#got7 mark angst

[spacequokka]

Beautiful Thing | 08

Pairing: Yugyeom x Reader, Future GOT7 x Reader Genre: Fluff, Angst, Soulmate AU, Poly AU, Enemies to Lovers AU Rating: T (explicit language) Summary: Yugyeom finds himself at odds with BamBam when he tries to be kind and friendly to you. Word Count: 4.0k Warnings: None?

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Yugyeom felt like he was going to vomit. The butterflies in his stomach wouldn't settle down. His skin had been buzzing since he hugged you at the hotel. He'd tried to tell himself that he was just excited because the situation was new, something he'd never experienced before. However, in the back of his mind, he knew the truth. It was all about you. You were the anomaly.

The group filed onto the smaller private airplane, a courtesy given by the SeoulMate company given the unique situation. It was nicer than he'd expected and a bit more luxurious than the ones he'd traveled in before. Perfect for your first flight with them. With him. You brought up the rear, dragging your small carry-on bag behind you like a dead body. Your lips were curved in the cutest pout he'd ever seen and discontent rolled off you in waves. He slowed his pace until he got to your side.

"Would you like to sit beside me?" He gave you a shy smile. "I'm pretty sure Jackson's gonna sit with us."

BamBam overheard the question and turned around. "What? You usually sit with me."

'Oh...' Yugyeom's eyes widened, and he shrugged a shoulder. "If you can convince Jackson to sit elsewhere...It's her first flight and I wanna keep her company. It's just one time, bro." BamBam's eyes darted to you and narrowed before he turned back around, increasing his pace to disappear among the staff.

"Oh, great. The drama queen's mad at me, too." You sighed loudly and rolled your eyes. When you looked up at Yugyeom, the butterflies went nuts. "You don't have to sacrifice your bromance for me. I'll be just fine. It isn't like I didn't agree with this."

He patted the top of your head with a smile. "He'll get over it. I think a three-hour plane flight is a great time to get to know you. After all, you're a person, not an inconvenience."

Your breath caught for a second, and your mood visibly brightened at his words. "Thank you. It's nice to hear that after all the glares Jinyoung's throwing at me."

"No one's glaring," Jinyoung muttered as he squeezed by and settled into a window seat.

Yugyeom directed you to a window seat on the opposite side of the plane, but you shook your head. "No thanks. I don't need a visual reminder of the impossible physics of this death box."

"Can you please not call it that while I'm in it? Thanks." Mark interjected without looking up from his phone.

"What else should I call it?" You fired back.

"How about 'majestic vessel of life' or something? Anything but that."

"Oh okay. This 'fanciful fucking unicorn' then."

"Language!" Jaebeom called out from somewhere. Yugyeom couldn't help but notice how comfortable you were with bickering with them. Did you even notice it? Though he wished it interactions weren't negative, you fit right in.

"Oh, fuck off." You mumbled under your breath and dropped into the middle seat.

Yugyeom spotting Jackson making his way down the aisle, eyes set on you. He smiled and stood up. You whined as he practically smothered you as he pushed his way to the vacant window seat, crushing you into the seat before letting up. He couldn't help but smile as you blinked owlishly at Jackson as he busied himself with digging around in his bag. "I brought extra stuff in case you need anything." He dropped a water bottle into your hands and put a travel pillow around your neck.

"Jackson, wait—"

Yugyeom filled the seat next to you, looking around to see if the group had all found a seat with his hand out to Jackson. Without being asked, Jackson gave him a water bottle, too.

As usual, Jackson turned into a mother hen with his attention devoted solely to you. It was a refreshing change from being on the receiving end. "The bathroom's in the back, but I'll walk with you if you're uncomfortable walking on your own."

"I know I said this was my first flight, but really, you don't have to go through this much trouble."

He paused and looked you in the eyes. "It isn't any trouble. If anything, it's a pleasure." His face lit up with a wide grin. "I'm doing something useful for you, right? You don't mind, do you?"

Your shoulders drooped in defeat and Yugyeom bit back a chuckle. No one was immune to Jackson's charm. "Yes, this is fine. Thank you, Jackson." You smiled at him. "It means a lot that you care."

A Christmas tree would fail to compare to the light he gave off upon hearing your words. He meant well. Everyone knew that. It'd take patience and reassurance to break him out of his habit of seeking validation. Though they as a group had become accustomed to it, Yugyeom found himself hoping you'd stick around long enough to help them out.

It wasn't long before the pilot came on with his greeting and itinerary with the stewards and stewardesses shooing away electronics and making sure everyone was buckled in properly. Jackson gently took your hand and held it while they explained the standard emergency procedures. You didn't realize you were manhandling the armrest and gritting your teeth.

"It'll be okay. I promise," he whispered, raising your hand to his lips and pressing a soft kiss to your knuckles. Why hadn't Yugyeom thought to do that? "I won't let anything happen to you."

"You can't possibly keep a promise like that." You said flatly. Yugyeom's fingertips grazed your knee a few times before you realized he was itching to hold your other hand. Without thinking, you grabbed his hand and squeezed it when the plane shook and began edging forward down the runway.

"I can!" Jackson said indignantly. "I can swim—"

"We're not going over water." You and Yugyeom said in unison. A tingle sparked between your palms but you didn't show any signs of having felt it too.

"I've been skydiving—"

"You're afraid of heights." You and Yugyeom answered together. Yugyeom glanced at you but your eyes were on Jackson. Did you even hear him?

"Okay, but I'd die to protect you!"

"Jackson," you put your hand on his knee, "It's okay. You don't have to try so hard for me."

"But I want to." He spoke softly with a slight pout.

"Honestly, that you even want to is more than enough for me." It was just enough to cheer him up again. Yugyeom noticed Jaebeom watching, eyebrows creased with concern. When you continued to speak, Yugyeom turned back to you. "But make sure you care about yourself just as much, okay? I mean it."

Jackson nodded, cheeks flushing with color as he looked down at your clasped hands. "Okay."

Soon enough, the plane was in the air and Dallas became a cluster of dots on the ground. You visibly relaxed into your seat as Jackson rubbed the back of your hand with his thumb. Yugyeom wanted to do something like that, but he wasn't sure you'd allow it. You hadn't known him as long or as well as you did Jackson. The monitor in the seat in front of him flickered between advertisements and a thought struck him.

"Hey, we can watch a movie to pass the time." He nudged your shoulder with his. "What kind of movies do you like?"

You looked at him before your eyes went upward. "I'm not too picky, really. Though maybe we could save the scary stuff for later?" When your gaze returned to his, another tingle blossomed over his skin.

"I can work with that." He smiled before touching the screen. A few swipes later and logo music began to play.

The flight was relatively smooth, with only a few patches of turbulence along the way. You leaned against him the entire time, still holding Jackson's hand, eyes glued on the screen. At some point a stewardess came along with food and he found himself sharing popcorn with you. He thought of Jackson's time alone with you and realized that despite you both being surrounded by others, you were still in your own little bubble. Not quite as intimate as sharing a full meal, but basically a movie date. He'd told himself he'd just be friendly, make you feel as welcome as he could. Yet, he couldn't deny the sparks whenever your skin brushed against his. Couldn't stop his thoughts from embracing the idea of you being his soulmate. By the end of the movie, you were dozing off, using Yugyeom's shoulder as a makeshift pillow. He didn't mind one bit.

He entertained himself with sending memes to BamBam, ignoring the fact that he was left on read. He could understand his closest friend's annoyance but he had to admit he was having the time of his life. He'd beg for forgiveness later if needed. Right now, he wanted to enjoy the moment and commit it to memory. When you woke up from your nap, the plane was beginning its descent. You looked out the window and saw the glittering buildings below, signaling your arrival at your destination.

As the plane touched down and taxied to the gate, you and Jackson clasped hands tightly, your eyes closed as if that would make the descent any smoother. Yugyeom found himself humming a song and seized the moment to hold your other hand, mirroring Jackson's calming caress with his thumb. He was more than pleased with himself when you seemingly melted against his arm again, eyes still shut.

"Oh, god tell me when its over." You muttered and he liked that you sought him out for comfort.

As soon as the seatbelt sign turned off, everyone began standing up to gather their belongings from the overhead bins.

"See? We made it!" Jackson exclaimed with a triumphant grin as he unbuckled his seatbelt. You let out a sigh of relief and opened your eyes, returning his smile. "Yeah, we did. This time, at least."

Yugyeom leaned in and caught your gaze. "Are you okay?"

You nodded, feeling shaky but trying to hide it. "Yeah, I'm fine." You attempted to stand up and grab your bag from the overhead compartment but stumbled when the plane jerked suddenly.

"Whoa there," Jackson caught you before you could fall. "Maybe we should wait for everyone else to get off first."

You nodded gratefully and sat back down. BamBam shuffled off the plane with the others, pointedly ignoring Yugyeom. When the plane was finally empty, you stood up again and grabbed your bag without any problems this time.

Yugyeom nodded in agreement before looking at his phone. "Our luggage should be at baggage claim already."

"That's quick," you said as you followed them out of the plane and towards baggage claim. Soon enough, all three of you were standing in front of a carousel waiting for your luggage to come around.

When you spotted your suitcase and stepped away to grab it, Jackson leaned in and whispered, "Are you and Bam gonna be okay? I don't think I've ever seen him this pissed at you of all people."

Yugyeom shrugged. "He can't be mad forever. And I guess it's new for him. He's never had to share my attention with anyone like this before."

"Yeah, he can be pretty childish sometimes." Jackson nodded.

Yugyeom chuckled as you struggled to free your luggage from the moving belt. They both took a step forward to help you but Jaebeom made it to your side first. "He'll be okay. Just needs time to calm down. In the meantime," he tilted his head to the side, eyes still on you, "we can make sure she's having fun."

"Here, let me get that." Jaebeom reached over your shoulder, startling you in the process. As you moved aside for him, he caught a whiff of your perfume, something light and sweet. He grabbed the handle of your suitcase and yanked it off the belt.

"Thank you..." You frowned and it took him a second to realize why.

"Just call me Jay." He set the luggage down and pulled up the handle. The frown went away instantly. "I don't mind."

You fiddled with the suitcase, unable to look at him. "You sure? I don't want to disrespect you or anything in front of the others."

He shrugged and fought a smile as he slipped his hands in his pockets. "Its not like those brats care."

You smirked. "I know, I just...It's not the same is it? I'm not one of them. That and I don't wanna add to your stress if I can help it."

He found himself smiling, touched that you cared about his wellbeing. "As long as you're traveling with us, I'll treat you no differently from them." He gently bumped you with his elbow. "Just say no to Yugyeom and his stupid pranks."

"They're not stupid! As long as you have a sense of humor, they're fun!" Yugyeom pulled you away. "Don't listen to him. He's old and boring."

With a strike like lightning, Jaebeom grabbed the back of Yugyeom's neck and squeezed. "Say that again."

Soon enough everyone's baggage was found and loaded onto the shuttles going to the hotel. Due to the size of the group, they had to split up. Once again, Yugyeom and Jackson insisted on riding with you. Jaebeom caught the nasty look BamBam gave you and he was grateful that Jackson didn't see it. He didn't feel like mediating another argument so soon after the one between him and Jinyoung. The animosity was understandable to a degree. You were an outsider to most of them, and trust was a hard thing to earn in their world. However, since he'd shaken your hand he was beginning to see that Jackson had a point. People with bad intentions give off bad vibes. Ones that, as far as he could tell, you didn't have.

He told himself he'd reserve judgment until later when enough time had passed, but that handshake seemed to change something in him. Cool static had rippled throughout his body when your warm, dainty hand filled his. It'd taken every ounce of control he had to force himself to let go. Holding your hand felt right, as natural as breathing or singing.

And he could see he wasn't the only one affected. Even now you were sandwiched between Jackson and Yugyeom, discussing the things to do in Las Vegas with Jackson holding your hand and Yugyeom's arm around your shoulders. One would never guess you hadn't known them longer than a few days.

He was a romantic at heart. It was hard to say which side he took in this as he'd always imagined having a soulmate of his own. Someone meant just for him, one he didn't have to share with the others like he did everything else in his life. Was that selfish?

Thoughts like that wouldn't help him here and now. When the vans stopped outside their hotel, he remembered the brief phone call he'd had with JYP. Taejoon had predictably snitched on him, stressing that the decision to bring you along was Jaebeom's doing. As a result, any expenses that you occurred were coming out of Jaebeom's pocket. He was lucky he made a decent amount of money from royalties otherwise he'd have trouble booking and paying for your room. The need to keep it a secret from the guys wasn't entirely unfounded. He could see Jinyoung throwing a hissy fit and possibly making you feel like you needed to pitch in. For the sake of peace, it'd be his little secret.

"Here you go," he smiled handing you the key cards to your suite. "It's on the floor below us. Hopefully we won't bother you."

"Thanks—" Your fingers touched his and that soothing ripple of calmness washed over him again. "Don't worry. I've dealt with way worse than this chaos. It's almost like a mini vacation at this point."

Jackson materialized at your side, peering over your shoulder. "Is it a double? Can I room with you if it's a double?"

Jaebeom pushed him away with a hand covering his face. "Don't be eager or weird. She gets a room to herself. She'll be able to sleep in and go down to breakfast."

Jackson pushed his hand away. "But what if she gets lonely? We can't leave her here by herself."

You rubbed his arm with a look of concern Jaebeom was sure couldn't be copied by even the best actresses in the world. "I don't mind. I can't begin to imagine how busy you guys will be. I'd only slow you down and I don't wanna hear Jinyoung's mouth."

Jinyoung scoffed as he pushed by, heading for the elevators. "Wouldn't have to worry about it if you weren't here."

Three things happened simultaneously. Jackson opened his mouth to fire back as Jaebeom turned to tell Jinyoung to be nice. Yet, you beat them both to the punch by speaking up with a forced smile. "Jackson, would you like to see what my room looks like? You can walk me through the hotel room check you were telling me about on the plane."

Your sweet smile and gentle pull on Jackson's arm sucked the tension away in an instant. Jackson turned his attention back to you, eyes alight with his eagerness. "Of course!"

It was weird to have someone else be the voice of peace. The two of you started toward the elevators and Yugyeom joined, pointing at a brochure he'd picked up. BamBam and Mark joined Jinyoung leaving you three to wait for another one to come back down. Jaebeom adjusted his backpack and joined the queue. He hated that what was supposed to be a simple promotion with fanmeets was slowly dividing the group in two. Hopefully, once it was all said and done, their personal relationships would still be intact.

After an intense game of rock-paper-scissors, Jaebeom and Jackson ended up sharing a room for the duration of their stay. It was the first time since they landed in America that they'd had this much time together. Jackson wanted to sneak down to your room to stay up and talk but Jaebeom wasn't having it.

"Absolutely not."

Jackson flopped down on his bed with a disappointed frown. "Come on, Jaebeom. It's just a little fun. Besides, it's not like I'm asking to sneak out of the hotel."

Jaebeom sat on the edge of his bed, phone in hand as he scrolled through the schedule for the next few days. He sighed without looking up. "It's not about having fun, Jackson. We need to be careful about how we handle things with her here."

"But she isn't like other people we've met. She's different," Jackson insisted, his voice laced with a sincerity that made Jaebeom pause. There was something different about you, something that made everyone act a bit out of character.

"Different or not," Jaebeom finally said, locking his phone and meeting Jackson's gaze. "We have to maintain some professionalism. We can't set precedents that we might regret later."

Jackson rolled onto his side, propping his head up with his hand. "You like her, don't you?"

The question was abrupt, and Jaebeom felt a defensive wall go up instinctively. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"Everything," Jackson shot back softly. "Because if you have feelings for her—even purely platonic ones—then it makes sense why you're being extra cautious. You care."

Jaebeom rubbed his temples, feeling the onset of a headache. "I just met her, Jackson."

"Love at first sight is a thing, y'know. There's nothing wrong with trusting your gut and just going with it."

He sighed deeply, hating that he had to be the one to burst Jackson's bubble. "You say that a lot don't you? Throw yourself all in for anyone who catches your eye and shows you the tiniest bit of attention and care just for, what, it all to fall apart? Love at first sight seems to leave you alone and heartbroken too often, doesn't it?"

Jackson went silent, the easy smile fading from his face as Jaebeom's words settled over him like a heavy blanket. For a moment, the room was thick with unspoken thoughts and regrets, punctuated only by the distant hum of Las Vegas beyond their window.

