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tenshioffcial · 9 months ago

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Jang Han Seo, just a dream.

Warnings!// Spoilers, if you haven't watched all of Vincenzo, I recommend that you do before reading this because it will spoil stuff.

Also lots of angst, FemReader!, mentions of death, violence, Reader is also Vincenzo's sister.

Things were getting pretty crazy and fast. Jang Han Seok was in jail thanks to Vincenzo, Jang Han Seo was finally boss of babel, he also made me his girlfriend officially and I also support him and his ways with no violence. I however went to our home and some men grabbed me. I awoke in a room I didn't recognize and Ms. Hong was there and so was Han Seo. I turned to my left and seen Han Seok with a gun waving it around to scare us. 'please get here soon brother.' was my last thought before he busted in the door and he wanted to run in and save us but if he did we'd die. "The bloody necklace... it was shocking right?" He smirked. "It was pig's blood. I tried your method." "You're worse than I thought." Vincenzo finally spoke. "You abducted your brother and two women too?" Han Seok scoffed. "A rat who's about to be devoured by a cat has no rules." "Do you think you'll live if you kill everyone here?" Vincenzo said. "Right, the mafia always has a backup." Han Seok spoke condescendingly "Think carefully. whatever you do you'll die." Vincenzo spoke again. "Even if I do, I want to see you die first."

Han Seok sighs and stands up picking up his hockey stick with him and tosses it toward Han Seo. "Pick it up, Han Seo." He loses his patients and shouts. "Pick it up!" and he shot the ground by Han Seo, Han Seo then panics and picks it up like he said and stands up. "Chairman Jang. Beat him to death with it, and I'll spare you." Han Seo is confused. "What?" "Not only will I spare your life, but I'll also give you all of babel." Ms. Hong shouts. "You crazy asshole! You really are mad, aren't you?" He hit her and hard I was ready to jump up and help but I couldn't. He grabs a handful of her hair and pulls her back. "Cha-young, be quiet. If you keep talking, I'm really going to kill you." She then said. "Do it then. Stop this ridiculous joke." I watch him cock the gun to get ready to shoot but then I turn and see my brother kneeling before him. "Do as he says." Han Seo stutters. "If I kill Vincenzo...will you really let me live?" Han Seok turns while he was talking. "Of course. You're my brother, after all." Han Seo Stands up. "I'm sorry...Mr. Cassano." Vincenzo looks at him. "It's okay. You have no other choice." Han Seo is crying a little. "Okay. I'll make a decision I won't regret." He tightens his grip on the stick and acted like he was about to hit Vincenzo but he hits at Han Seok and misses, Han Seok shot his arm. Meanwhile Vincenzo unties Cha-young and me. I went to run out but stopped and turned to see Han Seok shoot me in the stomach, but he turns and shoots at Vincenzo after shooting his brother. I gasped and started to panic but Cha-young took the bullet for him. She has a bullet in her shoulder. He fell to his knees with her in his arms. Han Seo sat up and seen this and I started losing too much blood too fast. Han Seok is pointing his gun at Vincenzo, Han Seo is crying for him but he seen how bad I looked and it intensified. Han Seok is about to shoot Vincenzo but Han Seo puts the gun against his stomach stopping him. "Pleas stop." Han Seok has this crazed look on his face. "Let go." Han Seo finally had enough. "You really...shouldn't have been born. Never. You scum." Han Seok shot him. I couldn't move but I tried to crawl over to him quickly. I grabbed onto his dying body. "No! Han Seo! Please stay with me. Don't go." I grabbed out my phone and dialed 911. He reached up and touched my face so tenderly. Meanwhile Han Seok tried to shoot Vincenzo again and he ran out of ammo. Vincenzo threw some sort of candlestick at him. He ran out his balcony door and jumped off. Vincenzo came back inside calling 911 too begging them to hurry, He came back to Cha-young and then Han Seo sat up sort of. "V-Vincenzo." He was gasping for air. Vincenzo ran over and lifted his head to helping him breathe a little. "Are you okay?" Han Seo tried to answer him. "I... did well, didn't I?" "You did. You deserve to be my brother." He groaned and is dying. "For the first time...In my life...I've helped someone." He grabbed something out his pocket it was a phone. "Hey. You know what to do." "Thank you...for everything." He then dies. "N-No!" was all I could muster. "Vincenzo! please! HE CAN"T BE DEAD!" He closed his eyes and turned to me helping me cover my wound the best he can. I however couldn't quit crying and it was making me lose more blood because I kept sobbing. "No... He can't be gone." I grabbed onto him sobbing into his dead body.

I awoke shaking from the sobs and I turn over to see Han Seo looking me over to see why I was crying. "What happened jagiya?" I grabbed him and held onto him like I wasn't going to see him again. "Woah...it's okay honey. Shush." He gently rubbed my back till the sobs lessened, I pulled away from him wiping my face. "I had a horrible nightmare." He nodded and rubbed my shoulders. "You want to talk about it?" I shook my head. "Nah I'd rather forget about it." I got up from my bed well more like ours because he is here more than at his own place. "You want to come shower with me yebo?" He blushed fifty shades of red. "Y-yes jagi." He got up too and came with me we showered and got dressed. "Okay I got to go to babel, but I will be back tonight with dinner and alcohol." I smiled. "Okay." I kissed his lips. "Be safe dear. Please." I waved to him, and he waved back closing the door behind him. I however grabbed a small snack and went down to Jipuragi law firm to see my big brother. When I opened the door and came in Cha-young got up and ran over to hug me. "Hi eonni." She smiled from the name. "Hi Y/nnie" I look at Vincenzo. "Come on give me a hug brother." I ran over to him and gave him no choice and hugged him but unlike others he actually hugs me back. "I love you, big brother." He smiled and I swear his cheeks turned slightly pink. "You too sis." was all I got. I except that at least. "Okay so what's the next plan?" They all answered me, and we got to work.

Ms. Hong was putting on makeup and I did so as well unsure why just felt like because she did, so I had too as well. We finished and left Vincenzo coming with us for a few minutes mostly asking her where we were going which was to this judicial training reunion. I only wanted to go to follow her to make sure she is okay plus she is fun to be around. After some talking, we left and got in her car she drove us there and we sang along to some tunes on the way there. We finally arrived and got out and went to get out she got a call from someone that's already here, so we start heading toward the door, but two men appeared and started coming toward us, so we turned around back towards the vehicle but then two more showed up and grabbed us.

I awoke to Ms. Hong and Han Seo and he wanted to run to me but stayed put in case Han-Seok would hurt us. I gasped when seeing him come into the room from upstairs. Ms. Hong sighs. "I didn't think you would abduct me, but you did. This makes you such a cheap villain." "What's the difference? All villains are the same." Han Seok said. "No matter how hard I think about it, you are not a human being." He stands up and crouches next to her, caressing her cheek. "Don't you know how much I love you? That makes me human." "Abducting a woman, you love is not love, but a crime, you crazy asshole." She spoke. He however smirked but then grabs her chin. "Sorry, Cha-young, but to me, my principle comes before love." "Your principle? Killing everyone you don't like?" She sighs in between. "What a load of bull." She sighs again. "Han Seok. Someone like you shouldn't have been born at all." He acts all hurt from that. "Ouch." He let go of her chin finally and plopped down on his couch. "That really hurts. I shouldn't have been born? Isn't it harsh, Han-Seo?" He looked to his younger brother. "Kill me already. Don't be stupid and call Mr. Cassano." Cha-young spoke. "I can't do that. That's the reason I abducted you." He then stands up and walks over to the window that overlooks his balcony and pulls his phone out. "Yah! Don't use me to harm him. Just kill me!" I don't hear Vincenzo, but he replies to him. "Shouldn't you ask me how I am first? I just got out." I swear I could hear my brother give the 'I don't care.' which had me smiling. "Come to where I am now. She's alive. Please bear with me I heard from my fellow inmates that this trick works the best when you need to lure someone who owes you something." Han-Seo and I made eye contact, and he mouthed a 'sorry' which pisses me off because he tried to beg me to break-up with him all because he was scared his brother would get me. I mouthed back 'no I'm sorry.' "If you don't hurry, something will happen to her." with that he hung up. A few minutes later he came in. He went to run in but stopped or he would've shot him. 'Shit this is like my nightmare I had.' I started to cry like I was this morning. "The bloody necklace... was shocking right? I tried your method. It was pig's blood." Han-Seok said. "You're worse than I thought." Vincenzo finally spoke. "You abducted your brother and two women too?" Han-Seok scoffed. "A rat who is about to be devoured by a cat has no rules." "Do you think you'll live if you kill everyone here?" Vincenzo spoke. 'Right. The mafia always has backup." Han-Seok said in a condescending tone. "Think carefully. Whatever you do, you'll die." Vincenzo spoke again. "Even if I do, I want to see you die first." He stands up tossing the hockey stick to Han Seo like in my nightmare. "Pick it up, Han Seo." He didn't just take it so. "Pick it up!" He shot toward Han Seo and he panicked and picked it up like he told him too. "Chairman Jang. Beat him to death with it, and I'll spare you." "What?" Han Seo finds it hard to believe that he'd spare him after everything he's done to other people and what not. "Not only will I spare your life, but I'll also give you all of babel." "You crazy bastard!" I yelled first. He stomped over to me and punched me clean in the face made sure my lip bled. "You crazy asshole! You really are mad, aren't you?" Ms. Hong shouted but she shouldn't have. He came over and punched her too. Vincenzo wanted to run in and save her, but he got the gun aimed at him. He gripped Cha-young's hair and pulled her head back. "Cha-young, be quiet. If you keep talking, I'm really going to kill you." Han-Seok is getting pissed off. "Do it then. Stop this ridiculous joke." He cocked the gun getting ready like he was about to shoot her but then I look to my left and seen my brother, The Vincenzo getting on his knees, Cha-young and Han Seok both turned to see him do so. "Do as he says." Vincenzo spoke. "If I kill Vincenzo... Will you really let me live?" Han-Seo asked. "Of course. You're my brother, after all." He lets out a couple shaky breaths and stands up.

