#genuinely sorry if i seem a little too argumentative at the moment too

[nayeoniiz]

I’m So Sick of Me Too

pairings ❥ jay x fem!reader (ft. eric from the boyz)

point of view ❥ third person, omniscient

warnings ❥ N/A

synopsis ❥ after what felt like a sudden breakup with her boyfriend of many years, y/n finds herself holding onto the remaining pieces chipping from a failed relationship. after wallowing in an isolated self pity, her two best friends convince her to go to a party where she meets the perfect boy to fill the void. unsure if her attraction is genuine or a distraction, y/n has one choice to makeㅡ be with her newfound lover or make it work with her first love.

genre ❥ angst, smut

word count ❥ 15,515

taglist: open, just ask!

author’s note: sorry i’m posting this a little later than i had hoped, i just wanted it to be absolutely perfect. ignore any errors, please and thank you. let me know how yall like it! and feel free to leave any future scene suggestions. the plot is set, but the story is an open book.

SERIES MASTERLIST | NEXT | ENHYPEN MASTERLIST

ONE.

“babe,” y/n’s voice pulled jay out of his thoughts. he turned his head to look at her, her expression filled with expectancy—the kind that made his chest tighten. he already knew where this was headed. another argument. “you good?” her question was simple, but jay knew any response could open the floodgates.

it was one of his only days off after a long, grueling week. he was utterly drained. all he wanted was a moment of peace. the energy to engage, to explain, wasn’t there. “yeah,” he muttered, giving her a small nod before turning back to the tv. propping his feet on the coffee table, he stared blankly at the screen, hoping she’d let it go. but the silence only seemed to amplify the tension between them.

y/n shifted in her seat, clearly unsatisfied. “okay…” she replied, her tone trailing off before she reached for the remote and paused the show. the sudden silence made him tense. “then why are you so quiet today?” she pressed, her voice carrying an edge.

jay’s fingers tapped idly against his phone. he exhaled slowly. “i just don’t feel like talking right now,” he said, his voice firm but measured. he hoped that would be enough, but he knew she’d likely not take the hint and let him be. “and i’m not trying to argue either.”

y/n’s eyes narrowed slightly at his last sentence, a feeling of defensiveness rising within her. “okay, well, you haven’t said anything in the past hour. you can save the attitude—i was just checking on you.”

his jaw tightened. “i don’t have an attitude, y/n,” jay said, his tone now laced with frustration. he set his phone down on the armrest, resisting the urge to rub his temples. his shoulders stiffened as he tried to focus on keeping his cool, though irritation bubbled under the surface.

y/n crossed her arms, her voice raising with aim. “and i’m supposed to know that how? show me, don’t tell me.” she tilted her head, raising an eyebrow in challenge, her expression poking at the remaining fragments of his patience.

he turned his head toward her, his gaze heavy. “can you not right now?” the plea in his voice wasn’t subtle and his request didn’t fall deaf on her ears. a flip switched inside of her. her angry facade seemed to quickly chip away, and her true emotion seeped through.

“not what? i’m just trying to spend time with my boyfriend,” she shot back, her voice cracking with the weight of unspoken hurt. “the boyfriend i haven’t seen in forever, mind you, because he’s been working all week.”

by now her voice was soft, trembling. each breath she took was weighted in fear of misinterpretation. “and i’m so sorry if it’s selfish of me, but if there’s any day you feel like ‘not talking,’ why does it have to be the one day we actually get to be together?” she averted his gaze, fidgeting with the buttons on the remote, a quiet plea for understanding.

the words hit him, leaving his breath caught in his throat for a moment. he opened his mouth, searching for any way to defend himself, but nothing felt right. “me not talking doesn’t have anything to do with you,” he finally said, leaning back to lay more on the couch. his voice was tight as he moved his gaze to look past her, crossing one leg over his lap, and tapping his foot on the floor with the other.

y/n let out a bitter laugh. “yeah? well, guess who’s the only one being affected by it?!” the volume of her voice caught both of them off guard. shit. she swore she didn’t mean to yell. before she was able to react, to apologize, or at least explainㅡ jay had already straightened himself up, shooting her a warning gaze.

“stop it, y/n.” his voice rose slightly this time, betraying his simmering frustration. her shoulders slugged, her face turning with every muscle trying to hold back the tears brimming. it only heightened their presence as she began blinking them away.

“i just want to talk,” she said, her voice cracking under the weight of her emotions as they spilled over, unable to bear the sting of his distant demeanor any longer. “am i really that uninteresting that my own boyfriend doesn’t even want to have a conversation with me?”

the air between them grew thick with unspoken words. the silence stretched long enough for both of their thoughts to race. for jay, it was a desperate search for the right words, something that could fix this—or at least end it. for y/n, it was a growing ache in her chest, a sense that something irreversible was about to happen. she began rubbing her arm softly in a back and forth motion, anticipating.

when jay finally spoke, his voice was steady, deliberate. “i want to break up.” the words hung in the air. she found herself remaining silent as she looked at him, unsure of what to do. while this wasn't exactly something new for them, there was something different about the look in his eyes this time around. their eyes stayed fixed on each other, a distant gaze in place of connection. his words echoed loudly in her ears.

her lips parted slightly, but no sound came out. she blinked, her mind racing to catch up. surely, this wasn’t real. surely, he didn’t mean it. her body stilled as she unconsciously dug her fingernails into her arm amidst the comforting massage. her eyes glazed over with tears, squinting in confusion, her heart racing as jay moved to sit closer to her. “what?” was all she could manage to get out, her voice barely above a whisper.

jay didn’t look away this time. his gaze was heavy, tired, but unwavering. “i mean it,” he said, quieter now, but no less certain. looking down, a sigh left his lips. he fought for a moment with her frozen grip before he was able to pry her arm off, stopping her from causing any further harm to herself. and now, all she could think about was how the feeling of his skin on hers hurt so much more. he was looking at her now, but the contact lasted no longer than a second before he turned away. “and i- i thought about it a lot. it’s what’s best for us. i just don’t think we’re good for each other anymore.”

“how can you say that, jay?” her voice cracked as she blinked, tears finally escaping along with a small sob that hardly went unnoticed in the now painfully silent room. she maneuvered, her eyes searching for something in his. he looked at her again with a look she’d never seen before. it scared her. “no. we’re not the kind of couple who breaks up. that’s not how this works, you said that yourself.” indignation clear in her voice, it was hard for her to hold back the resentment she was already starting to feel. 

jay only sighed, regretful of his open and now outdated mindset. if he had known their relationship would turn out the way it did, he would have just stayed quiet. in the past she was successful in avoiding his serious attempts, several times, with that reasoning. it was always the most convincing point to get him to stay, she knew he hated not staying true to his word. he hesitated, his cautious gaze meeting hers before he continued. “i'm not happy.”

she had never heard those words before, and their weight hit her hard, leaving her stunned. this couldn’t be real. panic flared in her chest as she grasped for something, anything, to turn the conversation around. “i think this is just one of your moods—” she started, her voice trembling, a fragile attempt to mend what was breaking before he interjected.

“no, y/n. i mean it this time. i can’t do this anymore.”

reading the room became difficult, the usually familiar scene felt foreign now. she didn’t recognize any of the territory that was being invadedㅡ she didn’t know what to do. shaking her head, she offers a small, corner lifted smile. “but we always get through it, jay.“

“it’s different this time, y/n.”

“and why is it different now?” her voice wavered, caught between desperation, anger, and disbelief. her emotions swirled like a storm. staying composed felt impossible; every attempt to ground herself  only deepened the ache in her chest. everything was hurting, and all she could do was wish, futilely, that none of this was real.

“this," jay said, physically motioning to the state of the conversation. he turned away to wipe away the stray tears that managed to fall in between blinks. “nothing ever changes. all we do is argue.”

“all couples argue, jay. that’s the reality of things,” she said, the calm in her tone an abrupt contrast to her previous attitudes. “relationships take work, jay. and we always make it work,” her eyes darted to his, desperately looking for any newfound doubt in his words. but there wasn’t any.

“it's not.. just about that," jay said, shaking his head, his voice barely above a whisper now shameful of what he was fixing to admit. “i've tried so hard to make it work, but i'm unhappy, y/n. and i hate that i feel this way, but sometimes it feels like i hate you as much as i love you. do you even know how much that tears me up inside?" his face was repentant at his admission, it was a sinful hidden thought that he previously denied since its first conception. he never wanted to verbalize it because it only highlighted how shitty he truly was to feel that way toward her.

"you don’t mean that." y/n shook her head, squeezing her eyes shut as if the gesture could block out the anguish his words just caused. her body went cold, her senses wasting no time overwhelming her all at once. jay bit the inside of his lip, his teeth silently clattering against the soft tissue.

everything in his heart ached, a deep, unrelenting pain that seemed to grow with every second. he was caught in conflict—the desperate desire to follow through with the breakup, to free himself from the heaviness that had been suffocating him, clashing with the torment of knowing how deeply his choice would hurt her. it wasn’t just her pain he feared; it was his own, the thought of watching her break because of him. but he had to do what was right.

"i wish i didnt, but it's the truth, y/n. i can't be who i want to be in this relationship. i can't keep living like this."

"jay…" his silence now weighed more than any words could, it tore through her like a jagged blade. "is this really what you want?" for a moment, his eyes softened, but it was gone before she could catch it. the silence stretched, heavy with all the words he couldn't say. she wanted to cling onto the fleeting feeling, to believe it meant he was having doubts. but when his lips parted, it wasn't the response she was hoping for.

"it's for the best."

“no, no, no, no,” the finality of his words shattered what was left of her hope. the barrier of control she had on her emotions ruptured as she shook her head. she hesitantly reached her hand out, pulling it away quickly to avoid any more possible rejection from the boy. her heart couldn’t endure much more. "please.. don't do this."

"i'm sorry, y/n," he slowly approached her, wrapping his arms around her. she let him pull her into a hug, holding him close and tight as she allowed all of her anger and grief to wash away along with the salty tears staining her cheeks. though allowing his embrace would only further affirm her acceptance of the end, which is the last thing she wanted, she needed to feel his touch. especially knowing this may be the last time he'll ever hold her.

her chest tightened as she buried her face in his chest, clinging to his steady heartbeat, a cruel contrast to her own. neither of them spoke or moved for a while. a couple minutes in, she noticed that he was now trembling against her. it broke her heart even more. from the way he seemed to hold her just as close for comfort, she knew it was hurting him too. she supposed, maybe, it was for the best. she pulled away slightly, quickly regretting it as she saw how his eyes were red and glistened over, cheeks wet with the silent tears he shed. "can we at least be friends?" the words felt hollow, a desperate attempt to keep him in her life, even though she knew it would never be enough. 

he only nods though he knows she didn't truly want that for herself. placing his hold on her arms, gently before slowly removing himself from her embrace. he wiped away his tears and cleared his throat. the only thing on his mind now was getting out of there before he could go back on his word. he had to remind himself that this was the right thing to do. even if it meant hurting them both. clearing his throat he spoke up, regaining his composure to be the voice of reason they needed in the moment. "i guess i should head out now. i think we both need time to ourselves.”

"yeah.."

he took the time to quickly head to the door without waiting to see her reaction. his hands were shaking, the weight of the world only seemed to press down upon his shoulders, only now wishing he could've pushed through and tried to make things work one last time. but he knew that wasn't possible, and it just wasn't worth putting her through any more than he already had. the door clicked shut behind him, leaving an echo of silence in his absence.

the month after the breakup felt like a blur for y/n. while the world around her seemed to move forward, she remained stuck in a loop of missing jay, reaching out to him, waiting for his replies, and doing everything in her power to keep their connection alive despite the fact that he was clearly starting to pull away.

she couldn’t help it. every morning she found herself wanting to talk to him, by any means. today was no different as she looked at her thumb hovering over his contact. it had become almost instinctual, reaching out to him no matter how embarrassing it was starting to become. she took a deep breath, ignoring her reluctant thoughts and started typing.

heyy jay :) haven’t heard from you in a minute. everything okay?

she sent it before she could second guess herself, staring at the screen as the message went through. her heart raced as she waited for his response. then, the minutes passed, stretching into what felt like hours. she spent a while scrolling aimlessly through her notifications, trying hard to look for the one label that refused to appear. two hours had gone by, and still nothing.

she clicked the power button with a sigh, pulling her legs closer to her chest as she rested her chin on her knees, staring blankly at the phone. the silence of her lonely apartment felt so loud now. the lack of response made the small ache in her chest turn into a deeper, more persistent pain. she hated feeling this way, vulnerable, needy, desperate. it wasn’t like her.

she remained frozen in her spot on the bed, feeling like she couldn’t move until she got what she wanted. juggling through every scenario in her head, she almost began sinking into the self loathing feeling. but one look at the clock on her lock screen seemed to pull her out a little bit. she reminded herself that being pessimistic was the last thing she needed to do. instead, she should speak her desire into existence. “calm down, y/n,” she whispered to herself. “it’s still early. he’ll reply later, he always does.”

getting out of bed, she stretched a bit before making her way into the kitchen. at least, this time around, she could still make the most of her day. she was lucky in that sense; it was getting easier to distract herself from thoughts of him. before she realized it, hours had gone by and she was sitting in her living room watching tv when her phone finally pinged.

muting the sound of the show, she quickly glanced down, her heart nearly pouncing out of her chest. jay’s name. her fingers hovered above the screen, the moment she read his texts, that feeling of dread that she’d been holding back all day crashed over her. it felt like he’d handed her a piece of paper instead of a message from someone she’d spent every waking moment with for years. it was brief and impersonal, so unlike jay, yet so familiar as of late. 

hey, yeah. things are good, just tired

she stared blankly at the message for a while, continuously rereading, mouthing the words in every tone she could, trying to read in between the few lines he offered her, but it was impossible to make something out of nothing. and it felt like he was doing the bare minimum, acknowledging her existence by replying as if it was an obligation he had to fulfill. she figured that her reply could spark a more active response. 

i feel you. guess it’s been rough for both of us, huh. i hope you’ve been good otherwise. it’s getting colder these days, hope you’re staying warm ☺️

she waited in the chat upon seeing that he immediately opened her text, watching the three dots bubble up on her screen, only to vanish soon after. she stared at the notification as it remained unanswered for a while. “read at 2:23pm.” twenty minutes had gone by and she was unsure of what to say next or if she should say anything at all. 

despite her first failed attempt, y/n decided to brush it off and push forward. biting her lip, she took her time drafting and perfecting her next message. whatever she was going to say next had to warrant a response. if he saw how bad she wanted to talk, surely he’d give in. jay was never the kind of guy to intentionally neglect her feelings. it wasn’t in his character to hurt her. 

so, what’s been keeping you busy lately?

she typed, trying to sound casual, but her confidence faltered when she read it over. it was the kind of text she would’ve sent months ago, back when their relationship was solid and they could talk for hours without feeling the need for a pause.

this time, her message read “delivered”. but she watched as the three dotted bubble appeared again, and decided to leave the app while she continued waiting. this time, he would respond differently, she thought, he had to. holding on to a glimmer of hope, she gave it thirty minutes. but her phone only went quiet. what a waste.

opening instagram, she opted to scroll to distract herself from thinking of him further and that’s when she saw it. jay’s story. it wasn’t anything remarkable, just a picture of him out with some of their mutual friends. but the fact that he was posting on his story, without replying to her text, stung. she scoffed in an attempt to brush off the hurt she was beginning to feel, telling herself it was no big deal. it didn’t help much. no matter how she tried to view it, it was a silent reminder that his focus was elsewhere now. 

but, maybe it was nothing. maybe he just didn’t feel like texting. she tried once again to reason, but the thought still lingered, gnawing at her. why couldn’t he just reply? it was evident now that jay just wasn’t going to reach out on his own; he wasn't going to do anything. she’d have to be the one to make the effort, while holding onto the hope of things going back to how they were. maybe she was being too much, doing too much. “if i leave him alone for a few days, he’ll feel it, too.”

it had been days now and the reality of the situation was truly starting to sink in. over the span of the weeks they’d agreed to be friends, jay’s attempts to deny more interactions had finally come to an end. they were flat out doing no contact now. she tried deactivating her social media accounts in an effort to stop hurting herself further by looking at his page, but all it led to was viewing anonymously online. she wasn’t talking to anybody at that point, burying herself deeper into isolation as she began ignoring even her own best friends. but, it wasn’t something the girls were taking lightly.

she was laid out on the couch, the living room becoming a pigsty she found refuge in. empty bags of chips, noodle packages, discarded water bottles, candy wrappers, as well as tear soaked tissues flooded the table and floors. she lay sprawled out on the couch watching a romance k-drama, feeling envious of the love that the main character was receiving though she was barely paying attention. she was moreso staring through the screen rather than at it, not bothering to retain much of the plot, just trying to fill the void in any way she could. 

she barely flinched upon her doorbell ringing. in fact, she didn’t even hear it. pulling her blanket more over her body, she closed her eyes, not opening them until she heard the beeping noises her door only made when the passcode was being typed in. she shot up in a panic. only three people knew of her codeㅡ one of them being jay, and she could not risk him seeing her living in such an unkempt manner. making quick of her movements, she grabbed an armful of the trash and ran to the kitchen to toss it out. she stayed in the kitchen grabbing a trash bag as she heard the door open and shut, followed by light footsteps. a familiar voice called out.

“y/n, are you home?”

“yujin?” two girls, yujin and chaewon, walked into the living room grimacing at the state it was in. a small hint of rotting processed food was pungent in the air, to which the girls slightly scrunch their noses at. y/n couldn’t hide her disappointment as she walked into the room, the trash bag rustling with each step. “chae? what are you guys doing here?”

chaewon immediately recognized the girl’s expression and playfully rolled her eyes in an attempt to lighten the mood. “wow, we’re so happy to see you too, y/n.” her words make y/n mentally facepalm at the rudeness she’d unknowingly displayed, frowning as she walked  closer to them. without a word, the girls begin picking up the trash, discarding them into the bag y/n held. yujin wasted no time wondering off to get cleaning supplies, coming back to wipe the table. it wasn’t an uncomfortable silence they sat in while they cleaned, but it was clear that something definitely needed to be confronted now.

“sorry guys. i was just expecting someone… you know, else.”

“like who? he who shall not be named?” yujin asked, referencing jay, but it only made y/n grimace. the girl had struck a nerve. the statement only made her think of him more. it wasn’t yujin’s fault, though. none of her friends even knew they weren’t on speaking terms anymore. a knot formed in y/n’s stomach having to silently acknowledge how silly her initial thoughts were. jay had made zero effort to even talk to her, what sense would it make for him to visit?

“i don’t know.” but she did, and so did they. that’s why they were here to begin with. after the mess was all cleaned up, and you could finally see the beauty that was y/n’s living room again, they guided y/n to sit on the couch. chaewon was perched on the arm of it while yujin sat cross-legged on the floor, both watching y/n like she was an emotional bomb ready to explode at any given moment. the tension in the room felt like a third guest.

chaewon, the usual mediator, broke the silence first. treading lightly on upfront confrontation, she decided to stick with a lighthearted approach to the situation. what y/n needed was a friend, not a therapist. “okay, spill. when’s the last time you left this place?”

y/n’s silence spoke volumes as she sighed, hugging a throw pillow to her chest. “i don’t know. a while?” it wasn’t like she wasn’t keeping track, she could tell you it's been 33 days since she last saw jay, 11 days since he stopped viewing her story, and 9 days since his last text to her. how long she had been in her isolation, though? she couldn’t say, all the days seemed to blur in that category.

 yujin raised an eyebrow. “define ‘a while.’ days? weeks… a month?” 

now, y/n’s voice was barely above a whisper. “two weeks, maybe.”

“two weeks?!” chaewon groaned, grabbing the throw pillow and swatting y/n with it, adding a bit of force in an attempt to knock some sense into the girl. she supposed she underestimated how much it was affecting y/n. though she was upset at the girl’s response to her breakup, she felt worse that she didn’t think to step in sooner. “babe, no wonder. you’re practically fermenting in here. i don’t hate to say this, but it’s time for divine intervention.”

y/n sucked in a breath, but didn’t argue. instead, she stared at the freshly cleaned coffee table, her thoughts wandering back to jay. the way he used to rest his feet there, watching tv, the way he—

yujin snapped her fingers in front of y/n’s face. “nope. i can see it in your eyes— we’re not doing that today. chae, tell her the plan.”

“ah, right! the plan,” chaewon said, leaning in with a grin and wiggling her eyebrows, “is simple: you’re coming with us to a party tonight. and before you even start, you’re not busy, you’re not tired. none of that. i don’t want to hear any excuses.”

y/n’s face scrunched as she blinked. “a party? seriously? what are we? teenagers?”

“yes, seriously,” yujin said, standing up and grabbing y/n’s hands to pull her to her feet, the girl not fighting back as she stood. “you’re never too old to party. and, girl… you need this. sitting in here is only hurting you, and you know it.”

“but—”

“yes, butts! that’s exactly what i expect you to be shaking tonight,” chaewon interjected. “yujin and i already have the vision. you’ll pop out in a bomb ass outfit, we’ll pregame to set the mood, you know just get the vibes up. it's gonna be fun!” her eyes twinkled as she envisioned the whole scene. she waved her hand, slowly moving it in front of her face as if the girls could see what she was imagining. “you’ll drink a little, dance a little, smoke if you’re feeling good, and maybe even forget about… him.”

the slight, bitter acknowledgment of the boy left y/n feeling a lump form in her throat, she tried to shake off the thought of jay from creeping up again. but it was hard to stop once she already started, and everything in her heart was telling her no. a party was the last thing she needed. she could barely hide her hurt from her own friends, how could they expect her to pull through for hours at a party?

“i just don’t think i’m ready.”

“is that not the point?” yujin said gently, softly caressing y/n’s face with a sympathetic pout. the girl could only look away, feeling as though her eyes would be a dead giveaway to the truthㅡ it would hurt too much. sensing the mood shift, yujin sighed. “hey. you don’t have to be ready to start moving on, we don’t expect you to. we know how much you lovedㅡ sorry, love that man. but staying alone like this isn’t good for you, y/n.”

“you’ve even pulled away from us, we’re worried about you,” chaewon nodded, walking over to the girls and grabbing y/n’s hand. “all we’ve been thinking about lately is you. how you’re feeling, how you’re doing, constantly wondering if you’re okay. and now that we’ve seen the mess you’ve found comfort in, in your solitude, you deserve to at least get your mind off of it for one night. then we can start helping  you heal tomorrow.”

the unshakeable resistance y/n once had, started to falter as she looked at her friends’ determined faces. they weren’t just here to drag her out of the house, they genuinely cared. she wondered how much her absence, and wallowing in self pity, was truly affecting the people around her. even if she wasn’t entirely sure that she wanted to go, maybe it was worth a shot. after all, they went through the trouble of planning things out, as well as helping her clean her depressive mess. it was worth trying for them.

“fine,” she muttered. “but if it sucks, i’m leaving early.”

“deal,” chaewon said, clapping her hands. “now, let’s find you something hot to wear. i heard jay’s not going to be there, but let’s make him regret losing you anyway.”

yujin laughed, linking her arm with y/n’s and leading her toward the bedroom. the world seemed to start shining brighter as they walked. “yup. and who knows? maybe you’ll meet someone new.” y/n could only give a small, reluctant smile at the words. she wasn’t sure she believed their optimism, but for the first time in weeks, she felt hopeful. even if the night didn’t fix her heartbreak, at least she wouldn’t be alone with it. and, well, she’s got a blackout long overdue.

after showering and getting ready on their own, it was time for yujin and chaewon to work their magic; “project sad bitch to bad bitch” as yujin proudly proclaimed. chaewon flipped through y/n’s closet quietly, her fingers brushing against the variety of fabrics and patterns hanging from the hangers. “god, y/n,” the girl giggled in disbelief. “do you even wear half of this shit?” y/n only shrugged from her spot on the bed, towel wrapped snugly around her body barely blocking the AC’s cool breeze on her moist skin.

“i don’t know. maybe.”

“seems like you don’t know a lot of things lately, huh?”

“hm, i guess not.”

yujin sat cross-legged on the floor, unpacking her makeup bag and moving a lamp to complete her little setup. huffing at the attitude her friends were catching with each other, she turned to y/n with pleading eyes. “look, we’re not leaving until you’re ready. and no,” she added, looking up at the shivering girl. “sweatpants are not an option.”

confusion flooded y/n’a face as she tilted her head at the girl. “i wasn’t going to wear sweatpants.”

“good,” chaewon said, getting to the back of the closet, a small gleam catching her eyes. pulling out a simple satin slip dress, eyes widening with a smile at the piece. the dress that was destined for setting the mood. “ooh, now this could work.”

y/n eyed the dress and shook her head immediately. it was a part of a lingerie set that she had misplaced, something not meant to be seen in broad daylight, let alone by strangers at a party. she coughed, swatting away the memories that flooded back at the sight of it. there was no way she could wear that. “no. it’s too… i don’t know. they’re pajamas, it’s too much.”

“it’s not,” yujin said firmly, standing to drape the dress against y/n’s frame, already planning out the makeup look she could do to compliment it. it was clearly the best option they had, its slight sexual undertones only further confirming it was the key to a perfect night waiting to happen. “pajamas or not, it’s perfect. beyond that even. tonight’s not about hiding anyway.”

y/n could only sigh in response, her fingers fidgeting with the edge of her towel. “i’m not trying to hide, i just don’t feel like being seen.”

“is that not the same thing?” chaewon said, crossing her arms as she gave y/n a reassuring look. “look, we’re not saying you have to feel like a star tonight. we just want you to feel…you know, more like yourself again.”

yujin crouched in front of y/n, her expression softening. giving her best puppy eyes, she pouted and held hands up to the girl, begging with a small shake to emphasize her desperation. “just try, okay? it’s one night. you deserve to feel good about yourself, even if it’s just for a few hours.”

“i don’t feel bad about myself-” she paused when the girls gave her a knowing glance, making her stumble on her words. she glanced between them, her chest tightening. they weren’t forcing her, but they weren’t exactly letting her disappear, either. “you know what? fine,” she said finally, reaching out to take the dress. it was true, the dress was beautiful. the rose pink color highlighted by the sheen of the satin, with black laced edges adding the perfect contrast, made it a staple piece. she had forgotten all about its aura.

“that's what i’m talking ‘bout!” chaewon grinned and reached down to give yujin a round of high fives, their squeals only projecting a small portion of their excitement. y/n took the hanger and made her way into the bathroom. after a few minutes of staring at her reflection in the mirror, she stepped out in the dress. the fabric clung to her frame delicately, the soft sheen catching the light. she looked gorgeous, even with her hair undone. the room was silent as they shamelessly gawked at their best friend who only shifted awkwardly under their gaze.

“wow,” yujin whispered. “you look…”

“so fucking beautiful,” chaewon finished.

y/n only turned to look at herself in the mirror again, her lips pressing into a thin line. hesitant, she stared and tried to do some test poses. she just didn’t know how to feel. an internal scream match ensued, her thoughts becoming two conflicting forcesㅡ one side screaming no, the other trapped in a state, wondering: could i? shaking away her thoughts, she goes with her initial one. “i don’t know, guys. it's not me.”

“it is you,” yujin said gently. “maybe a part of you that you’ve forgotten about, but it’s still you. it wasn’t in your closet for no reason.”

while she wasn’t wrong, the reason definitely wasn’t for this. nonetheless she swallowed the lump in her throat, nodding slightly. juggling the pros and cons in her head, she made note of their actions that led her to this point. she owed it to them. “okay,” she said quietly. “let’s go before i change my mind.”

“makeup first~” chaewon sang out as she guided y/n over to the area where yujin had set everything up. “and i can do your hair, too. two birds, one stone. let’s go.”

the city lights blended into a colorful gradient of neon streaks as the taxi sped through the bustling streets. inside, the atmosphere was electric. y/n, chaewon, and yujin sat in the back, their laughter and chatter blending with the rhythmic hum of the car, the radio playing joyful tunes only further setting the mood.

chaewon, ever the instigator, held up a bottle of peach flavored soju, opening it and holding it to the roof. there was a gleam in her eyes that demonstrated her happiness more than words could explain. “to a night of unforgettable memories,” she declared, her tone light as she carefully waved the bottle mischievously. “with my very best friends.”

yujin grinned, lifting an imaginary bottle as well, reaching over chaewon’s lap to grab y/n’s hand and force her to do the same. “and to making sure y/n doesn’t regret this tomorrow,” she teased.

y/n chuckled a genuine, hearty laugh as she shook her head. “i’m not the one who needs to worry,” she retorted, her voice light but with a hint of challenge. she reached into chaewon’s bag pulling out a plastic shot glass. “is this even smart to be doing in a moving car?”

“yolo,” chaewon smiled in response, pouring a generous amount into the cup, nearly filling it to the brim. “bottoms up,” she urged, her tone playful yet insistent. with a resigned smile, y/n took the shot, the sharpness of the soju’s flavor warming her from the inside. she licked her lips and handed the cap to chaewon, who refilled it with a flourish.

“your turn,” chaewon said, carefully handing the cup to yujin who playfully raised an eyebrow, feigning fake reluctance. “peer pressure at its finest,” she laughed, but took the shot with no hesitation. the trio continued their pregame ritual, the taxi’s interior filled with their laughter and the clinking of bottles. as the cityscape passed by, the anticipation of the party awaiting them grew, each of them eager for the night that awaited them.

when the taxi pulled up, the bass from the party reverberated through the car, the music and laughter spilling out into the cool night air. y/n giggled, already feeling the happy buzz of the drinks from the ride over. chaewon and yujin, also tipsy, were practically bouncing with excitement as they stepped out of the car.

