#fic: all’s fair in love (and mergers)

[gojonanami]

Did satoru feel terrible after ditching yns friendship when they were teens in alls fair in love and marriage? How exactly did he feel? I'm so curious. I hope bro suffered

satoru did feel bad after everything as they grew up — that’s why he kept tabs on reader and saw what she was up to when they were separated. he felt bad that he pulled such a juvenile move by cutting you off, but he didn’t know how to fix it.

but also I would say his sense of betrayal is understandable since reader did choose to take suguru who had betrayed him recently

[dreamcatchers-husband]

A Business Proposal

Male Reader X Fromis_9 Nakyung

Length: 12.6k+ Words

Tags: Angry sex. Teasing. Creampie

A/n- So the winner of the poll was was post it now. So here you go. Been a while since a new fic but this is in honor of my two years of writing smut on tumblr. Hope you enjoy.

Business proposals. It probably isn't a lie when you say they probably happen every day. Sometimes they can be rather fair for both sides but in your case, you couldn’t be more annoyed. 

“What do you mean I have to marry her? And in a month and a half also?”

Your parents rolled their eyes as they then placed a contract in front of you. 

“Look. Their company has always been a great partner of ours and this could help elevate both of us to the top. This union will combine both our profits and make our wealth reach new heights. The day you marry her, you will officially become the chairman of C Industries. If you don’t marry her then we will look for another board member to take the place. Please don’t make us do that.” 

Your mother and father were hard workers. It took them 27 years but they managed to develop a company that was second to none. Now what was this company focused on? Honestly? Everything. C industries were just a jack of all trades. Tech development, construction of apartments, agriculture. Those were just a few things. It always amazed you how they managed to build their empire and you knew it was yours eventually until now. 

You were destroyed hearing those words. Years of hard work would be ruined over one decision your parents made without warning.

“Shit. Are you going to make me do this?” 

“Yes, Yejun. Now it’s it a yes or a no?” 

Sadly there was only one answer. 

5 frantic weeks went by as both companies got together and worked out the merger. Most of your days went by with you attending meetings from 7 in the morning until 8 at night. You met with lawyers from both sides as well as your parents and future in-laws but one certain lady was always missing. 

Despite this marriage being forced on you. You were going to be a good husband and love and support your wife. So of course you were wondering about her after all this time. Currently, your meeting was ending with the Lee’s so you knew it would be the best time to ask. 

“Excuse me, Mr. Lee. If I may ask, where has Nagyung been this entire time? Me and her will be running this company together yet she hasn’t even shown up for a single meeting.”

“Ah. She has been very busy deciding things for your wedding with the planner. We haven’t seen much of her either. We just get updates over some phone calls. You must be excited to meet your future wife. Why don’t you go give her a visit? She has her place in the city and I’m sure it would give the Two of you some time to connect. I will send you the address as well as the passcodes to enter.” 

“Are you sure it’s ok for me to enter?” 

“Of course, Yejun. You will be married in a few weeks. If she gives you any problems just tell us.” 

“Very well Mr Lee. I will head over tonight when I get a chance.”

“Very well. I wish you a good night and hope to see you soon again.” 

With a handshake, everyone in the room parted their own ways. Your parents didn’t even stay as they gave you a wave goodbye. Looking to the right, your eyes looked up at the clock and saw that it was 5 pm. Today was one of the lucky days you all ended it early. With the idea of visiting Nagyung fresh in your mind, you quickly gathered your things and went towards the elevator. 

After a few seconds, the familiar ring echoed out in the hallway. The doors to the machine opened and you entered. The ride down to the garage took a bit as you were on the 45th floor. After about a minute and thirty seconds, the same ding came back and doors opened. 

Respect is what could be felt in the air. As people passed you, they all took the time to stop and give you a bow. Of course, they would show that kind of respect to the future CEO. Despite that, you felt a bit weird and appreciated when they treated you like anyone else. You never wanted the money or power to get to your head. You hope it never does. 

As you finally arrived at the black vehicle, your hands brought out the key fob and unlocked the car. The little chirp from your Toyota brought a smile to your face. You had just bought it a few days ago and loved having a state-of-the-art car for the first time in your life. Once in the driver seat, your foot stepped on the break and you pressed the start button. As the car roared to life, you waited a few seconds until the display screen in the middle of the console was active. Once up, you could see there was a Message from Mr.Lee. In the text was the address so you just clicked on it and your car put it in the GPS. With the instructions not playing in the speakers, you put the car in drive and took off. 

A few minutes passed as you drove away from the company building. Taking a glance at the time, you saw it was 5 pm and a typical dinner time. With the GPS saying you were 5 minutes away, you began to glance around and look for some food. With your eyes scanning all the buildings, they eventually saw a large neon sign that caught your attention. 

Seeing an open spot near the store, you turned your wheel and parked right in front of the building. Turning the engine off, you quickly jumped out and walked to the front door of the restaurant. The name “Very Very Good Chicken” certainly caught your attention. 

As you pulled the glass door open, the strong fragrance of chicken hit your nose. By just a few smells you got, it was going to be good. Going up to the counter, a young man could be seen just standing behind the counter. His attention was facing down, so you could tell he was just on his phone. 

As you finally reached the register, it took the young. Man, a minute to notice you were there. The sudden jolt from the man scared you since you scared him. Both of you began to laugh at this and calmed down after a few seconds. 

“Sorry. Welcome to Very Very Good Chicken. What can I get for you?”

“Hi. Could I get half and half of the Ganjang and Yangnyeom flavors?” 

“Of course. So half and half of the Ganjang and Yangnyeom flavors. Would you like any drinks to take with you as well or just the chicken?” 

“Hmmm. How about a bottle of draft beer?” 

“A bottle of draft beer. So in total, it’s the chicken and the beer. Your total will be 35,000 Won. How would you like to pay?” 

Handing over your card the young man quickly swiped it and then handed it back. 

“Please give us like 15 minutes to get that ready for you sir. Thank you for buying with us.” 

Nodding towards him, your legs brought you over to an empty seat and you waited for the food. The 15 minutes went by in a flash as you saw the young man walking over with the bags of food. Standing up, your right hand extended and you took hold of the plastic. 

“Thank you for buying. Hope to see you again!”

“Thank you!”

Walking out of the building, you immediately arrived at your vehicle and placed the food on the passenger seat. Getting back in the car, you took a look over your left and pulled out of the spot. Your GPS continued to direct you toward the large apartment building. After the Five-minute drive, you pulled into a large parking lot that was across the building. Your Toyota certainly stuck out from the various nice-looking cars that were stationed there. 

Despite that, you parked your car in the first spot you could find. With the engine turned off, your hand took hold of the plastic bag and hopped out of the vehicle. Your footsteps brought you to the front door where a doorman was ready to let you in. Thanking the man, you made your way inside the building and took a look around. The giant glass chandelier in the center of the lobby certainly brought all eyes to it. 

Moving past it, you eventually made it toward some elevators in the backside of the lobby. Pressing the circular button, your leg began to bounce as you waited for the elevator. A few more seconds passed until a ding echoed out in the lobby. With the door in front of you opening, you quickly hopped on the elevator and pressed the button to the 22nd floor. With the doors closing, all you could do was wait until you were on the correct floor.

A little jingle played in the metal cage as you stood there with the food. Honestly, you weren’t quite sure how to say Hi to Nagyung. Well hi was the least of your concerns. What would you talk about with your fiancé?

Your time to brainstorm ran out as the same Sound as before hit your ears. With the doors opening to your desired floor, you began to walk off the elevator and take a look around. On both sides, apartments lined down the hallways. In front of you was a sign. In the black font, you saw that on the right-hand side were all apartments from 2210- 2220. On the left-hand side were apartments 2200-2209. With a glance at your mobile device, you took a glance at the text and saw that Nagyung lived in apartment 2220.

As you moved down the right-hand side, your eyes scanned all of the apartment buildings until you reached the end of the hallway. With the number in front of you, your right hand went up and formed into a fist. Hesitation is what you felt until a sudden boost of confidence brought you to knock on her door. 

Silence was all that could be Heard. A few seconds passed as you were getting ready to knock again. Before your right hand could hit the door, the sound of the lock being undone began to come from the door. As the white door pulled back, your eyes were met with a strange man who happened to be shirtless. 

“Fucking finally. Forty-five minutes for damn fried rice.”

You didn’t even have time to react as the bag of food was snatched from your hand. A wad of cash was then thrown at your face as the man slammed the door. Were you at the wrong Apartment? Taking your phone back out, you decided to send a message to Mr. Lee. Your message only repeated the address back to the man. It didn’t even take ten seconds for the name to respond saying it was correct. 

Now you were beyond confused. Who the hell was that man? Bringing your ear to the door, muffled sounds passed through but you could hear laughter coming from a couple of people. It could be seen as rude but now you needed to know what was going on. With the keypad on the left side of the door, your fingers put in the code that was given to you. 

12418 imputed. You then pushed the door and were met with a house hallway. Stepping in, you gently closed the door behind you and lurked forward. A couple of nice-looking jackets were on the right-hand side. On the left side was a small wooden table with some car keys. The Bentley logo was very easy to see from the back of the key fob. Obviously, she had a very nice car. As you finally arrived at the end of the hallway, your eardrums picked up about three different voices who were joking around. 

“What the fuck? This is chicken, not fried rice. I’m gonna yell at this place!” 

Walking out of the hallway, you were met with The three individuals who happened to all be undressed. Nakyung as well as the man from the door yelled but you also noticed another young woman who just ran to cover her exposed body. 

“YEJUN! WHAT THE FUCK?”

“Your parents said I could come and visit you. They gave me the code to your door.”

“Wait. You know this creep? Isn’t he the delivery boy?”

“Are you really that stupid Sangjun? That’s Choi Yejun. The future CEO of the company once the merger happens.”

“That doesn’t explain why he’s here?” 

“Well, I came to visit my Fiancé. I didn’t expect to find her naked with another man and woman.”

The man’s expression changed from anger to shock when he heard those words. 

“FIANCÉ? YOU TOLD ME THE MERGER WAS JUST THE MERGING OF THE COMPANIES! YOU ARE MARRYING THE NEW CEO?”

The young man quickly threw on his pants and then bowed before you. 

“Sir I am so sorry. She never told me she was going to be married. I can’t lose this job!”

“Leave, and never disrespect a delivery driver like that again.” 

“Thank you, sir!”

As he ran away, you took a glance at Nagyung and the other woman who were now clothed. 

“Saerom unnie. Can you please give me and Yejun some privacy?”

The young woman gave your fiancé a nod and then walked deeper into the apartment. 

As your eyes met with Nagyung’s, you could tell she was beyond annoyed.

“My parents really gave you the code to enter my home?”

“Your father said it was ok since we are going to get married soon. I’m sorry I’m still just confused. Who were those two?”

“I don’t think you deserve to know that info considering you broke into my home.” 

“Look I know I did barge in but your father said I could. Who were they?”

Nagyung rolled her eyes and began to walk away from you. Following behind her, the two of you eventually reached a nice kitchen. The expensive appliances as well as granite countertops let you see the girl lived in such luxury. From a topside cabinet, the young woman pulled out a glass and a bottle of scotch. Pouring the brown substance into the glass, Nagyung took a seat in the nice leather chair and looked at you. 

“Saerom Unnie is one of my assistants. I have a couple of other girls who work for me. Sangjun is just someone in the marketing department of my father's company.”

“That still doesn’t explain why he was naked. Or why your assistant was naked as well.” 

“You can’t be that’s stupid. What do men and women do when they are naked together?”

Sure you weren’t dense but somehow your brain was trying to convince you that they were participating in some other activity. 

“But why? We’re eng-“

“Engaged? That wasn’t my idea. The only reason this is happening is because my father said I had no other option. The company merger was going to happen. This way my family still kept their wealth and power and a say in the company. Did you want this to happen? I can’t say I would blame you for wanting to marry such a beautiful girl like me.” 

“No. I didn’t want this. My parents threaten to take away my birthright. I would not be the CEO of C Industries unless I married you as a favor to your parents. Now I didn’t want this b-“

“I’m going to stop you there. We both didn’t want this so why are you getting mad? I’m going to be very blunt right now. I love sex. I honestly can never have enough of it so I sleep with any man or woman who even gives me a fuck me look. We are going to get married but I’m still gonna be looking for sex. Look Yejun, you look like a sweet guy but you probably can satisfy me at all in bed. I will act like a good wife in public but I am going to live my life how I want. So if you are now well informed then get the fuck out of my house.”

The way Nagyung spoke to you made you angry yet you also felt sad. Your body reacted on its own as you began to walk towards the exit. Everything was a blur as you were finally back in your car. The anger and sadness remained. Angry that your future wife thought you less of a man. Perhaps you were wondering why you were sad. Well, you always thought you would marry a woman that loved you back. Now that dream. No, fantasy is now gone. 

As you pulled out of the driveway, you began to drive home in an almost robotic state. Fifteen minutes passed as you arrived at your apartment building. Pulling Into the garage, you made your way over to your designated spot and parked in it. Stepping out from your black vehicle, your legs brought you to the entrance where you scanned your keycard. With it unlocked, you made your way over to the small dinky elevator that was already there. Hopping in, the doors slowly closed with a bit of squeal behind them. 

With the elevator going up, you didn’t have to wait more than twenty seconds to reach the 3rd floor. Walking out of the elevator, you walked to the right side and made it to the first door there. Taking out your key, the piece of metal then entered the key slot and turned to the left. Pushing your door open, you then made your way in and closed the door behind you. 

Taking your shoes off, you left them near the door and walked to your couch. Unlike Nagyung, your home honestly was not the best. You didn’t see much of a need for an expensive home. It was all about what you made with the space you had. Wasn’t much but you loved this place. As you slowly removed some of your clothes on the couch, your phone began to ring in your pocket. Taking it out, you saw it was Mr.Lee.

“Hello, Mr.Lee. How are you?”

“I’m doing well, Yejun. Did you go see my daughter?”

……..

Silence. What could you even say to him? 

Oh yeah, I went to see her and she told me she’s gonna be getting railed 24/7 by men and women who aren’t married to her. How she’s told me she’s going to constantly cheat on me? Should you say something?

“Yejun? Are you still there?”

“A-Ah yes. We had a little bit of a chat. She was busy with the preparations so it was just a short talk. I’m sure we will talk more.”

“Oh I’m sorry she was busy but I’m glad you got to talk a little bit with her. Why don’t I schedule a dinner for you and her so you get to know each other better.”

“Oh you don’t have to-“

“Oh don’t worry. I’ll set it up for tomorrow night. 7 pm and I will send you the location.”

You didn’t even have time to respond as the phone call ended. How would dinner even go? Guess that was a problem for tomorrow. For now, you should just rest. 

7 pm came faster than you anticipated. Your future father-in-law reserved a dinner at Lotte Tower. Honestly, it was all uneventful as you arrived at your table. The view out into Seoul was just amazing. You had personally never eaten at this place but you were plenty excited now. A young waitress at the time walked over and placed a glass of red wine in front of you. With a nod, you grabbed the glass and took a sip. Looking at your watch you saw it was 7 pm exactly, so your date of sorts would be arriving soon. 

One minute passed, then two, and then three. Soon it was ten minutes. By this time you could already imagine what happened. You were stood up. At least you thought you were until a young woman walked up to you. 

“M-May I take a seat? I’m here on behalf of your fiancé.”

With a nod, the young woman took a seat across from you and grabbed the cup of water. Bringing it up to her red lips, the girl began to drink the glass of water until the glass was empty. Placing it down, her eyes met with yours and she quickly looked down.

“Hello, sir. My name is P-Park Jiwon and I will be your new personal assistant.”

“When did I hire you?”

“A-Actually, your Fiancé assigned me to the position. I was working at The Lee company already as her assistant but reassigned me. She already spoke to your parents and hers and they approved.

You weren’t even married yet and this woman was already making decisions for you. 

“And let me guess. She’s currently not here because she went to meet up with one of her appointments.”

“Y-Yes sir.”

“Of course she is. Well then I guess-“

At that time, the young waitress brought over two plates of food and placed them in front of the two of you. 

“Well, this food shouldn't go to waste. Eat with me. Let’s get to know each other if we are going to be working together.”

Jiwon looked a little hesitant but as you raised your wine glass to her with a smile, she nodded her head and raised her own. 

Two hours passed and your table was full of laughter. This nervous girl was wacky and funny. You could tell that working with her was going to be a fun time. Since your dinner was over, the two of you walked out to your car and you helped her get in. You would end up dropping off at her home and then going back to your own.

A week passed and you found yourself moving things into your new office. As you placed your knick-knacks on the shelves on the right wall, a knock was heard at your door. From behind the door; Jiwon came and smiled at you. 

“Ok, I think that’s everything, Mr. Choi. That last of your things were in the box.” 

“When we are alone you don’t need to call me Mr. Choi. Yejun is fine. And thank you for the help.” 

“Of course Mr.- I mean Yejun. So what’s next?”

As Jiwon walked over, her eyes didn’t notice one of the empty boxes near you. Before you could warn her, the young woman tripped and started falling forward. Extending your arms, you managed to catch Jiwon before she smashed her face into the floor. 

“You ok Jiwon?” 

“Y-Yeah. Thank you.” 

“Well, don’t you two look nice and cozy.”

You took a look in the direction of the voice and were met with a glare from your fiancé. Jiwon quickly stood up and got away from you. Bowing towards her, Nagyung got closer and got face to face with Jiwon. 

“Why don’t you go get me a coffee, Jiwon?”

“Yes, Ms.Lee.” 

Running out of your office, Nagyung came over and glared at you now. 

“Was it you?” 

“What was me?” 

“Did you tell the media we’re getting married?”

“No. I did not.” 

“DON’T YOU DARE LIE TO ME.”

“Watch your fucking tone with me. Why the hell would I tell the media?”

“Because it played out exactly how you would want it. Everyone now knows I’m engaged and going to be married. No man wants to risk pissing you off so they all cut their ties to me. None of them will fuck me. Sure I still got some girls to mess around with but I need a man to please me.” 

“Nagyung. I did not tell the media. It probably just made its way out. Maybe this will be a way for you to stop this little habit you have.” 

“Oh shut up. You’re probably looking forwards to fucking your assistant. What the hell did I walk into?” 

“She fell. I caught her. Don’t try to assume you know me.” 

“Whatever. Since the news is out, the media will be outside our wedding. When we pass the camera’s we will be the perfect couple. Do what you need to do so that narrative will play out.” 

You hadn't noticed Nagyung had a tight hold on your arm until she let go. Walking towards the door, Jiwon almost bumped into Nagyung as she was returning. Nagyung took the cold cup from Jiwon's hand and left your office. That nervous girl you had met at dinner returned around her. It’s something you hated to see.

“I’m sorry about that Jiwon.”

“It’s ok. She’s been like that for the two months I worked for her.” 

“Well, I will make sure it stops. Don’t you worry about that.” 

Jiwon’s frown turned into a smile when you told her that. In a short time, you already cared for this girl. You would make sure to protect her the best you could. 

The chirping from birds let you know it was the next day. A little look from your crusty eyes saw that it was seven am. You had to be at the shop to get your hair done by eight. Begrudgingly, your legs threw your covers off of you and made their way to your slippers. Standing up, you managed to tumble your way to the shower and hop in once the dirty pajamas were off. 

You knew your time was short so you made your shower quick. That cold water surely helped you to wake up. Since you were in a bit of a hurry, you took your time in the shower to also brush your teeth. Some people might be disgusted but you do what you need to when you're short on time.

Getting out of the shower, you managed to empty your bladder and run back out to your room. From your dresser came a casual pair of underwear, sweatpants and a shirt. Throwing them on, you then made your way to your kitchen and grabbed a few cookies from a container. Shoving them in your mouth, you then got to your shoe stand grabbed the comfiest pair of sneakers, and threw them on. Looking up at your clock on the wall, you saw it was 7:20 already. 

Grabbing the keys to your vehicle, you rushed your way towards it.

The drive was uneventful as you arrived at the shop with 15 minutes to spare. With your parked near the building. You then made your way to the entrance and met with the Receptionist. The young woman smiled at you as she saw you. 

“Well if it isn’t the man of the hour. Welcome, Mr.Choi. Please follow me, I’m sure you're ready to start getting spiffy for your future bride.” 

With a nod, you began to follow the young woman down a pair of nice granite steps. This shop was amazing. As you finally got down the stairs, you saw plenty of workers running around getting different things ready. 

As you passed a small section of the shop, your ears could hear why people were running all over. The voice of your fiancé was telling people instructions on how she wanted to look. The receptionist pushed you forward into an area with other males that were waiting for you. 

“They will be responsible for getting your hair and other stuff ready. Your fiancé already brought your suit in which you will be married. They will make sure it fits you perfectly despite having your measurements beforehand. Have fun.” 

With a nod, you walked over to the men and gave them a bow. 

“Please make me look good today.”

The men all smiled and Instructed you to sit down. 

Hours went by. It wasn’t just your hair that was getting done. By orders of Nagyung, light makeup was being applied to you. Somehow light makeup took nearly 4 hours. Wouldn’t that be heavy makeup? Either way, it was noon by the time your hair and makeup were done. The staff had ordered some small sandwiches for you all to snack on before you went to put on your suit. With your simple ham sandwich gone, you went and looked at your suit.

The black tux seemed to be custom-tailored to your size. You probably had your parents to thank for that. You could have sworn a suit of yours was missing from your wardrobe. Pulling a cover, you proceeded to remove the tuxedo from its hanger and laid it on a table. Removing your clothes, you proceeded to throw on the white dress shirt and buttoned it up. Grabbing the pants from the table, your right leg went into the right slot and the left leg into the left slot. You had plenty of practice with suits and such. Putting them on wasn’t hard at all. 

After two more minutes, your belt was in the buckles and you had your pants and dress shirt on. The white bow tie that remained on the table stood out to you. Most women made their partner wear the same color their 2nd dress would be. This being the color could either mean she wanted you to look bad, or her dress after the wedding would be white as well. Either way, you proceeded to pick up the bow tie and put it on. The final piece of your outfit was the nice black jacket. As you put it on, your eyes looked into the mirror in front of you. Your outfit was complete. Honestly, it was a perfect fit. 

Pulling back on the cover, you proceeded to walk out towards the stylists and they began to pass a lint roller all over your tux. 

“Perfect sir. Your bride is going to be very happy.”

“Yeah, sure she would.”

“Your wedding is being held at 3 pm in the Seoul Cathedral. That’s about a 30-minute drive from here. It’s 1:30 pm so it’s time to head out. Good luck today and don’t forget to say I do.” 

Giving the men a bow, you began to head back out the way the receptionist had brought you. It was nothing eventful until you found a giant limousine waiting for you. The older man waiting by the back door gave you a bow and pulled it open. Giving the older man a bow, you quickly entered the limo and the door closed behind you. After a few seconds, the man went to the driver's side and hopped in. Before you knew it, you were on your way to the cathedral.

Honestly, it surprised you how many times you were using the same word to describe your wedding day. Uneventful. The 30-minute drive was uneventful until you finally arrived at your destination. The flashing cameras began to surround the vehicle as well as yells from the media. Security was already outside and began to push the men and women away as your vehicle inched forward to its final spot. Once there, the large men who helped push the media away helped you step out of the limo. 

Despite being pushed back once, the various news sites came piling back over once again. The yells of your security were all you could hear as they were throwing the men and women back. Step by step you began to go up the steps of the cathedral. You aren’t even sure how much time it took until you were finally at the entrance. Once past the wooden doors, you could finally hear yourself think. 

As you began to move further into the church, various men and women began to walk toward you and say their hellos. Despite it being early, the church was already filled with various people. A large majority of these people were businessmen and women who wanted to get on your family’s good side. Doesn’t surprise you most of them are there to kiss ass. 

The repeated motions of your arm going up and down were annoying. Sure everyone knows how simple a handshake is but once you reached 30 people, it was just bothersome. With the random businessmen out of the way, next was saying hello to the executives of The Lee Company. As you stood in front of the 6 men and women, your head went down and gave them all a deep bow.

“I welcome you all to my wedding. Thank you for taking the time to come to this event. I’m sure all of your schedules were packed.”

The oldest of the bunch came over and shook your hand. 

“Of course, we need to attend to meet our company president. Some were hesitant but this merger will help make us all a lot of money. I speak on behalf of all of my colleagues here. I am Ru Sangki.” 

“Mr.Ru. I thank you all for coming. Will you be joining us for the festivities after?” 

“Who could ever say no to free alcohol?”

With a small laugh, you proceeded to make your way to the end of the church where your parents were waiting. As your mother's eyes met with your own, you could see she was beginning to tear up.

“Sweetie. Y-You look amazing.”

“Thank you, Mother. Please don’t cry. You know I hate that.” 

“I just never thought I would s-see the day.”

“Well, it’s here whether we like it or not.” 

Placing a hand on your shoulder, your father looked at you. 

“L-Listen Yejun. Your mother and I know this wasn’t your favorite thing but we appreciate you doing this. This will help our families rise to new heights. I guess we’re beginning to sound like broken records but this has already had an impact. Our stock prices have risen 7% since the first word of your wedding. New investors are lining up. The two of you will make this into a worldwide empire. I’m sure of it. You’re both young. I’m sure you will learn to love each other.”

You wanted to roll your eyes but as a matter of respect, you just nodded your head to your father. 

“OK then. Your wedding will start in a few minutes. Why don’t you go stand up there and we will get started once your bride arrives.”

“Yes, father.” 

Walking up on the stage, you began to just wait and give everyone a nod as they got to their seats. Minute after minute passed as your foot began to tap on the wooden floor. You were in your own world until the sound of an organ playing spooked you. The stereotypical tune from weddings began to play for everyone’s ears. Everyone was sitting for a minute until the sound of the doors could be heard. 

The crowd now standing, looked back and began to take pictures. Your eyes first noticed the older man with her arm intertwined. Next to him was the young woman who had a white dress. Nagyung’s wedding dress wasn’t like other women’s. Most women had massive gowns that could fall to the floor. The fluff from those dresses was always a lot yet Nagyung didn’t dress like that. 

Your fiancé’s dress was short. Her legs were on full display for the crowd to see. The two straps on her shoulders showed her soft skin. The white down her body showed her beautiful curves that could make any man drool. Around her neck, the collar of her dress seemed to have jewels all around to just show a look of elegance. 

Step by step, the young woman got closer as her father held her arm. Small cries could be heard on the left-hand side. As you looked, your eyes noticed Nagyung’s mother crying at the sight of her daughter. You could tell she was just happy her child was getting married. After a few more seconds, Mr.Lee and Nagyung were finally at the front. 

Walking down the five steps, your arm then extended to take Nagyung. Mr.Lee in that moment caught you by surprise as he hugged you. 

“Look after her please.”

You were a bit shocked by this action but after you composed yourself, Mr.Lee revived a nod yes from you. Taking Nagyung’s arm, the two of you went up the 5 wooden steps and met with a priest who seemed to appear out of thin air. 

“Ladies and gentlemen. I would like to welcome you all here today. It’s not often family, friends and loved ones get the chance to gather all together but you all took the time to come here for a very special moment. The moment when a man and woman become one. This is a sacred event that has stood the test of time. One that plenty would feel blessed to have, and I am sure these two feel just that way. Choi Yejun and Lee Nagyung have brought you here today for this. Their marriage. Now as I stand before these two, I can see the nerves on their faces. What couple wouldn’t be nervous on their special day but this just shows the love the two have for each other.”

You could almost laugh hearing those words but you needed to keep the act up. Nagyung smiled at the priest and nodded her head. 

“Now Yejun, the duty of a husband can be tough. Sometimes you will be a friend, other times a confidant but you will always be the head of the family. You will be responsible for the needs your wife will have. Be that someone to talk to or someone to just enjoy time together. The key to all this will be communication. Communication will be the thing to help your marriage last as long as people like your parents. I hope you can fulfill the needs of your family. Now Nagyung. That same goes for you. The role of a husband can be hard at times but you will be his friend and confidant. The two of you will also have the struggles of running a business but if you communicate, then you can stand everything thrown at you two. Now I know plenty of weddings like to go on for an hour and bore you all with different sorts of speeches but I’m not going to do that to you all. I’ll make it shorter than average. We will now move on to the vows. We will start with Yejun. Repeat after me.”

At least this wasn’t going to be long.

“I, Choi Yejun.”

“I, Choi Yejun.”

“Take you, Lee Nagyung.”

“Take you, Lee Nagyung.”

“To be my wife.”

“To be my wife.”

“To have and to hold from this day forward.”

“To have and to hold from this day forward.”

“For better or for worse, for richer or for poorer.”

“For better or for worse, for richer or for poorer.”

“In sickness and in health, I promise to love and cherish you.”

“In sickness and in health, I promise to love and cherish you.”

“Now Nagyung. Repeat after me. I, Lee Nagyung.”

“I, Lee Nagyung.”

“Take you, Choi Yejun.”

“To be my Husband.”

“To be my Husband.”

“To have and to hold from this day forward.”

“To have and to hold from this day forward.”

“For better or for worse, for richer or for poorer.”

“For better or for worse, for richer or for poorer.”

“In sickness and in health, I promise to love and cherish you.”

“In sickness and in health, I promise to love and cherish you.”

“Thank you, both of you. Now I must ask. Should anyone have any reason these 2 should not be wed today, please speak or forever hold your piece.”

Silence in the church.

“Well then. As I said I wouldn’t make this long. By the power vested in me by South Korea and god, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride.”

As you looked at your bride. Your eyes met with hers and saw she was smiling at you. You could tell it was fake but you had to play the part. Putting your hand on your wife’s waist, you then pull her closer and put your left hand on the back of her head. Tilting your head to the left, you then pulled Nagyung’s face toward you and connected your lips. The kiss was simple, just your lips touching but your heart was racing. It had been years since you kissed a girl. You were ready to push your tongue forward until Nagyung pulled her face back. 

Cheers filled the church as the two of you faced the crowd. Smiles were on everyone’s faces. Your parents as well as your in-laws seemed happy. With the feeling of happiness in the air, you couldn’t help but give a genuine smile. At that time, Nagyung pulled your head closer to hers. 

“Carry me to the limo. Make it seem romantic, idiot.”

Now your fake smile is back. Picking the young woman up, you began to walk down the wooden steps and go down the aisle. The cheers continued as you went down and gave everyone a quick nod. Nagyung pulled herself up a little and began to kiss your cheek. Each step you took brought you closer and closer to the doors. Security was ready as you finally reached the end. Your parents and in-laws managed to keep up with you and were ready to go out. 

“Take a few pictures for the media and walk to the limo. We will join you there.”

“Ready, Nagyung?”

“Let’s do this.”

With security pushing the door open, your eyes were immediately blinded by the flashing lights of cameras. Yells from your security as well as the media hit your ears once more. You thought they were crazy before but now that your wife was in your arms, they almost lost it. You were now the power couple of South Korea. Each push on the men that were in front of you wasn’t fruitful. It took a couple of tries for you to make any progress towards the limo. 

More of your guards came and began to pull the cameramen away from you all. Taking a chance, you posed with Nagyung and she smiled for the cameras. After an intense struggle that lasted five minutes, you were finally at the limo door. For one final picture, you looked at Nagyung and attached your lips to hers. The kiss was the same as before, just on the lips. It made your heart skip a beat until your wife pulled away again. 

Putting your wife down, the young woman stepped into the limo and you followed behind. Your parents as well as in-laws also hopped in the limo and then closed the door. Unlike before, security already had them away from the vehicle and you were able to take off. Hugs were passed around as everyone hugged their parents. Your parents then hugged Nagyung and your in-laws hugged you.

“Your dress was stunning. So different from other brides.” 

“Thank you, Mrs.Choi. I-“

“Call me Mom please.” 

“Thank you M-Mom. I had the dress custom-made by some famous stylists at Versace. It was worth every penny.” 

The rest of your ride was filled with Nagyung talking about her dress as well as the different jewelry she had on her person. For not wanting to get married she truly went all out for her dress. Fifteen minutes passed as you reached the venue for the reception. A hotel.  Your wife had reserved several rooms and suites in this massive hotel. As the limo parked at the entrance, security stood guard and helped you get out. Helping Nagyung get out, you extended your arm once more and began to walk in with your family. 

“Now me and your in-laws will finish setting up the reception. You two go over to the conference room and we will come get you when it’s time.” 

“Ok, mom.” 

Walking to an adjoining room, you and Nagyung found a couple of reclining seats and sat in them. The only noises that could be heard were the music as well as the staff workers who were setting up. You Weren’t sure how much time had passed until you heard a small grunt from Nagyung. Looking in her direction, the young woman was standing up and walking towards the door. 

“You ok?”

“I’m gonna go do something. I’ll be back.” 

You didn’t get the chance to respond as your wife pulled the door open and left. You were getting ready to follow behind her until the door opened again. A smile filled your face as you saw it was Jiwon. 

“Congratulations Yejun!”

“Thank you Jiwon. I didn’t know you were in attendance.”

“Well of course I needed to come. I want to support you and be here in case you need something. So where is your bride going?”

“She said she would be back. That’s it.”

Jiwon’s smile turned into a look of sadness when she heard that. 

“I think I know where she went. Follow me.”

Should you?

Jiwon didn’t wait as she grabbed your hand and began to pull you towards the rooms. The first floor seemed to have a few hotel rooms. As you went down this hallway, Jiwon reached one of the many doors there and pulled out a keycard. Scanning it, the green light appeared and she pushed the door open. Walking in, you were met by a sight that angered you. Nagyung had her arms wrapped around another woman and was kissing her neck. Somehow they didn’t even notice you. 

“Nagyung. You’re married now. W-We shouldn’t.”

“It’s ok. I’m sure he won't mind it being another girl, Seoyeon.”

You weren’t sure why you were surprised. She said she was going to keep cheating but with the men avoiding her, you thought the women would too. Your eyes seeing this were suddenly met with the worried young woman. You could see the fear in her eyes as what she worried about happened. 

“M-Mr. Choi.”

Nagyung at that time turned around and saw you. Most people would act shocked when caught cheating. Nagyung just rolled her eyes. 

“Did you bring my husband here?”

Jiwon was silent for a second until she nodded yes. 

“Next time keep to yourself. Or you will be out a Jo-“

“You will not be out of a job Jiwon. I give you my word on that. Nagyung. I truly thought that maybe you would not do it but I’m here and you couldn’t give a shit. Wow.” 

As you began to walk out of the room, you could hear Nagyung scoff and yell at you. You paid her no mind as you and Jiwon returned to your waiting room. Once there, you took a seat again and just closed your eyes. While anger was coming off in waves, you felt a hand touch your arm. It was Jiwon and you could tell she was sorry for you. In a short time, this girl was already proving to be a better friend than any you had before. 

“Sorry. I know this wasn’t your choice but maybe if you have a normal conversation with her then she will listen and stop.” 

You were just silent. It could seem stupid but it only really hurt because Nagyung was keeping stuff from you, lying.  At that time your fiancé returned and took a seat. The two of you were just glaring at each other now. Tension was all that could be felt in the air. Nagyung could have probably jumped on you until a knock on the door caught everyone's attention. It was the party planner. 

“Everything is all set. Let’s go show everyone the lovely couple.”

Your feelings would have to wait, you now had to be the perfect couple. Standing up, you and your wife met at the door and intertwined your arms. Both of you put a fake smile on your faces and walked toward the reception hall door. The doors were quickly pulled open and music began to play. You and Nagyung began to playfully dance to the tune while going into the reception hall. Cheers echoed in the venue as the two of you made your way to the center of the hall. 

You were ready to continue walking toward your seats until a slow song began to play. Normally the first dance would be later on but it looked like it was at that moment. Placing your hand on Nagyung’s thin waist, the two of you began to stumble a bit and go in the opposite direction. To everyone, it was just nerves when in reality you had never practiced this with your wife. 

“Get your shit together and dance. I better not be embarrassed by this.”

Looking to the right a bit, Nagyung began to follow you and you both swayed left and then right in tune. Your dance wasn’t amazing but it served its purpose. A couple of minutes passed as the song stopped and everyone clapped. Directed to your table, the two of you took your seats and looked out into the crowd. It would be a long rest of the day. 

Hours went by. To say it was horrible was an understatement. Every few minutes Nagyung would pull you closer and complain about something you did. Insult after insult continued to go in your ears. How were you going to have a calm conversation with your wife? You were angry. She was angry and annoyed. Would your emotions cause problems in this chat? A sudden pinch on your arm brought you back to your senses. The two of you had been bowing toward everyone who came to the weddings and it had ended. As people packed the dance floor and music blared in people’s ears, your parents and in-laws walked over and placed a few folders in front of the two of you. 

“We know it’s been a long night, and it’s still technically a little early but we couldn’t wait any longer. In front of you are the deeds to your new home. Now C Industries has been developing a new mega building near the heart of Seoul. Well, the penthouse is already done. This home would be worth several million but it’s our wedding gift to the two of you.”

Both you and Nagyung were surprised. The two of you thought it would be time to go home shopping soon but your parents gifted you one. Both you and Nagyung bowed your heads and the massive gift you both received. 

“Finally. In front of you are the transfer of ownership documents for both you and Nagyung. It’s all set. You both just need to sign and Yejun will be the CEO while Nagyung will be the COO.”

Pulling the cover to the manilla folder, the documents were all there and you began to give them a look over. There were no tricks in the end. This was the moment you had been dreaming about your whole life. Picking up a pen, your hand went down to the bottom of the document and began to sign. Once your lengthy signature was done, you took a glance to the left and saw Nagyung was done signing as well. Your wife was smiling and u like her previous ones, this one looked genuine.

“We are proud of the two of you. Welcome the new leaders of C Industries!”

Finally after everything today you were happy now also. 

“We know it’s a bit early but the presidential suit was reserved for the two of you tonight. Here are the keycards so you can enter. Go ahead and leave whenever you want. We love you both.” 

With your parents and in-laws leaving, Nagyung immediately took one of the cards and looked up at the clock. It was 10 pm. 

“Well, I will be heading to the suite. I’m done with all these fake smiles I’ve been giving. Have fun dumbass.”

Standing up, Nagyung made her way to the exit and bowed at everyone as she left. You were left alone at your table now. It felt awkward. Should you just go to your room also? Wait, what if Nagyung was meeting with another person again? 

Your mind began to go in circles as you asked yourself that question repeatedly. Your body reacted on its own as you made your way to the exit. After saying your goodbyes, you quickly made your way towards the elevator and waited for it. After a minute, the metal cage arrived and you walked in. Scanning your keycard, you then pressed the button to the presidential suite and the doors closed. As you went up, your leg began to bounce as you waited to get to your room. 

A loud ding brought you back to earth and the doors opened. Right in front of you was the entrance to the suit. With the card scanner on the handle, you quickly scanned the rectangle in your hand and saw the green light. Walking in, the door was pushed almost all the way but then stopped by a pair of white heels. Pushing your way past the door, you continued your way further until you reached the living room. On the couch sat your wife. The bottle of champagne on the table in front of her was opened and she was enjoying it. 

“Why are you up here?” 

“I have just as much right to be in this room Nagyung.” 

Grabbing a glass, you then poured some of the contents of the bottle into it. You didn’t even hesitate to down the entire glass of champagne. Nagyung scoffed at this action and filled her glass once more. 

“You’re acting like you had a tough day. I had to act like the perfect wife.”

“And you are acting like you aren’t a nightmare to deal with. I tried my best to be kind towards you all day yet all you did was treat me like trash.” 

Nagyung’s scoff returned as she then stood up. 

“I have been treating you well, all things considered.”

Your wife at that time walked towards the bedroom, leaving you shocked at her words. Following behind you raised your voice a bit. 

“That was treating me well? How the fuck is that treating me well?”

“You got to kiss a gorgeous woman like me. I think that’s pretty good for a loser like you. Plus you ruined one of my chances to destress. I could have slapped you for that.” 

“First. You need to stop calling me a loser. I don’t get where you got that idea and secondly, you went to do shit like that on our wedding day. You don’t even care.” 

“I don’t care. I told you I love sex. A wimp like you can’t satisfy me.”

Getting closer to Nagyung, your glare met with hers.

“I have asked you already. Stop calling me a wimp. I’m getting tired of this.”

“Wimp, wimp, wimp.” 

Our anger was ready to boil over. You had this rage you wanted to release but you didn’t know how. You hadn’t noticed how close your face was to Nagyung’s until you could feel her breath on yours. The two of you were angry and needed to get rid of this feeling. 

Your bodies reacted on their own as you both grabbed each other. Your lips were connected to Nagyung’s before you knew what was happening. This wasn’t like the short kisses you had before. You had wanted to push your tongue forward before and now you had the chance. 

As your tongue moved into her mouth, the two of you began to fight against each other. You would have figured Nagyung would push you away but she continued to kiss you. The young woman’s tongue was shorter than yours, yet she managed to put up a good fight. Your tongues were pushing against each other and then circling, chasing each other.  With your pent-up anger, you finally pushed your tongue against hers and took control in her mouth. Oxygen was something the two of you didn’t notice until your lungs felt empty. 

Pulling back, both of your chests heaved as they took in as much air as possible. Still, your face ended up back in her body only now her neck. First, you began with small pecks on her soft skin. A few pecks later you began to nibble on her skin and pull a bit. The combination of your kisses and bites began to leave a red mark on your wife’s neck. Soft moans hit your ear as Nagyung held you close. 

You weren’t sure when but after a little bit, Nagyung was already pulling off your jacket and ripped off your tie. Your hands stopped being idle after those actions and followed her lead. Your wife didn’t have much clothes on, so it was easy to begin to raise her white dress. Pulling back from your bride's neck, she began to help you remove her wedding dress. As the clothes began to leave her body, your eyes were blessed by the sight of her nude breast. Nagyung didn’t have a bra on this entire time. Just that thought made your already stiff cock to twitch. 

Nagyung seemed impatient as the young woman ripped the buttons to your shirt open. With that out of the way, your hands went down to your belt and unhooked it. Pulling the leather belt off your pants, Nagyung quickly unbuttoned your pants and pulled them down. Raising both your legs, your pants were finally gone and you were matching Nagyung. Only your undergarments remained. 

“Not bad for a wimp.”

“Shut up you bitch. Why am I even doing this?”

“Please, I'm asking myself that. You probably have a little shrimp dick.”

Nagyung’s hand reached out and took hold of your clothes shaft. Your wife had a smirk on her face until she began to feel around. 

“Take a look then.” 

Your wife rolled her eyes at the cockiness in your tone and dropped to her knees. As she went down, her hands wrapped around the band of your underwear and pulled it down. As your cock was freed from its confines, it accidentally hit Nagyung in the face as she got closer. A small gasp left her mouth as she stared at your dick. Raising her hand slowly, your wife’s dainty fingers wrapped around your cock. 

“Well well well. I guess my husband is blessed with a nice cock after all.”

Slowly, Nagyung’s hand began to move up and down your length. With each small stroke, a bit of precum left your tips and began to move down your shaft. The clear slick began to slick up your wife’s hand a bit. Her hand was soft and moving slowly, yet it felt great. Nagyung. Could tell these small actions felt amazing as she then sped up a little bit.

“Awe. Your cock is heating up a bit. This is probably the most a girl has ever done to your length.”

“I’m not a virgin Nagyung. I just don’t Sleep around with anything that breathes.”

“Well you should be happy your wife loves sex. Because that means I’m an expert at this.”

Goosebumps filled your body as you felt something warm wrap around your cock. Looking down, your eyes met with Nagyung’s as her mouth trapped your tip. A few small sucks began to attack your cock head. A slight groan left your mouth as Nagyung continued this action. Sure it felt great but it would quickly bore you. 

Nagyung seemed to have read your mind as she smirked a bit. Lower and lower went your wife’s mouth on your length. You weren’t sure how but Nagyung managed to move your entire length down her throat. After five seconds, Nagyung pulled her mouth back and off your length. Your wife then began to move her tongue on your length and moved it from the base to your tip. Left then right went her tongue around your cock. Moving down to your balls, Nagyung began to move her tongue around them and played with them. Your wife’s hand while she sucked on your balls stroked it up and down. 

After a minute, Nagyung returned her mouth to your length and began to suck on your cock head. Down went her head on your length inch by inch until you filled her throat. The same action repeated two more times until Nagyung hit you with something new. When you filled her throat once more, you felt a vibration around your length as well as a constriction. Nagyung was somehow massaging your cock with her throat. It was unlike anything you had felt before. If you truly were a virgin, you would have blasted your load down Nagyung's throat at that moment. 

Pulling back, Nagyung giggled a bit and just looked at you. 

“How does that feel dear? I told you I’m talented. Or maybe you are just a virgin.

“T-That was….. ok.” 

“Well. If it’s just ok then fuck my face. Dump a load down my throat.”

With the same insult being repeated, you decided to take her up on this invitation. Both of your hands took hold of Nagyung’s head and your waist began to move back and forth. At first, it was slow but when your eyes met with Hers, you saw she rolled them at you. With a sudden thrust, Nagyung’s throat was filled and her eyes shot out a bit. Back and forth your cock entered and left her mouth. Your wife’s throat was getting filled every second with your action. Despite this, she would take deep breaths when she could and took it. She truly wasn’t a rookie at this. Once again, Nagyung began to constrict your length with her throat. The feeling every time felt like the first time. The girl certainly wanted you to cum. 

“F-Fuck. Guess you can do more than just complain with that mouth.”

You felt almost embarrassed but you knew you were close. Using as much strength as you could, you pounded into your wife’s throat. You didn’t have time to warn Nagyung as you thrust into her throat a final time, blowing your load. Shot after shot of your cum went down the young woman’s canal. A small pur left Nagyung’s mouth as your semen filled her stomach. It was one of the best orgasms you had in a while. Letting go of your wife, Nagyung pulled back and began to suck on your tip. Your whole body jolted as you were still sensitive.

“Fuck. I haven’t swallowed a load that big in a while. You must have needed to let one out for a while now.”

Your head just nodded a bit as Nagyung stood up and laid her back on the bed. 

“Hurry up and eat my pussy. I better cum from that worthless tongue of yours.

After finally catching your breath, your legs dropped down and you brought yourself up to Nagyung’s legs.

“Sit back and enjoy, bitch.”

Wrapping your arms around Nagyung’s thick thighs, you then pulled your wife closer. Deciding to tease Nagyung, your lips went to her legs, and began to kiss them. Each peck down her leg brought you closer and closer to her panties. Nagyung being impatient wrapped her hand on her panties and pulled them down. With her privates uncovered, your kisses got closer and closer until you hovered about her pussy. Her slick had covered her legs already and you had a taste, but now you wanted more

“Fucking eat my pussy.” 

You would have liked to leave her there frustrated, but you decided to be nice and gave her pussy a kiss. A little moan left her mouth and you gave her lips another kiss. You repeated this action as your hands moved up to her folds. Spreading them open, your tongue took the chance to push in and began to lick around. More moans left Nagyung’s mouth as your tongue began to swirl in her cavern. 

With her folds parted, your eyes managed to see your wife’s clit. With your left hand, you began to run her nub in little circles. Letting go of Nagyung’s folds, you then used your right hand and pushed your index finger into her. The small moans were replaced with swears as your fingers moved in and out of her pussy. All 3 actions made your wife begin to jump around. She wasn’t ready for you to please her. Nagyung was truly caught off guard. 

Adding two more fingers at once, Nagyung’s legs began to shake at the combined efforts of your hands and tongue. In and out your fingers pistoned Nagyung’s tunnel faster and faster. Your tongue with its continuous flicks on her clit began to speed up despite your mouth getting tired. Nagyung was close and you could tell.

Pulling back, you looked up at Nagyung and heard a groan from her. 

“Why the fuck did you stop?”

“Maybe we should just leave you here as payback or-“

Nagyung wasn’t happy and pulled your head back into her snatch. Should you keep going? Nagyung didn’t wait as her fingers began to rub her clit. Your three fingers pushed back into her snatch and your tongue licked her folds. It didn’t take long for Nagyung to get close to her orgasm again. Moving your fingers as fast as possible. 

“F-Fuck. Just a l-little more.”

Keeping the same pace, Nagyung soon began to jolt around and yell. A rush of fluids hit your face and you then opened your mouth. Each squirt of your wife’s fluids filled your mouth quickly. Drinking it, your body shivered as you had the best-tasting drink of your life. Pulling back, Nagyung was panting for air and had a bright smile on her face.

All of this made you hard again. You thought you were turned on before, but now. You wanted to fuck the life out of your wife. You didn’t hesitate to stand back up and line your length with her folds. Nagyung saw this and smirked. 

“Look at you. Taking charge. I wonder if that cock can make me cum.”

“I already made you cum.”

“That was with my help. I doubt you can do it on your own but go ahead and try.”

“Let’s see if that loose pussy can make me cum.” 

Your cock head began to push forward and wrapped around your length. You didn’t hesitate to go as deep as possible in that instant. Every inch of your length was wrapped by Nagyung’s walls, and it was the greatest feeling ever. Pulling back, you began to move back and forth. 

“Mhmmmm. Such a beautiful cock but I’ve had better.” 

Your anger returned as you wrapped your hands on her hips. Harder and harder your cock began to shove itself into your wife.

“Little better but I think I should go find a better cook than you right now.”

Adding a bit of speed, your hips thrusted more and more into Nagyung’s pussy. Achieving a steady speed, you continued to fuck Nagyung. 

Clap clap clap

Those were the sounds that could be heard in the room. Finding a bit more strength, you began to move harder. Grunts left your mouth as Nagyung moaned. 

“T-That’s fucking it. Keep going, wimp” 

Grabbing Nagyung’s hair, you aggressively pulled your wife’s upper body closer to you. 

“S-Stop calling me a wimp.” 

“Y-You want me to stop. Then make sure I cum.”

Lowering your hand, your fingers began to search until you found her clit once more. As your wife did before, your fingers began to move her clit in circles. You could feel your wife begin to constrict her walls on your length from this action. You hadn’t noticed Nagyung had her arms wrapped around your neck until now. Letting go of her upper body, your head moved down and went into her breast. 

With your mouth wide open, you managed to find Nagyung’s right nipple and wrapped it around your lips. At first, you began to give it a few teases but soon you began to suck on it harder. You were never the best multitasker yet you managed to keep fucking Nagyung, playing with her clit and sucking on her breasts. Raising your head, you then moved your mouth to her left breast and began to suck on her nipple. 

“Fuck. I-I’ve needed this.”

“M-Me too.”

You were surprised at that moment as Nagyung pulled your head back. You thought she was going to push you away until she brought her lips to yours. The two of you were in a battle once more. Your tongues fighting for dominance. This kiss was aggressive, yet you could feel almost a sense of care in it. Pulling back from the kiss, Nagyung smiled at you and kissed your cheek. 

“B-Babe. Keep going, please. I’m going to cum if you keep this pace.” 

Your heart fluttered a bit when she called you that. You were going to help her cum. Keeping your thrusting pace, your fingers sped up and stimulated her clit even more. Nagyung at that time began to yell once more and jump around in your arms. Your wife’s eyes began to roll back as she continued to jump around. The construction around your length was just as good as her throat, you were ready to cum. With a few more thrusts, your length reached the end of your wife’s caverns. Your seed began to flood your wife’s snatch as you fell on top of your wife. Your cock throbbed more than five times as you filled her to the brim with your semen. 

You weren’t sure how much time passed as you felt Nagyung kissing your neck. Getting back up, you looked down and saw your cum leaking out of your wife’s pussy. Nagyung brought her fingers down at that moment and grabbed some of the semen that was dripping. 

Raising it to her mouth, your wife playfully spun around and raised her ass towards you. 

“Put another load in me.”

You didn’t need to think twice about that invitation. Despite everything, your cock was still plenty hard. Nagyung at that time reached back and lined your length up with her folds. With a push, your length was enveloped in your wife’s caverns once more. 

“Fuck. How are you so tight?” 

“How do you have such a nice cock?”

Picking up a little speed, your thrusts began to get harder. Nagyung at that time brought her upper body up and you took hold of her arms. From your wife’s delicate arms, they began to go up and take hold of her breast. Your lips once more went to her neck and you began to pepper it with kisses.

“God I love that. Maybe I really won’t need another cock after this.” 

“Here y-you go again. This is the only cock you are going to have from now on.”

“M-Maybe but you get a pleasure other men have never had.” 

“And what’s that you whore.”

Nagyung’s walls got tighter with that word. 

“None of them got to fuck me without a condom. Let alone fill me with cum.” 

“Then let me fuck a-another load into your loose pussy.”

Nagyung moaned when you insulted her again. Your speed began to increase when you could imagine another load in your wife. Letting go of her left breast, you immediately raised it and slapped her ass. A grunt left Nagyung as you then slapped her ass again. 

“Y-You can do better dear. Fuck me like others have before.” 

Your slaps continued on her ass after she said those words. 

“S-Shut up you whore.”

“W-Whore? Yet you’re fucking me.”

“B-Because this is my pussy now.” 

Your thrusts increased and Nagyung began to grunt like you. 

“C-Choke me.” 

You would have never thought of yourself grabbing your partner's neck during sex but with the way Nagyung spoke to you, there wasn’t any hesitation. Both of your hands wrapped around the young woman’s neck and began to squeeze a bit. This seemed to turn Nagyung more. The constriction around your cock got tighter with each squeeze you gave her neck. Nagyung began to lower her hand down to her clit but you saw this and slapped her hand away. 

“Y-You come when I say so.” 

Your right hand continued to give a few squeezes to her neck while your left hand went to her clit. Rubbing it in circles once more. Your combined efforts were bringing Nagyung to her orgasm, and you were soon to follow. Should you be ashamed about cuming so soon again? Probably not when you were making her cum quickly also. 

Every one of your actions went as fast as they could. The rubbing of Nagyung’s clit, the choking of her neck, and the thrusting Into her walls. 

“P-Please. Just a little more.”

With your constant pace, you saw Nagyung’s body begin to shake as her third orgasm of the night came. A rush of fluids hit the bed as you gave her neck one final squeeze. Just like your hands. Your wife’s walls squeezed around your cock and tried to milk you of all you had. Letting go of her neck, your cum began to fill Nagyung. Pants for air and mains filled the room, just like you filled your wife. 

After a minute, Nagyung pulled her body away from yours and pulled the covers to the bed. Hoping under the covers, you followed her and wrapped her in your arms. 

The room was silent until Nagyung broke the air. 