Finally, Jackson let out a deep breath and sat up, swinging his legs off the bed to face Jaebeom more directly. "Maybe you're right," he admitted quietly, "but every time it feels real, feels like it could be the thing that changes everything. Isn't it worth the risk?"

Jaebeom didn't answer immediately. He knew Jackson's heart was in the right place. It always was. But as their leader, it was his job to think about the consequences, to protect not just his own heart but also those of his bandmates—and now, seemingly, yours.

"Perhaps," he finally conceded, "but remember we have our responsibilities. We're here for work first." He glanced up at Jackson, noting the genuine confusion in his eyes. "Let's try to keep things simple and not complicate matters further."

Jackson nodded slowly, though his disappointment was palpable. He lay back down, staring at the ceiling. "Alright, Jaebeom. I'll keep my distance. For now."

Jaebeom felt a twinge of guilt watching Jackson's enthusiasm dim—a brightness that was rare in the often grueling routine of their industry—but he knew boundaries were essential, especially with so much at stake professionally.

Was it bad that Yugyeom wasn’t as bothered by the tears as he used to be? Now that they’d been given dummy devices to wear to keep up the ruse of “searching” he thought he’d feel even worse about lying to their fans. They truly believed they had a chance with pairing with a member of the group. It was wrong, immoral.

Yet when he filed backstage with the others, he couldn’t help but smiling when he saw you tucked away in a corner with a notebook in your lap. As everyone began to change and found a stylist, he found himself wandering over to you.

“Hey there.” He plopped down in the chair next to you and you jumped.

“Oh, jeez!” You put the hand holding the pen over your heart. After a quick glance around the room your gaze found his. “It’s over already?”

Was it bad that Yugyeom wasn't as bothered by the tears as he used to be? Now that they'd been given dummy devices to wear to keep up the ruse of "searching" he thought he'd feel even worse about lying to their fans. They truly believed they had a chance to pair with a member of the group. It was wrong, immoral.

Yet when he filed backstage with the others, he couldn't help but smile when he saw you tucked away in a corner with a notebook in your lap. As everyone began to change and found a stylist, he found himself wandering over to you.

"Hey there." He plopped down in the chair next to you and you jumped.

"Oh, jeez!" You put the hand holding the pen over your heart. After a quick glance around the room, your gaze found his. "It's over already?"

"It's been two hours. Have you been writing this entire time?" He leaned closer to see your notepad but you quickly hid it against your chest. "Oh, come on. It can't be that bad. May I see, please?"

You hesitated, biting your lip as you considered his request, then slowly lowered the notebook. "Only because it's you," you said with a half-smile, handing it over. "Tell no one that I let you do this."

Yugyeom's eyes lit up as he gently took the notebook from your hands. His gaze flicked across your neatly scribbled words, a mixture of excitement and curious respect etching across his features. As he read, his expression softened, and occasionally, a chuckle escaped him.

"Is this about my dandelion tattoo?"

You shrugged shyly. "I noticed it when we were on the plane. I couldn't stop thinking about it so...I put it in words."

"This is really pretty." Yugyeom said sincerely, looking up at you with admiration. "The way you describe it makes me even happier that I got it. And this part," he pointed to a line in the middle of the page, "where you talk about how music can be a person's dandelion—it's beautiful."

Flattered by his compliments, he watched as your cheeks deepened in color as you fought the smile. "Thank you, Yugyeom. That means a lot coming from you."

He nodded and handed back the notebook. "You should keep writing. Who knows? Maybe one day you'll write a song for us."

The idea made you laugh softly, the sound mingling with the constant buzz of activity around you. "Oh sure. Maybe I will," you agreed playfully.

Yugyeom stood up just as one of the staff members called him over. Before he left, he turned to face you again. "Don't forget us when you become a famous writer," he joked with a wink.

"I won't," you promised, watching him walk away before turning back to your poetry.

Previous | Masterpost | Next

[multiphandomunnies]

got7

reactions

girlfriend hugging them in their sleep

deserted island au

high school au

gf is a demon

s.o is shy with skinship

s.o is self conscious

imagines

mark

jackson

thank you

bf! jackson

trying again

single dad au

jaebum

it’s not too late

get over here

not now (*M*)

carnation

bf! jaebum

christmas special

i want to do these things with you

jinyoung

youngjae

bambam

christmas special

yugyeom

bf! yugyeom

let’s go out

[kwanisms]

please note that I am no longer actively writing for got7 and that by putting this groups in the 'archive' does not necessarily mean I will stop writing for them entirely. Any series originally planned for any members in the archive have either been put in the vault or recasted.

🔞 many of these works contain sexual content (18+ mdni) 🔞 ♤ — angst :: ♡ — fluff :: ♧ — smut ✍ — ongoing :: ⊝ — hiatus :: ⊗ — discontinued :: ✓ — completed

— oneshots

»» First Time ♧ i. jaebeom

➥ 3.1k; Y/N's first time with her boyfriend

»» Second Time ♧ i. jaebeom

➥ 3.1k; ever since her first time with her boyfriend, Y/N has felt like he was holding back. so she decides to see for herself what he's really like in bed.

»» Never Mine ♤ w. jackson

➥ 2.3k; jackson has fallen in love with Y/N, only there's a problem. Jinyoung is her boyfriend.

»» the Day Death Fell in Love ♤♧ p. jinyoung

➥ 12.5k; they say you only become a grim reaper if you've done something terrible in a past life. Whether or not that's true, Jinyoung didn't care. He had a job to do and he did his job well, guiding souls to the afterlife. That is, until he met Y/N.

ⓘ DISCLAIMER :: MONSTER/ALIEN FUCKER ENTHUSIAST ��� ©️ kwanisms 2024 | all works on this blog are protected under copyright. Do not repost, continue, or translate my works. All graphics made by me.

[write-it-good-imagines]

Nothing More(M) - Five

Hello everyone!! Long time no see, indeed! I must say I hit writer's block these days but in no way did I abandon this story. Even more so now, when I am so eager to continue. This chapter will bring you spicy surprises and turning points ^^. Enjoy!

~6k words, angst, smut

I want to make you forget about that ex. In truth, I loved the idea of you overthinking all your texts. And I wanted all your neighbors to hear you yell when we have sex. I don’t want it to be a problem when we come together. And I don’t want us a secret.

Jackson plopped down on Mark’s couch, still carrying a serious look of disbelief on his face. “Look, I agree but Bambam literally said what we all thought. Collectively.”

Mark rolled his eyes at Jackson’s remark. He was searching for another song in his playlist to play on his vintage stereo system.

“I think we were more shocked to meet her like that,” Jinyoung continued, leaning against an empty small table in the living room. “Showing up at our studio.”

“And in that motorcycle jacket? Take my money. Did you know she had a bike?” Jackson put a hand dramatically over his chest.

Mark nodded. “Yeah, saw it first time I went to her house.”

“Living the dream. Hottest date, to ride the bikes together around town.”

“Could you stop fantasizing on my behalf?” Mark chuckled in Jackson’s direction and the latter laughed at the note. Mark then turned to Jinyoung, who was cocking an eyebrow. “I had no idea she would come to the studio, believe me. I wanted you to meet her under different circumstances.”

Jinyoung crossed his arms over his chest, a playful look in his eye. “You never told us why you came so early from your date.”

“Yeah, cause it wasn’t a date.” Mark commented and the other two men almost simultaneously turned to him. “Had the surprise to see her with another man.”

The playful look disappeared from Jinyoung’s expression. “You’d have to elaborate on that.”

“I can’t really elaborate, I didn’t stay around enough to see what happened next.” Mark shrugged his shoulders. “The guy had her backed against the lockers, a hand holding her cheek. It was not the first time he… they did that. It was the reason Sam came to the studio.”

“To explain.” Jinyoung completed, albeit not in agreement with the situation. “And what’s your take on that?”

Truth was, Mark did not have an exact answer to Jinyoung’s inquiry. Sure, the scenery of Samantha being present in the proximity of another man displeased and hurt Mark. He built some expectations for the two of them, carried away by their unquestionable synergy, and by the trust exuded by Samantha at every small dare or challenge presented by Mark. He believed in her words, and more than anything he believed in her. Mark believed in Samantha when she said she missed him, when she confided in him, when she said there would not be another guy. So, he put in the effort to carry himself in such a manner that would make Samantha desire him even more. At some point, Mark considered trying to have the talk with her, to play with his cards on the table, to build trust in them as more than just an arrangement.

At the very end, Samantha never promised anything, she never drew the line. Mark did not have it in him to throw the bouquet of the flowers he handpicked in the trash. But he was not indifferent to the image of her subjugated by the intimacy of another that was not him.

“I’ll hear her out.” Mark said lastly, seating himself by Jackson on the couch. A short quirk of the eyebrows as Jinyoung opted to simply nod his head.

“If you’re happy, I’m happy.”

Jackson chuckled. “If you wanted us to actually believe you, you should have used your acting skills at least.”

“Why? Not that convincing?”

Mark agreed with Jackson. “We’ve known each other 12 years. It takes so much more than that.”

The three of them laughed. Truly, a bond that not many people get to have in a lifetime. And Mark knew Jinyoung, as much as everyone else, was looking out for him.

“If you have something to say, just say it.”

Jinyoung sighed and threw his hands in the air. “Look, I know, a good-looking, bike-riding, smart surgeon woman, who has a mysterious aura about herself. I’d be a hypocrite to say I wouldn’t get interested.”

“You know what he’s gonna say.” Jackson extended an arm over the backrest of the couch.

“All I’m saying is that, given the circumstances, I wouldn’t be happy at all. If a guy touched or held the girl I liked like that.”

All eyes were focused on Mark.

“But why don’t you talk to her and set the record straight? I’m all for explaining,” Jackson shifted his body to face Mark, “but if you told her, you liked her beyond just the sex, at least you’d know it’s either this or that.”

Jinyoung moved his hands in a gesture that indicated he agreed with Jackson. And Mark agreed with them, too. In any given situation, he would be the type of man to express his wishes and voice his wants and needs. Mark did not necessarily like the chasing. Within his chest, he knew why he was still playing the game and why he did not walk away the second he saw Samantha with the stranger man who was playing with his mind. Regardless, Mark let the little evil elves whispering in his ear take the reins of reasoning. The bell of the front door started ringing vigorously.

“It’s complicated.” Mark rose from the couch. “It’s also Samantha at the door,” said he, half-doubtful he spoke the words to convince himself it truly was her at the door. When he opened it, he actually made sure of it.

Samantha looked very different since the morning visit to the studio. The commanding behavior softened to a natural feminine aura, the sun-kissed freckles no longer hidden behind foundation accompanied by the mellow smile she had the day they met, everything stunned Mark.

Samantha felt very different.

“Hey, beautiful.” Mark welcomed Samantha with an observation he’d hoped was as visible to her as much as it was to him. Mark was distracted by the lively bark of Murphy, eagerly anticipating a welcome as warm as his mother’s. So, he obliged, the smile sketched on his face growing as he knelt to ruffle Murphy’s fur.

Samantha followed Mark’s carefree movements with warmth coloring her features. She didn’t know what to expect from him; all that she hoped was that Mark wouldn’t look at her with repulsion. Instead, Samantha was met by the same jovial Mark she’d met the very first time. And it scared Samantha that Mark felt very different since morning, all the same.

Did he care, still?

“Hey, yourself.” Samantha replied and watched as he straightened his body to meet her eyes. How much did she wish that that would’ve been their reunion, that he’d plant a kiss on her lips and circle his arms around her frame in a longing embrace. Suddenly, Mark felt so far apart.

“Come in.”

Mark pushed the door open and guided Samantha into the living room. She noticed two very familiar silhouettes, Jackson as he was putting his leather vest on, and Jinyoung as he was gathering his things. Murphy’s little woofs distracted the two men into looking at the source of sound, smiling at the little creature. Eyes speedily travelled to Samantha’s physique, and both greeted her with a smile. Perhaps Jackson’s more expressive. He was the first one to formally introduce himself. There was a lively song playing in the background.

“I’m Jackson, nice to meet you, finally.”

Samantha prevented her eyes from widening. Maybe Mark did speak about her. She took Jackson’s hand and shook it, enjoying his amiability.

“Likewise, Jackson. I truly hope you didn’t think I was a freak or anything.” Samantha offered a smile of her own eliciting a chuckle from the other. She caught Jinyoung in the corner of her eye as he examined her. Not blatantly, yet not covertly either. Samantha wondered what they both thought about her.

“Far from that,” Jinyoung chimed in, giving his own hand for a greeting, “but you definitely incited the collective curiosity.”

Samantha took the invitation, meeting Jinyoung halfway. Out of everyone, she figured he was the toughest to impress. And on good merit, nonetheless. “I wouldn’t say about myself that I’m an open book but please know I’m more than happy to clear the curiosities.”

The corner of Jinyoung’s lips lifted in a modest smirk. “Maybe I’ll heed the invitation.”

Jackson cleared his throat and Jinyoung pulled back. “Don’t worry about us, we were just leaving.”

“No bother at all. I wouldn’t want us to be so formal, it was very nice meeting you both.” Samantha extended her hands to offer the two men a warm wave and a small dip of her head. Jackson and Jinyoung both did the same, the last action they made prior to heading out the door. “Likewise, Samantha”.

Mark’s loud sigh doubled the echo of the closing door which caused Samantha to fiddle with her fingers. “I must have made a terrible impression, haven’t I? They definitely think I’m a freak.”

“Nope, no freak,” Mark turned around to walk toward Samantha’s direction. As he was approaching, he was unzipping his hoodie. “They just don’t know you. Actually, Jackson was quite smitten with you, I could swear he’d want to steal you for himself.”

It was the first time Mark had openly spoken about his members, even more so about anything that had to do with their opinion about her. Mark’s words were not reassuring enough for Samantha as eyes were still focused on her nervous fingers. She didn’t know what to make of the entire situation. “Jinyoung doesn’t like me.”

Mark grabbed at the hem of his T-shirt to throw it over his head. A bracelet at his wrist was tangling loosely when he guided Samantha’s chin to make her look at him. “Out of all of us, Jinyoung is the one who doesn’t play games when it comes to people. You have to make him trust you before he lets you in."

The initial nervousness Samantha felt while fidgeting with her fingers transformed into butterflies into her stomach. Although the main emotion she was feeling was uneasiness, at his words, and at his sudden naked torso. She had but a moment to watch the muscles of his abdomen contract and relax with the movement of the arm which was holding her frozen in place. Henry’s most similar gesture crossed her mind. “Do you play the game, Mark?”

Mark’s irises were fixated on hers. The tone of his voice softened and lowered with each spoken word, until it became little more than a whisper. A question for a question. “Are we playing the game, Sam?”

Samantha’s lips parted with a sigh, the knot in her stomach tightening. There was no hint to suggest that Mark was not serious with his inquiry. She knew the answer to his question, but the words were frozen like they weren’t hers to speak. While Mark was looking at her, with the stoicism of his body and the seriousness of his eyes, Samantha presented herself agonizingly transparent.

“Wasn’t this the way he was holding you?” taunted Mark, drawing closer to her in an even voice. His other hand found the clothed valley of her hips. “Did you want him to kiss you?”

“No.” Samantha stated, an ounce of desperation evading beyond her control. The infinitesimal distance Mark was keeping between them was slowly driving her crazy. And he knew he held all control. “At no point did I want him to kiss me.”

Silence followed. A harrowing silence growing heavier with each movement of Mark’s brown orbs drawing back and forth on her features. Samantha grabbed Mark by the chest. “Say something goddammit!” she urged.

Mark pulled Samantha into him and slammed his lips against hers. In the background, a sexual melody mix broke into the stereo system. Samantha wobbled on her feet, which caused Mark to tighten his grasp around her figure. The background music melted with the swift ringing in her ears and the tips of her fingers turned cold from the unanticipated contact. Mark’s kiss was raw and hurried, yet obscenely sensual. Samantha’s lungs were deflating quickly, and Mark did not seem too eager to let her breathe. It was the first time he initiated such a kiss. His lips had always worked against hers with tenderness, at times enticing, but never so ardently carnal.

It was a possessive kiss and Mark wanted Samantha to feel it.

Mark pushed their bodies into the couch, and he slid his knee in between her thighs. During the brief moment their lips were separated, Samantha gasped for air, which was rather a sharp moan with Mark settling above her, and his clothed knee tormenting her womanhood. “Mark, I can’t breathe.”

