#general kai x reader

[dracocheesecake]

If it’s not too much do you have headcanons of platonic!Kai when reader got hurt🫣 (by someone/accident)?

I have a couple I think:

If it was a person (or persons) that hurt you, he's hunting them down. You don't want to know what he's going to do to them.

If it was an accident, (maybe clumsiness on your own part), he's not going to let you live it down. Seriously, prepare for a few hours-long lecture on your own stupidity, and how you're lucky he's there to prevent you from getting yourself killed.

If you whimper or make any sound at the slightest sight of the wound, Kai turns your head away so you don't have to see it.

He talks to you as he works, trying to distract you from the pain. He might also share some funny stories about some wounds he's gotten (or given).

Might hit you somewhere else to "distract" you from the pain of the actual place where you've been hurt. He's horrible, so every time you whine (i.e. make the slightest noise of complaint about the pain) he flicks you somewhere else- and if you complain about that, he flicks you again.

Despite this, though, he's very gentle when he's cleaning the wounds (even if he smirks a bit when you hiss in pain at his rough scrubbing), holding your hand upon occasion to let you squeeze it when the pain is alot to handle, all while he wraps it gently.

He might make one sarcastic remark when he's done: "What? You want me to kiss it better or something?" Then just flicks your nose and moves on.

[lemondragoncheesecake]

Bored: General Kai x Reader Smutfic

Kinks: outdoor, spontaneous, riding, roughness, some mild cum inflation, Kai denying you aftercare because he's a jerk, etc.

It was one of those slower days. There wasn't much to do, now that camp had been cleaned up and you and Kai were traveling again- you never knew where, exactly, for the most part you just followed Kai around wherever he felt like going on this strange mission of his. You never minded, really, just enjoying the ride and his company while it lasted.

But it was a slow day, all the same. Boring, dull, just you, him, the road, and the quiet, bland monotony of the forest for miles all around. That, and the intense silence finally got to you. You sighed loudly.

"I'm borrrrrred," you hadn't intended to whine (you know how he felt about whining), but you couldn't help it; besides, even a little irritation from him might be entertaining.

He glanced at you for a moment, frowning, his eyes roaming up and down your body. Your muscles tensed. Then the corner of his lip slowly turned up in a smirk.

"Bored, huh? Maybe I could help with that."

That was far from the expected response. You paused where you were, and then blinked at him for a moment. Your muscles relaxed. But then confusion turned to curiosity, and you returned his smile. "Oh? How so?"

He wrapped his arm around your waist and pulled you in, his breath warm against your ear. "...Hope you're in the mood."

And with no more than that, he lifted you off your feet and slung you across one of his large shoulders. His head was tilted slightly to the side, avoiding poking you with his horns. The grip he had on you was steady, and one of his hooves squeezed your rear; you didn't have to guess what he wanted. Your face flushed.

He hummed a tune, occasionally bouncing you and chuckling whenever you made a slight grunt or noise of protest. There was a clearing here, isolated save for the ring of trees and brush, and he set you down on a boulder and immediately began to loosen the ties on your clothes. You assisted, heart hammering; oh, this was definitely going to be fun.

For his part, undressing was easier. All he needed to do was take off his belt, and then his cock was free, burgeoning out from his crotch. You saw it, and your legs immediately fell open. Kai chuckled and then gently pinned you against the rock. He wasn't the one for teasing or foreplay, and neither would you have allowed it; you were both impatient, your mutual arousal as sudden as it was consuming, and consume and consummate you did- immediately. He never wasted a second.

Kai released a long, content sigh as he eased his way in, and then he pressed his cheek against yours, the coarse stubble scratching your softer skin. You settled into the stretch with a quiet moan, then wrapped your legs around his broad waist. It had taken much work to get to this point, that he could almost hilt in you, and none of that effort had been easy: but by the gods, was it rewarding.

Then he started thrusting, slowly at first, ensuring you were comfortable and settled before he found a nice pace that suited you both, and the momentum started to build. Kai lifted your leg, placing it over his shoulder. You grunted softly, and then he picked up his pace, hitting some places just right, and you moaned louder. But a little longer, and the position began to wear; the friction on your skin from the rock beneath you was starting to chafe. You winced and reached up, placing a hand on his chest.

"Switch places?" It was a somewhat timid request- it had to be, you never really knew just how Kai would react to certain things, and this was one of them- not that he would ever hurt you physically, of course, such a thing was unthinkable; You just never knew how he'd respond to any given suggestion.

There was a pause. You tensed. He looked down at you for a moment, though those glowing green eyes didn't expose any of his thoughts, even as they searched into yours. You held your breath, wondering to yourself if maybe you had made the wrong suggestion at the wrong time- but then Kai sighed.

"...Alright."

Then he gently pulled all of his length out of you and laid on his back on the ground, patting his thigh invitingly.

You sat up. "...We don't have to," You said, "I was just-"

"Just get up here before I change my mind," he said, but there was nothing genuine in the threat. You obediently climbed up, straddling his waist, and he held his member steady as you lowered yourself onto it, though it was already erect enough.

His cock filled you again, and you bit your lip to suppress a moan- though Kai quickly corrected that. He reached up, pressing one the flat end of the cleft that acted as his thumb against your chin, right under your lower lip. His other hand pushed against your inner thigh, spreading your legs a little bit wider. One thrust upwards, rough, fast, and you let out a much louder cry.

"That's better," he chuckled, and laid his head back down. His hoof squeezed your thigh, running up and down the sensitive skin. "I want you loud. Don't make me force you again."

And you made sure he didn't; soon you were moaning shamelessly, gasping his titles between thrusts, screaming his name, your body trembling from the pleasure he worked out of you.

He tilted his head back, running shallow grooves into the soft dirt with his horns. The motion exposed all of his throat to you, and you took the opportunity to kiss his Adam's apple. A rumbling chuckle was his response. The clefts of his hooves ran into the folds of your hips, and then dug in, keeping a steady purchase on you as you gently moved up and down.

Eventually, the pace began to pick up. His snorts came in quicker and faster, and his grip on you tightened- you were going to have bruises, but you couldn't say you cared. The building surge you felt was causing your muscles to tighten, and you gripped his wrists with all your strength (miniscule, compared to his- you wouldn't even leave a mark) just to hold on to something to keep you grounded- and then he grunted again, a lower sound more like a bellow, and then you were screaming his name, and then your mind went entirely, blissfully blank.

Every nerve was alight with ecstasy. The general grunted again, and you felt his cum filling you, felt him move his hips just to keep it from spilling out, and then there was a sense of perverted pride in you: pride that you could take so much of him, and hold his load.

As soon as you thought it was over, you made to climb off of him, but then his grip on your hips tightened. You looked down at him. He smirked.

"I'm not done with you yet," he growled.

Of course, being a Spirit Warrior had its perks: nearly limitless stamina being but one of them. An excited thrill ran down your spine, and blood rushed to your groin anew. Kai grinned and pulled you back down, and you screamed again in delight. Shame was long gone from you; you were alone, anyway, and even if he was taking you in the middle of a crowded spice market you wouldn't have cared.

Kai used you like an object. His cock pounded up into your core, slamming certain nerve bundles just so, his hips forcing yours to move with them or be bashed- and you loved every second of it- tenfold, when he would stop suddenly, full hilt, just as he came. Sometimes you came first, others he did, and the best times came when you both reached that peak together. It was rough and loud and sloppy, and you couldn't ask for better.

Yet another climax was coming, you could feel it in the way his muscles tensed under you, how his pace suddenly increased; then he groaned, his back arching, hilting right at that sweet, sweet moment.

"There you go," he said, his voice barely more than a low, cocky purr, "full enough? Or should I fill you again?"

Now that he had allowed your nerves time to settle down this time (such rare consideration for your mortal state), you could actually feel the other sensations in your body; the soreness, the ever so slightly painful tinge of the bruises from his grip, bruises he rubbed so gently now...how incredibly, satisfactorily full your belly was.

But you couldn't take any more: that was clear. You were soaked in sweat, shaking, and exhausted. You tried to swallow past a throat gone dry and scratchy from all of your cries and screams of pleasure earlier, tried to answer him, but couldn't get anything out. Kai raised his brows, but the smirk on his face was telling. You swallowed and tried again:

"Th-thank you...Sir, but I think...I don't think I can take anymore."

Kai chuckled and released another sigh- longer, softer and more content than any other thus far. He lifted you slightly, then began to pull out of you, a slow process that made even more of a mess, leaving you strangely empty and sore- though you couldn't say you minded much. You shifted, laying on top of him with your head on the pillow of his chest. He wrapped his arms around you, keeping you warm even as your bodies began to cool.

A soft moment- You catching your breath, only you, him letting you, simply enjoying this as it was- and then you heard a noise. You pressed your ear against his chest. It began to vibrate softly, and then a long, low note began to emit from somewhere deep in his belly. A sound he rarely made, save during moments like this- moments when he was truly content and at peace.

You glanced up at his face. He had his eyes closed, his expression softened in a way you had only ever seen once or twice, again only exclusive to these rare occasions. Beneath you, his chest rose and fell and vibrated at an even, soothing rhythm. He wasn't asleep, though: spirit warriors had no need of sleep.

In a way it was almost as if he was obliging you by pretending to sleep whenever you slept, and letting you lay on him like this while you did it. You were very tired, especially after what just happened, but you couldn't help but stay awake and ask just one more little thing from him. Your hand reached up, gently tugging on his moustache. Kai snorted.

"Still bored?" He grumbled, his eyes still closed.

"Hm. Maybe-" his eyes didn't open, but you felt his grip tighten on you again, and he began to grind against you, your rear pressing against the base of his member. You realized the danger you would unwittingly bring on yourself, and you were quick to correct it. "-I mean- no, but..."

Kai stopped grinding and chuffed. His grip loosened. "Hm. Well, if you want, you could get started on the fun part," he said.

That piqued your curiosity. "Fun part?"

He opened one eye slightly, smirking at you. He cast a glance at the clothes strewn everywhere behind you, and then at the mess between your bodies, then back up at you again. His smirk grew.

You gazed at the mess, realized his meaning, and suddenly you felt very exhausted. With a sigh you laid your head back down on his chest. "...Consider my boredom cured," you said.

Kai chuckled and closed his eye again, rubbing your back. "You're welcome."

[mylossmallmustache]

What is Tai Lung and general Kai's romantic type? What are they like in relationship? (separate)

GUESS WHO'S BACKKK⁉️⁉️⁉️⁉️

Tai Lung x GN!Reader

General Kai x GN!Reader

Romantic relationship headcannons

(Seperate)

Tai Lung-

Isn't used to this stuff to be honest

When he does get in a relationship with you, He's mostly sorta clingy but 100% not in public

Dislikes PDA

If you two sleep together, He definitely curls or wraps his tail around you

If your OC is just an animal that has a tail, Most likely you're gonna do it as well

Ik that animals lick their partners / Grooms them so he does that to you a lot when you're cuddling and you're the little spoon

He puts his head on top your head or behind your neck or just on your neck in general

Sorta touchy and obviously only behind closed doors

(As previously mentioned he dislikes PDA)

Mf loves it when you caress or brush his fur, He's Floofy ^^

A gentleman surprisingly

Will and would (WILL WOOD REFERENCE?!/j) buy you or just pick flowers that reminds him of you daily

To others, he's a big strong muscley snow leopard who can take down 500 men singlehandedly...

But you?...Just a big house cat who is strong and very cuddly

General Kai-

Gift giving is an absolute YES.

Like Tai Lung, he ain't used to this stuff and does try his best to be a good boyfriend

Loves it when you braid his hair or just style it in general

When cuddling, he actually loves being on top of you and his head on your chest while you caress his hair and...Tusks?...Horns? Idk

Loves giving you emerald stuff...

Hence when he steals others chi and it's emerald

Necklaces, earrings, Rings... Anything really!

Probably an Insomniac

Man can only sleep when you're sleeping with him😭

SNORES...SNORES.

Either right in your ear or on your chest

Don't worry you'll get used to it!

...

Hopefully.

Sorta protective

Very strong but like Tai Lung

To others he's a big strong, muscley warrior who doesn't care about anyone but himself

But you you?...An absolute sweetheart who just wants your attention and cuddles 24/7

Thanks for reading and sorry about my...At least 2 month break because ive been having writers block and please remember I have a life outside Tumblr and don't need to be here all the time 🩷

[likelysobbing]

↳ gusto ko ng maginoo pero may pagkabastos, gusto ko ng barumbado pero may takot sa diyos . . .

↳ “just, like, trust me— i swear it won’t go bad . . . or, uh, too bad.”

maria (mari-AH, not mari-UH) maluluan. nineteen. filipina. fresh out the plane from the motherland of philippines; luan’s a transfer from dlsu who came over to uconn as a means of getting herself out there—don’t know how she’s going to do that though. she’s… not even out-out yet (as a lesbian). back in dlsu she was a high honors/highest honor student—dean lister STREAK, actually— but lowkey knowing philippines’ curriculum? she never slept. a total overachiever. now she’s just a political science major (sociology minor) with a little too much knowledge on mathematics because of how drilled into her it was while she was but a little baby. the meanest resting bitch face but is actually just awkward and unable to speak without stuttering. she’s bad at tones—both watching hers, and reading others’ own. she’s still getting used to america (her suitcase isn’t fully unpacked yet… don’t even get started on her dorm…) but she’s ready to start off the new semester with a bang! maybe. most of the time. she’s HERE, okay. that’s all that should matter. more info about her in tags, but tl;dr she’s a disaster.

↳ “ my dorm? my dorm has a futon and a pillow with no case on it right now. i have exactly one chair and no table. wait— no, that’s not true. i got a desk. but it’s like… i don’t like it.”

↳ gusto ko ng yakap 'pag paligid ay dumidilim, gusto ko rin ng halik sa noo pati sa leeg !

@likelysobbing. — … guys don’t look at me. this is so vulnerable of me to post

[terrence-silver]

what would Terry say/do if someone commented on the age gap in his relationship (younger woman)

---

Meh, he relishes it, for the most part.

He takes gleeful delight in beloved being mistaken for his daughter, a youthful niece, cousin or protege --- for his granddaughter, even --- or any familial relation intended to be decades younger than him, embusing him with a perverted sort of kick that people, do in fact, wrongly think, upon first glance, he's the aging patriarch of the equation here, only to prove everyone wrong and correct them very charmingly (oozing self-contentment verging on polite sleaziness like he's been waiting for this exact situation all along --- and he has) when he points out he's actually beloved's significant other, enjoying everyone's subdued shock. All the questions they must have. All the gossip that'll surely spring out from this later. Heck, even their judgment and disgust behind his back. People talk about him and he has power over them while they do because he's on their collective minds. The positive and the negative and feedback plus everything in-between --- it is all his and for him. The criticism and the envy. He laps it all up, being the ultimate troll in ways, feeding off of every single reaction he gets with the utmost nonchalance, barely containing laughter, even when the reaction he's faced with is someone feigning indifference, like they don't in fact, care, that there's possibly a thirty year age difference between him and beloved when Terry very well knows they do. Of course they care. Everybody has an opinion, everybody's a critic and he has a rainbow's worth of variety to feed off of where thoughts and conclusions are concerned. The woman on his arm is a diamond and nobody is ever apathetic towards a diamond. If he feels particularly keen, he might even play into being beloved's parent, elderly uncle or grandparent his dear little granddaughter is visiting and not immediately correct people because the game is too fun and tantalizing to pass up, bouncing viewpoints off of himself like so many bullets all while simultaneously feeling himself invigorated by each and every one. It is utter filth too; how all this turns him on and gets him going. He's rich, he's powerful, he's got a young dime on his arm and life's good. Nothing anyone can do about it.

I did mention above, though --- he relishes this situation --- for the most part.

Not everything is as peachy-keen as it seems.

Events like this could very easily damage beloved most --- a person who might not be as phlegmatic where wagging tongues are concerned (mainly because they're probably not a sadist who feeds off of people like an energy vampire) having them branded everything from an opportunist, a fortune seeker, a golddigger or plain and simple --- a slut; notions that could have Terry Silver seeing all shades of red because he cannot control people's opinions and when he doesn't have control, things spiral for him. When people he cares about are harmed, however slightly? He spirals doubly so. He can handle and enjoy comments hurled his way --- but them being hurled beloved's way? Now, that's a different can of worms altogether and now there's suddenly stakes to the game and he itches to dish out disproportionate retribution merely because beloved's perceived. Seen. Thought of. Talked about. Especially if they're talked about in a negative connotation. The urge to hide beloved away, keep them all to himself, shelter them from the talk of the world becomes overwhelming, just like the desire to rip up any naysayers tongue might be as he laughs at their pain, causing Terry to dearly wish he was thirty years younger himself, fueling himself nostalgia and longing for the 'good, old days' and while bubbling up with the yearning to seriously hurt someone. That this were the 80's and he was as young as beloved is now, to shut everyone up, so when he and beloved show up somewhere people would see two individuals in their prime and think to themselves 'Well, these two fit together perfectly.' But, youth's the one thing money cannot buy back and for all of Terry Silver's bravado, too many comments about the age difference between him and beloved might just fill him with a sense of...dare I say...sadness? Melancholy? He isn't exactly happy that he'll die before he can have a full life with beloved or that if he has children with them, he'll probably never watch them grow up. That he won't be around to look after them or beloved. That his time with the love of his life is limited, and that again, he has no say in it. That crap? It doesn't make him happy and he doesn't need constant reminders.

And it's Terry himself, the guy who's encouraged and laughed at these comments the most, who's also, simultaneously most affected by them somewhere down the line too, causing him to cope with the pain in any number of ways; from having severe revenge over the people the talk stemmed from, taking to excessive training, drinking to drown his sorrows, overspending money in order to overcompensate, latching to beloved even harder, or, trying to push her away because what's the point of it all (or perhaps, doing both at the same time) --- you name it. But, in any case --- one wry comment too many could lead to an avalanche of dangerous, destructive tendencies that can affect everyone surrounding Terry and even those not even remotely connected to him, so best beware.

He's not someone to be messed with.

So, it is best to let sleeping dogs lie and not comment too much. Or at all.

[maraudersarethebest1]

*about to start a horror movie*

Y/n, nervously: are you guys sure you wanna watch this? Its supposed to be really scary, I mean Jay might piss himself

Jay: HEY!

Kai, teasing: awwww is Y/n scared of horror movies?

Y/n: NO! I just don't think you guys can handle it

Cole: wait you've fought armies of snakes, stone warriors, robots and even ghosts and you're scared of horror movies? 🤣

Y/n: shut up

Y/n, under her breath: at least I wasn't scared of dragons

Zane: it is unwise to fear something that is not real Y/n

Y/n: I'm not scared!!

Kai: sureeeee

*at the end of the movie*

Y/n: ok that actually wasn't that bad!

Cole: see there was nothing to be afraid of!

*"based on a true story" appears on the screen*

Y/n: uhhhh are you guys OK?

The rest of the ninja hiding under a blanket: yeah were fine not scared at all!

[taintandviolent]

JUST seen that you reblogged the angsty prompts!!! so i’m coming at you with another request - forgive me </3

maybe ‘you scare me’ with kai !!!

warnings: Kai being Kai.... y'know. language. kinda dialogue heavy? maybe? I don't know.

In Kai’s basement, a presidential debate is on in the background, the words blurring together, drowned out by the sound of your own heartbeat, your own pulse throbbing in your head. Feeling dizzy, you stood next to the table, hands hovering over it. Kai waited. Patiently. Too patiently, as though he had all the time in the world – which you knew he didn’t. He acted as though he did and that unsettled you to your core. 

After a shaky breath, you looked from the seat to him and back again. “You scare me.” 

“I know,” he affirmed with a smile. He gestured to the seat across from him. You finally took a seat, knowing that once you put your elbow on that table, pinky out, there was no going back. You hesitated, but Kai urged you down with a nod of his head. 