“Can I be honest?” 

“Sure.”

“That was some of the best sex I’ve had in a while. You were great but I still want to sleep with other partners. I have been doing this for so long and it will just be so hard to change myself. 

You began to chuckle a bit hearing that. 

“I have a compromise. Why don’t you let me sleep with other women and you can sleep with other women as well?”

You were amazed at what you just heard. You were mad about your fiancé trying to sleep with others but now your mind was debating if you should take this offer.

“It’s called an open relationship. And to stay clean I will only sleep with women I introduce you to and you can sleep with women I introduce you to. You already proved that cock can satisfy me. I won’t lie to you anymore or try to trick you but please let me continue this life, dear.”

Should you do it? should you change your morals just to have more sex?

“I’ll let you fuck Saerom unnie first if you would like.”

Your cock twitched at the thought of fucking her. Her beautiful body certainly had never left your mind when you saw it. This deal would be in your favor. 

“Fuck it. Let’s do it. So much for being angry at you for trying to sleep with others."

Nagyung laughed and hopped back on you. The young girl smirked and began to kiss your neck. 

“I hope we can wake up early. Our flight to Jeju is at 7 am. This week is going to be filled with fucking. Let’s see if you can keep up, wimp."

“One way to find out.” 

Plunging Nagyung back on your rod, the young woman began to bounce as you pulled her down for a kiss. 

This relationship is going to be Interesting.

A/n 2- Thank you for reading. Not the best but i hope you enjoyed it. Not sure when i will come back with another piece so until then. Thank you for reading, sorry for typos and see you next time

[shuadotcom]

Stuck | MYG (2)

› Summary: When Min Yoongi’s parents arrange for him to marry their top business competitor’s daughter, he’s less than thrilled, but being the filial son he is, he does what his parents ask to keep the business successful. You’re much less receptive to the news, and it takes your parents threatening your fortune to get you to go along with it. As expected, things between you and Yoongi go from bad to worse. It only takes half a year before it all comes to a head, leaving you both exhausted, heartbroken, and unsure of how to pick up the pieces.

› Pairing: Yoongi x Female!Reader (nicknamed Peach)

› Genre: Angst, fluff, arranged marriage au, chaebol au

› Rating: PG-15

› Words: 11k

› Warnings: Profanity, toxic parents

› Note: F I N A L L Y HERE IS PART 2 OF MY Sons of Midas COLLAB FIC😤 For whatever reason, this fic really beat my ass. I hate how long it took me to write it, but every time I opened the doc my brain all of a sudden didn’t know how to function?? 🥴 BUT SHE’S HERE. I’m gonna be real with y’all, I have no idea if Peach and this Yoongi (Poongi? Yeach? Thanks I hate both options) will make a comeback in any of my future fics, but if they do, it won’t be for a while. I love them but I need a break from them lol.

Thank you soooo much to my wonderful wifey and Peach stan @agustdealer and my precious lovelies @oftenderweapons & @lavienjin for being my wonderful betas!!! I tagged everyone I could remember that asked! Thanks you all for waiting and reading!! ❤️❤️

PART 1

› Taglist: @jwlmnbt​ @jalexad​ @siadreams @elyte​ @neverthefirstchoice​ @angeltothecore​​ @hello-kittyy​​ @superperfectionnut @630wrld​​ @sugarkive​ @taegigucci​​ @leanimal90​​

You’re not running away. That is absolutely not what you’re doing. Just because you packed two big suitcases when you got home, bought a one-way ticket to Antigua, and are on your way to the airport doesn’t mean you’re running away. You sent a text to the group chat with your friends as you were in the car going home, telling them you’re leaving for a while before putting your phone in airplane mode and turning it off completely. 

If you were running away you wouldn’t have told anyone that you’re leaving, obviously.

You just need time away. Time away from your overbearing, insufferable mother who will no doubt be blowing up your phone any second now. You’re sure that the videos of you and Yoongi screaming at each other have already made it online. That only means that your mother will either see it when browsing online, or someone will send it to her. This, of course, will lead to furious phone calls and text messages, probably blaming you for fucking up the business image once again. You’ll deal with that when you’re back.

You need time away from life as Peach Y/l/n. You just want to be Y/n in a place no one knows you. No pressure to always be made up and schmooze with every wealthy person you’ve ever met. No image of your own or your family’s to uphold, no paparazzi in your face at every turn, just waiting to crucify you for your next scandal. No offspring of other wealthy families trying desperately to get into your pants for notoriety or a quick fuck. It’s draining and you’re at your wit's end. 

You need the most time away from anything that is Min Yoongi. You’re tired of thinking about him and talking about him and being reminded that he is your legal husband. You’ve had your fair share of issues with partners, but the way that you and Yoongi treat each other (yes, you acknowledge it’s your fault) is poor and it’s exhausting. The mental and emotional toll of being married to Yoongi has aged you at least fifteen years. He can divorce you and ruin your family business merger for all you care. He can slander your name and trash you to any press who will listen. He can do whatever the fuck he wants as long as it’s away from you. 

That’s why you’re taking such an impromptu vacation in a place you’ve never been to. You want to lie on the beach and forget your problems. You’ll deal with your mom, your life, and Yoongi when you return home, but for now, you’ll focus on yourself.

Yoongi is a huge fucking asshole. He knows this. He knew this as soon as all of the vile things he said to you slipped out. He knew before you even opened your mouth to retort and before you even threw your drink at him. Now he’s standing in one of the bathrooms on the boat, blotting at the wet spots on his suit, wishing he could turn back time to before he acted like complete trash to you. 

But, he can’t. He said awful things to you and just watched as you built even higher and stronger walls, and pushed him away even more. Yoongi hates himself knowing this — that he’s the one that keeps fucking things up over and over again. 

“What is wrong with you?” he asks his reflection, getting no response. Your words about him seeking therapy ring in his ears, and he thinks that may be for the best. 

While it’s still on his mind, Yoongi fishes his phone from his pocket and sends a text to Tzuyu asking her to email him a list of the best therapists in town tomorrow morning. When he gets the text back that she’ll have it for him as soon as she can, he lets out a sigh. It’s not going to magically fix anything between the two of you, but it’s a start. Maybe if he’s a little less broken, you’ll be willing to work on things with him.

Yoongi would be a liar if he said he wasn’t very obviously still holding on to feelings for you. Why does he have to show this in the worst way possible? He doesn’t have the slightest clue, but he knows something is wrong with him and for you, he’ll fix it.

After exiting the bathroom, he is painfully aware of the eyes that follow him as he leaves the ship. He already knows people were recording his entire fight with you, and he’s willing to bet that tabloids are soon to follow. He needs to get home and start working on damage control before this spirals even more out of control than it inevitably will get. 

Once he’s seated in the small boat to take him back to shore he toys with the idea of texting you that he’s sorry or that he’ll make everything up to you but decides against it. He knows you well enough to know that any response he’ll receive will be anything but positive. 

As expected, the paparazzi are still at the shore, snapping more pictures as he beelines to his waiting car. Before his driver shuts the door, he hears plenty of questions. 

“Why did Peach leave before you?!” 

“Peach looked upset when she left, did you two fight?!”

“Are you getting a divorce?!” 

The last question makes him frown, but he tries to shake it off. He won’t divorce you unless that’s what you truly want. He’s lost in thought, you on his mind when his phone starts ringing.

“Jimin?” he asks, answering the call on the second ring.

“Yoongi, get to the hospital now!”

“What?”

“Jungkook and Candy were in a car accident! Everyone is on their way — get here now!”  

“I’ll be there.” Yoongi curses before he hangs up and tells his driver to take him to the Park’s hospital.

His driver gets him there in record time, Seokjin pulling up to the curb at the same time. Yoongi and Seokjin nod at each other, worry etched all over their faces as they rush inside, frantic to find their friends.

Upon entry, Yoongi locks eyes with Jungkook’s girlfriend, the woman that he had just warned Jungkook about hours ago.

Yoongi isn’t sure if the anger he feels upon seeing her is coming from the intense worry he’s feeling for his friends, the fury at himself about the way he last ended things with you, or the exhaustion he feels about what’s to come when his father finds out what happened, but he already didn’t like the girl. It all bubbles over when he sees her.

“No. What the fuck is she doing here?” Yoongi sneers, rushing over and giving Hoseok a look for an answer. His friend gives him nothing, so he turns his attention to her. “Get. Out.”

“No,” she says to him, standing up, arms crossed and frown strong. 

He doesn’t have time to get into it with this girl, opting to beckon security to take care of her instead. He walks off after letting out a harsh laugh, more so at her blatant disregard for his words.

The guards don’t even question him when he approaches, explaining that there’s someone that’s not family or friends trespassing. They make quick work removing the two-faced woman from the hospital, a smirk on Yoongi’s face the whole time. He feels a twinge of what he thinks is guilt once she’s finally gone and winces. It’s not that he doesn’t usually feel guilt, but as his friends like to joke, he barely feels anything in his cold, dead heart. He frowns for what feels like the hundredth time tonight and pushes that away.

His mind refocuses on his friends as he gets comfortable in the chair next to Hoseok. This is cut extremely short when Yoongi’s phone rings, his father’s name on the screen. His body sags in exhaustion as he tiredly answers. 

“Min Yoongi, what the fuck is the meaning of this video?!” His voice booms through the receiver, both Seokjin and Hoseok eyeing him as his father yells.

“I know that it’s bad and -”

“Oh yeah? Then why the fuck did it happen?!”

“Father, it was an accident. Y/n and I just had a small disagreement.”

“Aboard a ship where the children of every business partner of mine in the goddamn country happen to be! This isn’t the first time the tabloids have been sniffing around your marriage!”

“I know.”

“So then why does this keep happening, Yoongi?!”

Yoongi closes his eyes, his brain struggling to come up with an answer that his father will find acceptable. Of course, this isn’t possible, as nothing is ever acceptable to his father — especially when he’s angry. 

“I’m sorry,” is what he settles on saying.

“You will be if you don’t do something about this. Do a press release or find a photoshoot of some sort for you and Y/n to do. I don’t know, just take this harsh spotlight off of us.” The line clicks dead after that, not so much as a goodbye is offered to Yoongi.

Letting out a heavy groan that he feels in his chest, Yoongi leans his head back against the wall, wishing he was anywhere in the world than in this reality. 

“I assume that was about the fight with Peach on the boat?” Seokjin speaks up, glancing at Yoongi.

“Yep and I assume you already know how CEO Min is taking it.”

“About as well as he takes any criticism about your family.” The two men share a bitter laugh. “The usual, ‘Yoongi get your shit together’ yelling.” 

“Not to take his side, but your dad’s right.” Hoseok pipes up, the man looking worse for wear from his spot next to Yoongi. “You like Peach. You’ve told us as much these past few months. Hell, you had a crush on her before you ever even spoke to her. But all you keep doing is being an asshole and pushing her away. If this moment right now has taught me anything, it’s to get things right with the people you care about.” Hoseok sounds sad as he says this, no doubt his worry for Candy driving him mad.

“He’s right,” Seokjin agrees. “We all know you used to have a thing for her. And you’ve told us yourself that you feel something for her. So do something about it that doesn’t include calling her a whore and nearly getting murdered by her.”

“Oh yeah, you’re lucky it was just a drink,” Hoseok tiredly jokes. “If she had had something sharp on her, we may have been here in this hospital for you.” The three men laugh before Hoseok turns serious again. “We’re not here to be your marriage counselors, but if you do actually care about her maybe do something about this. And you better be lucky Candy can't check her phone right now because you'd already have had a shitstorm thrown at you about what you did.”

Seokjin and Hoseok are right. This is the worst scenario to happen for things to slide into perspective for Yoongi, but he does need to fix things with you. Not only to get his father off of his back, but he knows that making it all up to you is most important. As bad as your last fight was, and how many terrible things he’s said to you, he would lose his mind if he was coming to the hospital to see you because you were in an accident. 

“You guys are right,” Yoongi groans. “She’s not going to answer my calls right now though. She’ll probably tell me to eat shit and die or something.”

“Yeah, that’s something she’d say,” Seokjin chuckles. “Give her a day or so. She put up with your cranky ass all these months so I’m sure you can work it out.” Hoseok agrees and the three of them fall into silence as they await news on their friends; meanwhile, Yoongi’s mind immediately goes to you and what you’re doing. Are you home already? Have you fallen asleep or are you thinking of him too?

“Miss Y/l/n, we’re here.” The voice of your driver wakes you from your small nap as you look up at your apartment building. You tiredly thank him and step out of the car door he’s holding open for you. Taking both suitcases from him, you wheel them into the lobby, greeting your doorman, and heading straight to the elevators.

While your month away was much needed, it also did very little to help completely clear your mind. Your days were filled with massages and spa trips at the resort, eating fancy meals, and even a few activities held at the resort with other guests. The problem is that when you weren’t doing these things, you still found yourself dreading what you needed to deal with when you returned home. 

Manicures and seaweed wraps weren’t enough to clear your mind. Neither were any of the people who hit on you while you were away. You wanted to accept the advances that were thrown your way - or at least you thought you did. You were polite to anyone who came up to you. There was even a fair share of men who approached you that reminded you so much of Yoongi that you had to reject them especially. Whether you’re still changing as a person or you’re letting everything get to you, you found yourself having no interest in anyone. Who even are you anymore?

Back in your apartment, everything is just as you left it. You wonder if anyone has been by and almost go ask the doorman, but you stare at your phone in your hand instead. You still haven’t turned it on, feeling utterly terrified of what awaits you. Taking a deep breath, you power the device on, and plop onto the couch, waiting.

As soon as your lock screen appears, notification after notification starts to light up the screen. You unlock the device and watch as the notification number on your messaging app goes up and up. Scrolling through, you see texts from, Candy, Honey, Swan, and a few other casual friends. Your mother’s assistant has texted you and of course the she-devil herself. Your father even messaged you which surprises you, but it’s the text notifications from Yoongi that have you freezing.

You’re oh so curious about what he could have to say, so you open his messages first.

[Sep 3, 12:29 PM] Yoongi: Hey, I know I was a complete and utter asshole to you the other day. I can’t tell you how sorry I am over a text message, so if you don’t hate me too much, can we talk?

[Sep 5, 6:27 PM] Yoongi: Peach can we please talk? I haven’t come by because I’m trying to respect you. Please.

[Sep 7, 10:10 AM] Yoongi: Hey I just came by but you didn’t answer and I don’t blame you. I’m begging Y/n, can we please just talk? You don’t even have to answer me, just let me say what I have to say.

[Sep 8, 11:05 AM] Yoongi: Okay let me just say what I need to over text since you clearly don’t want to see me which I get. 

[Sep 8, 11:06 AM] Yoongi: [voice memo sent]

Hitting play on the voice note, you turn the volume up to listen.

“Okay, This is really hard to say, but I’ll cut to the chase. I’m a terrible person. I’ve treated you horribly and I took all my problems out on you and I’m so sorry. I know an apology doesn’t mean shit if I don’t actually change, but I will. I’ll show you and make a bigger effort to prove I’m not just the shitty rich guy that treats his wife like she doesn’t matter. And I don’t want a divorce. But if you want to, then I will - I’ll sign the paperwork, but I don’t want to. I want to work through all this and I still want to talk in person, but this is what I wanted to say. I’ll give you time and leave you alone.”

Yoongi doesn’t want a divorce. 

This realization makes you feel some indescribable emotions. Hopeful? Optimistic? You’re more of a glass-half-empty person, so hopefulness and optimism are foreign feelings to you, but they sound right. You’re feeling unsure as to how exactly Yoongi will be able to atone for the shitty things he’s done, but you know you’re not going to just let him waltz in and play with your emotions anymore. You’re not that type of woman and refuse to let a man that’s confusing your feelings for him make you one. 

Glancing back at your screen, you go back to your text messages, seeing Yoongi texted you again a day after that voice message, begging you to at least acknowledge you are reading his messages. He then texted you a day after that saying he talked to Candy who told him she knew you were away since you texted them. He respects you not telling anyone where, but he is still worried.

There are more scattered texts from him throughout the month, saying he hopes you’re okay and that when you’re back and ready he wants to talk to you face to face and that he still means everything he said in his voice message. One of the last texts he sent was two days ago, saying he misses you and he’ll be there when you’re ready. 

Biting your bottom lip between your teeth, you reread that last text. The urge to hit the call button is strong, but you push it back to glance at the rest of the messages. All of your friends sent you messages checking in on you, missing you, and hoping you’re okay. It’s a text from Seokjin to you and your friends that catches your attention first. It was sent thirty minutes after your text telling the girls you were going away.

[Sep 1, 11:36 PM] Seokjin: Candy and Jungkook are in the hospital. I’m on my way there now.

Your eyes widen and you scramble to Candy’s contact, calling her immediately. 

“Look who it is!” she says instead of “hello” when answering.

“Are you okay? I just saw you were in the hospital!”

Candy chuckles. “Oh, yeah. The night of Jungkook’s party when you made your great escape, he and I got into a car accident. We’re both fine now, but I’m not going to lie, it was scary as hell.”

“Holy shit, I’m sorry I wasn’t here. I was just — I needed to get away.”

“It’s okay. I know you’ve had your own drama to deal with. Did leaving help?”

Sighing, you lie back on the couch. “Yes and no. It helped except when it didn’t. It wasn’t as much of a vacation as I wanted it to be.”

“I’m sorry. If it makes you feel any better, Yoongi was losing his shit when he couldn’t get any answers from the fifty million texts I know he sent.”

“Yeah, I saw them. I don’t know what to make of it, honestly. I thought it was obvious he hated my guts.”

“I know it seems like that and I’m not trying to make up an excuse for him at all. I’ve known Yoongi since we were young and honestly, he needs a good therapist and some deep self-reflection. And I mean… you do too, you know.”

“Hey, we’re talking about Yoongi!” You say with faux-offense, knowing she’s right.

“Yeah, yeah, I know. Anyway, he has a lot to unpack in that big, yet stupid brain of his and he shouldn’t take that out on you. But he doesn’t hate you. He does care about you even though he’s a complete asshat at showing it.”

“Asshat doesn’t even cover the way he’s acted.” You both laugh before you let out a groan.

“I should talk to him shouldn’t I?”

“Only if you want to.”

“You think he still wants to even though it’s been a month?”

“Peach, he’s been in absolute shambles not knowing where you were or what’s going on. There’s no way he changed his mind in the last two days.”

Knowing that Yoongi was so eaten up by your absence made you feel a little better about your confusion surrounding your feelings for him. You say goodbye to Candy and hang up to take a shower and properly decompress from traveling before reaching out to Yoongi to have a talk you’ve been dreading.

This has been, by far, the hardest month of Yoongi’s entire life. Not even the most critical of essays in college that he procrastinated finishing until a month before can measure up to the month he’s had. He’s incredibly grateful that Jungkook and Candy recovered as quickly as they did from their accident. There’s no way he would’ve survived that on top of not knowing where you are and if you’re okay. 

When he did find out from Candy that you left the night of Jungkook’s party and hadn’t been seen since, he started to panic a little. He went to your apartment after learning this and waited outside of your door. He remembers standing in front of it, pressing his ear close to the wood and hearing nothing. 

Yoongi found himself stopping by a few times after that, hoping that he’d see you coming home and even catch a glance of you. He only did that for about three days before he slipped up and mentioned it to Hoseok who told him to stop. He reminded him that you needed time and that he needed to remember the person you are. After what happened and with you being you, you'd reach out to Yoongi when you're ready to speak, and he just needed to deal with it for now.

So he said he’d wait for you and he did. The whole month you’re gone, Yoongi throws himself into things for him. He works hard at Min Electronics, essentially hoping his hard work will stop his father from asking him about you. Both your families know you’re still gone and that Yoongi doesn’t know where you’ve run off to, but if he works and stays out of his father’s line of sight he’s hoping to be left alone. He released a statement a couple of days after Jungkook’s party, apologizing for making a private disagreement public and citing that your relationship is fine and that you are on a self-care vacation. He leaves it at that and refuses to comment on anything further.

In addition to work and occupying his time with his friends, Tzuyu finds him a few therapists to try. While they’re all just fine, Yoongi only truly clicks with one of them. Dr. Lee isn’t young but also isn’t so old that Yoongi feels that he doesn’t listen.

Yoongi meets with him three times a week to start and while he is typically one to bottle any semblance of emotion up, Dr. Lee makes it easy (well, easy-ish) for Yoongi to unload what’s in his head. Yoongi’s realistic and knows that talking to a shrink won’t cure him of his many issues magically, but even after a single session, he feels just the smallest bit lighter. He can’t place it, but it’s something. He just wants so badly to be better, finally. He needs to fix himself - not only for him but also for you. He can’t keep hurting you. He won’t.

After finally stopping himself from texting you as much as he did for the month, he finds himself still thinking of you. It isn’t until a couple of days into October that he finally cracks and needs to stop by your place, just once more. He vows to himself that if you aren’t there, he’ll stop until you decide you want to speak to him. 

It takes you a couple of days of sleeping and resetting before you’re ready to see anyone. You plan on it being Yoongi, but your mom has other plans, bursting into your apartment as you’re eating breakfast on the couch.

“Well, well, well. Look who decided to come home.”

“You didn’t even knock,” you moan, placing your bowl on the coffee table.

Your mom scoffs at this. “You have some nerve saying that. After what you did.”

“What I did? What did I do?”

“You’ve been gone for a fucking month with no phone call, no texts, no nothing! Your father and I had no idea where you were, your little friends didn’t know, and not even your damn husband knew where you were!”

“Because I didn’t want any of you to know. I purposely disappeared. I needed alone time.”

“You’re so selfish, Y/n!” Your mom snides, her temper flaring. “How dare you run out on this family like that!”

You feel your blood boil at her words and the way she screams at you immediately sends your defenses up. 

“What family? This whole fucking bloodline only cares about power and money! You and dad were never happy and guess what? That shit trickled down to me and I live with that! The fucked up view on the world and relationships that I learned from you affects me every day in everything I do! We were never a family!” You’re off of the couch now, face to face with your mom’s furious face. You curse yourself for the way your eyes begin to sting.

“Your father and I’s relationship is none of your concern, Y/n! You need to focus on doing what needs to be done for our image and our name!”

“That’s all I’ve ever had to do and I’m so tired! I’m tired of being treated like a pawn in this business and socialite game!” 

“You wouldn’t have any of the nice shit you do without this game or without us!” Your mom clutches her bag, looking just as angry as you, but you refuse to bite your tongue.

“But I’ve never had a choice! I’ve always been told how to act, what events to go to and everything was just handed to me! What choice did I ever have? I had nothing but privilege, a cold household, and being raised by a nanny because my father is too busy signing contracts and my mother is too busy with literally everything that isn’t her daughter.” As hard as you try to fight it, you begin crying, nose stuffing up, and vision blurring. 

“I just… wish I was normal sometimes. I don’t expect you to magically embrace me and for us to go on mother-daughter trips together, but fuck I just wish I knew you loved me or something.”

Your mother stares at you, not having moved from her spot on the other side of the room, but her expression softens the tiniest bit.

“You don’t think I love you?”

“How could I?! You constantly treat me like a fuck up and you constantly talk down to me like I’m some random asshole on the street. Do you know what that’s like? My own mother has never hugged me. You were probably overjoyed when you thought about me being gone for good and not able to ruin your image anymore.” Something stirs in her eyes that seems like a semblance of emotion.

“Y/n,” the edge in her voice seems to shift. “I was worried when you were gone. I -” she is cut off by her phone in her hand. She glances at it and then back at you.

“Just go. Do what you always do.”

She wants to say something else but decides to turn her back and leave instead. Once she’s gone, ugly cries leave your mouth. Your legs, feeling boneless, collapse under you and you’re on the floor. You’ve never once told your mom how you truly feel about her and your childhood. Having the words come out to the person that needed to hear them makes you feel empty in a good and bad sense, but you don’t regret a single word. You’ve done your part and the rest is up to her.

The encounter with your mom wasn’t a long one, but it was plenty emotionally draining. You spend the rest of the day moping around your apartment before you eventually fall asleep on the couch. Knocks on your door wake you up the next morning, or early afternoon by the clock on your phone.

Dragging your groggy body up, you’re surprised to see Yoongi when you look through the peephole. Heart racing, you weigh opening the door versus keeping it closed. You want to speak with him about everything, but after the day and shitty sleep you had, you’re honestly not sure if you can have a coherent adult conversation. 

Waiting a few seconds before you open the door, you peek out when you finally do and you see Yoongi has already started walking away, but he turns when he hears you. 

He freezes, reminding you of a deer in headlights, looking at you and wanting to say something. He doesn’t and neither do you, but you walk back into your apartment and leave the door open behind you.

Sinking into your couch, you wait and a few seconds later, Yoongi enters after you. He cautiously perches on the chair diagonal from you, not quite sitting comfortably. He looks ready to dart out of the door at any minute if this conversation goes south.

The only sound that’s heard is the tv going on a reality show you fell asleep to. 

“I’m glad you made it back home safe,” Yoongi speaks first. His tone is hushed as if he’s approaching this conversation gingerly. 

“Yeah. I got back a few days ago.”

“Where’d you go, if I may ask?”

“Antigua.”

“Did you have a good time?”

“It was fine. I just needed alone time.”

Yoongi lets out a hum and nods, eyes drifting to the tv.

“Yoongi,” you start. “I don’t have the energy to argue with you. Even though in my head I’m cursing your ass out and possibly leaping over this couch to choke you out, I’m too exhausted. What is it that you want to talk to me about?”

“I’m sure you’ve seen my texts when you were gone. I just wanted to apologize and tell you that I don’t want to get a divorce. I will, if you want, but I don’t want to.” His words are genuine and his expression seems sincere.

“I don’t think I want to either. But then where do we go from here? I’m not about to move back in with you and pretend we’re some happily married couple because we’re not.”

“I know, I know. I don’t expect you to because I know that wouldn’t be accurate. I wouldn’t want to either. I think we need to just, I don’t know, get to know each other more? We knew of each other before all of this and I feel like we never honestly got to know each other.”

“Other than hurling insults and a couple of customized gifts,” you chime in.

“Right. But I’m working to be better. I’m in therapy.”

“That’s good. Just know though if we pick this back up, I will not tolerate you speaking to me the way you did before — not again. I’m not your emotional punching bag. You can’t just take your baggage out on me.”

“I won't, I’m sorry. I can’t express how sorry I am. I hurt you so much. I was the worst husband to you and an even worse person and I don’t know why, but I’m so sorry.”

“How do I know anything will change? I thought we were okay until you slut-shamed me in front of an entire boat of people.”

Yoongi winces as if he’s been punched, but you don’t take back your words.

“I can show you that I’m fixing myself. We can stay in our own apartments until we’re ready and I won’t stop apologizing until you tell me to and I’ll mean every word.”

“So how do you propose we go about all this?”

“Well, I was thinking maybe we can go out on dates and get to know one another. I can show you how I’m changing and learning to be less shitty. I’ll even say that if we go out on these dates and you find out that you really, truly don’t want anything more to do with me, then we can go through with the divorce if you want.”

You mull his words over. He has a point — you don’t truly know Yoongi other than what the last six months showed you which was mostly negative. You can’t deny the feelings that haven’t gone away for him, so maybe this isn’t the worst idea.

“Okay. Let’s try dating and go from there. I think that maybe I should also talk to someone about my… everything going on.” You gesture to yourself from head to toe.

“We can work on ourselves and each other together,” Yoongi says, hope clear on his face.

“The second you disrespect me, we’re done,” you warn, standing firm in your words.

“Yes, of course. I won’t hold you with me if you don’t want to. I promise.”

“Alright, we’ll see.” The tiny smile that dances on Yoongi’s lips almost has you smiling too, but you bite it back.

“Will you go out with me this weekend? I’ll take you wherever you want.”

You think, surprisingly coming up blank rather quickly. This new state of mind you’ve entered is leaving you no desire to go to any of the places you usually go on dates or to hang out. 

“I’ll go out with you, but you decide. Just figure it out and tell me a time and I’ll be ready to go.”

Yoongi blinks, seeming surprised at your answer, but recovers quickly, agreeing. “Okay, I’ll text you. Saturday night?”

“Saturday night.” Yoongi doesn’t answer, just smiles at you again and this time, you do smile back. In the last half a year you’ve been around Yoongi, you can’t remember the last time you’ve seen him genuinely smile at you and he’s done it twice already.

He leaves soon after, even though you could feel that he wanted to stay or say something else, but you don’t stop him. 

After Yoongi’s gone, you’re alone with your thoughts again and you contemplate calling your mom to have that conversation next. Ultimately, you opt not to. Whenever she decides to stop being so stubborn and uptight, she’ll reach out. If you’re lucky, it’ll be some sort of apology, but truthfully, she’s more likely to call and act as if nothing happened. Whatever the case, you won’t be reaching out first. Instead, you decide that it’s time to get some help and start a search for therapists in the area.

Nervous doesn’t even begin to explain the way Yoongi feels when he shows up at your apartment on Saturday. His tie feels much too tight and his loafers feel far too pinchy. The vice grip he has on the bouquet in his hands may very well kill the flowers, and the sweat beading on his hairline is likely causing his hair gel to liquify. 

Taking a deep breath, he brings his hand up to knock, the sound seeming much too loud in the quiet hallway. You answer rather quickly, Yoongi’s mouth going dry at the sight of you. He texted you a few days ago telling you to dress nicely, but you didn’t need to be too fancy. You’re somewhere in the middle in a black, fitting skirt and equally as fitting blue top that compliments your complexion wonderfully.

“Hi,” you say first, eyeing the flowers.

“H-hey. These are for you.”

“Wow. Pulling out all the stops, huh?”

Flushing, Yoongi scratches the back of his neck. “Well, you know, I wanted to do this right. Proper date and all.”

“Mmhmm. Let me go put these in the kitchen.” Yoongi doesn’t miss your smirk as you disappear back into your apartment.

Once you’re back and your door is locked, the two of you head towards the elevator and downstairs. Yoongi decided to drive himself, running over to open the passenger side door for you. You don’t have any comments, you just throw him a lopsided grin as you get in.

“So where are we off to?” You ask once en route. He hadn’t told you where you’d be going, just the dress code.

“To that new steak and winery place. They offer wine tastings in a nicer part of the restaurant after dinner so I thought that’d be nice.”

“I do love good wine. So far so good.” You move to fiddle with the dials on his radio after, the atmosphere in the car lighting significantly. Yoongi can’t remember the last time one of you wasn’t upset or feeling ready to rip the other’s head off so it’s a start.

Dinner also goes smoothly. No threats, no yelling, no glasses being thrown. Yoongi tells you that therapy is going well and that if he’s not there or working, he’s with friends. He mentions Namjoon and how he’s also finally seeking help for his problems. He can’t help but gauge your expression, the lingering curiosity of how you may still feel about him and if your brief hookup still lingers in your mind. Luckily, you don’t seem particularly interested, remarking that it’s good he’s finally getting the help he needs.

You mention that you have your first therapy session tomorrow and how nervous you are, saying how you’re not completely ready to divulge all of your family issues. You tell him about the argument with your mom earlier in the week after she dropped by unannounced. The tone of your voice is casual, but he can tell the situation is sitting heavy in you even though you try not to show it. Having seen the way your mother’s words have impacted you in the past, Yoongi is almost certain that there’s more going through your mind about the situation, but he won’t push you about it. 

Once you arrive at the restaurant and are seated, Yoongi changes the subject to lighten the mood, asking you more about your trip.

“Not gonna lie, it was pretty boring. Like, I wish I had picked someplace else. There’s only so many beaches and spa trips you can make before it’s all repetitive, you know?”

“No extravagant shopping trips or fancy dinners?”

“Oh yeah of course,” you share a chuckle. “But doing it alone wasn’t that enjoyable. I left to get away and get some alone time, but it was my first solo vacation which wasn’t as fun or special as I thought it’d be. Like, they had a zipline tour thingy and swimming with stingrays, but maybe I don’t know how to have fun alone because I didn’t wanna do those things with just me.” You shrug, sipping your water.

“Well, maybe one day you and I can go together and do that stuff.” Yoongi mumbles, half-hoping you don’t hear him.

You do, though, and eye him cautiously over the table. “Maybe.” It’s said casually, but not negatively so perhaps it’s something you’ll consider one day.

It’s your turn to change the subject then, pushing Yoongi to tell you more about his hobbies. He mentions his love for all things music - not just piano - and basketball which you seem surprised at.

“Wow. I never expected you to be a jock.”

“And why not?”

“I mean the whole suits-buttoned-to-the-very-top-button, serious resting bitch-face thing isn’t what I imagine when I think of sports players.” 

“You know, the same could be said for the wild party girl who actually likes to read books and…” He trails off, hoping you’ll fill in the blanks with other hobbies of yours since he only knows the one.

“Do art.”

“Really?” Yoongi is shocked, not being able to remember seeing anything art-related in your room when you lived together.

“I’m an artist in my head, at least. I was always getting straight A’s in art class in school because I loved it. I even did some painting in my free time after I graduated, but with my mom being, well, my mom, I really didn’t get a chance to go into it more, and then I just kind of dropped it.” Yoongi notes the sad sag in your voice as you recount a forgotten hobby. 

The conversation continues after that about other much more positive stories you both decide to share. Yoongi likes to think that taking time away from one another and meeting in a mutual, stress-free environment also contributes to your much more favorable interactions.

Soon, dinner is over and you and Yoongi are being escorted through the restaurant and to a side room where a few other people are sitting at the waiting tables. Waitstaff brings around wine flights once everyone is seated as another employee in more formal attire talks to the room about the wines in front of you.

Surprisingly, the rest of the evening is delightful. Yoongi wonders if it’s the many wines you sip on that put you in an even better mood, but he’ll take any good interaction with you that he can get. On the ride back to your apartment, you plan another date. This time it’s your turn to pick, and you tell him you’ll figure something out in a few days and let him know.

He walks you to your door, says goodnight, and waits until you’re inside before he leaves, feeling optimistic about your relationship for the first time since you got married.

The sheer fact that not once during your first date with Yoongi did you call him an asshole is surprising. You’ll admit, you did go into it with an arsenal of insults in the back of your mind in case you’d need them, but when you didn’t, it flustered you a little. It’s not as though you want to always be at odds with Yoongi, your track record just isn’t great. But, your first official date that isn’t a forced event by your families ends up revealing a much softer side of Yoongi that you had only ever caught glimpses of.

This afternoon, you decide to open yourself up to more and have Yoongi take you two to the local art museum. His eyebrows are practically in his hairline once you arrive at the destination, but he doesn’t say anything about it. 

“You should be flattered, Min.” You point out as you’re walking together, taking in the art. “I’ve never told anyone that I’m into art like this.”

“Really? Not even Candy or Swan?”

Shaking your head, you stop in front of a particularly beautiful painting. “Candy, Swan, and the other girls are great, but I’ve never really let anyone in. Blah, blah, blah, trauma and trust issues from my youth or whatever. It’s nothing personal against them, I just never felt like I could, I don’t know.”

Yoongi’s standing closer now, so close you feel his body heat radiating off of him. “You can be open with me. No judgment here.”

You raise an eyebrow at him, turning to face him. “You sure? The last time I got too comfortable with you, I kissed you without your consent and we verbally assaulted each other.”

A frown is etched onto Yoongi’s face at your words as he turns to face you too. “Y/n, I’m sorry. Again, I handled so many things with you wrong.”

“It wasn’t just you Yoongi. I was super shitty too.”

“Yeah, but I was shittier.”

Pursing your lips you contemplate for a second. “Yeah, you were.” He withers, looking guilty. “Calm down. We’re working on fixing the past, aren’t we? Let’s just focus on righting all of your terrible wrongs.” To stop him from saying anything else — like he looks like he will – you grab his arm, dragging him to another part of the museum, and share more of your art knowledge.

With a second date down and a third on the books for later in the week, you and Yoongi seem to be doing well so far. You can’t say for certain, but he does seem to have changed, even if just a little. You’d like to think you’ve changed too. Dr. Byun listens to you when you go on tangents in the few sessions you’ve had so far, and it feels as though she’s the first person to ever genuinely listen. She doesn’t ask you about the latest parties or fashion trends or make you practice things you should say or how you’ll behave. You’ve only talked to her about bits and pieces of your childhood, but it still feels like more than you’ve given nearly anyone.

You just finished a session and decide to get back into a comfortable headspace by watching trash tv. After finishing off dinner and preparing for bed, pounding at your door nearly jolts you off of the couch.

Approaching as quietly as you can, you peek out of the peephole and see your mom’s chaotic appearance. You hadn’t seen or even spoken to her since the last time she stormed out of your apartment. Truth be told, you awaited the day that you would receive a text banning you from the family and telling you that you had 30 days to move out of the apartment your parents pay for.

As soon as you open the door, you see she’s crying. She pushes past you and stands in the middle of the living room.

“Mom? Is everything okay?”

“Y/n…” Your mom starts as tears fall. In your twenty-something years of life, you don’t think you can ever remember a time when you saw your mom cry. “I’m sorry! I’ve been terrible to you! I’ve been the worst mom in the whole world!” Dropping her bag on the floor, she rushes over, pulling you into her arms. You freeze in her embrace, letting her cry on your shoulder and you can smell the alcohol wafting off of her like perfume.

“Mom, have you been drinking?” You ask even though you know the answer.

“I just couldn’t stop thinking about what you said to me! I didn’t know you felt any of that about me or how you grew up - I just thought you were fine with the way things were.” She sniffles, and you can feel her tears soaking the shoulder of your t-shirt. “I’ve just been thinking and thinking and I just started drinking because I wanted to stop thinking, but that didn’t work so I got a ride over here.”

“I don’t know what to say right now. I’m sorry about what I said to you, but I won’t take it back. I’ve been holding all of that in for years and you needed to know. The way you feel right now is the way I’ve felt my whole life.” You’re just being honest, but this causes your mom to sob louder.

“I’m sorry! I’m so sorry!” She wails. You decide to shuffle with her over to your couch, setting her onto it as she cries into her hands. This has got to be one of the most uncomfortable moments of your life. 

Your mom, the most cold-hearted person you’ve ever met, is crying in front of you on your couch because you told her about your feelings. This will be something you need to bring up in a therapy session in the future.

To your surprise, your mom stays on your couch for another hour, spending most of the evening crying until she eventually falls asleep. You let her stay, covering her with a blanket and leaving water on the table for her.

Retreating to your room, you get ready for bed, itching to tell someone. You’re not sure who, but your finger ends up pressing Yoongi’s contact once you’re under the covers.

“Hey,” he says on the second ring. “What’s up?”

“My mom is over.”

“Do you need me?” Panic is in his voice, which makes you smile.

“No, no. We didn’t fight. She showed up here, drunk off her ass and crying about how much of a terrible mom she is.”

“Wow. Is this because of the stuff you said to her last week?”

“Yeah. I just didn’t think she’d take any of it to heart.” You sigh and there’s silence over the phone. Why had you even thought to call Yoongi? “Well, I’m gonna go…”

“O-oh yeah, okay. Are we still on for Thursday afternoon?”

“Of course.” 

“Great. Goodnight, Y/n.”

“Night Yoongi.” Once the call is over you find yourself thinking of Yoongi up right until you fall asleep.

Your mom is gone that morning, but she texts you an apology for showing up the way she did and says she wants to talk to you properly later. You accept, agreeing to meet her for lunch at a restaurant of her choosing.

When you arrive, she’s sitting, sipping on water and looking as poised and put together as she usually does. Nothing like the distressed woman that barged into your home the night before.

“Hi,” you greet as you sit across from her. A waitress appears almost instantly, eagerly taking your drink order. After asking for lemonade, you and your mom sit in silence before she clears her throat, looking at you with an unreadable expression.

“Y/n, I want to apologize again about last night. I shouldn’t have shown up like that.”

“It’s alright. I’ve been around worse drunks.”

“Be that as it may, it was still inappropriate. But, I did have time to properly think about the things you said to me and I also want to apologize for that. I suppose things were difficult at times when you were growing up and I simply didn’t realize it.”

You just barely stop yourself from making a snarky comment. You’re trying to be better in your relationships — the one with your mom included. 

“Thank you for acknowledging it.” 

Your mom nods and then the waitress is back with your drink and taking your food order. Your mom orders a salad and you ask for a pasta dish. All apologies aside, you don’t miss the judging expression that sticks to your mom’s face when she hears what you want to eat. You’ve seen the expression enough to know what she’s thinking - no doubt counting the calories up in her head.

Surprisingly, she doesn’t have a scathing comment to provide once the waitress leaves, even though you’d been waiting for it.

“So I hear you and Yoongi are seeing each other regularly?” She says instead, jumping right back into business mode.

“Yeah, we’re working through things. Taking it slowly to get to a good place. We haven’t had any more fights for once.”

“Well, that’s good to hear. Your father and I were worried we’d be hit with divorce papers when you ran off.” Because it’s bad for the business, not that she cares about your marriage — this is what she’s thinking and you know it.

“No, no divorce right now. But how are you and dad?”

She visibly bristles at the question. “We’re fine.”

You mumble a “that’s good,” knowing full well that they’re not. ‘We’re fine’ means they’re just as cold to one another as usual and she probably hasn’t spoken to him in days. 

The remainder of lunch goes as expected. You eat, you get more judgy stares from across the table, and your mom runs her mouth about the business and new deals and the other trivial shit she always talks about with you. No more questions about how you are, how Yoongi is doing, or even your trip. The apology itself from her is a feat on its own and did seem genuine, but that’s all it was. An apology. An apology about the past and what’s been done, but it ends there. Aside from the lack of meanspirited commentary, everything seems to be the same as it was. This is disappointing, but not surprising. The apology is probably the best you’ll get out of your mom for now, if not for the foreseeable future, but it’s something, right?

“Yoongi, your father wants to see you.” Yoongi is working on a new proposal for his father when his assistant pokes her head into his office.

“Thank you, Tzuyu, I’ll be with him in a minute.” The brunette nods, leaving him to finish typing the last sentence on his document. He’s been working hard on this proposal for a new business partner for the whole week and he’ll be using it to show his father that he is completely capable of taking over once he finally retires.

“You wanted to see me?” Yoongi steps into his father’s office after knocking and the older man holds up a finger as he finishes a phone call. He bids farewell to whoever is on the other line and waves his son into the room.

“Yes, I just wanted to check in with you. I heard that Y/n has returned and that you two are on good terms?”

“That’s correct.”

“And there is no divorce in talks, is that right?”

“Yes, we’ve been working on things.”

“Good. My offer still stands though. If the two of you need a marriage counselor I have a few on my roster I can recommend.” 

Gritting his teeth, Yoongi declines, once again. He already knows whatever marriage counselor he is to see from the recommendation of his father will be sure to report back to Mr. Min with whatever it is the two of you talk about. Yoongi has done a good job of keeping the specifics of his marriage to himself, only sharing the broader details even with his friends.

“If you insist. Though I did expect that to be your answer, since you’ve been seeing a therapist on your own, isn’t that right?”

Scowling, Yoongi immediately raises his guard. “How do you know that?”

“Didn’t you know? There was an article about it. Someone from the press published a story, albeit a small one, about seeing you going into a therapist's building recently.” His father peers at him over the rim of his glasses.

“No, I wasn’t aware until now. If you must know, yes I am seeing a therapist.”

“Just make sure this doctor of yours knows to keep their mouth shut. We don’t need anything that you talk about getting leaked. We’ve had enough negative press thanks to that troublesome wife of yours.”

Yoongi feels anger course through him at his father’s words and he speaks before he can think better of it. 

“First of all, Y/n is not troublesome. And did you happen to forget that we’re married because you arranged that?”

Mr. Min scoffs. “Yes well, we all make mistakes now don’t we? You can go now. We both have work to do.”

Feeling brave enough for once to continue, Yoongi doesn’t leave and instead uses this opportunity to say what else needs to be said.

“She isn’t a mistake and I am going to ask you only once not to speak ill of her. We’ve had trouble, I’m not denying that, but no one is perfect and as I said, we are working on it.”

His father studies him, taking in his words, but most likely not processing them. “Yoongi, I will not be engaging in whatever argument you are trying to start. Go back to work. I hear that you have some sort of big proposal for me.”

Fists clenched, he nods. “Yes. It’s for a new business partner. I am considering it my first large partnership before becoming CEO.”

“Assuming I grant you that,” his father chortles, only serving to make Yoongi’s blood boil further.

“I am becoming CEO of Min Electronics, let’s make that clear. I’ve worked my ass off for this company — for you — before I even finished college. I am the only person in this entire building, other than you, that knows exactly how much sacrifice it takes to run this place. I have given up countless opportunities growing up to be right beside you working to build this company up. So, as I just stated, I will, in fact, be CEO of this company, and now that we’ve merged with Y/n’s family’s company, she will be right beside me, running this conglomerate with just as much authority as I. That is the last time I will speak on this. Now, unless you have any more questions, I will be going.”

Yoongi’s father looks red from across his oak desk. Obscenities are likely flying through his head as he looks to be formulating a response. The beat of silence between the two is enough that Yoongi turns on the heels of his loafers and leaves his father’s office. 

Once he returns to his office, he shuts the door with shaky hands and sinks into the leather couch in the corner. He has no idea what came over him — whether it was his desire to defend you or put a stop to the doubts of him becoming CEO, he’s not sorry about the things he said. Never once in his life has he stood up to his father like this, but he feels a sense of pride swell in him.

This spurs him on to move to his desk and begin chugging away even more at the proposal he’s been working on. He works through the afternoon and into the evening, only stopping occasionally to text you or call his assistant to bring him food. 

It’s nearly nine at night when he finally completes it and almost ten when he officially finishes looking over it and emails it to his father. He doesn’t expect to hear anything back from him, so he packs up and goes home with sleep on his mind.

It’s when he’s climbing into bed, and sending his goodnight text to you does he see an email notification from his work inbox. It’s a reply to his emailed proposal from his father. It’s not special or fancy or groundbreaking at all, but from Mr. Min, his no-nonsense father that has rarely ever praised anything Yoongi has done, it’s enough.

We can go over this more tomorrow. Good job.

When you and Yoongi agreed to take it slow, you truly meant slow. Going on dates for three more months is slow for you. It’s the end of December, nearly Christmas time when you decide you’ve reached a point where you can move back in together into your shared apartment.

As surprising as it is, Yoongi does prove himself to be a changed man. The vicious arguments of earlier this year are forgotten and never repeated. There are plenty of times that you disagree with one another, but it’s never as bad as it was — you’re both truly making an effort.

Having a professional to speak to helps you more than you could ever hope. You talk to Dr. Byun about your life as it is, your past, your parents (especially your mom), and having a judgment-free outlet is the most freeing feeling in the world. She’s helped you accept that even though your mom is the same person she’s always been in terms of being all business, she is much less harsh on you than she used to be. Gone are the snide remarks about things you wear or pictures of you in the tabloids. She doesn’t call just to antagonize you and hurt your feelings anymore which she’s always been an expert at. It’s jarring to get used to, given the years you endured it, but eventually, it’ll seem normal.

You tell Yoongi that there must have been something else that happened to her other than the things you said when you returned home from your trip, but she won’t tell you and you know if you ask you likely won’t get to know the truth, so you simply accept the slight shift in attitude.

Yoongi tells you every day that his father has also made some sort of bizarre change. According to Mr. Min, he was impressed with the fact that Yoongi stood up to him during a back-and-forth they had about him being the CEO, and that’s where the newly gained respect came from. Yoongi is still unpacking how fucked that is, but he always tells you how grateful he is to have you by his side as he does so. 

Somewhere between the dates out and the goodnight and good morning messages, you and Yoongi seem to understand your feelings for one another and how much they’ve grown. On your fourth date, he reached out to hold your hand and you didn’t pull away. On your sixth date, after walking you to your door, he kissed you. To this day, you remember the way your stomach fluttered and your heartbeat raced. It felt like something out of some cheesy rom-com you’d laugh at, but feeling it at that moment in real life changed everything for the better.

Kissing Yoongi — really kissing him — was a feeling you couldn’t quite place into words but it didn’t go away after that kiss, or the second, the third, or even today after what is probably the hundredth time you’ve crashed your lips into his. You’ve yet to tire of the feeling and you hope never to.

“Yoongi, did you get the other ornaments?” You call through the apartment as you finish wrapping the last of the tinsel around the Christmas tree.

“Yeah, I left them in the dining room I think, let me grab them.” You wait for him, tapping your foot impatiently until he comes around the corner, holding the powder blue and silver ornaments. He gingerly opens the box and begins handing you the glass ornaments to hang.

“So, after this do you want to do some other Christmas-y stuff?” He asks, glancing at his watch.

“Other than watching Christmas movies? That’s all I’ve ever done.”

“Well, yeah me too. But I don’t know, we can go ice skating or something.” You raise an eyebrow at him, inspecting him as he nearly drops an ornament.

“Since when do you ice skate? I’ve never seen you on wheels that weren’t attached to your Lamborghini.” 

Scoffing in faux-offense he places his hands on his hips. “For your information, I took ice skating lessons for a whole week when I was like six. My mother wanted me to learn because she thought it’d make me more distinguished.”

You can’t help but lean over with laughter, imagining a tiny Yoongi stumbling around on the ice. “Did you get to wear a little leotard and do a triple axel or whatever the hell it is they do?”

“I was six so no I couldn’t do a damn axel, for your information. And no I didn’t. I wore jeans and sweaters.” All amusement is lost from his voice and he looks at you expressionless, only causing you to laugh more.

“Alright, simmer down. I’m sure you were fine. And yes we can go after we finish the tree. We can even make it a tradition or something since neither of us have any.”

“Hmph! I’ll show you I still remember everything from my week of lessons.” Yoongi sticks his tongue out at you as he hands you the last ornament. You giggle again, placing it in the last open spot on the tree.

“I believe you, now go close the curtains. I wanna try the lights!”

“But it’s like two in the afternoon and the sun is still pretty bright.”

“Just close 'em!” 

Rolling his eyes, Yoongi does as you ask and once all of the sunlight is gone, you lean over the tree to flip on the switch, the white, twinkling lights illuminating the living room instantly. You take a step back to marvel at the huge tree, the silver star at the top nearly touching the ceiling.

Yoongi comes up behind you and wraps his arm around your shoulders as you take in the massive evergreen. The white tinsel reflects the lights and glistens off all of the silvers, blues, and whites of the ornaments. With neither of you ever having truly celebrated Christmas aside from tons of presents, you decided to make the most out of your first real holiday together. This naturally meant getting the most extravagant tree you could and decking every crevice of the apartment in Christmas decor.

“Looks good,” Yoongi comments, leaning down to kiss the top of your head.

“Yeah it does,” You smile, momentarily entranced by the sight in front of you before snapping out of it and slipping out of Yoongi’s arms.

“Okay! Let’s go, Yuri On Ice! Time to go school me in the ways of the figure skater!” You laugh at the deadpan expression Yoongi gives you.

“You’re still as annoying as ever, you know that?”

Laughing, you send him a wink. “Yeah, but that’s why you love me!” You mean it as a joke, but Yoongi’s expression stays serious.

“Yeah, I’m starting to. Love you that is.” Wide-eyed, you stare at him, never having even talked about the L-word with him. Yoongi closes the space between the two of you, pulling you into a kiss that has you holding your breath and turning to putty in his arms.

When he pulls back he gazes down at you, brown eyes looking even dreamier with the twinkling Christmas lights behind him.

“Now let’s go get ready so I can beat your ass in the rink.” With a final kiss on your nose, he’s gone, heading to your shared bedroom. You don’t answer, still slightly dazed from the kiss, but break into a smile as you follow him.

The Peach of three, even six months ago, would’ve never seen herself here in this apartment, spending Christmas with Yoongi. Let alone, kind of sort of maybe, starting to fall in love with him. 

Min Yoongi was once known as the stoic, seemingly cold-heart son of the Min Electronics empire. In reality, he’s just Yoongi, your sweet, goofy, fun, husband. 

At the end of it all, you’re still stuck with each other and you couldn’t be happier about it.

[westallenfun]

A Most Unexpected Love, Chapter 3

WestAllen secret santa gift  

From: @jade4813

For: @sophisticatedloserchick

Author Notes: For the lovely @sophisticatedloserchick from @jade4813! Merry Christmas, and I hope you like my first fic after a long hiatus!

Title: A Most Unexpected Love

Rating: PG

Synopsis: Iris has loved Eddie Thawne Allen her entire life. When she returns home just before Christmas, it looks like she might finally have a chance to catch his eye…unless an accident puts his older brother, Barry, directly in her path. Story inspired by Sabrina (with some quotes lifted more or less directly from the source material).

Chapters: 3/7

Chapter Three

“You can’t do this.” Barry’s voice over his shoulder caused Eddie to freeze and prompted a groan of frustration.

“Don’t start—”

“You’re engaged! Did you forget that? What is Patty going to think if she finds out that you’re spending your evening trying to seduce another woman in mom’s solarium?”

“It’s a dance!” he huffed irritably. “Don’t you think you’re overreacting just a little? It’s just a dance!”

Barry wasn’t ready to let it go. “It’s never just a dance with you. Or did you forget I’ve seen you do this a hundred times.”

“Not a hundred—“ he began.

“Eddie,” Barry growled.

“Have you forgotten you’re my brother? You’re not mom, and you’re certainly not dad. I don’t know what makes you think you have any say in my love life—”

“Okay, I’m not mom or dad, but she’s also not like all the other girls you’ve flirted with. She’s Iris. Joe’s daughter. Remember? You can’t just flirt with her and then send her away with a pair of diamond earrings when you get bored with her and want to move on.”

Eddie’s expression darkened. “How dare you talk about Iris like that!”

“I’m not talking about her. I’m talking about you. Iris is amazing. She always has been. You are fickle.”

His eyes growing wide, Eddie tried to turn the tables on him. “Wait, I know what’s going on here! You have a crush on her, don’t you?”

Barry sighed in exasperation. Rolling his eyes, he said firmly, “No. I don’t have a crush on her. This isn’t about that.”

“I was going to say. She deserves someone…”

“What, better?” he prompted when his brother’s voice trailed off.

Eddie shook his head. “No. You’re a great guy – that isn’t your problem. But she deserves someone more exciting.”

“Maybe,” he conceded. “But she also deserves someone who isn’t engaged, don’t you think?”

