

the chorus is like i’m so in love with you but i don’t really understand why. that’s jisung. he isn't exactly sure why his heart yearns for you to the point it sometimes hurts, but he doesn't care as long he gets to spend his whole life with you

bakit uhaw sa’yong sayaw, bakit ikaw? ♡ why do i thirst for your dance, why for you?

ɞ° ‧₊˚ ◡̈° FELIX → unang sayaw - nobita

in english, unang sayaw means first dance and this song is about the happy memories of falling in love

felix gets so giddy from everything you do and this song captures that perfectly. his heart does cartwheels every time you look at him and he smiles so wide when you’re with him that his cheeks ache

sometimes the feeling of love overwhelms him so much he just needs to let out a little scream HAHAHA like he needs to let everyone that he’s yours and you’re his 💞

usually, he would tell you that the sun reminds him of you. but one time, he told you that you shine so brightly that it surpasses any star in the whole multiverse and he melts every time he’s with you

he doesn’t mention it, but every time he recalls the journey you’ve gone on together, it ensures him more and more that he wants to marry you one day.

sa ilalim ng kalawakan, pangalan mong isisigaw ♡ under the galaxy sky, i will scream your name

ɞ° ‧₊˚ ◡̈° SEUNGMIN → mundo - iv of spades

the song mundo emphasizes the importance of pure, committed love. mundo means world and it has two uses in this song

for one, it’s used in a way to call one’s lover their whole world. i fully believe that that’s how seungmin sees you. you are his whole world, his everything

and for two, it expresses forgetting everything else except each other; forgetting the whole world around you because what matters is the love that you share

seungmin wants to be your shield. he will protect you and listen to all the problems you have, making sure that you know that he’s by your side every step of the way. you'll never be alone as long as he's alive

he’s not very big on words so he shows his love through actions, and i think that’s very fitting to the meaning of this song

limutin na ang mundo nang magkasama tayo ♡ forget the whole world when it’s just the two of us

ɞ° ‧₊˚ ◡̈° JEONGIN → come inside of my heart - iv of spades

idk if many people know, but this song is in fact by a filipino band! come inside of my heart is about reassuring one’s lover that they are the love of their life, even if they don’t always express or show it very well

jeongin is big on quality time and subtle acts of love and he doesn’t really use his words to tell you how much he loves you. because of this, he sometimes worries that you think he doesn’t love you when that’s not at all true

instead of “i love you,” he prefers to send you playlists of songs that remind him of you. or maybe he’ll leave some of his hoodies at your place so that you can wear them without asking him.

there are times when jeongin wishes you could see inside his mind and his heart so that you would understand how much he loves you (a LOT)

you’re constantly plaguing his thoughts and his heart. he genuinely believes that his life revolves around you because you’re just that significant to him

♡ come save me ‘cause you’re the only one for me

⋆｡ﾟ☁︎｡⋆｡ ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡⋆

taglist: @jinnixxn @elllisaaa @captainchrisstan @laylasbunbunny

comments, reblogs, and feedback are appreciated! © like-a-diamondinthesky 2023

[dontaskmemybias]

Ryder's OT8 Recommendations

One Shots

Storm clouds at midnight @sunmoonjune Supernatural fic where witch reader gets involved with werewolves. No explicit smut but holy shit it was just so good. Suggestive in all the best ways.

Series

Whose love masterlist @skzwaves Something to lovers that is different for each member. So well done, each fic is a masterpiece. I'm in love.

Sharing a bed series Chan, Minho, Changbin, Hyunjin, Han, Felix, Seungmin, Jeongin @skzdarlings Who doesn't love a sharing the bed trope fic? Each one of these was so good and I love that Darling made the Hyung line f2l and the Manke line enemies to lovers. The Han one had me crying laughing and the Chan one was so sweet. Each one has it's own unique personality and I loved them all.

Threesome series Chan/Seungmin, Changbin/Minho, Han/Felix, Hyunjin/Jeongin @skzdarlings The Han/Felix one is on this list twice because it is just that good. All of these are fantastic works. Darling really kills it every single time they write.

Masterlists

Rhythms masterlist @therhythmafterthesummer Rhythm | ‘96 | any pronouns. Rhythm has written some of my absolutely favorite posts on this site. Their one shots are incredible and the wereroomies series was my first look into supernatural fics and I've never been able to look back! Give them some love ❤️

Lixables master list @lix-ables kriss/riri ‧₊˚ she/her . twenny_1 Kriss has written so many fics on here and they are all so good! Surely you'll find something you like on their page.

Stay the word master list @staytheword marianne (mari) ; she/her ; 90s. Mari has such a poetic way with words, each time I read her fics I feel like I am reading a novel. Mostly writes longer fics but man are they worth it! Check her out!

Christmas evel @j-0ne25 Tan [she/they] | ‘98. I put two of Tan's masterlists on here because the Christmas evel series is how I was introduced to their amazing works. This series shows the group in fantastical scenarios and the princess works on this list are some of my favorites to come back to time and time again.

J-One25 masterlist @j-0ne25 Tan [she/they] | ‘98. If you are looking for more realistic fics then check out Tan's masterlist here! The scenarios are all so amazing and they have written so many incredible works for the guys!

Hyunsvngs masterlist @hyunsvngs Juno [she/her] 20. Juno's Fairy Flower's series brought me to her page. I am normally too impatient to wait for series to finish but I ended up reading the first chapter before it was done and I remember waiting for the next one to come out because I just had to know what happened next. Incredible writer, I highly recommend checking out all her oneshots as well!

Minniesmutt masterlist @minniesmutt 𝐊𝐀𝐑𝐌𝐀 '0𝟐 𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐏 𝐒𝐇𝐄/𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐘. Karma's NSFW blog, filled with toe-curling fics that will have you blushing. I love their writing style which is why their blogs are both on this list! Check it out if you are 18+!

J-onedrabbles masterlist @j-onedrabbles 𝐊𝐀𝐑𝐌𝐀 '0𝟐 𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐏 𝐒𝐇𝐄/𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐘. Karma's SFW blog, full of adorable fluff pieces and one of my first mutual blogs. This blog has a special place in my heart.

2chopsticks2eyes masterlist @ 2chopsticks2eyes Late 20s | She/her (Or King/The baddest bitch to my squad). Lua truly is such a baddie. Hard Lee Know stan who loves Minsung! Some of her fic's have triggering topics but she handles the topics so well. I find myself checking her page all the time for new fics because she just writes so well.

[sungbeam]

THE BOYZ MASTERLIST

crowd favorites ✶ sungbeam's faves 𓆝

OT11

love in unity (college au, series) ✶

office au, but you're the ceo (headcanons) 𓆝

no drama! (98z idol au smau)

L. SANGYEON

lights down low (est. relationship, oneshot?)

two months (suggestive, drabble)

JACOB B.

party people (teaser)

party people (f2l, oneshot) ✶

in malibu (est. relationship, drabble)

boyfriend headcanons (bulleted)

kitchen table universe — husband cobie au

— tangerine stains

— good morning

K. YOUNGHOON

at your convenience (teaser)

at your convenience (f2l, oneshot)

L. HYUNJAE

ain't no romeo (teaser)

ain't no romeo (f2l, oneshot) ✶

a little mercy (suggestive, drabble)

10:57pm (platonic, timestamp)

circles (ex bsf au, oneshot)

L. JUYEON

love loud(er) (soft pining, drabble)

9:47pm (frat au, timestamp) 𓆝

KEVIN M.

3:34pm (est. relationship, timestamp)

fall apart (comfort, drabble)

counting stars (forbidden love, text oneshot)

rescue protocol (teaser)

rescue protocol (summer break, oneshot)

moon river (bittersweet nothings, oneshot) 𓆝

C. CHANHEE

simple gifts (model au, oneshot) ✶𓆝

J. CHANGMIN

ghost of you (grief is love, oneshot)

more than you know universe — my emotional support motorcyclist au

— rush

— risk

my love ricochets (est. relationship, drabble)

off the record (teaser)

off the record: part one, two (ex bsf2l, oneshot)

trigger warning (whump trope & innuendos, drabble)

swan song universe — my emotional support royalty au

— serpent and dove

— the food chain 𓆝

night terrors universe — my emotional support demon au

— night terrors (teaser)

— night terrors (part one, two) ✶𓆝

casino royale (james bond au, oneshot)

subtle poetry (pure comfort, drabble) 𓆝

incantations: teaser, part one, two (demon au 2.0)

J. HAKNYEON

daybreak (est. relationship, drabble)

K. SUNWOO

hoodie talk (est. relationship, drabble) ✶

far from home (spiderverse au, oneshot)

rhapsody anonymous (teaser)

rhapsody anonymous (fanboy au, oneshot) ✶

collateral damage (agent au, oneshot)

ERIC S.

8:32am (comfort, timestamp)

flight risk (teaser)

flight risk (f2l, oneshot) ✶

swing my way (country club eric, oneshot) ✶

on the bright side (f2l, oneshot) ✶𓆝

eric (kind of) does the song lyric challenge (est. relationship, text drabble)

[ts19009]

BTS FIC REC'S: PART 6

(CONTAINS SMUT AND MATURE SUBJECT MATTER)

(Bold title means favorite)

(UPDATED: September 4th, 2023)

Jungkook

order up | jjk (waiter!jungkook x customer!reader) @ressjeon

my euphoria | jjk [fake dating au ; ceo jjk x florist oc] @moyochu

The Broken Vow (manipulation, yandere, hospitals, divorce, mentions of death, angst,) @lleldey

game over (streamer/gamer!au) @ressjeon

the road to radiant | jjk (m) (fluff, angst, smut, gamer!au, streamer!au, rivals to friends to lovers!au) @kookskingdom

The Language of Flowers (Hanahaki AU) @justimajin

dance with the devil | jjk (angst, royalty - bridgerton vibes, childhood friends to enemies to ?luvrs?) @alphabetboyluvr

Not in the Way You Think (ChildHoodFriendsToLovers!AU, NonIdol!AU, VirginReader!AU, BachelorJK!Au, Fuck-Boy JK, Virgin Reader) @jungkookstatts

Seven Days Masterlist | JJK (nurse!jungkook x teacher!reader, non-idol au, brother's friend au, fwb, age-gap(reader is older), f2l, fluff, angst, smut) @hisunshiine

cool with you | jeon jungkook (strangers to friends to lovers. smut. afab!reader [she/her] x neighbor!jk) @kooktrash

Sour (ESTABLISHED RELATIONSHIP, BOXER AU, DANCE, AU SMUT, FLUFF, ANGST) @thvhoe

champagne problems | jeon jungkook (groom!jungkook x wedding planner!reader) @daegustae

we keep this love - j.jk (fluff, angst (5k, lots of pining and f2l)) @namfinessed

Taehyung

the odds on us | k.th. (m) (angst | smut | fluff | exes to lovers!au | slice of life!au) @jimilter

can’t take my eyes off of you (one night stand, smut, pinch of fluff) @mrworldwideshoulders

Crazy for You | kth (best friend’s older brother to lovers, a little bit of fake dating trope, idol!au, angst, smut, fluff, snippets of life) @oddinary4bts

best friend’s best friend (best friend!heir!jeongguk x heiress!reader x best friend’s best friend!heir!taehyung) @ktheist

all you want | kim taehyung (rich ceo!kth x rich student!reader) @kooktrash

Seducing the Villain 1 [Villain!Taehyung x Reader x Noble!BTS] @helenazbmrskai

Page Turner (M) | KTH (Kim Taehyung/ Reader, Teacher!Tae/ Librarian!Reader) @gukslut