“drive safe, dear! have a good night,” chaewon waved to the driver. as they stepped through the door, they were immediately hit with the scent of perfume, alcohol, and excitement. the large living room was filled with people laughing, dancing, and chatting in their own little groups. y/n swayed slightly to the rhythm, the tipsiness from pregaming still actively lingering in her veins. chaewon and yujin were right beside her, their laughter bright and carefree, matching the energy around them. she pulled her jacket tighter, but it was more out of habit than discomfort.

at first, y/n did feel a bit out of place, but chaewon immediately linked arms with her, pulling her further into the scene. “you’re gonna love it here, i promise,” she grinned, her voice a little louder than usual to compensate for the music’s volume.

yujin, already catching the beat of the music, nudged her playfully. “yeah! tonight’s for fun, no worries.” they made their way over to heeseung, the host, who greeted them with a friendly smile and a quick hug. “hey, guys. glad you could make it! the party’s just getting started.”

y/n couldn’t help but stare at the man in front of her. he was tall, dark, and handsome. the small rose tint that coated his cheeks, caused by the alcohol, pulled the whole look together. it was hard to look away. wow. upon noticing this, chaewon leaned in, whispering to y/n, “heeseung’s the best. and he throws the best parties.”

y/n smiled as she finally broke her stare to meet chaewon’s eyes, her voice a little slurred but still light. “yeah, he seems chill.”

heeseung turned his attention to the girl who wasn’t as familiar with him, his smile faltering just a little. he leaned in closer to chaewon, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial tone so that y/n wouldn’t hear. “by the way, jay ended up changing his mind about not coming. he’s over there,” he said, glancing toward the other side of the room where jay stood talking to some guys.

his words seemed to sober chaewon up a bit as she tried not to make a reactive face as her eyes followed to where he was motioning to. there he was in the flesh, having the audacity to be enjoying himself while his ex-girlfriend still had the luxury of not knowing of his presence. and chaewon needed to make sure to keep it that way all night. instead, she flashed a quick grin, pulling y/n into the next part of the conversation. “man, we’re taking a cab home. you know what that means?”

“we can get fucked up,” y/n exclaimed doing a little happy dance, humoring the few that could hear what she was saying. heeseung only offered chaewon an encouraging smile, though he wasn’t sure her approach was the best. but what did he know, he was too drunk to really care about it past surface level. yujin, just as blissfully unaware of the situation, grinned ear to ear and high-fived y/n. “now that’s the energy i love to see!”

“yeah, yeah. let’s go mingle now!” chaewon said, waving to heeseung as she led the trio made towards the main area where majority of the people occupied. and of course, with no sign of jay. she spotted jake and sunghoon nearby, and with a social grin, she guided the girls along to greet them, reminding herself she needed to enjoy her time too.

“jake! hoon!” she called out, her voice full of energy. jake looked up from his conversation and grinned, his eyes trailing to each face as he greeted them. “chaewon, yujin, and… no fucking way. is that y/n?! in the flesh?!” he went over to give her a hug, and it signaled to her that he was definitely drunk. “finally, we get to see your pretty face again. it’s about time you join in on the fun!”

y/n, although a little confused, returned the hug and gave the boy a playful smile. “yeah. i guess i needed a little push to leave the house. you know how breakups get you sometimes,” she joked. probably not the funniest thing she could’ve said, but it was real.

sunghoon raised an eyebrow teasingly, making sure not to dwell on the literal aspects of it. he looked her up and down, almost drooling at the sight of her. the way the dress hugged her body, the way her jacket complimented the colors perfectly, even her flats fit the look. “well, i guess it worked out nicely. you look like you’re doing great now.”

yujin laughed, leaning in as if she were about to say something revolutionary. “it’s the party effect. you get here and forget everything.”

“just what i needed,” y/n said, letting herself get lost in the music. she wondered why she avoided everyone for so long. their presence made her feel ten times better in a couple of minutes than she’d felt on her own all month. it was refreshing.

“that’s the spirit!” jake grinned, looking past the girls to see jay walking over again with drinks in hand. thinking quickly, he gestured to the group behind him. “hey, rina and winter are over there. go give them a pleasant surprise.”

chaewon quickly perked up with enthusiasm at the mention of their other girl friends. “ooh! let’s go say hi!”

they headed over to karina and winter, who were standing by the snack table. karina greeted them with a playful smile. “there you guys are! i thought you’d bail on us. hey, y/n! it’s nice to see you again,” her eyes smiled at the girl, admiring the glow. maybe time away was what y/n needed to prosper. karina, like everyone else, was happy to see her again nonetheless.

y/n shook her head, her drunken voice bubbling with laughter. the world seemed to have a hint of saturation to it that she hadn’t seen in a while now. she couldn’t help but to pull karina into a hug, the gesture surprising both of them at the suddenness. “hey! and of course not. we just had to make sure we were up to par. can’t all be natural beauties like you girls.”

“oh stop it, y’all are gorgeous,” winter chimed in, raising her cup with a sigh of content before taking a sip. “man, i needed this after midterms. nothing better than a heeseung party to recharge your academic battery.”

“you know, for a guy that’s so popular amongst everyone, i'm surprised i didn’t know him before this,” y/n pondered for a second. the group laughed, “well, welcome to the real world outside of a relationship. people start existing again.” and soon enough, they were swept up in more conversation and dancing. after a few shots, y/n could feel herself getting lost in the rhythm, her laughter mixing with the music. as they moved back to the dance floor, she realized that maybe, just maybe, she could forget about the weight of it all—at least for tonight. her tipsiness had her in an effortlessly happy state, but she felt like it could be more hype. she leaned closer to chaewon and yujin, raising her voice slightly to be heard over the bass.

“i’m gonna grab a drink,” she said, her lips curling into a small smile. “you guys want anything? shots?”

yujin’s eyes lit up, and she nudged chaewon. “ohhh my god, yes. shots sound perfect.” chaewon grinned, raising her hand slightly. “tequila, if they have it. lime, salt, the good shit, you know how i like it.”

y/n laughed, making mental note of the girls’ orders. “got it, tequila on the rocks for the baddies. i’ll be back.” she spun on her heel, her steps sure as she wove through the crowd, the glow of the party lights casting a warm glow on her skin. emboldening her every move, the alcohol seemed to sink deeper into her veins, the electric energy of the room carrying her forward with effortless grace.

the kitchen set a different mood in contrast to the other rooms she and her friends had occupied that night. the loud, bass-heavy music from the living room was muffled here, replaced by softer chatter and the occasional clink of bottles against glasses. the room smelled faintly of spilled liquor and citrus wedges, surprisingly pleasant, and the counters were crowded with a mess of an inviting display of liquor bottles and red cups.

she ran her hand along the countertop that was cool on her heated skin. her eyes skimmed the options in front of her. there the tequila was for chaewon and yujin, but which brand to choose? she didn’t know. she bit her lip, trying to focus despite the pleasant buzz in her head craving excitement. she didn’t even realize a male figure had made his way over to her.

“tequila, huh?” his voice was smooth, unexpected, and it instantly pulled her attention to the right. there he was, leaning casually against the counter, his posture relaxed but commanding. the soft golden light from the kitchen highlighted his sharp features, a warm glow casting over his slightly tousled hair and the inviting grin that played on his lips. 

she blinked, momentarily thrown off by his presence. there was something boyish about him, yet his looks contrasted the calculated composure in his eyes. once she realized her staring, she quickly recovered, her lips curving into a teasing smile unsure of where such confidence came from.“depends who you ask.”

he chuckled, the sound low and light, yet somehow warm despite its brevity. “true. i guess it depends on the night, too,” he mused, his eyes casually following her movements—curious, but not intrusive. his gaze lingered on the tequila bottles, gesturing to it. “bold choice, though,” he added, his tone easy and confident. “i guess it suits you.”

y/n tilted her head slightly, looking at the bottle she’d unknowingly chosen. her lips curved into a small smile, intrigued by his words. “what makes you think that?”

he shrugged with effortless charm, his laugh hypnotizing, like the world stopped with each chuckle that escaped his lips. and she was almost sure it did. “you’ve got this energy—like you’re fun, but there’s more to you than what meets the eye.” her eyebrows furrowed faintly in intrigue, but she kept her tone playful, tinged with a hint of caution. just because he seemed funny, and attractiveㅡ well, insanely attractive, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t keep her guard up; he was still a stranger. but his words seemed to draw her in nonetheless.

“you’ve got a lot of assumptions for someone i just met.”

“maybe,” he said with a slight shrug, “but i’m usually right.” he extended a hand toward her, his grin widening. “i’m eric, by the way. figured this was a good time to properly introduce myself since i’ve seen you around but never got the chance.”

she glanced at his hand before shaking it, his palm warm and his touch firm. “y/n,” she said simply, letting her name hang in the air for a moment. he shook her hand, slow and drawn out, before he reluctantly pulled away. it didn’t go unnoticed. he repeated it as if trying it out for himself, the syllables making themselves at home on his tongue. his grin softened into something more genuine. “that’s a pretty name. suits you.”

a faint warmth crept throughout her body at the compliment, but she quickly masked it with a smile, biting her lip as she tried to ignore the heat making its way to her cheeks. “thanks. so, you’re just out here handing out compliments tonight, huh?”

“only when they’re deserved,” he shot back smoothly, his gaze unwavering. there was something so captivating about him. his personality, maybe even ego, seemed big, but his confidence wasn’t overbearing. it was enticing and y/n found herself relaxing more, her initial purpose for coming to the kitchen already slipping her mind. “so, do you always pick tequila at parties, or is tonight special?” he raised an eyebrow slightly.

“tonight’s definitely special,” she replied, leaning against the counter herself now, mirroring his relaxed stance. the corners of her lips tugged upward, her drunken state aiding in loosening her posture. “but i’ll admit, it’s not my usual go-to.”

her words made him grin, his expression lighting up as if he’d just found the perfect opening to extend their conversation. his face seemed to soften slightly, and for a moment, y/n couldn’t help but envy how his confidence radiated. he knew how attractive he was, and knew exactly how to lean into it without making it feel forced.

“lucky for you, i’m a tequila enthusiast,” he said, wiggling his eyebrows, already reaching for the bottle and two shot glasses. his movements were sure, natural, as if he’d done this a hundred times before. everything about this man highlighted how sure of himself he was, like he knew the line between charm and arrogance and danced on it perfectly. “mind if i join you?”

y/n let out a small laugh, her gaze following his every movement as he poured the tequila. there was something mesmerizing about the way his hands worked—the smooth, controlled motions, his fingers brushing over the counter as if every little touch was intentional, effortless. the lighting of the room seemed to accentuate the sensuality of the moment; it made the air feel charged. everything about him, from the casual lean to the way his eyes stayed locked on hers, felt like a slow dance, a tension hummed between them.

“you know what? sure, why not?” she finally managed to say, her voice a little breathless, though she couldn’t quite tell if it was from the alcohol or the way the scene had shifted. eric slid a glass toward her, his fingers grazing the edge of the counter, his movements slow as if savoring the moment. he leaned in just enough to hold her gaze, his eyes glinting with a playful spark, and she felt her heart race a little. raising his glass, his smirk widened. “to… letting loose and making the most of tonight?”

y/n’s lips parted in a smile that felt so easy, so unguarded, like it was the most natural thing in the world to let go and enjoy the moment. all her worries of the night seemed to slip her mind as she tapped her glass against his, the muted background becoming more apparent making the brief clink of glass feel louder than it should have. “cheers to that.”

they downed the shots in unison, the tequila burning a familiar path down her throat before settling into a warm heat in her chest. she grabbed a slice of lime as a needed chaser, squeezing the sour juices into her mouth. now, the buzz she’d felt earlier amplified, wrapping around her like a comforting haze. she could feel herself relax further as eric leaned in closer to keep the conversation flowing. their eyes meet again and an unfamiliar, yet alluring feeling crept up. he was so captivating. one look from him felt like transcending.

“so, what about you?” she asked, setting her glass down with a soft clink against the counter. she was becoming more curious about him. every second, imagining his life story, his reasons for coming, who he came with, she wanted to know everything. her tone carried a teasing edge as she raised an eyebrow. “are you the life of the party or just here to keep an eye on the tequila?”

he chuckled, his shoulders shaking slightly as if her words had struck the right note. there was something disarming about the way he laughed, and y/n couldn’t help but feel a small surge of accomplishment, her desire to keep conversing growing. “somewhere in between,” he admitted, his smile widening, the confidence in his voice undeniable. “but tonight, i think i’m here for more interesting conversations.”

the subtle compliment tugged at y/n, piquing her newfound confidence and before she knew it, she was leaning in just a little more, drawn into the rhythm of his words. she’d forgotten how much fun it was to flirt, how desirable she was over the years. none of this was one sided. “well, lucky you ran into me, then.”

“lucky, indeed,” eric replied, his voice dropping just enough to carry weight, and his gaze shifted to hers with intensity, the moment stretching out longer than expected. her breath hitched. it felt like time slowed down for just a second before she regained her composure. before she could fully process the warmth creeping up her spine from eric’s gaze, a shift in the atmosphere almost caught her attention. across the kitchen, jay walked in, his empty beer bottle dangling carelessly from his fingers, searching for somewhere to dispose of the glass. his expression was relaxed at first, but the moment his eyes locked onto her frame, he froze.

y/n didn’t notice him immediately either. her back was turned to him and she was much too absorbed in her conversation with eric. but jay was peeping everything. the way she laughed, the way she leaned just slightly toward eric, and most notably, that dress. it wasn’t just any dress. it was his favorite, the one she had only worn on special occasions, none of which ever saw light beyond the bedroom.

a knot twisted in jay’s chest, and his mind spun with a rush of emotions—anger, jealousy, and regret. he couldn’t pinpoint which hurt more, but they all clawed at him. was she just here for sex? and was she wearing that to enhance her attraction? he was convinced the second he heard the sound of her laughter, consumed by whatever sweet little nothings eric was telling her as she leaned in toward him. it stung. he hated how much power she still had over him, how she could still hurt him so deeply without even realizing.

eric, perceptive as ever, immediately caught the shift in the air. when his eyes flicked over jay and back to y/n, his grin widened ever so slightly. without missing a beat, he poured another shot, his movements casual yet carrying a certain smugness as he slid the glass toward y/n. “ready for another?” he asked lightly, though his gaze hardly wavered from jay.

“absolutely,” she replied with a laugh, oblivious to the silent exchange happening right in front of her. she was too intoxicated, both from the liquor and eric’s attention—to feel the tension brewing. the scene unfolding in front of her went unnoticed. eric, with his charm, was asserting his dominance over jay in a way that was bold, yet subtle enough to fly under y/n’s radar.

eric poured his own shot with an almost lazy confidence, his movements smooth and conceited as though every action was meant to say, i’ve already won. raising and clinking his glass with y/n’s, his lips curved into a subtle smirk as he downed the drink. while she threw her head back to get the shot out the way, his eyes were locked onto jay’s. the air in the kitchen thickened, growing heavier with the unspoken tension that hung between the two men. jay’s jaw tightened, his fingers curling firmly around the neck of his bottle as he forced himself to relax. but his pride just wouldn’t let it go. he needed to act, to remind this guy—this nobody, who y/n truly belonged to.

his steps were calculated as he moved further into the kitchen, making it seem as if he hadn’t noticed them at all. his presence, though originally unacknowledged, was impossible to ignore. without sparing so much as a glance their way, jay reached for a bottle on the counter, his movements nonchalant and composed.

“hey, eric, pass me the bottle opener,” he said, his tone calm, detached, as if the moment held no significance. but the sound of his voice was enough to pierce through y/n’s bubble of drunken bliss. her laughter faltered, the warmth that had fueled her moments before were replaced by a quick, relentless, almost sinking ache. eric, with his focus now shifted to jay with a scowl, straightened up as he titled his head. they were now challenging each other in front of their pursuit.

“it’s right there, get it yourself,” eric made no effort to mask the irritation the boy’s presence brought him. y/n turned slowly, her heart lurching at the sight of jay. what the fuck was he even doing? did she even actually like eric? the thoughts ran through her mind, quick and unforgiving. as her gaze remained on jay, everything else faded into the background. eric’s presence, his charm, the tequila-fueled buzz— all evaporated. jay’s movements were precise, impersonal. though he stood just a few feet away, his eyes never met hers. it was as though she didn’t even exist to him, a realization that stung more than she’d anticipated.

with a swift motion, he grabbed the opener, popped the cap off the beer, and set it back on the counter. without another word or glance, he turned on his heel, a smug scoff leaving his lips as he disappeared into the crowd. his shoulders were tense, and his strides were agonizingly slow. y/n watched him leave, her heart sinking further with each step he took. her fingers curled against the countertop as she let out a sigh, gripping it tightly as she struggled to steady herself, her knuckles paling from the effort.

“you okay?” eric’s voice softened, his earlier confidence giving way to a tentative concern. his hand brushed her shoulder lightly, but the touch barely registered. all her thoughts, all her feelings, were consumed once again by jay, and the space he left behind. eric felt like a distant blur in comparison.

“yeah,” y/n replied quickly, though her voice was tight, almost robotic now. she forced a smile, but it was weak. she averted her eyes, unsure of where to look anymore. she was too ashamed to be present in the moment now. “it’s whatever. i don’t even know that guy anymore.” the words were meant to sound indifferent, maybe even lighthearted, but her tone betrayed her, emotions seeping through. 

eric hesitated, his eyes studying her face. he could see the way her confidence had crumbled the moment jay walked up and felt a pang of guilt knowing he’d inadvertently caused it. but an unfamiliar feeling sparked within him as well. he wanted to make her forget about jay entirely, to erase whatever hold he still had on her. what had started off as an obvious attempt at a one-night stand, had suddenly turned into something more. eric wanted to be the one she thought about, the one she wanted, the one who could make her feel again.

y/n leaned against the counter, her glass clutched tightly in her hand, staring at the floor like it could offer her some kind of escape. it was quiet as the pair decided not to say anything. she didn’t mind it though. the weight of jay’s acknowledgment—or lack thereof— was still hanging over her like a storm cloud. and in her drunken state, she didn’t know how to process what she was feeling now. chaewon and yujin‘s comfort was rooms away, which she supposed was for the better. she didn’t want to bring their mood down with hers anyway. the dull thud of bass from the next room gave her a headache, and the warmth of the kitchen suddenly felt stifling.

she poured another shot and quickly downed it, sucking in a deep breath as the warmth shot throughout her body. her mind replayed the earlier scene on a loop—his voice, the dismissive tone, the way his eyes never bothered to look her way. a desperate part of her had hoped for more, craving at least some shred of emotion from him. instead, all she’d gotten was proof of how much she still cared, and how little he did. she bit the inside of her cheek to keep her tears at bay, her pride refusing to let them fall.

“hey.” y/n’s head snapped up, startled by the soft voice that cut through her thought process, reminding her she was still at the party. eric now stood a few feet away, his hands shoved into his pockets, a relaxed posture with a steady gaze. he tilted his head slightly, offering her a small smile in an attempt to ease her mind. “wanna just get out of here for a bit?”

for a moment she just stared at him, her brain debating on his offer. the idea of leaving the kitchen, and the weight of jay’s presence hanging over her, felt like relief. but going somewhere with ericㅡ a near-stranger? she wasn’t sure. her grip on her drink loosened slightly, her nails no longer digging into the condensation-soaked glass. “where would we even go?” her voice came out quieter than she intended.

“don’t know,” he shrugged, now leaning against the doorframe. “anywhere but here. upstairs, outside… we could raid his snacks,  whatever helps.” his tone was casual, but there was something in the way he watched her that felt intentional. he sensed the remaining turmoil in her heart and wanted to pull her away from it.

y/n glanced at the doorway he motioned to, then back to her drink. the thought of staying here, rooted to this spot, after jay’s appearance felt unbearable. so, without answering, she set her cup on the counter with a soft clink and gave him a small nod. eric’s smile widened just slightly, enough to make her cheeks flush again. “come on,” he murmured, motioning for her to follow him.

he led her to a quiet balcony on the second floor of the house, away from the pulsing music and swarm of people. the cool night air hit her face, and she zipped her jacket as she wrapped her arms around herself. she was thankful for the moment of calm that wasted no time washing over her. eric handed her an unopened bottle of patron that he’d snagged on their way up, giving her a reassuring smile.

“for the record,” he said, leaning against the railing, his tone measured, almost casual, “whatever he did to you? screw him.” his eyes stayed fixed on the city lights below, the ambient hum of distant car horns and the occasional gust of wind filling the silence. he didn’t look at her, as if giving her the privacy to feel whatever she needed to without his gaze adding weight.

y/n let out a weak laugh, but it cracked halfway through, dissolving into a shaky exhale. leaning on the railing herself, her eyes wandered to the darkened yard below, its emptiness mirroring the void she felt in her heart. her voice wavered when she spoke. “it’s not that simple.”

“maybe not,” eric shrugged, the softness in his voice tugging at her like a thread, unraveling the tight knot she’d been holding together. “but he doesn’t get to ruin your night.” he turned slightly toward her, his expression thoughtful, though his gaze never pressed into hers too directly. her throat tightened, and before she could stop herself, tears pricked at the corners of her eyes, blurring the faint glow of the city. she swallowed hard, shaking her head as if to ward them away. turning from him, she choked out a laugh, “god, i’m sorry. this is so stupid.”

“it’s not stupid,” he said with quiet conviction. he didn’t step closer, deciding it was best to keep respecting the fragile space between them, but there was something solid and grounding in his presence nonetheless. “you’re allowed to feel how you want to feel, y/n. no one gets to decide that for you.”

her fingers hastily brushed at her cheeks,trying to swipe away the evidence of her emotions as shame crept in. traces of her makeup found refuge on her jacket in the process. she was sure she looked as much of a mess physically as she felt mentally. his words lingered, and she appreciated him not demanding a response, just offering a truth she hadn’t yet been able to admit to herself. “i don’t even know why i’m crying. it’s just… all i wanted was to be able to forget about him for one night.” her words hung in the air as she tightly crossed her arms over her chest in an attempt to hold herself together. saying it out loud made the hurt feel all the more real, the pressure pressing harder against her ribs.

“getting over someone takes time,” eric said, his voice steady and thoughtful, as though he’d carefully considered every word. his eyes flickered toward her briefly, searching for a reaction before continuing. “especially someone who meant a lot to you. i heard you guys were together for a couple of years; i don’t think anyone expects you to bounce back quickly. and just because you’re not there yet doesn’t mean you won’t get there.” his words settled over her, profound, like the softest form of reassurance she had been needing. y/n felt her shoulders relax and she finally exhaled, her breath fogging in the chilly night air. the weight of her emotions felt a little lighter now. eric held up the unopened bottle between them, his grin softening the mood further.

“how about this? one drink, and we’ll make a pact: no more thinking about jay tonight.”

her lips twitched into a small, reluctant smile as she reached for the bottle, the faintest trace of amusement breaking through the fading sadness. when in doubt, drink it out. “deal.” the bottle moved back and forth between them as the conversation flowed, each sip peeling away the mysterious layers between the two. eric had a way of drawing her out. his humor was witty, his stories were full of vivid details that made her forget the remaining ache in her chest, little by little. she felt like she could breathe again.

the two talked about everything and nothing: bad movies, dream vacations, even the weirdest things they’d done as kids. eric was so easy to talk to. in a way that felt natural, his teasing was playful but never too much, and his laughter warm and infectious. with every story exchanged, y/n found herself leaning further into the conversation.

at some point, the conversation slowed, the hum of the city below filling the quiet. y/n’s gaze drifted to eric, who sat just close enough that she could feel the warmth of his presence. the soft glow of the house lights framed his features—his sharp jawline, the slight curve of his lips, and the depth in his eyes that seemed to catch everything without needing to say much. she had noticed before how effortlessly handsome he was, but in the stillness, she could see it in all its glory because now he wasn’t even trying.

“what?” he asked, his voice breaking through her thoughts, low and teasing but not unkind. he kept his eyes on her, a gleam shimmering ever so slightly. she blinked, her cheeks heating as she fought hard not to look away.

“nothing.”

eric tilted his head, a small, knowing smile tugging at his lips. “you were staring. i’m not complaining, just… curious.”

y/n’s heart stuttered, her defenses unraveling under his playful yet gentle tone. she dropped her gaze to the bottle between them, her fingers brushing against the cool glass. “i wasn’t staring,” she mumbled, though the blush deepening on her cheeks betrayed her. he leaned in slightly, not enough to overwhelm but just enough to close the gap, his voice quieter now. 

“sure you weren’t.” their proximity was close enough to feel his breath warm on her nose. a closeness that felt almost forbidden. it felt good. there was something in the way he looked at her, prolonged and intent, as if he could see past what she was trying to hide. it made her stomach flip, her mind race. the space between them felt charged, the kind of silence that wasn’t empty but filled with things neither of them knew how to say.

she tried to focus on the city lights, the buzz of music from the party beneath themㅡ anything but him… but her gaze betrayed her again. when she looked back up, he was still watching her, his expression shifting into something unreadable.

“you know, you’re… different than i expected,” he said finally, his voice soft, almost hesitant. he was peeling back a layer of himself that he didn’t often share.

y/n’s brows furrowed slightly, her mind catching the weight of his words. curiously, she leaned closer despite the space being noses apart as a result. “different how?” she asked, her voice quieter now in fear of the moment shattering if she spoke any louder.

“in a good way,” he replied, the corners of his lips lifting in a slight smile that was both shy and sincere. the energy picked up, dissipating from its once lustful state into something new, softer and more vulnerable. “like… i don’t know. just better.”

the simplicity of his words struck her harder than she expected. there weren’t any grand gestures or overly thought-out declarations with them, yet somehow, it made them feel all the more genuine. she didn’t know how to respond, so she didn’t. instead, she just looked at him, her lips parting slightly as if the unfolding moment had stolen the air from her lungs. the outside noises of the world faded into nothing, narrowing to just the quiet breaths they shared on that balcony.

time seemed to slow as the remaining space between them shrank. his gaze dropped, flickering to her lips for the briefest moment before meeting her eyes again, a silent question lingering in the space between them. she felt renewed, her heart was racing as her mind scrambled to make sense of it. but there was no time to think, no time to overanalyze; her body moved before she could stop it.

her lips met his, softly at first, testing the waters. there was hesitation on both ends, a mutual uncertainty. then the kiss deepened, the weight of the night pouring into every movement. she leaned in closer, her hands finding their way to his shirt, gripping it tightly as if afraid he might pull away. his fingers ghosted over her jaw, anchoring her in the moment, grounding her as the rest of the world seemed to spin. it wasn’t perfect, it was messy and uncoordinated, a clash of emotions and impulse—but it felt real, raw in a way that made her melt into his touch. and for the first time in what felt like forever, she let herself be vulnerable. she let herself feel.

but just as quickly as it started, the kiss ended as reality crashed back in. y/n pulled back abruptly, her hands flying to her stomach as a sudden wave of nausea hit hard, quickly climbing its way up from her stomach. “oh no…” she muttered, her voice barely above a whisper as she almost teleported to the other side of the balcony. there was no way. eric’s eyes widened, concern flashing across his face as he instinctively moved to reach out toward her. “you okay?” he asked, moving his hands back after seeing her lack of response to the gesture. she shook her head, the motion only making her feel worse. 

“i think i’m gonna—” she realized she pushed herself to her feet too quickly, her delayed reaction to the sudden movement sent her balance teetering. eric was beside her in an instant, steadying her with a hand on her arm as she stumbled toward the railing.

“whoa, whoa—hold on,” he said, his voice calm but urgent. “deep breaths, okay? i got you.”

y/n clung to the cool metal railing, squeezing her eyes shut as she tried to steady her breathing. the nausea roared louder, her stomach churning violently. she hated how vulnerable she felt, she hated that she couldn’t keep it together.

“i’m so sorry,” she whispered shakily, leaning forward in case the inevitable happened. her whole body was in panic mode, trying to ground itself but every attempt it made only escalated the situation. the only thing saving her from completely coming undone was her pride. she refused to embarrass herself in front of the handsome man that kept her company.

“don’t apologize,” eric said softly, his hand still resting on her arm. the touch was enough to distract her as her senses focused on the warmth it offered. “seriously, it’s fine. just focus on breathing. we’ll get through this.” her cheeks burned with embarrassment, but there was no judgment in his voice, no awkwardness, just comfort laced with concern. he was drunk too, anxiety building at how the situation could possibly unfold. y/n clung to the railing as the nausea finally overwhelmed her. the world around her blurred, and every sound muffled like she was underwater. her knees buckled slightly, and eric was quick to catch her as she vomited over the balcony, quietly thanking god that nobody was in the backyard.

 “yeah,” he said, his voice gentle but firm. “i think you’re done for the night.” she tried to mumble a response, but her words came out slurred and incoherent. her body felt heavy, the buzz of alcohol overpowering every sense as she vomited again. now she was sobbing curses keeping her eyes squeezed tight, as if it could block out the predicament she was in now. eric had to think fast, he couldn’t just leave her out here. but he also cared for her reputation, and taking someoneㅡ in her state, back with the majority was just begging to be social suicide. 

“okay, hang tight,” eric said, carefully easing her down to sit on the floor of the balcony, leaning her against the railing for support. she was barely responsive, her eyelids fluttering as exhaustion took over. he wanted to bring her inside the room, but if she kept going at the rate that she was, laying down would be a safety hazard. he hated it, but the best option would be to leave her outside. he sucked in a breath, crouching in front of her, brushing a strand of her hair out of her face. “i’m gonna find your friends, okay? just stay right here.”

y/n’s head lolled slightly. he made his way back into the main, more populated areas of the house, scanning the crowd for any sign of the two girls she’d been with earlier. it took a few minutes and some questions to a few strangers, but eventually, eric found chaewon and yujin near the living room, both mid-conversation with a group of people. “hey, uh,” eric interrupted, his tone urgent enough to grab their attention immediately. “y/n’s on the balcony. she’s not feeling great. i think she needs you.”

chaewon’s eyes widened as her head snapped towards yujin, they had forgotten about y/n in their inebriated state. they actually learned of the kitchen situation shortly after it happened because jay had come by and interrupted their conversation with jake to vent about it. they only let her be after hearing of her moment with eric because a distraction was what they were originally hoping for. they didn’t take into account it could go left. “what the hell is she doing out there? is she okay?”

“she’s like… out of it,” eric said, his hands still in his pockets but his shoulders tense as they picked up the words he wasn’t dropping: a few too many drinks, half of which her body weight couldn’t hold. “she needs to go home.” yujin didn’t hesitate, grabbing chaewon’s arm as they followed eric back to the balcony. chaewon couldn’t help but cry the whole way up.