"I'm sorry... Mr. Cassano." Han-Seo said. "It's okay. You have no other choice." Vincenzo said. "Okay. I'll make a choice I won't regret." He swings like he is about to hit Vincenzo but switched to hit his brother. Han-Seok shot his arm, Han-Seo still charges at him stopping him. Meanwhile Vincenzo untied me and Cha-young, I charged at him, but he shot me in my stomach and Vincenzo turned around but then Han-Seok shot at him, and Cha-young took the bullet for him. Her shoulder took the bullet. 'Thank goodness she is okay.' was my last thought before my vision started to blur. I looked over and seen Han-Seo's face he is crying over me, and he jumps up again. and stops him from shooting Vincenzo, but instead points it to his stomach. "Please stop." Han-Seok is getting pissed off that he won't let go. "Let go." Han-Seo finally had enough. 'Oh no not again!' was another thought that ran through my head. "You really... shouldn't have been born. Never. You scum." Han-Seok shoots him again. Like in my nightmare. "No!" was all I could muster, sobbing uncontrollably whilst crawling over to his body. Han-Seok tried to shoot my brother again but this time he is out of bullets so Vincenzo throws something at him from the table and then chases him but he got away. When he came back in, he called 911. He rushed over to me and Han-Seo. "Are you both okay?" I nodded barely conscious. Han-Seo wasn't looking good. "Please yebo, stay with me." I caressed his cheek, whilst crying. "I... I did well. Didn't I?" Han-Seo barely managed to speak. "You did. You deserve to be my brother." Vincenzo spoke to him. "For the first time... In my life... I've helped someone. Hey." He slowly pulls out a phone out of his pocket. "You know what to do." He gives it to Vincenzo and coughs up blood when he does. "Thank you... for everything." "No Hannie don't speak like that. Please don't go!" I begged for whatever higher being there was to keep him alive for me. "He isn't going to make it." Vincenzo spoke. "Yah! He will make it! He is my strong man, and he will pull through for me. He always has." Han-Seo passes out right as the paramedic's showed up and so did I.

I woke up in a hospital bed alone I panicked and started standing up, but Mr. Nam was here with me. "Hey, woah you can't stand up yet." I shook my head "I don't care. Where is Han-Seo?" Vincenzo came in my room. "Where is he? Did he make it?" Vincenzo shrugged. "They have him in Surgery because when he shot him it tore through his stomach and damaged his organs when it came through. but the doctor knows what he is doing little sister. Relax the chances are he will be fine." I'm still not fully okay with that but I'll take it for now. "Speaking of how are you?" He came in checking me over. "I feel a little sore but not too bad." Mr. Nam widened his eyes at me. "Okay good heal well and don't forget don't worry about him he'll be okay." with that he left my room. I couldn't wait to see him again.

Time skip~

It was roughly 8PM and I finally got told he was released from surgery, they also told me I could go see him but meanwhile Vincenzo caught Han-Seok and dealt with him and Ms. Choi. Also Mr. Lee got hurt too but all I cared about was finally going to see Han Seo. I got in his room, and he was still out but breathing which I started crying laying on him a little bit but not a lot. "I'm just glad you are okay honey. That's all that matters to me." I grabbed his hand and rubbed his knuckles and lifted it to my lips to kiss it. "Can't wait for you to wake up."

It's been a couple hours but me and Ms. Hong went to see Vincenzo before he left. "Oppa!" I yelled to him and ran into his arms. "I'm going to miss you big brother." I started crying on him. "Please call me if you can." He smiled but had tears too and rubbed my head to ruffle my hair which he hasn't done since back when we were in Italy. He and Ms. Hong hugged and what not but then he left in a hurry.

A month later.

Me and Han-Seo have been trying for a baby. I was in the restroom of or shared home and using a pregnancy test. He knocked on the door. "You doing okay honey?" I giggled a little. "Yes dear just waiting 5 minutes are almost up." He sighed. "Sorry. Just so nervous." I giggled again. "I know me too yebo but-" My phone started beeping, I stopped the timer and now the moment of truth...I'm pregnant! I stood up and opened the door and I started crying tears of joy. "I'm pregnant!" He seemed to be in disbelief so he took it and looked himself. "Oh my god... I-I'm going to be a... dad!" He hugged me so tight and picked me up off of the ground. "I know we ever see Vincenzo again we must tell him right away." He stopped being super excited and calmed down. "Speaking of... have you heard from him yet?" I shook my head. "No but I want to at least hear his voice again to know he is okay." He nodded. "I know I miss him too. You want to go out to celebrate at the plaza?" I nodded faster than I ever have in my life. He grabbed the keys to the car, and I grabbed my bag, with that we left for the plaza. Once we arrived, we went inside, and it was super quiet which was odd but then I seen Mr. Tak. "Mr. Tak!" I waved at him but hugged him once I got over to him. "It's been a while." was all I could say. He nodded. "It has been. What brings you here?" He asked. "I've got some good news I want to share with every one of the plaza." He nodded and got everyone together at Toto's restaurant. Once everyone was seated including Ms. Hong and Mr. Nam. "Okay...we are.... Pregnant!" everyone got so excited. Ms. Hong was the first to stand up and she hugged me but then everyone else hugged me too. "I'll got bring tteokbokki!" Ms. Gwak said. "I'll make some pizza!" Toto said. I smiled feeling so cared for by these people. I leaned toward Han-Seo. "I love you so much." He smiled. "I love you more." I kissed his lips. "I love you most." 'I'm glad it was just dream.' I thought but it vanished as fast as it came because they all came back, and we talked for the rest of the day. 'Just a dream.'

A/n: That was crazy to write but I needed to because I just finished Vincenzo myself and HATED THAT HE OF ALL PEOPLE DIED! fdslkjhjk it broke me man! I cried too hard over him. Anyways if you guys haven't seen it I highly recommend it, so much drama and funny and even romantic things in this show. Also hope you all had a good day and please let me know what y'all thought.

#angst #fyp #fanfic #fluff #Vincenzo #jang han seo #kwak dong yeon #spoilers

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magicshopaholic · 5 months ago

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Words Unsaid (Jungkook x OC)

Summary: Jungkook has something he wants to ask you, but the timing just never seems to sit right.

Pairing: Jungkook x OC

Genre: Fluff

Rating: 18+

Word Count: 7.3 K

Warnings: none

A/N: This took longer than expected to post (but a surprisingly short amount of time to write). Savour it, for the angst will be back in full force next fic :D Takes place a couple of weeks after Unfinished Business and can be read standalone.

Tagging: @bbl32 @ggukkieland @bangtannoonalvg @pb-n-juju @juciu @jeoncookie-bts @quarter-life-crisis2 @dreaming-with-happiness @meirkive @faearchives @margopinkerton @sumzysworld @purpleseoul7 @kflixnet (italics cannot be tagged. If you want to be added to the taglist, drop a comment or ask)

Listen to: "thinking out loud" by ed sheeran

jungkook masterlist | main masterlist

The sun is near setting when lunch comes to a natural end. Namjoon places his credit card on the bill out of habit and, somewhat conscious that it’s not just the two of them here, Jungkook drops his on top of it.

“All good, kid.” Namjoon good-naturedly flicks Jungkook’s credit card off the bill just before the waiter picks it up.

Feeling Lia’s eyes on him, vaguely amused, Jungkook feels his ears heat up and quickly pockets his credit card. “What’s your plan for the rest of the day?” he asks, desperate to change the topic.

“Not much.” He shrugs. “Probably pick up some stuff at this store we saw earlier today, then maybe a walk down the Han if it gets cooler…” He turns slightly as Kaya returns to her seat, fluffing out her hair a bit.

“Seoul has never been this warm, has it?” she remarks. “I’m glad I cut my hair before I came here.”

“It should rain soon,” answers Lia, in her accented English. While her grasp on the language hadn’t necessarily been a surprise to Jungkook, the way it sounded - and how much he liked it - definitely was. She hadn’t ever spoken much English around him, for there was never much of a need, but when Kaya visited and they’d finally met, Jungkook discovered he was obsessed with her English accent. It made her sound older, unattainable and - ironically – more Korean.

“Maybe it will,” says Namjoon, nodding and looking out the glass windows at the sunlight.