It was just you two now. No one else in the world. You pulled the chair out, settling into it, with your hands in your lap. Kai’s smile, which had started to fade, generously returned, beaming at you proudly. You’d taken the first step; that was worth celebrating. You’d been honest with him without even taking his pinky… what a champion you were.

“I’m proud of you.” 

With his elbow resting on the table, he extended his pinky towards you. It waited there, like a death sentence. 

“Take it.” A beat. “I said, fucking take it!” 

You tried to steady your hand as you lifted your own pinky to his, curving it around his digit.

“What do you want?” You asked, starting off the questions. 

“I want you to stop being such a weak, pathetic bitch. You’re weak and afraid. Afraid of your own desires.”

You clenched your jaw, setting it hard. You weren’t going to confirm an insult. 

“You think you’re a sly little fox, fooling everyone.” 

You blinked back tears. Now he was getting too close. 

“The reason that I scare you, Y/N, is because I know you.” 

Your lips pursed, hot breath rushing out of your nose. You shook your head. 

He yanked you closer with your pinky, and whispered. “I want nothing but fucking honesty. That’s the whole point of a pinky swear. You’re not that stupid, are you?” 

You shook your head again, slowly. 

“That’s better. Now. I know you very well, and I know what you crave… but why don’t you tell me?”

You swallowed, and ran your tongue along your lips, wetting them as they’d gone dry with anxiety. “You.”

[whiteoakoak]

REBEL MOON from Netflix is soooo good i can't wait for part 2! 💗🫶🏻

Devra is soo hot

[chuluoyi]

✎ unconcealable

- gojo satoru x reader

your boyfriend may not show it, but the six eyes are his burden to bear. you know it firsthand when he falls into your arms for the first time

genre: teen!gojo, fluff, hurt/comfort, flashback and fast-forward to dad!gojo later

note: hello hello i’m alive~ i have this little thing of fluff/comfort pampering in my head throughout my vacation and it’s been a long time since i last wrote about teen!gojo so here it is :D will proofread later when i get the chance!

a part of gojo's love entries

general masterlist

Back in 2006—

“Satoru, move away—”

“Nuh, uh! I’m staying! You’re too soft~”

“Satoru, If Yaga-sensei walks in… he’ll think we’re doing something indecent!”

“Mmm, don't care~”

This is the gym. Anyone could walk in. And yet your boyfriend of three weeks, Gojo Satoru, claimed his place by resting his head on your lap and squeezing his eyes shut so comfortably… like a cat.

You sighed, vexed and almost giving up— and then you noticed just how good-looking he was. Not that you just realized it now, but his long eyelashes, his smooth skin, white hair...

You have snagged a heartthrob. Or at least he could be if it wasn't for his questionable tendencies.

“Satoru, I’m being serious,” you griped, blinking back your pounding heart and starting to get anxious if anyone would see the two of you on the floor, with him over you. “Get up. Now.”

He knitted his brows together. “So stingy... Can’t your dashing boyfriend get five more minutes?”

“No. Up. Now.” You learnt by experience that the more you indulged Satoru, the more you would be inclined to comply as well. So before he dragged you into that hole...

“Hmph! No!”

“I’ll really flip you if you don’t move—!”

And that’s finally when he cracked his eyes open, totally pouting. “So mean! My head is hurting, you know! I just want to rest a bit!”

You were somewhat taken aback by his little outburst but he really got up this time, and then he stalked away, mumbling complaints.

"Some girlfriend you are... so not considerate..." he pursed his lips together, seemingly hurt as he made his way out.

That almost annoyed you greatly, and you were about to retort back when to your shock, he suddenly clutched his head and staggered. "Ahh—"

"Satoru!"

You sprinted to him and caught him as he wobbled, supporting his weight.

"Are you okay? What happened?!" you were so spooked that you went down with him to the floor again. And you immediately pulled him to you when he heaved a shuddering breath.

"I'm okay—" he said in a pant, pressing his eyes together so tightly. "I'm okay, I'm okay! Don't—"

"You're not, you idiot!"

Something with his eyes. It just dawned to you that he didn't wear his sunglasses today, and by instinct, you wrapped your arms around him, pressing him close to your chest.

"Is it hurting badly now?" you worriedly asked, keeping him tight in your embrace. "Do you want me to get you something?"

Contrary to your worries, what Satoru was more focused on was the exponential warmth that enveloped him. He had a migraine for a while there, but you so easily anchored him, making it somehow hurt less.

"You said Yaga-sensei will catch us and think we're having sex," he sullenly accused to hide the sudden blush spreading quickly on his face. "You didn't care about me just a minute ago."

"That's... a minute ago!" you hissed. "Now I'm worried!"

Your response made him smile despite himself. Satoru found comfort in the darkness of being squished against your boobs... perhaps way more than he thought he would.

"Then let me stay like this for a while. I'll be okay in a jiffy, 'kay?"

"Hmm," you hummed, absent-mindedly stroking his soft hair. You started to feel bad for chasing him away earlier, and squeezed him. "Does your head hurt often?"

"Whoa, it's only when I'm like this that you'll touch me so openly," he responded with a mock sigh, and you fought the urge not to roll your eyes. "Poor me."

"Poor you indeed. So answer me, does it, or does it not?"

"Nah, it's just how it is sometimes. Just some side effects of my eyes, you see."

"Why don't you wear your glasses today?"

"...Nanami broke them after I ate his last doughnut."

"You..." you almost giggled, and yet so exasperated at the same time. But the way Satoru squeezed your waist to hug you in return made you spare him.

You two stayed like that for a while, and when the bell rang to indicate the start of the next period, you asked him again. "Are you okay now?"

"Mm-hm, yeah, much better."

"Then let's go back to your class. I'll help you go there."

"Ehh..." But Satoru, ever the stubborn one, just buried his face into you, holding on tight and not letting go at all. "No."

You frowned. "Why—"

"Don't wanna move~ your boobs are just too good..."

"—? What—"

"They're soooo soft. Seems jiggly too? Ah, my pain is healed! Oh! When we get married, will I get to bite them too—"

"Satoru, you!"

Long story short, you two missed the next period just because Satoru nagged you to stay with him... and at the end of it all, the ones who opened the doors to the gym were Nanami and Haibara, who immediately went to report to Yaga and red-faced respectively.

Back to present—

"Time for your teardrops!"

Satoru squeezed the bottle of eyedrops, lining it up with the striking blue eyes of his six-year-old son, an cute little pumpkin who was a carbon copy of him in every way, as he laid his head on his lap.

"Mmngh," his son squirmed as the water made contact with his sensitive eyes, and squeezed both eyes shut as soon as his papa was done.

Having inherited his eyes, the boy had started to feel pain whenever he accidentally overused them. Satoru knew the feeling well, and as much as he tried to humor him, something inside him prickled whenever he saw him getting teary-eyed due to the pain.

"Still stings?" he asked with a frown. "Want to use blindfold cover your eyes, hmm?"

Your son mumbled, "...no."

"What do you want then?"

"...I want mama."

Satoru snorted, pinching his boy's plump cheek fondly. "Same, kiddo. I want mama too."

The little boy cracked his eyes open out of spite. "You always bother her everyday."

"It's not as if you do not but whatever." Satoru pursed his lips as he stared at his boy. "If only I can put those rotting grandpas in elderly home, your mama can be freed from missions."

The kid snuggled close to his lap, seeking comfort, and suddenly, he felt flash of warmth burst inside him, realizing that his little munchkin wanted him to make him feel better.

"Look, I'm not mama, but I can do this too—" he hoisted his son, and hugged him close, hiding his little face into his sturdy chest. "Here you go. Better?"

The little baby that forever connects him to you. Satoru loved his son as much as he loved you.

He had no one to really comfort him in the early days of misusing his eyes— they only told him that it was the price for the greatness he would possess. Until you did. You didn’t speak of power or strength. Each time he suffered from those migraines back then, you would hold him close.

And so, he'd be damned if the same thing happened to his precious son. He wouldn't let him be told that—he would do his best to soothe him, to make him feel safe.

"Tomorrow we're getting kikufuku, yeah?" he said with a smile, patting his son’s back gently. "And ice cream too."

"Mmm... 'kay..." the boy replied. "Papa... sleepy..."

"Then sleep, kid. I'll wake you when mama comes back, yeah?"

You. The baby. The two of you were always the center of his world. As he too drifted off to sleep beside his son, he thought that chasing after you was most definitely the greatest decision he made from that blue spring that would never return in his life.

Epilogue

"I'm home!"

Your mission ended with a bang as you completely obliterated the cursed spirit. You went home with a spring in your steps, thinking that your silly husband and cute son would be waiting for you in this afternoon.

But no one greeted you back, and you found yourself walking to your master bedroom, only to be floored by the sight.

Satoru had dozed off so unguardedly, but he had one protective arm over your son, who was also sleeping. They looked like a pair of twins, and the way your son curled up to your husband melted your heart so much that it brought a wide smile on your face.

Click! Click! You took several photos so you would be able to look at their sleepy state whenever you wanted. But as you marveled at the photographs, suddenly a sneaky hand yanked you—

"Whoa—!"

"Shh, you'll wake him up, mama," Satoru sleepily grinned as he smooched your face. "You took so long, I missed you."

"I finished one day early," you huffed, but then your expression softened as you gazed at your sleeping son. "Seems like both of you are getting along well while I was gone~"

"I fed him mochi and cookies, of course he'll be obedient."

"—! I told you he'll get cavities soon if you don't limit the sweets intake!"

"Oh? Then we just have to have another baby who won't get cavities just as you wish then~"

"That's not how it works! Satoru, you—!"

[dracocheesecake]

Ahem. I just watched all KFP movies and I'm dying for more Kai X reader.

Could you do one where like reader is happening to be at the jade palace because she just happens to be. Could be like the part where Kai takes chi from everyone there and the reader is like 'oh.. Hi?' maybe the reader isn't from the valley of peace! And Kai just kind of decide to take her with him. Cough kidnap cough. And PLEASE DON'T TURN THEM INTO CHI AT THE End. 🥺. Reader slowly starts following for him because big and strong and I'm just rambling at this point. Don't question my sanity. If you can't do, that is fine :p

It's just i have a weird obsession with villains

Oh no you're fine I totally get it XD

Here it is!

General Kai x Fem!Reader: Wrong Place, Wrong Time 

Wrong place, wrong time; You had heard it before, but the meaning behind the phrase had never been so starkly clear to you until now. 

You had fallen asleep in one of the supply closets shortly after you had arrived at the Hall of Heroes. Travel to the Valley of Peace had been rough, and you had only meant to take a quick little nap, alone and undisturbed, so your mind would be sharp enough to get down to some serious study of the many historic kung fu artifacts- but when you awoke, the place was completely deserted, void of anyone, even servants. 

Alright, maybe that should have tipped you off that something wasn’t right. But to be fair, you had been almost completely absorbed by your obsession at the moment, and there was no one to watch you or chastise you for worshipfully touching the artifacts- just a teeeny bit, for further analysis, only- so how could you not take the chance when you had it? 

But then there was shouting from outside, and the place went so strangely dark; an ominous, almost supernatural sort of darkness, not like the candles and burners simply going out; no, this was phosphorescent, eerie and green. It made you feel sick, full of malaise. Quickly you collected yourself- the commotion outside had to mean that someone (a few someones, by the sound) were still present: the Furious Five and Master Shifu. You could go to them and find out what was happening. 

You came close to the doors and knew you would have to find a different mode of escape; it was more than a commotion- it sounded like a full-on battle was going on; but against who? It couldn’t be an army. There would have been many more voices if that were the case, war drums and cries, weapons clashing; but there was only Masters Tigress, Viper, Monkey, and Shifu. They had been the only ones currently at the palace when you had fallen asleep; you remembered that much. 

But there was another voice, a deeper voice you did not recognize- a more menacing voice. 

“Why not? He destroyed mine.” 

The bitterness, the pure hatred behind it, told you all you needed to know, even without hearing the rest of the conversation or seeing the one who spoke. You listened further to the sounds of combat, and knew it wasn’t going well for the Jade Palace. Despite your fear, despite everything, you had to see for certain- not that you could help, but you just at least had to go see with your own eyes, some sort of curiosity demanding you went to confirm your disbelief.

Unnoticed by the combatants (you hoped), you opened the door and rushed onto the portico. Hiding behind one of the wide pillars, you peeked around it to watch the fight in the Master’s Garden- and you immediately gasped in horror at what you saw. Your worst fears were confirmed: the Jade Palace was losing. 

But to whom? You watched the battle, watched as Shifu attacked a hulking figure. It was a bull- a single bull, but…You felt your breath catch in your throat at the mere sight of him: this was no mortal being, you knew immediately.  

No, this was something else. 

He looked demonic, just from the four horns sprouting from his head- like no other bovid you had ever seen before. A hulking figure that exuded raw, evil power. He was the source of the darkness that had come over the world, the source of the green glow of unearthly energy. He swung jade blades from long chains, trying to slice Master Shifu to shreds; but fortunately the red panda was still quick and agile for his age. 

But the Furious Five were not faring well, not against their own. You didn’t know how, it was too horrifying a thought, but your eyes weren't deceived; it seemed Masters Crane and Mantis had been transfigured into jade versions of themselves, and they were attacking the other masters! 

Master Shifu went flying, smacking into the base of the Oogway statue. Tigress managed to get up, rushing to his aid. The bull's eyes glowed green. He lifted a hand that also glowed, beckoning. 

“Bring them to me,” he ordered darkly. 

The jade Crane and Mantis grabbed Masters Monkey and Viper, whisking them towards the bull. You couldn’t look away, transfixed with horror as you watched the bull move his hooves, a flash, and then…

They were gone, and he had new amulets to go along with the collection on his belt. He laughed, a boisterous, fell laugh. Those horrible green eyes were on the remaining Masters. 

You couldn't watch anymore. You had to survive. You ran back into the palace, closing the door behind you and rushing for another escape- or at least a hiding place, should he come looking for you. You couldn’t string your thoughts together, couldn't calm down the rapid pounding of your heart, as if it too were trying to escape the bull. 

A sound- that was all the warning you had. Some impression of the incoming danger forced you down to flatten yourself against the cold polished floors. You threw your arms over your head, whimpering, then screaming as you heard something enormous come crashing through the Jade Palace right above your head. 

Rubble fell over you, but nothing too heavy, by some good fortune. Still, you didn’t rise again for a good while, just in case something else collapsed on top of you, or the bull came; but eventually, the quiet reassured you…and simultaneously, filled you with dread. But you needed to get up, anyway, try to escape. 

You groaned, coughing up dust as you rose again, brushing it off of your clothes. You kept your eyes on your feet for sometime, not wanting to see what had happened- the ruin surrounding you now was already too much to accept. You didn’t need to see the rest, you already knew. You tried to clamber over the ruin, stumbling and tripping as you went- and it only reinforced the facts you couldn’t shield yourself from. 

He had destroyed the Jade Palace. The entire palace. It was rubble. It was gone. 

Your breath came in quick, panicked bursts, and you began to speed through the wreckage without direction- but then you remembered the bull, and fear, ever the teacher, the protector, forced you to slow. To think out your escape. With considerable effort you took control of your lungs, easing your pace to a more steady jog. 

Then you came over the crest of a hill, rounding what remained of the Master’s Garden, and saw him. Instantly terror petrified your body, rooting you to the spot. A breath, two, waiting for your inevitable demise at his hands, to share the fate of the Furious Five and Master Shifu. 

But he wasn’t looking in your direction. By some mercy of the gods of fortune, the bull sat on what remained of the base of Oogway’s statue, gazing at what ruin he had wrought, and so avoided seeing you. You should have taken the opportunity provided by providence to slip away, you knew that- but that conscious knowledge hadn’t been delivered to your feet yet; fear still paralyzed you. 

So having no other choice, you observed him for a minute. You had a good view of him where you stood, a much better view than the slight glimpse you had had from the portico; he had been fighting then, moving around too much for you to really see him. 

He was still a menacing, hulking presence, but now, sitting casually with his forearms draped over his knees, he didn’t seem quite so demonically large as before. A helmet that wasn't of a military fashion from this dynasty sat on his head, giving his heavy brow an even more severe look, even when his expression was relaxed, as now- you didn’t know for certain if he was military, or had belonged to the military: something about his bearing just emanated authority which demanded to be obeyed- only a high-ranking military figure could have that. The rest of his attire, though, wasn’t quite military grade: dirty puttees, brown bracers, and a tattered loincloth. 

The glow had gone from his eyes, so now his expression seemed almost…disappointed, or bored; a conqueror who had laid claim to his prize, only to realize that it was the battle, not the conquest, that made victory sweet. One of his hooves reached up, taking the amulet he had around his neck and stroking it with his thumb. If you hadn’t just witnessed the horrors he had wrought, you almost would have felt bad for him- maybe even gone up to him and asked what’s wrong. 

The thought was sudden, and disturbing. There was no way you would willingly get within fifty miles of him if you could have helped it- so why the thought that you wanted to reassure him? He deserved whatever melancholy he felt, after what he did. Your anguish over the Jade Palace’s destruction broke you out of your paralysis, and you managed to move your foot- and stepped on what felt like a leaf, a soft crunch that seemed horribly loud. 

You let out a slight gasp and looked down. It wasn’t a leaf, but a piece of ancient parchment- possibly the remnants of a scroll that had drifted from the ruins of the Palace. You squinted at it, recognizing in the painting the shape of the bull, and beside him, what looked to be…Master Oogway? Oogway had known him? 

You didn’t have time to contemplate the revelation; you had made too much noise. Your head shot up, gazing in the bull’s direction. His ear twitched, and you tried to duck down to the side of the path, behind a boulder and out of his range of vision- 

Too late. The bull’s glowing green eyes were on you. His eyebrows arched slightly, as if he were somewhat surprised, before his expression flattened back into boredom. You tried to turn and run. 

“Bring her to me,” you heard that rumble behind you, and the next thing you knew, a stone cold, steel grasp was on your wrist. You grunted in pain, then turned and almost screamed when you saw that the jade statue of Master Shifu had you. You tried to twist away, but then it struck you in the ribs. You fell to your knees, breathless and reeling from the pain.

The jade Master Monkey picked you up, and then the jade Master Crane swooped over, snatching you in his talons and dropping you in front of the bull. Your legs reverberated painfully from the impact of landing, but no serious damage was done. You could have ran- if the jade coils of what looked to be Master Viper hadn’t wrapped around you, squeezing your limbs to your sides and strangling the breath from your lungs. You gasped, helpless. 

The yak leaned down more to your level, so that the black tangles of his mane almost curtained you. A pleasant smile was on his face, one that didn’t reflect in those horrible, glowing green eyes- half-lidded, as if this were only an idle chat. From this close, though, you could see a ring of blue surrounding the pupil; it was…lovely, in a way. You never would have noticed, if you hadn’t been so close to him. 

 “Hello, there,” he said. “I thought all of the little Valley people scurried off before I came. Not you?” 

Why did his voice make your spine shiver like this? It had to be fear. You swallowed past the lump in your throat, and tried to choke out some response- a very difficult task, with a jade snake strangling you, and the thumping of your heart. 

“N…No…” 

He tilted his head. “How come?” 

“Fell asleep…i-in-in…cl-closet…no…way…to…” 

You glanced towards the Jade Palace, saw the rubble it now was, and wished you hadn’t. Your gaze quickly returned to him, and you saw he had followed your thoughts. His eyes turned back from the ruins to you, and he smiled. 

“Surprised you managed to survive. Too bad you couldn’t get away unnoticed, though.” 

He chuckled, a deep rumble that sent another one of those strange shivers down your spine. You couldn’t help it, he had some sort of charm you couldn’t describe or reason away. That, and something about his appearance, the slovenly, almost barbaric array, was a little appealing…

You immediately shook off the thoughts. What was wrong with you? There was no way you found this deep voiced, muscular, long haired, strong, powerful, villainous, devilishly charming bovine handsome or anything. 

No. You didn’t. Not at all. It was just fear. After all, you had seen what he had done to the masters. Would that be your fate, too? You watched him, eyes wide, waiting with bated breath for his next move. 