“fuck, we might just be the worst friends alive,” she sobbed, her feet scurrying to keep up with the other two as each sob slowed her down. yujin, sensing the need for a level headed person in the room, pinched chaewon’s cheeks once they reached the bedroom leading to the balcony. “we can unpack that later. she needs us now. so suck it up cause we have to act like we know what we’re doing.” her words leave no word for arguments, so chaewon just nods putting on her best poker face despite the regret that still panged at her heart.

when they opened the door to finally arrive on the scene, y/n was no longer slumped against the railing. she was laying on her side curled into a ball, eyes closed as she emphasized each breath she let out to calm her nerves. “oh my god, y/n,” chaewon muttered, kneeling beside her. the girl only croaked her name in response, a pout eliciting a downpour of tears. she felt a sense of relief washing over her at their presence. yujin crouched down as she and chaewon lifted her body up, y/n doing her best to push herself up with her arms. “what made this happen?”

“it’s kind of my fault. jay upset her while we were taking shots. it bummed her out, so we came up here to recharge… drank a whole bottle of patron,” eric trailed off as he recollected their actions leading up to it, the impulsivity being highlighted as a disaster waiting to happen. rubbing the back of his neck, he cleared his throat. “yeah, so it’s totally my fault.” chaewon and yujin wasted zero time verbally agreeing with him. he didn’t take it personally, thoughㅡ in hindsight, he could’ve approached the situation better. “sorry, i wasn’t really thinking. i just wanted to make her feel better.”

“well, thank you,” yujin said, her voice sincere as she looked at him. chaewon and yujin carefully helped y/n to her feet, draping her arms over their shoulders. eric lingered for a moment, his gaze softening as he looked at her one last time. she looked an absolute mess. her mascara ran in uneven streaks tracing her cheeks, while smudges of foundation, blush,and faded lipstick clung desperately to her skin. he felt horrible for how bad her night turned out. “she’s gonna be okay, right?” he asked, his voice a tinge quieter now.

“yeah,” chaewon said, tight-lipped with a small nod. “we got it from here, thanks for looking out for her.” eric nodded, stepping back as they carried y/n away. he stood there for a moment, watching until they disappeared into the house. with a deep breath, he turned back toward the balcony railing, running a hand through his hair as he tried to shake off the lingering worry. what a shitty first impression to leave. he almost wished that they had saved some alcohol, he needed another shot.

in the backseat of the taxi, y/n slumped against chaewon, her head heavy with a mouth that insisted on being anything but quiet. “i wanted to stay with him,” she mumbled, her words slurring together. her voice hiccuped slightly, carrying the unmistakable edge of drunken frustration. she replayed fragmented memories of their time together from the kitchen to the balcony. “why’d you make me leave? he was—he was so damn nice to me. oh my god, he was so sweet y’all. and he was so cute.”

chaewon yawned with a sigh, exhausted and clearly drunk, but trying her best to be a comforting friend, rubbing y/n’s arm. “yeah, yeah, i’m sure he was cool. but we had to leave, y/n. you could barely stand.”

“you were blackout drunk,” yujin chimed in from the passenger seat, twisting around to face them, her own cheeks flushed from the night’s drinks. “like, not just tipsy. you were gone, babe. eric literally told us to get you home.”

but y/n wasn’t having it. she sat up abruptly, her movements wobbly as she gestured with exaggerated fervor. “i liked him, though! he was—such a sweetheart. like, he said all this nice stuff. and we—” she paused, her drunken mind struggling to piece things together. rubbing her thighs together, her mind went straight to the kiss they shared. knowing chaewon and yujin, they wouldn’t let her hear the end of it if she dropped that kind of info. so, she opted to stop herself, quickly changing the subject. a little secret never hurt anybody.

“he was—he was talking to me, and then you guys just pulled me away.” images of how she interpreted the situation plagued her mind, as if they were plotting against her to keep her from her prince charming. “it wasn’t fair… what if i never see him again?” she slumped back dramatically, her head falling against the window with a loud thud but she wasn’t even phased by the pain. “this is so unfair.”

chaewon’s expression softened, her teasing edge melting away as she gave y/n’s arm a gentle squeeze. her voice was quieter now, reassuring, like she was trying to ground her moody friend. “you know you can keep talking to him, right? it’s not like you’ll never see him again.”

“how?” y/n exclaimed, throwing her hands up dramatically. her voice carried the same exasperation as a frustrated child, her bottom lip already jutting out in a pout. it seemed impossible, like meeting him was a once in a lifetime chance she’d fumbled.

“i don’t know, romeo,” yujin quipped, glancing back at her. “you got his number, didn’t you?” there was a glint of amusement in her tone, and it took everything not to laugh at y/n’s growing dramatics.

y/n blinked, suddenly caught off guard. “damn it,” she groaned, flopping back against the seat as the realization hit her. “i didn’t even think about that!” her voice rose in pitch as her frustration bubbled over. with another groan, she slumped forward again. “how am i supposed to find him now?”

yujin shook her head, her own buzz making her grin widen as she scrolled through her phone. “hold on,” she mumbled, squinting at the screen as she scrolled past posts and messages. “i think we follow him on instagram. chaewon and me, at least.”

“you’re kidding,” y/n said, her tone filled with disbelief as her wide eyes snapped to yujin. she was almost jealous, she wanted him to follow her too. well, maybe more than a follow. she had a list of things she now wanted from the boy, few of them being internet bound. 

“mmm, nope. see? it’s right here,” yujin turned her phone toward y/n, showing her eric’s page. it wasn’t much from what she could see. just a regular layout, posting at normal locations yet somehow making the mundane parts of life look vibrant. so dreamy.“i’ll send you his profile.”

for a moment, the drunken haze clouding y/n’s mind seemed to part, and a flicker of hope broke through her frustration. her face softened, and she looked at her friends with a mixture of gratitude and awe. “you’d really give it to me?” her voice was quieter now, almost shy, but the happiness behind her words was hard to miss.

“of course,” yujin said with a shrug, her fingers already flying across the screen to send his profile link. her tone was casual as her eyes flicked to y/n. “but, like, maybe don’t embarrass yourself, okay? just be chill.” she raised an eyebrow, her gaze flickering between concern and amusement. “if you’re even capable of that right now.”

chaewon snorted beside her, the sound sharp and short, like she’d tried to suppress it but failed miserably. the corners of her lips twitched upward as she pressed her knuckles against her mouth, shaking her head at the scene unfolding before her.

“hey,” y/n shot back, the sound more of a whine than a true protest. her pout returned in full force as she crossed her arms over her chest like a petulant child. “i am capable of being chill.” but the way her words were slurred slightly at the edges and so over-exaggerated, made her claim hilariously unconvincing. her friends didn’t need to say anything, her actions spoke loud enough.

“sure you are,” chaewon said, laughter bubbling up from deep in her chest as she leaned back into the seat, shaking her head. the way she said it seemed to playfully poke even more holes in y/n’s already shaking defense. her amusement was contagious, setting off yujin, who burst into laughter that echoed through the car. “there, it’s sent,” yujin said between giggles, her cheeks beginning to ache from smiling as the notification lit up the screen. 

she waved it at y/n who then grabbed her phone and stared down at the notification, her lips twitching as her pout faltered. even though she tried to hold on to her dramatic indignation, the warmth of her friends’ laughter was pulling her out of her sulk. she wasted no time exploring his public profile, staring down at it like it held all the answer to life’s mysteries. a small smile tugged at the corners of her lips.

as the taxi rolled to a stop in front of y/n’s apartment, her eyes stayed glued to one of eric’s posts. the glow of the screen illuminated her face as she scrolled through his pictures, lingering on one in particular—a candid shot of him laughing, his head tilted back and his smile wide. “he’s cute, right?” she slurred, her voice tinged with both awe and disbelief as she held the phone up for chaewon and yujin to see. “yeah, real cute,” yujin replied without even looking, her tone dismissive as she hooked her arm under y/n’s to help her out of the taxi. chaewon grabbed y/n’s other arm, the two of them exchanging knowing glances over her head.

“now come on,” yujin added, her voice straining as y/n leaned heavily on her. “let’s get you inside before you pass out in the hallway.”

“i’m not gonna pass out,” y/n protested, though her sluggish movements and the way she was tripping over her own feet, told an entirely different story. her attention drifted back to her phone. “he’s so cute,” she declared dreamily, clicking on another one of eric’s posts. she zoomed in on his face scrutinizing every detail like she was solving a puzzle.

her knees buckled slightly as she let out a squeal that blended into a wistful sigh, her head tipping back dramatically. the sudden motion nearly sent all three of them tumbling to the ground. “y/n, focus!” chaewon scolded, groaning as she tightened her grip to keep her upright. together, they stumbled through the front door, chaewon’s voice laced with equal parts exasperation and amusement.

“i am focused!” y/n shot back, though the way she swayed suggested otherwise. with a flourish, she exited out of the post and opened eric’s dms, her fingers flying across the screen. “i’m texting him right now,” she announced proudly, her voice brimming with determination.

“just don’t say anything stupid,” yujin laughed, typing in the apartment code and holding the door open for them. her tone held a faint edge of concern as she glanced over at y/n, whose fingers kept typing away. y/n, entirely oblivious to her surroundings, was deep in concentration, her thumbs working faster than her intoxicated brain could keep up. she hit send on one message, then another, a giddy smile spreading across her face as the chat filled with her messages. “he hasn’t seen them yet,” she mumbled, almost like a child waiting for a toy to arrive.

chaewon and yujin exchanged a look, their laughter bubbling up again as they guided her toward her room to toss her on the bed, watching as she remained entirely consumed by her mission. “you’re a mess,” chaewon teased, shaking her head, though there was no mistaking the fondness in her voice.  after ridding themselves of their shoes, the three girls were quick to undo the chaos of the night. yujin wiped away her smudged eyeliner with one of y/n’s makeup wipes, while chaewon rummaged through a pile of clothes, discarding her dress before tossing a baggy hoodie on.

y/n, still buzzing from both the alcohol and her excitement, sat cross-legged on the bed, clutching her phone. amidst the silent ruffling of materials as the girls were focused on their respective activities, her phone buzzed. the room was momentarily filled with a high-pitched squeal as she threw her head back dramatically. “he replied!”

“oh my god, already?” yujin asked, peering over y/n’s shoulder.

“what’d he say?” chaewon added, leaning in, her curiosity piqued.

but y/n didn’t answer, her face going slack as she hunched over her phone, completely absorbed in whatever eric had sent. the other two exchanged glances before shrugging, quietly finishing up their nighttime routines while y/n sat frozen, eyes reading each thing he sent. suddenly, she let out a gasp, breaking her silence once again. “he gave me his number!” she screamed, clutching her phone to her chest like it was a prized possession.

chaewon raised an eyebrow. “well, are you gonna call him?”

y/n shot her a look that screamed duh, her fingers making quick to save his number. without hesitating, she dialed it, ignoring the way her heart was trying to beat its way out of her chest. “oh my god, you’re calling now?” yujin asked, half-laughing as she tossed herself onto the bed.

“shh!” y/n hissed, holding a finger up to quiet them. she brought the phone to her ear, biting her lip as the dial tone hummed in her ear. the sound seemed to stretch on forever, each ring louder than the last.

“what if he doesn’t pick up?” chaewon whispered, leaning closer to yujin with wide eyes.

yujin grinned. “then she’ll probably—”

“hello?”

his voice cut through the line, smooth and casual, yet undeniably familiar. y/n froze, her lips parting as the realization hit her. “uh—” she started, but her voice caught in her throat, her mind racing to find the right words. chaewon and yujin exchanged a glance, their amused smiles fading as they watched y/n’s expression shift into something softer, more vulnerable.

“hello?” he said again, a touch of curiosity creeping into his tone.

y/n exhaled slowly, closing her eyes as if bracing herself. “hey, eric,” she finally said, her voice quieter than she intended. muting, she turned to the girls. “i’ll be back.” and with that, she slipped out of the room, leaving her friends behind as the door clicked softly shut.

[ye4gerism]

This has been on my mind for a while and I’m kinda surprised no body really wrote about it but could you please do one were reader basically gets into curly’s ass about jimmy but it kinda leads into a lil heated argument you can chose if it ends on a good note also have a good morning, day or night 😊

𝐌𝐈𝐋𝐊, 𝐄𝐆𝐆𝐒, 𝐋𝐄𝐅𝐓𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐑 𝐏𝐎𝐌𝐄𝐆𝐑𝐀𝐍𝐀𝐓𝐄 - 𝐂𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐀𝐈𝐍 𝐂𝐔𝐑𝐋𝐘 𝐗 𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐄𝐑

author’s note sorry for the radio silence. i’ve been suffering from writer’s block. working retail during the holidays will do that to you. anyway, enjoy this ficlet.

You were starting to wake. Through your eyelids, you noticed how the room around you began to brighten up. You let out a groan and turn onto your side before proceeding to tap your hand on the side where Curly normally slept…and yet you felt nothing there. Your eyelids flick open in horror.

Curly's side of the bed was empty. You sit up, frantic. Where was he? You look at his dresser, then yours - no note. You scan the room and there isn't any sign that he's gone.

You scoot off the bed and go downstairs. As you descend, you can hear his voice. You follow it into the kitchen where you finally see him standing there, still in his boxers, one hand on his hip, and the other holding his phone against his ear. He looks frustrated, must be that pony job he always complains about.

Curly acknowledges you with a smile before focusing once again on his conversation. "No, that makes no sense! I already told you I was coming here!"

You walk up behind Curly and lean against his back. Your hands run up his torso, feeling up his pectorals and his abs.

“Alright, Jimmy,” he says.

Of course.

You pull away at the sound of that name. You didn't really like how Jimmy presented himself; there was a strange amount of jealousy from his end and he could just never be happy for others. There was already a mutual dislike for each other but your boyfriend, Curly being Curly, takes his job too seriously and lets it spill into his personal life. He thinks he can H.R. his way into making you and Jimmy friends or, at least, respect each other.

Curly hangs up and turns around to greet you. "Good morning, sweetheart." He lights up with these words, no sign of being bothered by his conversation. You decide not to say anything at first. If anything, you were a little annoyed - if he was going to wake up before you, you'd at least hope he'd go out on a run or maybe surprise you with a sweet treat or flowers. You open the fridge in search of something to eat. Milk, eggs, leftover pomegranate.

"Babe?" Curly's head pokes over the fridge. "I said good morning."

You decide to eat the pomegranate for breakfast. Wouldn't want it to go bad.

"I bet it is. How's your boyfriend?" you ask. Curly's face drops. You close the fridge and take a seat by the island counter.

"Hey, don't walk away from me. What's up with you?" he asks. You shoot him a look, then your eyes move to his phone. Curly eyes follow yours and it hits him once his eyes settle on his phone.

"Please don't start. Not this morning."

"Oh, so you're aware. Perfect!" You place your cut pomegranate back in the bowl. "My question is just why? Why do you give him so much...control?"

"Control? I am my own man, you know. Captain of my own ship." You must have hit a nerve because Curly normally doesn't get defensive like this. Using his title to make him seem better? Not a usual practice of his.

"You deliver shit! People at NASA get to brag about going to space to explore! You don't. So don't let your ego get in the way of me questioning your relationship with your idiot friend."

He was Persephone, Jimmy was Hades, and like Demeter, you only had Curly for the spring and summer.

You both stare intensely at each other for a moment and it was the 'let's just hop in the sheets and fuck it out' intensity. You both were genuinely pissed at each other. 

"I'm going to step out," Curly says breaking the silence. He starts to make his way up the stairs. "Yeah, avoid the question of Jimmy, like you always do!" you yell at him.

"Shut up!" He's halfway up the stairs. Your head cocks back. "Did you tell me to shut up?" He's never spoken to you like that - you're not even sure he's spoken to anyone like that.

Curly realizes what he's just said and is equally as shocked by his own mouth. He rushes down the stairs and reaches out to you. When he's close, you turn your body away. "Hey..." he pleads.

"Curly...please go. Go anywhere. I don't know. Go call Jimmy or something. Just get out of my sight." You push your bowl of fruit away from you. Still refusing to face him, you continue, "I will not allow you to talk to me like that. Especially, especially, if we're talking about Jimmy. You must be out of your fucking mind."

He lingers before finally giving in. "Ok...I'll step out for a bit." Curly hesitantly places a hand on your back. You don’t tell him off or recoil. “I’m sorry and…and I shouldn’t have said that to you.”

Of course, he wasn’t going to acknowledge the actual problem - Jimmy. So you choose to let it go because it’s all you can do. Curly gives you the day to yourself before coming home for dinner. A bouquet of your flowers and tons of kisses make up for the quarrel for now.

[dollyyun]

DKP 7.4, FINALE (incomplete draft)

note: this is not proofread, so what you're about to read is the finale in its raw form with horrendous typos, grammatical errors and some paragraphs and even dialogues that don't make sense so don't expect much.

also way below are spoilers/details of the unwritten scenes (also in its raw form aka messy af) again i’m sorry if they don’t make any sense. i promise the revamped will be better. do send asks if you have anything to clarify!

wc: 11.9K

Time eventually became a valuable essence you began appreciating more, as well as cultivating your career, your friendships, your familial ties, and most especially your relationship with the guys that continues to blossom, because days turned into weeks, and weeks slipped into months just like how time slipped between your fingers before you could even grasp onto it a little longer.

Just thinking about the journey you sailed throughout those periods has you breaking into a soft grin while the upturned shape of your lips can be felt on his shoulder, prompting him to cast a quick glance down at you with a raised eyebrow. It is as though the past recollections are a memorable playback in your mind with waves of nostalgia descending on you benignly. 

It has been three months since you agreed to and established a polyamorous relationship with the guys, but it certainly was not all sunshine and rainbows ─ not saying that you often had arguments with them or that your relationship was all toxic. In fact, the guys genuinely and solemnly stayed true to their words in regards to treating you better than they did before.

But at the end of the day, they’re humans too, so flaws were inevitable. There were moments when you got into minor disputes with them and felt infuriated by their actions that ticked you off the same way they felt towards yours. However, a clear rule had been established that was deemed important in your relationship: listen and hear each other out before proceeding to the communication stage, followed by any needed consolation.

Those moments were rare, but they happened, and it is cliché to say this, but after every argument or petty dispute, your relationship seemed to improve significantly each time, and you slowly began to understand each other’s flaws and complexities better with open minds. You also acknowledged that not once did they ever raise their voice or hand at you during arguments, even if anger brimmed in their veins, and you appreciated that, just as you began to appreciate every little thing they did.

To the guys, their love for you outweighs anything else, and they treasure you more than you will ever know, which is why their anger would always be short-lived, as all that mattered to them was you running and seeking comfort and home in their arms at the end of the day. All in all, they had been nothing but amazing lovers in spite of their flaws and differences.

Speaking of differences, the dynamic flow in your relationship is oddly smooth, considering that each of them has a primal instinct of possessiveness towards you, but somehow, they make it work, and no schedule is needed when it comes to the fairness of spending time with you individually. Likewise, how being in a relationship with four guys didn’t feel as awkward to you as it was in the very beginning.

Plus, your friends in Milan were informed of your new relationship status, and they were more than accepting that you’re a taken woman. Initially, you did have some lingering worries about your friend’s differing opinions despite being accepting, but they treated you just the same, only putting a little more distance now with Eunwoo and Wooseok. The two older guys have known and seen how possessive your boyfriends could get, and so they respected your boyfriends enough to establish more boundaries between you and them. But to you, the two men probably wanted to save their hide from your lovers, who are more than capable of doing any form of harm.

As for Jennifer, she still doesn't particularly like your boyfriends, but after seeing how evidently happier you are compared to the years she spent with you, she couldn’t deny that your being in a relationship with them was right and meant to be. Of course, she gave a strict warning to your boyfriends, albeit they didn’t feel threatened by her, about breaking your heart again and taking good care of you on the day she, along with her father and your boyfriends, helped you in moving out.

Moving out of your apartment, especially when it was Jennifer’s father who generously gifted your once-humble abode to you, was honestly a challenging decision because even though you were totally psyched about living with your boyfriends, your apartment held both bittersweet memories of both hardships and ease.

As for Jennifer’s father, aka Mr. Huh, his reaction was not what you expected, albeit he looked a tad astounded after he had been told of your polyamorous relationship. Since he took you under his wing for quite a period of time and regarded you like his second daughter, it was natural for you to feel obliged to formally introduce your boyfriends to him, and you couldn’t lie about how nervous you were for them because Mr. Huh is an austere man who is fiercely protective towards his loved ones and has high standards, but much to your surprise, he seemed accepting and amiable enough to welcome them to the family on behalf of your parents.

Upon watching the interaction between your father figure and the loves of your life, you couldn’t help with the guilt pulling at your heartstrings of making the decision to move out of your apartment as you felt incredibly indebted to Mr. Huh for everything he had done and for supporting you when you had nothing in the beginning of your new journey here. You consulted about living with your boyfriends permanently with both Jennifer and Mr. Huh, and you even apologised to him profusely with tears filling your waterline, but the elder reassured you that he understood your decision and remained a supportive father figure till this day. 

Both Jennifer and Mr. Huh wanted you to worry less about such trivial matters and instead, they genuinely wanted you to be happy with your life and your blooming relationship because you deserved it after going through different stages of tribulation. Just like your boyfriends, your comfort and happiness matter the most to the father-daughter duo.

On the other hand, the guys moved into the mansion two weeks before the actual date of their lease termination over the penthouse that also held memories you made with them. They refused to do it at the very last minute, and plus, it would be convenient for them in advance as they wanted to focus on helping you with packing and moving out after dealing with paperwork and other vital issues at hand.

Moving in was the easiest part, considering you had more help than you would’ve thought, but to unpack your stuff from the boxes was simply gruelling that you had to take a day to take a breather before resuming it on the day after instead. Thankfully, your room had already been meticulously furnished by them, so it lessened your burden as you only needed to unpack and organise your stuff; even so, you felt easily fatigued.

When you first stepped into your designated bedroom, a wave of nostalgia hit you like whiplash in the face while you were in awe at how similar the design and layout were to your old bedroom back at the palace in Seoul ─ the walls were painted in cream that made the room more spacious than it already was, a queen-sized bed with upholstered bedframe that looked like puffs of clouds pressing up against the wall where the windows were nearly situated and by the window sill had ample space for at least four people to sit on top of the white fleecy cushion, your very own personalised makeup vanity corner with a full-length mirror next to it, and a fairly big walk-in closet for your clothes and other storage.

You felt the sincerity and love in their efforts in the way they organised and designed your room, rendering you overwhelmed and tearing up as you felt deeply touched. The guys panicked when a single tear rolled down your cheeks, but you chuckled and reassured them that you were being melodramatic. Of course, you didn’t forget to deliver your utmost gratitude to them even though they insisted that it was nothing and that they were simply doing their job as your lovers.

Frankly, it took you almost a week to finally settle in with the help of the guys, even though they had work obligations to fulfil during the daytime, but that also meant depriving you of being intimate with them. Hence, you took the liberty to organise and create schedules for each of them who would be having individual appointments on different days with you.

The sensation of warm, soft lips pressing into your cheek pulls you out of your reverie as you blink your eyes repeatedly before looking at Jake, who has been observing you with curious eyes. “What got you smiling like that, sweetheart?” He asks with an amused smile, placing his hands on your bare thighs and rubbing them in soothing motions as you are perched comfortably on his lap with your folded legs encasing his outer thighs while he is seated on his computer chair.

“Nothing much. Just thinking about our love-life,” You say lightly with a sheepish smile on your lips, eliciting a breathy yet fond chuckle from him as he leans back into his chair leisurely, his posture no longer as tense as earlier. You take a glance over your shoulder, looking back to see his computer screen that displays data and code that you are unable to decipher while a frown slowly tugs at the corners of your lips. “Are you still not done with work yet?”

You don’t want to sound like a whiny, clingy girlfriend, but this time, impatience is absent from within you. Unfortunately, Jake’s appointment with you clashed with his impromptu work schedule that required him to complete his follow-up tasks. Despite the disappointment, you understood that he must attend and fulfil his work obligation since he’s the head of the security team after all.

So you decided to hang around his personalised office room, but boredom eventually struck you, and your patience was running thin as you watched him in his element. Though it had been half an hour since you settled in his office, you chose to admire his handsomeness that nearly enticed you to pounce on him like an untamed animal to kill the time, but it was ineffective to your boredom. Somehow, Jake was able to sense your dampened, sulky temperament as his work forced him to neglect you for more than it should, and so he beckoned you over to sit on his lap while waiting for him to finish. 

You obviously felt keen and rushed to him, nearly tripping over some wires that had him chuckling at your clumsiness. Your short pleated skirt allowed easy access for you to settle your thighs over the sides of his as you managed to perch on his lap comfortably with your arms around him, to which he didn't mind and instead adjusted his seating position for your arms to wrap comfortably around him.

Every so often, you would rest your chin on top of his broad shoulder and give him tender kisses on his neck in an attempt to ease him whenever you felt his body tense up while listening to the sound of keyboards being pressed behind you. Of course, you did not miss the opportunity to bury your nose into his chest, nuzzling and inhaling his scent that offered you solace with his warmth cocooning you like a safety blanket. Despite being focused on his work, he would smile or press a tender kiss on your crown at your every action that he finds endearing.

Seeing the adorable pout on your kissable lips, Jake chuckles breathily as he grabs your hand before pressing a tender kiss on your knuckle in apology. “I’m finally done with my last task. I’m sorry you had to wait for so long.” He leans back against his chair, his head tilting lightly yet adorably while he gives you a boyish grin that sends familiar flutters to your beating heart. “I’m all yours now, lovely. So what do you want to do?”

“Honestly, I just want to cuddle with you and be close to you like this.” You tell him rather bashfully while his eyes soften as he gazes at you with an unmistakable fondness, knowing that you haven’t gotten the chance to be closely intimate with him alone ever since you settled in the mansion for a week now. “We can also watch some movies after cuddling or make something in the kitchen. Plus, I’m kind of craving s'mores.”

Jake nods his head meaningfully before leaning forward to place a chaste kiss on your lips. “Anything my girl wants,” His voice is laced with affection, and his eyes are gazing at you adoringly, which has you feeling all giddy. “You said you want to cuddle, right? We can cuddle comfortably there.”

Holding your thighs securely, Jake rises from the computer chair as he carries you with ease while you instinctively wrap your arms around him with your legs locking around his waist securely. He proceeds to amble across the other side of his office room. “We can do it like this.” He suggests with a mischievous grin, letting himself fall backward while squeals leave your lips as you hold onto him tight, embracing yourself for the incoming impact before he finally lands on the beanbag with a grunt that sounds huskily low and has you feeling something else straight in your lower stomach.

As the last of your giggles wane, you feel a palpable shift in the air around you, something rather raw yet intimate, before noticing the way Jake gazes at you with intense yet adoring fondness as he strokes the back of your head gently with his fingers playing intermittently at your strands. “I’d love to cuddle with you more than anything, but I feel a little tired, sweetheart. Plus it feels nice to hug you like this. What if I fall asleep?”

“Then sleep. You deserve it. Besides, you’ve been working for over two hours." You reassure him, smiling softly as you see how his eyelids are getting heavier with each passing second. You lift your head up for a bit to place a tender kiss on his lips before murmuring. “I love you, Sim Jaeyun.”

Jake smiles lazily against your lips, and just before you can pull away, he cradles the back of your head with his palm and presses your lips into his, kissing you deeply. The kiss feels sensual yet so innocent, his lips moving with yours tenderly in an unfamiliar dance, but soon enough, you feel something hard poking your lower abdomen that has you gasping softly into the kiss. Just like that, the last traces of sleep dissipate as his kisses begin to feel ravenous in the way his lips devour yours, utterly insatiable.

“Jaeyun,” You utter his name breathlessly as he pulls away from your lips, only to be startled when he switches position before you find yourself leaning on the beanbag with your legs being forcefully spread by his frame, barely giving you time to process the change of once tender atmosphere when he leans down and captures your lips in a kiss that demonstrates his desperation for you.

“Change of plans, sweetheart,” Jake rasps against your parted lips as you pant for air. He gives you no opportunity to recover from the nearly heated makeout session when he moves down to assault your bare neck with his ravenous lips, kissing and sucking your skin that forms a new hickey while your breaths become rapid with breathy moans leaving your lips as you buck up your hips, causing your clit to throb incessantly at the sensation of his hard bulge grinding directly at your clothed cunt.

“Are you not tired?” You manage to ask breathily despite your head spinning with desire for this insatiable man. You feel his hand moving underneath the material of your shorts and panties while your heart pounds harder in anticipation as his fingers nearly reach your throbbing clit.

“I’m feeling rather famished for something else,” His husky voice sounds heavenly in your ear, and there is an unmistakable desire in the cadence of his voice, borderline ravenous, that you feel giddy at the thought of him devouring you until you are reduced to nothing. He pulls away, only to meet your eyes and smirk down at you as he sees the utter want in your pretty eyes. His smirk melts into a soft grin for a fleeting moment, murmuring gently. “I love you more, my sweetheart."

Loving Sim Jaeyun is so easy, and you always find yourself falling in love with him over and over again. He is annoyingly mischievous at times, but he never does anything to upset you and tries his best. Even when you have already known that he is the most volatile with his emotions and his past diagnosis with borderline personality disorder, your love for him only grows as days pass. Although you also trust the other guys, you find it most comfortable to confide in Jake about any concerns, just like how you did back in Seoul.

As for sleeping arrangements, well, you don’t really have one with them, but on some nights Jake abandons his own bed just to head over to yours and sleep with you with his head on your chest as he listens to your steady heartbeat, simply because he wants to make sure your heart remains beating. You know that he fears losing you, and so it has become a habit for him to listen to your heartbeat whenever he lies on top of you, anchoring himself to you to reassure his paranoid mind that you’re real.

After Jake’s appointment is Sunghoon’s, but instead of you taking charge in planning leisure activities for the two of you, Sunghoon takes an insistent initiative, as according to him, he has been planning this surprise for weeks now, even before your settlement in the mansion.

Though Sunghoon is confident that you will love the surprise, he can’t lie about how nervous he feels, facing you as he carefully guides you to the awaited location of the surprise with his hands gripping yours, albeit the surprise is in the mansion itself, while your eyes are wrapped with a blindfold.

“Hoonie, this is so silly.” You remark with chuckles leaving your upturned lips, your eyes unable to see anything but the warmth of his hands providing you comfort, and his firm reassures you that he wouldn’t let you walk into a wall or bump into any object. “Why must I wear a blindfold when I could just close my eyes instead?”