Exchanging Heat (M) | KTH (Korean exchange/visiting student!Taehyung x (slight) tsundere!reader) @jinfizz

unconditionally || kth (ex-husband!taehyung x female reader ➼ genre: angst | fluff | hurt/comfort | smut | divorce au | exes to lovers au | parents au) @sugakookitty

tolerate it masterlist (heavy angst, one-sided love, forced marriage, infidelity, smut) @archivedkookie

entangled spidey!jungkook x fem reader, venom!taehyung x fem reader (romance, smut, love triangle) @caelesjjk

(re)starting over again | kth; masterlist (baker!taehyung x nurse!reader, amnesia au) @httpknjoon

the art of obsession | kim taehyung (dark academia. college au. painter!taehyung x writer!y/n [afab. she/her]) @kooktrash

lace & luxury | kim taehyung (sugar daddy!taehyung x exotic dancer!reader [she/her, female anatomy], taehyung aged up) @kooktrash

Seokjin

Knocked (Streamer!Seokjin x f. Reader) @sailoryooons

a human touch, part 2, final (robot!taehyung/virgin!reader, fluff, smut (NSFW, 18+)) A@snackhobi

On The Ropes (KSJ x F!Reader) (ex-boxer!Seokjin x lawyer!reader (ft. boxer!Jungkook) genres/au/rating: angst, smut, infidelity!AU, 18+) @raplinesmoejon

[moccahobi]

May and June Reads

I know it isn’t the end of June but I am posting this anyways! It’s been a rough month and I am working on resetting and orienting so Imma imagine that posting this marks a new start for my reading log periods.  Last month, I read seven pieces and this month I managed to read ten! Which makes me quite happy! So many of my reads were stuff that I got consumed in and couldn’t step away from! There are truly so many amazing creations and I am so glad that I am exploring and reading them!

Two months ago when I last posted my reads, I talked about starting a schedule for fanfic reading... I’ve not. BUT! I did put fics that I already know I am interested in reading on my document and filled in everything other than my comments on it. This really helped me keep looking to reads. I plan to continue to putting fics I know I want to prioritize onto my bimonthly log when I find them because that helped so much!  I think it also helped me to mix up shorter pieces and longer pieces. I had two pieces that I read that were almost 50k (wow! In so much awe of the authors) and it really helped to have some smaller pieces that I could intersperse as well! It’s been so nice to mix my book reading with my fic reading and work fic reading in as little breaks from all that I am doing! 

If you all have any fics you rec me reading, please send them to me! I’d love to add to my TRL!

BTS MxR

Tongue Tied (Jungkook x Reader) ( @jeonqkooks )

“Jeez, you’re acting like I asked to peg you or something.”

Warnings: brief mentions of sex and drinking

18+

1.5k

Fluff, F2L, Neighbors AU

As an enjoyer of the tension right before a relationship starts, this fic gives such a good depiction of if! The tone is light hearted and the narration is funny. It's a great fic to brighten your day and rest with. So adorable! 

Sit. Stay (Seokjin x Reader) ( @daechwitatamic )

Your new puppy, Zinnia, has turned your world on its head. She’s ruined everything from your sleep schedule to your favorite shoes, and you know it’s your own failure to train her properly. When your cute upstairs neighbor tells you about a local obedience academy, he slowly starts to make himself a place in your schedule, your life, and your heart. After your last relationship went up in flames, will his affections be something else you can count as a failure?

Warnings: language, casual drinking, parental medical problems, mentions of surgery/doctors/hospitals (major operations lightly mentioned; no d

NSFW

14k

S2L, Neighbors AU, Fluff, Smut, Angst 

This had me hooked and hanging on at the edge of my seat as I read! Joe does such a beautiful job at weaving humor with serious topics of healing and medical emergencies and it is really just so wonderful. She does a wonderful job at creating complex and gray stories that help readers sympathize with both characters. If you want a fun and goofy story that also tackles serious topics, this is a great one for you.

The Perfect Gift (Jimin x Reader) ( @moonleeai )

A cute story about two friends that decide to "fake date" for the Christmas Holiday while visiting family, but with each household they fall for each other.

Warnings: None

SFW

6,346

Fluff, Fake Dating, F2L Christmas AU

This story follows our characters as they try to get their parents off of their backs. It is such a cute and classic fake dating AU and if you are a connoisseur of fake dating tropes you NEED to read this fic! It’s funny and cute and all the domestic moments kept my heart full! I highly recommend you read it!

Crazy For You (Taehyung x Reader) ( @oddinary4bts )

You’ve known Kim Taehyung your whole life. When you meet again at a party hosted by your best friend, alcohol looses your lips and you spill your secrets to your childhood crush. Will Taehyung give in to your desire, or will you be struck by remorse?

Warnings: alcohol consumption, lying/hiding the truth, unclear relationship, feelings of  cheating, cursing, mention of a grandparent passing away, sex (see fic for full list of sex warnings)

NSFW

46.8k

Angst, Smut, Fluff, Idol AU, angst, smut, fluff, Best friends older brother, Fake dating

If you enjoy monster oneshots, this is the fic for you! I am in awe of how long and detailed this fic is and you can truly lose yourself in it! There is so much that’s explored and so many angsty moments present! Lovers of idol aus will love this too. The detail and ways everything is woven together is just astounding and truly so amazing. READ IT!

Fearless (Hoseok x Reader) ( @hobisuniverse )

On your way home from a party, you tell your best friend to pull over so you can dance with him in a storm in your best dress, fearless.

Warnings: None

SFW

718

Fluff, Confessions, Friends to lovers

FLUFFY CONFESSION LOVERS! COME HITHER! Ahhhh! This fic is so short and sweet and so glorious! If you enjoy fluffy confessions, weather matching emotions (kinda), and feeling fuzzy all over, this is the perfect quick read!

BTS MxOC

To The Beach (Jungkook x OC) ( @mydogssqueakytoy )

Jungkook’s daughter misses her mom and needs a way to pass the time before she comes home.

Warnings: None

SFW

712

Fluff, Dad Jungkook AU

Father BTS fics are just so adorable! And this fic is such a perfect example of this! The author does such an amazing job at showing the ways Jungkook may express his love for his family: comforting his kid and looking his partner into it all! If you enjoy father BTS fics, I highly rec reading this piece! It’s soft and cute and just leaves one feeling so soft!

Honorable Mention

@magicshopaholic​‘s amazing universe (BTS x OCs)

This series consists of fics set in the same universe, of the members of BTS and their long-term OCs. While these are part of a larger story, most fics can be read standalone as well.

18+

Generally, I try to only post finished pieces BUT Cath’s amazing works have been things I’ve been slowly reading throughout the past four months! I immediately got hooked on Hoseok and Chaeyoung’s storyline. Because OMG CHILDHOOD NEIGHBOR’S TO POSSIBLY LOVERS? It is gold! I inhaled it! THERE IS ANOTHER PART THOUGH THAT I’VE NOT READ AND AM SO EXCITED TO! And recently I’ve started reading Yoongi and Miso’s storyline which is also SO INTERESTING! I am a slow reader and have been interspersing my reading of her universe through all my other pieces and because everything is one universe and each series is being updated kinda at the same time (which is so impressive! Cath weaves so many stories together and I am so in awe). It didn’t feel right not to mention it. 

If you’ve never read an MxOC piece before or don’t really read them, I highly recommend Cath be your introduction to it! I know that on tumblr there is a strong pretense for MxR rather than MxOC (I only read one other OC piece in the six months I’ve been doing this and that is also in this post).  The range in MxR is BROAD. We have some who have no physical characteristics, some who do and are labeled, some who do and aren’t labeled, and all of them have personality traits that are close to how the reader is or isn’t. Each reader is a character. They are just vague in some places. OCs are just other characters. They also exist on the same range and are just as rich in depth! I highly recommend you read some if you enjoy reading books and fanfic!

BTS MxM

Honeycomb For a Heart (yoonminjoonseok) ( @hungline )

Yoongi never actually expected to build his own hive.

Warnings: mentioned misgendering and transphobia 

SFW

1.4k

In this fic, Yoongi is a king bee and I absolutely love how his hybrid identity is tied into his trans identity! The story introduces the readers to yoongi and his struggles in such a quick but heartfelt an empathetic way and we get introduced to Namjoon, Hoseok, and Jimin in such a fun and open way! Although the story is only 1.5 k and we only get their meeting, there is so much personality and hope packed into the story. If you're wanting on uplifting quick read, this is a great one.

( ✓ read 10:18 p.m. ) (Yoongi x Jungkook; Hoseok x Jimin) (AO3)

By the time Suga got back to him with the name of the sample, Jungkook was sitting in class. He’d never been an in-class text-er. He listened well. He followed rules. He gave professors the attention they deserved. But if Min Suga texted him, Jungkook always found himself texting back, attention 100% on his phone. Maybe it was because messaging the stranger felt as informative as half of his classes. Suga gave good advice. He’d caught himself thinking over the weekend that maybe he actually did owe Jimin some coffee.

Warnings: No archive warnings, mentions of sex, insecurity

18+

47k

College AU, Young Professionals AU, Angst, Fluff

AHHHHHHHHHH! This fic is an adorable story. As readers, we get to see Jungkook try to grow and learn to accept his growing feelings for Min Suga, an unknown man he slowly gets to know. Only thing: he is emotionally constipated and Yoongi feels so much that he struggles… Oh and also Suga kinda likes Jimin… or does he? Owo. It’s such a good series! The chapters are short and addictive and left me unable to put the fic down! It’s angsty and focuses on the growth of everyone and it’s such a wonderful read. It’s such a good series and I highly recommend you read it!

Got7 MxR

Filipendulous (adj.) - hanging by a thread (Jinyoung x Reader) ( @flurrys-creativity )

Summary: After a fight with Y/n, Jinyoung spirals with jealousy. One call changes it all.

Warnings: mentions of an argument, mentions of jealousy, mentions of drinking alcohol (not really responsible), mentions of an accident, mentions of results from said accident, short hospital setting, one kiss…

SFW

1,967 words

Angst, No AU

Do you like angst? Open endings? Many struggles and layers to a fic? This is the fic for you! I read this and gasped with each new development! Flurry does wonderful at getting us hooked and keeping us hooked! It's such a wonderful read!

Got7 MxM

Brewed Love (Mark x Jackson) ( @limjaeseven )

Summary: Jackson is comfortable working at the cafe Jaebeom owns. He expects to earn a living there, he doesn’t expect falling in love.

Warnings: None

SFW

Fluff, Coffee Shop AU

1,518 words

Coffee shop aus are so cute! And this fic is no different! It’s such a vibe and it had my heart fluttering all while reading. Cris is an amazing writer and his care for word play is present in the many coffee references that are present in this fic. Its short and sweet and just the perfect thing to energize your day!

[haejaetae-recs]

Favorites

(All fics tagged here!)

Here I've compiled some of my favorite works by some of my favorite writers. I'll add a lot more detail to this masterlist including brief descriptions and my input as found in my reblogs.

Also, if you happen to enjoy their work as well, please support them however you can!

← Back

༺♡༻

Quarantine Chronicles by @domjaehyun | Jaehyun, Johnny, Jungwoo, Jaemin, Mark, Jeno, Haechan | 3 pts. 126.7k total | M | roommates au, fwb, uni au

Fourteen days, five roommates, and five remarkably high sex drives. what could go wrong?