One of his hooves then came up, taking your chin in hand. The blood rushed to your face rather than away from it. 

“Care to tell me what you were doing here, Little Sneak?” He asked. His brows raised archly. “You aren’t one of Oogway’s students, are you? I’m afraid I would have to add you to my collection if you are- nothing personal. At least, not between you and me.” That glint, like the glow of the blades holstered at his hips, flashed in his eyes. 

You swallowed and shook your head. It wasn’t just the jade coils holding you tight that took your breath away, now. He was so close, holding your chin with such gentleness despite the immense strength you knew him capable of…

He nodded. “Alright. Release her.”  

The jade viper uncoiled, and you were able to breathe again. The yak also released you, stepping back. You didn’t stick around to thank him; you turned and started to rush down the path. 

“I didn’t say you were free to go yet,” the bull said sharply, with authority. It made you freeze in place. “Turn around. I’m talking to you.” 

Your body moved as if controlled by his will, slowly rotating on your heel until you were facing him again. You stood where you were, eyes wide, shaking. The severe expression he was wearing eased back into that pleasant smile, the harsh green glow of his eyes dimming.

“That’s better. Now we can discuss what to do with you.” 

He stroked his beard, as if in thought. “Hmmmm…Let’s see…Maybe I will take your chi after all.” 

You felt your heart racing. Your shaking intensified. He cast you a playful grin, one that showed his crooked teeth.

He chuckled. “Or maybe not. But what to do with you? Hmmmm…” 

The bull again pretended to think, stroking his beard. Your eyes shifted around, searching for an exit- but there was none. The entirety of his mountainous bulk blocked the path ahead of you, and the jade masters every other possible escape. You weren’t going to squeeze out of this one easily. 

“Or maybe,” he said, “I could interrogate you for information…But you don’t look like you know very much- not anything useful to me, anyway.” 

He perked up suddenly, clapping his hooves together as if he just had an epiphany. “Oh! I know! I could just…let you go!” 

You couldn’t suppress the reflex that made you look hopeful. He saw it, then burst out laughing. 

“Don’t tell me you fell for that. Nah. Not a chance.” 

He cocked his head to the side, admiring you from the corner of his eye. There was something in that gaze though, something that gleamed in a dangerous way. He had a lazy smile on his muzzle. 

“...You’re cute, for a mortal,” he said softly, appreciatively. “And fun to tease.”

He straightened. Then he chuckled, placing his hooves on his hips, close to his blades. His tone was casual as he spoke. 

“Tell you what,” he said. “I’m not going to take your chi. Wouldn’t be worth it, anyway.” 

The pleasantly lazy smile turned back into a smirk. His voice darkened. “But you’re still coming with me.” 

Your heart leapt into your throat as one of the jade masters- a gorilla, by the looks of it- lifted you and hauled you effortlessly over a shoulder. You grunted, scrambling to try to wriggle free- or at least, get in a slightly more comfortable position. Kai chuckled at your futile attempts, then turned back towards the path. He stretched a little as he walked, and you couldn’t help but admire the view, watching the heavy cords of muscle move under the slate gray fur. Your face was heating up, but you didn’t look away. 

“I don’t know if you overheard my conversation with the Lesser Panda while you were sneaking around, so I’ll explain again. Little Kitten will lead me straight to the panda village,” he said, “and to the Dragon Warrior, too. I’ll take their chi, and then drain every. Single. Panda. There.” 

He stopped in his tracks. The jade gorilla did, too. You were behind him, so you couldn’t see his expression. However, his shoulders started to bounce, and then he burst out into an evil cackle. 

“Then I’ll destroy every last trace of Oogway’s legacy! And then begins The Kai Dynasty!” He let out another evil laugh. Green lightning streaked across the sky, followed by an ominous boom of thunder- whether good timing or some power of his own, you didn’t know. 

You paused, horrified by what you had heard. But then, despite yourself, you piped up: 

“Kai Dynasty?”

He turned to look at you. “What?” 

“...That’s what you’re going to call your evil reign?” 

He furrowed his brow. “Yeah. What’s wrong with it?” 

His tone had been gruff, but there was a slight hesitancy before he spoke, and the way he slumped his shoulders showed that his pride had been wounded. You would have smiled at the absurdity of the entire situation, if it hadn't been so dire. You cleared your throat. 

“Um…No-nothing, it's just a little…cheesy, is all.” 

His eyes flashed, and he narrowed them at you. “How so? You have a better idea?” 

“Well…Maybe the Jade Dynasty?” 

The bovine- Kai, you assumed- glared at you with his strange eyes for a moment in tense silence. Then his posture relaxed again. He chuckled. 

“The Jade Dynasty…I actually like that,” he murmured. That somehow charming, lop-sided smile spread across his face again, along with that strange gleam in his eye- a gleam you were starting to recognize as fondness. “Good idea.” 

Was he starting to like you?...And why were you starting to like him, too? What was wrong with you?

What did you get yourself into? 

[lemondragoncheesecake]

Might have something in the works...👀

Kai x Reader: Bull In Rut

Snippet Below!

Kai scratched one of his horns against the canyon wall. Some dirt fell, landing in his mane and fur and staining it yellow, but he didn't seem to care. “...I'm not exactly sure how much you know about bulls,” he said.

You furrowed your brow some. “What about bulls?”

Kai paused again. You could almost swear that he seemed embarrassed, though you knew the Jade Slayer had no real sense of shame; the most you could say is he seemed reserved-or rather, reluctant. He glanced away for a moment. Then he released a soft sigh (probably some proverbial “fuck it” in his mind) and turned to look at you again.

“Rut.”

“You're…stuck in a rut?”

Kai snorted. “No, I'm going into rut. Do you know what that means?”

You shook your head. Kai lifted his head, accidentally shedding more dirt onto himself, though he didn't seem to notice. He stepped away from the canyon wall and then began to approach, the bulk of his form looming over you in the tight space. You suddenly felt very, very small as those glowing green eyes pierced through the shadow, pinning you to the wall with its intensity.

“It means that I'm going to go on a lust-driven rampage, and I'm either going to fuck or fight the first thing I see.”

His voice had been low as he said it, almost threatening, though really, that was just Kai trying to make an impression, as always; usually, this wouldn't have worked on you, save the subject gave you cause for silence.

Your mind raced. Kai's eyes searched you for a moment. Then he leaned back, the tension in the air dissipating like smoke in the wind. He snorted again and pushed you gently so that you wobbled a little back, but not enough for you to loose your balance.

“Happy?” He crossed his arms over his chest and raised his brows at you.

[mylossmallmustache]

Hi there! Do you have headcanons what kfp villians smell like?

I love this so much 😭

Tai Lung

Smells like wet ground and strong alcohol

If this was in the modern world/ Today, Man would put on A LOT of body Axe spray or just extremely strong deodorant spray

Lord Shen

Sorta the same as Tai Lung, But just alcohol and cherry blossom perfume

General Kai

Wet grass.

Bonus headcannon: He jumps in muddy puddles like from Peppa Pig or just puddles in the rain while giggling and laughing his ass off

The Chameleon

Yknow those satisfying Chinese asmr incense powder videos you find on TikTok? Yeah she smells like that, And we don't know what it smells like I know! But they 100% smell good

Also smells like tea ☕

Thanks for reading!

[iceunhie]

— phaethetically in love !

premise. belle thinks her brother is the most oblivious person in sixth street. the reason? one: because his (super obvious) crush on you is practically the worst kept secret in new eridu, and two: because he can't even see that said crush is reciprocated! good thing he has one (1) amazing, wonderful, nosy sister to help him out, yeah?

or, belle thinks the two of you are a prime example of an s tier romance movie; and she really wants to skip to the final arc already.

pairing. wise x gn!reader.

warnings: kinda ooc wise (i just started the game), wise is a loser (lovingly), belle is an instigator (proudly), comedy, facepalm moments.

a/n: for @vxnuslogy and @milksnake-tea bc yes wise kissers yes

MY (rlly cool btw 🥺) MASTERLIST || INBOX !

“you're in love with [name], aren't you?”

like all siblings in the world—or what's left of it, belle schemes.

(against wise, of course. obviously.)

her brother bursts into a mess immediately, nearly spilling his cup ramen all over his new shirt, chopsticks sticking out. laughing nervously. general chop would not be proud. “who told you that? i mean— haha, who said that, belle?”

his sister rolls her eyes. “me, myself. i.” she emphasizes, leaning her elbows against the table and putting her palms together; the grin she wears right now is so serene, but not in the angelic, nice way. belle smiles and wise finally thinks, oh. my sister may need to book herself to the closest self-help guru in new eridu.

“i have reason to believe that you, my dearest brother, are in love with [name].”

her voice goes up an octave at the last bit, leading wise to stuff her mouth with potato chips. already, heads have turned. “mff.”

“keep your voice down! and stop broadcasting it to everyone here-”

“what, i am right, aren't i? they clearly like you back, so why haven't you confessed yet?”

“keep. your. voice. down.” wise says, and belle's shit eating grin only widens as she sees her brother's ears tinged with pink. “and... how did you even know that?” he asks, mortified.

“well, one: because it's obvious—like, have you seen how obvious you are?” belle huffs, taking a bite of the potato chip with force (personal grudges are involved). “and two, because they like you back, dummy!”

because when belle sees the two of you together, it's like wise focuses on no one else. you are the center of his world—and he is just being pulled to bask in your light. his eyes soften like they melt only for you, and wise looks like all he is is, all he wants to be, is to belong with you.

(and, wise likes to stare at you for ungodly amounts of time. belle even caught him staring when you were petting a cat by the street and decided to name the stray ‘wise’; courtesy of him, apparently. the cat literally just had grey fur.

“wise.”

“hm?”

“you're practically spawning heart eyes now.”)

it's sickening. (in a oh my god my brother is in love kind of way, mind you.)

“so!” belle says, a devilish sparkle in her eyes. “allow your dearest sister to help you out, 'kay?”

wise nearly coughs up blood.

“what?!”

so at present, belle compiles her (hastily written) list of romantic moments you and wise have shared. she's not surprised—the number can be counted on one hand. diabolical, disappointing, world-ending! she resists the urge to cough up blood.

first, a coff cafe date with tin man's help: a fail. tin man's wingman capabilities were very superb, but she never heard the end of it when wise was lecturing her about how tin man kept sending over heart shaped desserts and little fortune cookies. the fortune cookies in question which said ‘you can do it!’ and a latte with art of caricature tin man making a heart. (you were very confused). belle thought it was motivating. wise thought it was mortifying.

next, even instilling help from fairy to calculate statistics about what event would you two be likely to be together. fairy said, and belle quotes: “probably never. that kind of pining's for the long run, with the other master's current experience. give it a year or six, master.”

so, she's currently face-palming.

did her brother really have zero game? why were the two of you just dancing around each other?! she's tried everything—from letting you two spend more time with each other in commissions, her inviting you over more to leave you to chat with her brother, and even the entirety of sixth street has lent their aid! how were you two not dating yet?!

“didn't they go on an arcade date at random play yesterday?” belle mutters. “that should've increased your progress by a long mile, bro! even general chop said you two were really, really close in the noodle shop....”

just what was she going to do now? at this rate, her brother would be relationshipless in no time! in fairy's words again, it would be phaethetic. and that would be a phaethal blow on her pride.

“...master, i said no such thing.”

“well, now you did.”

“The Ethereal Reckoning,” there's a pep in your step, the boxes full of movie DVDs in your arms as you walk back to the movie store. it was heavy, but at least you got to walk with the grey-haired proxy beside you. “That movie was great! Thanks for recommending it to me.”

Sporting a dopey, lovesick grin in response, wise nods at that, content to listen to your voice. it was actually belle's idea to let you lend movies you like over so the two of you could talk about it back and forth. wise would need to (begrudgingly) treat her to a bowl of ramen later on.... she saved him—he probably wouldn't even be talking to you for this long at this point, let alone hang out with you without her. for someone so nosy, he guesses his sister was a pretty good wingwoman.

“the main character was pretty similar to billy, you know?” you ramble on as wise listens. “i mean, because they were an android too, and...”

he finds that he's content to listen to anything you say, really. (right now he doesn't really know what you're saying, something about a horror ethereal movie, but you could just tell him anything and he would listen).

“i feel like the heroine's death was unnecessary, though.” you sigh, “too much tension just for it to end like that? how anticlimactic.”

your voice was so nice, so warm and easy to listen to, and wise can't even say anything to retort, simply staring with a growing (lovesick) smile on his face. talking to people was hard work, and talking to you? it might just make him combust.

“...ise? wise?”

“ah, huh?” he snaps out of his trance, only to find you mere inches away from his face, the only thing keeping you apart the boxes full of movies he's carrying. “...!”

“are you listening?” you furrow, and someone really might be out to get him right now because in that moment, wise flinches from the proximity, bumping into you.

then, because the universe thinks his life couldn't get more dramatic than it already was—you stagger, about to fall forward.

he moves before he thinks. “watch out!”

and wise.... practically astral-projects to another plane when he feels you fall into his arms, his hands on your waist. he can feel the warmth of your skin on his, the flustered look on your face. (he feels like he's going to die).

the two of you lock eyes for a moment, and wise feels like he's about to so something very stupid and his hands are still on your waist—

“....”

“.....”

someone save him.

“ah...”

“sorry!” you recover first, hurriedly letting yourself pull away from him (much to his disappointment). “i wasn't looking, and i- are you okay, wise?”

“no, no, it's fine.... i-i'm fine....” he hopes his voice isn't as small as it is, he couldn't be smooth to save his life; and wise helps you gather your bearings, his hands brushing against yours, blood rushing to his ears. sheepishly rubbing at his nape. “sorry, i was distracted.”

perhaps in the mood to lift the atmosphere, you sputter out, “no worries! it's fine! besides, you listened to me all this time.... i really enjoyed the movie, really.”

“of course i'll listen.” and before wise can think to stop his traitor of a mouth, the words spill out of his lips like it always wanted to be.

“you're worth paying attention to.”

it's automatic—your face heats up, warming like the sun on a hot day in new eridu, and god, he is such an idiot-

“you think so?” wise gulps. you looked bashful, and were way too adorable right now, and his face felt like it was on fire.... wait, that's not the point! he has to answer you, at least. this is a chance to make progress!

“y-yeah. definitely. i enjoyed... watching the movie with you.” he says. did his voice just crack just now? “we can hang out more often too, even without belle.”

he feels bad for throwing his sister under the bus like that, but—wait, did he just ask you out on a date? (accidentally)

well, it didn't matter because wise feels like he won the lottery right now, because you brighten up immediately. “really?”

then you cough and compose yourself. “i mean, sure! i'm sure it'll be fun, haha...”

awkward silence ensues. uh oh, did he say something wrong? was he too forward? he wants to say something, but something is lodged in his throat, and wise can't bring up a response. (his heart was beating like crazy right now, though).

“uh...”

“....”

then, something soft brushes against the side of his cheek. as fast as it was felt, wise felt the sensation leave just as easily. did you just-?

you just kissed him. on the cheek.

“thanks for hanging out with me, wise.”

“you're welcome- wha- huh?!” he nearly drops the stack of dvd's he was holding. you pull away, an enigmatic smile on your face. face flushed.

before he can even respond, the two of you finally arrive at the movie store. damn it, gods of the world. why did his luck run out now?

“i guess this is your stop.” he blinks, your voice coming back to him. “and, wise?”

“ah, uh, yeah?”

“it's a date, then?” your eyes sparkle and shine a light through his heart. super effective!

is this really happening? is he really going on a date with you—oh, he's so thrilled he could actually burst into song and kick his feet, but belle would tease him ruthlessly after. nosy sisters were so much work....

“yes!” he almost yells it out, but because he didn't want to look uncool in front of you, wise composes himself. play it cool, play it cool. don't mess up this chance! “yes, definitely. it's... it's a date.”

you put down the other stack of dvd's down the table, flashing him a dizzying, lovely smile smile. wise swears he falls even harder for you.

“then it's a date.”

BONUS.

“seriously?! you're going on a date with them?!” belle shouts, so unceremoniously that wise slaps a hand on her mouth.

“not so loud! but, yeah.” he says, face heating up. “your plan worked, sis.”

“yes! yes! finally!” his sister practically cheers, “i can finally be free of your sickening heart eyes... and finally, our street's most anticipated couple is here!”

wise can't help but sigh in fond exasperation. he guesses he'll let her have this one today.

“also, belle?”

“what?”

“you didn't tell anyone about this, did you?”

...

“uhh....”

(on the day of the date, wise receives an abnormal amount of good luck posters. he also gets a disturbing amount of thumbs up from the neighbors.

the last straw? tin man, giving him a baked cake with the words ‘rooting for you!’ covered in pink heart sprinkles.

he facepalms. belle...!)

a/n: d d do you guys get it..... phaethetically...... phaethon..... wise is phaethon and he's awkward in love lol hahahahaha (💀)

@ ICEUNHIE: do not repost translate or plagiarize my works.

[hannieween]

gambler | heartbreaker series | c.sc

Plans do not always come to fruition. That was one of the hardest truths that Seungcheol had to come to grips with.

✧ pairing: choi seungcheol x female reader ✧ genre: angst, fluff, smut (MDNI) ✧ aus: established relationship, boss seungcheol, gambler cheol, bartender reader ✧ word count: 14.9k

✧ warnings: descriptions of depression. cheol is possessive, mentions of therapy, alcohol consumption, smut with plot, daddy kink, dom seungcheol, sub reader, reader is on birth control, big dick seungcheol, unprotected sex, creampie, breeding kink, jealousy, exhibitionism: sex in the workspace, they have a voyeur. dirty talk. pet names: love, pretty, baby, angel (hers) babe, boss, daddy (his)

›🎧: ghost – baekhyun | amnesia – kai | losing game – leo | love is banned – gemini | can we talk again – purple kiss | i'm fine – d.o | night view – monsta x | mood – dpr ian | rainy days – v | last night – jxw | sapphire blue – jiwoo

✧ thank you to @hhaechansmoless and @coupsiedaisee for proofreading this for me ♡

› series masterlist – general masterlist – taglist

✧ author's note: i cannot for the life of me not insert myself into my fics. some of the story beats in this one are too close to my heart. might be the most personal one so far so pardon the angst ? this chapter is an emotional roller coaster if i do say so myself

✧ author's note pt. 2: this chapter is told in a non-linear way. so it has a lot of time skips. you're warned. bye ✌🏻

✧ disclaimer: minors DO NOT INTERACT. this post is intended for 18+ readers ONLY. please have your age stated in your blog description and try not to look like a bot please 🙂

part v

Two years ago 

Plans do not always come to fruition. That was one of the hardest truths that Seungcheol had to come to grips with. No matter how much effort or heart he put into something, sometimes it still wouldn’t be enough. 

But what he could never reconcile, was that he had lost you. 

Even though, deep down, he knew that he wasn’t entirely to blame for the breakup, the thought haunted him. He could’ve done more. He should’ve fought harder. He had always feared he would lose you someday, as if something so good was never meant to belong to him.  

Still, the day you left felt wrong. He replayed it in his mind ten times, twenty, a hundred. Every word you said, every change on your face, everything leading up to the end. He should’ve done this, he thought, his stomach twisted painfully. He should’ve said that. He fell into an endless spiral of what ifs, mourning the version of his life where you were still in it. 

He missed you.

Turning over in bed, he wrapped an arm around a pillow and sighed. He couldn’t even cry anymore.  

It was four in the morning. He knew before he even checked his phone. He had become an expert in tracking the time spent in silence, in ignoring the missing calls, and unread texts from friends trying to reach him. None of it mattered. 

His eyelids felt heavy, but sleep was no escape. In his dreams, he always found you. Flashes of secret glances across the library tables, the way you’d lift your head just to peek at him—smiling shyly because he always caught you looking. Other times, the dreams turned into nightmares, reliving the abrupt ending of what you had together, the last moments before you walked away. 

