#i forgot how miserable it is to crush on someone

[letoscrawls]

i've been watching romcoms for two days straight and it's starting to have a lethal effect on my psyche

Like i'm so done i wanna go back to my studies and my silly little shows with aliens and giant worms

[enhasntty]

Sunshine And Scowls - YJW

pairing: yang jungwon x f!reader summary: A grumpy university student reluctantly bonds with her cheerful classmate, Jungwon, after he persistently tries to get close. From a group project, to a surprise party. As the two of you become closer, you slowly realize that despite your differences, you might just like him more than you'd care to admit. warnings: Reader calls jungwon a "pain in the ass", they kiss, reader is kind of rude to jungwon and make a lot of sarcastic comments, reader gets jealous, lmk if I forgot anything else genre: Fluff, Grumpy x sunshine word count: 17042 note: I kind of gave up on this so it might seem repetitive but I still wanted to post something today. Please like and reblog and follow!! They are very much appreciated.

Jungwon wasn’t sure what had possessed him to walk out of the library and take a detour to the back of the campus. But there you were, leaning against a brick wall. Your expression was the kind of miserable that made everyone else around you feel guilty for breathing. It was like you were daring the universe to make your day worse, and he, a walking ray of sunshine, had decided to stroll right into it.

He paused a few feet away. You didn’t seem to notice him at first, and for a moment, Jungwon considered turning around. He wasn’t exactly in the mood to deal with someone who looked like they wanted to throw a punch at the next person who spoke.

But no. He was Jungwon. Smiley, always-trying-to-help Jungwon. He had to do something.

He cleared his throat, stepping closer. “Hey, uh, is this seat taken?”

You looked up at him, eyes narrowing slightly, as if he were some kind of stray dog daring to approach. He wasn’t fazed; he had a smile for this kind of situation. He flashed it at you-big, bright, with his dimples poking out just a little, because he knew it was hard to resist.

You didn’t even flinch.

“Seriously, you're gonna try and talk to me now?”

Jungwon blinked. Was that… was that a challenge? He’d been hit with a lot of things before, but that tone? That was next level.

“Uh, yeah?” he said, trying to keep his cool. “I mean, it’s a free country, right?”

“Clearly.” “But I’m not sure ‘freedom’ includes being your therapist.”

He could’ve sworn he saw the ghost of a smile at the corner of your lips, but it was gone so fast he couldn’t be sure. Still, that didn’t stop him from being hopeful.

“Not a therapist,” Jungwon said, his grin widening. “Just a guy looking to not die of boredom on his way back to class.”

You stared at him for a moment. “Right. Because your best idea for curing boredom is me?”

Jungwon let out a small laugh, totally unfazed. “Yeah, I mean, you look like you’ve got a lot going on. Might be fun to… I don’t know… complain about school or something.”

You let out a dry laugh, a mix of sarcasm and bitterness. “Oh, absolutely. Let me tell you about my deeply meaningful relationship with procrastination and the crushing weight of my student loans.”

He chuckled, unable to resist. “Sounds like a good start to me.”

“Trust me,” you said, deadpan, “the only thing I’m invested in right now is my hatred for group projects.”

“That’s… pretty relatable,” Jungwon admitted, looking like he wanted to sit down but wasn’t sure how to breach your fortress of apathy. “But, hey, I’m Jungwon. I’m in the business of-”

“Smiling like an idiot?” you interrupted, your voice flat. “Yeah, I gathered that.”

He was taken aback, but only for a second. He laughed again, the dimples on his cheeks deepening as he grinned. You made it too easy.

“Okay, okay,” he said, holding up his hands in mock surrender. “I admit, I might smile too much. But it’s better than being, I don’t know, a walking storm cloud.” He leaned against the wall beside you, pretending to adjust his backpack. “You look like you could use a little sunshine in your life.”

You gave him the most unimpressed look. “If I wanted sunshine, I would’ve gone to a beach. This is… campus.”

He squinted at the sky for a moment. “I mean, it’s technically sunny… somewhere, right?”

You shook your head and sighed dramatically. “You’re really persistent. I’ll give you that.”

“And that’s why I'm so amazing,” he teased, his grin stretching wider, clearly enjoying this.

You shot him a look that could’ve melted steel, but Jungwon wasn’t fazed. “Keep dreaming, sunshine,” you muttered. “I’m just here to get through the day without punching anyone.”

“Fair enough,” he said, giving you an exaggerated, overly cheery wave. “Catch you later, then.”

You didn’t even look at him as he walked away, still grinning to himself. The conversation had been weirdly… refreshing. Even if you did look like you wanted to strangle him half the time.

You were absolutely not going to let it bother you.

But as Jungwon disappeared into the distance, you couldn’t help but wonder how long it would take before that annoying, relentless sunshine found its way back to you.

Mornings had never been your thing. In fact, mornings were the embodiment of everything wrong in the universe-especially when you were forced to attend early lectures that made you question why you even bothered getting out of bed in the first place. The clock buzzed way too early, your bed felt way too warm, and the thought of dragging yourself through another day was almost enough to make you reconsider dropping out and living off instant noodles in your dorm room.

But that wasn’t an option. Not yet, anyway.

You stumbled out of bed, your eyes still blurry from the late-night studying (scrolling through tiktok on your phone) and the lack of sleep that seemed to follow you everywhere like an unavoidable cloud of doom. After an agonizingly slow attempt at making yourself somewhat presentable for class, you were finally out the door-barely. The only thing keeping you upright was the steaming cup of coffee in your hand and the hope that the caffeine would somehow revive your spirit.

Of course, fate had other plans.

You turned the corner of the campus quad, your shoes making a slap on the pavement, when a certain pair of dimples appeared in your peripheral vision.

Jungwon. Of course.

He was standing near the entrance of the library, just outside, the sun glinting off his messy hair as he grinned like he had won some sort of award. It was as though he had just been waiting for the perfect moment to talk to you, despite the fact that you had given him zero encouragement to do so in the past week.

You didn’t even try to hide the groan that escaped your lips as you turned away, pretending you hadn’t seen him. Maybe if you ignored him, he would go away.

But no. Jungwon was the type of person who never gave up. Ever.

“Hey! Good morning!” His voice rang through the air, too loud and way too cheery for your liking. His smile was practically blinding, and you could feel the force of his positivity barreling toward you, despite your best efforts to stay hidden.

You pressed your lips together and kept walking, slow and steady, pretending like you didn’t hear him. Maybe if you moved at a pace that made him think you were on a mission, he’d stop following you.

But no. There he was again, stepping in front of you in the most ridiculous way possible, like a puppy that had just learned how to walk and needed constant attention.

“Wait up! Come on, it’s just me,” Jungwon said, his voice laced with that infuriating optimism you could practically feel radiating off him. “You look like you need company today.”

“I look like I need sleep,” you muttered under your breath, hoping he wouldn’t hear you. But knowing him, he probably would.

He did.

“Sleep sounds pretty great,” he agreed, nodding enthusiastically like a little kid who had just gotten a candy bar for breakfast. “But you know what else sounds amazing?”

You were already bracing yourself. You knew this would be some random, probably absurd statement that made absolutely no sense to you, but you had to listen anyway. “What?” you asked flatly, your voice as uninterested as you could make it.

“Coffee!” He beamed at you like he had just come up with the world’s most profound logical answer. “I bet you need some! Want me to get you one from that place near the main building?”

You gave him a side-eye that could’ve sliced through steel. “I have my coffee right here,” you said, holding the cup up just slightly, hoping to make it clear that you didn’t need him to save you.

“But your coffee isn’t from that place,” Jungwon pointed out, raising an eyebrow as though he had caught you in some big lie. “You’ve got the basic stuff. It’s not the good stuff.”

“It’s not ‘basic.’ It’s… functional,” you grumbled, taking another sip to emphasize your point.

He tilted his head, squinting like you had just confused him with your logic. “What’s wrong with basic? I think ‘basic’ coffee is pretty great, too.” He laughed, clearly enjoying himself. “I just… you know, thought you might want something special today. You look like you need something special.”

Your eyes narrowed as you studied his smiling face. “I’m fine, Jungwon. Seriously.”

It was like you had spoken in a foreign language. He simply shrugged and continued his relentless pursuit. “Okay, okay, but you know what else sounds good? A nice, big breakfast. We could grab something from the cafeteria! Pancakes. Eggs. Bacon.” He dragged out the last word with such fervor that you almost believed he was a personal spokesperson for bacon.

But you weren’t in the mood for breakfast food. Or anything really. You just needed to survive this lecture and go back to sleep. “I’m not hungry,” you said again, your tone a little sharper this time.

He didn’t seem to take the hint.

“Are you sure?” Jungwon asked, his eyes sparkling with that unwavering positivity. “I’ve heard that the cafeteria has the best bacon today! And the pancakes-they’re seriously huge. You could probably eat like… five or six.”

That was enough.

You stopped walking, turned to face him fully, and glared. Your patience had worn thin, and it seemed like the coffee hadn’t quite done its magic just yet. “You’re honestly insufferable,” you said, barely keeping your voice down. “What makes you think I want to talk to you right now? Do you enjoy making people uncomfortable on purpose?”

Jungwon blinked, a little taken aback by your sudden sharpness. But, as always, he recovered quickly. His dimples deepened as he gave you that smile again, this time not so much innocent but more like he was genuinely amused by your lack of enthusiasm.

“I mean, you look like you could use someone to talk to,” he said cheerfully. “I’m just trying to help out! I get that mornings aren’t your thing, but hey, you don’t have to go through the day alone.” He beamed, clearly proud of his attempt to be the “good guy” here.

You could feel your eye twitching. “What makes you think I need help? I don’t need anything from you, Jungwon,” you said dryly. “Except maybe a little distance. I mean, seriously, can you just let me go to class in peace? I don’t have the mental energy to fight through whatever this is.”

You pointed to him, your finger jabbing the air as though you were physically trying to push him out of your way. “You’re like a walking sunbeam, and it’s too much for me right now.”

Jungwon’s grin only widened at the jab. He took a half step back, holding his hands up in mock surrender. “Okay, okay, I get it,” he said, still laughing under his breath. “But hey, I’m just trying to make your day a little brighter, y’know?”

“Yeah,” you deadpanned. “Well, maybe you should try dimming it down a bit. You’re like a human lightbulb.”

His eyes twinkled at your sarcasm, and for a moment, you almost felt like he was enjoying being the target of your frustration. “I’ll take that as a compliment. If I’m a lightbulb, then I’m the energy-efficient kind, right? So I’m not too much.”

You exhaled deeply, your patience having completely evaporated as you stared at the bright-eyed idiot in front of you. “I’m going to class, Jungwon,” you said, your voice flat. “And you’re not coming with me.”

“But why?” he asked, looking almost genuinely puzzled by the idea that you might not want him tagging along.

“Because,” you said, turning your back on him with a sigh of finality, “I’d rather face a thousand group projects than have to listen to your chipper morning commentary.”

You heard a burst of laughter behind you, followed by the sound of footsteps trailing after you. “Fair enough! But hey, maybe I can catch you after class?”

“No,” you snapped, turning just enough to shoot him a glare over your shoulder.

But as Jungwon continued to follow you-his grin still there, like a damn puppy who had just been fed-he made one thing painfully clear: there was no escaping his relentless, absurdly cheerful presence.

And, for the first time in your life, you almost wished there was.

You weren’t sure if it was the universe’s cruel joke or just Jungwon’s unyielding persistence that landed him next to you in class. But there he was, sitting down beside you like he had some sort of permanent claim to your space. It wasn’t even the first time he had done this-he had a habit of showing up wherever you were, like an overenthusiastic puppy that had somehow learned to operate on your schedule. It was like a cursed game of hide and seek, except there were no winners.

You didn’t even try to hide the way you glared at him as he settled in next to you. It wasn’t personal, well, maybe it was a little, but you were just so damn tired. The last thing you wanted in your already draining lecture was the relentless force of sunshine that was Jungwon. Couldn’t he pick someone else to grace with his presence for once?

“Good morning!” he said, his voice annoyingly cheerful as he dropped his bag next to his seat.

You didn’t respond, hoping your silence would be enough to communicate your feelings. It wasn’t.

“Man, you really look tired,” he said, his gaze flicking to your slouched posture. He had no filter, not that you were surprised. “I mean, it’s not even halfway through the lecture yet and you look like you’d rather be anywhere else.”

That was because you would rather be anywhere else. But instead of letting him see you crumble under the weight of another too-early class, you rolled your eyes and pulled your notes in front of you, trying your best to ignore him.

“Yeah, well, mornings are evil,” you muttered under your breath, more to yourself than to him.

Jungwon didn’t miss a beat. “Evil? That’s a bit dramatic, don’t you think?” He smiled, wide and innocent, as though he had never seen a single evil thing in his life. You could almost hear the ‘naive sunshine’ soundtrack playing in the background.

You tilted your head slightly to the side, glaring at him. “Oh, I’m sorry, was that too much for your pure heart to handle?”

He chuckled, clearly unfazed by your sarcasm. “No, no, it’s just… I think I like your grumpiness. It’s… endearing.”

You snorted, making no attempt to hide your disbelief. “Endearing? Really? Are we in some weird romantic comedy, or did I just time travel to a parallel universe where sarcasm is considered cute?”

“Hey, I didn’t say it was adorable or anything,” he said, leaning a little closer as if sharing some deep, world-changing secret. “But I’m definitely entertained.”

“Great, I’m here for your amusement,” you shot back, your voice dripping with dry humor. “I’ll put that on my résumé.”

He didn’t even seem to register the sarcasm. Instead, he leaned back in his seat with that unrelenting, radiant smile. You could practically feel the warmth of his personality radiating in every direction. How was he this… constant?

You shook your head and tried to focus on the lecture, but of course, your mind kept drifting back to him. Jungwon, the human equivalent of a puppy, was sitting there beside you, his smile still wide, his eyes still sparkling, and the dimples on his cheeks were like little magnets, pulling your attention even when you tried to look away.

And it was annoying. God, it was so annoying.

“It’s your fault for being so cute,” he said suddenly, making your stomach lurch and your eyes narrow in irritation.

Your pen clattered loudly on the desk as you swiveled in your chair to face him. “Did you just call me cute? Are you for real right now?”

He nodded, completely unfazed. “I mean, you kind of are. Even when you’re all grumpy.”

You deadpanned, barely able to keep a straight face. “You have absolutely no idea what you’re saying, do you?”

“I know exactly what I’m saying.” His grin stretched impossibly wider, and you fought the urge to roll your eyes once more. You couldn’t help it. How was it possible for someone to be so irritatingly cheerful? You were so tired, and he was just… there-and his constant optimism was like a slap in the face.

He leaned back in his chair, his eyes sparkling with amusement. “You just don’t know how to take a compliment, do you?”

You crossed your arms, already feeling the familiar tension between you start to build. “You’re an absolute menace. I’m convinced that’s your only purpose in life-to annoy the hell out of me.”

“Well,” Jungwon said thoughtfully, glancing around the classroom, “if that’s true, then I’m definitely succeeding.” He looked back at you with that same, ever-present smile. “But you’re kind of fun to mess with.”

“Fun?” you asked, narrowing your eyes. “Are you kidding me? I’m the human equivalent of a bad mood, and you want to mess with me?”

He shrugged as though this wasn’t news to him. “Yeah, but that’s why it’s fun. You’re like… a grumpy cat.” He poked your shoulder lightly, making your body stiffen involuntarily.

“Do not call me a cat,” you growled under your breath. “I’m not cute. I’m not soft. I don’t even like cats.”

Jungwon’s face lit up like he had just won a prize. “See? There’s that fire! I love it.” He leaned back, clearly proud of himself. “I’m not giving up on you, you know.”

You stared at him, dead-eyed. “I wish you would.”

“Not gonna happen,” he said cheerfully, tapping his fingers rhythmically on his notebook. “I mean, you need me. You just don’t know it yet.”

“Yeah, because that’s exactly what I need-more of your… sunshine in my life,” you grumbled, sinking into your seat as though it could absorb all your frustration. You couldn’t even tell if you were genuinely annoyed anymore or if it was just a reflex at this point.

“I don’t know about you,” Jungwon said, suddenly serious, “but I think you’d be a lot less grumpy if you didn’t fight the sunshine so much. You need to take a step back and enjoy life a little more.”

The words hit you in a way that made you freeze. You didn’t expect him to say something like that. Not after all the teasing, the relentless optimism. But there it was-his absurdly sincere comment, like he’d been thinking about it all day.

You blinked, trying to cover up the sudden flutter of irritation mixed with something else. You weren’t sure what it was, but you weren’t about to admit that Jungwon had somehow managed to get under your skin in a way no one else had.

“Whatever, Jungwon,” you muttered, turning your attention back to the front of the class. “Just focus on whatever ridiculously happy thought you’re thinking right now.”

“Okay, okay,” he said with exaggerated seriousness. “But just know, I’m here for you. In case you ever need someone to drag you out of your grumpy little cave.”

“God, you are relentless,” you muttered, rolling your eyes.

Jungwon chuckled under his breath, probably feeling like he had just won the world’s hardest battle. “If it makes you feel better, I think I might just be the only person who could handle your sarcasm.”

You turned to glare at him once more, but this time, there was something different in his expression. His smile wasn’t as bright or as teasing as before. It was softer, a little more sincere, though still laced with the kind of charm that made it impossible for you to stay mad at him for long.

And maybe that was the problem. Because even when you tried to hate him, it was hard to ignore the way your heart gave a little flutter when he smiled. Or the way you felt just a tiny bit lighter in his presence.

But you weren’t going to admit any of that. Not today. Not when the day was already too long and the lecture was only just beginning.

You didn’t know how it happened. One minute, you were minding your own business, trying to ignore the fact that you had an insane amount of work piling up for the week. The next, you were standing next to Jungwon, trying to suppress the overwhelming urge to knock your head against the desk in front of you.

“Guess we’re partners for the project,” Jungwon said, a grin spreading across his face like he had just won the lottery. “Isn’t that awesome?”

You narrowed your eyes at him, the tiny flutter of dread in your stomach slowly growing into full-blown anxiety. You could already feel your energy being drained just by his presence. You had been hoping for a solo project, but here you were-stuck with the human embodiment of a golden retriever on a caffeine high.

“Yeah,” you said flatly, “I’m absolutely thrilled.”

Jungwon chuckled, his eyes sparkling with that unrelenting positivity. “I knew you’d say that! You’re just so easy to predict, y’know?”

“Am I?” You crossed your arms and leaned back in your chair. “Well, let me guess, you’re going to make terrible jokes while I do all the work, right?”

“Hey!” He said with mock offense. “I’m a great partner. I can help lighten the mood, okay? I’m good at that. You’re just… stressed out. That’s all.” He gave you a small, encouraging smile that, for the thousandth time, didn’t quite help ease the anxiety you were feeling.

You deadpanned. “You’re a walking headache.”

His grin didn’t falter. In fact, it seemed to only widen, those dimples of his becoming deeper and more pronounced as he laughed. “Hey, I try to be funny, alright? I’m just here to make your day a little less boring.”

A deep sigh escaped your lips as you stared at your laptop screen, trying to force yourself to focus on the research in front of you. But Jungwon wouldn’t stop. Not even for a second.

You glanced at him out of the corner of your eye as he fiddled with his phone, clearly not doing anything remotely related to the project. He had that look-the one that said, “I’m here for moral support,” but you knew better. The last thing he was contributing to this project was anything remotely useful.

“You know,” Jungwon said after a brief pause, “I’ve always thought group projects would be better if there was a built-in joke timer. Like every five minutes, someone has to tell a joke or make everyone laugh.”

“Oh, yeah, great idea,” you muttered sarcastically. “Because the last thing we need right now is a comedy break while I’m drowning in work.”

“I mean,” he said, leaning back in his chair, “we could always take a break. A quick one. Just for a couple minutes. You know, to get our creative juices flowing.”

You stared at him blankly. “The only thing flowing right now is my blood pressure. And the only thing I need to do is finish this project before I implode.”

“You’re so dramatic,” he said, shaking his head. “It’s honestly kind of cute. Like, you’re mad, but you’re still, you know, adorable.”

“Adorable?” You glared at him, completely unimpressed. “Did you just call me adorable?”

He held up his hands in mock surrender. “I didn’t mean it like that! I just meant that you’ve got that… tough exterior, but it’s clear you’ve got a soft side somewhere. It’s just buried under all that sarcasm.”

“Jungwon,” you growled, your patience wearing thin, “I’m not ‘adorable,’ and I don’t have a ‘soft side.’ I’m just trying to survive this project with my sanity intact.”

He raised an eyebrow. “You really need to take a deep breath, okay? Maybe try a few stretches or something. I can show you some yoga moves. They really help relieve stress.”

The thought of Jungwon doing yoga with his annoyingly good-natured attitude sent a strange wave of disbelief through you. “Do you ever shut up?” you asked, staring at him with wide eyes. “You’re like a chatterbox on caffeine.”

His dimples deepened as he laughed again. “I just can’t help it. You’re too fun to mess with.”