I'm obviously a Jaehyun simp but while reading this, I found myself so immersed in the other characters as well (especially Jaemin OOF he's such a freak 😭). Part 1 is basically 20k word long filth smut LOL so like I always say, be warned!

Pussy Fiend by @domjaehyun | Haechan | 2 pt. 68.9k total | M | roommates au, fwb, f2l, some dubcon be warned, uni au

The title truly does explain it all lol. Another @domjaehyun hit. The dynamics not only between HC and MC but all the roommates *muah*. The tension: outstanding. The smut??? *cries*. Yeah, this fic deserves the hype. Part 2 is a must-read.

Bitch Hunters by @tyonfs | Dream '00 line | 4 part series | M

huang renjun, lee jeno, lee donghyuck, and na jaemin are determined to have girlfriends by the end of their college years, but that’s easier said than done when they’re known as the biggest players on campus.

besties (gone sexual) by @tyonfs | Jaemin | 43.4k | M | best friends, fwb2l, slowburn

The final (and longest) installation of the bitch hunters series. Each part is a different dream 00 line member and can be read separately, although they are all a part of the same au. I do recommend reading the prologue found in the series masterlist first!

Na Jaemin, resident playboy and serial heartbreaker on campus, thinks he might have a crush on you [, his] best friend of seven years...

I could say so much about this fic series. I'm lowkey attached to every Tyonfs character I've ever read about. I loved every part, but Jaemin's hit especially hard, probably because of the length (that's what she said). It's not only the amazing story between Jaemin and his girl, but also expands the au so much and brings it to life. The ending made me feel like I was watching the finale of the last season of a TV show. So so good. Like I said, the parts can be read separately, but they're stronger when read in order. <3

Use Me by @yutaholic | Taeyong | 19k | M | bbf

You've had a crush on Taeyong, your brother’s best friend, for as long as you can remember, a crush made worse by the fact he’s completely off-limits. When Taeyong suddenly confesses you haven’t been alone in your feelings, you start sneaking around to be together, risking it all not to get caught.

One of my favorite Taeyong fics of all time *chef's kiss*. I love that the story is so heavy on the mc's life and development without taking too much away from the romance.

no one wishes at the snow by @neoculturetravesty | Jaehyun | 18k | M | fake marriage, single parent

Marrying for love was for the fortunate few. Marrying for love happened in fairytales and movies and dramas. Not real life. In real life, everyone married for convenience.

<Husband Jaehyun3 <3 So unique and well-written! If you're looking for a really good fic to take you on an emotional ride, this is the one!

cat & mouse by @tyonfs | Jaemin | 17.7k | M | uni au, fwb, brother's best friend, athlete/sports

rule number one of bro code states that sisters are completely off-limits, and, y/n, we just pushed that limit.

This fic is perfection, honestly. Idk why I didn't add it to this list sooner, seeing as the series was one of the first things I rb'd on this blog.

this is (not) easy. by @mrkis | Mark | 13.2k | M | uni au, fwb, bffs2l

Getting into a friends with benefits situation with your all time best friend was so (not) easy...

This is why I love the fwb trope so much. Angsty but not too angsty, and the smut scene where he makes love to y/n before trying to end things/confess. UGH. Big D Mark 4ever <3

Freaks by @2jaeh | Jaehyun | 8k | M | uni au, social difference, cheating

The campus bad girl has her eyes set on the preppy good boy, and she always gets what she wants...

Freaks: The Prequel by @2jaeh | Ten, Taeyong | 11.8k | M | uni au, fwb, revenge, 3some, mxm

A story of why the entire campus were almost certain that you Taeyong and Ten were in a poly affair. 

I adore the dynamic between TaeTenY/n, and I enjoyed reading Jae's internal struggle not only with his feelings toward mc but also with himself!!! Tbh, I get second lead syndrome from TY even though he's not meant to be a second lead, so I find myself gravitating towards the prequel, haha. 3 biases, one au. Really does it for me.

Playing the Game by @sluttyten | Taeyong | 11.7k | M | uni au, fwb, f2l, just a tiny bit angsty

Taeyong’s been your best friend for a few years now, but sometimes it gets a little hard to just be his friend. you’re at university and there’s no better time to blur that line between friends and a little bit more, to make your lives just that much more messy. 

Friends helping friends ahahah... I love his character in this a little too much and reread this fic when I'm having Taeyong brainrot. Perpetually in my TY era.

Pretty Boy by @ncteez | Mark | 9.3k | M | social differences

[Upon] realizing your grades have dropped drastically due to [your] lifestyle, you have no choice but to approach Mark for help. 

Hot nerd trope gets me weak in the knees every time LOL especially when the smut is this good *chef's kiss*

Mine too by @waithyuck | Haechan, Jaehyun | 7.5k | M | poly, mxm, 3some

Despite being in a consensual poly relationship with you and Jaehyun, Haechan is reluctant to touch you. You start to think he doesn't care for you until something switches in him after one steamy night...

My ults in a poly fic l- this was meant for me to find. Read this one multiple times and I think about it a lot because it exposed me to poly mxm and literally changed me LOL. Also, I loveeee how there's this sense of tenderness and fondness underneath the pure lust and desire between hc and mc.

In Your Arms by @sluttyten | Jaehyun, Mark | 6.5k | M | uni au/frat, fwb, are we seeing a trend with me and fwb fics???, 3some, a lil mxm, Halloween

(Part of the author's kinktober) Mark finds out you've been secretly hooking up with his and your other best friend, Jaehyun; Mark has a secret(s) of his own.

“Are you two not fucking? I thought this was an all three of us kind of thing?” THAT LINE ALMOST TOOK ME OUT I SWEAR LMAO. I keep coming back to this one ngl. The dynamics are just so unique and well done and I'm a sucker for service top Markie hehe <3

Still wondering how long those two had been at it tho... 🤔

late night driving by @jjsneo | Chenle | 5.6k | M | roommates

Chenle swears he’s going going crazy with cabin fever inside your shared house — and there’s no way you’re saying no to a late night drive with the roommate you so desperately have a crush on. who cares if his original story was a lie and, secretly, he just wanted to be alone with you.

DAMN. Chenle smut is so scarce around here, but THIS alone makes up for that, lol. I love how sweet it started out. The smut part lowkey caught me by surprise. Once again DAMN. Please read this.

amortentia (the room smells like absolute shit) by @tonicandjins | Haechan | 2.8k | hogwarts au, e2l-ish, cute stuff ♪(´ε｀*)

It’s no secret that the ongoing cat-and-mouse game between you and Slytherin House’s very own Lee Donghyuck remains unceasing from the day you and him were sorted five years ago to this day...

At the time of me reading this, I'm playing Hogwarts Legacy and am OBSESSED. On top of that, I'm a Ravenclaw, and this whole blog's aesthetic is inspired by HP (hence the dark academia). Anyway, this was really cute, and I love school crush tropes, especially when it's paired with enemies to lovers, I just- *sigh* Having knowledge of the series definitely makes this more enjoyable, as I was imagining everything happening and the surroundings.

[jksian]

what’s your favorite fanfic troupe??? 🎤

favorite fan fic troupe to read v.s write (do u prefer reading a trope more than writing that troupe or do not see any difference)

Wow, interesting!

Tbh there isn't any particular trope I like to read in general. I just like to READ, it can be anything as long as it holds my interest. hehe! :⁠-⁠)

But, usually I find it entertaining to read f2l or e2l. s2l is also okay but they gotta be friends before they started dating lol. I also likes to read whipped!mmc lmao! Like the men treats their partner like the real queen they are! Also, I like to write that too, because all my readers are queens here who deserves all the love in this world❤️

Also, forbidden love. I love to read it as well as write it.

There isn't any difference between what trope I like to read or write. Basically, I can write any trope and would love to explore those I haven't tried yet. There are so many interesting tropes out there so it's hard to pick only one of them🥴

What's your favourite trope to read?

[daechwitatamic]

Hiiiii Jo 😌 I'd like to know about jemisin and yoon, thank youuuu!

jemisin ⇢ what is your favorite AU to write? I think college!au but I love to mix tropes! I'm trying to work my way through - I've done coworkers, s2l, f2l, ex2l, roomies, neighbors, and best friend's brother is in the works. What should I do next? I feel like fake dating is calling my name..... hmm.....

yoon ⇢ what are some of your favorite stories (on tumblr)? urrrghhh don't do this to me meg it'll take one hundred years!!!!

I'm just gonna shout a lot of author names bc I can't pick @sailoryooons @here2bbtstrash @yoongiphoria @jeonqkooks @magicshopaholic @casuallyimagining @gimmethatagustd @ugh-yoongi @luaspersona @ohharrow @oddinary4bts @kookstempo @kth1fics @taegularities IF I FORGOT ANYONE I AM SO SORRY I HAVE A TINY PEA BRAIN LIKE A GOLDFISH!!!!!!

--

Authors Asks!! Ask away!!

[slytherinshua]

silly little fics creating more silly little fics, that is what i call magic fr, this is so funny, anyways tysm once again, also i am working on a bit longer shua fic, i will link it in an ask when posted if you are curious, it will be fluffy friends to something more (ofc lovers) with a possible second part👀

caratblr is just a silly little place </3 oooo that sounds exciting!! def link it i'd love to read it f2l is one of my favorite tropes 🥹 and with shua 🥹

[fairyhaos]

squeeee helu im back (>᎑<๑)/♡ good morning when u see this yena ( ˘͈ ᵕ ˘͈♡)

so shua being rosy pink. u r the only correct person actually. i never rly thought about him being pink but it fits him so well 'm gonna cry ! ! n i was so looking forward to this post bcs remember when u told me that shua’s n hannie’s colours (silver n pastel pink) rly align w the colours you have for the both of them ? it didn't make a lot of sense then but wahh this is so beautiful n i can't even begin to tell u how u hit the mark w joshua. especially here: "he's rosy pink, like new love, like young love, like precious love" like first of all my gosh that was so sweet ! ! it made me smile so big (＾▽＾) so so cute !

to me shua is someone who is impossible not to fall in luv with,,, n i think he's truly made for the (childhood) friends to lovers trope so i love how u focused on warmth, tenderness, n youthful love. it's so fitting n he rly is the embodiment of rosy pink ! ! n the rest of ur piece too rahhh 'm obsessed w ur writing i wish i could eat it ૮₍ ˃ ⤙ ˂ ₎ა also i think it was 🍒 anon that was like shua's rly lucky to have someone thinks about him like you do n wahh i couldn't agree more,,, i felt the luv bleed thru all ur words <3

this post ended up being one of my faves (along w cheol, hannie and hansol's,,, maybe even hao and dokyeom bwesjehsj) but has anyone requested for jun or jihoon ? ? 'm so curious about what colours they're going to be heh >:3 ooo also lmk if you wanna read my silver piece ? it's a lil goofy rip but i would luv to hear ur thoughts on it (∩˃o˂∩)★

-🎐

aaa hellooo my lovely wind chime anon i hope your day is going well ^^

hehe oh my god you're the sweetest pls thanku sm !! haha yeah i was kinda talking about the fact that the colours you wrote for them were switched with what i thought 😭 so for me hannie was silver/diamond and shua was the pink one!