“I couldn’t breathe either when he was towering over you, Samantha.” His visage was wearing the same chilling expression, albeit a sliver of distress hiding behind it. “I imagined him doing all sorts of things to you, with you. Fuck.”

Mark tilted his head to the side, a canine digging into the plush of his lower lip. Samantha’s eyes were watching him intensely. She was devoid of any courage to speak a word. Never would she have imagined she would see Mark like that. Not for her.

“I missed you girl, I missed you. And I…” You’re all I fucking think about.

Samantha gulped. She was observing Mark’s every gesture, every little shift in his facial expression, every word he was speaking. All the feelings in her chest were strangers and Mark was tempting and enchanting. He was everything Samantha wanted him to be. Even when he suppressed his thoughts, Mark was everything Samantha wanted. And he was there, in her immediate grasp.

You’re all I ever thought about.

“Kiss me, Mark.”

He didn’t need to be told twice. Mark lowered his body instantly to connect the kiss in a lustful motion. His tongue lost no time to part Samantha’s lips and find her own into a frenzied tango. As his hands slid down to play with the hem of her t-shirt, so did the ever-growing feelings for the woman he was holding. The blood in his veins was pulsating with apparent unrequited affection, and it set him ablaze.

Mark broke the kiss in a nimble motion to undress Samantha of her shirt, to reveal her braless breasts. The tantalizing sight aroused Mark like it did the first time. For him, sex with Samantha felt like it was the first time every time. There was always something new he’d discover in the voluptuousness of her body, in the way her body would curve differently with each heated touch of his hand. Mark licked his lips and undid her shorts.

“Mark…” Samantha mewled, the cold breeze circling her breasts provoked a shudder. She edged her breasts as her eyes darted back and forth between Mark’s hands and the growing bulge in his jeans. Samantha was struggling to form coherent thoughts when he was immorally commanding the pace. She didn’t fight the vulgar lust invading her core. It was easier giving in to the euphoria than acknowledging the truth.

Easier than voicing that Mark should be the one.

“Tell me, darling.” There was a wicked inflection in Mark’s tone, busy with undressing Samantha of her shorts and underwear all at once. “What do you want?”

If it was any other moment, Samantha would have said it was his love she wanted. Still, a hue of shyness colored her rosy cheeks. “I want you, Mark.”

Mark was happy to obey, even if he was convinced Samantha was not speaking seriously. She wanted his body, while he desired her soul. In the heat of the moment, for the short time they’d spend as one, Mark heard what he needed to. That she wanted him, and she’d choose him. He lowered his body to plant kisses through the valley between her breasts, the butterfly pecks eliciting sultry moans out of Samantha’s throat. When his lips passed her chest’s threshold, Mark continued the delicious trail to her abdomen, one hand encircling Samantha’s breast. The other was keeping her thigh from squirming.

Samantha closed her eyes and threw her head into the soft material of the couch to indulge in the intense eroticism Mark was injecting into her body. When his sinful mouth reached her womanhood, Mark chuckled. Then he continued to leave kisses on her inner thigh, deliberately ignoring the wetness of her cavern. Samantha was vexed by Mark’s actions, and she groaned in protest. The hand previously on her breast travelled to her hip to intertwine with her fingers. Mark acknowledged her objection by nibbling a violet spot into her thigh. He traced it with the free index, shifting his body to worship Samantha’s other thigh with blissful movements of the tongue. The little perverted sounds she was making were truly driving Mark to impatience.

The way Samantha’s body was submitting to his febrile touches indicated that she wasn’t that far away either.

Mark pulled away momentarily to unzip his jeans and dispose of them on the floor. The rupture of their connected hands forced Samantha to dig her fingers into the plush of the sofa. The heat in her genitals was much more intense than she anticipated it would be. The simple fact that Mark retreated from tending to her pelvis made her moan loudly, and her vagina clench. Samantha watched him as he undressed himself to reveal his throbbing shaft, and she bit her lip in anticipation. Mark smirked at her and climbed atop her to seat himself between her legs. As he was leaning down to reach her level, the tip of his cock rimmed against soaked clit.

Mark linked their foreheads together, supporting himself with one arm by the side of her head. His other hand rested at the cusp of her jaw. He angled himself at her saturated entrance and slid the tip of his penis inside her. A guttural moan echoed in the air.

“We never did it like this, so tell me if it hurts.” Spoke Mark in a gentle tone and opened his eyes to observe Samantha. She gently shook her head and her fingers stretched into Mark’s shoulder blades to guide his body in a slow thrust. He let out a groan from the depth of his throat, feeling the creamy walls of her vagina enclosing around his shaft. Mark gave her a moment to adapt to his size, gazing intently at her. Samantha was so beautiful, with flushed cheeks and her splendid naked body, all of her offered to him.

Mark felt his heart ache.

“How can you say I’m not making love to you when I’m touching you like this?”

Samantha’s eyelids closed and fluttered open with Mark’s affirmation. The coherent words she tried to form were dispelled instantly when he started moving inside her with controlled thrusts, each forward move taunting her sweet spot. Samantha opened her mouth only to allow the moans to flood the air. And Mark was watching every contraction of her body and indulging in each pulsation of her pussy.

He leaned down to nip at the lobe of her ear. “When you’re giving yourself to me like this?”

“Mark…” Samantha reached to his face to lead the hazel of his eyes to hers. In his eyes she found the same commanding yearning but propelled by a raw sincerity that Mark had not given to her. Everything he was doing gave her a sense of serenity, fueled by the abnormally erotic movements of his hips. In a matter of minutes, she surrendered to him and to the zealous whines her lungs were making.

“What is it, baby?” He picked up the speed of his thrusts, heeding the contractions in Samantha’s womanhood. “You’re close, I know. What I didn’t know is how wet you could get.”

Samantha intended to avert her bashful expression, but Mark’s touch kept her focused on him. “Don’t hide. Let me take care of you.”

Amidst the whorl of sentiments and thoughts racing through her mind, Samantha found an anchor in Mark. She registered all the words he’d spoken to her and all the shielded gestures, and bare confessions. Samantha was powerless to respond, instead. There never was a man in her life to bear his heart on his sleeve, even half of how Mark was bearing his. In her normality, he was an abnormality. And still, he made good of his words and actions and took care of her.

Samantha relaxed in his embrace and extended her body to plant a kiss on his lips. A mellow kiss which Mark reciprocated so naturally that life halted for a second.

Then Mark enveloped Samantha as her body abruptly contracted. She held on to him as she reached for nirvana, her vocal cords enchanting Mark with lascivious breaths repeatedly. Hearing Samantha succumb to ecstasy was the sweetest testament Mark could receive. The hot blood in his veins met the point of boiling as he was getting closer to climax. A couple more lustful thrusts accompanied by roaring groans, each growing faster than the other, brought Mark as close to the edge as he could get. He guided himself out of Samantha’s core to reach his orgasm and paint her abdomen with his white cream.

Samantha enjoyed that particular view of Mark, so much that it was his turn to show a timid smile. It took a little while for Samantha to follow what happened, and when she did, both of them chuckled at each other.

“I’ll get some paper towels.”

“You’ll find me here.”

Samantha’s ears followed the sound of Mark’s steps and the muffled grunt that followed soon after. He returned with a handful of paper towels, and Samantha couldn’t look away from his still hard penis.

Mark took one cloth to clean his canvas half-heartedly. “Round two?”

Samantha giggled. “I’ll have to refuse. Round one was unexpectedly intense.”

“You have no idea how sexy you are.”

Samantha felt her cheek darken once more. She was watching silently as Mark was wiping her abdomen. When he was done, he walked away to throw the used napkins.

“Are you okay? You’re unusually quiet.” Mark’s voice reverberated through the kitchen.

“I’m alright, just a bit tired.” She responded, and Mark immediately walked back to her. He knelt down with her back facing her, gesturing for her to hop on his back.

“Let’s get to bed.”

Samantha hummed and attached herself to Mark’s body. She had never noticed how broad his back was, under the hoodies and oversized shirts he was usually wearing. Mark effortlessly rose from the ground and carried her to the nearby bedroom. He carefully seated Samantha on the edge of his neat bed, and she smiled to herself at the considerable number of pillows residing there. In front of the bed there was a small dressing which Mark opened to retrieve one clean shirt and a pair of shorts for himself.

“I don’t want you to get cold. Here, arms up.” Mark whispered, and Samantha complied with his actions. The dark shirt Mark had given her was large enough to reach her knees. He tossed the thin summery blanket away and helped Samantha up into the nook of his bed.

“Thank you, Mark. You’re so protective of me.” She smiled softly and happily accepted the invitation to encompass herself into Mark’s arms.

 He raised an eyebrow, even though she couldn’t see. “You don’t want me to be?”

“I do,” she answered quickly and laced their hands together. “I like this a lot.”

Mark tilted his head to follow the lazy sunset shimmer through the window. The loose hand he folded under his head served as a good excuse to avoid looking Samantha in the eye. As easy as it had been to drown in her orbs while laying together, just as hard it was to do so while returning to reality. Samantha noticed the atypical silence. With the aphrodisiac sensations fading away, all the words that Mark spoke to her started to click. Samantha was drawing absentmindedly on Mark’s forearm with the tip of her index, trying to reproduce the memory of each phrase. The subtle agony of I couldn’t breathe either when he was towering over you, Samantha, the slight panic in the I imagined him doing all sorts of things to you, with you.

The melancholy in the How can you say I’m not making love to you when I’m touching you like this? which made Samantha’s heart tremble was the seed of hope planted in her soul. If there was any source of truth to say that Mark truly harbored feeling for her, it was not tangible anymore.

Mark, once again, felt so different.

 “What are you thinking about, Mark?” Samantha looked up at him just in time to see how breathtaking the warm colors of the sunset appeared on his features.

He was silent for a while. “About you.”

Samantha furrowed her eyebrows. “What about me? I’m right here.”

A little sigh. “Nothing… it’s just I’m leaving tomorrow, and we won’t see each other a while again.”

“I know…” Samantha’s voice trailed off in sadness. “I don’t want you to go.”

Mark gave a little squeeze to her hand, eyes still watching the first moments of dusk adorning the sky. “That’s not under my control, unfortunately.”

 “I don’t want you to go out of my life, Mark.”

Samantha could swear the vein in Mark’s wrist strained at her words. Still, his expression remained impassable. After a couple moments spent in unmerciful silence, he continued. “Do you think about us? About what we could be?”

The palm of her hand was starting to sweat. Easy answer? Yes, I cannot devote myself to anything that’s not you. True answer? Do you want to take my broken heart? Samantha sensed that she was running out of time, and in hindsight, she should have known that earlier. A man like Mark who had the world at the tips of his fingers, who could have anyone he wished for, wouldn’t say the things he said to any woman that easily. All of it meant something, it should have meant something. It was everything Samantha clung to, for it to mean something. She had to make a decision.

“Forget I asked. You don’t need to say anything.”

“He hit me, Mark.”

The music formerly playing in the background silence of the living room stopped altogether. Mark’s phone must have died, and so did his concentration at Samantha’s sudden confession. His head jerked back to her direction in an impulse to check if she was hurt, even if there was no earthly possibility for her body to be in physical pain at that moment.

Samantha’s mouth was dry, and it shocked her to see Mark’s immediate reaction. She didn’t lose him, he was still there with her. “He hit me after he killed a mother and her unborn child in the operating room.”

“How are we doing there, mrs. Dalton? Can you say something for me?”

Henry’s deft motions of his nimble hands kept raising the standards for a second-year resident. The attendings in the observing room were watching the awake brain surgery with great interest, as was the then-director of the hospital.

“Oh, I can’t wait for this to be done,” the woman rubbed her hand lovingly on her pregnant belly. “Sandra should know the adventures mommy went through.”

“Status on the baby, Doctor Stoss?”

Up until the question was addressed to her, Samantha did not unpeel her eyes from the fetal monitor. “Like a Swiss watch.”

“Keep saying the good news, Doctor Stoss. I’m sure mama Dalton would love to hear that more often.”

“Oh Doctor Carter, I’m sure you were born such a charmer.”

Samantha’s vision was fixated on the handle of the dressing door. She was explaining her memories as if she was living them again. “This surgery had half the hospital watching. It was a procedure previously not done in that medical center, and Henry had had the privilege to participate in one once when we were interns in Toronto. He’s thinking of himself as the hotshot, as he should. His skill and knowledge are top-notch. But they failed him.”

“Doctor Stoss over there can attest to me being a charmer. Or not.” Henry chuckled under his surgical mask, and he quickly stole a glance at Samantha, before focusing on the region of the tumor which he had just reached. “We’re here, mama. Shouldn’t take too long to take it out.”

Mrs. Dalton’s vitals spiked up a level and Samantha observed the nerves on her face. She left her intern in charge of the fetal monitor and approached the woman to reassure her. “It’s going to be okay. We’re here for both you and your little girl.”

Just as Samantha was returning to her previous post, henry was actively preparing to remove the tumor located in a tricky area of mrs. Dalton’s brain. “I’m in.”

The collective audience in the gallery leaned forward to witness Henry’s work. At that point, the loud beeping of the machines pierced the operating room with alarming sounds.

“Doctor Carter, baby’s vitals are starting to drop.”

“What do you mean? What’s going on with my baby?”

“Please try to remain calm, Mrs. Dalton. These reactions happen naturally when a tumor body is being extracted. Once I take this out, everything will get back to normal—”

“Only it didn’t.” Samantha’s fingers curled unconsciously as if reaching out for a scalpel. “I was repeatedly telling him I needed to do a C-Section to save the girl and put her in NICU. At seven months old, she had all the odds of surviving. If only we moved fast enough…”

The distressing sounds of the monitors multiplied when the woman lost consciousness. Her vitals became hectic graphics on the monitors, and Henry visibly stiffened.

“Henry, we are losing this baby. I need to perform the emergency C-Section now.”

“No. I’ll save them both, wait.”

While Henry was applying the standard emergency measures, Samantha’s attention was distracted by the uneasiness of the spectator gallery. She briefly noticed Jonathan, with a looming look on his face that any surgeon regardless of their specialty would understand. The unborn baby was losing its vitals.

“Henry, I’ll move forward. Scalpel, please!”

“I told you to wait! Doctor Stoss, I need you to follow the protocol of my OR.”

“I guess indeed it was his surgery. But those were not his lives to take.”

Half-heartedly, Samantha hesitated to start the neonatal protocol. While Henry had authority, he did not have a positive chance to save both lives. When the fetal monitor fell flat, Samantha went against his instructions and cut into the mother’s belly.

“By the time we took out the little girl, her heart had already stopped beating. We did all the resuscitation maneuvers we knew and could…” Samantha let out a sigh, and Mark pulled her tighter into him. “All hell broke loose. I don’t know when Jonathan got to the OR, but he was there for all of it.”

“Time of death…” Samantha’s discouraged voice echoed throughout the macabre silence of the operating room. “Six thirty-one.” Two paces away, resuscitation maneuvers were still going for the woman on the table. When Henry realized there was no use for them anymore, he stepped away from the body, prompting everyone else to follow his example. “Time of death, six thirty-five.”

Nobody in the room dared move a finger. Two casualties in an operating room which, on paper, could have been avoided. It was a medical disaster. Samantha pulled down her surgical mask, to try and take hold of the situation. “We’ll need to go outside and inform the father—”

“You let her die.”

All eyes fell on Henry. Samantha couldn’t believe her ears. “Excuse me?”

“That baby could have been saved.”

Henry’s voice grew louder, more assertive. Samantha stood her ground, deliberately choosing to ignore Henry’s last comment. “I understand this must be a difficult situation for you, Doctor Carter, but in no way am I to blame.”

“That baby could have been saved!”

As his voice grew into a striking holler, Samantha no longer recognized the man in front of her. She was searching for the proficient doctor, for the partner that he was. And for the lover that he used to be.

“Henry,” Samantha kept calm even though her head was spinning in disbelief “you told me to follow your protocol in your OR—"

 At that point, Samantha could not register what had just happened. Henry raised his hand at her and slapped her on the cheek. There was a shared gasp among the people in the room who refused to understand Henry’s tameless reaction. By the time Samantha tilted her head back to look at Henry, Jonathan had stepped up to punch him in the face.

Mark raised an eyebrow. Although he got off to a rocky start with Jonathan, his respect for him grew substantially.

