#got7 jaebeom imagine

[yoonia]

Love is Banned | jay b

— title: Love Is Banned | pairings: Jaebum/Jay B (GOT7) x female reader | genre: pwp (porn with very little plot), post break-up!au, brother’s best friend!au | word count: 10,901 words 

— summary | Heartbroken beyond repair, you escape to your brother’s place hours away from home, desperate to avoid the Valentine’s Day soiree happening around you—only to find yourself trapped in the middle of his love-filled house party. Seeking solitude, you are surprised to find the perfect source of comfort from the last person you had ever expected to meet tonight.

— full fic ratings & warnings | +18 / M for mature; involves swearing, alcohol consumption, drunk sex (with consent), explicit sex, teasing and drunk flirting, sex/dirty talk, soft dom!Jaebum, inexperienced reader, oral sex (female receiving), fingering, clit play, hair pulling (male), restraints/light bondage, light spanking, breast play, nipple play, biting, rough sex, exhibitionism kink, minor pain kink, forced orgasm, multiple orgasms, unprotective sex, creampie, minor aftercare. 

— fic drop date: March 18th, 2025 | read on AO3 | main masterlist | wip | mailbox | feedback box | ko-fi | divider credit

— story note: part of Lost Boys: Threadbare Hearts series | I was supposed to post this on Valentine’s Day, but life kept getting in the way and this took way longer than expected to finish. This fic was roughly edited, but I hope you can still enjoy reading this one. | If you’re interested to be tagged/notified on any of the other stories included in the series, please enter your blog username/url through the taglist form here.

— tracklist: worst behaviour — kwn, kehlani / I can’t wait to get there — the weeknd / slow grind — muni long / slow — wizkid, anais cardot

“You’re not supposed to be here.” 

Those words slip out of you before you can stop yourself.

Because this room was supposed to be empty. At least, that was what you were hoping to find when you came up here. 

Placed far in the hidden corner upstairs of your brother’s home, the small guest room should have been a safe place. It should have been able to keep you far from the racket happening below. 

As far as you know, the room is rarely used—except as a second storage room where your brother would stash his old personal things once he’s no longer using them or when you need to stay over for the night with no disturbance from your brother and his guests. Apart from the two of you, you’ve never known anyone ever using the room. 

That had been the reason why you went upstairs and straight to here once you got the chance to escape. To get away from the damn party that you wanted no part in, expecting some peace and quiet, and a moment to yourself. 

You never expected to find the room—your safe haven—already occupied. 

“I don’t see any rules telling me to stay out of this place,” the man sitting in the darkness responds to you in a mocking tone. You recognise his voice before you get to see his face, as he is almost completely hidden in the shadows with none of the lights turned on, and with his back resting against the foot of the bed where the lights coming through the window can’t reach him. 

Judging from the slight slur in his speech, and the large bottle of liquor sitting on his side with half of its content mostly gone, you can tell that he already has some alcohol running in his system. Possibly from drinking here all alone while everyone else is trashing your brother’s home. 

He lets out a low chuckle and continues, “And, as far as I know, you don’t live here, so I don’t think you’re one to make the rules anyway.”

You cross your arms, going on the defensive—something that your body has been trained to do since you were a teenager facing the group of rowdy boys that your older brother hung out with back in school. “That’s not what I meant.” 

Another low chuckle comes from him before he finally moves, leaning forward until his face is visible under the streaks of dim light filtering from the hallway behind you. Just as expected, your uninvited guest turns out to be Jaebum, one of your brother’s high school best friends who seems to be hanging out around him still. Seeing the recognition on your face, he shows you a grin that no doubt would have been able to make every girl coming in his path blush from head to toe. 

Of course, you would know this to be true. You are a woman, after all, and you used to be one of those girls who were drawn to them. Not just girls, too. Other seniors used to flock around them, following everything they did at school while vying for their attention. With your brother being a part of their group, you would often find them hanging out at your family’s house after school, either in the living room or your brother’s bedroom, something that everyone else had always been so envious of while you could never find the comfort in as they used to invade your safe space.

Just like what he is doing now. 

You should have expected to find at least one of your brother’s friends to be around when you first came and saw the party happening, knowing that they still hang out together even after years have gone by. You just didn’t expect you were going to come across one of them this way. 

“Why are you here anyway? The party’s downstairs,” you curiously ask him once you’ve gotten over your shock. Seeing him now, you cannot help but picture the way you remember him from all those years ago. Years may have passed, but it doesn’t seem like he has changed all that much. He still seems like the same older boy who once made your stomach flutter whenever he was near or when he gave you a bit of attention. 

“I’m not really in the mood to join the party,” Jaebum says, shrugging, “I should be asking you the same thing. Why aren’t you downstairs with your brother? I thought you drove all the way here to join his party.” 

As if.

You narrow your eyes and scoff, murmuring almost to yourself, “I was supposed to come here to avoid all kinds of parties.”

That was the truth, anyway. While you’ve never specifically celebrated Valentine’s Day before, you’re not someone who has any aversion towards it either. Until recently, when you finally have the reason to. 

Dealing with a breakup only days before Valentine’s Day did that to you. It made you become sceptical and bitter, almost allergic to the love fest happening around you. So you decided that you had enough. Knowing how similar your brother is to you when it comes to Valentine’s Day, you drove hours away to his house, thinking that you would be able to spend the night and have the chance to confide in your brother. 

What a surprise it was for you to find the house packed with his friends and colleagues, with most—if not all of them—wearing pink, partying together with your brother who had his new girl of the season clinging to his side. 

How was I supposed to know that he was so smitten and in love with someone he met while we weren’t in contact that he felt like celebrating tonight? 

“Are you staying or going?” Jaebum asks, pointing at the opened door behind you with his chin, with you still standing on the threshold like a lost kitten. “You’re letting all the noise come in. I came here with just as much need to avoid all the ruckus as much as you do.” 

Realising that he is right, and you are at risk of missing your only chance to hide from your brother and all the excitement happening downstairs, you step deeper into the room, closing the door firmly behind you. The moment you are engulfed in the darkness, however, you immediately begin to regret it. 

Shutting the door only means that you are stuck in the same room with him, with no lights—except for the reflecting streetlights you see coming from the window—and possibly no escape. You look over your shoulder, longing for the brief of peacefulness you found in the hallway, instead of whatever awkwardness waiting for you should you choose to say.  

A low chuckle is heard, and you turn to face your brother’s best friend only to see that he isn’t sharing the same uneasiness you are feeling about this odd situation. 

“Now, that’s better. So are you going to join me? You’re not going to just stand there all night until the party’s over, are you?” Jaebum teases you as he leans back against the bed, getting as much comfortable as he can while he sits on the cold floor. “Come sit here with me. I don’t bite,” he says while tapping the empty spot right next to him, his grin widening when he adds, “Unless you ask me to.” 

You are left with no other options. Saying no to his offer would either send you back to the party downstairs or back to the room you’ll be sleeping in tonight, which is the other guest room that is closer to where the party is since your brother had insisted on keeping you close tonight. Just when you try to imagine yourself turning back around to get back to the party instead of staying, a loud cheer echoes through the house. 

Looks like whatever game they did just ended, you wonder, as another cheer breaks through and people start chanting again, telling you that the party is still far from over. Might as well stay here for now rather than regretting it later. 

“Fine,” you say with a sigh, before lifting the bottle of whiskey in your hand—one that you stole from the makeshift bar that your brother had set up in the kitchen. “I’ll share if you share yours.”

Through the dim light, you see the familiar grin spreading on his face again. “Don’t worry, I’m quite generous when it comes to sharing pleasure,” he teases with a wink, causing your cheeks to burn. 

“Whatever,” you respond, trying your best not to get affected by his presence as you walk over to join him. 

As you settle back against the foot of the bed, staying just an arm’s length away from him to stay close yet still distant enough to feel comfortable, your eyes fall on the bottles sitting next to him. The large bottle of high-quality branded liquor has been reduced to nearly half of its content, and there are a couple of small vodka bottles lying close by, with varying levels of contents—either half drunk, emptied, and only two of them still full.   

Was he really thinking about drinking all of this alone? 

Jaebum tilts his head, noticing the way you are eyeing his drinks. “See anything you’re interested in trying?” 

“No, I’m fine,” you hurriedly answer, then take a long drink straight from your bottle to hide your face. You wince at the strong taste of whiskey, but you tough it out and force yourself to speak calmly as if nothing happened, “You look like you’re trying to drink your entire life away.” 

Jaebum follows your gaze and laughs softly. “Is that how it looks?” he hums, picking up a small, nearly finished bottle of vodka and tossing the rest of its content down his throat. He savours the taste with a groan and says, “Hmmm…maybe I am. ” 

He opens his eyes and looks at you with glossy eyes. Combined with the small smile he is giving you, it’s enough to cause those old familiar flutters to rise in your chest and stomach. You pick up your bottle, taking a mouthful of drink out of it that burns your throat, hoping that it would be enough to wash the feeling down, and maybe cool yourself off before it turns into something more. 

Something completely unbidden.  

It takes only a couple of shared drinks before you finally start sharing each other’s stories, spilling all the heartaches and misfortunes that both of you have been dealing with while living away from home. 

It’s quite surreal to think that both you and Jaebum can find something to relate to and share aside from the booze that you’ve smuggled away from the party. You also find it pleasingly surprising that opening up and talking about your problems turns out to be helpful. 

Even more surprising is that it seems equally helpful for both of you. 

For you, who had just been dumped by your college boyfriend merely months after he started his new job in a different city, claiming that being in a long-distance relationship was a risk he wasn’t willing to take when he was building his career. 

For Jaebum, who had to watch his ex-fiancee marrying someone else just over the weekend, only less than a year from the day they broke off the engagement when she first claimed to be having cold feet about the thought of marriage. 

“Well, that sucks,” is all that you can say once he is done sharing his story. 

Hearing your comment, Jaebum lets out an incredulous laugh. “Really? That’s all you’re going to say after I just opened up about the lowest moment of my life?”  

You only laugh and shrug it off. “What more do you want me to say? Are you hoping for some kind of wise advice? From me? Or a pat on the back while I promise you that everything will be okay?” you retort with a snort, and you don’t miss the way Jaebum rolls his eyes on you. 

“I wish I had more to say, but I’m not good with words and I don’t even know you or your ex enough to comment about your life,” you stop with a bitter chuckle, “—or her poor choices.” 

Leaning back, you let out a deep sigh. You cannot help but realise that despite the different circumstances you both find yourselves in, you can't deny how similar your situations truly are. “But I do know how terrible it feels to know that the person you want to be with isn’t thinking the same about you. It just—” You let out another sigh, and add, ”—sucks, to be the one left behind feeling like you’ve been tossed aside.” 

Jaebum says nothing for a moment but clearly appears to be thinking deeply. “I don’t even know your ex,” he says, “but I can judge—hard—and say that he’s a moron.” 

“My brother said the same.” A bitter chuckle slips out of you when you think about your brother’s reaction when you first told him about the bad breakup. You may not have told your brother all the details about your fallen relationship yet, but he was able to comment about what a fool your ex had been to sacrifice a good relationship that he had spent years building with you for a new job that he had barely dedicated a month of his time, much less his entire life to.

But was the relationship you had with him really all that good? Was it enough for you to hold on to those memories as much as you did?

Looking up to the dark ceiling above you, you let your mind wander, as if you can see your entire life written somewhere up there. “I’ve been trying to think of him the same way but it’s hard to do it when I keep remembering all the good things we shared. They might not have been much, but the good memories keep overlapping with all the bad ones just when I try to forget them.”

Jaebum scoffs lightly from your side and nods. “Unfortunately, I can agree on that one.”

To hear the tone in his voice as he says that, and see the haunted look in his eyes when you look at him, an ache pulses in your chest. At the same time, you are surprised to find some comfort just by being here with him, listening to him opening up to you while sharing your own story in a way you haven’t been able to do with anyone else—allowing your lonely, broken souls to meet each other’s match. 

Just as silence forms thickly around you, you find yourself looking far back into a distant past and seeing yourself when you were younger. You can also Jaebum then, existing alongside your brother’s other close friends who seemed hard to reach, much less to talk to. 

Not the same way you’re doing it now, anyway. 

“You know, I always thought you guys were snobs back then. Or maybe I was too intimidated by you. You were all popular in school, and my brother’s warning to stay away from you guys didn’t help much in making me feel less wary about getting close.” 

Jaebum snaps a look at you and barks out a laugh. “Wait—What? What did your brother say about us?” 

You shrug, smiling when you explain with a chuckle, “He just said it wouldn’t be a good idea for me to get close to you guys. Told me to stay away and not fall for any of your charms and get tricked into joining your band of groupies.” 

Once again, Jaebum laughs. “Why the fuck would he say something like that?” 

“Who knows?” you answer with a shrug, feigning innocence as you bite back a smile. 

Because you know exactly why your brother would give you such a warning. 

Compared to your older brother, who was considered one of the most popular kids at school, you were way more inexperienced—both in socialising with people and in relationships. 

Your brother may have managed to keep his dating life private—from you, at least—yet the same couldn’t be said about his close friends. Jaebum and the others were quite notorious when it involved the rotation of girls they were constantly seen dating and hanging out with. Most of the boys were known as players, always spreading their charms to anyone around while breaking hearts left and right. 

“I guess he was just looking out for me,” you finally admit out loud, realising that your brother may have caught your eyes wandering whenever his friends were close. It was hard not to pay attention when you had these attractive seniors hanging around nearby, sometimes even at your home with your brother. “Even if he used to tease me, he’s still my older brother, after all.” 

Jaebum lets out a scoff and laughs. “That’s funny, seeing that he gave us all different kinds of warning when it came to you.” 

“What do you mean? What kind of warning?” 

Turning his head, Jaebum’s grin widens when he sees your reaction. “He told us that you were off limits. That we shouldn’t even think about talking or flirting with you, much less to ask you out.” Your jaw drops, which only makes him laugh. “Some of us suspected that Bambam had this silly crush on you back then, but was quick to back off after your brother warned us to stay away.” 

Surprised to hear this, you cannot help but laugh. It’s not unusual for your brother to meddle with your business. Back then, being a curious teenager, having a meddling older brother felt like a burden. You used to hate it growing up, even if you knew that he only had nothing but good intentions to keep you safe from harm. Looking back at it now as an adult, you only think that the whole situation is hilarious. 

“Can’t believe that you guys were so afraid of my brother to follow his silly rules,” you gently mock him while shaking your head. 

“Hey! That’s not fair! Have you ever seen your brother when he got mad? Like, really mad?” Jaebum defends himself. 

You only laugh in return, knowing exactly what he is talking about. You have seen your older brother’s other side that shows up whenever he is angry, and it’s not often that he may overreact over trivial things that are out of his control. But it doesn’t stop you from finding it funny for a group of bad boys to be so afraid of your brother to not risk breaking his rules. 

Not that you believe that you ever had any chance with these boys in the past. You never even dreamed of having any of them make a move on you, much less pay attention to you. You know exactly what kind of girls they were attracted to, and you never saw yourself as anything remotely on par with any of those girls. 

“I thought you were tough guys who’d love a challenge. At least, if I remember correctly, that was something that some of you used to brag about back then.” 

“You’re one to talk,” Jaebum scoffs. “Have you ever taken a risk, even knowing the consequences and not knowing if it’s going to be worth it?” 

You stop for a moment to think. “Well—” 

You feel hesitant to answer, only because your mind immediately goes to the things you’ve done only to end up having your heart, hope, and dreams broken to pieces as a result. The latest risk you’ve taken, especially, involved giving your heart to a senior you met at college—someone who was smarter, more popular—that you kept questioning if you were living a dream. You’ve even come close to giving up your dream, ready to take a huge risk of moving to another city and starting over just to be with that person.

And look at where it has gotten you now. Abandoned and forgotten, left to pick up all the broken pieces, only because he wasn’t willing to take the same risk to be with you. 

When you still have no answer, Jaebum lets out a scoff. “I knew it. What would a strait-laced girl like you know about taking risks? You should try to live out your life a little, be daring, then you can argue with me about what taking risks truly means.” 

You hear what he is saying, yet your mind is stuck on one simple detail. You’ve never really talked to him so openly before, so you’ve never known how he really sees you as a person. Hearing it coming from him only makes you reflect on yourself the way you never did before. 

Strait-laced? You wonder to yourself. Is that really how people see me?

You must admit that it doesn’t make you feel good to be seen that way. Having good grades throughout school and college and being a nice girl growing up doesn’t make you a prude. 

“Hey, I’ve done stuff!” You turn to face him and start defending yourself. “Unlike you, I’ve done real daring stuff while I was away for college. I climbed a rocky mountain after graduation and built camp on the rocky peaks while there was a storm. I did bungee jumping and paragliding when I went to Bali last summer. I went surfing and—” 

Jaebum raises his hands in surrender mode and laughs, cutting you off before you can continue listing all the extreme things you’ve tried ever since you left home. “Okay, daredevil. So you took risks against nature. That’s great and all, but I’m talking about the other risks. Much like how you’re daring me to cross your brother.” 

You swallow hard, knowing exactly what he is saying. You look away when you start feeling deep regret over your past decisions and heartaches weighing heavy in your chest. “Oh, have I done those as well.” 

Jaebum must have noticed something shifting in your mood, because his gaze softens. So does his voice when he asks, “Was it worth it?” 

You let out a bitter laugh. “Would I be here planning to drink my ass off until I forget my name if it was?” 

A knowing look passes over his gaze. “Your last break up.” He nods, then raises his bottle to knock it against yours. “Maybe you were betting on the wrong things to take a risk on.” 

You can only smile. “And of course, you would know about it.” 

The low chuckle that he gives as a response sounds hollow. “I sure do.” 

Leaning back against the bed again, you take a drink from your bottle—suddenly noticing that you may have gone through more than half of it—and gently ask him, “Tell me then, how do I know what kind of risk I can bet on which I won’t be regretting later on?” 

“You know that’s not how it works,” Jaebum says with a low chuckle, “And I don’t think I’m the right person to teach you something like that.” 

“Right,” you hum to yourself, suddenly realising how silly it is for you to ask him for such advice. 

“Maybe you can start small. Instead of diving directly into something serious like a relationship or making plans to build a future with the first person you meet who gives you attention.”

You raise your eyebrows. “Such as?” 

“Ever been on a one-night stand?” 

You burst out laughing. “What?” 

“No? Never? Yeah, I don’t think so,” he says while shaking his head. While he is right in assuming your lack of experience in that field, it doesn’t stop you from wanting to defend yourself. 

“Hey, wait a min—” 

“How about casual flings? Anything other than your serious relationships? Ever been in one?” 