joshua is a very... a very light person to me? it sounds weird when i put it like that but he's just kind of floaty, kind of like youth and with a spring in his step and all those bright, youthful phrases and all. he def feels very friends to lovers :(( or even lovely stranger to friends to lovers omg !! the childhood f2l is reserved in my brain for junhui haha but you are very very right that it can fit him soooo well <3

wind chime anon i am So sad can you hear me crying oml both you and cherry anon are just. just so so sweet 💔 that seriously touches me to hear because i do just cherish that man so much (sigh)(sometimes i wonder why 🙄/j) and that just makes me so happy to hear :(

shu is just vv rosy pink to me and his, mingyu's, cheol's and hao's are the ones i can see most clearly but honestly,,, same jhdhhd im also just particularly in love w the ones you picked out!! i probably told you already haha but jeonghan was so hard for me to see but then it just CLICKED and his became one of my favorites

someone requested jun about a week ago i think? so i have his written and woozi's has just been requested the other day so ill get to writing that soon ^^

and duh is that even a question OFC ID LOVE TO READ IT GIMMEEEEE haha i hope you're doing well lovely!! <33

[here4kpopfics]

🎀hot pink, pastel pink, & pink magnolia!🎀

hot pink— what’s your favorite relationship trope?

to write? f2l but that's probably bc it's all i've written. 🙈

pastel pink— do you prefer to dress up and go out or stay in and relax?

stay in and relax. i'd love to dress up and go out, but i'd need friends to do that and also someone to tell me what to wear. and force me to wear it when i try to just go back to jeans and a shirt.

pink magnolia— would you say that you develop crushes quickly?

shockingly, no. there have been some people where i'm like jkgkdfgnkdfg they make me nervous, but it's never gone beyond that. the ONE and ONLY time i had a crush was on someone who was a friend for threeish years (because he's a friend of my sister's. i'm pretty sure they had a thing.) and we finally got to a point where he'd stop by late at night after work and we'd literally sit in his car and talk and listen to music and we went to a concert together and played overwatch and borderlands every other night. and when i FINALLY told him i had a crush he gave me a hug (said nothing) and went home. ghosted me for three months, came back when there was a borderlands update. ghosted again for three months. came back when there was another update. ghosted AGAIN for a few weeks. but when he tried to reach out, i ghosted him. that was my only crush and this all happened at the end of 2019. i was 25. we ain't confessing feelings ever again.

pink themed asks

[dontaskmemybias]

Ryder's Lee Know Recommendations

One Shots

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Lost in translation @moonjxsung When the older brother of the baby you sit for starts opening up to you what will come next? A heartwarming story filled with some of my favorite trope. Highly recommend.

Slow mode @gimmeurtmi Such a wholesome fic about bf Lee Know comforting you (emotionally and physically) after a long hard day. What better way to shut your brain off?

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Cat and mouse @hyunnie04 Enemies to lovers fic with a wily grandmother added into the mix. I'm obsessed. This fic was way too good and I've read it way too many times.

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Series

The Experience Project Masterlist @leeknowsallyoursecrets Enemies to lovers do it for the experience series filled with angst, smut, and all the goodies. There are some spin-offs in the making for the other characters because they are all so good and well thought out. I don't normally read series but damn this was good.

[edgaralienpoe]

THIS SHIT WAS TOO GOOD

friends to lovers is one of my favorite tropes: the development of the relationship into something more, when they pretend thar they don't actually feel something, everything is beautiful!! The execution of all that here was amazing.

I liked their humour, how much they knew each other, everything. I love these characters <33333

mingyu coming in the middle of the proposal and being like wtf, had me rolling. I still laugh when I think about it. also them hanging out with friends after getting married was such a f2l thing to do, even tho the marriage was fake <33333333

AND IM SO POOR I FEEL YN FOR MARRYING TO NOT BE IN DEBT IS SO RELATABLE.

Jeonghan’s Guide to Insurance Fraud (And Falling in Love)

reader x jeonghan

summary: your best friend offers a way for you to get your wisdom teeth removed without going into debt. the only catch? you can’t fall in love

genre: fluff, angst, non-idol au, elementary school teacher!jeonghan, f2L, fake relationship

warnings: swearing (jihoon needs soap), one suggestive joke?, mentions of insecurities??? (is that a warning)

wc: 11.2k

a/n: this story (probably obviously) is based on the fact that i have aged out of my parents dental and i still have my wisdom teeth and this gives me anxiety - if you live somewhere with actually decent healthcare what’s it like 😭 (we can call this 100 follower special sure yeah uh huh)

“Marry me.” 

You eyed Jeonghan from across the couch. Having been friends with him since childhood, you knew what it looked like when he was going to say something completely insane. The corners of his mouth would turn up (as if even he knew how ridiculous what he was saying was), his eyes would glint with mischief, and when he was really messing with you, he’d sit back and fold his arms. 

The thing was, he wasn’t doing any of that now. 

It’s only because you knew him so well that you realized he was actually nervous, blinking just a little bit more than usual and popping his knuckles. 

“You’re serious?” You finally said. 

He shrugged, feigning nonchalance as he leaned back against the arm of the couch. “It’s a solution.” 

“It’s marriage, Jeonghan,” you said. “It’s not something you do on a whim.” 

“It’s not a whim,” he said, rolling his eyes. “I thought it through. You’d be able to get your teeth out without going into debt.” He poked your left cheek, almost to your jaw, as if he could reach your teeth. 

“But marriage? That’s like—a whole commitment and everything,” you sputtered. “You don’t just marry someone for insurance!” 

He shrugged. “Why not? It’s half the reason I took this job and my wisdom teeth have already been taken out. I need to make full use of it!” He knocked his knee against yours. “We’ll get divorced as soon as your teeth are fine. Don’t you want to do something fun and stupid?” 

“Fun and stupid is for people that didn’t lose their parents’ dental insurance,” you said with a sigh that even you knew was dramatic. 

“And this is a solution to that!” Jeonghan paused. “You really won’t even consider it?” 

You turned to him, seeing how earnest he was. For whatever reason, he really believed in this. “Why? What does this do for you?” 

“Contrary to what you and Seokmin think, not everything I do is give and take,” Jeonghan said. He placed a hand on your wrist, warm and familiar. “Yn, you are my best friend, and I want to help. I can help, I have a legitimate solution. If you want.” 

For the first time, you actually contemplated it. Fake marrying Jeonghan wouldn’t change anything. He’d still be the idiot you met in elementary school that somehow convinced you for an entire year that humans came from Mars, and who had talked you into joining the Shakespeare Club in high school before abandoning you to join the soccer team. And he’d still be the first person you’d called when your first boyfriend had broken up with you and you needed a shoulder to cry on, the person who kept you up all night so you could write your final paper last minute your senior year, the first person you hugged when you finally graduated college. 

“I’m not marrying anyone that doesn’t ask properly,” you said, not quite able to hide your smile. It was quickly wiped away when he slid off the couch, kneeling in front of you and scooping your hands into his. He looked up at you without a hint of a lie, his smile hesitant and nervous. 

“Yn, my love.” He paused for dramatic effect. It wasn’t the first time he’d called you ‘my love,’ but it was different when he was immersed in the act of a man in love, making your heart skip a beat. “Would you please consider marrying me?” 

You were tempted to say yes right away, your heart beating much louder than it should have considering it was just Jeonghan and not an actual proposal. You opened your mouth to answer, but the door flew open and Mingyu walked in. You whirled around to see him, Jeonghan’s hands still wrapped around yours. 

Jeonghan’s roommate clearly had walked in without looking, now frozen with his bag hanging in his hands and one shoe half off. “I can come back.” 

“No need!” You said, as he tried unsuccessfully to wiggle his foot back into his shoe. “Jeonghan was just proposing.” 

“Oh, is that all,” Mingyu said. You were tempted to keep the joke going but you were a little worried at Mingyu’s frown, a mixture of shock and concern. 

“He’s just trying to marry me so that I can get my wisdom teeth out,” you said. “It’s just insurance fraud.” 

“Oh, is that all,” Mingyu repeated, sounding rather disappointed. He finally shut the door behind him, tossing his bag into a corner and taking his shoes fully off. “Don’t let me interrupt.” You watched him cross the room, barely glancing at you and Jeonghan, and disappear into his room. 

Jeonghan squeezed your hands to get your attention again. “So? How about it?” 

You smiled. “Sure. On one condition.” 

.

.

You would have had a lot more fun if the waiter wasn’t still staring at you. It was starting to get uncomfortable. Since you sat down, you hadn’t felt him look away, his eyes burning into you throughout the entire meal. 

You wondered if Jeonghan even noticed, sitting across from you and frowning at the menu. You tapped his foot under the table and he finally looked up and smiled at the man. 

“Are you ready for dessert?” The waiter took his eyes off of you and you finally felt like you could breathe again. Some of it was your own fault. As Jeonghan ordered, you decided that it had been your idea and you couldn’t really be mad at him for being oblivious to your discomfort. It wasn’t like you were actually on a date. 

“Anything else?” The waiter turned back to you and you tried your best not to squirm under his gaze. It felt like he was trying to undress you with his eyes. You wished you had worn a jacket and less form-fitting clothes. 

Jeonghan reached across the table and squeezed your hand, making the waiter shift his eyes away from you for a moment. You glanced at your fake date and he smiled. 

“We’re good, thank you,” you said, not taking your eyes off Jeonghan. You waited until you heard his footsteps leading away before you sighed in relief, letting go of Jeonghan’s hand. 

“What is up with that guy?” You muttered. 

“We’re almost out of here,” Jeonghan said. “We can bail if you want, though.” 

You shook your head. “I want to see the look on his face when we walk out of here.” 

Jeonghan laughed. That was why you were best friends. You understood the little voice in his head that whispered about petty comebacks so well because it sounded a lot like yours. 

“So,” he said louder. You realized he was starting, fixing any stray hairs that had wandered into your face and sitting up a little straighter. “We’ve been together for a long time.” You nodded, smiling and finding it easy to pretend to hang on to every word as if you were in love. “Yn, you have been by my side through the most important parts of my life. I can’t imagine my future without you in it. Even before we were dating, I always knew it was going to be me and you.” 

He paused, stepping out of his chair to kneel on the hard tile floor, reaching into his suit jacket and pulling out a box. He opened it, revealing the simple gold band you had picked out together. With his free hand, he found yours, squeezing your fingers gently. 

“Yn, will you please marry me?” 

Your hand flew to your mouth, as you stood up, sputtering his name, trying to pretend like a flustered date, buying time so you could blink out the real tears in your eyes. Teaching those children was making him too good of a liar. 

“Yes,” you finally said. “Of course yes.” His smile was so big as he slid the ring onto your finger that you knew you had the entire restaurant fooled, maybe even yourself. There was applause when he pulled you into a hug, and you wondered if you were supposed to be this excited about a fake marriage. 

You caught a glimpse of a uniform out of the corner of your eye and had a terrible idea. You pulled away until your face was only inches away from his, playing with the lapels of his suit jacket while his hands came to rest at your waist as if this were natural. 

“You wanna kiss?” You asked softly. You were, perhaps, a little too entertained by how wide his eyes got, his hands suddenly tight. “It’ll be funny,” you said, leaning a little bit closer. “And I think it’ll look really weird if we don’t do it now because it really looks like we’re about to kiss.” 

He stared at you, glancing at your lips then back to your eyes. You realized that this was the closest you’d ever been to him, in all your years of friendship. Your breath hitched as he leaned forward, and you closed your eyes. 

Just when you were beginning to think he chickened out, you felt his lips on yours, a gentle and chaste kiss that was supposed to end in a heartbeat. Your hands curled into the fabric of his jacket as you leaned closer, chasing him before he could pull away. For a moment, he didn’t react. Then he was kissing you back and you forgot what you were supposed to be worried about.

You were both breathing heavily when he finally pulled away. You felt a little light headed, grateful he didn’t let go of your waist as you tried to remember why you had been kissing your best friend, and why it felt so good. 