“A couple of guys had to restrain Jonathan because clearly that wouldn’t have been the last punch he would’ve thrown. After that, I went to inform the father of his… losses. Henry was not allowed to accompany me. The father sued the hospital for malpractice, and I have no idea how they settled. I only saw Henry once, after that. They summoned all the medical operating staff to testify. He never looked me in the eye, not once. I wanted to believe that he was sorry, something to make me believe our relationship was not a lie. I never got closure for that.”

Mark waited patiently for Samantha to continue. When she did not, he placed a chaste kiss on the crown of her head. “Did you need that? Closure?”

She sighed. “I guess I did. When you think you have something of that magnitude with someone, only for it to fall apart in the most gruesome way, I needed some sort of a life raft. Truth is, we started falling apart even before he hit me. Henry was starting to become distant and full of himself. But I never expected him to be violent.”

Mark noticed the flake of regret in her voice, to briefly wonder how things are settled in the vast Universe. Hadn’t Henry done that, Mark wouldn’t have gotten to fall in love with her. Life was funny, that way.

Samantha sighed, once again, yet more out of liberation. Albeit painful, she truly needed to convey the feelings out loud for them to become less repressive. Maybe to disappear.

“Can you understand now, Mark? Why he was able to hold me down at all? Why it is tough for me to trust someone again?”

Mark’s lungs filled with air. “Even me?”

Samantha closed her eyes. He did not need to spell it out loud for her to understand what he meant. “I just need a little more time, Mark.”

Indeed, he never expected to hear anything different, it still did not mean it hurt less. On the one hand, because Samantha still didn’t see him fit to be trustworthy, and on the other hand because he seemingly was giving more than she was ready to receive.

“Should I keep my distance then?” his voice was flat, too much so that he must have given away he was disappointed, because Samantha tightened their holding hands.

“No.” She answered timidly, looking up at him for the first time in a long while. Mark’s eyes were diverted to the emerging summer night. He was slipping away through her fingers, once more.

“I don’t know if I can give you both ways.” Not when I know I'll never treat you the way he did.

Previous Chapter Next Chapter

[limjaeseven]

Antidote

Pairing: Jaebeom X Mark / Jaebeom X Youngjae

Genre: Angst, Romance

Rating: Mature

Word Count: 1,362

Summary: Things haven't been looking up for Jaebeom for for god knows how long. Mark was the one person who was supposed to make things better, but there was a limit even to that.

Warning(s): Mental breakdowns, self neglect

[a/n]: So I haven't posted anything in ages even though I have nearly 20 fics piled up from the past two years. I'm finally taking the initiative to post them (fingers crossed). This fic was originally written for the kpop bingo collab which closed a while back but here it is anyways. I hope you enjoy!

Jaebeom didn’t know when it went from just a bad day every now and then to struggling to get out of bed every morning. Things were going fine, and the next thing he knew, they weren’t.

Coming home to his boyfriend Mark used to be his favourite part of the day, but their small quarrels had become fights that left them not sharing a word for days. Jaebeom didn’t have the energy to keep the distance but Mark drew his lines thick and deep, and Jaebeom couldn’t cross them till his boyfriend let him.

Work went from good to alright to a struggle gradually enough that Jaebeom didn’t even realise he was spending one, two, three more hours at work every night. Every day there would be too many files to go through, too many calls to make, too many meetings to attend, too much to do. The stress was making his hair fall out but he just kept going, hoping that just after this project, the next project, the project after that, things would get better.

His steps went from confident and fast paced to dragging, every movement a struggle against his body telling him to stop, to catch a break, to just give everything up.

“So you’re taking the day off for our anniversary, no?” Mark asked from across the dinner table. They had just gotten out of their last fight which consisted of doors slammed in each other’s faces, leaving late at night and coming back early in the morning without informing the other, and a week of eating meals seperately.

“I told you, I really can’t. This client is too important.” Jaebeom knew that the respite from the fight was short, that they would go back to doing what they were doing by midnight.

Mark sighed, frustrated. “I never ask you for anything, Jaebeom. I just want us to spend one day together. It’s our fifth anniversary, doesn’t that mean something to you?”

Nearly on the verge of tears, Jaebeom tried to hold himself together as he spoke. “I know hyung,” Jaebeom knew him using honorifics on the older would relay to him how serious he was, “But there’s nothing I can do. Even if I asked for a holiday my boss would reject it. I can’t lose this job, it’s everything I have. You know how much I love you but I just can’t do this for you. We can plan something for the weekend after, maybe?”

Mark looked conflicted, understanding his boyfriend on an intellectual level but the primal part of him hurt and torn apart, that his lover couldn’t spare him one day when it mattered the most.

“We both know that you’ll be busy on the weekend too, you don’t have time for me anymore. Not talking to you when you’re home is futile because you never even are. I know your job is hectic and meaningful to you, Jaebeom, but I need to see you, spend time with you, talk to you to be able to be with you. If I’m just seeing you twice a week in our home and we’re fighting for most of it, there’s no point in us going on like this.”

Jaebeom knew what those words meant but he couldn’t accept it. There was no way Mark was implying that, was there? He wouldn’t ever think of such a thing, would he? Mark had been his better half for as long as he could remember. They were practically married, they were ride or die, right?

The world came closing around Jaebeom and he couldn’t hold onto anything by the time he realised. His body shook and his throat closed. He couldn’t breathe, he couldn’t see, he couldn’t hear. He was trapped and he didn’t know what to do.

He didn’t know how long he sat on the floor of their kitchen, curled in foetal position, with Mark trying to get his breathing to even out. Jaebeom hadn’t had a panic attack in years and it scared both of them.

“Don’t go, don’t go, don’t go,” Jaebeom mumbled over and over again, hands clutching tightly at Mark’s sides. He could see the tears streaming down his lover’s face, and he knew what the expression on his face meant. He knew it was the end and he didn’t know what to do but cry.

Mark left a week later. Jaebeom had just returned from work and he saw the suitcases sitting in the living room. He knew this day was coming for a while, but he still hadn’t entirely processed it. They had spent every evening after that night together, a respectable distance between them as Mark spoke about the end. He wasn’t one to sugar coat, he wouldn’t talk about his day at work and pretend like they weren’t ending the relationship they built brick by brick.

He had stayed a few days longer just to make sure Jaebeom was okay, because even though they weren’t right for each other anymore, Mark still loved him. Still, saying goodbye wasn’t any easier. They hugged each other for what felt like hours, crying quietly into each other’s arms, till Mark had to pull away, his best friend at the door to help him out.

Jaebeom crumbled to the floor the moment the door closed. He slept there that night, waking up well into the afternoon. Emailing his boss an apology, who let him take the rest of the day off, he got to tidying up his house, trying not to cry every time he saw the empty spots where Mark’s things sat.

He knew he should have tried harder, but it was as if his body was working on autopilot and he was just going along on the ride. He knew Mark had every right to leave, that it had been building up for a long time, but it didn’t hurt any less. Jaebeom cried more times that day than he probably had in all of his life.

It was less that two weeks later that he collapsed at work and had to be taken to the hospital. Jaebeom hadn’t been eating, he barely had anything more than coffee to keep himself up and running. His body had finally given in and it took him nearly two days to get back to consciousness. The nurse who looked after him was a woman about his mother’s age, who chided him for being so careless, and convinced him to try therapy out.

Reluctantly, Jaebeom made a visit to the psychiatrist in the hospital where he was admitted, and he had to admit, just talking about what he was going through to someone helped. After he was discharged, he came back once a week, poured his heart out and listened carefully. They put him on some medication and slowly the dark clouds thinned out, sunlight peaking through the cracks.

After one of the sessions, Jaebeom found a man a few years younger than him sitting in the waiting room outside his psychiatrist’s office. He was undeniable pretty, Jaebeom thought, shooting him a quick smile before leaving.

As the weeks passed, he saw the boy over and over again, and they went from friendly waves to small talk between their sessions. Jaebeom found out that the man’s name was Choi Youngjae, that he was only two years younger than him and worked as a piano teacher.

“Hyung, do you want to meet up sometime?” Youngjae asked Jaebeom when the older let him know that his psychiatrist told him he had recovered enough for them to stop the sessions.

Smiling, Jaebeom pulled his phone out and handed it to Youngjae, “I would love to.” He didn’t know if it was too soon, but the way the younger man’s smile lit up his world every time they spoke, he was willing to give it a shot.

[chowyunnafat]

le grand bleu (part 4) 💙

le grand bleu (part 4) 💙

alt. title: everyday is like friday

•••

When PunPun barged into Jannine’s dorm room and threw something at her, Jannine could only look up in surprise. “What the hell?”

“You are a bad person,” PunPun said. “You made me come here in the middle of the night to make sure you were okay. But then I see that you weren’t even here. Don’t ever say I never tried to help you.”

Jannine stopped messing with the dress-form and gave her friend a look that said, “You’re not serious.”

“I’m being serious!” PunPun said. “Where were you?!”

Jannine stuck a needle in the dress form, and turned around to fully face her friend. “I was at the medical bay.”

“So, you were hurt!”

Jannine sighed. “No. I did not get hurt. Wait. Now my ankle is slightly sprained. I jumped from the balcony.”

“Cring herx (Really)?”

“Chai,” Jannine replied. “But I’m okay.” She turned back around to focus on the dress she was making, but stopped when she remembered something. “Oh yeah! And Milli tried to get her girls to jump me. And she was going to chop my hair off in the process?”

“You’re kidding!”

“I wish.”

PunPun sat down on Jannine’s bed, and grabbed her sketchbook, she looked at the sketch it was turned to. “Did you draw this?” She asked. “You’re going to recreate this?”

Jannine shrugged, still trying to prep the dress. “I’m not sure. I mean, it’s definitely going to be a dress I can’t model.”

“Well, I think it’s pretty,” PunPun said. “And this dress does fit your style.”

“Yeah, right.”

“I’m serious,” PunPun said. “Costume Design is more fun than Communication Arts.”

Jannine rolled her eyes and nudged her. “I didn’t know when public speaking became this thing everybody and anyone could do…”

“Khun,” She whined. “When did drawing and sewing become so too?”

Jannine couldn’t say anything in response to that, simply because she didn’t have one. She glared at her friend before focusing on the dress form. PunPun looked through Jannine’s sketchbook.

“You seem to have an affinity for blue,” PunPun commented. “Is it your favorite color?”

Jannine smiled. “Yeah. Something like that.”

“It’s gotta be,” PunPun said. “Your hair is blue.”

“Not by choice.”

PunPun opened her mouth, ready to question Jannine. But stopped short when she saw her friend’s face. It said it all.

“Did you hear about Saint’s party?” PunPun then asked.

“What party?”

“The costume party?”

“Mai?”

“The theme is: fairytale.”

“Fairytale?”

PunPun nodded. “I might not go.”

“Luh?”

“I don’t have a costume,” PunPun said. “My parents already gave me my monthly allowance that I immediately spent. And I don’t get paid from my other job until next week.”

Jannine nudged her friend. “Hey,” She said sitting beside her on the bed. “I’ll make our costumes.”

PunPun sighed. “You don’t have to.”

Jannine rolled her eyes. “I’m a fashion designer. I need to build my resume.”

Her friend bit her lip and looked thoughtful. Jannine smiled knowingly.

“Okay…” Her friend relented after awhile. “Thank you.”

Jannine nodded. She looked down and noticed the item PunPun threw at her. She picked it up. It was a tiny decorated baggy. “Khun.”

“Yeah?”

She opened the baggy. “What is this?”

“Oh,” PunPun said airily. “It’s a cleansing mask. I found it outside your door. It must be a gift.”

“Oh,” Jannine said. “I’ve been needing to change my make up routine.”

She closed the baggy and set it on her nightstand.

She then looked at her friend. “I’ll be busy for the next couple of days,” She told her. “I’ll be making our costumes, after all.”

PunPun bowed her head in thanks.

•••

It was the day of Saint’s fairytale-themed party. Everyone had been talking about it. Some spoke highly of a mixer Saint threw when he was in high school and was anticipating the university follow-up of it.

Jannine had finished her school assignments (barely) on time due to all her focus being on the costumes. Despite her professors giving her unimpressed looks, and BamBam noting that she was rushing when they were cleaning up the mess hall (doing the 1-scrub-there-and-1-scrub-here method), she put all of her focus on color swatches, marked down fabric prices, poking her fingers (“Shit!”) countless times while sticking the needle into the dress form, making coffee that contained almond milk (to keep her from passing out), and making sure her measurements were correct.

Basically, she hadn’t had a life for the whole week and a half.

“So, you’re a fish princess?” PunPun said looking at Jannine’s costume. “Then what the hell am I?”

“I’m a blue goby,” Jannine corrected, handing her friend a nude colored face mask. “And you’re the princess who never smiled, hence the face mask.”

“No one’s going to know who we are.”

Jannine patted both of PunPun’s cheeks. “Who cares? It’s not like we don’t look fairy tale enough.”

PunPun rolled her eyes.

As they exited the dorms, they bumped into the girls in dorm D58.

“Zom?” PunPun said in surprise. “Zom Marie?”

The girl looked surprised. But she recovered quickly, and bowed. “Sawadee. Chuu Som. You can just call me Som.”

“You still go here?” PunPun asked. “I thought you graduated–“

“No,” Som said. “I’m just part of the dorm staff.”

“Oh…”

“I also help out with the clubs.”

PunPun looked at Jannine. “She’s one of the coolest people here,” She said. “She speaks French, and won a scholarship to go overseas.”

Som waved away PunPun’s words. “Hello,” She said to Jannine. “Please ignore PunPun.”

Jannine laughed good heartedly. “You do seem like a really cool person, ka.” Jannine bowed. “I’m Jannine.”

“Jannine?” Som said, before her brows furrowed in sorrow. “You’re the girl that almost got jumped, weren’t you?”

Jannine blushed. She looked down at the ground. Dammit. Word spreads that fast, Huh? She thought.

PunPun sighed, and spoke. “Khun Som, it’s not really her fault.”

The dorm aid nodded. “No. I- I know that–“

The girl who stood beside Som spoke up. “Jannine,” She said. “Just be careful.”

The girl bowed with a nod as she touched her chest with her hands pressed together. “I’m Ploy Sornarin.”

Jannine’s eyes widened. “I- I’ll be careful.”

She bowed. “Khob khun.”

Som smiled and stepped back. She motioned towards their outfits. “Y’all’s outfits are fire!”

Ploy nodded in agreement. “Where’d you get them?”

Jannine blushed. PunPun nudged her in the side and readily replied with, “Jannine made them!”

Som clapped her hands. “Goals,” she said. “I’m just a girl version of Merlin.”

“I’m Tinkerbell from Peter Pan,” Ploy said.

“You both look spot-on,” Jannine said. “Where’d you find the costumes?”

“I DIY’d it from Pinterest,” Som replied with a shrug.

“Drama department,” Ploy said embarrassedly. “It’s from like two years ago.”

Jannine gave them both a thumbs up. “They’re fire.”

All 4 girls then proceeded to walk to where the party was taking place. The party was in the de-facto event hall, apparently Saint’s parents had connections; that’s why the headmaster was going easy on him. Yet, afterwards, an after-party would be taking place in the boy’s dorm. But the headmaster didn’t know that…

•••

As all 4 girls walked into the establishment all of those who’d already arrived stopped what they were doing, and gawked at them.

Jannine blushed.

That was when Saint approached them. He donned an Arabian Prince costume; as though he were trying to channel the protagonist of Aladdin.

“Y’all look cool,” he said with a smirk. “There’s actually a contest for best costume. And you all are good contenders.”

All the girls bowed in thanks but PunPun. Her eyes were staring daggers at Saint who simply stared back with his same smirk.

Jannine looked between the MC and her friend. Was she missing something?

“Thanks for the invite,” PunPun said to the economics major. “But I’m not sure this fixes everything.”

Saint nodded wordlessly with a straight face. “Krup.”

He then looked at Jannine and the rest of the entourage and gave a smile. “Enjoy the party. Thanks for coming.”

Jannine looked at PunPun. “Are you okay?”

Her friend nodded. “Yeah.”

“Then let’s party!” Ploy jumped in with, grabbing PunPun’s hand.

All 4 girls ran to the dance floor.

•••

Pooped, Jannine picked up a fruity drink from the bar and Minhyuk was the “bartender” once more and donning cat ears. She smiled at him.

“Hey,” She said. “You’re serving drinks again?”

He nodded with a smile. “Yeah.”

She smiled even wider. “What’s your major?”

“Music,” He replied. “But I might switch it to Business.”

Jannine nodded. “I see.”