You rubbed your temples, the headache beginning to form in earnest. “I think you’re the one who needs a time-out, not me.”

“Yeah, but time-outs are for people who aren’t fun,” he said, completely ignoring the sarcasm in your tone. “And I’m having way too much fun right now. It’s not my fault you’re a workaholic, you know. I mean, I’m just here trying to keep things light.”

Your gaze flicked back to your laptop, where you had barely managed to type a few lines of your report. The words were blurring together, and all you could hear was Jungwon’s relentless banter.

“You’re honestly a disaster,” you said, unable to hold back your frustration. “I could’ve done this project in half the time without you distracting me.”

“Aw, come on,” he said, flashing that infectious smile of his again. “It’s not that bad. We’re making memories! Think of it as character development. And besides, you’re definitely going to miss me when it’s over.”

“Yeah, no. I’ll be happy to never see you again after this project is done.”

Jungwon’s smile softened. He leaned closer, his voice taking on a more serious tone-well, as serious as Jungwon could get. “You know, you really don’t give yourself enough credit. I’m telling you, you’re doing great. And hey, I’m not going anywhere. You’ve got me stuck for the rest of this project.”

Your eyes narrowed in warning. “Don’t remind me.”

“Okay, okay,” he said, raising his hands defensively. “I’ll give you space to do your thing. But when this is over, I’m taking you out for something good. Food, coffee, whatever you want. I’m getting you something to reward your hard work.”

You exhaled, dragging your hand through your hair as you let out an exasperated sigh. “I don’t need rewards. I need peace.”

Jungwon grinned, leaning back in his chair like a contented cat. “Well, you know where I’ll be when you change your mind.”

You slumped in your chair, staring at the screen, all the while wishing you could just somehow disappear from this situation. But as much as you hated to admit it, there was a strange comfort in the way Jungwon wouldn’t stop. He was like an annoying, cheerful force of nature, and despite the exhaustion and frustration building inside you, part of you couldn’t help but feel a little lighter when he was around.

The problem was, you didn’t want to admit that. Not yet. Not when you were still drowning in work.

The group presentation had been a disaster, as expected.

It wasn’t that Jungwon hadn’t tried-he had, in his own overly cheerful, mildly chaotic way. But he’d been so busy cracking jokes and trying to keep the energy light that he had completely fumbled the key points you’d painstakingly outlined. By the time the professor dismissed the class, you were practically vibrating with barely contained frustration.

“Seriously, Jungwon?” you said as soon as you both stepped out of the lecture hall. The words spilled out, sharp and cutting. “I gave you two things to do. Two. And you still managed to mess it up.”

He winced, scratching the back of his neck. “I know, I know. I’m sorry. I just got… nervous, I guess.”

“Nervous?” you repeated, incredulous. “You’re never nervous. You’re like a walking embodiment of confidence. How does someone like you even get nervous?”

“I don’t know!” he said defensively, his dimples making an appearance despite his flustered state. “It’s not like I planned to screw up, okay?”

You groaned, “Unbelievable.”

Jungwon trailed after you as you headed toward the courtyard, his footsteps quick and purposeful. “Hey, come on. Cut me some slack, would you?”

“Cut you slack?” you repeated, rounding on him. “You’re the reason we probably just tanked our grade! Do you even care about this class?”

“Of course I care!” he said, his voice rising slightly. His usually sunny expression was replaced with something more serious, though the dimples didn’t entirely disappear. “And I care about you, too!”

The words hung in the air between you, heavy and unshakable.

You froze, your eyes narrowing as you stared at him. “What?”

Jungwon looked like he wanted to disappear into the ground. His ears turned bright red, and he shifted uncomfortably under your gaze. “I-uh… I said I care about you,” he repeated, quieter this time.

You took a long pause. “What’s your point?”

“My point is…” He faltered, running a hand through his hair. “I like you, okay? Like, really like you.”

You stared at him, your face unreadable. Then you let out a short, dry laugh. “You’re joking, right?”

“I’m not joking,” he said, his voice steady despite the obvious nerves in his expression. “I’ve liked you for a while now.”

“Wow,” you said flatly. “You sure know how to pick your moments, don’t you?”

“I couldn’t hold it in anymore!” he said, throwing his hands up. “You’re always so… so you. And I like that, even if you drive me insane sometimes.”

“Great. So now you’re in love with your biggest critic.”

Jungwon sighed, running both hands through his hair in frustration. “Why do you have to make everything so difficult?”

“Because that’s who I am,” you replied, your tone dripping with sarcasm. “If you wanted easy, you should’ve fallen for someone else.”

“I don’t want someone else,” he said, stepping closer. “I want you. Even when you’re mad at me. Even when you make me feel like I’m the dumbest person alive. I still want you.”

You blinked, momentarily caught off guard by his intensity. For once, he wasn’t smiling, and his dimples were nowhere in sight. It was unnerving.

“Look,” you said, finally breaking the silence. “I don’t know what you expect me to say to that. I’m not exactly girlfriend material, Jungwon. I’m… complicated.”

“So what?” he said, his voice softening. “I like complicated.”

You stared at him, trying to find some trace of insincerity in his face. But he was Jungwon-annoyingly earnest, painfully sweet, and completely sincere.

“You’re an idiot,” you said, but there was no real bite to your words.

“Maybe,” he said, his dimples reappearing as his lips curved into a small smile. “But I’m your idiot.”

“Don’t push your luck,” you muttered, but the faintest hint of a smile tugged at your lips.

And for the first time that day, the tension in your chest began to ease.

It started as a drizzle during your last lecture of the day. By the time you were shoving your books into your bag and stomping out of the building, the rain had graduated to a steady downpour. Great. Just great. Because, of course, life wasn’t content to leave you with the mess of the group project disaster earlier-it had to soak you to the bone on your way home too.

You pulled your hoodie over your head, muttering curses under your breath as the rain instantly began to seep through the fabric. The sidewalks were slick, puddles forming in every dip and crevice, and the wind cut through your damp clothes like it had a personal vendetta.

As you rounded the corner toward the library to make the miserable walk back to your apartment, you spotted him. Jungwon, standing under the overhang of the library entrance, holding an umbrella that looked far too small for anyone’s actual use.

“Hey!” he called out, waving with his free hand, that familiar grin spreading across his face. Even from a distance, you could see the dimples making their inevitable appearance. He jogged toward you, somehow managing not to slip on the wet pavement.

You groaned inwardly. “What are you doing here?”

“Walking you home,” he said cheerfully, falling into step beside you.

You stopped dead in your tracks, staring at him like he’d just offered to carry you on his back. “Why?”

“Because it’s raining,” he said matter-of-factly, as though that explained everything.

“Wow, thanks for the weather report,” you deadpanned. “But I’m fine. I don’t need an escort.”

“Maybe you don’t,” he said, tilting his head with that infuriatingly bright smile still plastered on his face. “But I do. What if I go home and find out tomorrow that you got struck by lightning or slipped and fell into a storm drain? I’d feel awful.”

You rolled your eyes, pulling your hoodie tighter around you. “I’d feel awful for whoever had to drag me out of the storm drain.”

Jungwon laughed, his dimples deepening. “See? This is why I’m here-to make sure none of that happens. Now, come on.”

He held the umbrella over you, but it barely covered your head and left half of him exposed to the rain. You gave him a withering look. “That thing’s useless.”

“It’s better than nothing,” he said, completely unfazed. “And besides, this way, at least one of us stays kind of dry.”

“Guess which one of us that won’t be,” you muttered, glancing at his soaked sleeve and the rain dripping from his hair.

“I’m fine,” he said breezily, as though he hadn’t just been doused in freezing water. “Come on, let’s go.”

You reluctantly started walking, muttering under your breath about how stupid this all was. The umbrella wasn’t helping much, and within minutes, your jeans were clinging uncomfortably to your legs, and your sneakers squelched with every step.

“Why are you doing this?” you asked after a few minutes of silence, your voice louder than necessary to be heard over the rain.

“Doing what?”

“Walking me home. Getting soaked. Being… you.”

Jungwon shrugged, shifting the umbrella to try (and fail) to cover you both better. “Because I want to. And because it feels right.”

You snorted. “You’re a walking Hallmark card, you know that?”

“Yeah, but I’m your Hallmark card,” he said, flashing you another grin that somehow managed to look just as bright in the rain as it did in the sun.

“Don’t flatter yourself,” you grumbled, though your cheeks warmed despite the cold rain.

The walk stretched on, and though you continued to complain about the rain, about your wet clothes, about the puddles that seemed to appear just in time for you to step in them, you couldn’t help but notice how Jungwon didn’t stop smiling. Even when he stumbled into a particularly deep puddle, soaking his shoes completely, he just laughed and shook it off.

“You’re ridiculous,” you said, shaking your head as he tried (and failed) to wring out the edge of his sleeve while still holding the umbrella.

“Ridiculously charming?” he offered.

“Ridiculously annoying.”

“Same thing.”

You rolled your eyes, but there was a faint smile tugging at your lips that you were pretty sure he didn’t miss.

By the time you reached your apartment, both of you were thoroughly soaked, the umbrella abandoned somewhere along the way after a gust of wind turned it inside out. You paused under the awning of your building, your teeth chattering slightly as you reached into your bag for your keys.

“Well,” Jungwon said, running a hand through his dripping hair. “That was fun, huh?”

“If by ‘fun,’ you mean ‘miserable,’ then sure,” you replied, unlocking the door.

“You’re welcome for the company, by the way,” he said, those dimples making another maddening appearance.

You sighed, leaning against the doorway and giving him an exasperated look. “Why do you keep doing this?”

“Doing what?”

“Being… you,” you said, gesturing vaguely at him. “Showing up. Sticking around. Putting up with me.”

“Because I like you,” he said simply, his smile softening but never faltering. “And because even when you’re grumpy and mean and complain about everything, I’d rather be here with you than anywhere else.”

You stared at him for a long moment, unsure how to respond. Finally, you rolled your eyes and stepped inside. “You’re impossible.”

“And you’re worth it,” he called after you, that infuriating smile still plastered on his face.

You didn’t slam the door in his face like you probably should have. Instead, you lingered in the doorway for a moment, watching as he turned and jogged back into the rain, his hair already plastered to his forehead.

You sighed, shaking your head as you closed the door behind you. “Idiot,” you muttered, though your lips curved into a small, reluctant smile.

It started with a joke. A stupid joke.

You were sitting under the usual tree in the courtyard, nursing a fresh cup of coffee and enjoying the rare moment of peace. The rain from the other day had cleared, leaving behind that annoyingly perfect, crisp autumn air that made everyone else on campus insufferably cheerful. Naturally, that included Jungwon.

“Good morning!” he chirped, appearing out of nowhere like a golden retriever with boundless energy. He plopped down next to you, entirely uninvited, holding two chocolate croissants in a paper bag.

You raised an eyebrow. “What’s this?”

“Breakfast,” he said, handing you one.

You took it begrudgingly. “If this is an apology for the group presentation, I’m not forgiving you.”

“Noted,” he said, biting into his croissant like he hadn’t just made a complete fool of himself in front of your entire class last week. “But no, it’s not an apology. I just figured you’d skip breakfast again, and I couldn’t let you starve.”

You rolled your eyes, but you still took a bite. It was annoyingly good. “What are you, my mom?”

“No,” Jungwon said with a grin, his dimples on full display. “But I am your boyfriend, so…”

You choked on your croissant, coughing loudly as you waved him off. “What?”

He blinked innocently. “You said we were dating, remember?”

You froze, your mind racing back to that stupid, stupid joke you’d made the other day after he’d walked you home in the rain.

“You’re so clingy, we might as well be dating,” you’d said, half-laughing, half-exasperated. At the time, it had felt like a throwaway comment. Something sarcastic, just to mess with him. You hadn’t thought he’d actually believe it.

“Oh my God,” you muttered, burying your face in your hands. “You seriously took that seriously?”

“Well, yeah,” Jungwon said, his voice light and casual, like this was the most normal conversation in the world. “You said it, so I figured you meant it.”

You stared at him, utterly dumbfounded. “You… thought we were actually dating? Like, for real?”

“Why not?” he said, shrugging as his dimples deepened. “I mean, we spend a lot of time together, you’re always yelling at me like an old married couple, and I do like you, so it just… made sense.”

You were at a complete loss for words. What the hell were you supposed to say to that?

“Jungwon,” you began slowly, trying to keep your tone even. “We’re not actually dating. I was joking.”

“Oh,” he said, his expression faltering slightly. Then, as if on cue, his smile returned, brighter than ever. “Well, we could date for real, if you want.”

You groaned, dragging a hand down your face. “I don’t even know what to do with you.”

“Accept my love and devotion?” he offered, leaning back on his hands and grinning at you.

“I didn’t know we were in a relationship,” you teased, smirking as you took another bite of the croissant.

“You didn’t know? Huh. I must’ve forgotten to propose,” he said, his tone laced with faux seriousness.

“Do it now and see how fast I run,” you shot back, narrowing your eyes at him.

“Noted,” he said again, but his dimples stayed put, and his gaze didn’t waver.

That should’ve been the end of it. But, of course, it wasn’t.

Over the next few days, Jungwon leaned way too far into the “boyfriend” joke. He started holding doors open for you everywhere, pulling out chairs in the cafeteria, and even carrying your bag when he saw you struggling under the weight of your books.

“Seriously?” you said one afternoon as he grabbed your bag off your shoulder without so much as a warning. “What are you, my personal porter now?”

“Just being a good boyfriend,” he said cheerfully, slinging the bag over his shoulder like it weighed nothing.

You sighed. “We are not dating.”

“Tell that to your heart,” he teased, earning himself a sharp glare.

The worst part was how unbothered he looked through all of it. Whether you scowled at him, rolled your eyes, or outright told him to stop, Jungwon just smiled back at you, those damn dimples deepening with every interaction.

One day, after class, he even showed up with a coffee in one hand and a small bouquet of flowers in the other.

“What’s this?” you asked, eyeing the flowers like they might attack you.

“Just thought you deserved something nice,” he said, holding them out. “Boyfriend duties, you know?”

You took the flowers begrudgingly, feeling both flattered and incredibly annoyed. “You’re exhausting.”

“And you’re worth it,” he replied without missing a beat.

You hated how warm his words made you feel.

Later that night, as you sat on your bed staring at the flowers in their makeshift vase (a coffee mug you’d forgotten to wash), you found yourself smiling.

You didn’t like birthdays.

It wasn’t that you hated the idea of celebrating a year passing or anything, but it was the attention. The forced smiles, the awkward small talk, the need to pretend to be thrilled when someone handed you a gift you’d never use. It was always a mess of half-forced excitement and too many expectations for something that should’ve just been an ordinary day.

So, naturally, when Jungwon mentioned “surprising you with something special” for your birthday, you’d assumed it was a joke.

“I don’t want anything, really,” you told him, waving off his persistent inquiries. “I’m not big on birthdays.”

“Okay, okay,” he’d said with a grin, his dimples making a rare but welcome appearance. “I won’t go overboard. I promise.”

Of course, you should’ve known better than to trust Jungwon. When does he ever go small?

The day of your birthday, you arrived home from class to find a single text from him: “Be at my place at 7. No excuses!”

You frowned, sitting down on your bed, trying to figure out what this was about. Your first thought was that it might just be dinner. A small hangout with just him, an idea you didn’t entirely mind. After all, he’d become kind of a constant presence in your life, whether you wanted him there or not.

But at 7 p.m., you knocked on Jungwon’s apartment door, your arms crossed defensively and an eyebrow quirked, expecting the usual antics. What you weren’t expecting was the chorus of “SURPRISE!” that greeted you as the door swung open.

Jungwon stood there, his grin wider than ever, dimples shining through with his enthusiasm. Behind him, you could see a group of people-some familiar faces from class, others complete strangers. All of them had birthday hats on, holding drinks or snacks, and looking entirely too cheerful for your liking.

Your stomach dropped.

“Surprise!” Jungwon repeated, practically bouncing on his heels. “I told you it’d be a party!”

“I-” You blinked, caught completely off guard. “What is this? Why is everyone here?”

Jungwon shrugged, still grinning like the sunshine he was. “It’s your birthday! You have to have a party. I couldn’t let you just spend it alone. That’s not how this works.”

You stared at him for a long moment. “I told you I didn’t want anything.”

“Yeah, but I wanted to give you something special,” he said, stepping aside to let you in. “Trust me, I’ll make sure it’s not too much.”

You tried to suppress a groan but failed miserably as you stepped into the apartment, your eyes scanning the crowd of unfamiliar faces. You weren’t sure if you should be annoyed or impressed by how much effort Jungwon had put into this. The streamers were too bright, the music too loud, and the smell of overcooked pizza filled the air. But despite all of that, something about it made you feel… almost warm.

“Okay, fine,” you muttered, more to yourself than anyone else. “I’m here. Happy now?”

“Very happy!” Jungwon said, his smile practically blinding as he led you toward the middle of the room. “I got cake, snacks, and everything you could need to have the best birthday ever. Everyone’s been talking about how excited they are to meet you.”

You raised an eyebrow. “Meet me? We’re barely even friends.”

“Well,” Jungwon said, his voice dropping in that teasing way that made you half-annoyed and half-amused, “I think you underestimate how many people want to be around you.”

“Yeah, sure,” you muttered, but your gaze softened when you saw the way he was looking at you. Jungwon was too damn cute, his dimples practically begging you to forgive him for throwing this entire thing together without asking you first.

A few minutes later, after an awkward round of hellos to people you barely knew, you were sitting in the corner with Jungwon, a plate of pizza in your hands and a suspiciously large piece of cake in front of you. You tried to look annoyed, but it was hard with Jungwon sitting next to you, still practically glowing with excitement.

“This isn’t exactly what I had in mind for a birthday,” you admitted, biting into a slice of pizza. “But I guess I can’t be mad when you’re this cute about it.”

He grinned, dimples deepening. “So, you’re saying I’m cute?”

“Ugh, don’t make me say it again,” you muttered, but you were smiling now, despite yourself.

“Deal!” Jungwon said happily, leaning back in his chair. “I’m just glad you’re here. And I know you’re pretending to hate this, but you’re secretly loving it, right?”

You rolled your eyes but couldn’t help the small laugh that slipped out. “I’m not loving it. But it’s… tolerable.”

He let out a dramatic sigh of relief. “Well, that’s all I need to hear.”

As the night went on, Jungwon kept hovering around you, offering to refill your drink, dragging you into random conversations with his friends, and making sure you were never left alone for too long. You could tell he was trying to gauge how you were feeling, how much you were enjoying yourself. And, much to your own frustration, you realized you were actually starting to enjoy it.

You weren’t thrilled about the party itself, but you were warmed by how much effort he’d put in just to make sure you weren’t left to sulk by yourself. Jungwon wasn’t your type, not by a long shot but he was undeniably kind. And somewhere between the laughter and the weirdly bad karaoke (courtesy of some overenthusiastic freshman), you found yourself appreciating him a little more than you’d like to admit.

Later, as the party started winding down, Jungwon pulled you aside. “Hey,” he said quietly, looking almost shy for the first time all night. “I really hope you had a good time. I know this wasn’t exactly what you expected, but I just wanted to make sure your day was special.”

You looked at him, suddenly realizing how genuinely happy he was to see you here, despite all your grumbling. His dimples were in full force, and for a second, you were at a complete loss for words.

“You’re ridiculous,” you muttered, but your voice lacked any real bite.

“Ridiculously charming?” he asked, his tone hopeful.

You rolled your eyes, but your heart wasn’t quite in it. “Sure, whatever. Just… don’t ever do this again without asking first.”

Jungwon smiled, that grin of his practically reaching his ears. “I’ll take it. I’m just glad you’re here, even if it was a surprise.”

You didn’t say anything back. Instead, you just stood there for a moment, letting the warmth of the room-and the inexplicable warmth you felt toward him-sink in.

The night had dragged on forever. The endless clacking of your keyboard felt like a constant drumbeat in the back of your mind, driving you closer to insanity with each passing minute. Jungwon had been sitting across from you in the library for hours now, his presence a mix of distraction and comfort as you both struggled through the assignment that loomed over you.

“Can you stop tapping your pen?” you finally snapped, glaring over the top of your laptop. “I swear you’ve been doing that for the last fifteen minutes.”

Jungwon blinked at you innocently. “Sorry! Just thinking.” He immediately stopped the pen tapping, but you could tell from the way he was looking at you that he was far from focused on the assignment.

You sighed, rubbing your temples. “We’re never going to finish this if you keep making weird noises.”

“Sorry, I’m trying.” He grinned, his dimples deepening with the smile. It was almost impossible to stay mad at him when he looked like that, but you weren’t about to tell him that.

The clock ticked on, and the library started to empty. One by one, students packed up their things and left, leaving you and Jungwon alone in the quiet, dimly lit room. The only sounds now were the occasional rustle of paper and the quiet hum of the air conditioning.

You glanced at the clock. It was nearly 3 AM. You had barely written a full page. Your eyes were starting to blur from exhaustion, and the task at hand felt like an insurmountable mountain.

“Want to take a break?” Jungwon asked, his voice unusually soft.