“Maybe it will while you’re walking down the Han river,” points out Jungkook.

“Looking forward to it.”

“Oh, that reminds me - can we make a detour home before we head to the market?” Kaya asks him. “I need to pick up my power bank. My phone’s almost dead.”

Namjoon nods. “Sure. You guys need a ride?” he asks Jungkook and Lia.

“Oh -” They exchange a look, for they were dropped by a company car after Jungkook finished filming a promo. “Actually, yeah,” says Lia, nodding. “We also need to stop by, uh, Jungkook’s house for a minute. You’ll want to change, I guess?”

Jungkook nods mutely, his neck getting hot again. He avoids Namjoon’s eyes; the older member’s subtle questioning a couple of days ago, about how serious is this getting, had been one thing. That, coupled with the abrupt way he and Lia had stopped talking when Jungkook had returned from the men’s room earlier during lunch, made him uneasily conscious that something was still unsaid.

They head out of the restaurant, waiting until Namjoon’s car is brought out by the valet before ducking inside quickly, Kaya in the driver’s seat and Namjoon in the passenger seat next to her. Jungkook notices a few phones out in the open and pointed towards them as they drive away.

“See you tomorrow!” Lia waves at them as they drive away from the porch of Jungkook’s building in Hannam-dong, where his new penthouse sits tucked into the top floor. As the car disappears around a corner, both of them turn around and head inside together.

In the lift, Jungkook watches the numbers increase, his hands in his pockets and his bottom lip between his teeth. The words are there, somewhere, in moments at the tip of his tongue and in others, so far away that they may as well be someone else’s.

“Hey.”

He’s jerked out of his reverie. “Yeah.”

Lia is looking at him, frowning slightly. “Everything okay? You’ve barely said two words since we left.”

“I’m fine,” he answers as the lift stops and they step out, the doors opening right in front of his apartment. “I just, uh…” He pats his pockets and pauses. “... forgot my keys. I think. Shit.”

“Don’t worry about it,” she mutters easily, reaching into her small sling bag for her own keyring and selecting the shiniest one. “This is when it helps to have a spare set with someone else,” she points out.

Jungkook nods sheepishly and steps aside so she can unlock the door to his home. “Actually, Lia…” He takes a deep breath as Namjoon’s face swims to the forefront of his mind, the familiar raised eyebrow and chin tilted upward that, irritatingly knowing but unwilling to give him the answer. No, he would want Jungkook to come up with the answer himself.

He clears his throat as Lia pauses. “Yeah?”

“Um, I was wondering -” He shoves his hands into the pockets of his jeans. Just say it. Say it. He makes the mistake of glancing at her again, her raised eyebrows and - to his slight anxiety - hopeful expression.

Shit.

“Would you, um… do you think you would you like to…”

Come on now, Jungkook, Namjoon would say sternly. Say it already.

“... try a beef bulgogi tonight? I know we usually do pizza on Sunday nights but I saw this recipe online and I really wanted to try it. Plus, we won’t even have to shop - we have that fillet in the freezer so part of the work is really already done, if you think about it…”

He’s rambling, he knows, but it’s only to try and distract himself from the annoyance at himself as well as the brief but clear disappointment in her expression. Her shoulders fall slightly and she bites her lip, turning back to the door and pushing it open halfway.

“Beef bulgogi sounds great,” she says finally, looking up at him after a moment’s hesitation, and giving him a small smile. “Thanks.”

He follows her inside, still deflated. Lia goes straight to the fridge for a bottle of cold water while he heads into his room, shedding his t-shirt on the way. Turning on the bathroom light, he grabs his facewash from the wall-mounted shelf, half-stocked with haircare products, face scrubs, masks, serums and a tub of scrunchies and claw clips. A Dior perfume he’d gifted her earlier this year was also there next to his own Calvin Klein cologne.

Realising he’s been staring at her belongings for over a minute with emulsified facewash on his face, he quickly scrubs it off and hurries out, passing by her chest of drawers next to the closets.

Jungkook wishes he wasn’t such a coward. He wishes he had the exact right words and that his mouth moved on its own to deliver the message to her. She’d helped him set up the apartment when he’d moved in last month; most of her belongings are here, she returns here more often than not after work, half the groceries in the pantry are stocked by her. She has a set of keys, she uses his extra parking space - but none of it matters as long as it’s still Jungkook’s house.

In the kitchen, Lia is standing by the counter with a bowl of watermelon in front of her, scrolling on her phone. She looks up when he enters.

“I cut the other half that was in the fridge,” she informs him. “Rest of it is inside.”

He swallows. “Thanks.”

Jungkook doesn’t know what he would do without her. The house feels far too big and empty when she isn’t around and he wishes there were some way for her to get that message without him having to spell it out.

But if you do spell it out, comes Namjoon’s voice again, what’s the worst that could happen.

She could say no and then I could die, he thinks, shuddering.

He stands on the opposite side of the counter and leans over to examine the pink fruit. Lia raises an eyebrow and pops a piece into his mouth.

“Wow. Sweet,” he comments, voice slightly muffled.

She half-chuckles and nods, going back to her phone and taking a piece as well.

Say it. But is this really the moment? Does there need to be a moment? What would that moment even look like? What would she want that moment to -

“Kook,” says Lia, slowly placing her phone down. “I was thinking… I’ve been coming over here after work the last few days. And I’ll probably be here tomorrow as well, so…” She bites her lip.

“Yes,” whispers Jungkook breathlessly. If Lia were to ask the question - nothing like it. No chance of rejection, no scope for awkwardness. Of course, if any of the guys got wind of the fact that she had been the one to ask, they wouldn’t let him live it down, especially Jimin. Suddenly, he half-hopes she isn’t asking.

“Do you think it would be weird if, you know…”

Holy shit. Screw Jimin and his opinions. Despite a crappy first date a year ago, if this is really how far they’ve come since then, he should consider himself the luckiest man in the world. Unexpectedly, Jungkook’s heart begins to race.

“… if I went home on Monday evening? It’s been a while and I have an important meeting on Tuesday and all my blazers are at home so in a way, I have to…”

Jungkook nods mutely, barely hearing her, for his heart is hammering so loudly he can hear it in his teeth. It occurs to him that Lia might have been anticipating the same question and subsequently felt the same disappointment, and it only serves to make him feel worse.

“… take my car, too. Jungkook?”

He looks up warily, irrationally worried his shame might be written on his forehead for her to see, possibly triggering her to pull the plug on this entire thing, this whole relationship, to save herself the embarrassment of dating a silly pop star who can’t string six words together -

“Hm?”

“You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

“I’m fine,” he chokes. “Thanks for the, uh, the fruit.”

Lia raises her eyebrows, but there’s a flash of knowing in her eyes. Not wanting to decipher it, for there’s no telling where his mind will take him, he shakes his head slightly and leans forward, kissing her on the cheek.

It doesn’t end there. Later that evening, Jungkook is still reeling from his horrendous inability to pluck up the courage to ask his girlfriend a simple question. The general mood between them seems to have gone back to normal, somewhat, but it nags at the corner of his mind.

They are heading to the executive floor gym in his building, accessible only to the handful of residents on the top floor, when another opportunity seemingly presents itself.

It’s a glorious workout in one of the best gyms in the country; in fact, Jungkook is rather upfront about it being one of the main reasons he chose to buy a property in this particular building in Hannam-dong. Towards the end of a particularly difficult set of reps on the bench press station, Jungkook looks up to see a face, upside down and hovering above him.

“Shit!” he gasps, gripping the barbell tightly so it doesn’t fall on him.

Eunwoo grins. “What’s up? Wasn’t expecting to see you here today.”

“I could’ve died,” points out Jungkook, sitting up and giving him a friendly dap. “No, Lia wanted to work out, too, and it’s been a, uh… somewhat stressful day.”

“Yeah?” Eunwoo, also sweating and glowing, looks around the gym with his hands on his hips. “Lia is here? Oh, there she is…” He nods at the treadmills where she’s jogging fast, AirPods in and the rest of the world shut out.

They chat for a bit about nothing in particular, catching their breath. Somewhere during the conversation, while they’re at the water station and filling up tiny glasses with fruit-infused ice water, Jungkook wonders if the time has truly come to pick another’s brain. Eunwoo is a good friend and they’ve known each other a while, but it would be the first time he’s actively confided in someone else about his love life. From his experience, it could go either way.

While he’s pondering this, Eunwoo nods and flashes a smile at something over his shoulder.

“Hey, guys.” Lia walks over and pours herself a glass. Her skin pale and glowing, her cheeks flushed lusciously. The ends of her high ponytail stick to her damp collarbones and Jungkook bites his lip without thinking, ridiculously attracted to her at the moment.

“Noona, do you agree with JK’s plan of building a home gym?” Eunwoo asks, seamlessly continuing their discussion. “It’s going to be so much maintenance of equipment,” he tells him, shaking his head.

“Really?” Lia turns to Jungkook, frowning. “When did that happen? I thought you were happy with this gym.”

“I am - and I’m not planning on building a home gym,” he clarifies, suddenly anxious with both sets of eyes on him. “I was just discussing the merits of possibly having one.”