“Because knowing you, you’d attempt to peek,” Sunghoon counters knowingly as a smirk touches his lips at your lips jutting into a pout. He intervenes before you can even make another comeback at him. “Don’t ruin the fun now, princess. Besides, we’re almost there. Just a few more steps.”

Sunghoon stays true to his words, because just a few more steps, you find yourself stopping in your tracks at the same time he does. He slowly lets go of your hands while you are shortly occupied by a fresh scent of something so familiar yet unfamiliar as it infiltrates your senses. “Okay, you can remove your blindfold now.” He instructs gently, his eyes remaining fixed on you.

You do as he told you, your fingers curling around the blindfold before pulling it down. Your eyes immediately adjust to the luminance encompassing the entire place, and after blinking for a few more times, your breath hitches in your throat at the pleasant surprise of his.

“Sunghoon…” You are at a loss for words, and maybe you are being melodramatic, but you can’t deny the whirlwind of emotions within you that threaten to overwhelm you. To others, the surprise is probably not a big deal, but to you? This has to be one of your memorable surprises.

For once, Sunghoon is unable to decipher the emotions swimming in your eyes and your impassive countenance—are you happy? disappointed? Or are you even surprised at all? He has no fucking clue, but the tension in his nerves becomes tenfold as he waits impatiently for your utterance. He desires your approval and satisfaction, and if he fails at pleasing you, it also means that he fails at being your lover.

“I know it’s not the surprise that you expected it to be,” Sunghoon finds himself needing to explain, albeit in a ramble, as the persisting silence from you unnerves him, but little does he know that you are simply occupied in admiring the sight before you. He tries his best to be subtle, but the nervousness in his voice is painfully evident in his ears. “I mean, you’ve already seen the library at the palace in Seoul back then, and the libraries we’ve been to in Milan are monumental, so this is probably nothing much.”

Sunghoon is silenced by your lips slamming into his parted ones with your arms thrown over his neck to pull him down just slightly, and he instantly wraps his arms around your waist, kissing you back with equal fervour, but there is a shared tenderness as your lips move against his slowly. Before you can get too carried away, you pull away from his lips, managing a soft, toothy smile at him while he swears he is falling in love with you over and over again. 

“You have no idea how much I love it. Thank you so much for the surprise,” You say with utmost sincerity and gratitude that has his heart swelling. Your eyes soften as you see a rare display of his vulnerability in his eye, prompting you to place another kiss on his lips. “I love you, Park Sunghoon.”

Sunghoon feels like he’s on cloud nine at the irrevocable love and devotion in your beautiful, sparkling eyes as you look at him. All the hours he spent planning and designing the entire place to make it look similar to the one in Seoul, as well as his efforts in working together with the contractors, are all paid off. He would do it again just to make you happy like this.

Sunghoon feels a tug at his wrist before looking down at your hand. “Explore the library with me.” You say in a demand that has him breaking into chuckles before letting you navigate the library on your own with your fingers intertwined.

Even though the mansion’s library is not as monumental as the one in Seoul, it still looks beautiful and royally elegant with its interior design and opulence. It makes you feel like you’re a real princess with your very own royal library. So how can you not love his surprise and him? 

No matter how tough and callous his demeanour is, you have always known that he is a softie at heart as you observe his every nuance before noticing the tip of his ears turning red, eliciting soft chuckles from you. The fact that Park Sunghoon, who you once knew, was never a man of romance and gifts, gifted you a place where you can explore different genres of fiction books that are filled to the brim on each shelf and read to your heart’s content is more romantic than he thinks.

Now, when it comes to Jay’s, you lack ideas of what to do and how you intend to spend the entire day with him, but fortunately for you, Jay loves to take charge and to be the one who plans your dates, not wanting his angel baby to think and worry incessantly. Apart from spoiling you with gifts, planning dates is part of his love language too.

Initially, you assume that he will be bringing you out to a more fancy date, but when he tells you to dress up in proper safety gear, you have a strong inkling that he will be bringing you out to a ride somewhere, and so you do as he tells you, donning black jeans and a leather jacket over your tight-fitting tee. 

The next thing you know, you are perched behind him on his motorbike with your arms wrapped around him for security as he speeds on the broad road where there are towering boulevard trees on each side of the road. 

You have no idea where Jay intends to bring you, but you trust him and his plans. Besides, you don’t mind riding all the way till night as you get to be this close with him, and so you enjoy this much-needed closeness with your arms hugging him tight enough that has him smiling behind the dark-tinted visor of his helmet. Turns out, the date not only includes bringing you out for a ride, but also exploring a street where you have never been as well as dining at a restaurant for lunch and trying out delectable pastries.

After the whole food adventure, Jay resumes bringing you for a ride with a fixed destination he intends to head to, and soon enough, you find yourselves entering a nearly empty yet broad parking lot with the beautiful orange hues of the impending sunset as a backdrop.

“So what are you planning on doing, exactly?” You ask with keen curiosity as you remain seated on his bike, your eyes following his movement and watching him as he presses the record button on his phone screen that is set up in a tripod stand, which he retrieved from your thigh bag.

Jay pushes up his visor to meet your eyes, and you see the way his eyes soften amidst the optimism. “I had this idea for a while now, and I’ve decided to capture moments of us on camera often from now on, whether they’re silly ones or not,” Just by the shape of his eyes alone, you can tell that he is smiling. “Because I want to show them to our child in the future; at least the glimpses of our love and dynamic.”

Your heart beats in a cadence that sounds symphonic in your ears while your eyes widen slightly at his statement. “Jay….” Your voice trembles with emotions with tears prickling in the corner of your eyes before you blink them away. You already know that he has the intention of marrying you one day, but to hear the two words of ‘Our child’ from his mouth hits you in the gut in a good way.

Jay’s chuckles through your helmet’s intercom send you butterflies all over as he extends his hand to you. “Come here, angel. We should say hello to our baby.” He beckons you over, and you proceed to dismount his motorbike before gravitating towards him and placing your hand on his, only to be startled when he swiftly pulls you in for a back hug and faces his recording phone. “Hi, baby. This is your parents.”

You can’t help but let out a laugh at how awkward the introduction was. “That’s not how you're supposed to do it, babe,” You tell him in between chuckles as you look at him with crescent-shaped eyes while he narrows his eyes in return. You redirect your focus on the camera and wave your hand at it. “Hi baby! This is Mummy!" You add a little yet dramatic flair to your introduction before gesturing your hand to Jay behind you. “And this is Daddy! We can’t wait to welcome you and hold you in our arms one day!”

Soon enough, the flow feels natural as you and Jay continue to give content to the recording camera—yapping off, teasing, and chasing after each other around the parking lot that is within the camera frame, and just being yourselves around one another without caring that you two may look like idiots in public, but at least no one is around. Plus, you get to see a new playful side of Jay.

After another round of chase, the two of you return nearer to the tripod stand while you pant lightly from all the running and laughing. Jay faces you, and as though you understand his telepathic message, you step a little closer before throwing your arms around his neck at the same time he hoists you up, prompting your legs to lock around his waist. 

You are too caught up in the moment to notice that the timestamp nearly reaches fifty minutes with a rare, vulnerable intimacy wrapping around you and him as he gazes fondly into your eyes. “I love you, Y/N Kang.” He says, his voice sounding deeper and slightly muffled, and you initiate the helmet kiss in return before breaking into fits of giggles. Just like that, the two of you end off the first content that will be saved in a folder for your child in the near future.

Finally, the long-awaited day to spend alone time with Heeseung beckons, and it starts off with you dragging him to the newly furnished arcade room that has been ready to use since two days ago. Since the other guys are also out of the household, you plan to spend the entire day playing with him to your heart’s content.

You are not a fan of arcade games, really, but you can’t deny the thrilling rush of competitiveness as you challenge Heeseug in a race where the two of you are now at the motorcycle racing simulator. But just like the previous games, you can see how he deliberately loses against you, as though he is letting you win when you know it yourself that Lee Heeseung hates losing.

You have no idea whether to be annoyed at him for letting you win so easily or not, especially whenever he innocently shrugs his shoulders or grins boyishly at your accusatory glares, but the undeniable flutters you feel in your chest are all you need to know that you are falling head over heels for him again.

“I know that you’ve been losing on purpose, but can you please not go easy this time?” You implore him with your fingers intertwined as you stand in front of the two basketball machines.

Heeseung simply smirks at you as he slowly releases your hand. “As you wish, my love. Just don’t sulk when I win.” He acquiesces, and the confidence exuding from him fuses the competitive tension in the air around you as he rolls his shoulders to the back before pressing the start button simultaneously with you.

As soon as the balls drop, you waste no time grabbing one and launching it into the hoop before doing it repeatedly despite missing the net. You can’t help but take a glance at Heeseung, in awe at how he is doing it with ease yet expertly and the fact that the balls he launched managed to swish through the net while maintaining a cool demeanour.

You can’t even be mad that by the time the countdown eventually stops, you have lost against him with a huge difference in the scores, because damn it, your man looks distractingly attractive in his competitive element. Even he has been aware of your eyes on him almost throughout the game.

“You didn’t even try to win, love,” Heeseung chuckles as he grabs you by the waist and pulls you to him, his dark eyes drinking in how you look prettily flustered under the intensity of his gaze. “Was I too handsome for you to find it hard to look away?”

Warmth weaves across your cheeks as you smile bashfully and nod your head in response. His eyes soften with adoration for you, but there is something else present in them, as though he has more to say to you in his mind. A fleeting hesitancy flickers in his gaze before he leans in to place a chaste kiss on your lips while cradling your face with his thumb stroking your cheek tenderly. “Where to next, my love?”

In response, you break into a roguish grin before grabbing his hand and dragging him out of the arcade room. Not too long later, Heeseung finds himself strolling around the outer part of the stupendous mansion with you, his fingers intertwined with yours while he listens to your rambles attentively and gives his remark whenever appropriate. Honestly, he doesn’t mind spending the rest of your day like this, as it is what he needed after not being able to have more time alone with you except sleeping with you in his room at night because over the course of weeks, he had other important matters to deal with.

Soon enough, the two of you are seated on the water fountain ledge, which is situated in the backyard, with you yapping off nonsensically until an abrupt silence from you draws Heeseung’s attention. The loss of your warmth as you slip your hand from his prompts him to look at you, his eyebrow raising as he becomes intrigued at the stark mischief written across your features with a devilish smile on your lips.

“Beloved, what are you doing?” Heeseung asks slowly, his sharp eyes watching you with scrutiny as you remove your sandals before rising from your seat and dipping your bare foot inside the water fountain. Eventually, the lower region of your white dress is completely drenched, with the entirety of you now in the water fountain. “Sweetheart, you’ll get cold─”

In a blink of an eye, Heeseung feels an instant yet abrupt chilling sensation hitting him in the face, but wet before quickly comprehending that you just splashed a handful of water on him, rendering him nearly drenched with his white shirt visibly soaked and his hair wet. 

That was definitely done on impulse, but you meant to do it anyway. You can’t help it with laughter leaving your lips, even if there is a chance he is pissed at your playful antics. You splash water at him again, but he abandons his seat and turns to you with a scowl on his handsome face, and yet the corner of his lips twitches into a menacing smirk.

“You’re so gonna get it, pretty girl,” Heeseung growls out at the same time you let out a squeal, unrelentingly marching towards you as he is now in the same fountain as you, unbothered by the water soaking the untouched part of his clothes. 

Your gleeful shrieks and laughter echoing in the air create a euphonious symphony of pure delight that is both infectious and dear to him as he wholeheartedly entertains you, chasing and splashing water at you the same way you do to him.

“Don’t let me catch you, love,” Heeseung says, stopping midway as the two of you decide to take a moment of respite from the battle in the fountain, standing further apart opposite each other. “Or I’ll devour you like a predator does to its prey.” He grins deviously as he takes steps forward, intensifying the trepidation in you that propels you to jump over the ledge.

The chase prolongs even when the skies are painted in dusk, and you are now running barefoot and trying to elude Heeseung, but the latter seems to be guiding you in an unknown yet intended direction that eventually leads you further away from the backyard. Nevertheless, you play along, because being with Heeseung always seems to summon your inner child to come out.

Something nudges you to turn to the right, and you do, but your pace decreases and your smile falters, feeling mildly confused yet intrigued upon seeing pavement of cemented flagstones that seem to lead you somewhere with the beautiful hedges of greens and flowers on each side. 

The chase with Heeseung has long been forgotten in your mind as you become immensely intrigued as you continue to advance forward, your feet stepping on the cold flagstones while Heeseung follows you from behind quietly yet stealthily with his hands tucked in his pockets, his features softening with unmistakable fondness.

Your face contorts into confusion as you begin to notice glowing radiance that flows faintly through an unbarred entrance with embellishment of elm leaves all over. Your steps hasten, feeling an undeniable sense of keenness at what may await you, and before you know it, the sight before your very eyes knocks the breath out of you. 

Your eyes go wide while your lips go parted, in complete awe at the beauty of this seemingly secret garden that you had no idea existed. The adornment of fairy lights hanging intricately on the towering tree branches above you encompasses this newfound wonderland, making it appear as though you have entered a magical realm. 

As you venture just a little deeper, you begin to notice some child-friendly amenities in some parts of the area: swings that are authentically crafted from slabs of wood for seats and affixed with thick ropes that are tethered to the stout branches, an impressive treehouse that looks sturdy with a scoop-designed slide, a cute playhouse painted in beige, and mini wooden benches.

The rustle from behind you pulls the trance that you are in, drawing your attention to Heeseung, who has been observing you with fond eyes, and you find yourself being rooted to the ground. “Heeseung, what….” You can’t seem to articulate your feelings that are jumbled into words while cacophonous questions clamour in the confines of your mind.

Heeseung briefly assesses your surroundings rather meaningfully as he ambles forward. “It isn’t much yet, but I do have plans on adding more amenities that are safe and fun for our kids in the near future.” He divulges the surprise he has been preparing for a while now.

You remain silent, feeling a whirlwind of emotions within you that threaten to sweep you away, and your heart continues to pound harder against your chest. He meets your eyes, and for the first time, his coolly collected demeanour cracks with the subtle yet sheepish smile unfurling on his lips as he rubs his nape. “I had some help from the guys and a contractor friend of Wooseok to come over to supervise the final condition of the amenities for safety reasons, but I crafted and assembled the swings on my own. Besides, it’s my idea in the first place.”

Your heart swells with so much affection as he takes pride in his hard work in the way he speaks confidently and takes the rightful credit. Just then, something clicks in your mind as you recall. “Is that why it was always so hard to see your face on most days since two weeks ago? Because you were busy planning and working on this beautiful wonderland?” You ask, your voice trembling with emotions.

You can’t lie that you are on the verge of bursting into a torrent of tears even though your waterline is void of tears as you think about how hard he has been working that even on the nights you slept with him, you noticed faint lines of exhaustion on his countenance. It deeply touches the depth of your heart, most especially when he thought of your future kids.

His eyes soften as he notices the way yours seem to glisten yet so beautifully under these fairy lights. “Yes, and it was all worth it for our future kids.” He says softly, his hand cradling your face with his thumb stroking your cheek tenderly. “I know it’s way too early to build a fun sanctuary for our kids, and I’m not even sure if you ever want kids, but that’s okay because this place is for you too. You can come here anytime and whenever.”

“I do want to have kids with you, Hee. More than anything.” Emotions manage to seep through the crack in your voice as you look into his eyes with unconcealing sentiment. You place your hand above his and lean into his touch, not realising a single teardrop manages to escape the corner of your eye as it rolls down your cheek that prompts him to wipe it away with his thumb. “Thank you for your hard work and this beautiful gift for our kids.”

Heeseung smiles in return before dipping his head and pressing his lips into yours, kissing you slowly with a careful gentleness, but you can feel his love pouring into the kiss as you reciprocate. You don’t even complain when the kiss lasts shortly as he pulls away first before resting his forehead against yours, basking in the serenity and tender intimacy that wraps around you.

“I love you, Y/N Kang,” He whispers affectionately before placing a kiss on your forehead. “You’re the best thing that has ever happened in my life.”

“I love you too, Hee,” You reciprocate, your eyes roaming around his chiselled yet beautiful features and burning them into your memory. You grab his hand and tug at it, a silent permission of wanting him to follow you around to explore. “Can we─”

“Of course, we can.” Heeseung says with a warm smile before you proceed to drag him with you, your pace and demeanour displaying exuberance. 

You begin your exploration in every part of the beautiful sanctuary with unbridled enthusiasm while Heeseung only watches and chuckles fondly at you, but he is attentive enough to prevent you from potentially falling or hurting yourself when you climb up the treehouse to explore and try out the slide or when he pushes you as you sit on the swing. You even carve out your initials on the tree trunk just below the treehouse with him, as well as the date, wanting it to be a permanent engraving for your future kids to see.

“Thank you for today.” You break the comfortable silence as you are now lying on the ground with him, facing the starry night with your head resting on his arm and attached to his side, seeking each other’s body warmth despite your still drenched clothes. You adjust your position, turning your body sideways to face him with your arm hugging him comfortably as if he’s your bolster. “I love everything that you have done, and…”

Your words become mushy as exhaustion begins to dawn on you, eliciting a chuckle from him, seeing the way your eyelids are struggling to stay open. “You can go to sleep, my love.” He murmurs, stroking your cheek gently as you drift off to your dreamland. It isn’t long until Heeseung is tempted as well, facing you with his eyes closed and his arms cocooning you, sleeping under the glinting stars.

But of course, just when you think that everything is all well and good, you receive texts from your best friends in Seoul to remind you of the monthly FaceTime tonight, and that is when realisation hits you that they haven’t been informed of your established relationship yet. You also doubt that Jennifer told them because if she did, the other two would have already bombarded your notifications.

Though you have no reason to fret over the outcome of revealing your relationship to Wonyoung and Karina since they were understanding and giving you advice a few months back when they were here, still, you can’t help with your overthinking mind of the worst possible outcome, worrying that they may not be as accepting as Jennifer.

“Hey, babes,” You greet your beautiful best friends right after they accept your call. You decide to settle in the living room, seated on the floor with your back rested against the large sectional sofa and your laptop on the coffee table while the guys are nowhere to be seen.

You try your best not to sound nervous, mustering a small smile at your best friends on your laptop screen. Jennifer must have noticed it first in the way she looks at you with knowing eyes while her pink lips twitch into a faint smirk.

Just when you intend to give her a glare, you are interrupted by Karina, her tone sounding astonished. “Girl, is that a whole new living room I see in your background? It looks massive.” 

“Since when did you move into a new apartment?” Wonyoung asks with genuine curiosity, her eyes narrowing at you with the slightest suspicion that has you swallowing your spit hard.

“The thing is, I’m living with the guys now, and it’s permanent,” You go straight to the point without beating around the bush as you want to get this over with. You curl your fingers into fists to prevent them from trembling while your resolve is teetering in the way your pupils shake, feeling unnerved by their unreadable expressions except Jennifer’s. “Which also means that I’m in a relationship with them. Yes, the four of them all at once. We’ve been together for three months or so.”

There is a pregnant pause with a rather painful silence emanating from them, as though they need some time to process this revelation, and you wince visibly, only to be taken by surprise at the positive change in their countenance.

“Details, Y/N! You know we love details, especially the juicy ones!” Karina demands in a whine, her sharp eyes displaying genuine interest that has your frayed nerves allayed. “There is absolutely no way you’re getting away without telling us how it happened.”

You groan out half-playfully as you rub your face, because as much as you want to, it feels repetitive to let them know what you told Jennifer back then and the fact that you have to rack through your memory. “It’s a long story.” 

“Summarise it for us, then.” Wonyoung is just as insistent as Karina, their eyes displaying impatience and expectation, and you know that you cannot refuse them, and so you begin to divulge to them, albeit keeping some details concealed.

“I mean, if you are happy with them, then we’re fine with it,” Wonyoung gives her conclusion as soon as you finish, and while you are more than glad that they’re accepting, you become easily distracted by four familiar yet handsome figures sauntering into the living room. “But tell your boyfriends that if they ever hurt you again, we’ll hunt them down and chop off their dicks.”

“Wony!” You exclaim, appalled and in disbelief by her warning that is uttered calmly while her face displays no remorse for the vulgarity that left her mouth, but more importantly, the guys heard her loud and clear, as evident in the look on their faces.

“Yeah, you heard that, guys?” Karina adds fuel to the fire as she quickly grasps the embarrassment on your face that your lovers are in the same room as you. “You’ll have us to deal with again if you dare to hurt our precious Y/N.”

“I can assure you that they wouldn’t do anything to hurt me,” You affirm assertively despite the warm temperature persisting in your cheeks as you ignore their amusing gaze on your face. “I’m sorry to cut our FaceTime short, but I’ll catch up with you girls in our next session. Love you.”

After bidding your goodbyes, you close your laptop, still refusing to meet their eyes. “Well, that certainly was something.” Jay speaks up, and you can’t resist looking at him just because of the attractive drawl in his voice. Your cheeks flush even more as he smirks at you, leaning against the wall with his arms folded over his chest. 

“Sorry, they’re still protective over me,” You tell them sheepishly as you rise from the floor and gravitate towards them, unable to resist the magnetic pull before Sunghoon grasps the first opportunity to hold you in his possession. You look up at him with your arms around his body, your lips forming into a small pout. “But I swear they won’t chop off your dicks. I’ll make sure of that.”

“Of course, you’ll make sure of that, or else we’ll be experiencing another brat moment of you being deprived of our dicks.” Jake remarks with a chuckle, his lips adorning a devilish grin that has you groaning out in embarrassment before you bury your face into Sunghoon’s chest while the rest join in to tease you the same.

“Don’t worry, princess. We’re not in the slightest feeling threatened by them.” Sunghoon chuckles breathily, his hands cradling your face with the sulky pout that remains adorned on your lips to which he can’t resist giving you a smooch. “Besides, why would we feel threatened when we made a promise to always protect and cherish you?”

“I know, Hoonie,” You say softly, your eyes gazing tenderly at him and the others while your heart swells with irrevocable affection and trust. You sigh softly before beaming with a smile, deciding to dismiss the air of melancholy around you. “Anyway, shall we start preparing snacks for our game and movie night?”

With that, Sunghoon whisks you off to the kitchen with Jay trailing behind you while Heeseung and Jake proceed to convert the modular sofa into a reversible sleeper chaise bed that is rather massive to fit six people in for movie night later, and thus your first weekly Friday fun night begins ─ the fun part consists of you preparing snacks and baking last-minute sweet goods with Jay while Sunghoon every so often clings to you and distracts you with kisses, earning him a glare from his best friend.

And so, the remainder of your night is nothing short of bliss, having to spend more quality time with four of your boyfriends at once. You are not even fazed by the fact that you lost four times in a row against time, your laughter being accompanied by their playful banter and finding great joy in being in the presence of the ones who occupied your heart, and before you know it, time flies fast as movie night commences.

The movie that is still playing on the massive television has lost its essence in keeping you captivated as your eyes begin to wander elsewhere. Presently, the five of you are nestled in the sofa with a fleecy duvet shielding your bodies from the cold temperature and pillows supporting the back of your heads, which isn’t necessary for you, considering you are being cocooned in both Jake and Jay’s arms as you are right in the middle, not that you have any complaints.

“This is the happiest I’ve been in months,” You break the comfortable silence, feeling awfully sentimental as tears are wetting in your waterline while a soft smile touches your lips. You look at them, noticing their eyes attentively on you with equal fondness. “I’m glad that you all didn’t give up on me, even when you thought that finding me would be impossible.”

“Well, we have Sunghoon to thank for that,” Jake murmurs, his hand reaching up to cradle your face while Jay soothes you with an affectionate rub on your tummy. 

“Why are you tearing up, my love?” Heeseung asks gently, drawing your attention to him. Just the tenderness in his eyes is enough to make you burst into a rivulet of tears, feeling overwhelmed by their unconditional love, but you hold back the dams.

“I’m just happy,” You manage to utter, your voice trembling with emotions while a tear escapes the corner of your eye. “Thank you for loving me.”

“No, baby, thank you for accepting us back,” Jay insists softly as he grabs your hand and places a kiss on your palm, a gesture of affection that always has your heart flutter.

“You do know that you’re not stuck with us forever, even if you decide to change your mind?” Jake chuckles breathily, pressing a kiss on your temple, but you are no fool to dismiss the darkness that belies his light-hearted tone.

“I would love nothing more,” You say with a smile, baring your heart and soul, which are theirs to cherish forever. “I love you guys.”

“We love you too, princess,” Sunghoon reciprocates, and with a few more words exchanged mindlessly, the animation on the bright screen is forgotten and neglected, and soon enough, the five of you have inevitably drifted off to the same dreamland.

▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰

In the serene confines of your room, the gradual evening sunray filters through your window, painting delicate tapestry across the ceiling. Humming a familiar tune, you sift through your wardrobe, your eyes and hands meticulously searching for the dress you had prepared and ironed three days in advance.

A delicate smile touches your lips as soon as you find the dress before grabbing it with your fingers, careful enough not to crease the ironed fabric. After slipping on the dress, you exit your wardrobe, and the way you move with grace has got a certain someone hypnotised as he stands by the doorway before deciding to watch you in a silent admiration, leaning sideways against the frame with his hands tucked in his pockets.

But you are too preoccupied to notice his presence as you are seated in front of the vanity mirror to apply the appropriate make-up that is not too glamorous but enough to enhance your features. Completing the touch with a cherry red lip tint and your favourite perfume, you move over to the full-length mirror to marvel at the final transformation with a small satisfied smile on your lips.

The black dress holds a blend of elegance and allure as it accentuates your contours perfectly while the low-cut flaunts your cleavage with the familiar platinum ring necklace resting delicately below your clavicle. You decide to let loose your natural locks as they cascade down your shoulders. Just when you think you are ready, you forgot about a pair of earrings that Jay gifted you last night.

The whole process of beautifying yourself probably took an hour, but it is a necessity since tonight is a little special. Unfortunately, it is not a date night, but rather, Jay’s company is hosting a private event tonight, and the rest of your boyfriends, including you, are part of the exclusive guests ─ of course, having been personally invited by Jay himself.

Initially, you refused to go even after being relentlessly coaxed by your boyfriends, but you couldn’t bear to see the disappointment in Jay’s eyes any longer, and so you begrudgingly agreed. Your intention is to be a good girlfriend and moral support to your boyfriend. Plus there will be free food and drinks.

As you examine yourself for another time, your eyes trail to the figure decked out in a black blouse with the sleeves rolled up to his veiny arms that also display his tattoos, who has been standing and watching you by the doorway with dark, attentive eyes.

“Jay, you scared me.” You chuckle nervously as your heart continues to beat erratically, watching him in the mirror as he ambles towards you with his dark eyes looking as though they are about to devour you whole. “How long have you been watching me?”

“For a while now,” Jay admits nonchalantly, his dark eyes scanning you from head to toe appreciatively with a tinge of fondness, but there is an unmistakable lust swirling in them, affecting you right in the core. “You got me fully mesmerised, baby.” 

Your breath hitches in your throat as soon as Jay stops directly behind you, leaving no space in between your bodies as his warmth melds with yours. You watch him silently in the mirror, his hands abandoning your hips to wrap around your waist, which feels like a sensual hug in the way his body is feeling you up and his dark eyes flicker to meet yours in the mirror.

“You’re in the mood,” You point out rather breathlessly, feeling dizzy at the intoxicating fuse of his strong cologne and his body heat. With his lips pressing down on your shoulder, you can’t help but melt against him as you tilt your neck to allow more easy access for him to assault you with sensual kisses. 

“Babygirl, I’m always in the mood whenever I’m around you. How can I not be when you look truly exquisite?” He says lowly, his husky voice igniting the heat pooling in your core dangerously and his warm breath hitting your skin. He presses one last kiss on the sensitive spot on your neck, eliciting a mewl from you before he returns his dark gaze to the mirror with a suggestive smirk playing on his lips. “You have no idea how badly I need to ruin you now.”

“Jay, we can’t─” You gasp softly at the sensation of his prominent bulge pressing into your bums that intensifies the heat pooling in your core. Your pulse drums in your ears while your eyes follow his tattooed hand sliding down your tummy, heading straight for your throbbing heat. “You can have me after the event or tomorrow. Just not now, please?” “I don’t think I can wait that much longer, angel baby.” Jay smirks, seeing the emotions in your hooded eyes contradict your words and your staggering breaths as his hand gets closer to the intended journey, but too caught up in the nearly blissful erotica that wraps around you like an intoxicating haze, you fail to realise another figure entering your room.

“So this is what the two of you have been doing,” Sunghoon accuses with a disbelieving scoff, and yet amusement is evident in his tone, prompting you to switch your position to view both of your dashing lovers better. “Might want to reconsider fucking around. Our chauffeur is arriving anytime soon now, so we better get going─”

The moment Sunghoon lays his eyes on you, he stops dead in his tracks while he feels his throat going dry at the gorgeous sight of you. He quickly recovers himself, clearing his throat. “Damn, princess, you look─” His heart races at a ridiculous speed upon seeing the shyness written all over your beautiful face, and he can’t seem to find a fitting word to describe your divine beauty, utterly speechless.

Despite your shyness, you flutter your curled eyelashes at him in a sly manner. Sunghoon recognises before meeting his eyes that seem to darken with a familiar desire. The corners of your lips curve into a small yet mischievous smile as you fiddle at the fabric of Jay’s collar mindlessly. “I believe that the word you are looking for is beautiful?” You say so slyly, and fuck, Sunghoon feels undeniably turned on by you.

Sunghoon takes two steps forward before extending his hand out to you. “Come here, princess.” He orders, and there is a discernible crack in his voice mid-sentence before he covers up with a cough, but not quick enough as he sees the way you break into a fit of chuckles while Jay watches the entire thing with a smirk.

Sunghoon lets out a frustrating sound between a growl and a gruff, displaying his impatience and annoyance in the way Jay is still teasing him with a smirk on his lips, whereas you seem to join the latter as you take your sweet time in moving towards him and accepting his extended hand.

Sunghoon catches you off guard when he takes a big step forward and wastes no time in grabbing your hand firmly before pulling you into him eagerly while you let out a startled squeal. He dives straight into your neck, unable to stave off the temptation, and places a lingering kiss on your skin. His desire becomes tenfold as your sweet yet exquisite perfume hits his nostril.