You open your mouth to answer, only to immediately shut it back up before admitting loudly, “No, not really.” 

He nods. “I figured.” 

Your jaw drops. You look at him with narrowed eyes. “What does that supposed to mean?” 

He tilts his head as he looks at you. At this point, you are beginning to dread the way his grin seems so enticing, and how his low voice is starting to make you feel things inside when he speaks. “It’s just that I can’t see you hooking up with random people just for fun.” 

You bite your lips, hating the fact that he is right. You hate knowing he can read you easily even when he barely knows you aside from being his best friend’s sister. But something must have gone wrong with your head—or perhaps you’ve drunk too much alcohol tonight—because you cannot stop thinking about what he is trying to say. 

“You’re right, it’s not something that I can see myself getting into,” you admit with a small voice, as you look back into your life and wonder how different it would have been for you if you weren’t someone who feels too much, and too deeply, when it comes to relationships. 

“Maybe I should change that,” you finally say, almost to yourself rather than Jaebum. Still, it doesn’t miss Jaebum’s attention that he whips his head towards you.

“Huh? What do you mean?” 

You ignore him, already getting too deep in your thoughts—perhaps something that you shouldn’t be doing when you have alcohol in your system. “I’m saying that maybe you’re right.” 

“Wait, I didn’t say anything,” Jaebum quickly interjects. 

“I never gave casual relationships or hooking up any thought because I’m afraid I’d get emotionally attached, like most girls do,” you turn to him and add, “I’m sure you know this too.” 

Jaebum only raises his eyebrows, knowing that you are referring to his history of hooking up with random girls in the past—along with the series of drama which followed every time he ended a fling—and he just lets you continue. “But maybe that needs to change. That’s a risk that I’ve never taken before, but at least I now know not to get my emotions involved.” 

He laughs, almost in disbelief. “Are you sure about that?” 

“I am,” you stubbornly answer, “because I’ve sworn to keep away from love. Because I’m done with it. From now on, love is completely banned from my life. No more.” 

You take a chug out of your drink and continue to ramble before Jaebum can say anything. “But that doesn’t mean that I can't have fun, right? You said it yourself, that I need to live a little, so that’s what I’m going to do.” 

You can hear Jaebum chuckling from beside you. “Alright, daredevil,” he teasingly says, “And how are you supposed to do that?” You can tell without looking that Jaebum is narrowing his eyes on you when he sounds sceptical. 

So you turn to him, giving him a sweet smile as you explain, “There are people downstairs that I may not see again in the future, right? I could just walk downstairs and pick out someone I’m attracted to and have one wild night before I get home.” 

The more you speak, the more you feel doubtful, but you push it down and take pleasure in the way Jaebum’s eyes keep widening the more he listens. But as the excitement grows on you, so does the pounding in your head. Maybe you’ve had too much to drink already. “Although I might have to wait a minute before going down there to join the crowd of people. I need to wait until my head stops spinning.” 

He lets out a low scoff and shakes his head at you. “You don’t have to go that far.” 

“As a matter of fact, I think—no, I believe I do need to do this,” you cut him off. “I’m done living by the rules and being afraid to take risks that don’t go with my life planning.” Pointing the bottle in your hand his way, you continue to speak, “You were the one who put these ideas in my head, so don’t bother stopping me.” 

Chuckling softly, Jaebum leans closer. “That’s not what I was saying,” he gently says, as if he can read your thoughts and knows that you aren’t exactly sure about what you are saying. 

“What did you mean, then?” 

Jaebum only stares at you with a look that makes you feel like he is trying to strip down every layer you have—not of your clothes, but your truth. 

He softly hums before he finally speaks again. “I’m saying that maybe you don’t have to,” he says, once again with that voice of his that would easily draw people to him. Maybe have women drop their panties for him, even. But there is something different now when he speaks to you slowly, with his glossy eyes looking deeply into yours. 

“I don’t have to do—what?”

“You don’t have to go through the crowds of drunk people downstairs to find someone, is all I’m saying. Aren’t you worried about your brother finding out what you’re up to? He’s still down there leading the party, isn’t he?”

As if the party itself can hear him, a loud cheer erupts from downstairs, answering his question. You can picture your brother, always the life of the party, being in the center of it. You can already imagine him pulling you to join him the moment he sees you returning to the living room. You have lost track of time, and you quickly realise that your brother can notice anytime that you’ve been gone quite a while and that he might start looking for you soon. 

“Then, what should I do?” 

Not a word comes from him while you are starting to doubt anything can really happen tonight. Only seconds ago, you felt like you had found your new self. But you know that this drunken resolution will lead to nothing more once you are sober. Before your mind can get into any further wanderings, Jaebum suddenly shifts closer. You turn to find his face already close to yours, while he has his arm resting behind your back and the other winding around your waist. 

Surprised at the sudden closeness, you make no move to push him away. Your heart makes a stupid, unexpected leap in your chest, which only accelerates when he starts speaking to you in a low, sultry voice, “You could just look somewhere closer instead of going down there. It’s not like you don’t have a willing participant already available nearby.”

You blink, and blink again, your mind taking its sweet time processing his words that everything seems meaningless. Surely, he couldn’t have meant—

“And who might that be?” you ask with a small voice, which only seems to amuse him. 

You watch the grin on his face growing wider before he teases you, “Who else is here? I don’t see anyone else, do you?” 

“Hah,” you let out a sarcastic laugh, still refusing to believe what you are hearing, even if your heart is beginning to react, going out of control with its rapid beating. “Stop joking. Now you’re only mocking me.” 

“I wish I was joking, but I know what I’m asking,” Jaebum says with a smile on his face, his voice lowering when he asks, “Is it really that hard to believe that I’d make such an offer?” 

Before you can process what he is saying, Jaebum leans closer, close enough until you can feel his warm breath falling against your lips. The scent of his cologne, mixed with the strong smell of booze, surrounds you as he keeps you trapped between the foot of the bed and his hard body hovering close so that you can feel his heat. 

“It makes perfect sense, don’t you think?” he asks you, already sounding convincing before he even starts laying out his offer, “We’ve both been scorned by our past experience, and while we’ve learned not to fall for it again, we both still have needs. I still need to forget, which drinking seemed to fail in doing, and you need to discover this new side of you without worrying about getting attached. Maybe I can teach you a thing or two about it since I know just exactly how to do it. And you know who I am, so you’d know how to find me and kick my butt off in case you regret it in the morning.” 

We’re still not friends, and not close enough for that level of trust, is what you want to say to him. 

But the words refuse to leave your lips, and your mind is getting hazy from how close he is getting. His nose brushes against yours, and your heart once again makes a giant leap which is so hard to ignore. He tilts his head, his lips coming closer to yours for a little tease, making your lips tingle. 

“Well? Come on, think about it,” he murmurs, with his lips hovering close but not enough to touch. Yet, between your hazy mind and the alarm bells ringing inside your head��warning you about your brother and his rules, about how much of a bad idea this is—you can feel yourself drawn into it. Drawn into him. 

“I think—” you barely manage to say, “This is going to be a bad idea.” You lift your gaze to look into his eyes and immediately feel like you are drowning in the depth of his gaze. 

Jaebum bites his lips while lowering his gaze. “What if I can change your mind?” 

“What are you planning—oh!” 

Whatever it was that you wanted to say dies on your tongue when Jaebum presses his lips on yours. He tenderly moulds his lips against yours, instead of devouring them in a heated kiss. Yet it’s still enough to steal words from your mouth. 

I must be going crazy, is the last thing that comes across your mind before you wrap your arms around his neck and return the kiss, allowing yourself to melt into his heat. You can feel him smiling into the kiss, pleased to know that he has practically won you over as you press your lips harder against his. 

As he deepens the kiss, the world around you seems like it’s spinning. It takes a moment before you realise that your whole body is tilting backwards, pushed under his weight as he gently lowers you back on the floor. The dust-covered carpet cushions your weight as you rest on your back. While you are trying to get comfortable, your eyes flutter open to see him slowly crawling over you. 

A soft moan slips out of you as he reclaims your mouth again. His tongue reaches inside, as if demanding you to pay attention to him instead of letting your mind wander and let it get filled with doubt. He runs his hands down your waist, his chest pressing you down against the hard floor, and then he stops when you protest with a whimper when your back starts rubbing against the rough carpet beneath you. 

“Hmmm, this won’t do,” he murmurs against your lips, his eyes searching your face to find any sign of discomfort. With a hum, he glances over to the bed and pushes himself up. 

The world around you starts spinning once again as Jaebum scoops you up from the floor and lifts you in his arms. You barely have the chance to hold on when he moves towards the bed and gently lays you down on the mattress. The sheets feel cold beneath you, yet he quickly makes it up with his warmth when he joins you. 

The sight of him hovering above you, with his eyes glowing in the dark, full of dark intent, feels like a part of a fever dream. Everything that he said he wanted to do to you, you can see it in his gaze. It’s enough to leave you breathless, to make you feel hot inside. To feel like you are wanted. 

A grin forms on his face as he asks, “Now, where were we?” 

Once again, the crippling doubt inside you holds you back, when you can easily pull him down to you and take over. “You were trying to convince me,” you answer with a whisper, when you wish to feel his kiss again so he can stop you from thinking so hard.

“Did I do a good job, then?” 

You take a deep breath. “I—” you try to answer, but the moment you see the look he is giving you, everything inside you, including your sane mind, simply stops working. 

Outside, coming all the way from downstairs, the music is still blaring loudly the later it gets in the night. The sound of people dancing, chatting, and cheering over some sort of drinking game can be heard through the thick walls. 

But here, the air is getting thick with tension, and it’s hard to focus on anything else when you are pressed down against the hard mattress beneath you, and you have your brother’s best friend hovering on top of you with a sick, teasing grin on his face. 

And oh, how much you struggle to keep your eyes away from those enticing lips, knowing how good they feel when they are pressed against yours. 

All you have to do is lean closer or pull him down to you, and you can have that kiss once again. 

“So? What do you say?” he asks again while his gaze moves to your lips, lingering for a few seconds too long as he catches you licking your lips, tasting the ghost of his kiss. “It’s a one-time offer, and time is ticking. How much longer do you think before your brother comes up here and catches us together?” 

You cannot help but grin at the mention of your brother. “Aren’t you afraid that he might just do that and break your nose again like he did years ago?” you ask, referring to the infamous incident in the past when they had a massive fight over a silly girl who turned out to be playing these boys around—the perfect reverse play of what they used to do to the girls at school who worshipped the ground they walked on.

Jaebum only laughs it off, and your heart skips a beat when you realise how much his voice has changed over the years. And how much you still love hearing it the same way you did then. 

“I think it’ll be worth the risk. As long as you’re in.” 

Worth the risk. 

Yeah, there’s nothing stopping your heart from trying to break free from your chest now that you hear such words. You shouldn’t believe it. But you want to believe it. You want to believe that he thinks you are worth risking your brother’s wrath. 

“Well? Are you in? Or are you going to walk out that door and forget everything we just talked about?” 

You bite your lip as you consider your options. His offer is tempting, but are you brave enough to take that risk? 

One night. No attachment. No promises. And you get to leave this place free of your pent-up frustrations and needs. Maybe dare yourself to feel some pleasure from the one you are forbidden to touch.

Even if you might have to ignore the familiar flutters in your chest rising the more you look at him—the same way it used to happen all those years ago whenever you saw him when he was hanging out with your older brother. 

“Not a chance,” you answer him with a grin, before you lift your legs and wrap them around his waist, your arms coming around his neck as you pull him down towards you. “Game on.”  

Wearing a victorious smile on his face, Jaebum claims your mouth in a kiss, and your entire body softens. He pushes his tongue to deepen the kiss, taking possession of every last bit of doubt you might still have left until there is nothing more but lust and passion and all you can feel is the need you want him to fulfil. 

Clutching the back of his shirt, you begin to pull it upward, and he slips down to let you strip him off of it before he does the same with your top. Tossing your blouse away, Jaebum begins crawling down, his lips tracing the length of your neck on his way down, brushing gently on your breasts as he peels your lacy bra off of your skin. Then he continues making his way down, his hands grabbing hold of the waistband of your pants before tucking them down your legs, taking your flimsy panties along with it. 

Cold breeze washes over your skin once you are left bare and naked on the bed, but it’s quickly replaced by the heat of his gaze perusing you with a look of hunger written on his face. He runs his hands down your waist, to your hips, sliding them under your thighs as he bends down to trace your skin with his kisses. You feel his mouth moving close to your center, causing your heartbeat to pick up its pace. 

He doesn’t waste his time teasing you. Tightening his grip on your thighs, he smoothly dives between your legs, burying his face at the center of your heat. 

A moan slips through your lips when you feel his tongue slipping through your wet folds. You feel his mouth wrapping itself around your clit and giving it a suck, causing your back to arch and a louder moan comes rumbling out of you when a delectable rush comes flowing through your body. Your hand clumsily land on his head, fingers winding through the strands of his hair as you search for something to hold on to while you rock your hips against his lips. 

You hear him chuckling softly and moaning against your heat, before he begins to move his tongue and mouth more aggressively, alternating between pushing his tongue into your warmth and licking your arousal to suckling on your throbbing clit. His actions drive you over to the edge, your orgasm tearing your body as you continue to rock against his face, following the rhythm of your pulse. 

It comes too quickly, stemmed from your pent-up frustrations and nerves, yet neither of you has yet to have enough. Finger clenching tightly on the strands of his hair, you push his face to your quivering center, wordlessly telling him not to stop. With a hum, Jaebum continues—lapping, licking, and sucking—and adds his fingers into the mix, pushing them deeply through your pulsing walls and causing another dynamic orgasm to tear through your body. 

“Jaebum…fuck!” you curse between your cries of pleasure, unable to hold your voice down. 

Yet he makes no sign of stopping. The sounds you are making only seem to be urging him on, as he continues working his mouth and fingers on your heat. 

It isn’t until moments later, as the spasms coming out of your center begin to subside, that Jaebum finally lets you go. With one last kiss on your soaking folds, he pulls away and shifts back until he reaches the foot of the bed. 

As he rises on his feet, you open your eyes to look at him, marvelling at the sight of him—his chest glistening with a thin sheen of sweat, his messy hair that comes from the work of your fingers, and his slick lips, still wet from your release. 

“I wish I could take a picture of you right now,” he murmurs while he starts working on his belt and pants, his eyes never wavering from you as he takes everything off. 

Keeping your gaze on him, you follow every movement as the final pieces of clothing leave his skin. Your breath catches at the sight of his thick shaft bobbing out of its restraint. You can almost see it twitching and pulsing as Jaebum continues to look at you, his gaze runs from the tip of your toes to your hair, going back and forth as he takes his time to get his fill of the image of you lying vulnerable on the cold bed. 

This is happening, you tell yourself as you inhale a deep breath. You cannot believe that you are seconds away from actually fucking your brother’s best friend. It feels hot and naughty—risky—but the thought itself is so damn enticing that your body is humming with new desire. 

Jaebum licks his lips and wraps his hand around his rigid cock. His gaze remains on you as he slowly strokes himself, getting himself harder. The sight of him touching himself while watching you does wild things to your mind. It feels exhilarating, and you don’t even question if this sensation has anything to do with the drink you had earlier, knowing that this is all because of him. 

Feeling brazen under his gaze, you move your hands to trace your skin, going up until you reach your bare breasts. Gently, you cup the soft flesh with your palms and begin kneading, and embrace the waves of heat rolling through your body. The sensation gets stronger when you watch him licking his lips, his hand moving slightly faster, as if watching you has put him in a trance. 

“Are you going to just stand there and watch? Or am I going to have to do this alone?” you tease him with a low voice that sounds completely unfamiliar to your own ears, while slowly folding your legs up, spreading them open to show him where you want him to be. 

A groan slips out of his lips as he watches you, enthralled, and Jaebum hastily climbs the bed, moving swiftly to cover your body with his. “I already promised that I’ll be the one showing you everything,” he grumbles as he covers your wrists with his hands and gently pulls them away from your chest. Holding your wrists together in one hand, he brings them over your head and keeps them there. 

“Hold still,” he whispers, as if restraining you wouldn’t be enough to keep you from moving. “And try to keep your voice down this time. We don’t know if anyone is going to find their way up here.” 

He covers your mouth with his and your body relaxes against his as you lean into the kiss. He presses you down into the bed under his weight and starts running his free hand down your body. You feel his touch on your breast, already sensitive after your teasing touch, and your chest arches into his palm. 

Jaebum pinches your nipples, and then he bends down, his mouth capturing one peak after another, tongue swirling around the tips until they become hard and raw. 

“Ah, fuck—” you curse with a gasp when each brush of mouth and finger sends delicate sparks that travel all the way down to your core. Everything inside you throbs—not of pain, but pleasure—and you can no longer hold back the cries coming out of your lips when Jaebum latches on one nipple and gives a light bite. 

Hearing your voice, Jaebum releases his mouth from your throbbing nub with a pop and pulls back just enough for you to look at his face. Under the shadows of the limited lights filtering through the windows, his gaze feels intimidating, yet enthralling at the same time. The way he looks at you makes you feel desirable that it unleashes everything inside you that you never knew existed.

“I told you to keep your voice down,” he complains with a deep voice that sounds almost like a growl. “Anyone can hear you if they get anywhere close, and it won’t be long for your brother to find out what we’re doing.” 

“I thought you were willing to risk it?” you tease him, which only makes his eyes grow darker. 

“Are you challenging me?” he asks you with a low voice. It stirs the insides of your belly, yet you ignore it for the moment and shrug playfully. 

“What if I am?” 

A low chuckle rumbles from him. There is a dark glint in his eyes as he gently pulls your thigh up, folding your leg until your hips are slightly lifted from the bed. A wicked smile spreads on his face as he leans down, pressing his lips on the corner of your lips and murmurs, “Naughty girl.” 

Anticipating a kiss, you never expect to feel pain flashing from the side of your bare bottom, inflicted by none other than his wandering palm. 

“Hey!” 

Opening your eyes widely, you see him grinning with pride. He tightens his hold on your wrists to keep you still as you wriggle beneath him while he runs his other hand around the burn from his unwarranted smacking.

“What? Don’t naughty girls deserve to be punished and spanked?” 

Something sparks inside you. While you are more inexperienced compared to him, you have learned about a variety of sex plays that one could enjoy in bed to know what he is doing. “Oh, so you like that kind of game, huh?” 

Jeabum bites your bottom lip. “It’s not a game, baby. I like to be in control,” he murmurs, then lifts his head to look into your eyes to ask, “Are you afraid of me? Will that scare you?” 