“Such as?”

“Well… privacy, for one. I know the building has good security but they're also fairly lax with allowances,” he points out, not wanting to specify the incident last week that had prompted this train of thought, when he was half-certain he’d spotted someone pointing their phone at him and Lia.

“Allowances? You mean guests?” Eunwoo wrinkles his nose. “They don’t allow guests in here.”

“Yes, they do.”

“No, they don’t. They don’t allow anybody but residents in the gym.”

There’s a brief but painful pause following his words.

“They do, actually,” says Lia.

“I don’t think so.”

“Yes, they do,” adds Jungkook tightly, glaring at Eunwoo and moving his eyes deliberately in Lia’s direction, hoping to God he’ll drop it.

Eunwoo frowns slowly, apparently working this out. “What?” he mutters, shaking his head at Jungkook. “No, I’m just saying… wait, how are you so sure?”

“Because I’m technically a guest,” says Lia lightly.

“You are?” Eunwoo raises his eyebrows. “But I thought you were - oh.” To Jungkook’s horror, a blush creeps up his friend’s face. Lia goes still next to him and it takes every ounce of Jungkook’s strength to not turn in her direction.

For the next few seconds or so, the three of them stand there in silence, scarcely making a movement.

“Excuse me? May I?”

“Yes! Of course, of course -” Jungkook immediately blurts out while Eunwoo practically trips over himself to take a step back and make way for another patron.

“I’m going to stretch and cool down for a bit,” says Lia, touching Jungkook’s shoulder. “How far along are you?”

“Oh, I still have a bit to finish,” he answers, a bit apologetically. “I was going to box for a bit before ending with cardio.”

“That’s fine, I'll just head back h- uh, to your place and shower… if that’s okay?”

Not least because she hasn’t needed to ask such a question in months, Jungkook nods wordlessly. She gives him a small smile and moves away, and Jungkook watches her leave before turning back around to see Eunwoo giving him a look.

“Shut up,” he mutters.

Eunwoo chuckles as they head over to the boxing bag. “Man, I am so sorry about that. I really thought you’d asked her to move in with you - I thought part of the reason you bought a new house was because you wanted her to move in. You were asking about bathrooms with his-and-her sinks, man. What happened?”

“Okay, first of all, I only asked if you’ve ever seen one in real life - not that I wanted one,” he corrects immediately, strapping on his gloves while Eunwoo gets behind the bag, ready to hold it.

“And the other thing?”

“I’m working on it,” mutters Jungkook, going into stance and holding his hands up. “I just want to do it right. Make sure it’s a good time, that I’m not hurrying anything - that kind of thing.”

Eunwoo hums and nods. “Well, if it helps, she didn’t seem freaked out. If anything, she looked a little annoyed.”

Jungkook freezes. “She did? She looked annoyed - wait, really? Are you serious?”

His eyes widen. “Wh- no. Not - not annoyed like that. Not like a pissed off annoyed, more like a… like a chill annoyed.” When Jungkook says nothing, he shakes his head. “You know what? Don’t worry about it. Maybe it is too soon. Or maybe it isn’t,” he amends quickly. “What do I know? You know my last three relationships lasted, like, four months each - so I’m probably not the best person to be giving you any kind of advice.”

“That’s the most airtight thing you’ve said so far,” mutters Jungkook. “Alright, I’m coming in.” Waiting a moment for Eunwoo to grip the bag, he cocks his elbow back and punches it.

—

Despite his deadly faux pas, Eunwoo had inadvertently provided Jungkook with a rather helpful bit of direction. Perhaps it is time for him to lean on a friend for advice, but Eunwoo was also right that he is not one of them, not with his flighty flings and lack of depth in them. The advice matters and so does the friend, prompting Jungkook to ask himself: which of his friends is the expert on the opposite of short-term flings?

“Namjoon hyung!”

Namjoon stops in his tracks at the sound of his name and turns, waiting for Jungkook to catch up with him.

“Oh, thanks,” says Jungkook, taking a cigarette from the pack Namjoon offers him and leaning forward so he can light it. “Thanks for getting us the evening off, by the way.”

“Kaya is leaving this weekend,” is all Namjoon says in response, shrugging.

“Right.” Jungkook nods, taking a drag and blowing it out, wondering briefly if he should care that they might be seen smoking right outside the Hybe building. “Won’t this make you a couple minutes late, though? If you want to make the best of the next few days?”

Namjoon chuckles. “I don’t want to smoke inside the house.”

“Uh-huh. Speaking of which…” He exhales, suddenly nervous. “I was hoping for some advice.” He clears his throat. “Regarding… relationships.”

Namjoons raises his eyebrows but says nothing else. “M-hm.”

“I have reason to believe,” he begins slowly, “that Lia might want me to ask her to move in with me.”

“Okay.”

Jungkook pauses, searching his leader’s face for a hint. Finding none, he continues. “Well… I want to ask her. But I also don’t want her to feel like I’m asking her just because she wants me to ask her. And I also don’t want to mess it up.”

“How would you mess it up?”

“I don’t know… maybe I’m completely off track and she doesn’t want to move in with me at all? Maybe she thinks it’s too soon?”

Namjoon nods, hearing him out. Then he shakes his head. “Well, personally, I don’t think that’s the case.”

“What isn’t? You think she wants to move in?” Jungkook’s momentarily relief is interrupted by a horrifying thought. “Oh, my God - did she say something to you? Yesterday, at brunch, when I went to the men’s room?”

“Jungkook, you were gone for two minutes.”

He’s about to argue but stops himself. He knows Lia and she is hardly the type to secretly vent her feelings to his friends behind his back, hoping it will get back to him. No, she’s more straightforward than that.

Somewhat satisfied, he takes a different turn. “Okay, let’s get down to it, then. How did you ask Kaya to move in?”

“Well…” Namjoon frowns thoughtfully. “Actually, I didn’t.”

“You… what?” Jungkook squints. “Wait, so… you didn’t ask? You both just knew, telepathically, when to start living together?” he asks incredulously, thinking privately that it could just be believable.

“No,” says Namjoon patiently, chuckling again and flicking some ash off his cigarette. “I didn’t ask because I didn’t have to. Where else is she supposed to live when she comes to Seoul? Where am I supposed to live when I go to see her?”

“Yeah… okay, but… well, would you say you live together?” he presses. “Or do you just, like, crash at each other’s place when you visit?”

“Well, we definitely don’t crash at each other’s place,” he mutters. “Maybe we did right in the beginning? I guess I’d say we live apart, but it’s only because we have to. I don’t know - when she came to Seoul for work last year while I was in service, she stayed at Hannam even though her aunt lives in the city, too.” He shrugs. “If that helps.”

“Huh.” Jungkook considers this. “So, like, do you guys ‘go home’ or do you go back to ‘your place’?”

“Home,” he answers casually, not skipping a beat. “Even her apartment is home. ‘Home’ is what you make it, to a large extent. It’s a place of comfort - an apartment is only part of that,” he says wisely. “I feel more at home in her studio apartment in London with her than at Hannam by myself. The people make the home - and that’s for you to decide.”

Jungkook stares, feeling his cigarette burn away in his hand. “That’s really not the kind of thing I’m looking for, hyung,” he states, before dropping his face in his hand.

Namjoon clicks his tongue and stubs his cigarette on the tray atop the trash can next to him. “Don’t overthink it,” he says, clapping him on the shoulder. “Go about it logically: she’s been your girlfriend for six or seven months now, you bought a new place which is significantly bigger than your old one and she’s in her thirties, meaning she’s most likely thinking long-term.”

Jungkook gazes at Namjoon’s raised eyebrows, quite certain he’s meant to pick up some meaning out of this. “So…”

“So… if you’re worried she might say no…”

“Chances are… she probably won’t?”

Namjoon grins and nods. “Exactly. Just be yourself, be genuine, be honest - and remember you’re both together for a reason. And I think - I think - she has a thing for you, too,” he adds seriously.

“One can only hope,” he mutters, albeit slightly mollified. “I really don’t want to mess this up.”

Namjoon observes him - for too long. For a moment, it seems as though he’s about to say something that makes Jungkook’s stomach jolt unpleasantly, but at the last second, he shakes his head.

“Impossible to mess it up. Honestly,” he says reassuringly, and Jungkook almost believes him. “It’s a part of the journey and if you think she’s expecting it, just take the plunge. Don’t add unnecessary pressure by trying to make it perfect.”

While the last bit simply isn’t in Jungkook’s DNA, he nods anyway.

—

“Damn it.”

Lia doesn’t look up from the email she’s writing, despite Dal’s repeated exclamations from the kitchen. Finally, he sticks his head out around the door.

“Did you know the faucet is leaking?”

“Yes,” she mutters, still not looking away from her screen.

“And did you know it’s dripping out of the sink zone and onto the floor?”

“Yeah?”

“And did you know it’s fucking disgusting?”

Lia sighs and finally turns her head to glance at him. “Yes, I know. I mopped it up this morning.”

Dal steps out, frowning. “So this much water leaked in the last six hours?” When Lia nods, he sighs heavily and trudges into the living room, falling onto the sofa. “I suppose we can text the landlord but I don’t know what good that will do.”