Sliding two champagne flutes into the back pockets of his pants, Eddie grabbed a bottle of Dom Perignon from a passing waiter and pointed out, “That wasn’t my choice, you know. You were the one who pushed me into it. Was it really worth selling your own brother out for the sake of a merger?”

“Selling you out?” he spluttered in indignation. “You’re acting like I twisted your arm! Do I need to remind you that all I did was introduce the two of you and encourage you to ask her out on a date. One date.” Eddie seemed eager to wave away this statement of fact, so he pressed, “You were the one who continued to see her. You were the one who decided to propose.”

“Actually, she asked me,” Eddie interjected.

“And you said yes,” Barry shot back. “So don’t blame me for seeing good business sense in a decision you made.”

He grunted, pushing past Barry to head towards the solarium. “Either way, having Iris back has made me realize that I may have made a terrible mistake. I mean, Patty’s great, but Iris…” His voice trailed off with a wistful smile. “She’s amazing. She’s exciting and funny and beautiful…”

“And you didn’t even realize that we basically grew up with her,” Barry pointed out in a dry tone.

“Look, I know you’re skeptical, but you don’t understand!” Eddie protested, striding purposefully toward the solarium. “There’s just…there’s something about her. She’s amazing.”

“So you’ve said,” he pointed out, rolling his eyes all the while, only to be ignored.

“I’m think…no, I know I’m falling in love with her!”

“Oh my god,” Barry muttered, running a hand down his face as he followed in Eddie’s wake. Grabbing his brother by the arm, he all but forcefully dragged him into the first open door they came across, bringing them both into the library. “Can you just…can we be reasonable about this? You can’t be falling in love with her. You don’t even know her!”

“You’re the one who pointed out we basically grew up together,” Eddie pointed out as he paced back and forth across the library carpet.

Barry fixed him with a sardonic look. “A fact which clearly made an impression, since you needed me to tell you about it. I mean, can you even tell me what you find so amazing about her?” When a shadow passed over his brother’s face and the younger man opened his mouth to argue, he clarified, “Again, this is about you. Not her. I mean, I know why I think she’s amazing, but you didn’t even remember her until five minutes ago!”

Eddie threw him an obstinate look, his jaw set in a mulish line. “I can’t explain it. She’s just different,” he grumbled angrily.

Realizing he was approaching this entirely the wrong way, Barry took a deep breath held up his hands in a placating gesture until the two of them had calmed down a little. When he tried again, he even tried to keep the sarcasm out of his voice. “Okay, so Iris is different. She makes you feel things you’ve never felt before. You can’t picture a future without her. But.”

Eddie crossed his arms across his chest, but he didn’t interject, allowing Barry to continue. “Remember who we’re talking about. This is Iris. She grew up watching you. She’s seen every trick in your playbook. She knows it’ll start with dancing in the solarium. Then you’ll sweep her off her feet to a romantic weekend in a cottage on Martha’s Vineyard. You’ll get tickets to some sold-out show on Broadway and romance her with a carriage ride in the park. Dinner and drinks and a kiss under the stars on some rooftop overlooking the city. And then – and then – you’ll get bored with her as you always do, and it’ll be diamond earrings hand-delivered to her doorstep. Maybe an accompanying bracelet if you’re feeling particularly sentimental. And that’ll be it. That’s goodbye. You may think she deserves better than me, and you’re probably right. But don’t you think she also deserves better than that?”

“That isn’t fair! Okay, maybe that’s what I’ve done before, but this is different! She’s different! I lo-aaargh!” Eddie’s protestations broke off with a shriek of pain as he threw himself dramatically onto the sofa nearby, forgetting about the champagne flutes in his back pockets. They shattered with an audible crunch, the broken glass tearing through the fine fabric of his slacks and embedding itself into his skin.

“Oh my god, are you okay?” Barry asked in concern, rushing to his brother’s side.

“The glasses! I forgot the glasses!” his brother yelped, trying to rise to his feet but stopping when his movement only caused the glass to ground deeper into his flesh.

He held up a hand in a halting gesture, backing toward the door. “It’s going to be okay. Just…stay there. Dr. Harrison is at the party. I’ll find him and send him in.”

Eddie’s voice was desperate when he cried, “Wait! Iris…she’s waiting for me. I can’t just leave her like this! It’ll break her heart!”

Barry sighed. “I’ll take care of it. Just…don’t move.”

It took a few minutes to locate the doctor and discretely direct him to the library, following behind in case anything else was needed. Unsurprisingly, Eddie’s injuries would require several stitches, so he was dispatched to the emergency room with quiet efficiency, leaving Barry to break the news to Iris.

He was going to head to the solarium straight away when, on second thought, he decided to swing by the caterer to get a bottle of champagne and two glasses. She would be heartbroken enough to see him and not his brother. No reason not to try to soften the blow.

As he approached the solarium, he saw Iris through the thick glass windows. Her head was thrown back as she gazed up at the twinkling lights, a smile bright enough to rival the heavens themselves upon her face. She looked so happy, he almost hated to walk through the door and ruin it. But the alternative was for her to be stood up, returning home confused and brokenhearted Eddie failed to ever show.

So, mustering a smile, he let himself into the solarium and felt his heart twist in his chest when her beaming smile fell at the sight of him. “Sorry. Just me,” he murmured apologetically as he walked toward her. “Eddie…he isn’t going to be able to make it.”

“Oh. I see,” she murmured, looking crestfallen.

Unable to bear her disappointment, he rushed to explain, “He wanted to be here. It’s just…on the way here, he had a little accident. He – ah – he sat on a champagne flute.”

Her eyes went wide with alarm. “On a champagne flute?” she repeated, as though she wasn’t entirely certain whether to believe him. “How does that even happen?”

“Ah…it’s apparently an occupational hazard?” he offered, not really sure himself why his brother had thought carrying glass flutes in his back pocket was a good idea.

Clearly still trying to process the nature of the injury, she offered tentatively, “Okay, well…where is he? Should I go see him?”

“He’s in the ER, but the doctor assured me he’ll be fine. He’s just getting a few stitches,” Barry reassured her, focusing on uncorking the champagne and pouring two glasses. “But he did want me to send his apologies. You can see him tomorrow, if you want.”

Iris’s mouth twisted and her gaze fell as she accepted the flute he held out to her. “Well…thank you for telling me. I suppose it’s getting late, anyway. I should probably turn in…”

“I’m a poor replacement, I know,” he acknowledged with a wry smile, causing her to gasp.

“Oh, it isn’t that! It’s…” She broke off, scraping her lower lip with her teeth. “Okay, it isn’t that precisely,” she acknowledged, her voice slightly apologetic. “He’s just so…so…perfect. You know?”

“Yup,” he agreed flatly. “That’s my brother. Mister Perfect.” He threw back the champagne in one gulp and then set his glass aside, holding his arms out to her. “Anyway, it sems a shame for you to cut your evening short. How about a dance?” She hesitated, so he said encouragingly, “Come on; we’re here anyway. We might as well.”

Iris’s smile grew sheepish. “Oh, all right,” she capitulated, not entirely with good grace.

It reminded him so much of the time a younger, injured Iris grudgingly agreed to let him carry her home, he almost laughed and pointed out the similarity in response. In the end, he held his tongue, afraid that doing so would cause her to end the evening early. Or, worse, hurt her feelings. Instead, he waited as she took his hand. She stepped into the frame created by his arms as they began to dance to the music filtering through the glass windows.

He didn’t want to remind her of the last time she’d compared him to his brother and found him wanting, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t tease her just a little. Just enough to hopefully make her smile. “Careful, Miss West. You’re in danger of sweeping me straight off my feet,” he joked lightly, noting her answering blush.

“I don’t mean to be rude.”

“I know,” he reassured her in a soft voice. And suddenly, he didn’t want to talk about Eddie anymore. He didn’t want to think about the inevitable future she would face if she continued down this path. He didn’t want to imagine how brokenhearted she would be, after loving his brother for so long. So instead, he spun with her in his arms, tightening his hold on her hand and spinning her away from him, giving her an extra twirl. The music faded outside the windows as the song came to an end, but he pretended not to notice, twirling her again.

Her laughter filled the room and warmed his soul, bouncing off the windows that surrounded them. In her joy, she threw back her head to look at the lights twinkling overhead. Following her gaze, he noted that they shone like stars. He twirled her over and over until she collapsed against him, struggling to breathe through her ragged gasps of laughter.

Sliding one arm around her waist, he pulled her close, smiling when he felt her head fall against his chest. Drawing her hand in, he trapped their hands between their bodies, slowing the dance until they were swaying gently back and forth. As Iris’s mirth subsided, music from the party drifted through the windows once more.

“Maybe it’s much too early in the game. Ah, but I thought I’d ask you just the same. What are you doing New Year’s, New Year’s Eve?” Iris lifted her head off his chest, her eyes meeting his. Their faces were inches apart, and her laughter died in her throat. “Wonder whose arms will hold you good and tight, when it’s exactly twelve o'clock that night. Welcoming in the New Year, New Year’s Eve.”

“Bartholomew,” she breathed.

“Barry. Please,” he corrected her.

Nodding slightly, she whispered, “Barry,” and he realized in that moment that they had stopped dancing entirely. Flushing, she cleared her throat and tried more forcefully, “We – maybe we shouldn’t be doing this. I should – I should turn in.”

“But we haven’t finished our dance,” he murmured, beginning to sway once more.

“Maybe I’m crazy to suppose I’d ever be the one you chose. Out of the thousand invitations you received.”

He liked having her in his arms, he realized. More than he’d anticipated. He should be thinking solely of nipping this problem with his brother in the bud. He should be thinking of sparing Iris her future heartache. But he realized now that he hadn’t asked her to dance because he wanted to distract her from thoughts of Eddie or to delay the inevitable. He’d asked her to dance because, simply speaking, he wanted to. He wanted to hold her in his arms, to twirl her around and dance with her under lights that shone like twinkling stars.

“Ah, but in case I stand one little chance, here comes the jackpot question in advance. What are you doing New Year’s, New Year’s Eve? Oh, what are you doing New Year’s, New Year’s Eve?”

“The song’s over,” she pointed out in an undertone.

“I know,” he agreed, though he didn’t let her go, and she didn’t move away.

Their bodies were so close that he could feel the rise and fall of her chest when she sucked in a deep breath. “Eddie’s…I’ve loved him for as long as I can remember. I thought I was over it. Over him. But…”

“But you’re not,” he finished for her, his words a statement and not a question.

“Are you,” she hesitated and swallowed heavily before continuing, “are you here to deal with me?” At his confused look, she disentangled herself from his arms, walking away and keeping her back to him as she explained, “I know how it works. I’ve seen it before. I grew up in this world, remember?” Throwing a look at him over her shoulder, she continued, “On the outskirts of it, at least. Eddie attaches himself to a deeply unsuitable girl – like the daughter of an employee – and she gets offered a generous cash settlement if she only agrees to bow out quietly.”

“You think I’m fooling myself that you could be bought? How much were you thinking I planned to offer? A million? Two?”

Lifting her chin, she said firmly, “I’d never accept it, you know.”

He lifted his shoulders in a shrug, looking around for the bottle to refill the champagne. “I’d never offer it.”

“Even though I’m deeply unsuitable?” she prodded dubiously.

He laughed, offering her a flute once more. “You? Unsuitable? Look at you. You’re incredible.”

Sipping champagne, she swallowed heavily and admitted, “I wanted it to be me, you know? Just once.” Though he didn’t need her to explain, she did anyway. “I know he brings all the girls here, to drink champagne and dance in his arms. I just – I wanted it to be me.”

“I know,” he said in a voice almost too soft to be heard.

With forced lightness, she held out her flute for him to refill once more, saying, “You know, in all the years I’ve lived here, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you dance. I’ve certainly never seen you come out here with champagne to ask a girl to dance with you.”

He smiled slightly, acknowledging the point. “That’s because I’ve never done it,” he explained.

“You’ve never had to, you mean,” alluding once again to her suspicion his actions were a ploy.

“Is it so hard to believe I’d want to share a drink and a dance with the most beautiful woman at the party?”

She laughed derisively, the sound echoing off the solarium windows and breaking his heart. “I’m sorry, but yes. That is hard to believe.”

Barry put his champagne flute aside. “Then I guess you don’t really know me at all. Anyway, I shouldn’t take up any more of your time. You can see Eddie tomorrow.”

Whatever she saw in his face or heard in his voice seemed to make her second-guess herself, because her forced broke off as he started to leave, and she reached out to grab his arm. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings.”

Pulling his mouth into a tight smile, he reassured her, “You didn’t. Good night, Iris.”

“Good night, Barry,” she whispered as he strode through the solarium door and into the cold night air.

[cakesunflower]

Stuck in the Middle [C.H. & L.H. AU] Part 1

**DISCLAIMER: This is NOT a poly!Cake fic!! Just wanted to clarify that in case of any confusion.

Summary: Calum Hood and Sloane Thorne are engaged to be married--though, not because they were in love. More so that it was a part of the merger their families’ companies were going through, as a way of strengthening the bond and building a foundation for the partnership Calum and Sloane would have as co-CEOs. So when the opportunity arises for them to get away from the pressures of their families and relax for on the beach in Florida with their friends, they’re quick to go. Except Calum falls for their neighbor, River Young, while Sloane discovers pent up feelings she never knew she had for her long time friend, Luke Hemmings. Trying to figure out how to navigate through unexpectedly budding relationships while also getting rid of the strain on their friendship seems to be how Calum and Sloane have to spend their little vacation. Whatever it takes to not be so stuck anymore.

IMPORTANT A/N: So I originally uploaded the entire 41,800+ words of this fic in this very post, but it wasn’t opening for some people and it was crashing the app because of its length. So I kept the first half of this one shot in this post, and the second half is uploaded in another one that I will link at the start of this part and the bottom too. I hope you enjoy this monster of a fic. But Luke and Calum are my brand (hence my URL) and I wanted to do this fic justice. I hope you enjoy. Happy reading!!

This is Sloane’s face claim.

This is River’s face claim.

Read Part 2 Here!

The roar of waves crashing against the shore was silenced by the glass separating Calum from the ocean, the white sand in between a smooth carpet creating a pathway. He watched the water recede before rushing back once again, glittering in a purplish-orange hue under the setting sun, but Calum could still feel his skin warming at the mere sight of the sun above them, slowly descending, before begging to be submerged in the coolness of the water. The waves colliding with the shore was muted, replaced by the sound of his friends roaming the beach house, finding rooms to settle in, and making plans as they unpacked. His own luggage was near the bed, waiting to be unloaded, and Calum swept his gaze over the ocean in the distance one last time before turning around with a sigh.

His actions were slow, leisurely opening up his suitcases and pulling out his things to put away. The nap he’d taken on the near three hour flight from New York to Florida had only seemed to tire him out more, but Calum knew his exhaustion came not from lack of sleep, but because of how busy and overwhelming life had suddenly become. The knowledge of a hectic schedule soon becoming a new normal for him sank heavily in Calum’s bones, and while he thought he was ready for the responsibilities that came with soon becoming the CEO of his parents’ multi-million dollar company, Calum knew he wasn’t ready for the additional arrangement that came with it.

As he put away a few shirts on hangers into the closet, a knock sounded on the white door of the bedroom, and he stepped out of the closet, glancing to his right to see Sloane lingering by the doorway. The first thing he noticed—the first thing anyone noticed, really, upon looking at Sloane—where her bright blue eyes, which stood out against her olive skin tone and dark hair. She looked at him, almost hesitant, with an apologetic smile tilting at her lips. “Hey, sorry, uh, just wanted to let you know we’re heading to the beach in, like, an hour. Right after sunset.”

For a moment, all Calum could do was take in the nervous energy radiating from Sloane, and he felt a prickle of guilt shoot through him. They were friends, had been for years despite college keeping them in different states, and to see her appear so small in front of him when she was one of the most confident people when she wanted to be felt wrong. There were occasions Calum had seen Sloane shrink into herself; because of him had never been one he wanted to see.

So he nodded, hoping his tone didn’t come off as edgy as it had lately. “Okay, thanks.” His dark eyes then dropped lower, taking in the way she was wringing her fingers, noticing the rings she wore and the lack of one. He couldn’t help the slight upwards tilt of his lips. “You’re not wearing the ring.”

It was an honest observation, one he found truthfully amusing as Sloane’s own gaze dropped to her hand. Fortunately, she picked up on his subtle humorous tone. “Yeah, no, uh—” Sloane cut off with a gentle chuckle, blue eyes meeting brown. “Our parents aren’t here so, you know, I’m not gonna put it on.” Her throat worked as she asked cautiously, “You’re good with that, right?” She knew he was, but her need for double checking spoke for her consideration of others as well as her precision in other matters Calum knew would come in handy.

His small smile widened with half of a laugh, eyebrows raising in amusement as he went back to the bed to grab more clothes. He told her in all honesty, “I’ve got nothin’ against it, Sloane.”

If she didn’t want to wear the diamond ring his parents picked out to signify their engagement—their arranged engagement—while they were on their vacation, away from the prying eyes of both of their parents, investors, the works, then that was fine with Calum. He didn’t blame her for it. Kind of encouraged it, actually. As he picked up some folded sweats and brought them over to the dresser, Calum added lowly as an afterthought, “We’re free until we’re not.”

It was a reminder, not that Sloane needed one, he knew, of their agreement before they’d come to Florida: that there would be no mention of the engagement, of the impending wedding, impending merging of their companies. It was a topic that neither of them were too keen on discussing, and if they could spend their time in Florida ignoring a situation they knew would be right there, waiting for them, when they got back to New York, then that’s how they’d deal with it.

He heard Sloane let out a slow breath through her nose. “Fair enough,” was all she said before giving the door frame a departing tap and walking down the hall, leaving Calum alone with his thoughts and items still needing to be put away.

*****

The crackle of the fire was a soothing comfort over the waves dancing just a little ways away. Of course, the sounds of nature were drowned out by the music playing through Ashton’s speakers, though the smooth tones of Dan and Shay weren’t ones Sloane could argue against. So she sat on her blanket spread upon the sand, her now empty can of black cherry flavored White Claw discarded beside her as she contently ate the s’more she’d just made. The air was a mixture of smoke, salt, and marshmallows and it was a combination Sloane found herself surprisingly fond of, covering her mouth as she laughed, given the food she was chewing, at Michael’s expense when his marshmallow caught on fire, which only prompted him to yell in despair.

“Mind if I join you?”

Sloane had to crane her neck to look up at the man completely towering over her, feeling a smile tug at her lips at the sight of Luke. “Only if you make me another s’more.” She hadn’t meant for her words to sound flirtatious, feeling a warmth in her cheeks that had nothing to do with the fire, yet Luke didn’t seem to mind.

Instead, he let out a soft chuckle as he said, “Deal,” before settling himself down. Sloane watched as he adjusted his long legs, crossing them as he sat next to her on her blanket with a satisfied sigh as they sat shoulder to shoulder. Well, her eyeline was at his shoulder. The blonde of his curls were glowing against the orange fire, blue eyes half a shade darker than her own glimmering against the flames as he reached for the items sitting between Sloane’s blanket and Michael and Crystal’s. “How d’you like your marshmallow?”

“Golden.” Kind of like your hair.

Luke nodded as he stuck the treat at the end of the stick. He shot her a boyish smirk. “That’s the only way to like ’em,” he hummed approvingly, shuffling just a bit forward to allow the marshmallow to roast over the fire. As Sloane reached up to push some hair behind her ear, Luke’s gaze went to her hand and he smirked lightly. “Trouble in paradise already?”

Sloane dropped her hand with a breathy groan, knowing he was talking about the lack of the diamond ring on her finger as he chuckled quietly. “There can’t be trouble if there’s no paradise,” she reminded him, resting her hands on her knees before adding pointedly, “Which I’m fine with, by the way.”

Luke gave a shake of his head, glancing at the marshmallow to make sure he didn’t burn it. When his blue eyes met Sloane’s once more, he added in a dismayed tone, “Can’t believe your parents are forcing you guys to get married. Like—” He frowned, shaking his head once more. “That shit’s nothing to be taken lightly. It’s not some business deal.”

She felt something sink in her chest, her smile small and dejected as she reminded him with a subtle raise of her eyebrows, “Except it is.” Her gaze wandered towards the fire, the heat pleasant against her skin. Vaguely, she heard Ashton challenge Michael to the chubby bunny challenge while Crystal protested because it would only be wasting marshmallows. “They think merging our families would be beneficial to merging the companies. That way everything stays within the circle. It. . .” She sighed. “It makes sense, at the end of the day.”

It was a responsibility that hadn’t been Sloane’s to begin with, but now she had no choice in the matter. With Jacob gone, the family business was hers to take over, and while Sloane knew the ins and outs of the company as well as her brother did—perhaps more, though her parents would never believe it—and was accepting of taking over, she didn’t appreciate being subjected to her personal life being tied with her professional. Marriage should only be between two people who genuinely, wholeheartedly loved each other. Not for business negotiations. Not to play with other people’s lives.

And yet, this was Sloane’s life. And Calum’s.

“You’re more than a business deal, Sloane.”

Her head turned to look at Luke once more, breath hitching in her throat at the earnesty gleaming with the flames in his eyes. The sincerity in his quiet tone was loud in his gaze, enough to send Sloane’s heart unexpectedly into her throat as he looked at her. It was almost too much, the tender way he stared, spoke, and Sloane broke their gaze and looked at the marshmallow, unsure of where her voice had gone as she found herself whispering, “Marshmallow’s done.”

Luke blinked before pulling himself out of whatever reverie they’d lost themselves in for that brief moment, retracting the stick as Sloane tried to keep herself busy by breaking off a piece of Hershey’s chocolate and grabbing two crackers. The two of them worked together in silence, save for every other sound around them, as Luke placed the marshmallow on top of the cracker and chocolate before Sloane sandwiched it with another cracker, allowing Luke to pull the stick away.

“Thanks,” Sloane murmured before adjusting her fingers on the treat and taking a bite. It was warm and sweet, the cracker crunching, and Sloane hummed approvingly. “’S really good,” she chuckled after swallowing, hand covering her mouth just in case any crumbs fell out. That’d be unattractive. Not that she was trying to be attractive in front of Luke. Ridding herself of ridiculous thoughts, she offered the s’more and asked Luke with a teasing grin, “Wanna try your masterpiece?”

He scoffed at her playfulness with a roll of his eyes. “Sweetheart, I know it’s perfection,” Luke joked, though that didn’t stop him from leaning down and taking a bite of the s’more as Sloane held it between her fingers.

Except Luke’s equivalent of a bite was him just taking almost the entire thing in his mouth, and Sloane let out a sound of protest, a mix of an exclaim and laugh, as she pushed him away with her free hand on her shoulder. “You just ate the whole thing!”

Luke laughed as he ate the s’more, leaning away from Sloane’s half-hearted shoves, arms an X over his chest as ended up on his back as she shoved him. She couldn’t help her giggles, not when his loud and infectious laugh drowned out the crackle of fire, roar of waves, the music, and the chatter of their friends. Luke’s laugh was one she found herself preferring over all else. “I’ll make you another one!” he promised, dimples in full view through his grin, sharp features shadowed by the flames as he sat up once more.

Sloane found herself grinning as Luke pulled out another marshmallow, raising her eyebrow as she asked jokingly, “Are you my personal s’more maker for the night?”

Luke shot her a wink, cute and boyish, and she told herself the heat in her cheeks was from the fire, not from him. “For as long as you’ll have me.”

*****

There was a calmness in Calum’s chest as he walked along the shore, the cold water at his feet sending pleasant shivers up his spine. The serenity was present even when he glanced over where his friends sat around the fire in the distance, catching sight of Sloane and Luke sitting side by side, his blonde friend’s laughter ringing through the night and reaching him even over the crashing of foaming waves. Lifting the cigarette, Calum took a drag of it as he looked away from where his friends were. He kind of hated that he picked up on the nasty habit again, but circumstances weighing heavily on him called for a cigarette break every now and then.

Unfortunately, he’d been in the middle of taking a drag when the sudden, unexpected sound of a bark startled him, prompting the smoke to get caught in his throat and Calum’s eyes squeezed shut as the gasp turned into a minor coughing fit. He lifted his arm, coughing into the crook of his elbow, only vaguely hearing a female voice apologize, “Oh, shit, I’m so sorry! Shh, Freddie, it’s okay.”

His throat slightly stung but soon the coughing subsided, and Calum opened his eyes and lowered his arm to catch sight of a German shepherd in front of him, tail wagging and tongue out as he panted excitably. A cute, if not intimidating, dog that Calum still found himself getting excited at the sight of—dogs had that kind of effect on him—as his gaze lifted to look at the girl jogging towards them.

Calum told himself his throat was dry because of the cigarette and not because of this girl; one with blonde hair tied back into a messy ponytail and an apologetic smile upturning her lips. She wore shorts and a tank, a hoodie loosely handing over her shoulders as she came to a stop in front of Calum. His lips were parted, he could tell by the way he was breathing as the cold air tickled the inside of his throat, and he could hear his mind tell him to get it together and stop gaping like an idiot. But the girl in front of him was smiling kind of breathlessly and he, too, was feeling the breath escape him.

“Uh, no, it’s okay,” Calum found himself saying, trying not to cringe at stumbling over his own words as he gave a shake of his head. His lips tilted upwards as he expelled a short breath, wondering about the color of her eyes seeing as it was a bit too dark to tell, before dropping his gaze to the dog. “He’s a cute one.”

As if on cue, the dog—Freddie—barked, taking the few steps towards Calum to sniff at him. Though he couldn’t start at his feet, given the water pooling around his ankles. Calum chuckled as the girl let out an airy laugh, the sound sweet, as she said, “I think that’s Freddie returning the sentiment.”

Calum’s smile melted into a smirk, his eyes meeting hers, noting the light shade of them. With a quirk of his eyebrow and a lift of his chin, Calum questioned boldly, “Does his mom agree?”

She let out a short laugh, impressed or amused by his forwardness, he wasn’t too sure, as she dug her hands in the pockets of her unzipped hoodie. The ocean breeze tickled at Calum’s skin and he watched as loose locks of her blonde hair swayed against her temples. She eyed him for a moment, biting the corner of her grinning lips, Calum’s stomach uncharacteristically flipping as she mused, “She does.” She then pulled her right hand out, her bracelets clinking together as she held it out to him and introduced, “I’m River.”

His hand grasped hers, the touch rivaling the fire crackling in the distance, and Calum wondered if she felt the heat of it too as her gaze briefly dropping to their joined hands as he shook hers before meeting his gaze again. “Calum,” he supplied, remembering to speak before this woman managed to steal his entire thought process. They were slow to release hands, or maybe it was all in Calum’s head as their eyes remained locked, and he found himself telling her, “I’m, uh, staying at that house with my friends for a while,” while gesturing to the beach house Michael’s fiance’s family owned.

River’s gaze flickered past him towards the house, looking at him as she asked in breezy curiosity, “How long’s a while?”

He wondered if he was imagining the alluring tone in which she spoke in, dangerous wonder in her own voice as she gazed up at him with a subtle tilt of her head. He wondered if he was an idiot, utterly ridiculous, for feeling his heart thud in his chest and something else flip around in the pit of his stomach. Wondered if it was okay that none of it felt wrong. Exciting, confusing, unexpected, desirable—but not wrong.

His tongue poked out for a quick swipe of his lower lip, fighting the smirk when he caught River’s eyes trail the movement. She met his gaze again, unapologetic. Finally, Calum answered her, “A month. Maybe more.”

River pursed her lips before smirking, eyebrows cocking upwards. “Sounds promising.”

The cigarette was forgotten between his fingers, the sounds of the waves and his friends drowned out in the presence of the woman in front of him. Calum could feel his heart in his chest. “I’d hope so.”

*****

“Bro, you’re burning the pancakes! Get out!”

Sloane’s eyebrows raised at the sound of Ashton’s yelling, reaching the bottom of the stairs and turning into the kitchen as the smell of burnt pancakes hit her nose. She blinked as she let out a breath with a quiet, “phew”, arriving just in time to see Ashton push away a laughing Luke from the stove. He looked to be enjoying himself despite possibly ruining breakfast for everyone. Through his laughter, Luke exclaimed, “I’m just tryna help!”

Ashton shot him a bemused look, a spatula in hand as he pointed it at Luke while Sloane quietly approached, the amused smile growing on her face as she stopped by the counter separating the kitchen and living room where Crystal sat, watching the whole thing go down. “You’re fucking it up, man—you can’t cook,” Ashton scoffed, turning back to the stove.

Luke huffed, lips pouting as he leaned against the stainless steel fridge, arms crossed, biceps in full view thanks to the tank top he wore. It was in that moment that his eyes landed on Sloane, straightening up his posture as she felt the amused smile tug at her lips. Luke’s own lips parted as he sounded, “Hey, Sloane, uh—good morning.”

Her smile, without her permission really, turned fond as she leaned against the counter where Crystal sat, happily eating her cereal. “Morning, Luke,” Sloane greeted, flashing a smile to Ashton who offered a quick wave over his shoulder. Looking back at Luke, she asked knowingly with a soft chuckle, “How’s breakfast going?”

Before Luke could answer, Ashton scoffed, “He’s banished from the kitchen. Please, take him away.”

The offense was expressed across Luke’s face with an indignant frown as he protested, “Hey!” while both Crystal and Sloane laughed. “Actually, I was gonna go on a quick supply run,” she said, eyes finding Luke’s once more, raising her eyebrows almost hopefully as she asked, “You wanna come with?”

Ashton pouted as he transferred a pancake from the pan to a plate. “What about breakfast?”

Sloane’s lips parted to speak, but Luke beat her to the punch. “Sloane doesn’t eat breakfast.” Her blue eyes met with his, and she could see the hint of pinkness that tinged his cheeks as an almost embarrassed smile quirked at his lips. Sloane didn’t miss the looks exchanged between Ashton and Crystal, though she chose to ignore them in lieu of her own skin warming as Luke pushed himself off the fridge with a clear of his throat. “I’ll just, uh, get my shoes.”

He left the kitchen quickly, but not before walking around Sloane and offering her a cute, boyish smile that she couldn’t help but return before her eyes met Crystal’s. The amused expression the blonde wore wasn’t missed by Sloane, who let out a breath and asked, a bit defensively, “What?”

“Nothing,” Crystal hummed, sounding deceivingly innocent as she stirred her cereal with her spoon. Her smile was teasing and Sloane rolled her lips into her mouth as Crystal observed, “Totally adorable.”

Ashton snickered and Sloane let out a slow breath, shooting Crystal a look. Despite the drumming in her chest and the desire to visibly chew her lips, Sloane kept up the indifferent front before reminding her, “It’s not a thing.”

Crystal puckered her lips with a shrug as she flickered her gaze up to look at Sloane. “It could be.”

Sloane bit the inside of her cheek, her own gaze falling to her hand. Crystal was only putting dangerous ideas in her head that would end in nothing but heartbreak if Sloane decided to stray from what the plan was. Feelings were. . . Not an option. She’d be lying, though, if she said there wasn’t a disappointed, sinking feeling in the pit of her chest at the knowledge of her kind of. . . Never getting to be with someone she wants to be with. A decision about her life made for her without any consideration for what she—what Calum—wanted. They were expected to move forward with this, to change their lives for the benefit of companies their parents had built, which were to become their own soon.

It was her and Calum. It had to be. Neither of them had much of a choice and to allow herself to even think otherwise would be stupid.

Sloane sighed, scratching the back of her head as she looked between Crystal and Ashton, who was eyeing her curiously. With a quick, small smile, Sloane decided, “It’s a bad idea.”

Luke’s voice sounded from behind her, innocent and oblivious as he asked, “What’s a bad idea?”

Ashton and Crystal’s gazes darted past Sloane just as she turned around to look at the towering blonde. He still wore his tank top and athletic shorts, only this time his wallet and phone was in his hand and black Nikes on his feet. Her heart jumped into her throat as he looked at her questioningly, eyebrows raised, and she swallowed before covering with a nervous smile of her own, “You being in the kitchen.” Luke’s expression fell into a childish pout, and Sloane’s nerves eased slightly as she said to Ashton and Crystal, “If you guys have anything you want us to pick up, just text us in the groupchat. Tell the others, too.” She looked at Luke again, who was pouting, and giggled as she turned him around and began pushing him towards the front door. “Come on, let’s go.”

He stubbornly let her push him, exiting the house as Sloane pulled out Calum’s car keys. He’d kindly allowed her to take his Range Rover for the quick supply run, which was good since his car was the last one at the end of the driveway, blocking the rest of the vehicles in. It was a quick drive to the nearest ShopRite after Luke put the address into the GPS, and as soon as they grabbed a cart they began their quest for supplies—most of which were coming in through the groupchat, seeing as everyone was suddenly awake back at the house.

As Sloane put a box of Crystal’s favorite vegan cookies in the already filling cart, she looked at Luke, who was leaning forward against the handle, and asked him, “How’s it feel being almost twenty-three?” Jokingly, she added, “Does your back hurt yet, old man?”

Luke rolled his blue eyes. “Ha-ha, so funny,” he humorlessly scoffed, lips quirking upwards when Sloane giggled as they made their way down the aisle. He lifted a hand to rub at his mouth, scratching his growing facial hair as he pointed out, “Ashton’s the one turning twenty-five. Quarter of a century.”

Sloane shot him a look over her shoulder, quirking an eyebrow. “Hey, I’ll be twenty-five next year.” She turned around fully to face Luke, walking backwards as she challenged the blonde, “Are you calling me old, Luke?”

He stopped, as did Sloane, as his mouth dropped open almost comically. He looked adorably nervous at Sloane’s challenging, playful stare, throat working, before he said, “I’m not qualified to answer that question.”

She narrowed her eyes at him, lips quirking as she sounded, “Mhmm,” before turning to continue on, hearing the rattle of the cart wheels as Luke followed after her.

“Come on, Sloane,” Luke called after her with a laugh. “You’ll always be the prettiest girl I know.”

His words had her stopping short, breath rushing out of her lungs quickly enough to make her choke on absolutely nothing. Her sudden pause had Luke accidentally bumping the front of the shopping cart right into her lower back, nothing painful save for causing Sloane to stumble forward, and he cursed before apologizing quickly. Except it didn’t really register in Sloane’s head, her thoughts more focused on the fact that Luke considered her to be the prettiest girl he knew.

Her heart had considerably picked up its pace; a compliment from Luke wasn’t anything new, except this time it certainly felt like it. This time his words gave an unexpected jolt of her heart, skin warming as she pressed her lips together and absently stared ahead at the meat section of the grocery store. Luke so easily uttered the compliment, not even thinking twice about it, the sincerity behind them effortlessly stealing Sloane’s breath as she tried to regain it. The buzz of the store was lost on her, fighting to bring herself back to reality instead of losing herself in the reverie of Luke’s words. Tried not to let the smile grow on her lips because she didn’t know how Luke was capable of making her smile without even truly trying.

“Sloane? Fuck, I’m sorry for hitting you—are you okay?”

The poor guy was behind her, fretting over accidentally hitting her with the cart when it was her fault for coming to such an abrupt stop. She blinked a couple of times before turning around, Luke now standing straight with a concerned expression on his face as he eyed her carefully. “Yeah, no, I’m good,” she assured him after finding her voice. She wondered if he could notice the pink on her cheeks, wondered if he even knew what he’d said that had her stopping in the first place. Or if it was just a casual, obvious thought in his head that when he voiced it, he didn’t think of it as a big deal. Maybe Sloane was overreacting. She bit her tongue. She needed to get it together.

Luke was about to say something, his broad shoulders relaxing somewhat, when Sloane’s phone began ringing. She sighed at the sight of her mother’s name, offering Luke a small apologetic smile as they began walking once again while she answered, “Hey, Mom.”

“Are you settled in?” Came her mother’s response as a way of greeting.

Sloane suppressed the sigh threatening to escape as she and Luke made their way to the next aisle over. Leave it to her mother to forgo pleasant greetings when it came to talking to her daughter. Nothing new there. “Yeah, we are,” Sloane answered, tapping Luke’s shoulder when she caught sight of the shelves filled with cake mix. To him, she offered a smile, momentarily forgetting about what he’d said just minutes before, telling him, “Hey, Luke, pick your favorite flavor. I’m gonna bake you a cake for your birthday.”

Luke followed her gaze before letting out a laugh, the sound widening Sloane’s smile as dimples appeared on his cheeks before blue eyes took in the several flavors on the shelves. On the phone, Sloane’s mother asked, “You’re with Luke? Where’s Calum?”

“Yeah,” Sloane answered, somewhat absently, as she looked at the boxes as well, trying to spot Ashton’s favorite kind of cake. His birthday was first, and she planned on baking him one as well. It was a fun hobby of Sloane’s, baking, which relaxed her when everything else was getting to be too much. Baking some treats for two of her friends’ birthdays would be nothing short of enjoyable. “Uh, Calum’s at the house.”

Luke’s blue eyes met Sloane’s at the mention of Calum, offering a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes, but he broke the gaze as he put a box of triple chocolate fudge cake mix into the cart. “Don’t you think you should be spending time with Calum, Sloane?” came her mother’s question, her disapproving tone not missed by the twenty-four year old. Sloane clenched her jaw as she stopped the box of lemon cake mix and put it in the cart. “You two grew distant while at school so it’d be better if you started spending time together now before the wedding. We’ll be setting a date soon.”

The wave of nausea hit Sloane upon hearing her mother’s statement, free hand gripping the cold metal of the cart as her fingers closed around it tightly. Her expression fell as the force of reality nearly swept her off her feet, neck tensing as she desperately tried to keep the rampant, overwhelmed emotions from showing on her face. But she’d failed, it seemed, as Luke looked at her in quiet concern and curiosity, eyebrows drawing together over widened blue eyes, taking a step towards her. His body towered over hers, and his tall frame provided a kind of comfort Sloane hadn’t expected but realized she needed in this moment.

Luke’s hand rested on the spot where her shoulder met her neck, his touch comforting and warm against her exposed skin thanks to the tank top she wore, and without even meaning to, Sloane felt herself relax somewhat under it. She focused her attention on her mother once again, despite really not wanting to, really just wanting to go about this shopping trip in peace without being thrown in for a crisis. “Okay, yeah, I hear you,” she said, hoping to sound convincing for the sake of ending this conversation.

Her mother clicked her tongue, the sound itself harsh through the crackle of the phone. “Take this seriously, Sloane. The company will be in your hands; start acting like it. This wouldn’t be a problem if your brother—”

“Right, okay, Mom, I get it,” Sloane instantly cut her off in a rush, hating that she felt the familiar subtle sting in her eyes, feeling the primal urge of throwing her phone across the aisle. The last thing she needed was her mom bringing up her late brother and how he would’ve been a far better fit to run the company. But that just wasn’t in their cards, and Sloane could live her life without being constantly told she wouldn’t match up to what Jacob could’ve been capable of had he not died. She’d been grieving her brother a long time; she didn’t need to feel guilt over his death, too. “I, uh, I gotta go. Talk to you later.” She hung up before her mother could get a word in.

She pocketed her phone with a slow exhale, head bowed and eyes shut and completely hating herself for feeling so vulnerable and powerless. Over her life, her emotions—everything. For practically falling apart in the middle of some ShopRite. Soon-to-be heads of multi-million dollar companies didn’t have breakdowns in grocery stores. Sloane knew she was better than this, stronger than this, and took a deep breath as she reminded herself of the fact.

“Sweetheart, you okay?” Sloane opened her eyes, looking down at her painted toes peeking out from her sandals, inhaling softly at the gentle term of endearment that slipped from Luke’s lips. Sloane pressed her lips together in order to keep them from quivering, silent for a few moments to get it together, and Luke let out a soft breath before his arm wrapped around her to pull her in for a hug. Her cheek pressed against his chest, his right arm around her shoulders and left around her back as he held her to him, and Sloane felt herself melt into him and the cologne he wore. Totally beachy.

Sloane closed her eyes for a moment, reveling in Luke’s embrace, the way his arms felt around him and the warmth he provided. She felt herself relax, heart rate calming after the unfortunate conversation with her mother. “Yeah, I’m fine,” she whispered, feeling utterly ridiculous for being so pathetic. “Just tired.”

Luke took a breath, which Sloane felt against his chest, before letting it out in an airy chuckle. “Come on, Sloane. We just got to Florida; can’t get tired already.”

He prompted a soft laugh from Sloane, shaking her head at his attempt at lightening the mood, which seemed to work as she reluctantly pulled away from him, wanting nothing more than to stay with his arms around her. But they were in the middle of a grocery store, had some shopping to get done, and the longer she stayed with Luke hugging her, the more she’d get used to it. And, like she told Crystal and Ashton, that would be a bad idea.

Especially since a wedding date was about to be set.

Sloane pulled away from Luke, hands on his sides to reluctantly create some distance between them as she looked up at the tall blonde. The smile was still present on his face, just a little softer, an ever present glimmer in his blue eyes Sloan had forgotten how fond she was of while she’d been away at school. Her fingers itched with the urge to run through his blonde curls, wanting nothing more than to feel the softness of the strands under her touch.

Instead, Sloane took a step away from Luke, rolling her lips into her mouth yet still smiling because she didn’t want to be rid of the light, teasing mood that Luke had so easily set after pulling her out of the rigidness her mother had put her in. With a tilt of her head, Sloane wittily challenged, “We’re gonna have a good time, then?”

He responded with a comical wiggle of his eyebrows, enough to elicit laughter from Sloane as she pressed her hand against his chest and pushed him away. They stood, laughing in the middle of the cake aisle, as he confirmed, “An unforgettable time.”

The promising glint in his bright blue eyes left no room for doubt. As if there was ever any uncertainty; not when Luke looked at her the way he did. Not when Sloane found herself doing the same to him.

*****

The thin sheen of sweat that coated Calum’s skin felt welcomed as he approached the beach house, lightly kicking up sand as he kept the same pace of his jogging since he had started. It was a bright morning, unsurprising given that it was the middle of summer in Florida, the sun above threatening to burn him had he not had the good sense to put on some sunscreen before leaving the house. The ocean was nearly as blinding as the sun as the rays glittered against the water, leaving Calum perpetually squinting as he jogged along the shore, though not close enough to the water to get his shoes wet.

Still, Calum enjoyed the softness of the sand beneath his feet and the music playing in his ears not too loud to drown out the sounds of the ocean as it made for a combination he quickly grew fond of. Jogging along the shoreline of Daytona Beach was vastly different than doing so through Central Park; while the latter had become routine,Calum would be lying if he said he didn’t enjoy the heat of the Florida son on his skin and the salt in the air replacing the unmistakable, world-known scent of New York he’d grown used to since his family had moved there when he was a child. While the rush of the city felt like home, the calmness of the beach rid Calum of the worries his bustling life back home came with, feeling completely at ease despite it only being their second day in Florida

He slowed down his pace when he approached the back of the house, about to head up the steps that led to the back deck when the sounds of a dog’s barking cut through the sound of Nine Inch Nails playing in his AirPods. Calum stopped before even going up the first step, pausing his music as he caught sight of a familiar German shepherd at the bottom of the steps of the house next door before he ran towards Calum.

“Oh hey, buddy,” Calum chuckled as Freddie reached him, the dog excitedly sniffing at Calum and looking up at him with dark eyes and what seemed to be a grinning mouth. As Calum rubbed at Freddie’s head, scratching behind his ears, he chuckled lowly, “Guess you remember me, huh?”

“I dunno what’s happening—but I feel like I should be worried about you trying to steal my dog.” Light footsteps against wooden panels could be heard, and Calum glanced up to see River staring down at him from where she stood on the back deck of the house next door. Her arms were folded atop the railing and as Calum absently kept petting Freddie, he could feel himself getting pulled in by the sight of River.

He’d only seen her in the dark of last night, but now she stood with blonde hair in pretty and messy waves and a smile on her pink lips as she peered down at him. Dimples. She had dimples. The sun was blinding, but it provided for a pink in her cheeks and a glow against her skin he wanted to admire for as long as she’d let him. And in watching her, he didn’t miss the way her own gaze seemed to size him up from her viewpoint, trailing up and down his arm. He knew she was taking in the sight of the tattoos wrapping around his left arm, an excited twist in the pit of his stomach knowing she was drinking him in the same way he was admiring her.

Remembering that she’d spoken to him, Calum quickly gathered his wits about him and offered a smirk, squinting up at her with one eye as he responded, “He’s the one that seems to find me.” He straightened as Freddie panted, and Calum held up his hands in defense as his smirk widened and he said, “Think he’s tryna tell you somethin’, doll.”

River’s close mouthed smile transformed into a proper grin, laughing at his words as Calum felt a tug in his chest at the sound. Before she could respond, though, another woman’s voice popped up, “Who’re you talking to, Rivvy?”

It sounded like an older woman, Calum’s thoughts confirmed when River glanced over her shoulder to whoever was behind her, obviously hidden from Calum’s view, as she said casually, “Just our new neighbor, Grams.”

“New neighbor?” Calum heard her grandmother repeat, feeling a small smile tug at the corner of his lips at the excited tone he detected. “Tell him to come up!”

River scoffed in amusement before looking back down at Calum, their eyes meeting, and from the distance Calum could confirm his observation from last night: definitely light colored eyes he wanted a closer look at. His eyebrows raised when River nodded her head over. “You heard the woman. Come on up.”

She unfolded her arms and gripped the wooden railing, standing up straight and watching Calum watch her. River raised questioning eyebrows when he stayed put for a moment, too lost in the way her hair danced in the ocean breeze and the glint of the fine golden necklace she wore around her neck. But he pulled himself out of his reverie when Freddie started making his way up River’s porch steps, and Calum was quick to follow, his footsteps a lot heavier against the wood as opposed to the clatter of Freddie’s paws.

Calum pocketed his AirPods as he made his way up, feeling his lips quirk at the sight of River sitting down on a chair, Freddie by her feet, a small table with two cups of tea and cookies, and River’s grandmother sitting in the chair next to her. The older woman grinned, warm and maternal, at the sight of Calum. “Ah, new neighbor, hello! I’m Maggie.”

Her short silver hair danced gently in the wind as she looked up Calum with green eyes, and he found himself returning her smile easily as he shook her hand and introduced, “Nice to meet you, ma’am. I’m Calum.”

“Oh, no ma’am,” she shook off, leaning back in her seat. “Call me Maggie—or Mags.” She then gestured to the spare chair opposite of her and River, and Calum settled down as River crossed one leg over the other. He did his best to keep his gaze on Maggie and not the smoothness of River’s legs. “So, Calum, when did you move next door?”

Calum linked his hands together, arms resting on his thighs as he let out a quiet laugh. “Actually, I’m on vacation with some friends of mine. We just got here yesterday from New York.”

Maggie raised her eyebrows in understanding. “Oh,” she nodded slowly, moving to reach for her cup of tea with a subtly trembling hand. Calum watched as River beat her to it, taking the mug and bringing it to her grandmother, who smiled at her gratefully. Looking back at Calum, Maggie asked, “How long are you here for?”

“A while,” River answered for him, Calum’s gaze darting to her, biting the inside of his cheek at the sight of her knowing smirk and hint of a dimple. When he looked at her, in that moment, he noted the green of her eyes, darker than Maggie’s, glinting against the sunlight. He felt his own lips mirror her smirk at her referral of their first meeting the night before. Was a while long enough? Long enough for what?

Calum looked back at Maggie, oblivious to whatever had just transpired between him and her granddaughter, and he offered her a charming smile before saying, “Ah, probably a little over a month.

Maggie nodded after taking a sip of her tea. Then her eyebrows raised as she glanced at River, a smile curling at her lips. “Oh, honey, now there’s some kids your age around. You should get to know them—show them around while they’re here!”

Calum watched the way River shot her grandmother a look; not an annoyed one, just mildly exasperated, like she wasn’t a fan of Maggie offering her up like that but also that it was something she was used to. She looked calm where she sat, an amused smile on her lips as she told Maggie, “Grams, I’m sure Calum and his friends already have their own pla—”

“No, no, she’s right.” The words fell past Calum’s mouth before he even realized, unaware that he’d spoken until two sets of green eyes were staring at him, excited and the other surprised. He looked at River, who seemed to be fighting a smile from growing on her lips, and Calum cleared his throat before backtracking in hopes of not sounding too desperate. “We, uh, we could always look for new things to do; we’ll be here for a while so, like, if you’ve got any ideas, I’m all ears.”

River smiled with a slow nod, tucking stray longs of her blonde hair behind her ear. The movement drew Calum’s attention to the black ink against her skin, trying to make out the tattoo she had before it disappeared from his view too quickly. Her grandmother chuckled. “Look at that—you’re making friends!”

River’s blue eyes met Calum’s brown at the mention of friends. It was hilariously an understatement of what either of them wanted to be. To Maggie, River scoffed, “I have friends, Grams.”

Maggie waved her off. “Other than your coworkers.”

As much as Calum wanted to stay and chat with the two of them, which was actually a lot, he needed to head back to the house to take a shower. So after kind goodbyes to Maggie and rub at the top of a compliant Freddie’s head, Calum got up and began making his way down the steps, River right behind him. He’d gotten to the sandy ground when River spoke up. “Calum.” He looked back up at her as she stood on the middle step of the staircase, squinting towards the ocean before looking down at him once more. “There’s actually this, uh, gig tonight. A local band playing at this underground bar downtown. You and your friends interested in that sort of thing?”

He fought the urge to instantly say yes. “Are they good?”

River chuckled gently. “If you’re down to hear a wanna-be version of Joy Division, yeah,” she mused with a shrug before laughing at Calum’s amused smirk. “Yeah, they’re good.”

Nodding and trying to ignore the thrill of the fact he’d get to see her later on, Calum asked, “What time?”

River grinned, turning her body to head back up, though gaze still locked on Calum’s as she told him, in a delightedly cute voice, “I’ll knock on your door at six-thirty.”

He adored her grin and dimples when he told her, “I look forward to it.”

Later on that evening, after the groceries Sloane and Luke had brought back long since packed away and everyone using their first day in Florida as an excuse to laze around, the energy in the house turned busy and buzzing as they got ready for the gig River had invited them all to after having dinner. There had been an excited buzz with his friends at having something to do for the night, as if they couldn’t have just gone into town on their own, but Calum supposed it was more fun with a local guiding them. He knew he definitely was looking forward to enjoying his night with River.

A knock sounded on his door, and Calum looked up from where he’d been crouched over, sitting at the end of the bed, tying the laces to his Docs. “What’s up?”

“I have a question,” Michael mused, strolling into the room, dressed up in his usual black and white outfit, cap covering his blonde hair, key necklace hanging low as Calum sat up with a questioning quirk of his eyebrows. “Is River the same girl you were talking to last night? During the bonfire?”

Calum blinked up at his oldest friend. “Yeah,” he answered slowly, warily. “Why?”

Michael took a breath, looking down at him as his hands fell to his sides. “Because you’d only met her once and you were talking about her like someone would if they weren’t engaged to someone else.” Calum bit the inside corner of his lips, knowing exactly where this was going. “And now we’re going out with her?” Michael shook his head. “Sounds dangerous, man.”

“Mike,” Calum spoke up, voice only slightly strained as he stood to his feet. Pointedly, he said, “Sloane and I agreed we wouldn’t talk about that stuff while we were here. We’re just trying to enjoy ourselves before—”

“Not talking about it doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist, Cal,” Michael cut in matter-of-factly, gaze turning concerned, like he was genuinely worried his friends were fooling themselves. “What, you’re gonna screw around with some other girl with Sloane ten feet away? Come on, man, you’re not that kind of guy.”

As much as Calum appreciated the good place Michael was coming from, he found it completely unnecessary. He didn’t think any of his friends would understand the predicament he was in—only Sloane could. The two of them were put in this situation by listening to those around them; for now, Calum wanted to only listen to himself.

“Sloane and I aren’t together, Michael,” Calum said, his tone factual and purposeful. “We’re engaged, on paper, but there’s not—there’s no relationship there. Only friendship, and even that’s getting fucked because of this shit situation. When we’re married, that’s—” He broke off briefly, looking away from Michael with a shake of his head, not for the first time wondering how he could’ve let himself get mixed up in all of this. “It’ll be different then. For now, we both agreed to just enjoy ourselves before heading back to New York.”

Michael breathed in deeply as he considered Calum’s words, exhaling heavily with a shake of his head as he muttered, “Sounds fucking complicated.”

Calum scoffed, a wry smile tilting at his lips. “I know,” he mused, shooting his friend a look. “That’s why they say ignorance is bliss.”

The doorbell rang just then, and Calum failed to ignore the lurch in his chest as he clapped Michael’s back and headed out of his bedroom. He walked past Ashton’s, who was playing some Coldplay behind the half closed door, and as Calum jogged down the stairs he gave a shout to everyone in the house, “River’s here!”

He ran his hand over his hair as he approached the door, a nervous habit where he’d be able to tangle his fingers through his curls, though now he was left with only feeling the soft edges of his hair growing from when he shaved it a few months back. Calum quickly licked his lips, the doorknob cold under his touch, no time to overthink or question himself as Michael stood next to him, and he opened the door to reveal River standing on the blue wood of their porch.

Calum so desperately wanted to stand in the doorway and admire the sight of her; she looked like the picture perfect model of someone from a beach town. Wavy dark blonde hair, sunkissed skin, with a smile that Calum didn’t mind being blinded by. The subtle smell of salt wafted into the house when he opened the door, and before Calum could get lost in the sight of River—again—he opened the door wider and said, “Hey, come on in.”

She kept smiling as she entered the house, smiled as Calum introduced her to Michael and then everyone else as they one by one came down the stairs. He watched, suddenly feeling a bit uneasy, as Sloane greeted River with a smile, friendly and genuine in all her right. Selfishly, Calum’s gaze dropped to Sloane’s hand, relieved to see the lack of ring, pressing his tongue to the back of his bottom teeth at his own absurdity.

It was complicated, like Michael said. And Calum had no idea what the hell he was doing.

Once the introductions were done, it was time to head out, and since there were seven of them, two Ubers were called. River offered to call one of them, phone already in hand, but was promptly shut down by everyone as Calum and Luke took it upon themselves to call them. The two cars arrived quickly enough, and Calum sat in the back with River and Ashton took the front—they were too tall to fit in the back comfortably—before they were on their way.

“I could’ve called one of the cars, y’know,” River said as she buckled in her seatbelt.

Calum let out a small chuckle at her insistence. “River, seriously, it’s fine.”