You gasp softly as he nips at your skin, and you arch your neck submissively to him on instinct, fluttering your eyes closed at the pleasurable sensation of him kissing and licking your neck. Your clit throbs once again when he presses his body against yours with his arms caging you, making you feel his prominent bulge.

“Maybe we should ditch the private event. I’d rather spend all night buried into you,” Sunghoon nearly growls out his words, his voice gravelly deep, and it feels like he has no intention of letting you go anytime soon.

But thankfully, you still have some rationality left in you. “Sunghoon!” You gasp at his words before attempting to push him away but fail miserably when you melt against his warmth. You sigh softly, leaning your head on his shoulder. “You know we can’t. It’s important for us to be there for Jay.”

Jay shoots his best friend a smug look while the latter rolls his eyes in return. Sunghoon reluctantly pulls away from you, but not before giving you a peck on the lips. He smirks down at you. “If you say so, princess. But the offer still stands even after the event, yeah?”

Before you can retort, another pair of footsteps can be heard outside of your opened door, prompting the three of you to look at the incomer. “Hey, guys. We really need to get going. Our chauffeur has just arrived, and Heeseung is waiting downstairs─” 

Jake pauses abruptly at the same time he barges into your room, and unlike Sunghoon, he continues to walk slowly towards you with his widened eyes fixated on you despite the fact that he is speechless, utterly in awe of your stunning beauty. “Holy fuck, sweetheart?” He says so breathlessly.

“Jaeyun,” You utter his name softly, your lips curving into a smile while your eyes soften at the way his features soften with a familiar sentiment as he examines you with clear appreciation. You feel Sunghoon’s arms loosen around you, as though he is permitting you to go to Jake, and so you naturally gravitate to him.

“My beautiful girl, you never cease to amaze me.” Jake breathes out in awe as soon as you stand in front of him, but he seems to be examining you for another time, as if the woman in his view is indeed a goddess. His Goddess, damn right. The warmth of his palms feels comforting as he cups your cheeks. A chuckle escapes you when his face twists into a playful scowl, but the possessiveness glinting in his eyes is not lost on you. “I’d hate for the others to look at you when you’re dolled up gorgeously like this.”

Jake captures your lips in a kiss, a short-lived one, and yet you can feel his burning desire even after he pulls away, but his lips remain grazing against yours, sending shivers down your spine. “Maybe I should hunt down and kill whoever dared to glance in your way after the private event.” He says softly, and you have no idea whether or not his words were meant to be playful.

“You look handsome, Jaeyun.” You compliment him earnestly as you marvel at his striking handsomeness, decked out in a suit similar to Jay and Sunghoon’s while his hair is gelled to the back with only a few strands falling over his chiselled forehead. The butterflies in your tummy are practically fluttering intensely as you look at your three lovers to appreciate their handsomeness for another time. “You all do.”

Before Jake can go in for another kiss, Jay’s stern voice cuts through the air. “Alright, let’s get going before we have another love fest here.”

“Fuck fest, you mean?” Sunghoon chuckles as the four of you proceed to depart from your room while you walk hand in hand with Jake, his warmth encasing you.

“You’re not entirely wrong, mate,” Jake shoots Sunghoon a mischievous grin, whereas Jay shakes his head, but a small smirk plays at the corner of his lips. Jake looks at you, and this time, you can feel his heated gaze that is burning with insatiable hunger for you as he licks his lips. “Our wife looks delicious enough to be devoured right here and now.”

“I’m not your wife yet, Jaeyun.” You remind him for the umpteenth time with a short huff, and yet it affects you just the same as you feel your cheeks warming rapidly the same way your heart races.

Initially, when they started to refer to you as their wife, every wire in your system went short-circuited, and you had no idea how to react. Sure, the five of you have been heavily involved in a serious discussion about tying the knots with you legally and officially in the near future, and the guys were determined to make it happen, but to you it was too soon for them to be referring to you as their wife and throw the term around so carelessly.

“Doesn’t change the fact that you’re going to be our wife.” Jay adds nonchalantly, draping his arm around your shoulder while you remain hand-locked with Jake. Despite shooting the three men the same glare, you can’t ignore the tension that has been building up ever since they came into your room.

You release a shaky breath as you decide to focus on the view in front of you, but it turns out to be a mistake, because one moment you’re descending the stairs, and then the next, you lock eyes with the only lover who hasn’t seen you until now.

Your breath gets stuck in your throat as you shamelessly examine him from head to toe. The all-black ensemble fits his toned physique perfectly, and his black hair is neatly parted so his forehead can be seen. Your heart swells with love as you see the familiar ring necklace that rests below his clavicle. When your eyes return to meet him, you swear you can feel your womanhood clenching with arousal as you notice the way his eyes darken with palpable desire despite the nonchalance in his demeanour.

His dark eyes continue to greedily drinking you in even as you finally stand in front of him. A soft smirk ghosts on his lips momentarily before he gives you a small smile and extends his hand out to you in a gentlemanly manner. “Shall we, my beloved?” Heeseung asks gently, even waiting patiently as you slowly unclasp your hand from Jake’s to take Heeseung’s, only for him to press a kiss on your knuckles while he maintains eye contact with you. “You look breathtaking, pretty girl.”

“Thank you,” You mumble, feeling utterly diffident as you are now being surrounded by four deadly yet dashing men, even though you have always been surrounded by them 24/7. You hope that your palm is not sweating just yet from all the nervousness as you busily cast Heeseung a small smile. “You look handsome, Hee.”

Heeseung reciprocates with a dashing grin before he begins to assist you on the way to the chauffeur, with the three musketeers following closely behind you rather protectively, as though posing as your bodyguard. Your eyes sparkle with fascination upon seeing the view of the sleek black stretch limousine parked directly outside of the entrance door, waiting for you.

As though the routine is rehearsed, Sunghoon takes the initiative to open the door for you before Heeseung assists you inside, to which you bend down your height slightly as you proceed to walk in. Your lips part open, and your eyes widen at the luxury of the entirety of the interior of the limousine, nearly bumping your head if it weren't for Heeseung’s hand cradling the back of your head before you continue to move further in until you finally settle on the leather seat.

For some reason, you resort to silence as you watch your lovers settling in, hyper aware of the previous tension that has resumed its course in the enclosed space. Your heart hammers harder as soon as Sunghoon sits next to your right while Heeseung is on your left. Not too long after, the limousine begins to accelerate, and the guys proceed to converse on a topic you don’t understand.

But the tension remains, thickening every second that has you finding yourself suffocated. It doesn’t even help that the intoxicating mixture of their strong cologne has your head spinning while you attempt to repress your burning desire in the way you squeeze your thighs together. You bite down on your lip harder, feeling your cunt throbbing with incessant need. Thankfully, you brought your emergency make-up kit so you can reapply your lipstick on your lips again.

However, throughout the ride, you fail to notice that Heeseung has been observing you from time to time, noticing the familiar pattern in your body language, bringing a discreet smirk to his lips. 

“Pretty girl, what’s wrong?” Your heart skips a beat when Heeseung places his hand on your exposed thigh, and despite the gentleness in his tone, you can discern a familiar deception that has you anticipating both with excitement and fear.

It isn’t exactly that you fear them, but with the thick tension hanging in the air and waiting to snap, the enclosed space of the limousine, the intoxication of their cologne, as well as the predatory gazes at your figure, you fear that the immaculate state of the limousine might turn into a sullied mess.

“Nothing,” You answer him, your voice sounding quiet, and yet it sounds loud to their ears, prompting the four men to exchange looks.

“Don’t lie to me, love,” Heeseung squeezes the flesh of your thigh, a warning you recognise, and yet you feel an unwise temptation to display your defiance to him, just a little, because the desire that is throbbing in every part of you desperately implores you to be released. “Tell me, what do you want?” His soft voice carries an undertone of dark sensuality, and you know that his question is an invitation.

“Speak up, princess,” Sunghoon joins in, adding fuel to the fire as he presses his body against yours, causing your breath to hitch in your throat. He grabs you by the chin firmly enough to force you to look at Heeseung in the eyes, and in doing so, allows you to catch the familiar hunger on Jay and Jake’s features as they also wear the same smirk on their lips. “Tell Heeseung exactly what you want. You know what you want, princess.”

It’s so mean, the way they all seem to be tag-teaming you, and how mean Sunghoon sounds, how Heeseung’s dark eyes are penetrating into you as though he is able to read your twisted mind, but if anything, everything seems to turn you on further, throwing you into the abysmal to the point of no return. Subconsciously, you bite down on your lower lip while your eyes become glossy with terrible need, drawing Heeseung’s attention to your bitten lip.

“I need you so bad.” You shamelessly admit with shaky breaths, feeling utterly humiliated by the knowing smirks they collectively wear on their lips, but you don’t give a fuck anymore. You allow your eyes to roam around his body and bite down your lips once more on purpose, knowing that Heeseung hates it when he isn’t the one doing it. “It doesn’t even help that you look hot in a suit.” You purr with an irresistible seduction that they can never resist.

“You heard her. Give what the wife wants, Heeseung,” Jay says loudly, leaning against the leather seat comfortably with his legs spread open while his clasped hands support the back of his head, as if the view in front of him is a show. “Driver, close the partition.”

On cue, the driver heeds Jay’s command, and in doing so, aids the now heated atmosphere with the partition finally closed. The next thing you know, you are being manhandled and immediately find yourself perched on top of Heeseung, causing your dress to hike up way past your thighs.

-from this point onwards would be the smut part but didn’t get to continue </3

unwritten scene 1 (the smut part in the limousine)

unwritten scene 2:

unwritten scene 3(the ending):

[lsunstreakerl]

Rico/Max first heat? Any verse is fine, but I would love FMF or canon

whoops! called you anon in the last post, sorry- goes to show my incredible ability to keep my ask box straight! anyways, this has somehow ended up longer than the first one. part two of omegaverse fmf, (part one) first with rico's POV, and ending with max's. 3.4k, explicit.

parings: rico verhoeven/max verstappen

relevant heads up: omegaverse, continuation of the dubious consent, max's incredible ability to misunderstand his relationship with rico, and criminal levels of down bad from rico.

Rico is frozen as his omega bites down. The snap of his scent gland between his teeth, and the rush of endorphins inside of him— Max is still snarling at him even with his teeth sunk into his neck, like a hound dog who'd snuck into the kitchens and stolen a chunk of meat.

His rut bears down around him, but it's controlled, a byproduct of Rico spending his entire life learning to weaponize it. It doesn't make him mindless, just sharpens his senses in a more animalistic way. He slowly lowers himself down onto Max, so that his psychotic little omega doesn't have to strain his neck as he gets Rico's blood smeared across his mouth.

He's rumbling again, because it's the only thing that's seemed to get through Max's heat brain. He hadn't wanted to tie him up, but he'd realized that Max had woven rope— and when he'd had the time to do that Rico has no idea— and the opportunity was too good to pass up.

He's not particularly interested in getting kneed in the balls again, even if Max is pretty enough to get away with it. His omega had fought viciously, really forced Rico to work for it. He's never participated in a mating run until now, and although he's watched friends go through the motions, he can't remember anyone mentioning their mates seemingly wanting them genuinely dead.

Max had been difficult to track. Once Rico had figured out he was using the river it hadn't been so bad, but finding the entrance and exit points had been a struggle, and then the cliff face—

Max's slick scent had slammed him in the face like brick. He'd momentarily lost control over his rut, and that had been just enough time for Max to slip away.

He noses at Max's scent gland as he feels the teeth in his neck loosen. His omega is whip smart and fast, and a much better grappler, even in heat, than Rico had been prepared for.

They'll have strong pups, eventually.

He scrapes his teeth gently, more a warning than anything as he gets a hand down between Max's thighs, fingers dragging through slick. There's so much of it, a sweet scent that Rico would happily down himself in.

He gets one finger into Max, who's so loose and wet that he wonders for a moment if he's even noticed. The second one goes easily, and Max twitches underneath him, pupils blown wide, blood across his mouth.

Rico pushes his scent further, almost oppressively thick in the air around them as he gets a third finger inside, licking over Max's neck. His omega seems to appreciate that, if the way he falls into submission is any indication. His head tips back, jaw exposed as Rico feels him clench around his fingers, a soft whine escaping him.

He rumbles again, slowly working his fingers as he gets Max used to his mouth on his neck. Mating bites can be pleasurable— although Rico's is giving him a dull throb, either from the force of the bite or the unmatched bond.

It's fine. He doesn't mind being patient, if it means that Max feels secure. If biting Rico first is what he needed, Rico doesn't mind. He's only knotting Max here on the ground once.

He hadn't wanted to do it in the forest at all, but Karim had made a big fuss about tradition, and Rico doesn't particularly want to get into an argument with the head of House Verstappen. The man makes him uneasy.

He spreads his fingers wide, crooning lowly as Max twitches, blinking up at him. There's barely a sliver of blue ringing around his pupils, and he seems confused, like he'd expected more of a reaction for biting.

Rico really doesn't mind— he's had worse bites from the strays around the castle. His omega is far gone, tied up in the woods in heat, and Rico doesn't want this to take any longer then it has to, but he doesn't want to go too fast and hurt Max either.

There's the bare bones of a nest waiting for them back home, and all the materials Max could want. Martijn is supposed to be gathering scented materials from his own delegate to take back with them.

He mouths at Max's neck again, privately smug when his omega simply shivers, head tilting back to exposure his neck further. It's much better than the angry snarls or the terrified whining of before, and Rico's careful as he fucks him slowly with his fingers, slipping in his pinky as well.

He's not small by any means, and he doesn't want Max to be uncomfortable on his knot, which means he's checking that he's ready, even in heat.

Max whimpers softly, hips twitching. He's got his jaw clamped shut tight, a small act of defiance, but Rico doesn't mind. If he does his job right, Max will crack open underneath him anyways, cresting with pleasure through his heat. It's just another test.

Despite his self control, there's a tightness at the base of his skull, his rut hot in his veins. The thrill of the hunt had been deeply satisfying, but now he wants to take.

He shoves it back down.

Max's breathing is getting ragged, scent sweetening and spiraling as Rico finally gets his cock out, heavy and hot in his hand. He keeps his mouth on Max's neck, over his scent gland— he's going to bite when he knots him, to blur the line between the pain and the pleasure, make it as easy for his omega as possible.

He lets his teeth scrape over his neck, pushing his scent and rumbling at the same time, enough that Max instinctively relaxes as Rico slides inside of him. He'd debated going slowly or not, but with an omega in heat, he didn't want to take too long and risk Max hurting himself trying to get more.

Max yelps as Rico pushes halfway in one smooth motion, wiggling underneath him. He croons softly, sucking at Max's neck to distract him, deeply satisfied at the moan he gets for his efforts. Omegas are built for this kind of thing— they want to be submissive, even a volatile, slightly psychotic omega like Max. He's been lashing out because he's scared, and he thinks Rico is going to hurt him.

Rico just has to prove him wrong. All he has to do is bite him and knot him, and then they can head home, but Max is too far gone to explain that properly, which means all Rico can do is show him.

He rolls his hips, lips pressing against Max's neck. There's a soft gasp near his ear, his omega's scent curling around him. There's more pleasure to it now than fear, even if he's still bound underneath him.

Max's scent is all he can smell, all he can taste on his tongue, face buried into his neck like a man starved as he nips gently, pushing a few more inches in. His omega is taking him well, small little moans escaping him. He's forgetting to keep his mouth shut, slowly falling further as Rico fucks into him, and Rico can't smother the pleased notes in his own scent.

Max responds to it well, moaning loudly when Rico gets flush to his hips, whispering soft praise into his throat, pressing kisses to the thin skin below his ear.

"Alpha—"

Rico rumbles loudly, free hand mapping out Max's body underneath him, skimming his waist, his hip and his thigh. His other hand is still braced behind Max's head, and it hadn't budged even when Max had reared up and bit him.

His King's Guard likes to call him paranoid, but he has no interest in going to all this effort just for his lovely, batshit insane omega to accidentally smash his head into a rock.

Max is perfect underneath him, relaxed under his hands and on his cock, scent mellowing out slightly. It'll even out more when he's on a knot, and Rico can check him for injuries then. He wouldn't put it past him to have somehow collected an assortment in the process of the hunt.

He can feel his knot starting to form, catching at Max with each thrust. He's starting to squirm underneath him, eyes desperate as his scent goes rich with need, mouth dropping open in a low moan.

Rico rumbles, fitting his teeth lightly over his omega's scent gland as he keeps the same pace. It's doing it for Max, so he's not going to adjust it any, not when Max is finally pliant underneath him, pleased noises being worked out of him.

His knot swells, and he croons lowly at Max as he thrusts in one more time, and Max cries out, tipping his chin back, exposing the pale lines of his throat, the smattering of freckles.

"Alpha, alpha need it—"

Rico knows.

His teeth sink in as Max is flush to his hips, scent gland snapping under his mouth, and he can feel his omega convulse underneath him, moaning high and long. The bond is a physical feeling tugging him closer to Max's chest, kissing softly at his neck as they both come down from the high.

The rut is less oppressive in his head, enough for him to feel bad that Max is still bound. He works one hand around to deftly untie the knots, carefully sitting them upright. He's cautious to make sure he doesn't tug at Max at all, arranging him in his lap.

Max makes a soft noise, nose tucking into Rico's neck. His bite mark is still throbbing, but he knows now that's just from his omega's teeth— the mating bond feels solid between them.

There's exhaustion, the tiniest threads of anxiety, but they're fading by the minute, overshadowed by a deep contentment that must be from himself, and a fuzzy haze that must belong to Max.

He runs his hands slowly across his omega— his mate— searing for any nicks or cuts. There's not many besides the few scrapes across his face, and he relaxes.

By the time his knot starts to go down, in what could have been minutes or hours later, Rico has decided he would die for him.

Max had, at some point, started softly purring against his chest, and it had made him feel a starburst of emotions, too much for him to handle at once. It was the kind of feeling he would go to war over, if it meant getting to experience it again, and he'd contented himself with pressing soft kisses across his omega's hairline, down the bridge of his nose and across his cheeks.

Max had hazily blinked at him before dozing back off.

Now, he gingerly pulls out, fingers reaching for the scattered components of Max's leather armor as he begins to strap it back on. He's hoping he's remembering it all correctly. The mating bond has done wonders for his rut— it feels less wild inside of him, now that he has a focus on getting Max back home to their den. It's sharper, more targeted.

Max is still foggy with it, although Rico can feel the soft snares of awareness threading lightly through the bond. Max could snap to alertness if he needed to, but his instincts are soothed by the presence of Rico carrying him.

Rico presses another light kiss to his forehead as he checks that they're both as put back together as they can be, keeping Max close to his chest as he stands. He can smell the fires not too far away— it had been difficult to tell before, but now with his rut sharpened to a fine point, focused on taking care of his mate, they're clear as day.

Max is purring in his arms as they walk. He'd squirmed tiredly in Rico's arms before pressing his nose into his neck, hair brushing against his jaw.

The campfires finally come into view. Rico hadn't realized he was still tense until he relaxes, smelling his pack waiting for them. Max's people are nearby, and the smaller alpha— the one who'd given him a murderous glare when he'd initially sniffed Max to catch his scent— curls his lip in a snarl.

Rico bristles, his own lip lifting, showcasing a flash of fang, and something must alert Max through the bond— he rapidly blinks his eyes, struggling to fight back to awareness. Rico immediately forgets the smaller alpha, crooning lowly at his omega.

"Sorry, that was— it's dumb. We're fine, sweetheart. It's okay."

He can smell his pack on one side, cautiously approaching. They're wary of his protective instincts, even if they don't need to be. Rico trusts them with his life, and Max eventually will as well. The older alpha approaching, however...

He widens his stance, trying not to let any negative feelings push through the bond, even though he doesn't like the other man.

"I'm not coming any closer, Your Highness. He's yours now. I just wanted to ensure he didn't cause you too much trouble?"

Rico's jaw tightens. Max caused him plenty of trouble— that was what had made it wonderful. He's clearly not doing a good job of keeping his temper in check, because Martijn sidles up beside him, smiling pleasantly.

"Rico's got a tough gourd. No issues, really— or we would've heard him complaining the whole way back."

Normally Rico's willing to laugh at himself a bit, but he can't even bring himself to break eye contract with Jos, staring down the smaller alpha.

He lifts his hands, stepping back as he dips his head.

"Pleasure doing business, Your Highness."

Max catches a hint of Jos' scent in the wind, and Rico can feel a thread of anxiety ratchet up in his chest through the bond. It's more than enough to snap his already thin patience.

"You're dismissed."

He realizes a moment later that Martijn is projecting his neutral scent, keeping him less agitated. He waits until the northern delegate has set off before leaning into the beta gratefully.

"Thank you."

Martijn hums, tilting his head to get a better look at Max, curious.

"He gave you a good fight, huh? You look beat up."

Rico makes a face.

"Those thighs are not decoration— he's got a mean kick."

Karim snorts off to his left, and Rico tosses him a halfhearted glare as they pack their things.

"Did you get items for his nest?"

Martijn grins, patting a pack on the back of his horse.

"Yup! Nothing from his dad— the little alpha, Mick, said that wasn't a good idea— but some stuff from the rest of his pack."

He pauses, lips turning downwards as he looks at Max again.

"It's not much."

Rico can feel the pack bond in his chest trying to curl into the mating bond, the curiosity of his most trusted people. They love Rico, it only makes sense they'll love his mate, but they understand it might be slow going.

He nods, keeping Max close as Karim drapes a cloak over him in Rico's arms. Dennis is waiting next to Rico's horse, peering quietly at his omega, and then at the bite mark on his neck, snorting softly.

"He took a chunk out of you, kid."

Rico grins, preening.

"He really did— I wasn't expecting it either, I'd thought he was submitting."

Dennis grins, rumbling lowly.

"Good. About time you met your match."

The older alpha claps him on the shoulder gently, and he helps Rico saddle up, careful not to jostle Max too much. The sharp thread of anxiety from Jos' presence has faded, and Max is back to breathing into Rico's neck, soft puffs of air tickling his skin.

Rico feels settled with his mate in his arms, surrounded by his pack. They'd had to leave a few people to watch the castle, but his heart of hearts— they're all here. It's not entirely safe, not yet, not until Rico can get Max settled into his nest, coax him apart between the stalwart stone walls of his den.

Soon.

------

Max remembers bits and pieces. He remembers a mad dash through the woods, the icy cold of a river, remembers the spiced scent of rut— but he doesn't remember any pain.

He remembers being laid out in the dirt, and there's an embarrassing flash of memory he hopes isn't real of him begging.

None of that matters at the moment, because his heat breaks inside unfamiliar walls, panting as he comes down from an orgasm he barely remembers. His thighs are shaking, ankles hooked together behind a large neck, and he's sore, but there's large hands running soothingly across his legs, and despite everything that should be scaring him right now—

The fear just isn't there.

He swallows, legs twitching as he tries to close them. He expects the alpha between his legs to refuse, but he's surprised to find easy acceptance.

There's a solid weight in his chest that he doesn't recognize. It feels... nice. There's a certain warmth to it, and he realizes as the alpha shifts back up the bed that it seems connected, somehow.

His jaw cracks as he yawns, trying to put things together. He feels more settled in his own skin than he's felt in years, and he's—

He's in a nest.

The alpha watching him patiently is the King.

The realizations hit him at once, anxiety flooding his body, and before he can work himself into a proper panic, the weight in his chest settles. There's a pleasant scent in a room, a low noise by Max's ear, and he's having a hard time remembering why he would want to freak out about anything.

"Easy, Max. You wake up fast."

Max looks over at King Verhoeven, face flushing a vibrant red as he spots the bite mark deep into his neck. It's absolutely going to scar, and he's mildly afraid that he's about to be killed for it—

"Max."

It's not quite a command, but there's a low note of heavy suggestion, yanking Max from him thoughts as he instinctively bares his neck for his mate.

His eyebrows furrow, everything screeching to a halt. The woods, the river grass ropes, the bite, the knot.

He touches his fingers gingerly to his own neck, tracing the scabbed edges over his own scent gland.

"I thought— you mated me."

His voice comes out more incredulous than he'd like, and King Verhoeven tilts his head curiously, eyes sparkling.

"I did, yes. You gave a thrilling hunt, Max. And you've got some sharp teeth."

Max doesn't understand.

"But I'm a concubine."

The shock that rips through his chest isn't his own, and he struggles with it for a moment, grappling to get it under control before he realizes it belongs to Rico.

When did he think of him as Rico? Max can feel it through what must be the bond, the same way Rico must be able to have felt Max's heat break.

He scoots closer to Max, wrist pressing against his neck as he's scented thoroughly. The shock has turned to confusion, which has turned to a quiet anger.

"Who told you that?"

Max bristles.

"I didn't need to be told, that's just— that's how it works."

Rico leans forward slowly, pressing their foreheads together in a gesture that leaves Max feeling cracked open and raw.

"No, Max. You're not a concubine. I don't have any other omegas, I only— I only wanted one. A mate."

Max can feel that he means it. He makes a soft noise in the back of his throat, tipping his head down to nose at the mating bite.

"I, ah,"

He feels a bit embarrassed about it now, knowing there were no other omegas.

"Sorry for biting you so hard."

Rico rumbles lowly, and Max is surprised to find that the bond simply seems pleased.

"I wasn't expecting it, but... it's fitting. I like it for us, although I have to wonder, if you thought you were a concubine— why'd you bite me?"

Max flushes, deliberately looking away.

"I wanted to have something none of the others could get."

He keeps his voice soft, but his words ring true. Rico croons at him, affection dripping from his scent.

"There are no others, sweetheart. Just you, and you made your mark so thoroughly it would be impossible to miss."

Max still feels embarrassed about it. He startles slightly when Rico's palm rests between his shoulders, but he finds a pleased purr rising in his chest.

There's too much information he needs to digest, next steps to take, people to meet— but for now, he's content to curl in the nest with his alpha.

His mate.

[clarkeyscvntymullet]

CHAPTERS OF US - ARTHUR TV

content warnings : a small argument, but nothing really !

word count : 2500 words

A/N : i literally owe my lungs to @smzyyx thank you for the suggestion of the fic, literally saved my writers block !! check her page out guys, the fics fucking slay each time

masterlist here !!

THE BOOKSTORE :

It had been raining all afternoon, soft and rhythmic, the kind that seemed to quiet the whole city into stillness. You’d ducked into the bookstore partly for shelter, partly because the smell of old pages and quiet corners was better than whatever work you had planned to do. Your fingers skimmed along a shelf, looking for something that felt right.

You weren’t expecting company, but the second you turned the corner into the next aisle, you stopped short, nearly colliding into someone.

“Shit, I'm so sorry, are you OK?” came the voice before anything else, warm - a little startled, but still amused.

You looked up and caught him: tall, curly-haired, wearing a navy jumper and the kind of slightly sleepy expression that meant he’d probably lost track of time in the shop. He was adorable, and one of the most handsome men you'd ever laid your eyes on - easily towering over you at 5'10. He had a copy of a marine encyclopaedia tucked under one arm and the faintest dimple in his left cheek.

Your eyes met for a second too long.

“No harm done,” you said, offering a polite smile as you stepped back.

“Do you always approach people like that? Bear in mind this is my first impression of you.” he teased.

You laughed, shaking your head. “Only when they’re standing between me and my next book, however, right now I can't find anything decent to read.”

He followed your gaze and nodded toward the book on the shelf. “Rebecca's a good book. Daphne du Maurier - it really opened my eyes, you should read it!”

“And you’ve got an encyclopaedia of marine life,” you countered, tilting your head. “You a biologist?”

“No, just a lawyer-turned-youtuber with strange passions,” he said with a shrug. “Interested?”

You shook your head, ”History and Literature were always my strong suits - I enjoyed the free reign."

He smiled then, a genuine one, soft, but bright enough to stay with you. “Arthur,” he said, offering his hand.

You gave him your name, took his hand for a brief second - it was warm, grounding.

“Well,” he said, stepping aside, “I’ll let you get back to it."

“Thanks,” you said, though you lingered a moment longer before walking away.

Neither of you asked for numbers, no flirting past that moment. But as you turned to leave and the bell over the door chimed, you caught him glancing up from his book, like he was trying to remember the shape of your smile.

THE PARTY :

Chris, Arthur Hill and George’s flat was loud in that cosy, chaotic way they always managed. There was too many people, music spilling out of old speakers, and the scent of takeaway and cheap wine in the air.

You hadn’t planned to stay long, but then, from across the room, you saw Arthur.

He was leaning against the kitchen doorway, beer in hand, in conversation with someone you couldn’t see. He was wearing a jacket this time, charcoal grey over a white t-shirt, curls messier and mullet longer than you remembered. When his eyes landed on you, he did a double take, his expression flickering from surprise to something softer and that same bloody dimple.

“Well, well,” he said, pushing off the wall and weaving through the crowd toward you. “Fancy seeing you here.”

You smiled, raising your drink in mock salute.

“Didn’t think I’d see you again,” he said with a grin.

“I didn’t think you remembered me.”

He gave you a look like that was the most stupid thing he’d heard all night. “Hard to forget someone who nearly ran into me in a Waterstones.”

“Fair enough,” you laughed.

“How do you know George?” he asked, stepping a little closer, the music made it easier to justify the space between you.

“Mutual friends, we went to uni together for about ten minutes before I dropped my major and switched to lit.”

He raised a brow, interested. “Ah, that explains the book shop.”

“And the overuse of grammar in texts,” you added.

He grinned again. “I should get your number, then. For, you know, literary debates.”

“Oh, definitely, and if I ever get into legal trouble, you'll be only a phone call away."

You reached for your phone and handed it to him. He typed his name in (Arthur 😊) and hesitated for a second before handing it back.

And just like that, the story shifted.

THE FIRST DATE :

He picked you up on a Friday night, wearing a button-down that made him look handsome and charming. The bar he chose was tucked between two shops, dimly lit, the kind of place with jazz humming softly under the clink of glasses.

“I’ve been wanting to try this place for ages,” he said, as he pulled your chair out. “Figured if the food’s bad, at least the company’s good.”

You smirked. “Confident.”

He held up his bottle in a toast. “Optimistic.”