You shot him a look, a mixture of disbelief and irritation. “We can’t take a break. We’re so far behind.”

“I know, I know,” he said with a sigh, leaning back in his chair. “But I’m starting to think that this assignment was created just to make us miserable. There’s no way it’s this difficult for everyone else.”

“It’s definitely designed to crush our spirits,” you muttered, running a hand through your hair. “And I’m pretty sure you’re part of the problem.”

“Hey!” He laughed, but it was a little strained, his usual cheerfulness slipping just slightly. “I’m just trying to keep you company, that’s all.”

You groaned, turning back to your laptop. “Company? That’s what we’re calling it now?”

“Yep,” Jungwon said, his tone suddenly more serious. The shift was subtle, but it caught your attention. “I’m really glad you’re here, actually. I know you don’t think so, but I enjoy spending time with you, even when you’re yelling at me about my pen tapping.”

You snorted. “Yell at you? Please. I’m just trying to stay sane.”

“I don’t mind it,” he said quietly. “Really.”

You paused, finally looking up from your screen, meeting his gaze. His smile was gone, replaced with that look of earnestness that you rarely saw from him. Jungwon was usually so full of energy, always joking around, always so bright. But right now, the dimples weren’t enough to mask the vulnerability in his eyes.

“What?” you asked, voice much softer now, a little suspicious.

“I… I like you,” Jungwon said, his words coming out faster than he probably intended. “Like, a lot. I’ve liked you for a while now. And I don’t think I can just keep it to myself anymore.”

Your breath caught in your throat. This was so typical of him-so sudden, so earnest, with no warning at all. But the way he was looking at you made it hard to ignore. You had to admit, somewhere deep down, you did like him too, but the idea of admitting it out loud… that felt like a huge leap.

“So… you’ve been pining for me in the background this whole time?” you asked, trying to keep your tone light despite the sudden knot in your stomach.

“Yeah,” he said, almost shy now, his dimples barely visible. “Pretty much.”

You stared at him for a long time, trying to figure out if this was some weird joke or if he was actually serious. But there was no way he could be joking-his expression said everything. He wasn’t playing around. He really liked you.

And, for some reason, you couldn’t quite bring yourself to laugh it off.

You sighed heavily, running a hand through your hair again. “You’re the worst, you know that?”

Jungwon’s face fell just a little, as though he wasn’t sure whether to take you seriously or not. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, you can’t just… say things like that and expect me to just… go along with it.” You paused, glancing down at your screen, avoiding his eyes. “It’s not that simple, Jungwon.”

“I know,” he said softly, his voice full of understanding. “I just thought maybe I should tell you. Because I really do like you. I can’t help it.”

You closed your eyes for a moment, gathering your thoughts, before finally speaking again. “Fine,” you muttered, voice almost too quiet for him to hear. “I guess I like you too.”

Jungwon blinked, surprised, as though he hadn’t expected that at all. “Wait, really?”

“Yeah,” you said, offering him a small, reluctant smile. “I guess I do. But don’t get any ideas. You’re still annoying as hell.”

Jungwon let out a soft, disbelieving laugh, his dimples showing again, though this time there was a warmth in his expression that you couldn’t quite ignore. “Well, I’m glad to hear that, even if you won’t admit you like me.”

You shook your head, suddenly feeling too self-aware under his gaze. “I did admit it. You just don’t get to be all smug about it.”

“I wasn’t smug, just… relieved,” he said, his tone soft but still that familiar mix of excitement and hopefulness. “I thought you’d tell me I was crazy or something.”

You snorted. “You are crazy, but… I guess I can deal with it. For now.”

Jungwon smiled again, the tension from before evaporating as he shifted back into his usual chipper mood. “Well, I’m not going anywhere. I’m going to be here through all your grumbling and complaining.”

“Lucky me,” you muttered, though you found yourself feeling oddly content with his answer.

And maybe, just maybe, you liked it that way.

It was supposed to be a quiet escape.

The two of you had been suffocating under the weight of endless assignments, overbearing professors, and a class that was about as exciting as watching paint dry. So, naturally, you came to the brilliant conclusion that skipping class was the only reasonable solution. It wasn’t like you wanted to fail or anything, but you really, really needed a break.

Jungwon, of course, was all in. He was always ready for an adventure, especially one that didn’t involve textbooks or note-taking.

“I’m telling you, it’s the perfect plan,” you said, half whispering as you two crept out of the building. “We just go grab coffee, chill for a couple of hours, and act like today never happened.”

Jungwon grinned, his dimples making a rare but welcome appearance. “I’m with you. Let’s live on the edge. We deserve it.”

You exchanged a glance, both of you grinning like a couple of troublemakers about to commit the greatest heist known to mankind.

But, of course, the universe had other plans.

As you rounded the corner, heading toward the exit of the building, you heard the unmistakable sound of someone’s footsteps behind you. The voice that followed immediately made your heart sink.

“Jungwon. Y/N.”

It was Professor Lee.

You froze in place, slowly turning to face him, and saw Jungwon’s face go pale as he immediately began to stammer out an apology. “Professor, uh, we… we just… need a little… break, y’know?”

You barely had time to catch your breath before Professor Lee’s stern gaze fell on you both. He raised an eyebrow, then sighed dramatically. “And where exactly do you think you’re going?”

Jungwon’s eyes widened, and you could see him mentally scrambling for some kind of excuse. “Just… just getting some fresh air. Right, Y/N?”

You narrowed your eyes at him. “You’re dragging me down with you, aren’t you?”

Jungwon, ever the optimist, gave you a sheepish grin. “I’m just offering a chance for you to be spontaneous.”

Professor Lee’s glare was sharp, and you could practically see the disappointment radiating off of him. “The two of you need to get back to class. Now.”

And that’s when everything went downhill.

In a move that could only be described as a perfectly timed tragedy, Professor Lee reached out and grabbed Jungwon by the arm, pulling him toward the door. Jungwon stumbled slightly, looking back at you with wide eyes as though you were his only hope of escape.

You stood there, frozen, watching him being dragged away like a criminal. Jungwon’s eyes locked with yours, a look of mock betrayal on his face, his dimples on full display. “You left me!” he cried out dramatically, even as he was being dragged down the hallway. “I thought we were a team!”

You couldn’t help it. The laughter bubbled up from deep inside you, and before you knew it, you were laughing so hard you could barely breathe. The scene was just too absurd. There was Jungwon-usually the one getting people to laugh, but right now, looking like a puppy who’d been abandoned in the rain.

Professor Lee wasn’t amused. “This is not funny, Y/N. Get back to class.”

You waved a hand dismissively, still chuckling as Jungwon shot you a glare over his shoulder. “You’re cruel,” he muttered. “I thought we had something special.”

“That’s what you get for trying to skip class with me,” you replied, still grinning. “You’re lucky I didn’t bail on you sooner.”

“Traitor,” Jungwon said, though there was no malice in his voice. He looked at you one more time, and you could see the hint of a smile fighting its way to his lips despite the whole situation.

Finally, after what felt like a dramatic eternity, Professor Lee gave you both a final, disapproving look and gestured for you to follow him. You gave Jungwon one last playful grin as you walked back toward class, his mock expression of betrayal fading into a reluctant smile.

“Hey, I’m sorry,” he muttered, clearly still a little embarrassed. “I really thought we had a chance at freedom.”

“You’re an idiot,” you said, nudging him lightly with your shoulder. “But you’ve got those cute dimples, so I guess I’ll forgive you.”

“You’re just saying that because you left me to face the wrath of Professor Lee alone,” he said, his tone light but with a hint of playful irritation.

“Sure,” you agreed, “but it’s still true.”

Jungwon sighed dramatically as you both entered the classroom, the door closing behind you. “I’m never skipping class with you again.”

You raised an eyebrow. “Says the guy who begged me to do it in the first place.”

He shot you a sideways glance, a smile tugging at his lips despite himself. “Fine. But if we’re skipping again, I’m leading the charge.”

You rolled your eyes. “Only if you promise not to get caught next time.”

Jungwon just winked. “I make no promises.”

You chuckled, the warmth of his smile lingering in the air. You’d never admit it to him, but in that moment, even the ridiculousness of the situation made you feel just a little bit more… alive.

You didn’t want to go. Honestly, you didn’t. But when your friends practically begged you to go on a double date with them-“Just for fun! You need to get out more!”-you couldn’t find a way to decline without looking like a total buzzkill.

So, naturally, you decided to bring Jungwon.

You didn’t really think he would take it seriously. You never did when it came to anything involving you and Jungwon. Sure, he was full of smiles and charm, but you always assumed it was just his way of making life a little less boring. So when you casually mentioned that you were “bringing someone along” for the date, you thought it was obvious that it was a joke.

But Jungwon, being Jungwon, took it way too literally.

“Wait, wait, wait,” he said, his eyes practically glowing with excitement when you told him about the double date. “You want me to come with you? For real?”

You stared at him, a little taken aback. “Yeah, I mean, if you’re up for it.” You paused, trying to suppress a grin. “It’s a joke though, Jungwon. Just to mess with them.”

He raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued. “So, like, you want me to pretend to be your date, or are we actually going on a date?”

You leaned back in your chair, trying to figure out how to explain it to him without overcomplicating things. “I’m not going to pretend, but-”

Jungwon’s face lit up like a Christmas tree. “I’m in! This is going to be so fun!”

You stared at him, blinking in disbelief. “Wait, you’re serious?”

“Yes!” He practically bounced in his seat. “I’ve never been on a double date before. This is going to be awesome. I promise I won’t embarrass you. Well, I mean, I might, but only in the best way!”

You couldn’t help but laugh at his enthusiasm. There was no stopping him now, though, so you just rolled with it.

The night of the double date arrived, and you were already regretting everything. The restaurant was nice enough-fancy, even but you felt out of place, sitting there with your friends, nervously picking at your food. Jungwon, on the other hand, looked like he was having the time of his life. His dimples were on full display as he grinned like a kid in a candy store.

“Okay, okay,” Jungwon said. “This is a real date, huh? So, what do we do? Do I hold your hand now?” He was clearly teasing, but his excitement made it impossible to tell if he was joking or not.

You shot him a flat look. “Don’t even think about it. I’m already regretting this.”

He winked at you, unfazed. “Too late. We’re in it now!”

Meanwhile, your friends were watching the two of you with wide eyes, clearly impressed by Jungwon’s apparent enthusiasm. They were under the assumption that you and he were actually dating, and that made the situation even funnier.

“You two are so cute together,” one of your friends, Mia, said, clearly trying to be supportive. “You should do this more often!”

You shot her a glare. “I’m not dating him. This is a joke. A joke that’s getting way out of hand.”

Jungwon, oblivious to your discomfort, smiled even wider. “Yeah, but I mean, if we were dating, I’d totally get you dessert. I’d get you all the desserts.”

You rolled your eyes. “You’re so ridiculous. Please don’t say that out loud.”

Jungwon just laughed, seemingly unfazed by your embarrassment. “But seriously, though, what’s your favorite dessert? I need to know for future reference.”

“Don’t you dare,” you warned, but he just looked at you like you were the cutest thing in the world, his dimples practically making a debut of their own.

Your friends, sensing that you weren’t taking this seriously enough, decided to take it one step further. They started making suggestions about how the date could go. “Why don’t you two take a cute picture together?” Mia suggested. “You know, for instagram?’”

You groaned, resting your head on the table. “This is a disaster.”

But Jungwon, being Jungwon, took this opportunity to pose dramatically, as if he was some kind of romance movie hero. “You want a picture? I’m your guy,” he said with a wink. “Smile, Y/N.”

You sighed but, much to your dismay, gave in. You weren’t going to ruin his fun, even though the whole thing was spiraling into madness.

When the waiter arrived to take the picture, Jungwon grabbed your hand out of nowhere and pulled you close, his dimples deepening as he beamed at the camera. You froze, unsure of how to react, but then-bam-the flash went off, and you were left blinking at the photo of you and Jungwon looking like an actual couple.

“You have to send that to me later,” your friend Mia said, completely unaware of your inner turmoil. “You two look so cute!”

Jungwon, on the other hand, was absolutely thrilled. “I told you we were a perfect match!”

The rest of the night was a blur of awkwardness and laughter. Every time you tried to steer the conversation away from the whole “fake date” scenario, Jungwon would burst in with his pure, unfiltered energy, saying something so ridiculous it made you laugh despite yourself.

At one point, he even tried to impress everyone by ordering an entire dessert platter, dramatically pushing it toward you. “For my date,” he said, his voice so sincere that it made everyone at the table pause. “I’m only doing this because you deserve it.”

You rolled your eyes but couldn’t help but laugh. “You’re something else, you know that?”

“I try,” he said with a grin. 

The night ended with the two of you standing outside the restaurant, your friends still holding onto the illusion that you and Jungwon were an actual couple, while you both shared an awkward but genuine laugh about the chaos that had just unfolded.

“Well,” Jungwon said with a shrug, his voice full of playful sincerity, “if this was a real date, I’d say it went pretty well.”

“Yeah,” you agreed, trying not to laugh too loudly. “Except for the part where you were way too excited and we ended up eating like, five desserts.”

He grinned. “But hey, it was worth it. I made it fun, didn’t I?”

You couldn’t deny that. Jungwon’s energy had turned what could have been an awkward, uncomfortable night into something that was, well, bearable-even enjoyable.

“Fine,” you muttered, “I’ll give you that. You made it way better than it had any right to be.”

Jungwon’s grin widened. “That’s all I aim for.”

And as you walked away from the restaurant, you found yourself secretly grateful for his relentless positivity. 

It was an assignment from hell.

That’s how you’d been feeling about your latest project from the very moment it was announced in class. Another group project, another excuse for you to do all the work while your partners barely lifted a finger. You were already bracing for the usual frustration, the annoyance, the feeling that you could’ve done this better on your own.

And then, of course, you found out who your partner was.

Jungwon.

You groaned inwardly. If you weren’t already annoyed about the project, the thought of being paired with Jungwon was almost enough to make you throw in the towel. It wasn’t that you didn’t like him-he was fine, you guessed-but he was a whirlwind of energy and positivity, which was the exact opposite of what you needed. You were going to need every ounce of your patience to get through this.

When you met him at the library to start working on the project, Jungwon was already sitting at a table.

“Y/N! You ready to crush this?” he greeted you, practically jumping up to pull out a chair for you.

You set your stuff down, giving him a tired look. “You know this is a project, right? Not a ‘let’s have fun’ time?”

He tilted his head, the cheer in his eyes not fading one bit. “Yeah, I know! But we can have fun while we work, right?”

You couldn’t help but roll your eyes. “You’re impossible.”

“I’m optimistic, not impossible,” he corrected with that trademark grin of his.

You resisted the urge to laugh at his ridiculousness. Why do you have to be so damn charming?

“Okay, so… what’s the plan?” you asked, trying to get the project underway, determined not to let Jungwon’s energy throw you off course.

Jungwon immediately opened his laptop and started listing ideas, his enthusiasm palpable as he rattled off suggestions. Normally, you’d be irritated by someone who couldn’t focus, who got distracted every few minutes, but for some reason, today felt different.

Maybe it was the way Jungwon’s excitement was contagious, or maybe it was because you’d been so stressed with school that his carefree attitude felt like a breath of fresh air. Whatever it was, you found yourself actually getting into the project.

“We could do this… or maybe add this idea? I think it could work, right?” Jungwon said, his voice bright with hope as he gestured at the screen.

You glanced at his work, surprised to see it was actually pretty decent. He wasn’t slacking off like you’d expected.

You nodded, genuinely impressed. “Not bad. Actually, I think that would work well.”

“Really?” Jungwon beamed, his dimples flashing. “I knew it! I knew you’d think it was a good idea!”

You tried to hide your smile, but you couldn’t help it. His enthusiasm was infectious, and despite your initial hesitation, you were starting to enjoy yourself. The work flowed smoothly, and for once, you didn’t feel like you were carrying the whole weight of the project on your shoulders.

There was something oddly comforting about working with Jungwon. His presence, though relentlessly cheerful, didn’t feel as grating as it usually did. In fact, it was kind of… nice. You found yourself laughing at his jokes, even when they were awful, and feeling oddly grateful that he was by your side, keeping things light when they could have easily turned stressful.

By the time you reached the end of the day, you realized you’d spent hours working with him, but it hadn’t felt like work at all. The project was done, the ideas were all sorted out, and you were left with a feeling you hadn’t expected: satisfaction.

“Well, that was… actually fun,” you admitted, feeling a little surprised at how well the day had gone. “I didn’t think we’d get through this without killing each other, but we did.”

Jungwon laughed, the sound bright and genuine. “Of course we did! We make a great team. See? I told you, you just have to trust my process!”

You raised an eyebrow at him. “Your ‘process’? Is that what you’re calling it?”

He winked. “You don’t like it? I think it’s pretty effective.”

You shook your head, though you couldn’t hide the small smile tugging at your lips. You hadn’t thought it was possible, but after spending the whole day working together, you couldn’t help but feel… something.

Something warm. Something that was definitely more than just friendship.

You were starting to realize that the attraction you had towards Jungwon wasn’t just a passing thing. It wasn’t just his smiles or his dimples that were making your heart do flips. It was the way he made everything feel lighter, the way he made you feel like maybe, just maybe, things didn’t have to be so serious all the time.

And you couldn’t ignore the feeling that the more time you spent with him, the more that attraction grew.

“I guess you’re not so bad after all,” you said, pushing away from the table.

Jungwon’s eyes lit up, and his grin grew impossibly wider.

He laughed, the sound easy and carefree. “See? I knew we’d get along.”

As you packed up your things, you found yourself glancing over at Jungwon, trying to figure out what had changed. You couldn’t put your finger on it, but you knew something was different. Maybe it was the way he made everything feel easier. Or maybe it was the way he smiled at you, those dimples softening the edges of your usual grumpy mood.

Whatever it was, you were starting to realize that your feelings for him were changing. Slowly, but surely. And as much as you wanted to deny it, you couldn’t ignore the way your heart skipped a beat every time he flashed that irresistible smile.

“See you later, Y/N,” Jungwon said as he slung his bag over his shoulder, his eyes glinting with that familiar energy. “Next time, we can take over the world together.”

You snorted, trying not to grin. “We’ll see, Jungwon. We’ll see.”

But as you walked out of the library, you couldn’t shake the feeling that maybe, just maybe, your world was already starting to change in ways you didn’t expect.

And maybe it had something to do with a certain cheerful, dimply guy you’d been paired with.

It was a quiet day, the kind where you’re just trying to survive the hours before the weekend. You had spent most of the morning in a half-daze, taking notes during class, trying to push through the pile of assignments you’d been avoiding.

Jungwon had been his usual cheerful self, cracking jokes during every lull in the lecture. You, of course, had rolled your eyes, but even you had to admit that there was something almost comforting about his constant, unrelenting positivity.

But today, something was off.

You couldn’t quite put your finger on it at first. You were sitting at the back of the lecture hall, arms folded, half-listening to the professor drone on about whatever boring topic they’d decided to assign this week. And then you saw it.

Jungwon was talking to one of your classmates, someone you didn’t know too well-Soojin, a girl who was always a little too bubbly, even for your taste. She was leaning in close to him, laughing at something he said. You could hear her high-pitched laugh from where you were sitting, and for some reason, it grated on you more than usual.

You watched as Jungwon, completely unaware of the growing discomfort in your chest, flashed her one of his bright, perfect smiles. The kind of smile that always made you weak in the knees. The kind of smile he’d given you countless times, only now, it was directed at her.

You clenched your fists under the desk, trying to ignore the sensation of something off. It wasn’t jealousy. No, absolutely not. Why would you care if Jungwon was talking to someone else? He was friendly with everyone, and it was totally normal. You were just being ridiculous.

But still…

You couldn’t focus on the lecture. Your mind kept wandering back to the sight of Jungwon leaning closer to Soojin, laughing and smiling like he always did with you. But this time, something about it felt different. You weren’t used to seeing him so at ease with someone else.

It was irrational. It wasn’t like you had any claim on him, after all. But still, the feeling gnawed at you.

Finally, the bell rang, signaling the end of class. You grabbed your stuff, not making eye contact with either Jungwon or Soojin, and headed for the door. You could hear Jungwon calling your name from behind, but you didn’t stop. You needed a second to breathe, to shake off the weirdness that had started to settle in your chest.

“Hey, wait up!” Jungwon caught up to you in the hallway, looking as cheerful as always, though there was a glint of curiosity in his eyes. “What’s up? You okay?”

You shrugged, pretending to be too focused on checking your phone to look at him. “Yeah, I’m fine. Just tired. You know, class stuff.”

Jungwon raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced. He paused for a second, and then, as if he’d caught onto something, he smirked. “You know, I saw you in class. You seemed a little… off.” He leaned closer, his eyes glinting with mischievous energy. “Are you jealous?”

Your heart skipped. What?

You shot him a glare, your face turning a little hotter than you would’ve liked. “Shut up,” you muttered, walking a little faster, trying to escape the awkwardness you were suddenly drowning in.

