#i used to just skip to the parts that i enjoyed but i wanted to read it all the way through and i hated it so much. it was good but it

[acesofspadess]

Track Walk {2}

landoscar x content creator!reader

part 1

series summary: You were invited to the Miami GP for your Track Walk series on social media, what follows after you run into a certain Papaya boy, no one could prepare you for...

series warnings: cursing, angst, smut, making out, mentions of people you may not like, mmf, threesome/throuple, if there is more let me know... ;)

a/n: this a long 4 part series, but the chapters will be released daily!! also... there is no hate to anyone mention in this story, it is a work of fiction and any hate towards the characters/people will be deleted.

Singapore 2024

So here you were, the Singapore GP. The past 5 days were eventful to say the least. Your body was covered in love bites from each boy, there was no telling who gave which. Apparently the entire grid and the wags knew, which helped them cover up to the media. You walked in with Lando and Oscar, laughing at a stupid joke Lando said. To anyone besides the drivers, it was a very fun friend group, but you were sure it would stir something up. “Hello, hello, hello.” You waved with a large smile at the camera. “We don’t usually do evening walks do we? But Singapore is the beginning of the night races so get used to it…” The track walk and the weekend went just as planned. During that weekend you met Max Fewtrell for the first time. It was very scary for you. This was someone Lando had grown up with, someone he had chosen to be one of the important people in his life, and you knew how this could look to an outsider- an F1 creator dating not one, but two, of the most prized drivers in the sport. But you two immediately hit it off. “I just know Oscar is enjoying not being the only one having to handle his mess.” He laughed as you guys watched Free Practise. “It’s not even the mess though, Max, it’s the food!...”

The entire weekend was looking favorable for McLaren, and then when Lando kept his position into the first lap, you knew it was game over, another McLaren win was pending. And right you were. “Lando Norris can stop hearing about his starts, and start hearing about his finishes! For the third time Lando Norris takes the chequered flag…”

You bounced up and down with Max as Lando screamed into the radio. “That's a double podium finish for McLaren!” You screamed and he laughed with you before giving you a hug. “They’ll want to see you.” He told her and she shook her head. “Too much attention, they’ll see us after.” She said not wanting to leave Max behind.

The music thumps through the club you all decided to go to after you finished at the track, vibrating the floors as colorful lights flash across the crowded room. Lando, Oscar, and you move through the throng of people, your body already buzzing with the high of celebration. Lando’s win had electrified the night, and the three of you are ready to let loose—carefully.

Lando’s arm stays draped over your shoulder as you make your way to a private booth near the dance floor, Oscar trailing closely behind. 

Around the booth, the other drivers and their girlfriends are scattered—Carlos and Rebecca, Max who was running solo, Charles and Alexandra, Pierre and Kika—all laughing and cheering. The energy is high, but there’s an unspoken understanding between them. They know. “I would say cheers to Lando’s amazing race-” Carlos started, “but you only won because of her.” Lando and Oscar shook their heads as everyone around you laughed.

You laughed too, cheeks heating as Lando pulls you closer. "You’re not wrong," he teases, brushing a quick, casual kiss against your temple. It’s brief enough to pass as friendly, but the way your heart skips betrays its meaning. Oscar slides in on your other side, his hand finding your knee under the table and giving it a gentle squeeze, hidden by the dim lighting and shadows.

They’re subtle but deliberate, their touches igniting sparks that make your heart race. The conversation swirls around you, but the trio only has eyes for each other. When the music shifts to something slower and sultry, Lando tugs your hand. "Dance with me," he says, voice low and irresistible.

You follow him onto the dance floor, Oscar not far behind. Lando’s hands find your waist, pulling you against him as your bodies move in sync. Oscar presses in from behind, his chest warm against your back as his fingers brush your arm, sending a thrill down your spine. It’s intoxicating—the heat, the music, the feel of both their bodies surrounding you.

But you have to be careful. Lando shifts slightly, turning you just enough to keep you shielded from prying eyes, and Oscar’s touch drifts away whenever someone looks too closely. The tension grows with every near-miss, every stolen glance, and every lingering brush of fingertips.

Lando leans in, his breath hot against your ear. "You’re ours tonight," he murmurs, voice rough with desire. Your pulse quickens as Oscar’s lips skim your shoulder—quick, subtle, and hidden in the dim lights—adding to the heat coiling low in your stomach.

The three of you move as one, but always just discreet enough to keep your secret. The world blurs around you—flashing lights, the beat of the bass, laughter from your friends at the booth. None of it matters. All you can feel is the heat of their touches, the fire in their eyes, and the promise of what the rest of the night will hold.

f1gossipofficial

liked by user45 and others

f1gossipofficcial The papaya boys went out to celebrate last night with other drivers as well as their girlfriends, but pictures show the papaya boys very close with each other. This comes after a recent video McLaren uploaded where Oscar and Lando were seen holding hands at one point and being very touchy… 

user45 oh this is crazy

user67 how do papaya rules work now’

user18 they had a good time last night

user4 how about we stay out of there lives and not dissect and try to out people who clearly don’t want to be outed

user68 landoscar was too good to be fake

user49 i for sure thought one of themm was going to get with Y/N

user23 i thought it was Lando user90 i thought it was Oscar user62 am i crazy for saying both user23 user62 yes user49 user62yes user90 user62 yes

“This sucks.” Oscar said into her neck. They were at the airport saying goodbye because they wouldn’t see each other for another month. “I know, I’m sorry love.” You giggled softly at his dramatics. Your arms were wrapped around his neck, finger scratching the strands of hair at the top of his neck. You looked at Lando who watched the scene unfold. Oscar wasn’t much of a showy person, so seeing him show anything they never took for granted. 

“Osc, you okay?” Lando asked seeing his shoulders raise and then drop deeply. “I just feel so complete with her here, I don’t like when she isn’t.” He told his boyfriend who rubbed his back. He finally pulled off letting Lando hug you around your waist lifting you up. “Gonna miss you baby.” he said kissing your cheek knowing people were around. “I’ll miss you both so much. But we’ve done it before right? Osc you’ll see your family. Lan you’re going to Portugal with Max. We’ll al be so busy, it won’t feel like a month will it?”

Lando and Oscar nodded holding onto each other. You checked your RM watch, one the duo had gotten for you this previous weekend. “Time to go, babies.” you sighed. They scooped you into one big hug. “See you soon.” You kissed both of their cheeks before they walked off to their own gate, leaving you at yours. 

The month at home was supposed to be a time to recharge, but it only left you restless. Your days blurred together in a haze of casual errands, late-night shows, and constant texts from Lando and Oscar. The messages were frequent and full of love—updates about their time apart, teasing remarks, random photos, and sweet "miss you" notes despite the time zones. Even with their busy schedules, they made an effort to check in, and it always left you smiling.

Then came the post.

Your best friend stormed into your shared flat, phone clutched in hand. “Y/N, you need to see this,” she said, eyes wide with urgency. She handed you her phone, and your stomach dropped.

There, on a gossip page, was a photo of Lando and Magui faces and bodies very close to each other with big smiles on their face in company of Max and Pietra. The caption read: “Lando Norris spotted looking cozy with Magui and friends. This is after rumours of them earlier in the year were clouded over by new friend Y/n L/n and his teammate Oscar Piastri that Lando has been seen getting very flirty with...”

You froze, the phone trembling in your hands, the three of you already saw the airport photos of your group hug. It was what it was to you three though. “What the hell?” you whispered, voice barely audible.

Your mind flashed back to when Lando and Oscar had confessed something about Magui. They’d told you they’d once considered inviting her into their relationship, but something had always held them back. Then they’d met you, and everything changed. They knew immediately they wanted you.

You pushed the memory away, your chest tightening as you stared at the picture.

Without a second thought, you dialed them both. They picked up almost immediately, Lando’s voice warm and his face smiley. “Hey, baby,” he greeted.

Your throat constricted. “I’m not coming to the next GP,” you blurted.

There was a pause. “What? Y/N, what are you talking about? We planned this together.” Oscar cut in confusion on his face.

“I just can’t,” you said, your voice breaking and eyes filling with tears. You didn’t want to bring up the post, unsure if Oscar even knew.

“Wait, what's wrong?” Lando asked, concerned about lacing his tone as he saw your eyes fill.

You shook your head, not trusting yourself. “I’ll talk to you later.” You hung up before they could say more.

That night, your best friend held you as you cried, her arms wrapped tightly around you. “They don’t deserve you if they’re going to pull this shit,” she murmured. But her words only made you cry harder.

The next day, your phone erupted with notifications.

From Lando: "Baby, I swear it’s not what it looks like. Please call me." "I would never do this to you. You have to trust me. Nothing happened." "I’ll explain everything if you just call me. Please, Y/N."

From Oscar: "Y/N, I didn’t think this would get so out of hand. I’m sorry." "You mean everything to us. Don’t let this ruin us." "Please, let’s talk. I’ll tell you everything."

From Max Fewtrell: "Y/N, you know Lando wouldn’t do this to you. He’s losing his mind right now. Please talk to him."

From Alexandra: "Hey, I saw the post. Are you okay? Call me if you need to vent."

From Rebecca: "Y/N, this is so unfair to you. If you need to talk, I’m here."

You ignored them all, until finally, you caved and called Lando and Oscar. They answered on FaceTime, both looking worried.

“Nothing is happening with Magui,” Lando said quickly.

Oscar nodded. “We wouldn’t do that to you. You have to know that.”

“Why wouldn’t you tell us?” You sighed aggravatedly. “If you knew she was going to be there why wouldn’t you say anything? Why would you get close with her again knowing someone's eyes are always on  you.

But then, Lando and Oscar got very silent, you could have thought the screen froze, and something passed between them. It was subtle, but enough to make your stomach churn. “What?” you pressed.

Oscar sighed. “I knew she’d be there. I thought it would be fine.”

Your chest tightened as Oscar's words hit you like a punch. "You knew?" you whispered, barely able to contain the hurt. "You knew she'd be there and didn’t say anything?"

Oscar hesitated, looking like he wasn’t sure how to answer. "I didn’t think it would be a big deal," he said quietly. "I thought it’d just be... fine."

"But it is a big deal!" you snapped, your voice rising, frustration bubbling over. "If you had just told me, I wouldn’t be upset. I could have handled it, but now it feels like you’re hiding something. Like you’re trying to have your cake and eat it too."

Lando’s voice cut through the tension, softer but still desperate. "Y/N, that’s not it. We didn’t want you to feel like this. We didn’t mean for it to look like we were hiding anything from you."

"You did hide it, Lando," you shot back, shaking your head. "You knew she was going to be there, and you didn’t tell me. It makes it seem like you wanted to keep me in the dark while keeping her close, like I’m some backup plan."

Oscar looked pained, and Lando seemed to be searching for the right words. "It’s not like that," Oscar said quickly, but there was an edge of panic in his voice. "I didn’t think this would happen. I thought it’d be fine."

"But it’s not fine," you responded, your voice cracking slightly as the weight of it all hit you. "You’ve betrayed my trust, Oscar. And Lando, you should’ve known better. If you had told me, we could have figured it out. But now? Now I feel like everything we shared was an act, something to keep you occupied while you figured your feelings out."

Lando opened his mouth, clearly struggling, so Oscar spoke up in a low voice. "Please, Y/N, we didn’t mean to hurt you. We just... didn’t think—"

"Exactly," you interrupted, your voice soft. "You didn’t think. If you had, we wouldn’t be here right now. I know it's only been a few months, but I thought our relationship was stronger than this. I thought I meant more to you than this, but you’ve shown me I don’t."

“No Y/N-”

With that, you ended the call, the sound of the FaceTime disconnecting echoing in your ears. You sat back on the couch, your heart aching, but you knew this was the only way to handle it. They had crossed a line, and now you had to protect yourself from the mess they had made.

Max Fewtrell texted shortly after: "Y/N, I know what it looks like, but I promise Lando wouldn’t do this to you. He’s doing his head in and acting erratically, please talk to him. He’s about to go into a race weekend." 

Hattie messaged, too.. “Oscar fucked up, but I’ve also never seen him this upset with himself. He is so sorry, I’ll never tell you what to do, but just know he really cares.

You ignored everyone.

Of course you watched the triple header, you were still their girlfriend, and before that you were their number 1 supporter. Track Walks were not as fun to you during that time, everything reminded you of what happened. They still texted you everyday, telling you about their day, about their thoughts on the race, saying they missed you and they were so sorry.

But Brazil was a disaster. The rain poured relentlessly, creating dangerous conditions on the track. Both Lando and Oscar struggled, and a red flag giving those who hadn’t had a pitstop a free one essentially knocked Lando out of the Drivers' Championship contention, but besides that, out of a win. Your heart ached watching it all unfold, tears falling down your face slowly, but you stayed silent, refusing to reach out.

A few days later, Max went live on stream with Lando. Lando sounded tired, wanting to stay muted when he didn't have to be heard, his voice hoarse. He admitted he’d been eating old food from months ago and wasn’t feeling well. Max F texted both you and Oscar after the stream: "Lando needs you. He’s not doing well at all."

Oscar replied immediately: "I’m on my way."