The pad of his finger hovered over the shared folder on his phone. He swallowed hard, the familiar knot twisting in his stomach. 

Apparently, you had forgotten about the folder. The folder where your photos were automatically backed up. Seungcheol never moved a single thing, as though keeping it untouched might preserve his last connection to you just a little longer. Before you noticed and end that too. 

One week after the breakup, you erased all the photos of you together. Every trace you had together was erased on social media. But somehow, you had forgotten about the shared folder. Or maybe you missed him too. Maybe you wanted to hold on a little longer.  

At first, he avoided his phone entirely, pretending his phone didn’t exist. But then—something happened. 

One night, the folder updated.

Seungcheol felt a pain so sharp, he was sure it would kill him. Seeing your name on his screen made the pain in his chest tighter. He stopped dead in his tracks, bringing a finger to press on your name, he held his breath.

Updated a minute ago

His heart had pounded in his ears. He braced himself to see you to be wrecked all over by the sight of your face. 

But no. The photos weren’t of you. They were of the sky. A sunset, painted in soft pinks and burning oranges.

That was the first night of his downward spiral.

He almost felt embarrassed by what came next. He didn’t fall to his knees. He didn’t scream or break down sobbing. 

Instead, he checked the folder every single night. Waiting. Hoping. Not for the sky. Not for another sunset or sunrise. 

For you. 

It soon became his addiction, this quiet, but self-inflicted torment. The nights without an update were the worst. Just like this one. The thought of you realizing he still had access to the folder made him sick to his stomach. Maybe you had figured it out, maybe that’s why the updates had stopped. 

Seungcheol locked his phone and tossed it somewhere in the tangled sheets. 

Were you as lonely as he was?

Staring at the ceiling, he let the memories play again in his head. It was a dangerous game, replaying his own heartbreak like a song stuck on repeat. 

Why did he like hurting so much?

If he could only hear your voice again. But he made a promise to himself: no matter how bad it got, no matter how much it tore him apart, he wouldn’t reach out to you. He wouldn’t do that to you. 

His hand groped blindly for the whisky bottle on his nightstand, but he met nothing but the empty glass. 

The phone buzzed somewhere in the sheets. He went rigid. The vibrations drummed against his ear. He ignored it at first. 

But what if it was you?

The knot in his stomach tightened unbearably as he reached for his phone, his heart slamming against his ribs. His fingers fumbled through the sheets, desperate searching. 

The aching feeling inside him was soothed at the moment he saw your name on the screen. Relief flooded his chest—you were still there. He even felt rewarded, in some twisted way. You always updated him around this time. 

But the relief was fleeting. 

The pain returned a thousand times worse. 

He shot up too fast, dizziness crashing over him, not just from the alcohol, but from the sheer force of you. Blood rushed to his head, leaving him unsteady. 

There you were. Your eyes. 

He could read it in them instantly—you were sad. That was undeniable. But there was something else too, something softer. A glint. Catching in the pale morning light that bathed your face. Maybe it was hope. 

Seeing your face for the first time in what felt like a lifetime was brutal. The image blurred. His vision swam. The phone slipped from his fingers, landing somewhere on the bed as he pressed his hands to his face. Don’t cry, don’t cry, he repeated, a strangled sound muffled against his palms. 

He should have stopped you from leaving.

It was seven in the morning when he finally surfaced from the spiral. 

Sunlight leaked through the cracks in the curtains, stabbing at his tired eyes. The bedsheets were tangled around him. Clothes were scattered across the floor—abandoned, forgotten. The whole room was a mess, but none of it compared to the mess inside his heart, his head. 

Still, he sat there. A near catatonic state. Eyes open but seeing nothing. 

He could not keep living like this. 

His chest felt heavy as he reached for his phone. Seungcheol scrolled through a hundred and fifty-seven texts from Jeonghan before typing two words. 

I’m fine.

His fingers hovered over the screen. Switching tabs to see your face one more time. And with a pause of hesitation, he opened his phone settings, hitting the hard reset button. 

He had to let you go. 

It was nine in the morning when he heard an urgent knock at the front door. He had gotten good at ignoring that too. But this time, he went to get it. He already knew it would be. 

The door creaked open. “Hi,” Seungcheol croaked, realizing he had not spoken to a living being in days.

Jeonghan’s head snapped up from where he had been staring at the ground. He didn’t speak. He didn’t have to. The way his shoulders tensed, the caution in his every movement, it told Seungcheol everything. 

Jeonghan entered the apartment, gaze flitting over the place—the place Seungcheol once shared with you. Your things were packed into moving boxes, stacked in the corner, waiting to be sent back to your parents’ house. 

His stuff was in moving boxes too.

Because there wasn’t a single corner of this place that wasn’t haunted by you. So, he had to let go of that, too. 

Seungcheol had to take life’s lessons the hard way. Plans do not always come to fruition, yes. But that could also mean that he had the chance to make new plans. Or at least, that is what the therapist told him.

Breakups are hard. 

After moving to a different neighbourhood, Seungcheol quit his office job. Then, in what everyone around him thought it was a fit of madness, he purged his entire life of you. He got new clothes. He died his hair, he let it grow. He re-did the piercings in his earlobes. He got a new phone. 

If burying his past self meant forgetting you, he’d dig that grave himself.

“Are you sure about this?” 

Changkyun leaned against the counter, arms crossed, eyes flicking to the money stacked neatly between them. 

“I’m sure,” Seungcheol replied, tone flat.

Changkyun clicked his tongue, tilting his head. “It’s a big investment.” 

“One I’m willing to make.”

The money had been purposed for something else once. Something permanent. Something that, at one point, had been his future. 

It was the money he had saved to start a life with you. Now, it lay before him in neat stacks, repurposed for something else entirely.  

“I’ll tell my guy,” Changkyun shrugged, unconvinced. Then, a pause, a frown. “What exactly are you planning to do with the place?” 

Seungcheol knew it was a gamble. This plan might fail. This plan might succeed. He did not know for certain. But he wanted to say that at least say he tried it. 

With every fiber of his being, he wanted this.

“I’m turning it into a bar.”

Starting a new chapter in his life felt odd sometimes. Even if he had made it forbidden to think of you, he would wonder if you felt the same too.

Breakups are odd.

This new chapter of his life had him rewriting bits of himself that once included you in some way. It was seeing things with brand new eyes.

As the plan of opening a bar was in the works, new opportunities were falling to his lap. Jeonghan decided to take the offer of co-owning the bar, thus absorbing part of the investments too and making it a little bit easier to open it sooner.

Also, it was gaining some traction. People would stop and ask what the old pizza place would turn into.

“I have a friend that might be a good addition to your bar. He’s clever, and made for this, he’s kind of a night owl,” Changkyun mentioned one night in passing, looking around the place with an impressed look on his face.

“Bring him in,” Seungcheol nodded. He had been thinking of putting up hiring ads somewhere, but he kept pushing the task out of procrastination.

However, Changkyun’s friend was a true blessing in disguise. The guy turned up the following day as Seungcheol was putting up the shelves where he meant to display bottles of whisky and rum.

Crossing the doorway with a curious look on his face, he knocked on the countertop to draw Seungcheol’s attention over the loud hammering.

Upon looking at him, he knew it was Changkyun’s friend.

“You are?” Seungcheol pushed his eyebrows up.

The guy was about to utter something, but after hearing Seungcheol’s dry words, he just stammered: “Jeon Wonwoo.”

Seungcheol made no follow-up comment whatsoever, the moment dragged on silently, he arched his eyebrows higher this time.

“I-I’m here for the job offer. I’m a friend of Changkyun’s,” he explained, pushing the rim of his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

“Have you ever managed a bar before?”

Jeon Wonwoo nodded his head once. “Yes.”

“Right. Come here tomorrow at five. We can cover all of the details then.”

Seungcheol felt glad he took that leap of faith. Most nights, he would walk around his bar feeling proud to have come this far and have a successful business all by his own. 

He felt glad that the pain in his heart was starting to heal. 

Breakups are funny. Because sometimes—though not often—he would wonder what you would think of him now. And when he did, he surprised himself. The thought of you didn’t hurt anymore. Seungcheol had nearly forgotten the sound of your voice, the way you used to say his name. 

Two years had passed since that night. Two years of nothing but himself. The bar had become his whole world—the buzzing sounds of conversations over loud music, clinking noises, people laughing filling the silence where your voice used to be. The people he met now became small anchors to keep himself afloat and not think of the ghost of you. 

He had built something from the ground up, he found something that was entirely for his own. 

Even if he dared to think of you, it no longer felt like a punch to the gut. The weight of missing you, the constant need to look for you everywhere he looked was no more. The pain had grown dull, the memory of you something distant. Seungcheol had, at last, moved on. 

Or he thought he had. 

The busier he kept, the better. That had been his mindset for the past two years, and time had passed in a blur. And if he let himself be honest, he’d have to admit that he was content with his life. 

Seungcheol sank into the lounge chair in the living room, a heavy sigh slipping past his lips as he reclined against the soft leather. A glass of whiskey rested on his thigh, his fingers loosely curled around it.

Silence reigned in his apartment, a stark contrast to the loud buzzing noise from the bar, it almost left him feeling overwhelmed. It was three in the morning—the usual time he got home after another long night at the bar. By now, it was routine. Second nature. 

He licked his lips, shutting his eyes for a moment. It was one of those rare nights when his mind drifted where he didn’t want it to, wandering down a path that always led to you. Were you alright? If so, were you loved?

In the darkness behind his closed eyelids, he saw you. He saw you sitting across the uni library, smiling because he caught you looking at him. His grip tightened around the cold glass, a flicker of something sharp twisting in his chest. 

Seungcheol exhaled slowly, opening his eyes to take one generous gulp from his glass. The whiskey burned deeply, it was sharp and smoky, lingering in the back of his throat. He looked at the bottom of his glass, thinking of pouring another to quiet down his thoughts before going to bed. 

After all this time, he shouldn’t be thinking about you. 

But it was impossible to stop now. He tilted the glass on his fingers very slightly, his gaze unfocused. He remembered the way your fingers used to trace shapeless patterns on his skin, the quiet hum of your voice in the mornings, the way you would giggle in between morning kisses. Seungcheol wondered if you still did that, if someone else was on the receiving end now. 

His chest tightened, the pain so hard that he had to take another large gulp of whiskey, deciding to pour another one. He had convinced himself he’d moved on. But nights like this, when the world seemed to stop and his thoughts were so loud they buzzed in his ears, he wasn’t so sure. 

Because even after all this time, even after building himself a life in opulence and arduous work, he still thought of you. 

He leaned over the coffee table, pouring more whiskey into the glass and the half-melted ice spheres. The apartment was too quiet, too still, so much so that he felt a prisoner to it. Like somehow the stillness was to blame that he was thinking of you. 

Seungcheol tilted his head back against the chair, swallowing hard to try to dissolve the feeling coiling around his throat. Staring at the ceiling, the grip around the glass of whiskey loosened, right before he allowed himself to remember. 

It was a late night. You were curled up on his couch back at his old, tiny apartment. You were currently fighting sleep while waiting for him to finish looking over something. Seungcheol was working late, going over some accounts from his old office job. He didn’t remember what had him so busy, but it didn’t matter now. What he remembered about that night was that you refused to go to bed without him. 

You were staying over at his apartment, he doesn’t remember the reason why. But you were slightly irritated that you were staying over, and he was working on some accounts. 

“Just a few more minutes,” he had told you, glancing over the stack of papers. 

You had hummed something in response, your eyes already slipping shut. 

When he finally had set the papers down, you were already deeply asleep on the couch. Seungcheol sat down beside you, and you had barely stirred, except that some seconds later, you had leaned into him, your body instinctively seeking out for him even in sleep. 

Seungcheol had smiled to himself, welcoming you in a careful, but loving embrace. The seconds passed, but he made no move to carry you to bed yet, he enjoyed the peace and quiet moment with you. 

It was nothing special. It was just a regular night. And yet somehow, it was everything he ever wanted. 

And now, he was sitting alone and in silence. 

Seungcheol let out a quiet scoff in amusement, and regret. 

Funny, the things you miss.  

The next morning, he woke with a sharp inhale. His neck felt stiff from the awkward angle against the headrest of the couch. A deep groan left him as he blinked lazily, the morning light spilling through the window made him grimace a bit. 

Running a hand down his face, he groan, his brain feeling sluggish and struggling to catch up with the fact that he had fallen asleep thinking about you. 

Seungcheol hated falling asleep on the couch. It always left him feeling unrested, and disorientated, like he’d lost track of something. 

The now empty whiskey glass sat in front of him on the coffee table. He wanted to lay the blame on the alcohol, but deep down he knew that he had just gone through a moment of weakness. 

The memory of you still clung to him, like an echo refusing to leave his mind. Even out of his life and far away from him, you were still stubborn. Still refusing to leave, branding a mark within him deeply. Irritation flared beneath his skin, making his blood boil. He didn’t have time for this, not today, not ever again. 

He pushed himself up, his steps taking him straight to the bathroom to have a shower. Even as the scalding hot water hit his back, the weight in his body refused to leave.  

It didn’t matter. He had a job, he had a bar to run. And if there was one thing that he’d learned in the past two years since that, it was that staying busy kept the ghosts at bay. 

For now. 

The bar was barely active with the first tasks of the day. The kitchen was getting ready, the noise from the staff moving around, the clatter of glassware carried all the way to the front of the bar.

The tables were vacant, everything was tidied and ready for the day ahead. Wonwoo, who was sitting on one of the booths was already active and sorting out what tasks needed to be done before the first costumers showed up. 

The bar had a unique smell every morning before opening hours. The low humming noises from the staff gearing up for the day, everything around him felt like home to Seungcheol. Work, it was what grounded him. At least it usually did. 

But today, the weight of the restless night clung to him, the ghost of you still following him wherever he turned to. 

“Rough morning?” 

Seungcheol glanced to the booth that was pushed all the way back. “Didn’t sleep well,” he replied to Wonwoo. 

“Yeah, well,” Wonwoo sucked in a breath slowly. “That makes two of us,” he exhaled. 

Seungcheol sat down on the booth too, crossing his arms on the table. He rolled his shoulders before sitting back on the seat, brush those thoughts away, he told himself. 

“What do we have today?” Seungcheol nodded to the notes sitting beneath Wonwoo’s hands. 

“Let’s see,” Wonwoo began, skimming through his notes. “We have suppliers coming in two hours. I have a newbie to show the ropes to. And we haven’t paid the Haze boys yet,” he mentioned aloofly.

“I already did last night,” Seungcheol replied quickly. 

“Got it,” Wonwoo said as he checked the reminder off. He lifted his head, looking at Seungcheol, but then something else caught his attention. “Oh, the newbie is here.”

“Hi,” a tiny voice replied in the background.

He should have listened to the alarm bells in the back of his head, the ones screaming at him to pay attention to that voice. But Wonwoo was already moving, an eager smile on his face, Seungcheol, and he should’ve noticed that too.

Seungcheol may have forgotten the sound of your voice. But he would never, never forget your face.

And in that moment, he wished he was seeing a stranger. 

Because the way your expression froze, the way the light in your eyes dimmed, told him everything he needed to know.

He was seeing a ghost. 

It couldn’t be you. You were on the other side of the planet. This had to be a joke. A dream. A nightmare.

The shock hit him so hard, it left an echoing pain in his chest, so deep he nearly dropped to his knees. His breath turned shallow. The floor beneath him suddenly felt unsteady, he almost began to think that the entire place around him had turned against him, showing him a mirage of you. 

The following moments were a blur. He made up some dumb excuse—he didn’t even remember what he had said—and ran away from the bar, barely registering Wonwoo’s confused look as Seungcheol made his exit to the nearest bathroom. 

There, leaning face-first against the door, his hands braced against the cool surface, he had to make a choice.

He could pretend to not know you at all. Accept you in his bar, his safe haven and keep his distance like a stranger. 

Or he could refuse. Tell you to look for a job elsewhere. 

The first choice meant keeping you close while never going near you. 

The second meant losing you all over again. 

It was another gamble.

But there was one thought he couldn’t shake, no matter how hard he tried. Why on earth were you looking for a job? His mind reeled uncontrollably, he lost track of his surroundings, his body. Months before you broke up with him, you had taken on a part-time job—but that was different. That had been your choice, something temporary. 

This? This felt like something else entirely. 

Seungcheol had cut off all contact with you, so he had no idea about your family either. He never imagined that you had been cut off, this time completely. 

Even after years of not seeing your face, he could still read you perfectly. One glimpse, and he noticed the dark circles under your eyes, the slight off-color on your cheeks and lips. You were tired. Worried.

When he finally mustered the strength to move, he went back to the bar. And there you were—sitting in the same spot he had occupied moments before. 

Something happened. Something baffling. 

He felt his heart and mind split between the person he used to be and the person he was now. 

For a moment, it was as if time had folded in on itself, pulling him back to the first time he saw you sitting in the library all those years ago. He remembered the way he felt then—the quiet pull of intrigue and fascination, the way he used to watch you from a distance before he ever worked up the nerve to ask you out. 

You were the prettiest girl he had ever laid eyes on. 

And God, he had missed you.

Every cell in his body screamed at him to move, to go near you. His fingers twitched with the impulse to reach out, to touch you, to prove that you were real and indeed not a ghost. It was almost funny—how the world stopped the moment he saw you, yet in his mind, everything was happening at light speed. 

He felt angry at you for showing up in his life like nothing happened. He felt angry that with one look at you, his life came apart. 

And then, realization settled deep in his chest. 

If he let you walk away now, he would wonder about you every day. Again. And he refused to go through that a second time. 

So he took another leap of faith.

Present time 

“So?” 

“So, what?” you asked slowly as you tied the apron behind your back. 

Jeon Wonwoo was leaning on the countertop, elbows planted, phone in hand. “You spent weeks playing me for a fool,” he said with a sheepish smile—one that he didn’t quite hide all the way as he stood upright, rubbing the tip of his nose with his knuckle.

“Listen,” you begun with a light chuckle, eyes flickering around the room in case Seungcheol was nearby. “I was just curious, and-,” 

“I get why you did it,” he said, lifting a palm and shaking it dismissively. 

“Oh. Then why—”

“I think I am owed an apology,” Wonwoo muttered, crossing his arms over his chest, a sly grin tugging at his lips.

“I am sorry,” you said dumbly. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you the truth. And that I… took advantage of that and snooped a bit.”

Wonwoo tilted his head back slightly, the grin growing on his face. “I don’t want a verbal apology.” 

You gaped at him. “Why do I feel like I’m not going to like where this is going?” 

He pursed his lips—the same look he always had when he was toying with a cheeky idea. “One day I’m going to ask a favor from you. And that is how you’ll repent.” 

“That’s blackmail,” you pointed, narrowing your eyes at him. 

“No different from you playing dumb and ask me questions about your ex for weeks,” he rolled his eyes. “So?” 

“Are you being serious, Wonwoo?” 

“Dead serious.” 

You sighed, looking around one more time. The bar was already in open hours, but it was still early to have a lot of customers, to the exception of the ones who regularly showed up within the hour of opening. 

“Fine,” you gritted. 

Wonwoo let out a soft chuckle, returning to his task behind the bar. “I do forgive you,” he said. “But I will ask a favor from you. Soon.”

“Gee, thanks,” you muttered, throwing your arms in the air. “I’m at your disposal, I guess.”

“It’s just something I need help with, no big deal,” he shrugged.

“Is it about… work?” You grabbed a dishcloth, pretending to clean the nearest cup.

Wonwoo tilted his head, considering his words. “Yes and no.” He chuckled lightly, but his gaze lingered a beat too long.

“I hate the suspense,” you said, trying to keep your voice flat.

“And I hate being lied to,” he shot back, though his smile was small, almost amused. “I’m keeping the suspense until I claim that favor.”

“Sure.” You rolled your eyes, knowing full well you were pressing his buttons.

“So you’re not even going to deny it?” Wonwoo’s smirk stretched as he crossed his arms over his chest.