“Yeah; you’re the one that gave us plans for the night; least we could do was pay for the ride there,” Ashton piped up from the front, words nothing short of honest. He turned around then, shooting her a friendly grin as he added, “But you can call one for the ride back.”

Calum watched as River giggled, the sound devastatingly sweet as they drove down the roads, the street lights rhythmically shining into the car every now and then and splashing against the pretty girl sitting beside him as she said to answer, “Deal.”

The confined space of the car had Calum far more intune with his senses, and out of nowhere, all he could smell was a delicious floral, no, fruity, scent. Something like passionfruit as it tickled his nose and Calum was a second away from a deep inhale when he realized it was probably River’s shampoo or lotion or something, and that he’d be some weirdo sitting next to her in a car, sniffing her like a dog. So he bit his tongue, fingers curling into his palms as Ashton asked River about herself, allowing Calum to know some more about her. Just surface things; of her living with her grandmother since she was a kid, spending years watching college kids every year come around for spring break, spending any free time she had looking for things to do. A lot of alone time, River told them she had, which allowed her to enjoy her own company and take advantage of when the opportunity to hang out with others arrived.

Like tonight, she’d joked, and when Calum’s brown eyes met her green, he knew she was glad Maggie had pushed her the way she had.

They’d reached their destination fairly soon, both cars pulling up at the same time, and River led them inside after they all flashed their I.D’s to the men outside. Music could be heard from below them, mixed with the chatter of people conversing loudly in hopes to be heard over it, and Calum fell into step alongside River as they walked down the stoned steps, going closer and closer to the noise.

“I wanted to ask—what’s your tattoo mean?” Calum found himself inquiring. His eyes had once again caught sight of the ink on the inside of River’s wrist. And as someone who had quite a few tattoos of his own, each with their personal story, he was always intrigued by the ink others wore proudly on their bodies.

River glanced down at her wrist. Colored lights began splashing across them, purples and blues doing more to darken their surroundings than lighten them up, and River’s lips quirked up at the sight of her tattoo. Calum got a better look at it; they seemed like two stick figures, joined together by a shared arm, except the joints and heads were made up of flowers, with the occasional leaf growing from what would be the limbs. But the figures were uneven, not entirely lining up.

“It’s the constellation for my zodiac sign,” River informed him with an airy chuckle. Calum could feel the bass of the music rumble through his chest. “I’m a Gemini, which has the symbol of the twins.” With a roll of her eyes, she continued, “There’s this stigma of Geminis being, like, two faced and fake or whatever, but I don’t think that’s me.” Shooting him a smile as they reached the bottom of the steps, his friends all right behind them, River finished, “I like to think I’m more of a what you is what you get type of person. I’ve got nothing to hide.”

There was something about the way she spoke that threatened to send Calum stumbling on his own feet. Her voice, from what Calum gathered to this point, was a sweet mixture of airy and confidence. Like she spoke as lightly as a gentle breeze yet had the independence of standing solid against anything that decided to challenge her. A free spirit in even her voice and manner of speaking, and it only served to draw Calum more and more into her. Dangerously slow.

The music had grown loud as they reached the bottom, arriving to the space where up ahead, Calum could see the band performing, everyone else in between enjoying the guitar centered music. Still, no matter how impressive they sounded, Calum found his attention to still be on River, who was looking ahead with an excited grin, and told her, “That’s pretty sick.”

He hoped she knew he was talking about her tattoo and not the band, gaze meeting hers as the purple lights flashed against her green eyes. River smiled. “Thanks—hope that means I get the backstory to all of yours.”

Calum grinned while biting his lower lip, not missing the way River tracked the action, as he told her easily, “Any day.”

Her grin widened, the shadows of her dimples gentle in her cheeks against the light, and River glanced over at the rest of Calum’s friends and said over the music, “Bar’s this way!”

They followed her through the buzzing, dancing crowd, Calum’s gaze darting over the heads of everyone around him to look over to the stage. The band sounded pretty good, cohesive and coordinated and talented, and if the music was good then Calum felt as though this night would be, too. They walked towards the bar, a very thin haze of smoke in the air, which he realized was from actual smoke machines and not anything people were using given the stench of cigarettes and weed wasn’t detectable. Bodies bumped against him as he made his way through, eyes on River as she led them to the bar, which they pushed their way onto and quickly caught the attention of one of the bartenders.

As they waited for their drinks, Calum leaned back with his elbows resting on the bar, gaze taking in his surroundings. He didn’t realize there was a second floor, a balcony like section surrounding them above as people danced and watched the band from up there. The walls were made up of rigid stone, lights set up in the middle of the ceiling to shine on the stage and flash on the crowd, in sync with the beats the band was playing. People in the crowd danced and sang along, hands holding cups or bottles in the air as they lost themselves for the night.

“So what do you think?” Calum glanced to his left to see River watching him take in everything, eyebrows raising as she handed him his drink he wasn’t aware was ready.

Calum nodded, lips quirking downwards, impressed, as he looked around once more before meeting River’s gaze once more. “It’s pretty cool,” he told her truthfully, shooting her a smile. “Thanks for bringing us here.”

River met his smile with a smirk of her own, holding up her glass as she corrected, “Thank my grams.”

He laughed at that, nodding in appraisal as he clinked his glass with hers before taking a sip of his vodka tonic. He owed Maggie.

Once they all had their drinks in hand, they began making their way into the crowd, grip on their glasses tight as they got to the middle of the boisterous audience, the heat of the mass amount of people already sticking to Calum’s skin as he looked towards the band. He didn’t know the songs or the words but his head still bopped to the music as he nursed his drink.

They finished playing one song and right before going into the next, the frontman surprised Calum by announcing that the next song would be their cover of a song by one of Calum’s favorite bands. “They cover The Maine?” he asked in surprise, gaze flickering to River.

She nodded with a hum, looking over at him as the blue light flashed across her face. It darkened her eyes and made them glitter at the same time, and for a moment he forgot where he was as she smiled at him. “Yeah—you like them?”

Calum let out a breath. “Fucking love them,” he told her just as the band began playing the familiar tune of Black Butterflies and Deja Vu. He felt himself loosen up even more, unable to keep himself from singing the lyrics.

By the time the chorus hit, they were screaming the lyrics with the entire crowd, feeling the ground beneath them vibrate and hearts pound with the drums, and Calum felt himself leaning into River just as she did him, jumping along to the music yet the distance between them was practically nonexistent. His left arm eventually found its way around River’s shoulders, the two of them moving together to the music, not even thinking twice as her own free arm went around his waist to keep him close. Effortless, unthinking, just.

Calum didn’t know what to make of this, what he was doing. During too many songs did he catch himself unable to tear his gaze away not from the stage, but from River. His own movements had slowed down, body only jolting ever so slightly if someone else bumped into him, mostly when River’s own dancing in the form of excited jumps with her hand gripping his arm had him pulled towards her each time. Calum should be watching the band on stage, but he could hear them fine enough, and so his eyes seemed to gravitate towards River and stay on her to take in the glow of her skin against the colored lights, the subtle glitter of her makeup, the shadows of her dimples as she sang along through her grin.

She looked beautiful; drowning in the music, a thrilled happiness glinting against her eyes that effortlessly took Calum’s breath away. He wasn’t one to get blindsided often, didn’t particularly enjoy it, but somehow he was okay with River completely taking him by surprise. Not that he knew how she did it, but he wasn’t going to fight against it.

Calum blinked out of his reverie when River’s green eyes met his brown, and she leaned towards him to tell him over the music, “I’m gonna get another drink.”

Not wanting her to go by herself, he replied, “I’ll come with you,” before looking to his other side at Ashton, gesturing to him that he was gonna go to the bar, to which Ashton nodded in acknowledgement.

River and Calum pushed their way through the bustling crowd, lips curling a bit distastefully as warm bodies rubbed against him, expression suddenly melting when River reached her free hand behind her to grab onto Calum’s. His gaze darted to their joined hands, how hers seemed to fit a bit too well in his, before dragging his eyes back up, only to see River glancing at him over her shoulder. She flashed him a smile, cute and easy going, before turning to continue her way through the crowd until they were finally out.

Their hands were still together as they approached the bar, and Calum hoped she wouldn’t let go because he certainly wasn’t ready to, desperately fighting the urge to shift his hand so his fingers could interlace with hers. But maybe that was too intimate. He didn’t know.

River flagged down one of the bartenders with her empty glass, asking for another margarita as her and Calum leaned against the bar, facing one another in the minimal space they had as many others gathered around the bar as well. After giving her order, River’s gaze flitted just a little past Calum, towards the stage over his shoulder as her head bopped to the music, and he knew he should turn to follow her gaze but he stayed put. No amount of force or willpower allowed him to turn around, to drag his eyes away from the green of hers, or the pink of her lips, or the soft waves of her blonde hair. She seemed to be constantly smiling, from the few times Calum had seen her, a sight he was getting too used to, too quickly.

He couldn’t bring himself to care.

River’s eyes flickered to his, smile still present as she raised her eyebrows and inquired, “What?”

Calum didn’t look away, not at all ashamed at his open admirance of her, feeling a thrilling twist in his stomach when he felt her thumb absently rub at the back of his hand. Her smile prompted one on Calum’s lips too, taking a tiny step towards her, his body towering over hers, as he nonchalantly responded, “Nothin’.” River’s expression went from questioning to unconvinced, and Calum let out a low chuckle before telling her, “I owe Maggie for convincing you to go out with us.”

A laugh escaped River, looking away from the intensity of Calum’s gaze as she said, “Grams didn’t have to do much convincing.” Her eyes met his, the smile she wore faltering into a more secretive, yet equally alluring, one. “Going out with you was a no brainer.”

His heart quickened, no longer in time with the drums, gaze ever so briefly dropping to her lips as the distance between them grew smaller and smaller by the second. Over alcohol probably spilled somewhere and the sweat of bodies lingering in the air, Calum could still smell the passionfruit on River, could focus on only that as her body drew closer and closer. He was realizing, as both of their gazes only seemed to focus on the other’s lips, the extent of the effect River seemed to have on him, could feel it in the way his mouth burned with the desire of capturing hers, hand tingling where she held it in her own. It was like every force of nature was pulling him towards River, was relieved to know it was just as mutual when she finally closed the gap by pushing herself on her toes to press her lips against Calum’s.

He pushed closer to her, free hand coming up to cup her cheek as she easily parted her soft lips for him, deepening the kiss as his tongue slowly came to meet hers, his vodka mixing with her tequila. Not that either of them cared a bit. Everything around them was moving quickly and loudly, losing themselves in the fast paced energy of this underground concert they’d found themselves in. But none of it registered in Calum’s head anymore; the entirety of his focus went into the way his heart threatened to jump out of his chest and right into the palm of River’s hand until she fisted the front of his Nine Inch Nails tee to keep him close. Colors flashed behind Calum’s closed lids as he kissed her, but he knew it had nothing to do with the lights flickering around him. Nor did the bustling crowd have anything to do with the heat firing up his skin. It was all River and the power she so effortlessly seemed to have over him, giving into her as he finally did shift his hand so his fingers could lace with hers.

They had to pull away for a breather, but their faces remained close, Calum’s eyes opening just enough to look down at her pink lips, kissed and soft and needing more. With a breathless smirk, he asked, “Was it worth it?”

He prompted a gentle giggle from River, tilting her head up just to brush her lips against his as she answered, “Kiss me again and I’ll let you know.”

God, he didn’t want this night to end.

*****

When River walked over to where the group of them were sitting with a pleasant hi y’all, an uncomfortable twisting sensation bothered the pit of Sloane’s stomach as she watched Calum greet her with a hug. She pushed it aside long enough to say her own hi’s with a smile, but Sloane couldn’t help but chewing on the inside of her lower lip River sat down at the end of Calum’s beach chair, thanking Crystal as she handed her a drink.

The smile Calum wore in River’s presence was telling enough, and the uncomfortable feeling turned into a bad one, the added heat of the sun prompting Sloane to shift uneasily where she sat on her own chair. Silently, Sloane looked down at her paper plate with her half eaten slice of pizza and some chicken wings. She desperately wanted to push aside whatever was eating her up, wanting to enjoy the beach day because it was Ashton’s birthday, the music was playing and the food was as hot as the sun above them. He didn’t want to do anything big, opting to spend the day enjoying the beach and the ocean with his friends after receiving his presents ordering a whole lot of food from one of the best pizza and wings places in town. Living in the heart of the city did not allow for any beach days, so they were determined to take full advantage of the never ending blue ocean in front of them; except Sloane kept tapping her foot against the ground and she needed to talk to Calum.

While Sloane had grown used to being silenced, she also knew she deserved to be heard—something she would quickly have to adjust to when they got back home. And her worry for Calum kept her from just sitting and letting things happen, so she put down her plate on her chair and stood up, taking the few steps towards Calum’s chair and saying, “Hey, Cal.” She shot River an apologetic smile for interrupting before looking at Calum, who was staring up at her from behind his sunglasses. “Can I talk to you for a second?”

She noted the way his eyebrows drew together, wondered if he was deciding against it until he ultimately let out a quiet breath and stood up, telling River he’d be right back before following Sloane away from the group. They walked a bit of a distance until Calum stopped and asked, almost boredly, “What’s up?”

Sloane turned to face him, sighing as her sheer lilac colored cover up swayed in the breeze. Looking up at Calum, her sunglasses resting atop her head as she squinted at him, she asked, “What are you doing?” When his frown deepened, Sloane pursed her lips. “With River. Are you guys, like, together?”

She noted the clench of his jaw, his arms crossing over his bare chest as the sun unfairly made his skin glow. There was a rigidness in his shoulders and Sloane knew he was getting irritated, but she didn’t quite care in the moment. “Why does it matter?”

Her eyebrows shot up incredulously, wondering briefly if she misheard him over the distant sound of waves crashing on the shore. “Why does i—” Sloane cut herself off with a scoff, shaking her head up at Calum as her lips quirked in a disbelieving smile. “Because if this is more than just a—a summer fling, then you’re gonna end up hurting River.” She leaned back a bit, her expression softening a little as she added, “And yourself.”

Calum’s lips puckered petulantly, tongue pushing against his lower lip as he considered Sloane’s words. She hoped he understood where she was coming from, that she was only worried about not only him but this girl that, Sloane knew, had no idea of the circumstances the guy she was getting involved with was in. If whatever Calum was pursuing with River ended up being more than just a brief fling, something to hold him over while they were in Florida, then they were going to end up in a lot of pain. The arrangement Sloane and Calum were in had already put a bit of a strain on their friendship; she didn’t want him to completely resent her for being unable to be with someone he may actually want to have. This wasn’t jealousy, not by a long shot; this was genuine concern for any potential heartbreak Calum was, intentionally or not, setting himself and River up for.

Calum looked to his left, towards the glimmering ocean and blinding sun, and Sloane watched as he pressed his tongue to the inside of his cheek before he lowly said, “I thought we agreed we wouldn’t discuss. . . The arrangement while we were here.”

Sloane felt a disappointed tug in her chest. Was he even willing to listen to her? To acknowledge she came from a place of genuine concern? “We did,” she confirmed calmly, throat working. “But that was before I saw how much you seem to like River. And how much I can tell she likes you. This whole thing is complicated and, trust me, I’m still trying to figure out how to deal with it, but—”

“You’re right, it is complicated,” Calum cut her off, finally looking down at her once again, and Sloane fought the urge to shrink into herself under his stare. Despite being unable to see his dark eyes, she could hear the edge in his tone, feel the tension radiating off of him. “But while you try to figure things out for yourself, let me deal with them the way I want to.” Sloane blinked to break their gaze, looking away from him as she pressed her lips together, finding some semblance of dignity to not be insulted by the way he spoke to her. And it was like Calum heard how harsh he was being because he paused before letting out a breath. His tone was calmer, losing its edge, as he added, “I appreciate your concern, Sloane. But you do you and let me handle things my own way, okay? Just. . . Take advantage of being able to make your own decisions for now.” With a wry scoff, he added, “I know I am.”

She rolled her lips into her mouth, nodding as she took in Calum’s words and looked back up at him again. He didn’t seem as tense as before, and it relaxed her muscles somewhat as he offered her a small smile before nodding his head over to the group, silently telling her they should get back. Sloane sighed quietly, the sound drowned out as they approached their friends, grabbing her plate and settling on her chair once again.

The weight of a pair of eyes on her wasn’t missed, and Sloane looked up to see Luke sitting across from her in his own chair, plate in hand with arms resting on his knees as his blue eyes met her own. He furrowed his eyebrows subtle and gave a gentle lift of his chin, silently asking if she was alright. Sloane felt the corner of her lips tug upwards at his obvious concern, a silent nod telling him she was fine. Or she would be.

“Mm, Sloane, you made this cake?” She looked away to see River looking at her, a slice of the lemon cake she’d made on her plate and a plastic fork in her hand. River had pretty green eyes, Sloane couldn’t help but admire, a gorgeous image of beached beauty. When Sloane responded with a confirming nod and smile, River’s own widened as she praised, “It’s so good. I’ve never liked lemon cake until now.”

Sloane let out a laugh at her compliment, thanking her sincerely before continuing with her pizza. She took a breath, picking up the slice and absently inspecting it. River was a sweetheart, Sloane could tell. She hoped she didn’t get hurt.

A little over an hour later, Sloane stood at the shore, feeling the cold water gather up to her shins every time the waves crashed over, tempting her to go in deeper. But she remained put, hearing the speaker Ashton brought play an unfamiliar song, her cover up fluttering in the breeze. Arms crossed over her chest and sunglasses forgotten on her chair, Sloane watched the others enjoy the water. She could hear their laughter, mixed with that of other beach goers a little ways away, and Sloane chewed on her lower lip as she watched Michael and Crystal play a game of chicken against Calum and River. All smiles, all giggles, completely carefree. Calum was in a state of contentment Sloane hadn’t seen in a while, and as relieved as she was to see him like this, she knew it was because of River, and it worried her.

“Aren’t you gonna go in?” Sloane jumped at the sound of Luke’s voice, a gasp ripping through her throat as Luke chuckled sheepishly, holding up his hands in defense. “Sorry, sweetheart, didn’t mean to scare you.”

“Jeez,” Sloane laughed breathlessly, shooting Luke a look. “Warn a girl next time.” He merely grinned, dimples and all, and Sloane forced herself to tear her gaze away from him. Or else she’d get lost in admiring his wet hair and glistening body that she felt like God took a bit more time carefully sculpting. Answering his question, she said, “Uh, I don’t know, actually. I hate feeling seaweed on my feet—it freaks me out.”

It was a dumb fear, Sloane knew, as Luke hummed thoughtfully. Her cheeks warmed then when he nonchalantly suggested, “I can just carry you in. No nasty seaweed touching you then, just me.” When her gaze met his, Sloane saw the way Luke’s brain seemed to catch up to what he’d said, and watched as a pink flush donned his cheeks as he began stumbling over his words. His eyes widened as he began backtracking, “Not like—I didn’t mean it to sound like that. I just meant, y’know, I’d, like, carry you in and—”

She’d struggled to keep the smile from growing on her face as Luke tripped over his words, feeling her heart jump at how endearingly adorable he was capable of being. Seeing Luke so flustered wasn’t something Sloane was entirely used to, and the fact that it was kind of because of her had her skin growing hot. Her cheeks hurt from her grin, deciding to ease Luke’s fluster as she put a hand on his bicep and gently laughed, “I know what you meant, Luke.”

He pressed his lips together instantly, looking both grateful and embarrassed, cheeks still tinged an adorable pink. Luke raised a hand pushing his fingers through his wet hair as it slicked back, looking down at his feet for a moment. He then looked at Sloane once more and said, “I just, uh, don’t want you hanging out here by yourself. You. . . You looked upset before.”

The softness in his tone had Sloane smiling a soft, small grin, his consideration not lost on her. She squinted against the sun, looking up at him as her own loose strands of hair tickled her jaw and neck. “I wasn’t upset. Just. . . Worried.”

Luke’s eyebrows drew together a bit. “Worried about what?”

Sloane rolled her lips into her mouth, taking a breath as her gaze wandered back towards the ocean. River had successfully pushed Crystal off Michael’s shoulders, laughing victoriously with Calum, whose hands were rubbing at her thighs before she bent down, her hands cupping his cheeks to lean his head back so she could quickly kiss him. Not a new sight for any of them, given that Calum and River hadn’t been particularly secretive about the action since the night of the concert.

And it was weird for all of them, but not fully so. Because no one had told River about Calum and Sloane, leaving it up to him to do so, and no one could really say anything against Calum being with River because he wasn’t with Sloane. So they let him do what he wanted, assuming he had things under control, and Sloane could only hope he did. They weren’t together, but they were still friends, and she didn’t want to see him hurt, or River. It wasn’t weird seeing him with River, nor was Sloane at all jealous. Being jealous would mean she felt something for Calum in more than a platonic fashion, and that had never been the case. Frankly, she didn’t think that would ever be the case. She was just concerned.

She figured Luke followed her gaze because he slowly asked, “Are you worried or jealous?”

His question had a startled laugh choking out of Sloane, eyes widening as she exclaimed a genuinely bewildered, “What?” When she gave a shake of her head and looked at Luke, she saw how serious he was in his inquiry, and it only prompted more incredulous laughter to bubble past Sloane. Poor Luke was watching her, probably truly confused as to what she thought was so funny, unaware that his serious question was humorous in its own right. “Oh, God, no,” Sloane answered in between dying laughter, looking at a still confused Luke. “I’m not—if I was jealous, that would mean I had, like, feelings for Calum, which I don’t.” Sloane calmed down, exhaling softly as Luke’s shoulders sank a bit. “I’m just worried if he knows what he’s getting himself into. But jealous?” She scoffed, shooting Luke a reassuring look. “Far from it.”

Luke rolled his lips into his mouth, looking out at the water as his eyebrows drew together under the sun. “But. . . He’s your fiancé.”

Sloane pursed her lips at the reminder, one that she didn’t need, before exhaling forcefully. “Not while we’re in Florida.” She looked at Luke once more, who’d raised his eyebrows in consideration of her words. He glanced up as a pelican flew overhead, meeting Sloane’s gaze once again when she added, “I’m a free woman until we get back.”

His body turned to face hers, easily towering over her, and Sloane couldn’t ignore the way she liked it. Luke’s broad frame and impossible height made Sloane feel so small; except Luke himself never did. The way he looked at her, listened to her, talked to her. . . Everything about the way he existed around her made Sloane feel visible. And not just now, but for years; Luke always had a way of making Sloane feel as if she was someone worth listening to, worth getting to know, and there had been times where she’d tell herself that’s just the way Luke was. Kind, sweet, personable. Now, thought. . . Sloane couldn’t help but think, with her, it may just be something more than she’d previously caught on to.

“Alright then,” Luke smiled, his dimples coming out. “Will you get in the water with me?”

Sloane giggled softly before nodding, taking a few steps away from the shore to take off her cover up. She had on her bathing suit, but took off her denim cut offs and dropped them with the cover up on the ground, running her hands through her long dark hair as she watched Luke watch her. Heat jolted through her veins at the sight of his gaze, feeling him earnestly appreciate her, a sensation Sloane didn’t think she’d enjoy until she was.

Luke licked his lips, blinking himself back into reality as he turned around. “Okay, come on.” She watched as he crouched down with his back towards her, wiggling his fingers at her. “One seaweed free ocean entrance.”

She rolled her eyes at his humor, totally endearing, as she approached him with a quickening heart rate. Swiftly, Sloane got onto his back, biting her lower lip as his hands grasped the back of her knees, her front pressed against his bare back, arms wrapping around his neck and trying so hard not to focus on the sensation of his skin against hers as he began making his way to the water. She struggled to keep the smile off her face as he began going deeper, the water at his hips, her chin resting on her arm on his shoulder and head right next to his as she felt the cold water on her skin, the salt in the air even more prominent.

Luke’s long legs allowed for him to go further into the water on his feet than Sloane would’ve been able to, their friends playing around nearby, and she heard herself giggle as the gentle waves splashed against them. “Hm, okay, I don’t think your feet are gonna touch the ground here, shorty,” Luke said before both of them reluctantly let go of each other.

As Sloane floated—her feet did not, in fact, touch the ground here—she splashed Luke. He made a protesting sound through a laugh, turning away from her halfway in between of turning to face her, and Sloane argued, “I’m 5’5”—that’s average. You’re the one that’s ninety-five percent legs!”

Luke scoffed, splashing her right back as he asked, “What’s the other five percent?”

Sloane paused, bobbing in the water before smirking. “Hair.”

Her shriek was silence when Luke grabbed her before dunking her under, laughing before he was pulled under too as Sloane pushed and swam away from him. They resurfaced, gasping laughter and the taste of salt on their lips, and the blue of Luke’s eyes was far superior than that of the ocean, Sloane had decided. His smile could rival the sun, too.

Soon enough, Ashton called them over for a game of water volleyball with the beach ball he’d snagged from the gift shop, and Michael called himself out to be the referee so there was an even number of players. Crystal, Calum and River versus Ashton, Sloane and Luke. As the game proceeded, Sloane found herself worrying less and less about Calum and River and focusing more on how Luke would swim over to her every time they scored a point, one arm wrapping around her collarbone to pull her back into his chest while his free hand high fived Ashton. She’d focus on the vibration of his chest when he yelled out a cheer or laughed triumphantly, the sound so easily widening Sloane’s grin without her even noticing. His skin easily warmed her within the coolness of the water, feeling herself childishly pout every time he pulled away from her to continue the game.

It was hours later—hours of spending it under the sun, in the water, having a sand castle competition which Michael surprisingly won, and eating more food—that they decided to call it a day, which Sloane was fine with. The sun was beginning to set and spending a good amount of time in the water had Sloane yearning for her bed after she washed the salt and sand off in the shower.

She figured she wouldn’t be hungry after eating so much during lunch, collapsing on the mattress with damp hair and in her pajamas. Except her stomach started growling right when she got comfortable, and Sloane buried her face in the pillow, hoping if she ignored it for long enough, her hunger would go away. But that wasn’t the case, and so she was reluctantly hauling herself off the bed and making her way down the dark hallway and stairs. She was surprised, however, when she noted the kitchen light was on and someone else seemed to have the same idea as her.

“You’re having a late night snack and didn’t invite me?” Sloane grinned when Luke glanced up from his bowl of Cheerios to watch her enter the kitchen, straightening where he’d been leaning against the counter. The overhead kitchen light was the only one on, while the hallway leading to the back deck, the foyer, and living room were all darkened. Sloane clicked her tongue. “I’m hurt.”

Luke chuckled, putting the spoon in the bowl as he said, “Every man for himself and his own hunger.” Raising an eyebrow, he added, “You looked ready to collapse before.”

Sloane scoffed, reveling in the cool tiles against her bare feet as she walked to where the bowls were, pulling one out for herself. She gathered what she needed, included the box of Coco Puffs, and said, “I was, but I guess my stomach had other plans.”

He scooped some more cereal up. “Same here,” he said before shoving the spoonful in his mouth.

As she poured milk over her cereal, Sloane smirked and shot him a glance. “Yeah, but you’re deadass always hungry.”

Luke didn’t look affronted as she put the milk back in the fridge, shoulders hunched as he brought the bowl up so the milk didn’t drip from his spoon as he continued to eat. “I’m a growing boy.”

She stood diagonal of him at the counter, her smirk widening in the quiet of the night as she said, “You’re almost twenty-three. You’re a man, not a boy.”

Sticking his tongue out, quite effortlessly contradicting Sloane’s statement, much to her amusement, Luke began backing away, carrying his bowl close to his chest with both hands. “Well, this man is gonna watch Scooby-Doo while he eats, in case you’d like to join.”

Her smile widened at his jokingly haughty tone, picking up her bowl and following him into the living room where he settled on the couch and turned on the TV. Sloane took a seat right next to him, crossing her legs and eating her cereal as Luke went on Netflix and found the cartoon. They sat in the dark together, the only light emitting from the bluish glow of the television, the volume appropriately low as to not disturb their friends asleep upstairs.

The two of them were quiet, the sound of the show only disturbed by the crunch of the cereal they ate and the occasional clink of their spoons against the bowls. Sloane could feel herself growing tired, especially after she finished her cereal and put her empty bowl on the coffee table in front of them. She leaned back on the couch, sinking a bit as her gaze remained fixated on the TV. There was nothing stopping her, really, from returning to her room and falling asleep now that she’d quelled her hunger. But the thought of leaving Luke was enough to make her stay, to sit in his company rather than go to sleep. He was a warm and comforting presence, his low chuckles at the cartoon bringing a sleepy smile to Sloane’s lips, whatever woodsy and fresh body wash he’d used tickling her nose as she smelled it every time she took a breath.

The last thing she remembered was watching Scooby and the gang running from a specter before her heavy lids fell and her head lolled to the side until it fell against, what she assumed sleepily, was Luke’s arm.

She woke, unsure of how long later, eyes sleepily blinking open when she felt her cheek come in contact with something soft. Slowly, she came to, eyebrows furrowing tiredly when she realized she was being carried in someone’s arms. A familiar scent embraced her and Sloane couldn’t even control the sleepy smile upturning her lips as she mumbled, “Luke?”

“Hi, sweetheart,” his low voice whispered, and judging by his movements, Sloane determined that he was going up the stairs, until they reached the top. “You fell asleep downstairs.”

Sloane hummed in acknowledgment as Luke took them to her room. She was vaguely aware of her fingers fiddling with the soft material of Luke’s shirt as she was held close to him. “Did they find the bad guy?”

She felt the rumble of Luke’s chest as he chuckled quietly, using his foot to push open her bedroom door as he appeased, “You know they did.”

They entered her room and Sloane kept her eyes closed, reveling in Luke’s movements and the grip he had on her, humming when she felt him lower her until she lay on the mattress. Sleepily, her eyebrows furrowed, not entirely liking the feel of her mattress when she’d gotten to feel Luke’s arms. Sloane huffed, rolling onto her side as she blinked her eyes open to look up at Luke, who was about to bring up her blanket to cover her. She slid her hand towards the edge of the bed where he stood, blue eyes meeting blue as she asked, “Will you stay, Lu?”

She took in the way he looked down at her, both surprised by her request and, from what she guessed, endeared. Through the dark of her room, the only light seeping through the curtains was the glow of the moon, Luke’s blue eyes appeared like a beacon, one Sloane felt herself drawing towards and not wanting to be rid of. Even in her sleepy haze, the forwardness of her request wasn’t lost on her, but she couldn’t bring herself to care. She needed the closeness—his closeness—and Sloane had a feeling Luke wasn’t going to argue against her.

He didn’t. Instead, Luke’s lips quirked upwards and he nodded, whispering, “Lemme close the door.”

Sloane nodded as Luke disappeared towards the door, and she shifted backwards to the other side so there was room for Luke, licking her lips as she paid attention to the drum of her heart. They were only sharing a bed, she sleepily reminded herself. That’s all.

The soft click of the door shutting was followed by Luke reappearing by the bed, his smile gentle as he climbed under the comforter, the mattress sinking under his weight as Sloane watched him lay down next to her. He rested on his side, facing her, blonde curls brushing across his forehead, and a contentment settled in Sloane’s bones at the sudden warmth his presence brought. The smile reappeared on her lips, small and tired and gentle, and without much thought, Sloane shuffled closer to Luke.

He turned to his back, allowing for her to settle into his side and rest her cheek against his chest while his right arm loosely hooked around her shoulders to keep her close. Sloane closed her eyes at the feel of being in his arms once again, slowly sliding her right leg between both of his as her hand rested on his chest as well. Faintly, under her touch, Sloane could feel the gentle, steady drum of Luke’s heart, utterly at peace in where he lay. It brought a kind of comfort Sloane hadn’t expected, to feel Luke in his entirety laying next to her, so real and present. It brought a smile to her face and allowed for sleep to return easily.

The brush of his lips against her forehead heated her skin pleasantly, the subtle scratch of his facial hair eliciting a desire to lean herself closer to him. “Goodnight, Sloane,” he quietly murmured. And it was.

*****

Around eleven at night was when Calum and all of his friends returned to the house after a late dinner. He could hear most of them unwinding in the living room downstairs, the open doors and spacious halls allowing for sound to travel easily—not to mention they were probably the loudest group ever. Not that Calum minded.

He took off his leather jacket, tossing it on the bed as he gazed out the window. The ocean at night was mesmerizing, the glitter of the moonlight against the water superior than the sun, in Calum’s opinion. He wasn’t quite sure how long he stood staring, but when he was about to turn away, his gaze wandered to the house next door; specifically, the back deck of River’s house. With a furrow in his eyebrows, Calum stepped closer to the window, gaze downwards, the deck light allowing him to see that River was sitting on top of the railing of the deck, facing the ocean.

Her face wasn’t visible to him, obviously, and for a moment Calum bit his lower lip, debating his next move. He wondered if she wanted to be alone, if he would be intruding on alone time she may want to have. But he found himself moving before giving himself a chance to truly think about it, walking out of the room and down the stairs. The sounds of his friends and the TV playing were loud and present, but no one noticed him reach the bottom of the steps and turn around to walk down the hall, their voices growing faint as he stepped outside into the surprisingly cool night and shut the glass door behind him.

He squinted ever so slightly against the breeze, instantly tasting the salt as he took the few steps towards the steps, the weight of his Docs providing for some heavy thuds against the wood despite him attempting to be light on his feet. His eyes trailed over to the house next door, catching sight of the girl peacefully sitting on the railing, as he approached the railing. He gripped it, trying to make out River’s expression; all he could see from where he stood was a calmness on her features that he found himself not wanting to disturb even though he wanted to talk to her, just be in her presence, really. It was relaxing. But he’d lived life without presence. He could do it again.

So, rolling his lips into his mouth, Calum silently pushed himself off the railing and turned to head back inside, stopping in his tracks when River’s lilting voice called, “You’re not even gonna say hi?”

Calum stopped, turning his head to see River looking at him. He took a breath, the cold air tickling his throat as he buried his hands in the pockets of pants and faced her house. Lifting his chin, he found his voice as he responded, “Didn’t wanna disturb you.”

“You’re not,” River replied, stretching her hand out towards him, fingers wiggling as she called out, “Come sit.”

She didn’t have to tell him twice, turning towards the steps and making his way down and crossing over to the steps of her back deck. He happened to glance up as he made his way over, River’s legs dangling above him as she stared straight ahead, and he soon enough reached the top, hand sliding along the top of the railing as he walked over to the spot where she sat. Calum came to a stop to River’s right, leaning on the bannister with his arms folded on top of it, but instead of following her gaze to the view up ahead, he took in the one right next to him.

“You alright?” He wasn’t quite sure what prompted him to ask that, but it was just something in her face. A mute sadness he felt she was trying to hide behind a mask of contentment.

River’s throat worked, not meeting his gaze yet. “No,” she answered truthfully, head bowing as her gaze dropped to her lap. She glanced at Calum, who was watching her patiently, and River smiled wryly before letting out a sigh. “I called my mom today just to, you know, talk to her. Hadn’t heard from her in a while. But she was, uh,” she paused with a frown, like she was fighting the emotions threatening to spill, licking her lips. “She was too busy with her new boyfriend. We barely talked for a minute before she hung up.”

Calum frowned, feeling a sense of annoyance towards River’s mom and her lack of communication with a daughter who obviously wanted it. “Where is she?”

River scoffed, lifting her head. Her blonde hair danced in the wind. “Hell if I know. Her boyfriend’s a roadie; like, lives out of an RV. So she’s always driving around the country with him.” River’s shoulders sank with another heavy sigh, wringing her fingers in her lap. “And my dad—he hasn’t spoken to me since the divorce. So it’s been me and Grams.” Her back straightened, shooting Calum a reassuring look as she proceeded, “Which I’m fine with, by the way. I love Grams. I just didn’t think my parents would, y’know, forget about me while trying to forget about each other.”

His heart sank to the pit of his stomach at River’s words, hating to see her so upset over something he didn’t know how to make better. He didn’t know her parents, didn’t know what happened between them, but taking out their issues in the form of neglecting their daughter was horrible and instantly tightened Calum’s jaw.

He straightened, stepping closer to River so he was halfway behind her, looking up at her as her gaze slowly met his. “It’s their loss,” Calum told her firmly, confidently. He hoped she saw the sincerity in his eyes, heard it in his voice when he said, “They’re missin’ out on getting to know one hell of a woman.”

River rolled her lips into her mouth, taking in a breath at Calum’s words, gaze briefly dropping to his lips as she asked in a whisper, “You think so?”

Calum reached up, finger gently pushing back a lock of blonde hair from her cheek, his mouth curling into an honest, charming smile as he replied, “Know so.”

She let out a breath with a smile, gaze softening, leaning down and capturing Calum’s lips with hers. He felt the tip of her nail at the bottom of his chin, tilting his head towards her as his arms wrapped around her waist, an absent fear of her falling on the ride side of the railing—or falling in general. River tasted like coconut chapstick as he reveled in the softness of her lips, using his grip on her hips to carefully turn her around the bannister without breaking the kiss, stepping into the space between her legs as her tongue caressed his.

He groaned against her, the sound a low rumble against the distant roar of waves, as his hands slid up from her hips and under the loose material of her top, his skin against hers as he fingers danced up her sides, drawing a quiet moan from River. He wanted to hear more of it, more of her.

“Upstairs.” Apparently River had the same idea as he did, the single word rushing out breathlessly against his lips. “My room’s upstairs.”

Calum grasped one of her hands in his, reluctantly pulling away from her to allow her to step down with the help of his hold, and Calum felt his breath catch in his throat at the sight of River and the ocean breeze pushing her blonde hair forward. Her lips were kissed, his greedy doing, and Calum bit his lower lip as River smiled prettily before pulling him towards the house. He paused only to shut the glass door behind them before River led him towards the dark house and up the stairs, shushing and giggling at him when a step creaked under his foot, which only caused Calum to cover his mouth to stifle the laugh threatening to escape.

They reached her bedroom, and Calum let out a breath at the yellow fairy lights strung up on the wall behind the bed, providing the room with a pretty glow. It was one of his favorite things about her room, along with the sill of the window looking out to the beach that had small plants lined up on it.

River grabbed Calum’s other hand to pull him in, meeting his grinning lips with her own as she kissed him fervently, and he walked her backwards towards the bed until her knees hit the back of it, forcing her to sit down on the edge. Calum took the opportunity to sink down to his knees, dark eyes never leaving River’s green as he undid the button and zipper of her shorts, sliding them, along with her panties, down her smooth legs until she kicked them off willingly.

The smirk she threw his way had Calum’s breath catching in his throat, especially when she lifted her right leg and rested it on his shoulder, the heel of her foot gently nudging into his back as she teased, “I’ve been dying to know if you’re more than just a great kisser.”

That was quite the invitation.

Calum kissed the inside of her thighs, trailing up to her core, just barely getting there, before switching to the other one. He ran his fingers along the side of her leg resting on his shoulder, other hand on her left knee to keep her open as he trailed hot kisses to where she needed him most. “You think ’bout my mouth a lot, doll?” he goaded, his voice dropping to a rasp.

“More than I should,” River answered above him, earning a smirk from Calum as he heard the way her breathing was shallow. “I’m too curious.”

His breath fanned over her entrance. “Lemme fix that,” was all the warning Calum gave before licking a stripe over her folds. He felt River’s body react with a small gasp, urging him on to appease whatever curiosity River may have had.

He licked at her folds, right arm laying across her hips just so his thumb could tease her clit, reveling in the dig of her heel on his upper back and her hand at the back of his head, desperately wanting to keep him close. Not that Calum would rather be anywhere else.

River allowed herself to fall backwards on the mattress as Calum’s tongue continued to work her over, the back of her hand pressed to her mouth to keep any noises from escaping because her grandmother was asleep. Calum smirked against her, tongue and even a little bit of teeth teasing her as his thumb played with her clit, reveling in the taste of her and feeling his dick twitch when she ground her hips, begging for more. He loved her silent begging, the tilt of her head as he drew her towards the edge, feeling like a bastard when he could feel how close she was and decided to pull away at the last second.

He heard her groan against her hand before looking up at him as he climbed over her, a wicked smirk on his face as he took in her pout and said, “I think that’s enough proof for your curiosity, hm?”

She pushed herself up on her knees, scooting back on top of the bed and allowing him to admire the glow of her body under the lights. He needed that tank top of hers off. As well as the boxers that were constricting him a bit too much. River narrowed her eyes at him, her breathing slightly labored, cheeks flushed adorably as she quipped, “If I say yes, will you take off your damn pants?”

Her wish was his command.

*****

“This is amazing,” Sloane murmured, her voice carrying every bit of awe, as she picked up a pair of homemade earrings and observed them. They were beaded, blue and silver, and she held them up to her ears as she looked at Luke and asked, “What do you think?”

He’d been consumed by the fried chicken he’d bought from a snack booth, but as soon as Sloane asked him a question his eyes were on her. Her heart thudded, as it normally came to do in the case of Luke, at his complete attention, blue eyes taking in the earrings before he nodded with a grin. “You should get them.” Sloane smiled as he offered the paper plate towards her. “And you gotta try this chicken. It’s so fucking good.”

She chuckled as Luke picked up the piece of chicken he’d been eating, holding it out to her and Sloane stepped towards him and fought the grin as she bit into the chicken he was feeding her. It wasn’t hot enough to burn her teeth, soft enough to easily rip off the chicken and its skin as Luke pulled it away for her to chew. She hummed in approval at the taste as she pulled out her wallet, trying not to laugh as she swallowed when Luke widened his eyes and nodded as if to say I know, right?

Sloane thanked the woman after paying for and receiving the jewelry in a small paper bag before her and Luke continued on. They were at some grand flea and farmer’s market in town, their friends somewhere around there as well, and it was one of the coolest places Sloane had been to. She didn’t often get to go to flea markets or the like back home, her parents much preferring she buy her items at more appropriate places, but they weren’t here to control her life, much to her relief. She was free to take in the smells of fresh fruit and cooked meats, free to admire the trinkets and jewelry people put their hard work into making, to see the plants, bongs, paintings, toys, and everything else people were selling in continuous stalls and booths.

“Wait, this is amazing,” Luke laughed, drawing Sloane’s attention to where he stood in front of a stall. Her gaze went to what he was holding, an amused laugh eliciting from her as she took in the small gnome statue he held in his hands; the gnome held a sign that read Go Away in one hand while the other had its middle finger stuck up. “I’d totally get this and put it on my yard.” He shrugged. “If I had a yard, I mean.”

Rubbing at his arm, Sloane mused, “You’re too nice to have such a mean gnome.”

Luke frowned, lips puckering into a pout as his blue eyes met Sloane’s. Defiantly, he argued, “I can be a mean guy.” Sloane wasn’t convinced.

They walked around the market for hours, a constant buzz in the indoor mart as eventually they met up with their friends. Eventually, they decided to go home, with Sloane purchasing a jar of strawberry jam as well as a cliche Daytona Beach, Fl. shirt just for kicks. She somehow managed to convince Luke to buy a cowboy hat for shits and giggles—“It’s your brand!”—and grinned childishly when he complied. She had a feeling it didn’t take much convincing on her part, but the reasoning for that was too conceited to say out loud.

The day felt long despite it being a vacation, and so Sloane helped herself to the wine when it came to be dinner time at the house. After eating, she found herself wandering down the hallway towards the back of the house her second—nope, third—glass of wine in hand as she approached the glass doors leading towards the deck. It was slightly ajar and she saw the familiar head of blonde curls as Luke sat on one of the what were actually lawn chairs. Quietly, she opened the door and slid it shut behind her, stepping out onto the deck and walking over to where he sat. The smell of salt was an interesting scent mixing with the bittersweet wine, and Sloane walked around the chair until she stood at Luke’s side.

“Am I interrupting?” she asked just as he looked up at her.

Luke smiled, legs splayed out in front of him and hand holding a bottle of Heineken. His curls danced ever so lightly in the breeze. “Not at all,” he returned, sitting up and moving his feet so he was kind of straddling the chair, gesturing to the space now created on the rest of the chair as he added, “Join me.”

There was another chair Sloane could’ve easily occupied, but she took Luke’s offer and sat down on his, sideways, as she glanced towards the ocean. She watched the waves crash in the distance through the wood pillared bannister lining the deck, peaceful in its own summery way as she let out a long sigh. “I really like it here,” Sloane hummed, the gentle breeze feeling kind of chilly against her wine flushed skin. She wasn’t drunk by any means; just a little loose in the way she held herself, a pleasant buzz in her veins. “Everything seems so. . . Uncomplicated.”

Which was a funny observation, considering how messy things still felt to Sloane, how she felt a constant little ball of anxiety dig deeper and deeper into the pit of her stomach and all she could do was try to ignore it. But sometimes she’d look towards the ocean and feel tranquility wash over her like waves. She’d watch her friends and the smile easily came. She’d feel Luke’s eyes on her and heart fluttered like it never had before.

She felt Luke shift, looking back at him to see him sit up a bit more, leaning forward as he held the bottle between his thighs. His broad shoulders were hunched, like he was trying to make himself look small, blue eyes on hers as he told her softly, “I’m sorry you’ve got all that. . . Stuff to deal with.”

“Bullshit,” Sloane surprised, prompting Luke to quirk an eyebrow as she smiled wryly. “It’s bullshit.” She took a sip of the wine as Luke watched, her gaze dropping to her glass, watching the drink ripple inside before letting out a breath. Without much thought, she added gently, “You make it less shitty.”

Luke tilted his head, throat working, looking for and probably finding the sincerity in Sloane’s gaze. She hoped he knew she meant it, despite the alcohol in her system. Even before they arrived to Florida, her and Luke had reconnected back home, and he had been there when she and Calum were both losing their minds over their arrangement. Sure, both of them had agreed to it for the benefit of the businesses, but that didn’t mean that, personally, it settled well with them. Luke attempted to calm her down by bringing over her favorite treats from her favorite bakery, and it had done the trick for a little while—as well as remind Sloane of what a thoughtful, loving guy he was.

Now, her heart ached for him, and she wanted it to stop. Bad idea.

“Yeah?” Luke hummed, the corner of his lips quirking ever so slightly but the smile could still be heard in his voice. Her own lips curled up as the glow of the moonlight lightened his eyes, wondering if she should fight the urge to be pulled in like the moon pulled the tides. Sloane was reminded of the other night, where she’d asked him to stay because even in the dark he’d been glowing, and she didn’t want to put out the light he’d brought. She was reminded of how she’d woken up the next morning with him still next to her, legs still tangled, and how she’d never felt so comfortable and content before. So right. Luke shrugged, then. “It’s the least I could do. Especially for you.”

At that, Sloane smiled curiously, raising an eyebrow with a tilt of her head as she repeated, “Especially for me?” She shifted just a bit to face him more, the ocean now at her back. “Do elaborate.”

“Uh—” Luke cut off with a sheepish laugh, head dropping and hiding the sight of his smile and dimples. She could make out the embarrassed flush in his cheeks, feeling her questioning smile widen and heart flutter as she waited for his confession, and when Luke noticed her anticipating expression, he let out another nervous laugh as he leaned back against the chair. “Come on, Sloane, you’re gonna make me say it?”

Her eyebrows shot up as she laughed as well, defending, “I don’t even know what you’re gonna say!”

Luke shook his head, smiling yet biting his lower lip as his free hand ran through his curls, pushing them back. “What, you thought I was kidding when I said you’re the prettiest girl I know?” he said, his words effectively stopping Sloane’s heart. “I’ve thought that since the day I met you, Sloane. And, just, liked you a little more and more every day since.”

Her breath caught in her throat, a tightness in her chest at his confession as she stared at him in disbelief. He was serious, a hundred percent, as he twisted his lips to the side. Now he was the one anticipating a reaction from her, and Sloane had no idea what to do. The confirmation that Luke liked her—that he still had feelings for her—was like someone dropped an explosive in her heart, butterflies erupting from it. She could feel herself blinking, like she was trying to bring herself back to reality—except that this was reality and Sloane had no idea how to face it.

The happiness was there; she could feel it vibrate in her bones. A longing for the man in front of her tightened Sloane’s throat, and if she wasn’t so desperate for something to ground her she’d have lost her grip on her glass long ago.

This wasn’t how a future business woman, future CEO, was supposed to act. She couldn’t lose control over herself every time someone surprised her like this. Except, God, this wasn’t some kind of deal or contract or investment. This was her friend—her good, close, amazing friend—telling her something that she hadn’t been aware she’d wanted to hear. And now that she was, she had no idea what to do. Where to go from here. She was at a complete loss, and she could feel what little control she thought she had on her life beginning to slip away.

The roar of the waves seemed intimidating now. A low growl in the night. Unable to say anything else, Sloane stupidly stammered, “You—you like me?”

She saw the concern seep into his blue eyes, hated that she was the cause of it. “If I’m being honest: like is an understatement but you already seem freaked out enough as it is. . .” Luke trailed off with a nervous laugh, only this time, she could hear the bit of anxiety carried within it.

Oh. Oh, crap.

“I don’t—” Sloane cut herself off, breathless in disbelief, giving a tiny shake of her head as her near distressed gaze met Luke’s concerned one. “Where do we go from here?” she whispered, as if she was afraid to voice it at all.

She felt a chill run down her spine as something softened in Luke’s eyes, a few curls fluttering across his forehead as he returned in an equally quiet voice, “That’s up to you, sweetheart.”

They’d already been sitting so closely together, it had been easy for Sloane to begin leaning in, slowly and carefully, her heart in her throat as Luke, realizing what she was doing, gradually started to move towards her, too. Sloane heard nothing but the drum of her heart, drowning out the ocean in the distance, her gaze dropping to Luke’s lips as the distance between them grew smaller and smaller.

The heat of his body was warm, inviting, drawing her in as it usually did and Sloane wanted to close the gap between them. Except her stomach was in knots; not the good, excited kind. But a scared, unsure twist that had her wondering if she wanted to do this. If she was willing to risk things by crossing this line when she knew nothing could come of it. That as much as she wanted to melt into Luke, they both would only experience pain.

Their noses slanted together, foreheads against one anothers and Sloane’s eyes fluttered shut. They were so close, mere inches away, feeling the warmth of his breath fan over her mouth and the softness of his curls tickle her skin. She wanted to kiss him. So badly. And it was when their lips brushed together that Sloane felt a bout of electricity shock through her veins did she realize what was about to happen, and her heart dropped into the pit of her stomach as she squeezed her eyes tightly.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered, hearing the crack in it derived from the ache in her chest as she stopped pushing herself to kiss him. They froze, still so close, and Sloane let out a shuddering breath she felt wrack through her whole body. She hated that she felt the tears sting her closed eyes under furrowed eyebrows, her conflicting emotions getting the best of her, unable to look at Luke. Oh, God, she was gonna hurt him. The knowledge of that suddenly made her nauseous. “I—We can’t do this.”

Her eyes remained closed as Luke’s quiet, desperate voice pleaded, “Sloane—”

“We can’t.”

She couldn’t look at him. Sloane kept her eyes clenched shut as she suddenly pulled away from Luke and stood up, only opening them when she’d taken the few steps behind Luke’s chair, opening her eyes when she knew he was behind him. Her breathing was heavy, heart thundering in her tight chest as she hastily slid open the door and heard Luke call out to her, every bit as bewildered and heartbroken as she feared he would be.

But she didn’t stop. Sloane kept going, her steps quick as she went down the hall and swung a right to go up the stairs, ignoring the chatter of her oblivious friends as she ran up and went into her room. She locked the door, unsure if Luke had followed her, praying that he hadn’t. She couldn’t face him—hell, she hadn’t even been able to look at him.

Her trembling hand rested her still half full wine glass on the dresser, and Sloane let out a slow, shaky breath as she felt the first tear escape her eye. She fell to the edge of the bed, elbows on her thighs and bowing her head to press the heels of her palms against her eyes, uncaring of the makeup she was likely smudging. Breaths escaped her brokenly, raggedly. She hurt Luke. Oh, she knew she did. And her chest ached more at that fact than anything else.

So much for uncomplicated.

--

Read Part 2 Here!

--

tags: @irwinkitten @sweetcherrymike @meetashthere @valentinelrh @softforcal @astroashtonio @hereforlukescruff @novacanecalum @captain-what-is-going-on @angelbbycal @singt0mecalum @hopelessxcynic @lfwallscouldtalk @bodhi-black @findingliam-o @softlrh @calntynes @calumsmermaid @erikamarie41 @quintodosuniversos @longlastingdaydream @babylon-corgis @lukehemmingsunflower @spideyseavey @imfuckin10plybud @pastelpapermoons @conquerwhatliesahead92 @rotten-kandy @cxddlyash @metangi @neigcthood @ohhmuke @old-zeppelin-shirt @5sos-and-hessa @dammitbands @sexgodashton @trustmeimawhalebiologist​ @vxlentinecal​ @pettybassists​ @vaporshawn​ @lu-my-golden-boi​ @buggy-blogs​ @visualm3nte​ @isabella-mae13​ @dontjinx-it​ @lifeakaharry​ @neonweeknds​ @antisocialbandmate​ @ixcantxdecidexwhosxmyxfave​ @calpalbby​ @grreatgooglymoogly​ @sunnysidesblog​ @cocktail-calum​ @miahelizaaabeth​ @madelynerin​ @dramallamawithsparkles​ @theagenderwhocriedwolf​ @kaytiebug14​ @hoodskillerqueen​ @bitchinbabylon​ @empathycth​ @xhaileyreneex​ @inlovehoodx​ @calistheloml @aestheticrelated​ @bloodlinecal​ @sublimehood​ @madbomb​ @raabiac​ @britnicole11​ @outofmylimitcal​ @fluffsshawn​ @bloodmoonashton​ @vxidhood​ @tea4sykes 

[ddaenghoney]

chapter four

masterlist link in blog description.

As a successful songwriter, you want nothing more than the acknowledgment that the chart-topping musical pieces are your own creations. But contracts, relationships, and the difficulty of facing the stakes involved head on, keep your mouth shut until pressure builds too much.

Pairing(s): Park Jimin x Y/N, Min Yoongi x Y/N

disclaimer: any characters depicted do not represent the actual personality of the respected idol in real life.

Series warning(s)/genre(s): Chapter-based written fic, Slow-burn relationship(s), Fake-dating, Unrequited love, Songwriter/producer!oc, idol!Jimin, idol/songwriter/producer!Yoongi, friends with benefits, drama, romance, smut, angst, fluff (updated as needed)

Chapter warning(s): graphic sexual depictions (fingering, like really minor dirty talk; it’s mostly dirty praise idk, oral; female receiving, cum swallowing, vaginal penetration via male penis(typing this made me laugh so hard lmao), male ejaculation without condom); i’d say it’s entirely sweet sex but uh-

Word count: 4931

if you enjoy please, please let me know!