“Probably as much as it did when we told him about the seepage in the bathroom ceiling.”

“Yeah. Didn’t realise the kind of shoulder strength you need to baste upwards.” A moment later, he chuckles. “Helped that there were three of us there, though. Jungkook was really looking for any excuse to be around you back then, wasn’t he?”

Without meaning to, Lia feels a smile creep up her face at the memory. “It was cute,” she says, slightly defensive. “And we really needed the extra hands, especially to clean up.”

“Oh, sure.” There’s a comfortable silence, the only sound being the clicking of Lia’s keyboard. “Speaking of,” he speaks, and his tone is slightly different, “I’m surprised to see you here.”

Lia doesn’t look up, but she’s certain she knows where he’s going with this. “Oh, yeah?”

“Yeah. You haven’t been around much.”

“You think so?”

“M-hm. In fact, I was starting to wonder if you’d moved out or something and I missed the memo.”

“You were still paying only half the rent, though, weren’t you?”

“Lia.”

“‘Sup.”

From the corner of her eye, she sees a movement and ducks out of habit.

“Lee-lee,” he says again, and she finally meets his gaze.

“I know what you’re getting at, and no,” she says dryly, “no updates on that front. I’m still your roommate for the foreseeable future.”

Dal raises his eyebrows. “Okay.”

Lia turns back to her laptop but doesn’t resume her typing. “What?”

“What what?”

“You’re still looking at me.”

“No. I’m just looking in your general direction.”

She gives him a look. “Just say it.”

“I thought you were moving in with Jungkook.”

“Why would you think that?”

“Because he told me last time he came over that he wanted you to move in with him.”

Lia scoffs. “No way did he say that. Liar.”

“Fine, he didn’t use those exact words,” he admits, rolling his eyes. “But he just happened to mention that his new place is bigger, that the gym is fantastic, that it has a really good running trail or something…”

“Maybe he was just making conversation?”

“... and how much closer it is to the Hybe office.”

He works at Hybe, too, technically. The words are on the tip of her tongue, but she can’t deflect anymore; Dal will see right through it. She sighs and puts her laptop away.

“What do you want me to say?” she asks steadily. “We aren’t living together. It’s not the end of the world.”

“I’m not saying it is, at all.” He holds up his hands. “Do you want to, though?”

Lia is silent for a moment. “He needs to ask first. But… yeah, I guess. Could be fun. We’ll save on a lot of fuel.”

“Ooh, stop, I’m swooning.”

She flashes him an embarrassed sort of smile. “You know what I mean. We basically do live together already - but this is a big deal for Jungkook. He’s never done the long-term relationship, adult couple milestone thing before. The last thing I want to do is scare him off.”

Dal nods thoughtfully. “Well, hopefully it’ll go better than your last adult couple milestone thing.”

She snorts, covering her face. “Hey, to be fair, I did move in with him,” she points out. “Kind of.”

“You lasted less than a month before you were back here.”

“Yeah. God, he was such a manchild. Can’t believe I was ever attracted to him.”

“I told you he had an asshat kind of face. But you didn’t listen. Didn’t he have a shrine to his ex-girlfriend in the bathroom or something?”

“It was a couple of bottles of her shampoo and lotion, not a shrine,” she corrects him, “but, sort of. He was so blown away when I asked him to get rid of it - like, sue me, I don’t want to live with my boyfriend and sentimental haircare products belonging to his ex. It just goes to show, you never know enough about your partner until you actually share a living space together.”

“You think there’s more to Jungkook? Because I like him for you, honestly. But he seems to be a more…” Dal grimaces, trying to find the word, “... what you see is what you get… kind of person.”

“That’s a good thing,” she remarks. “Means there’s no lying, no games. None of that shit.”

He raises his eyebrows. “Well, it’s good you know what you want. How long are we planning to wait for him to pop the question?”

“We are not waiting for anything. I, on the other hand…”

It’s a good question, unfortunately, one that Lia has deliberately tried not to think about because there’s simply no correct answer.

“... will take things as they come.”

“Sounds like a plan.”

She narrows her eyes at her oldest friend, recognising both teasing masking genuine concern. “I’m not going to pressure Jungkook. And I’m not going to get my hopes up either,” she states, trying to ignore the quiet tugging at her heart and standing up, stretching.

“Hey, just say the word and I will -“ Dal makes a flailing kind of gesture and flexes his triceps, “- whip him into shape.”

“Oh, really? Not only will it probably be evenly matched, but who’s going to help you both carry cartons of beer into each other’s houses if you’re both maimed?” She taps her temple sarcastically.

“Well, you’ll be a resident in one of our houses at any given time so I guess we’ll be looking at you.” Dal shrugs in satisfaction as Lia chuckles and starts heading inside her bedroom, considering a shower before bed.

“Oi, Lia.”

Lia turns in her doorway, recognising the subtle change in tone once again. It wasn’t surprising that Dal and Jungkook got along easily enough; despite her boyfriend’s initial reservations, most of which were based on Dal’s gender and inopportune timing, he had eventually moved past it to begin actually enjoying his company. Oh, he would never admit it, but Lia had woken up more than once in her own bed, alone, while hearing two male voices laughing in the living room with the television on.

As for Dal, the only thing he had needed to say was “Lee-lee, for once, you’ve found a good boy.”

Therefore, while Lia prefers to handle her relationships herself, she recognises the value of her oldest friend’s opinion.

“I just want to let you know,” he begins seriously, and she feels the muscles in her face go slack. He bites his lip. “I just wanted to let you know,” he repeats, “that if Jungkook has a shrine to his ex in his house, you can always move back in here.”

There’s relief, and Lia doesn’t want to admit there’s relief. “Shut up,” she mutters, turning back around as Dal laughs at his own joke behind her.

It’s not the greatest comfort, but Lia uses it as such after that. Worst case, I move back in with Dal, she thinks. We stay roommates until we’re eighty, when either I die first from stress about work or he does driving his car like a maniac. Jungkook brings a carton of beer to the funeral and shares it with whichever one of us is still alive.

It’s a mildly depressing train of thought, especially when she imagines her eighty year old self heading back to her apartment while seventy-seven year old Jungkook, in his infinite wisdom, still hasn’t asked her to move in with him.

Nearly a week later, Lia has successfully kept her desires to herself, while Jungkook has continued trying to pretend he isn’t thinking about it just as much.

“Remind me again why we’re going to this club?” she asks him as they walk to his car in the basement parking. “It doesn’t really sound like your scene.”

“It isn’t,” he admits. “But the DJ tonight is a friend of a friend… of an acquaintance, who’s also kind of an ex-colleague.” He wrinkles his nose. “I wouldn’t normally go but he helped me out during the production of my debut album and I accidentally told him I owed him.”

“Ah. Mistake number one.”

“It might be. You look quite club-ready for someone who doesn’t really enjoy clubs either,” he remarks, playfully smacking her backside. “Leather pants and everything.”

“Faux leather,” she corrects, leaning over and bumping his hip with hers. “I figured I may as well look the part of a popstar’s girlfriend. Plus,” she adds after a moment, as they climb into the car and begin strapping in, “it’s the only party outfit I have at your place.”

Predictably, Jungkook freezes for a moment before clumsily buckling himself in. He doesn’t meet her eyes and swallows as he looks ahead.

“By the way, I hear the gin martinis at this club are to die for,” he declares, completely transparent. “Did you know, the martini is one of the top five drinks people order on a first date?”

Abrupt subject change coupled with a random fact that doesn’t sound completely true; Jungkook is nervous. It’s exasperating and endearing all at once.

“That’s… interesting. Maybe you should’ve invited your single friends tonight. Or if this DJ is an ex-colleague, at least the ones in your group.”

“What, all two of them?”

“Isn’t it three?”

“I don’t think so.” Jungkook shrugs as they pull out of Hannam Hill. “Or maybe it is. I don’t know. Yoongi hyung isn’t very forthcoming about his dating life and I’m too afraid to ask.”

Lia chortles as they turn into the main road, reaching for her party clutch for her phone, when she realises…

“Oh, no,” she mutters under breath.

“What?��

“I, uh…” She bites her lip, internally swearing at herself. “I was moving stuff from my regular bag to the clutch and I forgot… you know what, can we make a quick detour to my apartment? It’s on the way.”

“No, it’s not.”

“Yes, it is. If you take a right after the signal then you can take the parallel road to the church at the end of my street.”

“That’s not the same road - and come on,” he whines, his shoulders falling. “I don’t want to take a detour. What did you even forget? Power bank? Because my phone is fully charged.”

“It’s not a power bank - look, it’s kind of important, Jungkook. It’ll take, like, five extra minutes.”

“But -”

“Kook!”

“What? What did you even forget that’s so important? Is it make-up or something? Because you look -”

“It’s tampons, Jungkook.”

“It’s -”

“Tampons,” she repeats. “And I don’t want to stop at a drugstore because they may not have the exact brand that I use and most of the others chafe… down there.”

There’s a few seconds of silence while Jungkook stares out of the windshield as the car zooms down the road, his ears turning red.

“Which signal was it again?”