“Would it make a difference?” You sighed, already regretting every choice that had led to this moment.

“Not really,” he admitted, tilting his head. “But I figured I’d give you a chance to redeem yourself.”

You groaned, rubbing your temples. “Is it going to be like this now?”

“Blackmail is suddenly very acceptable now that I found you out,” he said sweetly, but the glint in his eyes told you he was enjoying this way too much.

“Wonwoo.” You shot him a warning look.

“Fine, fine.” He laughed, raising his hands in surrender. “But you have to admit, this is a fascinating situation. The two of you, playing strangers while making eyes at each other when you think no one’s looking—”

“We are not making eyes at each other,” you snapped, a little too fast.

“Oh?” His grin widened. “Must I remind you how I found you two out?”

Your stomach twisted. You sent a quick glance around, making sure no one was close enough to overhear. “Look, you wouldn’t understand—”

“Exactly why wouldn’t I understand?” His smirk faded, his voice quieter now.

You hesitated, your gaze dropping to the checkered floor. The real reason felt too raw to say aloud. You had spent weeks toeing around Seungcheol’s life without stepping directly into it, and Wonwoo—whether he realized it or not—had been your connection to the pieces of him you hadn’t been brave enough to face. You needed to know how broken he had been before you could allow yourself to be closer again.

“Because I hurt him too much,” you admitted, your voice barely above a whisper. “And I was scared to come back into his life. I was ashamed.”

Wonwoo studied you for a long moment before exhaling, his teasing demeanor softening. “Why did you come back?” he asked, like he was peeling away the last layer of the truth.

Your throat tightened. The answer had always been simple, but saying it out loud made it feel so much heavier. You lifted your gaze to meet his. “I never wanted to leave.”

His expression shifted completely, the guarded amusement replaced by something much quieter. “I get it,” he murmured, stepping closer. His hand landed on your shoulder in a reassuring squeeze. “Hey. Don’t worry,” he said, shrugging like it wasn’t a big deal. “This doesn’t make me think badly of you.”

You let out a slow breath, nodding. “Thank you,” you muttered, offering a small smile.

Wonwoo winked before stepping away, getting back to his task before opening hours. But something in the way he left made you uneasy. He wasn’t entirely done with this conversation.

And worse—something told you that whatever Wonwoo was holding back also had to do with Seungcheol. 

It was a slow day that day, only a handful of customers walked through the door, and the hours dragged on. But with the end of your shift approaching, you found yourself more relaxed than eager to leave. 

For once, the guys had behaved. No teasing, no snooping, almost like some rule had been put in place to avoid the subject. You suspected that Seungcheol had something to do with that.

Not that he had much time to show for it. He’d been busy—placing orders, making phone calls, handling payments, coordinating deliveries for the kitchen, and making sure the bar was stocked with everything it needed. And, most importantly, he had taken on the task of training the new hire, Chan.

Chan was in his first week. He was younger than you, bubbly, and had a good attitude. But he’d made one mistake on his very first day. Wonwoo, as a way to get his payback, had decided that Chan would shadow you in some of the complicated tasks, like how to operate the system, or the terminals. 

Having him as a shadow was fine. Except for one thing. 

“You’ll be shadowing her,” Wonwoo motioned to your direction. 

“Hi, there,” you said, offering a quick wave. Then you turned around, resuming to tending your tables. 

Chan barely hesitated before muttering under his breath, “Jesus. She’s fucking hot.” 

Wonwoo tensed up, coughing lightly. “Shut up,” he muttered, throwing a look over his shoulder. 

You thought of turning around and just shut the guy down. But unaware of the silent warning, Chan remained completely oblivious. Especially to the fact that his new boss, Seungcheol, was standing right behind him. 

Seungcheol’s jaw was tightly clasped, deciding to say nothing and looking away instead. Chan unfortunately, remained oblivious and exceptionally bad at hiding his attraction to you. 

And this shift was no different. Chan remained completely unbeknownst to the fact that he had walked straight into dangerous territory, and even more surprising still, he didn’t realize that Seungcheol had him in his sight.

The moment Chan started following you around the bar, Seungcheol just happened to stick around more. At first it wasn’t as evident, since he was normally in the bar doing inventory, paperwork, making calls, he practically lived here. But today, he was suddenly very hands-on. 

“Here, let me show you,” Seungcheol said, stepping in just as Chan was having a hard time learning how to use the shaker. Seungcheol took the shaker from his hands with a practiced ease, his presence instantly noticeable. “Watch carefully. You want to get the grip right, or you’ll make a mess.”

Chan nodded eagerly, completely missing the way Seungcheol’s gaze flickered toward you for a fraction of a second. You did not miss it.

Your stomach tightened, breath hitching slightly. You were sure you saw Wonwoo’s lips curve slightly, what solidified your shame was the gentle nudging of his elbow as you passed beside him. 

This battle continued throughout the shift. Whenever you were nearby, Seungcheol was there too—adjusting bottles, correcting a pour, explaining to Chan how things were done. At one point, you reached for a glass at the same time as Seungcheol, your fingers barely brushing his. A brief, fleeting contact, but enough for you to catch the smug look on his face. He didn’t smile, but there was something flashing across his features. Like he knew exactly what he was doing.

You narrowed your eyes at him. He just raised a brow in silent amusement, using his tongue to brush the smile that was beginning to form on his lips. 

And Chan? Completely unaware. It was almost as though he felt proud that it was the boss who was showing him the ropes. 

However the most perplexing thing was that Seungcheol made no obvious move to show Chan that you were his girlfriend. Years ago, he wouldn’t have hesitated to use a hand on your waist, pulling you in for a kiss. Or he wouldn’t have hesitated to call you love or angel in front of everyone.

Seungcheol loved claiming what was his. So the fact that he was not doing so openly made you feel obfuscated. 

“He’s making a point,” Wonwoo said as he walked past you at the bar, muttering just loud enough for you to hear. 

You raised your gaze to meet his. “A point?” you asked dumbly. 

Wonwoo grinned, motioning with the tip of his nose at situation happening across the bar—Seungcheol was talking with Chan. The conversation happening so far away that it was very difficult for you to hear. 

“Oh, this is nothing,” you said, sighing heavily. 

Seungcheol spent the rest of the shift hovering. And it became almost funny to you. It wasn’t that obvious, but every time Chan made a move to get close to you, somehow Seungcheol found a way to intervene. 

Whenever you bent over to pull out something from the fridges, Seungcheol intercepted Chan’s line of sight smoothly. Or whenever you stood on your tiptoes to grab a bottle from the shelf, Seungcheol would call for Chan, asking a dumb favor like passing him a lime, or changing the song playing on the speakers. 

You were turning toward the liquor shelf, reaching for a bottle on the top rack when—

“Careful.” 

Seungcheol’s voice came from just behind you, making you freeze instantly in place. His arm was already extending past you, fingers curling around the bottle with ease. His chest pressed against your back and as he retrieved it, you swallowed hard, heart racing at the way his warmth wrapped around you. 

“I had it,” you muttered, turning around on your feet. 

Seungcheol had a smirk planted on his face. “Sure you did,” he said smoothly, his eyebrow quirking up slightly. “Just wanted to help.”

You rolled your eyes, biting your bottom lip to keep you from smiling at him. “Uh-huh.”

Seungcheol leaned towards you, and you instantly sucked in a breath. “What, you don’t believe me?” 

“Is that what you’re doing with Chan?” you countered, unable to step away, his whole frame was caging you in. 

Seungcheol tilted his head, arching his eyebrow. “I’m doing my job.” 

You had nothing to reply to that. Despite Seungcheol engaging in a petty rivalry against Chan, he was doing his job. 

Seungcheol noticed, a sly grin appearing on his face as he sent a glance across the bar. Chan was looking your way, dropping his gaze as soon as you locked eyes with him. “This guy,” Seungcheol hissed. 

Your face started to heat up. “Seungcheol,” you muttered as he motioned towards Chan. 

He turned back, an innocent look on his face. “What?” 

“Don’t.”

“Don’t what?” he asked, blinking innocently at you. 

You rolled your eyes. “Whatever you’re thinking, just don’t.”

He grinned, slow and knowing. “I’m just implementing a strict focus during training,” he shrugged with ease. “Can’t have the new hire looking at my girlfriend on his first few days when he should be learning the ropes, right?” 

You groaned, dragging a hand down your face. “Seungcheol.”

“Relax,” he chuckled, pushing off the counter. Then, with an absolutely infuriating wink, he added, “Just having some fun, baby,” he said quietly. And just like that, he strolled off, leaving you to wrestle with the fact that he was definitely enjoying this. 

And worse? So were you.

The usual end-of-shift routine was unfolding. Seungcheol had actually finished his tasks more than an hour ago, and he could’ve gone home already—if he wasn’t your boyfriend. And your ride home.

Somehow, nobody had thought to tell Chan that you were with the boss. And it was too embarrassing for you to just come out and say it. Besides, a small part of you enjoyed the primal reaction Seungcheol had every time Chan so much as looked your way.

So, instead of leaving, Seungcheol kept himself entertained at the pool table, practicing his shots while sipping a beer. Every now and then, he sent glances around the bar. Casual glances, but noticeable—making sure Chan was keeping his comments about you to himself and his eyes on the task at hand.

You were rinsing out a glass when Wonwoo returned from taking out the trash. “Alright, boss,” Wonwoo called. “We’re clocking out!”

Seungcheol was bent over the pool table, eyes locked on the white cue ball just ahead of his stick. He nodded once before executing a smooth shot. “Alright. See you tomorrow, guys. Thanks.”

The door swung shut behind them, leaving just the two of you in the bar. You set down the last piece of glassware to dry on the rack. Washing your hands, you sneaked a glance at Seungcheol, who was biting his bottom lip as he lined up another shot.

“What?” he asked, sensing your scrutiny.

“Nothing,” you huffed, smirking as he looked far too smug about it.

Seungcheol laughed under breath. “You always do that.”

“Do what?”

“Pretend you’re busy when you don’t want to answer me.”

You exhaled, rolling your eyes before walking around the bar and grabbing a cue stick from the rack on the wall.

Seungcheol arched an eyebrow. “Are you mad at me?” he asked, gathering the pool balls inside the triangle again.

“No,” you replied simply. “But why didn’t you tell Chan about us?”

Seungcheol shrugged. “The topic never came up.”

“You could’ve told him instead of stalking him like he was about to steal your food,” you teased, cackling at your own description.

“It was better this way,” he said easily. “Doesn’t mess with the workflow, and he keeps his cheerful attitude.” He paused, his gaze narrowing just a little. “He didn’t make you uncomfortable, did he?”

You rolled your eyes at him. “Please. He barely even spoke two words to me. He’s harmless. While you on the other hand?” you huffed, leaning over the table to line up the first shot. “You glared at him all night.” 

Seungcheol smirked, leaning against his cue stick. “I don’t glare.” 

You made your shot, sinking a striped ball into the corner pocket. “Oh, you definitely do.” 

He hummed, pursing his lips. Then he step closer as you moved to take your next shot. “I was just making sure my bartender didn’t get distracted.” 

You narrowed your eyes at him. “By what?”

“By some new guy staring at her.” 

You rolled your eyes, shaking your head. “That is a non-issue,” you pointed, refocusing on your shot. “I could’ve told him I’m with someone, call it a day.” 

Seungcheol didn’t respond immediately. Instead, he reached out, he ran his fingers down the line of your back just as you were bending down, and placed his palm firmly on the small of your back. 

You hit the cue ball a little too hard, sending it bouncing off the rails without hitting anything else. 

Seungcheol chuckled. “Someone?” he inquired, arching one perfect eyebrow. “Not me?” 

You deadpanned at him. “You know what I mean,” you huffed. 

He tilted his head, feigning innocence. “And what do you mean?” he pursed his lips. “Would you have told Chan that you’re with someone instead of just telling him you’re with me?”

Your brows furrowed, straightening up. “What kind of question is that?” 

“A valid one,” he smirked, taking his shot, sinking two balls in quick succession. “You know what, maybe telling him your boyfriend is also his boss would destroy that confidence he has.”

You laughed at him with reluctance. “You’re being kind of a prick.”

Seungcheol didn’t deny it, laughing with you. “Maybe.” He circled the table, standing just behind you now. His voice dipped lower, teasing. “But I think you like it.”

You exhaled, tilting your head back slightly to look at him. “Like what?”

He leaned in just a fraction, enough for his breath to brush your ear. “That you drive me crazy.”

Your throat went dry, breath hitching almost audibly. 

Seungcheol pulled back, his smirk lazy and triumphant. “Your turn.”

You exhaled, gripping your cue stick a little tighter. “Take it back. You’re being a huge prick.”

Seungcheol smirked, stepping back just enough to let you focus, but you could still feel his presence lingering close. Dangerously close. “You haven’t denied it.” 

Rolling your eyes, you lined up your shot, determined not to let him win. You hit the cue ball, this time sinking a solid with a satisfying thump. You straightened and turned to him smugly. “The answer is no. I don’t like that my boyfriend gets all jealous and possessive as soon as he sees other men glance my way.” 

Seungcheol hummed, nodding slowly. “Maybe I should try a little harder, then.” 

You shot him a look. “You should try harder… at the actual game.”

He laughed under his breath. “Alright. Let’s make it interesting, then.”

You arched an eyebrow. “Interesting how?”

“A bet.” He leaned on his cue stick, watching you closely. “If I win, you owe me something.”

You scoffed, crossing your arms. “I don’t even know what that means, but it sounds like trouble.”

Seungcheol grinned, his heart palpitating with eagerness. “Absolutely.”

You considered for a moment. Winning against Seungcheol was always satisfying, but the path to losing against him… well, that was dangerous territory. “Fine,” you conceded. “But if I win, you owe me something.”

Seungcheol’s eyes glinted with interest. “Deal. What do you want?”

You pretended to think. “An entire week without you messing with me at work.”

He gaped at you for a second. “A whole week?” he huffed, running a hand through his blond hair. “That’s nearly impossible.”

“Take it or leave it.”

Seungcheol sighed, shaking his head. “Alright, alright. And if I win…” He took a step closer, lowering his voice just enough to send a shiver down your spine. “You have to go on a real date with me.”

You blinked, thrown off. “A… real date?” you asked dumbly. 

He shrugged. “You know. Something other than stolen moments between shifts or late-night car rides home.”

“That’s...” you arched one eyebrow. 

Seungcheol smirked. “What? Afraid you’ll lose to me?” he challenged. 

You huffed. “No. Afraid you’ll cheat.”

“I would never,” he said, eyes twinkling with mischief. 

“Babe, we live together,” you emphasized. 

“And? We haven’t gone out on a date in…” he lifted his gaze to the ceiling. “Two years and a half,” he said.  

Your heart clenched, realizing he was right. “Fine. Let’s play.”

Seungcheol stepped aside, motioning toward the table. “Ladies first.”

You lined up your shot, focusing harder than before. If you were going to beat Seungcheol, you needed to be unstoppable. 

But just as you were about to strike, Seungcheol muttered, “You know, I really should’ve told Chan.”

You hesitated, glancing up. “And what exactly would you have told him?” 

“That you’re already spoken for.”

Your grip on the cue stick tightened. “Spoken for? That’s one way to put it.”

He nodded, looking way too pleased with himself. “Now I’m beginning to think it would’ve saved us all a lot of trouble.”

You rolled your eyes, returning your attention to your shot. “You’re ridiculous.”

“And yet, here you are. With me. Playing pool. After hours.”

You ignored the way your stomach flipped at his words and finally took the shot. The ball sank into the pocket, and you straightened, feigning confidence. “And?” 

Seungcheol chuckled, moving to take his turn. “Oh, baby.” He leaned over the table, eyes locking onto yours just before he took his shot. “You’re terrible at hiding your emotions from your face.”

“I’m not,” you rolled your eyes, again.

“You have a tell,” he said smugly. “You always have.”

You hated that he was right. 

And you really hated that you were probably about to lose this game. And not because of a lack of skill, but because Seungcheol was too distracting for you. 

The way his sleek black T-shirt clung to his body, the posture he adopted as he leaned on his cue, the way his dark jeans hugged his ass. Not only that, but his fucking attitude was driving you crazy. 

“So what?” You placed a hand on the table before leaning over. “It’s not like we’re playing poker.” 

“If you’re keeping us a secret, you might want to work on that poker face,” he mused, tone smug. It was then when you should’ve realized his game. 

You scoffed. “I’m not hiding anything, Seungcheol,” you said, not fully thinking through how that might sound. Your tone resounded across the table, high and swollen in condescension. 

Seungcheol’s smirk deepened, just as you took your shot, only to miss horribly. “Not just bad at hiding your emotions, but bad at pool too.” 

He didn’t even give you time to recover. Seungcheol stepped up, leaning over the table to take the final shot, sinking the last ball into the bag. Game over. 

Seungcheol straightened, casually planting the cue stick in front of him, both hands gripping the top as he leaned on it slightly. You tossed the cue stick on the table while he just cocked his head to one side, then he smirked. 

“Prick,” you gritted, trying not to smile as his smirk widened on his perfect face. You crossed your arms over your chest, going around the table to meet up with him. “You know I wouldn’t hide our relationship.”

Seungcheol turned around, putting the cue stick away back on the rack. “What made you hesitate, then?” 

You gaped at him, having nothing to say. You thought about what you told Wonwoo. About feeling ashamed, where did that shame extend to? Did it go so far as to make you feel unworthy of Seungcheol’s forgiveness? 

“Mmn?” he hummed, taking one slow step towards you, effectively eliminating the space between you. 

“Cheol,” you breathed, bringing a hand on his chest to stop him from pinning your body back against the table behind you. 

“What’s happening, baby?” he cooed softly. 

You blinked. He wasn’t smirking anymore—just watching you carefully, waiting. “I don’t know,” you admitted. “I didn’t think telling Chan about us would matter. So I didn’t do it.” 

Seungcheol’s lips twitched into something small and satisfied as he wrapped his arms around you and lifted you, helping you sit on the rim of the pool table. You were now face to face with him, his eyes scanning the features of your face. 

“I think you enjoy it,” he muttered, his voice low and raspy. 

“Enjoy what?” you asked meekly, feeling small as his body practically still towered over yours. 

Seungcheol dipped his head to meet your lips, except that he didn’t kiss you right away. “Seeing me get jealous,” he whispered, his lips brushing yours in the process. 

“Yeah. A little,” you replied in the same manner, a light smirk spreading across your lips. 

“You know, that’s a dangerous thing to admit.”

Your smirk deepened. “Why? Gonna punish me for it?”

He smiled, finally pressing his lips against your own. The kiss was quiet, quick, but you could feel the immediate need for more. You hummed into the kiss, slipping a hand on his nape to pull him closer—to feel the warmth radiating from him, the mixture of his jealousy and the playfulness of it all. 

The world outside was quiet. And something about this moment felt different, but also so familiar. It was as though you both were young again—sharing rushed kisses in the quiet of the library, or making out in secret places. 

But the difference was that you didn’t have the need to hide anymore, at least not entirely. Despite you and him being back together fully, there was no fear of you getting caught or not. 

Seungcheol pulled back, but just slightly. His breath fanned gently over your lips as he smiled. “You didn’t tell Chan we’re together because you knew it would make me jealous?” he asked, the tone sounded genuine, but tiny. 

You made a motion to shake your head. “I don’t know,” you replied, your tone low, almost like a breath. “I just didn’t.” 

“Mmn,” he nodded, pressing his lips to yours. Then with a triumphant air, he whispered. “I win.”

You had forgotten that you were playing pool—that you were playing a game at all. You succumbed to the delicious taste of his kisses, pressing his lips to yours lightly at first. Then his full lips slowly locked with yours, creating a wet smacking sound as he pulled back. 

“You might’ve won, but I—” you touched the tip of his nose with your fingertip. “—never lose,” you cooed, smiling sweetly at him.

Seungcheol pulled back, biting his lip as he looked at you like he wanted to say some quippy retort. But instead, he switched his hands from your waist to your thighs, pushing them apart and grabbing them so he could scoot you closer to the edge of the pool table.