Yoongi stands outside of the CEO office, his back against the wall beside the elevator. Waiting until the door shuts behind you, he straightens, pressing the button next to his waist to signal the elevator. Meeting eyes with his, you know there’s a lot he wants to say, but the vagueness of his expression doesn’t give you an idea of a tone. Another lecture you’re sure. Just to continue the growing streak. Yerin’s secretary glances towards you then Yoongi, curiosity taking over her to hope for something interesting to occur.

You simply follow him into the elevator.

“What was all of that?” He asks you when the door shuts, eyes peering in frustration, but you believe him to be shocked more than anything. “I’m now your fake boyfriend?” A single, breathy laugh leaves his mouth. Bitter.

“I guess,” You’re unable to meet his gaze, instead staring at the unlit elevator buttons and the lack of movement from other people calling for the elevator on this oddly slow day. “I don’t even know.”

“If I knew this would happen,” He sighs, rubbing his temples and never finishing the end of the thought. Leaving it to himself.

“This is my fault.” Your voice is barely a whisper, severity of everything catching up with you and how you’ve managed to cause trouble for Jimin and now Yoongi, who’s new to SoundWave and probably hating the employment.

“No.” Yoongi shakes his head, then exhales once more, trying to rationalize. “This is complete shit, but it’s not your fault.” In the first place, Jimin having a contract forbidding him from dating is one that Yoongi thought was just a bad rumor in the industry-- something that people didn’t actually have. There wasn’t a single employee in his last company that was forced under that rule, even though it had been frowned upon to be in public relationships. Incredibly frowned upon in a certain case. Still, Yoongi never figured the lack of a dating-ban clause in his contract and the new direction of his stage persona would lead him into a fake relationship. Irony with no humor. “Why aren’t you publically an employee?”

You reach for the elevator buttons, clicking the ground floor. The machinery shifts, starting the descent.

“Because,” You’re still hesitant about the prospect of explaining your situation. Anyone at SoundWave that has anything to do with music production knows, and Yoongi shouldn’t be an exception. It’s not like he is an intern, or part-time assistant. You may even work with him in the future, but you can’t remember ever explaining your position to someone other than Jimin. And that was only because he was whom you worked with often when first starting. “I write songs and produce, but I don’t ever get credited for it.”

“What?” Yoongi sounds like he thinks he didn’t correctly hear you. “Wait, what do you mean? Who gets the credit then?”

You sigh, eyeing the floor number that grows smaller and smaller, but not quick enough. “Whatever group or idol that ends up using them.”

“You,” He’s without comprehension, expression on his face ridiculously confused. Maybe even appalled by your job, or that he is also a part of the extremely large group under the assumption that they aren’t being lied to. Only to find out that it’s an acceptable and ongoing aspect of the company. One you’re acceptant of; otherwise you would’ve quit years ago or never taken the job to begin with. “You let your work get used under someone else’s name-- you’re lying to people, and you’re just letting that happen?”

You glare at him, but stay silent. Even if you want to argue, that’s how it is. You don’t have the power to change it, and years earlier you didn’t actually mind sliding ethics aside. You want to tell him that you’re not letting the lies occur willingly, but by the looks of his face-- something appearing increasingly unsettled and distant about your untruthful position-- you know it won’t matter. He won’t understand and maybe is even right to have his opinion of you drop to the ground.

The elevator door opens prompting you to practically jump out. “I’m going home.”

Yoongi stays inside of it, posture weighted in contempt of everything that he’s just gone through. As if the merger couldn’t get anymore terrible, now he is in a falsified relationship with someone that helps SoundWave lie to the general public just for the sake of appearances, and he’s stuck dealing with it. He groans when the doors shut again, taking a moment to bask in the nonsense of it all before clicking the button to his studio’s floor.

Outside the building you pace, considering the option of calling Jimin, but then also considering that he hasn’t texted you and is likely angry and sorting through his own thoughts of this mess. You groan, startling a passerby on their walk to wherever. Taking no notice you shake your head, pulling out your phone and ripping the bandaid off,

Y/N, 3:43pm: Can we talk?

You stare at the message thread for a passing minute, then lock the screen. He could be busy doing a thousand other things, there isn’t a reason for him to automatically get back to your message, and he could still be upset-- the screen flashes with a notification, and you immediately unlock,

Jimin, 3:44pm: Yeah, I get off close to nine.

A breath releases from your lips. At least he responded. Another message appears, the contents seizing up the next beat of your heart.

Jimin, 3:44pm: Can I call you right now?

Y/N, 3:45pm: Yeah, of course.

You descend south of the company, heading towards a nearby coffee shop when the call comes in. “Hello?”

“Hey,” Jimin sits in the recording booth, waiting for the producer to meet him there at the start of the next hour. His legs gently push on the floor, swaying the computer chair side to side. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah,” The concern in his voice eases you, as well as the seemingly calm demeanor. Though there is a chance he’s feigning it, you suppose. “I’m so sorry about the thing with Yoongi. I swear nothing happened-”

“I believe you, lovely.” Softly spoken, head nodding even though you couldn’t see him. Jimin bites his lip, bothered that you’ve likely been incredibly worried about what he thought ever since Yerin dropped the words. “You wouldn’t do that to me. I trust you.”

His sincerity is warm, nearly causing the fuzz of emotions in your eyes to trickle because of how much your mind was pressured from the idea that he would misunderstand. You breathe through your lips, cracking the air audibly. Jimin sits upright on his end, concern raising his voice’s volume,

“Baby, are you crying?”

“No.” You’re quick to cover up but the word itself sounds like a tremble. Jimin frowns, rubbing his face,

“I’m sorry, I would’ve texted you but I was worried your phone’s notification would be loud while you were talking to Yerin. I didn’t want it to interrupt and make her angrier.” You rub your eyes feeling no tears and just the annoying heat that seems to release from all of the stress of the past couple of hours. “What did she tell you anyways? You didn’t get in more trouble did you?”

“No, it’s nothing.” Just a speech that put you in your place, but it’s not worth mentioning. “I’m sorry I didn’t answer you over the weekend, Jimin.”

“It’s fine.” Jimin taps his index finger on the armrest, then pausing the motion as you speak up,

“No, it’s not fine. I shouldn’t have ignored you. I wasn’t being fair.” You sigh. He’s quiet at your words, surprised at the conclusion of your actions.

“I was acting like an idiot, Y/N.” He glances to the clock, knowing the producer is usually early. “I’m not mad at you for it, I deserved it. Anyways, I need to go. I just called because I wanted to hear your voice and make sure you were okay.” You smile softly at the admission. “Come to my apartment later and we’ll talk more, alright?”

“Okay,” You nod, glancing to the sign on the coffee shop that stated they are closed for the day. Unusual for a Monday. Yet fitting for the kind of day it is. “I’ll make sure no one notices me going in.”

---

Jimin can’t help chuckling at you when he opens his front door. A large zip-up hoodie drapes over you with the hood covering your face, and sunglasses complete your, to your opinion, lowkey look despite sunglasses being useless at night. You’re pouting as you remove the shades, stepping into the apartment.

“I bet the cab driver thought you were having a day.”

“He wouldn’t be wrong.” You shrug, slipping the hood off and dipping your eyes from his. Jimin sighs, head nodding in agreement. “He was telling me I was lucky to get a cab tonight and everyone is close to the city center today, so at least I got a ride if nothing else.” Jimin’s head tilts at your seemingly lack of awareness to the date,

“You know it’s New Year’s Eve don’t you?” His sentence barely completes before you’re looking back at him in shock. When you consider all of the closed establishments and lack of people at work, it makes sense, but you’re in disbelief that you forgot. Jimin smiles in endearment, reaching for your hand, “It’s been a complicated week.”

He leads you to the couch, and still calm. With all of the information he heard from Yerin, you assumed Jimin would act differently. At least be asking fervently for answers. He said on the phone that he trusts you, but despite that you wonder how he’s not appearing to be upset about it. Sitting down beside him, you watch Jimin pull his knee up on the cushion facing you. His hand fiddles with yours, thumb stroking the top.

“What should we do?”

The question isn’t one you anticipated on your way over. The diverse amount of things Jimin could mean with it flutter your mind like gusts in a tree, and the lack of strong emotion in how he spoke make your eyebrows harden in thought. “What do you mean?”

“You know,” His eyes fall to where your hands meet. Jimin squeezes tighter. A pound in his chest. “Don’t you think we should stop this all?”

Muscles tense throughout your body. The concept is so far removed from what you expected. His passive attitude to go along with it drives your head to draw a blank. You thought coming here there could be strong words in an argument of explanations, and apologies for the things Yerin called you both into the office for. Not this. Your hand squeezes around his and Jimin casts his gaze back up. Nervousness is apparent, paired with your head shaking.

Jimin bites his inner lip, trying to remain rational despite the hurt in your eyes, “We,” He hesitates, remembering the first time that he kissed you. “We’re just hurting each other, love.”

“How?” Voice higher, confused. “We’re,” You swallow dryly, “Not even dating, Jimin, why do you sound like you think we should break up.” A tiny, hollow laugh, devoid of humor. You watch helplessly as he nods,

“I know, so before it gets worse than what happened today, we should stop.” Jimin’s voice slows down, like he doesn’t want to complete the sentence. Sadder. You inhale, trying to reason his tactics in your mind,

“Then let’s date.”

“Love-”

“I don’t want to stop.” Jimin bites his lip, frowning at you while feeling the ducts of his eyes well because of your pleas. Your hand shakes in his grip, and he wills himself to stop from hugging you. “Please, I don’t want to stop. I like how we were, I,” You remember saying the opposite to him at the club. He recalls the same thing, smiling joylessly.

“We can’t stand up for each other, baby. I can’t be there for you like you deserve.” Jimin talks about the company, but also in society’s perspective. Yerin made it clear that he can’t be in a relationship publically, and for that reason the relationship between you started. Hidden. Incomplete. Jimin told you at the beginning that you should both stop if you caught feelings for somebody else and you agreed because it was just fun when it started. It wasn’t serious, but it turned into something deeper. You know that and know Jimin knows it too.

“I care about you so much.”

Jimin’s lips part at the simple, yet utterly sincere and loving words. Contrasted by the sadness of the entire situation. His hand clenches around yours. He thinks the same, but with what he knows about himself, he shouldn’t let this continue. The few cool tears dripping from his eyes plead with him as well. To admit to you the feelings that he has, but it’s more complicated.

“Jimin,” He loves hearing his name through your lips. His tear-stained face watches you move, knowing he should stop you. He doesn’t want to. He doesn’t and your lips are on his. Jimin’s hand abandons yours for your waist, to keep you from getting too close, but he kisses you back, relishing in your touch against his better judgement.

“Baby.” Jimin’s hand tightens around the side of your waist when you attempt to move closer. Mere inches from your face, his eyes lock with yours, searching for your thoughts.

“Please,” Air hitches in Jimin’s throat while your arms cascade around his neck. Your voice soft. Begging once more, by your lips kissing him sweetly. Like candy. Familiarly. “You don’t want to stop.”

“We should though.” A waver in his tone. Jimin really doesn’t want to stop, let you go, force you from his life.

“Just kiss me.” Believing you can convince him otherwise, your arms gently tug. Coaxing. In a more sensible time, you know this isn’t how to keep him with you. You know that there are problems, and the way Jimin and you are now won’t work. But you love him.

And this isn’t a sensible time.

Your hoodie is left on the couch, stripped off before Jimin lifts you to take you to his bedroom. Your lips attach along his jaw, trailing until you come in contact with the spot that elicits an expected grunt. Your arms tighten around him, holding yourself to him while working at the skin, leaving it sensitive and bruised before he lays you down.

His fingers caress on the area, smirking softly at your quick, thorough work, but his jaw tightens when you waste no time and remove your long sleeve. Inhaling a long breath, Jimin crawls over top of you,pressing your head back into the mattress as he kisses you firmly.

“What if you regret this?” Jimin’s voice blisters against your neck, syllables left in the skin like a trail leading to your collarbone where he pauses, kissing feverishly. He knows you won’t change your mind, more so when you audibly sigh and mix your fingertips into his hair,

“I can’t regret you.” You raise your hips the short distance to rub against Jimin’s, listening to his groan when he feels you against his growing bulge, “I want you, Jimin.”

For more than just the night.

Jimin’s face equals with your own, lost in your eyes until you kiss him again, prompting him to flatten against you more. His hips rub slowly over yours, firmly pressing his hardened erection against your pelvis. You moan against his lips, fueling Jimin’s emotions to win over logic. His hand reaches for the button on your jeans quickly, desiring more contact. He halts when you nudge him upwards, immediately thinking you want to stop until your fingertips are undoing each button on his top. He smirks at your hands, watching you through the sultriness in his irises.

Jimin lets you be the one to push his shirt off his shoulders, then he lets it slip off his arms to lie next to your hips on the bed. Your palm finds his chest, cementing the beat of his heart to memory. He observes quietly, curious of the slowness in your actions. The intimacy of feeling his skin in a calm manner. The moment passes when your hand moves to cup his cheek, guiding him back down to you for a kiss labored in passion, but just as vulnerable as tears.

You grind your hips opposite of his motions, creating a deeper pressure that causes a small piece of profanity to fall from his lips. Jimin’s hand finds your cleavage, squeezing over your bra to make you gasp. The article is removed then in your haste for him to touch you more, earning darkened chuckles from his lips when you lift your back from the bed to unclasp the bra, your chest pressing to his. He admires you, “You’re so precious.”

“Then don’t break up with me.” Labored words escape when you’re back against his sheets. Under his focused stare you slip your arms from the bra straps, but hesitate to remove the cups when Jimin’s chest fills with air from a sharp inhale. Watching so intently, and you swear his eyes gaze lovingly as well. He reaches his hand over yours, guiding it to slide the lingerie from your chest, exposing yourself to him for a countless time. Beautiful.

“It’s better for us,” Jimin has the nerve, the stubbornness to say this in a low voice, despite the fact that the actions currently show he’s trapped in the thing he’s deemed no good. You shake your head, then are halted by the ghosting kiss from his lips, “You mean so much to me, lovely.” A longer ministration follows, filling your thoughts of the familiarity how sweet he’s always tasted. “But we can’t become a couple. I can’t let you deal with how lousy I am.”

“You’re not,” You pepper Jimin’s cheeks, fingers trailing along his back.

“You know how I am in the company.” You don’t speak against that idea, the one you never want to bring up because it felt like an instant argument. One you didn’t think Jimin realized. “And you’re wonderful and talented,” His kisses are short and repetitive against your lips, “And deserve better than all of the crap you’re put through. But I can’t help you with it. And I don’t want to be a reason you hold yourself back.”

Before you’re able to retort at his nonsensical words, Jimin’s hand reaches between your legs palm pressing against your jeans and rubbing friction into your core. Words are lost to a whimper unprepared for the contact as well as the proceeding action his hand takes rubbing roughly, making your hips move into him craving more. Jimin kisses at your neck listening to his name fall from your lips in a needy murmur.

His hand leaves your growing pile of nerves, eliciting a breathy whine that he kisses back into your mouth. Jimin unbuttons your jeans, “Take them off.” The demanding tone is contrastingly soft, leaving your heart beating in anticipation and complying in moments to help him rid the clothing. “God,” He lifts himself upright, knees pressing further into the mattress from his weight, while he looks you over: skin already appearing glistened from need, chest concaving from breaths that leave the mess of lovebites in view on your upper body. “So beautiful.” His head tilts watching the blush on your face grow from his words. “You know that though,” A coy smirk plays at his lips, while he reaches for your thighs, gently sliding you upwards on his bed, so your head comes close to the headboard. “I tell you,” Your mouth releases a moan when his fingers press against your clit through your panties, his lips leaving airy pecks on your thighs, “Every time I can,” His smirks grows when the swipe of his thumb against your wettening heat makes your legs jerk. Trying to close, but he removes the hand to grip them back in place, respreading, “I’m going to make you feel good.”

Profanity slips from your lips in a breathless stutter when he strips you completely, Jimin’s fingers rubbing into your clit like a map memorized. Easily causing your legs to wiggle, moans slipping out when one dips inside. “Jimin,” Needily begging for more as the digit slides in and out, readying you for the second while he continues laying kisses on your chest, decorating it with heat in every spot. “Feels-” You gasp when his thumb works against your clit, the sensation mixing with his fingers pumping inside of you making your hands grip his shoulder.

Nails graze the skin as Jimin’s fingers push all the way, he grunts from the force of your hand, but leaves a kiss to your jaw, “Don’t come,” Another ministration on your lips as you whimper, already knowing you were leaving his fingers wet along with his sheets from how he was expertly edging you along, “Not yet, lovely, wait for my mouth to take you over.”

Every piece of will to listen nearly disperts from just the tone of Jimin’s voice: slow, confident. You’re so willing to be pushed over that you’re unable to stop your hips bucking into his mouth when his tongue graces the entrance of your throbbing cunt. He chuckles against you, the vibrations themselves feel good, and your face heats from your own eagerness, but you’re more focused on giving him the satisfaction he wants, “Jimin, you’re so-” You gasp as his tongue dips deeper, moaning your next words, “Good, fuck; please, I want to come.”

“Let me taste you, baby,” Jimin’s hands hold your hips as you writhe from the pleasuring sensations. He groans low when your hand leaves the bed to tangle in his hair as your orgasm coaxes through. You tremble releasing yourself with long moans, hazy while Jimin’s lips lap up your arousal, muttering praise into your core. Your head lies against his mattress, chest taking full inhales, as Jimin sits upright. His tongue drags along the remainders of you on his lips, while his eyes take in your fucked body. He crawls overtop of you, kissing you and staining your tongue with your own taste.

“I want you inside me,” You cup Jimin’s face as you murmur the words. His eyes are lidden with desire at your statement, sharply inhaling when you go on, “Fuck me, baby, please I want to make you cum in me.” Jimin kisses you, moaning to your lips as your hand rubs his shaft through tight jeans. “It’s not even fair for you to still have these on,” He chuckles, and you can’t help the tiny smirk on your lips.

“You want to come again, baby; so needy for me.” Jimin kisses your nose, his pelvis moving into the motions of your hand. His inhales grows slightly labored when you give a squeeze to his hardened bulge before you’re unbuttoning his jeans. They’re removed in moments, Jimin’s own efforts to pull of his boxers, exposing his dick, erect and sensitive enough to cause his breaths to shake when he palms himself, “You’re sure about no condom?”

“You know I’m covered there,” You say staring at his length, swallowing in anticipation for the feeling of Jimin inside of you. He notices your sultry gaze and leans back towards you, kissing you tenderly.

The emotion takes you back for a second, feeling somewhere between melancholic and warm, you’re brought back to his conviction that this would be the last time Jimin intends to be intimate with you. When his lips leave yours, your eyes are focused on Jimin’s. There’s so much you want to ask him, but when he’s as convinced as he is, what good would it do. You’re the only one with feelings surpassing love, or else he wouldn’t do this.

Jimin kisses you again, using the remnants of your previous orgasm to lubricate his length, before he’s aligning himself with your entrance and easing himself in. Your chest raises from a breath, listening to Jimin’s moans against your lips as he tops out into you, “You’re so good around me, baby. Fuck,” He grunts when your hips buck to his. You moan as his grinding begins slow in full movements to get your walls acclimated to his dick, though you’re already well stimulated.

“Fuck,” You gasp as his pace suddenly changes, Jimin pulling out only to pound back in and make you moan his name loudly. He kisses your lips before moving back to your cheek, jaw, and neck, every inch he could while he pumps into you over and over, every audible sound from you encouraging his actions. “Jimin, Jimin,” You beg using his name, feeling his hand find yours, fingers meshing as your voice grows higher from an oncoming wave wanting to burst through. “I’m close- shit--”

“God, you feel so good; your pussy takes me so well, baby,” Jimin kisses your lip hungrily, “Come for me, lovely; I’m going to,” Your hand squeezes him as the orgasm washes over you, listening to Jimin’s moaning as his seed fills you, “Fucking,” You come undone with him, the ride going through your core and releasing around Jimin’s dick as you moan loudly, senselessly, not caring if anyone could possibly hear.

Labored breathing flows into the silence of his room. Your free hand guides Jimin’s face to yours for a sweet kiss that he lets linger into a honeylike warmth. Pulling out, Jimin then lets himself fall into the bed beside you, hand still holding yours with a seeming refusal to let go. He watches quietly while you look at his ceiling aimlessly, breathing still full as your bodies calm down. “You still want us to stop.” A statement with the tone of a question.

“Yeah,” He bites his lip as you turn on your side to face him. He feels your hand grip his with a tiny tremble, and your eyes alone make his heart nearly shatter. You try your best to force the tiniest of smiles, but Jimin gently shakes his head, “Don’t pretend for my sake, sweetie.”

“It hurts.” You whisper to let out the emotions that want to escape as tears. Jimin frowns, pulling you towards him and embracing you so you could hide your face against his chest. “Are you sure this isn’t because of the thing with Yoongi?” You ask in a trembling voice while tears build in your eyes that you try to blink back.

“It’s not.” Jimin kisses the top of your head, his hands rubbing soothingly along your back, “It’s really not, baby.” He pauses, knowing there his reasoning isn’t completely selfish as he goes on, his voice sad and his reflecting that, “We just really can’t be there for each other like we’d need to be in a relationship, lovely. We’ll just hurt each other, more than we have been lately.”

You exhale a choppy breath, trying to even out your emotions for the sake of the last night with Jimin not being only tears.

You both flinch as the night sky outside flashes, with a medley of booming sounds murmuring out in the air. Jimin’s grasp on you strengthens, contemplative of what was going on as you shift to get sight of the window, covered except for the gap between the curtains.

“It must be midnight.” Your voice is hollow and you remove yourself from his warmth to crawl off the bed. Jimin’s eyes follow you inquisitive, a pit of worry brewing that you intend to leave until your hand pushes back one of the curtains, leaving the sheer set behind it out in the open. The colorful fireworks continue in happy, vibrant colors, spilling remnants of their energy as a reflection on your skin. Jimin stares in awe, silent as you turn back to face him, picturesque and ethereal in the celebratory lights. A contradiction to the events of his apartment.

A veil in the thin curtains acts as a separator between you both in the dimness of his room and the continuation of the world outside.

You walk back towards Jimin, crawling to his open arms on the bed as he greets your return with a kiss. You take it and any following in case they’re the last, settling into Jimin’s bed with him as the blankets cover your cuddling frames. It’s a long time of contentment in each other’s arms, while you both ignore that day means an end; trying to let the fireworks and their beauty be enough of a distraction between longing kisses.

Inevitably you fall asleep first, breaths soothing in sound and sight as Jimin admires the grace of your figure in his arms. He strokes your hair like you still needed to be lulled to slumber. He thinks what it would be like if he was on your side from the first instance of you bringing up that you wanted to be credited for your work, or if he hadn’t kept quiet about his opposite, selfish opinion this long and forwards.

Your sleeping body shifts, arms tightening around his waist. Jimin can’t help the little smile, wishing he had the same outlook as you just so it wouldn’t be the last night of you being practically his. Jimin’s lips find your peaceful forehead in a warm kiss, saying a whisper that he doubts he’ll ever get to say again, “I love you.”

if you enjoy please, please let me know! i hope you enjoy the series, i’m working really hard on it! : ) also don’t drag me for the smut in this chapter it may or may not be good idk im worried lmaoadsjfgk

tag list (send an ask to be added): @jaiuneamesolitaiire​ @tsvkino-usagi​​

[savage-rhi]

Hi! 👋 I was wondering... Whenever you got some time and inspiration to spare, could you write some pre-Death Stranding HiggsxFragile fluff, please? 🤗💕 I would love to read your interpretation of their pre-game relationship!

Well hello! One fluffy before Higgs was a bitch fic coming right up for you beautiful person! :D

Fragile sighed upon finishing up her logs for the day. Ever since the merger between her business and Higgs’s, she had been busy updating clientele and figuring out terminal coordinates. The expansion was messy, but so far it had been well worth the effort. Fragile had to give Higgs credit, even though he was chaotic in how he handled his end of things, he knew how to appease others into joining the cause. They already had another fifty clients outside of the West Coast wanting to join Fragile Express and Pharoh Hounds respectively when it came to getting their deliveries courtesy of Higgs playing up the businesses. 

“You still slaving over that stuff?” Higgs asked as he came up behind Fragile, looking over her shoulder and at the numbers. She was used to him sneaking up when working at this point, but her body did flex a small jump. 

“You haven’t been keeping up, so one of us has to do it.” Fragile said as a matter of fact while Higgs smirked and chuckled. He took a seat next to Fragile after pulling up a chair and sighed, stretching his arms and giving a yawn. Higgs had been working delivery routes for the last week and training newbies. As much as he hid behind his enthusiasm, Fragile could tell he was exhausted. 

“Maybe you’re the one that needs a break. You look like shit.” Fragile commented as Higgs shook his head. 

“I feel like shit. I think both of us have been working too hard. C’mon, let's go relax for a while.” Higgs offered as Fragile sighed. 

“I can’t. This needs to get finished. We have so many new clients popping up that the system needs to be updated or our porters are going to have a hell of a time keeping up.” 

Fragile didn’t expect Higgs to get up then and close off the computer. He shrugged and looked at her playfully, feigning innocence the entire time. 

“I insist. You’re a workaholic like me, and as much as I appreciate that, you need to take it easy on yourself. I got us some food. I promise I’ll let you get back to work after we eat, sound fair?” 

Fragile made a bit of a face, crossing her arms. As much as she appreciated how dedicated to the businesses Higgs could be, she wasn’t used to how he sometimes acted childishly. Him turning off the computer being one of the many things he was notorious for when he wanted situations to go his way. 

“Lead the way.” Fragile said somewhat sarcastically, getting a small grin to rise from Higgs’s mouth before he ventured out into the delivery terminal.  Fragile followed behind him, occasionally making quick chat with some of their employees passing by while they ventured to the main office the two of them shared. 

Higgs opened up the door for Fragile, gesturing for her to go in first. The smell of fresh pizza with everything on top invaded Fragile’s nostrils as she sighed. She didn’t care for pizza like Higgs did, but having not eaten in a few hours, she was getting hungry. Fragile took a seat, Higgs sitting across from her at their work desk while he opened up the box and started putting slices on napkins for the two of them. Fragile murmured thanks under her breath and then started eating. 

They both ate in silence for a time until Higgs piped up after getting a string of cheese to stop dangling from his mouth. “Can I ask you something personal?” 

Fragile was taken aback, but she shrugged. “We’re business partners now. I don’t see why not.” 

“If you could have done anything else besides running your daddy’s business, what would it be?” 

“Almost sounds like you’re trying to get me to quit so you can have both ends.”

Higgs chuckled. “Quite the contrary. I know you’re smart and ambitious. It amazes me you put all your talent into a backbreaking industry, thankless work and all that.”

Fragile smiled a bit at his compliments. Higgs had a way with words, making you feel good about yourself despite feeling the opposite. It was a quality he showed when dealing with employees and their mess-ups. He was rough when he had to be, but always soothed his disciplinary actions over by reaffirming the good said person had in them. Fragile loved that he was a good teacher, her porters had been improving since he took on the mantle of instruction. 

“I could ask the same thing about you.” Fragile started, earning a smile from Higgs as his face flushed before she continued. “I probably would have worked with the UCA and their expansion explorations, try to find more people out there living alone and help them connect again. I couldn’t imagine leaving this place behind though. I enjoy the freedoms too much.”

“If you joined the UCA, you might as well be trading your life in to be their puppet,” Higgs said as a matter of fact, sighing as he finished the last bit of his pizza. “While it's admirable what they’re doing, America isn’t the same anymore. People have their own ways of doing things. Forcing everyone to come together again isn’t right.”

“I didn’t realize we were going to be discussing politics over lunch,” Fragile said playfully and Higgs sheepishly laughed while rubbing the back of his neck.

“My apologies. I don’t mean to get worked up. Where I was going with this, is that you and me are already doing what the UCA is struggling to accomplish. We’re bringing people together on their own terms. I gotta say that’s pretty damn admirable. I can’t believe we’re pulling it off. If the numbers are right, Fragile Express and Pharoh Hounds will have Bridges and the UCA outnumbered in less than a year in the West. That’s thousands of people all connected because of us two. ”

Higgs paused for a moment, his eyes meeting with Fragile’s as he looked at her, admiration in his gaze for his business partner.

“I couldn’t have done this without you.” Higgs said truthfully as Fragile smiled sincerely. 

“I think you’re giving me too much credit.” Fragile said. 

“No, I don’t think you get enough. You took a risk with my merger idea, but you stepped up and did it anyway. You have more balls than I do.” 

They both laughed quietly together and then went back to eating in mutual silence. After a while, Fragile sighed in relief feeling full. If she didn’t have so much work to do, having a nap sounded good after the quick lunch. She got up soon after, Higgs furrowing his brows as he watched her head for the door. 

“Where you goin’?” He asked as Fragile turned her attention back towards him then gestured to outside. 

“I still need to finish up cataloging new clients.” Fragile explained as Higgs got up and calmly walked over to her. He could tell she was tired, probably just as much as he was from working grueling hours this last week. 

“I can handle this. Why don’t you rest?” Higgs offered as Fragile was already trying to comb through her mind as to how to counter the offer. She was having a hard time turning him down, however. 

“Are you certain?” Fragile asked, looking over Higgs’s gaze as he hummed and nodded. 

“S’not fair I’ve been leaving you to do all the paperwork lately.” Higgs insisted and shrugged. 

“If you think you can handle it, I won’t stop you.” Fragile said jokingly, relief in her features that she had one less thing to worry about for the day. Higgs smiled big soon after that and his throat bobbed a little. Fragile could have sworn he looked nervous about something. She was taken aback when Higgs leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead, giving her a wink before he left the office and went back to work. 

Fragile froze, feeling heat radiate against her cheeks. She bit her bottom lip, taking in a deep breath while replaying what just happened back in her mind. She had to admit there had been some tension between Higgs and her since they merged, but the kiss was unexpected. Nonetheless, it was more than welcomed. Fragile never considered herself attractive. She knew she was pretty, but at best average. She allowed herself to smile proudly before gaining composure and decided to work on a smaller task within the business. 

Work always came first for Fragile, professionalism being something she prided herself on, but she was hoping at some point Higgs would do that again even if it was out of friendship. 

**A link to my ko-fi account. If you enjoy my content and want to support me getting my monthly medication for fibromyalgia and arthritis, I would be eternally grateful. It is NOT a requirement however! All my work is free to read!**

[gojonanami]

In “ALL'S FAIR (IN LOVE AND MERGERS)” May I ask why Gojo and geto fell out? Like what happened to cause them to be no longer friends?

oooh okay so I think gojo and geto had fought due to their families — and i feel like it did have something to do with reader 🫣 I don’t remember exactly what was the idea at this point since it was a couple months

[mamabearcat]

Do you have any fantasy romance inukag fic recs?

Hmmm. By definition, I’d say anything canon would be fantasy. 

Do you mean fairytale AU’s? Like Into the Woods is based on Little Red Riding Hood? I hope that’s what you were after nonny! If not, ask me again and I’ll see what I can do!

Folktale By: HoneyBee31 Kagome's life changes in ways that she had only heard about in folktales after she saves her brother from certain death. Rated: Fiction T - English - Romance/Adventure - [Inuyasha, Kagome H.] [Miroku, Sango] - Chapters: 23 - Words: 55,017

Beauty Killed the Beast By: WitchyGirl99 He thought he was inviting Princess Kagome as a friend for his birthday. He thought he had made it clear. Well, he was very wrong. Because parents came together, a merger was made, a war started...and a love bug flew. InuKag MirSan Rated: Fiction M - English - Romance/Fantasy - Inuyasha, Kagome H. - Chapters: 12 - Words: 54,713

Dog Skin By: sublimetrickster Kagome loves her father, King Naraku. Unfortunately, he starts loving her in the wrong way and disguised, she escapes. A kindhearted hanyou prince rescues her, but can he protect her from the darkness that pursues her? A Grimm Fairytale. Rated: Fiction M - English - Adventure/Romance - Kagome H., Inuyasha - Chapters: 22 - Words: 111,889

Adorable Curse By: Alannada [Complete] Once upon a time there was a handsome prince cursed in the most horrific way. Would a simple, yet fair miko save the prince? True love kisses, spelled artifacts and much more awaits Inuyasha crew in this story. Rated: Fiction K - English - Humor - [Inuyasha, Kagome H.] Shippō - Chapters: 39 - Words: 48,602

Beauty and the Hanyou By: Mishelledor23 Inspired by Beauty and the Beast, but Inuyasha style! The terrible half-demon prince Inuyasha is under a fifty-year old curse that keeps him trapped inside his castle. Can Kagome, the reluctant miko-in-training become his friend? Maybe even his love? InuXKag, MirXSan. Lemons and language in later chapters! Rated: Fiction M - English - Romance/Drama - Inuyasha, Kagome H., Sango, Miroku - Chapters: 17 - Words: 27,793

The Little Human By: Silken Ink She is willing to break all the rules, leave everything behind, even give up her own voice...and maybe her very soul... for the freedom to be herself, to see beyond the walls of her tiny world, and to choose to stand by the side of the one she loves. Will Kagome find love and life, or will she fail and be consumed? InuyashaxKagome pairing (AU world) Rated: Fiction M - English - Romance/Adventure - Chapters: 21 - Words: 133,599

[moving-bean]

Tagged by @attilarrific, which, btw, to be fair, @acommonrose and @jewishsuperfam and I haven’t actually managed to have a Saturday writing party yet, and can they really be secret if I told you about them?

Rules: Post the first line of your WIP and tag as many people as words.

So I counted and I technically have six, count them, six, works in progress, all of which I still somewhere in my heart intend to finish (nevermind that I'm working on what will probably wind up being a 400-600k podcast script right now). I'm just going to do four of them, three already partially published, one not.

The dream is really a memory, a memory that is not quite his.

This is from the fifth chapter of Not one person, not two people, a YYH fic I haven’t updated in nearly four years, am I terrible or what? (It’s an exploration of Youko Kurama and Shuichi’s mental merger inspired by Steven Universe fusion mechanics. Ship is Yuuske/Kurama/Hiei)

If there’s one thing you like about Rose’s mansion in the woods (and there really probably is only one thing), it’s the bathrooms.

This is from the tenth chapter of And No One Understands, my currently open Homestuck long fic that is 9 chapters, 30k, last updated in 2015, and nowhere near done. (It’s a High School Human AU about kids being gay and recovering from trauma and stuff. Ship is JohnDaveKat)

It feels like an earthquake, like the city is falling down around her.

This is from the fifth chapter of Once Upon A December, that She-Ra Anastasia AU fic I was working on last year. (Obviously this is Catradora, but I am channeling The Good Place in having Scoripa be in love with Light Hope)

He doesn’t think anything of it when he sees Kurama leaving Koenma’s office.

And finally this is the only unpublished one, the first chapter of a YYH fic about Kurama raising Inari’s child as one of her former spirit foxes. It’s inspired by all that Dad!Kurama fic out there and is also Yuuske/Kurama/Hiei.

I have recently made a rule that I’m not allowed to publish another fic until I finish at least one of my unfinished works, so that last one probably won’t go up for years. 

I highly doubt anyone followed me here for my writing, but if any of you did and you want me to finish any of these, lmk. I’m torn on which one to work on, tbh, they’re all Big Investments because I can’t write anything without there somehow being a massive Plot in it somewhere. (Hence the probably gonna be 500k podcast I’m writing over the next six months.)

Rules as written, I’m supposed to tag 23 people for that Homestuck opener, but that was never going to happen, so I’m just gonna tag people I follow who write. @attilarrific has already tagged the obvious, so I’m gonna tag the few mutuals I have who I think do writing in the hopes that one of you has something maybe:

@celestriakle @thebearnamedlar @gameofwolves @incurablebookwyrm @kvltpizza

[traincat]

I know you've already sort of discussed this but could you please explain the marvel 2 in 1 ending... what I'm getting is that the gist of it is that Reed and Sue are just like 'lol whoops I guess we sorta forgot about u'... which is really kinda anticlimactic and abrupt. Did I read it wrong or something? All that build up and angst just for it to go down the drain... is there something more to it that I'm missing that you know of?

I can explain it, but the answer’s not going to satisfy you, because it doesn’t satisfy me. Long story short: there were implications there was something more to the story than Marvel Two-In-One’s final two issues said, but Fantastic Four hasn’t followed up on that like, at all, and shows no signs that they’re going to anytime soon.

In the interests of putting all of the pieces together, I’m going to lay out everything that happened between the cancellation of the Fantastic Four title and now, because there are a lot of fuzzy periods. The Fantastic Four disappeared from the Marvel universe and from the shelves back in 2015, following Jonathan Hickman’s Secret Wars event. In Secret Wars, the multiverse has been destroyed and cobbled back together into Battleworld, a realm where Doctor Doom rules as god king, with Sue as his wife, Ben transformed into a huge wall, and Johnny as Battleworld’s artificial sun. It’s a real fractured fairy tale. At the end of Secret Wars, Reed defeats Doom and reunites his family. Using Franklin’s mutant ability to create entire universes and the Molecule Man’s powers, Reed, Sue, and the children of the Future Foundation set out to recreate the multiverse. Ben and Johnny are sent back to their own Earth with comment that “their stories aren’t done yet.” Doom is also sent back with his scarred face restored. 

The cancellation of the Fantastic Four at this point heralds the first time Marvel had been without a Fantastic Four book on the shelves since 1961. We know – partially because it was painfully obvious, and partially because Jonathan Hickman spilled the beans – that the Fantastic Four comics were cancelled because of a film rights dispute; aka, Marvel Studios and Disney didn’t have the film rights, and Ike Perlmutter threw a fit about it. Instead of doing their best to put out a good book that would draw in comics audiences, Marvel instead cancelled Fantastic Four, citing low readership. Marvel has denied this, but the truth is pretty obvious, especially with how the Fantastic Four’s return to comics just so happened to coincide exactly with when it became extremely clear that the Disney-Fox merger was going through. So right from the start we had this very inorganic reason as to why the Fantastic Four were hung up. Reed, Sue, and the kids were retired out of universe under the excuse that they were rebuilding the multiverse – which, to be fair, does work as a pretty good excuse. Johnny and Ben, on the hand, were kept in-universe and distributed to other properties, probably because of Ben – who, let’s be honest, is the most popular of the Fantastic Four and the moneymaker here – and because it made more sense to keep Johnny and Ben than just Ben. 

Immediately post-Secret Wars, there was an eight month (iirc) timeskip in the main Marvel universe, meaning that books that picked up after the events of Secret Wars picked up significantly after it; we see very little of the Secret Wars fallout. Here’s what we do know concerning the Fantastic Four: Reed, Sue, and the kids were largely believed to be dead, although Johnny in particular initially refused to believe that. Sometime during this timeskip, Johnny and Ben had some kind of fight. We don’t know what it was about. Honestly, at this point, we’re unlikely to ever know what it was about. Whatever it was, it was bad enough that Ben and Johnny severed all communication and Ben left the planet to join the Guardians of the Galaxy. What followed was the longest separation between Ben and Johnny that we’ve ever seen in canon. Johnny and Ben are famous for squabbling, but their fights rarely last longer than a few days at most; they’re extremely close, to the point that when Ben was presumed dead, Johnny’s coping mechanism mirrored Ben’s long time love and current wife Alicia’s. This post-Secret Wars separation between them lasted longer than when Ben thought Johnny had gotten together with said longtime love Alicia (it was a Skrull in disguise, but nobody would know that for like 80 issues). This separation between them is completely unprecedented, and like I said, we have no idea what caused it.

This scene from Infamous Iron Man #9 is the closest I’ve gotten to determining a root of the fight – note Johnny says “my family”, all handily bolded for emphasis. Not “our family”, “my family.” Ben is the only member of the Fantastic Four not related by either marriage or blood to any of the others, which has been a very occasional sore spot in the past. But even this scene doesn’t quite make sense – it’s hard to imagine Ben and Johnny having a months long separation over this alone, and to make matters more confusing, before Infamous Iron Man #9, Johnny had tried to get in contact with Ben only to be rebuffed. In Infamous Iron Man #9, Ben gets in contact with Johnny only for Johnny to practically run away from him. Already the new dynamic here feels like it needed more attention in the narrative than it actually got.

I think part of the problem with this whole return of the Fantastic Four storyline – the actual return especially, but even the lead-up – is that it was never established what was keeping Reed and Sue from coming back. On top of that, if they had the power to send Johnny and Ben back, why weren’t they able to send them back with some sort of memory or guarantee that Reed, Sue, and the kids were okay? It would have been very easy to say “well, a supervillain did it!” You know, the easiest comic book plot excuse of all time. But they didn’t do that. And that creates a problem when it’s a well-established fact that Johnny in particular tends to fall into a deep depression and displays signs of self-harm when the team isn’t together. (Fantastic Four #191-193, Robinson’s Fantastic Four run, Ben’s death in Waid’s run.) Which is exactly what happened this time, too, both during the timeskip and in the lead-up to Marvel Two-In-One (2017). 

Marvel Two-In-One (2017) was essentially the test run for the return of the Fantastic Four. The original Two-In-One was to Ben Grimm what Marvel Team Up was to Peter Parker: essentially a team up book that revolved around one character. So it made sense to relaunch it starring Ben and Johnny. In Two-In-One, Ben discovers Johnny at the end of his rope, pulling life-threatening stunts in his grief and depression, and, willed a multidimensional travel device by Reed, decides to – to the best of his knowledge at the time – lie to Johnny and say that Reed and Sue might still be alive. Learning that they’re both losing their powers and will continue to do so unless they’re reunited with Reed and Sue, as their powers depend on the four of them being in the same universe (an interesting concept, though not one we’ve seen before), Ben and Johnny set off, with a worryingly helpful Doctor Doom on their heels, on a multiversal roadtrip to find their family – one Ben thinks will fail from the start because, as far as he knows, Reed and Sue are dead. It’s a really good concept, and a great concept that starts to fall apart as soon as the notion that Reed and Sue aren’t dead starts to float to the surface. In Two-In-One #9, stranded powerless with Ben in the desert in another universe and facing death, Sue appears to Johnny.

(Marvel Two-In-One #10) This brief contact is apparently enough to reignite Ben and Johnny’s powers to full strength. Sue says that her and Reed’s powers were gone, which does seem to track with the plot – except Johnny and Ben lost their powers over a prolonged period of time, not all at once. If Reed had realized he and Sue were losing their powers, he should have come to that conclusion far before this point in time. You can say the times don’t add up because different universes (which the “you haven’t met the Zaklons yet” line would seem to imply), but with no explanation about how Sue was able to contact Johnny – however briefly – at this point, it does make it seem like Reed and Sue could’ve made contact with Ben and Johnny at any point… and simply chose, for whatever reason, not to. Which is, ultimately, the story Two-In-One goes with. 

(Marvel Two-In-One #11) In the very next issue, Reed’s reasoning for why they didn’t take Ben and Johnny with them is that… they would’ve been bored by the science aspect of it all. Which is, I’m going to go ahead say, very out of character and not in the spirit of the Fantastic Four. They’re explorers, and they explore together. This seems like a weirdly brusque excuse to write off the absence so they can get back to the status quo as quickly as possible, using Reed’s science-obsessed image to make him the fall guy. Additionally, in this issue (which I have to say, I overall like – I wrote a whole Doom/Reed fic based off of it), Reed also offers another reason why the world had to believe he and Sue were dead:

In Marvel Two-In-One #11, Reed and Ben visit an alternate universe Doom who exists in a universe where his own Reed is dead. This Doom is a pretty okay dude at the moment – in fact, he and Reed had become, through Reed’s private multiversal travel, close friends. Using this (pretty flawed) logic of “Reed dead = Doom good??”, Reed deduced that if his own Doom thought Reed was dead, he… too would be good? Look, I don’t hate this. I’m a big Doom/Reed fan and the whole thing is pretty shippy and it also depends on Reed having an enormous attachment to Doom and an enormous desire for his own Doom to be like this other Doom, who is his friend. But as far as “why did Reed and Sue stay away as long as they did” explanations go, “Reed was kind of bonkers in love with Doom” is not the direction I expected things to go. Besides, it doesn’t really work, and it doesn’t really work for one big reason: Fantastic Four (2018) #1, the actual return of the Fantastic Four, was published before this, and Fantastic Four (2018) #1 implies a hugely different story.

Fantastic Four (2018) #1 sees Johnny and Ben returned to their home universe after the events of Marvel Two-In-One #10. The reader has no idea how they got there or what they’ve been doing since they got back, or even how long it’s been since they’ve been back. Despite the Sue sighting, at the very end of the issue, Johnny becomes convinced all over again that Reed and Sue are dead, up until… 

(Fantastic Four v6 #1) The staging here is important – Reed and Sue’s battle-ripped uniforms, and the cryptic lines between them, like Sue’s “what you plan to do… seems impossible.” This is compounded by dialogue between Franklin and Val in the next Fantastic Four issue:

“You think you can boost that signal enough… to reach Earth?” “Home? I’m good, but there’s no way I’m that good.” This would definitely seem to imply that, for some reason, Reed, Sue, and the kids can’t contact their home universe, or Ben and Johnny at all. I’m admittedly biased in favor of this version: the more time went by without Reed and Sue contacting Johnny and Ben and leaving them on their own, the more obvious it became that this was the best solution, to create some comic book reason why Reed and Sue simply couldn’t return home. But Fantastic Four (2018) #3 and #4 never really explore this more, and the subject gets dropped altogether, which makes for a very unsatisfying read. The Fantastic Four simply return home together and, some frankly too quickly brushed off anger and resentment from Johnny in Marvel Two-in-One’s closing issue aside, this gets swept under the rug in favor of the Fantastic Four just being back now! Hurrah! Pay no attention to the film rights hungry Mouse behind the curtain! 

If I wanted to, I could make the explanations presented in Fantastic Four (2018) and Marvel Two-in-One (2017) mesh – Reed has massive guilt issues stemming back to the accident that granted the Fantastic Four his powers. He has a bad habit of taking responsibility that isn’t necessarily his, and of not being 100% truthful in situations because he feels it’s for the best for everyone. (The massive amount of time he takes to reveal his powers are failing during Fraction’s Fantastic Four run, or in the two instances during Waid’s run where Reed uses cruel words to distract both Ben and Sue from his plans to sacrifice himself for them.) Reed might have chosen to take the blame on himself – come up with a story he knows will anger Ben, say that he thought he and Johnny would have been bored, because he felt it was somehow easier than admitting that he and Sue found themselves in some kind of situation where they simply couldn’t get back, and couldn’t contact Ben or Johnny. It’s a way of taking 100% of the blame on himself, which would be a very Reed thing to do. But that would be me doing the book’s work for it; this is absolutely not established within the actual canon as of the time of my writing this.

Honestly, I don’t think we’re likely to see this explored more any time imminently – the Fantastic Four were banished from the stands because of film rights. They came back because for three years dedicated fans asked where the Fantastic Four were, yes, but also because of those same film rights. Now that they’re back, there seems to be this huge rush to pretend it never happened: the Four are back together, and that’s that. It’s very unsatisfying, but it’s clear Marvel cared more about pushing the Fantastic Four back together as quickly as possible than writing a coherent, satisfying story that put together all the pieces of their in-universe disappearance.

[theonceoverthinker]

Wouldn’t Have It Any Other Way (Tiana/Naveen)

Summary: As Tiana and Naveen work the catering job of a lifetime -- for any place other than Storybrooke, that is -- they reflect on how much they appreciate each other. And maybe, a spark or two flies for their long overdue romance in the process.

AO3    Fanfiction.net

Dynamics Featured: Tiana/Naveen, Captain Swan (Mentioned, but don’t appear), OG Killian and Tiana, OG Killian and Naveen

So, for my 300 follower spectacular, the lovely @daeneryssansa requested either a Tiana/Naveen fic or a CS surprise party fic. Of course, being me, I decided not to just settle for doing one of those suggestions like a normal person, but to do both of them at the same time because I’m freakin’ insane!! Sound fun? I think so, but I’m a bit of a madwoman, so who am I to say for sure? Either way, as always, I hope you enjoy!

()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()

If there was one thing the former Prince Naveen of Maldonia could never see himself tiring of, it was the smell of hot food as it wafted through the air. Ever since he was a child, he found the smell of a baking oven or cooking vegetables to be a source of coziness that was all but unrivaled. Sneaking biscuits with his brother was one of his favorite pastimes and big banquets in their castle allowed for reunions with friends and family alike.

Yes, the enjoyment of food was something Naveen dearly loved.

And relatively recently, he found that the making of that food was something he quite enjoyed as well, especially with good company.

Speaking of...

“I love these Hooks,” Tiana said, stretching her arms above her head after placing a tin tray full of beignets inside the oven. “Between the one whose entire family makes it their goal to bring their co-workers by the Bayou and the one who now gets his catering from us, we never have to worry about hiring a marketing department.”

“You’re definitely not wrong about that. They are quite the patrons,” Naveen said. He looked to Tiana’s side and was amazed at the 25 trays they had filled up with all manner of Cajun delicacies and desserts, a testament to how much work they’d completed thus far. “You’d think we were in charge of feeding the whole town with the storm we’re cooking up here.”

“It’s Storybrooke,” Tiana remarked. “You know we basically are.”

“Does everyone around here always go to everything?”

“According to Killian, yes.”

Naveen sighed, exhausted at just that prospect. “My God. I feel like we’ve been cooking for a year.”

Tiana snickered, and Naveen was happy to hear that at least one of them still had spunk to spare.

“It’s been nine hours,” Tiana specified. Naveen groaned. They’d pulled an all nighter to prepare this catering job, and time was showing itself as to just how much of a toll that it now could take on his body, especially since Ella had to drop out at the last minute to care for a sick Henry and Lucy. What were the odds?

“Besides,” she continued, “we’re more than halfway done and well ahead of schedule, so that’s good! If we keep on working, we’ll be done by this afternoon and be right on time for Killian’s surprise party.”

How Tiana not only managed to be so chipper, but so organized so early in the morning was what Naveen found to be one of her best qualities.

That said, for someone far more lax, such as himself, it set a standard that he had no shame admitting he couldn’t meet so easily. ���You know, Tiana,” he stated, “there such a thing as too much hard work.”

“Says who?” Tiana shot back.

“Says the bags under our eyes.”

Tiana chuckled at the half-nag. “Fair enough,” she relented. “Let’s take five.”

Naveen sat down on the kitchen table in Tiana’s apartment and wiped a row of beads of sweat from his forehead. While normally, they’d be doing most of their work at The Rolling Bayou, the volume of their current order required much more cooking space than their truck could provide.

It was an admittedly welcome change of pace from the stuffier confines of The Rolling Bayou for Naveen. It’s not like he didn’t like the truck -- he certainly did, but it was so nice to have some real space to work in and be able to sit down every once in a while on a real chair and not just some metal steps, especially given the scope of their current project.

For a moment, he mused on that project.

“He’s crazy about her,” Naveen remarked, looking at the literal mountain of beignets they’d prepared thus far. “Not only does he want to throw Emma a surprise party, but he’s inviting the entire town.”

“Some people will do a lot for love,” Tiana cosigned.

“Would you ever like a party like that thrown for you?”

Tiana shrugged. “I don’t know. I grew up a princess in a castle. I had plenty of parties thrown for me. I think my ideal birthday would be a night in, doing a bit of cooking.”

“Like we are now?” Naveen pointed out. While Tiana didn’t answer his question, she didn’t frown at him either as she playfully rolled her eyes. He decided not to push it and moved on. “I’ve also got to admit that guy’s money. If being a deputy makes you enough to throw a party like this without batting an eye, then I might need to give you my two weeks notice.”

Tiana smirked, clearly taking that possibility with a Rolling Bayou-sized grain of salt. “To be fair,” she said, “he did pay in dubloons, so I don’t know if he’s making all that much as a deputy. So, I guess you’re stuck here for now.”

Naveen returned the gesture and added in an eyebrow wiggle that had Tiana blushing. “Hardly a bad place to be.” They stared into each other’s eyes a bit. There was so much light and life in Tiana’s eyes, even so early in the morning. He could never summarize them as hard or soft, but at the same time, they were so expressive. And that’s what made them such a fun challenge to follow around. Tiana wasn’t so much a mystery as much as someone who even if he had an idea of what she was going to do or say, he wanted to see it play out all the same.

The last six months had largely given him that. Now free of Dr. Facilier’s control, he and Tiana were free to get to know each other. And that they did. To say their livelihoods merged would be an understatement. Not only did they still work together, but Naveen, still not admittedly ready for leadership, merged his kingdom with Tiana’s, much to the warm reception of his parents. It turned out that the three of them had gotten close and protected each others kingdoms in the wake of his absence, and Naveen couldn’t be happier about that, especially when it was clear that their hopes for the two of them were more than just a political merger.

Naveen couldn’t blame them -- he had honestly hoped for it too, and he had a feeling Tiana might as well. But he knew regaining her throne and then adapting to life in the merged realms and adjusting herself to her role in the Council of Realms was a lot to deal with, so he held off on voicing those feelings since the curse broke. If he knew anything about his lovely friend for sure -- and he did -- it was that she didn’t like to be overwhelmed. And it was fine with him -- more than fine. They worked together most every day and throughout that time, they’d only gotten to know each other better.

Which is why it wasn’t too much of a surprise when he saw Tiana -- while still on the break she herself proclaimed -- reaching for a bag of flour and a carton of eggs she’d no doubt use for her next batch of beignets.

“Lady Tiana!” he said with mock scandalization. “Are you breaking your own decree for a break?”

Tiana looked at him, pointed, but clearly not too annoyed. If anything, she looked a bit embarrassed.

Clearly defensive in the wake of getting caught, she held up a finger and attempted to dismiss him. “There’s nothing wrong with doing a little bit of prepping.”

Naveen shot her his own pointed look, albeit more tired and amused than anything.