You stared at the message, conflicted. It wasn't until the next day when you were eating lunch that Oscar's text messages were blowing up your phone,

Osco: Baby, I know you don't want to talk to us, but Lando really isn't doing well.

Osco: I've spent all morning with him crying into my arms, degrading himself, it hurts so much to hear. He thinks everything is over, he needs you baby. I need you. 

Finally, you texted Alexandra and Rebecca, asking what you should do. 

Mes Amours 💗

You: Help…Oscar’s been texting me about Lando this morning. He said he spent the morning crying, degrading himself, and thinks everything’s over. I want to be there, but I’m so hurt. I don’t know what to do.

Alexandra: Wow… I knew things were rough for them, but that’s heavy. You’ve got to take care of yourself first though. If you’re not ready, you’re not ready.

Rebecca: I get that, but… it won’t get better if you don’t talk to them. And, Y/N, I’m going to be honest here: Carlos is worried about Lando too. He told me Lando’s been completely off lately—barely eating, barely talking. He’s spiraling.

Alexandra: Wait, really? I mean, I knew they weren’t doing great in Brazil, but I didn’t think it was that bad.

Rebecca: It is. Carlos says he hasn’t been himself for weeks. And honestly, if Carlos is worried, you know it’s serious. Lando needs you, Y/N. Even if it’s just to talk. You don’t have to forgive them yet, but they need you right now.

You: I’ve missed them so much, it hurts. But I’m scared. What if I go back and things still don’t feel right? What if they don’t really understand how much they hurt me?

Rebecca: Then you tell them. You lay it all out there. But Y/N, we know how deeply you care for them, and it’s obvious they care about you too. I think they understand, they just need to see you in person.

Alexandra: Whatever you do, we are holding your hand.  Taking a deep breath, you texted Max Verstappen: Can I use your jet?

[from-izzy]

[17:07] | enhypen park sunghoon

Sunghoon grunts at the reminder of your true visit, yet still makes love to your collarbones to cherish every second with you. “Not yet…” he pleads that time will go slower. 

pairing » enhypen park sunghoon x fem!reader

trope/au » established relationship au, (not so) secret relationship au, non-idol au

genre » fluffy fluff with slight suggestive themes (nothing like this), lovesick and cute sunghoon, boyfriend sunghoon, reader helping with sunghoon's sister's dinner dance prep!

word count; estimated reading time » 1293; ~5 mins

warnings (lmk if i missed anything!) » getting caught during making out by sunghoon's sister, kissing on lower abdomen/body, sunghoon lifts reader, reader implied to be smaller than sunghoon

navi/masterlist!! 🤍 enhypen masterlist

my debut to enhablr...? i see clips of sunghoon and heeseung and they make me wanna get into enha 🥹 i'm sure the fandom knows that sunghoon has a sister but i didn't use her real name for this fic; it just makes me more comfortable in this way. hope you all enjoy!!

You don't usually knock on the Park’s residence house since Sunghoon would usually open it for you as per his invite, or help you sneak in through the side window. But today is a bit different since today is Serin’s dinner dance at her school, and she asked you for help with makeup and outfits. In a heartbeat, you agreed, especially since the event has been a special one for you since the day Sunghoon asked you to be his.

Sunghoon knows about you coming over to help his sister, but knowing that your visit today isn't for him puts a frown on his face. His relationship with you is still private, which is something that you both want at the current moment. But after a year of dating, he can't wait to formally introduce his once best friend to his family who is already very fond of you. 

“Thank you so much for coming!” The door opens to reveal the younger girl. “Come in!”

You chuckle at her excited nature. You know Serin has been a delightful one since a long time ago, and you're glad to be part of a wonderful event for her. A few steps into the house, you see Sunghoon by the couch, resting his chin on his arm as he pouts at you. 

“Hey,” you greet him casually, sneaking in a wink behind Serin.

Sunghoon rolls his eyes away playfully, turning around to the television as he sulks and sinks into the couch. 

“Oppa! Don't be rude!” Serin defends you. “But whatever, guess I'll have her to myself.”

If it was anyone other than his beloved sister saying those words, Sunghoon would cling to your side, sweep you off your feet and claim your lips with his. “Whatever,” Sunghoon dismisses her with a hand wave. 

Upstairs, Serin had all her makeup and dress options ready for your second opinion. It wasn't long until you chose the one you thought suited her the best, helping her change and adjusting it to fit nicely on her body. Just as so, it didn't take long until your numerous hair and makeup suggestions were chosen by her. 

“You're gonna be the prettiest girl in the room,” you blend the pink blush across her cheeks. 

“Of course, I am. You're the one giving me the makeup after all,” you chuckle at her words, adding the finishing touches and setting spray onto her face. “Don't tell Sunghoon this, but I'm going with a date.”

You gasp at the information. “Really?! That's so cute! Let me see a picture!”

Serin skips over to make sure the bedroom door is locked before sitting on the edge of her bed, patting the empty space beside her for you. The younger swipes through the many pictures in her gallery, recounting the main parts of that day spent together. 

You know what it feels like to be attracted to someone. To like someone, and ultimately, to be head over heels in love with someone. Looking through the pictures of her and her partner for the dance, you could tell that it wasn't puppy love or a short-lived crush. How'd you know? Her eyes sparkle with minimal lighting as they cuddle in the picture tells you everything her heart feels.

“Don't tell Sunghoon please,” a pout overtakes her face. “You know how protective he is, and I promise I will tell him soon.”

You squint your eyes in suspicion, humming in contemplation. The younger pleads once more, a pinky out hanging in the air, waiting for yours. In the end, you gave in, knowing well that you weren't going to not agree from the start. You understand where she's coming from since your brother is the same as well.

“Alright, go get the rest of your things ready!” You nudged your shoulder against hers and excused yourself from her room. 

As soon as the door clicks securely shut, your fingertips on the metal knob don't even get a chance to properly let go when they're replaced with warmth instead. A hand grasps the side of your waist, pulling you next door where the meaning behind another click of this door differs greatly. 

You yelp at the soft tug, a hand protecting the back of your head when your body hits the door. The room is barely lit, only the moon and the street lights shining through from the still-opened curtains beside you giving the luminance enough for you to face your blushing boyfriend. 

Sunghoon sighs deeply with how he manages to finally have alone time with you successfully without getting caught. His lips finally attach to yours, drowning out the giggling and pleasurable moaning slipping out from the both of you. Your eyelids flutter shut, brushing against his skin gently as he shudders at the way your nose nudges his as you kiss him feverishly. As the situation escalates, the hood around his head falls, giving your hand access to his beautiful locks.

The grip on the side of your body tightens only slightly as your boyfriend pulls you closer to his chest that your hands rest on. Sunghoon leaves your lips, travelling to your ears to huskily whisper, “Hi baby girl,” he kisses your ear after, kissing along your jawline and neck as you gasp at him.

“H-Hoon-” you hiss at the pressure he puts on a sensitive part of your neck, messing and tugging on his hair. “Your sister is going to be ready at any time now.”

Sunghoon grunts at the reminder of your true visit, yet still makes love to your collarbones to cherish every second with you. “Not yet…” he pleads that time will go slower. 

The hand behind your head joins the other side of your body, slithering down to the back of your thighs as Sunghoon kneels, continuing to trail his kisses to your clothed stomach. With a swift motion, he carries you by your thighs, standing up and walking towards his bed. He never spared a moment where his lips didn't touch your heated body. There was no time for your heart to calm its racing pace, the adrenaline of staying quiet hitting you both. 

Now seated on his bed with you straddling his built thighs, you take this moment to fully open your eyes, seeing the white light shine upon his red cheeks. His palm cups the apple of your cheeks, foreheads resting as you catch your breaths. 

“Can't get enough of you,” he mutters. “I just want and need you all the time…”

Sunghoon is cute when he's lovesick like this, your cheeks instantly heating more than before at his confession. You hum, “I love you, Hoon.”

“I love you much more.”

His orbs sparkle upon yours sincerely for a second until his open lips come closer to claim yours again. You're millimetres apart when the door opens unexpectedly behind you. Your body reacts first, jumping away from Sunghoon, pushing him flat onto the bed as you pull your clothes to straighten the creases of the makeout. 

Serin covers her eyes even if you both are detached, the split second burning into her memory. “I knew you guys were together, but I didn't know it was getting spicy here!”

Sunghoon’s body springs up from the mattress, “You knew yet you still came in?!”

“Wait, that's what you're worried about?!” you exclaim with wide eyes at your boyfriend. “You knew all this time?!” Questioning the grinning sister at the door.

“I know I just kind of exposed you, but don't expose me!” Serin shouts as she retreats to a safer part of the house.

“What does that mean?!” The clueless brother runs out to interrogate his sibling while you're left dumbfounded at what just happened in the last few seconds. 

navi/masterlist!! 🤍 enhypen masterlist

tags: @k-films @k-films @kflixnet @starlit-network @kstrucknet

@haneul-and-clouds @sunlightwoo @hursheys

[mattsobvimyfav]

neighbor (matthew sturniolo)

pt 11

When we finally made it home, Matt parked the car, and everyone piled out sluggishly. Chris and Nick bumbled their way inside, clearly still drunk, with Charlie trailing behind them, her shoes in her hand. Matt and I hung back for a moment, letting the others disappear into the house.

As soon as the door closed, Matt wrapped his arm around my waist, pulling me close. “You ready for bed, sweetheart?” he asked, his voice low and full of warmth.

I nodded, leaning into him. “More than ready.”

We headed inside, quietly making our way upstairs to my room. I kicked off my boots, tossing my bag onto the chair in the corner. Matt pulled off his shirt, throwing it toward the hamper before collapsing onto the bed. I followed, crawling in beside him, and he pulled me close, his arms wrapping protectively around me.

“Goodnight, Y/N,” he murmured, his lips brushing against my forehead.

“Goodnight, Matt,” I whispered back, already drifting off.

The next morning, sunlight peeked through the blinds, gently waking me. I blinked a few times, finding myself completely entangled with Matt. My head rested on his chest, one of his arms draped over my waist, while our legs were a twisted mess beneath the covers.

I tilted my head up to see Matt already awake, scrolling through TikTok on his phone. When he noticed me looking, he gave me a lazy smile. “Morning, sleepyhead.”

“Morning,” I mumbled, my voice still heavy with sleep. I snuggled closer, resting my chin on his chest. “What are you watching?”

He tilted his phone so I could see. “Just dumb TikToks. Want to join?”

We spent a few minutes scrolling together, laughing at the ridiculous videos. Then, when a fortnite edit came through his fyp, an idea popped into my head. “Hey, Matt,” I said, propping myself up on my elbow.

“What’s up?” he asked, glancing at me.

“Do you think you could help me get a PC? I kind of want to play Fortnite again,” I admitted, biting my lip nervously.

Matt grinned, setting his phone down. “You’re serious?”

“Yeah,” I nodded. “I miss playing.”

“Well, alright,” he said, stretching. “Get ready. We’re going shopping.”

Excitement bubbled up inside me as I scrambled out of bed. “You mean it?”

“Of course,” he replied, swinging his legs over the side of the bed and standing up. “I’ll make sure you’re set up with the best.”

I smiled, practically running toward the bathroom to get ready. 

I quickly slipped into a tight black cropped sports top and a pair of high-waisted biker shorts, tying my hair back into a sleek ponytail. Sliding on my hoka’s, I grabbed my phone and bag, practically skipping down the stairs. When I stepped outside, Matt was already in the car, leaning against the door with a grin on his face.

He looked effortlessly handsome in black sweatpants paired with a bear graphic  pink tee that somehow made him even cuter. As I walked toward him, he pushed off the car and met me halfway, pulling me in for a quick kiss. “You look cute,” he murmured against my lips.

“You’re one to talk,” I teased, smiling as I climbed into the car.

Matt hopped into the driver’s seat, adjusting his sunglasses as he started the engine. “Alright, PC shopping. Let’s get you back to gaming glory.”

The drive was filled with light banter and music, Matt occasionally glancing over to check on me. My excitement was contagious, and I could tell he was enjoying how thrilled I was about the idea of building a setup. When we pulled into the parking lot of the PC store, he parked quickly and turned to me with a smirk.

“Ready to spend all my money?” he teased.

I laughed, opening the car door. “No, I have my own money Matthew.”

“Hey, so I actually dont give a fuck.” He said as he pushed me into the store by my lower back.

We stepped into the brightly lit store, rows of tech and PC parts stretching out before us. “Alright, let’s build you the ultimate Fortnite machine,” he said, and I couldn’t help but beam at him.

We wandered the aisles of the PC store for what felt like hours, but in reality, it was only about thirty minutes. I was like a kid in a candy store, pointing out all the cute setups and asking Matt’s opinion on every piece. Finally, I decided on a pink-and-white PC tower with a tempered glass side panel to show off its RGB lighting. Matt helped me pick out two matching monitors, a light pink mechanical keyboard, and a sleek white mouse to complete the setup.

“You sure you don’t want the whole store while we’re at it? Lets get you a camera for streaming” Matt said as we approached the checkout counter.

“Yes!” I said, grinning ear to ear.

After paying, Matt hauled the bulky boxes out to the car, his biceps flexing as he balanced everything effortlessly. Meanwhile, I was bouncing up and down like I had just won the lottery. “Matt! We need a desk and chair now! This setup has to be perfect!”