Jungwon’s grin widened, and you could hear his footsteps quickening to match yours. “Come on, admit it. I saw the way you were looking at Soojin. Don’t try to hide it.”

“I said shut up,” you repeated, feeling like your face might combust from the heat. Why was this so hard to talk about? It was ridiculous. It’s not jealousy, you told yourself, it’s just… annoyance.

But Jungwon wasn’t letting it go. “You know, if you are jealous, it’s totally fine,” he said, his voice light but with a teasing undertone. “It just means you care. And I mean, who wouldn’t care about this?” He motioned to himself dramatically, grinning like a total dork. “Look at me. Hard to resist, right?”

You couldn’t help but snort, despite the awkward tension in the air. “You’re such an idiot.”

Jungwon laughed, clearly pleased that he had managed to get under your skin, even if it was just a little. “I’m serious, though. If you’re jealous, you should just tell me. No shame in it.”

“Jungwon,” you said in a low, flat voice, looking at him with a deadpan stare. “I’m not jealous. At all.”

He tilted his head, his dimples popping as he smiled at you. “Okay, okay. If you say so. But I’ll make it easy for you: I’m not interested in Soojin, alright? You’re my favorite person, and I like hanging out with you.”

You tried to suppress the weird feeling that fluttered in your stomach at his words. You could have sworn you felt the slightest bit of relief, but you weren’t going to admit that. You refused to.

“Good,” you muttered, trying to keep your voice steady. “Just don’t get all buddy-buddy with her too much. We have a project to work on, remember?”

Jungwon raised his hands in mock surrender. “Of course! But hey, if you’re still worried, you can always just spend more time with me. I’ll make it up to you.”

You rolled your eyes, trying to maintain your usual grumpy exterior, but deep down, you felt a flutter of warmth at the thought of him wanting to spend more time with you. “You’re impossible.”

“You know it,” he said with a wink, his dimples deepening in that infuriatingly cute way. “But you like me anyway, right?”

You shot him an exasperated look but said nothing. You didn’t trust your voice not to betray you. So instead, you just kept walking, silently acknowledging the strange, messy tangle of feelings that were starting to form in your chest.

And maybe, just maybe, you’d admit to yourself later that you didn’t mind being a little possessive over someone who had become far more important to you than you were willing to admit.

It started off as one of those perfectly ordinary days. The kind that drags on but doesn’t feel too bad. You’d woken up late-thanks to your terrible habit of hitting snooze about five times too many-and had rushed to class, not even bothering with breakfast. As usual, you were already mentally prepared to be irritated by the day’s trivialities.

But there was one thing that made today just a little less unbearable.

Jungwon.

You weren’t sure when it had started, but lately, you’d noticed something odd happening whenever he was around. The way his dimples appeared every time he smiled, the way his easy laughter seemed to cut through your grumpiness, and how you-for some strange reason-had started to smile back.

It was subtle at first. A little half-smile when he cracked a stupid joke, a slight curve of your lips when he mimicked something you’d said with that playful glint in his eye. It was all very unremarkable, except for the fact that you were smiling at all.

But today? Today, you caught yourself smiling for real.

You were both standing outside campus, Jungwon had been talking-about some new movie he wanted to see-and you were half-listening.

The next thing you knew, you were laughing at something he said. 

It wasn’t the usual forced, sarcastic laugh you gave him. No, this time, it was a genuine chuckle.

And then you realized something.

You’d smiled. Actually smiled. At something he’d said. Not because it was funny in a sarcastic way or because you were humoring him. No, you’d smiled because for the first time in a while, something he said made you feel… happy.

You didn’t want to think about it too hard, but your chest felt weird. That fluttery, stupid feeling you tried so hard to avoid.

Jungwon noticed, of course. He always did. He had this ridiculous ability to pick up on the smallest things about you-things you hadn’t even noticed about yourself.

“You smiled,” he said, eyes wide with mock surprise.

You immediately tried to cover it up, shifting uncomfortably. “I didn’t,” you muttered. “You’re imagining things.”

“Nope,” Jungwon replied with that teasing grin of his, his dimples deepening. “I saw it. I think… I think you actually like me.”

You froze for a second. That ridiculous fluttering feeling flared up again, and you immediately started to feel the heat rise in your cheeks. “What are you talking about?” you snapped, trying to play it cool. But your heart was beating a little faster than normal, and you could practically feel the awkwardness rising between you two.

“You know, like-like like me,” Jungwon pressed, his eyes glinting with mischievous light. “You’re all smiley when I’m around. Don’t worry, it’s totally fine. I won’t bite.”

You felt like you were dying a little inside. “I don’t like you. At all.”

It wasn’t that you were lying, exactly. But, well… maybe you were lying just a little. Or at least stretching the truth.

Jungwon leaned against the wall next to you, completely unfazed by your obvious discomfort. “You sure about that? ‘Cause I’m pretty sure I saw you smile again just now.” He gave you a cheeky look, clearly enjoying your obvious inner turmoil.

You sighed, pinching the bridge of your nose. “You’re insufferable.”

He laughed, and it was like music to your ears. “That’s what I like about you, though,” he teased, his voice full of that energy that never seemed to run out. “You’re so grumpy, but I know you secretly like me.”

“God, you’re impossible,” you muttered, trying to mask the way your heart was speeding up.

Jungwon was watching you closely, his grin widening as he studied your flushed face. “Okay, okay, I’ll stop. But it’s cute, you know? You don’t have to hide it.”

You were silent for a moment, avoiding his gaze, suddenly very aware of how close he was standing to you. Your mind was racing, trying to figure out what to say, but the words just wouldn’t come out. You weren’t supposed to like him, you told yourself, especially not like this.

But somehow, you couldn’t keep it up. Not anymore.

“Fine,” you finally muttered, your voice barely above a whisper. “I think I might actually like you.”

Jungwon blinked at you for a moment, clearly surprised. Then, he broke into a wide grin, dimples on full display.

“See?” he said with mock triumph. “I knew it!”

You let out a strangled laugh. “Shut up, Jungwon. I hate you.”

He just grinned even wider, if that was possible. “Sure, you do. But you’re smiling, so I know you don’t.”

You rolled your eyes, trying to look anywhere but at him. “You’re really something, you know that?”

“Yeah,” he agreed, his voice softening slightly. “I think you’re pretty great, too.”

And for a moment, the teasing stopped. The air between you two shifted just a little bit, and you suddenly felt… nervous. But you didn’t want to deal with that right now. You weren’t ready to think about it.

Instead, you muttered under your breath, “You’re lucky I like you too, you dork.”

Jungwon’s eyes softened, his smile turning genuinely warm. “I’m not so lucky. I’m just glad I finally got you to admit it.”

You didn’t say anything else. You didn’t need to. Because, somehow, it felt like everything had just changed. And you weren’t sure where this was going, but for the first time in a long time, you didn’t really mind.

You hadn’t been feeling great all day, but you didn’t think much of it. Just a little headache, a scratchy throat, maybe a bit of fatigue. You’d been pushing through it because, well, what else was new? You didn’t have time to get sick. There were assignments piling up, friends texting you about plans, and the general chaos that came with university life.

But by the time the evening hit, you were definitely regretting that stubborn “I’m fine” attitude. Your head was pounding, your nose was stuffy, and you could barely keep your eyes open. You’d barely managed to crawl into bed, curled up under the covers, and tried to ignore the fact that you were now a full-fledged mess of sniffles and fatigue.

But of course, that was when you heard someone knock on the door.

You groaned into your pillow, annoyed at the thought of anyone bothering you right now. It was probably just one of your roommates, or someone looking to “check in.”

You’d been a little less friendly with your friends recently, not out of any real malice, but more because you weren’t exactly in the mood for company. You’re fine, you told yourself. No one needs to see you like this.

You’d barely made it to the door before you heard a familiar, cheerful voice call your name.

“Hey! You home?”

You blinked a few times, trying to clear your blurry vision. Of course it was Jungwon. Who else would it be?

You reluctantly opened the door, rubbing your face, feeling a mix of annoyance and exhaustion. Jungwon stood there, holding a plastic bag in one hand, looking a little too bright and sunny for the current situation.  

You leaned against the doorframe, glaring at him. “What do you want, Jungwon? It’s like… seven o’clock. Why are you here?”

“I came to take care of you,” he said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. “You look like you’re dying, so I thought I’d help out.”

You rolled your eyes. “I’m fine,” you muttered, even though your voice was hoarse. “I just need some sleep. You should go back to whatever you were doing.”

Jungwon raised an eyebrow at you, clearly not buying it. He pushed past you into the apartment, walking straight toward the kitchen without waiting for an invitation.

“Nope,” he said, turning around with that annoying grin still plastered on his face. “I’m staying. You need soup, medicine, and someone to make sure you don’t turn into a zombie.” He pulled a container of soup out of the bag. “I brought chicken noodle, your favorite. And medicine!” He waved the little bottles in the air like some kind of triumphant hero. “I’m basically a professional nurse now, so don’t worry. I’ve got it all covered.”

You gave him a flat stare, but despite the irritation bubbling in your chest, there was an odd warmth at the edges of your annoyance. You were so not in the mood to deal with this right now, but part of you couldn’t deny the fact that Jungwon being here, in his usual sunshine-y way, was actually kind of nice.

You sighed. “You really don’t have to do this. I can take care of myself.”

Jungwon just smiled wider, like that was exactly what he’d expected you to say. He plopped down on the couch and kicked his shoes off, as if he’d settled in for the long haul.

“I’m not leaving you to suffer alone,” he said casually, opening the soup. “Besides, I’m probably the only person who would be willing to come over and make you feel better, right?”

You opened your mouth to argue, but then stopped. He wasn’t wrong. Everyone else in your life would’ve probably texted you a “get well soon” message and gone on with their day. But Jungwon… well, he was different. He cared in a way that, despite your annoyance, you couldn’t quite push away.

“You’re insufferable,” you muttered, leaning back against the doorframe and crossing your arms.

Jungwon just laughed and pulled a spoon out of his bag. “You say that now, but wait until you taste my world-famous chicken noodle soup.”

“You didn’t make it,” you said, raising an eyebrow. “Did you just pick that up from the convenience store?”

“I may have,” he said, not at all ashamed. “But I promise it’s still delicious. It’s the thought that counts, right?”

You rolled your eyes but didn’t argue. Instead, you let him serve you a bowl of soup, setting it down on the coffee table in front of you.

“You’re ridiculous,” you said, watching him sit down beside you, eyes sparkling with pride.

“I’m just doing what any decent human would do.” Jungwon replied with a shrug.

You couldn’t help but chuckle despite yourself. “A decent human would’ve let me be, though. Not show up with soup and medicine and insist on taking care of me.”

Jungwon tilted his head, the dimples appearing as his smile softened. “Well, if I’m being honest… I kind of like taking care of you.”

Your heart skipped a beat at the sincerity in his voice, but you immediately masked it with a scoff. “You’re such a weirdo.”

Jungwon just shrugged again, looking entirely unbothered by your sarcasm. “Maybe. But you like me anyway.”

You didn’t respond immediately, not trusting yourself to say anything that wouldn’t sound too revealing. Instead, you took a spoonful of the soup, secretly enjoying how warm and comforting it felt-both the soup and the unexpected care.

“You’re lucky I’m sick, or I’d be kicking you out right now,” you grumbled, trying to sound more irritated than you actually felt.

Jungwon grinned. “Yeah, yeah, I know. But you’re not kicking me out. I’m your personal nurse now. I’m here to stay until you feel better.”

You sighed but didn’t argue. The truth was, part of you secretly appreciated it-the fact that Jungwon cared enough to show up like this, no matter how annoying he could be.

“I’m still mad at you for this,” you muttered under your breath, taking another bite of soup.

Jungwon just grinned and leaned back on the couch, clearly pleased with himself. “Sure, keep pretending you’re mad. I know the truth.”

For a moment, there was a comfortable silence between you two. You didn’t want to admit it, but there was something oddly soothing about having him here. His presence,, his warmth… it made you feel less alone in this miserable state.

And even though you’d never admit it to his face, you were kind of glad he’d shown up.

It was late. Later than you’d normally stay out, but there was something about the night air that made everything feel a little more bearable. The kind of crisp, cool air that wrapped itself around you like a blanket, making the world seem quieter, softer. The city lights blurred in the distance, but here, on the side streets, everything felt peaceful.

You and Jungwon had been walking for a while now, your footsteps the only sound breaking the silence. It was almost funny-this whole thing. A walk at night, no real reason for it, just the two of you strolling through the empty streets, talking about everything and nothing.

The weird part? You didn’t mind. It wasn’t weird to have him beside you. It wasn’t weird to share the kind of silence that felt comfortable, not awkward.

Jungwon was talking about his dreams-what he wanted to do after university, how he imagined his future-and you listened, like you always did, half-paying attention while still being invested. You couldn’t help but smile a little when he talked about things he was passionate about. His excitement was infectious, even if you weren’t always as enthusiastic as he was.

“I think… I think I’d want to work with kids,” he said, his voice steady but a little shy, like he wasn’t sure if it was a stupid dream to have. “Or maybe something with education. I don’t know, just something where I can make a difference.” He looked at you, his eyes wide with that familiar innocence. “I know it sounds cliché, but I want to help.”

You nodded, your heart feeling a little lighter. “You’re not wrong,” you said, a small smirk on your lips. “It sounds like a good dream.”

Jungwon chuckled, glancing at you. “I know it’s cheesy, but hey, if I’m going to do something, I want it to matter. I want it to mean something.”

You glanced up at the stars, feeling a strange sense of calm. The night felt endless, like it could go on forever, and for a moment, you didn’t mind the thought of being out here with him. Just the two of you. No pressure, no expectations.

“You know,” you said, your voice softer than usual, “I get it. I’ve been thinking a lot about what I want to do too. Sometimes it’s hard to figure it out, though, right?”

Jungwon nodded, but there was a quiet, almost unsure look in his eyes as he glanced at you. “Yeah, I know. It’s scary, thinking about the future. But…” He trailed off, taking a breath before continuing, “I think I’m starting to realize that maybe I’ve known what I want for a while now. It’s just… I didn’t want to admit it.”

You raised an eyebrow, looking at him. “What’s that?”

He paused, then took a few steps closer, his eyes locking onto yours, a quiet seriousness taking over his expression. “I know it’s kind of unexpected, but I’ve been thinking about you a lot lately. And… well, I think I’ve been in love with you for a while.”

You stopped walking, your chest tightening, the weight of his words hanging in the air between you. Your heart skipped a beat, and you found yourself staring at him in complete silence. Jungwon’s expression was vulnerable, his usual teasing smile gone, replaced with something real. Something genuine.

You should’ve said something. You should’ve joked, laughed it off, but the truth was, the words didn’t sound as surprising as they should have. Because somewhere deep down, you already knew. You’d known for a while now, hadn’t you?

Your heart pounded in your chest, and for a moment, you didn’t know what to say. The silence stretched between you two, thick and fragile, like the world was holding its breath.

And then you took a step closer, closing the distance between you two. You didn’t know why, but something about the way he looked at you made it impossible not to.

“Jungwon,” you said, voice barely above a whisper, “I… I think I love you too.”

His eyes widened slightly, as if he hadn’t expected that, but then that familiar, dazzling smile spread across his face. The dimples appeared, and your heart seemed to beat faster just at the sight of them.

“You-really?” His voice was full of disbelief, but there was a warmth there, a joy you could feel radiating from him.

You nodded slowly, a small, shy smile forming on your lips. “Yeah. Really. I told you already.”

And then, before you could overthink it, before you could question everything, Jungwon stepped forward, his hand brushing against yours. It felt like time slowed down as you both closed the space between you, and suddenly, it was just the two of you under the night sky, with no more words needed.

He leaned in first, just slightly, as if waiting for you to pull away, but you didn’t. Instead, you closed your eyes and let him. The kiss was soft at first-tentative, like he wasn’t sure if it was okay. But then something in both of you clicked. It deepened, slowly but with the kind of intensity you hadn’t expected. His lips were warm, gentle, and for the first time in a long time, you let yourself completely give in to the moment.

When you pulled away, you didn’t know how to react. Your heart was still racing, and Jungwon was standing there, looking at you like he couldn’t believe what had just happened.

“You kissed me,” he said, his voice almost breathless.

You gave him a playful, teasing smile. “Yeah, I did.” You leaned in, nudging him lightly with your shoulder. “You should probably return the favor.”

Jungwon didn’t need to be told twice. His lips found yours again, and this time, there was no hesitation. No distance between you two. It was messy and real and, honestly, a little bit cheesy. But in that moment, it was everything.

And when you finally pulled away, you both stood there, grinning like idiots in the middle of the night, the weight of everything unspoken suddenly feeling like it had all fallen into place.

“You really are the worst,” you muttered, your voice still a little shaky from the kiss, but your smile genuine.

Jungwon laughed, his dimples deepening, his eyes full of something new. “I know. But I think you like it.”

You didn’t answer, but the truth was, you did. You really did.

It was one of those rare moments where everything just fell into place.

The day had been long-filled with classes, assignments, and the usual chaos that came with being a university student-but now, as the evening crept in and the air grew cooler, everything around you seemed to settle. You and Jungwon had retreated to your favorite spot on campus, a little bench under a large tree near the library, far enough from the usual student hustle to give you both some peace.

The sun had dipped below the horizon, leaving a soft golden light that made everything look a little more serene. Jungwon had his hands tucked into the pockets of his jacket, his usual smile softened, and there was a comfortable silence between the two of you. It was the kind of silence that didn’t need to be filled with words, but somehow still felt full.

You glanced at him, watching the way his dimples appeared when he smiled, the familiar twinkle in his eyes as he caught you looking. “You okay?” he asked, his voice soft, the kind of tone that seemed to match the evening around you.

You shrugged, but the gesture felt less grumpy than it normally would have. “Yeah. Just… thinking.”

Jungwon nodded, his gaze drifting out toward the campus as well. “About what?”

You could’ve said a lot of things-how everything had felt a little chaotic lately, how much you had to juggle as a student, or how you sometimes felt like you didn’t belong in the middle of it all. But instead, you said something simpler, something that felt right.

“I think… I think I’m okay,” you murmured, staring out at the dimming light. “Like, really okay. With everything. With… you.”

Jungwon turned to look at you, his smile growing wider, his dimples deepening with each passing second. “You mean that, huh?”

You nodded, trying to ignore the flutter in your chest. “Yeah, I do. I never thought I’d say it, but… you’re not so bad. You, uh… balance me out.”

He leaned back on the bench, his eyes warm with affection. “I’ve always thought you balanced me out too. You make me more… grounded.”

It was the first time, in a long while, that you truly felt it-that quiet, steady connection between you two. You weren’t the same, not even close. But there was something in the way you fit together that just made sense. Jungwon, with his sunshine attitude and infectious energy, had a way of pulling you out of your shell, making you laugh when you least expected it. And you? You had a way of keeping him on his toes, of showing him that life wasn’t always as simple as it seemed, but sometimes that was okay.

The silence lingered for a while longer, comfortable and content.

Then, as the sky darkened completely, you looked at Jungwon and sighed. “You’re a pain in my ass, you know that?”

Jungwon grinned, the usual mischief dancing in his eyes. “And you’re the best part of my day.”

You rolled your eyes, but deep down, you knew it was true. There were still things about him that irritated you-like the way he folded blankets or how he couldn’t stand to be quiet for more than five minutes-but that was part of it. The part you didn’t mind. Because in the end, it was those little differences that made you both… better.

And for once, you were okay with that.

You turned to face him, catching his gaze for a brief moment before nudging him with your elbow. “Don’t get used to this, though.”

He laughed, the sound as light and carefree as ever, and for a split second, you realized that it wasn’t the perfection of the moment that made it special-it was the messy, imperfect, and sometimes chaotic pieces that fit together so well.

“You’re still my grumpy cat,” Jungwon said, leaning back against the bench with that familiar smile on his face. “But I like you that way.”

You didn’t need to respond. The way you both sat there, side by side, under the quiet sky, was enough. And in that moment, you realized that despite your differences, despite the ways you both clashed, you made each other better. And that, perhaps, was the most real thing of all.

For once, you were okay with that.

[nickeverdeen]

Hi hi!!

May I request a fanfic for Ekko x fem!reader?

Could you write about flustered and crushing Ekko, where he is absolutely in love with R but thinks it’s not the same? Where he literally swoons if he sees R looking at him, where he’s utterly miserable, thinking that those feelings could never be reciprocated (which ofc is not true)

I just want to read a bit about stolen glances, discreet and little touches and this kind of stuff 🫶🏻

Happy new years and stay safe! Eat and hydrate! 💖

- @frostbitten-writer

Smitten | Ekko x fem!reader

Pairings: Ekko x reader (mutual crush)

Type of fic: Fluff

Warnings: None

Summary: Ekko has fallen for you… hard to say the least and is kidna acting out because of you while thinking you could never feel the same way, but unbeknowns to him you do love him too.

———————————

Ekko was a dead man walking.

At least, that’s how it felt every time you so much as glanced in his direction.