“You know what?” he sighed with a smile, an eyebrow quirking up. “Maybe you do need a little punishment.”

You smiled, humming in delight. Seungcheol slipped his fingers beneath your chin, holding you gently before giving you a featherlight kiss. “But I really want to fuck you right now.”

Your skin came alight with excitement, making you shudder slightly. A sigh slipped past your lips involuntarily. “What’s stopping you?” you whispered, almost afraid you would break the quiet ambience of the bar—the low humming of the fridges, the buzzing of the neon lights that you’d said you would turn off, but forgot.

His hand left your chin, moving to thread your hair through his fingers. “You tell me, angel,” he replied in kind, an amused grin on his face, he enjoyed toying with you.

He softly pulled on your hair, leaning your head back as his lips trailed down your jawline. Your mouth parted, silently moaning as his lips touched the spot below your earlobe. “Cheol,” you muttered.

“Mmn?” he hummed at the sound of his name leaving your lips. “Do you want it, baby?” he asked, his low and raspy tone pouring into your ears.

You wanted to answer, but words just ceased to exist. All you wanted—all you needed—was his hands on you. And Seungcheol knew it all too well.

His hands travelled from your parted thighs to your butt, squeezing lightly as he sighed through his nose. As he did this, his lips kept trailing down your neck with light kisses, each one more delicious than the last. You felt his smile as he reached the dip of your clavicle, knowing that it would elicit a louder moan from you.

“Here?” you squeaked. You grabbed onto his shirt, arms wrapped around his shoulders as he started to push you back onto the table.

“Yes, here,” he answered, the upper half of his body hovering over you as you lay back on the table. Seungcheol smiled, “Unless you want to wait until we get home.”

“Uuuh,” you closed your eyes. Seungcheol slipped a hand beneath your white tank-top, his touch warm and confident as he hiked the fabric up your tummy. His fingers grazed the line of your bra, making you swallow hard.

“Maybe I should make you wait,” he whispered, close to your lips so you felt his breath on you. “That’s the punishment you deserve.”

“No, please,” you whined, linking your arms around his shoulders. Pulling him closer, he crashed his lips with your own, kissing you harder, fervently. Seungcheol chuckled into the kiss, sending a shiver that nearly vibrated in your bones.

“I need to hear it, baby,” he murmured, creating smacking noises with each ardent kiss he propped on your lips.

His hand moved from the center of your belly to the underside of your torso, and slid under your back to command it to arch for him. You deepened the kiss, outlining his bottom lip with the tip of your tongue before pulling back. “Take me here,” you whispered sultrily, a rush of adrenaline going through you.

Seungcheol paused for a brief moment, making you think that he would follow his plan of punishing you, to make you wait. But he pulled back, a sweet grin painting his beautiful face as he looked at you. Then it hit you—all of the moments shared in the past with him, moments like this, moments that felt like breaking the rules, crossing the line.

But you felt safe, all the times he touched you, or kissed you, you felt like it just made sense.

“Are you ready?” he asked playfully, the corner of his lip curving up slightly when all you could muster was a nod. After getting your silent permission, his hand inched upwards on your back, unclasping your bra with efficiency.

The next moments happened hurriedly. Seungcheol started discarding the pieces of your clothing one by one, kissing your lips like a hungry man, barely stopping for air. You mumbled out some incoherencies about wanting him right then and there, but you were too caught up to actually make sense of your own words.

Seungcheol giggled into your lips, the sound only making your blood dance beneath your skin. He was getting rid of your bra, after he had gotten your tank-top out of the way. The bite of the cool surface beneath you made your skin prickle.

But he just sighed at the sight of you, dipping his head to kiss your collarbones again. His wet lips made a trail of light kisses, from the nook of your collarbones down your chest. He kissed your breasts gently, getting soft moans out of you as each kiss felt even sweeter.

You grabbed his blond hair with one hand, keeping your other hand flatly on his lean back. “Cheol,” you sighed.

Your eyes fell out of focus. The sight directly in front of you was stark compared to the stars and colors you saw every time you closed your eyes. Hanging from the ceiling was a lamp, forming a warm yellow pool around you. It hurt to stare at, but Seungcheol was a far better sight.

He pulled back, standing up right. A sigh escaped him as he started taking your sneakers off without looking away from you. You were half naked, torso bare, your hair forming a halo around your head.

Your sneakers fell on the floor, one after the other and you got ready to push your hips up for him just as his hands approached the waistband of your jeans. “Hurry up,” you mumbled, a playful giggle bubbling in your mouth.

Seungcheol clicked his tongue, slapping a hand down your hip before continuing to undo the button and zipper of your jeans. “Patience, baby.”

Then painfully slow, he hooked his fingers on the waistband of your jeans, grabbing your panties too and then started pulling them both down. You planted your feet on the edge of the table just to push your hips up for him to slide down your jeans and panties altogether, letting them drop to the white and black checkered floor.

You sat up on the table, going to grab for the black t-shirt he wore to tear it off him. But Seungcheol caught both of your hands linking his fingers with yours to keep you from undressing him.

You whined pathetically, to which Seungcheol only replied with a joyful giggle. He closed the gap between his lips and yours, kissing you swiftly.

“Behave.” He said, the word coming out of him raspy. “Behave or this ends now.”

A whiny exhale escaped your lips—a complaint that you couldn’t form properly in time. You knew that Seungcheol was a man that loved doting on you, but you also knew that he could keep his word, specially if it meant to punish you.

He loved it—seeing you all whiny, pouty, and pathetic for him. He loved knowing everything that made you subdue to him, every caress, every kiss, and where to place them.

Without any other word, Seungcheol sank down to his knees, his hands leaving yours to grope around the inside of your thighs, pushing them gently. You leaned back on your hands, parting your legs for him.

Your heart palpitated frantically at the sight of him, his hands keeping your thighs spread for him to bury his face between them. He started slowly, making his way with gentle kisses that he littered all over your inner thighs.

“Easy,” he reminded you, a twinge of playfulness in his eyes as he blinked up to your face. His eyebrow twitched up slightly before he dipped his head to run his tongue on your skin.

The feeling of his tongue so close to your pussy sent you in a frenzy, quickly making you forget where you were. You moaned loudly—lewdly, gearing up for the sweet pleasure that would ensue.

You heard a soft gasp—a smile that painted his lips, right before he licked a fat stripe between your folds. The moment you felt his tongue slide on your wet pussy, you instantly dissolved into pleasure. He started teasing you, licking you up and down, drinking you in, lapping at your wetness eagerly.

Slipping a hand on the back of his head, you tangled your fingers around the soft strands of his blond hair. His tongue reached the top of your mound, stopping before trapping your clit between his soft lips. You moaned louder, indicating to him to continue, but soon the bar filled with the sound of your moans.

Seungcheol sucked lightly at your clit, pressing his tongue on the swollen bud before he started moving it from side to side, very softly, gently, as though he were fearful he might overstim you quickly. But it only made your pleasure higher, making the rest of your body go numb, leaving your mind blank.

You nearly froze in place—sitting down at the edge of the pool table, one hand steading you, the other holding his hair. You tried to hold the angle of your hips for him, for his mouth pleasuring your pussy. His tongue kept the side to side motion on your clit, only picking up the pace but slowly, taking his time with you.

Your moans were soft, airy, and he responded in low hums as though telling you how much he loved your taste, the way you sounded. You imagined then how the scene would look from afar—Seungcheol on his knees, pleasuring you as you sat wholly naked on the pool table of his bar.

“Fuck,” you gritted, closing your eyes as you tilted your head back in utter, sweet pleasure. “Cheol, don’t stop. Please, daddy,” you mewled, not caring how pathetic you sounded—because you were close.

And he knew, he knew that you were toying on the line of your release. But he didn’t switch the pace of his tongue, he didn’t stop sucking lightly at your clit. He only kept going, and going, and going.

It was the steadiness of his tongue on you that finally pushed you to the edge. Your orgasm was sweet, like gentle waves washing over you. And your moans were just as sweet, crying out his name as you came apart on the table, taking deep breaths as your climax reached higher, and you couldn’t breathe anymore.

You relished the waves of pleasure consuming you, the way they gently subsided, leaving your body languid. You thread back his blond hair with your fingers, just as he gave your pussy a couple of kisses, giggling playfully as you twitched at the feeling.

The next moments happened in silence, fluidly. Seungcheol slipped a finger beneath your chin, tilting your head back to plant a kiss on your lips. You parted your mouth for him, just as he deepened the kiss, moving on your lips expertly. He hummed as your fingers searched at his belt blindly, unfastening with one swift move.

Just as you were undoing his pants, Seungcheol broke the kiss, crossing his arms down his belly to grab at the hem of his t-shirt, taking it off in one motion. He kissed you again, as if he would die if one more second passed without his lips on yours.

His breath hitched audibly when your hand reached beneath his boxers, your fingers circling around his girthy cock. You shuddered in anticipation when you felt how hard he was for you, humming into his lips as your hand rolled over the tip of his cock, feeling the wetness of the precum gathering in his slit.

“Hurry,” he echoed, making you giggle lightly.

 You pushed his boxers down, getting his cock out. Seungcheol leaned forward, his forehead bumping with yours lightly as you started rolling your hand on his hard cock. He swallowed hard, grunting a little as you scooted closer to him, guiding him to your pussy.

“Baby,” he whispered, a twinge of desperation echoing in his voice.

You whimpered slightly at the feeling of his cockhead nudging in your entrance as you pushed him with your fingers, every inch stretching your walls deliciously. “Seungcheol,” you mewled.

He placed his hands on your ass, holding you in place as he sank inside your walls, exhaling deeply. “I love you,” he mumbled. It sounded as though he’d been dying to tell you those words, as though he’d been dying to feel your warmth.

“I love you,” you replied, your tone merely above a whisper. You closed your eyes, enjoying the feeling of having him inside you, stuffing you full. 

His hand found your cheek, the pad of his thumb slipping beneath your jawline to steal a kiss from your lips. Seungcheol started moving his hips with shallow thrusts, as though he wanted to pair his thrusts with the slow movement of his lips on yours.

But then it soon changed—with a raspy groan, the pacing of his hips took a greedy speed. His hand left your cheek, quickly returning to your ass, where he held you as his hips started snapping against you faster.

You gasped, a hand found his shoulder while the other was flatly planted behind you on the table. You parted your legs more for him, leaning back slightly so he could take all of you—take whatever he wanted. You loved seeing him like this—the carnal desire overpowering him, making him nearly feral.

His jaw was tightly clasped, his eyes fluttering shut as he tilted his head back slightly. “Fuck,” he gritted.

You knew something had shifted in the air. What was once flooded with just your moans alone was now accompanied by the sound of skin slapping skin, low quiet groans from Seungcheol, and the squelching sounds of your dripping pussy.

The calculated rutting of his hips quickly took over you, and for a moment, you wanted to get lost in him. Seungcheol was utterly glorious, covered in a sheen layer of sweat from his forehead to his collarbones, a lazy smile spreading on his lips as he noticed the glazed look in your eyes.

You slowly lay back on the table, until your back was pressed on the cold surface. Seungcheol quickly grabbed your thighs, hooking them over his shoulders without slowing down the careless rutting of his hips.

The feeling became addictive, Seungcheol knew exactly what to do to bring you closer to the edge. He placed his hands on the table, at the height of your waist, pressing your thighs to your chest as he bent over. The rutting of his hips became deeper, making you feel the length of his cock, the tip hitting one spot that made you crazy. Quickly your moans became airy, until they were mere gasps.

“Fuck,” he gasped. “I need you to come, baby,” he urged with a low tone.

“I’m there,” you sighed. “Fuck, daddy. Please come with me,” you said with an embarrassingly honeyed tone.

Seungcheol gritted his teeth, a low grunt coming from him that told you just how close he was too. “Want me to cum inside you, baby?” he asked with fitful breaths.

You let out a whiny sound through your lips. “Yes, yes, please,” you gasped, succumbing to another sweet wave of pleasure. And then, before you could even think your words through— “Put a baby in me, Cheol.”

He gasped, his gaze snapping to your face. “You want that?” he asked breathlessly, his hips buckling against you. “Want me to make you a mommy?” 

The pleasure was so overwhelming, so sweet that you could barely talk. You nodded, blinking the tears away from your eyes to see his face.

His mouth parted, a silent moan escaping before the thrusts of his hips went languid. “God, angel,” he groaned helplessly. “I'm cumming,” he whispered, right before the features of his face relaxed, his eyelids fluttered shut, a vein on his forehead popping out as he came with you.  

Seungcheol groaned loudly, and you could tell by the depth of his thrust that he was cumming a lot inside you, filling you up. The thought drove you crazy, it nearly made you ask him to go again—to stop only when you were indeed pregnant. A shudder invaded you, making you whimper slightly.

He gave you a couple of sloppy thrusts, easing your legs gently from his shoulders to let you rest. You were both breathing hard, your ears buzzing as you tried to steady yourself. But the realization of what you said started sinking in. Seungcheol sighed, an eyebrow twitching up as he gave you an inquisitive look.

“What?” you whispered innocently, biting your bottom lip to avoid smiling.

“You’re cruel,” he pouted, standing up right so he could pull out of you, placing a hand on your belly as he pulled his hips from yours.

You shuddered at the loss. “Why?” you blinked up at him.

“Because—,” he giggled meekly, avoiding your eyes. “—you know what saying that does to me.”

You responded with a giggle of your own. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” you said, sitting up on the table as he handed you your panties. 

But then—a loud, metallic snap. The shutting of the back door resounded from the back to where you and Seungcheol were. You winced in alarm, a hand quickly going to grab your tank-top.

Seungcheol quickly backed away, his hands steading you before you could make another move. “Stay there,” he cautioned, tucking himself back in his pants. His demeanor was so final that you had no choice but to ground yourself there.

He hurried to the hall that led to the back door, not bothering to put his t-shirt on. You sat on the edge of the table, with nothing to hear but the loud drumming of your heart. But he came back just as quickly, hand ruffling his hair, and a confused look on his face.

“It was Chan. Apparently he forgot his keys,” Seungcheol explained, walking up to where you sat still.

“Oh,” you uttered, frowning in confusion. “Did he…”

“Hear us? See us?” Seungcheol sighed, placing his hands on his hips. “Probably,” he cocked his head to one side then the other. “Most definitely.”

Your gaze fell out of focus. “How long had he been here?” You asked dumbly, but then, realization hit. You narrowed your eyes at him. “You knew he was here.”

Seungcheol’s gaze met yours. “I didn’t know for sure,” he shrugged, hands still parked on his hips. “I heard noises. Only a few of us have the key to get in and I know Wonwoo closed the door on his way out.”

Your mouth fell open. “So he never left?”

He nodded, blinking slowly. “I’ll talk to him tomorrow,” he said, placing himself between your legs again, hands finding the border of the table.

You gave him an incredulous look. “You wanted him to watch,” you said, wanting to muster up the slightest bit of annoyance at him. But his grin made it difficult for you to make any more accusatory remarks at him.

“I didn’t expect him to stay for so long,” he said, starting to chuckle at your expression in utter disbelief. “I thought he would just walk out but eventually I forgot,” he said, his eyes turning into half moons as he continued laughing.

You pushed one of his shoulders. “You forgot?!” you exclaimed, aghast.

“Baby, I don’t think you know,” he said, his tone rising as though he had discovered something.

You rolled your eyes. “Know what, exactly?”

He inched closer to you, taking advantage of your perplexion to grab your face with his hands. “You don’t know what you do to me,” he muttered, his tone gruff and low. “You don’t know how good you sound, how good you feel,” he sighed, his eyes coasting over the features of your face. “All I could focus on was you.”

“So you’re telling me that you just forgot that Chan was just down the hall?” you asked in utter confusion.

“Eh—,” he laughed airily, “kinda?”

You rolled your eyes. “You’re unbelievable, Choi Seungcheol,” you accused.

Seungcheol smiled at you giddily, bringing a hand to the back of your head to prop a light kiss on your lips. He let out a light sigh, giving you another small kiss. “Let’s go home.”

Your heart fluttered at the sound of those words, a swarm of butterflies dancing crazily inside your stomach. “Okay,” you whispered.

Instead of moving, Seungcheol stayed there, with his forehead pressed against yours. “You owe me a date,” he muttered.

“I do,” you replied in kind, pressing your lips slowly against his.

“How about tomorrow morning?” he asked, laughing lightly at his own urgency.

“You got it, boss,” you said, pulling back to see that smile painting his face. 

And for a moment, it was as though you had never left. Or at least that was how that fleeting moment felt.

The next day, morning light filtered through the curtains, painting soft, pale lines across the floor. The faint scent of Seungcheol’s deodorant lingered in the air, mixing with the scent of your shared bedroom. He had just finished showering after a workout at the gym downstairs, just as he always did every morning.

You were getting ready for your date—a quiet breakfast at a place of his choosing. He’d assured you that you’d like it. There was still some time before you had to leave, so you busied yourself with organizing your stuff—the small collection of your belongings you had brought into his apartment.

Right now, you were meant to be figuring out where to put your socks. You’d forgotten about them, still tucked away in your suitcase. After a moment of procrastination, you picked one of the drawers and started placing them inside, separated from Seungcheol’s.

“Baby,” he called from down the hallway. “We’re leaving in ten minutes.”

“Mm, yeah. Okay,” you agreed shortly.

It was impossible to ignore the looming feeling that it was odd to be living with Seungcheol. After so many times of wishing to go back to him, you were finally cementing something together.

You opened the first drawer, making space to transfer the clothes from your assigned drawer, carefully arranging his in the process. 

That was until your knuckles brushed against—a velvet, square box buried beneath a apile of socks and underwear. At first, you thought to move it aside, to tuck it into a more secure corner of the drawer. But as your fingers curled around the soft fabric, you didn’t really think about what you were holding. Instinctively, you lifted the box, intending to open it. 

Then, realization hit. 

A sharp breath lodged into your throat, and your hand snapped away from the lid, flying instead to your mouth to stifle an abrupt, overwhelming rush of emotion. A cold shudder ran through your body, weakening your knees, forcing you to stumble back and drop on the edge of the bed. 

“Baby?” Seungcheol’s voice drifted down the hall. “What’s wro–,”

But he stopped. Standing in the doorway, his eyes locked onto the small box in your hand. His expression didn’t shift, but the air in the bedroom grew thick and impossibly heavy. 

Without a word, he took three steps forward, sinking to his knees in front of you. 

“What’s this?” you asked, swallowing your fear, forcing yourself to meet his face.

Seungcheol didn’t answer immediately. Instead, his eyes flickered between your face and the box, reading every emotion weighing down across your features. His voice, when he finally spoke, was barely above a whisper. 

“Did you open it?” 

You shook your head. But the weight of the moment pressed down on you, crushing, suffocating. His reaction alone told you everything you needed to know. You knew this box. It resembled the ones he had given you before on anniversary dates or on your birthday. This one was slightly different. The ones before were small, elegant, wrapped in significance. This one was more deliberate. More final. 

“Baby, look at me,” he murmured. A warm hand cupped your face, and you choked on a sob at both the tenderness of his touch and the slow, painful realization of what lay inside that box. 

For the first time, Seungcheol seemed at a loss for words. You could see the war harboring inside him, the regret, the hesitation, the fear. But his first instinct wasn’t to come up with explanations. His thumb brushed softly against your cheek, his hands cupping your face again to ground you, steadying you. 

You sucked in a shaky breath. “Seungcheol, what’s inside it?” 

Seungcheol’s expression softened, his head tilting to one side when he saw your eyes begin to brim with big tears. “I need you to know something first,” he murmured, his voice thick with emotion. “When I bought this… I never imagined we wouldn’t be together.”

His fingers curled around the box, as though he could somehow protect you both from the truth inside it. As though he wanted to protect you from the pain he went through. 

“What is inside it?” you pressed again, unable to bring your voice any higher. 