“I can’t wait to marry you,” he said, reaching a hand up to brush some hair out of your face. Right. Marriage. Fake marriage. You finally pushed out of his arms, sitting back in your seat, though you kept your dazed smile. 

“Congratulations,” the older couple sitting at the table next to you said. “You two make a lovely young couple.” 

“Thank you,” you said. 

“Take it from someone who’s been married for fifty-one years,” the man said, “the only right way to do marriage is to find someone that loves you and hold on to them.” 

You smiled at them, feeling a little guilty that you weren’t really getting married. You did love Jeonghan, though not in the sense that he meant. 

“It’s been fifty two years, dear.” 

The man frowned. “No, I counted this morning.” 

“Well, you counted wrong.” 

You turned back to Jeonghan as they continued to bicker, raising your eyebrows. He smiled, picking up your left hand that now bore the “engagement” ring, running his thumb over your fingers. The kiss was messing with your head, that was why your heart was pounding at such a simple movement. 

You sat in idle silence as Jeonghan laced your fingers together and you both eavesdropped on the fighting couple next to you. For a couple moments, it was nice, and you let yourself pretend you really were engaged. You wondered what it would be like to be so certain in your love that you would commit to every day with them. Maybe you were just young, but you couldn’t imagine the strength of that love. Except maybe you could, because you knew for a fact that your future held Jeonghan. And Seokmin, and Seungcheol, and Mingyu, and all of your friends. They were fixtures in your life even if it was a different kind of love. 

Jeonghan tapped your hand, bringing you out of your daydream. “Free dessert incoming.” You turned around and saw a waiter, not the one who had been staring at you, carrying a large slice of cake with a candle in it. 

“Congratulations!” He said, setting it on the table. “Please enjoy your dessert complimentary as a sign of our hope your love will be everlasting!” His enthusiasm was fake but the free dessert was all you cared about anyways, the entire reason you had Jeonghan propose a second time. 

You cut into the cake, excited to see if it really was as good as the reviews said. The fork was halfway to your mouth before you paused, smiling at Jeonghan. He seemed to know exactly what you were thinking, rolling his eyes but opening his mouth. You leaned over the table, delivering the cake directly into his mouth. You tried not to think about his lips as you pulled the fork back, remembering how they felt against yours. 

You quickly cut your own piece, focusing on the sweet chocolate. It really was delicious, definitely worth the fake engagement. You savored each bite, not daring to look at Jeonghan for fear of your thoughts betraying you again. 

The cake was finished quickly, leaving you full and suddenly nervous with nothing to look at other than Jeonghan. Since when did he make you nervous? 

Because you weren’t looking at him, you didn’t notice him lean forward, and nearly jumped when his fingers brushed against your chin, thumb rubbing against the corner of your lips. 

“You had some chocolate on your face, idiot,” he said, dropping his hand and leaning back. It’s because you haven’t been on a date in a while, you decided. That’s why the simplest actions from Jeonghan were making your heart flutter. 

“Thanks,” you mumbled, trying to see if the waiter carrying a check was headed your way. 

You hoped the awkwardness would go away after a few minutes, but even after Jeonghan paid (and stared down the waiter) and you both walked to his car, you couldn’t think of anything to say to break the awkward tension. It was as if you had forgotten everything you had ever spoken about, your mind completely blank. 

You sat in the front seat of his car, tapping your fingers on the armrest and looking anywhere but at your best friend. You tried to remember the last time you had been with him and didn’t have anything to say. How did you normally act around him? Make fun of his driving? Tease him about…Well, usually about his lack of a love life but you were definitely not bringing that up now. 

You were relieved when his phone rang, saving you from spewing any of the awkward conversation starters you were coming up with. Jeonghan answered with his fancy steering wheel button, making you reminisce about the days when you would have to answer for him. Sometimes you missed his old car, as beat up and shitty as it was. 

“You bastard.” You grinned at Jihoon’s greeting. 

“Hi, Jihoon, my night is going great, how’s yours?” 

“Hi Jihoon!” You said so that he’d know you were there too. 

“How dare you fucking leave me?” Jihoon said. “You heartless, spineless, dickless, motherfucker.” 

Jeonghan laughed. “I see the dance went well.” You stifled your giggle. You’ve met Jeonghan’s work friends a couple times, though this is the first time you’ve experienced Jihoon’s full wrath (Jeonghan has told you many times how scary the man could be and you’ve seen firsthand that he has not skipped gym day in years). 

“I sent Joshua,” Jeonghan said. “It couldn’t have been that bad.” 

“Yeah that bastard is next, he switched too,” Jihoon said. “I had to chaperone with motherfucking Seungkwan.” 

“Oh come on, it couldn’t have been that bad,” Jeonghan says. “Seungkwan is nice.” 

“You better have a good goddamn excuse.” You could hear Jihoon’s glare. “Any second I wasn’t dealing with a kid crying bc they couldn’t get a goddamn muffin or pissed their pants I was listening to that fucking idiot gush about how cute the kids are. I haven’t had a second to hear my own fucking thoughts.” 

“Stop laughing!” You said. “Green light, dumbass!” Jeonghan wiped a couple tears from his eyes and stepped on the gas before the cars behind you honked. 

“Yn?” Jihoon seemed to finally realize you were there. 

“Yeah, I’m with Jeonghan, he’s driving,” you said. 

“Are you the reason that motherfucker ditched me tonight?” He asked. You wondered if it was safe to answer the question, but, catching a glimpse of the ring on your finger glinting under the passing streetlight, you realized you had a perfectly good reason. 

“Well, we did get engaged,” you said. 

Jihoon was silent. Jeonghan’s head whipped to you for a moment before turning back to the road. When you winked at him, it took him a moment to return a smile. 

“Took you long enough,” Jihoon finally said. 

“It’s not an actual engagement,” Jeonghan said, rolling his eyes at your groan. “Yn just wanted free dessert.” 

“You canceled on me because you scammed a restaurant?” Jihoon sounded pissed again. 

“We could have kept that going so much longer,” you muttered as Jihoon began to curse him out again. Jeonghan pulled into your driveway, leaving the engine on. 

“I’ll see you on Monday, Jihoon,” Jeonghan said. 

“Yeah, looking forward to it,” Jihoon said. You frowned as the call disconnected. 

“I think he might be planning your murder,” you said. 

Jeonghan laughed. “Yeah, you’re probably right. I’ll just call Joshua and make sure he’s there to witness it.” 

“I’m pretty sure it’ll just end up being a double homicide,” you said. “Is it weird that I’m a little scared of him?” 

“It’s a common reaction,” he said. “You get used to it, especially when you see him with the kids. He’s an entirely different person.” 

Just like you, you thought, barely catching yourself before you said it out loud. You saw Jeonghan exactly once at school, picking up a work paper he’d accidentally taken with him when he was grading at your dinner table, and immediately forgot to be mad because you got to spy on him teaching in front of a bunch of eight year olds who were actually listening to him. He might have been your best friend, but even you couldn’t deny the way he could make the entire class burst into giggles with just a wink was at least a tiny bit adorable. 

You looked at him now, dark hair getting so long it was falling over his eyes. As he reached a hand back to try (and fail) to tuck it behind his ear, you remembered how they pressed into your waist when you kissed. You pushed the horrible thoughts away, realizing you had been quiet for way too long. 

“I’ll go inside now,” you said, opening the door. You turned around as you got out, facing him. “Thank you for indulging me tonight.” 

His eyes flitted between the ring on your finger and back to your eyes. “You know I love free food just as much as you.” 

You laughed. “Thank you anyways.” You chewed on your lip for a moment before adding, “Seriously, thank you. I… I really don’t know what I’d do without you.” 

He blinked before smiling. “You’d probably let Soonyoung pull out the teeth with pliers.” 

“Oh my god, I totally would,” you said, covering your mouth. “You’re saving me from complete mutilation!” You both laughed, though it faded quickly and you found yourself lingering at the door. 

“Goodnight, yn,” Jeonghan said softly. 

You take a step back, returning his smile. “Goodnight, future husband.” You closed the door on him, though you didn’t miss how he rolled his eyes. 

He waited for you to get inside before he finally drove off, headlights flashing in the windows then disappearing as you watched him drive down the street. You stayed standing by the window for too long, staring at the street long after his car was gone. 

.

.

You found yourself in the front seat of his car again, clutching the piece of paper. It felt… flimsy. You turned to Jeonghan, who had been about to start the engine. 

“That was ridiculously easy, right?” 

He shrugged. You agreed to dress up today, and Jeonghan had decided to wear a suit which made it very hard for you to look at him and think properly but you were doing your best to ignore that. 

“It’s not like it’s a green card marriage,” he said, turning the key and starting the engine. “Plus we’ve been friends for so long I don’t think they’d be able to ask anything we couldn’t answer.” 

You sat back against the chair, still unsatisfied for some reason. A courthouse marriage wasn’t exactly romantic, but you reminded yourself this relationship wasn’t romantic. Still, you thought being married would feel different. 

“So, what do married people do?” You asked. 

“Seatbelt,” Jeonghan said, tapping your leg. You ignored the shivers that traveled down your spine. He turned back to the wheel, though he didn’t put the car into gear until your seatbelt clicked. “I don’t know, get groceries? Run errands?” 

“We do that all the time anyways,” you said, frowning. 

“You do remember that this is a fake marriage, right?” Jeonghan asked. 

You rolled your eyes. “Yes, I am well aware of that. I just thought that this might feel… I don’t know, different.” You held up the piece of paper. “Even if it isn’t actually real, this still legally links us together and that’s kind of monumental.” 

“Are you getting nostalgic on me already?” 

You stared out the window, watching the trees pass by. Maybe you were. You couldn’t help but remember when Jeonghan first got his license, six months before you could get yours. You spent so much time in the passenger seat of that rundown vehicle, seeing him nearly every day. 

You both had grown up. Well, Jeonghan had, with an actual adult job (complete with benefits!). You were still working a part time job and struggling to figure out what you wanted and spending every day terrified that you might never find out what that is. Sitting in his front seat, you wondered if you would ever know. 

“I don’t know,” you finally said. “I just want to do something fun today.” 

“Don’t tell me you want to scam another poor restaurant,” Jeonghan said. “We’ll never be able to go there again.” 

“I didn’t say anything like that!” You said. 

“Then what is something fun?” Jeonghan asked. It was a Monday and he had gone straight from work to the courthouse. You realized he was probably tired and wanted to go home and be done with the day. 

“Laying in bed and taking a nap?” 

“We’ve been married for like twenty minutes and you’re already trying to get me in bed?” Jeonghan whistled. “That’s low even for you.” 

You smacked his arm. “I literally said taking a nap.” 

“Well if you’re not going to suggest anything, then I will,” he said. You frowned at him, but it quickly turned into a grin when you heard his suggestion. 

An hour later you were wearing cheap plastic armor and held a phaser to your chest. You glared at Jeonghan from across the room. He raised his eyebrows and you knew he was saying, good luck with that. 

It had been a little concerning how quickly you and Jeonghan were able to round up friends for laser tag. It was always a struggle to find a date to meet up with everyone but a random Monday afternoon and a last minute invitation somehow managed to bring over half your friends together. 

On your team was Seungcheol, Jun, and Chan, while Jeonghan had Mingyu, Jihoon, and Soonyoung. A fair enough split, in your opinion (you learned years ago that as long as Jeonghan and Seungcheol weren't on the same team it was fair). Chan and Jihoon would both have to prove themselves, the only two invited that hadn’t been friends with you and Jeonghan since high school.  