It was humiliating, really. He was supposed to be the leader of the Firelights, a tactician, a fighter, someone who could keep a cool head in the worst situations. But when it came to you? One look, one fleeting touch, and he was done for.

And the worst part? You had no idea.

You were too kind, too warm, too you to even realize what you were doing to him. The little things that made Ekko’s stomach do backflips were just casual gestures to you—like when you laughed at his jokes, even the bad ones, or when you adjusted his bandages for him after a mission, your fingers brushing against his cheek like it was the most natural thing in the world.

He should’ve been used to it by now. He wasn’t.

It was getting ridiculous. Just last week, you had touched his arm in passing, and he had short-circuited so hard that he nearly walked into a wall. And today? Today was even worse.

The Firelights were gathered in one of their hideouts, going over supplies and repairs. Ekko was supposed to be leading the discussion, but it was proving impossible when you were sitting right across from him, twirling a screwdriver between your fingers, eyes locked onto him like you were actually listening to what he was saying.

He was a goner.

His brain refused to function properly, every sentence coming out slightly wrong, every movement just a little off. He had been gripping a wrench, pretending to check one of the hoverboards, when you suddenly leaned forward and took his hand.

“You’re holding it too tight,” you said, prying his fingers open to adjust his grip. Your hands were smaller than his, but they were steady, warm. “You’ll cramp up.”

Ekko forgot how to breathe.

You were so close, your scent—something faint but sweet—wrapped around him, and for a second, all he could do was stare. You glanced up at him through your lashes, a small smile tugging at your lips.

“You good?”

No. Absolutely not.

“I—yeah,” he choked out, snatching his hand back a little too fast. “Fine. Totally fine.”

You blinked at him, head tilting in that way you did when you were confused, and he had to physically restrain himself from melting into a puddle right then and there.

This was torture.

The meeting ended eventually, much to his relief, and he all but bolted before you could see the way his ears burned red.

Of course, luck was never on his side.

Later that evening, after everyone had turned in, he found himself back in the hideout, trying to cool off. He leaned against the railing outside, watching the neon lights of Zaun flicker in the distance. The quiet should have helped, but his mind was still looping the feeling of your hands on his.

This is stupid, he told himself for the hundredth time.

“Can’t sleep?”

Ekko nearly jumped out of his skin.

You stood just a few feet away, arms crossed, watching him with a soft smile. He hadn’t even heard you come up.

“Uh,” he said eloquently. “Yeah. Something like that.”

You stepped closer, leaning against the railing beside him. For a while, neither of you spoke. It was nice—peaceful, even. Then, without warning, you reached out and flicked a strand of his white hair.

“You’re quiet tonight,” you observed.

Ekko swallowed hard. “Guess I got a lot on my mind.”

“Want to talk about it?”

He almost laughed.

Instead, he shook his head. “No. It’s nothing.”

You didn’t look convinced, but you didn’t push. Instead, you sighed and leaned against his shoulder, just the barest amount of weight resting against him.

Ekko stopped breathing.

This wasn’t normal. This couldn’t be normal. Friends didn’t do this, right?

“Whatever it is,” you murmured, “you’ll figure it out.”

Ekko turned his head slightly, catching a glimpse of you in the dim light. You weren’t looking at him, but your expression was soft, trusting.

He was doomed.

And the worst part? If this wasn’t love, he didn’t know what was.

[planethibiscus]

omg I almost forgot to mention! do you mind if you could to mouthwashing headcanons where they’re jealous over reader ? Tysm

SELFISH 🌸 MW

Jimmy is obviously at the top of this list. He is a narcissistic lover who sways between seeing you as the only one worthy to stand by his side as a near equal or a lowly bitch who's his god given right. Because of this he's easy to make defensive, and when Jimmy gets defensive he gets offensive. Jimmy will take it out on everybody: you, the perpetrator, and himself. It's an overall miserable experience for all parties involved. You'll be expected to make it up to him afterwards too, because one way or another it was your fault.

Curly can't help but to get jealous. You're the perfect partner and God does it piss him off and make him so, so sad to see that other people are realising that too. His jealousy fills him with the drive to compete for you, because you deserve someone who will compete, so his anger is never taken out on anybody but himself. He eagerly tries to show off the best version of himself to you without being too overwhelming, but there's only so much that he can do without giving away his big fat inappropriate crush.

Anya just feels so insecure watching you interact with other people. It doesn't matter how illogical it is, what matters is that she feels like shit. She's much better at dealing with it if you're in a relationship, but if you're not? God it's awful to watch you spend time with other people when you probably never think about her at all. Meanwhile she's biting her finger joints until the pink skin around them is bruised, trying to take her stress out on something other than her pen to avoid bursting another ink cartridge all over herself.

Swansea is more jealous of you than he is of other people, but he does get a bit gatekeepy about who deserves to be around you and who doesn't. You're a sweet, lovely person and you should only be surrounded by people who will nurture that. That's why he almost never interacts with you on purpose, but if he sees another asshole coming by to dampen your day then he's about to get real with them. Swansea is the king of standing a moderate distance away from you whilst warding off anybody he deems a weirdo.

Daisuke is certainly insecure but he could never take it out on you. He values your opinion of him far too much to risk making a scene, and he's really worried that he'll come off as controlling or douchey if he tries to pry you away from anyone. You can have your pick of anybody you want, and he's certain that everybody wants you. How could they not?! You're so awesome! He'll just have to stick by your side to make sure that no one is making any moves on you. No need to be mean to you about issues that are all his own. He has enough self confidence at least to think that you won't go for Swansea.

A/N: take care anon ᯓ★

[akirathedramaqueen]

Only one person has the power to make Stolas cry

And I'll keep the intrigue just a little bit longer so you can try to guess for yourself and experience the kind of satisfaction I had once I pieced it all together. And, oh boy, did it click!

Okay, so today, after a rather passionate conversation with @tealvenetianmask about how fandom seems to perceive Stolas as overly emotional and soft demon, we started rummaging through all the scenes where Stolas actually cried. We were blown off by some revelations.

First note: it's actually not much. Our owl appears to be very sturdy and often bites back when attacked, rather than shutting down as one might expect.

Second note... Better let me show you. Let's walk through all the 'Stolas cries' scenes and see what is happening there, and answer the question, "What, or rather who, sets him off the rails?"

This is your last chance to place your bets and educated guesses. Because below are big clues, and, eventually, answer.

Circus

We follow up on Stolas shortly after the disastrous date at Ozzie's - arguably, a couple of hours later. He looks absolutely miserable. He has boozed himself to unconsciousness. His eyeliner is ruined from earlier tears. He groans, either from headache or emotional turmoil, grabs three Happy pills, and shoves them down his throat.

Whatever happened at this club ruined our bird, to the point he's looking for anything to avoid being alone with his thoughts.

Western Energy

One shed tear. That's all Stolas allows himself. That's what I am talking about when I claim he is actually very tough. He is being tortured, mutilated, and by this point, he has a pretty good understanding that his demise is likely inevitable.

And you know what he does in response? He talks back. He cuts through Striker's bullshit about royals taking everything from him and points out that his killer took a contract from a royal. He literally humiliates Striker with sex jokes and mocks his oversized dick on the statue ego. Figuratively, he spits death in its face.

The Full Moon

Stolas is destroyed.

This meeting was nerve-wracking even before it happened - all the preparation, insecurities, misunderstandings of the past, and lingering, terrifying questions (He loves me? He loves me not?).

It takes weeks to set everything in motion. He planned it meticulously. He scripted every word, every movement of his body, every subtle tone in his voice.

But he forgot that there was another party in this play. The party who was not given the script and is burdened with his own trauma. One shitty assumption, one poorly-thought-out action, and here it is - mockery, avoidance, a fight... and tears. His first meltdown he wasn't able to conceal.

His worst nighmares came true, or so he convinced himself. He loves me not.

Apology Tour

Our last stop on our 'we-love-being-tortured-by-crying-Stolas' tour is here.

The wound is still fresh, bleeding even, and here he comes, rubbing salt into it. Someone Stolas still desperately wants. Someone who was infinitely brash, rude, and aggressive just this morning. Someone who doubled down on statements that made Stolas believe this particular someone hates him.

That someone tries to talk. To explain. To apologize. Wonders how Stolas could actually care about him. Says the prince is better off without him.

Fuck... The prince came here to forget, to wipe that someone (okay, it's getting increasingly hard to pretend it's not obvious yet) from his memory, at least for the night, and he still won't let Stolas go.

He breaks into tears, crushed, reassured he can't have anyone who would hold him, who would say he is the only one, but recuperates shortly after - he was taught better than this.

Okay, are we ready for the shocker of the year?

It's Blitzø.

It was his date with Blitzø at Ozzie's, where he was ignored, humiliated, and was told that their relatioship was only about sex, and that he was the one who made it clear.

It was Blitzø turning down (or so he thought) his distress call, leading him to believe he was left alone to die.

It was Blitzø mocking his confession and assuming it was just a fucking roleplay.

Finally, it was Blitzø haunting him since that very morning and, albeit with better intentions, still hurting him beyond his abilities to recover.

The only person who tore his soul apart enough to break his inpenetrable mask - built up by decades of gritted teeth, restraint, and bravery - was the one he probably cares about the most.

It was not Octavia, whom he holds close to his heart but couldn’t allow to see him depressed. He had to be strong for her; he needed to raise and support her.

It was not Stella, whom he endured for years, yet did not satisfy her wish to see him whimper. He talked back, argued, ignored, and seethed. But he never gave in.

It was him. An imp who stole his grimoire and gave him the best time of his life, however sad that may sound.

Now, thanks for joining this drama in four acts. You may pull out your handkerchiefs and ugly cry right here, in your places. Don't hold it in.

Because I don't.

[joyful-soul-collector]

It'll Be Fine: Chapter 1

Summary:

It’ll be fine. It didn't have to be bad this time. He could dress as warm as possible, he could start paying to take the tram. It would hurt his wallet but he wouldn't have to be cold for as long. And that was ideal. Anything to stay out of the cold. OR Jayce is terrified of winter. But he has a crush on his lab partner, Viktor. So when Viktor invites him to a winter festival, Jayce decides he can brute force his way through the night, just like he does with everything else.

Tag List: @ihavea-natural-curiosity @milkywaysipper @fangirlshenanigans04 @voxconcordia @beetpatchkids @amiableamos (let me know if you would like to be added or removed from the tag list!)

Link to Ao3!

Trigger Warnings: anxiety/phobia/PTSD surrounding the cold and winter

Winter came to Piltover like a shadow. Dark, and silent, blocking out the warm sun’s light. Jayce had been eyeing the skies for a couple weeks now. It'd been a few months since he started his research with Viktor under Heimerdinger's supervision. He loved it so far, he really did. There was something so nice about finally meeting someone who had the same passion and drive for science that he did. He hadn’t realized it was something he was missing before. 

But more and more recently, he wished he didn't have to come to the lab. It meant having to walk through the city of Piltover, watching the sky grow darker and feeling the air grow colder every day. Snow had yet to show its ugly face, but it wouldn't be long now. 

It’ll be fine. It didn't have to be bad this time. He could dress as warm as possible, he could start paying to take the tram. It would hurt his wallet but he wouldn't have to be cold for as long. And that was ideal. Anything to stay out of the cold. 

Well… not anything, not anymore. In years past, there would be days where he was far too terrified to step foot outside, he’d miss classes, miss events, all to avoid what he was certain was a frozen wasteland outside his front door. 

But he couldn’t do that this time. Not with so much on the line. Not with Viktor waiting for him at the lab. 

He never wanted to miss a day with him. 

It’ll be fine. 

This is what he thought over and over, as a mantra when he walked out the door and headed to the labs. If he just told himself it’ll be fine, there was no real reason for it to not be fine, right? Even as a chilly breeze blew against his neck, and his hands started to go numb from the cold air. Seeing his breath fog in the air was enough to send his heart pounding but he made it to the lab soon enough to keep his panic at bay. 

He must've shut the door to the lab a bit harder than he thought because Viktor looked up at him with a start, pulling up his goggles. His honey-amber eyes looked Jayce up and down analytically, just as they looked at everything in this world. 

“Everything alright?” he asked. 

“Hm? Oh, yeah, it's just freezing out there,” Jayce said, putting on a smile and a laugh. It felt tight on his face and in his throat, like wearing a coat that was too small. He cleared his throat and rubbed his hands together, walking further into the warmth of the room. 

“I suppose so,” Viktor said with a shrug. “It could be colder, I've always liked winter. At least, in Piltover. Winter in the Undercity is miserable.” 

“I bet,” Jayce said, putting on another tight laugh, and internally wondering how the hell one could possibly like winter. “What are we working on today?”

“Well the hexgates blueprints need adjusting as the rune combination doesn't seem quite right…” 

And with that Jayce soon forgot all about the coming winter outside. It was always easy to forget his worries in the lab with Viktor. He could let his mind be carried away by calculations and theories, and Viktor always helped fan the fire in his heart for science. Viktor himself was always nice to be around too. His mind was nothing short of beautiful. 

But as the sun started to go down, Jayce felt the anxiety creep in again. When the sun went down it was colder. Much colder, and he still had to walk home. Normally he'd be fine staying up late, maybe even sleeping in the lab, but… It would be pathetic, wouldn't it? Sleeping in the lab just because he was afraid of the cold? And it was stupid, being afraid of the cold anyway. He can go out, go home, it'll be fine. 

Especially if he left before the sun went down. It'll be fine. 

Viktor looked up as Jayce began gathering his things.

“Heading out? Already?” he asked.

“Oh--Yeah I-I should probably head home before it gets too dark,” Jayce said, cringing slightly at the shake in his voice. Why did it do that, there's no need for it to do that. 

“Oh,” Viktor said, sounding a little disappointed. Jayce’s heart fluttered a little, excited by the idea that maybe Viktor didn’t want him to leave. “Well before you go I meant to ask you something.”

Jayce turned around as Viktor stood up and walked over to him, fishing something out of his pocket. He handed it to Jayce with a smile. 

“It is a winter festival,” Viktor said, pointing to the flyer. “It's in a week, I wondered if you might want to attend?” 

Jayce swallowed. A winter festival. Of all things. Sure, Jayce had been thinking, rather often, about being with Viktor outside the lab, but a winter festival? The flyer said it went from 6pm to midnight. Booths, food, games, ice sculptures even… 

He thought he might be sick. It's okay, he can make up an excuse, maybe his mom is planning something for that night, or Caitlyn needs help with schoolwork, something like that, it would be fine, he could just--

He made the mistake of looking at Viktor's face. Goddammit if he didn't look so hopeful. His amber eyes were so excited, so eager, Jayce had only seen him look like this for the sake of science. Again his heart skipped a beat, knowing that he was looking at Jayce with the expression he normally reserved for arcane discoveries. He really wanted Jayce to come with him, didn't he? 

“Sure,” Jayce said, trying his best to match Viktor's excitement. “It sounds like fun!” 

Viktor grinned. 

“I'm sure it will be!” 

Viktor rambled on for a moment or two about the festival, how fun it was, how he’d discovered it his first year living in Piltover and came every year since. His excitement wasn’t enough to quell Jayce’s growing nausea at the idea, but he put on a tight smile again for Viktor’s sake. Eventually, he and Jayce said their goodbyes and Jayce started on his way home, doing his best to beat the sun on the way. 

It'll be fine, he thought, trying to ignore the sharp air against his face. He could dress in layers. He could have a warm drink while he's there. There would probably be fires to stand by, he could bring his warmer to press against his chest before he leaves, he could bring gloves, make sure his hands never get too cold. Really, it would be fine. 

Jayce thought up this plan and many others as he quickly walked home, making it in the door just as the sun set completely. His hands were numb again, and his chest felt cold from the icy air. He checked over his hands quickly, before shaking them out and walking to the sink, letting his hands run under the warm tap for a moment. He lit a fire under his chimney and set the kettle on the stove before wrapping himself tight in a blanket. He ignored how shaky his breath was, and did his best to forget about the ache in his muscles. 

It couldn't get much colder in just a week, right?

[krmy2386]

Swan

Lord Alfred Debling x Reader (childhood crush on Benedict) about 2.5k words

1. PLEASE DO NOT STEAL!!! I WORKED VERY HARD ON THIS!!!!

2. NOT PROOF READ!!!

3. Yes I love Benedict but I needed a plot to don’t hate me😅

————————————————————————

Lady Y/N L/N was always called the Ugly Duckling. Not that she was ever actually ugly. More awkward in her younger years, especially compared to the beautiful Bridgetons, her closest friends.

She remembers the first time she was called that name. It was Benedict Bridgerton, her best friends’ brother, and the boy she had harbored feelings for as a child.

One day Violet Bridgerton was reading a book of stories to Anthony, Benedict, Colin, Y/N and Daphne. When they finished the infamous “Ugly Duckling,” young Benedict loudly declared the Y/N must be a swan, because she was an ugly duckling. This immediately caused Y/N to sob hysterically and Violet scolded Benedict while Lady L/N tried to console her daughter. Eventually the two children made up and it was forgotten. By Benedict, never by Y/N. She never forgot how those words made her feel.

Over the years, Y/N grew into both her features and her attitude. This was her third year on the marriage mart and it was no secret to the ton that Y/N would not be doing anything she did not want to do. She had a sharp wit and a tendency to find mischief. Many people, mainly the men, joked about who could “tame” her.

Maybe that’s why she was so drawn to Benedict. He seemed to radiate joy and light. Y/N wanted that. She wanted someone who would send shocks through her.

But that would never happen. Because now, as a grown woman, she hated Benedict Bridgerton.

————————————

Lord Debling was praying for the ball to end when he realized he had only been there about 5 minutes. He felt like a duck being hunted by a hound.

The mothers of the ton had set their sights on him. Their daughters were less intense but just as obvious.

He began lightly pacing, hoping for a hole to swallow him when he heard a shrill voice shout his name.

Oh God, he thought. Mrs Cowper, with her daughter Cressida in tow.

Lord Debling sighed, but did the gentlemanly thing and bowed.

“Lady Cowper, how are you this evening?” He asked politely.

Cressida flutter her eyes so fast a hummingbird would be jealous, “So much better now that I see you are here. Are you planning on dancing tonight?”

Fear ran through his body and he began to stutter, “Um, w-well I-I hadn’t..”

“Lord Debling!” It was his guardian angel, Lady Danbury. He felt relief fill his lungs and he turned to Mrs. Cowper and Cressida, “Excuse me.”

He rushed over to Lady Danbury and bowed before leaning to her ear, “Thank you!” He whispered.

Lady Danbury laughed lightly and patted his hand on top of hers, “Never fear, I promised your mother long ago to look out for you, and they looked ready to rip you to shreds.”

Lord Debling couldn’t help but nod. He tried to see the good in people but something about Cressida Cowper made him uneasy.

Something about the way she speaks down on everyone, her garish clothes, her unnatural hair shapes.

Alfred Debling never thought a love match would be in his future. The most he hoped for was a kindhearted friend to spend his days at home with. But that didn’t mean he didn’t have standards.

He didn’t want a fake person who would change the minute they were behind closed doors. He wanted someone real. Someone he could share life with, even if they were just friends.

“My mother would’ve loved this,” he mumbled softly. “Meeting people and dancing.”

Laney Danbury nodded in agreement. “Yes, your mother was a spirited and kind woman. And she would’ve put Lady Cowper in her place in a heartbeat.” She joked. Debling couldn’t help but laugh.

—————————

Y/N was miserable the entire carriage ride. Not only would she have to once again parade around like a peacock trying to catch a husband. It would more than likely fail. Her only solace was that she planned to escape to Penelope as soon as possible. But even the Featherington girl had been in social mourning since her whole plan with Colin blew up.

Stupid Bridgerton Boys, she thought to herself. They ruin everything.

“Y/N” she heard her mother’s gentle voice, “I know you hate this dear, but please try to have some fun!” Her mother was so genuine in her request, Y/N couldn’t help but smile. They didn’t need her to marry for money or title. She had that privilege.

Lady L/N knew something has shifted in her daughter. She never pushed Y/N to share, but she was worried. The spark had left Y/N’s eyes.

Y/ N grabbed her mother’s hand.

“I will try.” She said truthfully. Maybe she could force herself to enjoy one evening for her mother’s sake. She never meant for her mother to worry about her so much. As a child, her mother worried due to her talents in running off and climbing trees. Now she had all new worries, that Y/N might be sad, or lonely for a long time. No mother wants that.

—————————

Lord Debling was glancing around the room. Hoping for something, anything, to make the time go by faster.

When he glanced at the stairs he swears time stopped.

She was beautiful. She wore a cream colored gown with gold and silver thread embroidery. She glided down the stairs like she was floating. She didn’t have a large fake smile plastered on her face. She looked content but not overly excited.

“Beautiful is she not?” Lord Debling jumped at Lady Danbury’s voice.

“Yes,” he said. Then turning full attention back to the beauty on the stairs, “she certainly is… gorgeous.” He whispered.

Lady Danbury looked at poor Deblings face and almost chuckled. If he thought she was impressive to look at, wait until she spoke to him.