“Let’s get this loaded first,” he chuckled, maneuvering the gear into the trunk.

Once he closed the trunk, I couldn’t hold back my excitement any longer. I grabbed his face with both hands and started peppering kisses all over it—his cheeks, nose, and even his forehead. “Thank you, thank you, thank you!” I squealed between kisses. “You’re the best boyfriend ever.”

He laughed, wrapping his arms around my waist to steady me. “Oh so now I am your boyfriend?”

“Who knows what you are,” I said, pulling back to look at him with a big grin. “This is the best day ever.”

“Let’s make it even better,” he said, smirking. “Next stop—desk and chair shopping.”

“Let’s go!” I cheered, practically skipping to the passenger seat as Matt shook his head, smiling at my excitement.

We pulled into the IKEA parking lot, and I was practically vibrating with excitement as we walked in. “Okay,” I said, grabbing Matt’s hand and tugging him toward the desks section. “I know exactly what I want.”

After wandering through the maze of furniture, I found it: a sleek, white L-shaped desk with built-in drawers on one side. “This is it,” I said, running my hand along the surface. “It’s perfect.”

Matt nodded, pulling out his phone to snap a picture of the tag so we could find it in the warehouse section. “Alright, what else do we need?”

I grinned and dragged him over to the chairs. “A gaming chair, obviously.” After trying out a few, I settled on a white-and-pink chair with a reclining feature and cushioned armrests. “This one matches the PC perfectly!”

Matt chuckled. “You’re really going all out, huh?”

“Absolutely,” I said, already imagining how the setup would look.

Once we loaded the desk and chair into the car, I looked over at Matt. “One more stop.”

He groaned playfully. “Where now?”

“Walmart,” I said, smirking. “I need a headset, a PS5 controller, and… a Fortnite V-Bucks gift card.”

Matt sighed but couldn’t hide his smile. “Fine. But this is the last stop.”

At Walmart, I darted straight to the electronics section, grabbing a white wireless headset, a pink PS5 controller, and a shiny Fortnite V-Bucks gift card. “Done!” I declared, holding up my haul triumphantly.

Matt shook his head, laughing. “You’re lucky im inlove with you, you're breaking my bank.”

“Ill pay fo-” I started but Matt quickly put his hand over my mouth.

“Shut the fuck up” He said putting his card into the machine.

We finally made it back to my house, where we started setting everything up in my room. Matt assembled the desk and chair while I organized the PC, monitors, and accessories. By the time we finished, that part of the room looked like a gamer’s paradise. The pink and white setup glowed softly under the dim lighting, and everything was perfectly arranged.

I spun around in my new chair, grinning up at Matt. “This is amazing. Thank you for helping me.”

He leaned down, brushing a kiss against my forehead. “Anything for you, sweetheart.”

Matt leaned against the doorway, watching as I made the final adjustments to my new setup. The Fortnite download screen was prominently displayed on one of my monitors, the progress bar slowly crawling forward.

“Well,” he said, pushing off the doorframe, “I think I’m gonna head home while this downloads.”

I spun around in my chair, a pout forming on my lips. “What? You’re leaving me already?”

He chuckled, stepping closer and leaning down to cup my cheek. “We’re gonna stream, remember? You, me, and Chris. Only for a bit. I’ll be back tonight, though. ”

The mention of streaming made my face light up. “Oh my god, that’s going to be so fun. You’re going to regret it when I carry the team.”

Matt smirked, brushing a kiss on my forehead. “We’ll see about that, gamer. Text me when it’s ready, and I’ll join you and we can go over streaming rules.”

I got up jumping into his arms giving him a slow and sensual kiss “Thank you Matthew”

Matt kissed me one more time before putting me down, as he walked toward the door. “Your welcome sweetheart”

As he left, I couldn’t help but feel a mix of excitement and appreciation for the man Matt had become.

By the time Fortnite finished downloading, my entire setup was glowing in soft hues of pink and white. The room felt cozy and vibrant, exactly how I’d imagined it. I adjusted my headset, checked the camera angle for the stream, and smiled at my reflection on the monitor. It was finally happening—my first Fortnite stream with Matt and Chris.

At exactly 7 p.m., I texted Matt letting him know I was ready and I joined their discord.

“Ready,” I replied confidently, as Matt clicked the “Start Stream” button.

The chat immediately flooded with messages:

“Matt’s live!!!” “Wait, who’s the girl??” “She’s cute omg” “Not y/n 🙄”

Matt rolled his eyes at some of the negative comments but didn’t say anything. Chris plopped down on his chair finally in frame, already laughing. “Alright, Y/N, you better not hold us back. We’re going for wins tonight.”

“I’ll carry both of you,” I teased, readying up for the first game.

As the game loaded, the three of us bantered, with Matt explaining the stream rules like keeping the chat friendly (a rule that was immediately broken) and not leaking anyone’s location. The chat continued to blow up:

“Chris is hilarious, as always.” “Matt and Y/N are so cute together!” “Why is she playing? We miss the old streams.” “I love this dynamic, stop being haters.”

The first couple of games were a bit chaotic. Chris accidentally blew up our cover by throwing grenades too early, I fell off a cliff trying to build, and Matt had to clutch a victory for us by taking out the last three players on his own.

“You’re welcome,” Matt said smugly as the victory screen popped up.

“Whatever,” I replied, leaning toward my mic. “Chat, he’s only good because I revived him earlier. Don’t let him fool you.”

The chat lit up again:

“She’s hilarious, I love her.” “No way she’s taking credit for Matt’s win 💀.” “Chris is just here for fun.”

By the third hour, the energy was at an all-time high. We had a good rhythm going—Matt was the strategist, Chris was the chaos, and I was surprisingly decent as the sniper. During one game, I knocked two players from a ridiculous distance.

“Okay, sniper,” Chris said, impressed.

Matt laughed. “Guess she really is carrying us now.”

The chat loved it: “She’s cracked, omg.” “Finally someone who can make Matt humble.” “Chris needs to stop throwing grenades lol.”

Of course, not everyone was thrilled. “This feels like a couple's stream now, ew.” “Why is she even here? Chris deserves better teammates.”

Matt finally addressed the negativity after seeing my face scrunch up at one comment. “If you’ve got a problem with her being here, fuck off,” he said bluntly, pointing at the camera. “She’s not going anywhere.”

“Yeah suck it,” I said flipping off the camera as I knocked another player.

By the end of the night, we’d played for four hours, won three games, and spent the rest laughing at Chris’ terrible aim and Matt’s competitive streak. As we wrapped up the stream, the chat was a mix of love and chaos:

“Best stream yet!” “Chris and Y/N’s dynamic is gold.” “Matt’s defending her like his life depends on it, I’m crying.”

As Matt was wrapping up the stream, he leaned into the mic. “Alright, guys, we’re gonna end it soon, but Y/N’s gonna join us for a bit before we go.” He smirked, “Come on, sweetheart. Walk over.”

I quickly turned off my setup, tossed my headset onto the desk, and grabbed an oversized hoodie from my chair. Pulling it on over my outfit, I slipped into my sneakers and ran downstairs. Charlie was sprawled on the couch, watching the stream on her phone.

“NICE STREAM!” she shouted, making me laugh as I bolted out the door.

The cool night air sent a chill down my spine as I jogged across the yard to the triplets’ house. The shadows from the streetlights made everything seem a little eerie, and I picked up my pace. By the time I reached their front door, I was nearly sprinting.

“Ok, it’s actually scary as fuck out,” I announced, slightly out of breath as I walked into Matt’s room.

Matt was sitting at his chair with Chris behind him on the bed, both watching the stream comments roll in. Matt grinned when he saw me, Chris patting the space next to him. “Get in here.”

I stepped into the camera’s view and plopped down next to him. Chris threw an arm over my shoulder. “The real MVP has arrived,” he said, pointing at me.

“Obviously,” I replied, smirking at the camera.

The chat went wild:

“Y/N!!!” “Wait, she lives next to them?” “Not her being scared of the dark lmao.” “Chris looks so proud of her right now.”

We spent the next few minutes reading comments and answering questions. One user asked, “Y/N, what’s it like being with these two?”

“It’s like babysitting,” I replied without hesitation, earning a loud laugh from Chris and a look from Matt.

“Babysitting?” Matt repeated, his eyebrows raised.

“Yeah. I don't know how you two survived without me for the last four years” I teased, leaning forward.

Another comment read, “Matt, you were so defensive of her earlier. Protecting your girl, huh?”

Matt smirked, resting his arm behind me on the bed. “Look at her, and tell me you wouldn't” he said simply, making me roll my eyes as the chat exploded with hearts and “he's mine.” comments.

Chris decided to take over the mic for a bit, answering a few random questions about his grenade mishaps and future stream plans. Meanwhile, Matt and I shared a quiet laugh about a particularly funny comment: “Chris, stop blowing stuff up!”

After a few more minutes, Matt addressed the chat. “Alright, guys, we’re calling it a night. Thanks for hanging out, and we’ll see you next time.”

Chris leaned into the mic one last time. “Peace out!”

As Matt ended the stream, he turned to me with a grin. “You did good tonight, sweetheart.”

“Thanks,” I said, smiling back. “Now, where’s my victory snack?”

Chris stretched and gave a tired groan "Snacks it is," he announced, dragging himself up.

Matt stood and offered me a hand. “Come on, let’s raid the kitchen.”

We made our way to the kitchen, Chris pulling out a bag of chips while Matt grabbed cookies and a couple of sodas. I found a bowl and dumped some popcorn in, adding a sprinkle of salt. Together, we carried everything back to the living room and piled onto the couch.

Matt picked out a movie—an action flick that Chris had been raving about—and we settled in. Halfway through the second movie, I started scrolling through my phone absentmindedly. Chris had fallen asleep against my shoulder, his soft snores occasionally breaking the quiet. Matt had shifted during the film, and now his head rested in my lap, his even breathing telling me he’d fallen asleep too.

I smiled, brushing a strand of hair from Matt’s face. The moment felt peaceful, like everything in the world was just as it should be.

When the credits rolled, I nudged Chris gently. “Hey, sleeping beauty. Time for bed.”

He groaned but eventually sat up, stretching and mumbling something about needing his own pillow.

“Matt,” I said softly, running my fingers through his hair. His eyes blinked open, and he looked up at me sleepily.

“Bed?” he murmured, sitting up slowly.

“Yeah, come on,” I said, helping him stand.

Chris shuffled off to his room, muttering a simple “Now i'm wide awake”

Matt made his way to his bed, collapsing onto it without even pulling the covers up. Within seconds, he was fast asleep again.

I laid next to him, feeling strangely restless. I grabbed my phone, scrolling through TikTok and Instagram. The quiet of the house was soothing, but for some reason, sleep wouldn’t come. So I stayed up, enjoying the solitude and the hum of the night.

Unable to shake the restless feeling, I grabbed my phone and padded quietly into Matt’s room. The soft glow from his bedside lamp illuminated his peaceful face as he slept, his chest rising and falling steadily. I smiled faintly, but the moment was interrupted by his phone vibrating on the nightstand.

I ignored it at first, assuming it wasn’t anything important, but when it buzzed again, and again, worry crept in. Nick was at a friend’s house, and a small part of me panicked, wondering if it was an emergency.

Carefully, I reached for Matt’s phone, glancing at the screen. The name "Abbie" flashed repeatedly, with at least ten unread messages. My stomach twisted. I hesitated, but curiosity and concern won out. I entered Matt's password and opened the messages.

The texts from Abbie weren’t what I expected.

"Wow, so you’re just going to ghost me now that you’re with her? Classy." "Matt, I deserve an explanation. You can’t just act like nothing happened between us." "Does she even know what kind of guy you really are? Maybe I should tell her." "You’re such a coward. At least be man enough to admit it."

Each message was angrier than the last, dripping with bitterness and accusations. My heart started racing as I reread them, trying to process what I was seeing. Who was Abbie? What was she talking about?

I glanced over at Matt, still fast asleep, completely unaware of the storm building inside me. My hand gripped his phone tightly as my mind reeled. I needed answers, but waking him up now didn’t feel right. Instead, I sat on the edge of the bed, staring at the screen, trying to figure out what to do.

I couldn’t hold back the tears anymore. I rushed out of Matt’s room, his phone still clutched tightly in my hand, and made my way down the hallway to Chris's room. The emotional overload was too much, the weight of everything crashing down on me. As soon as I pushed open the door, the sight of Chris sitting up in bed caught my attention, but all I could do was burst into tears.

Chris’s face instantly shifted from confusion to concern. “Hey, hey, what’s going on?” he asked, his voice soft and steady.

Without saying a word, I flashed Matt's phone in front of him, my tears blurring my vision. I didn’t need to say anything more — Chris’s face dropped as soon as he saw the texts. His eyes softened with sympathy as he quickly opened the blanket, motioning for me to come in.

I didn’t hesitate. I crawled into the bed, burying my face into the crook of his neck, unable to stop the tears that had been building up for so long. Chris wrapped his arms around me, pulling me close, offering me the comfort I desperately needed.

“Who is she, Chris?” I choked out, my voice muffled as I held onto him tighter. “Why would he do this? Why didn’t he tell me about her?”