Nibbling your lips, you consider his words. You’ve never known that pain could be so pleasing. Your skin still burns after the impact of his light spanking, yet it seems to amplify the pleasure pulsing right inside your core when the pain is slowly subsiding under his incessant touch. 

“No,” you answer with a whimper, “Not at all.” You stop fighting his restraint and instead use it as leverage as you push your hips upward, taunting him, “Come on, show me how you’re going to punish me for being bad.” 

“Fuck,” he chuckles nervously, stunned, but is quick to recover as he folds your legs up and smacks the other side of your butt in response. A sharp gasp leaves your lips when you feel the sting, which turns into a soft sigh as he gently rubs the pain away, giving you a brief moment of respite before landing another smack near the tender skin that he first touched. 

Jaebum repeats the light smacking a couple of more times, going back and forth from one side to another, always followed by gentle touches to soothe the pain away. By the time he is done, the pain no longer stings so badly. The throbbing on your skin has travelled deep into your center, replacing every bit of pain with pleasure so raw that is barely comprehensible to your mind.

“Oh, you liked it, didn’t you?” Jaebum teases you with a low whisper, chuckling softly at the way you are rocking your hips against his palm. Letting go of your hand, he holds down your hips and slips his fingers between your folds, humming softly as he is met with your slick arousal. 

“Look at you, getting hot and wet after a bit of spanking. I never expected that you would have this wanton side hidden under your good girl facade,” he keeps muttering as he continues pushing his fingers inside your heat, moving them between your throbbing walls at a languid pace while you begin rocking back into his fingers. “I kind of like this side of you.” 

You can barely hear his voice at this point. Your mind is blinded by the sensations you are feeling. Incoherent noises keep coming out of your lips, and your body is moving on its own, chasing for every bit of pleasure you can get from his touch. 

Jaebum bends down, pressing his lips on the tip of your breasts. “Fuck, I want to be inside you so bad, baby,” he mutters breathlessly between giving your nipples teasing kisses. The touch of his lips feels distracting, along with the steady thrusts of his fingers inside your heat as pleasure rocks through your body, making it hard for you to focus on his words. Yet you still don’t miss what he is trying to say.

Rocking your hips against his, you look up through your bleary eyes and whisper, “Yes, please. I need you…inside me…now.” 

You are not one to beg for anything. Ever. Nothing like this. But the need to feel him is clawing at your chest. You want him. Your body needs him. And there is nothing that can stop you from begging him to let you have him. 

Jaebum says nothing, but his actions are enough to answer your plea. Pushing his fingers deeper, he presses his thumb against your clit, rubbing the flesh just enough to send your body spiralling towards the edge. 

Trying your best to hold back your cries, you bite your lip and bury your fingers on his shoulders. But Jaebum isn’t one to let you go off easily. With his mouth still working around your breast, he gives your nipple a lick, before capturing the hardened nub between his mouth. You feel him humming against your skin, right around your puckered flesh, before a searing pain sparks across your body when he bites down. 

“Ah…fuck. Jaebum!” 

Screaming out his name, you almost cry as your orgasm tears right through your body. While it’s not yet enough to satiate your need, it is still enough to make you feel like you are floating up high. Every cell in your body sings, all coming alive under his touch, and the heat unfolding in your core spreads like wildfire. 

Before you can recover, Jaebum has already made his move. Looking pleased with himself, a smile spreads on Jaebum’s face as he pulls back, dragging his fingers carefully out of your pulsing heat, leaving behind the rapid throbbing inside you to fill the void he left behind. 

Without wasting any more time, he rises on the bed and pulls your ankles up to his shoulders, keeping your hips elevated. Then he presses forward and drives his full length into your quivering core with one firm thrust. You cry out loudly at the force of his thrust. You may have gotten slick and wet enough for him to slide in easily, but your pussy is still sensitive after the multiple orgasms that the intrusion drives a delicious pain that rocks your entire body. 

Your back arches off the bed, and he is quickly drawn towards your full breasts as they once again rise before his eyes. His hand that isn’t holding your thigh up reaches down to give your soft flesh a firm hold.

He gives your breast a gentle knead, taking away your attention from the tightness down below as he begins to fuck you hard with deep rhythmic thrusts, his hard shaft plundering your body. 

“Oh…oh, God!” you keep sputtering random words when you feel the pleasure rising inside you like a tidal wave.

He continues driving into you, getting deeper with each thrust and sending you almost slipping on the bed. His hands move down, gripping your hips to pull you back to him before you are pushed all the way back to the end of the bed. Driving you back against him allows him to get deeper. You feel the force knocking the air out of your chest, while waves of pleasure keep rolling through your body with each thrust, each rock of his hips, and you find yourself already hanging over the edge of your climax. 

You reach up, grasping a hold of his strong arms as you join the rhythm of his thrusts, rocking and pushing against him at the same pace, until you begin to feel the ripples of your climax rising, uncoiling, ready to devour you as you quickly reach for the edge. 

Opening his eyes, Jaebum drops one of your legs, keeping hold of the other just to keep you spread open for him as he bends forward, enveloping your body with his. His mouth finds yours then, kissing you deeply to swallow the sounds of your moans. Then his lips begin to move away, going down your chin, crawling its way to the column of your throat, before going up again to capture your earlobe. 

“I’ve always wanted to fuck you for so long,” he whispers to your ear, too soft of a voice for such dirty words that it makes your head spin hearing it coming from him. Then he thrusts forward, pressing deeper before he begins rocking again, hard and fast, he continues pumping his thick cock into the depth of your warmth. “Fuck, you feel so damn good!” 

You give in to the rising pleasure, your head falling back into the pillows while your chest once again rises and arches with how intense it feels. Your mind is filled with bliss, that you can barely focus on his words, or anything else that is happening around you. 

The party below seems so far away, even if you can still hear the beat of the music vibrating through the floor and walls. But none of it matters now. What matters to you right now is him; the pace of his thrusts that continue relentlessly without fail, moving faster and harder, and the way he is working your body with his expert hands. 

The grip that he has on your hips feels unyielding, anchoring you to him while denying you escape as he chases for his climax. You can feel his fingers pressing harder into your skin, nails scrapping on your soft flesh, no doubt leaving some marks and indents that you may find much later on once everything is over. 

“Are you close?” he breathlessly asks while moaning, showing you signs of his coming release. 

The answer coming out of your mouth sounds like a sharp cry, “Mmmh—yes!” 

Jaebum captures your chin and turns your face to look at him. “Keep your eyes on the door. You’ve been loud for a while now, and I know you didn’t lock the door when you came in,” he gently says, grinning as realisation dawns on you. He’s right. That was quite a risk to take for you to enter the room without locking and going further with this whole thing without checking things over. Fear grips at your chest, though it only intensifies the pulsing happening down below, right here he is burying his cock into. 

“What would your brother think if he sees you like this, writhing like a pure, little nymph and taking my hard cock deep inside your pussy?” Jaebum questions you with a voice so low it almost sounds like a growl. 

You have no idea which triggers the most delightful, yet the most carnal pleasure to roll through your body; the deep voice which vibrates from his chest, his dirty words that are planting these wicked images in your mind, the steady thrusts of his cock inside your heat, or the visual image of getting caught fucking your brother’s best friend, in your brother’s house, while people are partying downstairs and most possibly hanging out in the other rooms present on this floor.

“Fuck, you’re tightening around me. Thinking about getting caught turns you on, huh?” Jaebum says with a furious grunt, yet without missing a single thrust as he rocks his body against yours. He pushes deep and shudders, just as your walls are clenching tight around him. 

“Oh, yeah. That’s it, baby.” 

He keeps muttering the same words over and over again, coming together with his incessant thrusts. You watch as his eyebrows crease, as the veins in his neck are straining, his breathing laboured heavily, and the sounds he keeps making are mixed with a series of moans. You can feel the telltale signs of his release pulsing inside your depth, going in the same rhythm as yours as it begins to rapidly build up inside you. 

Getting lost in the pleasure, Jaebum digs his fingers into your hips and thighs as he continues to savagely pound into you. When once again his body shudders, your body pleasantly trembles at the same time. 

“Look at me, baby,” his strained voice growls, demanding your attention. And you simply give it to him, wanting to look at the one who is giving you this carnal pleasure right in the eyes just to convince yourself that this is real. 

Once your eyes are on him, your body is giving in to the pleasure, Jaebum moves his hand between your rocking bodies. You feel a slight pressure on your throbbing clit as his thumb finds your sensitive bud, and you can feel your muscles clamping around his cock, sucking around his girth as he slides in and out of you at a rapid pace. 

“Come for me, baby,” he growls, just in time you feel the coil in your stomach snapping, then he gives your clit a sharp flick while he buries himself deep inside you. “Come.” 

Under his command, you tip over the edge, shattering into a million pieces that shoot up through you like a fountain. Your chest feels tight when you scream out your climax, yet neither of you cares to stop it as he joins you with his deep moans. Jaebum continues giving you a couple of more thrusts, until you feel him shuddering at the same time your whole body quakes with your final release, and he joins you with a loud shout coming out of his lips, the warmth of his cum filling your tight walls that it almost sends you to another orgasm. 

You almost lose your sense of balance, when you can barely recognise between left and right, top to bottom, until you feel your body—now all hot and covered with sweat—pressing against the sheets beneath you, all messed up under your weight and the rigorous fucking, and the slickness of his cum seeping out of your throbbing center. 

When you feel him lowering your trembling leg down to the mattress, you slowly open your eyes, finding Jaebum bringing one of your hands to his lips. He kisses your wrist, before stepping away to grab his discarded shirt to start cleaning all the mess pooling on the apex of your thighs. 

“Do you think we were too loud?” you whisper to him once he is done and joins you back on the bed, lying right beside you with a content sigh. 

The sounds from the party below have started to grow distant, a sign that the party is slowly winding down, but not completely ending just yet. 

While the rest of the house is still filled with the remaining noises from the party, the room is filled with the silence that falls heavy once all the delirium comes to a halt. 

As you lie there on the bed, with the shards of your climax still continuing to course through your limbs while you are struggling to control your breath, you feel your body warming up with contentment and the presence of Jaebum’s body heat as he pulls you close to his chest. 

Meanwhile, your mind seems to have sobered up, allowing you to process everything that had just happened. 

As if he can feel the gears in your brain working hard, Jaebum shifts on the bed, and once again his face comes into view. 

“Want to get out of here? My new place is within walking distance from here. Maybe we can continue where we left off and finish the rest of the alcohol we still have before your brother catches us with the stolen goods.”

His offer seems genuine. It also provides a chance to escape the possibility of having to deal with reality, and everything else that involves your brother and facing the consequences of your actions. And you do still have some bottles to finish. 

“I like that idea.” 

Your body is still strained and sore, yet it doesn’t take long for both of you to get dressed and pack up all of the remaining bottles to take with you in your escape. 

You can barely remember how you manage to slip away from the house unnoticed, even with the party still lingering and your brother’s guests lounging tiredly everywhere you look, or how you are able to reach Jaebum’s new apartment on your wobbly legs. 

Everything blurs as you continue your business with Jaebum at his place for the rest of the night until morning comes, only that none of it involves finishing the rest of the alcohol that you’ve managed to snatch away from your brother’s party, but has everything to do with the lessons that Jaebum had promised you about embracing pleasure. And you make no effort to put a stop to it when Jaebum continues giving you pleasure until the next day comes, continuing while your minds are completely sober. 

Seems like you actually are terrible with all this one-night stand business, after all. 

— ©Yoonia, all rights reserved. reposting/modifying of any kind, translations, or unsanctioned adaptations of any piece of writing posted on this blog are NOT allowed.

[vad-hander]

I Love You More

pairing: Jaebeom x reader

others: Jinyoung, GOT7 members

genre: fluff

warnings: idol GOT7!au, married couple, pure softness, crying

Words: 1,1k

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short soft one-shot inspired by GOT7's concerts this weekend and them being so emotional and crying and saying a lot of things that tore my heart apart. Jaebeom will always hold a very special place in my heart and I was excited to write this! I haven't written for got7 in years, so let me know, if you're interested in more

alsooo, I've never posted anything this short, so let me know if you enjoy stuff like this and I should be doing more of it!

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You stood in the corner of the waiting room, your eyes trained on the only man that actually mattered in your life and as the teardrops streamed down his pretty face your heart squeezed in an attempt to pump blood into your head and steady out its beats. Your heart ached, but you held back from crying  in this moment with him - if he’d see your tears you knew it’d be an undying contest of emotional breakdown and you didn’t want him to go through that. You loved him too much. He only ever deserved love, happiness and much easier life than he was living now. 

Jackson patted Jaebeom’s head and the staffs that filled the room tried to continue with their duties, but also be mindful of 7 crying and sobbing men in the centre of that room. Your gaze shifted to sobbing Mark and the way teared up Youngjae and Bam tried to calm him down. At least this view wasn’t tearing your heart into pieces. As a figure approached you, though, you had to readjust your eyes and focus on the man in front of you. The very next moment Jinyoung’s very warm hand grabbed yours and pulled you behind him. He felt your resistance and turned around, reading your face expression perfectly.

"I think he really needs you to calm him down." Jinyoung pulled onto your arm once again and you followed. "Hey, Seunah" Jinyoung called out in an attempt to whisper, but making it more of a low growl. Jackson, raising his head and seeing Jinyoung pulling on to you took a step back. Giving you space to come closer and giving you two space for privacy. Jaebeom raised his head a little, as he felt the loss of contact and took a few blinks to focus his teary eyes on you. Both Jackson and Jinyoung respectfully took a few more steps back and as you approached Jaebeom a little more, you couldn’t hold back a pout. Jaebeom straightened his back properly and it seemed the tears streamed down his face at a much lower pace. You pursed your lips and took a little step closer, not forgetting precaution and turning around to read the room - everyone seemed busy with themselves and their duties. But in all honesty - you couldn’t just stand and watch him any longer, even if the people watched you two attentively - your heart ached the moment you saw that first tear fall down his face back on stage. 

“You did so well-.“ You still whispered, everyone acted busy, but peoples’ ears were always perked up. Jaebeom blinked more tears down his face. Shit, you only made it worse for him. “Everything went so perfectly. You worked so hard. I’m so proud. These should be happy tears, everything worked out amazing. Right?“ you tried to give Jaebeom a smile, your words only made the tears fall down harder, while Park Jinyoung expected you to do the opposite. “Ah-, love, don’t cry.“ You finally sighed and reached a hand to his face, cupping his cheek and making a lame attempt at catching the teardrops - it did seem impossible. The waterfall that streamed down his face was impossible to stop with a finger. Jaebeom leaned in into your touch and closed his eyes. You tried to caress the softness of his cheek, while not making it too inappropriate for a working environment. “Everyone’s so proud and everyone are so thankful for the things you do. You’ve put so much hard work into this, it’s okay to cry. I can’t even hold back my tears for you and ah-.“ Jaebeom suddenly draped his arms over your shoulders and lost his face in the crook of your neck. You patted his nape in a very weak attempt to calm him down. He seemed crashed, drained and exhausted. You really wished you could lift him up just like that and transfer to bed and let him get as much sleep as he needed - doesn’t matter if its 12 hours or a week. You watched him work so hard all these weeks to make the concerts possible, you watched him all those years make all those things possible while also being a sweet and loving husband to you. “I just hope it’s tears of relief. As long as they’re not tears of pain - it doesn’t matter. We could cry all night long, right?“ You tried to give him a little kiss, forgetting all the work space boundaries in your head, landing your lips on his jaw. You patted his nape a few more times, moving your arms lower - you gave his waist a squeeze and rubbed your face against his shoulder - the sobbing man in your arms seemed to calm down at least a little. 

“I love you.“ you breathed out, somehow in unison with Jaebeom and as shocked as you were at the silly little coincidence, Jaebeom moved back a little and looked at you properly, with no tears falling out of his eyes,  beautiful irises focusing on you. 

“That’s silly of us.“ You giggled, moving your fingers to dry out the tears on Jaebeom’s cheeks. 

“But I, definitely love you more.“ He even made a weak attempt to smile and made you feel more at ease yourself. The air suddenly felt lighter and the second time he tried to make that little smile - the smugness on his face, your chest burned with love. Jaebeom covered your palm with his and moved it closer to his mouth. “I wouldn’t be here without your support.“ You knew exactly what he meant by that, how hard it was for both him and you to get his mind to a better place. You weren’t about to shy away and act like you weren’t behind it all. In a great partnership with the man himself, of course. 

“I know.“ You accepted with a playful nod and watched his lips give your palm a kiss with a smile. You were glad you could refer to dark times with a joke and a smile now. Jaebeom let go of your arm and tried to dry his face with the shirt he wore. 

“Ah!“ Jinyoung materialised behind you, his firm palm on your shoulder making you jump in place. “Nothing like a wife’s touch that could calm a man down.“ He teased happily, wrinkles round his eyes as he smiled were the reason for a little upward motion on the corners of your lips. 

“Sh! Shut up, there are strangers in this room.“ you hissed at the man, feigning annoyance. Jinyoung ruffled your hair with a teasing face expression.

“Hey, show some respect.“ you played back, your unending battle of teasing continuing every time you opened your mouths.

“Right, show some respect to my wife!“ Jaebeom chimed in, regret on his face immediate, as the both of you knew the comeback would be explosive. Jaebeom wrapped an arm around your waist, you not being sure whether he was backing you up or wanted you to back him up in this.

Jinyoung, though, already moved on -  looking at the members and then at his leader and giving you nod. 

don't forget to like and follow for more <3

[prettywordsyouleft]

Cr: poongpoong_jb / giftsterdef on X

"I don't have abs, I'm just a skinny guy."

[chugging-antiseptic-dye]

got7 as supermarket cashiers:

jaebeom: glares at the customers if they distract him while working. is never at the checkout counter cause he has to do the manager's job as well

mark: works at his own pace and time. give discounts to customers if they have a cute pet

jackson: knows the names of all the regular customers. WILL nag them to take better care of themselves

jinyoung: gets pocket money from all the aunties and grandmothers that come to the store. rub's that in everyone's face.

youngjae: has headphones in his ears 24/7. gets nervous when he has to check out a long line

bambam: 'borrows' gum and makeup samples from the store. leaves the cash register open to bother yugyeom

yugyeom: cries once a week when customers (or jinyoung) yell at him for being slow

[consume-cs]

free fall (03) ◯○ a baby growing up inside your belly

can you let me sing you a lullaby? | moonlit | 🍼 got7 content | materialist

english isn’t my first language. ot7 scenario. husband — cuteeeeeee ﷼

lim jaebeom

It’s late at night and you have a container full of ice cream between your legs, eating it slowly as you watch your favorite program on TV.