True to her word, they reach her three-storey apartment building a few minutes later and jog up the stairs together.

“I swear, I just need to pick up a couple of extras,” she promises him. “The last time I was caught without any on me and then I had to borrow one and it was just the worst time I - oh, my God!”

Lia gasps as she stops in her tracks in the doorway of her apartment, Jungkook right next to her.

“Is that -”

“Water,” she sighs, shaking her head. “Shit, it came into the living room? I thought we fixed that damn leak,” she mutters. She places her hands on her hips and looks up at Jungkook.

“Well?”

Jungkook looks blank. “Well… what?”

“Well… I’m going to have to wade in there,” she says slowly, already dreading it. “Do you want to come?”

“Ordinarily, I would love to because that sounds so fun, but these are Balenciaga.” He raises his right leg to show her his shoes, mimicking her position until Lia looks away.

“Alright. Wait here then,” she tells him, before gingerly placing one heeled foot into the water and cringing in anticipation. It reaches ankle deep, missing the hem of her pants only due to the height of her heels. With no specific attachment to her shoes, she takes a couple of more hesitant steps.

“Ugh, I can hear the faucet dripping from here,” she grumbles. “Sure you want to just wait out there?”

“Totally. You’re doing great, though, baby.” He grimaces as she walks further in. “Is it cold? It looks cold.”

“No, it’s room temperature. I’m just glad it hasn’t reached the sofa or the cushions or anything in the - whoa!” Lia grabs the arm of the chair beside her as she slips, thankfully saving her ankles as her knee breaks the fall.

There’s a sound of splashing before Jungkook is right next to her a second too late. “Shit, you okay?”

“Uh, yeah. No injuries, I think.” She twists to see him kneeling next to her. “What happened to your Balenciagas?”

It seems to have occurred to him only now. “Oh…” He looks down at his shoes, now submerged. “I can try blow drying them, probably?”

“Probably.” She tries to hide a smile before giving up. “Take them off before they get any more damaged, though.”

He takes her advice this time and they both rid themselves of their shoes, tossing them on the chair before splashing their way into the kitchen.

Jungkook whistles. “Wow, that’s some leak,” he remarks, following her as she falls to her knees to get a good look at the thin but steady stream of water spilling from a crack in the pipe. “Is this the only leak?” he wonders out loud before pressing his hand against the crack so the water suddenly stops.

“No, there’s a small one here, too,” she answers, squinting at something on the other side of the pipe, a little higher up. “It’s only a few drops out of this one but it’s still bad enough.”

“Maybe we can -” Jungkook grunts and tugs at the pipe, “- wrench it into place? To block this crack?”

“Doubtful. It’s a really old pipe, too, so I’m afraid it might break.”

“It’s metal - can metal break?”

“I mean… yeah? I guess? Look, it’s all rusted up here.”

“Oh, yeah…”

In his effort to look, Jungkook’s hand slips off the crack and the flow of the water resumes.

“Okay, this can’t go on - we need to block this for now so we can get rid of this fucking flood,” she decides, noting in worry how the water level is slowly rising. “And I’m calling the landlord tomorrow and giving him a piece of my mind.”

“Um -” Jungkook looks around from his position by the pipe. “We have a towel, some flour and stuff… maybe we stick some dough onto it?”

“Worth a shot but I don’t know if it’ll hold till tomorrow. Maybe we should try moving the pipe,” she admits, holding the top of it and wondering if it’ll work.

“Okay, let’s do that. Worst case, we find a plastic or metal box, cut it in just the right dimensions to cover the crack and fix it around the pipe.”

“Worst case.”

Jungkook waves her over and they grip the pipe together. “If this goes south, just remember that I love you.”

Despite the chaos and the fact that her faux leather pants are damp and disgusting, Lia snorts. “Shut up, you dork. Come on, let’s do this.” Both of them pull the top part towards the lower one to try and close the gap.

“A little to the left, come on…”

“It’s - not - moving -” Lia bites her lip and jerks the pipe back, accidentally slipping again and falling back onto her boyfriend. The jolt makes Jungkook tip over and the pipe twists on the rust, bursting.

“Oh, my - “ Jungkook’s words are cut off when a jet of water hits him square in the face. Lia gasps and reaches for the pipe as he fumbles, sputtering, and lunges towards the pipe to turn it away.

“Jungkook, no! It’ll break if you -”

But Lia is cut off as well and almost knocked backwards by the force of the water. It’s everywhere now; her clothes, her hair - she’s fully drenched. Next to her, Jungkook looks like he’s been dunked into a lake, his long thick hair sticking to his forehead.

“Take cover!” he yells, pulling open a cabinet behind him with one hand and yanking something out, while the other hand covers the jet of water uselessly. He replaces it with the lid of a cooking pan and tosses her another one which splashes into the water next to her.

“Thanks! I - Jungkook!” She brandishes the utensil while trying to dodge the water. “It’s a sieve!”

“What?”

“It has holes!”

“I can’t see! Wait -” He crawls towards the cabinet but slips midway, swearing loudly.

“Careful!” She ducks and tries to get to the pipe but feels him grip her forearm and pull her back.

“You’ll hurt yourself!” he yells, handing her another pan. “Jesus - how did you guys let this stupid faucet get this bad?”

“I told you - our landlord is a jackass who ghosts us if we bring up fixtures!”

“Well -” Jungkook pauses, wincing a little as the water continues to ricochet off the pan he’s holding up. “In that case, this is probably as good a time as any to ask you this, but do you want to move in with me?”

Lia almost swallows a mouthful of tap water. “What?”

“Just - I mean, this apartment is unlivable!” he says loudly. “And I’m a much better landlord! And also -” He gags and spits out some water, “- I love you and all!” He shrugs awkwardly, drenched to the bone with his oversized t-shirt sticking to his shoulders and chest.

Lia tries - she really tries - to keep a straight face, to attempt to understand what goes on in Jungkook’s head. But it’s a lost cause, for at the end of the day, whatever it is, it just works. Through the irritation at her landlord and the general shock of being waterboarded by a broken pipe, she sees it. A shine in his doe eyes, a hint of nervousness.

She doesn’t realise immediately why the water hits her suddenly with force or why Jungkook’s eyes widen belatedly.

“What are you doing? The water is - oh.” The anticipation turns into the beginnings of a smile when he works out why she has knee walked all the way towards him and he stands on his knees as well, just as she reaches him and places her arms around his neck, and kisses him.

When she pulls away, he’s grinning. “That’s a yes?”

“That’s a thank God you finally asked.”

Jungkook nods sheepishly. “I wanted it to be perfect, honestly. I was just waiting for the right time and -” He sighs, shaking his head so droplets of water fall from his hair.

“You know what? I think this, unexpected as it was, is pretty perfect,” she says honestly. “So… I guess that’s a yes,” she clarifies, meeting him in a kiss once again.

There’s a muffled sound and then a splash, followed by a gasp.

“Oh, my God! What the fuck?”

Jungkook jerks away, pursing his lips. “As long as he is never allowed in our house,” he declares, glaring and pointing in the direction of the living room.

She gives him a look. “Pretty sure you’ll crack before I do on that front,” she guesses, just as Dal appears in the doorway of the kitchen, looking incredulous.

“What the fuck happened in here?”

“What do you think? That damn faucet,” she snaps, pointing at it. “This is the landlord’s problem now - he and his insurance can handle it.”

“I agree, but - God, are you guys okay?”

“Yeah, we were using lids…” Jungkook picks his up and places it in front of the stream of water, much more unfazed about it now than he was before.

“Lids? Why didn’t you guys just turn off the water?” Taking a long step across the flooded kitchen floor, he reaches for a panel behind the left-most cabinet and twists a lever - and the water stops.

Speechless, Lia turns to look at Jungkook who is looking back at her with equal dismay. “We thought of dough before we thought of turning off the water,” he mutters, shaking his head.

“And we’re taking it to the grave,” she replies, squeezing his hand.

He’s wet, his designer clothes ruined - but Jeon Jungkook is glowing. A moment later, he squeezes her hand back.

“Deal.”

—

Thank you for reading. Don’t forget to leave a review :)

#jungkook x oc #jungkook x reader #jungkook fanfic #thebtswritersclub #btshoneyhive #bangtanwhq #bangtantheatrenet #bangtanbathhouse #k-vanity #wkcnet #bangtanoasis #bts jungkook fanfic #bts jungkook angst

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wannaeatramyeon · 1 year ago

Note

you write characters pretty accurately so i was wondering what you think their reaction would be to reading the fanfics people write about them? also love your work💜💜

lol... thanks anon. I mean technically this is a request and I have been deleting them but-

Lookism/HTF react to their fanfics...

Disgusted

Doesn't want to think about it. Doesn't want to go anywhere near it. Leave them alone.

Johan Seong: C'mon, be serious. This edgelord will hate how people depict him. If it's accurate then he will get defensive, if it's not then he will get offended. Fluff, angst, soft, smut, doesn't matter. Does enjoy when Eden and/or Miro makes an appearance though.

Blushing

No interest in reading about it, makes them embarrassed and flustered to know that the fandom thinks about them that way.