Chris didn’t answer right away. His hand gently rubbed my back as I cried, unsure of what to say, probably trying to figure out how to make it better. When he finally spoke, his voice was calm but firm. “I think you should sleep on it, Y/N. Get some rest. You’re not gonna find all the answers right now.”

I looked up at him, sniffling as my eyes searched his. “But, I need to know, Chris. I can’t just pretend it’s okay.” My voice wavered as I said the words, but it felt like the weight of everything was too much to carry alone.

Chris sighed deeply, his gaze softening. “I get it, Y/N. But, it’s not my place to tell you what happened with Matt and this girl. He’s the one who needs to explain it. You can talk to him in the morning, okay?”

I nodded, even though my heart felt heavy with doubt and hurt. All I wanted was to understand why things had turned out this way, and why Matt hadn’t been upfront with me. But for now, I was exhausted — emotionally and physically. I buried my face back into Chris’s chest, allowing myself a few moments of peace, hoping sleep would bring some clarity, or at least some calm.

Chris continued to hold me, his warmth offering me the only comfort I could find at that moment. We lay there in silence, me trying to gather my thoughts, him quietly offering me the safety of his presence. And slowly, despite the pain, my tears began to subside.

The sunlight filtered through the curtains, but it didn’t matter. My mind was racing, still reeling from the emotions of last night. I squeezed my eyes shut, hoping to drift back to sleep for a few more minutes of peace, but it was then that I heard the voices.

It started with a low murmur, but soon escalated into raised voices. Matt. Chris. They were yelling at each other.

I froze, not knowing what to do. My heart hammered in my chest. I pretended to stay asleep, but my ears were wide open, listening intently to every word.

“I told you, Matt, she found the fucking texts!” Chris’s voice was filled with frustration and anger.

“I don’t need you to tell me that!” Matt snapped back. “I know what happened, okay? She’s pissed, and she’s gonna be pissed at me, but I don’t need you making it worse!”

“You’ve already made it worse, man,” Chris shot back. “You can’t just hide shit from her like that. She deserves to know what’s going on. You’ve fucked up.”

Matt let out an exasperated sigh, followed by the sound of him running his fingers through his hair. “Fuck.” His voice was a mix of anger and stress. “I can’t deal with this right now. I just… I don’t know what to say to her.”

“Then don’t say anything at all until you figure it out,” Chris retorted. “But don’t act like you didn’t know what you were doing, Matt.”

There was silence for a moment, and then the bed shifted as Matt’s footsteps approached. I felt my body being lifted gently, and before I knew it, I was placed on the soft bed, I knew it was Matt’s.

I heard Matt sigh heavily. “I’m sorry, Y/N. I didn’t mean for any of this to happen. But I need you to stay here for a bit.” He paused. “Chris is right. We need to talk… but not right now. I need to figure out what the fuck to say to you.”

I stayed perfectly still, pretending to be asleep, but inside I was unraveling. What the hell had I just heard? What was Matt hiding? Why didn’t he tell me about Abbie, and why was Chris so angry about it?

The weight of the situation was pressing down on me, and I could feel the sting of betrayal, even though I hadn’t said a word yet.

Matt’s footsteps faded as he left the room, the door closing behind him with a soft click. I lay there for a few moments, staring at the ceiling, my mind racing. But no matter how hard I tried to fight it, my emotions were a tidal wave, crashing over me with no sign of stopping.

Matt’s footsteps returned, and the door creaked open softly. My heart skipped a beat, my emotions still in turmoil from everything I had overheard. I stayed still, pretending to sleep, but I could feel the tension in the air.

“Y/N?” Matt’s voice was quieter now, almost regretful. “Can we talk?”

I didn’t respond right away, letting him stew in the silence. Finally, I sat up, rubbing my face with one hand and looking at him. His face was a mixture of guilt and frustration, like he was trying to figure out how to make things right.

He sat down on the edge of the bed, his hands in his lap. “Look… I owe you an explanation.” He took a deep breath, the weight of what he was about to say heavy on his shoulders. “Before you and I really started… well, before this… I was with someone else.”

I blinked, trying to process his words, but he didn’t give me a chance to speak. He continued.

“There was this girl, Abbie. We were in a relationship, and it wasn’t perfect, but I was with her.” His voice cracked slightly, as though admitting this was a weight he hadn’t carried before. “Then, I found out you lived next door, and everything changed.”

I stared at him, confused. “What do you mean?”

He ran his hands through his hair again, his frustration evident. “I tried to ignore it, Y/N. I tried to pretend like I didn’t feel something every time I saw you, but I couldn’t. And when we went on that trip together… everything just came to a head. I realized I didn’t want to be with her anymore.” He looked at me with pleading eyes. “I told her it was done. I ended things with her, but I never expected her to act the way she has.”

His gaze fell, and I could see the guilt on his face. “I never meant to hurt you. especially after seeing the TikTok Charlie accidentally posted. She’s been bombarding me with texts ever since.”

I sat there, speechless, processing what he was saying. A mix of emotions flooded over me—betrayal, anger, and confusion. I felt like I had been in the dark about something important, and now, I left just how I did in college.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” I whispered, the hurt in my voice evident.

“I didn’t want to hurt you,” he answered quickly. “I thought I could handle it without dragging you into it. But I realize now… I should’ve been upfront with you from the start. I’m sorry. I’ve been a fucking idiot.”

I was still reeling from the shock of everything he had just confessed. I wanted to be angry, but I didn’t know where to direct it. At Matt? At myself for trusting him after everything he had already put me through?

“I don’t know what to say,” I admitted, my voice shaking slightly. “I don’t know if I can trust you. Its fucking annoying, you couldve told me you had a fucking girlfriend. You told me you loved me before you ever broke up with her”

Matt’s face fell, and for the first time, I saw real regret in his eyes. “I get it. You don’t have to trust me right now, Y/N. But I swear to you, I want to make this right. I want you, and only you.”

I didn’t answer immediately, too lost in my thoughts. 

I stood up, feeling the weight of everything. “I need time to think, Matt. I really do.”

He nodded, standing up slowly. “Take all the time you need. I’ll be here when you’re ready. I swear.”

I couldn’t bring myself to look at him. Instead, I turned away, walking out of his room. 

I walked out of Matt’s room, holding back the tears threatening to spill over. The moment I shut his door, I let out a shaky breath, my chest tightening. Without a second thought, I made my way to Chris’s room, my feet moving on autopilot. I needed someone, and Chris had always been my safe space before.

I pushed the door open, and Chris looked up from his phone, concern flashing in his eyes the second he saw me. “Y/N?” he asked, sitting up quickly.

Before I could say anything, the dam broke, and tears streamed down my face. Chris was on his feet in seconds, pulling me into a tight hug. “Hey, hey. What happened?” he murmured, guiding me to sit on the bed.

I wiped at my face, trying to catch my breath, but the words tumbled out in a rush. “I just feel like everything started with a lie, Chris. It hurts. After everything we went through in college, all the toxicity, I wanted this to be different. I thought it was different.”

Chris sighed, sitting down next to me and keeping a comforting hand on my back. “I get it, Y/N. I really do. But can I say something?”

I nodded, sniffling, unable to meet his eyes.

“I’m not sticking up for Matt,” he started carefully. “But I’ve seen him these past few years. He missed you so much, Y/N. For years, he didn’t even look at another girl. I think when you came back, he was just so desperate to get it right this time. He wanted to make it perfect. He didn’t want to mess it up again.”

His words hit me like a ton of bricks, and I stared at him, my mind racing. “Then why didn’t he just tell me? Why did he think lying, or hiding this, was the way to make it perfect?”

Chris shrugged. “Because he’s Matt. He overthinks everything, and when it comes to you, he’s always been a mess. He doesn’t know how to handle the fact that you’re his weak spot.”

I let out a shaky laugh, despite myself. “His weak spot?”

Chris smiled gently. “Yeah, and honestly? You’ve always been his biggest strength, too. Even when things were bad, you brought out the best in him. I think that’s why he panicked. He didn’t want to lose you again.”

I stayed quiet for a moment, letting Chris’s words sink in before I stood up. My legs felt unsteady, but I knew what I needed to do. “Thanks, Chris,” I murmured, giving him a small smile. He nodded, his eyes full of understanding as he watched me walk out of his room.

I hesitated outside Matt’s door, my hand hovering over the doorknob. Taking a deep breath, I pushed it open.

Matt was lying on his bed, his arm draped over his face, but the redness around his eyes made it clear he’d been crying. His head turned toward me, surprise flashing in his teary eyes before he sat up slightly. He opened his mouth as if to speak, but I didn’t give him the chance.

Without a word, I walked over and crawled onto the bed, positioning myself on top of him. His arms instinctively wrapped around me tightly, holding me as if he were afraid I’d vanish. The tension in his body melted slightly, but I could still feel the heaviness of his guilt in the way he held me.

“I get it,” I whispered, my face pressed against his chest. “I’m sorry for not hearing you out earlier.”

Matt’s grip on me tightened. “No, Y/N, I’m sorry. I should’ve told you everything from the start. I just… I didn’t know how to. I’ll answer any questions you have. Anything. I swear.”

I lifted my head, meeting his gaze. His eyes were earnest, full of both regret and hope. I nodded, and we sat up together, his hands never leaving my waist.

“Okay,” I said softly, looking at him with a determined expression. “Then I have some questions.”

tag-

@tbfaptbfae @ch0llies @2muchofaslvt @rockstarchr1s @simply-a-simper @mattscore @watercolorskyy @urfungi @slut4christopherr @mattsturnii @christmastreecake @izzylovesmatt @larnieboox88 @christophersstar-deactivated202 @realuvrrr @namelesssav @matts-girlfriend @emely9274 @sturnslutz

[bengiyo]

Ben's Big BL Blurb 4: I Hope I See Jay Sorathon Again

New year, new blurb. Time to reflect on a few shows finishing, talk about some new shows, and see where we're at in January.

Haunted Hearts Sucked

Final Verdict: 5.5, Not Recommended. Y'all don't need to watch this weird mess of a show. Despite joking about "devirginizing" its lead multiple times, it was so chaste in the end. It also did some weird world shenanigans I was not feeling. The leads are supposed to be in another Oxin Films project soon, so we'll see if they're better there.

Caged Again Flopped

Final Verdict: 6, Recommended Only For Jay Sorathon. This one really hurts me, because I genuinely loved the first half of this show. Jay Sorathon as Junior was one of the most refreshing experiences I've had in a while. This young actor is charming in a way that felt different, and I found myself enjoying every scene he was in because he could deliver what he was asked to do. However, the show generally failed to do much with most of its themes, and I think it was a real waste of Nokia and Jaonine as a pair. There were interesting themes about how Junior and Sun wanted different things out of their relationship that didn't get resolved, so all of their skinship felt disconnected from the big themes they were teasing out.

I am sad that I cannot really recommend this as a complete viewing experience, but I do not want that to detract from how much I enjoyed the entire cast's chemistry. I just cannot pretend that this show didn't peak at the gif used above before floundering completely.

An Apology to City of Stars

Final Verdict: 8, Recommended. I skipped this show originally because I was overloaded and unmoved by the first episode. However, this show was actually one of the most consistent narratives we've had about the consequences of fan culture, sponsorship, and commercialization of queer actors we've had this year. Unlike Only Boo!, this show inflicted real consequences on Feuang for coming out to the point that he essentially had to change careers (which happens to real actors all the time, going back as far or further than William Haines).

The leads also kept having sex after getting together! A novel experience! I loved that Krom had almost no swag, and Feuang fell for him entire on family photos and his mom gushing over him. He really won as a tech worker. Watch this if you're interested in seeing a show with clear ideas about the entertainment industry and are willing to deal with some weak acting.

Our Youth Left Me A Bit Wanting

Final Verdict 8: Recommended With Reservations. I wrote my write up for this already, and will say here that I like parts of this show a lot even though I wasn't fully satisfied by the viewing experience.

See Your Love Got All The Important Things Right

Final Verdict: 8, Recommended for the Mains. I will admit that I didn't much care for the side couple, but I loved Shaopeng and Sean's relationship. I loved that this wasn't a story about fixing someone's hearing so they could be in a romance. I also love that one of our final scenes in Shaopeng's dad telling Sean's dad to go fuck himself. The leads reminded me of Jimmy and Tommy from Why R U and I loved their work together.

Love in the Air Koi Was a Genuine Delight

Final Verdict: 9, Highly Recommended. I liked it a lot. I think new and old fans will be able to enjoy it. I have high hopes about cross-cultural adaptations as a result.

Love is Like a Poison Was Spectacular

Final Verdict: 9.5, Highly Recommended. I had so much fun with this show. I love that this show blended multiple genres together, and I loved that Shiba was always in a legal drama. By blending this together this way, the show supports the idea that the different ways we love and see the world are not incompatible in relationships. Shiba and Haruto are one of the best couples we had this past year, because they each made the other better, and they each add something to their relationship. Also, this show was actively horny the entire time. Run, do not walk, to support this show (if you can) on Netflix.