He exhaled sharply, resigned. He locked his gaze to yours, and you slowly got to see how in your eyes he found strength, his breath steadying. His lips parted, but he didn’t need to speak. The answer was already hanging in the air between you. 

“Is it a ring?” Your body trembled as a sob tore through you, pain uncoiling in your chest, sharp and almost unbearable. “Please, Seungcheol, if it’s a ring—,”

“Yes,” he replied with a gentle tone, but you could feel the weight of the grief that he tried to keep away. “It’s a ring,” he admitted, watching you, reading every flinch, every breath. He took in all the pain that you showed. “It was meant to be yours.”

Your throat tightened painfully. “When?” the question left your lips before you could stop it, as though knowing the exact moment would somehow soften the burden. 

Seungcheol let out a tiny, soft breath through his nose, as though composing himself too before facing the shock that his next words would bring you: “For your twenty fourth birthday.”

Your face twisted as you brought a hand to cover your mouth again, a painful sob tearing through you, ripping through the quiet grief looming in the room. Just days before your twenty-fourth birthday, you had left him. That night, you spent your birthday in a different country, alone.  

“Baby, please, listen to me,” he muttered in a raw voice. Tears brimmed in his eyes as he reached to grab your hands. “Everything happened the way it did for a reason. It took me a long time to accept that.”

You could barely hear him over the ringing in your ears. The ache in your chest spread through your entire body, making your head pulse. Tears burned as they slipped down your cheeks. 

“But we’re here now,” he continued, his voice steadying even as his hand left yours and found your cheek again. “And we’re moving on. I wish things had been different for us, but we weren’t ready.”

“Why didn’t you say anything?” you asked in a tiny tone. You couldn’t bring yourself to look at him, you knew that if you did, the expression on his face would only shatter you completely. 

His breath hitched as he suppressed a sob. “Because I couldn’t let that be the reason you stayed. I couldn’t do that to you,” his tone was shaky, and by the sound of it you knew that he was crying.

His words landed like a punch to the gut. You turned to him then, and the sight nearly broke you. His dark eyes were glassy, fearful. But even through his own pain, his first instinct was to comfort you—to hold you together. That was Seungcheol. Always looking out for everybody else before tending to his own wounds. 

“All the time we lost….” You whispered, your throat tightening. “I could’ve stayed. We could’ve—,”

The words caught, breaking apart before you could even finish. Your mind spun, flashing through every possibility. Every what if. If he had proposed, you would’ve said yes. No hesitation. No doubt. Right now, you would be married. Living a different life. No sleepless nights. No endless aching. No running away, no trying—and failing—to forget him. 

His fingers curled around yours and the velvet box, gripping it like it was the last piece of a life you had both left behind. 

“But we weren’t ready,” he said, his voice was quiet, but firm, steady even as his own emotions still warred inside him. “I didn’t want to keep you here. I wanted you to keep going. To chase your dreams.”

“And what about what I wanted?” Your voice cracked as the question left you. Your mind was fogged under the pain you were carrying for years. It reverted you back to all of the times you said this to him, but now—now it felt like the first time you truly wanted an answer from him. 

His jaw clenched, his lips pressing together in a hard line. He was hurting, too. You could see it in the way he kept his breathing controlled, but deep, like that would dissolve the pain you were also feeling inside your chest. 

“Baby,” he whispered, the word soft in his lips, pleading. “We can’t keep letting this be a problem.” 

He was right. You knew he was right. But you were stubborn.

“I can’t be here right now–,” you mumbled, wiping your tears with the back of your hand quite harshly. You pushed yourself up from the bed, making him stand abruptly too, his eyes widening. You knew that look. “I need to think. I need some fresh air.”

His stomach twisted painfully when you motioned to the door. “Wait–,”

“I’ll be back, I just...” Your lip quivered, and your tone thickened as the tears kept coming: “This is too much for me. I just need to be alone for a moment.”

Seungcheol stood rigid, watching as you hurried out. The sound of the front door snapping shut sent a shudder through him. And then—everything came flooding back. The feeling that had wrecked him when you left years ago. The pain. The abandonment. The heartbreak. He had sworn he would never feel that again. 

But there he was. Breathing hard because the pain made him incapable of doing anything else.

You walked out. You left again.

“Wait,” he muttered, his instincts taking over. In a second, he was making his way towards the front door, and then the elevator, pulse hammering in his ears as he hit the button once, then twice— 

“Come on,” he gritted through his teeth. “Come on!” His palm slammed against the button until the doors finally parted to him. 

The moment he stepped outside of the building, his world spun wildly. The air felt think, suffocating. His heart stuttering like crazy, he felt dizzy. 

Where did you go?

His hand snapped to his pockets, no phone. His stomach dropping when he realized that you hadn’t taken yours either. “Fuck. Fuck!” the words escaped him in a frantic breath as he shoved his hands through his hair. Think, Seungcheol. Calm down.

You could’ve gone to the park, he reasoned. Without another thought, he hurried off, crossing the street without a care. His feet pounded against the pavement as he sprinted in direction to the park, cutting through the people strolling down the sidewalk. His chest burned, his mind raced. 

Frantically, he scanned the park, weaving through the crowd, searching through the sea of faces. 

And then, his heart clenched. A weight lifted from his heart so abruptly it almost made his mind spin again. 

There you were. 

Sitting on a swing, head leaned to the side, staring at the ground. Your fingers brushed under your eyes, wiping away your tears swiftly. The slight sway of the swing, the way your shoulders curled inward—it was all so painfully familiar. 

For years, Seungcheol had believed that he had taken the hardest blow. He was the one who stayed. He had to rebuild on the ashes of what he had lost when you left him. While you—you walked away. He had convinced himself that you had suffered less. 

But now, he saw it. 

The weight of your dreams slipping through your fingers. You raised your gaze when a small child ran across the sandbox, releasing a cry of joy as his mom chased after him. You let your gaze fall to your lap again. 

Guilt churned inside him. 

Slowly, Seungcheol approached, each step forcing him to steady his heart. When your eyes finally found him, they softened at the sight of him as he finished approaching you and sat on the swing next to yours.

“I’m sorry,” Seungcheol muttered, swallowing a lump of anxiety in his throat. “I know you said you just needed air but... I had to make sure.”

You nodded, sniffing. “I get it,” you whispered shakily. “That’s okay, I was heading back anyways.” You shrugged, it was a small gesture. A tell.

And Seungcheol caught that. “Do you need more time?” he asked, releasing a sigh, as if the weight of all his past fears had made a fool of him again. “I can go back inside. I’ll be waiting for you there.”

“Okay,” you murmured, rubbing the back of your hand to wipe your tears, still looking at your shoes. “I’ll be there in a moment.” 

“Okay,” he echoed softly, slowly rising from the swing. But just as his fingers slipped from the cold metal chain, yours caught his hand—your soft smaller fingers curling around his, stopping him in his tracks. 

He turned back, encountering the sight of your teary eyes again. His gut twisted. 

“Wait,” you whispered. “Stay. Please?” Your gaze dropped for a moment. “I’m sorry. I panicked,” you released a shaky breath, searching for words. “Can we… talk about this?” 

The knot in his throat loosened, relief rushing through him. “Of course.”

You were still sitting on the swing, so he knelt in the sand before you, leveling himself with your gaze. His heart clenched at the sight of you—rosy cheeks, swollen lips, dark lashes clumped together from the tears you have shed. 

Seungcheol didn’t know where to start. This was a mess, and deep down, he had known something like this would happen the moment you walked back into his life. 

“Seungcheol,” you finally started, your voice quiet, but fragile, “why didn’t you tell me you had a ring?” 

The question was one that you had asked before. But it still made his chest tighten. 

“When I broke up with you, you could’ve told me,” you took in a big breath, trying to steady yourself.

Your hand was still gripping his, so he simply shifted, threading his fingers with yours. “I didn’t want to hold you back,” he admitted. “If I had told you I had was planning to propose, you would’ve stayed. And your plans, your dreams… I wanted you to have the chance to fulfill them.”

Your face crumpled. Eyebrows knitted, lower lip trembling. “I was miserable, Seungcheol,” you whispered, your eyes brimming with sorrowful tears. “I had to give you up to go after those dreams. But what I wanted—what I really wanted—was to start a life with you. I wanted kids, I wanted… everything.” 

“I’m sorry,” he choked out, lowering his gaze, feeling ashamed. “I wasn’t ready. You were right about that. I let myself get caught up in dumb things—I thought I wouldn’t be enough for you. That I couldn’t give you the life you deserved.” 

Seungcheol used to think that his mistakes were what led him to losing you. Slowly those mistakes turned into regrets. But when he looked at you now, he didn’t see mistakes. 

He saw the love of his life. The girl who had stolen his heart upon first sight. The one who made him feel alive, who made him feel like he was himself again. 

Reaching into the pocket of his sweats, he pulled out the small velvet box. His fingers trembled as he placed it in your hands again, wrapping your fingers around it. 

“You have always been the one I wanted,” he whispered, voice shaking, tears slipping freely now. “From the moment we met, I knew it was you. It’s always been you.”

You curled your fingers around the small box he placed in your hands, you looked at it for a second before lifting your gaze to meet his. 

He held on tighter, his eyes wide—fear flickering in them. “This is how sure I am,” he whispered. But if you decided to open that box right now, he wouldn’t hesitate. He was ready now.  

You raised the box in your hand, outlining the sides of the lid with the tip of your trembling fingers. The knot in your stomach tightened. “Not like this,” you whispered, lowering the box to your lap. “I don’t want you to propose to me like this,” you could barely bring yourself to mutter those words. 

The summer night breeze brushed the nape of your neck, cool against your heated skin. A slight shiver ran through you. And Seungcheol noticed. He always noticed. He looked at you longingly, as though seeing you in the back of his head too, a distant memory reverting him back to those uni days. It felt like a lifetime ago, yet somehow, his love for you hadn’t faded. 

Slowly, you reached out, cupping his cheek. Your cold thumb brushed away the tear that had slipped down his face. His breath hitched slightly at your touch, but he welcomed it. 

“I love you, Seungcheol,” you said, your voice barely holding back emotion. “But I want us to do it right. We still need to rebuild some things in our relationship before we take the next steps. Maybe… maybe we should wait a little.”

Seungcheol caught your wrist, pressing a long kiss to the center of your palm. “I want that too, baby.” He murmured, pressing another kiss there. “I want us to be stronger than we were before. Let’s wait, then.” 

“But only a little,” you added with a sweet, tearful giggle.  

His chest swelled at the sound. “You’re the boss,” he smiled, and it was that smile, soft at the corners, making his dark eyes gleam. It reminded you of every reason you had ever loved him. 

“Come on,” he said, standing up and slipping the box back into his pocket. “Let’s go home.” 

Home. 

For so long after you left him, that word had lost its meaning. You thought that you’d never get that feeling again with anyone else—the safety, the familiarity. There is no one you trusted more than him.

But you did now, you felt it again. 

You took his outstretched hand, rising to your feet too. Walking side by side through the park with him toward the apartment where you were building something new with him. Something stronger. 

You were home again. 

✧ author's note: life is funny because i started this draft on nov 9 2023 and so much has happened ever since. i thought i'd never understand what going through a painful breakup would feel like. but now i do. and i also know what moving on feels like. funny, huh?

this chapter was shorter than i initially planned though, i hope you guys enjoyed it (?) haha idk, it was really heavy on the angst and i let this draft sit for months and months i feel guilty about that

also, an addendum: in the previous chapter, jeonghan makes a reference to the fic city lights chapter 9 and lights out chapter 1 for those that may not know. for those who do know, i kind of skipped the timeline by a looooong mile haha. but idc, i just wanted the angst and to torture hannie w some heartache

anyway,

✧ STAY TUNED FOR PART SIX !! ✧

PREVIOUS CHAPTERS | BUY ME A COFFEE? (●'◡'●)

© TO HANNIEWEEN — I DO NOT ALLOW TRANSLATIONS, CONTINUATIONS, REIMAGINATIONS OF MY WORKS OR THEIR REPOSTING ON OTHER WEBSITES.

[existence-is-a-pain87]

Forsaken Isekai AU be like:

With Eyes I See...

Yandere!Forsaken x Reader

Warnings: Obsession and other general yandere behaviors; cults; kidnapping; gore; blood; swearing; dark topics; some more... adult implications (YIPPEE FOR WRITING EXPERIMENTATION. However, young folk please beware, it's not explicit but it's definitely more adult than most things ya should be reading)

Note: This starts off as chill and gets dark in several parts, especially towards the ending. This is a part one in a three part story. Please enjoy

--☆☆☆☆☆--

You don't recall exactly how you died. All you know is you did.

But as you slowly come too, your mind is frazzled with your memories... and someone elses.

Who are you?

Are you two people?

You know so much and yet so little. You don't know what you are.

But one set of memories is clearer. One you feel much more familiar with.

That is you. It has to be.

It must be. You don't know who you'd be if you aren't.

Wherever you are, it's cold. But you sit up, shivering slightly as you realize you're, unfortunately, naked.

What even happened? Did you get assulted? Did you...

No. You don't want to think of what possibly happened.

Looking around this room, it's... weird. Clinical and cold, scientific and empty.

Almost like... a morgue.

You look over at the man talking into a phone, something about "an easy job and then he's done for the day". But when he turns around? When he sees you sitting up, shielding your more private parts with your limbs? When you two lock eyes?

He drops the phone and screams.

You scream too.

...

...

...

...

...

You were pronounced dead an hour ago. Your heart having stopped for a long, long period of time.

You should've been dead. There was no good reason you were alive.

But you were. You were a miracle.

You were now in the hospital, thankfully wearing some scrubs to shield your body and kept in a bed as doctors kept poking and prodding you, astounded how you were alive.

Eventually, though, they pronounced you as stable and allowed visitors. You were told to stay at the hospital for a few days as they made sure your condition remained the way it was.

You had no idea how you were alive. But this was your body. It looked just like you and had your exact name. And you ignored the less familiar memories, thinking that your brain damage just added those memories into your skull.

But as the door to the room you were staying in slammed open, and two loud people almost stormed in, being told to quiet down almost immediately by the doctors.

...

You don't know these people.

--☆☆☆--

You knew their names. How did you know their names?

The one who was clearly worried was Noob. The one who seemed a little more frustrated was Guest 666.

...those unfamilar memories were real.

You wormed into someone else's life. You replaced them.

You're a parasite.

"-kay?!"

You flinch as you hear what they're saying and the ringing stops.

"Jeez [Y/N], listen to us!" Guest 666 snaps at you, grimacing, "Are you okay?! How are you even-?!"

You just stare, processing as Noob quickly hugs you.

"Please let this be real," They beg you, "Please don't let this be some cruel joke. Please be okay... please..."

You have memories of them. Being best friends.

Those memories aren't yours.

You just hesitantly hug them back, somehow knowing them perfectly while not knowing them at all.

"It's not," Your voice sounding like both your own and someone else's, "I'm really here."

Noob just sobs a bit, and Guest 666 tears up and hugs you too.

As the doctors tell them to give you space, as they just cry in your arms, as tears silently drip from your eyes...

You feel horrible. You feel like trash. Living, breathing trash.

You replaced these two's friend.

But worse of all, you're somehow in the Forsaken universe. How? And clearly it's not in the present time if Guest 666 and Noob are still friends.

You just sit there, mind reeling, ignoring all the doctors.

Even the one staring at you like you're an angel that just stepped out of heaven's gates and onto the Earth.

--☆☆☆--

"Are you sure you'll be fine on your own?" 666 asks you, looking worried as they and Noob help you get settled in "your" apartment after getting out of the hospital. "You could always stay at my place. You know I'm fine with that."

"But I'll be okay." You gently reply, "I've always been okay on my own."

"Being on your own lead to you being hit by a car." They retort, "Seriously, you should-"

"That was a one time thing that won't happen again," You say, "Seriously, you and Noob have done so much already. I'll be good for now."

"Can we at least come back and check on you tomorrow?" Noob asks, frowning, "Please?"

"Of course," You say with a smile, "You two are always welcome to come by. I promise to stay safe."

Then you usher them out, smiling.

That smile is gone the moment the door shuts.

Your legs buckle, your eyes sting, and your breath quakes. Your very being shakes as the weight of what happened fully crashes down on you.

You replaced someone. Someone who had a life, friends, family. Their memories implanted in your skull but none of the emotion, all their skills but none of the effort.

You died, died with all your memories, and became someone new. Someone who already had a life.

Surely someone would notice. Would they be mad? What would happen to you?

There was never much info on the past of Forsaken beyond the characters. You barely grasped how this world worked beyond the memories.

All you do for a while is cry, trying to keep yourself quiet.

Then you try to get used to this place. Something that feels familiar and new. Strange and home.

You don't like the feeling you have.

Food is in the fridge. Food you recall buying or making, but also is entirely unfamilar. Some food you don't even like.

Your room is filled with all sorts of things. Things you remember getting but at the same time have never seen before.

Photos of who this person was are on some of the walls.

You took them down and buried them in a box.

You don't eat that night. Merely drink some water and sleep on the couch.

You can't bring yourself to sleep in this bed that belonged to someone else. Someone who you stole the life of.

When you wake up the next morning, you've long since lost hope of this being some horrible dream. You just shower, try to eat, and eventually vomit.

You don't like how food tastes different now. It all tastes different.

You hate it you hate it you hate it you hate it you

You need to find familiarity in this. Make sense of this madness.

You can't change the fact you replaced someone. The least you could do is continue their life for them.

What else could you really do?

You stared outside, taking in the rain pouring from the sky for a solid ten minutes before grabbing an umbrella and going outside.

The rain feels like the sky's tears. It feels like your own tears too, in a way.

You had to get the mail. Because it apparently got delivered around this time.

It was part of this person's usual routine. Get the mail, and then get the milk.

You've never met anyone who has their milk delivered to them like this is a cartoon. Guess that's part of your life now.

As you roam past the other apartments and grab the mail, nothing happens. But heading back?

As the rain pours off the umbrella, you carry the mail on the under your arm. But you pause when you pass an alley and hear a squeak.

You hesitate, but enter the alley, wandering about until you pass a squeaking, soaking wet cardboard box.

You peer inside, and see a chubby white rabbit having shoved itself into the dryest corner of the box.

...

You took the rabbit home with you, using an empty milk carton filled with towels as a makeshift bed for the rabbit to sleep in.

You gave him a bowl of water and some rabbit-safe greens you had in your house as food.

What? Maybe you could have a pet rabbit. Or at least keep him safe and dry until the rain stopped.

You also decided to call him Gubby because he looked like that special little rabbit. And because he seemed to understand human language when you spoke to him and he'd listen.

Weirdly smart little rabbit... who are you to judge?

You almost forgot you told Noob and 666 they could come over today. They come over surprisingly early too, at like 11 in the morning.

When they saw Gubby, they had two different reactions. But, ultimately, both approved of the idea of you getting a pet. Even though 666 did voice that if you wanted companionship, you could just come and live with them.

You noticed how these two were... incredibly clingy.

You managed to ignore it, though. They weren't forcing you anyways. Hell, they even helped you go out to buy supplies for Gubby since you were gonna have a pet rabbit now.

All that would change is a pet fee and some more money spend on Gubby, but you didn't care. You just would need another spare job.

You could find one if you looked.

--☆☆☆--

You decided to take a babysitting job. You were surprised by the lack of information the person hiring you gave, but it was close to your own house, and you could flee if something bad happened. Hell, it didn't even matter that it was on the more questionable side of town since that was where you lived.

You were very surprised when 007n7 of all people opened the door, but ya probably should've pieced it together when he kept asking if you were someone quick to judge over the text messages you two shared.

It was a bit awkward, but he seemed surprisingly desperate to get someone to watch his kid since he had to go to work and couldn't leave his child alone, and was relieved when you agreed. c00lkidd didn't think much of you, but clearly didn't like 007n7 leaving him with a stranger.

But you were patient. And you took the kid to a restaurant you- or at least the person you replaced- had been going to since you were a young kid. A Japanese restaurant, to be precise. One you're so familiar with that the older couple running it taught you enough Japanese you're fluent now.