+ Daniel Park, Jay Hong, Vasco Tabasco, Jace Park, Lineman, Brad Lee, Jerry Kwon, Han Wangguk

Flattered

Skims over fanfics. In awe, reluctantly impressed.

Jake Kim: Wow they think he's that handsome huh? That much of a green flag? Nice! A little disturbed but chuckles at Jake/Samuel shipping. What will these crazy fans think of next.

Ji Yeonwoo: Would blush but used to the thirst from his Study Newtuber days.

Ryuhei Kuroda: Damnit. Look at all the possibilities if only his dong works properly.

+ Zack Lee, Sinu Han, Eli Jang, Warren Chae, Jibeom Kwak, Jason Yoon, Kim Munseong

Doesn't give a shit

^ what more is there to say.

Samuel Seo: doesn't give a shit until he decides to compare how popular he is next to Jake Kim. And then... wtf! Prepare for another mental breakdown. Jake/Samuel shipping? He hates it. (Hates it less when he's the top though.)

Gun Park: Gives zero fucks. Barely reacts when they mention him as a dom. Well, of course. Have you seen him? Cracks the tiniest smirk when he realises the fandom likes to write Goo as the whiniest mf-ing sub ever.

+ James Lee, Hudson Ahn, Jihan Kwak, Xiaolong, Baek Hangyeol, Seong Taehoon, Lee Jinho, Seo Haesu

Expected, surprised there isn't more.

They have fans, they have ego, they have a reputation. Of course they would expect fanfics of them.

+ Vin Jin, DG, Baek Seongjun

Writes their own

Goo Kim: Excuse me?? Why are there so many Gun simps and so few Goo simps? He doesn't even care how he is depicted.

This degenerate will write whatever to push his numbers up. X reader, canon shipping, him breaking the verse. Anything.

Sinu Han: writes the Jake/Samuel fics

#lookism #lookism webtoon #lookism manhwa #lookism x reader #viral hit #viral hit headcanons #how to fight #how to fight headcanons #wannaeatramyeon #lookism hc

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poomphuripan · 4 months ago

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Hey! Have you watched 'Your Name Engraved Herein' ? I did it last weekend, and I'm still feeling very miserable. Do you have recommendations for shows/movies that offer the same visceral kind of pain? I'm a sucker for angst so I really wanna see if anything can surpass what this movie did to me lol. ^_^

hi nonnie (❁´◡`❁)

Your Name Engraved Herein is literally an iconic queer film, who HASN'T seen it (┬┬﹏┬┬) It stills leave me reeling after so many weeks after watching it.

But I grew up watching sad angsty LGBTQIA+ films so I've grown accustomed to this specific genre of sad LGBTQIA+ films i wanna bawl my eyes out after watching. so here's a few recommendations you've probably seen already, but i'm just here to give you a nudge to watch them in case you haven't seen (though it's my personal recommendation to take a break or watch happy things in between these films or else after the first few films, you're just numb to the pain and misery, and won't be able to maximize emotional connectability with the characters).

1. Happy Together (1997) dir. Wong Kar Wai

Synopsis: Ho Po Wing and Lai Yiu Fai, a couple from pre-handover Hong Kong, visit Argentina hoping to renew their ailing relationship. The two have a pattern of abuse, followed by break-ups and reconciliations. One of their goals in Argentina is to visit the Iguazu waterfalls, which serves as a leitmotif in the movie.

my thoughts: i didn't know what the hype was with wong kar wai until i watched this film. 100/10 cinematography and it breaks me every time.

2. Brokeback Mountain (2005) dir. Ang Lee

Synopsis: Two modern-day cowboys meet on a shepherding job in the summer of ’63, the two share a raw and powerful summer together that turns into a lifelong relationship conflicting with the lives they are supposed to live.

my thoughts: not the best of its genre but i cried a lot watching it the first time so i'm giving it a little space here in this list. Ang Lee has delivered a lot more LGBTQIA+ films

3. Lan Yu (2001) dir. Stanley Kwan

Synopsis: Set in Beijing in the late 1980s and early 1990s, the film makes vivid reference to the Tiananmen Square massacre. Lan Yu, an architecture student in desperate need of money, finds himself in the bed of successful businessman Chen Han Dong. While Lan Yu falls in love, Chen tries his best to avoid emotional attachment, showering Lan Yu with expensive gifts and even getting married. However, as the years go by, Chen soon realizes that he cannot live without Lan Yu.

my thoughts: god i want to quote this entire film as i was watching it. THE ANGST. THE PAIN. it's been recently restored in 4k so i rewatched it a while back, god the pain is still visceral.

4. Farewell My Concubine (1993) dir. Chen Kaige

Synopsis: Abandoned by his prostitute mother in 1920, Douzi was raised by a theater troupe. There he meets Shitou and over the following years the two develop an act entitled “Farewell My Concubine” that brings them fame and fortune. When Shitou marries Juxian, Douzi becomes jealous, the beginnings of the acting duo’s explosive breakup and tragic fall take root.

my thoughts: pain. pain. pain. pain. pain. ABSOLUTE PAIN. but also i adore poetic and tragic films so this was THAT masterpiece for me.

5. Maurice (1987) dir. James Ivory

Synopsis: After his lover rejects him, Maurice, a young man in early 20th-century England, trapped by the oppressiveness of Edwardian society, tries to come to terms with and accept his sexuality.

my thoughts: hugh grant is gay af and i'm always here for it. i never fully bought him being charming male lead in all those het romcoms he got

happy watching! \(￣︶￣*\))

#claire replies #your name engraved herein #happy together #brokeback mountain #lan yu #farewell my concubine #maurice

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luvkyu · 1 year ago

Text

luvkyu's masterlist ★!

mostly fluff

all lowercase intended

most written in third pov

nct

nicotine ( lee taeyong ) fluff

loveholic ( jeong jaehyun ) fluff

dear soulmate ( dong sicheng/winwin ) fluff

my love, i still ( mark lee ) angst/fluffish

240516 ( huang renjun ) angst

i want to be with you ( lee jeno ) angst

rivals ( lee donghyuck ) angstish/fluff

ego ( na jaemin ) angstish/fluff

240605 ( liu yangyang ) fluff

dunk shot ( zhong chenle ) fluff

rumors ( park jisung ) angst

seventeen

my everything ( jeon wonwoo ) fluff

home with u ( lee dokyeom/dk ) fluff

babygirl ( kim mingyu ) fluff/smut

stray kids

all too well ( bang chan ) angst/fluffish

nights like this ( bang chan + lee felix ) fluff

injury ( seo changbin ) angst/fluff

princess ( han jisung ) fluff/angst

nail polish ( yang jeongin ) fluff

misc

dysphoric ( choi yeonjun ) fluff/angstish

idol boyfies ( huening kai ) fluff

you & i ( yang jungwon ) angstish/fluff

what are we? ( park jongseong/jay ) fluff

beautiful boy ( kim sunoo ) fluff/angstish

vacation ( park seonghwa ) fluff

inkigayo ( lee juyeon ) fluff

so let's love ( yoon dowoon ) fluff

sleepless ( yoon keeho ) fluff

dawn ( choi jiung ) angstish/fluff

star ( kim jiwoong ) fluff

and i ( zhang hao ) fluff

heart stop ( jung sungchan ) fluff

makeup ( hong seunghan ) fluff

#masterlist

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tenderlywicked · 8 months ago

Text

Rules: List the first line of your last 10 (posted) fics and see if there's a pattern!

@clawbehavior, thanks for tagging me :)

And Silence Afterwards (Doctor Who, Doctor/Master, a bit of BDSM and a lot of angst)

The general public might be unaware of that, but the main sadistic feature in kinky clubs is almost always the queue to the wardrobe.

Vicious Games (Doctor Who, Wild Blue Yonder AU, non-con)

It’s not like the Master has something against eldritch beings per se.

So I Could Be Kind, So I Could Be Nice (Doctor Who, 14th Doctor whump)

He should have insisted on getting back to the TARDIS on his own.

Pretty Flowers Wilt Too Soon (Beyond Evil, prison AU)

The first thought that comes to Dong Sik’s mind is utterly ridiculous: blue doesn’t suit Han Joo Won.

My Worst Habit Is You (Are You Human Too?)

Knowing both Nam Shin and his grandfather, Ji Young Hoon should have expected his best intentions would lead to disaster.

Live Like Scum, Die Like a Hero (Designated Survivor: 60 Days)

It’s a common misconception that one dies immediately from a shot to the head.

How Much Do You Like Me? (The Devil Judge)

It happens like this: one day, when he’s racing his car on an empty Alpine highway somewhere near Brienz, he’s suddenly overcome by a temptation to close his eyes and let go of the wheel.

The Rest of Your Life (In Pain) (kdrama Blind)

Come to think of it, Ryu Sung Hoon’s days in prison don’t differ much from his usual routine.

In a Rational and Sensible Way (Beyond Evil, asexual or demisexual Han Joo Won, some BDSM, but mostly angst and hurt/comfort)

It’s not the right time, put mildly.

How Lucky Is That (Word of Honor)

Zhou Zishu will never admit it out loud, but he isn’t immune to flattery.

Any similarities, huh?