The “safety instructor,” a kid that couldn’t be older than seventeen, finally finished explaining the rules and the group split up on opposite sides of the arena to begin the battle. 

“Okay, listen up,” Seungcheol said, rounding the group up. His competitiveness hadn’t changed since high school. “I’ll die before I lose to Mingyu and Jeonghan. Keep your eye out for them, Soonyoung is Soonyoung, we don’t have to worry about him, but Jihoon is a wildcard and I don’t trust him, he looks like he’s wielded a gun before.”

“Is it really this deep?” Chan asked you a little too loud. Seungcheol rounded on him. 

“Listen up kid,” he said, ignoring Chan’s protest that he was only a couple years younger. “This is about honor. Respect. This is war, and I’ll be damned if I lose.” 

“Did he watch Braveheart last night or something?” Jun whispered in your ear. You shrugged, adrenaline already pumping through your veins. It had been so long since you’ve gotten to do something fun. 

“Alright, yn and I should split up since we’re the only ones who have a chance at taking down Jeonghan, so Chan, you’re with me, Jun either stick to yn or find high ground.” 

Chan yelped as Seungcheol dragged him to the far entrance. “Why am I with you?” 

“I don’t trust you not to die,” Seungcheol said. 

“Dude, we met today,” Chan said. 

You glanced between Jun and the bickering boys. “Should I save him?” 

He shrugged. “He looks like he can handle it.” 

“You’re still mad that he finished the popcorn when I invited him to movie night.” 

“If he can handle Seungcheol’s wrath he can be invited again,” Jun said. “Otherwise I don’t trust your ‘work friend.’” 

“Oh my god, I can have friends other than you guys,” you said, pushing him to the middle entrance. “Go be a sniper, I don’t want to deal with your sulking more than I’ve already had to put up with.” 

Jun laughed, letting himself get pushed into position as you took the opposite side, already mapping out your plan of attack. From the little map they gave you, it hadn’t changed much since the last time you had been here, though it had been years. You smiled, remembering the last time you had dominated the competition. Jeonghan had been on your team that time, and there was a huge argument about whether that team was unfair. 

You took a deep breath as the countdown dropped to five seconds. You had a reputation to uphold and a husband to destroy. 

Three. 

Two. 

One. 

You were moving as soon as the doors opened, blinking through the machine-generated fog and advancing down the right side of the arena, to where you knew an outpost would be. You could hear Jun’s light footsteps in the catwalks above you, though they soon vanished as he turned to the middle of the map. 

You peered into the darkness, looking for any flash of the green light that signified your enemy but found nothing. You got to the tower, pulsing white light that you shot down before it could damage you. Your armor blinked once, twice, then faded, and a two minute timer began counting down on your phaser. Two minutes of invisibility. You grinned. 

You crept along the side, taking extra care to be quiet. Finally, you caught your first glimpse of a victim, a flash of green light a few paths to your left. You ducked behind a pillar to follow, stepping out and taking a shot. Your phaser buzzed with victory, and you darted back before your victim could spot you and expose your invisibility. 

You moved quickly, glancing at your phaser to see you had gotten Soonyoung. An easy kill, but it made you smile anyways. You were nearly across the arena now, and decided to climb up and see if you could get a better angle for the arena. You knew there was another outpost nearby and heard the unmistakable clanging of someone fighting it. After a couple seconds it stopped, and you guessed it meant someone else had a power too. 

From above, you spotted another green light, taking the shot before it could vanish and feeling the satisfaction of another buzz. You heard Jihoon curse and smiled, ducking behind a wall before he could see you. 

“Fuck you, yn,” he said. 

“Language!” You called back, laughing as he cursed at you again. 

You started to cross a bridge but froze when Jun appeared from the other side, pointing behind him. 

“Jeonghan has unlimited ammo,” he said, ducking behind a barrier. You step behind a wall just as Jeonghan comes into sight. He didn’t see you, but he must have known you were nearby from Jun’s warning. 

“Oh yn,” he called in a sing-song voice. “I know you’re out there.” You still had a chance. He knew you were there, but he didn’t know that you were invisible (for 30 more seconds), which meant he was looking for a blue light. You figured it would give you a couple seconds of surprise and maybe you’d get a good shot off before him. 

You heard Jun groan as he got shot and knew this was your only chance. You stepped out raising your phaser before you spotted him, aiming at nothing- nothing- nothing- then at the bright green light at the end of his phaser as he turned to face you. 

You didn’t hesitate to pull the trigger. 

You felt the buzz of your phaser and cheered as Jeonghan’s armor blinked. 

“All these years and you still can’t beat me,” you said with a laugh, crossing the bridge to gloat over him. He rolled his eyes. 

“I can’t believe you’re using the same strategies,” he said. You passed him, walking backwards because you didn’t dare turn your back on him. 

“And yet they still work!” You grinned, until you felt a new buzz, your armor blinking. You whipped around, finally finding Jihoon standing below you with a smirk. 

“Oh fuck you,” you said. You ignored the laughter you heard from both Jihoon and Jeonghan, retreating to hide until your armor recovered and you were back in the game. 

You could hear Seungcheol and Chan bickering from somewhere to your right, followed by Mingyu’s shout as they apparently managed to take him down. Once your armor was glowing blue again, you ventured out, taking extra care to be aware of your surroundings. You stayed on the floor, making sure to check above you for any green light. 

You were able to take out Soonyoung two more times, Mingyu once, and you nearly got Jihoon a second time but Jun got to him first. Though there was only a minute and a half of the game left, you were determined to catch Jeonghan one more time, listening for his laugh, then for his coughing as the fog machines billowed out giant clouds. 

You were all the way around to the entrance you had come in through, the fog making it difficult to see any farther than a couple feet in front of you, which seemed like a safety hazard to you. You moved slowly, trying to pick out any light in the darkness. 

“Hands up.” His voice came from behind you. You cursed, raising your hands in the air. “Turn around.” 

“Just shoot me already,” you said. 

“I want to see your face when I beat you,” he said. “Come on.” 

You turned to face Jeonghan, rolling your eyes at his satisfied smile. “Are you going to shoot me yet?” 

“No, I’m going to enjoy this moment,” he said. You knew he was running down the clock so that you had less time to get revenge. It didn’t make it any less annoying. 

“You’d really shoot me?” You gave him your best betrayed look. “When we were married today? Only a few hours ago?” 

“Save it, you didn’t hesitate when you shot me,” he said, phaser trained at your chest where the blue light gleamed. You caught a glimpse of something behind him, a flash of blue light. 

“I regretted that,” you said, stifling a laugh. “Give me a chance to redeem myself.” 

Jeonghan paused and for a moment you thought he was actually considering it, eyes turning soft. “Fat chance-” 

His armor buzzed and flashed. 

“Who the-”

You bursted into laughter with Seungcheol as Jeonghan turned to face him. You had caught a glimpse of him while begging for your life and somehow managed to keep your face straight until he was in range. Chan trailed behind him, smiling but looking slightly concerned at the pure glee that you and Seungcheol shared. 

Jeonghan glared at you, turning the corner without a word as you high-fived Seungcheol. 

“I owe you,” you said. 

“Ready to hunt down the rest of them?” He cocked his head to the arena. “We still have a minute.” 

“Sure, I could go for a new record with Soonyoung,” you said. 

“Take the right side again, Chan go up and meet up with Jun, I’ll take the left,” Seungcheol said. Chan saluted him, though you didn’t miss him shaking his head as he climbed the stairs. He’d fit right in. 

You got Mingyu one more time just before the timer ran out, then all of the lights on your armor flickered and turned off, the arena lights turning on. You grinned at him, bumping your shoulder into his. 

“You nearly got me that time,” you said. 

“Whatever,” he said. “I still don’t think it’s fair that you got to team with Seungcheol.” 

“Would you rather me and Jeonghan were together again?” 

Mingyu hesitated. When you turned to face him, his brow was furrowed. 

“What’s wrong?” 

“You and Jeonghan are really married?” 

You held up your left hand, gold band still sitting. You hadn’t taken it off since the night he proposed. “Apparently.” 

Mingyu was quiet as you walked beside him, still frowning. 

“Okay, spill.” 

“Spill?” 

“Whatever’s wrong,” you said. “Clearly you don’t approve of me and Jeonghan, so tell me why.” 

“It’s complicated,” he said with a sigh. You stopped him just before the exit. 

“Jeonghan said it was fine, but if it’s messing up something in his life, I want to know.” You waited until he met your eyes. “He’s my best friend, you know I wouldn’t want to do anything that hurts him.” Mingyu stared at his feet and didn’t answer you. 

“Is there someone else? Someone he should be dating for real?” You were surprised at how difficult it was to say, the words leaving a foul taste in your mouth. 

Mingyu tilted his head. “Something like that.” 

It was your turn to frown. Jeonghan had dated plenty of people before and it had never bothered you. You even liked most of them, until things inevitably went wrong. Why did the idea of him having feelings for someone feel so… wrong? 

“Oh.” 

“Are you lost?” You heard Seungcheol shout. You followed Mingyu out, trying to find your smile again. Even when you saw your name at the top of the leaderboard, it was hard to really smile. 

“As expected,” you forced yourself to gloat over Jeonghan, dropping beside him on the bench. He was taking off his armor, and didn’t react to your shoulder pressed against his.  

“You’ll get ‘em next time, champ,” you said, patting his knee. He shook his head, watching Seungcheol and Mingyu argue. 

“Hey,” you said. He turned to face you, and maybe it was the way the sunlight filtering through the windows made him glow or maybe it was just the way he looked at you, but you forgot what you were going to say. 

“What is it?” He asked with a little frown. 

You blinked, trying to push the weird feelings away. “You’re a simp.” 

Jeonghan scoffed. “Since when?” 

“Since you had an easy shot and let me live,” you said. “Seriously, marriage has made you soft.” 

“You think that’s why I didn’t shoot?” He asked. He laughed at your frown. “Oh, yn,” he said, throwing an arm over your shoulder and pulling you close to him. “You may have won the game and you may have beaten me, but you betrayed your husband, and for that you at least owe me dinner.” 

“You’re so full of it,” you said, but you didn’t push him off. “You would have executed me.” 

“I’m hurt,” he said, patting his chest. “You shot me, right here. It still hurts, I’d never do that to you!” 

You rolled your eyes but you leaned into his embrace, tucking your head onto his shoulder. You remembered what Mingyu said, about his heart belonging to someone else and it sent a pang through your heart. Whoever that person was, they were going to be very lucky. Once you got out of the way. 

.

.

Your teeth hurt. Actually, your whole face ached. You struggled to open your eyes, finally managing to pry them open only to squint them closed because the lights were so bright. 

“Ah, you’re awake,” a calm voice said. You frowned at the blurry shape standing over you. “I’ll get your pick-up person.” The nice voice disappeared, leaving you to blink alone. 

They weren’t gone for long, returning with another figure that was familiar. 

“Jeonghan!” You tried to say, except there was gross stuff in your mouth making it difficult to make sounds. 

“Hey toothless,” he said, stopping beside you. He glanced at the nice-voice, who you were pretty sure was some sort of nurse since they were wearing bright green scrubs, then picked up your hand and held it. “How are you feeling?” 

“Mouf hurt,” you said. Jeonghan laughed, squeezing your hand. 

“We’ll get out of here and pick up your prescription, how’s that sound?” 