Lately, your insomnia is getting worse and since you can’t sleep Jaebeom notices every time you get up so now he’s next to you, falling asleep after a long day of work.

He rubs his eyes and he alarms when he hears you sobbing, grabbing your cheeks just to make you look at him.

“My love, what's happening?” He asks worrying about your feelings, knowing how often your humor changes.

“I didn’t mean to do this, you should be sleeping because I know how tired you are and I’m just here making you wake up due to my insomnia” You apologize crying.

“You don’t have to be sorry about it, princess. I'll be by your side every time and I will always stay with you until you fall asleep, so it’s not your fault”

mark tuan

You bend on your knees and in a few seconds you let your food go down the drain as your throat hurt and your husband puts your hair up in a ponytail, hating watching this scene once again.

You sit on the floor and Mark makes sure that the drain is in discharge just to pull you by his side and kiss your forehead.

“I hate this” You whisper feeling extremely exhausted. It isn’t the first time you’ve thrown up but it’s normal when your baby is just growing inside your belly.

“And I hate seeing you like this” He affirms, holding your face in his hands and gently rubbing his fingers against your cheeks.

He helps you to get up and you wash your hands, brush your teeth while he’s behind you holding your little belly.

“And here’s my baby” He says with a smile on his face, making you smile too.

jackson wang

You sit in his lap and he looks at you, kissing your cheeks and lips multiple times just to see your smile again. Then, he starts to brush your hair carefully, braiding your long hair and showing his work to you while you smile.

Your belly is getting bigger as your insecurities grow more and your husband noticed that, helping you to wash your body and pick a cute summer dress.

“Can I do your makeup?” He asks and you think about it for a bit until you say yes.

His hands touch your face softly and you guide him through the process, saying him which products go on your brows and so on until you get your makeup done by him.

It wasn’t bad.

park jinyoung

After going to the doctor and seeing that your baby girl is healthy, Jinyoung is holding your hand while you walk through the parking lot going straight to the car.

"You look really pretty today, and always" He says making you smile instantly feeling your cheeks turn red. "I hope that my baby girl look exactly like you" He begs carresing your belly.

You smile looking at your big belly and then you two stopped in front of the car as your husband opens the door for you, surprising you with a big bouquet of pink flowers in the passenger seat.

"Babe"

"Surprise!" You don't know where he got that bouquet but you can feel how your baby is happy about it too.

choi youngjae

You’re having a rough since your belly got so big that it’s hard to sleep in any position and your baby’s legs keep kicking your skin.

“Baby, let your mommy sleep please, it’s too late to play now” Youngjae begs with his eyes closed while he keeps rubbing your stomach in circles, hugging you from behind and kissing your bare neck just to calm you down.

You take a deep breath, hoping that your baby listen to his daddy and let you sleep peacefully for at least this night.

You hear your husband’s voice singing you a lullaby song, calming you and your baby almost at the same time.

“I love you” It’s the last thing you hear from him when you fall asleep and you don’t feel your baby’s kicks anymore.

bambam

“Are you sure you’re okay here? Isn’t too sunny for you?” He asks, relocating the umbrella above you covering you from the sun.

You nod, looking at the crystal water. Your little belly is finally showing up and all of the sudden your husband wanted to go the beach.

Bambam takes a seat next to you and starts to put sunscreen on your skin, starting from your back, shoulders, arms and then your little belly.

“My boy is getting bigger” He says with a smile as he’s rubbing the sunscreen on your skin.

“But I think he’s craving a vanilla cookie right now”

Your husband laughs as you smile. “Is it my boy who’s craving a cookie or is it my beautiful wife?”

“I think it’s your boy” You say jokingly.

kim yugyeom

You look at your big belly worrying about the future and how is going to be. Sometimes you don't feel prepare for that but at the same time you feel so excited to meet both of your babies.

Yugyeom is massaging your swollen feet, instantly noticing your silent crying. “Honey, what's happening? Your belly hurts? Tell me”

He takes a sit next to you, worrying even more since you haven’t stop crying.

“I-I’m scared” You say sobbing and Yugyeom puts you in his lap, holding your face between his hands as the same time he removes your tears.

His soft kisses around your face are pretty calming and sweet too. “I know you’re scared pretty girl and I’m scared too, but I promise you’ll be okay and this is going to pass quickly, okay?”

You put your arms around his neck while his hands go up and down your back, feeling the warmth of his body.

xoxo girl💋…

© consume_cs

[spacequokka]

It's the (Right) Time

Pairing: Jaebeom x Reader Genre: fluff, humor Rating: G Summary: Doing the White Elephant gift exchange with Jay B and the boys. Word Count: 0.6k Warnings: None, just meme7 doing their thing.

A/N: Can you guess which song the title came from?

"Play White Elephant with us," they said. "It'll be fun," they said. Honestly, you should've known better considering who was involved. Since when has GOT7 done anything with an ounce of control? The second the last person invited to BamBam's place walked through the door, drinks were passed out and chaos ensued. You ended up sitting cross-legged in a circle with the boys, clutching your carefully wrapped package—a vintage record player you found at a flea market—hoping it wouldn't be the most memorable gift for all the wrong reasons. It wasn't impossible to find vinyl records…right? You added it to the pile while the guys fought over snacks and refills.

"Number seven!" BamBam called out with way too much enthusiasm, waving the little paper slip. You took it with trembling hands. Seven, last pick. That could ever be really good or really bad. You crossed your fingers.

Jackson was practically vibrating with excitement then drew number one. "First pick! The universe loves me!" He kissed the slip of paper then crawled forwards on his knees to survey the pile of presents in the middle of the circle. Each one was wrapped in different patterns of holiday paper, but the designs chosen hinted at who wrapped what. After much deliberation and dramatic pointing, Jackson went for a small box wrapped in silver.

The game moved quickly after that. Youngjae picked a tall gift back and found a mini karaoke machine inside, which Mark immediately stole. Jinyoung carefully selected a medium-sized box that turned out to be a rare book collection, which made his eyes light up. BamBam ended up with a designer scarf after three different steals, and Yugyeom somehow landed a set of limited edition Deadpool plushies.

Then it was Jay's turn, right before yours. He studied the remaining two gifts with that intense focus he usually reserves for reviewing song lyrics. His gaze landed on your package and you held your breath. The record player would be a perfect fit for him--you lowkey picked it with him in mind, knowing he already had a collection.

"This one," he muttered as he reached for your gift. Of course.

You watched as he carefully peeled back the paper, his eyes widening when he realized what it was. "No way," he breathed, running his fingers over the vintage wood. "This is…this is incredible." It's the look in his eyes that does it, a tender joy that leaves him with a barely there smirk.

You're last and there's only one gift left—a squishy package wrapped in red and gold. For a minute you panic. Soft gifts in a game of White Elephant can mean trouble. Inside, you find the softest fleece hoodie you've ever touched, clearly oversized and perfect for winter.

"That was mine," Jay scoots closer to you. When you look up, he's smiling gently in a way that makes his eyes crinkle. "Seems fair, doesn't it? You got my gift, I got yours."

"Did you know?" you ask, wondering if somehow he'd guessed which present you bought.

He nods, still smiling. "As their leader, it's my job to keep an eye on everything going on." He glances at the record player then back at you. "How did you know I've been looking for one exactly like this?"

"I didn't! I saw it—"

"Okay, but can we talk about how I ended up with socks? Socks?!" Jackson launched himself across the circle at Mark. "I trusted you!"

The room erupted with laughter. Jay caught your eye again, mouthing a silent "thank you" before getting to his feet to wrangle Jackson back to the couch. You pulled on the new hoodie. It smelled faintly of vanilla and coffee, just like him. Sometimes the best gifts are the ones you don't plan for.

[pinkpunkdynamite]

I kinda got obsessed with this cutie for awhile

masterlist

an evening with Jaebum is an equality to comfort. it's a freeing moment, when he takes off his idol mask and becomes himself - a cute, smiling, and slightly tired of everyone's attention boy.

evenings together are always spent under the dim light of string lights and some stupid movie murmuring in the background.

while you are choosing a movie, Jaebum makes two cups of cocoa with marshmallows, softly giggling while he's looking how you suffer which movie is IT for today.

you're sitting comfortably under the blanket when he brings you your cup, slides his arm over your shoulders and brings you closer to his side. his fingers always trace some unknown pattern, skimming over your soft ticklish places. Jaebum always pretends that nothing is happening, as if both yours and his hearts don't skip a beat from the slightest touch.

he's whispering about his day in a hushed voice, making you actually listen to the story while he holds your hand tenderly and brushes his lips over your knuckles.

Jaebum muses a smile when you look up at him from under your brows, light scowl on your face because you can’t decide whether to look at him or at the screen.

overall, to him, all these evenings together are a small rehearsal for a big future life together 🥰

[thealternateuniverse]

Sort it out

A/N: It was so hectic last week (my birthday and everything) but here is some Mark fic. I got caught up in work so the ideas were not running the past few days.

Pairing/s: Mark Tuan x reader

Warnings: none

You were downing shots like it was the last alcohol on Earth.

"Calm down, Y/N… What’s got you so worked up?" Your friend plucked the glass from your hand.

"Nothing." You shrugged, dodging the follow-up questions.

You didn’t want to talk about it. Not yet. Not when you and your boyfriend hadn’t even addressed it yourselves.

Your friend didn’t press further, only sighing. "At least slow down."

You nodded, but the lump in your throat was growing. You felt like crying at any moment. Mark didn’t feel like your boyfriend anymore. Hell, he barely even felt present in your life. Did he even care that you were here? Did he even remember he had a girlfriend?

Mark Tuan, your boyfriend of seven years—had been practically MIA for three weeks. Not literally, of course. He was just… caught up in his own world, forgetting that you existed in it.

You understood his life was hectic. Celebrity things. That’s how it had always been, and for seven years, you’d accepted it because you knew what you signed up for. He always made time for you. Never once had he made you feel neglected. Until now.

So what changed?

Would it kill him to send a simple update? A check-in? The bare minimum?

You were tired. And you were starting to wonder if this was even worth it anymore.

"How are you and Mark? I heard his group is going on tour," another friend asked, snapping you out of your thoughts.

You weren’t sure what made you wince—the sharp burn of vodka or the fact that this was the first time you were hearing about it.

"We’re good. Yeah, probably. We haven’t talked about it yet," you replied flatly, making it clear you didn’t want to discuss it. But apparently, some people didn’t know how to read the room.

"Oh, he hasn’t told you yet?"

Your other friend elbowed the one who spoke, sensing the tension.

"He mentioned it once," you muttered, brushing it off. But your fingers twitched as you checked your phone again. No messages. Of course.

"Let’s go dance, guys!"

Thank God. A distraction.

You let the music consume you, moving like you were in a Charli XCX music video wild, carefree, reckless. If Mark was too busy to care, why should you?

"Holy shit. Look who just walked in."

The four of you stopped dancing, following the direction your friend pointed.

And there he was. Mark. Along with Bambam, Jackson, and Yugyeom.

They were trying to be discreet, caps pulled low, hoodies up but you knew him anywhere. He wore a white cap and a black shirt, looking like they had come straight from the studio.

Your stomach twisted. He had time for this? He couldn’t send a single text, but he could show up here?

Then, as if the past three weeks hadn’t happened, Mark met your gaze and… waved.

He waved.

Like nothing was wrong. Like he wasn’t the reason you were drowning in vodka.

He motioned toward their booth, expecting you to follow, but you were too pissed to even acknowledge him. So instead, you turned away and kept dancing, letting the music swallow your frustration.

Your friends exchanged looks but went along with it.

---

Later, as you settled back into your couch, tipsy and giggling, the mood shifted when they showed up at your table.

Mark. Bambam. Jackson. Yugyeom.

Mark’s eyes were locked on you. And he seems to be patiently waiting for you to go back on your table.

"Hi, ladies. Hope you don’t mind us crashing your night out," Jackson said smoothly, ever the social butterfly.

"We really don’t. Sup, Jack?"

Pleasantries were exchanged, and you nodded towards the guys in greeting. But Mark… Mark didn’t look away. He seemed to be waiting for a chance to talk to you alone.

Too bad you weren’t in the mood for that.

"Why don’t we all dance?" Bambam suggested, but his lingering glance between you and Mark didn’t go unnoticed.

"Sure. But won’t people recognize you guys?"

"Nah. Most of them are drunk anyway."

"If you say so. Y/N?"

All eyes turned to you.

"I’ll be right behind you," you said, staying planted in your seat.

They headed to the dance floor, leaving you and Mark alone.

You poured another shot, staring at the glass as if it held answers.

"Baby…"

You didn’t look up.

"You’re drunk," he murmured.

"Obviously."

"Let’s go home?"

"Good. So you still remember where that is? Thought you went astray."

Mark sighed, rubbing a hand over his face. "I’m sorry."

"Yeah."

"I mean it. There’s been a lot going on—"

"Oh, I know. So much that you forgot to come home? Or even text your girlfriend?"

His jaw tightened. "Let’s talk properly when we get home."

You exhaled sharply, downing the vodka.

Maybe. Maybe not.

"I need a break, Mark."

Your voice was flat, emotionless. But the weight of those words made Mark’s eyes widen in panic.

"What—no. Let’s talk properly first," he rushed out, desperation creeping into his tone.

You let out a bitter laugh. "Don’t you get it? You were gone for three fucking weeks. Barely a reply, barely a call. But you had time to be here?" You gestured around the club, anger bubbling over. "Seriously? I’m starting to wonder if I’m your girlfriend or just some dog waiting for scraps of attention."

His jaw clenched.

"Baby… I’m really sorry. We—"

He bit his lip, stopping himself. Holding something back.

And that only pissed you off more.

You huffed, standing up, crossing your arms. "We need a break, Mark."

His entire body tensed.

"So we can figure out if this is even worth continuing," you added. "That way, you can think and move freely—without having to remember that you have someone waiting for you."

"I'm sorry…" Mark exhaled, running a hand through his hair. "Me and the boys… we’re working on something so we can finally be free."

Your brows furrowed. "What?"

He hesitated, then cursed under his breath. "Damn, I wasn’t supposed to say anything while the case is ongoing, but… it’s you, baby. This is for you."

Your head spun—maybe from the alcohol, maybe from his words. Either way, nothing was making sense.

"I don’t understand what you mean," you mumbled.

Mark sighed, his grip tightening on your wrist as if grounding you. "We’re leaving the company. And JayB is fighting to make sure we keep our rights."

Your jaw dropped.

"W-what?! Are you guys insane?" Your voice rose, disbelief cutting through the haze. "You worked for this your whole lives and now you’re just—"

Mark’s hands found your arms, rubbing soothing circles.

"Baby…" His voice softened. "If this job means I can’t spend time with you, then I don’t want it."

Your heart skipped.

"But don’t worry," he added quickly. "We’re not disbanding. Think of it as… leaving the nest. We’ll still come back as a group. But we need this to pursue what we love, on our terms."

Your chest tightened. This was huge. Bigger than your relationship issues, bigger than the past three weeks.

And he had been carrying it all alone.

""Oh my God, Mark! I’m so sorry! You could’ve at least said something!"

Mark chuckled, but you didn’t find it funny. Guilt gnawed at you for assuming the worst, for thinking he had simply stopped caring—when, in reality, he and the boys had been fighting for something that could cost them everything they had worked for since they were teenagers.

"I knew you’d be here," he admitted. "That’s why we came."

Your stomach flipped. A mix of emotions swirled inside you. He cared. He cared so much that he was doing all of this for himself, for the group, for you.

"I’m sorry for being MIA," he murmured, his thumb brushing your cheek. "And I promise, I’ll make it up to you. Big time."

Your head dipped slightly, overwhelmed, but Mark gently lifted your chin, forcing your eyes to meet his. Then, he pressed a soft kiss to your forehead before pulling you into his arms.

"I’m sorry for making you feel that way," he whispered against your hair. "It won’t happen again. I’ll make sure to update you, always."

You let out a shaky breath before burying your face into his chest, arms tightening around him.

"I think we need to go home," you mumbled.

Mark chuckled, the sound vibrating through you.

"I figured." He pulled back slightly, a small smirk playing on his lips. "Let’s grab something to eat first, okay?"

You nodded, and after saying goodbye to your friends who exchanged knowing glances but didn’t protest.

You and Mark found yourselves at a gas station at 3 AM, sharing greasy fast food.

Talking. Catching up. Planning the days ahead.

For the first time in weeks, everything felt right again. You let out a soft sigh, the weight that had been lingering on your chest beginning to lift. You missed him—his laugh, the way his jokes always managed to make you smile, and most of all, just having him around. You could almost hear his voice in your head, teasing you with one of his playful remarks.

"I swear, I have the best jokes in the world. You just wait."

You smiled at the thought, imagining how he'd grin that goofy, endearing grin of his.

Soon, you told yourself. Soon, he'd be by your side again, and this distance between you two would finally fade. You couldn’t wait to have him all to yourself, to wrap up the lingering tension in your relationship and just be together, uninterrupted.

And when that moment came, you knew it would feel like home again.

[baejl]

playing soldier

red velvet 6th member au / superm 8th member au

jaebeom spends his first weekend back home after enlisting and jaein has a sudden reaction

WARNINGS: angst - this is my first angst afte a while, hope you guys like it.

masterlist 🦋 requests are open feedback is always important to me!

When Jaein's pregnancy came out to the public, everyone would ask her the same thing: how'd she balance the idol-mom-wife routine? 

And, as expected, Jaein avoided that question as much as she could. Mainly because she didn't have to worry about it.

Everything was already settled with SM and, as for the 'wife' part, well, it wasn't like she wasn't already spending most of her days at Jaebeom's house, living a married life during the weekends. 

But, the girl forgot about one small detail: Jaebeom's enlistment. 

Jaein knew his compromise to the nation. After all, he was a citizen just like any other Korean man. But, gosh, that was hard! - especially when you have a six-month-old baby and is starting the preparations for a comeback.

Luckily, she had a huge network: her family, members, and some nannies she'd eventually hire when things were too intense - the latter being dismissed after some photos and data of John were leaked 'suddenly'. 

However, Jaein missed her husband. More than his father figure, she missed not being in charge all the time and having some time to just be his girl, turning her brain off of the world, not caring about a single thing but when they were going to cuddle again. 

The loud crying in the living room brought Jaein back to reality. Her days were a chaotic blur of toddler tantrums, sleepless nights, grueling rehearsals, outfits fitting, late-night studio sessions... Jaebeom had now enlisted a few months ago, leaving her to handle everything on her own. 