He then asked, “What’s yours?”

“Fashion design. Concentration: costume design.”

He nodded. “Cool.”

She was about to ask him where he was from (she guessed South Korea) but she was interrupted when the music suddenly stopped playing. She then noticed 6 guys walk in and she recognized three out of the group of 6.

“BamBam?” She said to herself.

Minhyuk chimed in, “Ah, the cool 6”

“The Cool 6?” Jannine echoed. “Did I miss something, or….?”

Minhyuk laughed. “They’re like the king pranksters of the campus.”

Jannine raised an eyebrow as she got a better look of what BamBam’s costume was. Predictably, he was a prince.

But his prince look was a lot more fashionable and unique compared to the other “princes” on the dance floor. His colors were muted but electric tones: a gradient blue dress-top with 8 iridescent clasps adorning the front horizontally, black chino pants with a iridescent stripe running down the side of each leg, and finishing it off with a pair of custom made black Martin Valen low top sneakers. The crown he wore was a purple iridescent metal with little crystals shining off of them. He finished off the look with a pair of black Ray ban aviator sunglasses.

The rest of his friends were as follows: King Arthur, Robin Hood, a frog, The Gingerbread Man, and a duck. And admittedly, they didn’t look too bad either.

BamBam smiled and shouted out to everyone, “We’re gonna party like it’s 1999!” His 6 friends hooted and hollered behind him.

Everyone cheered and the music started up again. She then saw Saint greet them with bows and handshakes.

Jannine took her drink sitting on the island and took a big sip. She looked back out at the dance floor and she could no longer spot her friends. I wonder where they went off to, she thought.

She walked away from the bar and got back on the dance floor. Despite not being as talented as a certain someone when it came to moves on the dance floor she was pretty decent; she could attempt moves further than a normal fist pump.

“Jannine!” An individual donning a blue dress and white sleeves yelled as she ran over to the blue goby. “I finally found you!”

Jannine’s eyes widened in surprise as she finally picked up on who the person was before her. “Lisa?”

Her friend nodded happily. “I’m the heroine from Fairy Tail. Minerva Orlando.”

Lisa’s hair was as usual, but she had a small knot on each side of her head. Her dress was long, and the top of it tubed. Rather it being sleazy or voluptuous, it fit Lisa’s small frame nicely. It was more classy and cute on her than anything. Instead of ornate stilettos, Lisa had settled for ballet flats.

Jannine smiled. “I’m jealous!”

Lisa blushed. “Thank you!”

“Let’s dance!”

But before either girl could start busting a move, a guy stepped up to them. He was handsome in a way that almost reminded her of a certain prince.

“Hey ladies,” He said. “You both look awesome.”

Lisa and Jannine exchanged smiles before saying their thanks.

“You’re–“

“The Pied Piper,” He replied.

“Is that a real flute?” Lisa asked.

He held it up and looked at it. “Hell yeah, it is.”

Jannine laughed and Lisa looked impressed.

The Pied Piper met Jannine’s eye, and Jannine put her head down to hide her blush. Lisa must’ve seen the exchange because she immediately made herself scarce. “I see another friend,” She said. “I’ll be over by refreshments.”

Lisa gone, it was just her and Pied Piper.

“What’s your major?” He asked. “Mine’s Fire Science.”

“Fire Science?” Jannine said in wonder. “Mine’s fashion design, but it’s really costume design.”

He smiled. “Hence your amazing costume.”

She laughed nervously.

“Where are you from?“ He then asked. “I know that everyone who goes here isn’t always a local.”

“I’ve lived in all parts of Thailand since I was 10,” Jannine replied. “I was in Chiang Mai for the summer.”

“That’s cool,” He said. “I was in Hong Kong.”

“Hong Kong, ka?” Jannine said in surprise. “That’s cool.”

He laughed. “I’m glad you think so.”

She laughed.

“What’s so funny?”

“Nothing,” She said. “I’m just kinda tipsy.”

He shrugged. “Who says I’m not tipsy right now either?”

She smiled at him and he smiled back.

“Hey, would you like to—“ Pied Piper was cut off when he was bumped into from behind. He ended up toppling to the ground along with Jannine.

Her face turned warm at the close proximity. Pied Piper was hot. His eyes were big, and his smile was infectious. His lips were inviting too–

“Blue hair!” A familiar voice said. “If y’all want to do the devil’s tango, do it somewhere else, krup!”

Laughter followed, from both the speaker and a bit of the crowd. Jannine scrambled off of the guy she’d been admiring and looked up. It was none other than the Campus Prince. He looked smug, staring down at her like she was the piece of gum stuck on the bottom of his shoe.

She blinked back tears.

“You’re such a dick,” Pied Piper said to BamBam.

The crowd grew silent.

BamBam hardly look fazed. Or seemingly so.

A smirk still adorned his lips.

With a shrug he said, “Oh, really?”

Pied Piper didn’t bat an eye. “Everyone knows you fucking had to grovel to attend Hnung.”

Everyone witnessing the scene didn’t say anything. Some looked confused while others just ducked their heads down in second-hand embarrassment.

A couple members in BamBam’s entourage stepped forward as though they were gonna…do something. But, BamBam put his hand up, as though he were stopping them.

Even though everyone in the room missed it, Jannine could’ve sworn she’d seen the flicker of hurt and anger in BamBam’s eyes. It was a minuscule flicker, barely there. But she saw it.

Maybe her eyes were just playing tricks on her.

Nonetheless, she stepped in front of Pied Piper and said to the prince, “BamBam, I don’t want to do this.”

She said it firmly, but it wasn’t as aggressive as Pied Piper’s tone.

Jannine put her hand on her hip to not make it so obvious that both of her hands were shaking out of nervousness.

Even though the music was still playing, blasting out of the speakers loudly, and the ambience of the party strengthening as more people started to ease into mingling, BamBam and her were making a scene.

The campus prince donned a smile, but he took a step back. “Whatever, Ploychompoo. Desperate is what desperate does.”

She opened her mouth to protest, but she saw each of his friends give her a facial expression as though they were disappointed in her. Like she was the one at fault. But Jinyoung gave her a small smile.

She felt a hand on her shoulder.

Jannine nearly jumped out of her skin, but when she turned around, she saw it was Pied Piper again.

She smiled brightly. “Uhm, I’m sorry for his behavior,” She said to him. “I don’t know why he acts like that.”

Pied Piper laughed. “You don’t need to apologize.”

She nodded. “Ka.”

Pied Piper nudged her playfully. “You wanna go to the snack bar?”

“Sure.”

Jannine was on her fifth cookie when she heard Saint’s voice boom through the mic.

Pied Piper had to cut his story short. He’d been in the midst of telling her a story about when he was in China. He’d been made to participate in a survival game at a summer camp his parents had shipped him off to. The summer camp was located in China, near the Hong Kong border.

“Winners for best costume are Jannine Weigel! And…BamBam!” Clapping followed.

She looked at Pied Piper, who smiled at her. “Congratulations,” He said.

Jannine then turned her head to gawk at Saint in disbelief. “Are you…sure?” She and Pied Piper had actually been near the stage when the announcement was made.

Saint gave her his signature smirk that was as unsettling as smug. He nodded. “Chai. You and–“

“BamBam,” She finished. “We tied?”

Despite being confident of her design, she couldn’t say her costume character stood out in anyway. Ironically, if it weren’t for her blue hair she would’ve went as someone else.

“Someone told me you actually sewed your dress,” Saint said. “And your hair is fire. No joke.”

Jannine smiled. “Thank you, ka.”

Saint smiled back. “So, come up to the stage.”

Her eyes widened in alarm. “Saint, you can’t make me go up there.”

She then looked up at the platform where BamBam stood. He looked just as unimpressed to be up there.

She glared at him. He glared back.

Saint then grabbed her hand. “C’mon. You get a prize.”

“A prize?”

“Chai, krup,” He replied. “Just participate a bit, and you got it.”

Jannine hesitated. But finally relented with a nod.

When she walked onto the stage and got in position next to BamBam she heard him mutter, “I don’t want to do this either, weirdo.”

“Clown,” She shot back.

Looking out into the crowd, Jannine saw the squad she came with. PunPun held her drink up as though to say “You look great!”, Som gave her a heart, and Ploy gave her two big thumbs up.

“Sawatdee!” Saint said to the crowd. “You have the winners of the costume contest. Jannine and BamBam!”

Everyone roared with excitement and genuine admiration.

“Don’t their outfits look fire, krup?” Saint said. “They even match. Like a couple!” The crowd roared again. Whistles and affirmations were heard as well.

Jannine looked at BamBam who gave her a confused look.

She sighed. C’mon Saint, she thought annoyedly. Keep it short and sweet.

“What about a slow dance?” Saint said. “I know we have a lot of couples in the room tonight, and…I’m unconventional like that. So, grab a partner of any sex, and slow dance.”

When the MC turned around, Jannine shook her head. “Saint!” She said in a harsh whisper. “You said I’d only be up here to receive a prize and nothing else.”

Saint wiggled his eyebrows mischievously. “Jannine, relax.”

Before she could slap him, her hand was grabbed and she was being dragged to the center of the floor. “BamBam!” She whisper-yelled. “Let me go!”

Once they stopped, BamBam turned around and put his hands around her waist. “Okay, mai?”

She jumped almost at his touch. “What the hell?“ She said. “We don’t have to do this.”

“You still want your prize, luh?” He said.

She kept her mouth shut and wrapped her arms around his neck. She couldn’t look at him because she could feel his breath, and the proximity was awkward.

But when she stopped paying attention to that she found that the song playing was nice. And despite the bullshit that always followed her, her past self would’ve never bet on winning a costume contest and ending up slow dancing with a decent looking (jerkface). Maybe Past Self would have been happy.

Jannine let out a small snort thinking about her past dorky self.

“What’s so funny, krup?” BamBam asked with an eye roll. “You’ve almost stepped on my foot, y’know?”

“Mai?” She said with a raised eyebrow. “I did not almost step on your foot.”

“Yeah, krup.”

“Mai chai, ka.”

“You almost did, twice.”

She didn’t bother to respond anymore. She decided to simply imagine that it was Kunpimook who she was dancing with.

“ยังอยู่ (Still)” by Mirr continued to surround the room as every pair in the room slow danced.

•••

[renjunibug]

FRIENDLY(?) NEIGHBOURHOOD SPIDERMAN - mark lee smau

summary: fashion major y/n l/n sucks at science. bad. so when she was paired up with mark lee, known physics nerd (who happened to be her type) for her physics project, she was super excited to work with him & get to know him, until she wasn't.

or in which mark lee is enigma outside of the nyu campus.

spiderman!mark x fem!reader

genre: strangers to lovers, slow-burn, humorrrr, fluff, slight angst, college au.

warnings: sexual and death jokes!!!

extra; first fic / smau :D, wanted to try making one so here we gooo

PLAYLIST: 200 (Minhyung's Version) - MARK , III. Urn - Childish Gambino , Some - Steve Lacy , Lost in Translation - The Neighbourhood , BODYGUARD - Beyonce , Wonderland - Taylor Swift , Do I Wanna Know? - Arctic Monkeys , Breath - GOT7

profiles 1 ! | profiles 2 !

keep yourself safe!

oh so what youre saying is

[marvelous-llama]

GOT7 recs

most of the mentioned works is 18+ NSFW, MINORS DNI

tumblr is based on reblogs not likes, so please reblog and comment under works you like. Show love to the authors and appreciate their hard work

<<next chapters

pls don´t hesitate to hmu, if any of mentioned links doesn´t work or you have suggestions for more fics... thank you so much for all the love and comments

OT7

The Mafia by @inyournightmares97

The Inevitability of You by @yehet-me-up

Soulmate series by @fantastic-bby (Mark, Jaebeom, Jackson, Jinyoung, Youngjae, Bambam, Yugyeom)

Firework by @inyournightmares97

fake dating to real dating by @taexual (part 1, part 2)

one shots

Trust Issues by @jeonronwoo

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Through His Eyes by @prettywordsyouleft

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Reconciliation by @prettywordsyouleft

Jaebeom x fem!reader exes to lovers, business AU - angst, fluff, smut, romance You had allowed yourself to be undervalued for too long, as a business partner and lover of Im Jaebum and so you left him for good. When you crossed paths again, not all was how you imagined it to be. Could you reconcile after all the pain?

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Jinyoung x fem!reader (wc - 3.6k) friends to lovers, knight!Jinyoung, princess!reader - fluff, smut, angst Your best friend sneaks into your castle and keeps you company before he goes off to war, leading to feelings being revealed.

Making a Move by @milfgyuu

Jinyoung x fem!reader (wc - 2.7k) roommates, friends to lovers - humour, smut, fluff

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The Seventh Wedding by @inyournightmares97

Youngjae x fem!reader (wc - 15k) strangers to lovers, mutual pining - fluff It took Choi Youngjae seven weddings to fall in love with you.

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oh my god, they were roommates by @babybirdgyeom

Yugyeom x reader (wc - 2.5k) roommates to lovers, mutual pining - fluff One night you couldn’t resist your roommate Yugyeom anymore and finally gave in.

series

[markliving]

MASTERLIST

That's my masterlist, some things are a little older and I don't write for them anymore, like BTS. My ask is not open for now and i do not write nsfw.

All the titles will be posted, i just need translated them. And remembering, english is not my firt language.

masterpost | who do i write |

GOT7

mark tuan

one-shot

let snow - mark tuan x f!reader, friends to lovers, fluff, a little of angst |

your favorite song - mark tuan x reader, fluff |

destination cafe - mark tuan x f!reader, fluff, alternative universe

series

til' the road and sky align - mark tuan x f!reader, stable relationship, travel, fluff, angst | ongoin

im jaebeom (jay b)

one-shot

jackson wang

ghost of you - jayb x f!reader, hurt/no comfort, angst | based in "ghost of you" by 5 seconds of summer

one-shot

my star - jackson x oc!star, fluff and happiness |

park jinyoung

there are good witches, you know? - jackson x f!reader, magic, fantasy, fluff | 1585 words

one-shot

lie to me - park jinyoung x f!reader, drama, happy ending? |

BTS

min yoongi

one-shot

better man - yoongi x f!reader, fluff | based in "better man" by 5 seconds of summer

unforgettable - yoongi x f!reader, fluff, stable relationship, travel, fluff |

Stremers/Youtubers

Foolish

One-shot

not always enemies - percy jackson!au | son of aphrodite!foolish x son of athena!reader | hurt/confort, enemies to lovers, fluff

Harry Potter (marauders era)

sirius black

one-shot

five of september of 1978 - sirius black x f!reader, angst, hurt/no comfort, but a happy end?? | 657 words

behind the portrait - sirius black x f!reader, angst, hurt/comfort, stable relationship |

Top Gun: Maverick

jake seresin

one-shot

meet me in the pale moon - jake seresin x f!reader, fluff, drama |

Football

son heung-min

one-shot

strawberry - son heung-min x f!reader, just fluff |

Marvel

bucky barnes

one-shot

after you - bucky barnes x m!reader, angst, fluff, happy ending

DC

jason tood

one-shot

a kiss heals everything - jason tood x f!reader, just fluff | 1076 words

beyond the mask - jason tood x f!reader, a little of romance, angst

One Piece

portgas d. ace

one-shot

roronoa zoro

special day - ace x f!reader, fluff |

one-shot

reunions - roronoa zoro x f!reader, after marineford, angst, happy ending, fluff |

Jujutsu Kaisen

gojo satoru

one-shot

Nanami Kento

miss you - gojo satoru x f!reader, platonic!megumi x platonic!reader, exes to lovers, drama, fluff, a little of angst, happy ending | 2499 words

one-shot

by your side - nanami kento x reader, fluff, confort | 1057 words

[kpoproleplayer04]

Looking for a roleplay partner (kpop)

𝙃𝙚𝙡𝙡𝙤 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮𝙤𝙣𝙚! My name is Yoyong/Fay and I am 20 years old. I am looking for: (look at the list below)

❀ 𝗠𝘅𝗙 𝗥𝗼𝗹𝗲𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘆 (Me portraying the female character)

❀𝗜𝗱𝗼𝗹𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗲 𝗿𝗼𝗹𝗲𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘆 (Can do a roleplay where both of us portray Idols or semi-idolverse where one of us portrays an actor and the other portrays the idol)

❀𝗠𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗯𝗲 𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗱 𝟭𝟴+

❀𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝘇𝗼𝗻𝗲 (𝗚𝗠𝗧 +𝟬/𝗕𝗦𝗧 +𝟭)

❀𝗢𝗖 𝘅 𝗢𝗖 𝗼𝗿 𝗖𝗮𝗻𝗼𝗻 𝘅 𝗢𝗖 (When doing Canon x OC; I would still want to portray the OC rather than the Canon character)

❀I solely use an 𝗢𝗖 (If you end up using an OC too, please provide me with a descriptive Character bio rather than something that is incomplete)

❀ I like to plan my roleplays thoroughly and I refuse to go with the flow.