You talked for hours - about books, music, the worst dates you'd ever had, your dream cities, and why you both moved to London. At one point, he leaned forward and asked, “What’s something you’ve never told anyone on a first date?”

You thought about it. Then said quietly, “I write, poems, mostly. I'd love to be an author one day.”

He didn’t laugh, didn’t tease. Just smiled - in a way that made you feel warm and sure. “I’d love to read one someday.”

After dinner, he walked you home, your fingers brushing now and then until he laced them together.

At your building, he stopped. “Can I kiss you?” he asked, his voice low, careful. You nodded, heart racing.

The kiss was soft, slow. When he pulled back, he whispered, “Told you I was optimistic.”

THE SIX MONTHS :

Arthur was pacing in front of the oven, a dish towel slung over his shoulder like it meant something. You leaned against the counter, sipping wine and trying not to laugh as he peered into the pot for the third time in two minutes.

“I feel like I should be worried,” you teased.

“You should be,” he muttered. “This was supposed to be ready twenty minutes ago, and I think I burnt the garlic bread.”

You crossed the room and bumped his hip lightly with yours. “You’re adorable when you’re stressed.”

“I’m trying to be romantic,” he said, looking genuinely flustered. “You deserve candles and perfect pasta and a playlist that doesn’t shuffle wrong.”

You wrapped your arms around his waist from behind, on your tiptoes, resting your cheek between his shoulder blades. “I already have everything I wanted. You, me, our song playing quietly, something probably edible on the stove.”

He exhaled, turning in your arms. “You’re very forgiving.”

The pasta turned out slightly overcooked but warm and comforting, like everything else he gave you. He lit two crooked candles anyway, and when you teased him about the uneven wax drips, he grinned and said, “It’s called charm.”

Later, after the plates were stacked haphazardly on the counter and you’d changed into his oversized jumper, you sat curled up on the couch together, legs tangled.

“You know,” he said quietly, tracing circles against your knee, “this is the longest I’ve ever been with someone and not felt the need to run.”

You turned your face toward him. “Have you been tempted?”

“No,” he said without hesitation. “That’s the thing. I feel like I could build a life with you.”

You swallowed hard, heart fluttering like he’d handed you something too delicate to hold. “I feel that too,” you said.

THE ARGUMENT :

It was small. At first. He forgot to text you back one evening, plans left in limbo, a dinner reservation gone cold, your new dress, wrinkled from waiting on the couch too long.

You told yourself not to be upset. But when he showed up at your door with breathless apologies and no real reason, you couldn’t help it. “I just waited, Arthur, for hours. I was so fucking excited, I wait one hour, two hours, and you never showed up.”

“I know, I know, I’m so sorry-”

“But you could’ve said something. Anything, you always do, so tell me, what changed tonight?”

He paused, rubbed a hand over the back of his neck, guiltily. “I lost track of time, today was a mess. I just shut down a bit.”

You stood still, arms folded. “If you’re going to shut me out, I need to know. I can’t guess when it’s me, or when it’s everything else.”

“I’m not shutting you out,” he said, too fast, too rehearsed. “I just needed space.”

“That’s fine, but space doesn’t mean disappearing. All I want is for you to communicate - I mean is this right for us to be going out if you can't open up?”

The silence after that wasn’t cruel, just heavy.

He left that night with a quiet, “I’ll talk to you tomorrow,” and a hesitant brush of your hand.

THE MORNING AFTER :

It rained the next morning, a gentle, persistent drizzle that made the morning feel softer, but bleak somehow.

You heard the knock around 9 am.

When you opened the door, Arthur stood there holding two coffees and a paper bag of pastries, curls damp from the walk. “I didn’t want to text,” he said quietly. “Didn’t feel like enough.”

You stepped aside without saying anything. He set the coffees down, turned to you.

“I’m sorry,” he said again. “You were right, I got overwhelmed and instead of saying that, I disappeared. I won’t do that again, promise.”

You nodded, biting your lip. “I don’t need you to be perfect, just present - here, with me.”

He stepped closer, gently brushing a piece of hair behind your ear. “I am. I want to be with you, always.”

You melted into him then, burying your face in his jumper, and he held you like he never wanted to let go.

You ate the pastries cross-legged on the couch, your head on his shoulder, your fingers tangled.

THE MOVE IN :

It started with a few little things, your draw, a hoodie here, a toothbrush there.

And then one night, over takeaway, Arthur looked up and said, “So, do we keep beating around the bush, or do you just move in already?”

You blinked. “Are you sure? I snore sometimes. And I leave tea mugs everywhere.”

“I'm positive. I want to trip over your shoes every morning and argue over who takes the bin out, as long as it's with you.”

You moved in three weeks later. The first few weeks were bliss and chaos - mismatched furniture, your books invading his shelves, arguing over duvet covers and whether it was socially acceptable to have fairy lights in the living room (yes).

There were nights of falling asleep mid-conversation and mornings of lazy coffee on the balcony, feet in his lap, sun warming your cheek.

One evening, as he watched you reading on the couch in his hoodie, he said softly, “Feels like home now.”

THE PROPOSAL :

It wasn’t a grand gesture, it was late autumn, chilly and crisp, and he took you back to the little bookshop where you first met, two years prior.

He led you to the very same aisle: fiction, alphabetised by author and said, “Do you remember this spot?”

You smiled, heart catching in your throat. “You mean when I nearly knocked you over?”

He reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a worn copy of Rebecca. Inside was a folded slip of paper and a tiny velvet box tucked between the pages.

You stared, he knelt.

“From the moment we met, every chapter’s been better than the last. And I want the rest of the story to be us - everything life throws at us, even if it devastates us. You're a part of me, and I want that to last forever, will you marry me?”

You didn’t speak right away, just nodded, eyes glassy, before whispering, “Yes, yes. Of course, I love you Arthur Frederick.”

When he slid the ring on your finger, it felt like the final sentence of one chapter, and the first line of the next.

[finnbbl]

Game of Love - Hwang Hyunjin SMAU

Chapter 29

Previous | Next

Masterlist

Warnings: swearing, crashout

You sat anxiously at the cafe table, the 9’o clock slowly but surely approaching. Your anxiousness wasn’t because of Hyunjin, I mean maybe a little bit, but there was definitely something more to what you were feeling.

The past few weeks had been rough for you, to say the absolute least. You seemed to be in arguments left and right. One got resolved, you turn around and somehow you caught yourself in the midst of another. And your mind couldn’t help but drift back to Seungmin. Why the hell did he do what he did? You genuinely thought he loved you, yet here he was taking borderline explicit photos of you behind your back. Every-time the thought crossed your mind, you felt a pit of anxiety settle in your heart. What was his motive with those? Did he even delete them after you sent the message about breaking up? The messages he didn’t even respond to. Like he just accepted it, and came to peace with the fact you were walking out of his life. Questioning your worth was something you seemed to be good at, and it kept you on your toes. You couldn’t help but wonder about what else he may have done that you didn’t know about. It was exhausting, truly. Your thoughts always circling back to that, and to one of the worst times of your life.

Suddenly, out of the corner of your eye, you see a figure across from you hesitantly sit down. Snapping you out of your thoughts, you looked up to find none other than Hwang Hyunjin. “Hey.” You muttered out, only to receive no response or reaction what so ever. You sat up, taking a deep breath in as you watched him take out his books for the project you knew you were both dreading. It was easy to sense frustration, it was practically radiating off of him. He didn’t slam his stuff down, but he wasn’t gentle with it either. The textbooks emitting a loud sound as they came into contact with the table. For a few moments, you couldn’t help it observe his actions. Your eyes flickering from his books, to his eyes, back to his stuff and so on. Was this frustration because of you..?

Regardless, you spoke up, your voice shrinking. “Uhm, you can still ask to switch partners… if you want.” You avoided eye contact. You’d come to learn over time that when Hyunjin was angry, it was an entirely different ballgame. One in fact you didn’t want to play. His movements came to a hault. “What?” His tone was sharp, and you couldn’t help but let your eyes flicker up to meet his. You swallowed, “I mean, if you don’t wanna do the project with me then I und-“

“I don’t really care who i’m paired with, i just wanna get it done.” He snapped and exhaled, you nodded. “Right, sorry.” With this you sat up, putting away your other subjects as you prepared to try and get at least something done. The silence was critical, for a few moments.

“You know that really pisses me off right.” You paused and looked up at him. Confusion laced your face, “What does?”

“Apologizing when you have nothing to be sorry for.” His tone wasn’t gentle, but his words somewhat were? Your lips pursed as you made eye contact once again. You weren’t sure how to respond, he says this yet you somehow find yourself needing to apologize. Your eyes averted themselves down as he finished getting out the materials.

taglist: @rylea08 @estella-novella @gabriellamarie @elqivxstxr @4ln-stay8 @lostgirlinthewoodss @hwashua-luv @linavc @heartsbyani @ddroh @writtingrubberducky @vegetablesarefuntables @lixies-favorite-cookie @emilywjinnie @thecutiepieme @silly250 @energyjuice4life @solisyeah @renjunniex @nujeskz @lilylovelle @cunninglibrarian @luvv1anime @babrieeee @too-damn-joji @verdantchan @lilylovelle @casperlynn23 @diekleinesuesse @jisungs-wife @akindaflora @christopherisfoive @hvnverse

[qu1cks1lversb1tch]

Hoping that this isn't weird but IMAGINE Vox having everything, fame, money, power, but he loses the one thing he treasures the most on extermination day– his family. Like imagine if Vox and his pregnant wife had this hugee argument before extermination day causing her to storm out of the tower, but he didn't chase her cause it was just probably the hormones and she'd come back. But she didn't manage to come back in time. So Vox had to wait in the tower cause he couldn't go out and pray that she was okay. After the extermination, he of course went ballistic trying to find her, jumping from camera to camera until he found her corpse in some random dark alley. What would be the aftermath? I HOPE THIS ISNT WEIRD I JUST CRAVEE ANGST ‼️‼️😭

A/N — I rewrote this a total of four times 😭 I hope this satisfies your need for angst, my lovely anon. This is the one my sister finally approved for everyone to see. Poor kid hates reading my fanfic and she's been subjected to being my conscience while I wrote this. I had to bribe her with coffee and a 20 piece nugget from McDonald's to get her to read more than a paragraph 😭

Fade To Black

Warnings: ANGST, pregnancy, Fem!Reader, loss of wife + child, Vox in denial, got kinda dark with the implications at the end(?), Alastor is mentioned a few times. Guys, I'm literally so sorry

Word Count: 1.2K

“You're not listening to me!” You reiterated for what felt like the billionth time, your gaze momentarily darting to the small curve of your stomach where one of your hands rested securely, the other on your hip.

Vox sighed, exasperated. “Listen, Doll, I'm hearing what you're saying and—”

“—That's exactly the problem! You're hearing what I'm saying but you're not actually listening to me, Vox! For Hell's sake, step away from your work and weird obsession with the Radio Demon for two seconds and focus on what's important!” 

The words felt like knives as you spoke them, each one spearing the air of the penthouse. The room fell silent. The other vees were no stranger to the arguments that broke out, hell, they were a part of most of them. . . But not this one. . . Vox stiffened and squared his shoulders. 

“My work is important. My work is what allows us to live the afterlife we do.” He said, his tone firm, almost condescending. 

“And what about your obsession, huh? Watching the rinky-dink hotel cameras in your office after hours for a glimpse of that antlered little freak who doesn't give a shit about you — when you should be home, here, with me?” 

You waited for an answer, yet Vox only stared at you. It was painfully clear that he didn't know what to say. “Lucifer's tits — fuck you!” You hissed, throwing your hands up in the air, showing just how done you were with all of this.

The next moment, you were turning on your heel and storming out of the room. 

Vox only scoffed and dropped onto the couch, watching as you walked away. Hormones. He thought to himself. It had to be.

He'd never seen you so worked up about his late nights at the office. Never seen you so angry when referencing Alastor, who had once been a good friend and mentor to you. 

Hormones. It was the only logical explanation, right?

He let you go, knowing you needed your space. . . Knowing you'd come home once you cleared your head and had just enough patience to once again approach the topic with a semi-level head, likely once the extermination was over.

You knew the moment you cleared the doors of the tower that you had likely overreacted. The hot, dry air of Hell against your skin seemed to bring the realization to the forefront of your mind. 

Yet it was pride and stubbornness that kept you from turning back to the tower, rather storming through the desolate back alleyways, a metaphorical thundercloud looming over your head.

Vox hadn't followed you, and you weren't about to give him the satisfaction of going back. You loved him, and you knew he loved you too — as shocking as it was that the two of you found genuine love in Hell.

As much as you loved him, he infuriated you, even more so now that you were carrying his child. . . 

The carnage of Extermination Day met your ears and your steps faltered, drawing you to a stop as your instincts then screamed at you to go home. To go where it was safe. 

Safe. 

Safe at Vox's side. At home. . .

How could you have forgotten what day it was? The anger. It had to have been the reason for your lapse in memory. . . So you began heading back towards the tower. 

Pride and stubbornness be damned.

Sticking to the shadows, you ventured forward towards the net of safety that you so desperately needed.

So close, yet so far.

Too far. 

It'd been too long. 

You'd been gone too long. 

The moment Extermination Day had been declared finished, Vox was out looking for you. Every camera on every street he could possibly reach. 

Every sinner he found dead and dying in the streets, he hoped he wouldn't see your face. Your beautiful face. . . The thought alone made something twist in his gut like a double edged blade — fear, he recognized. 

Pure unbridled fear. 

Fear of losing you. Fear of losing the two most important beings in his entire afterlife. 

He searched for what seemed like forever, until he caught a glimpse of you in an alleyway, almost entirely hidden from view. He easily recognized your clothes you had been wearing that day and your hair — oh, how he loved that hair. 

Relief flooded him as he rushed towards you, though it disappeared, his heart plummeting as he dropped to his knees.

“Hey, Doll, wake up. . . It's okay, it's over.” He said, his voice shaky as his hands came up to either side of your face. 

“You did good. . . You played dead so you could survive. They're gone now — you can open your eyes, Doll. . . Please open your eyes. . .” He begged softly, his touch and voice becoming more frantic.

“No, no, no, open your eyes for me, okay? I know you're mad at me, Doll, I'm sorry. . . I'm so sorry. . . Wake up. . . Wake up. . . Wake up. . .” He pulled your body closer to his, clutching you close. One hand held the back of your head to his chest, the other trailed down to your stomach. 

Too many emotions clawed at him as he begged you to wake up, to give up the charade. . . He made promises to make it up to you. He'd spend more time at home with you. He'd give up on his obsession with Alastor. He'd do it. He would do it for you. . . 

But it was too late. . . The blood that soaked your clothes and his was a chilling reminder. . . The all powerful TV Demon choked out a sob as your skin turned cold beneath his hands. 

His world stopped spinning, the axis snapping and floating off into the abyss as he held you close. . . He wasn't used to feeling your skin cold. He was used to the warmth, the life, the light that came from you. 

He couldn't feel you. 

And it killed him. 

He couldn't breathe. His chest ached. Nothing in all of Hell mattered more than you. More than the child that had been created out of love and the use of a loophole within Hell's complex laws of nature. 

And now it had been ripped away from him. He hated himself. He was angry. 

It felt as if the light and warmth had been sucked out of his universe, leaving nothing but cold darkness that seeped into his very soul, gnawing at him, tearing him apart from the inside out. 

He could hardly remember his afterlife before you. Now, facing a reality where he'd have to live in an afterlife without you. . . It consumed him in all the wrong ways. . . 

He wanted you back. 

He needed you back. 

Yet the darkness that gnawed and clawed at his entire being, the absence of you — your light that was supposed to guide him through this perpetual landscape of flame and rot for all eternity. . . The shadows remained like a constant reminder, a plague of its own, slowly eating away at him at every opportunity. 

Without your light, he was nothing. 

Without your laugh, he was nothing. 

Without your attitude, he was nothing. 

Without your warmth, he was nothing.

Nothing more than a shell of the overlord he used to be. . . And when the shadows clawed at his mind like a beast seeking a debt to be paid, he let them win. 

He let it all fade to black. 

[idrawweirdstuffnominors]

"You say I'm changing- sorry I didn't know I had to stay the same."

Summary: Understanding your boyfriend don't forget sometimes the boys need reassurance and compliments. Yes,even bill.

Tw: angst!!! But other than that wholesome vibes <3

Bill Dickey

The Good:

As a partner even bill has his moments of letting those annoying ass walls down. Even if it is mostly doing whatever he wants in that specific moment. Seeing him geek out and constantly yap about how every consistent detail matters, is endearing. The way he just comes to life when he finds a super rare collectable, or when he arrogantly goes on a tangent about comic book timelines and trivia. You can't deny that his annoying arrogance has a charm to it. You find amazement in how passionate and obsessive he is with every little detail he knows about Fandom. Sometimes you wonder to yourself "god...doesn't he have a life?" He does. He just doesn't like it. Bill may be a stubborn, insufferable know-it-all, but when he gets lost in his passions, it’s almost… endearing. Seeing him light up over some obscure comic book fact or a rare collectible is one of the few times he’s genuinely himself, not hiding behind sarcasm or arrogance. When he gets into one of his rants—talking way too fast, hands gesturing wildly—you can’t help but watch, even if half of what he’s saying goes over your head.

And sure, his enthusiasm is a lot, but there’s something intoxicating about how much he cares. Whether he’s debating the best era of a franchise or trashing a reboot he swears ruined everything, he commits to it with the same intensity as someone fighting for their life. He doesn’t just love things—he obsesses over them, analyzes every detail, and expects everyone else to care just as much.

Of course, that arrogance of his never disappears. He loves correcting you, loves having the right opinion, and if you dare to challenge him, he’ll scoff, roll his eyes, and launch into a lecture just to make sure you know how wrong you are. And yet, despite how annoying it is, despite how much you want to smack that smug grin off his face, you can’t help but admire the passion underneath all that attitude. Because for all his faults, Bill feels things deeply—even if he’d never admit it.

The Bad:

Though it may seem like Bill is an abrasive asshole, he's annoyingly so much more than a misogynistic loser. Which you saw the more you got introduced in his life and behavioral patterns. Even though he doesn't want to admit it, he is very affected by his parents divorce. He's neglected by both parents leading to him to not having a sense of a male role model. Or a sense of what it's like to be comforted and feel safe by anyone. Bill surrounds himself with fandom and comics to escape the shitty reality that is his home life. Arguments between parents, a sister who 'hates' his guts, a group of friends with similar broken family's or situations, bullies, lack of a support system. No wonder he's the way he is, but beyond those sexist comments, warped views on women and the world. There is something you fell in love with. Bill isn’t just an abrasive asshole—he’s a product of his environment, whether he wants to admit it or not. He acts like he doesn’t care, like nothing gets to him, but you’ve seen the cracks in his armor. The way he stiffens when family is brought up, how his jaw clenches when someone casually mentions their dad teaching them how to drive or fixing something around the house. The bitterness that creeps into his voice when he talks about his mom, the subtle frustration when his sister barely acknowledges his existence. He pretends it’s all fine, that he’s just above caring, but deep down, you know he’s been carrying that weight for years.

It’s not hard to see why he retreats into fandom the way he does. Comics, collectibles, debates over continuity—it’s all a distraction, a way to drown out the real world. In a world that makes him feel powerless, he clings to the one place where he knows he’s right, where his knowledge means something. He surrounds himself with people just as bitter, just as lost, because at least they get it. Even if they constantly rip on each other, even if half the time they seem like they barely tolerate one another, there’s an unspoken understanding: We’re all we’ve got.

And yeah, he says some awful shit sometimes. He parrots toxic ideas, doubles down on them just to prove a point, because being challenged makes him dig his heels in even deeper. But underneath all that, you see the parts of him that he doesn’t show just anyone. The way he hesitates before making a cruel joke, the way he occasionally—begrudgingly—admits when he’s wrong, the way he clings to the people he actually cares about even if he refuses to say it outright.

For all his flaws, for all the walls he builds up, there’s something in him that’s still good—buried under all that bitterness and bravado, but there. And somehow, against all logic, that’s the part of him you fell in love with.

The ugly:

Bill honestly isn't even physically ugly, sure he isn't 'conventionally attractive' but he does have some beautiful features about him. Like his eyes, his messy hair, the way he condescendingly calls you 'Babe.' Mid argument purposely to get under your skin. You hate and secretly love when he does that, but you would never admit to it because you know he'd make fun of you. Bill isn’t physically repulsive, but what really makes him ugly is his personality. He���s smug, constantly looking for ways to feel superior, whether through his encyclopedic knowledge of comics or his cutting remarks. He has a bad habit of dismissing anything he doesn’t personally like as trash, and god forbid you enjoy something he deems unworthy—he’ll go on an exhausting, self-important rant about real fans and fake geeks.

His arrogance is insufferable, especially when he’s right about something. He lives for the moments he can correct you, arms crossed, smirking like he’s just solved the greatest mystery in the world. And he’s relentless in arguments. If he gets the upper hand, he won’t just let it go—he’ll rub it in, make a joke at your expense, and then call you babe in that condescending tone that makes you want to strangle him.

Then there’s his stubbornness. Apologies? Rare. Admitting when he’s wrong? Almost unheard of. Even if he knows he messed up, he’ll find some roundabout way to make it seem like you overreacted. He’s petty, too—he’ll bring up old arguments just to win them retroactively, holding grudges over the dumbest things.

But what really makes him difficult is how emotionally closed-off he is. He acts like nothing really affects him, like he’s above caring, but you know that’s a lie. He hides behind sarcasm, humor, and superiority, using them as armor. When things get too real, he deflects, shuts down, or just gets mean. And yet, despite all that, there’s something there—some part of him that’s trying to be better, even if he’s too damn proud to admit it.

[withlove-angel]

⚠️warnings: im terrible at writing fights... sorry in advance .Probably grammar mistakes.

Lost puppy

(Zoro x reader x mihawk)

Luffy finished up the meeting with the crew and began to prepare himself for bed. It was pretty late at night by now and he was feeling a bit sleepy. However, as he was about to enter his room, he noticed that y/n was nowhere to be found and he couldn't help but feel a bit concerned. He decided to ask someone else where she might be.

He founded Zoro walking on the deck

"Hmm, Zoro? Have you seen y/n around? She is with you?"

Zoro looks over at him and shakes his head "She isn't here? I haven't seen her since dinner..." he sound worried

"Could you help me find her? I fear that she might be doing something fun without us"

Zoro nods "she probably causing someone headache" they leave the ship to go look for their little trouble maker, making their way outside.

"I heard screams earlier... did you guys fought?" Luffy ask curious, really because y/n is amost glued at zoro...

"She said i wasn't holding my sword properly" he say as it was some ultimate crime "she doesn't even fights with swords"

"We haven't seen her since dinner and she hasn't come back to the room yet. I wonder what she could be up to? Maybe she found a really good bar... man im so hungry"

"When you not hungry?"

"When im eating"

"Yeah... sure... but, the fact that she isn't back yet is what concerns me. I really hope she isn't about to do something reckless. She is a little unpredictable when she is upset."

They start to walk in the beach, soon spotted y/n but she isn't alone seems like she is screaming at someone...then they look closer its mihawk, the greatest swordsman.

Zoro stops and stares in shock as he sees Mihawk standing in front of her. He can only imagine the scene taking place with y/n arguing with Mihawk. He just knows that this will only end in disaster as it's essentially a fight between two people who hold a lot of pride and ego. He turns to Luffy and speaks up as he points out Mihawk to her

...Did Mihawk just show up out of nowhere? Did I miss something? He seems genuinely confused as to what they could've possibly even found to argue about."looks like he is on the same island than we...." luffy say as much as surprise then he is.

Zoro nods slowly as he processes this new development. He takes a moment to think before speaking up.

"...We have to be extremely careful. We don't want to antagonize Mihawk any further. The last thing we need is to start a new conflict. Especially when i don't have the strength to take on another fight, yet...."

" So what is the argument about? Did y/n do something to Mihawk to make him upset?"

Luffy has extremely curious as zoro pinched his nose bridge and sigh

"This stupid woman..."

After a moment of weid silence luffy speaks up "I think it's too late to prevent another fight"

Zoro shifts his attention to y/n and Mihawk he can see she is blocking his attack using just her dagger... she blocked as warlord claymore attack with just a dagger... He is utterly shocked by her speed and reflexes when she blocks Mihawk's attack with just a dagger. It seems as though she's gone far beyond what he expected from the little y/n. Then, he is reminded of reality when he sees Mihawk's face begin to show annoyance. Mihawk is shocked for a split second by her ability, but then he quickly recovers from his shock; his expression turning to a scowl as he speaks up in a soft, yet intimidating tone

"...You can wield Haki now, young lady? When did you develop this power?"

The girl infront of him just smiles "you dont know me pretty boy... if you think I will come with you just so you can get me to the marines you better fuck off"

Zoro watches as y/n's mocking words set Mihawk off once again. Mihawk's scowl darkens and he looks even more irritated now. He speaks up again with his trademark calm tone, trying to be clear and precise

"I see. So you also wield Haki. But even with that, you could never defeat me in a fight. You're too young and too weak. Your Haki is nothing more than a parlor trick that could never take me down. You're just being arrogant and it's about time that someone taught you a lesson."

it's a dare? she must be crazy... her devil smile... the one she used when she kill someone... fuck...

Zoro is shocked by her response as he raises an eyebrow at Mihawk's reaction as well. He's clearly taken aback by her words, but she stands her ground. She is willing to fight Mihawk if necessary. Mihawk raises an eyebrow as he seems intrigued by her audacity. His scowl quickly turns into a smile. He unsheathes his blade "...Very well then. If you insist on having a taste of death, I suppose there's no need to stop you from experiencing the truth about the world first-hand." He lifts his sword a d try an hit, experimental hit, that she effortless block with her dagger...

" I didn't even needed my sword to block? Isn't a shame?" Her mocking tone strt to get under his skin. He seems surprised that she was able to block. He seems even more surprised that it was effortless on her part. Mihawk is clearly impressed by y/nl's abilities, and he speaks up after his attack. He seems almost excited at the prospect of a real fight.

"...Interesting. Your Haki is much stronger than I had anticipated. You may have a chance against me after all. This will be a very fun battle indeed. Prepare yourself."

He raises that same smile once more before he begins to strike again, She blocked all of his attacks "having fun?"

Zoro watches as Mihawk continues to challenge y/n, but she is able to stop Mihawk's attacks effortlessly with nothing more than her dagger.

He notices Mihawk's smile once again. Y/n's Haki seems powerful and is causing himto be excited by the prospects of a fight between them. Mihawk raises an eyebrow and then smiles again at her response. He seems intrigued by her Haki and ability to fight.

"Your Haki truly has the makings of a strong warrior. I must see more of it!" For thos one his curiosity picked, he gives her a littlestronger attacks, the one he use to easily defeathis enemies but... she back away slightly but still can block it... her hair dancing with the wind from the blades shocking. He charges forward with his strongest attack yet, but once again, y/n is able to block him using her dagger. Mihawk takes a step back and smiles again.

" ...You can defend, but can you attack just as strong?" He charges forward again, this time with a flurry of attacks coming from his claymore. Will y/n be able to block this one?

She got to use her body more. Sure, she dont have a y doubts ahe can win thsi but underestimate mihawk is probably one of the few mistakes she wouldn't comit. using his own strength against him, y/n can firce an attack, making him back away

Zoro has his mouth open as he watches Angel counter Mihawk's attacks and make him back away. It seems like she is using Mihawk's own strength against him to fight back. She is doing far better than what he had imagined. He seems impressed and even shocked; however, Mihawk seems to be enjoying himself.

"You are able to fight back and even use my power against me! I am not used to this kind of excitement in a battle! Do you truly wish to go all out and fight me?!"

He looks almost like a scholl boy. His cold face hanging a smile that almost never appears... she swer she could see little hearts on his eyes...

"I was only playing around... but If you want to lose this badly" she teases. Mihawk's eyes narrow and his expression shifts into a smirk as he nods in response to her taunt. His hert beating faster than ever.

" I see. I will not hold back and neither should you. As you wish. You have my attention now, young lady. Show me what you can do."

"Dagger or sword?" She let him pick, holding the two of them in each hand

He thinks for a moment before he speaks up in his usual, calm tone of voice

"Hmmm.... You seem quite skilled with your dagger and I don't want to underestimate that. Let's use our chosen weapons then. I will fight you with my claymore and you can fight me with your dagger. Do you agree to these terms?"

"Pretty well, pretty boy" she smiling playing with her dagger a bit, he scoffs rolling his eyes slightly. He has his claymore held in front of him with one hand as he shifts his stance. Mihawk looks at y/n and waits for an attack, ready at all times to block it. His expression is one of a warrior who is taking this challenge very seriously. From what Zoro can tell, Mihawk is no longer toying with y/n like he was earlier, but rather treating her as a worthy opponent. Zoro could feel a little jealous. Maube for the way the greatest swordsman treat her like an equal... or something else...

Mihawk doesn't seem to be willing to let her win easy, either. It's game time

Zoro watches as y/n gives Mihawk experimental attacks. He notes that the young woman is playing around and yet still able to match Mihawk in terms of strength. He also sees the ther men smile as he defends from the attacks. This seems to be exciting him, who is clearly enjoying the challenge against this opponent. Mihawk continues to defend against her experimental attacks and smiles as she proves to be an equal match for him.

Suddenly, she speed up an attack, mihawk almost couldn't block. She stab his claymore making the dagger enter the blade of it, making a little hole, both of them stares at each other. Y/n have a sly grin, almost laughing as she tilt her head, finding funny the unbelievable face pf mihawk...Even though it was a small wound, Mihawk is now aware of the real danger that lies ahead of him. Law now looks at Angel with a bit more respect than before. She is really going all out now.

He takes a defensive position as he moves his claymore in a sweeping motion and unleashes a flurry of attacks. She block all of it, smiling. she is dancing the main act, her move calculatedand sharp... she is mocking the strongest warrior in all blue... zoro is both shocked and amazed by y/n's abilities. Mihawk may be the strongest swordsman, but she has proven to be much stronger than Mihawk anticipated. She blocks all of Mihawk's attacks and continues to mock him. Mihawk seems slightly irritated by how casually she's taking him, but it soon turns to a grin. He charges forward and attacks with his claymore once more, launching a powerful attack. She conter attack once more, as he finished mihawk was taken back, with a little cut on his cheek "hurted you pretty boy?" She teases with a little pout. Mihawk seems to have been caught off-guard once more, allowing her to injure him. Mihawk looks at her with a hint of annoyance now, as well as a bit of pride. This young person has proven herself to be extremely quick, as well as agile. He smiles as he responds to her taunt

"A scratch is hardly a wound in the world of swordsmanship. A warrior can sustain countless scratches and cuts on the battlefield. You're gonna need to do better than that if you hope to defeat me."