Tagging @roxannepolice @tiffanylamps @veraynes-blog @berlynn-wohl. Participate if you want to :)

#docotr who #doctor/master #the devil judge #beyond evil #kdrama blind #designated survivor 60 days #are you human too #tensimm #saxteen #thoschei

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katierosefun · 1 year ago

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hey caroline, i really hope you're doing well and that you have the best time on your road trip (you definitely deserve it) 💛

if you would be so kind, could i please get a jwds story involving number 28 from the angst prompt list 😊

aaah of course bo!! thank you for the prompt <33 // from these prompts

He hadn’t meant to say that out loud, but the words were said and done, and now he’s standing at Joo Won’s door like a kicked dog.

Well, that comparison isn’t exactly right. More like he’s the owner who had kicked the dog and was now groveling for forgiveness.

But that comparison isn’t right either, because Dong Sik’s stomach sours at the thought of comparing Han Joo Won to a dog. Then he remembers that one story Joo Won had told Dong Sik about his dad, one of those stories that are only ever told in the dead of night, and Dong Sik would have screamed down the entire apartment building if the door hadn’t just opened in front of him.

Joo Won stares at Dong Sik.

“You’re…”

Home, Dong Sik almost says, but he stops himself last second. He doesn’t want to think of Joo Won’s apartment as his actual home. Selfishly, he thinks that home to describe this place is all wrong. (Home is wherever they are together. Home is the records of classical music that Joo Won had chosen out for Dong Sik. Home is the folded laundry at the foot of the bed that they’ve started sleeping in together. Home is the fact that Joo Won left his umbrella on the hook again, and it’d been raining all day today, and Dong Sik kept thinking that the idiot was without his umbrella.)

“You’re here,” Dong Sik says instead.

“This is my place,” Joo Won says.

“I thought you’d still be at the station,” Dong Sik says.

“Then why would you come here,” Joo Won asks.

Dong Sik had somehow forgotten how direct Joo Won is. And how frustrating he could be in his directness. But at the same time, a small part of Dong Sik whispers that he deserves to be.

“I dunno,” Dong Sik replies, sticking his hands in his pockets. “I never said I was smart, did I.” Then, tilting his head towards Joo Won, he asks, “Can I come in?”

Joo Won curls his hand around the edge of the door.

For a frightening second, Dong Sik thinks that he might slam the door in his face. (Again, he would deserve that too.)

But instead, Joo Won opens the door a little wider.

When Dong Sik comes in, he notices that the closet door’s wide open. It’s much emptier than the last time Dong Sik had been here, because so many of Joo Won’s clothes just happen to be back in Manyang at the moment. The thought makes Dong Sik’s heart squeeze only that much more.

Behind him, Dong Sik hears the gentle pop of a bottle being opened. When he turns around, he finds Joo Won pouring out whiskey into a glass.

“Would you like one,” Joo Won asks, not looking at him.

“I’m fine.”

Joo Won nods, still not looking.

When he comes back around, Dong Sik says, “I’ll get right to the point.”

Joo Won doesn’t say anything, just sips from his glass.

Dong Sik inhales. “I’m sorry,” he says. “About last night.”

He twists his hands, then stops. He rests them on his knees instead, forcing himself to meet Joo Won’s eye. Only Joo Won still won’t look at him. He’s too busy turning the glass around his hands, as though that’s the most interesting thing in the world. Again, Dong Sik can’t bring himself to blame him.

“It was wrong of me to say,” Dong Sik says quietly.

“It wasn’t, though,” Joo Won says. He sets his glass down on the table, dark eyes slowly traveling to meet Dong Sik’s gaze. “You were right.”

Dong Sik’s heart falls. “No,” he says. “I wasn’t.”

“You were,” Joo Won says. “We don’t need to pretend anymore, do we.” He picks up his glass again. “I kept coming back because I was guilty. You kept tolerating me because you didn’t want me to feel guilty.” His voice catches at the end. “Therefore.”

“No,” Dong Sik says, throat tight. “I don’t tolerate you. It’s not like that. It was never like that.”

“Then what was it supposed to be,” Joo Won says wearily. He swallows more from his glass, then gets up. Probably to reach for some more. “If you didn’t tolerate me, what else would it have been.”

Dong Sik gets up, following Joo Won to the cupboard. He watches Joo Won pour himself another glass. “It wasn’t me just tolerating you.”

“Hating me, then,” Joo Won says.

“Yah.” Dong Sik straightens against the counter. “Don’t say that.”

“It’s what we’re both thinking,” Joo Won says, lifting the glass to his mouth. “Hatred is just one step deeper than barely tolerating someone. And you don’t tolerate me, therefore.”

Dong Sik watches Joo Won down the entire drink before saying, “I didn’t keep you around because I hate you. That doesn’t make sense.”

“No?” Joo Won asks. “You’re good at pretending.”

Dong Sik hears the dangerous teeter in Joo Won’s voice and wills himself to breathe. “What’s that supposed to mean.”

For the first time that night, Joo Won starts to smile. It’s a bitter one, an ugly twist of the mouth that makes Dong Sik suddenly remember their older days. Their earliest days, the ones where Dong Sik had thought that Joo Won was nothing more than a blip in his life, yet another frustrating person he would have to endure. Now, staring at that ugly smile, Dong Sik’s chest caves into itself at the thought of never seeing Joo Won ever again. (He’d gotten a taste of it a year ago, when he hadn’t seen Joo Won for that long. And then he’d gotten an even sharper taste of it last night, when he’d just let Han Joo Won storm out of the house.)

“Park Jeong Je,” Joo Won says. “You tolerated him even after you knew.”

Dong Sik stills. “You aren’t Jeong Je,” he says. “Don’t compare yourself to him.”

“You had a feeling,” Joo Won says. “And you still kept him around. Because you’re good at pretending.”

“Han Joo Won.”

Voice dipping, Joo Won says, “Han Ki Hwan.”

Dong Sik curls his fingers inwards. “Stop it,” he says. “You’re drunk.”

“You looked him in the eye,” Joo Won says. “You had a feeling of what he was even before the truth came out. You knew what he was, and you could still walk into his office.” He looks at Dong Sik, no longer smiling. “Why wouldn’t you want to stop pretending. I would too.”

For a whole breath, Dong Sik can just stare at Joo Won.

He feels too many things at once: first, that deep, stinging hurt in his chest that Han Joo Won would ever think that he would only pretend to like Han Joo Won. As though the months spent together would all be some long game of a ruse, as though Dong Sik hadn’t been the one to goad Joo Won into finally telling him how he truly felt. As though Dong Sik hadn’t been the one to pace the floors in the weeks after, wondering exactly what business he had in shaking a young, healthy man like Han Joo Won into the cobwebs of his own life. As though Dong Sik hadn’t been the one to toss and turn last night, wondering exactly what idiot like him would just let someone like Han Joo Won walk away.

And then, the second feeling: sharper, colder, cutting right into Dong Sik’s chest, is that hurt that comes along with thinking that Han Joo Won would ever think that he could possibly be hated by Dong Sik.

So Dong Sik reaches for Joo Won’s hand, and when Joo Won tries to pull away, he holds on fast.

“Joo Won-ah,” he says quietly.

“Stop,” Joo Won says, and his voice sounds too thin, and his hands are shaking, which is all the more reason why Dong Sik holds on.

“I don’t hate you,” Dong Sik says.

Joo Won rubs his face with his spare hand.

“I don’t hate you,” Dong Sik repeats, softer.

Joo Won’s face is hidden behind his hand, but Dong Sik hears the shudder in his voice when he asks, “You don’t?”

And then: “you should.”

Dong Sik’s chest pangs.

“No,” he says, and he reaches, peeling back Joo Won’s fingers until he sees his red eyes. “I didn’t ask you to stay because of guilt or hatred or any of that.” He holds onto Joo Won’s hands, desperate to hold him still, steady. “I wouldn’t be standing here and apologizing for last night if I hated you. Or if I tolerated you. Or even if I only liked you.”

He looks at Joo Won, hoping that he hears the rest. “You realize what that only leaves, don’t you?”

He can’t bring himself to say it, not just yet. That’s a fault he’ll have to work on in his own time, but he squeezes Joo Won’s hands tighter, as though that alone might say what he means.

Please, Dong Sik thinks, and Joo Won looks back at him, eyes still red but just a fraction wider.

“You do?” Joo Won asks at last.

“Of course I do,” Dong Sik replies. “I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t.”

And at that, Joo Won makes a small sound that could have been a sob or a groan. Dong Sik isn’t sure, but Joo Won says, “I thought you came here to call this off.”

“Well,” Dong Sik says, trying (and failing) for a smile, “my communication has been off lately, I think.”

Joo Won makes another sound, one that might have been a laugh, but there are tears in it, and Dong Sik brings him in close. He feels Joo Won’s face bury into his neck a second later, and then he feels trembling hands resting at his back.

Dong Sik closes his eyes, letting his chin rest on Joo Won’s shoulder. “I do,” he repeats, and he’ll say that as many times to Joo Won as he can.

#my fic #answered #beyond evil #. . . i was listening to 'mess it up' by gracie abrams over and over and over and over while writing this HA

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