While she prided herself on being independent, the pressure was beginning to crack her. She could feel it. 

When Jaebeom finally called her after a whole week, telling her he'd be having the weekend off, she felt like she had just won the lottery. He came home to John already starting to babble something like "dad" and toddling into his arms. 

With that, for the first time in weeks, Jaein allowed herself to exhale. The love of her life was home, even if just for a weekend. 

But, as the day went on, instead of feeling relieved, Jaein found herself growing more and more irritable. Watching Jaebeom lounge on the couch, playing with John while she scrambled to prepare lunch, clean up toys, and mentally rehearse the choreography she was supposed to practice the next day, a storm began brewing inside her.

By the time John went down for his nap, the apartment was eerily quiet, but inside Jaein’s head, the noise was deafening. Her chest felt tight, her mind racing with everything she had to do—dinner to prepare, choreography to rehearse, emails from SM to answer, and the persistent guilt of wondering if John felt neglected. 

She glanced over at Jaebeom, who was lying on the couch scrolling through his phone, a small smile tugging at his lips as he watched a funny video.

And something inside her snapped.

She slammed the kitchen cabinet shut, the sound cutting through the silence like a whip. 

Jaebeom glanced up, startled.

"What’s wrong?" he asked, his tone casual, almost dismissive.

Jaein turned, glaring at him. 

"What’s wrong? Seriously, Jaebeom? Look at me!” she raised her voice. “I’m running myself into the ground trying to keep this family afloat, and you’re just sitting there, scrolling through your phone like you don’t have a care in the world."

Jaebeom blinked, sitting up. 

"Whoa, where is this coming from?” he chuckled, nervously. “I just got back, Jaein. Can I not have a moment to relax?"

"A moment to relax?" Jaein repeated, already screaming at this point.. "Do you know what I would give for a moment to relax? I can’t even sit down without thinking about the million things I still need to do! I’ve been doing this alone for months, Jaebeom. Months! And the second you come home, you act like you’re some guest here instead of John’s father or my partner." 

Jaebeom’s jaw tightened. 

"That’s not fair. You know I’d be here if I could." 

"Would you?" Jaein shot back, her voice trembling with anger. "Because it doesn’t feel like it. It feels like you’ve checked out like you’ve accepted that this is my problem to deal with while you’re out there, playing soldier for the next two years." 

"Playing soldier?" Jaebeom’s voice dropped, low and hurtful.. He stood, his height towering over her, but she didn’t back down. She trusted him enough to know he wouldn’t do anything else. "Do you have any idea what it’s like for me over there? To wake up at 5 a.m. every day, march for hours, follow orders, and not even have the freedom to come home when I want? Do you think I’m on some vacation?" 

"Well, I think you’re lucky!” Jaein yelled, her voice cracking. "You get to focus on one thing. Just one thing! You don’t have to juggle a screaming toddler, a demanding career, and a house that always feels like it’s falling apart. You don’t have to wonder if your son feels abandoned because you’re too busy performing for the world to read him a bedtime story!" 

"Don’t you dare!” he debated. “Don’t you dare act like I don’t care about John. I love him as much as you do."

"Then show it!" Jaein cried, tears streaming down her face now. "Because all I see is you coming home, taking the easy moments, and leaving me to deal with everything else. Do you think loving him is enough? It’s not. He needs you here. I need you here."

Jaebeom’s jaw tightened, his voice low but firm. 

"Don’t say I don’t see it, Jaein. I see how hard you’re working, and I admire you for it. But you’re acting like I don’t care, like I’m not sacrificing anything. I miss John too. I miss you. Do you know how much it kills me to not be here for you, to not be here for our son?" 

"Then why does it feel like I’m doing this alone?" she shot back, her voice trembling with anger and hurt. "Why does it feel like I’m trying and trying and trying, and you’re just... watching?" 

Jaebeom’s eyes flared. 

"Because I don’t know how to help you when you won’t even let me in! You keep everything bottled up, and then you explode like this. I can’t fix it if you won’t tell me what you need."

"I need you!" she shouted, her voice echoing through the apartment. "I need you to be here! I need you to take some of this weight off my shoulders because I can’t carry it all by myself anymore!" 

Her words hung in the air, the silence that followed deafening. Jaein’s chest heaved as she tried to catch her breath, tears streaming down her face. Jaebeom looked at her, his expression softening as he saw just how much pain she was in.

Jaein followed her way to John's room, not really caring about Jaebeom calling her name. She had to calm herself, otherwise, she'd say even more things she'd absolutely regret later.

She didn't even know why she went to John's room. That was like her safe place. A place where she could just forget about all the problems in the world and focus on the most precious person in the world: her son. John had become her anchor in the chaos, a tiny person who didn’t care about schedules, criticisms, or the burdens she carried. He only cared that she was there. 

Stroking his soft hair, Jaein felt an overwhelming mix of love and guilt.  A perfect mix of two people that were truly, madly, deeply in love with each other. Although people would say John was the spitting image of her, Jaein couldn't spot the similarities. All she could see was a mini Jaebeom lying on his crib and that made her heart shrink even more. She had promised herself she’d hold everything together for him, but tonight had proved how fragile her resolve had become.

After checking if everything was fine with her little one, she followed her way to her bedroom. 

Jaebeom’s silhouette against the bedroom window was the first thing she noticed as she entered. His shoulders, usually so broad and assured, were slumped in defeat. The tension between them still lingered, but seeing him like that chipped away at her defenses. She hadn’t meant to lash out the way she did. It wasn’t entirely his fault - he was doing what was required of him, fulfilling his duties. But that didn’t make her feelings any less valid.

For a long moment, neither of them spoke. 

Jaein wiped at the tears she didn't even notice was falling, her hands shaking. Jaebeom stepped closer, his eyes full of regret.

"I didn’t want to upset you," he said quietly, his voice raw. "I hate seeing you like this, Jaein. I hate feeling like I’m failing you. I'm sorry I haven't been there for you the way you need me to be. I thought... I thought you were handling it. You’re so strong, Jaein. Sometimes, I forget that even you have limits.”

She looked up at him, her face crumpling.

“I don’t feel strong. I feel like I’m failing. Everything and everyone." 

Jaebeom pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly as she sobbed against his chest. 

“You’re not failing,” he murmured. “You’re doing everything you can, and it’s more than enough. I should have seen how much you were struggling. I should have been there for you, even from a distance. I’m so sorry."

Jaein clung to him, her tears soaking his shirt. 

"I don't know how much I can keep doing this." she confessed. 

"You don't have to do it alone anymore," he said firmly. “I'll call more. I'll make sure you know that I’m here, even when I’m not. We’ll get through this, Jaein.”

[mykoreanlove]

the fluff bundle

for when you need that extra portion of love

CHAN - you make me blush // all the feels // sweet whispers // insecurities // channie's way of helping you relax

CHANGBIN - dummy dummy, i love your tummy // handle you

MINHO - 🥀🖤🌹 // hardships // sakura // alternatives

HYUNJIN - submissive // manifested // conditional // artist's pov

HAN - the extra mile

FELIX - fake date me please? // bokkie's quest for tears // angel // whispers of love // body dysmorphia // flirting in a club be like // reassurance // fitting room

I.N - pet names

CROSSOVER - perceptions (Chan, I.N) // amnesia (ot8) // shy dating (maknae) // shy dating (hyung) // sexual abuse

JINYOUNG - things that made him run to you // starved // i wanna know everything, all about you

JACKSON - 🥃 realizations // on Kinjaz // daddy fever //nightmares

JB - can I see you tonight?

NAMJOON - sexy brain wasn't having it

SUGA - 🏀 Ballin‘

TAEMIN - his private messages to you // I want to live a different type of life - with you // sleepy no more // don't leave my side no // Similarities // taemotional Support System // long distance //baby daddy Taemin is coming home to you // domestic vibe with Taemin // back to lovers // christmas with Taemin // paris nights

MINHO - deprived

EUN WOO - afraid of love

[gnabnahc]

his head's in the game and his heart's in the song...?

[kpopimaginings]

Goodnight Kisses - JayB

You knew JayB would berate you for still being awake when he got home, but it wasn't for lack of trying. Recently, you'd got into such a routine of going to be together that it just felt wrong trying to sleep when he wasn't there. You'd done everything you normally would before sliding under the covers, but without your  good night kiss and the warmth of your man beside you, you just couldn't drift off.

JayB always promised you you'd still get your good night kiss if you were asleep when he got home but it wasn't the same. When you heard the front door open, you had a brief debate with yourself as to whether or not to feign sleep. As his gentle footsteps approached your room you decided against it, opting to greet JayB instead. You could tell he was trying to be quiet as he entered but you spoke up.

"Jae?"

"Ah, jagiya, why are you awake?" he whispered. There was a slight smile on his face as he spoke, negating any air of annoyance in his words.

"Can't sleep," you complained. "Not without my goodnight kisses."

"Just let me wash up and get changed and you can have all the kisses you want," he replied.

You groaned and stretched your arms out in his direction, hoping to summon him closer.

He chuckled as he approached you, shaking his head. "You're always so clingy when you're tired," he said running a hand through your hair.

You closed your eyes, focusing on the feeling of his fingers in your hair. All too soon he was pulling away again. Your eyes snapped open as you reached out to grab his hand and put it back. Unfortunately, in your sleepy state, JayB was quicker.

"I'm just getting ready for bed, jagi, then I'm all yours."

You still whined a little as he left you to head to the bathroom but you were for too tired to launch any sort of actual protest.

After far too long, he was climbing into bed behind you, enveloping you in his arms as a kiss was pressed to your shoulder.

"I love you, my needy jagi," he whispered.

You grunted at his teasing and snuggled further into his embrace.

There was a moments silence before you felt his finger tips digging into your waist and tickling you slightly. You squirmed but JayB didn't relent.

"Say it," he demanded.

"Who's needy now?" you retorted.

He tickled you again.

"I love you, too." You told him what he wanted to hear to stop the attack.

"That's better," he replied. "Sleep well."

With one last kiss placed gently on your neck, he held you tightly again, allowing you both to drift off to sleep, comforted by each others presence.

NAVIGATION  |  GOT7 MASTERLIST

[write-it-good-imagines]

Every Rule Has An Exception – 5

Author's note: hello loves, happy Easter! We are back with the next part of our beloved story idiots falling in love. No further ado, please enjoy and drop a comment to let me know your thoughts!! <3

P.S: This song is the main trope of this chapter: Faouzia, Fur Elise.

Word count: ±12.5k

Tropes: friends idiots to lovers || slow burn romance || almost smut || angst / light angst || long series || jackson wang || soulmates || original characters || dorks in love || 3rd POV

“Jackson?” Jo put the wooden clamps on the cutting board and turned her attention to the other end of the room where Jackson was. “What happened? Who was it?”

Jackson put Jo’s phone back on the table, and the latter observed a more distant look in his eye. He chuckled wryly. “I told you it was rude to go through another person’s messages. This Max person says you two are viral in Korea.”

Another short message sound echoed through the speakers in the living room. Jackson did not have to look at the lit-up screen to know it was that same man messaging once more. He noticed the grimace on Jo’s face.

“I did not lie to you when I said I had nothing to hide, Jackson.” Jo took the clean plates from the dining table to transfer the beef from the pan. “Max is my ex-lover. He is the last man I was in a relationship with these past couple of years.”

Jo shifted her position to face Jackson who threw the towel from his head to the adjacent couch. His eyes fixed her, and she could not figure out the expression he was displaying. There was one clear thing in his demeanor; the compassion in his irises evaporated.

“Is he still in your life?”

Jo assumed the stance to meet Jackson’s posture. “No.”

“Does he know?”

Jo blinked at the other’s question. She was prepared to answer a hundred million different questions, prepared to be honest with him and with herself alike. Jackson’s inquiry took her by surprise. He presumably had little to no interest in her past with Max; his question focused on her present and sparked the interest to her future.

“He should.”

Jackson sighed and ran a hand through his damp hair. “That’s not a yes, Jo.”

As Jackson sat down on the couch, Jo felt a macabre sensation knitting in her stomach. She instinctively covered her abdomen, grasping at the suit material. “I left him, Jackson.”

Jackson’s eyes never left her silhouette. That barren visage he was carrying twisted her stomach further.  “Why? I don’t know much Spanish, but I can understand mami is an endearing thing.”

“I left him,” Jo repeated. Much to her surprise, the words came out clean, yet vehement. To convince herself of a fact she had already known. “I packed my bags and walked away. We haven’t talked to each other in years, up to a couple of days ago. I deleted his number, and I don’t have it, still.”

Jackson nodded his head, then leaned against the backrest of the couch. “Aren’t you curious to see what he wrote to you?”

“No,” Jo replied, her tone growing stronger, more confident. “I am curious to know what is going through your head right now.”

He closed his hands to hang them at his nape. “Quite a lot of things actually,” Jackson breathed out and shrugged his shoulders. “Was he bad to you? Did he treat you wrong? Why are you here with me now and not with him?”

A short laugh bubbled out of his lungs. “And I’m dying to see what you two became viral for. Even though I don’t want to see my lady do that with no one else.”

Jo’s lips parted slightly in sudden shock of Jackson’s words. How did he look so serene, while also carrying the air of the most troubled man on Earth? Jo had to latch herself to the refuge of the kitchen counter, not to give in to the newfound weakness in her knees.

“Your lady?” she whispered in disbelief.

“Yes, my lady, Jo,” Jackson exhaled and stood up. “Or at least, I thought you would be my lady.” He made a step toward her. “I can’t clear my head of all these thoughts of you, Jo. You’re so alluring in all these right ways. I just can’t keep away from you when you’re near.”

Jo watched him as he inched closer, step after step after step, with fresh determination painting the brown of his eyes, still devoid of the tenderness he had carried in the early hours of the day. Jo could not pretend to know him well enough to read between his lines, to guess his running feelings. Jackson appeared resentful, protective, jealous? A blend of sentiments that could be anything but possessive. A blend of sentiments that revolved around her and her freedom.

Jackson stopped before her, the intensity of his existence capturing Jo’s very essence. His voice sounded urgent, imposing even.

“Say something, Jo. Say something cause I’m losing my mind.”

Jo could feel his warmth fanning against her lips, yet his eyes never left hers. Jackson rested his hands on either side of her body. Jo felt her heart hammering in her chest, swearing that Jackson could hear it too.

“My name is Joanne.” She breathed out. “Joanne who is consumed with thoughts of you, aggravated with the fact that you’re almost always too far away from my fingertips. I am exasperated that I have never met a man like you and I don’t know what to do with these feelings.”

“Joanne,” Jackson murmured, and his features were slowly coloring in softness once more. “Joanne. What a beautiful name.”

Jo looked at the man standing before her, unable to comprehend his reactions. She perceived that her armor was being torn apart piece by piece with such unknown mastery. All that was characteristic of her was washing away. “Please,” Jo pleaded silently, seizing at her chest with one hand. “I need to say these things out loud to you.”

Jackson grabbed her by the hand keeping guard at her soul. “If you stop hiding away from me, I swear I’ll listen to everything you want to say to me.”

She could not counter his request, not with the steadfastness reflected so vividly in his orbs. Jo did not remember the last time she tried to bare herself naked to something else than her mirror. Jackson had that aura about him, to wrap her in safety and take all her bad habits to lay them to rest. Perhaps not all of them were prepared to go, but some were on the verge of breaking apart.

Jo finally spoke, taking him by the hand with a gentle squeeze, “I won’t hide.”  

“Good!” Jackson declared and tugged her to the dining table. “Let’s eat now.”

Jo blinked at him. Then cried out. “What the hell do you mean eat?!”

“Didn’t you say that the steak is no good to us cold?” Jackson replied calmly, pulling her chair. “And I heard your stomach rumbling, so I can’t have you being hungry. We’re not going anywhere after this.”

The woman accepted Jackson’s invitation and seated herself at the table. He retrieved the bottle of wine from the living room table and rummaged through a side drawer for the corkscrew. Jo was watching his light movements with an irritation in her throat. He put her through a rollercoaster just moments before, having her on the edge of anguish that he would detach himself from her.

Could those have been the same emotions she put Max through?

Jo confirmed to herself that she was a big contender for the greatest hypocrite on Earth.

Jackson returned to the table to fill the tall glasses with Pinot Noir, mocking the motions of a renowned wine connoisseur, and earned a smile from Jo. He sat in his chair and, in a firm action, pulled Jo’s chair closer to his own.

“What are you sitting so far away for?” he chuckled at the shock on the other’s face.

“That was very sexy.” Jo admitted, moving the cutlery to her.

“It was meant to be sexy,” Jackson boasted, notwithstanding a smirk. “Did it work?”

Jo scoffed at him, failing to conceal her smile. “Yes, it did. Now please see to your steak.”

So, Jackson cut a piece of the steak and brought it to his mouth for a prolonged bite. Jo was nervous initially, thinking that she must have overcooked it; Jackson’s lewd groan, whether intentional or not, confirmed otherwise. “I’m sold.”

“To whom?” Jo joked sheepishly, safely tending to her dish. She appreciated Jackson’s intentions of easing the tense ambience. It gave her a sense of security that he was truly willing to give her the attention.

Jackson’s smirk grew wider. His expression was seductive enough that Jo could not take her eyes off him. Jackson switched the topic. “Did you know that the boys are planning to throw a party for all the September birthdays? Youngjae’s was the first, then Jinyoung’s was just a couple of days ago, and Yugyeom is coming up soon.”

“Oh really?” Jo took another bite of her steak. “Sam didn’t say.”

At that point, Jackson had stuffed his cheeks with food. His close resemblance to a chipmunk was an outrageous shift from his previously delicious features. He continued when he finished chewing. Jo was happy to see him enjoying himself.

“I’m sure Mark didn’t want to put her through organizing everything again. Bam mentioned at some point he felt really bad he had to put so much on her, so he must have understood the message.”

“Nonsense. Sam loves doing these things. She always planned all our birthday parties back in college.”

“She has a knack for that. I had so much fun at Mark’s.” Jackson approved and stopped to reach for his glass. He brought it closer to Jo’s. “Cheers?”

Jo’s fingers wrapped around her glass, meeting Jackson halfway. “Cheers.” Then she sipped from the glass, “Me too. It felt like the old times.”

“You know,” Jackson began, “After we talked about your old squad in Stanford, you know, at the party, I kept thinking how it could have been to have met you back then.”

Jo leaned her chin on the back of her hand, focusing her full attention to Jackson. “I don’t know, maybe we wouldn’t have met at all. I probably would have been a freshman, and you, a senior. Besides, fighting through a swarm of girls would have been tough.”