“That is Y/N L/N, daughter of some close friends of mine. She is a wonderful girl. Spirited.” Lady Danbury says with a knowing smile. “And, she is not yet married.”

Debling was now giving Lady Danbury his full attention. “She isn’t? Are you sure?” Lady Danbury normally would be offended at someone questioning her knowledge of the ton. But she took pity on him, this once.

“I’m sure. This is her third year out in society. She doesn’t need money or a title so she has the luxury of being picky. Although, most of the men in the ton find her to be too much to handle.”

Lady Danbury said gently. She loved and adored Y/N and knew she could be a bit much for some people.

This made Alfred Debling swoon. A woman who was unapologetically herself.

“Will you introduce me to her?” Lord Debling asked Lady Danbury.

This caught her slightly by surprise. He had never asked for her help meeting the women of the ton. He normally had no problem introducing himself to people. But she could tell by his eyes, he was begging.

“Alright.” She said taking his arm. “Follow my lead.”

———————————

After they descended the stairs, Lady L/N and Y/N thanked their host before heading into the main ballroom.

Y/N hadn’t seen the Bridgertons yet. Maybe. She would be safe after all.

“Duckie!” Hearing that name made Y/N cringe. There were only two people alive who still called her that name.

She turned cautiously and was greeted by both Colin and Eloise.

“She prefers Y/N, Colin. We aren’t children anymore.” Eloise scolded. She saw the hurt that would flash in Y/N’s eyes at the old nickname.

Colin, oblivious as ever laughed, “She’ll always be Duckie. Even her father called her that.”

At the mention of the late Lord Y/N everyone froze. Even Colin realized what he had done.

“I’m so sorry Y/N I didn’t mean to-“

Y/ N interrupted, “I’m going to get some air.”

And she all but ran away.

Eloise slapped her brother’s arm, “Great job Colin! We spoke to her for 10 seconds and now we’ll never speak to her again!”

It had been a year since Y/N had truly spent time with the Bridgerton family. Since her father’s death. Eloise had planned to ease their way back into her life. That clearly didn’t work. She should’ve known better to recruit Colin instead of Francesca.

————————

Alfred felt lightheaded as the approached Y/N. She was alone in the hallway. She excused herself from the ballroom and Lady Danbury insisted this was the perfect opportunity.

Y/N was staring out the hall window. Her mind was racing and she was praying for a distraction.

“Y/N! It’s so good to see you! How have you been darling?” Lady Danbury asked.

Y/N smiled. It was impossible to be in a bad mood around Lady Danbury.

“I’m doing well. How are you? I’ve heard about the new additions to your garden. Mama and I have been dying to see it.”

Alfred felt his heart jump at her smile. It was real. She was genuinely happy to see Lady Danbury. Maybe one day she would smile at him that way.

“Yes, the garden is in full bloom and ready for visitors. But I have someone here who wanted to meet you.” Lady Danbury gently pulled on Lord Debling’s arm, silently urging him to introduce himself.

“H-Hello Lady Y/N. I’m Lord Alfred Debling.” He choked out. Mentally cursing himself for stuttering.

Y/N was taken aback. A man wanted to meet her? A handsome man?

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Lord Debling. I don’t believe I’ve seen you before.” Y/N said, mesmerized by his big, puppy dog eyes.

“Well I’ve been encouraged by my family to, um- get to know more people” He wasn’t sure how to explain his situation without blatantly saying he wanted a wife.

Y/N giggled. She knew exactly why he was here.

“I understand perfectly, Lord Debling. But I must warn you not everyone is worth getting to know.” Y/N said bluntly.

Alfred couldn’t help but smile.

“Is that so?” He started. “Perhaps you could escort me around the room and enlighten me to who is who?” He asked, mustering up all of the bravery he could.

Lady Danbury was shocked. Not only did Lord Debling offer Y/N his arm, she took it. Unheard of for both of them.

—————————

As the night carried on, Lady Danbury and Lady L/N watched happily as Lord Debling and Y/N walked circles around the room together.

Y/N talked on and on about everyone at the ball. Telling stories and sharing her personal experiences.

“And that is Lord and Lady Timsley. They are the oldest couple here.” She stated.

“Really?” Lord Debling asked. “How long have they been together?”

“52 years. They have a cottage close to ours in the country. Lord Timsley used to let me climb his Genovian Pear Tree. Until one day the branch I was on broke and I fell.” Y/N stated.

Alfred was shocked, “Good Lord! Were you alright?!”

Y/N couldn’t help but laugh. “Yes I was fine. My mother was furious and my father found the entire thing hilarious.”

Alfred couldn’t help but see the bittersweet look when she mentioned her father. It’s how he felt when anyone mentioned his mother.

“Is there anyone else here I should be wary of?” He asked, hoping to lighten the mood.

“Um-“ Y/N surveyed the room then sighed, “the only people left are the Bridgertons”

Lord Debling looked at her and immediately knew there was an issue, “Are they people to be wary of?” He asked.

“No. N-no. I just… “ Y/N started before she was interrupted by the one person she dressed to think of.

“Duckie! Where the devil have you been? It’s been ages!” Nearly shouted inebriated Benedict Bridgerton.

Lord Debling saw Y/N immediately go tense and he became on high alert.

Y/N could tell Benedict was drunk. He didn’t hold his liquor well. She briefly looked over to where the other Bridgestone stood and they all looked mortified.

“Aren’t you going to introduce me to your friend, Duckie?” Benedict smirked. “Names Bridgerton.” Benedict forcefully pushed his hand forward and eyed Debling. Almost challenging him.

Alfred took a few seconds and took in his surroundings. Y/N was visibly uncomfortable. Maybe if he found the confidence to talk to her. He could find it to defend her.

So he took a breath and grabbed the Bridgerton boy’s hand. Hard.

“Yes, Viscount Bridgerton. Lovely to meet you.”

Benedict’s faces dropped. “Um- no. That would be my older brother Anthony.

“Oh,” Lord Debling started, “terribly sorry, you are the one who just got back from travels. Tell me, how was Greece? I hear it’s beautiful.”

Benedict’s eyes hardened in the man. “That would be my younger brother.” He gritted his teeth.

Y/N was speechless. No one had ever truly challenged Benedict before. Even Anthony would let him win just to go away.

Before either man could speak again. Violet and Anthony stepped in.

“Benedict, dear it’s time to go home.” Violet tried to gently coax him.

“But I’m being introduced to Lord Dumpling.” He replied.

“It’s Debling, and you’ve already met.” Anthony stated, clearly annoyed.

Benedict’s face lit up with recognition, “Yes! The man who watches the birds! Tell me, what do you eat instead of meat?” Benedict asked cheekily.

“That’s enough brother.” Anthony said sharply.

“What I’m just asking.” Benedict said in his best fake innocent voice.

“It is odd is it not?” He asked, looking directly at Y/N.

“I think it’s lovely.” All Bridgertons and Lord Debling looked at her.

“Really?” Alfred asked.

“Yes. It takes a lot of will power and compassion to make a bold choice like that.” She said looking directly at Lord Debling.

Benedict felt his heart lurch. She didn’t even spare him a glance.

He turned to Violet, “I’d like to go now mother.” Said stomping off to the nearest exit. Anthony rolled his eyes and followed after him.

Violet looked at Y/N, “I’m so sorry for my son’s behavior.” She breathed heavily and added, “All of it.”

Y/N nodded in acknowledgement, “Have a good evening Lady Bridgerton.”

Violet left and Y/N’s mother walked over.

“Lord Debling, it is so nice of you to keep my daughter company.” She said gently. Not wanting to draw any more attention to the situation.

Lord Debling chuckled, “it was quite the opposite Lady L/N. She has been a wonderful guide for the evening.”

Y/N felt herself blush.

“I was hoping I could call on you tomorrow.” Alfred said to Y/N, “if that is okay with you” he directed to her mother.

Lady L/N looked to her daughter to answer.

Y/N looked at Lord Debling. And once again, she became entranced by his caring and gentle gaze.

“I would like that very much.” She smiled, and he smiled back.

[forthevillains]

I wish I was your girl [pt.2]

Albert Wesker X fem!reader [18+]

(read the previous part here)

It all happened so fast. You barely knew what’s gotten into you that you even agreed to do something like this… To throw your dignity away like that to let someone like him devour you, completely.

You’ve been stripped off not only your clothes, but also your sanity. You lay bare before the captain’s eyes, on his desk, legs hanging over the edge, trembling and needy. He was so quick to rip the clothes off of you, throwing everything from the desk aside only to put you there… You didn’t even get the chance to protest.

He was quick to pull his pants down only as much as to let his hardened cock free, immediately thrusting into you, drawing a cry out of you. He caught you off guard, forcing his length into you. You would’ve lied if you said that it didn’t hurt so bad. He was big, you felt that as he stretched you like no other partner you’ve had before. It might’ve been painful, but you were able to find pleasure in it, loving the treatment you weren’t used to, loving how rough he was with you as you’ve always wished for someone like this. Little did you believe it could be your lovely captain.

"So damn tight…” Wesker murmured, throwing his head back, his hips slamming against your own, the tip of his cock reaching places that you didn’t even know existed. You felt dizzy, your vision foggy as you tried to calm your trembling body down by holding onto the edges of his desk. It was useless, all your attempts to hold onto the last piece of sanity had failed miserably. You were too deep in this, there was no coming back. A moan escaped you. You didn’t even want to go back to how things were. You wanted to feel him, exactly like this.

Your breasts bounced with each of his cruel thrusts, catching his eye almost immediately. He couldn’t resist it, your whole body was so beautiful that he could stare at you as if you were a goddess sent from heavens. He’s never felt such a desire towards a woman even though there were countless of them. You were special, you, a secretary who had a crush on him for months, secretly craving him, you who he spent time with even when he wasn’t supposed to, you who were always near to do anything he needed, to help him at any given time.

He could barely take his eyes off of your chest, he just couldn’t resist it, how soft they looked, how much he wanted to touch you, to taste your skin. Wesker leaned forward, his mouth immediately latching onto one of your hardened nipples, forcing a gasp out of you as he circled it with his tongue right before sucking it in, making your back arch, pressing yourself closer to him in desperation as a loud whine escaped you. He was far too lost in tasting your soft skin, his tongue sliding all across your chest, licking, sucking, biting. The sounds you were making each time his mouth touched you while he kept thrusting into you made him want to do more.

One of Wesker’s hands moved upwards from your hip, holding onto you tightly so that you couldn’t squirm away even if you wanted to, while he continued to ram into you as his mouth abused your chest, leaving dark purple marks on your delicate skin as if it was his new found territory. He did it to make you remember, to make sure that if you had a lover, they’d know there was someone else. That in reality you were a slut for your captain.

You completely forgot about why you were in this position, about that captain Wesker is actually a traitor. Your body submitted to him as if he owned you and for this night, he did indeed. Another moan was being drawn from you due to the powerful movement of his hips and you finally felt a knot form in your stomach, your pussy clenching around him, making him groan. Finally pulling away from your chest, he straightened, now looking down at you, noticing your tightly closed eyes, mouth open, hair messy and cheeks flushed. So beautiful…

Wesker hasn’t even dreamt of taking you like this, or seeing you so messed up, but god did he love it. His movements never really stopped, the speed of his thrusts only increased as he noticed the tears forming in the corners of your eyes, dripping towards your cheeks as he fucked you so hard.

"That’s it… That’s it, dearheart, take all I’m giving you.” His voice was breathy as he was reaching his breaking point as well. One of his hands suddenly appeared in between your legs. You weren’t expecting it as you were too lost in all the pleasure, though when he touched your clit, you felt like you were going to explode. An overwhelming sensation washed over you as he sent you over the edge, tears rolling down your cheeks and the only thing you were able to get out apart from cries and whimpers were incoherent words. You were trying to beg him to stop, even he was able to understand that, although he didn’t care.

Wesker wouldn’t leave you alone until he had his release as well, until he scarred you for life, until he made sure to leave you wondering of him at any given time, until he was fully aware that both your body and mind were his.

The overstimulation of your cunt made you see stars, you trembled, clenching your fists, the nails digging into your skin to the point where you drew blood. And yet - you wanted him to continue. What a lost case you were, thirsting over your superior, even going as far as to agree to get fucked by him. In the office. For a moment it made you think if it was worth it.

Wesker’s movements became sloppy, his cock twitching inside of you right before you could feel him release, his warm seed spilling into you, filling you to the brim. And only then did you finally open your tired eyes to look at the man who wrecked you so much. His hair was out of place, few strands in his face, unlike usual, the top buttons of his shirt were undone, revealing his muscular chest where a few droplets of sweat glistened. Of course it was worth it. The sight of your beloved captain like that was more than you’d ever wished for.

At the end of the day though, it was you who fell into his trap, giving him exactly what he wanted and more. What a naive little thing you are, only giving him a good material to blackmail you with if necessary… He made sure you’d keep quiet. And as long as you would - Wesker wouldn’t dare threaten you. You’re forced to be his personal toy now and he’s willing to make it both heaven and hell;)

[all-pacas]

as someone who headcanons cameron as a (comphet) lesbian, how do you think the show would’ve played out?

(post her realization of “oh shit i never actually liked men” gonna ballpark that around when her and chase called off the fwb, i forgot when exactly that occured😭)

also love your various analyses about House M.D and its characters! they’re v fun to read:)

To be honest — while you can and absolutely should headcanon whatever you want!! — it's hard for me to say, because it would change a lot. Like it or not, a lot of Cameron's development on the show is tied to her romantic involvement with Chase and weird thing for House (and by all means we should talk about/criticize the fact that Cameron's main role is love interest), so if you undo S3 and beyond…

She probably still resigns from House's team: Human Error's whole thing was about embracing change and moving forward with life: Foreman and Chase are gone, and Cameron is pretty keen on moving on herself. Even if she ended up staying a little longer, I don't think she'd really enjoy being one-on-one with House (at least not as much as she thinks she would, lol, and particularly not in a universe where she isn't willing to cut him crush-related slack): they're both incredibly stubborn and at all times convinced they're right, and without a buffer or House ever giving an inch, I think Cameron would quickly get kind of miserable. And then what? In this reality, she doesn't have Chase to keep her around Princeton: Cameron also has a history of making big moves to go with big life events, and quitting her job and coming out is certainly one. Frankly, I think she might just… take the excuse to reinvent herself totally. Just move and dye her hair a new color without the pseudo-romantic relationship with House, or the romantic one with Chase, to keep her where she is: it's canon, for example, that she moved cross country when her husband died, and again after her divorce: Cameron really does seem to deal with major life events by upending her own life, and having an "oh shit, I'm gay" realization would certainly count as that.

Sorry it's not a more interesting answer! It's just one of those things that's so different (and not one I've really thought about much), it's hard to spitball for!

[projectaconitum]

Lovely Diabolik Schism [ BRUTE ]

{ Hell || Abyss || Chasm || Schism: BRUTE || Schism: MANSERVANT || Schism: VAMPIRE || Elysium }

"Viola, leave your room at once," came Reiji's voice through the door to her room. Rather, his room, which she had been using at his insistence since his father had orchestrated the "fiasco" (as Reiji liked to call it) of a formal gathering.

"You killed him, didn't you?" she mumbled her head pressed tight to her upraised knees. "You found him, and you killed him. You killed the only man that ever even gave a thought to wanting me."

"Even if I did," Reiji said, laying his hand on the doorknob, tempted to open it, "Why should that matter when the only way you will leave my side is as a corpse?"

"Is a blind, incompetent servant that valuable to you?" she asked bitterly. "Is abusing me the only thing that fuels your miserable ego and satisfies your wicked sadism?"

Reiji blinked at the door.

"Why are you trying to run back to him?" Reiji asked, irritation rapidly building in his voice, and he bit his tongue until it bled to stop himself from asking that painfully revealing question---

Why am I not good enough?

---

Brute

"It's not like you'd get it," she retorted. "It's not like... you'd get how I feel, so just... if you're going to kill me, just get it over with. Leave me alone."

Unable to stop himself any longer, Reiji threw the door open, breaking his lock, and Viola jerked her head up at him, her reddened, swollen eyes full of tears. Her nose, rosy and dripping down to her chin, down to the wet spot on the uniform that Reiji had her wear.

He approached her, gripping the front of her shirt with his fangs bared. He was feeling something snapping inside him, his nerves on fire. Feelings of inferiority swept through his mind, and rather than confront it, blind rage replaced it.

He slapped her. Her head might have come clean off if he hadn't remembered to restrain himself at the last second.

"Don't test my patience," he hissed as she clutched her swelling cheek, tears bubbling up into her eyes and spilling down her cheeks as blood filled her mouth. The scent was beyond tempting. Beyond horrible.

She stared at her bedsheets before she eventually turned her gaze back at her furious captor. A gaze that pierced.

"I forgot... how much I hated the sight of your eyes," she whispered with a mocking, forlorn and dishonest smile. She had regained her sight, but it didn't matter, now did it?

Reiji grabbed her by the throat and shoved her into the bed, blood spilling from her mouth incessantly. His wrath had turned to a white-hot poker, hotter than the branding that had stolen her vision.

And all Reiji could think about was the fact that behind her eyes, there was an affection she would not give him. She loved him. She loved Reiji.

Why, neither could fathom, and yet she would not give that love to him. It was a love that had been stolen by someone else, someone who had taken it clean away, far from where Reiji could touch it.

He barely stopped himself from crushing her windpipe in his hands, but the relief she might have felt from the new air that entered her lungs when he let go was short-lived.

She didn't care, so he didn't care either.

Reiji opened his mouth and murderously sunk his fangs into the depths of a carotid artery, her bittersweet blood spraying his tongue, drenching the back of his throat. His throat bobbed up and down, up and down, his nose harshly drawing in inconsistent breaths.

It had been a while since he heard her scream like that.

"Louder," he growled, ripping her uniform apart from the shoulder as his teeth dug bloody furrows into her pale neck. The pale neck that was leaking crimson waterfalls into her bed. "Loud enough for the deadbeat upstairs to hear you suffer at my hands."

And she did let out a louder screech as he ripped into her shoulder, his fingers bruising her wrists as he held her down. She screeched and shrieked until her voice gave out, and all that could be heard was the sound of a weakening struggle. The sound of teeth breaking skin, of Reiji's harried breaths, of the occasional slurp.

And the sound of silence.

[harus-simp]

Burning fire

-S.Hanbin x reader-

Warning:suggestive (mentions of making out,fingering),fluff

(I'll put a warning were the suggestive part starts so please minors dni)

Author's note: I think I was enjoying this too much opps 🤭

Also my first time writing something suggestive so let's see if you like it :D

Enjoy it ;))

°□°□°□°□°□°□°□°□°□°□°□°□°□°□°□°□

Your facade of a cold person towards sung hanbin will start to break down after a couple of touches and kisses that leave you a burning sensation due to being locked up with him in a cramped room.

Sung Hanbin. The most popular guy on college, the envy of many. He exceeded at literally everything, his teaching skills were phenomenal, his attention to detail,just name something and he'd just know what to do.

He belonged to the dancing department and was specialised in tutting and wacking,earning a lot of respect from his sunbaes and almost everyone.

His looks weren't ones to mess with as well, he literally earned the title of the college's crush, there wasn't anyone that hadn't fell for his smile and his charms, and that would include you as well. However you wouldn't just admit it directly because you didn't want to seem like you blended with the rest, so you just made this facade where you found him indifferent.

And he definitely noticed this, you both shared some classes and he had been meaning to grow closer to you, however it didn't matter how nice he was, you just pushed him away. And it was starting to get into his nerves, not just because he wanted to be nice, but you were starting to occupy most of his thoughts. He always thought of new ways to get you two closer and to make you notice him.

The smile you dedicated to others, he wanted that for himself as well, the little clapping you did when you got excited over something, he needed to see it directly(oh, he was falling hard I tell you).

But all that would change soon without any of them really knowing what they were getting involved on.

.

.

.

It was a day like any other, hanbin still trying to get you to talk to him and failing miserably, your friends teasing you about the situation (yes they knew your crush on him), yeah nothing new.

As the classes finished you headed quickly to the cafeteria to have lunch with your friends, while they all dedicated you that smug smile you so much hated.

"What?"

"Still ignoring the pretty boy?"asked seunghwan

"Oh come on guys, leave me alone, I just want to have a normal year"

"By ignoring the love of your life?" junhyeon said while making kissing noises.

Oh my God how annoying could your friends get sometimes?

"Hey look who's coming"pointed out gunwook

As you turned around you saw someone you didn't expect, seok matthew, also part of the popular guys and most importantly, hanbin's closest friend.

"Hey there, is y/n here?"he asked casually

"Yes, I am here"

"Well teacher hoetaek is calling for you"

Jesus christ, you thought it had something to do with hanbin. That was a relieve.

"Alright, thanks"you answered as you headed towards his office

Once you got there you were notified by him that you needed to run a little errand for him, bring stairs from the janitor's closet.

Well perhaps we forgot to mention that you were the first in his class and that's why he always trusted you to do little things for him (and of course you didn't have any problem).

On your way there you felt that someone was watching you, but when you turned around there was literally no one there. Hmm, how weird. But you resumed your walk until you were in front of the door you were told to be.