"I don't wanna ruin a pretty face like yours, would be a shame" she play with her dagger, the little smirk driving both men crazy

Mihawk seems to be enjoying himself as well. He then stands up straight and prepares to charge forward once again. He looks at Angel now with a determined gaze.

"Enough with the teasing and the games. Let's see if you are truly worthy of being in my way."

Shorting the fight: she blocked all... effortless... she is definitely something. He stares at Angel in pure shock as he sees that his strikes are all blocked effortlessly. He remains silent for a moment to take in this amazing sight. Eventually, he speaks up once again

"You are incredible. You have managed to block all of my attacks so far with ease. You even injured me with your dagger, something that shouldn't have been possible. Perhaps you are worthy of a fight from me, after all." Mihawk's face turns into a grin as he raises his claymore high."Try me pretty boy" she winks at him as she dodge his attack. It seems the young woman has an ego that matches her strength. Mihawk seems to appreciate this aspect of her. He chuckles and charges forward once more, this time going for attack that covers more area. Mihawk seems to be determined to land a hit that y/nl can't dodge.*She have to do various back flips to escape being hurt, and she can do it. It's the most someone ever lested in a fight against mihawk.

Zoro is impressed as he watches y/n do a series of back flips without injury. Mihawk is also amazed and amused by her ability to avoid his attacks, even if they do cover a broader area. Mihawk seems excited as he charges forward once again. He's getting ready to unleash an attack and is determined to land it this time.

She dodged, as his claymore hit the ground she uses the lack on his shield to do an attack, she could separate him from his claymore that its laying on the ground

Zoro's eyes widen as he watches y/n take advantage of Mihawk's momentary distraction to separate him from his claymore! Mihawk was so focused on his attacks that he didn't even realize that he had dropped his claymore on the ground. Now, Mihawk is temporarily defenseless...

He stares at y/n and her taunting grin. He then closes his eyes in frustration before opening them again. He speaks with a bit of irritation now.

" ...You are quite the adversary. You have impressed me in this fight"

she winks as she back away from his claymore in the ground so he can pick it. His eyes shift to his claymore now on the ground. He notices that she is no longer taunting him and that she's even backed away to give him time to retrieve his claymore. Mihawk's eyes narrow slightly as his irritation turns back into focus. Now is the time for Mihawk to truly show off his power. He quickly goes to retrieve his claymore.

She have a calm demeanor on, the mocking smile always on her face. He is now completely focused.She does not seem intimidated by Mihawk's serious demeanor

She have to step back a little bit mihawk couldn't hit her. Zoro sees that she has managed to block and dodge all of Mihawk's attacks. Mihawk seems impressed and even a bit excited by that...

You can't rely on your speed and agility forever. Eventually, you are going to have to stand your ground and fight back. You better learn to do this quickly or else I'll overwhelm you with my attacks.

Mihawk's eyes are filled with determination now."I didn't want to hurt you pretty boy, but if you insist" she smirks

Zoro smiles at y/n's taunt. Mihawk just seems even more impressed and excited by her abilities. She is truly turning into an impressive opponent for him. Mihawk charges toward her once again with his claymore still drawn and poised to strike. It looks like Mihawk will take her comments to heart, now that he has a reason to attack with full force.

He attack with full force, she block directly, and attacks after. Her speed and strength is something from another world... mihawk almost couldn't block due the force of it... zoro is amazed and shocked by her now. She is blocking Mihawk's attack with ease and countering with her own. Mihawk seems to be struggling to defend, despite being the strongest swordsman in the world. Y/n's speed and strength seem to belong to two people and not just a single individual. She is able to overwhelm even the strongest.

Zoro watches as Mihawk's arms become tired for the first time. Mihawk seems to be struggling to keep up. Y/n's strength, speed, and skill all seem to be beyond Mihawk's level. Will his experience help him win this battle?

Mihawk's expression seems even more grim and determined. He is still struggling to defend against her, however. Y/n seems in control as she counters all of his attacks and continues to press the advantage.

Mihawk tries to hit her, she backflips and use his claymore are a support, pushing him back a lot. She is using her agility, speed, and strength to her full advantage. Mihawk seems overwhelmed by her abilities and her confidence. He is slowly being pushed back and can't seem to gain any advantage over y/n

" ...You are impressive. No one has been able to overwhelm me like this with sheer strength. Your abilities are quite extraordinary. I will have to try something else. I cannot allow you to defeat me like this."

"But you're not ganna win, pretty boy"she say as she make another powerful hit, his claymore almost broke

He raises his claymore and holds his footing as he begins to focus his attention on y/n's dagger hand. She grins, excited by her strength, as her ability is acknowledged by Mihawk. He seems determined to take advantage of the situation.

He charge towards her...She blocked all ...and when she counter attack what she was promising happens. Mihawk claymore fly fair away from him, he was pushed on his knees as y/n dagger is pressing against his neck poking a bit "what happened pretty baby?" she smirk

Mihawk is left defenseless and on his knees, as she has her dagger hovering directly over his neck. He seems to be in awe and amused by y/n's skill; he's now also clearly in love with the young woman in front of him. Zoro notices that Mihawk's face has turned bright red as he attempts to reply to her. " ....Uhm...you're...you're..."

His attempt to compliment her is interrupted by him stuggling to get any words out at all

She smiles "your are really pretty on your knees for me pretty boy"

Mihawk's face turning an even deeper shade of red as he listens to y/n mock him. He, who is seemingly in love with her, tries to reply in kind and flirt with her himself.

"....Y-you're...d-decent looking yourself, a-angel."

Mihawk's attempt at flirting was extremely awkward. Zoro watches as Mihawk's face turns a brilliant crimson as soon as his words are uttered. He is clearly very attracted to y/n and has fallen head over heels for her.

She laughs taking the dagger out his neck "I told you a would win" she wink at him.

His face is flush red, as he is clearly enamored with the young woman standing before him. Mihawk seems to be completely in love with her, as he is incapable of replying to her. Angel winks at Mihawk, increasing someone elses feelings...

Zoro looks away and seems to become more annoyed than ever

"she won" Luffy said amazed his mouthalmost hitting the ground "she won against the most powerful men in all blue..."l

Zoro can feel his heart racing as his jealousy grows even more. The image of y/n standing before Mihawk and mocking him has only managed to deepen his unknow crush on her. He decides to speak up once again, his tone indicating a hint of annoyance now.

" She is too good. I hope Mihawk is happy. He'll probably spend the rest of the day thinking about how attractive this woman is." He seems to be unable to hide his jealousy over Mihawk's romantic interest in y/n.

Luffy eyes shine at his annoyed tone "jealous?"

Zoro feels his eyebrows furrowl. He knows that Mihawk's admiration for her is turning into romantic interest. He is clearly a bit annoyed by seeing him look at her with such a loving gaze, as he too has developed feelings towards her. Zoro looks over at Luffy, the hint of irritation now turning into a full-blown scowl and his voice becoming more irritated, as he responds

"What are you talking about, Luffy, i don't get jealous "

He look at the both foghter again. Deep down aishing he was mihawk, but for the firt time not because of his title of the greatest swordsman...

And for y/n the little question pop out... she have stronger feelings for one of them? Waht happens if she don't give her attention to them?

--------------------------------------------------

If you like, please ♡

Probably gonna write part 2 soon

@who-the-hockeysticks @itsladyliv @dummyduck44 @violet-19999

[z0mbi3girl444]

WILLIAM AFTON X READER NONCON IV

You have a step dad that likes you a little too much.

STORY INCLUDES RAP3/NONCON. NSFW 18+. MINORS DO NOT INTERACT I WILL BLOCK YOU.

You hate when your mother is gone. Every time she leaves town, your step-dad William practically changes personalities. After long days of working at his owned Fredbear’s Family Diner, instead of cooking for you or your step-brother Michael–who reminds you over and over that you are not his sister–William opens the liquor cabinet and just drinks. You mostly stay locked away in your room, trying to put as much distance between you and the man as possible. While Michael is out, surrounded by friends and living an actual life, you’re still adjusting to your new town, you don't have anyone to hang out with.

Something always nerved you about William. He might put on a good facade around your mother, but sometimes, when you catch him staring at you, or getting a little too close to you for no reason at all, you almost don't feel safe around William. So whenever your mother leaves town—which is far too often these days ever since her sister got sick—you’re left under William’s watchful eye.

Most of the time you hide out in your room, or pick up extra shifts at the convenience store you just recently started working at, and try to avoid William as much as possible.

William was a busy man, the co-owner of the most popular family-friendly restaurant in town; Fredbear’s Family Diner, so during the day he’s never home. But at night, that’s when things would get a little…intense.

You hear him from downstairs, yelling at Michael in a drunken rage, occasionally hitting him, but you never do anything. You feel bad, but you know if you do try to intervene, you will only get hurt. So you cover your ears, or listen to music on full blast, just to drown out the noise of William’s drunken abuse.

Tonight, your mom is gone and Michael is out, and William comes home later than usual. You’re up in your room, finishing up homework you have been putting off for days, and the moment you hear the door open from downstairs, your body tenses. Michael isn’t home, so you wonder if William will pick on you instead.

After around an hour or so, you start hearing William’s familiar shouts.

“Michael!!” He yells. You stay quiet. “Michael!” You hear again. His voice is louder, closer. He is walking up the stairs, you can hear the sound of his boots. He begins pounding on Michael’s door. “Open up you little shit!” He yells, “You didn’t take the trash cans in like I asked!” You hear the slur in his voice, he is drunk again, of course. It seems worse this time.

He is quiet for a few moments, and then you slowly hear his footsteps trudge towards your room. The only sound in the house are his footsteps approaching. Your eyes widen. He knows you’re up, your lights are still on.

William doesn’t hesitate as he knocks on your door “Open up,” he commands, his voice a blend of softness and authority that leaves no room for argument. You feel a jolt of fear freeze you in place. The thought of him forcibly entering your space is far more terrifying than simply obeying his request. William hasn’t laid a hand on you—yet—and you are determined to keep it that way.

With a resigned sigh, you push away from your desk and open the door. There he stands, dominating the threshold, his heavy eyelids partially obscuring his gaze, an inscrutable expression etching across his face.

“Where is my son?” William inquires, raising an eyebrow in a manner that seems to challenge you.

You shrug, genuinely at a loss. “I’m sorry, Mr. Afton, but I don’t know. Michael and I aren’t really friends,” you reply, trying to maintain a calm demeanor, though the slight tremor in your voice betrays your nerves.

William leans against the door frame, his presence almost suffocating as he scrutinizes you. “How long has he been gone?” he presses, his tone unyielding.

“He wasn’t home when I got back from school,” you manage to say. “There’s a soccer game tonight for our school; maybe he’s there?” You aren’t even sure if there was a game, but you grasp at the words, desperate for this conversation to reach its end.

A flicker of amusement dances across William’s lips, as if he is struggling to suppress a smirk. “Well then,” he exhales, a chilling undertone lacing his words, “I suppose I’ll just have to wait for him to return so I can teach him a lesson.” A wave of nausea washes over you at the thought, and your heart ached for Michael. "What are you up to?" he asks.

"Homework," you say, your voice shaking slightly as you force yourself to meet his gaze. "I should probably get back to it."

William chuckles, a sound that sends a chill down your spine. "You're a smart girl, aren't you?" he says, his eyes roaming over your face as if trying to memorize every detail.

You shrug, feeling self-conscious under his intense scrutiny. "I try," you mumble, unsure of how to respond.

"Michael never tried much in school," William continues, taking another step closer until his chest is almost brushing against yours. "It's nice to have a kid who does." His hand comes to rest on your shoulder, his fingers digging into your flesh with a possessive grip. "It's nice to have a daughter," he says, his voice dropping to a seductive whisper that makes your stomach churn with revulsion. You try to shift away from him, but his hand tightens on your shoulder, holding you in place."Aren't you happy to have a dad?" he questions, his predatory gaze boring into yours, searching for any hint of defiance or resistance.

You swallow hard, your mouth suddenly dry. The air between you feels thick and suffocating, like a physical weight pressing down on your chest. You know you should say something, anything, to break the tension, but the words won't come.

Your voice quivers with a mixture of fear and determination as you finally find the courage to speak up. "You're...not my dad," you say, the words coming out in a rush.

The words hang in the air between you, heavy with defiance and the unspoken knowledge that you're treading on dangerous ground. But you can't bring yourself to play along with his twisted game, to pretend that there's anything remotely fatherly about the way he's looking at you.

William chuckles, a dark and menacing sound that sends a shiver down your spine. He steps fully into your room, closing the door behind him with a soft click that feels like the sealing of your fate. His hand falls from your shoulder, instead coming to rest on your waist, his fingers digging into your skin with bruising force.

"I wish we were closer, you know," he says, his voice low and sultry, dripping with a sickening kind of affection. "But you keep yourself so hidden from me. I'm starting to think you're scared of me."

You look down at his hand on your waist, your mind reeling as you try to process what's happening. You don't understand it, can't begin to fathom why this man would want to be this close to you in any way.

You try to pull away, to put some distance between your bodies, but before you can react, he has you trapped against the wall, his hard body pressing against yours with a force that steals the breath from your lungs. His hand slides up your side, coming to rest just below your breast, his thumb brushing against the soft fabric.

"Is that it, sweetheart?" he murmurs, his lips brushing against your ear. "Are you scared of your daddy?"

You let out a nervous laugh, your eyes darting around the room frantically as you search for an escape. "N-No, I really should get back to my homework," you stammer, your voice shaking slightly. "I'm kind of busy right now..."

But William shakes his head, his eyes never leaving yours, holding you captive with his intense gaze. "Come on, kiddo. Take a little break with your dad," he coos, his voice dripping with fake affection. "Let me get to know you a bit better."

You swallow hard, your mouth going dry as you realize there's no easy way out of this situation. You want to remind him again that he's not your father, that he has no right to call himself that, but the fear that churns in your gut holds you back. You're terrified of what he might do if you defy him, and that fear is the only thing keeping you rooted in place.

"I'm just...busy right now," you say, your voice barely above a whisper. "Maybe we can talk another time?"

But William is having none of it. He smiles, a predatory glint in his eye as he takes a step closer to you. "You can make some time for me," he says, his tone leaving no room for argument. "It's almost midnight, isn't that past your bedtime anyway?"

He teases, his words hitting a nerve. You're acutely aware of the power dynamic here, of how easily he could overpower you if he chose to.

"Mr. Afton..." you begin, “What are you doing?

William's eyes twinkle with mischief as he grins down at you, his voice dripping with mock affection. "Come on, sweetheart," he coos, "We're past formalities now. Just call me Daddy."

You shake your head vehemently, your voice trembling with a mixture of fear and revulsion. "No. I-I won't..."

He throws his head back and laughs, a deep, rumbling sound that sends chills down your spine. "You're so cute when you're all flustered like that," he taunts, closing the gap between your bodies until you can feel the heat radiating off his skin.

You gasp as you feel something hard pressing against you, your eyes widening in shock and horror. The realization of what it is sends alarm bells ringing in your ears, your mind screaming at you to run, to fight, to do anything to escape this nightmare.

"It's always turned me on," William whispers, his hot breath ghosting over your ear. "Seeing you, talking to you, knowing that I could have you whenever I wanted..."

You stiffen, your body recoiling from his touch as he grinds against you, ensuring you feel every inch of his arousal. Tears prick at the corners of your eyes as he grabs your jaw, forcing you to meet his cruel gaze.

"How does that feel, sweetheart?" he growls, his voice rough and husky, dripping with sickening desire. "Knowing that this..." He punctuates his words with another thrust of his hips, making sure you can't deny the evidence of his lust. "Knowing that this is how you make your daddy feel?"

His words are like a physical blow, violating and degrading. You want to scream, to push him away, but you're paralyzed with fear, trapped in his grasp.

"You're not my dad," you whimper, the words barely above a whisper as tears begin to fall down your cheeks. "You're not my dad."

But even as you say it, you can see the truth in his eyes. He believes it, believes that he has the right to touch you, to use you, to claim you as his own. And in that moment, you realize that nothing you say or do will change his mind.

William's chuckle rumbles through his chest as he traces the delicate line of your jaw with his finger. "Oh, sweetheart," he breathes, his lips brushing against the shell of your ear, sending a shiver down your spine. "I'm the closest thing to a father you'll ever have..."

You try to turn your face away from his, to escape his unsettling gaze, but he holds you firmly in place, trapping you against the wall with his imposing frame. His chuckle takes on a menacing edge as he sizes you up, his eyes roaming over your body like a predator stalking its prey.

"Please, Mr. Afton!" you beg, your voice shaking with fear and desperation. "Please–”

He clamps his hand over your mouth, his eyes blazing with a mix of anger and lust. "Shut up," he hisses through gritted teeth. "I'm not your goddamn teacher. I'm your father." His cold lips brush against yours in a mockery of a kiss, sending shivers down your spine. "And you're my little girl..."

Your screams are muffled beneath his palm as he makes quick work of your clothing, roughly yanking the fabric away to expose your vulnerable body. You try to fight, to push him off, but he's too strong. He easily overpowers you, his grip like a vice as he drags you closer.

Desperate, you manage to break free from his hold and scramble backwards, putting some much-needed distance between you. But your escape is short-lived. William grabs the hood of your zip-up, using it to yank you back towards him with brutal force. You land hard on the bed, the air knocked from your lungs.

He looms over you, a sinister grin spreading across his face as he takes in your helpless form. "There's no use fighting, sweetheart. You know you can't win against Daddy," he purrs, his voice dripping with sickening endearment.

Tears stream down your cheeks as you plead with him, your voice breaking with desperation. "No, please! I'll do anything, just don't do this!"

But your pleas fall on deaf ears. William reaches down, quickly unbuckling his belt and freeing himself from the confines of his pants. Before you can brace yourself, he's upon you, his hard length thrusting deep inside your untouched depths with no warning.

Your breath catches in your throat as William's skilled touch sends shockwaves of pleasure coursing through your body. His gentle yet assertive movements catch you off guard, melting away any resistance. A whimper escapes your lips as he finds that spot deep inside you, hitting it with expert precision.

"Mmm, that's it," he purrs, his warm breath tickling your ear. His grip on your wrists tightens, but not painfully, holding you in place as he continues his relentless assault. "Good girl."

You try to fight it, to cling to your hatred for him, but your body betrays you. Your legs part of their own accord, welcoming him deeper as your inner walls clench around his hard length. Each powerful thrust sends you spiraling higher, drowning out all thoughts of anger and resentment.

A guttural groan rips from William's throat as he throws his head back, his hips snapping forward with renewed vigor. His hands leave your wrists, sliding up your sides to cup your breasts, kneading the soft flesh. He gazes down at you with hooded eyes, a wicked smirk playing on his lips.

"You like that, don't you?" he growls, punctuating his words with a particularly deep thrust. "You love the way I fuck you, even if you won't admit it."

You bite your lip to stifle a moan, hating how right he is. Despite your best efforts to remain indifferent, your body is responding to his touches, craving more. You're torn between wanting to push him away and pulling him closer, lost in a haze of lust and confusion.

As if reading your mind, William leans down, capturing your lips in a searing kiss. His tongue delves into your mouth, claiming you, dominating you. You can taste your own arousal on his lips, a heady mix of shame and desire.

Your body trembles beneath William's, a fine sheen of sweat covering your skin as he continues to pound into you with relentless abandon. The pleasure is overwhelming, all-consuming, stealing the breath from your lungs with each powerful thrust.

His lips trail down your neck, his teeth grazing your pulse point as he marks you as his own. You can't help but moan, arching into him as he drives you closer and closer to the edge.

"Fuck, you're so tight," he growls, his voice strained with effort. "I knew you'd feel amazing around my cock."

His words, so filthy and degrading, only serve to heighten your arousal. You're drowning in a sea of sensation, lost in the raw, primal pleasure of his touch.

Suddenly, William pulls out of you, leaving you feeling empty and unsatisfied. He peers down at you, staring at you with heavy eyelids. "Beg for it," he demands, his tone leaving no room for argument. "Beg me to fuck you."

You're torn between wanting to defy him and wanting to feel him inside you again. Your body aches with need, your inner walls clenching around nothing as you fight the urge to beg for his cock. But as he rubs the head of his length through your folds, teasing you with the promise of pleasure, you know you're lost. You open your mouth, the words spilling out before you can stop them.

"Please," you whimper, your voice barely above a whisper. “Please…”

William chuckles, a sound that sends a shiver down your spine. "Good girl," he praises.

And then he's inside you again, moving faster this time. You let out a shuddering breath, your body trembling as the pleasure builds to an unbearable peak. Your fingers dig into William's shoulders, nails raking across his skin as you cling to him desperately.

"Oh god," you whimper, your voice breaking with each word. "I-I can't...it's too much..."

William just chuckles, a dark and seductive sound that sends shivers down your spine. "I know" he purrs, his voice low and husky. "I know it is, kiddo."

His thrusts become harder, more demanding, each one pushing you closer to the edge. Your head falls back against the bed frame, your eyes squeezing shut as you lose yourself in the sensation.

And then, with one final, deep thrust, you shatter. A silent scream tears from your throat as your body convulses, waves of ecstasy crashing over you like a tidal wave. Your inner walls clamp down around William's length, milking him for all he's worth.

With a guttural growl, he follows you over the edge, his hips jerking erratically as he spills himself inside you. His grip on your hips tightens, holding you in place as he fills you with his seed, marking you as his own.

For a long moment, neither of you move, your bodies pressed together as you both struggle to catch your breath. William's head rests against your shoulder, his lips brushing against your skin in a tender gesture that seems at odds with the brutal way he just took you.

Finally, he pulls back, his eyes locking with yours. There's a dark satisfaction in his gaze, a possessiveness that makes your stomach churn with a mix of fear and disgust.

"See?" he murmurs, his voice low and dangerous. "I knew you'd be a good girl for me." He leans in closer, his lips brushing against your ear as he whispers, "And now that I've had a taste, I know I'll be back for more. You're mine now. All mine."

ao3: z0mbi3girl444

[me-uglypretty]

Three words and you know it

Pairing: Natasha Romanoff x F!Reader

Summary: Yelena and Kate fools Peter into a web of lies that eventually creates something more than a mischievous prank. [Loosely based on this incorrect quotes]

Warning: 18+ (G), fake relationships, comedy, pranks, fluff | Word count: 3.2k

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Oblivion was neither bad nor good, it was something that depended entirely on an individual’s circumstance. It was the knowing and not knowing. For an instance, there are certain time or situation in which, someone voluntarily walks into a shared space, a look of innocence on their face or that of oblivion, the utmost clarity in their words as they spoke with an unknown oath to gather attention that spew at confusion and awkward conversations. Though, it was to their unawareness.

It begun, a lovely morning for a warm breakfast, an extra sweet treat at the side, and two cups of tea. Natasha assured that breakfast duty was hers for today, and for you to sit comfortable on the kitchen chair. It forced a sort of routine, you would cook for her and she would cook for you, and Natasha profusely placing an extra pancake on your plate. Such arguments of being too full from your side was ignored.

You knew—Natasha knew. The extend of what you could eat, what you hated to eat, and everything that wouldn’t suffice your hunger. Especially for her special breakfast pancake that you truly enjoy, and have in numerous occasions requested for the same food later in the evening. It was your thing with her, and her thing with you.

Natasha knew that at every dreadful mission, the vile smell of gun powder, blood that sticks uncomfortable on your skin that was a mix of yours and the body that fell dead, and the anguish within which you hid with a joke—it was this little routine that curls a genuine smile on your face.

There, a smile etched on your face as you take anguish bites of your breakfast, and the equally contented smile on Natasha’s face as she unashamedly stares at you. A twinkle of some sort in your eyes and hers. The childlike expression which erupts at the most trivial situation or when enjoying the little things in life more than others, but more with each other.

You both were alike in that way, just not in the exact way that would make obvious of another correlation between two former assassins.

It was then, a wisp of white threadlike webs whizzed through the kitchen, an inch away from knocking your plate and a perfect hit to the cabinet behind you. At the exact moment that you swore, Natasha swiftly extracted a knife from beneath the counter, and a sound of cheer erupts with the appearance of Peter Parker.

Occasion alike this is when confusion arrives, playing a tune that led to strokes of awkwardness by the words of Peter, “I’m sorry! I’m so sorry, Mrs Romanoff! I’m still trying to understand this, look it’s so cool, but it's so confusing and this update just made it more confusing…”

The show of a silver bracelet wrapped around his wrist had earned a whistle from Natasha, complimenting him on the new look and discreetly hiding the knife she was holding. He seemed unfazed as he continued talking. The young boy’s likely visit often result in many broken objects, and yet, Tony insists on presenting him with new devices.

“How’s uni?” you enquired, after ensuring that you wouldn’t be hit by another string of web.

Natasha who was sat opposite you, watched amusedly as you navigated your plate correspondingly to where Peter moved in the kitchen. Your attentive gaze on the young boy dithers when you meet the eyes of Natasha, the wiggle of her eyebrows seems to almost take your attention away, if wasn’t for the rumbles of the additional person in the kitchen.

“…I told him that we shouldn’t do it, but it happened anyway,” Peter had gone on, words upon words that was ignored by reason of the woman sat opposite you. “Opps, sorry again, Mrs Romanoff,” he mumbled, hands fixated on the string of web almost hitting straight on Natasha’s forehead as the other end was stuck to his bracelet.

Several taps on the countertop redirects his attention towards the sound. Natasha gave him a pointed look. “Peter…” her voice sounded stern, nearing that of annoyance, before a playful smile emerges on her face, and she waited for the realisation to settle at her attempt of a joke.

The intention was to gather rounds of laughter from the young boy, perhaps, for you to announced again that she was horrible at joking as it always seemed more scary than funny. Despite that, you would laugh, shaking your head as you always did, hand waving away any attempt of explanation for her ways of words in the tone of comedy.

Peter sensed it, she thought. There was a look of confusion on his face as he glanced between two, your shake of head and the grin on her face. His eyes widened, “Sorry, Natasha. No more last names,” he spoke, hands raised in surrender which drew soft chuckles from the spy.

Natasha doesn’t flatter, opting to wink at him then glancing at you. “Do you want anything else?” she murmured the question, voice soften so drastically, and only for you to hear.

You smiled, feeling the warmth that roused at your skin as her eyes remained stuck on you. “Not really, but maybe for lunch…”

It’s easy, the exchanges of words or when eyes met and spoke more than what anyone else could interpret between two. Perhaps, the familiarities of your past had easily engulf this understanding. The learning of life that wasn’t controlled severely, breathing in air that both warmth your chest and made your huff at the scent that carried through the room, after she had sprayed her favourite perfume.

It wasn’t your favourite scent, but you had made it a habit to expect that she always wore the same perfume. Natasha sprayed your jacket with her perfume once, and somehow, she understood that you detested the scent—unless it was on her.

It’s so easy to overlook the other person who stood there, mouth producing noises that seemed like nothing if it wasn’t her voice that spoke or yours that she kept close.

“Goodbye Natasha, and Mrs Romanoff!” Peter waved his right hand while his left grasped onto his sandwich, and he speedily left the kitchen.

It was that, the noise that enticed your attention to the sound. The clatter of silverware followed by grumbles of curses slipping out your mouth, and hands grasping onto the countertop when your knee bumped against the counter. Natasha’s head had promptly turned towards you after staring at the door where Peter’s exited. The first thing she observed was the sheer look of panic on your face, and round eyes widened as you chaotically tried picking up the fallen fork.

Natasha caught onto something there. Her sense of awareness has always been remarkable. Missions completed in perfection due to her foresee of situations and ensuring her head was clear to achieve the best outcome. Thus, your undoubted appearance had proved her theory of something else than simple exchanged of greetings. Before this abrupt occurrence, Natasha was sure that Peter was greeting her as two different persons, and throughout those exchanges, you were always by her side. Bodies almost pressed together by the proximity.

Unless—and her attention shifts, round eyes marvelling at the clear nervousness on your apperance, mouth parted as though you were ready to justify yourself, but only offered her empty blows of air. Natasha raised a single eyebrow, easily grasping your attempts of changing the conversation.

“Was Peter calling you…Mrs Romanoff?”

The question was asked with a firm tone, and it agitated your hands to reach for a tissue or anything closer. A needed distraction from how you could easily utter every little secret by the sound of her voice, the look on her face, and those eyes, so green and gleaming even beneath the gloomy light.

When your eyes redirected from your almost empty plate to meet her eyes, you had perceived the look of contemplation on her face. It felt that she was genuinely engrossed in the idea. In a split second where your attempt mask of indifference slips, and you were sure that she knew.

Natasha sighed. “Why did Peter call you that…” her voice softened profusely. “I’m not going to harm you…or throw a knife at you so tell me please?”

The question itself flashed a memory in your mind. A knife that was thrown across the room, slashing a wound on the side of your arm, and if you hadn’t spent that time gawking at the known assassin, you wouldn’t had walked out with a wound to remind you of the moment you met Natasha Romanoff.

She was the enemy first, then she became your closest friend. That endearment kind of feeling, a word that tasted both sweet and bitter at your heart’s desire. At times, you wondered if staying as enemies would be enough. But you stare into her eyes at that moment, a smile that materialises on her face with a look to encourage your confession and the warmth that spread in your chest caused by her.

You would never know, perhaps, you thrive in the prospect of having a close something with her than nothing at all.

In your spiralling state, Natasha’s body remained rigid as she sat there, and waited for an appropriate reason for that mistake. There was a voice in her head that pushed forward the thought she had dejectedly hid away. It was the sound of hope that would persuade for something good than bad. If by her desired outcome, she wouldn’t continue to harbour the truth of her profound feelings that flourish at the mention of your name and more when your eyes met hers, the most delicate sort of gleam that made her body contentedly warm.