Honestly, you did not know that before you, c00lkidd never had Japanese food before. You also didn't know how much the kid would adore that stuff.

Yeah, he quickly decided you were super cool and wanted you to come back and be his babysitter all the time.

It became a steady side gig, and it was fun to hang out with c00lkidd. Plus, even if you didn't see 007n7 as much as you saw his son, 007n7 was always very nice to you.

That night, when you were leaving from babysitting c00lkidd for the first time, the conversation you and 007n7 had was something you thought back to often.

---

"..." 007n7 and you stood on the porch, awkward silence between you two for the few moments after he had paid you, before he uttered a sheepish, "Thank you for... not leaving."

"Hm?" You tilt your head, "What'dya mean?"

"Well... everyone else I hired left pretty quickly after recognizing me or seeing c00lkidd," He admits, rubbing the back of his head, "You're the first one who didn't leave. I'd- uh- really like if you'd be willing to come back."

007n7 looked over towards the front door of his house, before looking back at you.

"c00lkidd would like that too."

"...I'd love to come back."

---

You didn't mind having babysitting as a side gig.

Anyways, it didn't interfere with your job at Builder Brothers pizza, after all.

--☆☆☆--

Your job involved boxing pizzas or helping in the kitchen, depending on what was needed. Occasionally helping out front if someone was out sick and someone else was needed elsewhere.

Due to this, you rarely interacted with Elliot. You two were friendly, yes, but not friends.

He did greet you when you came back to work and made sure you were okay after coming out of the hospital. Then again, everyone who worked there did.

It was surprising how everyone was kinda friendly at this job. It was almost like that major corporations liked to claim they had back home. But here it was genuine in this small but popular pizza place.

This job was never at the front of your mind, though. There were very few moments from after you replaced this person that stuck in your head, loud and clear.

Still though, there were some. Namely as you kept accidentally becoming friends with Elliot, and when you met Jane and John Doe when you were helping out front and they low-key flirted with you.

It was a weird experience, but not as weird as the time Elliot invited you out to lunch and two people kept watching you through. One guy wearing a witch hat and the other someone with messy hair.

It wasn't hard to miss the fact that this was Azure and Two Time in the past. And you did not like the weird interest the two had in you.

You were so focused on this you barely noticed that this lunch was more like a date with Elliot rather than anything.

You barely noticed how more and more people seemed to be flirting with you.

--☆☆☆--

You met Chance when you were at this little family own pet store and buying things for Gubby.

You brought Gubby with you in a little cat backpack you repurposed for him after he seemed to want to spend more time around you.

The man saw your rabbit, and immediately started fawning over the little guy, asking you if he could hold him. That led the two of you in a long conversation, which somehow spilled into you two exchanging phone numbers.

Eventually though iTrapped (you hate that motherfucker, he can go DIE-) came along and dragged off Chance, who almost immediately started sending you rabbit pictures.

How funny was it that you ran into John and Jane again. And seeing them as a happy married couple while knowing what was going to happen...

It hurt. It really, really hurt.

But you remained kind. And they were even more kind.

You still don't know how it spiraled into... this though.

Apparently they wanted to experiment with their relationship a bit. They picked you.

And god, was their experimentation more wild than anything you'd ever experienced before the life you had now.

Laying in that bed after all that, your breath was still shaky. You barely processed how you were convinced to do all that.

Glancing over, you saw the two cuddling. It was a cute sight, but it made you feel slightly out of place.

You just cautiously got out of bed, moving as quietly as you can as you walk across the dark room to gather your clothes.

"Where are you going?"

Jane's voice makes you flinch, and you look back to see both of them looking at you, a mix of confused and amused.

"Uh- going home..?" You hesitantly reply, uncertain of what exactly these two wanted now.

"Really? It's awfully late, you know." John muses, "Come on. C'mere."

You stand still, staring at the two, uncertain.

"Come here." Jane tells you, beckoning you over.

You slowly lower your clothes and approach, hesitating before the two pull you in between them, practically forcing you to join in on the cuddles these two were having.

You were already squished between them once, but this is different. This is warm and cozy, and it is weirdly... loving. Tender. Comforting.

Why are they doing this?

"Because you need it." John murmurs, pressing his head to your neck.

You didn't even realize you uttered that thought aloud.

"Don't worry, just sleep. You can worry about everything in the morning," Jane gently tells you, "Take this break you deserve."

Break?

...you've been worrying, trying to play up a mask and act as if you never replaced someone who had a life.

You're a broken mess who's had no time to truly process. To truly heal.

So you relish in this break. In this warm and welcoming love.

It feels so nice you nearly forget how these people barely know you.

...

You made sure that it was just a one time thing.

--☆☆☆--

It was twelve days after when your home was broken into.

Jolting awake in the middle of the night as you hear a window shatter, you hear Gubby squeak and peer out of his bed.

You shake slightly, before getting out of bed and slowly dialing for the police to come as you hear your apartment- your home- being trashed.

You grab a baseball bat, a metal one, the one before you bought for self-defense, knowing this can be a dangerous area to live in.

But this? This doesn't feel like your usual robbery.

You gently hide Gubby under the bed, and stand behind the door with bated breath, knowing very well it was a matter of time until whoever was out there came in here.

The moment the door opened, you swung. You didn't manage to hit the guy in the head, but you got his shoulder as he hissed in pain and swung a punch you took to the gut.

It was a fight you didn't win as you stumbled back and he called out to others that he had "found the target". More filled in, and demaned payment.

You were clueless, as neither you nor the previous you got any debts. It didn't stop them though.

They beat you to a bloody pulp. You heard and felt them breaking your bones. Your lungs screamed with each breath you took. Your head ached as you were wacked around.

When they finally left alone, hearing their "boss" come in, you acted. Dragging yourself across the floor, fumbling and grabbing your phone and Gubby, before clambering out of the window and tumbling into the bushes.

You hid in there for a long moment, keeping your hand over your mouth as you desperately tried to hide from these... mafia members.

You heard muffled yelling, and thumps, and eventually, it all went quiet. Well, almost. You heard the yelling stop and immediately fled.

You managed to get to 007n7's house and bang on the door, and he gets you inside before you pass out.

You spend a good long while in the hospital. When you're finally let out, you stay at 666's and Noob's place due to their insistence.

They already seemed upset enough you didn't call them until after you were in the hospital and went to 007n7's home, but calmed down when you pointed out that his house was just close to your own apartment and thus was the best place to run to.

Everyone you knew, when they heard about what happened, tweaked out, to put it lightly.

And now, with more friends, meant many more visitors at the hospital and gifts being sent to you.

It felt like a lot.

It was a lot.

But you didn't voice any of this.

--☆☆☆--

You met Two Time and Azure on your way out of work after you recovered.

The two approached you first, and were very friendly.

You noted how they wore little to no things relating to the Spawn. Which made sense, because you figured that the cult leaders didn't want the world to notice and put an end to it all.

But, knowing what you know, you were reasonably hesitant when they talked with you.

But they heard the news stories, and just wanted to be kind. Or at least, that's what they said.

You talked with them, and they kept trying to worm their ways into your life. And eventually you gave way and let them in.

You just hope they'd do no evil. Do nothing morally wrong to you.

And you really hope they didn't think you were special in a devine way...

--☆☆☆--

You met Chance again shortly after this. Well, not shortly. More like a week.

It was at that same pet store you met him the first time. He quite literally asked to meet you there over text.

And when you arrived, he was standing out by the front, almost nervously fussing with their fedora.

When you called out, they flinched and looked over, glasses askew as they cleared their throat.

"Oh, hey! Funny to see you here!"

"...didn't you invite me here?" You asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh- yeah- haha..." He rubs the back of his neck, looking nervous. "...I- uh- have something to ask you."

You tilted your head, wating for Chance to finish.

"So... uh... are you single?" He asks, "And if you are... you wanna go out sometime?"

You hesitate. You already had romantic tension with a lot of people. But this was the first date you've been genuinely asked on.

At least one you noticed was a date.

Chance seems to notice your hesitation. "I mean- no pressure or anything! If ya don't wanna go out, you don't need'ta-"

"I'd love to."

"Wait, really?" Their eyes widen, and he can't hide his grin. "Like- seriously?"

"I'd love to go on a date with you." You say with a smile.

"Really?!" Chance is clearly thrilled, "Uh- how about coffee sometime?"

"Sure. When?"

"Uh... now? Does now work?"

You blink, bemused. "You're lucky I don't have work today and don't need to babysit until tonight. Yeah, now works."

And then you went on that date. Not noticing how when you passed people familiar to you, the jealous looks that were sent Chance's way.

You never noticed how everyone was getting more and more obsessed with you.

--☆☆☆--

When you were babysitting c00lkidd later that week, you were chilling on the couch as the kid was fussing with LEGOs on the ground.

"...are you my parent now?"

You pause at the kid's words, looking over in surprise.

"Hm? What do you mean?"

"Well," He sets down his LEGOs, "You're here all the time. You take care of me as much as dad does now. So are you my parent?"

"I mean, I guess if ya want that," You remark, not seeing the harm in it, "Yeah, I guess you could say I'm one of your parents in a way."

"Are you my mom or a second dad?"

You hesitate, thinking about it. "...uh... what would you want?"

"I want you as my mom." c00lkidd quickly decides, "Because that way I'd finally have something to do on Mother's Day and talk about how cool my mom is."

You smile. "That's nice, kiddo."

You look back at the book you were reading as c00lkidd talks again.

"You should date my dad."

You choke on your spit as he continues.

"No, you should marry my dad! That way you can be always here and no one could say you aren't my mom!"

"Th- that's not how it works-" You stutter out, sheepish. "I don't need to-"

"C'mon, please?" c00lkidd begs you, "Dad loves you y'know! He keeps talking about how amazing you are! He'd love to date you!"

"Kid- I-" You panic, before coming up with a reasonable excuse, "I already have a boyfriend!"

"..." c00lkidd silently stares at you, "...you do?"

"Yeah, I do." You nod, "His name is Chance. He's wonderful."

c00lkidd frowns, before standing up and walking out of the room, saying "bathroom" as he goes.

You sit there for a moment, before pulling out your phone frantically texting Chance that you two are an official couple now.

You set down your phone and flinched when it blew up with Chance being super excited.

You felt a bit bad, but you did genuinely love Chance.

Anyways, maybe like this, it'll get rid of any relationship drama that will come up in the future.

Oh, how wrong you were...

--☆☆☆--

Shit seemed to go down in a lot of ways after you and Chance became a public couple.

He was honestly over the moon, and you didn't realize just how much of a sweetheart this man was. Sure, he could be lazy and unmotivated, and a real risk-taker, but he adored you and was wonderful to be around.

John and Jane politely congratulated you, but didn't really communicate you much afterwards outside of simple and polite conversation. Though they did pose the offer of double dates a few times.

Elliot seemed to cease almost all conversation with you, being more blunt than before. He also rarely spoke to you now. It was... awkward, to say the least.

007n7 was very, very awkward around you now, and seemed almost... sad. Meanwhile, c00lkidd kept trying to get you to break up with Chance. It was awkward, but you didn't see 007n7 too much and could usually distract c00lkidd from the topic of your love life.

Noob and 666 were pissed, to put it lightly. There was a lot of arguing between you and 666 as the two seemed hellbent on getting you out of any romantic relationships. Noob just seemed more miserable and anxious rather than angry at you, though.

Gubby didn't care and honestly liked Chance.

Two Time and Azure seemed... to try and worm their way in your life more. And it worked.

...

Oh god, you regretted letting them in your life.

--☆☆☆--

You were inside your home, having moved back into your apartment at this point, when the Spawn cult broke in.

They came for you, for a reason you didn't know at the time.

You fought them. You fought them like hell as you desperately tried to get them out.

You didn't succeed.

---

The bat was loose in your hands, your legs shaking violently as you kept trying to get these cultists away.

Gubby scampered out from under the couch and bit one in the leg. She screamed in pain and kicked Gubby across the room.

Unphased, the rabbit immediately hopped back onto his feet and launched himself at your assailants.

But the woman he bit pulled out a knife and stabbed him in the side.

He screamed in pain as he crumpled to the floor.

"GUBBY-!"

That was the only thing you screeched out as your guard lowered for a split second, and you desperately tried to save your rabbit.

You were overwhelmed.

---

They took you to where the cult resided. They kept you there, locked away.

They knew of your miracle. They believed you were some devine being with relations to the Spawn. They believed you were sent by the Spawn as a sign. A sign to worship and cherish you.

You hated it.

You hated them.

There were many escape attempts. You learned your surroundings, and began searching for a way out.

This was you best one so far. You were lost, yes, but knew you were closer to the exit. You had to be.

You were so close to freedom.

Days blurred when you were trapped here. You had no clue how long it had been.

But now you were noticed and being chased down. Thank god you had a head start.

But as you were pulled into a hallway, you squeaked and fought back as a hand covered your mouth.

"Shhh-" Azure whispered in your ear, "We're not going to capture you."

You freeze, recognizing Azure as you heard Two Time tell the others which way you "went" and how the others all ran off, before Two Time peered in.

"They're gone," They told you and Azure, "C'mon, we don't have much time."

You questioned why they were seemingly helping in your escape.

"You know we like you more than just as some... devine being." Azure told you.

"It's not hard to see you hate being caged, little bird." Two Time murmured in your ear, voice warm with tender affection you only seen them truly give Azure.

You hesitated, but followed. You decided to trust them. To give them a chance.

They knew this place better than you anyways.

...

...

...

They didn't lead you outside.

"...this isn't outside." You murmured as you were led into the very room you fled from, "Guys, we went the wrong w-"

You screeched as Two Time suddenly grabbed you, restraining you against their chest as you were helpless to fight back, to get them to let go.

"What are you doing?!" You asked, terror shaking each word, "Azure, Two Time- please-"

"No, shhhh..." Azure gently told you, placing a hand on your cheek as tears stained the flesh. "Don't cry, please. It's only going to make this harder."

"Little bird, no one wants you to go." Two Time said, resting his head against yours, "We're just going to remove your chance at escaping. We can't risk losing you."

"No- no-" You helplessly choked out that word, desperate despite knowing how hopeless this situation was for you.

"It's not going to hurt much." Azure hesitates, "...maybe it will. But at the very least, we promise you won't die."

"Please don't scream." Two Time told you, keeping you from fighting as Azure approached.

He placed both his hands on your cheeks.

"You have beautiful eyes."

And you screamed as they were torn from your head.

--☆☆☆--

Here's Part 2 to the series for yall (in case ya wanna see more)

[agentstarkid]

IN SICKNESS & IN CRAMPS ✦ CL16

✦ DEBRIEF: In his quiet gestures and soft words, you’re reminded that love isn’t just grand gestures—it’s showing up, even for the small battles.

✦ CHECKERED FLAG: 982 words.

✦ TRACK LIMITS: afab!reader, irregular menstrual cycle (where my gang at?), period cramps, slight panic, no use of y/n, fluff — english is not my first language!

✦ MAY'S RADIO: I'M ON FIRE TODAY, BABYY 😎—I'm also so incredibly single, it's painful. Hey God, when will it finally be me? (it's just the 2nd-day hormones talking, tomorrow i'll go back to be the independent bad bitch i am, 'kay? x)

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The cramps hit before you even had time to suspect anything. One minute, You were curled up on the couch, cuddling Leo, and the next, a sharp, familiar ache twisted in your lower stomach. You groaned, pressing a hand against the discomfort, confusion settling in—your period wasn’t due for another week.

Charles was playing the piano just across from you, his fingers gliding effortlessly over the keys, the soft melody filling the room. Through the glossy surface of it, he caught your reflection shifting uncomfortably, your body curling in on itself as you pressed a hand against your abdomen. His hands stilled on the keys, the music fading into silence. “Chérie?” he called softly, his voice laced with concern.

You gently moved Leo off your lap and exhaled through your nose, bracing yourself as you slowly stood up, intending to head to the bathroom and confirm what you already suspected. The moment you straightened, though, you felt it—an unmistakable, mortifying gush.

Your heart dropped.

Oh. Oh no.

Panic flickered through you as you froze for a second, debating whether to run or waddle. You opted for the quickest route, clenching your thighs together as you took careful, deliberate steps toward the bathroom, your hands instinctively balling into fists at your sides.

Charles’ eyes followed your movement, his concern deepening. “Are you okay?” he asked, his voice closer now. You hadn’t even noticed he had gotten up, but there he was, hovering just behind you, gaze flicking between your stiff posture and the tense way you were holding yourself.

You swallowed hard, cheeks heating. “Yeah. Just—uh, give me a sec.” You practically darted into your bedroom and then into the bathroom, shutting the door with a little more force than necessary.

Charles stood there for a moment, staring at the closed door, his fingers twitching at his sides. He didn’t know what exactly was wrong, but he knew you. And he knew something wasn’t right.

Charles stood outside the bathroom, shifting his weight from one foot to the other, his brows furrowed in concern. He didn’t want to hover, but something in the way you had tensed up, the way your voice had wavered—he knew it wasn’t nothing.

Inside, you let out a sigh, staring down at your underwear with resigned frustration. Your period. And not just a normal arrival—this was an ambush. It had come early, unannounced, and with an absolute vengeance.

You moved quickly, dealing with the situation as best as you could, but cramps were already clawing their way up your spine, curling low and mean in your belly. By the time you emerged from the bathroom, wrapped in fresh clothes but visibly drained, Charles was still standing there, watching you with those worried green eyes of his.

"Mon amour," he started, voice soft, cautious. "Are you—"

You exhaled through your nose, shaking your head as you shuffled past him toward the couch. "Period," you mumbled, flopping onto the cushions dramatically.

Charles blinked, then straightened. "Oh," he said, as if that explained everything. Which, to be fair, it kind of did. "Wait, I thought—wasn't it supposed to come next week?"

"Tell that to my uterus," you grumbled, adjusting a pillow under your stomach. "It had other plans."

Charles hesitated for only a second before he was suddenly moving—grabbing his keys, slipping on his shoes with the kind of urgency usually reserved for late-night flight departures. You furrowed your brows, confused, but didn’t have the energy to call after him. Your cramps were in full force now, a relentless, twisting pressure that made you want to curl into yourself and disappear.

“I’ll be back soon,” he promised, pressing a quick kiss to your forehead before disappearing out the door.

When he returned not even thirty minutes later, his arms were full—bags upon bags of anything and everything that could possibly help. Snacks, tea, a heating pad, painkillers, and—your eyes widened slightly—an entire range of tampon boxes.

“I didn’t know what size to get, so I got all of them,” he admitted sheepishly, setting them down in front of you like a man presenting an offering to a queen. You stared at the collection, then at him, warmth blooming in your chest despite the dull ache in your stomach.

"You didn’t have to do all this."

Charles frowned. "Of course I did," he said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.  “You always take care of me when I’m sick,” he continued, rubbing the back of his neck. His voice was gentle but certain. “You make me soup, force me to rest, and even put up with my whining. Why wouldn’t I do the same for you?”

You blinked up at him, lips parting slightly, caught off guard by the sheer sincerity in his voice. The warmth in your chest swelled, threatening to spill over into your eyes. “Charles…”

But before you could even find the words to respond, he cut in, shifting on his feet, his hands fidgeting slightly like he wasn’t sure what to do with them. “I’m sorry,” he blurted, a crease forming between his brows. “I swear I’m not trying to hover—I just hate seeing you in pain.” His eyes flickered over you, scanning your face, as if trying to gauge whether he was doing enough, whether he was helping at all.

The vulnerability in his voice made your heart ache in an entirely different way. You reached for his hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze, letting your fingers curl around his like an anchor. “You’re not hovering,” you murmured, your lips curving into the softest of smiles. “You’re perfect.”

His shoulders loosened just a little, but he still looked at you with quiet concern, thumb instinctively brushing over the back of your hand. “Let me take care of you, amour,” he whispered, his voice lower now, more certain. “Whatever you need, just tell me.”

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