Fragrance You Inherit Was The One of the Kindest Shows I've Ever Seen

Final Verdict: 9.5, Highly Recommended. Thanks to the constant efforts of @isaksbestpillow we were able to enjoy this incredible show. @twig-tea already wrote a great review. I will be thinking about Sakura and Touki for years. I will just add that I really loved that Hoshii was just a goofy dude that loved the women in his home. He respected both of them, and was just so happy to be included in their shenanigans. I cannot overstate how much the episode where we met him properly kicked this show into overdrive for me. I loved that he was a good dad and husband and that it was clear his wife and daughter felt safe and happy around him. I loved that this show was about kind people doing their best.

Okay, on to the currently airing stuff.

Your Sky is Faltering, but I Still Like It (8/12)

Look, I am just not keen on the Oh redemption arc. I'm also feeling the show dragging its feet at this point. I also am not sure what the relationship between the various sides are contributing to this story. That being said, I continue to enjoy the chemistry between the leads, and I am looking forward to seeing their dating era. This show has been riding the line on the bubble, and I am curious to see where it lands.

Ossan's Love Thailand (1/12)

I've grown to love Ossan's Love over the last year, and so I was cautiously optimistic about this adaptation. I don't think the humor is as tight or zippy as I would expect, and I think the branded pair component is hurting some of the initial setup. I also feel like the shower scene shifted in a way that doesn't entirely work. In addition, making Kongdetch a widower slows down his dramatic development. I'll check in again next month.

Call Me By No Name Started Weird (1/8)

gif by @my-rose-tinted-glasses

This show got off to a moody and somewhat intriguing start. I am looking forward to our little gamer's interactions with this possibly-fey creature for the coming weeks. It's difficult when the show starts coy.

When It Rains It Pours Has an Uphill Battle (1/7)

I am personally interested in the journey this show wants to go on as what will more than likely be a double cheating narrative. I like that the show started with boy guys in relationships they feel a bit frustrated with due to a lack of intimacy that is being actively ignored by their respective partners. I'm also intrigued because both partners seem like they're overall committed to our leads. This one started off in a mild note, so I'm curious how it holds audience attention. Still, both leads had sad masturbation scenes, one explicitly remembering when his partner used to fuck him, so it has my attention.

That's all for now! I'll check back in with one of these in a few weeks and we'll see where we're at.

[maenoakasuna]

All For Us Part III Part I - Part II

Hello ! It's me, again ! Not gonna Lie, I don't remember the last time i Finished that much part in less than a Week. I'm probably more picky when it come to my french words since it's my first language. I feel like english is easier to express feelings, but at the same time I don't know how to express it the way I like ? It's weird.

Anyway, A good part for more Reader and Thanos moment. Not the best but definatly cute. Nam-Gyu exist and he's a bithc ( I kinda like him for real and love the Thanos-Nam-gyu Duo, please don't kill me )

Anyway enjoy this part. TW : Mention of drug, cheating, Nam-Gyu exist.

Tag : @private-vampire @rafesbunniebby

You woke up the next morning, or maybe some hours later, you weren't really sure how much time you slept, on the sound of the music you heard when you woke up the first time. This annoying music can give you the worst headache. You still felt tired and hungry. The snack you had yesterday wasn’t that much.

You sat up in your bed, realising your felt sweaty and it gross you out. You didn’t remember but you probably had a bad dream last Night. 

Whipping the sweat of your forehead, you remove the hoodie and tie it up around your hips and go place yourself in line to go take breakfast. The head still in the pillow, you never heard the voice from behind, calling your name, but you felt your heart skip out of fear when you felt two arms wrapping you from behind to give you a back hug. 

«-Still ignoring me, princess ? »

Thanos, of course, you should have known better. Only him could do such a thing. You try to remove his arms from around your body, but he strongly sticks to you.

«-Thanos, please. I’m too tired to deal with your childish shit.-Then, don’t. Let me just hug you in silence.»

You sight and put your hands on his arms, ready to block him if he wants to go close to your belly.

«-I’m all sweaty, you shouldn’t touch me like this and i probably smell gross. -I don’t care, baby.»

You grunt, annoyed. Back in the days it would be things you would have felt for or found adorable, but today, everything is way more different.  The pets name, his demonstration of affection in public, that were things you felt for.

Out of nowhere, you felt tears in your eyes. You were about to cry. Having him so close to you like this after what happened, the stress of him discovering the pregnancy, the lac of sleep. You hated everything, especially the hormones. Without all that you could manage to hide your emotions way better. One tear slid on your cheek and you couldn’t hole a snort.

«-Y/N ? »

You could feel Thano's concern in his voice as he turned you around. You quickly wiped his tears and looked away, not able to face him. 

«-Mind your business, I'm fine, you said before he could ask you a thing.»

You quickly turn around and take your lunch before going back to your bed. You could ear Thanos calling your name and following you, but you ignored him, tears still falling from your eyes. It could be so easy if He could just ignore you and at if you were two perfect strangers. Before you put your feet on the first strai to go back to your bed, you felt it was to much to keep inside and you turned around to face Thanos. At this point you didn’t care if he could see you cry, or if the other contestant could ear everything. You were just a hurricane of emotions.

«-Why do you still following me ?! We spent the last two years in a fake relationship, so why could you not fake a little more ? Why are you still trying to get me attention ? Can you just not let me alone ?! Stay away from me !»

The other around ad stop eating and just looked at you and the purple hair rapper. Thanos didn’t care about them. He’s concern was all on you. You could see his expression, it wasn’t the same he normally show in public. The naturally confident and sassy Thanos was not the one you had in front of you Right now, it was more like a sad one.

«-Y/N…»

He get closer to you and gently takes your hand. His eyes were locked on you as he wipped one of your tears.

«-I know I messed up, more than once, but I swear I never faked anything. -Just like you swear you never cheated on me ? -I didn’t ! -Oh fuck You, I saw You ! I saw you in your private room with this girl. You kissed her with such passion that I taught you would fuck her right on the table. -But I didn’t ! »

You go silent just like the others. No one dares to say something or interrupts your couple-ish fight.

Thanos passed his hands on his face, already tired of this discussion before he continued since you had nothing to answer.

«-I was High as fuck and still mad from our fight in the morning. When I arrived at the bar that day, the girl still waited for me in my room. She worked at the bar and said she was a huge fan.»

He paused and took a deep breath.

«-She looked so much like You. That’s why I let myself go, but I never fucked with her. I stopped before.»

You were speechless, for many reasons. The first was because you were shocked he showed this part of him in front of everyone. He never really showed you his vulnerability before. And the other reason was how dumb that guy was. Even if he didn’t fucked her, he still kissed her and that was cheating, at least for you. 

«-Listen, I don’t want to talk more about this, especially here. You cheated, End of the story. Now, leave and let me alone.»

That was where the conversation ended. You go back to your bed to eat, whipping out your tears. When you opened your plate, it was full of rice, some veggies and an egg. It wasn’t that much, but it was enough to make you smile.

Player 222 came to see you and sat down in front of you, placing in your plate half of the egg she had in her plate. You looked at her confused. She only smiled before saying it was good for pregnant women and this part was offered by player 149. It was the old woman with her son who’s the number 007. 

You were thankful to 222 and 149 for this act of kindness, it warmed your heart after what just happened with Thanos.

«-So, Thanos is the father ? Asked 222, looking in his direction.-Yeah… »

You  also looked in Thanos' direction. He was with other people. They all talked but him, he was silent, something who never happened. He’s more the kind of guy who is gonna lead the conversation. Seeing him like this made you doubt for a second, considering forgiving him, telling him the truth about the baby. You remember how warm it was in his arms when he hugged you lately. It would be a lie to say you didn’t miss it.

«-Did he know about it ?-No and I don’t know if I should tell him.»

What if he doesn't have a positive reaction ? Tonight you will vote to go home after the game, but if the majority decide to stay and Thanos refuses you keep the kid, who knows what could happen to you ? If he was willing to push people during the first game, leading them you death, maybe he was crazy enough to push you to your own death and the kid death by the same occasion.

The time for the second game came and you was escorted in another room and asked to form teams of 5 players. So far you stayed with player 222 but you had to go separate way.

«-Since we are both pregnant It will be easier for us if we found a team with mens or less than just one pregnant woman.»

It was her idea, but you agreed. You know nothing about the next game after all. Looking around you, you tried to find someone or a little group who could need one more people. 

You stopped your research when Number 124, Thanos Friends found you. He looked at you up and down with a smile.

«-Still Looking for a Team ? -Definitely not yours, you answered.» 

He let a small laugh escape his lips as he got closer to you.

«-I think our team will be your best chance if you want to keep yourself and the baby alive. »

You looked at Player 124 shocked,  surprised he knew about your pregnancy. Automatically, you cover your belly by fear he could do something to you. Seeing you doing this make him laugh as he take some step back.

«-Relax, I will not lay a finger on you. I’m not that kind of guy. -Have You told Thanos ? -No, not Yet. But if you refuse to be our last team member, maybe the information could slip out of my mouth,  Who know. -How did you know I’m …»

You didn’t dare finish your sentence by fear everyone will hear you.

«-I overhear your conversation with the other pregnant girl. You should be more quiet about it if you don’t want everyone to know. -And you should keep the information for yourself if you don’t want to die. -Are you threatening me ? -No, I’m warning you.»

You and this asshole will definitely not get along really well, that’s for sure. Your eyes were locked on his as his smuggy smile didn’t disappear. He knew what he put you into and he was pleased by that.You don’t even know the guy but if you could crush his skull on the first wall you gonna cross, you would.

«-So you’re in or not ?-Do I really have a choice.-Technically, yeah. That’s up to you.-Oh shut up and lead the way to the other teammates.» 

You followed number 124 in silence. Once you were with the other, Thanos seemed surprised to see his friend with you. On his side, he was with a girl with her bottom lip pierced and a guy who looked shy. It’s not exactly the type of team you thought you would have, especially coming from your ex, but it was still better than no team at all.

«-Nam-Gi ! You actually convinced Y/N to join us. I’m surprised. What have you told her ? -Actually, it’s Nam-gyu..-Yeah whatever. What have you said ? »

Thanos seemed so happy to have you in his team, but you weren't as much as him. You were confused, even. This guy, number 124, Nam-Gyu, wasn’t supposed to overhear the conversation you had with Player 222 and He used it to his advantage to bring you there cause his ‘’ boss ‘’ asked him ?! You felt so defeated. Now how can he manage to explain that to Thanos without saying a word about your pregnancy.

«-Well, she looked for a team and since the time was almost out, she didn’t had many options. Right ? »

He looked at you with this venomous smile of his.

«-Yeah, exactly. Otherwise believe me I wouldn’t be there, you answered.-Welcome in the Thanos Team, the only one who can lead you to the Win.»

Some good old Thanos rap to put a good Vibe in our wanna be team. You cannot help but smile before you are led to another room with the other contestants. This Time, the game seemed more complex than the Red Light Green light. Every team will have feets tight up to one another and are going to walk to different activities. They need to finish every little game before the end of the Five minutes allowed. One of those games was Ddjaki. You were good at that game back in your childhood and you never lost against the recruiter. Everyone agreed to let you do it.

Once everyone had their positions, we watched the other teams and learned from their mistakes. Seeing some of them behind killed in front of you was something you wish you will forget one day. It gives you more anxiety minute after minutes. You gave a look at Thanos and Nam Gyu who didn’t even seem bothered by that, casually talking and swallowing their pills. What a bunch of Junkies…

When it was your Turn, your hands were shaky and you did your best to concentrate to hit easily the other colored paper. Closing your eyes, you took a deep breath and hit. It turned right away and you could continue. 

The other did well too and you managed to finish inside 5 minutes. The guards removed the locks at your feets and you managed to go back to the main room, still alive. On your way, Nam-gyu walked by your side, hands in his pocket.

«-You will vote to stay Tonight, right ?-Absolutely not. I need to go home. I will not put my life in danger another day»

You were stop by his body who placed itself in front of you.

«-I will make myself more clear then. You will vote to stay Tonight, If you don't want your baby daddy to know about your dirty little secret. -Oh so you are the one who is threatening me, now. -Of course not, I'm warning you. But the choice is yours to take. »

And he continue his was to the main room. You looked at him leaving as you swear inside if you have to play another game, this guy will not survive. He play to much on your nerves. 

Back to your bed, waiting for the others to come back, you taught about what Nam-Gyu said. You never was the kind of girl to submit to something threatening like this and if Thanos have to know about the baby, He will probably understand the reason why you wanted to leave. So your choice will not change ; You will vote to leave.

That’s exactly what you did tonight. The loss of today didn’t change that much, you will not leave this place super rich, but you will find a way. It will be better outside than here, risking your life and your baby’s life. Your mind was also on player 222 who was in the same situation as you. 

After you had voted X , you saw the girl smiled at you and Nam-Gyu on the other side who looked pissed, but you didn’t care, you knew you had made the right choice.

Sadly, the majority of votes goes to O so you will have to stay and play another game Tomorrow. People are really insane, that’s so creepy. 

You managed to left the main room to go to the bathroom, where you found an open space to showed at the back of the room. With your stressful day and your sweaty dreams from last night, how could you say no to that. 

After you had removed your clothes, you opened up the water and let the hot water flow. It felt like a release. You didn’t even taught about washing your body, you just needed to relax more than anything else. Eyes shut, face in the direction of the water, you never heard when someone entered the room, or maybe you didn’t care. 