❀I am literate to advanced literate but can reach novella. Minimum length of a roleplay response is 𝟯 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗽𝗵𝘀. I DO NOT accept anything less than that.

❀Communication is key, so if I don't receive a response within 3 days I will ping you or just message you and if there is an unexplained delay, the roleplay will be delayed. If no communication happens to justify the delay etc the roleplay will be terminated.

❀Tell me about your triggers and if you have any rules.

❀ I mainly do roleplays on Discord where I create a private server to keep things organised.

❀Other things I add in roleplays are smut, angst, drama, romance and slice of life.

❀I allow age gaps.

Here is the list of muses that can be chosen and used in our roleplay:

: ̗̀➛𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐩𝐬; (in bold are idols/actors that are preferred the most)

❀ Seventeen-

𓆩♡𓆪 S.Coups

❀ EXO-

𓆩♡𓆪 Suho

𓆩♡𓆪 Baekhyun

𓆩♡𓆪 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝘆𝗲𝗼𝗹

𓆩♡𓆪 D.O

𓆩♡𓆪 Kai

❀ NCT-

𓆩♡𓆪 Taeyong

𓆩♡𓆪 𝗞𝘂𝗻

𓆩♡𓆪 Doyoung

𓆩♡𓆪 Ten

𓆩♡𓆪 𝗪𝗶𝗻𝘄𝗶𝗻

𓆩♡𓆪 Mark

𓆩♡𓆪 𝗬𝘂𝘁𝗮

❀ TVXQ! -

𓆩♡𓆪Max Changmin

𓆩♡𓆪 𝗨-𝗞𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗬𝘂𝗻𝗵𝗼

❀ Big Bang -

𓆩♡𓆪 G.D

𓆩♡𓆪 T.O.P

❀ Astro -

𓆩♡𓆪Rocky

𓆩♡𓆪 𝗝𝗶𝗻𝗷𝗶𝗻

𓆩♡𓆪 𝗘𝘂𝗻-𝘄𝗼𝗼

❀ MonstaX -

𓆩♡𓆪 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝘄𝗻𝘂

𓆩♡𓆪 Minhyuk

𓆩♡𓆪 Joohoney

𓆩♡𓆪 𝗞𝗶𝗵𝘆𝘂𝗻

❀ SHINee -

𓆩♡𓆪Onew

𓆩♡𓆪 𝗠𝗶𝗻𝗵𝗼

𓆩♡𓆪 𝗞𝗲𝘆

𓆩♡𓆪 Taemin

❀ SUJU -

𓆩♡𓆪 Donghae

❀ Pentagon -

𓆩♡𓆪Hui

❀ GOT7 -

𓆩♡𓆪 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝗸 𝗝𝗶𝗻𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗴

𓆩♡𓆪 Choi Youngjae

❀ 2PM -

𓆩♡𓆪 Ok Taecyeon

𓆩♡𓆪 𝗟𝗲𝗲 𝗝𝘂𝗻𝗵𝗼

❀ JYJ -

𓆩♡𓆪 𝗞𝗶𝗺 𝗝𝗮𝗲𝗷𝗼𝗼𝗻𝗴

𓆩♡𓆪 𝗞𝗶𝗺 𝗝𝘂𝗻𝘀𝘂

: ̗̀➛𝐀𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬;

𓆩♡𓆪 𝗟𝗲𝗲 𝗗𝗼𝗻𝗴-𝗪𝗼𝗼𝗸

𓆩♡𓆪 𝗡𝗮𝗺 𝗝𝗼𝗼 𝗛𝘆𝘂𝗸

𓆩♡𓆪 𝗝𝘂𝗻𝗴 𝗛𝗮𝗲 𝗜𝗻

𓆩♡𓆪 𝗟𝗲𝗲 𝗗𝗼 𝗛𝘆𝘂𝗻

𓆩♡𓆪 𝗞𝗶𝗺 𝗕𝘂𝗺

𓆩♡𓆪 𝗪𝗶 𝗛𝗮 𝗝𝗼𝗼𝗻

𓆩♡𓆪Kim Min Gue

𓆩♡𓆪 𝗞𝗶𝗺 𝗠𝗶𝗻 𝗦𝗲𝗼𝗸

𓆩♡𓆪 𝗞𝗶𝗺 𝗝𝗶 𝗛𝗼𝗼𝗻

𓆩♡𓆪Song Seung-heon

𓆩♡𓆪 𝗝𝗶 𝗦𝘂𝗻𝗴 (𝗔𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿)

𓆩♡𓆪 𝗝𝘂𝗻𝗴 𝗪𝗼𝗼 𝘀𝘂𝗻𝗴

𓆩♡𓆪 𝗞𝗮𝗻𝗴 𝗧𝗮𝗲-𝗼𝗵

𓆩♡𓆪𝗔𝗵𝗻 𝗛𝘆𝗼-𝘀𝗲𝗼𝗽

If you are interested, feel free to like the post, comment or message me in private. I am looking forward roleplaying with you. <3

[roleplayfinder]

*Cue the Zuko voice* Hello Ashton here~ 25+ transboy looking for active 1x1 partners for discord rp. (I can do tumblr too but discord is easier for posting currently)

I am looking to make OC’s for any of the listed tropes/media. I am looking for m/m or f/f pairings. My current muses are a lot of Kpop faceclaims so be prepared for that. I’ll list specifics below as well!

Rp themes/characters may/will include: G!P, dark themes, NSFW, drama and trauma~, possession/controlling/angst themes always welcome! Fun world building and character development!

Tropes/Media:

Grease - I’m a sucker for the bad/good character trope and I’ve been dying for a Grease/Outsiders theme. Characters would not have to be in high school. I would like to play the ‘Bad Boy TBirds/Greaser’ role.

Peter Pan - Would love a darker take on the classic (Think Child Thief by Brom) with lots of angst and mature themes. Characters would not be underage. I’d want to play the Peter type character.

Shameless verse - I am behind on the times (currently in the 10th season) but give me all the pairings based off this universe, especially MickeyxIan types. Honestly, just let me play a southside greaser character

Hunger Games - Give me that angst.

Cocky experienced / Shy awkward 

Evil Queen / Princess who has become theirs. (Think beauty and the beast, Maleficent. F/F)

Asylum Patient/ Doctor Or Patient/Patient

Vampire/Fae

Werewolf/Vampire

A/B/O Omegaverse - We can decide the lore/universe for this one and make it our own.

Possessive friend x 'straight’ friend - think straight friend breaks up with their partner, possessive friend has loved them for years and will do /anything/ to make them theirs.

Runaways - I have a few muses already created for this and just a good old fashioned two lone wolves coming together over their trauma

and of course the good old flower shop type/tattoo type trope~

Faceclaims I’m currently looking to use: FC pairings within the listed groups is also VERY welcome.

(G)I-dle: Soyeon, Yuqi.

Shinee: Taemin

Stray Kids: Han

TXT: Yeonjun (Especially in the GGum era)

BTS: Taehyung, Jungkook, Jimin

Got7: Mark (Give me a Jackson to write against and I’d love you forever)

If you’ve made it this far, feel free to like this post and I will reach out to you or hit me up!

Thank you! ^.^

[shadowkoo]

mini requests

open | CLOSED

Hi! I'm opening my requests for the first time in nearly three years! I'm hoping by doing this sort of drabble game / mini fic requests that I can ease my way back into writing after my long hiatus. If you are interested in sending in a request, please continue reading for all the details. Thank you!

Rules + Requirements :

Follow me (if you are not already)

Reblog this post (boosts are appreciated)

Must be 18+ (minors please dni)

To Request:

Choose a group & member (1 only please)

Pick a genre (max of 3)

Select a prompt (max of 2)

Visit my askbox and use a similar format like this: "Can I request Taehyung (BTS) fluff, smut, and coworkers au with prompt #4"

*please make sure that you include the group in parenthesis after stating which member you're requesting

Groups + Members:

BTS - Seokjin, Yoongi, Hoseok, Namjoon, Jimin, Taehyung, Jungkook

EXO - Kai, Baekhyun, Sehun, Chanyeol, Chen, Suho, Kyungsoo, Xiumin, Lay

NCT - Taeyong, Taeil, Johnny, Yuta, Jaehyun, Doyoung, Ten, Winwin, Kun, Jungwoo, Mark, Xiaojun, Hendery, Renjun, Jeno, Haechan, Jaemin, Yangyang, Jisung

SVT - Vernon, Mingyu, Jeonghan, Wonwoo, Minghao, Woozi, Joshua, Hoshi, Junhui, Seokmin, Seungcheol

GOT7 - Jinyoung, Jackson, Bam, Yugyeom, Mark, Jaebeom, Youngjae

ATEEZ - Hongjoong, Seonghwa, Yunho, Yeosang, San, Mingi, Wooyoung, Jongho

MONSTA X - Shownu, Minhyuk, Kihyun, Hyungwon, Jooheon, Changkyun

STRAY KIDS - Bang Chan, Minho, Changbin, Hyunjin, Han, Felix, Seungmin, Jeongin

Genres + AUs:

Fluff

Smut

Angst

Enemies to lovers

Friends to lovers

Friends with benefits

Roommates

College

Coworkers

Meet Cute

Meet Ugly

Athlete (you may specify in your request)

Exes

Idol

*idol au means that they will be depicted as their real identities (as actual kpop idols & famous celebrities)

Prompts:

"Don't look at me like that. You know what that does to me."

"I wish I never met you."

"It's your lucky day."

"I'm sorry, who are you?"

"I can't stop thinking about you."

"Open your mouth."

"Why do you even care?"

"You're more important than you think."

"What do you need me to do?"

"Please leave."

"That's my final answer."

"Did you see that?" "See what?"

"What do you want from me?"

"God, you look so fucking good."

"You're unbelievable."

"Isn't that your mom?"

"I swear I've seen your face somewhere before."

"You're such a tease."

"Don't you dare lie to me."

"Who are the flowers for?"

"Don't forget that we're in public, baby."

"Are you scared? You should be."

"Please say something. Anything."

"Do you forgive me?"

"You forgot."

"You're crazy and I like it."

"Where are you taking me?"

"I think I'm in love with you."

"I need you. Now."

"What did you say?"

"Did you miss me?"

"I dare you."

"I bought you something."

"Is it supposed to taste like that?"

"Ew. Why does it look like that?"

"Baby are you close?" "No but the Uber is."

"How many doughnuts can I stack on it?"

"This is why no one likes you."

"Put your dick away, this is a Lowe's."

"Stop yelling at me!" "You’re panicking, you’ll crash the car." "It’s not everyday a demon crawls out of your trunk!"

"Who the fuck did I marry?"

This is the fifth letter you will write to them, and it will not be the last.

Six days after they left, the ticking behind the wall began.

A mob boss with a black eye and a jagged scar over his wrist sits alone in a dingy motel room. The kitten stares at him affectionately, oblivious to the danger they both are in. Oblivious to the mess it caused.

It happened concurrently, and so quickly. The moon started getting closer and brighter in the sky, and you started hearing them in the radio static.

With a palpable fury, the demon turns to you, ignoring the rubble of your kitchen, and sneers. "How did you summon me? You've pulled me out of chains centuries old." Frantically, you skim through your cookbook. "I don't know! I was trying to make soup!"

They held out a hand, an echo of the melody playing from their fingertips. "The world seems to dance to your tune," they spoke, their voice a captivating blend of amusement and intrigue. The silence that followed was heavy with unspoken questions.

Sometimes you question how everything could have turned out if that day had gone differently.

Chills creep down your spine as you peek through the cracked doorway. You're not supposed to be witnessing this. They'll kill you if they find out.

Free Space - send in your own prompt! Please keep it relatively short!

Disclaimers:

Not every request may be fulfilled, it is up to my discretion.

Word count may vary between requests (300 to 3k, etc.).

Unless requested otherwise, all fics will be written as female reader insert.

Please refer to the top of the original post to know whether requests are open or closed (reblogs may show something different).

Things I will NOT write: suicide, self-harm, animal abuse, underage sex, pedophilia, incest, vore, rape, non-consensual, or dubious sex.

[sparkwrldsz]

love (loss) of my life.

word count: 1.4k

pairings; juliet x Jayb

warnings: angst / break up / suggestion of depression

a/n: my first ""proper"" writing. I wrote this at 1am listening to Back to December by Taylor Swift,, anyway hope you like it. I apologize if there are any mistakes, i'm getting better at this :D

Since last week, Juliet had locked herself up in her room, leaving only when it was strictly necessary and hoping not to meet anyone on the way. She felt that everything around her was collapsing. Had she made the right decision? Had she dodged a bullet or just lost the love of her life? They were questions that wandered in her head all the time.

She never thought the love story they created was about to end, and it was all her fault.

Juliet had arrived in the GOT7 bedrooms with a broken heart and had been reflecting on the decision she was going to make. A while ago Juliet had felt that her relationship was an obstacle to Jaebeom’s career as an artist and the best she could do at this moment was to finish what they had. Even if she broke his heart, she knew it was for the best.

Juliet walked towards the entrance and knocked on the door. Mark welcomed with pleasure. “Hey, Ms. Juliet”.

Juliet gave him her best smile and politely asked if Jayb was home. She already spent enough time with the members, so ending their relationship meant putting friendship on hold.

The girl made her way to the dorms that she knew perfectly well, where she had been through so many things with her boyfriend.

“Hey Pretty" Jayb approached her and wrapped her in his arms, that nickname, the one she loved so much. It felt like a stick in the heart just by hearing it now.

“Get a room, lovebirds,” Mark said, making a face of disgust.

The boy pulled out his tongue playfully and went with Juliet to his room, who had not said a word. That didn’t go unnoticed by his boyfriend, who instantly asked her if something was wrong.

Juliet didn’t know how to do it. It was so hard to break up with him, who had been the first person she loved. Limiting herself to nod slowly and avoid his gaze, she started to play with the edge of the t-shirt she was wearing.

“I need to tell you something,” Juliet murmured. Her heart hurt like hell. A knot formed in her throat. She could feel Jayb’s look, which only expressed love. “Um... we can’t keep doing this” she almost let go in a whisper, like it wouldn’t hurt so much.

For a moment the only thing that was heard was their breathing “W-what? Why?” Jayb barely said “There’s something I did-”

Juliet refused with her head repeatedly, she finally met his eyes full of tears. “It's just- It’s the best for us”

Jayb stared at her, confused, “T-the best? What...?”

Juliet took the boy’s face between her hands and breathed deeply before saying, “I love you, Im Jaebeom, I love you like I’ve never loved anyone before. You went and you will be the first love of my life,” She realized she was crying when the tears soaked her cheeks “B-but you and I have jobs that don’t allow us to be together. I don’t want your career to be affected by our relationship.”

“I-it won’t!, we can make it work”

Choking on a sob, she got up from her position. "Don't make this more hard, i already made a decision" Jaebeom copied her action and before Juliet could say anything, she felt his arms wrap around her, just like he always did. A warm hug like a home, the only difference is that now it felt more like a goodbye “You are the best thing that has ever happened to me, I love you with all my heart Sun hee” Juliet just cried, she had tried to act strong but she could no longer pretend.

After a couple of minutes of both sobbing on each other’s shoulders, Juliet decided to talk.

“i...i gotta go now, this isn't a goodbye"

“I know,” he whispered, kissing the temple of her head, staying there for a couple of seconds, and inhaling the girl’s essence. “I love you. Don’t forget to take care of yourself, okay?”

Juliet hummed and separated a little to wipe the tears from the boy’s cheeks. “My heart will always hold love for you, my beautiful boy.”

And with that said, Juliet left the room, with her heart shattered.

Hana carefully entered the eldest’s room and sat on the edge of the bed.

“You have to eat, at least a little. Please unnie” Hana said, almost in a whisper. Watching her with a sad look in her eyes.

The oldest sighed and took off the blankets that covered her to sit down. She looked at Hana and took the tray that the girl had brought her. Juliet couldn’t deny that the soup had a very good smell.