Jackson motioned with his index in the air, making a quick calculation. “You’re 28 then?”

“Bingo.”

“Ah, shit, sorry,” Jackson rapidly covered his mouth, in a mortified expression. “I didn’t mean to ask.”

“Ah, fuck that,” Jo laughed in response and took another sip of wine. “I don’t mind. Well, I don’t mind if it’s you. I promised you I won’t hide anymore, and my age is part of that. It’s worth knowing I’m younger than you, no?”

“Doesn’t matter. I don’t care.” Jackson replied decisively. “Doesn’t make any difference to me.”

Jo nodded her head, grabbing the fork and knife again. “So, birthday you were saying?”

“Oh yeah. So, we’re doing that Saturday next week. Jaebum wants to do a live stream with all of us for our fans.”

“That’s nice. Always so thoughtful.”

“Right. We need a video editor.”

Jo blinked with curiosity. She did not remember the Got7 members having any social media content edited from their live streamed versions. “Why? You want to do some TikTok content and all that?”

Jackson seemed a tad hesitant to reply. “Well, maybe some short clips with the happy birthday stuff and some photos with the members.”

“If you need any help with ideas and whatnot, maybe I could help,” Jo offered. “You can ask Jaebum to contact me, and we can brainstorm.”

Jackson put his cutlery on the table surface with a loud sigh. “Fuck it, I’m not good at these things,” He looked straight at Jo. “We were wondering if you’d like to edit and post our stuff.”

Ah. So that was the beating around the bush for. “I mean, I’d hate to refuse you but—"

Jackson’s face all but changed into a horribly sad puppy look. “But you will?”

Jo’s shoulders dropped. Something about him made it terribly difficult to refuse virtually anything that came out of his mouth. Jo was developing a weakness for Jackson she had never developed for anyone before. “Jeez, let me finish. I was about to say that it’s no big deal to do it, editing and all that is pretty easy. If I had a camera. Which I don’t.”

Jackson’s face reverted to its cheerful display. “Both Jayb and Jinyoung have cameras.”

“I know they do,” Jo laughed at the other and bumped her foot against his under the table. “Jaebum held a photography expo in 2020 if I’m not mistaken. Very good stuff.”

“You knew that?!” Jackson’s eyes widened in pleasant surprise.

“Of course I do! Who do you take me for? I should have received the biggest Got7 fan badge or something.”

Jackson put his hands in the air in mocked defense. Jo chuckled.

“Why me though?” she asked, dropping her head in the palms of her hands.

“In case it’s not already obvious,” Jackson folded his arms over his torso, “Your art and creativity are beyond extraordinary. And I might have run my mouth to the boys about it, too.”

Jo cocked an eyebrow, a sliver of a smirk tugging at her lips. “Do go on.”

Jackson mirrored her actions. “Right, so I told Jaebum to talk to you himself. But he said that I should do it cause he didn’t have your number or some shit.”

“Mhm, as if my contact is not listed on my company’s website. Doesn’t answer my question though. Aren’t you guys already working with someone on the photo video side?”

“It’s kind of short notice to be honest,” Jackson scratched at his nape. “We didn’t know we would all be free to meet up. And the live thing idea was given on the spot.” Jackson stopped for a brief second to capture Jo’s eyes. “And I wanted you.”

It was no secret Jo’s orbs softened. Jackson picked it up swiftly and took her by the hand.

“So, you wouldn’t have invited me to celebrate with everyone had it not been for my photography mastercraft?”

Both of them burst out in hearty laughter at Jo’s teasing remark. She entwined her fingers through Jackson’s.

“I thought you being there was by default at this point.”

His touch was tender, like the spring’s gentle sunshine. If time could be frozen in a bottle, Jo would have chosen that very moment to imprint in her tapestry of forever: Jackson’s cherished warmth, his velvety smile and that ethereal serenity his eyes wore whenever he looked at her. When he spoke again, his voice descended a semitone.

“Joanne,” he smiled once more. “I’m not used to calling you this.”

A faint trace of a blush flushed her cheeks. “You’d better be, Jackson.”

Jackson sighed; and Jo’s world came tumbling down, in fear of the worst. She respected his uncertain pause.

“Joanne, I like you. Very much. Extremely much.”

Jo held her breath. “But?”

“You’re not ready for this.”

She lowered her eyes, but Jackson guided his other hand to cup her cheek and lead her back to him. He met her with a reassuring smile that had Jo release all the apprehended air in her lungs. “I didn’t say I’m giving up on us.”

Jo’s bottom lip started trembling.

“I don’t want to share any of you, or your mind, or your heart, or your anything with anyone. Neither of us deserves this.”

“I know. You don’t.” Jo’s voice barely survived a whisper, and she tried to look away. Jackson’s thumb caressed her skin.

“Hey, look at me. You promised you won’t hide from me anymore.”

Jo reluctantly tilted her head to look at Jackson. “I’m afraid. My hyper fixation with being the independent eldest daughter who was pushed to being perfect and doing everything perfectly on her own makes me afraid.”

Jackson’s voice dictated patience. As promised. “Of what?”

“That I’ll pack my bags and walk away from you just as I did to Max. That I’ll leave you without a trace because I can’t open up to anyone because I keep on telling myself I don’t need anyone to build my life for me.”

Jo grabbed Jackson by the wrist, trying to hold herself steady. Her fingers were cold and numb. “Max was never bad to me. He treated me well and always did his best to make me happy. When I started building up my career, I convinced myself that he would only hold me back, and sabotage me, and we couldn’t have anything anyway because he was touring the States to lead his musicals.” Each word coming out of her lips caused fissures in her voice, and, unbeknownst to her, a tear bubbled over Jackson’s thumb.

“I don’t want to do this to you, Jackson. You’re doing all these things right, everything you could do, you are doing. You don’t deserve the cup half full.”

Jackson reached over to place a chaste kiss on her temple and pull her into his chest. He curled his fingers through the hair at the base of her neck, his other arm holding her into his proximity.

“Do you trust me?”

Jo retreated to look at him. Jackson encircled both her cheeks, eyes steadily studying her features.

“What?”

“This is not something we can control, Joanne. If you decide to pack up your things one day and walk away, I can’t do anything about it. It’s the same for me.” There were no traces of insecurities in his tone. “I think I told you that I don’t want to fuck this up with you because I did not try. So, I ask you again, do you trust me?”

“Jackson, but—”

His eyes stopped wondering to fixate upon hers. “Do you trust me?”

Where was all his conviction coming from? How could he be so vehement, why would he be? What did he see in her that he was so adamant to have her, faced with the choice that she could leave regardless?

“I do,” Jo spoke, gasping for air. “I trust you.”

“Then I’ll be man enough to make you feel safe with me.”

She shook her head out of instinct. “I don’t understand. I did all these things in the past, and I am so ashamed of them, yet you don’t bat an eye?”

“Fuck the past, Jo. Fuck it, I don’t care.” Jackson cut her off, lowering his hands to capture hers again. “I want to live in the present with you. All I’m asking is you forgive yourself and come to terms with what’s in your heart. Anything else? We’ll figure out together.”

Another tear followed in the avenue of the earlier one, sprinkling over Jackson’s thumb. There was desperation lingering in his eyes as he watched the droplet break against his skin, forehead wrinkled in evident discomfort.

“And look at me,” mumbled Jackson, “I promised you I’d fight for your smiles and happiness, and I’ve already made you cry.”

Jo chuckled in disbelief, fighting against the whirlpool in her orbits. “Shut up. These are happy tears.”

She enveloped Jackson’s hands in her own, to tug them at her lips and plant butterfly kisses on each of his wrists. The crease in his forehead gradually disappeared and got replaced by raw fragility. “When I read your letter the other night, multiple times as I’ve told you, I scribbled a little something of my own in response.”

“Oh?” breathed Jackson and rested his hands against her thighs. His fingers massaging into the clothed skin felt feathery. ”What about?”

“You’ll see. Actually, I think it makes the most sense to give it to you now, since you already stripped me of all my masks anyway.”

Jackson followed Jo curiously with his eyes as she straightened her body to poke through her handbag and pick up a small leather agenda. Jo opened the diary where her handwriting adorned the pages.

“When you released High Alone earlier this year, I admit I hadn’t followed your individual projects for a while, so I was excited to see what you were up to as an artist. Watching that music video, it broke my heart. Then I watched the behind the scenes and all it did was twist the knife into the wound.”

Jo extended her arm to hand the diary to Jackson.

“It truly hit me then that we collectively have no idea what you are going through. And I said to myself that I hope someday you’ll find that person after your own heart. To walk with you through all this darkness.”

Jackson watched her in awe as she spoke. The agenda was light in his hands, yet Jo’s words carried such weight that he found it nigh impossible to break their contact. The woman regarded his silence as means to finish her confession.

“I’ll be selfish now and say that I want to become that person for you. I’ll speak with Max and make all my intentions clear, sure. But I want to let you know that I want us to try. I want us to be together. Will you wait for me just a little longer?”

Jackson hurriedly put the journal on the adjacent table and dashed over to Jo to crash his lips against hers. The familiarity of his touch against her skin caused the air to hitch in her throat and an explosive sensation to blast at her core. Jo spiraled her arms around his neck and conceded into his presence, unquestionably following Jackson’s lead. His hands travelled to the nest of her lower back, and, in the tumult of the rowdy moment, his fingers inadvertently slid under her Balmain blazer. The woman flinched at the unexpected bare contact, which caused her back to arch further into his embrace.

A vulnerable mewl formed in the back of Jo’s neck and, admittedly against her wishes, she broke the kiss in a struggle for breath. “Jackson, I can’t breathe.”

The carnal appetite lasted but a moment on Jackson’s physiognomy. He broke into a grin and stole another sheepish peck from Jo. “I got carried away.”

“Mhm, you sure did, my cielo.” Jo nuzzled her nose against his, lips taunting over the other’s. She was growing impatient to taste that impure hunger Jackson displayed mere milliseconds before. As opposed to the other times she desired him and his physical pleasures, Jo started yearning for him. For a connection to the infinitesimal pieces of his soul.

“My cielo,” Jackson repeated through a nimble lick of his lips. Jo was no psychic, but she could swear the attraction was ripe and no longer one sided. Especially with Jackson’s body drawing closer inch by inch, to keep the ecstasy palpable at an alarming distance. He was entirely aware of his doings. “I like that.”

“I have more where that came from. But I must go shower.”

Jackson whined at her proposition, reluctant to break their contact. “You should. I mean, you don’t smell bad or whatever—”

“I know. I assume you won’t share the bed with me tonight?”

He kissed her lips again as if delivering an apology. “I’ll sleep on the couch. I don’t think it’s the best moment for us to do it. I’ll tug you to sleep, as promised.”

Jo was receptive of Jackson’s growing cravings amidst their voracious shared moment, but her better judgement was still in agreement with Jackson’s. On the brighter side of the coin, she was satisfied with the evidence that he might have desired her at least to a fraction of how much she yearned for him. She laughed briefly before she replied.

“So, no free Willy man tonight?”

Jackson’s eyes reflected earnest terror. “Oh my God, I really did say that in a podcast.”

“I know! I’m sorry to your Willy.”

“Stop it!” he laughed and pulled her into an embrace as Jo threw her head back in triumphant laughter. “He won’t choke for a night or two.”

Jo grabbed at his shoulders tighter as he spun her around in the living room, the sounds of happiness colliding with the once empty walls. Jackson gently placed her back on the ground, and the dazzling smile colored on his face tugged at Jo’s heartstrings.

“You know, I lied a bit when I said I don’t have anything planned for us. Technically it’s not a lie because I forgot, but the Moon Festival is celebrated this weekend, and I want to show you how beautiful this city is.”

For the first time in an arduous long time, Jo looked at the man standing in front of her and decided to give in to him. To accept his lead, to be guided by someone else. To enjoy the buried requests of her inner child and truly wear her soul bare on her sleeve. To bask in her femininity.

“I would love to.”

The following morning, Jo woke up before dawn. All the lights in the apartment were off and no noise was coming from the living room where Jackson was sleeping. Taking advantage of the fact that she was rather energized after a relaxed night and quiet sleep, Jo decided to unpack her gym clothes and go for an early run. She finished her morning routine quickly and went to check on Jackson. He looked peaceful and in deep slumber, still; Jo retrieved his blanket from the floor and covered him.

What caught her attention was the diary wide open on the nearby coffee table, where she had left it open only a few hours prior. The edges of the paper were uneven, a testament to the faithful fingerprints that took their time to master the words. Jo smiled to herself and headed out.

Strip for me—not your clothes, not your body

but the armor you wear when you think no one is looking.

Jo’s brain was still high on the bliss of the previous day’s events, but capable enough to replay each stage at a slower pace. It felt surreal, regardless; Jackson managed to unpeel layer by layer by layer of her carefully built fortress. She would have thought him mad to put his trust in a woman whom he barely came to know. She would have thought him insane to chase her so stubbornly.

Jo picked up the speed.

Take off the version of you

that makes everyone comfortable but you.

Was he, though? Mad, insane? Or was she the one who indoctrinated herself to believe that hiding from people was the best way to protect oneself from damage? Why did it take one man, him, and no one else, to open her damn eyes to the things she refused to see?

Then it hit Jo that Max was never on equal footing with Jackson. Consequently, the attempt to keep herself trapped in the same old patterns proved to be futile. Jackson saw right through her and her games, whereas Max seemingly played along. And the funny part in Jo’s story was that she never prayed for Jackson to walk in her path. Jo sprinted back to the apartment.

Stand there, bare in your fury, naked in your wanting

Let me worship you for it.

Was she falling in love with Jackson?

Jo attempted to open the front door discreetly, only to be met by an inviting smell of freshly cooked breakfast. Jackson was keeping busy in the kitchen, and she noticed that all the dishes from the night before were cleaned. A Chris Brown R&B tune was humming in the background.

Jackson chimed joyfully as Jo shut de door. “Good morning, queen!”

“Queen?” Jo displayed an amused expression. “Good morning to you, king. When did you have time to make all of this? I’ve been gone like…” she checked her smartwatch to discover she unconsciously took an alternate route back. At least she sorted out her thoughts. Allegedly. “An hour, yeah.”

“Least I could do. I realized I was a total asshole and never said thank you for the delicious dinner. I’m not the best chef though, got to admit.”

Jo approached him in the kitchen to inspect his cooking, enjoying the thoughtful surprise. “Ah, come on. That was my pleasure. I love cooking.”

Jackson smiled at her and sneaked a kiss on her lips. Jo blinked curiously in response to his gesture but fought back with a kiss of her own. He analyzed her with the corner of his eye and enveloped her in his embrace to carry her to the couch.

“Jackson what are you doing, I am dirty and sweaty—”

“Don’t start a fight you don’t want to fight!” he placed her gently on the plush material to tower over her and initiate a kissing attack. Jo squirmed back and forth with loud giggles; her cap evaded somewhere on the floor, her ponytail loosened into wild strands, all the while Jackson showered her face with love. A foul smell mixing through the air flooded Jo’s nose.

“The eggs are burning, Jackson.”

“Shit. Fuck,” he laughed clumsily and made haste to the stove, releasing Jo from her imprisonment. “Look, this is not burnt. It’s just crisp.”

He showed the pan to Jo, pointing frantically at the light-brown eggs. She didn’t have the heart to tell him that she did not like her scrambled eggs that way. Maybe she would even grow to like the dish simply because Jackson made it. “It’s fine, guapo. Don’t worry.”

Jackson’s free hand immediately spread over his chest upon hearing Jo’s pet name for him and a jubilant smile coated his features.

“I’ll go shower, okay? I won’t take long. Oh, but before that, I need you to tell me where we are going today.”

“No?” Jackson scoffed. “It’s a surprise.”

“I need to know what to wear. I only have heeled boots and sneakers, and my decision highly depends on your answer.”

“Ah, okay. Sneakers should be fine.”

“Perfect! Be right back. I like the music, by the way.”

Jackson took it as incentive to turn the music louder, and Jo gladly received it as great shower setup. Fine China started playing right after she angled the faucet, a singer’s captivating invitation. By virtue of promising Jackson, she would be fast to return to him, she skipped straightening her hair, freeing her mild curls from a soft scrunchie. She only applied a thin layer of BB cream and dressed in a black turtleneck and navy-blue jeans.

When she got out of the bathroom, the kitchen table had already been set. A bowl of freshly cut figs, pears and grapes graced the center, surrounded by toast and butter that Jo never remembered buying. Another set of scrambled eggs filled two plates, and she snickered at the fact that he went out of his way to make another. Her snicker alerted Jackson’s senses to look up from the sink and at Jo, and the look of adoration in his orbs instantly sketched a hue of rose on her cheeks.

“You’re absolutely gorgeous!” he spoke enthusiastically. “Is your hair naturally wavy?”

“Yes, I didn’t have time to straighten it—"

“I love it. Come sit down.”

Jackson pulled her chair which was set in close proximity to his that time around, and Jo promptly complied with his request. “Thank you, kind sir! Where did you get all these goodies?”

He seated himself at the table. “There’s a nice granny who sells fruit and vegetables at her small market downstairs. She says her son has an orchard outside of town, and she always brings seasonal treats. Did you know that figs are actually extremely easy to grow?”

“I think I do!” Jo extended an arm to snag half a fig from the fruit bowl. “My dad has a couple of these trees in his backyard, and he says they can last over Alaskan cold and Saharan heat.”

“Ah, fuck. I can’t surprise you with anything.” Jackson pouted through a chuckle.

“Never give up, please. I’m very eager to find out about everything that goes through your head. For example, where we are going today.”

He shook his head, eyes glued to hers. “My lips are sealed.”

“Mhm. How about I unseal them?” teased Jo.

“Please don’t,” Jackson protested with a smirk. and grabbed a slice of toast. “I really don’t want to tell you.”

“Fine. I’ll stop asking. Make sure to tell granny next time that these figs are amazing!”

He nodded and spread some butter on his slice. “Speaking of which, did Jaebum contact you? I gave him your number to talk about Saturday.”

“Not yet. I have some suggestions of my own to make, perhaps we’ll plan something really nice together. Oh! This reminds me,” Jo skipped away from the table to fetch her phone. “Bam messaged me earlier on Instagram.”

“Bam did?” Jackson approached the other as she showed the phone to him as well.

[bambam1a]: you know Kyle Hanagami AND DANCED WITH HIM????

[bambam1a]: wth girllll you’re so based

“What the hell does based mean?” Jackson asked with a distinctly confused visage.

Jo laughed, both at the texts and at the other’s innocent inquiry. “It means that you express approval or respect to someone else. Oh my God, he literally stalked me, this is a really old post from a couple years ago.”