It becomes more serious when the water stops and your body got pressed against the cold wall. When you opened your eyes, surprised and ready to hit, you were surprised to see Thanos, who seemed angry.

«-Is that true Y/N ?! Is that fucking true ?! »

Your heart started to beat way faster. You had a good idea why he was there. Nam-gyu probably told him about your pregnancy. You knew it will happen but you didn't think about how you would react if you had to have this discussion. Trembling, more cause of the fear and anxiety caused by Thanos' anger you weren't able to place a word.

«-I…Don’t…-Don’t you fucking dare to say you don’t know what I am talking about ! »

He hit the wall next to your head before taking some step back to calm himself. You stayed there, trembling, trying your best to not cry again and hiding your naked body as much as you could. he definitely have seen everything by now but it was still embarrassing.

When he felt more calm, Thanos looked back at you, but his eyes were more on your belly than on you directly.

«-Are you pregnant for real ? Is that the real reason you are here ? »

[unsoju]

✿ thinkin bout you. 𓂃 k. kozume x f. reader

cw. word count ; 1.9k. part 2 of ; trust. trust who? beach day episode. anxiety. kind of insecure! reader. kuroo appearance. keiko already knowing about kenma and reader. kind of suggestive? they don’t do anything, but they mention things that happened in part one.

syn. after the mishap with kenma last month, things have gotten more and more awkward, and you have gotten less you, as time goes on. keiko invites you to the beach, in hopes of cheering you up.

It’s a good day for the beach. There aren’t too many people here, because it’s a Monday. The sun is out, but there are still clouds in the sky, so it’s not swelteringly hot out. You’re with your best friend, skipping school with no consequences since your parents already said yes to a beach day.

Beside you, Keiko is laid out on her beach towel, letting the sun beam down on her skin as she hopes and prays for a good tan. You, on the other hand, have your knees pulled up to your chest, sunglasses on, and you’re reading a book.

“Are you still reading that godforsaken book?” Without looking over, you can tell Keiko doesn’t even have her eyes open. She knows you too well, she could probably predict your every move at this point. You do, in fact, look back, though, a smile on your face. Her eyes open and she props herself up on her elbow, tilting her head. “We are literally at the beach, Y/n. Like, the sun is out, the waves are crashing against the sand, or whatever. Enjoy the sun!”

You sigh, but make a show out of closing your book and setting it to the side. Your arms end up wrapped around your legs and you rest your cheek on a knee. “It’s hot. I can’t just sit there and tan like you do— I get bored. Why can’t we go in the water yet?”

“Because Kenma and Kuroo haven’t shown up yet.” Your stomach drops at the mention of his name. Your eyes dart away from her, now glued to the water. “Besides,” she says, laying back down, “I still have a few minutes left before I can stop tanning my front side.”

“Kenma and Kuroo are coming?” You ask, voice quiet and distant. You haven’t talked to Kenma in weeks. The thought of seeing him again makes you nervous. Briefly, you’re insecure about the swimsuit you’re wearing, but then remember that night in his room and stop.

“Mhm. It’s their senior skip day, that’s why my parents said yes to me skipping too.”

You hum in response. That makes sense, logically, but that doesn’t mean you have to like it. You sigh and glance back at her once more. She looks so peaceful— so happy. You with a resigned purse of your lips, you stand up. “I’m going to get ice cream. You want strawberry?”

Her answer barely reaches your ears as she mumbles out a yes. You brush the sand off your hands and look out to the water again. You think you might want to go home again right now. There’s a few people lining the beach; some college kids playing beach volleyball, an older couple sitting very close to the water, a singular woman laying down and enjoying the sun.

You take a deep breath and try to calm your nerves. For a moment, you start to think about excuses you could use in order to escape. But then you think back to when Keiko was so excited that you agreed to come today, and a frown finds its way onto your face.

As you make your way to the ice cream shop, you can’t help but zone out. You try to keep your eyes in focus, but they just can’t. you’re too focused on Kenma and him showing up and the possibility that he told Kuroo what you two did and how Kuroo is going to snicker at you and judge you and—

A familiar laugh pulls you out of your thoughts. It’s loud and it’s annoying and you look up to see Kuroo and Kenma walking straight towards you.

Now, you have two options; there’s a group of bushes beside you. You could jump in and hide from them, risking your dignity and also the fact that it would probably hurt. Or. You keep walking, chin high, and pretend nothing is wrong.

You glance at the bushes, then back to the pair, and slowly realize that Kenma has already spotted you. You wrap your arms around yourself and go with a secret third option.

You put your head down and speed walk past them, ignoring Kuroo’s greeting and Kenma’s cat-like eyes burning into your skin.

There’s no time to think about what just happened— how embarrassing and plain rude it was— because you’re at the ice cream shop in less than ten steps after passing the two boys. Just like the beach, there’s not a lot of people there; two people working, and one person sitting down at one of the tables.

You’re less than a yard away from the counter, when there’s a hand on your shoulder, spinning you around to look at them. Kenma stands in front of you now, shirtless and a little out of breath. Did he run back here? 

There’s a sheen of sweat covering his body and, in the sun, it almost looks as if he’s sparkling. You want to throw up. Instead, you plaster a smile on your face and blink a couple times. “Hi, Kenma. Are you getting some ice cream, too?”

If possible, his face falls even flatter. “Cut the bullshit,” he snaps, making you flinch backwards a little bit. Kenma has never been an aggressive guy— well, maybe that’s not true after knowing what you know now, but he’s always been nice to you. “Why are you acting so… weird?”

Again, you blink at him, face blank, eyes dumb. There are so many scenarios running through your head; you tell him why you’re acting weird and he gets weirded out. You don’t tell him why you’re acting weird and he stops talking to you. You don’t tell him why you’re acting weird and he tells Keiko, effectively ruining your friendship.

“I’m not…” you trail off, eyes darting anywhere but his face. This is it. This is your chance. Speak now or forever hold your peace, right? You huff out a quick breath and meet his golden eyes once more. “I’m acting weird because you were my first kiss and then acted like nothing happened! And then you took my virginity and did the same damn thing!”

His eyes widen comically as you rant. Almost too fast for you to even process, his eyes sweep the surroundings before he grabs your arm and drags you away to a more secluded place— one where no one will see you. 

Your rate picks up again. You find it often does that when you’re around Kenma.

“What the hell are you talking about?” He hisses out, hand still gripping your arm. It makes you think back to that night when you first asked him the question, and you have to suppress a shiver. “You— I thought— you left my room before I woke up the morning after. You were the one who told me not to say anything to Keiko when I kissed you. You acted like nothing happened first. I followed your lead because I thought you didn’t want Keiko to know.”

“I don’t, but—”

“Then this is not just on me,” he cuts you off, eyes narrowed. You don’t think you’ve ever seen Kenma this mad before— you don’t think you’ve ever seen him mad, actually. “It’s partly my fault, because I was stupid enough to—”

It’s silent for a moment. The breeze kicks up, blowing both of your hair in the wind, yet there isn’t a word spoken. He stares at you, and you stare at him— silent.

“Stupid enough to what?” Your voice comes out in a shaky, weak whisper. You sound pathetic, and you know it, but you don’t care. Tears begin to sting at your eyes and you stare at him dumbly.

He hesitates, letting go of your arm and taking a step back. He seems to be calmer already. “Shit, I—” he takes an indecisive step forward, brows furrowing slightly. “I didn’t— I wasn’t going to say that, I was—” he cuts himself off with a frustrated sigh. “I wasn’t saying that taking your virginity was stupid. I was just… It would be better if you weren’t Keiko’s best friend, you know? I’m glad you are, but…”

“But it complicated things,” you finish for him, nodding. You look down at the ground and a singular tear splashes onto the sand. “I know. I’m sorry. I didn’t… I just, um, wanted someone I trusted.”

“I know.” His hand finds your arm again, his fingers are cold against your sun kissed skin. “And that’s perfectly fine. I think I already said this, but I’m happy you picked me and not some random guy from school.” This gets a small laugh out of you and, when you look up, Kenma is half-smiling too. “I’m sorry I yelled at you. It was kind of mean.”

You giggle again and sniffle, wiping your eyes with the back of your hand. “It’s okay. I kind of yelled about you and my virginity in front of those ice cream workers, so it cancels out.”

“Yeah,” Kenma laughs out, nodding. “I guess it does.”

You two stare at each other for a moment longer, basking in the comfortable silence that settles around you.

Kenma is the first one to talk. A hesitant question as he tilts his head, “So?”

You mirror his action, tilting it the other way, and furrow your brows. “So?” You repeat. Your mind catches up to what he’s asking and your eyes widen. “Oh. So. What do you… I mean, like, I know that I, personally, wouldn’t—”

“What are we gonna tell Keiko?”

The question stops you short, your brain seems to stutter. “Oh,” you breathe out. “I… did not think about that.”

“I don’t think you need to tell her.” The new, but familiar, voice cuts through the air like a sword. You can feel the air around you get freezing cold. You swallow hard and slowly turn around to Keiko standing not even five feet away from you, hands crossed over her chest. Kuroo stands next to her, brows raised in complete and utter disbelief. “Are you fucking kidding me?” She exclaims, marching towards you. “You lost your virginity to my brother and didn’t tell me?”

You can’t even talk right now. Your throat is dry, your brain is fried, you can’t breathe. “Keiko, I can—”

She glances back at Kuroo for a millisecond before they both start cackling. They clutch their stomachs and double over, wheezing and gasping for breath.

You and Kenma exchange glances, confusion written on both of your faces. “Uh.” Kenma scratches the back of his neck, clearing his throat. “What’s happening right now?”

Keiko, through her gasps of laughter, looks up at you and shakes her head, taking another step towards you and hitting your shoulder. “I already knew, you dumbass. I was just waiting for you to say something and you just, like, never did!”

“Oh my god.” You blink a couple times, staring down at the sand once again. “Oh my god. Keiko, what? How did you know?”

Her laughter has stopped now. She looks at you, leans close to your ear, and giggles before whispering, “you need to learn to be more quiet. Be happy my parents weren’t there for you to wake up.”

You can feel your face heat up. Kenma gives you a confused look, but you shake your head, mumbling something about telling him later.

“Okay, can we swim now, or what?”

All three of you look at Kuroo and laugh. “Yeah,” Kenma nods his head, unexpectedly throwing an arm around your shoulders. “Let’s go swim.”

[cocobeanncteez]

The CEO Collision - Part Five

Pairing: CEO!Seonghwa x CEO!reader (f)

Warnings / content for Part Five: alcohol consumption, profanities, lotss of angst, seonghwa gets insecure / has an argument with reader, smut warning: quickie in the backseat of a car / piv, protected sex (pill). Please note that other than Ateez, all other character names used are fictional.

Word Count: 9.6k

Masterlist for The CEO Collision

The day was crisp and clear as you and Seonghwa stepped into the lobby of a towering luxury apartment complex. The marble floors gleamed under soft, golden lighting, and a uniformed concierge greeted you both with a polite bow before directing you to the private elevator.

“Excited?” Seonghwa asked, glancing at you with a small smile as the elevator ascended.

You gave a nonchalant shrug but couldn’t hide the glimmer of curiosity in your eyes. “I mean, it’s not every day you go shopping for a luxury apartment with a view like this. Are you sure we need a place this extravagant?”

“It’s not just about the view,” he said smoothly, leaning casually against the elevator wall. “It’s about having a space that feels like us. Besides, I don’t do halfway, Y/N. You should know that by now.”

The elevator dinged, and you stepped into the first apartment. Floor-to-ceiling windows framed a panoramic view of Seoul’s skyline, the Han River winding its way through the city like a ribbon of silver.

“Oh, wow…” you murmured, taking a step closer to the window.

Seonghwa joined you, his hands sliding into his pockets as he observed your reaction. “It’s breathtaking, isn’t it?”

The real estate agent, a well-dressed woman with an air of professionalism, gestured around the open-concept living room. “This apartment features four bedrooms, a state-of-the-art kitchen, and, of course, unparalleled views from every room. Shall we take a look around?”

As you moved from room to room, Seonghwa subtly paid more attention to your reactions than to the apartment itself. He watched the way your eyes lit up at the spacious walk-in closet and how your fingers brushed over the sleek kitchen counters.

When you stepped onto the wraparound balcony, the cold breeze hit you, but it was worth it for the view. Seonghwa followed, standing close enough that the warmth of his presence countered the chill.

“This one’s impressive,” you admitted, leaning against the railing. “But it feels too… formal.”

He chuckled. “Formal?”

“Yeah, like it’s more suited for hosting corporate dinners than relaxing at home.”

“I see what you mean,” he said thoughtfully. “You want somewhere cozier. More us.”

You looked up at him, surprised at how naturally he said “us.”

The agent approached, handing Seonghwa a tablet. “We have another unit in the apartment complex right across this building that’s slightly more contemporary. It has a private rooftop garden and pool. Perhaps you’d like to see that next?”

Seonghwa glanced at you. “What do you think? Want to keep hunting?”

You smiled, your playful side surfacing. “As long as you don’t start picking places based on how well they fit your suit collection.”

He laughed, the sound rich and unguarded. “Deal. But if we find a place with a walk-in closet bigger than this one, don’t blame me for taking it.”