She took it carefully and began to drink from it.

“This is…very good,” she said with a small smile. “Thank you”

Hana smiled back and took Juliet's free hand into hers. “It’s nothing. You know that whatever you need, we are here for you,” she began, “and if you want to...you know, talk about-“

“No, I’m fine,” Juliet interrupted her before she could finish the sentence.

Hana nodded her head and left the room, returning to the living room where Mei and Jeonghan were watching a movie. When they felt the door of the room close, the boy turned to where Hana was.

“How is she?” he wondered

Hana sat on the floor in front of them. “It could be worse, she still doesn’t want to talk about it. But at least she’s eating.”

The members looked at each other with a look that expressed pity for their friend.

“She still thinks it was her fault,” Mei simply said. “I mean, she ended it, right? But it was the best for the two”

“Do you think they’ll get back together?” Jeonghan said, playing with a strand of Mei’s hair.

There was a short silence. Hana was going to speak until the doorbell rang.

Mei gave her roommate a confused look. They weren’t expecting anyone.

Mei got up from her position and went to open the door. A hesitant Jinyoung stood on the other side.

“Hi,” he said with a small smile.

Mei smiled back kindly. “Hey, how are you?” She opened the door wider and let him in.

He walked towards the room where the others were, and greeted them kindly, “I came to see Juliet,” Jinyoung said. “She hasn’t answered any of my messages”

The girls exchanged glances.

“She’s in her room, she hasn’t left in the last 3 days” Mei spoke in a low tone so that Juliet wouldn’t hear.

Jinyoung nodded, imagining the state his friend was in. Since her group mate was having the same or worse time than her.

“Can I go see her?”

Jeonghan laughed a little. “If she doesn’t throw you a pillow the second you walk in, then yes.”

The other boy chuckled a bit and walked towards the door of the room. Jinyoung knocked on the door slowly, waiting for a response from the girl. When it didn’t, he slowly opened the door.

Jinyoung managed to spot Juliet between the blankets that covered her. “who is it?” she muffled.

The eldest closed the door behind him and sat on the bed. “um it’s me” Juliet uncovered her face for a second to look at him, “what do you want?” The answer took the boy by surprise "Can't I come see my best friend?" He raised an eyebrow looking at her.

Juliet glared at him and settled back down. "Well your best friend just broke your other best friend's heart." murmured "You should be mad at me"

The boy looked at her confused "Why would I be mad at you? You broke up with him but I'm still your friend, silly." He stated

The girl looked again, she was afraid of losing the friendship she had with Jinyoung, she knew that he loved his friend very much so she imagined that he would have taken his side and that he would hate her for the rest of her life. Even if she was being a little exaggerated. But now he was here assuring her that everything was fine and the girl couldn't help but tear up a little bit.

Jinyoung saw the tears forming in her eyes "C'me here" He opened his arms to wrap her in a warm hug.

Despite being heartbroken, Juliet had not shed a tear in the last few days. But seeing herself wrapped in her friend's arms made her let go of everything she had kept inside hers.

Jinyoung murmured "It's ok" and stroked her hair, after minutes, which to Juliet felt like hours, the crying stopped. The girl separated from her friend

"You look terrible," the boy said with a chuckle, which drew a smile on her friend's face. She smacked his arm playfully.

"Of course I look terrible, I just… broke up with my boyfriend" Juliet responded, rolling her eyes.

The boy looked at her tenderly, "I know, but think about it, you'll have material to write a new hit." Succeeding on making her smile again.

[chaestats]

RULES/ABOUT ME

GG MASTERLIST

BG MASTERLIST

ABOUT ME (⁠ ⁠ꈍ⁠ᴗ⁠ꈍ)

Hey! I'm Kia ;) I'm 18yrs old and will be writing fics, reactions, mtls, hcs etc.

(Not new to writing just new to Tumblr)

You can scroll down to see my rules!

RULES (⁠つ⁠≧⁠▽⁠≦⁠)⁠つ

Groups I write for:

TWICE

ITZY

BLACKPINK

AESPA

RED VELVET

BTS

STRAY KIDS

ATEEZ

NCT (ALL UNITS)

TXT

ENHYPEN

MONSTA X

GOT7

More will be added soon!

MY DO'S:

I will write gxg, bxb, bxg as well as neutral reader!

I do all kinds of content: head cannons, mtl, reactions, drabbles, series, insecurity drabbles!

I also do write yandere n omegaverse, as well as g!p so feel free to request those!

There is pretty much no genre I don't do, as requests can vary from angst, to smut, to fluff!

You can also request multiple members at once even if they are from different groups!

MY DO NOT'S:

Any weird kinks like scat, piss kink, age regression etc.

I don't write dom!reader or any ships inside the groups!

I don't feel exactly comfortable writing for extremely sensitive topics like sh, sa, ed etc. I do try though, just please be patient as I'm not exactly good with it!

HOW DO MY STUFF LOOK LIKE:

MTL- this basically means most to least, or you send me an ask like "mtl in skz to like bondage" and I will reply with a list of who would be most down to do it to the least!

Headcannons- hcs include how would a particular idol act/be in different situations, for example if you request "alpha!Nayeon hcs" I would write an overview of how she would be and act!

Reactions- that's pretty self explanatory, it's just how would a certain group react to a scenario, for example "how would mafia!ateez react to their s/o being in danger" and I will write a separate scenario with each member!

Drabbles- drabbles are like fics, you give me an idea or a prompt along with a member/members and I write! It can be anything written in my DO'S! For example, "can you write yandere!ryujin finding out her s/o tried to escape" and I will write a drabble based on that!

Insecurity drabbles- an insecurity drabble includes an insecurity of yours and an idol/idols of choice. If your ask is like this "insecurity drabble, having stretch marks with Taeyong" I will write an already established relationship drabble where that idol helps w ur insecurity! It doesn't matter what it is!

HOW TO REQUEST:

Requests are made through DM's, or ask box and will be made into he span of two weeks max unless my inbox is flooded!

In your request you should mention the idols, the prompt, the genre and the gender you want it to be written in!

And that's that! Feel free to request and have a great day!!!!

[write-it-good-imagines]

Nothing More(M) - Four

~5k words; hi everyone! I am so happy to see this story is still growing wings after so much time, and that you still take some time to read it. Thank you for that! In exchange, I'll give you some crazy action. Enjoy~

I’ve learnt my lesson now… I shouldn’t have had sex with you because I knew, I knew that I’d fall in love with you. You are the person someone would be lucky to be in love with.

“So? What are you guys doing tonight? I’m sure there must be something!”

Leena’s cheerful demeanor put a smile on the barista’s face as well. Not intentionally trying, but she attracted everyone to herself like a magnet.

“Ah, I don’t know. We didn’t plan anything, I mean I am at my cousin’s club tonight,” said Samantha, dipping her head in a silent thank you for her double cappuccino. The little coffee spot by the hospital was just perfect to savor an early august morning, on a Friday that started slower and lazier than all other days.

Leena was not pleased with Samantha’s answer. “Really? Did not plan anything? You tell me, for once in forever, you open your soul up to a guy, after which you two talk non-stop, like a married couple, only to tell me you are taking a shift at the club the day he’s coming back?”

“Well, we don’t talk non-stop, I mean he’s got shows to do and I am taking consults—”

“Outrageous.” Concluded Leena and seated herself at a secluded table. Samantha followed soon enough. “It is exactly because you are taking consults again that I can’t comprehend why you’re running away from him. For God’s sake, you had a surgery.”

Samantha’s eyes fell to the milky foam of her coffee cup. “I had a surgery.”

“And how did that make you feel?”

The woman nodded her head. “Like it was the first time. Thrilling, exciting. But knowing exactly what to do.”

“Just allow yourself to love the guy.”

Samantha scoffed as if Leena had just told her she won the lottery. Highly unlikely, but a possibility even so. “Oh please, I don’t love Mark.”

Leena arched her eyebrows and took a sip of her espresso. “No shit you don’t.”

“No, really. You don’t love a guy who goes up on a stage every night to rip his shirt off and has thousands of girls lining up to get a piece.”

“And does he?” Leena inched closer to Samantha. “Give a piece? Do tell.”

“Well,” Samantha crossed her arms over her chest.  ”Says he doesn’t.”

“Yeah, cause when you assumed he was out whoring he was sleeping.”

“He was sleeping. I think I know a thing of two about him sleeping.”

Leena urged the other to go on. “What else? Ripping his shirt off on the stage you mentioned.”

“Aren’t these kind of guys players? If I look up a photo of last night’s concert, I’ll bet my entire salary that I find one with those tattooed abs of his shoved in my face.” Samantha said, and Leena could not detect even an ounce of regret or sadness in her voice. More like intrigued jealousy.

“You asked him to be your fuck buddy,” with the hand holding the cap, Leena extended an index to point to the other. “Don’t call him a player. Because he was anything but.”

Just as Samantha was opening her mouth to protest, the screen of her phone lit up with a couple of messages. Her actions were stopped to scan the texts with her eyes and a smile tugged at her lips.

“Mhm,” Leena said, tilting her head towards the direction of the phone. “What did he say?”

“Ah, that he’s preparing to go to the airport.”

“The exact words?”

She knew she did not have any chance to escape Leena at that point. “Quote: good morning beautiful. I hope you have an amazing day today. We’re gathering our stuff to fly out. Can’t wait to see you again. End of quotation.”

“Such a player, no?” Leena mocked surprise then laughed at Samantha, who had nothing to contest about what her friend outlined so harshly. In the days following their late-night conversation when Mark was in New Delhi, they kept closely in touch, each texting one another when they found a moment of quiet in their busy schedules. Their discussions did not delve into much depth but were more like quick check-ups to strengthen the connection. Samantha would tell Mark about her days and her patients, and he would ask questions to clarify topics, or would give compliments to praise her work. Mark in turn would talk about the concerts, and the cities he’d fly to, and it took Samantha’s breath away every time he’d say he would take her with him to see what he saw.

Samantha grabbed the phone from the table surface to text Mark back. “What am I even doing, Leena?”

[To: Mark] good morning to you too, Mark 😊

[To: Mark] always aiming to put a smile on my face huh?

[To: Mark] safe travels!! I missed you too

[To: Mark] having a shift at the club tonight, meet me there? I’ll talk to my cousin to leave earlier

“What you are doing,” Leena started, twirling the cup around to play with the dark brown liquid “is not acknowledging your feelings. I can understand you’re still scarred because of Henry but Mark is not him. And I think he’ll help you heal.”

A short ding came from Samantha’s phone almost instantly.

[From: Mark] took you long enough to tell me you missed me

[From: Mark] thanks, flights back home are always tougher

[From: Mark] I’ll be there. there’s a cool skate rink nearby that’s open till late

[From: Mark] if you wanna go, ofc

A sigh escaped Samantha’s lips as her eyes scanned the mobile screen. “I know,” Samantha lifted the phone for Leena to see the texts and the other gave a small gesture, indicating she was on Mark’s side. “I guess I never allowed myself to get over Henry entirely. Not fair to Mark.”

“You said you’d talk to him, right? Besides, you’ve already fucked each other, it’s not like you don’t know intimacy.”

Both Leena and Samantha laughed. Then a lingering expression followed on Samantha’s features. “Mark said he couldn’t make love to me and leave the following day like the next guy.”

Leena’s eyes widened in clear surprise. “Mark said he’s making love to you.”

“It’s just sex, I know. That was an exaggeration.”

“Sam,” Leena adjusted the empty cup on the table and took Samantha’s hands into her own, and, albeit a dramatic gesture, she meant all the seriousness she could muster. “Talk to him. Tell him how you truly feel. He’s not seeing you as a simple fuck buddy anymore. Mark will prove this to you, most likely sooner rather than later.”

During the rest of the day, Samantha felt restless, restless with Leena’s words echoing in her mind, restless with Mark’s words flooding over, time after time. Samantha’s life was growing busier by the day, word of her returning to practice bringing more patients which required her knowledgeable care. She returned to observing surgeries, involving herself in helping whenever necessary, and taking upon other surgeries. Ultimately, she couldn’t make sense of why she allowed herself to be so consumed of Henry’s mistakes and treatment. Why she pulled away from the thing that made the most sense. It was so long ago that she couldn’t remember what prompted her to tug away. It should have been a sign to start anew.

And then life was growing busier by the day with Mark intoxicating her thoughts. A wicked game, chasing away feelings which only returned stronger, more vivid. Samantha did miss Mark, in his entirety. She missed the cozy scent of his Tom Ford cologne when he embraced her, she missed the coarse gentle tone of his voice when he made jokes, and she missed his passionate way of making love.

Samantha decided she would give Mark a chance, beyond just being her fuck buddy.

With that conviction in mind, Samantha left the hospital and rode straight home to prepare herself for the night, in both mental and physical terms. All her makeup products and brushes felt so unfamiliar she found herself wondering when the last time was when she took the time to pamper herself. She dressed herself with a burgundy low-shoulder crop top, with flowy butterfly long sleeves, and a plain black pair of jeans to hug her curves. Samantha gave her hair the freedom to bounce with the wind to complete her look. A quick text exchange with her cousin gave her the green light to leave the club as soon as Mark showed up.

At around 9:30, Samantha arrived at the club, shortly before it opened to the public. Changwook was there as well, an all hands on deck kind of night.

“Hey stranger,” Changwook lifted his head from the bar sink and was thrown off guard by Samantha’s looks. He had to clear his throat to regain his composure. “You’re beautiful.”

“Today only?” Samantha retorted and approached the bar counter, shoving a small backpack under it. She ran a strand of hair behind her ear and Changwook looked away.

“Guess I wasn’t the chosen one.” He stated and threw Samantha an apron. She looked at him with an apologetic look but couldn’t find anything right to say. “It’s cool, really, least I tried.”

“Changwook, it’s not your fault. I’m just…”

Changwook smiled and waved his hand in dismissal. “Not interested. Let’s get to business, we’re opening soon.”

As the night grew deeper, the club welcomed many eager customers to announce yet another successful night for Samantha’s cousin. From behind the bar counter, Samantha noticed a good number of celebrities intertwined in the crowd and her eyes couldn’t help but wander around in search for Mark. In the serving haste, her apron became drenched with water and alcohol, so she whispered to Changwook’s ear that she would go to the back room to get another. Mingling through the crowd, Samantha arrived quickly at the changing room and closed the door behind her. She opened her locker to grab a fresh apron and was just finishing untying the dirty one, when the door clicked open.

Samantha’s lips couldn’t contain an enthusiastic yet nervous smile. She straightened her body, fixing her hair quickly with a swift motion of the hand before turning to the direction of the sound.

She could never have been prepared for the stature towering in front of the closed door.

A white half-transparent shirt which wrapped a chiseled body, with a silver bracelet at the hand lingering in one of the fabric pockets of the trousers, in a stance Samantha knew like the back of her hand. His hair was sleeked back, only a rebel strand playing at his thick eyelashes.

“Henry.” Samantha breathed, the delight of her expression faltering all too soon. She felt her throat choking.

“It’s too bad that happiness on your face was not for me. And saddening you look so bitter instead.” Henry spoke, maintaining a velvety smile. “I’m happy to see you.”

Henry took a couple steps closer to Samantha. She kept her ground. “I’m not. I don’t want anything to do with you.”

“Oh, come on, don’t be so rude.” With each step he took forward, Samantha took one back, until her back was pressed against the cold metal of the lockers. She was looking at him sharply in the eye. “It’s been almost two years, I missed you.”

Samantha pushed a hand to his chest to warn him not to get any closer. Henry complied, keeping at a distance that was still not comfortable for her. “Don’t get any closer. Don’t give me the speech on how you missed me after you humiliated me in front of the entire hospital. I want you to leave.”

It took every ounce of Samantha’s strength an effort to confront Henry at a time like that. If there was anything he was good at, it was taking people by surprise at the wrong moments. The first time in a long while Henry was not residing in the back of her head appeared to be the magic trick to summon him into her life again. When he still had a lot of control over her feelings and her reactions.

Henry drew in closer, his tall stature hovering over her. He kept carrying the same smile, trying to ease the tension between them. When he raised a hand to cup Samantha’s cheek, her body quivered and froze all at once.

“But I’ve heard so many great things about you, darling. Management position, and once again operating. When we see each other tomorrow morning at the hospital, I’d really like to know why you stopped taking surgeries.”

There was not enough time for Samantha to process Henry’s words because the door clicked open to interrupt the scene.