When you opened it you were about to grab the stairs that were there when a loud voice interrupted your action.

"Please y/n help"

It was none other than hanbin running for his life for God knows what reason, but he seemed really panicked and frustrated. You were completely surprised at his actions, you had never seen him act like that. However you didn't have time to react as he pushed you inside the room and closed the door behind him.

You felt your cheeks get instantly red as he put a finger to shush your mouth, not letting you protest about the situation.

"Sorry about this y/n, but there are this guys that I don't know and they have been chasing after me"he whispered into the dark because the lights were off.

The only thing you could feel was the heat radiating from his body and his touch on your lips.

"It's- it's alright"you muttered out how you could.

When you heard the footsteps get away you felt all the tension on your shoulders go away and so did his.

"Well thank God, I don't know what they want from me tho. Sorry for that"he said

"No, don't worry. Now let's get out of here, i still need to bring this to Mr hoetaek"

But as you tried to opened the door it was stucked, or more like it was locked from the outside.

You tried a couple more times but to no avail.

"Um, hanbin?"

"Yeah?"

"The door won't open..."

"What?"

He tried himself but just like your attempts, they were a failure. Now what?

"OMG I think they're coming again" and he put his finger where it was before as you could only stare at nothing.

But this time with his other free hand he turned on the lights as he saw your slightly parted mouth and your almost pleading eyes stare back at him. God you looked stunning just like that, like a pretty doll.

The janitor's room, that was actually pretty small, suddenly felt a little hotter than usual.

You both were starting to fell into each other's charms, but hanbin was the one to take the big step and started to approximate slowly to your mouth, and just before your lips made contact he asked you in the softest voice: "may I?"

You just nodded at him as he took his finger away from you and instead placed his lips on yours, but not with the softness you were expecting, instead desperation and frustration were felt from his quick and rapid pace(not that you were complaining tho).

.......................Minors DNI..........................

He then placed his arms around your hips, squeezing them from time to time making you whimper a little bit at his action as you wrapped your arms around his shoulders. Then you put them on his hair tugging on some strands a little harshly provoking low grunts to escape from his lips.

He then moved one of his hands to trap you to the door using the remaining one to wrap it around your waist.

The kisses you were sharing were starting to get quicker and deeper, tongues clashing and skin burning.

He then started trailing off kisses through your neck and collarbone sucking and pulling on your skin leaving deep purple marks there. Your soft moans pierced through his ears making him chuckle.

His soft hand starting to roam under your shirt making you feel literal fire. And the other one finding its way under the little skirt you were wearing and that was driving him crazy from just looking at it.

That same hand starting massaging your clit in soft motions making you see literal stars, then he moved aside your panties and started fingering you delicately, like you were the most fragile thing on the world, while he kissed you to keep your loud moans from coming from your pretty mouth.

Once you reached your climax he took out some tissues to clean you a little bit as he separated from you before it escalated into something else, not wanting your first proper interaction to go that far.

........................END OF IT...........................

He rested his forehead against yours as he stared right into your beautiful eyes, a soft smile making its way into his face.

"Y/n..."he breathed heavily.

You just nodded your head softly waiting for his answer as you didn't have the energy to say nothing more

"I've been meaning to do this for a long time now, but you just pushed me away not letting me even talk to you"he said sadly

"I'm really sorry, it's just I like you very much but didn't want to confess it to you"

"And how else where you supposed to see if I corresponded or not?"he teased you

You just hided your face on his chest to avoid the conversation making him giggle in the process.

"Anyways, after classes finish I'll bring you to a real date"

Oh how hard had you fell for this boy and how dizzy he made you feel from his contact, your skin burning from the lingering touches.

.

.

.

At the other side of the door stood a proud matthew thanking his friend from outside the dance department for the little persecution he had prepared for someone to confess, it was getting pretty obvious now and he was growing tired of his friend already so yeah 🤷‍♀️🤷‍♂️ (he's definitely not telling you though hehe)

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[dxrlingsofmine]

every time the rain comes down.

pairing: Paul Baumer x Reader

angst 

plot: you’re the one to be around when you find out Paul comes back from the war.

(partially inspired by Anna Blue’s song Every Time The Rain Comes Down)

You were a baker working for your parents’ bakery, and it sure did good. Sadly, a lot of businesses closed down during the war, but the bakery did well enough to stay. Someone had walked in… you looked up from the cutting board and saw a familiar face. Paul Baumer. He very frequently came to the bakery, like a regular customer type. You certainly loved the presence he brings to the bakery, so cheerful and so adorable. You could say you have a crush on him.

However, Paul was different, you did know he went to war… but he looked so miserable. It just broke your heart. “Paul!” You ran and gave him a hug, in which he slowly hugs you back. “(Name)... it’s refreshing to see you again.” You took a breath and walked back to the counter. “Want the usual? A slice of carrot cake and peppermint tea?” Paul slightly smiled as he walked towards the counter. “I honestly forgot what I ordered. Thank you for remembering.”

Your mother and father walked downstairs and saw you and Paul talking to each other. “Mr. Baumer! You’re back!” Your parents looked around, seemingly looking for Paul’s friends. This caused Paul to tear up, worrying you and your parents. “Its alright son, it’s okay.”

It wasn’t okay. It wasn’t okay at all.

“Father, do we have any clothes for Paul that we can besides this uniform?” You asked. Your father’s face lit up as you all went upstairs. “I have clothes, and you can bathe here. It’s alright Paul.” 

It was evening, and you heard a knock on your bedroom door. “Come in.” Paul entered your room, to your shock. He had on a really classy suit, his hair being the curl it is, and face washed and hydrated. “You look gorgeous, Paul.” You smile at him, he doesn’t respond and sits next to you on your bed. “I uh… I really like- I really love the letters you sent me. I didn’t get hardly any from my family, but the main ones I got were from you.” He leans slightly closer to you.

“I really care for you Paul. I wish I could’ve gotten an update from you, but I couldn’t. I mean, who wouldn’t want to check up on you?” You say as you squish his cheeks. It was a recurring thing that you often did with Paul. “Oh stop it.” Paul giggles as the two stood up, ready to go back to his place. 

You were both walking, hand in hand, heads on shoulders. You reach Paul’s home, with a lot of people in it, seemingly for a party. Paul gripped your hand tightly, out of fear. The two of you walked over to a table, where Paul’s father is seen along with the fathers of Ludwig, Franz, and Albert. You both sat down, not long before Paul was berated with questions.

“So kid, what happened? Was it amazing having to fight with my son.” Ludwig’s father asked, it was so insensitive. “No. He died on the first night.” Paul coldly replies. “I mean… my son died in all his glory, he was quite the fighter was he?” Albert’s father asks. “He was burnt by French soldiers. He wasn’t all his glory.”

“At least they died for this country.” Franz’s father smiles with pride, making you angry. “So that’s all that matters to you?! The country and not mourning your son’s father, what is the fuck is the matter with you?!” You yell out in anger. “Listen, you’re just some baker. You don’t do anything for this country besides make pastries.” Paul’s father replies. Now everyone was arguing, however Paul’s anger was boiling up at the second… until he took a glass bowl and smashed it towards the ground. Making everyone look his way in surprise.

“Why can’t you all understand that I didn’t ask for this?! I’m sick and tired of you all portraying the situation I was put through, it isn’t fun! And I’m frustrated about it! Nobody deserves to go through what we want through…” Paul runs upstairs, with you trying to comfort him. “You all can go to hell. How dare you treat his trauma like it’s something fun?!” You furiously said to the fathers as you went upstairs to Paul’s room.

When you got up there, you could hear the sound of Paul screaming and breaking objects. You immediately entered his room. The room was full of screams mixed with cries. Paul eventually got on the floor, crawling to you… he got on his knees and wrapped his arms around your thighs. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry (Name)...” You down on the floor with him, caressing him as you two laid on the floor.

“There’s nothing to be sorry about. Shh, shh, I’m here Paul. I’m the one to be around and share your pain.” He looked up and smiled at you, seemingly remembering where you said that. “The poem you wrote for me, Every Time the Rain Comes Down, right?” You nodded as you both felt sleepy, holding each other’s arms. “By the way, (Name)...” “Yes?”

“I love you too.” Paul says as you both engage in a kiss.

[vampire-the-askerade]

Mitnick x Reader x Imalia

[This can be seen as platonic or them having a crush on you/ the reader. Mostly made a fun, little breather from something that I’m working on for a different blog that’s got a heavier tone to it. Barely proof read so sorry about that. Here’s an advise about dating sites, don’t use dating sites]

Your phone sitting on the desk next to you pinged. When you saw that it was the messaging app that you had downloaded , and the guy that had been bothering you for the past week, you groaned in frustration. You were going to just ignore it, but then the chime went off two more times. Before you could pick up your phone to try to think of how to talk to this guy, there was a set of spindly, sharp fingers that swiped it away.

“Listen, this is an intervention.” A voice that sounded like it was sistered with a constantly stuffy nose along with the fact you didn’t know that there was someone else in the room with you until a second ago let you know exactly who was here.

Mitnick cringed as he unlocked your phone, opened the app and started to scroll through the messages from the person bugging you. “Eck, going back through these is a nightmare! Can’t imagine them being pointed at me.”

“You’ve been in my messages?” You question.

“Did you ever think that I wasn’t?” He snickered as he looked through to be sure there wasn’t anything he missed during the transfer to his computer.

You knew that was a stupid question. There was alway more of a chance that the Nosferatu were linked into just about everyone’s everything, especially where computers are concerned. In fact, it was even more likely in this area that Mitnick was the one personally set to watch over your stuff.

“If it’s so awful to look at, then why are you still doing it?” You went to reach for your phone, but him being a rather tall guy with the long arms to match it made it easy for him to keep it away from you.

“If it’s so awful to look at, then why don’t you tell him to screw off?” Mitnick rebutted.

There was a frustrated groan that filled the room, not only for the fact that he asked you that, but also the fact that you didn’t have a clear answer for it. Overall this whole night was turning out to be miserable.

“I mean, I want to. But, like, he seems like he’s just awkward, maybe a bit clueless. I don’t want to be unnecessarily mean to the guy-“

This was cut off with Mitnick breaking into a full out laughter. He curled in on himself in a way that you could finally snatch your phone back, but he didn’t seem to care as he was still too tickled by what he just read.

“Aw, yeah! I totally forgot that! This loser called himself-“ Mitnick cleared his throat and put on the most stereotypical lead, romance character voice he could muster, “ ‘Rare~ like a black panther~’!“ There was another loud guffaw that followed this.

“I’m sorry; he said WHAT?!” Imalia’s raspy voice came from a dark corner behind you, the rest of her emerged shortly after and snatched the phone back away from you. “Oh, no! No, no, no, no, no! As your friend and expert meddler I cannot allow this to stand.”

“Should have known that you were here too.” You grumbled before turning back to Mitnick, “Did you bring all of the Warrens with you?”

“Nah, jus me ‘n Imalia know about it. Got to leave you with some dignity.” He teased with a boney elbow to your ribs. “Remember they don’t want to sound rude.” Mitnick reminded Imalia when he herd her typing something.

“Just grabbing something right now…” she mumbled as she was scrolling through something.

“Hey, don’t be downloading stuff onto my phone!” You chided.

“It’s just one picture.” She waved you off and managed to turn so you couldn’t get your phone back. If there were one thing that was the Nosferatu’s unspoken talent, it was taking and keeping things away from people until they were ready to give it back (if ever.)

Imalia switched back over to the messaging app, tapped on the username, and started typing something.

“(Hey, do you know what my favorite band is?)”

“(…)-

(No, babe, what is it?)”

This made her scoff and turn to you, “Really? I can’t really say that I ever felt even a little bad about what I’m about to do, but I certainly don’t now. Callin’ you, ‘babe,’ after only talking for like a week…”

“(Ghost)” she typed and then sent the album cover that she had downloaded. Then Imalia tapped on his name and pulled up his profile.

“Uh, Mal? What does that have to do with-“

“Pspspspspsps!” Imalia shushed Mitnick with a flittering of her hand as she messed around with the options.

“(Really? But you shouldn’t…)” the response preview popped up on top of the screen just as Imalia tapped the option she was looking for.

“Blocked!” She practically sang as everything went blank before going back to the home-screen.

“Hey!” You yelled as you finally managed to get your phone back. Once it was in your hands, you looked everything over to make sure she didn’t do anything else; while she might not have been as tech-savvy as Mitnick, there were few who were, but she could still mess things up faster than you could blink.

“It was for your own good, kid.” Imalia patted your shoulder.

“Yeah,” you started as you looked up at her, “but, maybe we should have-“

“Did you want to keep talkin’ with that guy?” Mitnick asked in a unbelieving but playful monotone.

“Well, no-“

“Then I’m gonna say something you will never hear me say again: Imalia’s right.” He concluded.

“All’s well that ends well.” Imalia aptly added an adage like she was on a low budget anime.

“Look,” you barely got the word out as you were rubbing your temples to ward off an on-coming, stress-induced migraine, “Just tell me that you two will stay out of my stuff from now on.”

“No can do.” Mitnick replied. “That’s literally my job.”

“I also refuse.” Imalia chimed in as well. “I’m a nosy bitch.”

These two were going to be the death of you. At least you didn’t have to deal with that weirdo online any more.

[dralione]

his hands are in my hair, his clothes are in my room (in my wildest dreams) | one

Summary: Draco finds his fellow Eighth Year Head, Hermione, reading terribly archaic sex advice, which he can't abide, so he offers hands-on tutoring instead. Totally all for her and not because of his crush on her, of course.

Rating: M (smut) ♡ WC: ~3k ♡ Ao3

He came across her in the library, as usual. She hadn’t been in her room, so he figured she’d be here. He’d just completed his rounds, it was past curfew, and no one else was around. It was the perfect time. 

“Granger.”

“Oh, Malfoy.” She raised her head from her book with a start, a light pink stealing across her cheeks as she realised he was standing in front of her. 

“What are you reading this late?” He snatched the book from her hands, flipping to the title page interestedly. Just because the War was behind them and they were on decent terms now that he’d apologised and grown more than a few inches of character didn’t mean he couldn’t still irritate her. Wasn’t that what friends did? She’d been particularly adamant about befriending him and the rest of the Slytherins as well this year, for reasons he couldn’t possibly fathom and had given up trying to understand, so really, she’d brought it upon herself.

“Ooh, Hermione Granger is reading erotica!” he gasped sarcastically, covering up the fact that he was actually surprised. 

“Give that back!” she grabbed for the book, but he had almost a foot on her and easily held it out of her reach.

“Ask nicely, Granger,” he tutted, flipping through the pages. “Let’s see, what scandalous scenes have you been reading about?”

“Please give my book back, Malfoy,” she forced out, holding her hand out.

He considered it. “Hm…no.”

“Malfoy!”

He thought it was funny that she forgot she was a witch and could use a myriad of spells to get it back. Skimming the content of the miserably inaccurate book, he lowered it slightly and gave her an aggrieved look. “Please tell me you read this to laugh at it and not because it gets you off,” he said. “This is miserably inaccurate.”

The pink became a lovely shade of rose at his mention of ‘getting off’. “My reading habits are none of your business. I’m an adult and can read what I like for reasons I have no need to explain to you.”

“Do it anyway,” he encouraged her. “I’ll give it back if you tell me why you’re reading this.”

She huffed and crossed her arms, pushing her breasts up, as she considered his words. They’d lived in the Head Dorms together for months by now, and she knew how stubborn and petty he could be. He could see her brain working the pros and cons of answering versus hexing him and stealing her book back.

“I read it because I was curious about sex, okay?”

He stared at her, letting his hand drop enough that she darted forward and retrieved it, holding it to her chest protectively as she glared warningly up at him. 

“You…were curious…about sex?”

“Yes, and what about it?” she snapped.

“Surely you’ve shagged someone by now, Granger. Weasley? Krum? Potter? Some Muggle?”

“No, I haven’t. I was too busy with school and fighting a war and didn’t have the brainspace to care about shagging some bloke when I didn’t even know if I’d survive the next year. I didn’t want to just lose my virginity in some meaningless shag and have it be over with. I wanted a connection, a friendship at the very least, someone I was comfortable being my naked, most authentic self with.” She tilted her chin up at him proudly. “I have scars and wounds and baggage, and I’d be bringing all that with me into bed.”

“I have a big bed,” was what Draco heard himself say in dawning horror. What did he just imply?!

She stared at him. He stared back. “Malfoy, what are you…”

Some of her Gryffindor courage must have rubbed off on him some time in the last few months, because he simply took a deep breath and said, “I’m offering to teach you how to shag. Properly. So you don’t traumatise some bloke when you follow terrible ancient advice.”

She stared at him even harder, and he half expected a repeat of third year’s assault, but instead, her shoulders dropped and she let out a breath. “Fine. Teach me how to have sex, O Sex God of Slytherin.”

He dropped his head back on his shoulders. “Never call me that again.”

She smirked. “No promises.”

-`♡´-

The walk back to their dorms was quiet. Draco wouldn’t have been surprised if she had told him she’d changed her mind when they entered the shared living space, but she didn’t. She simply stepped out of her shoes, tossed her jumper over the back of the chair closest to the door, and stated her terms and conditions. 

“One rule: no kissing.”

“No kissing?”

“No kissing. I may be letting you teach me how to…do everything else…but I draw the line at you kissing me.”

“Ouch, Granger. You really know how to make a man feel wanted,” he laid a hand across his chest.

She scoffed and rolled her eyes, turning towards her room. “Are you coming?”

“Be there in a second, Granger. Go ahead and get comfy.” He watched her ascend the stairs to the bedrooms, her hips swaying and a hint of the shadow of her arse revealed by her pyjama shorts. 

Shaking his head in disbelief at what he was about to do, he collected his sanity in the minute he was away from her distracting influence, along with a glass of water. 

She was waiting on her bed when he knocked and entered her room, sheets and quilt kicked down around her knees. Her curls were spread around the pillows she leant against, one hand resting on her stomach and the other fiddling her wand between her fingers. 

He placed the glass on the nightstand on the side of the bed he stood by. “May I join you?”

She nodded. 

He climbed on and knelt in front of her, knowing the moonlight coming through the curtainless window would be enough to see each other clearly. “Granger, from now on, you listen to me, okay? If I ask you something, you respond verbally, even if it’s just a yes or a no. If you want to stop at any time, just say stop, or if you want a break, say pause. Those will be your safewords. Do you understand?”

“Yes,” she nodded, then bit her lip to stop from saying more. 

He gently tugged it out from under her teeth, his thumb feeling the smoothness of her lips and making him wish he could taste them. He hated her rule. Surely she could have come up with something better than that to be the hill she died on to pretend she had control and knew what she was doing?

“Tell me what you’re thinking,” he ordered softly. “I want to hear everything you’re thinking and feeling tonight. This works best with communication; instincts only get you so far.”

“I thought it was only really kinky stuff that needed safewords,” she admitted. “I don’t think I’m ready for that.”

“Everyone needs a safeword, Granger,” he explained patiently. “Even if it’s the most vanilla stuff out there. ‘Stop’ is the same as ‘red’ or ‘Quidditch’ or whatever other safeword you pick. If you’d feel safer with some other words, then pick one. But your instincts will tell you to say ‘stop’ if you feel uncomfortable, so I figured we’d keep it simple since you’ll be busy learning and feeling new things.”

“Oh. That makes sense. Sorry, I’m just a little nervous,” she admitted, her wand now flicking through both hands’ fingers. 

“That’s perfectly understandable. If you have any more questions, just ask. It’s why we’re doing this, after all. And I want you to be comfortable.”

“You’re surprisingly…considerate? Responsible? About this,” she told him. 

He was sure he looked a little offended. “I take my partners’ safety and comfortability seriously,” he informed her. “Surely you knew that on some level if you asked me to do this.”

She shifted a little, eyes trained on her wand. “You’re right. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it to sound…like that. It’s just…a new angle I’m seeing you from.”

“I understand.” He gripped her chin in his hand, tilting it up to face him. “But I have one more rule I’d like you to follow. Keep your eyes on me when I’m facing you. I can tell a lot about you from your eyes, and I’ve got a lot on the line here, okay? What if you don’t look at me and I mess something up and then scar you from sex for life?”

A small giggle escaped her and she rolled her eyes, a little more fondly this time. “Got it. And I’m sure that won’t happen…you’re already doing a wonderful job of reassuring me.”

He was mildly surprised that a) she was feeling that and b) she admitted it to his face, but he was glad she did. It calmed the few nerves he’d revealed to her through his joke. 

“Thank you for saying that, Granger,” he said, releasing her chin. “Alright, since you’ve nixed snogging, that means I’ve got to get creative with starting my foreplay. How about…” he considered her for a second, the moonlight highlighting her blush as he casually mentioned sexual acts. What a sweet little ingenue. 

“Can I sit behind you?”

She nodded, then caught herself, moving out of the way. “Yes.”

“Good girl,” he tried, watching as the blush deepened. Ha, he knew she had a praise kink. He wondered how many of his other speculations would turn out to be correct, though some would take another several sessions to work up to…he hoped she allowed him to get that far. 