“Tiana,” he said, getting up. “You are going to work yourself to an early grave.” His tone wasn’t so much overly concerned as it was tongue-and-cheek nagging. When he reached her, he got behind her and gently placed his hands on her shoulders. “We’ll get this done on time,” he assured her, allowing himself to be serious. “It’s like you said, we’re way ahead of schedule. A little break never hurt anyone.”

Sighing, Tiana loosened up. Naveen could feel the tension leave her shoulders.

“I know you’re right,” Tiana said, turning to face him. “It’s just...you know me. You know I’m-”

“Demanding?” he inquired cheekily. Tiana’s eyes bulged. “Pedantic?” Then her jaw slackened. “An overachiever?” Then she looked like she was going to retort, but he beat her to it. “A stickler?” Obviously realizing his pattern, Tiana shot him an exasperated look.  “Have a tendency to nitpick?” he offered, barely holding back his own laughter as he shrugged.

Tiana seemed to be reaching for a rebuttal, but seemed just as unable to know where to start.

And once again, Naveen beat her to one.

“But hey,” he said, his hand reaching for her shoulder once more as she stood there still dumbstruck. “That’s why I love you.” And then he winked.

That seemed to snap Tiana out of her trance and with a wicked grin, she paid Naveen’s words in kind with a playful, yet still hard, slap to his chest.

“Ow!” Naveen howled in semi-fake pain. “Well, we’ll at least be done especially fast if you beat those eggs like you just beat my chest.”

“You got that right,” she teased. “And by the way, I was gonna say ‘a perfectionist.’ Now come on, let’s get back to cooking.” Despite the fact that they barely spent any of their break actually relaxing, Naveen smiled as he followed her lead without question.

Yes, Tiana was indeed a perfectionist.

And Naveen knew he wouldn’t have it any other way.

()()()()()()()()()()()()()

“So where is this party supposed to happen again?” Naveen said as he loaded some more powdered sugar into his shaker.

Tiana couldn’t help her smile as she gazed at the disaster before her. Not a pinch of sugar had made its way into the shaker yet, and you wouldn’t know that Naveen was even aiming for it by looking at his clothes. His shirt was positively caked in the stuff -- no pun intended...okay, maybe a little intended.

Naveen, either oblivious to his appearance or in spite of it -- both were equally likely knowing him -- gave her a seductive glance. “You like what you see?”

“Well,” Tiana pondered, still grinning. “You are pretty sweet looking, but that sugar’s not cheap, so don’t candy coat yourself just yet. Do you need some help over there?”

While Naveen looked like he was about to dismiss her held, suddenly, the bag in his hand missed the shaker once more and what Tiana approximated was at least another two cups fell all over him. When he stepped back from his workstation, his clothes looked as white as a Stormtrooper’s uniform.

“Yes, please,” Naveen answered, deadpan in his delivery. She could tell that while he asked guiltily, it wasn’t shamefully, and Tiana appreciated that about him. He knew she was the boss and while he wanted to get better, he also knew better than to deny himself her help when he was outmatched in favor of something as relatively useless as pride.

And that was something that she really liked about Naveen. Naveen was cocky, but never too prideful. He’d talk a big game but just as easily know when to fold for the sake of others. To do that required a unique kind of heart, one Tiana was happy to have in her life. It made the days less boring, but let her feel safe too -- again, a combination that was hard to pull off, but Naveen balanced flawlessly.

“Okay, let me show you how to do this so that my floors and your wardrobe can be spared any further drama.” She took the shaker off of the counter. “This shaker is only for the powdered sugar -- I even labeled it -- so you can just scoop it directly from the bag.” To prove it, she did just that before emptying it once more. “Wanna give it a try now?” It was a simple process, and one he probably should’ve been able to figure out himself, but given that they’d been working for about eleven hours, she could hardly blame the exhaustion from getting to him a bit.

Naveen smiled. “After such a good lesson, how could I not?” And then he did it without a single issue. Honestly, she had no idea how Naveen’s cursed counterpart could have flunked out of culinary school. Naveen took to lessons, even her more intricate ones, like a duck to water and internalized everything he was taught.

Or maybe, it was just a matter of how he was taught. Tiana’s cursed memories of culinary school did paint their professors as...lacking. Despite their prestige, their teaching styles were more in making students read as opposed to doing any direct kitchen work more of the time, and Naveen was someone who learned best by example. Even Tiana only remembered Sabine getting by because she took great care to do supplementary research, practice recipes and concepts regularly, and attend cooking seminars.

But over the past six months, every time Tiana walked through some new recipe or mistake he made step-by-step with Naveen, he grasped it immediately and never needed to be told it again. And that allowed him to make better cooking decisions and even help Tiana out with some ideas of her own every now and then.

Who could’ve guessed that he’d end up being so talented in a kitchen?

Naveen really did have an interesting brain -- one Tiana liked being around and learning about more and more with each passing day.

“Tiana, you didn’t answer my question from earlier -- where is Killian holding Emma’s surprise party?”

Now Tiana remembered.

“Oh yeah. He’s holding it on his ship -- the Jolly Roger.”

“That sounds like quite the party! A big party boat, some Cajun cooking -- sounds like Mardis Gras!”

“It really does. But don’t let Killian hear you call his ship a boat -- his counterpart doesn’t like that and I’m willing to bet that he likes it even less.”

Naveen raised his hands in mock surrender. “Fair enough. Getting arrested by one of them was more than enough of their bad sides for me. Still, it makes you think.”

Tiana raised an eyebrow, confused. “Really? I thought you guys were friends now.”

“Not about Killian -- about Mardis Gras. Don’t you remember how we -- Drew and Sabine -- used to talk about where they wanted to travel? Didn’t we say New Orleans was on that list and that we’d go around Mardis Gras?”

The feeling of recollection hit Tiana fast. “Yeah!” she said. “We said we’d get all dressed up for the parade, buy some masks from one of the local markets, and go on a food tour!” Tiana instinctually moaned at the idea of having some of the most authentic Cajun food in the world.

She might never want to leave.

“You know,” Drew said. “We can go wherever we want now. Once things calm down a bit more -- maybe we could take a vacation there.”

Tiana grinned. It definitely would be an amazing experience, and one of the good things about the merging of the realms was that there were plenty of rulers to have her back if she wanted to take Naveen up on his offer -- including her mom and his parents.

Maybe...it would certainly take a while before it could happen, but maybe in a year or two...they could actually go…

“I’d like that,” she said, content in the bit of finality that she gave her words. From less than five feet away, Naveen smiled at her. She could sense some surprise in his eyes. “What?” she asked, a mix of confusion and amusement that bordered far more on the latter clear in her voice.

Naveen put his hand on her shoulder. “I’m just surprised you agreed so easily.”

“You make me sound like a total buzzkill!”

“To be fair, before we met, you kind of came off as one.” Once again, Tiana retaliated with a smack to his stomach. But to his credit, he did have a point. Since that first chance encounter with Naveen, Tiana knew she’d mellowed out a lot. She’d grown more trusting and more willing to give herself a break from time to time. And while part of her wanted to claim that it wasn’t so true, as she thought on her life, she knew it was a change for the better. Relaxing a bit more had made her a better ruler and helped her to be both more realistic and more cautiously ambitious with her goals, especially since she put more faith in others now to help her achieve her goals.

“Careful, Lady Tiana!” Naveen said, his goofy smile so much wider now. “I can hardly go on that food tour with you if I’m internally bleeding from my stomach.”

Absentmindedly, Tiana shook her head before gesturing the two of them to get back to work. “No, I guess I’ll keep you in in shape for a while.”

And Tiana knew she wouldn’t have it any other way.

()()()()()()()()()()()()()

Naveen, whenever possible, cooked to music.

Music had its advantages. It attracted business, it made the work day feel shorter, and it allowed him to dance.

So when an upbeat party song came on, especially after the string of more lowkey numbers that made up most of their thirteen hours of work, Naveen wasted not time getting into his groove.

As he started to dance, Naveen rhythmically stepped back from his own workstation and towards Tiana’s, albeit with work being the very last thing on his mind.

“Dance with me, Tiana!”

He could already see Tiana’s hips swaying as he moved to hold her hand.

Tiana laughed and gravitated towards Naveen as he gently pulled her towards him.

“Well, I do love this song.” She winked. “And I guess my partner can probably keep up with me.”

“Oh I’ll do better than that!”

With that, Naveen spun her. He watched Tiana’s feet navigate their way through the spin. She was mostly on her toes and at one point, she even popped her foot. It reminded him a bit of a ballet dancer and made her moves all the more interesting to view.

“You are quite the dancer, Lady Tiana.”

Tiana giggled at the mention of Naveen’s nickname. It was a change that had happened quite gradually, but one Naven was happy to see. While Tiana initially snarked at her title being used as her nickname, she seemed fine accepting it as a running joke between them. But now, he could tell that when he said it, she liked it quite a lot.

Yes, Naveen took pleasure in his innate ability to endear himself -- and his nicknames -- to anyone with enough time.

When the spin was complete, she came back to him, their chests nearly touching while they held each other in their arms. “And you’re a pretty good partner, Lord Naveen.”

“Looks like someone’s got jokes. Nice nickname, my little rip off artist,” he commented, smirking.

“You know what they say: Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.” Tiana winked as the song came to an end.

Naveen snorted. “Well, consider me flattered.”

Suddenly, a nice easy listening number started up. A piano track began to play out, accompanying a smooth ballad sung by a talented woman.

Naveen drifted a bit closer to Tiana and smiled. “What do you say? One more dance?”

Tiana smiled right back. “You got it.”

And so, arms cradling each other, the two of them started to gently sway to the music. Naveen stared at Tiana. All around her was evidence of their crazy amounts of work. Bits of batter clung to her apron and sleeves and bits of powdered sugar from their earlier debacle were splattered across her hair.

In Naveen’s opinion, she had never looked more beautiful.

More than anything, he wanted her to know that.

Taking a deep breath, Naveen dared to lower his face so that it was a bit closer to Tiana’s. If Tiana had any objections, she didn’t give them voice.

In fact, she brought her face a bit closer to his.

Naveen questioned what he should do. This was one hell of a moment to make a move, but he felt he was ready, and maybe, she was too.

Well, there was only one way to find out.

With a gust of caution thrown into the wind, Naveen moved that last bit closer and kissed Tiana.

There was an immediate surge of relief as Naveen felt the impression of Tiana’s lips pressing against his.

She was really kissing him back, and he could feel her lips tugging in the direction of a smile.

With breath as baited as the circumstances would allow, he dared to sift his hand through her hair and bring her closer to him. For his efforts, he was quickly rewarded with a similar action done to him.

They didn’t kiss for too long before they pulled back for air, but they were both smiling when they emerged from the embrace.

Naveen laughed. “Well, it’s nice to have that settled.”

“I was wondering when you were gonna do that.”

“I’ve got to keep my favorite Lady guessing, don’t I?”

Laughing her own intoxicating laugh, Tiana brought Naveen in for another kiss, and that and the series of kissed that followed lasted through this song and the next and the next.

And Naveen felt comfortable saying that neither of them particularly minded.

After all, they were ahead of schedule, right?

()()()()()()()()()()()()()

Tiana chuckled as Killian looked at the fully stocked trunk of The Rolling Bayou. It always amused her just how much less familiar this Killian was with the culinary scene compared to the Killian she bonded with back in the Heights. He was so fascinated by the working of her food truck and took generously large breaths as he inhaled the smells of her food.

“So what do you think?” Naveen said, emerging from the driver’s seat of the truck. “Do you think Emma will like it?”

Killian beamed as his vision went up and down the truck’s stuffed trunk for what was likely the fourth time since they met up. “She’s going to love it! I can’t thank you enough, though I hope your payment and this extra tip is at least a start.”

Tiana eyed the new bag of dubloons perched in her hand, stifling her salivation at the bag’s weight. What did she and Naveen say about those Hooks again? “Our payment is perfect. You’re more than welcome, Killian,” Tiana said as the two of them eagerly shook hands.

“I hope this didn’t do too much to hinder your sleep schedules.”

“Oh, it did,” Naveen interjected. “Sixteen hours of work will do that to you.” As if on cue, both Tiana and Naveen yawned. “But,” he continued, looping an arm around Tiana, “it was well worth the trouble.”

“I see more than just my own romance is in the air,” Killian commented, smiling at the two of them while Tiana took Naveen’s looped around hand into her own. “Glad to see you two finally got together, though I do wish it was under less sleep deprived circumstances.”

“Don’t worry about it Killian,” Tiana waved off, looking up and smiling at Naveen. His expression informed what Tiana already had a strong feeling was true. “I promise you that we wouldn’t have it any other way.”

[cakesunflower]

Stuck in the Middle [C.H. & L.H. AU] Part 2

**DISCLAIMER: This is NOT a poly!Cake fic!! Just wanted to clarify that in case of any confusion.

Summary: Calum Hood and Sloane Thorne are engaged to be married--though, not because they were in love. More so that it was a part of the merger their families’ companies were going through, as a way of strengthening the bond and building a foundation for the partnership Calum and Sloane would have as co-CEOs. So when the opportunity arises for them to get away from the pressures of their families and relax for on the beach in Florida with their friends, they’re quick to go. Except Calum falls for their neighbor, River Young, while Sloane discovers pent up feelings she never knew she had for her long time friend, Luke Hemmings. Trying to figure out how to navigate through unexpectedly budding relationships while also getting rid of the strain on their friendship seems to be how Calum and Sloane have to spend their little vacation. Whatever it takes to not be so stuck anymore.

A/N: So this is the second and FINAL part of this fic! As you probably read, I posted this is as one big post but it was crashing the app and not loading, so I figured I’d post the second half here so it opens properly. Thank you for reading, babies!

This is Sloane’s face claim.

This is River’s face claim.

Read Part 1 Here!

“This was really sweet of you, Cal; thanks.”

The smile easily curled at his lips at River’s grateful tone, looking up from his burrito to catch her green eyes and pretty smile. “Nothin’ to thank me for,” he told her as she took a sip of her soda. The sun felt warm against his skin as he added truthfully, uncharacteristically sheepishly, “Like spendin’ time with you.”

Her smile turned into a smirk. “Have you always been this charming?”

Calum laughed, a napkin balled up in his left hand as he shrugged humbly. “It’s a gift.” It kind of had to be; with his career path, charm and skill of business were what would help him succeed.

River puckered her smirking lips, green eyes glinting against the sun as she decided, “It’s dangerous.” She leaned back, smirk widening. “You could get away with a lot with that.” That wasn’t exactly news to Calum. He knew in the working world it would get him far along with the Ivy League education and years of spending his summers alongside his father in the building. “Your family business isn’t ready for you, I’d guess.”

Calum’s smile slightly strained at her words, feeling an uneasy twist in his stomach. For all the days he and River had spent together so far, indulging her in his life back home wasn’t something he thought he’d do much of but did so anyway. In the moments of them laying spent in bed or laying under the sun on the beach, he’d told her about his sister, his dog, and a vague description of being in the family business. Provided precise details about some things to avoid the scrutiny of the working world he was about to enter, a fear of her somehow finding out about details he kept hidden. It wasn’t too hard, though; no one outside of Calum and Sloane’s families knew of the personal arrangement that accompanied the business merger, save for the friends they were on vacation with. Yet merely talking about taking over the business had Calum’s stomach tying in knots. Not because he wasn’t ready for it, but because the reminder of events to come made what he was doing now feel wrong.

And it most certainly didn’t feel like it.

“Speaking of family,” Calum spoke up with a clear of his throat, not entirely comfortable with the attention on him. He picked up his burrito as he asked her, “Have you spoken to your parents lately? Did they call?”

He hoped he hadn’t crossed a line in inquiring about her parents, not entirely sure if that topic was open for discussion. But River never made him feel as though he was pushing boundaries; it seemed as though for her, everything was safe to talk about, like there was no need to walk on eggshells around her. How she let herself be so open and confident about it left Calum in awe; he’d grown up being taught to only keep some people close, to let them in all the way—but even that wasn’t entirely encouraged. In the life he grew up in New York, someone always wanted to be superior to everyone else, using any means of doing so. They’d take a person’s greatest weakness or greatest shame and use it against them. It was something Calum knew he’d have to be more diligent about once he took over.

Opposite of him, the smirk River had been wearing faltered a bit as she dropped her gaze to her food, and Calum hated that he was the cause of that. She still smiled, though, soft and reserved, something he wasn’t used to from her, and just when he was about to tell her she didn’t have to talk about it, River scoffed lightly. “Do they ever?” she rhetorically returned, prompting Calum to press his lips together apologetically. River gave a shake of her head. “I haven’t spoken to my dad since, like, a couple of months after the divorce when I was sixteen. The whole thing was so nasty.” Calum watched as she looked away, squinting in thought against the sunlight from above as he ate his lunch and listened. “They wanted their fair share of the houses and cars and art they collected over the years. I was the last thing they fought about.”

At that, Calum felt the air in his throat lock, eyebrows furrowing together as he failed to keep the incredulous anger from appearing across his face. There was a wave of resentment that washed over Calum over these people he didn’t even know, yet he felt as though his rage was justified, especially when he took the look on River’s face. Her smile was ever present, yet the sadness it carried weighed heavily in his chest, hating that it dulled the brightness of her green eyes. When he looked at the woman in front of him, he couldn’t possibly understand how her parents would much rather argue over the ownership of materialistic things rather than the custody of their only daughter.

“River,” Calum sighed with a gentle shake of his head. His fingers clenched, rings glinting under the sun. “I’m so sorry.” It was a pathetically basic offering, but he had no idea what else to say. He wished she’d never had to go through something as painful as not being wanted enough by her own parents.

“Don’t be,” River returned, her smile kind and appreciative. She sat up, shoulders straightening. “I ended up with Grams and it’s honestly the best thing to happen to me.” Then she let out a breath with a dismayed shake of her head, twisting her lips in disappointment. “It’d just be nice if they called, you know? Especially my mom since Grams is sick.”

Calum’s eyebrows drew together worriedly at her revelation, sitting up. The grated metal bench was a bit hard against his ass. “Mags is sick?” he asked. “What’s going on?”

River pulled her soda cup towards her as cars continued to drive behind Calum. They sat on the sidewalk in front of the strip of stores in town, the salon River worked at just a couple of feet down. Surprising her with lunch had been easy; one of her favorite restaurants was right across the street, so he’d bought himself a burrito and her an order of empanadas and now here they were. “She came down with the flu, which is weird given that it’s the middle of summer but, I mean, her immune system isn’t what it used to be, you know?” She sighed, sounding tired. “I wanted to call out and stay with her but she insisted I come to work. Said she can handle taking extra medication along with her diabetes meds.”

“I’m sure she can,” Calum reassured her, wanting to be able to put her at ease even a little bit. But he couldn’t blame her for being concerned over her grandmother. “Mags seems tough.”

River scoffed with a roll of her eyes. “And stubborn.”

She said it was a fond smile tilting at her lips at the thought of her grandmother, but Calum could see the concern swimming in her green eyes. So he tried to change the subject. “So do you have any appointments today?” he asked, nodding over in the direction of the salon.

“No,” River answered with an all too adorable pout of her lips. “Just waiting for the walk-ins. Which is why I should’ve called out.” Calum bit the inside of his lower lip, the change in subject matter not entirely helping. Her green eyes then gave him a once over, her blatant analyzation of Calum making something in his stomach flutter obscenely. How she managed to have that effect on him, he didn’t know. With a bright grin, River added, “You wanna get your hair done?”

At that, Calum let out a startled laugh at her unexpected suggestion, a hand going to rest at the top of his growing hair, making sure not to let his fingers touch the strands given the burrito he’d been holding. With a faux hurt pout of his own, the defense creeped into his raspy and high pitched voice as he asked, “What’s wrong with my hair?”

River laughed, light and airy as she held the edge of the table with her hands. “Nothing, nothing!” she assured, her gold necklace dangling daintily from her neck. Calum narrowed his eyes at her jokingly, which she returned with an innocent smile. “But if you wanna try out a new look, I’m here.”

A smirk curled at his lips, folding his arms on the table as he cocked an eyebrow. “You gettin’ bored of my look already, doll?”

There was a pink glow in her smiling cheeks as she said, “With a smile like that? Never.”

Despite her compliment effortlessly warming Calum’s cheek, he clicked his tongue with a shake of his head. “Nah, nah, don’t try to dig yourself outta that hole,” he said as he leaned away from the table, his own amused grin lifting his lips.

Her laughter was a welcome sound over the subtle whirring of cars driving behind him. Eyes glinting, River reached her hand across the table and found Calum’s, their elbows on the table as she lifted his hand to lace her fingers around his as she promised, “You know I adore your look.”

“Mhm,” he hummed in a teasingly warning tone, though fighting the smile off his face when her hand held his was close to impossible. For a moment, Calum considered her offer. Then, with a single raise of an eyebrow, he asked, “What’d you have in mind?”

He wasn’t quite sure how much time had passed. It somehow always slipped by without notice whenever he was with River. All he knew was that it had been far too easy for her to get him to sit at one of the salon station chairs, facing the mirror, as a radio station played top hits throughout the semi busy salon and a black protective cape was covering him from the neck down.

And that his short dark brown hair was now a deep blue.

There had been a lot of steps that took a good amount of time, and Calum had sat and watched River perform all of them through the reflection of the mirror with effortless skill. She’d hum along with the songs playing or engage in conversation with him, telling him about the different kinds of customers she’d dealt with and how she preferred tackling new hair styles rather than doing the same basic ones all of the time.

In between she’d talk Calum through each step she performed, feeding more into his desire of being informed. He watched and felt her bleach his hair, perform something called a patch test, chatted with her easily when they had to watch for the bleach in his hair to do its magic, apply the color—all the works. Truthfully, Calum hadn’t really expected for it all to take as long as it did, only noticing the time spent by the time they had finished and he checked the clock, but he wasn’t fazed. Not when he’d spent all of that time with River and had gotten to admire her adorable expressions of concentration in between light chatter. Or watch her take care of a quick haircut in the station over during the time the bleach was on his head.

By the time they were done, he hadn’t expected to love his dark blue hair as much as he did. The change had been spontaneous, but Calum would be lying if he said it wasn’t admired.

“You can let your roots grow out, which would be the easiest, by the time you have to get back home,” River said to him with a proud smile teetering on her lips. They stood side by side in front of the mirror as Calum turned his head this way and that, taking in the new look. With an airy single laugh, she added, “Don’t know how well it’ll go over that one of the new bosses has blue hair.”

Calum joined in her laughter, rubbing the back of his neck as his gaze met hers through the reflection. He wondered if she’d felt a tightness in his chest at the reminder of his eventual return up north. At the reminder of their eventual parting. “I think Sloane’s natural look may take the heat off me.” He knew that wasn’t true, but one could dream.

A mischievous glint sparkled in her green eyes. “Tell her to come by. I think she’d look great with purple hair. Everyone’ll definitely take y’all seriously then.”

Calum scoffed with a roll of his eyes. “That’ll go over well.”

She merely grinned before shooing him off, and Calum chuckled as he made his way over to the counter to pay. When River had realized he’d been serious about taking her suggestion, she’d insisted on doing it back at one of their places, telling him that way he wouldn’t have to pay like he would have to if he came into the salon. But Calum gave her a look, an assurance of money not at all being the matter because it wasn’t, and promptly walked to the salon once her break was over, giving her no choice but to follow.

As he paid, he pulled out a piece of gum from the packet in his pocket and chewed, enjoying the burst of orange across his taste buds as he and the receptionist waited for the receipt to be printer. Calum glanced over, watching as River did some last minute tidying up at her station while talking to one of the stylists, that ever present smile still on her face, one that brought a smile to Calum’s own lips as well. It was so easy for her to talk, to get along with people, to be so beautifully natural.

After he signed the receipt, Calum glanced back to see River talking to the stylist and the client sitting at the other woman’s chair, and although he wanted to say goodbye to her, Calum didn’t want to intrude while she was working. So he thanked the receptionist and walked outside, the sun bright on his skin as he instantly put on his sunglasses.

“I give you a new look and I don’t even get a goodbye? Either that’s saying I didn’t do a good job or you’ve already shown it by not leaving a tip.”

Calum stopped in his tracks, the car keys already in his hand as he turned to see that River had followed him out of the salon. The sun caused her to squint, but she was still smiling at him as he walked back to her. With a boyish grin, he said, “Don’t worry—I left a good tip.”

That caused River to laugh, raising her eyebrows. “Which I’ll be returning to you, by the way,” she said as he stopped in front of her, his frame prompting her to tilt her head back to look up at him.

“Was just showin’ you my gratitude, but fine,” Calum shrugged, pretending to be hurt as River giggled, adorable and dainty, as her fingers fiddled with the buttons of his yellow button down. She smelt like citrus; he liked it. “Can I offer you another tip, though?” River grinned, the word play not lost on her as she raised an eyebrow in silent question. His own smile turned into a smirk, ducking his head to brush his lips against her as he rasped, “You should kiss me.”

River was ready to comply, letting go of the buttons to pull him forward by the cotton material of his shirt and press her lips against his. A slow, savoring kiss that easily had both of them deepening it, right there on the sidewalk as his hands gripped her hips, thumbs familiarly looping into the belt loops of her black shorts. Calum leaned into her, needing more, savoring what he could get for now as he felt her tongue against his.

They pulled away moments later, too soon for Calum, his forehead pressed against hers and feeling the gentle stroke of a single hair strand of hers tickle his jaw. “I have to get back to work,” River murmured, sounding almost regretful, before they pulled away. He opened his eyes to look at her from behind his sunglasses, catching her brilliant smile as he dropped his hands from her. “Thanks for the tip,” she said, walking backwards, surprising Calum when she blew a bubble. She winked, pushing open the glass door of the salon. “And the gum!”

His eyebrows furrowed at her parting words, confused for a moment as people walked up and down the sidewalk around him, until the emptiness in his mouth settled and prompted Calum to let out a startled yet amused laugh. She’d stolen his gum. Not that he’d minded. He’d just get his own form of revenge later on that night.

*****

Avoiding someone you shared a house with wasn’t the easiest feat, a lesson Sloane had to learn with difficulty, even where there were four other people in said house. Even when that same avoidance wasn’t something she had wanted to do take part in but did so anyways because she had no idea how else to go about a situation far too awkward, too upsetting, too high in the potential of leading to heartbreak. Still, she felt selfish. Sloane knew the rest of her friends had picked up on the tension between her and Luke, knew there was something going on but were kind enough not to intrude despite their curiosity itching at them.

Honestly, what could Sloane even tell them? That Luke admitted to liking her—for a lot longer than she’d ever thought—that she was battling her own feelings over a hopeless situation, that they’d almost kissed until she ran to hide in the safety of her bedroom? As if she needed safety from Luke, of all people, who’d kind of been her safe haven the longer she thought about it? Who’d been the one to make her smile and laugh and wonder and made her feel seen for a lot longer than she’d given him credit for?

Who Sloane was coming to realize she probably didn’t deserve.  

It was becoming unbearable, this ache that had settled in her chest over the knowledge of hurting Luke. Sloane had wondered if she was being over dramatic, if she was making a big deal out of something that could be quickly resolved. But Luke hadn’t looked her in the eye since that night, refused to be alone in a room with her, and in his silence she knew of the great volume of pain she caused him.

She’d been sitting on the back deck, almost uncomfortably so since this was where she’d all but rejected Luke and his feelings, when the blonde came up the steps from the beach, Calum right beside him. She sat up, lowering the book she’d been reading as her eyes instantly tried to find Luke’s. Except he’d become a bit too good at avoiding her gaze over the last few days—the most he’d done was offer a quiet thanks when she’d wished him a happy birthday earlier—head only a little ducked as he ran his fingers through his blonde curls, biceps flexing, and continued inside the house, the light thud of his sneakers disappearing into the house.

Sloane sank in her chair, feeling her heart do the same as disappointment swelled inside. She heard Calum sigh as he asked, “What’s going on with you two?” He sat down on the chair next to her, facing her as he raised an eyebrow. The blue of his hair complimented the brownness of his inked skin, especially under the sun. “Why’re you getting the silent treatment?”

Sloane let out a dry chuckle, gaze dropping to her dark purple painted nails. “Because he told me something and I answered by literally running away. Because life's complicated enough and it’s even messier because we can’t be together.”

She let out a long breath; that was, Sloane knew, the first time she’d verbally admitted to wanting to be with Luke. It was a heavy thought swirling around in her head, backed up by emotions she hadn’t even been aware she’d been carrying for so long, locked away because of the God forsaken arrangement she was set up in with Calum. But not even admitting it to herself would’ve been stupid because of the absolute truth it carried, and being able to utter them outloud, though they weren’t to the right person, lifted just a small fraction of weight off her shoulders.

Sloane chanced a glance at Calum, taking in the raise of his eyebrows at her confession as he blinked his gaze away, wondering what he was thinking. What his opinion was on one of his best friends and his fianceé—even if it weren’t by choice—wanting to be together but obviously being unable to act on their feelings.

Calum took in a breath, deep voice thoughtful as he said, “If you ask me, I think keeping your distance from each other is the right idea.” His dark eyes met Sloane’s startling blue, shrugging with a sympathetic tilt of his lips as he added, “What’s the point in starting something you know won’t end well?”

The white hot irritation that shot through Sloane wasn’t something she had been expecting, her grip on the hardcover book tightening as all she could ask through controlled surprise was, “What?”

Calum parted his lips and she knew his observant gaze was taking in the frown she could feel crease her forehead and the downward tilt of her own lips. He’d obviously said something she hadn’t expected nor wanted to hear, but Calum wasn’t about to back track. “It’s messy, like you said. It’s one thing to just fuck around but from what you’re saying, there’s feelings involved and that’s just—it’s a bad idea, Sloane.”

“Oh, it’s a bad idea?” she repeated, the edge and anger creeping into her voice before she could help it. But Calum’s words had touched a nerve and the resentment she’d kept at bay since they’d arrived to Florida was brimming over. Or, more specifically, resentment she’d kept at bay since Calum met River. She noted the furrow in his eyebrows, not deaf to her tone. “That’s kind of hypocritical of you, isn’t it, Cal? When you’re the one who started a whole-ass relationship with the neighbor?”

Her words seemed to unsettle him just as much as Calum leaned back, a tightness in his features as his dark eyes hardened. “That’s different,” he defended, voice as tight as his face. When Sloane scoffed, he continued, “River and I aren’t dating, we’re just—”

“Just what? Delusional?” Sloane let out a cynical, dry laugh as the annoyance on Calum’s face intensified. But she was just as bothered as him, the roar of the waves drowned by the anger rushing through her blood. With a quick roll of her eyes, Sloane continued, “Come on, are you really that blind? Everyone can fucking tell you and River aren’t just screwing around.” With an accusatory point of her finger, she added, “You got attached and you didn’t even fight it. Don’t give me advice on not pursuing anything with Luke when you’re the one who fucked up first.”

Instead of defending himself and whatever he was doing with River, Calum’s lips curled in annoyance as he said heatedly, “Your situation is a lot more complicated. Luke’s my friend and I don’t want to see him get hurt.”

The anger burning Sloane’s blood instantly cooled into an icy, numbing hurt. Her features fell before she could help it, gaze immediately averting from Calum’s as she looked at the floorboards of the deck. She needed to toughen the hell up because the stinging in her nose and eyes, a tell of the tears beginning to gather, would not be ideal when they got back home, when they were in the middle of conference calls and meetings with investors. But Calum’s words had hurt and, God, did he even realize what he’d said?

Sloane’s lips parted, tongue running across the inside of her lower lip, gaze still on the ground as she gave a slow nod. “Luke’s your friend, huh?” She finally looked at him, saw that he’d realized what he’d said a little too late, his own lips parting to scramble out his apology. Her voice had quietened because Sloane knew if she spoke up even a little bit, she wouldn’t be able to trust her voice to stay steady. “I know things between us have been weird but I didn’t think we weren’t friends.”

“Fuck, Sloane, no, that’s not what I meant—”

“But it’s what you said,” she cut him off, wondering if the desperation in his voice was genuine. At the moment, she didn’t really care, nor did she want this conversation to continue. So Sloane stood up, feeling Calum’s pleading and apologetic gaze on her as she forced her tone to harden when she looked down at him and said, “You worry about what you’re gonna do about River, and just stay out of mine and Luke’s business.”

The day had seemed to drag on slowly, terribly so, with time only being at its normal pace when she and Crystal had gone to get their nails done. Now, though, it was like time hadn’t made it past the doors of the club, and Sloane was left sitting on the red couch in the VIP section of the club with a drink in hand and music deafening her ears as she tried to have a good time despite the flashing lights threatening to give her a headache.

A couple of feet ahead of her were Ashton and Calum, facing each other as they leaned against the railing, looking down at the main part of the club where everyone was dancing as they chatted animatedly, their voices drowned by the music. They looked to be in the middle of an intense discussion, the kind where Ashton talked with his hands and Calum listened with eyebrows furrowed in concentration. Sloane leaned back on the couch, sighing. River hadn’t come out, Sloane remembered Calum mentioning that her grandmother was sick, and Sloane wasn’t sure where Michael, Crystal, and Luke were. Probably getting some drinks.

She scrolled through her Twitter and Instagram, purposefully avoiding checking her emails, hating that she was more or less miserable at one of her favorite people’s birthday celebration. Mostly because the one being celebrated more or less wanted nothing to do with her. Sloane took a sip of her vodka cranberry as she stood up, face scrunching as the leather of the couch stuck to her thighs before making her way to the railing. She made sure to keep her distance from Ashton and Calum, her small bag hitting the glass of the bannister as she leaned forward on it, the chain of her purse cool against the skin of her shoulder as she absently peered down.

All she could see were the tops of people’s heads as they danced to the music the DJ was spinning, white and green colored lights flashing to the beat. Sloane licked her lips, trying to see if she could spot her friends through narrowed eyes, twisting her lips when she didn’t see them in the midst of the bustling crowd. Right when she was about to turn her gaze towards the bar, someone stepped up to her left and Sloane’s grip on her glass tightened when she looked to see Calum mirroring her pose, arms folded on top of the railing as he, too, looked down at the crowd.

She tensed in the silence between them, not bothering to look his way. They hadn’t spoken since their conversation on the deck this morning. Sloane wanted to laugh. Two people she was on either side of the silent treatment with. Surprisingly, Calum was the one to break it. “I’m an unfair, hypocritical asshole. I’m sorry.”

Sloane pressed her tongue to the roof of her mouth before saying, “You won’t hear any arguments from me.”

Calum let out a breath and from her peripheral Sloane could see him duck his head, a small yet embarrassed smile quirking at his lips before he lifted his head. “I was talking to Ashton and we ended up, uh, talking about the same stuff you and I were and he, uh, basically agreed with what you said.”

Releasing the thin black straw of her drink, Sloane raised an eyebrow at the blue haired man next to her. She knew exactly how his parents would react to the new style and kind of admired him all the more for going through with it. “He also said you’re a hypocrite whose fucking things up?”

Smirking in amusement, Calum gave a tilt of his head. “He was a bit nicer about it but essentially, yeah.” He then turned to face her, resting his elbow on top of the railing. “Sloane, I really am sorry for making it sound like I care about Luke’s feelings and not yours. That’s not true and I’m an ass for saying what I said.” Her jaw tightened, gaze dropping to her drink once more. “You’re not just my friend, alright, you’re about to be my partner too and of course I care about your feelings. I said some stupid shit because you called me out on things that were true and I guess I just lashed out—which isn’t an excuse.” She looked at him, feeling the tight grip on her heart loosen just a bit as she took in the sincerity in Calum’s dark eyes, which glinted against the flashing lights. She knew him, knew that he was genuinely apologetic and upset over what he’d said to her. His hand reached out, grasping her free one and his warm touch, not anywhere near as exciting as Luke’s, still managed to ease some of the tension in her muscles. “I’m sorry, Sloane, really. I’m trying to figure things out with River, and I think you and Luke should at least talk.” With a subtle smirk, he added, “You look miserable and so does the birthday boy.”

Calum then nodded down below, and Sloane followed his gaze to the long bar, her eyes almost instantly finding Luke. He was sitting at the bar, back against it and elbows propped up as he sipped his drink. The sight of him sank Sloane’s heart; it was his birthday and, like Calum had said, Luke looked miserable. He was watching the bustling crowd in front of him, watching people get drunk and enjoy themselves when he should actually be among them. Sloane’s eyebrows drew together, knowing she was why Luke had isolated himself to the bar, wanting nothing more than to see him smile again.

She glanced at Calum, who raised his eyebrows expectantly, and Sloane downed the rest of her drink before putting the glass on the table and making her way towards the steps. She moved with quick purpose, pushing past the dancing and drunk bodies to make her way towards the bar, hoping he’d still be there by the time she reached. And he was.

Luke hadn’t seen her yet, and Sloane licked her lips, tasting the vodka that had warmed her skin, and continued towards him. His gaze just happened to wander over to her, and as soon as Luke saw Sloane, he took a breath and stood up, prompting her to hastily quicken her pace as much as she could in her heels and grab his arm. “I thought running away was my thing,” she said, knowing Luke heard her over the music when he pursed his lips. Even in the tensity of their situation, Sloane admired the sharpness of his tightened jaw, decorated with facial hair that worked too well on him. When his blue eyes didn’t meet hers, Sloane’s throat worked. “I’m sorry, Luke. I—I didn’t want to hurt you but that’s exactly what I ended up doing and you have no idea how much I hate myself for it. You—you’re the best person I know and I’d be crazy not to want to be with you and being scared is a shitty excuse on my part so I kept telling myself it was a bad idea to make it eas—”

She had been ranting, she knew, as the words tumbled out of her mouth one by one without her being able to stop it. Had Luke even heard her over the blaring music?

Who cared? Not Sloane; not when he was kissing her like this.

Luke had effectively cut her ranting off—thank God—with a quick turn of his body and free hand finding the back of Sloane’s neck before he ducked to capture her lips with his. Sloane’s reaction was instant, feeling the electricity crackle in her veins as she melted into him, felt the softness of his lips and delicious scratch of his growing beard as he kissed her vehemently. Sloane parted her lips for him, hands gripping his sides and feeling the cool material of his silky button down that looked too damn good on him. This kiss, their first kiss, had Sloane’s toes curling and heart racing, lips tingling for more despite the fact that they hadn’t pulled away from one another. The ends of his curls brushed against her temple as the kiss deepened and nothing else in the world mattered other than the fact that she was finally kissing Luke.

They reluctantly pulled away, and Sloane kept her eyes closed, grip still on him, forehead against his as she tried to even out her breathing. She felt dizzy, in the best way, lips tingling and body incredibly warm because of their closeness. Trying to fully grasp what just happened was fruitless; no way was Sloane going to properly comprehend it until later. She’d much rather enjoy the moment of blissed out ignorance.

Luke’s nose brushed against hers, his breath invitingly warm as he murmured, “Still a bad idea?”

She swallowed, eyes opening just enough to gaze at his lips. She desperately wanted to kiss him again. “Probably.”

He let out a low, throaty chuckle. The music around them was too fucking loud. “Wanna get out of here?”

Sloane exhaled softly, still holding onto his shirt. “It’s your birthday.”

“I don’t care.”

Yeah, fuck it. They’d all been here for hours anyway. “Let’s go.”

Luke’s hand was holding hers and leading her out of the club before she knew it, and Sloane admired the way his tall, broad body easily made a path for them through the dancing bodies, admired the firm yet comforting hold he had on her hand. She admired the blonde curls at the back of his head and admired the fluttery feeling he enticed in the pit of her stomach as they got into the Uber that arrived just minutes after Luke ordered it.

The ride was quick, though the two of them had to keep their hands to themselves given that their driver was a chatty one. He’d ask questions that Sloane and Luke would answer, secret smiles exchanged between the two of them as his fingers danced with hers, lips aching to be kissed again.

And then they got to the house, where inhibitions seemed to disappear as they stumbled into the dimly lit foyer, the door slamming shut with a kick of Luke’s foot before he swiftly locked Sloane’s legs around his hips and connected their lips once more, grinning against her mouth when her surprised giggle got lost in their kiss. Her dress had ridden up, as expected, the sensation of Luke’s hands on her bare thighs to hold her up burning her skin deliciously. She buried her fingers in Luke’s curls as he began moving towards the stairs, expertly going up as Sloane moved her hands to undo as many buttons of Luke’s shirt as she could before looping a finger around the silver necklace he wore.

They entered a room, Sloane faintly hearing another door shut over the drumming of her heart as Luke’s tongue worked against hers, until Sloane was being dropped on the bed. She bounced slightly against the mattress, realizing they were in her room, biting her lower lip as Luke got rid of his shirt and worked on undoing his pants, his eyes never leaving hers. Fuck, he looked like a God, standing above her with curls messed up by her fingers, and Sloane let out a breath as she took off her heels before pulling off her dress, watching him in take in the sight of her waiting for him on the bed in nothing but a pretty white and laced lingerie set.

“Fuck,” Luke breathed out, voice throaty as he ran his fingers through his hair, climbing onto the bed. Sloane’s heart thundered at the sight of him, biting her lip once more as she admired his necklace resting against his bare chest, the tent pitched in his boxers, fingers itching to get into his hair once more. She felt the grin tug at her lips as he crawled towards her, body hovering over hers as he braced himself with hands on either side of her head. He lowered himself and Sloane felt a chill run down her spine when the cool pendant of his necklace dragged across her sternum. Luke brushed his nose against hers, catching Sloane’s lower lip with his teeth as he murmured, “Happy birthday to me.”

Sloane laughed, hand reached to the back of his head to close the gap, lips finding his in a heated kiss as she felt his body lean into hers. He warmed her, a comforting contrast against the mild chill in the room due to the window Sloane had left slightly open, the distant sound of the ocean an accompaniment to the thundering of her heart.

The two of them moved together, fluidly and easily, as Sloane arched her back into Luke to allow him to unclasp her bra, ridding the material somewhere on the floor as her breasts pressed against his chest. They were eager, desperate to get lost in each other, and Sloane tilted her head back to revel in the sensation of Luke’s lips working against her neck, the cheeky bite of his teeth thrilling along with the burn of his facial hair. One of his hands slid down her front, fingers dipping beneath her underwear and Sloane let out a soft moan at the feel of his finger teasing her entrance.

Her own fingers fisted in his hair, blonde curls soft, inhaling sharply while biting her lower lip when Luke expertly worked her open, using his teeth to free her lower lip from her own grasp and sounding his own approval as he added another finger into her folds. Sloane could already feel like she was losing herself in what Luke was doing to her, but she needed more—she needed more closeness. She already had Luke but, fuck, she needed more.

“Luke, please,” Sloane breathed out, their noses slanted together and lips brushing against one anothers as she spoke. She tried to voice her thoughts, body too busy reacting to the sensation of Luke’s fingers pushing through her folds, thumb flicking against her clit and sending shockwaves through her body. Sloane tightened her grip in his hair, drawing an appreciative groan from him as she begged, “I need you.”

God, she knew she should be treating him instead of it being the other way around. And she would, she couldn’t wait to, but both of them needed this right now. She would do whatever the hell he wanted her to but first, fuck, her fingers needed to work faster in pulling down his boxers. “Anything you want, sweetheart,” Luke told her once both his boxers and her panties were somewhere on the floor, his hand holding a condom packet Sloane figured he’d gotten from his pants. He was once again hovering over her, the scent of his familiar cologne mixing in with the faint scent of salt from the air outside, a combination that was dizzying Sloane in the best way.

She let out a breath, nails trailing up his bicep as her blue eyes met his. She wondered if hers had been darkened in the flurry of lust and yearning like Luke’s had. “I should be saying that to you, birthday boy.”

Luke’s lips curled into a grin, showing off those dimples Sloane was crazy for, adoring the way his blonde curls framed his perfect face. “Trust me,” Luke murmured, brushing his lips against hers as he lined himself up to her entrance. His voice was throaty, sending shivers down Sloane’s spine as he promised, “I’m getting everything I wished for.”

Stars burst behind Sloane’s eyes with every thrust of Luke’s hips, one hand in his hair and the other gripping his bicep as he kept a steady, toe curling rhythm that had Sloane digging her nails into his skin. His name fell like a chant from her lips in between breathless gasps and blissed out moans, a symphony with the beach beyond the window, but all Sloane could focus on was Luke. The softness of his lips, scratch of his beard, the fire his hands elicited across her skin, the chills from his necklace, and the wonderful, delicious, overwhelming stretch of him as he filled her up perfectly.

She felt as though she was on fire, one that she was in no hurry to put out, as she lifted her legs to wrap them around his hips, the slightly different angle allowing for Luke to push in deeper, the sensation prompting Sloane to tilt her head back into the pillows, an appreciative moan being drawn out. Feeling every bit of Luke against her, in her, was as blissful as Sloane could’ve imagined and more. With his lips against her skin, she cursed herself for depriving herself of this, wanted to mourn over the fact that all of this could’ve happened much sooner if only she’d been more intuned with her own heart earlier.

But, God, no time for regrets right now. All she wanted to do, all she could do really, was focus on Luke and the way he made her come alive, awakened a fire in her she hadn’t ever thought would be lit. It was as though Sloane was discovering herself in him, and he in her, and neither were ready for it to ever end.

“I still have to give you your birthday present,” Sloane murmured, finger trailing nonsensical patterns on Luke’s chest.

They lay under the covers of her bed, spent from getting to know and figuring out each other’s bodies, a calm silence between them disturbed only by the ocean outside and the steady drum of Luke’s heart Sloane could hear with her head against his chest. She was enveloped in him; in his scent, his arms, his warmth, and this was a kind of closeness, intimacy, that Sloane wanted to hold onto for however long she could.

She felt Luke’s head tilt towards her as her cheek remained pressed against his chest. Sloane heard the lazy smirk in his voice as he said, “I thought that was my present.”

Sloane laughed, lightly back handing his chest before pushing herself up. Luke groaned in protest at the loss of her warmth, arm that had been around her shoulders dropping to the mattress as Sloane got up, swiping up Luke’s silk shirt and shrugging it on. She buttoned only a couple of the middle ones before wandering over to the closet, feeling the burn of Luke’s gaze on her as she bent down to pick up the colorful gift bag she’d hidden away.

She couldn’t help the grin on her face as she walked back towards the bed as Luke sat up, the blankets pooling at his hips as he ran both hands through his hair to push the curly locks away from his face. His own eyebrows raised in anticipation, the smile present on his lips as he hummed, “What’s this?”

Sloane settled in front of him, legs folded under her as she handed him the bag and chuckled, “See for yourself.”

Luke took the bag, curious gaze on Sloane as his hand pushed past the decorative tissue inside before grabbing onto the gift, eyebrows furrowing as he pulled it out. Sloane rolled her smiling lips into her mouth as she watched Luke’s reaction, going from confusion to realization to complete joy as delighted laughter tumbled out of his mouth. “No fucking way,” he laughed, holding onto the gift with both hands. Sloane adored the glint in his bright eyes, the dimples that appeared under his facial hair. “You actually got it!”

Her own laughter joined in, feeling the relief flood through her at the knowledge of Luke liking her gift. She watched as he admired the gnome they’d seen at the flea market almost a week ago, the one holding a Go Away sign and sticking up its middle finger that Luke had loved. “Of course I did,” she giggled, running her fingers through her hair. With a satisfied grin, she added, “I think it makes for the perfect gift, hmm?”

Luke shook his head in incredulity, laughing as his eyes met hers and he told her sincerely, “Not as perfect as the girl who gave it to me.” Sloane’s smile softened instantly, her heart warm as Luke leaned forward, and she met him halfway to readily accept the kiss he pressed to her lips. “I love it, Sloane. Thank you.”

Her eyes were still closed, reveling in his kiss, nose brushing against his as she murmured, “You’re welcome,” before leaning forward to close the gap once more. She couldn’t get enough of his kisses. How had she gone so long without them?

But just as the kiss became deeper, needier, anticipating for another round, the distant sound of the front door slamming open hadn’t been enough to break them apart until Michael’s loud voice rang throughout the house. “Sloane! Luke! Get down here before we eat the rest of the cake without you!”

“Mm, we’ll finish this later,” Luke mumbled against her lips, the promise in his voice accompanied by the smile he wore.

Sloane gave him one last grin, unable to keep herself from mirroring his grin, adoring the happy flush in his cheeks as she agreed, “Absolutely.”

*****

The day had started out normal enough; after his morning coffee, Calum was dragged out by Ashton to a local yoga studio he’d managed to find, so spending the morning doing yoga with his best friend and other best friend’s fianceé wasn’t the worst thing in the world. At the house, he took a shower and joined Michael and Luke on the couch where the Xbox was set up, grabbing a controller and falling in the routine of yelling at each other as they played. It had been a normal day, fun in the presence of his friends.

Until he was sitting in an uncomfortable chair of a hospital room, chin resting on his right hand as his arm remained propped on the arm rest, watching the oxygen mask on Maggie’s face fog up every time she let out a slow, heavy exhale in her sleep, the machine clicking every time she did so. The room was enveloped in an eerie silence, interrupted only by the steady beeping of the heart monitor Maggie was connected to, echoing in Calum’s ears hauntingly. The sight of her, looking a bit too frail even with the wrinkles on her face smoothed out by what he hoped was a peaceful sleep for her.

Running his right hand down his face, Calum trailed his gaze over to his left where River was sitting. He felt his heart sink at the worried expression that he’d seen painted on her face the second he’d arrived to the hospital. Her knee was bouncing, teeth gnawing at her nails and eyebrows drawn together in concern. Green eyes never seemed to stray from her grandmother, but her hand had a strong grip on Calum’s and he knew it was because of the concern rushing through her veins. All he wanted to do was hold her, unable to do so because of the damned seats.

He took in the tiredness of her eyes, seeing past the loose blonde tendrils of her haphazardly tied hair, but he knew she wasn’t about to fall asleep. He’d tried to get her to a couple of times since he’d arrived over an hour ago, but she understandably wouldn’t budge. So he gave a squeeze of her hand and leaned towards her, voice low as he asked, “D’you want some coffee? Crappy hospital coffee, but—”

“Yes, yeah,” River nodded, her voice a bit hoarse from lack of speaking. She turned her head to look at him, and the air locked in his throat at her red rimmed and glassy eyes. Somehow, though, she still managed to offer him an appreciative smile, flushed cheeks pushing up briefly. He didn’t want her smiling at him, not if she didn’t mean it. Calum lifted their joined hands, pressing a kiss to the back of hers as he got up. River looked up at him, licking her lips and asking, “Can I borrow your phone? Mine’s dead and I, uh, wanna try my mom again.”

Calum nodded with a reassuring furrow of his eyebrows. “Yeah, ’course,” he said, digging it out of his pocket and unlocking the device before handing it to her. River took it and Calum leaned down to press a kiss to the top of her head, murmuring a soft, “Be right back.”

He opened the door, about to step out only to pause and look back at Maggie. Calum sighed heavily, heart sinking as he did. He desperately hoped for her to get better.

Making his way down the hospital hallways, Calum ran a hand over the top of his slowly growing hair, offering a brief smile to a doctor and nurse that made their way past him. The smell of disinfectant was powerful, prompting Calum to wrinkle his nose as he absently followed the signs to where the cafeteria was, thoughts too focused on River and Maggie. His chest had tightened when River had told him how quickly Maggie had gotten worse, how her flu seemed to become so much more, and Calum had dropped everything to grab his keys and rush to the hospital as soon as he’d heard her shaky, breathless voice asking if he’d come. He didn’t even have to think twice about it.

And, fuck, he hadn’t expected his heart to utterly shatter when he’d caught sight of her distraught face, looking totally out of her element when she’d met him at the nurse’s reception to bring him up to Maggie’s room. River had walked right into Calum’s arms, holding him tightly and soaking in his warmth as Calum pressed his cheek on top of her head. He hated seeing her this way. He hoped Maggie would be okay.

After acquiring two cups of questionable coffee, Calum headed back to the floor Maggie’s room was on, his steps quick as he wanted to get back to them. He entered the room, gently nudging the door shut with his hip as he quietly murmured, “One crappy cup of coffee, at your ser—what’s wrong?”

His tone turned concerned when he took in River’s expression. She stood at the end of Maggie’s bed, the expression on her face frighteningly hollow, and for a heart stopping second Calum thought Maggie had taken a turn for the worse. His gaze snapped over to the sleeping woman, feeling his heart calm down when he took note of the machine steadily beeping to sound hers. But then his eyebrows drew together, setting down the two cups at the table as he looked back at River.

“River, hey, what’s going on?”

He saw the way her throat worked, gaze finally meeting his, hers looking just as distraught as it had before, only this time the confusion was what was throwing Calum off. He took a few steps towards her, stopping when she held his phone out to him, hand trembling slightly as she finally said, “Your mom texted you.” Calum’s eyebrows drew together at the low, hollow tone she spoke in. When her green eyes met his brown, he felt his heart thud at the look in her eyes; absent, distant, nothing he was used to. She licked her lips before she added slowly, her own tone turning confused, as if she was trying to understand her own words, “Said something about checking your e-mail for potential suits you could wear. . . For your wedding?”

She spoke the last bit like a question, like she was giving him the chance to correct her, to tell her she’d been mistaken, had read the text wrong or something. Shit, he wished he could tell her just that. He wished he could tell her it was some joke, a mistake, that she didn’t, in fact, read it right. But Calum, at the wrong fucking moment, was at a complete loss for words.

He felt as though the air had been sucker punched out of his lungs, like the blood was frozen in his veins and his heart had dropped to the pit of his stomach all at the same time. The ground threatened to give out under him, he could feel it, and Calum had no idea what the fuck to do except gape at River like a fucking idiot. He wasn’t numb to the tension that was quickly distancing them, something he wasn’t used to at all when it came to River, and Calum desperately wanted to get rid of it. But he didn’t know how to. Not when River was looking at him as though she had no idea who she was staring at. Like he was a complete stranger.

Calum felt his lower lip quiver as he tried to find the words to say something. Anything. “River, I can explain—”

“Oh, my God,” she cut him off, her voice a trembling whisper. She looked like he’d just slapped her and Calum hated himself for it. “It’s true?” She gave a bewildered shake of her head, taking a step away from him. Another punch to his gut. “You’re engaged?”

He pressed his lips together, breath locking once more before he expelled it forcefully through his nose. He fucked up. He fucked up so bad and he didn’t know what the fuck to do. He didn’t want to tell her the truth but it’s beyond what she deserved. “I—” Calum’s heart was in his throat. “Yes.”