The two of you headed back to the elevator, the agent trailing behind. As the doors slid shut, Seonghwa leaned slightly closer. “You know, this is the first time I’ve ever enjoyed apartment hunting.”

“Why’s that?” you asked, tilting your head.

“Because I’m doing it with you,” he said simply, his tone sincere.

Your cheeks warmed as you looked away, pretending to study the floor numbers lighting up on the panel. “Smooth talker.”

“And you love it,” he teased, his smirk making your heart skip a beat. You rolled your eyes, but the truth was, he wasn’t wrong.

The second apartment was nothing short of breathtaking. It offered the kind of luxury that seemed pulled straight from a dream. The building itself was a fortress, equipped with state-of-the-art security systems. It was no wonder the property was home to A-list actors, chaebols, and the nation’s ultra-elite.

Inside, the apartment was a masterpiece of modern design. The living room opened up to a balcony that stretched the length of the unit. Beyond the glass doors was a private jacuzzi, surrounded by sleek glass panels that offered an unobstructed view of Seoul’s glittering skyline.

You stepped out onto the balcony, drawn to the view and the subtle bubbling sound of the jacuzzi. The cool night breeze brushed against your skin, and the sight of the city lights twinkling below made your breath catch.

“Now this,” you murmured, running your fingers along the edge of the jacuzzi, “is impressive.”

Seonghwa followed you, his hands tucked into his pockets as he surveyed the scene. “The view alone is worth it. And the security here is unbeatable.”

The agent chimed in, her tone professional but enthusiastic. “This building is known for its exclusivity and privacy. We’ve housed celebrities, diplomats, and business leaders. The residents appreciate the discretion and safety we provide.”

You glanced at Seonghwa with a raised eyebrow. “Diplomats and celebrities? Feeling fancy yet?”

He smirked. “It’s not about fancy. It’s about giving us a space where we can feel secure and enjoy ourselves.”

You rolled your eyes, but a small smile tugged at your lips. “You’ve really thought about this, haven’t you?”

Seonghwa gestured toward the jacuzzi. “I’m just picturing you in there, a glass of wine in hand, completely relaxed. Maybe I’ll join you if you let me.”

You laughed, swatting his arm. “Big talk, Mr. Park. But can you actually imagine us living here? I mean, this place feels more like a retreat.”

“That’s exactly the point,” he said, leaning on the balcony railing beside you. “A retreat. Somewhere we can escape from the chaos of work and everything else.”

The agent excused herself, giving the two of you space to discuss. Seonghwa turned to face you fully, his expression softening.

“This building is safe, private, and beautiful. It’s everything we need,” he said, his voice steady. “And I can’t stop thinking about building a life with you here, Y/N.”

His sincerity caught you off guard, and you looked away, pretending to focus on the view. “You’re really selling this place,” you said lightly, though your heart raced at his words.

“I’m not selling it,” he replied, taking your hand. “I’m choosing it. For us.”

You glanced at the jacuzzi, then at him, a teasing glint in your eye. “Alright, but only if you promise to make my favorite cocktails while I’m soaking in that jacuzzi.”

His smile widened, and he squeezed your hand. “Deal.”

The decision was practically made, but Seonghwa, being meticulous as ever, wanted to ensure every detail was perfect. He requested another walk-through with the agent, focusing on the security measures and amenities.

While Seonghwa discussed logistics with the agent, you found yourself wandering through the spacious master bedroom. Floor-to-ceiling windows framed a panoramic view of Seoul, and the room exuded a quiet elegance with its neutral tones and luxurious finishes. A large walk-in closet adjacent to the bedroom caught your attention, and you stepped inside, running your fingers along the polished wood shelves.

“This closet is bigger than mine,” you muttered to yourself, chuckling.

“You say that now,” Seonghwa’s voice came from behind you, making you turn. He leaned against the doorway, his hands in his pockets, watching you with a soft smile. “But I have a feeling it won’t stay this spacious once your wardrobe moves in.”

You rolled your eyes, a playful smirk on your lips. “And here I thought you liked my sense of style.”

“Oh, I do, sweetheart,” he said, stepping inside and closing the distance between you. “But I also know your shopping habits.”

You laughed, swatting at his chest. “Fair point.”

He reached out, his hands settling on your waist as he pulled you close. “So? What do you think?”

“It’s… perfect,” you admitted, leaning into his touch. “But it feels like such a big step.”

Seonghwa tilted his head, his gaze locking with yours. “It’s a big step because we’re building something big together. And this place? It’s just the beginning.”

Your heart swelled at his words, and you leaned up to kiss him softly. “Alright, Mr. Park. Let’s do it. Let’s make this our home.”

A triumphant grin spread across his face, and he kissed you back, the moment sealing the decision between you.

The agent returned shortly after, her professional smile in place. “Have you made a decision, Mr. Park?”

Seonghwa glanced at you, his hand still on your waist. “We’ll take it.”

The agent beamed, congratulating you both as she began explaining the next steps. But for you, the logistics blurred into the background. All you could focus on was the man beside you and the future you were about to create together.

As you left the apartment later that evening, Seonghwa laced his fingers with yours. “What do you say we celebrate tonight?”

“Celebrating what?” you teased.

“Our new home,” he said, a mischievous glint in his eye. “And maybe breaking in that jacuzzi a little early.”

You laughed, leaning into him as you walked to the car. “You’re impossible, you know that?”

Throughout the drive, Seonghwa's hand had been resting on your thigh, his thumb tracing small, tantalizing circles against your skin. The touch was innocent enough at first, but the heat in his gaze when he glanced at you told a different story.

Seonghwa expertly maneuvered his car into the expansive garage of his mansion, the quiet hum of the engine echoing off the pristine walls. The garage itself was a showcase of wealth—a collection of six luxury cars gleamed under soft, strategically placed lights, each one an emblem of sophistication and power.

As soon as the car came to a halt, you barely had time to unbuckle your seatbelt before Seonghwa leaned over, capturing your lips in a deep, hungry kiss. His hand slid up your thigh, pulling you closer as your fingers tangled in his hair.

“Couldn’t wait, could you?” you teased breathlessly when he pulled back for just a second.

“Not when you’ve been driving me crazy all afternoon,” he murmured, his voice low and filled with desire.

Without another word, he opened the car door and stepped out, only to open yours moments later. But instead of leading you toward the house, he pushed you gently back against the car, resuming the kiss with even more intensity.

The air in the garage grew heavy with heat and anticipation, and when Seonghwa lifted you effortlessly, you instinctively wrapped your legs around his waist. His lips trailed from your mouth to your jaw, then down to your neck, each kiss leaving a searing trail on your skin.

“Backseat,” he whispered against your ear, his voice thick with urgency.

The suggestion sent a thrill through you, and you didn’t hesitate. The two of you slid into the backseat of the spacious car, the leather cool against your skin as Seonghwa hovered over you, his body pressing into yours. You could feel the heat at your pussy and your clit was throbbing.

His hands roamed freely now, slipping under your blouse as his lips claimed yours again. Each touch, each kiss was a promise of what was to come, and the confined space only heightened the intimacy.

“An early celebration…” he murmured, his forehead resting against yours as he paused to catch his breath.

“In the backseat of your car? Didn’t know you would take such a risk, Mr. Park,” you said with a smirk, reaching down to the waistband of his pants, pushing it down quickly, freeing his cock. You pumped his hard dick while he pushed your skirt up, moving your panties to the side to swipe the wetness at your slit before rubbing your clit.

You guided his cock to your entrance, letting him enter you. “God, my love,” he muttered, his eyes closing while he pushed himself all the way in. “You always feel so good, so tight, so warm… and always so wet for me.”

“Hwa…” you moaned while he started fucking you in a fast pace that had you gripping the seat. Seonghwa was going rough and you absolutely loved it when he did that, especially when he brought his hand to your neck to gently choke you.

The heat between you two caused the car windows to get all foggy and that sent a chill down your spine as you’ve never had sex in a car before. The knot forming in your lower abdomen was getting tighter and Seonghwa could sense that by the way you arched your back and moaned his name.

He reached down to rub your clit in circular motions, and it wasn’t long before your orgasm took over you, his own following right after.

“This was insane,” you said breathlessly, a dazed smile on your lips as you tried to steady your breathing.

Seonghwa chuckled deeply, his chest still rising and falling from exertion. “You make me lose all sense of control,” he murmured, brushing a thumb over your cheek before pressing a soft kiss to your temple.

He pulled out and pulled his pants up before getting out of the car, adjusting his clothes. Stepping out of the car, you winced slightly, shooting him a playful glare. “You could’ve warned me how wild you’d get.”

He smirked, smoothing the creases on his shirt. “You don’t seem to mind, though.” His gaze lingered on you, full of unspoken heat, before he reached for your hand, helping you regain your balance.

The cool air of the garage hit you as you straightened up, and you felt a mix of exhilaration and a little embarrassment as you noticed the faint fog still clinging to the car windows.

“Come on,” he said, tugging you gently toward the door leading to his mansion. “We should probably clean up and get some rest. You’ll need your energy for tomorrow.”

“For what?” you asked suspiciously, though your lips curled into a teasing smile.

He glanced over his shoulder, his smirk returning. “You’ll see.”

Seonghwa led you through the private entrance of his mansion, the soft hum of motion-sensor lights illuminating the grand hallway. The cool marble underfoot contrasted with the lingering warmth of his hand holding yours.

“You know,” you began, glancing around as you stepped into the main living area, “I’ve been here before, but every time, I notice something new. Do you change the décor often?”

He smiled, shrugging off his jacket and draping it over a chair. “Not really. Maybe you’re just paying more attention now.” His eyes glinted mischievously as he closed the gap between you, brushing a strand of hair from your face. “Or maybe you’re just too distracted by me when you’re here.”

You laughed softly, swatting at his chest. “Someone’s confident.”

“Can you blame me?” he murmured, leaning in to kiss you again. His lips were warm and insistent, reigniting the spark that had barely cooled since you stepped out of the car.

You pulled back just enough to breathe, resting your hands on his chest. “As tempting as it is to continue… I think I need a shower first. You were… thorough.” Your cheeks heated at the memory, and his chuckle only made it worse.

“Good idea,” he said, his voice dropping an octave. “I’ll join you.”

“Of course you will,” you teased, pulling away and heading toward the grand staircase. “I don’t trust you not to ruin the water bill.”

He followed close behind, his eyes glued to you. “You say that like it’s not worth it.”

Seonghwa’s bathroom had a sprawling walk-in shower, dual rainfall showerheads, and sleek black-and-gold accents. You turned on the water, letting it heat up, while Seonghwa leaned against the vanity, watching you with an expression that was equal parts admiration and hunger.

“Stop looking at me like that,” you said, trying to sound stern but failing miserably as your lips twitched into a smile.

“Like what?” he asked innocently, though his gaze remained intense.

“Like you’re planning to do something,” you replied, stepping under the warm cascade of water.

He smirked, following you in without hesitation. “I am planning to do something. And I promise you’ll like it.”

You didn’t doubt that for a second.

---

The following morning, Seonghwa woke you with a soft kiss on your temple and the enticing aroma of freshly brewed coffee. His excitement was palpable, even as you groggily sat up, rubbing the sleep from your eyes.

“Good morning, sleepyhead,” he teased, setting the coffee cup on your nightstand. “We have somewhere to be today. Get dressed—something comfortable.”

You raised an eyebrow at his cryptic instructions. “And where exactly are we going?”

His lips curved into a mischievous smile. “You’ll see. Just trust me.”

An hour later, you found yourself in his car, heading toward the outskirts of the city. The drive was tranquil, the morning sunlight casting a golden glow over the scenery. His hand rested warmly on your thigh, his thumb tracing lazy circles as soft music played in the background.

As the city gave way to rolling hills and serene landscapes, your curiosity grew. Finally, Seonghwa turned onto a private driveway that led to a secluded, picturesque airfield. Your jaw dropped as you spotted the sleek helicopter waiting on the tarmac.

“A helicopter?” you asked, glancing at him in surprise.

He grinned, clearly enjoying your reaction. “Surprise number one.”

The ride was nothing short of breathtaking. The helicopter soared over lush greenery, glimmering lakes, and winding rivers. Seonghwa pointed out landmarks, sharing tidbits of trivia and making you laugh as he held your hand. As you descended, you noticed a stunning villa nestled by a crystal-clear lake, surrounded by vibrant flowers and shaded by tall trees.

“Where are we?” you asked as you stepped out, the fresh air invigorating.

Seonghwa smiled, taking your hand. “This is a surprise I’ve been working on for weeks. Come on.”

The villa was a masterpiece of modern luxury, with floor-to-ceiling windows that framed the tranquil lake. Inside, every detail screamed elegance, from the marble floors to the plush furnishings.

“Seonghwa…” you said, your voice tinged with awe as you took in the stunning interior.

“Do you like it?” he asked, wrapping his arms around you from behind.

“Like it? It’s amazing,” you said. “But what are we doing here?”

He turned you around to face him, his gaze warm and steady. “It’s yours. Ours. I bought this villa as a pre-wedding gift for you.”

Your eyes widened, the weight of his words sinking in. “You bought this for us?”