You nodded. You couldn’t tell if the tingly feeling spreading through your body was the anesthesia wearing off or from Jeonghan beside you. You stared at him, studying his face, eyebrows, nose, jawline, everything. Had he always been so handsome? 

You didn’t turn away when he caught you staring. He seemed to think it was funny, smiling down at you. Since when was his smile so sweet? 

The nice-voice nurse returned. “Okay, yn, you should be good to go, we just have a little paperwork for your husband to fill out.” 

“Huthband?” You tried to say. “I don’t have a huthband.” 

The nurse laughed. “I’m sure you can’t forget marrying someone like him.” You followed their finger, pointing at Jeonghan. 

You frowned at him for a moment, then laughed. “Jeonghan ithn’t my huthband.” 

You frowned at him as he shook his head, patting your hair. “I guess we know how well you handle anesthesia, dear.” 

Dear? You kept staring at him but the nurse handed him paperwork and he seemed to think that meant it was the end of the conversation. He let go of your hand to fill out, which made you frown even more, reaching a hand to rest on his arm. He glanced at you and shook his head at your pout. 

He scribbled on the paper, frowning a couple times but finally put the clipboard down, turning to you. He smiled at you, a warm, fond smile. Is that how married people looked at each other? You tried to return it but your swollen, gauze-filled mouth made it impossible. 

“Let’s go,” he said, returning his hand to yours. You let him pull you to your feet, leaning into his shoulder until the dizziness passed, and then you kept leaning on him because it felt nice. He didn’t protest, wrapping an arm around your shoulders and gently massaging your shoulder as you left the suite. He handed the clipboard to the nurse with a smile. 

“I see you’ve remembered your husband,” they said, winking at you. You glanced between Jeonghan and the nurse. You remembered Jeonghan—he was the boy who sat next to in second grade that never shut up about the World’s Worst Jokes (literally, it was his favorite book), the boy you finally decided to call a friend in fifth grade after he helped you catch up your schoolwork because you missed a week with strep throat. He was the boy you were no longer allowed to pair up in assignments with in middle school after you were dubbed the ‘demon duo’ by all your teachers (it was affectionate, but the Lollipop Incident of seventh grade could not be forgotten), the boy you followed around all through high school because your senses of humor just matched. 

You remembered spending countless university nights beside that boy as he kept you awake until your essays were finished, more than once saving you from the back pain of sleeping slumped over a table by forcing you into a bed. That boy had been your roommate, until a year and a half ago, spending nearly every second at your side, bickering with you about how many holes are in a straw and holding you while you cried over everything from bad grades to heartbreaks. 

You thought you would definitely remember marrying that boy. 

“I couldn’t ever forget him,” you finally said. You wished your words weren’t turned to mush by your mouth. You looked up at Jeonghan, who was smiling down at you again, squeezing your shoulder. 

He thanked the nurse, pulling you outside. You waited until the doors shut before lifting your head off his shoulder. “Are you sure we're married?” 

He laughed at your frown. “Last time I checked.” He lifted your left hand and held it with his own, matching gold bands knocking against each other. 

“Such boring rings,” you said. It was a lie; you loved the simplicity. It just seemed right for you and Jeonghan. 

“I’m never going to let you live this down,” Jeonghan muttered with a crooked smile. He walked you all the way to his car, letting go of your shoulder to open the car door for you. It was strange to see him opening doors for you, but maybe you really had forgotten dating and marriage, and maybe this was normal. You fell into the seat, exhausted from the short walk, barely working up the energy to pull your seatbelt across your shoulders. 

You felt fingers brush against your forehead and you opened your eyes to see Jeonghan brushing a strand of hair out of your eyes. He held your gaze, fingers lingering on your brow. 

“Get some rest,” he whispered. “I’ll pick up your prescription and take you home.” You nodded, the movement finally causing him to drop his fingers. You could feel the ghost of their light touch against your brow, just as you could still feel his fingers laced with yours, even as you watched him drive, both hands gripping the steering wheel. 

You closed your eyes, resting your heavy head against the seat. You were not going to fall asleep, your mouth hurt too much for that, but for once Jeonghan seemed to be avoiding the potholes so it was at least a smooth ride. You wanted to ask him about your marriage, about how you could forget crossing the line between friends and lovers. 

Somehow when you opened your eyes, he was on your street. You definitely remembered him moving out, so why was he taking you back here? 

“If we’re married, why are we going back here?” You asked as he pulled into the driveway. 

Jeonghan fought another smile. “Are you asking me to move in together?” 

“No, I’m asking why married people don’t live together,” you said. He left the car, walking around to your side and helping you out. You leaned on him again as he walked you to the door, feeling exhausted. 

“Maybe we don’t have a happy marriage,” he said nonchalantly. He pulled the keys, your keys, out of his pocket and let himself in, half-carrying you to your room. “I mean, you literally forgot we are married.” 

You shook your head as you crawled under your blankets. “No, I don’t think so. I’m really happy we’re married.” 

He pulled the blankets over you, tucking you in. “Why’s that?” He paused over you, dark hair falling into his eyes again as he looked down on you. 

“I really like you,” you said. He leaned over you, and all you wanted was to melt into those beautiful brown eyes, but your eyelids were getting heavier with each heartbeat. The last thing you remembered was Jeonghan pressing a gentle kiss to your forehead. 

.

.

You watched Jeonghan at the bar. He was getting drinks but he had been stopped by some girl whose name you couldn’t quite remember. You turned to look at the dance floor; Jeonghan could talk to whoever he wanted, you didn’t have any right to care. 

The rest of your friends were scattered around the dance floor at different tables, being normal humans and socializing. Mingyu had tried to drag you into a conversation, but Eun Woo was at the table and there was no way you would deign to be anywhere near that man. 

However, that left you alone at the table your group had claimed when you arrived together, watching everyone else having fun. Names floated around your head, occasionally matching the faces of the people wandering around. Thankfully, no one you didn’t know came to say hi. 

Just last year you had been excited to go to your first high school reunion, tracking down all of your friends and making sure they kept the night free. That had been before you realized everyone else had grown up and gotten adult jobs, leaving you and your part time job to feel tiny and more than a little bit like a failure. 

Your friends got their revenge and dragged you to this year’s reunion. The worst part was, you were stuck. Because of the incident last year (which had nothing to do with you and Jeonghan and the intercom system), your former student body president (turned CEO) decided it would be best to host your reunion at a hotel under the guise of promoting safe drinking habits. They’d booked rooms for everyone and even had free (cheap) beer. You’d be impressed, if you weren’t suspicious that half the funds were from the embezzling scandal you’d heard his company had gotten caught in. 

You found Seungcheol chatting with a couple members of the baseball team. You debated joining him, but they were probably reminiscing about the games they’d played and you’d only gone to a few, so you doubted you’d be able to really contribute to the conversation. 

Seokmin and Soonyoung hadn’t left the dance floor since you arrived, though that surprised no one. The only difference between high school and now was that the alcohol in their system was legal. You were much too sober to think about joining them. Plus it had only been a couple weeks since your surgery, and though you were technically allowed to do physical activity, you used any excuse you could to avoid the chaos of Seokmin and Soonyoung on the dance floor. They were a hazard to society. 

You stood, seeing Jun walking towards his ex, but Mingyu roped him into his conversation. You glared at Eun Woo, as you were now standing awkwardly. 

A quick glance told you that Jeonghan was still stuck in line at the bar, still chatting with the same girl. Not that it bothered you. Maybe you should join him. 

You took a step, but a voice made you freeze. “Who left you all alone?” You spun, finding Minghao standing in front of you, hands buried in the pockets of his jacket. He managed a nonchalant expression until you threw yourself in his arms. 

“You came?” You half shouted with your arms around his neck. 

He laughed, catching you before you toppled him over. “Miss me?” 

“Don’t even joke! Of course I did! You left me with a bunch of idiots!” You took a step back, though you didn’t let go of his hands. Minghao. He’d gone abroad after high school and never came back, leaving a hole in the friend group that could never be replaced. Mingyu liked to call it losing the only braincell you had ever known. 

He caught your left hand, lifting it and raising his eyebrows at the gold band. “I will confess that part of the reason I came was to see if the rumor Seokmin was raving about was true.” 

You let go of his hands, leaning against your seat. “Yeah… A lot has happened since you left.” 

“Clearly.” Minghao raised his eyebrow. He scanned the room, picking out your friends, pausing at Jeonghan at the bar before turning back to you. “It’s good, though. I’m, and don’t you dare make fun of me, happy for you.” 

You frowned. “What are you talking about?” 

“I mean, Jeonghan has things figured out. Like, he has the stability that you need, he’s got a real-life job and everything, and he’s just good for you.” 

What had Seokmin told Minghao? Did he think you were married for real? 

“I’m not saying that you need to change or anything,” Minghao said quickly. “I just think it’s good for you to be with someone that isn’t… figuring out his life still.” 

“Yeah,” you said. You slid into your chair, trying not to think about how even though Minghao lived thousands of miles away, he could still see you struggling. 

“I can’t believe you didn’t invite me to the wedding,” he said, still standing beside you.  

“Oh, we just had a courthouse thing,” you said. You don’t know why you didn’t tell him the full truth. “It wasn’t a big thing.” 

“Well, when you have the real party, I better be invited.” 

Despite feeling like your heart had been crumpled into a ball, you rolled your eyes. “Minghao, you’ll be my best man.” 

He nodded. “I’d better be.” You managed a few more minutes of small talk before he slipped away to find the rest of your friends. 

His words rang through your head. Maybe you really shouldn’t be with Jeonghan, fake or not. Minghao was right, he had his life figured out; as much as he complained about his job, you knew he loved the kids and he was going to spend the rest of his life teaching. You could barely decide on what to wear every morning. Figuring out your future was something you just weren’t ready for. 

You liked Jeonghan. You knew that. You remembered your anesthesia induced dream, where you managed to tell him your feelings, the soft kiss he placed on your forehead, but it was just a dream. He didn’t feel the same way, no matter how much you wished it could be true. There was someone else he pined for, and if it was anything like the feelings that were threatening to overwhelm you now, you couldn't help but pity him. 

Your feelings didn’t matter, you decided as you watched Minghao join Soonyoung and Seokmin with a backflip in the middle of the dance floor. You wouldn’t mess up Jeonghan’s life any further. You would ask for a divorce. Tomorrow. 

Jeonghan finally returned, setting a drink in front of you and laying an arm over your shoulders. “Bear with me,” he whispered into your ear, lips almost brushing against your ear. “I can’t remember her name but she’s been flirting with me all night and even when I told her we’re married, she wouldn’t leave me alone, so, you’re stuck with me for the rest of the night.” 

You nodded. You hoped you were looking serenely on your friends, but Jeonghan gently tapped your arm until you turned to face him. “What’s wrong?” 

You shrugged. “Tired.” It wasn’t technically a lie. You were tired, but that wasn’t why you didn’t want to be here. 

He pulled his chair a little closer, resting his chin on his shoulder. You knew he was just putting on a show to drive away girl-whose-name-was-a-mystery and that the way he was looking at you now wasn’t real. It didn’t make it any easier to bear his gaze. 

He tilted his head to the side and smiled, eyes twinkling with the familiar glint that you knew meant trouble. “You want to get out of here?” 

You felt your face flush. “Stop joking around.” 

He cocked his head and you followed it to where the girl (whose name you thought started with a S) was still eyeing Jeonghan. “If we disappear into a hotel room for a couple hours maybe she’ll get the point.” He’s right, but you can’t stop yourself from imagining what he was implying, making your blush deepen. 