Propping the pillows behind him, he relaxed, then patted his spread legs. “Come sit against me, nice and close. Just get comfy, okay?”

“Okay.” She crawled back onto her bed, scooching back until her butt was flush against his crotch and her back rested on his chest. He silently spat out the curls that attempted to make their way into his mouth and choke him (he was into giving, not receiving) and moved her hair to one side. 

“Comfy? Good. Now, just relax. Don’t worry about anything that may or may not happen tonight. Just focus on my touches in the here and now, okay?”

“Alright.” She shifted a little more, a bit of tenseness escaping her.

Good. He’d have to start slow. Bringing his hands to hers, he slowly fitted his fingers between hers, getting her used to his touch on a non-private body part. Her hands were much smaller than his, her fingers on the shorter side, and what he thought was slightly warmer than normal. 

Slowly he began dragging their twined hands up and down her arms, light touches, just to get her used to him. 

“You’re doing so well. Just keep relaxing, focusing on me. I’m going to let go of your hands now and touch the rest of your body, okay? You tell me when something feels good. Can you do that for me?”

“Yes, Draco,” she nodded, and fuck if that didn’t make him a little harder, hearing her soft voice saying his name like that. 

“Good girl.” He freed their hands and let one slowly slide across her belly while the other moved up to her neck, his forearm fitting between her breasts. He didn’t wrap his fingers around her neck, although he wanted to, instead sticking to light strokes along her neck.

“Can I kiss your body?” He leaned forward, asking into her ear. 

“Okay,” she agreed. “I like your voice in my ear.”

“Good girl, telling me what you like,” he purred, punctuating his praise with a soft kiss where her neck met her shoulder. The hand across her stomach moved slowly upward, brushing the bottom of her breast.

“Oh,” she said softly, tensing a little then relaxing. 

He tried a little more pressure, and she made the noise again. “Was that better, or did you prefer the lighter touches?”

“Hm, do it again.”

He acquiesced, repeating his motions on both breasts, just to be sure. 

“I’m not sure, I like them both.”

“That’s good.” He left a short trail of kisses up her neck to her ear. “Can you feel yourself becoming aroused, Granger?”

A little intake of breath as he closed his teeth gently around her earlobe. “Yes.”

“Good.” The pad of his thumb brushed over her nipple, and he felt her toes twitch. Smirking to himself, he did it again. Trailing his fingers down her neck to her other breast, he gently lifted them in his hands, rubbing his thumbs over her nipples. 

“Will you let me take your top off?”

In answer, her hands shot to the hem of her shirt, but he closed his over hers, tutting at her. “Words, Granger, and also I asked if I could take it off, not if you could.”

He could feel her rolling her eyes, but she stayed surprisingly free of snarky remarks. 

“Yes, you may take my top off.”

“Good girl.” 

She leaned forwards a little, letting him slide her tank top over her head easily, then settling back against his chest. 

Draco thanked everything that he was tall enough that he could see over Granger’s shoulder and take in the wondrous view of her tits in all their glory. Cupping them in his hands again, he resumed his light, teasing touches, continuing until he felt Granger getting antsy.

“Ready for more?”

“Yes!”

He covered a chuckle at her exuberant answer, gently pinching her nipples with one hand while the other snaked down to her shorts and pants. It easily made its way under the elastic bands, feeling the short trimmed curls above her cunt. 

His middle finger parted her folds, feeling her wetness, causing him to stifle a groan in her curls. She stiffened at the new feeling but relaxed almost immediately. He still decided to check in. Better safe than sorry. 

“Doing alright, Granger? You can stop any time…”

“No. I want this. It’s just…new.”

“Okay, but if you change your mind that’s fine.”

She huffed and settled into him even further. He was a little surprised she hadn’t said anything about what was surely pressing into her perfect arse, but shrugged the thought away and continued his explorations. His ring and index finger kept her folds parted as his middle finger explored, feeling gently around as he made a mental layout of her cunt. It slid down to her hole, gently prodding before moving back up to find her clit. Still not quite ready for penetration, although he was pleasantly surprised at how wet she was. 

He felt a ridge that he was pretty sure was her clit…oh yeah there it was, based on the way her thighs and stomach suddenly clenched. “That feel good, Granger?”

“Yeah,” she sighed out. “Keep doing that.”

He experimented with different pressures and speeds as he circled her clit, finding what made her most responsive. Suddenly she stiffened, muscles clenching, throwing her head back onto his shoulder. “Oh yeah, right there, Draco!”

He kept up his movements, feeling unbearably smug at how wound up she was getting, He couldn’t wait to see her break. Just a little more…and there she went, tipping over the edge with a cry of his name, her thighs clenching around his wrist and her abs trembling under his forearm. He pulled his fingers out of her knickers after a few more seconds, loath to let her go after seeing her come like that, but not wanting to overstimulate her. 

He rubbed soothing circles on her stomach as her breathing evened out and her muscles stopped twitching. “You did such a good job, Granger, what a good girl.” He kissed her neck. “You were spectacular.”

She let out a long breath of air. “That was…”

His smugness increased as she was rendered incapable of completing her sentences. “That was great, Granger. Do you want to stop for the night?”

“Stop for the night?” she repeated. 

He nodded. “Yeah. If you’re too tired or overwhelmed, we could continue another night…if you wanted?”

She traced his hand lying on her stomach with a fingertip. “You’d show me again?”

“Yeah, why not? I wouldn’t mind making you come again, you were bloody ravishing.”

“O-oh. Well…if you’re offering…I wouldn’t mind doing this again…and maybe a little more? I am a little tired right now, though…”

“Alright. We can talk about it later then. So you’re happy with how tonight went?”

“Yeah, I am. That orgasm was…I hate to say it lest you explode from your ego expanding too much, but it was earth-shattering.”

He physically could not stop the smirk that spread across his face. “I aim to please.” He slid out of the bed after a few more minutes of cuddles, feeling her shiver as the cool air blew against her exposed skin. Picking up the discarded top, he held it over her head.. “Arms up.”

She looked at him bewildered, but raised them anyway. He tugged her sleep shirt on and gently pushed her back against the pillows, handing her the glass of water from her nightstand. “Sleep well, Granger. Don’t forget to pee.”

“Good night, Malfoy, and…thank you.”

As soon as he closed her door behind him his hand was down his sweats. He barely made it past a minute when he came all over his hand, her name on his lips behind a Silencio.

{two}

[mdhwrites]

Having discussed at length about angst and how it can easily negatively impact a story (i.e. The Owl House), why do you think angst has so much of an appeal among people? Because I personally haven't seen much of an argument from others besides "it makes the character(s) more relatable" or "it's more realistic that way."

And neither arguments are inherently wrong, I'd say. But it's naïve to assume angst can by default improve a story's quality, especially if it results in tonal dissonance or making a work too miserable to sit/read through. So again, why the widespread appeal?

Realism and relatability is a bullshit excuse for a lot of angst. A loooooot of angst is actually just too over the top to be seen as realistic, or dealt with so poorly that it isn't relatable at all. The people making these claims are just saying "Angst" instead of "Dark and edgy" for what they think 'mature' storytelling i.

Now, why is angst popular? Because drama as a genre exists? I will get into it more but I really do think terminally online people, who mostly consume Youtube and fanfic, just forgot that there already was a term for stuff going wrong in people's lives and causing emotionally intense stories and asking how people deal with that and we call that Drama. Drama is also seen as a more mature genre, hence why the Oscars like it so much, but also a lot of dramas suck ass for the same reason angst sucks ass.

Which brings me to the appeal and danger of Drama: Conflict, and especially interpersonal conflict. That is what angst and drama is usually there for. A twist in things that causes resolutions to be harder to happen because there are deeper, personal problems that need to be addressed in order to make headway on the overall problem. It's not like an adventure story where the conflict is a more potentially far off or less personal thing, a grand goal that doesn't really make the heroes themselves fight until some angst and drama is added to make the heroes butt heads with each other.

When done well, these elements allow for deeper characters, a better understanding of them and a wider exploration of dynamics and problems between people than would be normally possible in genres that are less focused on the characters. Romance shares a lot of similar strengths in this regard but that's also why a lot of romances include a good bit of drama. The term hot/cold romance exists because of the drama of figuring out if you even want to potentially be with someone after all and what it takes to finalize that choice. These do allow for genuinely very human expressions of who one is.

To use a work of mine as an example (Spoilers for The Blight's Ruff Secret/Their Ruff Secrets):

In the middle of the book, not quite the moment of adhesion, Amity loses it at Luz about how her curse isn't something that's fun. How everytime she steps out the door to go to things like church, she has to constantly fear being found out for the beast that she is since she is a werewolf. She accuses Luz of not being able to understand having to deny who you are at all times because if someone caught you even once, your life would be over.

Luz, who has a big crush on Amity while being at church because her mother is catholic, who just got bullied simply for being gender non-conforming, forces herself not to say anything. She instead just apologizes, despite knowing the pain too well. Despite wanting to share her sexuality but believing she knows what the consequences are if she ever does.

That is drama. That is personal problems causing friction and causing people to hurt each other because they are people and they are in pain. It is exploring that which separates and stresses us out. And that's within what is mostly a romantic comedy because if there was none of that friction, the romance wouldn't be as compelling. It's part of why opposites attract is so popular because the drama of the situation writes itself.

And part of why the angst explored in TOH about Lumity is such a fucking waste. -_-

But I had a point including all of this drama. I had things to say with it. There are payoffs to that pain. When you include things that will be painful to the audience simply to hurt them, that can easily become exhausting and miserable. I honestly don't seek out dramatic works very often, not ones that are primarily dramas at least, because I've been burned enough times and honestly, I don't need to be reminded of how life sucks just because it sucks. That's miserable and the last thing I want from my media. I want to see these things explored and reminded that we CAN work past them. That we can do better.

And I think that aspirational element is part of why people will always want to see their character suffer because the deeper the Belly of the Whale in a story, the more you celebrate when they escape. With how much redemption and the ability to be better than who you were is a running theme in my works, I know it's what I personally want and I like to believe it's part of what people like in my stories because it's something we all want to believe in. Something we angst about and would like to be assured isn't impossible.

See you next tale.

======+++++======

I have a public Discord for any and all who want to join!

I also have an Amazon page for all of my original works in various forms of character focused romances from cute, teenage romance to erotica series of my past. I have an Ao3 for my fanfiction projects as well if that catches your fancy instead. If you want to hang out with me, I stream from time to time and love to chat with chat.

A Twitter you can follow too

And a Kofi if you like what I do and want to help out with the fact that disability doesn’t pay much.

[livetogether--diealone]

[Hei pspspsps anon do you remember that chalex fic you asked me about and instead i gave you some other chalex stuff, well i actually got that one fic i was working on right here, okay like i've had this for a while but I wanted to post it here with a little art i thought anout doing but never got around to do it, maybe someday, but mh here it goes nothing. And let's go all the way back to Silverstone22 my behated race]

- made you laugh

He left the circuit as soon as possible, did his media part, team debrief and then bolted, no reason to wait around. He asked Andrea to drive to the hotel, it was a very quiet drive, he let his trainer chat just about anything but the race, discussing that was no use. Not that there was much to discuss about, another sure podium thrown into the garbage, for him . He should have been happy, the team got the podium Mattia wanted, who managed to make that clear enough, a win even, and he was left with 4th place, they were going home with 37 points. More than redbull, that should have cheered him up, he could still do it, they could still make it. Yet he wasn’t happy, wasn’t much about Carlos winning, that he could stomach, but the how oh the how he was left dealing with the rest of the pack on such used tyres against Lewis, against Checo, alone after having to deal and argue on the radio for the whole race for a shot to such an easy 1-2, it just-

Charles needed to get out of his head, or he would go mad. He didn’t dwell on lost opportunities, mistakes, errors. And he really couldn’t beat himself up for this one race, so he had to let go, because he knew in some way this was starting to become a pattern. So he started going through his phone: various texts from his brothers, friends, a missed call from mom; got it the phone was a no go. For a moment he toyed with the idea of changing his flight to tonight but no luck there either. At least listening to Andrea arguing in italian with english drivers was entertaining, making being stuck in traffic with no escape from his mind bearable. Eventually they got to the hotel when the sun was about to set.

Going up the step to the lobby Andrea handed him his card “You’re gonna be okay Charles?”

“Pretty banged up, I just need some rest, fly’s pretty early anyway” he mumbled, fumbling with all the stuff he was trying to carry, some gift from fans, signed caps to hand out while driving away from the paddock, shit he left in such a hurry bargaining his Ferrari for an unmarked car that he didn’t stop for fans on the way out. He was really miserable then; Charles slipped his hotel keys in his back pocket and exchanged goodnight with Andrea.

“Charles! Hei! Oh Charlie, finally”

He turned around with already with Alex’s name on his lips, he could have never mistaken that voice and the way Alex said his name, always like he had found what he was looking for at last, always like he could finally breath again. And that was actually what Alex looked like in that moment, a little dishevelled, out of breath. Did he run here from the circuit? Charles closed the steps between them immediately. “Alex... what? Why are you here? Are you okay?”. He shouldn’t be here, he had crashed, rather crushed between two cars, he needed rest.

“Perfectly alright, well maybe I collected a speed ticket, and I might have done a rally to get here, but I needed to check in on you” Alex was crouching down, hands on his knees, but his eyes were bright as ever.

Charles’ heart skipped a beat, here he was again marvelling at Alex’s kindness, he had to take a step back or he might have leaped right to him. He curled his hands in a fist, damn it, for a second time that day he was too deep in his thoughts and anger that he blindly forgot about the rest, about his friend, someone he loved cared for so much, who got injured and he didn't even think about him. Charles wanted this championship, he never wanted something this badly, and if he was really honest with himself, he was letting it take control a little too much when it came to the failures, more than he thought it was needed.

He opened his mouth to speak but nothing came. “Alex, I-” Charles looked at the other with so much guilt on his part, maybe he was that stupid. What he was gonna say anyway? That he was sorry? That he felt his dream slipping away? That he never hated more his team than right now? That he felt so lost and alone that maybe this was the last straw that made him crawl so far back in himself than he couldn’t perceive anything else? Christ Alex was had a scary crash, but he came here for him , and he wasn’t, didn’t want to be so broken that he couldn’t care. “I’m an idiot, Alexander. I am a total idiot and not a good friend, at all”.

And Alex did understand. Silently he reached out to touch Charles’ arm, searching for a confirmation in his eyes, once it was a go, he pulled Charles in an embrace. “Your bruised ego right now feels more important to me. Fuck Seb, I am not a Ferrari fan”. And Charles felt so small in that moment.

He grabbed Alex by his shoulders, and let go as Alex winced. “No, I think we’re both stupid. Alex please tell me you didn’t run away from the medical centre for this”.

“Nah, I got cleared, don’t worry too much silly” and he puffed up just for show. “But as I was saying, I’m here to make you feel better” Alex’s eyes shifted from soft to cheeky and Charles’ brain freezed, he swallowed loudly. “Come I’ve got something in mind”

Charles had no idea of what was coming for him when he got hauled in the back seat of a car driven by Alex’s trainer Patrick, who also looked like was oblivious to this whole situation. The journey stopped at Alex’s family home, where he was greeted by an array of animals as well as people. And it was loud, so different from his own; while both came from rather bigger families Charles’ home was quieter. But he didn’t mind this, it felt nice having all his senses attacked so any race memory could be finally locked away, for now, hopefully for good. Alex waddled through the sea of everyone wanting his attention and careful to step over a very large unbothered cat “That’s Horsey, this is his kingdom”, he dragged Charles by his wrist that quickly became his hand upstairs, shoved him in room while shouting at the little heads that popped from the railings “Cousin Charles and I are tired, keep it quiet would you?”.

“Sorry for the mess” Alex was leaning against the door he just closed, he was now almost whispering and when Charles looked at him more confused than ever he directed his eyes to the rest of the room and Charles understood was all the fuss was about, four little dirty-ice coloured kittens were sleeping on a bed, all piled up and curled on eachothers. He took a step towards them looking back at Alex and mouthing they are so cute, he gently sat on the bed, one of the kittens noticed him and wobbling on the cover he tumbled next to Charles’ extended hand. And in less than half a second he was being swarmed by all of them.

Alex watched the scene quite amused, he could not make up Charles’ giggles from the kitties’ now very loud meowing. The other felt his gaze on him, it was not as weary as it was during the car ride, when Alex could not stop looking back at him, just to make sure he didn’t open the cardoor and let himself fall, reason number one he heard the distinctive lock sound. And to tell the honest truth, he was so so glad Alex came to take him away from a very long night of drowning himself into the old habit of self-inflicted flagellation. Charles went deep into his mind again and was startled when Alex spoke, his voice now very close, “I always knew you were part cat, you fit right in” and he got another giggle out of Charles - something he never once failed to do – and then more of a whisper “Where did you go again Charlie?”

Charles turned around to look at the other, they were now both laying on the bed, from opposite site. He took a deep breath but didn’t speak yet. He fully laid on his back, mindlessly petting the kittens still. He felt Alex doing the same, the weight of his body making Charles shift towards him. “I feel very alone” he breathed at last, voice cracking. He added “In the team, Alex” because he knew a friendly reprimand was coming when Alex turned to face him and propped his head on his bent arm. “Because they left me alone today, and Mattia... He, I don’t know made me feel guilty I complained about the missed stop?” he paused once more. The anger was still too fresh, still burned brightly, piled up with all these opportunities to win, to score more points, gifted to other people, other drivers, other teams. It wasn’t so unbearable to make him lose faith in his team, that meant losing faith in driving all together, but mistrust in some areas was starting to build up, and it was so painful, because Charles would still do everything for his team, being in Ferrari was the only thing he knew and he didn’t want it any other way. It was more of curse. And very tiring. That, he felt this wave of fatigue suddenly over him. “I lost it, I know I did” he whispered, not even sure if loud enough to be heard, unconsciously out of fear of it being true. He brought his hands to cover his face, emotions running high and overwhelming.

Alex reached out, gently, he touched his forearms, and then he peeled his hands from his face; if Charles had managed to hold back the tears until then he now didn’t feel that strong. “Mathematically it’s not done yet. Oh, don’t give me that look, I can count” and he made Charles laugh. Again.

“Have you seen my team Alex?”

“Unbelievably red? Prone to mistake a pie for a tyre? Yeah, I think I did, once or twice”

“Oh yes, yes, we are that stupid” he sniffled back. And went back to the little cats, a couple of them had started to lick his face. He took one and placed it on his chest, scooting more next to Alex, heads aligned, he could almost rest on his shoulder if he wanted, if he could master such courage.

The conversation fell into a peaceful lull, Charles’ mind was starting to drift away from what had happened, from the buried deep fear of his misplaced trust in his team. The last few hours were coming finally into focus, Alex was coming into focus, where he’d always been, there for him. There to take him away from the lows in his racing career from karting times till now, years later. There to make him laugh like no other could, folded in half tears pooling at the corners his eyes. The only one bothered to follow Charles’ made-up golf rules, calling him from Thailand when the kids from the orphanage dyed Alex’s hair red like your car Charlie, running to hug him right after Charles’ final race in f2 even if you literally crashed into me when I was about to win and my racing career may be ending today, I’m gonna miss racing with you so much, holding up an umbrella for him in Imola because he forgot one and following him around the paddock, showing up late at night at his apartment with a terribly cooked pasta al pesto after his Monaco GP.

And Alex will have kept showing up.

Under the podium in Austria, grabbing him in parc ferme helmet still on screaming how proud he was.

Two days after the French gp, basically kidnapping Charles for the whole day just to get him out of the house.

The same week sitting on the tarmac in Hungary, planning for a last-minute summer road-trip.

At Monza on the phone after Charles’ second place “I have to go to the podium, Alex, no turn the tv off you need rest, you had a respiratory failure”.

In Singapore cheering him between the Ferrari mechanics, after Alex’s retirement.

At Suzuka in an hotel room, huddle together in the dark when Charles’ nightmares got too real.

In Abu Dhabi, at the very end walking out of the paddock together.

And he decided he might live in this moment forever, just the two of them, pressed together, a little awkward with Alex half hanging out of the bed with his long legs, taking horribly pictures of him, Charles needing to put his own legs on the headboard to avoid falling on the floor; but it worked.

Alex had never bothered to turn on the lights, so he hissed when one of his sisters opened the door to check-up on the two drivers. He gestured to go get lost, “he’s sleeping” he hushed, taking a quick look at Charles, now a welcoming weight on his shoulder. “And he drools too” Alex added, voice suddenly softer.

“Tu sbavi” the reply came in only what Alex could identify as Italian, he scoffed at it, Charles shuffled closer. “Thank you, Alexander” his voice was still thick with sleep, his lips caressing the skin between Alex’s shoulder and neck. “I think...”

Alex held his breath, his mind going a little numb.

“I think that I love you very much Alex” he mumbled in the end, nestling himself in the crook of Alex’s neck.

He couldn’t resist kissing Charles’ mole on his jawline. “I think I love you too Charlie”