A confession may not meet the ears of others, but her mind whirls at the intended notion of being together forever. A significant other. If those words manifested itself into reality, slipping from the tongues of others like a casual banter, it made her heart swell at the idea of marriage. Natasha’s felt sure at the prospect of life spend with you.

Would it be so bad if she was so selfish to want that more than anything else?

Natasha’s round eyes widened, mouth parted slightly, and a little sound of a gasp at the realisation that dawned upon her.

It was assumed as harmless crush alike one she had on Bruce. It was a meant to pass through stages of complete fixation of a relationship she wouldn’t dare ruin to something that wasn’t important. It didn’t went pass that. In fact, she tried pretending that it was a just a friendship. A forged platonic relationship that was so pure and intimate, and now, she was seeing you as someone more than a crush she was forced to disregard.

“Honestly,” you suddenly spoke, and her attention flatters from the whirling thought, returning entirely to you. “I thought it was a mistake at first…little boys, right? But I don’t think he knows,” you finished with a shrug, appearing unbothered by the confession.

It was your reaction that struck her heart wrongly at first. Her expression seemed to flatter by seconds, the soften look to one of confusion to utter hurt. The hint of bore in your tone had easily disregard the nervousness that lingered before. She was almost sure that you were worried for an entirely different reason. One that she shared too.

The worst outcome clashed in her mind than the ones that coloured so vividly of her hope. Her hands fisted at the thought that was ready to confess her entire heart to you, and every vulnerability that she hasn’t yet shared.

Then, she heard the start of rhythmically taps. It was your nails tapping against the kitchen counter. Her shrewd eyes focused on your appearance, attentive gaze trailing a path to where your hands clenched and unclenched, followed by the look on your face. Natasha noticed the corners of your lips twitch, intending to smile or frown, then forcing a look of indifference that appeared more suspicious. It was clearly an act of masking your anxious state from her.

Something clicked in Natasha’s mind. A knowing hum resonated through her throat, her body leaned back nonchalantly and pressed against the chair. The drastic change in the atmosphere had caught onto you.

You didn’t think more of it than her knowing the truth. Natasha must had found out that you haven’t done anything to rebuke the misinformation. However, you start to notice the little act of a smirk on her face, and a subtle look of arrogance on her face. It was that reaction which straighten your posture.

“It’s not a bad thing,” you spoke out of distress. “I mean— it’s not— I’m okay with it! Mistakes happen and it’s no one’s fault…” you trailed, and entirely stopped your splatter of words.

Natasha stared intently at you, daring more words to spill that doesn’t justify yourself at all. It’s that look, the kind used during interrogations, and something you had watched from a safe distance. Natasha’s famous look that expressed, ‘I know the truth,’ and the look that made the other person tremble.

Silence transmitted first.

You contemplated the chances of escaping from having this dreaded conversation, and grimacing at your mind replaying your previous choice of words. A conclusion roused that she must had known, Natasha was definitely—to your absolute confidence—making a joke at your flustered state because she knew the embarrassing misunderstanding that Peter had produced at your expense.

“Wait, before you think that…”

Natasha decided to stop your second sequence of rambling. “I’m not opposed to it,” she spoke, a tone of certainty in her voice as she gauged your reaction.

Natasha observed the seconds where you reacted by your eyes widening almost comically then gaze falling entirely on your plate, mouth parted like you were talking to your breakfast, and you stayed there for a moment too long.

Slowly, a shy smile emerged on your face and when you shifted your gaze to meet her eyes, Natasha was beaming at you with a smile that appeared wider and happier than any kind you had ever saw.

You could only utter a word or more so, a sound. “Oh?”

Natasha nodded her head. “Oh,” she jested, switching her position to lean her elbows on the counter and resting her head on her palm of her hands. Her teeth nimble on her bottom lip, and your eyes blatantly stayed on that sight.

“So…” Natasha started, redirecting your attention away from her lips to meet her glistening eyes. “From my understanding, you like the idea of being my wife?” she teased, and slowly leaned her body forward.

It felt like a similar tactic she used on criminals, but there was a difference ambiance to the way she looked at you. A honied smile, eyes glazed of such tenderness, and you wondered for a second there on what it would feel to have that same look stayed on you forever. Natasha that developed a genuine relationship with you that was far more special and different than the kind shared with Clint. The thought itself distracted you from the actual matter in hand, and warmth that roused from your neck to your face.

You think of that. The first time you met Natasha, the first time you exchanged greetings as partners, the first time you shared a meal together, the first you swore that your feelings were something would progress into nothing, the first time you realised it was more than building an honest attraction to someone from a silly misinformation, the first time you sat and imagined the notion of being Natasha’s wife, the first time you almost confessed your feelings at her sister’s pestering and it dawned on how serious—

You gasped.

Natasha impulsively jumped backward, grasping the knife she had kept hidden again.

The expression on your face had morphed into something that worried Natasha, it wasn’t a shy look of someone sharing similar feeling to her.

You cursed under your breath.

“What?” Natasha questioned, her attention heightens on you and your surroundings. “What’s wrong?” she tried again, her hand clasping over yours.

It seemed to had break your distraction as round eyes fell on her hand at the tender touch. Natasha observed the way your eyes lingered before interlacing your fingers with hers. Where your forefinger seemed to hover over that one finger.

You looked ahead, gazing into her eyes—alike the moment you first met, the occurrence of such mundane thing, and the constant moments where hearts thumps keenly—and you didn’t look away. Natasha swore to herself at that vital moment, nothing could split the connection between you and her, even if she had to leave with a bleeding heart at the expense of your tenderness towards her.

“What is it?” she asked. It was almost followed by, ‘Do you need me to kill someone?’

You shook your head. “Three words,” you spoke softly, and she looked confused at first. “And you know it,” you continued, softly squeezing her hand.

Natasha doesn’t comprehend your implication. It was unlikely that Peter had misaddressed you as hers on purpose. The absolute innocence and sincerity in his words was supporting his case. She reflected on your words, feeling the thought rush through when your finger traced the minimalistic tattoo on the inside of her wrist.

It clicked. Your pointed look and noted pointers then the look of annoyance that materialised on her face.

“Yelena and Kate.”

You nodded your head. “Yelena and Kate.”

A silent understanding breached between two after the revelation. Of course, it was the mischief duos that landed you in this predicament.

Natasha instantly dived into planning her course of action to scare them into admitting their antics and possibly fear them enough to attempt this prank again. Internally, she was fuming at the idea that someone else could had been paired with you. That her younger sister—once innocent and wouldn’t dare be disobedient—could had your intertwined with another name that wasn’t hers. It wasn’t real, she knew that. But she couldn’t stop the way her heart hammered that you could had possibly felt something for someone else because of one prank.

It lured her to look at you than stared absently at the wall behind you. As her eyes gazed into yours, round globes seemingly gleaming beneath the awful pale kitchen light, the feeling of annoyance seemed to vanish into something warm and soft.

Natasha wasn’t eager to confront her sister, but she was eager to continue where you had left off, where it was clear that you shared her feelings for this specific future too. That was it, wasn’t it?

You appeared to understand her thoughts. “So...” you murmured, and she repeated the same word with a childlike smile on her face. “You’re not opposed to us…hanging out…as wives?”

Laughter echoes in the kitchen at your question. Natasha couldn’t stop the endearing look on her face as you added another joke at her obvious desirability for you. A prank had brought light to your shared feelings on the topic, and it wasn’t nothing alike a passing crush for someone.

Unfortunately for Yelena and Kate, the supposedly best prank might had turned into the worst assisted links of an even more compatible duos by the name of you and Natasha.

NEXT

[therealslimshakespeare]

“Can ya not take care of yourself?” it’s almost pleading, as if he’s found her out with a poor argument.

MARINA! id you’re really all too happy to share PLEASE show us what she says PLS omg

Hehe sure, it’s a little angsty but we’ve already discussed her having this issue….

“Can ya not take care of yourself?�� it’s almost pleading, as if he’s found her out with a poor argument.

Lu feels her cheeks burn and she has a lie, a quip, a flirt right at hand for this sort of question, but this isn’t Spencer who would recoil at her mentioning her impediments, and it’s not one of the sweet army boys, each a fresh well that she poisoned bitter by the white lies she told so she didn’t have to feel less with them. Anything so that they didn’t go from hungry to sorry, admiring to pitious. Something in her squeezes and aches at the idea of tainting this moment with a fib, no matter how silly or complimentary.

Benny knows enough, he knows enough about more than her. Benny knows.

“I- I don’t actually.” she admits, can tell her voice has gone thin again and it was her worst fear earlier tonight but right now, as Benny stays close and quite obviously does some serious thinking with his nose pressed alongside hers and his body very still as it gets sometimes when he’s trying to solve his thoughts, it’s nothing at all alarming.

She can see down the slope of his cheek when Benny licks his lips, in preparation for a well thought out question that is stuttered in delivery all the same. “Ya don’t…wanna? Or ya don’t. Don’t take care- yourself.”

It’s a bit of both that results in the latter. There is something genuinely disturbing and utterly clinical to her about feeling down there. A lover’s touch is welcome but her own seems remote in the extreme. “It never has the desired effect.” she admits, voice very soft.

Benny’s nod is almost imperceptible- if he wasn’t so near and she was so desperate for it. “So ya wanted me, want me,” he corrects, “ -to take care of ya?”

“Please.” she begs instantly.

Benny shakes his head again, this time it feels different, like denial and less like understanding. She wants to panic. “That’s a tall order, Tallulah.” he gets out a shaky laugh that’s no laugh at all and it ghosts against her mouth, “Girl like you...” he sounds marveling when he says it and she wonders if he really means that, if the way she keeps pushing her luck with him is at all wonderful, if having been so utterly rearranged down there she can hardly call it her own any more makes her wonderful.

“Please.” is all she’s got and she feels Benny’s intake of breath beneath her hands as they rest on his shoulders.

“Ya sure?” he asks, soft.

[parkerluvsu]

Could u write some Patrick angst where you guys are in a solid relationship but Patrick tries to breakup w reader bc he’s never been in a genuine relationship so his own insecurities take over? Happy ending tho if possible🥹

yes i can <333 sorry this is long and it kind of takes a while to get to the point i hope you like it anyway 😭

- as long as you've known patrick he's been known as a "playboy", previous room mates attesting to the fact that a new girl was leaving his room every night. patrick didn't know what he was looking for, there were no common links between his flings and he didn't care, he would buy them a drink and nod at their stories before he invited them back to his room, sending them on their way once he got what he wanted.

- you met patrick through a mutual friend in college, you didn't see too much of him because he was always late to class or never even showed up. of course, his grades started to slip and his parents noticed, immediately looking for a tutor for him and settling on you, since you were "friends". as it turns out it's pretty hard to contact someone who doesn't even have contact names for people, just " brunette from bar" and "chick from biology". you finally got a hold of him and told him the arrangement, he didn't like it (to be expected) but his parents threatened to not support his dreams of becoming a tennis star if he didn't get good grades, so he settled.

- outside of his frequent escapades, patrick was a nice person, he actually did listen and ask questions the whole time you were explaining problems to him. once he actually get to know you a little bit (simple things like how you always complain about being thirsty but never bring a drink, or only use pens and never pencils, not caring if it's more trouble when you make a mistake), he respects you and your time more and doesn't skip lessons as much and actually does his homework.

- once you become friends on a bit of a deeper level, not just tutor and student, he talks to you about tennis, eventually inviting you to come watch him play. usually he's playing doubles with art, but you personally prefer the days when he's playing solo, you really get to focus on his talent and passion for the game that way. and patrick comes to look forward to seeing you in the stands at his games, art makes fun of him and pushes his shoulder whenever patrick gets distracted. he notices a weird feeling in his stomach when he does find a moment to look at you, smiling at how you're biting your nails and leaning forward on your seat.

- that night, patrick invites you to come to his victory party, he reasons that you helped him archive this victory by bringing peace to his academic life so of course you should come. you spend the night sipping on a drink in the corner of the room, given you only knew patrick and art, who were surrounded by admiring friends and family. just when you were picking up your coat and keys to leave, patrick was able to escape his fans and come over to you, his brows furrowing as he sees you're about to leave. "what do you think you're doing?" he asks, "you haven't even said hi tonight", if you were looking closer it would almost seem like he's pouting. you explains that you're tired, you don't really know anyone and honestly you'd rather just be in bed. "well lemme walk you to your car then yeah?", he helps you to put your coat on, ushering you out the door into the quiet street, ignoring your argument that it's really not necessary, fighting back with "a pretty girl like you shouldn't be walking alone late at night" and that shuts you up as you walk next to patrick, neither of you saying anything. it's a comfortable silence though, and you think back on your time with patrick and realize you've never really felt uncomfortable with him.

- once you get to your car safely you lean against your car to continue talking to him, thanking him thoroughly for walking you to your car, even though he had to leave his own party. maybe it was the glasses of champagne you had at the party or the way his skin glowed in the moonlight but you leaned in and kissed his cheek as an act of thanks. as you opened your car door to leave patrick did something he's never done to a girl, he made the first move, cupping your face in his hands and kissing you. he didn't know what it meant for your relationship but he didn't care in the moment, all he knew was how soft your lips felt against his. when he pulled away it was clear you were both quite awkward, so he gets you into your car and told you he'd text you the next day. and another first, he actually did text you the next day.

- from then on your relationship blossomed, for how experienced patrick was, he wasn't experienced in the more romantic aspects of a relationship, but just like you taught him chemical symbols and equations, you taught him how to have an actual healthy relationship. but still, patrick feels like he should know all these things already, you shouldn't have to ask for flowers or ask to go on a romantic date, you should be with someone who knows how to treat you right. about 4 months into your relationship he couldn't stop himself from thinking this way, knocking on your door right after practice and praying you'd answer. when you do, he makes you sit down on your bed and explains the whole ordeal, ending it with "you deserve someone better than me, that can treat you better.. we have to break up". you're immediately confused, the reason that he wants to break up is so stupid you feel like you need to slap him. you don't, of course but you certainly give him a firm talking to, reminding him of all the things you love about him and he feels like crying, his head falling into your lap as he holds your hand. he'd never imagined being in a relationship like this, and he promises to make you feel as lucky as you make him feel everyday <33

[aritsukemo]

Hello! I was so happy when I found out you writing for Yona of the dawn, and now I would like to make a request. Can you please do sfw relationship headcanons with Hak? Female reader is also in a team. I know it's not original, but since we have so little Akayona content, I think it fine. Thank you in advance!

Relationship Headcanons | Son Hak

Warnings: None.

A/N: So, so sorry this took so long to complete!! I was trying to hold off until I finished the manga to make this, but as recent events have gotten me really into the Windbreaker anime and the Black Butler manga, it uh...doesn't seem like that'll happen anytime soon. Nevertheless, despite going off a pure memory for this ( as I haven't picked the manga up since, like, last summer ) I hope you enjoy this little piece I put together!

↪ No matter if you're the medic, the cook, or one of the fighters on your team, Hak will always try to protect you in any and all situations.

↪ He's very sensitive when it comes to certain things with you so if you ever got hurt, no matter the circumstances of how it happened, he will blame himself for not jumping to your rescue.

↪ Very sarcastic. All lighthearted jokes between you and any of your team members, of course. He'd fall head over heels for you all over again though if you ever joined in on his antics or had a similar sense of humor. ( None of your or his teammates can share that sentiment though )

↪ He's a gentleman when he wants to be and if he sees you struggling unnecessarily with something ( ex. carrying a bunch of twigs or logs or something ) he'll be by your side to help you in an instant whether you want to be helped or not. ( Depending on how you react to his help though, he may add a snarky comment or two. )

↪ Loves to rile you up. At times when there's nothing dire going on, he tends to poke fun at you until you just blow and start screaming at him. ( Or however you react when your mad ) He finds it cute when you huff and puff at him, but if his comments genuinely hurt your feelings, let him know ( or don't and let him find out on his own ) and he'll tone it down.

↪ If you can fight, he'll spar with you on a good day. Not that you probably want him too. You see, Hak can be pretty..irritating. First off, he tends to hold back out fear of hurting you ( especially if you're a woman ) so if you expect some no holds barred fighting like he does with Kija or his enemies, you're out of luck. Secondly, if you're a novice, he'll nitpick every little thing you do wrong. He means good by it, wanting you to see those mistakes before an enemy shows you and you end up wounded or worse, but just the way he goes about it would get anyones blood boiling.

↪ Does the hottest things at the most random times. You two can be out on a task given to you by Yun or simply sitting by the fire and enjoying the scarce peace and he'll do something like bite your neck or profess his undying love for you out of nowhere. What makes things worse is that he'll pretend it never happened afterwards, leaving you to use context clues to figure out what the hell just happened.

↪ Irritating to deal with when it comes to arguments. Hak is a very stubborn person and when you're arguing, especially if the topic regards your safety ( or really anything that envolves you and your wellbeing ), chances are that he won't back down. He's also blunt to boot so some things he says could easily be taken the wrong way.

↪ That leads us to apologies! While Hak isn't the type to go on some long winded ramble asking for your forgiveness, he will reach out at the very least depending on what he'd be apologizing for. ( Depending on what happened, he may not apologize at all ) Moments like that are the few times you get to peer inside him and see that genuine side that he tends to cover up with sarcasm and nonchalance.

↪ You're his top priority at all times. He's always thinking of you. especially on the battlefield! If you're not in his line of sight, he gets antsy and his mind wanders everywhere. Stuff like "Are you safe?", "Are they injured?", "Are the others with you?", and much more are going through his head with every swing he takes with his glave.

↪ Vulnerable moments with him are short and fleeting. It's in his nature to keep this unbothered persona of his going until the end because he doesn't like it when people are worried about him. He may say things in those moments that'll completely contradict his whole character only to immediately wave you off afterwards, leaving your mind racing as you try to pick apart his words and find the true meaning behind them.

↪ He's not one for cuddles, but if you are, he doesn't mind letting you curl up against him and lay on his chest. He tends to play with your hair at times like that, but only when you're fast asleep and can't feel it or whenever he's trying to tease/fluster you.

↪ Your first kiss will catch him off guard at first no matter who initiated it because, if he were to be transparent, he didn't believe he'd ever actually get to this point with you. That said, after the first kiss, he can't go more than a day without feeling the security of your warm lips on his! That means goodbye, good morning, good luck, and any other excuse he can pull to get a kiss from you is a must from then on!

↪ Can get real jealous at times. I imagine this being a big issue moreso prior to you two getting into a relationship rather after, but Hak can get really possessive when he's jealous. He's def not the type to see everyone as a threat, but I do imagine him being preturbed by one of your team members showing some kind of hint of harboring romantic feelings for you. And in that case, he may act a bit meaner to them ( still overall light hearted though like when he's interacting with Jae-Ha ) and possibly even petty enough to find ways to get you to avoid them. ( Like, for example, asking you to help him out with something that he can definitely do on his own specifically when he notices you conversing with the person causes him to feel so jealous )

↪ Basically he can be bit emotionally constipated at times, but he's not the worst boyfriend one could have. Not in a million years, in fact!

Dividers were made by me, pictures used are from Pinterest, post formatting is inspired by @xxsabitoxx

[hazbinhappy]

Hi! First of all, happy spring break! I hope you enjoy your time off! ♡

I love Husk so much, he needs love to heal his dead heart 💔 so maybe femreader who's at the hotel with everyone and he finds himself catching feelings. And it terrifies the hell outta him. He hasn't felt anything like it in so so long, maybe nothing ever this strong. He has no idea what to do about it but the longer he's around her, it becomes more and more difficult to keep his feelings to himself. (If you like angst, maybe he pushes her away at first and she's hurt by it and it leads to a blow up which ends in his confession.)

Aaaand an idea for Overlord!Husk. We still don't know much about that part of his story, but let's say one of the souls he owns is readers. How he got her soul can be up to you. He starts to develop real feelings for her but she doesn't think they're genuine since she thinks she's just his "pet"

A/N: I am enjoying my spring break! Just lounging around, playing video games, and drawing! And of course writing and doing matchups! I hope I do these two well! I separated them with separate gifs! I changed up the first one a bit! god i just love overlord husk my man my man my man i went so hard on this for husk actually not being my top favorite (he is a top 3 three) I decided to mix the singer one with this overlord husk due to catching feels and being sweet <3

I feel like he is someone who clocks his feelings quickly or ignores the fuck outta them until he can’t anymore

I think in his past life he may have been married, but divorced because of his alcoholism and gambling addiction

So when he meets you he’s fine in the beginning. You’re just a soul who is trying out this redemption thing. So what?

But then you start to come to the bar more and more often. You don’t even get alcoholic drinks. Just Shirley Temple’s or non-alcoholic versions of drinks.

It confuses him because why come to the bar, silently have a drink, and then leave?

Eventually you start to talk with him, but you’re sober. You’re not drunkenly confessing anything, you’re just making light conversation, maybe a thing or two about your past or current life.

Soon, maybe a couple months, he starts opening up too and enjoys having conversations with you and in fact looks forward to when your freetime matches up so you can talk or even play cards (“What’s on the table?” “It’s just a friendly game of poker, Husk. Nothing more, nothing less.”)

Angel teases him one day about how he’s smiling more and seems to perk up whenever he hears your voice or even the mention of your name

That’s when it really sets into his mind and he starts to think about it.

Unfortunately that soon leads to him becoming avoidant and shut off from conversations leading to the same on your end as well before evolving into you guys simply not talking anymore

This actually upsets Angel and Charlie (moreso Charlie, but Angel decides to take care of it because we all know how Charlie can get a bit too involved in things)

Angel and you have a little heart to heart and Angel just…. He just laughs because it’s funny to him! You two are old souls who used to be married (and divorced) and y’all don’t know how to handle love anymore!

Angel comes up with this big grandiose plan on to confess but you settle on just a simple “smoke break” confession/trapping him on a break

Husk is standing on the balcony for a breather as you slip in behind him. He goes to leave but you purposefully block the door.

It’s a back and forth mini-argument. You planned on confessing first, but then he just blurts it out like a middle schooler admitting his first crush.

It’s a bit silly. This old man just blurts out his feelings as you’re standing there silent.

It’s a sweet moment to though because you give him a hug and cheek kiss (sorry I am a sucker for those I find them adorable) before confessing as well

Thankfully the hotel can run as normal without all the tension

Poor Alastor though he was loving all the misery and sadness coming from you two, mainly from Husk; he provided no real good advice

Did you know that most casinos don’t have clocks or windows so you don’t know how long you’ve been there and keep staying :D

So the only person with a watch is Husk and that is like a hidden pocket watch that he only checks when he gets a drink

I think that reader may have been one of the first souls he got! Or maybe the first he got specifically for the casino. He wanted some entertainment for the place to also keep people coming or staying so that’s what he uses your soul for!

He probably just smooth talked you into it or you made a silly bet and lost so you now have to work for him. So your relationship doesn’t necessarily start bad because you don’t hate him depending on if you choose the losing bet option, but if you choose the tricked option then it doesn’t start off well

Eventually it does get better over the years!

He starts to pay you a bit more and finally allow people to tip you; he doesn’t mind if you gamble because I like to believe that he houses people in an area above the casino so he has another layer of control as well

He tells his workers whether or not it’s daytime if they ask in private; when people know what time it is for your show they’ll be an announcement of like “Show in thirty minutes” so patrons are still in the dark about the actual time

He now doesn’t visit your shows with the idea “Yeah I own them”, but instead “Aren’t they gorgeous and saying a good job, say they’re doing a good job or I’ll fucking cut you-”

 At this particular show you sing “Once Upon a Dream” (a song from your favorite movie as a child Sleeping Beauty came out in 1959) just to change it up from all of the loud game noises and yells in the casino

When you look over at Husk with that sweet smile and look as you walk around, even running your fingers across the back of his chair before doing so to some other people

It makes him feel giddy for some reason even though he wasn’t the only person who you gently touched… but he was the only person who you gave that look to

After your shift ends and you’re in the dressing room grabbing your things, he was leaning on the doorway smoking a cigar

“So, doll, do you look at everyone that way when you sing or just me?”

“Jesus, Husk! Warn a person before you sneak up on them.”

 “Apologies, so?”

“...Well…um…the song-”

“No is a sufficient answer.”

“No… I don’t look at everyone that way when I sing.”

“Mmm, nice to know. Have a good night.”

It’s not necessarily an odd conversation, but it’s not solidified in what you guys feel about each other

It is very flirty between y’all though and it’s known that you are off-limits and your are his

You question it a lot (and so do other people) considering he owns your soul and he specifically made you an entertainment piece at his casino, but he definitely takes you out and lets you have more freedom than the other souls, so your worries aren’t completely squashed, but you feel better

[drjackabbots]

that last gifset made me sad that we never got a follow up to the Mel/Abbot "Talk to me at the end of the day" scene

Mel’s convinced she’s made it to the door without anyone noticing her before a voice stops her dead in her tracks.

“Dr. King.”

It’s said in that sort of way that’s not really a question even if someone else would frame it like that, and Mel lets her shoulders rise up a little towards her ears as she slowly turns.

Oh, boy.

“I’d like a word before you leave,” Dr. Abbot says calmly, and Mel tries to smile at him. She’s had pretty limited interaction with him, given that basically every conversation had the undertone of ‘this person is dying, can you please come help if it’s not too much trouble’, but she can already tell that Dr. Abbot takes no nonsense as more than just a personality trait. It’s probably more like a way of life.

“Oh, right,” she says, fiddling with her bag. “Yeah! Yeah. Of course. Sure.”

Dr. Abbot leads her a little aways from the exit while everyone else is getting all their things together. She can see the way that he glances over at Dr. Robby, who seems to be headed towards a conversation with Dana, and then his attention is on her again. He holds eye contact like it comes naturally to him, while Mel has to fight to keep it without fidgeting or turning away. He’s intimidating, and she’s preparing herself for whatever reprimand is about to come down on her head. Was it the spinal tap against the parents’ wishes? The way she told on Santos about the REBOA? Maybe the way she kept sneaking off to gather her wits? There are probably a million—

“I wanted to apologize for this morning,” Dr. Abbot says curtly, and Mel blinks up at him.

“...um,” she says, because she can’t really think of anything else. “I’m… sorry? For… what, exactly?”

“This morning,” he repeats. “When I told you to talk to me at the end of your shift.”

The conversation feels like so many worlds away that Mel has to genuinely think about it. She must’ve lived at least three lives in the span of the last fifteen hours, but when the memory finally slides into place, she bites her lip and then shrugs as nonchalantly as she can.

“Oh. I mean… You were right,” she says quietly, picking at the skin of her thumb with her index finger at her side. “I definitely feel different than I did when I came in. It was a lot. And I learned a lot! For sure. But it was…” She clears her throat. “You don’t… need to apologize or anything, even if I appreciate the thought—”

“I do need to apologize,” he interrupts, and she falls silent. “You’re an exceptional doctor, from what Robby told me. I might’ve been in a bad mood when you introduced yourself, but that was no reason for me to shoot you down like that. Especially not after the shitshow today ended up being.”

It’s a lot to take in with the way her brain’s starting to feel like it’s full of lead, and it takes Mel a second to process what he’s saying. Dr. Abbot’s a lot taller than she is, and he stands with his hands clasped behind his back like some kind of drill sergeant, and his tone brokers zero argument. But the words exceptional doctor come through clear as day, and under that stoic and sarcastic persona, Mel thinks there might be someone almost gentle there. A softness underneath the scars. Or, at least, she hopes so.

“...yeah,” she says, nodding and laughing a little. It’s not exactly funny, and there’s not a lot of mirth in it, but it’s a laugh anyway. “Yeah, it—yeah, today was a shitshow.”

“But you did good.” Dr. Abbot holds that eye contact when she tries to look away, following her like a bird. “You know that, right?”

The way he says it comes with so much conviction that Mel doesn’t even question it this time. She swallows hard, thinking of everything that’s happened today. None of it felt good, and none of it felt like she was making any progress, but… she can believe it, in this moment, that she proved herself. At least there’s that.

“Yeah,” she says softly. “I tried to. I hope I did.”

“You did,” he insists, like it’s a personal mission.

Although it takes a second, Mel nods.

Then, to her shock, she gets a smile. It’s not a bright, cheerful smile, but there’s something… kind about it. Dr. Abbot isn’t like Dr. Robby, and maybe that’s a good thing when it’s needed. The smile’s gone as quickly as it came, and Dr. Abbot straightens up again from where he’d tilted his head to follow her eyes when she tried to look away.

“Don’t forget that,” he says, hitching his bag more securely onto his shoulder. “And don’t let an old shit like me get to you. This place needs more people like you. The patients need more people like you. So you keep going. You got it, Dr. King?”

A proud warmth blossoms in her chest, tendrils of it trying to reach out and brighten the tired agony of the day. It hadn’t felt like that, most of the day, but between Dr. Abbot and Dr. Robby’s affirmations, Mel thinks she might just be able to come back tomorrow.

“Got it,” she replies, and Dr. Abbot nods as he turns on his heel.

“Good,” he says, and throws a vague goodbye wave over his shoulder as he makes his way towards Dr. Robby waiting for him near the exit to triage. “Now get out of here before you change your mind.”

That’s really all she needs. Dr. Robby gives her a little wave too, and she returns it with probably too much false cheer. She can see it in his eyes that the day’s gone just as poorly for him as it has her.

Once they’re both gone, Mel pushes the door open with her shoulder and takes off down the street. She’s already thinking about how she needs to pick up Becca and how to finagle a shower without waking her up once Mel convinces her to go to bed, but the words echo in her mind. That warmth in her chest stays, beating in time with her heart as she rounds a corner and holds her phone up to her ear.

“Hey,” she says, counting down each number on the crosswalk across the street as they flicker one by one. “I’m done with my shift. I’m coming to pick you up, okay?”

Becca’s full of delight, as always. It keeps that warm feeling flickering like a campfire.

“Did your first day go okay? How do you like it there? Is it fun?”

Mel smiles, waiting for the last car to drive by as she’s hit with a familiar barrage of questions.

“We’ll see how I feel after a few more shifts,” she says, hurrying across the street. “Anyway, what about you? You’re going to have to tell me all about your day when I get there.”

It wasn’t the VA, that’s for sure, but… she could learn to love the Pitt. She could learn to make it her home, and the people there a weird, messed up sort of family. She can come back and try again.

As long as every day doesn’t end up like today, anyway.

also on ao3!