Jackson blinked, until realization hit him. He abruptly turned to her. “Wait a second, you danced with Kyle Hanagami?”

“Sure did! Which tells me you don’t follow me on Instagram.”

Jo tapped on the Instagram reel Bambam replied to in her dm’s, trying to fight away Jackson’s frozen expression. The snippet of Kyle’s How Long choreography started playing on her phone. “He altered some of the moves to make it more suitable for a duet. I filmed a marketing campaign for him way back when and he was one of the very first people who endorsed my venture of establishing a company. I think Kyle brought in some of my first clients.”

Jackson watched the one-minute video intently, arms crossed over his chest, and head bobbing to the background music. He didn’t say a thing throughout the duration of the clip but started clapping his hands by the end of it. Jackson replayed it right away.

“I’m sorry, I was too focused on you to see whatever Kyle did next to you.”

She rolled her eyes.

“You’re seriously good. Lines are so sharp and so controlled, like what the fuck pardon my French. Is there anything that you cannot do?”

“Thank you.” Jo dipped her head in a bow, to type an answer back to Bambam. “There were so many contemporary styles of choreographies we had to do in college for our plays, I had no choice but to hone the damn lines.”

[jmontgomery]: hahahaha thanks bam

[jmontgomery]: I respect you too homie

[jmontgomery]: I take it you enjoyed the stalking session

“You know,” Jo resumed after putting her phone back on the table. “I learnt the Python choreo, too! I wanted to jump on the TikTok trend back then, but I never had enough time to film it.”

“You know the Python choreo?” Jackson repeated in disbelief. “Let’s film it then!”

“Like what? You and me?”

“Did I stutter?”

Jo’s phone buzzed multiple times. She picked it up with a jolly snort.

[bambam1a]: you know what J

[bambam1a]: at least I had the balls to tell it to your face

[bambam1a]: cause Gyeom chickened out

[bambam1a]: 😎

[bambam1a]: say hi to Jack from me pls

[bambam1a]: ship you two btw

“This brat.” She joked and showed her phone to Jackson once again. He burst out laughing at his brother’s messages.

“They already gave you a nickname, J. Even more reason to shoot the video.”

 Jo opted to snatch another fig from the bowl. Jackson made a mental note to buy more of those the next time they would dine at home. J&J was not a bad combination at all.

“Let’s say we shoot the video. Where? I don’t even have appropriate clothes for that.”

Jackson clearly couldn’t take another nonsensical word coming out of Jo’s mouth. “I have a dancing studio at Team Wang. I also have a clothing line at Team Wang. And since I wanted to pick up the guitar anyway, it’s two birds with one stone or whatever.”

Jo lifted her arms up in straightforward surrender. There was no use fighting with Jackson anyway. In fact, the more she thought about it, the better the opportunity to break her new collaboration with Jackson to the world.

But she decided to push his buttons further. “Pick up the guitar? Whatever for?”

Jackson just stared at her, demonstrating an exasperated smile. She suddenly felt giddy.

“Fine, fine. You just had to say it and I would play any song you want me to.”

He tended to the cold eggs in his plate. “It’s good we understand each other.”

The trip to and from Team Wang’s headquarters was short, as was their detour. Jackson was fast to bring her a set of Team Wang t-shirt, pants, and cap, and Jo had to withstand a series of endless (yet extremely well received) compliments of how great she looked in his clothes. Taking into consideration the fact that the building was far from being empty and a considerable amount of people gathered round to watch the two shooting their dance, the episode was finished earlier than Jackson would have liked.

He would have sneaked in a kiss too, but who kept track of all those little trinkets?

And Jo would have slammed him against the wall, but then again, who kept the count going?

“That was surprisingly fast,” Jo commented as they found their way inside Jackson’s car once more and hit the road toward the secret destination. “I expected us to make more mistakes.”

“Are you kidding me? I am the only one who made mistakes.” Jackson countered and raked through his golden locks. “You are flawless.”

“Am not. Muscle memory I guess.”

“Yeah, I should have had that!”

Both laughed earnestly.

“I would have loved it if you kept my clothes on.”

Jo supported her body weight against the inner door, cheek resting into the plush of her palm. Her eyes drifted to the fleeting buildings of the outside world and sighed a tad louder. The car constantly on their tail, with two bulky looking men in charge of Jackson’s security detail, was a painfully obvious reason why Jo chose to revert to her mundane clothes. Even the black mask Jackson had prepared for himself was not a real deflection from the wondering eyes of the public.

Not in his base town, anyway.

When she failed to reply, Jackson did instead.

“I’m sorry.”

“Hey, it’s not your fault. Please don’t ever apologize again.” She turned to look at him and welcomed the invitation of his hand on her knee. “Part of the job, isn’t it? And, as I told you before, I love myself a little limelight.”

Jo put her hand over his, giving It a gentle squeeze. “I’m in this with you, whatever it takes. I’m not a weak woman.”

The corners of Jackson’s lips lifted in a melancholic smile. “I know, Joanne. I know.”

It was past the second part of the day when Jackson and Jo reached the Nanxiang Water Town. Jackson parked his car in a reserved spot, somewhere close to the main entrance of the town, and Jo all but dashed outside the car to marvel at the ancient houses as they came to life from a distant past. Lanterns were prepared to spread their warm light across the intimate pathways, to pierce through the dense crowds.

Jackson matched the opening to speak to his bodyguards to keep a secure distance from the couple and prioritize Jo if something unpleasant were to happen. He placed an evanescent touch to the lower of her back to make her aware of his presence. He leaned down to whisper closer to her ear, visage shielded by the fabric of his mask. “Do you like it?”

Jo clasped her hands together and gave Jackson the brightest grin he had ever seen in his life. “I can’t wait for you to teach me more about your city!”

Jackson snaked his hand in hers, to interlace their fingers together. As Jo tried to pull away, he tightened the clasp. He began walking ahead and gave her the space to settle by his side, guiding her through the narrow openings of the crowds. The strong smells of spice and traditional cuisine rapidly filled Jo’s lungs.

Every time Jackson spoke to her, he approached her smaller frame, to be permanently close to her. “Do you know what xiao long bao is?”

He pointed to a more secluded stall, where an elderly man was cooking the dish. Jo shook her head to answer Jackson’s question.

“It’s a dumpling basically, and it’s traditionally served for breakfast. During the Moon Festival, you share it with your friends and loved ones and it’s said to strengthen your bond.”

Jackson stopped by the stall and acquired a bill from his wallet to buy 4 dumplings. Jo was eagerly listening to the story. “A restaurant owner added gelatin to the pork filling and boiled it. When he realized that the dumpling was filled with soup, and saw how yummy it was, he knew he hit the jackpot. And this is how you eat it.”

He drew the mask from his face to bite the top of the dumpling and steam linings evaded in the air. He slurped the soup from the inside of the dumpling, then stuffed it in his mouth. A sound of amazement tweedled from Jo’s throat and she lost no time to follow Jackson’s example. An identical sound followed as she munched on her dumpling, and her eyes twinkled. The merchant said something in Chinese to Jackson and the only thing she caught was xiè xie.

Jo looked up at Jackson when they resumed walking. “What did he say?”

He chuckled. “Do you want it word by word?”

“I’d appreciate it, yes.”

“He said that my wife is very beautiful and that I should teach her about our traditions.”

She preoccupied herself with the sole dumpling left in a pathetic attempt to disguise the redness of her cheeks. “To which I agree.”

Jo almost dropped the paper container where her serving was. Jackson laughed out loud. “That you’re beautiful of course.”

He did not comment further on the issue, and neither did Jo, so he ultimately let it go. It made Jo wonder if he pulled those words out of his ass but never confirmed her supposition.

“Say Jo, what would you say is an important first milestone in a relationship?”

Jo tapped an index against her chin before replying. “First fart I’d say.”

“Yes, right—Sorry, what?” coughed Jackson and had to confirm she was serious.

“Obviously,” she stressed her answer. “If you feel comfortable enough and safe enough to do that with someone, that must mean you’re in it for the long haul.”

Naturally, he wondered. “So… did you do that?”

“Jackson!”

He laughed again but in a defensive state. “What? Then it means we’re not there yet!”

She swatted his arm playfully and followed with laughter of her own. “You’re impossible.”

“I didn’t say shit, Jo.”

“What’s yours then?”

Jackson considered his answer for a little while. “Introducing her to my parents.”

Jo smiled at him and Jackson debated if her eyes ever turned into those shimmering crescents before. “I’d love to meet your parents someday. I’m sure they are very good people.”

She stopped dead in her tracks at the entrance of a souvenir shop. She could have asked anything of him and Jackson was convinced that anything she would have requested, he would have broken all hell loose to give it to her.

“Maybe they have dumpling key chains here…” Jo wandered through the various objects in the shop until she found the two key chains she was looking for. She swooped four magnets and happily skipped to the cashier’s booth to pay. Jackson chuckled and lightly gestured for her to put her phone aside. Another moment of their day when he wanted to kiss that pout of hers.

“They don’t have POS here, beautiful. It’s a traditional town.”

Jackson took the gift bag and thanked the cashier on their way out. “Besides, I wouldn’t have let you pay anyway, just as disclaimer.”

Jo sighed. “Fine. But one of those two keychains is yours. I thought it would be cute to mark our first official date together through this little something.”

“First date, huh?” he echoed and unconsciously squeezed her hand a little tighter. With no protest that time around. “Would you like to have more?”

“I mean, if you’re asking…” she winked at him. Her smile, as he would later find out, would be the death of him one day. “I would love to, yes.”

As their stroll approached the central point of the town, the splendid water canals spread just beneath their feet. A picturesque pier where various people were boarding gondolas caught Jo’s attention.

“Do you want to hop on one?” Jackson asked, keeping her close by his side to protect her from the swarm of people.

“Are you reading my mind or something?” she giggled and walked with Jackson to the dock. The image of the two bulky security men on a floating gondola amused her to no end. Jackson spoke to an open gondolier and was the first to embark on their canoe. He offered his hand to Jo, assuming a balanced stance. “Come, it’s shaky at first but you’ll get used to it quickly.”

There was no use asking anew if she trusted him; she didn’t bat an eye to his warning and all but jumped inside the raft, earning a raised eyebrow from the gondolier. She settled on the wooden stand and a latent shiver caused her body to tremble.

“Are you cold?” Jackson asked and immediately undressed himself of his jacket. He draped it over her shoulders, which she tried to give back.

“But your shirt fabric is thinner than my turtleneck.”

“Do you think I gained all this muscle for show?”

Jackson strained his bicep with an overly done serious aspect and Jo covered her mouth to suppress a chuckle. “Whatever, Superman. Suit yourself.”

Contrary to her words, she properly put on his jacket. Jackson wrapped an arm around her middle to tug her silhouette into his chest. With dusk fast approaching, the lanterns around town rapidly spread their mild light to paint the river in a scenic shade of yellow. Jackson picked up the habit of playing with her wild strands, curling them back and forth on his fingers.

“I always suspected you to be the romantic type, but I guess you have to see it with your own eyes to believe.”

“Ah me? I’m rusty as hell.”

Jo snuggled closer. Jackson put the mask on his face aside and placed a kiss to the crown of her hair.

“You’re doing just fine.”

The inflexions of the water traversed an invisible line only to surrender to the edges of their shared gondola. The night sky hinted at a full spectacle of the moon.

Jackson broke the otherwise comfortable silence. His voice lowered in an intimate tone, raspier but cozier all the same. “Do you think you’ll be working for long? In the future?”

“I have so many things I have yet to reach, so I think it’s hustle mode for a while. My next objective is to be listed in the Forbes 30 under 30 America. Any useful tips, from someone who’s already been there?”

“I don’t know. I guess I never really thought about it. I worked hard every day, and it just came naturally.”

Jo rolled her eyes. Not that Jackson would see it. “How did I never think about that?”

They laughed. “And what’s after that?”

She hummed. “It’s quite difficult to put into words, actually. I don’t know how you feel about it, but I think there will come a point when I’ll be able to say oh, I’m satisfied with everything I’ve achieved and it’s time for me to build on something beyond this. I’m not saying I want to retire forever necessarily, but at some point, I’ll pass my business down to someone. I don’t know what that is yet.”

Jo felt him hug tighter. She continued.

“I want to grow a farm. I’d love my kids to grow up with their feet in the grass, with three or four dogs to run around, fall and get dirty, get up and climb stuff. I want them to know nature and bask in it. And I want to have an orchard, and grow vegetables—"

“I’ll marry you.”

She paused for a fraction of a moment, then resumed. “Maybe if I have dogs, I’ll also have horses. And some chickens would be nice.”

Jackson’s loud outburst of laughter had her straighten her body to look at him. He caught his cheek in the palm of his hand, cocking an eyebrow at her. “Didn’t you hear what I just said?”

Jo had a confused look about her features. “Right, I did. Not the first time I ever heard it though.”

The bold moonlight bathed Jackson’s face in a divine display of sentiments, colors and unspoken emotions, so much so that the tiniest piece of Jo’s soul chased after his proposition. The veil of certainty portrayed over his whole being provoked her heart to pick up the beat.

“Go on, keep underestimating me. Makes me even more motivated to prove you wrong.”

The previous weekend’s events came across as a dream to Jo, who was back in her Seoul home, fighting her most terrifying monsters to keep focused on the actual work she had to complete. She was constantly twitching a pen between her fingers, her only anchor in the mundane of her meetings. Eyes were constantly drifting to her phone, keeping watch of the moment Jackson would write to her. Luckily, the busiest days were Monday and Tuesday only, and by the time she greeted the middle of the week, most of her urgent responsibilities had been taken care of.

She was editing her dance session with Jackson when an unknown number called.

“Hello?”

A familiar voice spoke in Korean on the other line. “Ah, hello, Jo-ssi? It’s Jaebum. Is this a good time?”

With very little time given to grow accustomed to the Korean culture, it still felt strange to use honorifics with Jaebum. In her mind, she grew up with the Got7 members.

“Yes, hello, Jaebum-ssi. Perfectly fine! Jackson mentioned you’d call today. It’s better to speak over the phone anyway.”

“Great then! I’m more old-fashioned that way too.”

Jo chuckled. She was genuinely happy Jackson had such good people in his life.

“Actually, if you are at home and you would be comfortable with it, could we switch to facetiming? I’d rather see the model of your camera and ask you to go through a couple of configurations.”

There was a short pause on Jaebum’s end.

“We don’t have to, and it’s totally fine! I guess it’s a professional defect of mine to see the people I’m talking to.”

“Ah no, no trouble really. Jinyoung is with me, and I asked him to pick up the camera. One moment, I’ll call you again.”

Jo switched to her laptop to pick up the call on her MacBook. Both Jaebum and Jinyoung dipped their heads in polite bows, and she immediately followed suit. The kind smiles on both faces proved they were much more relaxed than Jo expected. She was proud with herself for putting on makeup earlier that morning.

 “Much better! Nice to see you too, Jinyoung-ssi.”

“Likewise,” he offered. “Hyung had a lot of things planned and we hoped we could sort them out with you.”

Jo tested the waters with a joke. “I think we can plot all the scripts we want to plot. In the end, most of it is bound to be freestyle.”

It was well received; if Jinyoung smiled, then the initiation was complete.

“We can try.” Jaebum replied with a chuckle. “We know that we are an open book at this point.”

“Wouldn’t have it any other way.”

So, the three of them planned a sequence of events around three cakes, the indispensable game of rock-paper-scissors, a free talking segment, and a custom freestyle section dedicated to the fans. They discussed a couple of decorations to bring to the location of the filming site, and subsequently the party, which Youngjae and Bambam agreed to be at the same house where they threw Mark’s birthday celebrations.

Jinyoung appeared satisfied with the outcome. “That should do it then. Let’s see how much of it goes as planned.”

Jaebum grabbed at his chin, as if seriously measuring the chances of success. “I’d say, 75%? 80% maybe. What do you think, Jo-ssi?”

Jo mirrored his actions. “75% is generous, but I’ll keep my fingers crossed for it!”

“I told you hyung, you were stressing out too much to plan this. I agree with her.”

“Aish, what should we even do then?”

Jinyoung pointed at the other as he cussed out, and Jaebum covered his mouth with the back of his hand. Jo giggled and waved it away.

“Asia song festival you meant?”

Both were shocked she knew such an old, but very relevant still, meme of theirs. Jo laughed along with their snickers.

Jinyoung had to recognize talent when he saw it. “She’s good, hyung. Really good.”

“Aside from everything else, do you have a tripod and a soft box maybe? Even a ring light could do the trick. I’ll need to set up good lighting because I remember the house coloring was dark.”

“I don’t have a soft box, unfortunately. I think I had a medium sized ring light though, I’ll go search for it. I’ll leave Jinyoung with you to test out the camera settings.”

“Shouldn’t be too expensive to rent one, should it?” Jinyoung questioned as he opened the camera bag. Jo was ecstatic to see Jaebum had a Sony Alpha 7R Mirrorless, and, at a wild guess, it looked to be a 2024 model even.

“Let’s go baby! I like what I’m seeing, we’ll do wonders with this thing.”

Jinyoung laughed and unpacked the lens right after. “I take it you’re a Sony fan, then?”

Jo practically clapped her hands upon noticing the Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM II lens. “It’s personal preference, really. My first camera was a Sony and even though the settings menu can be quite a pain to navigate sometimes, I feel like it offers best value for money. I have 6 different lens types I use, based on the context. I have this one, too.”

Jinyoung listened attentively. “I use Canon, personally. I don’t think I ever had trouble shooting the frames I wanted to with it. I do agree it’s gotten more expensive to buy their gear recently.”

“Right, again, I can say I’m biased. I’m familiar with Canon and I shot a good number of events with their gadgets, but I guess I like the depth and the rawness of the pictures I take with the Sony lens, if it makes sense. That lens that Jaebum-ssi has, it’s pretty good for day-to-day activities, wide shots, and it’s marvelous in low light. I would guess this is why he bought it as well.”

“I see. Maybe I’ll give it a try on Saturday. Who knows how I might change my mind about it. But I’m an amateur, really, so I cannot pretend I know that much about the topic as you do.”

Jo chuckled. The prince of Got7 for all the valid reasons. “My sister is an avid Canon lover. We always have debates about which is best and how to compare the models between brands. If you’re interested, I can give you her contact to chat about it. She’s a walking pedia.”

Jinyoung’s eyes widened in curiosity. “You have a sister? I didn’t know.”

“How could you?” smiled Jo. “She’s a senior in Stanford. Her name is Catalina.”