“You said you’re tired, you can just hide up there for the rest of the night if you want,” he said, apparently not noticing your embarrassment. “Or you can sit here and avoid everyone for the rest of the night and we can pretend like that girl isn’t eye-fucking me.” 

“Let’s go,” you said, standing. Jeonghan took your hand in his, pressing a kiss to your hand that sent shivers up your arm before tugging you across the room, playing the part of a lovesick husband perfectly. You weren’t as good, but you kept your eyes on him and found your smile wasn’t as hard to force as you expected, letting him pull you back into his embrace as you passed through the doors. You cast one glance at S, who looked rather offended. You grinned at her as the doors swung shut, winking even though she probably couldn’t see it from across the room. 

Though the show was just for her, it wasn’t until you were alone in the elevator that he finally disentangled himself from you. “Looks like it went pretty well.” 

You nodded, staring at your feet rather than facing Jeonghan at your side or in the mirrored walls of the elevator. “She looked sufficiently shut up.” 

The doors dinged open and you followed Jeonghan. “We’re rooming together, by the way.” Seungcheol had been in charge of the rooms, setting everyone with roommates and even dropping off bags. There was no reason to think that he would mess anything up. 

No reason until now. 

“There’s only one bed,” you said in a tiny voice. The door clicked shut behind you, Jeonghan at your side. You stood in the hotel room, bathroom door to your left, closet to your right, king sized bed right in the middle. “I’m going to kill Seungcheol.” 

“Actually, it was probably Mingyu,” Jeonghan said, sounding not nearly as unsettled as he should have been. “He called about our rooms and probably mentioned we were married. People I don’t even know were talking to me about it.” 

“I’m going to kill them both.” 

“It’ll be fine,” he said. “It’s not like it’s the first time.” He’s right, you had shared a bed before, when you were thirteen, and there were four other people shoved onto the bed because having twenty people in one sleepover meant you slept where there was space. “If it really bothers you, I’ll sleep on the floor, or crash with Mingyu and Seungcheol.” 

You shook your head. “No, it’s fine, they’ll just make fun of me, and you’re right, it’s not like it's the first time.” No, it was nothing like then. Your heart didn’t pound when he was next to you back then, you never looked at him and wished what was fake could be real. 

You flopped onto the bed, legs dangling off the side as you laid on your back. Your heart was beginning to ache thinking about Jeonghan, so you thought about what Minghao said instead. Most of the time you could pretend you were okay with watching everyone you knew move on with their lives and grow into actual adults, but a night like tonight made you feel small. Insignificant. You were yn. Just yn, and normally that was enough, but not tonight. 

You felt the bed dip as Jeonghan sat next to you. “Do you want to talk about it?” Of course he knew something was wrong. You turned your head towards him, studying his frown which had concern etched into every crease on his forehead. 

You didn’t think you were choked up, but when you said, “No,” in a tiny voice, tears were suddenly threatening to spill onto your cheeks. You turned your head away from Jeonghan, sure that you would fold under his gaze and start crying. 

“You should just go back down,” you said. “I’ll be fine.” 

“I’m not going anywhere,” he said, voice gentle but firm. “You’re stuck with me.” You felt a tear slip away, angrily wiping it off the side of your face. “We don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to, but I won’t leave you alone, yn. I—I won’t.” 

Why? Why did he have to be so kind, and sweet, and loving, and the perfect best friend, fake fiancee, fake husband? Why did he make it so hard to do anything but love him? 

Love wasn’t fair, you always knew that, but it felt cruel now. You couldn’t stop the tears now, turning fully on your side though it was too late to hide them from Jeonghan. He slid next to you, pulling you off the mattress and into his arms, and you knew it was dumb to sob into the arms of the very person that was making you cry but you did it anyway because maybe that’s what you were doomed to suffer. You clung to him, even as your heart was breaking. 

.

.

You woke up to the sun in your eyes. You frowned as you opened your eyes, blinking against the light. Usually you closed your blinds so that you could sleep in. It took another moment for you to remember that you were in a hotel room, not your bed at home. That didn’t explain why Jeonghan was wrapped around you, his arm acting as your pillow. Your frown deepened as you met his eyes, finding him staring down at you. 

“Why are we cuddling?” 

He snorted. “I should be asking you that, since I clearly remember telling you this is my side of the bed last night.” You lifted your head off of him enough to see that you had indeed crossed onto his side. But he wasn’t innocent either, with one arm tucked under your head and the other wrapped around your waist, holding your bodies together. You decided not to mention it because you didn’t want him to let go just yet. 

“How long have you been up?” You asked with a yawn. 

He shrugged, shoulder lifting your head. “I don’t know, maybe twenty minutes?” 

“Why didn’t you wake me up?” You said, gently slapping his chest. 

“You looked peaceful,” he said. You looked at him, peering down at you with a soft smile. The morning sunlight that fell through the window cast a halo around him, making his dark hair glow. There was something in his gaze, something you had seen so many times but suddenly felt new, and for the first time you let yourself wonder what it would be like if your feelings weren’t unrequited. Maybe you were still dazed from waking up, but you thought maybe it wouldn’t be very different from how he was with you now. 

“Jeonghan,” you said slowly. “Mingyu mentioned something to me.” 

“Oh boy.” 

“About you.” Your heart was pounding as you forced the next words out. “About how there’s someone that you want to date. For real.” 

He was quiet, though he didn’t break your gaze. Finally, he said, “Yes.” 

It took all of the courage you had in you to say, “Who?” 

He stared at you and because it was Jeonghan, you knew he was trying to figure out what to say. You could practically see the gears turning in his head as he tried to get the words out. The longer it took the more your heart sank. 

“We should get divorced,” you said, turning your head to stare at the window, the wall, anything but those damn eyes. “Teeth have been successfully removed, I’m not in debt, and there’s no other reason to stay married.” Especially not when there’s someone else. You couldn’t quite bring yourself to say it. 

You peeked at Jeonghan and found you couldn’t decipher the frown on his face. It felt wrong to not know what he was thinking. But maybe it was your own fault. You had been keeping things from him yourself, bottling up the emotions and pretending the love you felt wasn’t head over heels idiocy. You couldn’t be hurt that he was so far away when you had built the distance yourself. 

“I love you,” you whispered. “I’m in love with you. I know that there’s someone else, and I’m not saying this to try to win you over or anything, but I think you should know. That I love you.” 

 You’ve seen Jeonghan speechless three times in your life. The first was in elementary school when he was wrongfully accused of stealing candy from the teacher, the first time he found out there were consequences for his “harmless” pranks. The second was when his girlfriend dumped him, the only time in your entire life that he didn’t tell you what happened. This was the third time, opening his mouth and trying to answer but unable to get any words out. 

“I’m an idiot, I know,” you said. “Who falls in love with their fake husband?” Even as the final stake was driven into your heart, you tried to joke. You started to push off his chest, fully prepared to run away and avoid Jeonghan for the rest of your life, but his arm tightened around your waist, pulling you even closer. 

“It’s you,” he sputtered. “There’s no one else, it’s you that I want to be with, that I want to date, that I want to marry, one day. Yn, I have loved you for so long, I don’t know what to do, so please, just give me a second?” 

It was your turn to be speechless. “It’s me?”  

He laughed, face finally breaking into a wide smile. “Of course it’s you, who else could it be?” 

“Maybe one of those moms that Mingyu says are always flirting with him, or one of your coworkers, or anyone that’s ever met you because, seriously, how could anyone not be in love with you?” You rested your head back onto his shoulder. 

“Well, it’s you. It’s always you.” He leaned a little closer, brushing his nose against yours. You swallowed, remembering your first kiss with him. You wondered if your second kiss would be as good. 

“Can I kiss you?” You asked when he didn’t move any closer. He nodded, though the movement caused your lips to brush against one another. You leaned into it, arm snaking from his chest to his neck, feeling his hand digging into your waist, trying to pull you impossibly closer. You don’t know how long the kiss was, feeling like a lifetime had passed when you finally pulled away. 

“Not quite as good as the first time, but it’ll do,” you said, grinning at Jeonghan’s frown. “You have stinky breath.” 

“You have stinky breath,” he said, “But if you’re talking about the restaurant, that wasn’t our first kiss.” 

You thought back, trying to remember any other kiss. There was none during your fake marriage (other than the anesthesia-induced dream that you were beginning to think might have been real) and nothing had ever happened before that. Except… 

“When we were twelve?” You laughed. “That does not count.”

“A kiss is a kiss,” he said. “In fact, I remember you saying it was your first kiss.”

You slapped his chest. “It was your first kiss too!” 

“So you admit it!” Jeonghan was laughing, clinging to you as you pretended to push him away. He wrapped both arms around your waist, tucking his chin onto your shoulder. He waited until you met his eyes. “I love you.” 

You kissed his nose. “I love you, too.” You didn’t run away when he pulled you close again, sliding cold fingers to the back of your neck and pressing his forehead to yours. You were certain he was going to kiss you again. 

“We really do need to get divorced, though,” you said, laughing when he sighed. “I want to do things in the right order, date you for real.” You kissed him again, just because you could, watching the smile quickly return to his face when you pulled away. 

“I do want to marry you, one day,” you said, resting your head against the pillow for the first time. You held up your left hand, studying the way the gold caught the morning light and seemed to glow. 

“You better not say that in front of Joshua,” Jeonghan said. “He’s had our wedding planned since he found out I was in love with you.” 

“Wait, he knows?” You frowned at him. “How long have you been in love with me?” 

Jeonghan’s eyes wandered to the ceiling as he scratched the back of his head. “Been in love? No idea. Too long. But when I realized, we were still living together, and ever since then I’ve been trying to figure out how to tell you.” 

“That’s why you moved out?” You wrapped your arm around his waist, tucking yourself onto his side. 

He nodded. “I needed to know if I was actually in love or just spending too much time with you.” He played with your hair. “I am in love with you. And I’m sorry I was too much of a coward to say it sooner.” 

You found yourself staring at the ring again. It was such a simple thing, just a band of gold that you and Jeonghan had agreed on with the intent to return it when the ruse was up. You really had only gotten them because you were worried someone might call out the insurance fraud. 

“I don’t want to take it off,” you confessed. 

“Then don’t,” Jeonghan said softly. When you looked at him, he was without his usual smirk, eyes serious. 

“Five minutes and you’re already proposing?” You asked. 

“Well, I already got you into bed,” he said with a grin. “But seriously, I don’t want to take off my ring. I’m going to marry you, someday.” 

“I think that sounds nice,” you said, tucking your head back onto his chest. “So, Joshua is our wedding planner? Do we really trust him?” 

“You know, if you told me a year ago, I would have said ‘fuck no,’ but he’s dedicated. He has a pinterest and everything, a color scheme, a list of the best rated bakeries and catering services, photographers, videographers, venues, anything you can think of, he has it. I can’t prove it, but I swear he has a date reserved already.” Jeonghan continued to describe his friend’s vision for your wedding, but you found yourself staring at him, watching him talk. 

 Jeonghan has been by your side for most of your life, your best friend. You knew everything about him, from the way he liked his tea to his obsession with tiny utensils. Still, being friends and being lovers were two very different things. You should have been scared at how much was going to change, but in the little bubble of your hotel room and the magical glow of the morning sun, you felt nothing but hope.

a/n2: thank you for reading!!! I hope you had fun, I truly love this story <3 enjoy this meme I found after i came up with the idea and couldn’t find anywhere to throw it into

a/n3: i am incapable of letting this story go so here are some snippets of stuff that didn’t make it into the story/after the ending 1 //