River’s chest fell with a sharp exhale, her eyes glassy under the fluorescent lights of the room, and Calum wanted to rid her of her tears before they fell. He loathed that it was his fault she looked so heartbroken. So defeated. Betrayed. And he knew he had, knew that she had every right to feel all of those things. Because he had tried to fool himself into thinking that whatever it was between them was just a summer fling, just a way of having fun.

He was an idiot to think he wouldn’t fall in love with River.

She took the few steps separating them and Calum felt the sting in his eyes when she slapped his phone against his chest, forcing him to grab onto the device as she let go. His throat was suddenly dry at the sight of her glare, angry, devastated, like she’d been deceived. All because of him, by him. The heat in her gaze was heart shattering, completely something Calum deserved, definitely something he’d never wanted to be on the receiving end of. It looked completely out of character for her, to look so fiercely agitated, brimming with anger that flushed her cheeks. His fault.

“Get out.” Her voice was a controlled whisper, the emptiness contradicting the rage in her sharp green eyes. Calum’s jaw tightened, a feeble attempt of keeping his own emotions at bay, knowing that everything was slipping out of his hands and all he could do was watch it leave him. “I don’t want you here. Or anywhere near us. Leave, Calum.”

He couldn’t swallow, couldn’t breathe, his grip on his phone had tightened and he really fucking wished the ground would open up beneath him. Wished he could go back in time and change everything so they wouldn’t be standing here. Calum wished that Maggie wasn’t sick, that he wasn’t fucking engaged, and that he wasn’t keeping such a significant detail from the girl he’d unexpectedly, unknowingly, utterly fallen in love with.

And he’d lost her.

He’d heard the crack in his voice as he began pleading, “River—”

Her gaze hardened, a tear falling that Calum wanted to brush away but he’d lost that right in the blink of an eye. Behind the loose tendrils of her hair, River’s eyes had a fire lighting within them that begged to burn him. “Leave.”

Calum Hood rarely cried. He wasn’t a crier. But as soon as he got in his car parked in the hospital lot, the burning in his eyes had won out and he allowed himself to completely give into the reality of losing River. How stupid of him to think he wouldn’t fall in love with her and escape the harsh reality of the truth.

*****

“Has anyone talked to him?”

Sloane puckered her lips to the side, gaze on her mug of tea as she circled the rim with her finger. She shook her head as everyone else mumbled their dissent to Crystal’s question, and she let out a sigh. He’d been locked in his room since yesterday, and if he happened to come out, he wasn’t himself. A shell of a man too heartbreaking to look at and the worry gnawed at Sloane, wanting to do nothing more than go talk to him. She had no idea what had happened, none of them did, and she cast a glance towards the staircase. Calum was upstairs, hadn’t joined them for breakfast, and the concern for their blue haired friend was heavy in the room.

Ashton sighed. “Do you think something happened with River?”

Sloane felt her breath catch, and the mention of the other girl had Sloane putting her mug down on the coffee table and getting up to her feet. Luke’s arm dropped from her shoulders as all eyes went to her, and she licked her lips and announced, “I’m gonna try to talk to him.”

“Good luck,” Michael mumbled as she walked past him. Sloane would probably need it.

She let out a deep breath as she reached his closed door, stupidly feeling kind of intimidated to even knock. But she pushed past it, her concern for Calum winning out as she rapped her knuckles against it and called out gently, “Calum?” She waited for a response, not getting one, and tilted her head back to look at the ceiling as she sighed once more. “Come on, Cal, I know you’re in there.”

Chewing on her lower lip, Sloane grabbed the door knob before she could change her mind, and opened the door slowly while peering inside. The bed was unmade but Calum wasn’t on it. Instead, he was sitting on the floor, leaning against it, knees brought up, arms folded on top while his gaze was turned towards the window, looking out at the bright sky that didn’t at all match the mood he obviously was in. Biting the inside of her cheek, Sloane felt as though she was intruding into his space, into a dark corner of his mind he was shutting everyone out of, but she couldn’t turn back now.

“Hey,” she spoke up, her voice soft as she padded further into the room after shutting the door behind her. “Everyone’s asking for you.”

She was met with silence, but Sloane didn’t let that deter her from approaching Calum’s seated figure. Quietly, Sloane sat down next to him, running her palms over the soft material of the rug the bed was placed on top of as she turned her gaze to him. He was still looking out the window, only allowing her to see the blue of his head.

“Please talk to me,” Sloane said, unable to bring her voice any louder, too afraid of breaking the quiet of the room—no matter how uneasy and heavy it felt. “What’s going on?”

He was silent, the quiet deafening as Sloane’s throat worked, waiting for an answer. She kept her gaze on him, on the tightness of his jaw, and the way he was absently twisting one of the rings he wore. She wondered if he was gonna say anything, if he was gonna let her in, and she probably shouldn’t push him, but after a few minutes of silence, she spoke up once more. “We’re not gonna be very good partners if you don’t let me in.”

More silence. Until—

“She knows.” Calum’s voice was hoarse, deep and slow and nearly catching Sloane off guard. He finally turned to look at her, and she felt her heart stop momentarily at the emptiness she saw in the brown of his usually lively eyes. It was. . . harrowing. . . seeing him like that. “I fucked up.”

Sloane pressed her teeth together as she expelled a slow breath through her nose, knowing exactly who and what he was referring to. Oh, no. She squeezed her eyes shut, giving a shake of her head as she started, “Calum—”

“I should’ve listened to you,” he cut her off, shaking his head to return his gaze to his fingers. She heard the guilt and defeat weigh heavily in his tone as he clicked his tongue in disappointment. “I should’ve been more careful. I should’ve either told her the truth or just never have fallen for her—”

“You don’t mean that,” Sloane said, her tone knowing and firm as Calum rolled his lips into his mouth. “As complicated and fucked up as this is, you’re not gonna sit here and lie to me or yourself by saying you regret falling in love with her.”

Calum looked at her then, and Sloane offered a sympathetic smile at the surprised look in his eyes. She would have to be blind to not see that Calum learned to love River in the short amount of time he’d known her. But, then again, time had no correlation to the way someone could feel about another person. She was beginning to understand that, too, given her own situation.

Her expression fell when she noted the quiver in Calum’s lower lip, and her heart ached for this man whom she’d always seen as so solid and firm. The state he was in was one she was unfamiliar with, unprepared to handle, but she would try. Calum was her friend and soon-to-be partner, and working out through things together and supporting one another would be the basis of their developing relationship. Except she didn’t care much for any of that right now; all that mattered was her friend and the heartbreak he was going through.

“She hates me, Sloane,” Calum whispered, voice catching in his throat. “I fucking—I broke her heart and I don’t think she’s willing to give me a chance to fix this.” He looked at her once again, brown eyes glassy and twisting Sloane’s chest. “Falling in love with her wasn’t the mistake; everything else was.”

She didn’t have to guess what he was referring to.

Sloane twisted her lips to the side, gaze dropping momentarily before she mused dryly, “We’re both fucked, aren’t we?” When Calum sniffed and looked at her, she shook her head, turning her gaze towards the ceiling. “Whatever Luke and I are doing. . . It’s got its own expiration date. Every time I think about us only getting to be us while we’re here and it all ending when we get back to New York. . . I can’t breathe.”

God, she didn’t even want to think about what would happen when they returned home; the mere thought of going back to being just friends with Luke was nauseating. Especially because Sloane wasn’t sure if they’d be able to do that. Luke was both her and Calum’s best friend; how was she supposed to return to being friends with the man who made her feel so fucking alive, so unafraid of being herself, while being married to one of his best friends? It didn’t fucking seem possible. The closer they got to when they had to return home, the more ominous the dark cloud looming over their heads seemed to get.

“It’s freeing. . . Being with them.”

Sloane nodded at Calum’s statement, the truth in his words too obvious. She watched herself pick at her nails, the words bubbling past her lips before she could stop. “That’s exactly how I feel with Luke,” she said, her voice a thoughtful murmur. “It’s. . . He’s the only one who’s made me feel this way since Jacob’s death.”

Calum’s throat worked at the mention of her late brother while Sloane bit on her lower lip briefly. But he stayed silent, waiting for her to continue. “My parents. . . Everything’s on me, now, with the company and this merger. It’s not like they can be mad at Jacob for dying so they compensate for it by marrying me off in the name of saving the business.” She let out a wry laugh at that, empty of humor as she gave a disbelieving shake of her head. Her parents’ mindset continued to surprise her. “I don’t know how Jacob’s death gave them permission for controlling my life the way they are, but Luke—” She cut off, this time to let out a content sigh that seemed inappropriate for this situation, yet she couldn’t help as she thought of the blonde haired, blue eyed man sitting downstairs. “Being with him gave me some control back to feel free, y’know?”

Sloane looked at Calum again, and saw that of course he knew. He was the only one who could understand what she was talking about, who could feel exactly what she was feeling. And she was the only one who could understand the pain he was in; the pain of losing someone they found a sense of freedom in, the pain of their circumstances swooping in and fucking things up. The state Calum was in right now was one Sloane would inevitably be in, she knew, except Luke knew of everything, what he was getting himself into.

That didn’t mean it wouldn’t hurt any less.

“Sloane.” Her heart jumped at the sound of Calum’s voice; unsteady and defeated as his tear filled eyes met hers. Seeing Calum cry, she’d decided, was a sight she never wanted to witness again, with his flushed nose and cheeks and devastated eyes. “I really fucked up.”

There was nothing she could say, she knew, that would make Calum feel better. So she merely linked her left arm with his right and scooted closer to him, allowing him to tilt his head down until it was resting on her shoulder. Sloane rested her head on top of his, the shortness of his blue hair tickling her cheek, rolling her lips into her mouth when Calum let out a shuddering breath that seemed to tremble through his entire body. This was devastating for him, knowing that he hurt someone he’d come to care about so much in such a short amount of time. And Sloane sat there silently comforting him, being a shoulder for him to cry on, wishing that there was something she could do to make this better. No one was really prepared to see Calum like this, so lost and heartbroken, a stranger from his usual confident, carefree self. But the unfamiliarity of this wasn’t going to stop Sloane from finding a way to help him.

Hours later, in Luke’s car, Sloane chewed on her lower lip as they drove back to the house. They’d just made a grocery run, a task that they’d assigned themselves, and Sloane’s thoughts were drowning out the music playing through the speakers. She managed to get lost in her own head until Luke’s voice broke through, “What’re you thinking so hard about?”

Sloane pursed her lips as she looked at Luke, who kept his eyes on the road after shooting her a curious glance. “I wanna. . .” She paused for a thoughtful moment. “I think I should talk to River. Just so she knows what’s going on. She won’t talk to Calum and I just—I feel like I need to do this. For her and Calum.”

As he made a right turn into the driveway of the beach house, Luke asked, “Do you think she’ll listen to you?”

Sloane blew air through her mouth before shrugging. “I don’t know, but I at least have to try, you know?” she mused, clicking off her seatbelt and picking her bag up from by her feet.

Unbuckling his own seatbelt, Luke nodded, gaze out the window of his door before he jutted his chin towards it. “You can try right now. There she is.”

She followed his gaze out the window, eyebrows raising when she caught sight of River stepping out of the front door of her house, locking it, and Sloane instinctively threw the car door open. Quickly, she made her way around the car, down the driveway and onto the sidewalk to cross over to River’s house, making her way up the path as she called out, “River!”

The blonde stopped on the second step of her porch, squinting against the sun as she watched Sloane approach. Sloane noted the way her features hardened, an uncharacteristic edge in her voice as she demanded, “What do you want?”

“I—” Sloane stopped herself from jumping right in, taking note of River’s obvious hostility. Instead, she asked, “How’s your grandmother?”

“Still in the hospital,” River responded, the flatness of her tone showing her disinterest in this conversation and in Sloane. It kind of threw her off, the absence of gentleness in which River normally spoke in. River made her way down the steps. “Where I need to be going so, if you’ll excuse me, I need to call an Uber.”

Sloane furrowed her eyebrows, glancing at the Prius that was parked in the driveway before her confused expression turned to River. “Isn’t that your car? Something wrong with it?”

River let out an impatient sigh as she pulled out her phone from her purse. “My license expired and I haven’t had time to get it renewed.” Then, with a shake of her head, she continued almost tiredly, “Listen, Sloane, I don’t have time for this. I need to go see my grand—”

“I’ll drive you,” Sloane cut in quickly, offering a friendly and hopeful grin. Maybe then River would talk to her. “No need to waste money on an Uber, right?”

River’s eyebrows drew together, clearly not expecting that offer as she pushed some blonde hair behind her ear. “I—”

“Come on, we can take Luke’s car,” Sloane said, not wanting to give her the chance to refuse. She really needed to talk to her.

Much to her delight, River followed her with a sigh to the house over, right as Luke had shut the trunk with the last few grocery bags in hand. Sloane noted the curious look he was giving her after catching sight of River, a tilt of his head and quirk of his eyebrow directed at Sloane in silent question. She answered it by asking, “Can I borrow your car? I’m gonna give River a ride to the hospital.”

“Uh,” Luke sounded, obviously bewildered as his blue eyes met Sloane’s. She silently raised her eyebrows with a subtle widening of her eyes, and realization flashed across Luke’s face as he transferred the bags in his left hand to his right before pulling the keys out of his shorts. He handed them to her with a quiet, “Good luck,” before going back into the house. That was the second good luck she received today. She was beginning to sense a pattern.

In the car, the tension was thick enough to be felt but not enough to be suffocating. Which was kind of a good thing, Sloane would guess, as she sat quietly and reveled in the lingering smell of Luke and his cologne. She chewed on her tongue while trying to figure out how to approach the topic of conversation, but River beat her by breaking the silence with her quiet voice inquiring, “Did you know? That he was engaged?”

Sloane’s grip on the steering wheel tightened, throat working at River’s question. Oh, God. The blonde next to her knew Calum was engaged—but she didn’t know it was to the woman sitting in the driver’s seat. Sloane felt her chest tighten as the truth twisted around, feeling the heat of River’s gaze on her profile as she answered slowly, “Yes. Because. . .” Sloane let out a slow breath, swallowing the lump in her throat. “He’s engaged to me.”

The silence that followed Sloane’s confession was deafening, heavier than the low hum of the engine as she drove, using her position as an excuse to keep her eyes on the road rather than chancing a glance to the woman next to her. Sloane could hear the drumming of her heart in her ears, feel it in her chest, everything else shattering when River humorlessly laughed out a bewildered, “I’m sorry—what?”

Sloane parked the car in an empty spot in the hospital lot, killing the engine as she finally looked at River. The blonde stared at her as if she’d misheard Sloane’s words, green eyes sharp and confused under furrowed eyebrows, waiting for Sloane to give an explanation. “I—It’s not what you think, River,” Sloane started, picking up the pace when River let out a loud disbelieving scoff, looking away from her as she unbuckled the seatbelt. “Calum and I—we’re just friends. We’re not, like, together that way. It’s an arrangement.”

“And that makes it any better?” River demanded, the outrage and incredulity thick in her tone as she threw open the car door and stepped out, slamming it shut as Sloane hastily followed her. River’s sandals slapped against the pavement as she stormed across the lot, Sloane right on her heels. “He’s still engaged to someone, and he fucked around with me and made me the other fucking woman!”

Sloane’s heart was pounding as she reached River, the two of them just a few steps away from the hospital entrance, ignorant of the few other people lingering about. Right now, she was too focused on trying to explain herself and Calum to the girl they’d inadvertently hurt. “River, don’t you get it?” Sloane tried, the pleading clear in her voice as she grabbed River’s arm, stopping the blonde in her tracks to get her to face her. Sloane’s throat worked at the anger firing up in River’s green eyes, as well as the hurt she was trying to bury under it. God, this was what Sloane had been afraid of. And while she couldn’t fault Calum for falling in love with River, it didn’t mean she didn’t wish things hadn’t come to this. With a sigh, Sloane hoped River would see the true genuinity in her words as she told her, “For Calum, you’re the only woman.”

River stopped, Sloane’s words hitting the mark she meant for as she dropped her hand from River’s arm, who looked away as her throat worked. The anger was still present, but the hurt was beginning to bleed through the surface. “He should’ve told me. Do you not understand how fucked up this is?”

“Of course I do,” Sloane reassured with a shake of her head, the warmth of the sun above burning her skin. “I’m in the same boat, you know? I mean, yeah, Luke knew more details than you but you have to understand—this engagement? Not my or Calum’s idea. We don’t want to be married. We just—we wanted to spend our time here not worrying about all that bullshit. Neither one of us expected this to get so far.”

“This?” River repeated with a raise of her eyebrow, scoffing slightly. “Calum and I had a relationship. I—fuck, I fell in love with him! But now I’m realizing whatever we had was meant to fall apart this whole time and instead of backing off, Calum just let it happen.”

Sloane rolled her lips into her mouth, feeling her heart ache for the woman in front of her and Calum. And a little bit for herself and Luke, too. Things were starting to get out of control. Sloane’s voice dropped, a sadness creeping in as she reasoned, “He fell in love with you, too, River. How was he supposed to just back off?”

River blinked quickly a couple of times, and Sloane realized it was because she was fighting off any tears from escaping. The poor girl already had so much going on, Sloane hated adding more to her plate. River’s jaw tightened as she looked away, the tendons in her neck working tensely, voice a bit too defeated as she spoke up. “There’s a fine line in your love for someone being selfish and selfless.” Her betrayed green eyes met Sloane’s pleading blue. “And he was selfish.”

*****

“You know, when you first told us about your engagement to Sloane, I kind of hated you a little bit.”

Calum would’ve choked on his water had he been surprised by Luke’s statement. But given the recent turn of events, he wasn’t. Instead, he lowered the water bottle and met his friend’s gaze sitting across from him, a pile of UNO cards in between them as they played. The two of them sat on the deck, sharing one of the long beach chairs to play easily, the sun burning against their backs welcomingly.

Lowering the water bottle, Calum cleared his throat and flatly responded, “Just a little bit?”

Luke met his dry humor with an empty smirk of his own as he looked through the cards in his hand. He put down one to do his turn. “It’s fucked up.” Calum knew he didn’t have to voice his agreement for Luke to know that he thought the same. “This is gonna sound fucking dramatic but I don’t know how I’m supposed to watch my best friend marry the girl I love, man.”

Calum rolled his lips into his mouth, intent gaze on his cards yet thoroughly unfocused. “’S not dramatic,” he mumbled quietly, a subtle furrow in his brows. “I can be partners with Sloane for business but marriage. . . I don’t see how we’re not gonna end up resenting each other down the road. We’re friends, we get along, but loyalty in friendship and loyalty in marriage are two completely different things.” Calum recognized the guilt that was beginning to form a lump in his throat, the emptiness he felt since the other day at the hospital when River found out everything ever present in making him feel completely hollow. He lifted his gaze, brown eyes meeting Luke’s blue, the sincerity deepening Calum’s voice as he said, “I’m sorry this is affecting you, too, Luke. Sloane and I. . . We never meant to hurt you.” He swallowed thickly. “Or River.”

His grip on the cards tightened, threatening to fold them in his fist at the mention of the woman with the prettiest green eyes, whose house he’d be able to see if he just glanced over his shoulder. He hadn’t been able to stop thinking about her, except the thoughts of her in his head were haunting. They consisted of her teary eyes, of the hurt and anger painted across her face, of the fierce betrayal heavy in her voice when she told him to leave. And as much as Calum tried to think of the happier times he’d had with her since his arrival to Florida, he couldn’t, because he knew he didn’t deserve to. Why should he be allowed to revere in the good memories of them when he caused her so much pain?

And he hated that his best friend was hurting, too, and that Sloane would eventually have to say goodbye to a relationship that everyone knew was right. Calum could tell, just by looking at them, how much Sloane and Luke meant to each other, how years of friendship had finally blossomed into a mutual love that was a long time coming. And it would all come to an end because of a stupid fucking arrangement. Fuck, Calum was desperate to figure a way out of this mess that would be beneficial for everyone involved. Maybe he could.

“I know,” Luke responded to Calum’s apology, a small and appreciative smile hinting at his dimples. Luke sighed, broad shoulders sinking as he breathed out, “It’s just. . .”

“A shit situation.”

“Completely.”

Their mutual understanding made for an easy silence as they continued the game, interrupted only when Calum’s phone notified him of a text message. His heart dropped when he read Sloane’s text.

Come to the hospital. I’m with River. It’s not good.

He was pretty sure he’d broken some traffic laws on his way to the hospital, but Calum didn’t give a fuck.

The smell of disinfectant burned Calum’s nose as he burst into the hospital like a madman, but that was the least of his worries. He immediately turned to walk down the familiar path that led to the elevators that would take him to Maggie’s floor, only to be stopped by Sloane’s voice calling out his name. His heart was pounding as he looked to his left, eyes landing on Sloane sitting in the waiting room, River right next to her. Throat locked, Calum made his way over, feeling his fingers trembling and not entirely trusting his knees to keep him supported as he took in the sight of River.

She sat next to Sloane, whose arms were wrapped around her, while River’s head leaned against her shoulder. The air rushed out of Calum’s lungs as he took in her face; tear streaked and flushed, but completely void of any emotions. She stared blankly ahead at the floor in front of her, oblivious and uncaring to the world around her, and the nausea twisted Calum’s stomach as he neared her. Oh, no. Oh no oh no oh no. His gaze met Sloane’s, who was trying her best to comfort River during an inconsolable time, and Calum knew just how terribly River’s world had blown up.

Calum crouched down in front of River, ignoring the trembling of his legs and the weight of the chains around his neck seemed to have on him as he peered up at her. She hadn’t looked at him, staring out into space. She looked so haunted, so empty, and Calum wanted nothing more than to turn back time and make it all better for her. To bring that smile he’d fallen so deeply in love with return to its rightful place.

“She had a stroke.” River’s voice was a broken whisper, just barely heard in the noise of the hospital, but enough to tighten Calum’s stomach and send his heart flying into his throat. “The flu and her diabetes it just—it was too much. Sh-she had a stroke.” Her watery, red rimmed green eyes met Calum’s glassy brown, her lower lip trembling. “Grams is gone.”

He wanted to cry. Over the loss of the loving woman, over the scalding pain River was experiencing, over all of the fucking bullshit she’s had to face, and over his own part in some of it. And despite feeling his own body tremble, he refused to be anything but strong and sturdy for her.

He reached for her hands. “River, I’m so—”

“No, no,” she shook her head, a frown on her face as she pulled her hands from him. Calum and Sloane watched, his throat tightening as a sob ripped through River, and he could feel every bit of his heart breaking as fresh tears escaped her and she cried, “No, you lied to me. You’re a liar.” She tried to move away, pushing herself further into the chair as the movements forced Sloane’s arms from around her, but River was too busy looking at Calum like he’d ripped her heart out, and he fucking hated himself for it. “You’re just gonna leave me. You’re gonna leave just like my mom and dad and Grams. You’re just gonna—”

“Hey, hey, baby, please.” Calum kicked himself into action, his voice smooth and hoping to comfort her as he pushed himself up and into the seat next to River. He gently grasped her arms, heart thudding as she tried to half heartedly struggle against him, her sobs growing louder and louder. He was aware of people looking their way, had half a mind to tell them to fuck off as his gaze met Sloane’s worried one. She looked almost as distraught as Calum felt as he pulled a crying, struggling River into him. “Shh, River, I got you.”

His voice was smooth despite his own emotions threatening to lock his throat, but Calum was efficient in pulling River into his lap, hugging her to him as her face buried in the crook of his neck and her body wracked with the sobs escaping her. He barely noticed Sloane lean back into her chair, palms pressed together as she brought her hands to her lips, watching as Calum did his best to keep himself together in order to comfort the woman falling apart in his arms.

Every cry that fell from River’s mouth sunk deeply into his bones, his eyes squeezing shut as he pressed his cheek against her head, holding her tightly and rubbing her back as he cradled her to him. It was the most devastating sound, hearing her cry so deeply, so brokenly. Nothing he could do would ease her pain, Calum knew. But being with River, holding her and letting her cry, was the only way he knew, for now, to let her know he wasn’t going to leave her. Fuck the arrangement. Fuck the drama. Fuck all of this pain that no one had expected. He was going to figure out a way to stop this from controlling—ruining—their lives. He wasn’t going to leave River. Not now, not ever.

*****

We’ve narrowed it down to these three spots. If we’re aiming for an October wedding, I think an indoor venue would be best. Look these over with Calum and let us know what you decide. Quickly.

It was that short and precise e-mail from her mother that had Sloane’s heart dropping into the very pit of her stomach where it continued to sink lower, her heart beginning to pick up its pace at an uncontrollable rate that made it increasingly difficult to breathe. It was one fucking e-mail that sent reality crashing down around Sloane, reminding her of the quickly approaching end of this trip and, more importantly, her relationship with Luke.

But nothing about this was easy because, fuck, she couldn’t just switch off her feelings. She couldn’t just pretend that being with Luke for these past few weeks and taking their years of friendship to a completely different level hadn’t been the best thing to happen to her. Like this wasn’t the happiest she’d ever been in so long. No. No, she wasn’t ready. She wasn’t ready to let go of the tranquility of this beach, of the easy going and blissful happiness she’s felt since being with Luke and trade it in for the suffocation that was waiting for her back in New York.

Sloane shot to her feet, the sand sinking between her toes thanks to the flip flops she was wearing, ignoring the confused calls of her friends as she quickly walked away, directionless, too lost in her thoughts and panic to actually decide where to go. Rather, she just walked under the glare of the sun and away from the bewildered voices of her friends. The sand was hot beneath her feet as she kept going, the thundering of her heart louder than the waves of the ocean and the chatter of other beach goers, and Sloane was too busy drowning in her thoughts to notice that someone had been running after her.

“Hey, hey, hey.” Luke’s quick voice had her stopping, especially when he came in front of her with his hands on her shoulders. His sunglasses were missing, allowing for her to see the concern in his baby blues, the pendant of his necklace dangling at his swift movements as he took in the sight of her alarmed eyes. “Sloane, what’s going on?”

“I can’t get married,” she rushed out breathlessly, unable to keep her feelings inside, needing to get rid of the thoughts dizzying her head. One look at Luke and she couldn’t keep it in. Sloane’s breathing was heavy as she ran her fingers through her dark hair and continued on, “I can’t go back to New York and get married. Not when I don’t love Calum the way I love you. It’s not fucking fair.”

Luke’s lips parted as he stared at her, and through her panic Sloane wasn’t oblivious to the confession she’d just uttered. Except it didn’t really feel like a confession; it was just a statement of truth, of something that had been true for a lot longer than Sloane ever realized. And telling Luke like this, in the middle of what was about to be a panic attack, wasn’t the most romantic situation. But it was the truth. And he deserved as much.

But however obvious Sloane’s words were to herself, they weren’t as much to Luke as his back straightened, eyes widened despite the heat of the sun as he stammered out, “You love me?”

Briefly, Sloane got a sense of deja vu from that night on the deck when feelings were first being confessed—by him, not by her. And for a moment, she felt a sense of calm as her lips quirked up, features softening as she took in the relieved, joyous, and mildly shocked look on Luke’s face. He was too fucking adorable. “Is it really that much of a surprise?” Luke let out a breath, the surprise in it evident, and Sloane took a step towards him and reached up to cup his cheeks, adoring the tickle of his facial hair in his palms as her blue eyes met his. “Of course I love you,” she reassured, laughing gently. “I wanna be with you, not Calum.”

“Ouch.”

Luke looked over Sloane’s head just as she turned around, letting out a breath at the sight of Calum squinting at them against the sun, brown skin glistening from the water he’d just emerged from. Getting him to enjoy a day at the beach with all of them had been difficult, given that all he wanted to do was be with River. But her mom, according to Calum, had finally shown up for the reading of River’s grandmother’s will, and they were currently with the lawyer, something River had wanted to do by herself, apparently.

Calum was wearing a subtle smirk of his own, obviously not hurt by Sloane’s statement as her shoulders dropped with a shake of her head. “You know I love you, Cal, but I just—we can’t do this.” Her words began picking up their pace again, her panic making her talk a bit too fast. “With all these e-mails about you needing to pick a suit and me having to decide on the flowers and then us having to decide on the venue and give a final headcount to send out the invites, I just—it’s making me realize how real all of this shit is and it’s getting really hard to breathe. I mean—” She stopped, glancing back at Luke and then at Calum, letting out a heavy breath as her heart continued to pound, shaking her head as she asked, “I can’t get married to someone I don’t love. You can’t either.”

Licking his lips, Calum nodded, the dimples on the upper parts of his cheeks appearing as he continued to squint his eyes. “You’re right,” he agreed, hands on his hips as his brown eyed gaze swept over the two of them. Then, with a tilt of his chin and a far too casual tone, he declared, “You two should get married.”

Behind her, Sloane heard Luke choke on nothing but air. She, however, stared at Calum with an almost comical level of dumbfoundment as she tried to figure out if she had heard him right over the water and chatter of the beach. But he just looked at the two of them, expression terrifyingly serious, and Sloane’s expression fell with a drop of her jaw and widening of her eyes despite the sun threatening to burn her corneas. “Are you—” she stammered, throat dry. “Did you drink too many beers or something? What the fuck, Calum?”

He had to be joking. He couldn’t possibly think they would take him seriously with an idea that fucking far fetched.

“I’m perfectly sober, thank you.” Well, there went that idea. Sloane’s throat worked, gaping at him, knowing Luke was probably mirroring the same expression behind her. When Calum took in their reactions, he let out an impatient huff. “Come on, it’s not that crazy of an idea if you think about it.”

“Yes, the fuck it is!” Luke finally sounded, stepping up next to Sloane as she nodded along vigorously. Okay. At least she wasn’t the only one who thought Calum had lost his mind. “We—we’ve only been together for a couple of weeks, and—”

“And you’ve been friends for years,” Calum interrupted calmly. Sloane had a feeling he found their incredulity a bit too amusing. “And, come on, guys, the way you two act around each other? You might as well have been married for years.”

Sloane’s face flushed, but her disbelief over Calum’s seemingly grand plan was still raging. “So let me get this straight,” she spoke up with a furrow of her brows, holding a hand out as a way of wanting them both to keep quiet. She pointed at Calum as she spoke with a raise of her eyebrows, “You want Luke and I to get married just so we can avoid the arrangement our parents set up?”

“Yes.” Sloane scoffed with a shake of her head, needing to take a step away as she met Luke’s disbelieving expression with one of her own. “Look, Sloane.” Her gaze met Calum’s once more. “The merger for the companies is already underway. There’s no chance of our parents stopping the process, or of them revoking our right to lead the companies since they’ve already began the paperwork of handing it all to us. The only reason they wanted us to get married was so that each half of the businesses stay within the respective families while having overall control of the conglomerate. But I know us. I know how well we’d work together—as partners, not husband and wife.” He said the last few words with a dismissive scoff that Sloane wholeheartedly agreed with. “Our folks—they think merging both business and family would make for a stronger deal, but I know it’s only gonna end up messing things up in the long run. If you and Luke get married, they can’t force marriage on us. We’d still get to be partners, and you’ll be married to the guy you actually love. It’s a win-win.”

When he said it like that, it made everything sound so simple. And, maybe in a way, it was. Sloane knew the marriage part of the deal was built out of their parents’ fear of losing control over the companies. The pretense of being one big happy family provided them with a safety net of still being a part of everything they had worked for without fear of losing it. The only reason Sloane had agreed to the deal in the first place was because she felt as though she owed it to her parents. But the longer she thought about it, the more she realized it was because her parents feared she wouldn’t live up to what her brother could’ve possibly done with the company. Marrying her off to the business partner’s son granted her a high status within the company and maybe, according to the darker and resentful part of Sloane’s mind, give them more leeway in controlling what went on. Which is something she doubted they’d do had it been Jacob who was taking over.

Control, control, control. That’s what it came down to. And she refused to let her parents have any over her.

Sloane let out a slow breath, crossing her arms over her chest as her blue eyes locked with Calum’s brown. “You’ve thought this through, huh?”

“I had to,” Calum shrugged, a small smile tugging at his lips. “It’s not just your freedom that’s at stake here.”

Sloane laughed lightly before the reality of the situation set in, expression dropping as she shook her head and looked at Luke, who was still trying to process whatever the fuck was going on. She didn’t blame him. This was. . .  A big fucking deal, to say the least. She swallowed and turned her gaze to Calum as she began, “I don’t think—”

“We could do it.”

Sloane cut off at the sound of Luke’s voice, his words seeming to choke her out of speaking as her widened eyes turned to him. She saw him nodding to himself, thoughtful gaze on the sand as his golden curls danced against the breeze. Sloane let out a startled breath. “I—what? Luke, what’re you—”

“It’s crazy.” Luke turned to face her, shaking his head to tell her the insanity of this idea wasn’t lost on him, but he didn’t seem to care. “Like, completely mental. And this wasn’t how I expected for any of this to go but, fuck, Sloane, I don’t care how we end up getting married—as long as I’m married to you, I’ll be the luckiest man in the world.”

Her eyes widened, staring at him in utter incredulity, not at all expecting him to say any of the cheesy, sweet, wonderful things he’d just said. For the past few months the only thought of marriage Sloane had was her impending one to Calum, one that kind of made her want to run away just to escape feeling like both her and her friend were being locked down against their will. But now, thinking of marriage in terms of doing so with Luke—he was right. It was fucking insane, and yet, it sounded perfect.

The sincerity in his eyes was obvious; he took her hands in his, squeezing them, and Sloane felt the sting in her eyes as she realized just how on board with this idea Luke was. This crazy, possibly stupid, definitely brilliant idea. “Are—are you serious?” Her voice was a whisper, unable to speak up out of fear of shattering what she was hoping was reality. With a dazed laugh, she asked the man in front of her, “You wanna get married?”

Luke squeezed her hands, the grin on his face bringing forth his dimples that she loved. “Yes.”

Sloane pressed her lips together, giving a shake of her head. She wanted him to be sure. Totally, completely sure. Because this was crazy and kind of exactly what she wanted. “Are you sure, Lu? This—it’s a huge fucking step. Like. We’ve only just started and we’re jumping all the way to the end.”

“Sweetheart,” Luke began with a breath, letting go of her hands to cup her cheeks. He ducked his head slightly to lock their gazes. “I’ve wanted to be with you for years. I’ve loved you for roughly just as long. Trust me—I wanted to do this right, but I’m pretty sure this is it. This is our right. And I’m down if you’re down.”

Despite him successfully bringing forth a new wave of tears, Sloane let out a breathy laugh, leaning into his touch as she mused playfully, “You’re down to marry me?”      

Luke’s grin widened, briefly biting his lower lip as he pressed his forehead to hers. “So down.”

Her chest fell with a sharp exhale of her breath, not even realizing that the tightness of her chest was replaced by this light, airy flutter that brought forth a smile on her face too wide to control. And right when she went to kiss Luke, to melt into him with all the insanity of this idea, the voice of their forgotten friend spoke up, smug in all his glory as he stated, “You’re welcome.”

*****

Giving his ex-fianceé away to marry one of his best friends should’ve been strange, in most cases—though, were there ever cases such as this?—but not for Calum. No, he happily, contently, walked Sloane down the steps of the back deck of the beach house and down the beach, just a little ways away from the shore that served as a natural altar where Luke stood waiting for his favorite girl’s arrival. It was a sight Calum felt lucky to witness.

It had taken Luke and Sloane a day and a half to acquire a marriage license from the city hall, the same amount of time it took Ashton, Michael and Crystal to adjust to this life changing decision their friends had made. But they had reacted like Calum; although they hadn’t suggested the idea like their blue haired friend, it was one that they knew, down the road, was a good idea. Because if any two people were to spontaneously get married, it was fitting that it was Luke and Sloane.

And the look on his face when he saw her approach in the knee length, white lace dress she’d gone out to buy with Crystal, a meadowy bouquet of sunflowers and chrysanthemums in her hand—Calum knew he’d made the right choice in suggesting the idea, and that they’d made the perfect choice in agreeing to it.

Ashton stood up there with Luke—they’d all put on the only somewhat formal clothes they had of button downs and pants—hands clasped in front of him and a grin on his face. Calum could tell he was excited to marry his two friends, especially given that he’d damn near cried when Luke asked him if he’d be willing to get ordained online to do so. It was a whole thing. Everyone had been emotional the past day or so.

“Oh, I can’t believe we’re doing this,” Sloane breathed out through her smile as her and Calum neared where everyone stood.

He glanced at her, his own smile tilting his lips when he saw the brightness of her blue eyes, accentuated by long eyelashes. “You nervous?”

“A little,” Sloane admitted, her grin suddenly widening, and Calum glanced forward to see Luke’s gaze directly on her. His dimpled grin would give the sun a run for its money had it not already been setting in the horizon, coloring the sky in a breathtaking painting of pinks and purples and oranges. A perfect wedding backdrop for his two friends. Sloane let out a breath. “But mostly so ready.”

Calum chuckled deeply, pressing a gentle kiss to Sloane’s cheek once they reached their stop, giving her hands a squeeze as she whispered her heartfelt thanks and giving a clap to Luke’s shoulder before moving to stand with Michael and Crystal to bear witness to this moment. Calum clasped his own hands in front of him, unable to fight the smile from his face as he watched Luke and Sloane face each other. Their happiness was infectious, joyous, and he was so glad they were going through with it.

“Friends,” Ashton spoke up, making sure he was loud enough over the distant sound of waves along the shore. “We are gathered here today. . .”

Ashton’s voice seemed to trail off as someone stepped up to Calum’s left, and it was when he glanced over, feeling his breath catch in his throat when he saw River standing right next to him in a pretty pale pink dress and blonde hair tied back in a braid, wisps of her hair dancing along her jawline in the breeze. He stared at her, feeling the shock take over his body as she quietly murmured, “Guess I’m right on time.”

He didn’t think she’d come. He was at a loss for words in this moment, especially when River glanced at him to offer a brief smile before looking straight ahead once more. Calum could smell her perfume over the scent of the salty ocean, and it was hilarious how easily his muscles seemed to relax in her presence.

The urge to reach out and grab her hand in his was strong, but he refrained from doing so. Instead, he pressed his lips together and looked ahead, focusing on Ashton doing what he did best and speak from his heart about his two friends he was lucky enough to marry. Calum’s throat worked, heart jumping excitedly as Ashton spoke, “Do you, Sloane Irene Thorne, take this man to be your husband?”

The excitement and joy in Sloane’s two word response was tangible as she slid the newly purchased ring onto Luke’s finger and grinned, “I do.”

Of course, Ashton couldn’t stop grinning as well as he shifted his hazel eyes to Luke. “And do you, Luke Robert Hemmings, take this woman to be your wife?”

His dimples hadn’t ever been so deep, Calum thought, as he watched the blonde slide the ring easily onto Sloane’s ring finger. “I do.”

“Then what’re you waiting for? Kiss her!”

They were silent as they walked along the shore, with River holding her sandals by the straps in one hand as Freddie ran along in front of them. She’d brought him out after the ceremony, allowing for the dog to run around and get some fresh air after providing Calum with kisses he didn’t think he deserved. The sun had long since set, the only lights coming from the moon above and the few still open concession stands a few aways away. The sleeves of the button down Calum had decided to wear were folded up to his elbows, hands buried in the pockets of his pants a bit nervously.

The silence was getting a bit too heavy, drying Calum’s throat as he cleared it and said, “I’m glad you came to the ceremony.”

“Why?” River responded lightly, thoughtfully. “So I could see you had no intention of marrying Sloane?”

His jaw tightened in shame. “River—”

“No, what was supposed to happen, Calum?” she demanded, stopping and facing him. Freddie stopped as well, pawing at the sand. Calum took in the frown on her eyebrows and lips, looking up at him questioningly. “You thought, what, we would just screw around and then you’d go back home and get married and whatever happened between us was just your way of temporarily distancing yourself from reality? You never stopped to think how it’d make me feel?”

“Of course I did,” Calum defended, his own eyebrows coming together at the accusation of him not caring about her in any sense. “You know all the details now, River. You know how complicated and messy things were. Falling in love with you was the last thing I expected to happen but it did and I don’t regret it for a single second.” He let out a sharp breath through his nose, feeling as though the deep rasp of his voice was interrupting the quiet of the night. His brown eyes remained on her green as he added, “The only thing I regret is hurting you. It was selfish of me and I’m so sorry.”

The silence fell over them once more like a blanket as Calum felt River’s eyes inspect every inch of his face, scrutinizing and analyzing him to the full degree. He never looked away, hoping that she’d see just how honest and genuine he was, how regretful. Fuck, he’d understood if she never forgave him, but the mere thought of it wrapped around his heart like an unrelenting iron fist.

“You’re not selfish.” Calum swallowed at River’s words, her tone turning soft as one corner of her lip quirked up briefly. “I know selfish people. You aren’t one of them. Just. . .” She shrugged a shoulder, her smile gentle and empathetic. “A little misguided. But totally selfless. And. . .” She let out a breath, taking a step towards him, head tilting back just a bit to maintain eye contact. “And a really good guy.”

He wasn’t entirely sure what to say. “River—”

“I think a lot of my anger came from me, like, projecting whatever I felt towards my parents.” She laughed softly with a regretful shake of her head. “They’re the most selfish people I know. When they left me I just—I saw it as a betrayal, y’know?” she asked, squinting up at him against the gentle breeze as Calum offered a single nod. “And then when I found out about your engagement to Sloane, it was like all of these feelings just came out and you got the brunt of them.”

Calum’s lips quirked into a small, ashamed smile. “I deserved it.”

“Maybe,” River hummed before letting out a sigh. “But the situation was complicated, to say the least. Life’s fucked up enough as it is and there’s no rule book to go by. I can go on and on about what I would’ve done if I was in your shoes but I can’t really know unless I actually was, y’know? No one knows what they’d do in a situation unless they were in it. I was hurt and I was angry and I’m not completely over it but. . . I do forgive you, Calum.”

The relief was flooding him before he could even stop it, inhaling sharply as he felt a warmth swell in his chest as he asked, “You do?”

She rolled her lips into her mouth and nodded, a lightness in her green eyes that he’d missed desperately. “I do,” she said before letting out a gentle laugh. Calum figured it was because that two word phrase was being thrown a lot around here. Then River shrugged, her smile reappearing as she breezily said, “Love makes you do crazy things, doesn’t it? It’s something Grams always lived by.”

Calum didn’t think he’d dealt with his emotions this much in a long time. But River seemed to bring out a different side in him. His heart thudded at the entirety of River’s statement, licking his lips as he let out a quiet chuckle. “Mags would probably have kicked my ass for hurting you.”

River clicked her tongue, her smile turning fond at the mention of her grandmother. “Nah. She’s big on second chances,” she assured him before letting out a breath. “She gave my mom plenty of second chances but after reading her will, I guess she decided Mom didn’t deserve anymore.” With a sheepish poke to Calum’s stomach, River added, “Don’t worry; you’re still a good egg in Maggie Fischer’s book.”

Her words brought a smile to Calum’s lips, feeling a warmth spread through him at the mention of Maggie before furrowing his eyebrows at River. “Wait, what do you mean about the will?”

Licking her lips, River let out an almost nervous chuckle as she looked out to the dark of the ocean, rubbing her hands down her sides as she told him, “She left everything to me. The house, the car, her trust—it’s all mine.”

As disbelieving as River looked by this information, Calum wasn’t the least bit shocked as he raised his eyebrows at her. “You’re surprised? Of course she left it all to you.”

River pressed her hands to her cheeks, and it was like whatever shock she must’ve felt when the will was first read to her was flooding back as her widened eyes met Calum’s somewhat amused ones. In a dazed, awe-filled whisper, she said, “It’s a lot of money, Calum.”

Calum shrugged, grinning down at her as his brown eyes glinted under the moonlight. “Use some of it to visit me in New York.” Fuck, he didn’t want to even think of the moment where he’d have to leave her.

He took in the smile that grew on River’s face, and his heart jumped into his throat at the knowing look gleaming in her eyes. Calum let out a slow breath as her fingers intertwined with his. Okay. So maybe leaving each other wasn’t going to be in the cards, after all.

*****

“Do you have any idea how—how ridiculous this is? How the hell did you decide this was a good idea without consulting us? What gave you the right to even go through with this?!”

Sloane’s jaw tightened at her mother’s words, matching her glare with her own as she remained seated on the couch in the living room of their home. Calum was right next to her, his presence a comfort as his parents, too, hovered over them in their own outrage. Eyes locked with her mother’s Sloane said, “Nobody needed to give me the right—it’s my life and it was about time I decided to live like it.”

Mrs. Thorne bristled, the fire still alight in her eyes. “Watch your tone with me, Sloane.”

“No, screw that,” she retorted, getting up to her feet. All eyes were on her, trying to weigh her down, but she pushed forward. This was a long time coming, and she wasn’t going to be treated like some fucking toddler. She looked between the two sets of parents, staring at them in disgusted incredulity. “Don’t you guys get it? You’re so desperate to save your businesses that you don’t even care that you’re ruining your childrens’ lives!”

Her father, the calmer of her parents, sighed. “Honey, that’s not what we’re doi—”

“Yes, it is,” Calum spoke up, getting to his feet as well to stand beside Sloane. She glanced up at him, appreciated his stone set features as he came to her aid and both of their defense. “Sloane and I have been friends for years, just like you all have. If you trust us to run the companies, you should trust us to be able to do it as partners, and not force a damn marriage on us that, frankly, makes no sense.” His gaze shifted to Mr. and Mrs. Thorne, an insulted scoff escaping him as he said to them, “You know if it was Jacob instead of Sloane, you never would even propose such a ridiculous idea.”

Sloane saw the way her dad’s features fell, and the haggard look that washed over her mother’s face. While Calum’s parents called his name warningly, Mrs. Thorne ground out through gritted teeth, “How dare you—”

“He’s right, Mom,” Sloane said with a frown, feeling a familiar tug in her chest at the mention of her brother. “I know it had always been part of the plan for Jacob to take over, but you need to trust that I know what I’m doing in terms of the company and not have a marriage clause to tie up loose ends that don’t even exist. It’s not fair to me and Calum. We’ll work as partners, but never in a marriage.

She saw the looks Mr. and Mrs. Hood exchanged with one another, and Sloane had a feeling they were getting through to them. And maybe even her father. Her mother, on the other hand, just shook her head. “So, what, you married Luke to void this arrangement? That’s so childish, Sl—”

“I married Luke because I love him,” she cut in sharply, not allowing to give her mother the opportunity to say anything against the man she loved. Her husband. She fought the ill-timed smile threatening to quirk at her lips. God calling Luke her husband was still something to get used to. “It wasn’t out of spite. We got married because wanted to. Because it felt right and he makes me happy. I don’t expect you to understand—” Her eyes locked with her mother’s as she gave a subtle yet sad shake of her head. “—Not that you’d try to, anyway.”

Her mother frowned, and Sloane wondered if she’d imagined the hurt she’d saw flash across her eyes. Next to her, Calum firmly stated, “The merger can proceed exactly as planned—just without the marriage part of it all. You guys have trusted us with these businesses; try to trust us with our own lives, yeah?”

Mrs. Hood let out a soft snort. “So you can continue to make questionable decisions like dying your hair blue?” she questioned, unimpressed gaze going to his head. His roots were starting to grow out, the blue blending in with the natural dark brown.

Before Calum could respond, Sloane’s father spoke up again. “They’re right.” Sloane looked at him, feeling the hope swell her chest as he nodded. “They’re adults—who are we to try and control every aspect of their lives?” He walked past her mother to stand in front of Sloane, cupping his daughter’s cheeks as he said, “I’ve already lost one kid. I’m not losing another over what I thought was a good decision. Sloane and Calum are smart and capable enough to make overall comprehensive choices in their lives and for the sake of the business.” He sighed, giving a shake of his head as he dropped his hands from Sloane’s cheek and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, and Sloane instantly leaned into her dad’s side as he added, “I just wish I’d been there for the wedding.”

Sloane couldn’t fight the grin from her face as she glanced at Calum, who was smiling over their obvious victory. He had been right, which didn’t surprise Sloane. She knew she had made the right decision in trusting him. This was, she felt, only a small show of how their partnership was going to go. And she couldn’t wait to be his partner, complete with overbearing responsibilities of running a company and being in charge of thousands of employees. All the while being partners. Not husband and wife.

Sloane twisted the silver ring on her finger, feeling her grin widened as she told her dad, “That could be arranged.”

*****

The couple of hundred dollars worth whiskey he drank was far more different than the White Claws he’d indulged in after Luke and Sloane’s first wedding, though it allowed him to enjoy his surroundings just the same. The wedding that had been planned for Sloane and Calum had been completely scrapped, and Calum knew Sloane and Luke’s wedding was far better, lovelier, and purer than his and Sloane’s could’ve ever hoped to be. Because here, Calum could literally feel the happiness and love in the air between his two friends, his gaze sweeping over to where they were in the middle of the dance floor.

Sloane was in a proper wedding dress, still white obviously, still lacey, fitted firmly to her as she managed to easily move as she danced with Luke, the two of them stealing kisses as often as possible and Luke’s dimples never disappearing from view because of the constant smile lighting up his face. Family and friends joined them on the dance floor while others indulged in still eating from the buffet or enjoying the bar as Calum made his way to one side of the room. The venue was a glass enclosed terrace up high in a hotel, the ceiling teeming with greenery hanging from the beams that made up the ceiling, and the large floor to ceiling windows provided a stunning view of the city Calum knew so well on three sides while the entrance way was made up of old fashioned red bricks. Purple and white lights provided an elegant hue to the venue, the flower centerpieces, live band, and gold accents showing Calum that this was, in fact, Sloane and Luke’s wedding. Completely gorgeous.

“What’s a girl gotta do to get asked to dance around here?”

Her smooth, gentle voice had Calum freezing in place, wide eyed gaze staring ahead at the window in front of him. But through the reflection of the glass he caught the hazy figure of the woman standing behind him, and Calum kept a tight grip on his glass as he turned around for his brown eyes to meet a pair of forest green he’d missed so much.

River stood in front of him in a long, flowing red and white flowery dress, some locks of blonde hair tied back into a braid as the rest of it fell to reach her upper arms—it had grown since the last time he’d seen her—while that dainty gold necklace remained a permanent fixture. She looked stunning, her smile glowing against her face as she watched him drink in the sight of her.

“Holy shit,” Calum breathed out, taking the few steps towards her. “You’re here.”

Her grin widened as she confirmed with a giggly, “I’m here!” just as Calum discarded his half empty glass on a nearby table to sweep her up in a hug as tight as he wanted to.

He felt him laugh against her, her own arms around his neck as his wrapped around her waist, her citrus scent far more intoxicating than the expensive whiskey he’d drank. Calum’s heart was thundering against his chest, sure that River could feel it too, as he found himself squeezing his eyes shut, briefly praying that he wasn’t imagining this. But River’s hand went to the back of his head, nails gently scraping against his scalp and he felt himself relaxing in their embrace. This was real. She was real.

“I didn’t think you’d make it,” Calum said as they pulled away, but his arms were still around her, fronts still pressed together.

River laughed gently. “As soon as another flight became available, I booked a seat.” She bit her lower lip briefly, gaze going to her own hands as she pressed them against the lapels of his suit, smiling as her gaze met his once more. “I couldn’t wait to be with you.”

He didn’t think he’d ever felt this happy. Just a little while after he and his friends had gone back to New York, he and River continued talking and she’d told him about her thoughts of moving out of Florida. Late night conversations consisting of her telling him about always wanting to go to New York, and she finally had the means to do so, and Calum had earnestly told her he’d be waiting. Just a few days after that, River had put her grandmother’s house for sale after and began the process of finally moving out of Florida. There was nothing keeping her there and River knew, as she had told Calum, that her grandmother wouldn’t want her to be so alone. New York was the perfect fresh start.

So while Calum oversaw the shipment of River’s things to a loft downtown that she’d fallen in love with—especially after sending Calum who confirmed the beauty of the place—he also impatiently waited for her arrival. If he had it his way, then she’d be moving right into his place. But River wanted to do things the right way—or, well, whatever the right way was given the origin of their relationship—and so Calum waited for her to finally land. Except hurricane season in Florida continued to throw multiple wrenches in that plan, and she’d missed Luke and Sloane’s second, more lavish and populated, wedding.

Until now.

Calum pressed his forehead to hers, arms around her tight as he mumbled, “I missed you.”

“I missed you, too,” River returned earnestly before closing the gap between them, and Calum instantly melted into her the second their lips met. Kissing her felt like coming home; it felt real and right and perfect, and he couldn’t imagine anything else feeling as good as this.

They broke away and Calum pulled her towards the dance floor, where their friends instantly let out cheers at the sight of River, with Sloane pulling her in for a hug and River returning it just as eagerly while also making sure not to step on Sloane’s dress. They danced to a couple of songs, Calum unable to let go of River, wanting her to be close to him as much as possible—not that she had any arguments. The contentment he felt only in her presence had once again returned with her arrival, pulling her in for kisses whenever he wanted to because he could.

After a few songs, he brought River over to where his family was, introducing the woman he loved to his parents and sister, getting the approved pat on the back from his dad as his mom and Mali happily engaged with River. And Calum admired, as the music played around him and people enjoyed the party, how perfect River seemed to fit in with his family. It’s where she belonged, that much he knew to be true.

“Can you believe we’re not stuck anymore?” Calum turned around from where he’d just ordered another drink from the bar to smile at Sloane standing next to him. She looked absolutely stunning, glowing in her happiness, as the two rings on her finger glinted brightly as she held a flute of champagne. The diamond of her engagement ring from Luke looked better on her finger than the one assigned by their parents ever did. Her blue eyes met Calum’s brown, a smile on her face as she said, “We made it out. We got back control.”

Calum let out a long breath, watching the dance floor in front of him. He could make out River and his friends right in the center. The smile on his face widened. “Remember when we thought we wouldn’t?” Shooting Sloane a wink, he added, “I think our wedding would’ve been a bit duller than this.”

She laughed and Calum joined in. It felt good to be able to laugh about something that, at one point, had twisted up both of their insides and, to some extent, strained their friendship for a brief period. Calum was beyond glad that was over. “I’ll drink to that,” Sloane agreed, and Calum snorted as he clinked his glass with hers and took a sip of his vodka. When she lowered her glass, Sloane added in a hum, “I’m glad River’s finally here. Now you can stop moping.”

Calum stammered out a protesting sound as Sloane merely smirked, and he huffed as he denied, “I didn’t mope.”