There he was, the reason for Samantha’s happiness, even more handsome with a brown short-sleeved shirt and straight grey trousers, which indicated he took the effort to care for his looks. In his hand, he held a breathtaking bouquet arrangement with delicate snapdragons, elegant red roses, fragrant dianthus, and vibrant alstroemeria. A bouquet of a Parisian romance.

There was Mark, with a smile that lit up Samantha’s whole world, now evaporated into oblivion. At a closer look, you could still distinguish a faint trace of a smile, probably in excitement to see you again. Samantha would never come to know whether that was true. The thing she would know and would remember was Mark’s sadness unskillfully hidden behind a bleak smile.

Mark was not supposed to see that. Had the Universe been kind for once, he should have never seen what he just had. Panic was outlined all over Samantha’s features as soon as her eyes locked with Mark’s desolated ones. With the way he carried himself, even more masculine and so sure of himself, Henry would never guess Mark took a hefty blow.

“Thanks for the chat.” He stated simply and threw a brief look in Henry’s direction before backing away from the room. The murmur of a phrase that became so intimate to her was now the reason the tense air of the room strangled her out.

Samantha slapped Henry’s hand away from her cheek, tears crippling at her eyes. Henry’s gaze grew curious. “So he was the one your happiness was for. Maybe I should thank him.”

“Leave me the fuck alone.” Grunted Samantha and unpeeled herself from the lockers to chase after Mark. She swam through the crowd to get to the bar counter and reached for her backpack in a hurried motion. Changwook’s attention was diverted to her, and he had to look twice when he noticed her tears in his peripheral vision.

“Samantha—”

Samantha lifted her hand in the air to keep the distance and she dashed away, reaching the outside of the club a tad too late. The only sighting of Mark was the bouquet of flowers left desolately on a nearby bench. Samantha stretched her arms to lift it from the bleak wood and a card fell to the ground. She picked it up and a tear fell on the black ink inside the ceramic envelope. Mark’s handwriting lived inside, just for her.

Would you like to be my date?

The fifth call ended to voicemail. Samantha paced back and forth in her living room, fingers covering her mouth while the other hand was clenched on the phone. The moon hung high in the sky yet the translucent gleam painting over the flowers altered them to cast a painful sadness throughout Samantha’s house. She sat down on the couch, an inhibited tiny stream of tears flowing down her cheek. Samantha paid no attention to Murphy whose paws were patting all over her legs, in an attempt to soothe her sorrow. Poor thing couldn’t know why she was so sad, and she didn’t allow him to ease her mind. Murphy settled on curling himself against her feet, waiting patiently for her to let him in.

After some time spent in silence, she chuckled. The whole situation was, in fact, hilarious. Samantha leaned her back onto the couch, eyes fixated on the nothingness of the ceiling. At one point, she thought about going to Mark’s house. The impediment was that she did not know where he lived. And another impediment would be that he made himself clear he would not be happy with her company.

It was funny how things decided to play out the way they did. The perfume of the fresh flowers made her wonder if Mark picked them by himself. Mark was supposed to find out everything, she was supposed to tell him about Henry being the reason she so adamantly pushed him away. Mark was not supposed to see Henry so close in her proximity, touching her so familiarly and playing all the right cards to have her frozen in place.

Now Mark was everywhere, a permanent resident in her mind, a permanent resident in her soul, he was everything Samantha wanted and everything that was sliding away.

The rest of the night passed at an agonizingly slow speed. Samantha spent much of it on the couch, brown orbs dashing back and forth between the flowers on the coffee table and the dark screen of her phone. She managed to doze off for a little while, still aware of her surroundings, and the only scene that replayed in her mind was the handsome image of Mark, with the spending smile on his lips and the ruffle in his hairstyle. It stopped there, and it then replayed from the top. It was like nothing else existed.

It was then she took the decision to go and visit him directly at his studio. At the crack of dawn, Samantha gently awoke Murphy from her feet and took the opportunity to grab some fresh air while walking him. By the time she realized she hadn’t taken off her make-up, she could only hope the mascara was not smeared too much. Feeling a tad more refreshed after the walk, Samantha fed her little man and reassured him, with loving snuggles and pats in his fur, that he was loved and appreciated. With a little bark he must have understood the message.

Samantha took a shower to cleanse off the events of the previous night and went to put on her office outfit for the day. Having early consultations and a surgery check-up scheduled for the second part of the day, she texted her attending that she would join them some time after the rounds. Then, she texted Leena.

[To: Leena] morning Leena, will be late today for rounds, don’t wait up

[From: Leena] oh? Mark kept you up all night?

[To: Leena] something happened last night and we couldn’t be with each other

[To: Leena] I’ll tell you when we meet

[From: Leena] ok, I’ll cover for you

[From: Leena] I’m still good to go on OBGYN.

Mark’s group’s studio was not too far away from the hospital, and Samantha parked her motorcycle outside of the tall building. The sudden visit was not planned ahead by Samantha who let her feelings take the lead. Not the one to usually lose composure, it rarely happened for her to give her heart the reins. Samantha tied her helmet to the bike and strengthened her white coat under the leather motorcycle jacket.

Inside the building, the modern lobby was guarded by three security guards, with subtle movements but ever so vigilant. They cocked their eyebrows as the clicks of her heels echoed against the black marble, her hospital badge dangling by the pocket.

Samantha approached the receptionist’s desk. “Hi, my name is Doctor Samantha Stoss, I am looking for Mark Tuan.”

“Hello. I am sorry but the group is not expecting any visitors today. Should I say you dropped by?”

At the nearby elevator, Samantha heard two other dancers discussing choreography for Mark’s group and that they’d get breakfast before joining them. Which meant that Mark was there, at that exact moment. Samantha’s heart picked up a beat in her chest.

“Yes, thank you, I’ll wait in the visitor’s area for when he’ll be available.”

Samantha was guided by security to the floor where the group was at, and was instructed to wait in the lobby area, where a couple of other people were sitting. All the other people were too busy to notice the moment she left the lobby, to walk towards the hall with the practice studios. Most of the rooms were still devoid of light, except for a singular one at the far end of the hall, where muffled laughter animated the atmosphere. The echo of her heeled steps was reverberating in her ears, enough to stifle the emotions in her chest.

The door to the studio was open and Samantha stopped in the frame.

“Mark.”

Collectively, all the sounds dissolved into thin air, and all the other members stopped dead in their various stretching positions. Mark was sitting on the floor as he tilted his head backwards to look at Samantha. It seemed that, initially, he couldn’t believe Samantha was standing in their doorframe.

“Oh, so you are Mark’s girlfriend? You are astonishing.” Bambam tweedled and Jackson had to muffle his mouth to prevent him from saying anything further, notwithstanding with his own lips parted in blatant shock. One had to give it to him, he was good at breaking a brutal silence. A couple of paces nearby, Samantha noticed Jinyoung smiling at her and if she didn’t know any better, she’d say his greeting smile was razor-sharp. All of a sudden, Samantha wondered how Mark spoke of her to the guys. If he did, at all.

“Excuse us a moment, guys.” Mark straightened his body from the floor, his eyes never leaving Samantha’s silhouette. Samantha stepped aside, allowing Mark to walk by and guide them both to an empty studio nearby. He closed the door behind them with a powerful motion, which tied a knot in Samantha’s stomach.

She was searching for any sentiment in Mark’s posture, be it anger, sadness, excitement, anything it could have been. She was met with stoicism instead.

“You didn’t return my calls.” Began Samantha. Mark simply nodded. “And you haven’t texted back, either.”

“Yeah, I didn’t. Figured you’d be busy.”

The harshness of his words made Samantha wince. “Don’t do this Mark.”

“I’m not doing anything. We’re leaving again day after tomorrow and…”

He stopped for a moment and it took her breath away. Mark’s mask was slowly starting to fade away. It was then Samantha noticed his eyes were tired. They had so few moments together and an entire night out of those was ruined, because of Henry. Because of her.

“…we’re rehearsing a new set. So, I really have just a moment. Why are you here?”  

Samantha wanted to inch closer to him, to hug him, to get lost in his presence. She refrained from doing so. “I’m here because I missed you, Mark. Because last night was a huge misunderstanding and because you didn’t allow me to explain.”

“Explain?” Mark called out in an even voice, but his hand threw the hood of his sweatshirt to rake his hair in a precipitous movement. “You told me no one touched you since I left. That you don’t think anyone will. We were supposed to go out on a date, and I come pick you up to what?”

“Mark, listen to me—”

“Sam, he touched you like he knew you inside out, like he did that a thousand times before. “

“Mark, stop—”

“I don’t know you inside out.”

Samantha’s eyes narrowed to prevent another set of tears from forming behind her eyelids. Mark’s hands dropped to his sides as he took a deep, fatigued breath. “I know I’m just the sex but at least don’t lead me on if you have no other plans for us.”

“Mark, Henry is the more I needed to tell you about!”

Samantha raised her voice, and she didn’t realize a tear escaped away from its enclosure. At its sight, Mark’s features instantly soothed. “I took the flowers home Mark, thank you for not throwing them away. They were beautiful. Yes, I want to be your date, and yes, I am sad you are leaving so soon and I’m throwing us away. I want you to understand Henry has no place in my present, or in my future.”

“Henry,” Mark started, checking his smartwatch as it vibrated, “has a place in your present if he gets to touch you and halt your every move like he seemed to do last night. I gotta go. I’ll call.”

“Will you really?” Samantha exhaled, watching Mark’s back as he turned to walk away. He looked at her over his shoulder.

“Yes. I’ll call.”  

The ride back to the hospital was agonizing, even if fast. There were seeds of doubt and uneasiness planted into her mind. Part of her wanted to believe that Mark would call, and he’d grant her the chance to set the record straight, but the better part of herself pushed her to believe he would pack his bags and get out of her life. Samantha barely had time to gather herself together, just as she got ambushed right at the entrance by both Jonathan and Leena. And they were far from being happy.

“Would you care to tell us why Henry is back and why he’s so boastfully claiming to having you back?”

Jonathan’s voice woke Samantha from her trance. Without any warning, the events of the previous night stretched farther than Mark looking handsome and ready to sweep her off her feet.  

When we see each other tomorrow morning at the hospital, I’d really like to know why you stopped taking surgeries. Samantha felt like she was going to throw up.

“So, it was true.” she said quietly, arming herself with the realest impassivity she was able to forge.

“What do you mean it was true? Why is the bastard here?”

“Jonathan, I have no idea, okay?” Samantha turned to him, and Jonathan’s eyes noticed the anger blended with the heartache in her hazel irises. “He barged into the club last night, surprised me into the changing room and touched my cheek and it made my body tighten. Just as Mark opened the door and looked at me like I was the most disgusting whore on the planet. So, don’t fucking ask me.”

Leena reached to Samantha to envelop her in an embrace. “Sweetie, are you okay? Why didn’t you call me, either of us? Did you get any sleep?”

Samantha shook her head as she tightened the hug. “Not much, no. I went to see Mark this morning. Needless to say, it went badly.”

Jonathan was boiling with displeasure but if anyone saw him from outside, they’d never guess he was ire. Only by his glassy emerald eyes.

“What did he tell you, guys?”

“Certainly, didn’t speak much,” Jonathan concluded, and Leena had to slide her fingers over his knuckles to untighten his hand from the pressure. “He joined the rounds this morning, my neuro rounds. When chief asked for you, he said you’d had a rough night. Gosh, Sam, you should have called us because I was about to smash his head in, thinking he’d forced himself upon you.”

“I’m fine, Jonathan,” at least physically, she was. Mentally, Samantha was only just juggling the tumult. “Henry joined your rounds because there’s only one attending spot in neuro, we all knew.”

Samantha locked her eyes with Jonathan’s. “We’re not waging wars. I am going to walk in there, with my head held high, and I am going to confront him.”

“How can you be so calm? Why are you so calm? Henry’s got no place here, with none of us.”

In the distance, Samantha’s gaze fell upon Henry, absentmindedly flirting with a nurse, while his awareness was invested in her. If she allowed herself to give into her emotions, they would consume her entirely.

“That’s not for any of us to decide. It’s for you to decide if you’re better than him as attending.”

Jonathan couldn’t believe his ears. He was watching Samantha as she walked into the building, in a straight path to the devil. Within himself, he acknowledged she was not in the same spot Henry left her, two years ago. Jonathan was afraid that one wrong move would make her crumble.

“Good morning to you, my fair lady.” Henry shifted his position on the elbow leaning against the nurse’s station, to face Samantha with an inviting smirk. “Can I interest you with a coffee?”

“Doctor Carter,” Samantha acknowledged him, waiting for her charts to be delivered to the nurse’s station. Henry allowed his gaze to observe Samantha’s leather motorcycle jacket, over a tight crayon olive dress, and her doctor’s coat matching the white stilettos on her feet. Samantha was very aware of his charade. It was the same he used to win her from Jonathan, years ago. “No thank you, I’m drinking tea now.”

Henry chuckled, clasping his hands together. “Are you comfortable riding the bike on those gorgeous heels? Jimmy Choos?”

“Look, doctor Carter,” Samantha took the charts from the station, a silent smile directed to the nurse. At that point, not only did she realize she could not compare with Samantha, but she couldn’t keep up with Henry. “Let me set things straight. One, stop claiming me as if I’m some object. Two, I prefer not to intersect paths with you.”

“Oh? So why did you ditch lovely doctor Williams there to talk to me?”

At any given point, Samantha would have succumbed to Henry’s charms. But she took a good look at him, and he was not Mark, and he would never be. Henry had the element of surprise when his fingers brushed against her skin. Samantha was not completely sure her body would fight back should there be another intentional touch of his, but her mind was.

“You see, Henry,” Samantha looked up at him to counter the lingering smirk on his lips. Admittedly, Henry was surprised. “First time, it was on purpose. Second time, I want to set the record straight. Don’t touch me, ever again. I don’t know what your intentions are, but I want nothing to do with you.”

“Is that so?” Henry challenged and lowered his head to match Samantha’s gaze. She gulped, a gesture that did not go unnoticed. “Something tells me you’re not telling the truth.”

“Doctor Carter.” Jonathan’s even tone broke Henry’s stance. The latter fixed the collar of his coat.

“Doctor Williams! Let’s have a healthy competition, shall we? Rumor has it you’re racing for attending this year. And, of course,” he gestured to Samantha “you must have the support of most of the residents of this hospital.”

“What I can say to you is good luck. If you still have that nice camera, you can take a picture of me when I become attending.”

Henry laughed and waved a hand in a dismissive manner in the air, before walking away at his pager pinged. “Didn’t you choose neurosurgery just to try and steal Samantha from me? That’s a bit of wishful thinking on your side.”

Leena’s eyes widened at Henry’s claims, even more at Jonathan’s irritated lack of response. She then looked at Samantha who seemed familiar enough with the remark. Leena’s pager beeped soon after and followed in Henry’s steps, azure orbs lingering on Jonathan’s jaded ones. He was apologetic to her and the last time he saw Leena that day was bitter, with her disappointed expression.

Samantha’s phone started ringing in her pocket. She walked away towards her neo-natal ward and slid a hand to her pocket, answering before checking the number.

“Doctor Samantha Stoss, what can I help you with?”

“Didn’t know you recommended yourself like that when speaking, doctor Stoss.”

Samantha had to recompose herself, exhaling in relief. “Mark, hey. Sorry, morning was just crazy.”

Mark chuckled on the other line. “Doesn’t give you the chance to get bored. You can tell me all about your day tonight, if you wanna watch a movie at my place.”

Samantha giggled, allowing Mark to register her contentment. “Sounds… sounds very nice. Thank you, Mark.”

“Of course,” Mark’s voice adopted a sliver of a commanding tone, “I cannot guarantee we’re not going to have angsty sex before, or after. Or both.”

Samantha gasped. As much as Mark’s words provoked her womanhood, they also provoked anxiety. Anxiety that he’d end their hopes before they grew wings. “I’ll be there.”       

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[vex91]

GOT7 Masterlist

(f) - fluff, (a) - angst, (af) - angst + fluff, (s) - smut

Mark Tuan:

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Lim Jaebeom:

Nothing yet...

Wang Jiaer:

Nothing yet...

Park Jinyoung:

Nothing yet...

Choi Youngjae:

Nothing yet...

Kunpimook Bhuwakul Bambam:

Nothing yet...

Kim Yugyeom:

Nothing yet...

OT7:

Nothing yet...