“So, I found it, but it’s not as medium sized as I thought.” Jaebum’s voice echoed through the speakers, and Jinyoung turned to look at him. It was, indeed, a rather smaller sized ring light. The latter’s interest tacitly vanished with the leader’s appearance. “We should really rent a soft box, I guess. How did the setup go?”

“There was no need for this exercise. Jo-ssi knows your equipment inside out.”

“I suggest renting two soft boxes, to make sure the light is symmetrical on both sides. And this ring will be put to good use as well, I need to supplement the camera light anyway. Cables and all that stuff I have, I’ll need to connect the camera to the laptop to edit real-time, so we don’t need those.”

Jaebum took notes on a paper he had in proximity. “Noted. Let us know if you need anything else. I’ll make some calls to see what’s the best place to rent the equipment.”

“Perfect then! I don’t think we need anything else particularly. Now, if you’ll excuse me gentlemen, I have one more meeting to take care of for the day. Oh, and I hope we’ll drop the formalities soon!”

The rest of the day flew by imperceptibly. Jo’s last meeting went as well as it could have and, to keep the momentum going, she finished editing the choreography video she shot with Jackson. They decided together that they would surprise the team, as much as possible, and post it officially on Saturday morning. In the meantime, Samantha had called her to ask if she wanted to join her, Mark, Jonathan and Leena at the Seoul garage bar. Jonathan had discovered on a different occasion that the location hosted karaoke nights once a week, such as the night when Jo and Max sang on stage.

Jo was interested to find out the secret of how three of the most dependable surgeons in SMP managed to sync their off time schedules, and how it could be translated to daily activities in other industries if possible. It couldn’t hurt to investigate if the Universe could be maneuvered to give her and Jackson a well-deserved break at the same time. Preferably somewhere hot, on a beach with clear waters, that funneled the passion to carry other adjoining activities.

Jo packed a makeup bag to bring her necessities over to Samantha’s house in her vicinity, where they elected to get ready like the old girly times. Except Mark unequivocally accepted to be the third wheel, on Samantha’s well known living room couch, and most he could do was call Bambam on the side to help pass the time. Jo chuckled as they met, admiring his resilience.

“Do you need anything, ladies? A refresher, something to eat maybe?” Mark chirped from the living room, and Sam laughed at his inquiry.

“No, babe, we’ll let you know. Thanks!”

“Poor guy,” Jo giggled as she blended her blush. “Good thing Bambam picked up to keep him company.”

Because Mark was facetiming Bam and he was on speaker, the girls could hear his voice from the other room. “That’s no big deal. We take just as much time to get ready to go on stage. You’re used to it, Mark.”

“I’m not worried one bit. I’m not in a hurry to go anywhere. This couch is pretty comfortable.”

Bambam wiggled his eyebrows, but Mark cut him off before he had the chance to comment anything inappropriate. “Be careful with your words.”

“One of these days, you’re bound to hear it anyway. Better hear it when I’m not drunk! Ah, which reminds me,” Bambam cleared his throat to lightly shout. Mark detached the phone from his face just in time. “HEY J!! DID YOU LIKE THE DJ WE HAD FOR MARK’S BIRTHDAY?”

Jo and Samantha looked at one another and burst in giggles.

“He asked me the same thing earlier, but I guess he needs all the validation he can get. It’s his dignity on the line. Also, J? What’s that about?”

Jo walked to the living room, gesturing for Mark to give an explanation. “It’s Jo’s code name.”

“I’m jealous now! Do I have one?”

Jo approached Mark and received his phone. Only one of her cheeks was dyed with the rosy hue of the blush.

Bambam gave a thumbs up. “Ohhh, that’s pretty! Based.”

“Thanks, Bam! Yeah, DJ was cool, I liked his mixes. Why? You want to bring someone else?”

“Not really. I just wanted real opinions not some we don’t really care, you know best bullshit.”

“You know that Jaebum and Jinyoung don’t give a flying fuck about that as long as we have good music.” Mark commented, and Jo returned his phone.

“Pretty hypocritical if you ask me! How am I supposed to know if we have good music if you don’t tell me, you liked it or not!”

Jo wiggled her makeup brush in the air as she walked back to Samantha’s bedroom. “That’s fair.”

“J, huh? What are you now, 007?”

Jo pushed the other playfully with her shoulder. “He and Yugyeom stalked me on Instagram. I can only assume they dissected me in their group chat.”

“Welcome to the club!” Samantha scoffed. “Anyway, how’s Jackson? Is he coming tonight?”

“No, he’s not,” pouted Jo. “He’s not in Korea. I think he’s flying out here tomorrow. We chatted a bit earlier.”

All the sounds coming from the living room came to a suspicious halt. If the women didn’t know any better, they would say the boys were listening in for gossip. Jo carried on.

“I spoke to the Jae boys earlier about Saturday. When we talked about the camera gear setup and all that, a sudden cascade of missing Catalina washed over me.”

“Oh, so cute! How’s the little one doing? It’s been ages since I saw her last!”

“Not so little anymore,” Jo quipped and grabbed her highlighter. “She’s the splitting image of our mother now. I took whatever was American from dad, and she took all the hot Spanish genes from mom.”

“What, you have a sister?” Mark asked and detached the phone from his face again.

Bambam’s voice strained in a scream. “You have a sister, J? What’s her Instagram?”

Jo laughed. “She’s off limits, Bam!”

“Aww, where’s the fun in that? I was just curious, that’s all. At least tell us what’s her name.”

“Heard that one before.” Samantha remarked and applied her transparent lip gloss. “Catalina’s a Gemini, you’re not a good match.”

Mark translated the message from the other room. “Sam said Catalina’s a Gemini and you’re not a good match.”

“If it’s not written in the stars, there’s nothing I can really do about it.”

“What’s a good match with Gemini though?” Mark asked in return.

Samantha started cleaning the makeup stand where a significant assortment of products lay everywhere. Jo only had to do the last touches of her look before the group was ready to leave.

“Hmm, Virgos are the bast match, I think? Am I wrong Jo?”

“Hell if I know. What are we even doing here on behalf of my sister, who very much lives in San Francisco?”

Mark carried his translator duty once more. Whether he would admit it or not, he was invested in the scheme. “Sam says Virgos.”

“Who’s a Virgo in our group? Let’s see.” Bambam inspected the issue at hand on his phone. “So, you are a Virgo. Youngjae hyung is a Virgo…” he made a devilish pause. Not that the girls could notice it. “Jinyoung hyung is a Virgo.”

“Flowers could bloom in winter before we play cupid for Jinyoung.”

“Matches were made for less.”

Jo turned to Samantha, “What the hell are they doing, quoting Bridgerton now?”

“Boys will be boys. They’ll forget it in the morning.” Samantha walked out to the living room. “Hey babe, is Jinyoung coming with us to the bar?”

“Nope. He told me in some eloquent words that he doesn’t want to be the eighth wheel to the car.”

“Can’t really blame him. This is why we must find him a woman.”

Seoul Garage Bar was bustling with people. The bar seemed to be at full capacity, and Jo was glad she insisted Jonathan make a reservation. When the three of them arrived, Jonathan and Leena had been waiting for a short while. They indulged two cocktails as starters, which Jonathan later clarified about his that it was non-alcoholic since he was on call for emergency duty.

“Hello, cuties!” Jo greeted Leena with a kiss on the cheek. “You two are so adorable together.”

Mark shook Jonathan’s hand amicably, and Samantha was visibly delighted the two men were in better graces. Jo sat by Samantha’s side, and the chair to her right remained empty. Once a third wheel, always a third wheel. A waiter appeared at their table soon after to take their orders, and Jo negotiated with Leena to share a pizza.

“So, are you singing anything for us tonight, Jo?” Mark broke the ice, capturing his glass of beer. He complimented Jonathan’s choice.

Jo chuckled, twirling the straw in her Cosmopolitan. “News travels fast around these parts, huh?”

“It’s so funny to me a singing and dancing Jo still comes as a shock for everyone else.” Jonathan clinked his glass against Mark’s. “We were always first row at her plays in college.”

“I had that paperboard painted with #1 fan here! That was so exhausting to hold, really.”

Leena smiled. “You guys promised me you’d show me that Spanish piece that had recruiters banging at her door.”

“That’s a long time ago,” Jo waved her hand in dismissal. “My voice is not even half as good now. We used to do constant vocal coaching back then. I almost got kicked out of a programming exam because I was humming the damn exercises.”

The group vibrated with high spirits. Mark’s phone lit up between the lines, just as the bar’s host invited people to sign up for the ongoing karaoke session. He couldn’t have asked for better synchronization. Mark gestured with his hand to keep Jo’s attention to him. Their table was situated in opposition to the door, so she had no way to spot anyone who would approach.

“Now or never, Jo! I bet they’ll let you open the night with how successful you were the other day.”

“Ah, I don’t know, guys. I’ll think about it.”

“What if I ask nicely?”

Jo abruptly turned at the all-familiar voice that strung at her heart in the most divine accords. She bounced from her chair to circle her arms around his neck and immerse in his warmth. Jackson caught her right away, a secure hand holding her back, with the other knitted over her middle. In her doll pump heels, Jo matched Jackson’s height, and it was toxic to the depths of the soul to deny their reunion kiss. She was the epitome of purity, in her straight dark midi dress, adorned with a dazzling white puff-sleeved shirt, which tied an imposing ribbon at her collarbone. He gathered every miserable ounce of restraint to only kiss her temple, hugging her as closely as humanly possible.

Jackson lingered to whisper in the intimacy of her ear. “You’re absolutely beautiful, princess. I missed you a lot.”

“I missed you too, Jackson. So much.”

The two had to break their embrace prematurely, in an empty satisfaction of stolen fervid glances and suble touches.  

“Thank God Jackson,” Samantha complained as she high fived him. “What the fuck reason could I have given her to have her dolled up like this?”

Mark moved forward to hug his brother. “Me and Bam almost fucked up. Don’t plan surprises with us next time.”

“If not you, who can I plan with?” Jackson laughed and extended his arm over the table to shake Jonathan’s. “Nice to see you again, Jonathan.” Then smiling to the man’s darling. “Leena, a pleasure.”

Jackson intended to pull Jo’s chair, but she delicately refused. “You ganged up on me like this, and I think I can call you my friends? Now I have to go sign up for a song. Excuse me.”

“Attagirl.” Jackson brushed his hand over the small of her back. He sat in the formerly empty chair next to Jo’s, jolting his wrist to arrange his accessories around it. A waiter brought his whiskey on the rocks at the table. Jackson followed Jo through the crowd with his eyes until she reached the DJ’s booth.

“So, how’s everyone doing?”

“Stressed out,” Samantha chuckled, then sipped from her Mojito. “I wanted to tell her so badly that you were joining us.”

“Good thing me and Bam plotted Jinyoung’s romance to keep silent about your arrival.”

Jonathan chuckled. “You must chill out, my dudes. We’ll have all of y’all married by the end of next year at this pace.”

Jackson relaxed in his chair, draping an arm over Jo’s chair. “You absolutely have to tell me who we’re pairing Jinyoung with.”

Samantha sipped again from her cocktail, an eyebrow cocked at the question. “Jo’s sister apparently.”

“Shut up.” Jackson’s eyes widened, threatening to escape out of their orbits. He leaned over the table to look at Mark. “How did you come up with this shit, Mark?”

“Keep it in the family quite literally.” Leena snickered and Jonathan facepalmed himself.

“Don’t look at me like that, Jacks,” Mark began his defense. “Bam had this incentive to look up her Instagram, then unfortunately Sam said their star signs don’t match.”

She shrugged her shoulders defensively. “Allegedly.”

Mark continued. “Thanks, babe. And yeah, Virgo apparently matches well with Gemini. And Catalina is a Gemini, you guys do the math.”

“Shut up!” Jackson repeated and took the glass of whiskey in his hand. He looked at the others. “What star sign is Jo?”

Jonathan cackled over the other’s question. “Too late to back down now.”

Samantha glared at Jonathan. Then turned to Jackson. “She’s a July Leo. As it happens, she is your best match by the stars.”

A rambunctious round of applause caused the group to focus their attention on the stage, where Jo was being presented by the bar host. Jackson clapped as loud as he managed, a noble smile decorating his features. He could make eye contact with Jo directly from where he was sitting. She switched to Korean, encouraged by the host to say a few words.

“Good evening, everyone! You might remember me from last week, when I sang APT.”

Jo waited for another round of applause to die down. There were a couple of familiar faces in the crowd, yet all she focused on was Jackson’s encouraging grin. She almost giggled at the heart he boasted with his hands.

“Mr. Kang here allowed me to open the night, so I must apologize because the song I chose to sing is not so upbeat. I was happy to hear that one of the talented members of the band knows how to play it on this piano behind me. This is Für Elise.”

Samantha peeked at Jackson who was already disconnected from the surrounding world, in full focus to the woman who became the center of attention. If there was any blatant love song characteristic of Jo’s style, Für Elise was the obvious love confession choice. Just as her eyes wondered to the door, she caught a glimpse at Max, leaning against the doorframe, in a company of four unknown figures. Samantha kicked Jonathan under the table, whose forehead furrowed.

“What was that for?”

He convinced himself of the fact when he followed Samantha’s gaze to the entrance. Mark leaned closer to his beau. “What’s going on?”

“Max is here.”

The piano’s incipient notes tamed the background noise of the bar until it was nonexistent. A various collection of phones had already been aimed at Jo.

I'll dance / I'll dance like a puppet on your string / I'll sing when you order me to sing—

With each passing tone, a mellow glimmer began rooting in Jackson’s eyes, as much as it began nourishing in his soul.

You're so musical, an artist / You make a lie sound like it's true

You're unusual, creative / Oh, what I'd do to be your muse —

Jo’s eyes locked with her lover’s. “You are.” Jackson murmured under his breath; in fear any louder sound would break the porcelain equilibrium in the bar.

I'll jump / I'll jump, if you ask, I'll say, "How high?"

I'll run like a shiver down your spine / For you, I would give you my own life—

Leena was swift enough to capture a short video of the intimate moment, of Jackson admiring Jo as she poured her heart out to the audience. She remembered Samantha talking to her about the fairytale connection Jo and Max had shared at one point during their lives. Leena thought she was wrong; the connection she shared with Jackson was incomparable, needless of any words.

The last part of the song was arranged in a series of high notes and head-chest voice, that had the gallery holding their breaths. Mark observed Jackson and smirked to himself. Smitten was a shy word.

Won't you play me like / Play me like my name is Für Elise.

As the piano played its last chord, a short moment of absolute silence engulfed the room. Then, the audience erupted in an impassioned round of cheers that took everyone by surprise. Jackson had no reaction initially. How could he, as mere spectator to Jo’s grandeur?

Leena was the first to break the table’s quiet. “There is no way Jo had not practiced in a while. I won’t believe her if she tells me that she wakes up with that voice of hers.”

“To think we’ve heard that before is crazy.” Jonathan doubled up on his girlfriend.

All eyes shifted to the obscure presence at the other end of their table, where Jackson was sitting. The latter noticed Mark’s eyes lifting in a vigilant action, so Jackson pursued his friend’s gaze. A taller figure, with a sly smile tugging at the corners of his lips, was leaning against the wooden surface.

“She’s absolutely divine, muy bella, isn’t she?”

Previous chapter

[chugging-antiseptic-dye]

got7 as teachers 👨‍🏫🖍️:

mark as a math teacher -> • seems like a pushover but there was An Incident where a student made him mad enough it resulted in 3 expulsions, 8 suspensions, and a school-wide fear of him • assigns students that hate each other as seatmates so he can enjoy the drama • is a class favourite bc he doesn't yell at people for sleeping or eating during class

jaebeom as a literature teacher -> • comes into class with a mug full of coffee and spills some on students once a week • encourages students to form their own opinion and perspective on the books being taught • his assigned essays have no fixed length or format. go wild

jackson as a p.e. teacher -> • everyone's biggest cheerleader • flags down people randomly and gives life advice • is besties with the students and knows all the tea

jinyoung as a history teacher -> • teaches history as if he has a personal beef with every historical figure • if students annoy him too much, then they have to prepare themselves to be publicly humiliated. he will say something like, "history repeats itself, like how tony keeps picking his nose." • makes sure students understand the whys behind history and not just memorise it

youngjae as a music teacher -> • is the unofficial dictator of the whole school • the director of the annual school play and every year he rubs it in the face of other schools' drama teachers that his plays are the best in the whole district • everyone has a silent competition on who can make him laugh the loudest

bambam as a chemistry teacher -> • the school had to change their manual for lab safety bc of him • is a big fan of the application part of chemistry. every year he tries to find out how many times he can make things go boom 💥 • dresses like paris fashion week is his official dress code

yugyeom as a substitute teacher -> • gets pushed around by freshman • whenever he takes a class, the students cheer like it's a national holiday • is the director of the school performance team and the marching band and he runs both like a military boot camp

[consume-cs]

free fall ◯○ soft launch with jaebeom

• • 🏷️ flashing lights

soft launch. lim jaebeom. got7 content. these photos are not mine.

xoxo girl🤍…

© consume_cs

[spacequokka]

JB.two

Prompt: “I think we need to talk.”

You froze, nearly dropping the plates you were carrying to the cabinet. You turned around. Jaebeom was leaning on the kitchen island with a crease in his eyebrows. Oh, no. “What about?”

“This.” He gestured vaguely between you, an air of discomfort settling in the space. He was seldom a man of many words, but his eyes always spoke volumes, and right now they were filled with a mixture of concern and determination.

You put down the plates slowly, apprehensively wiping your hands on your apron before facing him fully. “Is something wrong?”

Jaebeom took a deep breath, his fingers drumming against the marble top, a habit when he was trying to organize his thoughts. “It’s just… I’ve been feeling like there’s distance growing between us. We’re like ships passing in the night, and I don’t want us to become strangers living under the same roof.”

Your heart sank. His words echoed the nagging fears that had haunted the back of your mind for weeks. Your chaotic schedules had stolen more from you two than just time. They were eroding your connection. “I’ve noticed it too,” you admitted softly, unable to keep your voice from shaking.

He straightened, seemingly relieved that you acknowledged the issue too. “I miss us, you know? How we used to be. And I think we need to do something about it.”

Feeling a complex mix of relief and apprehension, you nodded. “I miss us too. What do you think we should do?”

“We need to make time for each other,” he suggested earnestly. “Maybe set aside one night each week just for us? No phones, no work, just… us.”

It sounded simple enough, but in your whirlwind lives, it felt like a lifeline being thrown in tumultuous waters. “That’s doable. My schedule’s more flexible than yours. Just say when and where and I’m there.”