“Please,” Sloane scoffed with a roll of her eyes, throwing Calum an unconvinced look. “People at the office think you’re some broody dude when in reality you’re just pouty because you missed your girlfriend.” She gestured towards the dance floor with her glass, smiling. “Not anymore.”

Calum made a face, though he couldn’t argue with her. With a tilt of his head, he turned to the bride and asked, “If I’m the broody one, what’re you?”

Sloane’s expression fell, huffing as she admitted, “The happy-go-lucky married one.”

That prompted Calum to laugh. Not at her title, but the dejected way in which she said it. “What’s so wrong with that?”

“Nothing—they just need to take me seriously,” Sloane decided, finishing the rest of her glass before putting it on the bar behind them. Pointing at Luke, she said, “When I’m back from the honeymoon, you and I are redoing how we present ourselves to everyone, okay? We gotta be badass CEOs in that building. Not blissed out dummies in love.”

Calum smirked as his gaze swept over to the dance floor once more, watching as River tried to teach Luke how to dance to the Spanish song that was currently playing. He was struggling, of course, but that didn’t stop his loud laughter from ringing out above the music and River to shake her head in utter amusement, though she didn’t give up. Calum’s smirk turned into a grin, the sight warming his heart more than he expected it to.

With a short laugh, he said, “We are blissed out dummies in love.”

He looked at Sloane, who’d been watching Luke and River just as he had, and the grin on her face told him she was just as content as he was. It wasn’t a bad idea after all. “Yeah, we are.” Sloane then linked her arm with Calum’s, grinning up at him as she giggled, “Come on—the only toes Luke should be stepping on are mine.”

His drink was forgotten at the bar, but Calum didn’t care as he and Sloane pushed themselves to the middle of the dance floor, joining their friends as River made her way to Calum and Sloane went back to Luke. Sloane was right: they were no longer stuck in the middle of a situation that had seemed too impossible to work through. Now, they were just stuck in the middle of a dance floor surrounded by their loved ones, celebrating Luke and Sloane’s love. And as Calum danced with River, pressing a kiss to her lips, he kind of couldn’t wait until they were celebrating the two of them, too.

--

tags: @irwinkitten @sweetcherrymike @meetashthere @valentinelrh @softforcal @astroashtonio @hereforlukescruff @novacanecalum @captain-what-is-going-on @angelbbycal @singt0mecalum @hopelessxcynic @lfwallscouldtalk @bodhi-black @findingliam-o @softlrh @calntynes @calumsmermaid @erikamarie41 @quintodosuniversos @longlastingdaydream @babylon-corgis @lukehemmingsunflower @spideyseavey @imfuckin10plybud @pastelpapermoons @conquerwhatliesahead92 @rotten-kandy @cxddlyash @metangi @neigcthood @ohhmuke @old-zeppelin-shirt @5sos-and-hessa @dammitbands @sexgodashton @trustmeimawhalebiologist @vxlentinecal @pettybassists @vaporshawn @lu-my-golden-boi @buggy-blogs @visualm3nte @isabella-mae13 @dontjinx-it @lifeakaharry @neonweeknds @antisocialbandmate @ixcantxdecidexwhosxmyxfave @calpalbby @grreatgooglymoogly @sunnysidesblog @cocktail-calum @miahelizaaabeth @madelynerin @dramallamawithsparkles @theagenderwhocriedwolf @kaytiebug14 @hoodskillerqueen @bitchinbabylon @empathycth @xhaileyreneex @inlovehoodx @calistheloml @aestheticrelated @bloodlinecal @sublimehood @madbomb @raabiac @britnicole11 @outofmylimitcal @fluffsshawn @bloodmoonashton @vxidhood​ @tea4sykes

[serpent-squad]

Mutual Attraction |Part 2| Fangs Fogarty

Part 1 | Part 3 

Pairing: Fangs Fogarty x Reader

Summary: As the merger of the two high schools in Riverdale commence, the serpents are determined to take full advantage of this opportunity. Fangs in particular has decided to dive head first into a ‘normal’ lifestyle. As he sees Y/N around Riverdale High School, he’s instantly intrigued. Will she feel the same? Will it progress past glances in the hallway? Will their love be deemed star crossed before it even begins?

Word count: 4535. If this is too long, let me know?

A/N: I’m really loving writing this fic. I hope you all are loving it too. Any feedback or critique is welcomed. Please! I’m trying to grow as a writer so it’s all appreciated! @sweet-fogarty-topaz requested a prompt from this list and I turned it into a short fic. The prompt part is coming soon :) I promise. 

*If anyone wants to be tagged in the other parts, let me know! Or if you just want to be added to a tag list in general, as I plan on writing other fics and such for Riverdale after I finish this one!

Fangs is working at Pop’s but why? What could this serpent possibly want to do at Pop’s? Y/N couldn’t wrap her mind around it, she was speechless. As Fangs emerged from the back in the white Pop’s uniform, Y/N couldn’t help but notice how devilishly handsome he looked. The white button up shirt hugged close to his toned body, causing his biceps to bulge around the too tight sleeves. Even that ridiculous hat couldn’t make him look bad, Y/N rolled her eyes as she laughed to herself at the thought.

“Enjoying the view, Princess?”, the lengthy serpent mocked with a smirk.

“Excuse m-”, Y/N was cut off before she could defend herself.

“I’m Sweet Pea. Fangs’ best friend.”, Sweet Pea extended a hand.

“Uhm one of his best friends”, coughed the pink haired serpent, “I’m Toni.”

“Do you guys need anything?”, Y/N asked obviously confused as to why they were speaking to her.

“Calm down Northie. We won’t hurt you.”, Sweet Pea replied knowing it would make her nervous.

“Don’t call me that!”, sneered Y/N shooting the lengthy serpent a glare.

“Well maybe if we knew your name we could call you something else?”, smiled Toni trying to make Sweet Pea back off.

“I’m Y/N. I’m sorry…. I don’t mean to come off rude. Just most people don’t care to get to know me”, Y/N stared blankly as Fangs approaches the group.

“Guys can you stop bugging my coworker please. Eat or leave.”, he explains.

Sweet Pea and Toni take the hint and head back to their booth.

“I’m really sorry about them. they mean well. I promise.”, he says.

“It’s okay. They weren’t bugging me,” Y/N smiles nervously.

Why does he do this to me? Just being near him makes my heart beat two times faster than normal. Pop Tate approaches the two.

“Alight. Fangs you will be training back in the kitchen for a while. You two will be working the same shift, mostly six pm to two am. So later tonight once we slow down, Y/N I want you to show Fangs the ropes for cleaning the tables and the lobby. He’s going to be your new bus boy, so you don’t have to wait tables and clean up afterwards by yourself. ”

Great. Just when you thought you were going to make it through this, Pop drops another bomb on you. Fangs would be the busboy assigned to help clean your tables. You would be alone with Fangs (along with one cook in the back) when things slowed down around one am. Your chest began to tighten at the thought of what could happen, but you shook those thoughts from your brain.

FANGS POV

First thing about Pop’s: these uniforms absolutely suck. I feel like a complete idiot and Sweet Pea didn’t miss the opportunity to make sure I knew it.

“Dude what the actual hell is that on your head?”, Pea stated before busting out laughing. Toni slaps Pea across the back of the head.

“Stop bothering him. He’s our working boy! He’s growing up, Pea!”, Toni stated over dramatizing the reaction.

“I thought I already told the both of you to leave?”, Fangs said before leaving his two best friends behind.

Sweet Pea and Toni had already bothered everyone in Pop’s enough, including Y/N. I apologized on behalf of my friends but she claims they didn’t bother her.

“But still, they’re my friends so I know how they can be.”, I tell her.

“No, they actually seemed nice.”, Y/N uttered under her breath.

“Nice? Sweet Pea? You sure you aren’t sick or something? You need to see a doctor?”, I explain as I lean the back of my hand on her forehead.

Y/N lets out a minuscule giggle as a genuine smile spreads across her lips and her nose crinkles in response. God that smile really takes my breath away.

Y/N seems to catch herself, and slips back into a more serious manner.

“No but really Fangs. Your friends were nothing but nice to me. You don’t have to go beat them up, no worries.”, Y/N smiled.

“Oh, I will. Anyone messes with you let me know! Even if it is that string bean.”, I joked hoping to see that smile again.

Y/N just laughs before walking away. I can tell Y/N still seems extremely uncomfortable, I know we’ve never hung out or aren’t what you’d call ‘friends’, but I hope she isn’t distressed or scared that I’ll be working here. I’ll have to show her I mean well.

Once I talked to Pop and figured out my schedule, I was elated to learn I’d be working the same shifts as Y/N. After adoringly glancing at her for months, I would truly get the chance to get to know her and I had an excuse to now.  After going through the ropes in the kitchen, the cook instructed me that I was done for tonight. I checked my phone, 12:07 am and the diner was dead, before going to find Y/N.  She was leaned against the diner’s windows, looking out into the dark streets.  

“Waiting for your knight in shining armor to come sweep his princess off her feet?”, I chuckled at my joke. Y/N spun around and threw the dish towel she had been holding towards me before glaring in my direction.

“Hey! I’m only joking! Please have mercy your highness.” Y/N finally let a smile crack her glaring expression.

“No more or that’ll be off with your head!”, Y/N declared with a smirk spreading across her face.

I couldn’t contain myself and hunched over with laughter at the sight of her going along with my joke.

“Alright that’s enough. I’m supposed to be teaching you how to clean. Let’s get to it.”, Y/N explained.

Y/N’s POV

I’ve not even spent a whole shift with Fangs and he has me laughing and blabbering on like an idiot. Showing him how to bus a table and clean the lobby was nothing. Collectively it would probably take about thirty minutes, after all it’s not rocket science. Which only meant—we’d have at least two hours to kill together in this diner, with the few late-night stragglers that come in. Usually a certain dark-haired boy wearing a beanie, and as of lately a similar serpent jacket to Fangs’. Not many people would be out this late, seeing as Riverdale isn’t considered the safest place anymore. Trying to make small talk is painful for me to do usually, but with Fangs talking just comes so easy. After showing him what to do I went behind the counter to check my phone. 12:46 am. A few minutes later, I didn’t notice Fangs slip onto the stool across me.

“There’s no one in here. Is it usually this way after the rush?”, he asks.

“Yeah pretty much. We have our busy nights, the weekend, of course.  But the weeks we only usually get the regular few.”

“So, we have a while until two. Tell me your story, Y/N.”, Fangs said.

“My story?”, I asked quizzically.

“Yeah. I want to know about you, I mean only if you’re comfortable telling me. We’re going to be coworkers and it seems like we’ll be spending a lot of time together… Here, how about you ask me anything you want to know first?”, Fangs crossed his arms and leaned forward on the counter top.

Why does he want to know about me? I’ve had questions about this mysterious serpent since the first day I saw him at school, but I never thought I’d get the opportunity to ask him.

“I have things I’m curious about…” I trailed off, “but I don’t want to offend you.”, I murmured

“Sweetheart. I doubt you could offend me. For you? I’m an open book. Ask away!”, Fangs smiled sweetly at me.

“Why’d you join the serpents?”, I blurt it out before I can even give it another thought. “If that questions off limits I understand, it might be too personal.”

“No! The more personal the questions the better. I told you I want to get to know you. Not just some superficial front you put on for everyone, the real you. So, it’s only fair you know the real me.”, Fangs smiled before he started.

How does he know that? We’re strangers, yet he can tell that I put on a front with everyone.

“It all started back in eighth grade, believe it or not. I moved to Riverdale that year and into Sunnyside trailer park. I was super bummed about a new school with new people. I was going to be ‘the new kid’ and I knew what that came with. And exactly what I expected happened. I was bullied on the regular just because I was a new kid, no one wanted to get to know me. I was alone…”, Fangs said through his downcast gaze.

“Don’t feel ashamed. You were just a kid and they were jerks. But what does that have to do with the serpents?”, I ask.

“It has everything to do with it. Being alone on the southside of town practically puts a target on your back. I’m embarrassed that I let myself be a victim of bullying, but it helped build me into who I am today. And I may not be perfect but I wouldn’t have my life any other way Y/N. The serpents are a gang yes, but they’re my family. One day I was ganged up on by a bunch of kids in an older grade. I didn’t know at the time but a certain tall string bean saw what happened that day, and he got a group of his friends to go find those guys. The next day at school Sweet Pea approached me and we’ve been best friends ever since. All he told me was that he got some friends to take care of those guys. Sweet pea couldn’t hide that he was in a gang, I knew but I didn’t want to assume. He told me about him being a part of the serpents and we talked about it, and he told me that they could provide me with what I was looking for.”, he said.

I just watched Fangs as he broke down and told me about his past. I could tell he felt vulnerable telling me this, although I was glad he trusted me to let his guard down.

“Sweet Pea? He has feelings? He cared about some innocent boy being bullied?” I mocked Fangs earlier expression of disbelief when I told him Sweet Pea was nice to me.

“Yeah yeah yeah, make all the fun you want. But Sweet Pea knew I wanted the sense of loyalty that came with the serpents. My family life at home has never been great, don’t get me wrong my parents are there, but they aren’t super invested in my life and they don’t even pretend to care.”, Fangs said, “The day before I started initiation Toni told me ‘You join us, you gotta be willing to die for us. Because we will for you.’ And I realized right there that’s what I wanted. This was going to be my life, this would be my family.”, Fangs finished nodding his head as he stared waiting for my reaction.

“Wow… I-I don’t know what to say Fangs”, was all I could say.

This guy had just poured so much heart and true feelings out in front of me. Maybe he wasn’t at all like what I expected.

“Disappointed that it’s not some badass fighting story?”, Fangs chuckled.

“No, not at all. I’m just surprised, that’s all. I wasn’t expecting you to reveal all this.”

“Like I said Y/N, I want to get to know you. It’s only fair you know the real me.”, Fangs said as he reached his hand across the table to grab mine. “But don’t go telling anyone, I have a bad ass reputation to keep up!”, Fangs smirked.

“Of course. Anything you tell me stays with me. My lips are sealed.”, I smiled as I zipped my lips shut.

I was utterly surprised. This guy who I saw to be this bad ass serpent had opened up to me and told me about his past.

“Well how about you?”, Fangs interrupted my thoughts.

“Compared to you, I’m boring. What you see is what you get mostly. I have my secrets and my demons just like any normal person.”, I shrugged.

“What about your family? What are they like?”, he asked.

I hesitated before deciding it was only right. I wanted to get to know him too whether I would admit it or not. And besides it was nice to have someone to talk to.

“They try, but most nights it’s constant fighting. Yelling, throwing things, and breaking stuff around the house. That’s actually why I prefer to work these shifts. By the time I’m home, they’re both usually asleep. And that’s the only time they aren’t at each other’s throats.”, I said. Before Fangs could reply I start again, “they like to act like everything is perfect to an outsider looking in. Just like most typical ‘northside’ families. It makes me sick to even be out in public with them and see them put on the act.”

And just like that I had told this practical stranger about something I’ve never told anyone else in Riverdale. But yet it felt good to tell him, it wasn’t forced. The words just flooded out.

“Damn. I’m sorry about them fighting and stuff. I know how it feels to be around all the time.”, he said.

“It was harder when I was younger. Now I try to avoid it mostly, and that’s working pretty well for me.”, I shrug.

“But what about friends? You’re from the northside, but I never see you with Betty or Cheryl or any of them..”

As I hear him say those names, I can’t help but laugh a little causing fangs puzzled expression.

“I try to steer clear of that crowd all together. I talk to Jughead from time to time here and we say hello in passing at school, but that’s pretty much it. I try to be cordial with everyone I come across though. And I may live on the northside but I prefer not to identify with sides. I’m just Y/N Y/L/N, an average girl that just blends into the background.”, I say.

“Don’t sell yourself short. From the first day I was at Riverdale I noticed you. You are anything but average Y/N”, Fangs smiles sheepishly.

I felt my face flush red. He noticed me and had remembered it. Was he flirting with me? No way. No way. He’s just being nice. Reaching out to the loner girl with no friends. Don’t get your hopes up Y/N.

The conversation pretty much winded down from there as it was almost time for us to leave. Both of you had revealed information about your past to each other. You felt a weight lifted off your shoulders. You had finally opened up to someone and it was a person you least expected, but you felt like you were on cloud nine.

Fangs and I started sharing more with each other as we got to spend additional time together. Weeks had past and I cherished our nights together and would look forward to them everyday at school. Watching the clock tick by until finally it was time to leave school and then shortly I could be heading towards Pop’s to see the guy I was falling head over heels for.

At first our communication started and ended at work, saying our goodbyes as we left the diner when the next shift came to release us, with an unspoken promise of seeing each other the next night. Until one day at school Fangs flashed me that striking smile as we exchanged glances and he started walking towards where I stood at my locker.

“You aren’t worried about what being seen with me would do for your bad boy reputation?”, I snicker.

“I couldn’t care less what these idiots think about me. I’ll still be a bad boy, just a bad boy that missed you Y/N.”, Fangs grinned as he leaned back against the locker next to mine.

Am I hearing correctly? Fangs just said he missed me. I’m freaking out on the inside, but I have to keep it together. Play it cool.

“You can’t resist me huh?”, I wiggled my eyebrows at the serpent while closing my locker.

“Not in the slightest bit.”

And with that I left Fangs leaning against the lockers in the hallway as I walked towards my next class. Looking over my shoulder I see Fangs seemingly beaming face with smiling eyes. Could I possible have this effect on him?

FANGS’ POV

Leaning against the lockers I caught myself smiling like an idiot. Man was I in deep with this one. Y/N isn’t like the other girls in Riverdale. These last few weeks we’ve really gotten a chance to get close and I love the nights we share together, just talking about any and everything. At first, I thought I was in control, I figured this was some stupid crush and it would pass. But as I sit here smiling to myself over the simple conversation we just shared I realized she was what I needed. Someone who could make me forget where I came from and someone who could make me love before I ever realized I was falling. I was interrupted from my reflection by a loud banging ringing through my ear.

“Holy shit Pea. What’s your problem?”, I shout.

“Nothing, just waking lover boy from his day dream.”, Pea laughed.

“Hey, knock it off Sweet pea. Don’t be jealous.”, Toni poked.

“Guys there’s nothing to be jealous of. I was just waiting for you and saw her, decided to say hello. It’s not a crime to talk to other people, ya know.”, I grimace.

“Okay cut the shit Fangs. We know you better than anyone in this school, hell better than anyone in this town. You’ve got it bad for Y/N.”, Toni states crossing her arms, “Why can’t you just admit it?”

“Seriously dude. We’ve seen the way you guys have looked at each other since day one at Pop’s. What are you waiting on? Better hurry fast, before one of these bulldogs finally pounce.”, Pea teased.

“She would never go for any of those imbeciles. “, I mutter in a hush tone as I twist my ring.  

“Fangs we’re telling you because we care about you. And besides, we like Y/N. We’ve seen you two together at Pop’s and she’d be good for you. Anyone that’s good to our boy is a friend of ours.”, Toni reassures as she pats Pea on the back as if to get him to agree. He nods his head in agreement.

“Okay I’ll tell her tonight once things slow down. I just don’t want to scare her anyway. It’s been a long time since I’ve had a connection like this with someone and I don’t want to fuck shit up.”, I confess

“Take it from another girl, I’ve seen the way she looks at you. Besides you can’t hold this kind of stuff in, you’ll be left thinking ‘what if’ for the rest of your life, and that’s just not a way to live. And like Pea said, I know it would kill you to see Y/N with someone else.”, Toni stated.

“Plus, you’re a damn smoke show dude.”, Sweet Pea winked at me through laughter.

“Stop flirting with me you string bean. I’m flattered but I’m off the market.”, I said as we erupted with laughter and headed down the hallway to class.

This day seemed to drag on perpetually. I tried to pay attention in class but all I could think about was Y/N. I found myself daydreaming of her mesmerizing eyes, the way she bites her bottom lip when she’s nervous or confused, and the enticing curves of her body. But most importantly the way her nose wrinkles when she smiles or laughs, the way she even snorts sometimes when she laughs too hard, or how she can just blabber on for hours about the things she’s most passionate about. Never did I expect to fall so suddenly like this.

As the school day finally comes to an end, it was time to head over to Pop’s. I waited outside in the parking lot for Toni and Sweet Pea like I do every day as I saw Y/N walking towards me.

“Hey Fangs! Waiting on the other two parts of the trio?”, Y/N smiled as she held her notebook to her chest.

“Yep, waiting on my serpents in crime.”, I chimed as a smirk spread across my lips. Just then Sweet Pea and Toni come up behind Y/N.

“Hello loveb-”, Sweet Pea starts before Toni cuts him off, “Hey guys! How are you Y/N?”, Toni says as she stares daggers into Sweet Pea.

“Uh I’m okay.”, Y/N replies as she narrows her eyes towards me as if to ask what’s up with those two. “How about you guys?”, Y/N continues.

“We’re great.”, Toni smiles.

“Alright well I have to be going. Gotta get ready for work tonight. It was nice seeing you guys again. I’ll see you tonight Fangs!”, Y/N says as she walks towards her car.

“Oh yes you will!”, Sweet Pea calls out to her, luckily his words fell on deaf ears.

“Sweet Pea so help me, if you don’t drop it. I told you I’m telling her tonight and I’d like it if you didn’t tell her before I got the chance.”, I sneered.

“He’s done. Good luck tonight Fangs. You have to come see us tonight at the Whyte worm after your shift and tell us more about how in love you two are.”, Toni pats my back before heading to her motorcycle. Sweet Pea is making kissy faces at me as I got on my motorcycle to head home so I could get ready for tonight.

The night went by as usual, same customers, same food, and same dead diner by about one thirty. I decide now was time, we had thirty minutes left and I needed to suck it up and tell her. As I swallow the lump that had formed in my throat, I cough in attempt to clear it and get Y/N’s attention.

“Can I talk to you about something, Y/N?”, I asked fidgeting with the pen in my hand.

“Yeah! Of course. You should know by now you can talk to me about anything Fangs.”, Y/N replies with that warm inviting smile plastered on her lips as she continued cleaning the counter.

“It’s a little more complicated than that. Can we sit down?”, I asked shuffling over to her side and avoiding eye contact.

“Yeah, yeah of course.”, She nods before pointing me towards a booth in the empty diner.

We sit there in complete silence for a moment as I try to gather my words. Fidgeting with the ring on my finger as my gaze is fixed on anything but her. Being this nervous wasn’t me, I didn’t know how to deal with it. But telling Y/N how I truly feel terrifies me, because she has all the power to destroy me.

“Okay… I’m just going to start because if I don’t do this now, I’ll be a mess. Look I like you Y/N, and not in like a best friends’ way, in like a I want you to be mine way. You’re absolutely breathtakingly beautiful but it’s more than that. These last few weeks you’ve really showed me what it’s feels like to be alive. You ignite something inside of me that I’ve never felt, you give me these stupid butterflies that I’m not used to, and you just make happier than I’ve ever been. I love talking to you, spending long nights alone with you, and just being around you makes me feel like some giddy boy. I’ve thought of you to be something special since I saw you in the halls the first day of the merger, and these last few weeks have confirmed that. I just want you to know these feelings are real, and I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you. I want this, I want us.”, I said as I stumbled over my words. Just hoping I could convey my feelings appropriately.

Y/N’s POV

As I ran my fingers through my hair, I tried to think of what to say. All I could come up with was a barely audible, “Fangs…”.

Fangs just told me what I had wanted for so long. For months I had been longingly admiring this gorgeous guy, and now he’s right in front of me confessing his feelings. I should be overwhelmed with happiness right now, but why does this feel wrong? The little demon inside my head screams ‘C'mon, this could never work. I mean sure, you can talk and be yourselves in Pop’s when no one’s around. But you two wouldn’t work. You’d be fine a few months tops, but then shortly meet your crippling doom. You’d be left heart broken and be all alone again’ As much as it breaks my heart too admit it, I think my insecurities and doubt in the back of my mind are right. I must protect this friendship if I want to keep Fangs in my life for the long run. No matter how much it hurts me to admit it, I’d rather him stay my friend if that meant I could keep him in my life.

“Fangs you really have no idea how long I’ve waited to hear you say that. I’ve been crushing over you since the day you stepped foot into Riverdale high, and these last few weeks have been incredible. I love spending time with you, and I’ve never had such a genuine connection with anyone. I’m really grateful for you… because if it wasn’t for you I’d still be alone. I was alone before you came into my life and now I finally have someone. Someone I can be myself around, someone I feel comfortable around, someone that knows all my darkness but likes me anyways. But we’d never work…”, I say struggling to get each word out.

“What do you mean?”, he asked through his now clenched jaw.

“Us. We can talk and be ourselves inside Pop’s when we’re alone, but that world out there would never accept us. We’re from two separate worlds and that would ultimately destroy any chance we had together. I want you more than anything, but I can’t lose you in the long run Fangs.”, I say blinking back tears.

“Y/N that’s not true. We would make it work, I want to do that, for you–”, I cut him off before he can finish.

“Fangs I’m sorry… I care about you too much to ever lose you. I’m doing this for our friendship…I-I’m sorry”, I struggle through the words before getting up and walking towards the back.

I couldn’t let him see me cry. I had to do this. I had to put our friendship before my selfish feelings. No matter how much I wanted to just wrap Fangs in my arms and kiss his lips after he confessed his feelings to me, I just couldn’t. As I heard the bell above the diner’s door ring, I peered out the kitchen window and into the lobby. I saw the door sway shut and scanned the lobby, no sign of Fangs. All that was left was his apron and hat placed on the booth.

Tagged: @theyouthfulmoon  &&  @veeandpea

[ddaenghoney]

chapter two

masterlist link in blog description.

As a successful songwriter, you want nothing more than the acknowledgment that the chart-topping musical pieces are your own creations. But contracts, relationships, and the difficulty of facing the stakes involved head on, keep your mouth shut until pressure builds too much.

Pairing(s): Park Jimin x Y/N, Min Yoongi x Y/N

disclaimer: any characters depicted do not represent the actual personality of the respected idol in real life.

Series warning(s)/genre(s): Chapter-based written fic, Slow-burn relationship(s), Fake-dating, Unrequited love, Songwriter/producer!oc, idol!Jimin, idol/songwriter/producer!Yoongi, friends with benefits, drama, romance, smut, angst, fluff (updated as needed)

Chapter warning(s): minor intoxication, .

Word count: 5421

if you enjoy please, please let me know!

In the tiny meeting room, you scribble a few notes into a crummy notebook close to the end of untarnished pages. The four other girls are mostly talkative, casual as they look over the two songs found into their group’s use after Jimin’s crew decided against them and to pass on. You care little of the fact, honestly agreeing with the better suitability of the particular songs aligning to this group’s upcoming softer, warmer, early-spring concept.

Their manager exited already, leaving them to utilize the space for lunch while he handled other miscellaneous affairs.

“Ms. Y/N,” Your eyes met the youngest member as she leaned her head closer to the table so you would pay attention to her words. “Are you going to the club later too?” Your eyebrows furrow at the title, wondering why it would not leave no matter how many people you told to remove the formality.

“Doubt it.” You shrug, then tense as the leader of the group makes a shocked gasp, her long black hair whipping as she turns and faces you.

“What? But I wanted to buy you a drink for helping us so much.” She frowns. The expression is joined by the member sitting beside her equally upset. You glance between the two, then the youngest, and the one beside you.

“I,” You pause, thinking of an excuse other than not being interested in seeing Jimin interact with everyone as if he didn’t know you as more than a friend in the company.

“You,” The girl beside you grips on your shoulder, overtaking the sentence, “Could tag along with us.” She smiles meaningfully, and your lips tighten into a line. Frankly you assumed no one would question the absence, seeing as their had yet to be a question to you joining in the nightlife excursion beyond Jimin’s half-hearted inquisition. “Our makeup artist was going to help us get ready here at the company; I bet she’ll do your makeup too, if you want?”

An assistant enters after a knock, arms weighted from two large bags full of food. He sets it down and leaves, waving off the thanks from the members who immediately begin unpackaging.

“It’ll be fun; a lot of new people from the merger are going,” The youngest member explains to you as if creating reasoning for you to agree. She opens the top on a container of freshly cut fruit, and leans it in your direction. You gently shake your head smiling at the offer,

“I don’t know. I haven’t really had a weekend without doing things for work in a while.”

“Even more of a reason!” The leader nods at you with her cheek stuffed with a bite of a large wrap. “Perfect opportunity to let loose and have fun. Besides you’re a writer, I’m sure it’ll be a great way to get inspired, right?”

“I want to get into songwriting too.” The youngest member says across from you. Her other members make dramatic sounds before bumping into each other's' sentences to support her idea, a couple of mutterings here or there about wishing to do the same.

You wonder about it for a moment, trying to recall the amount of songs artists of the company wrote for themselves. You visualize a disparity in the actual self-sufficiency of them all. To the media, it is perceived that the idols contribute greatly, highlighted by the falsified credentials. Really though, most of the production isn’t up to them; across the board you can only think of a few artists or groups who did more of their own work than not. But they are the minor profiles of the company.

Stepping up from your seat, you collect your notebooks into your bag. “I’m going to head out; text me if you guys have any more comments on ideas you want to see in potential comebacks.”

“Wait, you’re not going to eat?” The member sitting beside you gestures her utensil to the food prepared. It wasn’t ordered for you in the first place, and considering how much these girls work on their performance aspect, you didn’t want to take the calories from them.

“No, I ate breakfast late, so it’s fine.” You wave to them as you walk to the door, trying to reply to their goodbyes with some of your own. Happy you avoided the topic of the club, but contemplative of the lingering thoughts building in your head about their desires to try and create songs independently.

They would undoubtedly need to okay from the company for any production to happen, but did the same need to be said of yourself?

“Oh, good timing,” The door shuts behind you as a voice to your left calls out. Turning to the person, you catch your sight instantly on light blonde locks arranged in slight waves on top of Min Yoongi’s head. They were black days before when you bumped into him last. “Can you give me a hand with this?”

You become aware of the box he’s balancing in one hand and the cylindrical container tucked under the other arm. Though the idea of help isn’t foreign, you can’t help but glance past yourself to see if he was talking to someone else. “Uh, yeah sure,” You agree, reaching as he gives you the light, lengthy container. “I’m sorry for bumping into you the other day, by the way.”

“Oh, was that you?” Yoongi asks you as you follow his pace down the hall, the box repositioned in front of his torso now. The words are calm, genuine in the lack of memory. Somehow the fact makes you nibble the side of your tongue while your gaze hardens in consideration towards the back of his head. A pair of headphones are useless around his neck, bumping into the subtle bounce of his hair with each step. “Don’t worry about it. It’s probably busy running around this place all day.”

You wonder if Yoongi remembers any other times you had interacted with one another. The very first time he seemed more reclusive than how he is in front of you now. During a tour of the building with his shoes following the CEO and her assistant around, you remember their group intersecting with you and Jimin moments before you left that day. He only said a greeting to you both then, despite the clear desire made by Yerin for more casual conversation to occur between Yoongi, his previous company’s golden face, and Jimin who ranks high in the charts since his debut as well.

“So,” Your mouth opens in the quiet that begins to feel uncomfortable when your memory paints the picture of his evasive hardened expression during that first interaction. An attempt to try and patch up any awkwardness that you got around him came out as you asked with an uncertain tone, “This place nicer than the last building?”

Yoongi doesn’t reply right away, not even with a nonverbal queue. You begin thinking he ignored you, especially because your walk behind him led you with no way to see an expression. With that in mind, you look down at the object he asked you to carry along, contemplating an apology for no reason.

“It’s hard to remember the layout.” Yoongi speaks thoughtfully, and you look back up at him. “I guess that’s just because I’m used to the old place.” His voice drifts with that line, softer and if you let yourself assume you would say he seems downcast. “My studio’s bigger here though.” In a way it sounds like he’s weighing his pros to the cons, only happenstance allowing his statement to be timed as an answer to your inquiry. “Ah, but this place isn’t bad.” A cover-up. Quicker spoken than before and Yoongi glances back towards you as his pace slows slightly. He speaks when you reach his side, “Have you worked here long?”

“I guess almost five years at this point.” You answer absently, curious about the change in his replies along the way. Yoongi nods, looking ahead as he comments,

“Long time. Assistants are treated pretty well here, huh?”

You stop in his tracks as the words flow in your ears. Yoongi continues one, two more steps then pauses as well, turning back to face you. Confusion growing in the furrow of his brows and slightly pouting lip. Your expression is certainly incredulous, and you almost want to laugh at the ridiculousness of his perspective. “I’m not an assistant.”

His lips part to speak, but he doesn’t, pondering what about the misunderstanding was causing your face to become visibly frustrated, and your tone to become entirely vexed. Nevertheless, Yoongi faces you properly, bowing his head a little as he speaks, “Ah, I’m sorry. I guess because I always see you with the artists, I thought you were.”

His explanation is fair and you know it. That irritates you the most. Your grip on his item grows more forceful from the frustration, but you sigh to release the senseless anger aiming at his innocent container.

“Then,” Yoongi begins again, though your gaze drifting towards the floor between you both makes him wish he stopped before the next innocent question drifts from his mouth, “Are you dating Jimin-”

“No.” You’re quick to deflate the claim. Yoongi pauses at the rather loud statement that cut into Jimin’s name matching the glare in your eyes when they flick back to him. Your head shakes and you continue walking, “Where’s your studio?”

“I didn’t mean to upset you; I’m sorry-”

“It’s fine, it’s nothing. You wouldn’t know, why would you?” You ramble, eyes searching from plaque to plaque as if you also forgot the layout of the company. “I work here, though. I’m not some random person.” You felt a strong desire to yell the fact, or throw the cylinder in your hand if only to release how annoying it is that he, or anyone, has no reason or way to know whom you are.

“Ah, so,” Yoongi’s stuttering slightly as he thinks of something to say that won’t further serve to irritate you, “What do you do here then?” He briefly considers the idea that you are someone incredibly important and perhaps even someone he should not be acting so casually with, but your abrupt groan pushes him against that. If only because you seem genuinely unable to answer him, but Yoongi couldn’t think of a reason why.

The companies merged, you know that, and Yoongi would be under every legal obligation to not blab to the public about your position as a prominent songwriter in the company that is to remain unnamed in every way. However, you don’t want to say it. In your mind every thought wishes he already knows about you, but that is completely unfair considering reality.

“This one’s your studio?” You come across the door with a scribbled paper taped to it reading SUGA. The design clearly short-term, but as long as you could get away from the embarrassment of having to explain your stupidity in how you are involved with the company, you don’t care. “I help in song production.”

Yoongi notices the spite in your statement, but doesn’t comment on the fact as you place his packaged artwork against the wall. The corner of his lip bunches back into his cheek in consideration, but you’re oblivious to his visible discomfort of how he has upset you. He watches you stare at the stage name presented on the door to signify it being his space and wonders why he believes he sees a longing in your eyes.

“Thanks for helping me.” Yoongi says instead of anything else. He doesn’t know you. It’s not his place, and frankly not something he feels the need to bother with. Considering the amount of unloading that remains to make this place feel anything remotely like the last, he would rather the situation end. In any case, he figures that you want him to stop talking about anything regarding you any further.

You only nod losing focus of the room he has earned with a title to prove it as you glimpse back towards Yoongi to offer a small polite smile. You wave your hand and say goodbye, feigning the energy of contentment and hoping none of the envy prickling in your chest pokes through your irises. If it does, Yoongi doesn’t mention it and begins entering into his studio after you walk back from where you came from.

The second time in the same week that you can’t speak properly for yourself and it has your throat teeming with frustration. Maybe Namjoon is right, maybe you should leave once the contract is over. But then what? You’re in the elevator staring at the number listing the floor become lower. If you leave you’re sure to start from the ground up with nothing able to go on your resume other than vague mentions of song production like you mentioned to Yoongi. Sure, you could dress the phrasing and use the five years to make it sound moderately impressive, but why should you?

The glistening tiles you step on in this building that everyone moved into a year and a half ago were purchased through your efforts. The songs that chart, the artists that are gaining acclaim with every passing day, even the mixing on a good number of songs were all thanks to you. SoundWave Entertainment’s drastic rise in success is due to a handful of people, but you’re one of them. The world just didn’t know that.

What would happen if they did?

“You’ll get sued.” Namjoon’s voice is flat through the speaker. You scoff at the fact, blending foundation while trying not to glare at your reflection. “Sorry,” Now sheepish, but unapologetic despite his words. Realistic. “Even if you tell the press afterwards, I don’t think another company would pick you up-”

“Why?” You interrupt actually shocked at him then. You wait for Namjoon to answer while he’s clearly drifted into telling one of his employees something about a reservation for the following week.

“Even if you’re in the right to have everyone know you wrote all of those songs-- produced some entirely too,” Namjoon begins again calmly, though he’s drawing scribbles on the margin of his calendar while he explains his perception. “If you’re the one who talks to the media about it, any other company is going to think you’re unloyal. Also, you’re going to lose your royalties from all the stuff you’ve made because that’s a part of the deal. You can’t say anything.”

There’s silence that follows. Namjoon allows you to have it, knowing his words didn’t set you at ease or uplift you in the slightest. But with you starting the call by telling him you intend to go to the club party this evening, he feels like you shouldn’t go in completely impulsive. Especially with how set against the event you had been up until that phone call.

“Start over completely then, huh?” Rhetorical tone. Sadder too. Namjoon frowns at his desk. “It’s what I get for signing the contract then. I just wanted something to help with college crap, and look where it got me.” He listens to you sigh, tapping the tip of his pen on the square in the calendar for the current day.

“Yerin took advantage of you.” His voice is icy; conviction unwavering for if you try to give yourself anymore blame. “It’s not like you won’t get work elsewhere.” A pause because he knows the idea implies practically starting over just as you said. “Or… You could try getting the contract adjusted when it’s time to renew.”

“What if,” You dip a small brush against a shade of eyeshadow. Your voice is deceptively calm given the severity of your sentence, “She won’t even want to renew?”

“Why?” Now Namjoon is thrown off from your words. He couldn’t remember a story about yourself in the company that could logically warrant dropping you.

“Min Yoongi works there now too.” You pause before beginning to apply the eyeshadow. His repertoire crosses through your mind. “Songwriter, producer,” You scoff, “Plus he’s actually an idol.”

“He’s not going to let them use any of his stuff without credit though.” Namjoon cancels the worry he hears seeping into your voice. “They’ll still want their idols to look self-sufficient and he’s not going to play along with no credit. You know what he’s like.”

Namjoon is referring to the stoic persona pictured in magazines, and the straight-forward answers in interviews. The captionless posts on Instagram, and passively-aggressive tweets. The newly bleached hair that you believe will look just as imposing in paparazzi shots as his previously black style.

You consider the instant apologies Yoongi gave you hours earlier and the thanks. You remember him trying, and failing, to change the topic of conversation into something that would even out your lowering disposition.

“Yeah, I doubt he’d let them walk all over him.” You murmur, recollecting your thoughts to finish your makeup. “It’s just me that didn’t consider the long-term problems in that contract.” You’re laughing cynically while Namjoon audibly huffs on the other side. Slapping the palette shut, you scoot the chair of your desk back and rise. “I’m no doubt going to end up at your place sometime tonight.”

“I’ll let you use the bed instead of Jin then.” Namjoon says already imagining the ear full to be received from Seokjin at the prospect. The bed in question is still in a couch-form across the room from Namjoon. “Call me if anything weird happens, okay?”

“I will.” You leave the phone on your desk, calling loudly as you step away to the closet.

“And,” Namjoon hesitates, biting his lip. The tension doesn’t lessen when you ask him what he wanted. “Don’t let anything about Jimin get you down tonight, if you can avoid it.”

You pull out the dress to wear as Namjoon’s request completes. His tone is utterly soft and you know it comes from the best intentions, but it scrapes your ears to hear it. Namjoon likes Jimin, knows you like Jimin too much, and doesn’t like the relationship you and Jimin have. Believes it won’t work for either of you with how it is. You waver in agreement, but you always tell him it’s nothing to worry about.

“Doubt I’ll even run into him. People to impress and all.” You don’t specify, but Namjoon rightfully assumes you’re referring to Jimin.

Like other parties organized by SoundWave, there’s some chaos going on outside of the club. Under the cold December air, eager partygoers arrange themselves in the queue, groups of friends huddled closer to shield from any brisk air. You imagine by midnight the majority of those unable to get in will have left to other venues, but you unfortunately don’t think the same for the few cameramen set up around the street. They’re hoping for something scandalous as if they forgot the whole event is sponsored by an idol company; it’s ridiculous to assume anything surprising will happen where all the celebrities are aware of their presence.

You pass the queue on the sidewalk, clutch in hand while you hurry from the taxi to indoors where it’ll undoubtedly be warmer than outside. Your name is on the list and you roll your eyes at the fact that this is the extent of where your reputation gets broadcasted. Disregarding any of the questioning voices from those around you, you simply walk inside and let them assume whatever about your identity in relationship to the celebrity world. The coat counter is a small mess of people trying to sign in their items, and you’re grateful that you opted against the outerwear.

“Y/N!” Your eyes don’t have time to survey the colorful, loud room before a familiar voice catches your focus. Seokjin waves at you while exiting from behind the main bar, keeping his clear drink level as he meets you. “You did show up after all, huh?” He halfway hugs you, then begins in the walk back towards the bar, sipping gingerly at his martini.

“You know, I get impulsive when I’m spiteful.” You say jovially, smiling when the words cause him to laugh.

“Like when you dyed your hair because I joked-- very jokingly said I couldn’t imagine you doing it.” He shakes his head when you nod proudly at the memory, though the blue lasted about a month before you needed to go to a hairdresser to fix that mess you made. “What’ll you have? Remember you don’t have to pay for anything while you’re here-- well, don’t get the giant bottles of champagne though, those things are kind of pricey.”

“I’m not trying to dry out your supply, don’t worry.” He gives you a thumbs up and goes to mix you a drink you didn’t specify but as he reaches for the bourbon, you know he remembers your usual anyways. You thank him for the icy drink then very gently clink yours to his and take a long sip. A small burn in the throat that’s mostly warm. “You see anyone interesting so far?”

“I don’t know.” Seokjin shrugs, setting his empty glass down and you watch it quickly be whisked away by a dishwashing employee. “I feel like celebrities start to all look the same when I’m here all the time.” He leans his elbows onto the counter, smirking softly as he speaks, “By the way, I’ve seen quite a few looks in your direction since you walked in. Winning outfit tonight.”

Seokjin’s coy expression grows into amusement when your eyes widen from his words. Your hands shift a bit tighter around your glass as the single piece of ice floats to the top. You glance over your shoulder in wonder, biting back any satisfaction from your expression, but Seokjin knows better. “Hey, quit playing it off; you know you look hot, I saw your instagram story post-”

“Can you not?” You laugh at him and he joins in. Fitting a thanks to a bartender that gave him a new martini, he continues in his laughter while you go on. “So you liked the picture, huh?”

“I sent you the heart emoji face.” He grins, content with your relaxation as you take another drink. You shrug off his words.

“Excuse me,” The familiarly light voice drifts in your senses, as the seat next to yours becomes occupied. Your eyes find Jimin’s as he makes himself comfortable. Dusty rose colored hair styled up out of his face, and his lips are as springlike when he smiles gently at you, then turns his attention to Seokjin. “Can I order a drink?”

“He’s the owner.”

“I’m the owner.” You and Seokjin speak over each other, making him scoff, then continue as Jimin’s obscured hand finds the top of your thigh where your dress ends. A beat in your heart feels heavier. “But yeah, I can get you something. Jimin, right?”

“Yeah, and thanks. Gin and tonic, please.” Jimin speaks respectfully, turning his hand upwards as yours searches for his. Seokjin casts you a glance, noticing your very small shrug, he walks down the bar refraining from laughter. “You came?” He turns on the stool to face you, letting his boot settle on the footrest of your seat beside your heel.

“You can see me can’t you?” Your teasing earns his hand to squeeze your own. The action creates a ripple in your chest, growing larger as Jimin smiles wider.

“Lovely, don’t tease me. I’m just happy you’re here; I didn’t think you’d come.” You nod, but think against telling him about the reasoning behind your change of mind.

“Just thought why not.” You say simply, biting your lip as Seokjin places a drink beside Jimin. Seokjin then points his middle and index fingers to his eyes then towards you as he steps off once more.

“Did I interrupt something potential?” Jimin asks you catching the final bit of the actions. His tone is slightly lower than before, clearly curious above all.

“Friend of mine.” You settle any of his worries, even though there isn’t a defined obligation to do so. Jimin raises an eyebrow, surprised for a moment before eventually nodding,

“Ah, that’s right. Jin is this Seokjin.” He continues to nod, rubbing his neck with his hand sheepishly. You smirk softly and he sees it. “What?”

“Jealous?” Your tone drips with a joking sound, to ensure him that he didn’t need to take you seriously, but a piece of you hopes he would.

“Not jealous,” He says easily, eyes drifting to his untouched drink and you nod. As expected. “Maybe if he made you laugh longer.” You look at him. His expression is contemplative towards his drink. Calm, but something about it feels feigned. Jimin finds your eyes, losing himself for a second in the focus of your own. He scoots towards you, knee grazing yours as his face leans to speak tiny vibrations to your ear, “Why don’t we go to the VIP booths, baby?”

---

The majority of the crowds and dancing occurs on the ground level, while offset by half a story exists the VIP area that privately overlooks the club. Nothing particularly luxurious about it, other than its own set of employees to take orders for drinks. The nights you and Namjoon came with friends, Seokjin allows your group to use one, and you’re used to the tinted glass wall that filters away some of the pulsating music. Jimin mentions some other idols from the company being a part of the group with him that use the table he sits with you at, but also them all being far more interested in partying to be there for any longer than makeup touch-ups or a glass of water.

The knowledge makes the five drinks ingested throughout the next couple of hours hit differently. You know he’s had a similar amount of alcohol, but like you you don’t get affected as vigorously as other people. Nevertheless the lull in your head makes the slow kisses more frequent than other times when you and him were out in public together.

“I like this dress.” Jimin says as his hand runs along your side, feeling the smooth material against his skin and the small fidget of your waist when your grip settles along your hip. A smirk plays along his lips that end up against your neck, languidly pressing ministrations to the skin. “I’m glad you came.”

“I was thinking you didn’t really care if I did.” You admit though you gasp softly, gripping the silk of his top when his mouth travels over a sensitive spot. Jimin hums in thought, feeling your grip tighten from the sensation, then more so when he nibbles at the skin, sucking with the intent to leave it a reminding blotch,

“Of course I want to see you whenever I can.” Jimin says simply, almost a stung timbre in the words, as he pulls away finding your gaze for a passing moment then kissing your lips softly like words aren’t enough for him. You arms stray to wrap around his neck, letting him tug you closer to lengthen the kiss until you’re short of breath. “Did you say that because we haven’t been able to go on a date lately?”

Your chest rises and falls as it takes in air, arms remaining positioned around Jimin while he keeps his grip protective on your waist. Eyes searching through yours with worry cracking through. “No,” You shake your head, pecking his lips gently. “I was just saying something dumb. It’s been a weird week and all.”

“With,” Jimin’s voice stutters while he recalls everything that’s gone on the past week. “It was just the meeting, wasn’t it, baby?” He frowns when your eyes avoid his face to favor a stare towards the table. “Hey,” A hand cups your cheek, coaxing you to look back towards him as concern presents itself, “Lovely, you don’t have to hide things from me. Do you want to talk about it?”

“I don’t.” Flatly said. Jabbing at Jimin’s composure as he feels you metaphorically pulling away from him. “It’s nothing important.”

Nothing you think he’ll want to talk about. Jimin doesn’t like talking about your contract, he’s never let that topic stick around for more than a couple of back and forth sentences. If your growing dissatisfaction with your treatment is something he truly cares about, he would’ve spoken in your favor. You swallow air at the swordlike thought.

“If something’s bothering you-” You both startle as boots clack directly behind you. Shifting from Jimin he lets his hands fall from you when you move away. Turning to look over your shoulder you watch blonde hair walk away from you two, down the stairs towards the main floor. You smile bitterly, finding this whole thing ridiculous as you mumble,

“I have to hide making my songs, and I have to hide being with you.”

“Y/N-”

“We should call it quits for tonight, right?” You look back at Jimin wondering if the stinging in your eyes is visible to him. His expression appears to be at a loss, lips a line, and his hands clenching.

“Why are you bringing all that up?” Your heart drops at the question, and the disconnect from him continues as Jimin appears to grow stoic.

“You asked me if something was wrong, and then you say that?” Your voice feels hot and you sigh hoping it’ll help alleviate pressure in your throat. You remove yourself from the booth thinking he may stop you, but Jimin stays still watching you grab your clutch. “I don’t like how things are right now.”

Despite the vague pronoun, Jimin registers the firmness in your voice, and how you’re visibly upset with more than just his insensitive question. He bites his inner cheek, watching you take the first step away before he’s bolting from the booth to grab your hand.

“Baby,” His pleading tone makes the stinging in your eyes more unbearable. “Please don’t go. Let’s talk-”

“If I tell you I hate my contract what are you going to say?” You don’t look at him when the questions trembles from your lips in frustration that fizzes painfully in your head. “That,” You feel his grip loosen before you’re able to continue, “You’re going to help me change it?”

You hear the lively voices, and a fast-paced song dominating the air, but Jimin behind you remains quiet. Tugging your arm from his grasp takes little effort, like he was ready to let go. Let you leave. Unwilling to answer and put truth in the air.

You want to know why when you turn to face him but Jimin’s expression stops your open mouth from speaking. Like he’s resigned to himself, eyes matching with yours to show hardened seriousness. You step towards him while he follows your movement, looking down at you. He’s successful at hiding from you how much his heart hurts at the sight of your building tears.

“Jimin,” The tremble in your voice stabs into his mind more, a pensive barely there frown the only thing that lets you into his thoughts at all. “Don’t you think I deserve to have my name in the credits?”

His shoulders shrug uncertainly and still not a word. You’re unable to understand why he closes away every time this discussion comes up. Why is he on the side of Yerin to keep things as they are? A bud in your brain feels pulsing at the thorn of implications that question could lead to and it makes you feel desperate for something out of him.

Jimin’s palm finds your waist to stable himself when your hands reach for his top to pull him towards you, lips attaching themselves to one another if only to get him to remember that he cares about you despite whatever ridiculous persona he’s trying to play at. Kissing him makes him responsive and it’s as though he’s letting the hidden emotions out; you feel the longing as he tugs you closer to him so that your body is pressed to his and he’s hugging you.

When your tear connects with his cheek Jimin pulls away, a surprised expression mixing into his longer breaths for air. You let the next few droplets leave your eyes, because he didn’t break the wall gaping between you two. You release your hands from his shirt and walk away.

Jimin lets you.

if you enjoy please, please let me know! i hope you enjoy the series, i’m working really hard on it! : )

tag list (send an ask to be added): @jaiuneamesolitaiire​

[surrealsunday]

Question time Jaime!

I’ve been rereading PP again and after the window sex in Kinns office, Evil Daddy Korn shows up and it’s made pretty obvious that not only is he not surprised that Porsche is there, it feels more like he knew or expected Porsche to be there. Since this is the beginning of their sexual relationship and not much had happened between them before for anyone to truly suspect a relationship, I’m curious as to how Korn knew. Did he notice Kinn acting differently with Porsche from the beginning? Did he know Kinn had been spending time with Porsche outside of work like when he showed up at Yoks that night? Did he have an employee secretly watching Kinn and reporting back? Obviously he very closely monitored Kinn because he needed him to submit to the whole marriage fiasco, but I was wondering if you had any insight to how it all started from Korn’s POV. When did he first suspect? What was his plan from the beginning? These are the questions keeping me up at night.

Also, a slightly unrelated question but do you still think you might write more fic for KP? I loved all of your Elu AU’s and PP was a really fun read. No pressure but I’m dying for you to write more KP.

Omg a PP ask! This is fun!!! And I love that you're re-reading. That makes me ☺️☺️🥹🥹.

So, Korn showing up and not being surprised is very intentional, yes. It's meant to indicate two things: One, that Korn knows absolutely everything that goes on in his business, but especially in his son's life. It's meant to be a sign of Korn's control over Kinn, and really his desire to keep Kinn under his thumb. And second, Korn's comment is meant to hint at Kinn not being as subtle as he is in Porsche's POV. Like... Kinn was down bad from the start 😂. He was not subtle. Porsche is just a dumbass and not observant until Kinn's blinding him with his perfect smile 😌. And then when they start spending time together? Yeah, it's for damn sure that Korn not only knows they're spending time together (the previous late night in Kinn's office) but that he's aware of the changes in Kinn's behavior. It's the same reason I show Kit being threatened from the start. Not only because Porsche is a babe (valid... who wouldn't recognize Porsche is a babe and be thrown by how much of a babe) but because Kinn's behaviour changes immediately with Kit once he's started something with Porsche (and I literally mean just started something, i.e. speaking to Porsche). And yes, I don't explicitly say it in the fic but it's fair to assume that Korn has multiple people reporting to him. I mention that Chan is loyal to him, Porsche mentions that security likely has an idea of what's going on, Pete says Korn knows everything that goes down, etc etc. So for sure he has his ways of getting that info.

As for Korn's plan? In my eyes, initially he's not all that concerned with the idea of Kinn fucking around with someone new (even a subordinate). It's that Kinn's behaviour changes and it's quite obvious he's completely enamoured and distracted by Porsche that makes Korn start paying attention. The merger and Kinn+Tawan would have been in the works for a while (long before Porsche) but it's only made explicit to Kinn that these are the plans after Kinn is already in deep with Porsche. Kinn was aware of the merger beforehand, but not the full extent of his father's plans.

Oh and when Korn started really paying attention to Porsche/Kinn? From the beginning when Kinn sends Porsche to the minor firm. That was not normal. It's mentioned in the fic that only Chan or Pete are tasked with those duties. Kinn doing that was out of character and seeing as Korn pays attention to everything (to be a master manipulator you have to be a control freak), that is something that would have been reported to him.

And yes! I have every intention of writing another KP fic. I've been struggling with writing in general lately (gotta finish my Elu fic!) but I have an idea I'm fixated on for KP that I really want to put to paper. So hopefully I can stay inspired and make that happen. And I am so flattered you care and would want to read it. Thank you so much ❤️❤️❤️!!!

Also sorry this is the longest ramble... that is who I am as a person lol.