He nodded, a proud smile on his face. “I wanted us to have a place away from the city, somewhere we can escape to when we need peace. Another place where we can make new memories.”

Tears pricked your eyes as you looked around the villa, imagining all the moments you’d share together in this beautiful space.

“You’re incredible,” you said, wrapping your arms around his neck.

“I just want to make you happy,” he replied, his voice tender.

The day was filled with exploring the villa and its surroundings. Seonghwa had arranged a private boat ride on the lake, followed by a couple’s spa treatment in one of the villa’s luxurious suites. As the sun began to set, you both stood on the expansive balcony, a glass of wine in hand, watching the sky turn shades of orange and pink.

“This place is perfect,” you said, leaning into him.

“It’s perfect because you’re here,” he replied, pressing a kiss to your temple.

As you stood there, wrapped in his embrace, you couldn’t help but feel that this villa was more than just a gift—it was a promise of a future filled with love, peace, and endless possibilities.

-x-x-x-

The quiet rhythm of your office was interrupted by the sharp click of polished shoes against the marble floor, followed by a familiar, booming voice that carried an air of cheer wherever it went.

“Y/N!” Yunho called, his tone bright and unmissable as he entered your space, closing the door behind him. He held a sleek leather bag in one hand and a smaller paper bag in the other, the latter adorned with an elegant Swiss logo.

You glanced up from your laptop, already smiling as the tall figure approached. “Yunho! Look who’s back from the land of watches and chocolate.”

“Guilty as charged,” he replied, his grin wide and infectious while he gave you a hug. “And I brought the goods.”

He placed the bags on your desk with a flourish, his energy filling the room as he slid into the chair across from you. You couldn’t help but laugh at his dramatic presentation.

“Goodies from Switzerland?” you asked, peeking into the paper bag.

“The finest,” he said proudly. “Chocolate truffles, because who doesn’t love Swiss chocolate, and…” He gestured for you to open the second bag.

Your fingers brushed over the soft fabric as you pulled out an intricately designed silk scarf. The deep blues and golds shimmered under the light, the pattern an elegant mix of florals and geometric designs.

“Yunho, this is gorgeous,” you said, running your hand over the delicate material.

“Only the best for my favorite bride-to-be,” he replied with a wink, leaning back in his chair with a satisfied smile.

“You’re spoiling me,” you teased, draping the scarf over your shoulders.

As you admired the scarf, he leaned back, crossing his legs. “So, how’s the wedding planning going? Last I heard, it was all systems go.”

You groaned playfully. “Oh, it’s going. Yeri has been practically living at my place with Seonghwa’s mom. They’ve been going through venues, flowers, dresses—everything. I think they’re having more fun than I am.”

Yunho chuckled. “Sounds about right. So, what’s left for you to do?”

“Mostly just finalizing details and staying out of their way,” you said with a laugh. “Seonghwa and I are focusing on other things, like finalizing stuff for the new apartment we bought.”

“Ah, the married life prep,” Yunho teased before his expression grew thoughtful. “Actually… speaking of weddings and planning…”

You raised an eyebrow at his sudden shift in tone. “What is it?”

“Well,” he began, rubbing the back of his neck, “I was thinking… I’d like to propose to Nari soon.”

Your jaw dropped, a mix of excitement and surprise. “Yunho! Are you serious?”

He nodded, a soft smile playing on his lips. “I’ve been thinking about it for a while now. Nari’s… she’s everything to me. I want to make it official.”

“That’s amazing!” you exclaimed, practically bouncing in your seat. “Do you have any plans yet?”

“Not yet,” he admitted, laughing at your enthusiasm. “But I figured I’d need to know her schedule first. She’s always running around, and I want to make sure I catch her when she’s free and in a good mood. So… think you can help me out with that?”

You smirked, leaning back in your chair. “Yunho, you’re lucky she’s my secretary. Of course, I’ll help! But you’ll owe me, cause Nari is very smart and will catch on quickly.”

“Done,” he said without hesitation. “What do you want?”

“I’ll think of something,” you teased, already mentally mapping out Nari’s upcoming schedule, keeping in mind that the quarterly reporting period was coming up. “But seriously, Yunho, I’m so happy for you. She’s going to be over the moon.”

“I hope so,” he said softly, his usual confidence giving way to a rare vulnerability. “She means the world to me. I just got the green signal from her parents to propose.”

“You’ve got this,” you assured him, reaching across the desk to squeeze his hand. “And when you do propose, make sure you do it in a way that’s as amazing as she is.”

Yunho grinned, his excitement palpable. “Don’t worry, Y/N. I’ve got some ideas.”

Yunho chatted with you for a while about his business trip and the things he got for Nari. As he left your office, the thought of another proposal on the horizon filled you with joy. Love was certainly in the air, and you couldn’t wait to see how Yunho’s grand gesture would unfold.

---

The sleek boardroom of Byeol Materials Group was abuzz with energy as executives shuffled papers and exchanged nods of approval. Seonghwa sat at the head of the table, his sharp suit emphasizing the commanding air he carried effortlessly. The unofficial quarterly report presentation was underway, and the results spoke volumes about the company’s recent surge in performance.

“…and with the latest projections, we’re expecting a 25% increase in revenue compared to the previous fiscal year,” the CFO concluded, his voice brimming with satisfaction. “The strategic partnerships and increased visibility have proven highly effective.”

Seonghwa nodded, his expression composed, though there was a hint of pride in his eyes. “Excellent work, everyone. Let’s keep this momentum going.”

As the meeting adjourned, Wooyoung leaned in to hand him a folder. “These are the media reports and market analyses you requested. There’s a lot of positive press surrounding your engagement,” he said with a knowing smile.

Seonghwa flipped through the pages, scanning headlines like: “Byeol Materials Sees Surge in Investor Confidence Following CEO’s Engagement” “CEO Park Seonghwa’s Leadership Gains Traction Amid Upcoming Union with CEO Kim Y/N”

“It’s incredible how much influence the engagement has had,” Wooyoung continued. “Investors see it as not just a personal union, but a strategic alliance between your family and the Kims. Confidence in the company has skyrocketed.”

Seonghwa set the folder down, his mind briefly drifting to you. It was strange to think that what began as a corporate necessity had evolved into something so deeply personal. His gaze shifted back to the room as he addressed his secretary.

“Schedule a meeting with the PR team,” he instructed. “We need to ensure the narrative stays focused on the company’s growth and future endeavors, not just the engagement.”

“Consider it done,” Wooyoung replied.

-x-x-x-

The last three weeks had been a whirlwind of chaos, deadlines, and unrelenting stress. The quarterly reporting period demanded everything from both you and Seonghwa, leaving little room for anything else. Late nights at the office had become routine, and your phone calls dwindled to sparse, clipped conversations about work.

Seonghwa had been quieter than usual, a fact that gnawed at the edges of your mind. Even when you managed to meet once for a quick dinner at his office, his demeanor was distant, distracted. The glint of confidence you adored in him seemed dulled, replaced by a furrowed brow and a heavy silence.

You had tried to bridge the gap, offering words of encouragement and support when you could, but his responses were mechanical. It wasn’t like him, and it stung more than you cared to admit.

Meanwhile, at Byeol Materials, Seonghwa stared blankly at his computer screen, his mind a storm of self-doubt. Despite the glowing financial reports and the celebratory buzz from his team, he couldn’t shake the feeling that his success was hollow.

Is it me, or is it just the engagement?

The question loomed over him, festering in his mind until it became an unrelenting weight. He replayed every congratulatory email, every handshake from investors, and every mention of your name in connection to the company’s success.

His chest tightened. What if they’re right? What if I’m only riding on Y/N’s coattails?

His phone buzzed on the desk. It was a text from you. You: Hey love, thinking about you. Hope your day’s going okay. Let’s talk soon if you’re free?

He read it, then set the phone down without responding. He couldn’t face you—not now, not when he felt like this.

-

You sat at your desk, staring at the screen, but your mind was elsewhere. Your colleagues had noticed your distracted state, whispering among themselves, but you didn’t care.

The truth was, you missed him—missed his presence, his warmth, and the way he always seemed to lighten your burdens. Now, it felt like you were on opposite ends of a chasm with no bridge in sight.

You finally gave in and called him. The phone rang… and rang… and rang.

When his voicemail picked up, you sighed, feeling the sting of rejection. It wasn’t like him to shut you out completely. You debated calling again but stopped yourself.

That night, you paced your bedroom, rehearsing what you would say. He’s under stress. Don’t push too hard. But don’t let this go, either.

When he finally called back, it was almost midnight.

“Y/N,” he said, his voice weary.

“Seonghwa,” you began carefully, “is everything okay? You’ve been… distant.”

There was a long silence, and you could hear the faint rustle of papers on his end.

“I’m fine,” he said, his tone curt. “Just busy.”

“Busy?” you repeated, frustration creeping into your voice. “You’ve been avoiding me, Seonghwa. You don’t even text me back anymore.”

“I don’t have time to text,” he snapped, the sharpness in his tone catching you off guard.

You took a deep breath, fighting the hurt. “Seonghwa, I get that work is crazy right now, but we’re supposed to be partners, we’re getting married in a couple of weeks. If something’s bothering you—”

“I said I’m fine,” he interrupted. “I’ll call you when things settle down.”

Before you could respond, he ended the call.

You stared at your phone in disbelief, the ache in your chest spreading. This wasn’t like him. This wasn’t like you two. And as much as you wanted to give him the space he seemed to need, you couldn’t shake the feeling that something deeper was wrong.

---

You were buried in paperwork, trying to focus despite the lingering ache in your chest from Seonghwa’s recent coldness. The sound of your office door bursting open made you look up, startled.

Yeri strode in, a wide grin on her face, practically glowing with excitement. She plopped down into the chair across from you, not even waiting for an invitation.

“Oh my God, Y/N, you’re not going to believe this,” she said, leaning forward with a conspiratorial gleam in her eyes.

You raised an eyebrow, already amused by her dramatic entrance. “Okay, spill. What’s got you looking like you just won the lottery?”

Yeri clapped her hands together, barely able to contain her glee. “I hooked up with San!”

Your pen froze mid-sentence, and your eyes widened. “Wait, what?”

“San! You know, your friend with the face of a literal god, Choi San?” she said, her cheeks turning pink. “We’ve been kind of… seeing each other for like four weeks. Well, officially dating now.”

You blinked, utterly floored. “Yeri, are you serious? How did this even happen? I didn’t even know you two were close!”

She giggled, biting her lip. “Neither did I, honestly. It just… happened! He was so sweet and funny at the last party, and one thing led to another, and—”

“You hooked up,” you finished, smirking. “And now you’re dating.”

“Yes!” she exclaimed, practically bouncing in her seat. “And let me tell you, Y/N, this man is perfect. His face is already illegal—those cheekbones, that jawline—but his body? Oh my God. His abs could literally cut diamonds, his shoulders are so broad they make me feel tiny, and don’t even get me started on those arms!”

You couldn’t help but laugh at her enthusiasm. “Wow, Yeri. You’re really into him, huh?”

“Into him? I’m obsessed,” she admitted, fanning herself dramatically. “And he’s so sweet, too! Like, he actually listens to me, remembers little details, and he’s so considerate. But then he takes his shirt off, and I’m like, ‘Okay, I get it. You’re not just hot—you’re ridiculously hot.’”

You shook your head, laughing harder. “I’m happy for you, Yeri. But I have to admit, I did not see this coming.”

“Neither did I!” she said, throwing her hands up. “But here we are. And honestly, I’m not complaining. I feel like I hit the jackpot.”

“Well, San is definitely a catch,” you agreed, still grinning. “But I think he’s the lucky one for landing you.”

Yeri leaned back in her chair, a satisfied smile on her face. “Thanks, Y/N. I just had to tell you because I knew you’d appreciate how insane this all feels. And you know what? I think he might actually be the real deal.”

Your heart warmed at her happiness, even as you felt a twinge of longing for the connection you and Seonghwa seemed to be losing. Still, you pushed the thought aside, focusing instead on the pure joy radiating from your best friend.

"Anyway... enough about me! We finalized on Seonghwa's tuxedo for the wedding! I know you've been busy lately, but you need to find some time to try out the wedding dresses I chose for you," Yeri said. The mention of Seonghwa's name made your face fall and Yeri instantly noticed.

She tilted her head, her excitement dimming when she noticed your expression shift. “Hey, what’s with the long face? What’s going on?”

You sighed, setting your pen down and leaning back in your chair. “It’s Seonghwa. He’s been… distant lately. Barely communicating, working himself to the bone. We’ve only seen each other once in the past three weeks.”

Her brows knitted together in concern. “What? That doesn’t sound like him at all. Did something happen between you two?”

“I don’t know,” you admitted, running a hand through your hair. “He’s stressed with work, I get that. It’s quarterly time, and I’m busy too, but it feels like he’s shutting me out completely. He’s barely texting, and when he does, it’s short and impersonal. It’s like he’s putting up a wall.”

Yeri frowned. “That’s so out of character for him. He’s always been attentive, especially when it comes to you. Did he say anything? Give you a reason for why he’s acting this way?”

You shook your head. “No. That’s the thing. I’ve tried asking, but he just brushes it off, saying he’s fine or that he’s too busy. It’s frustrating because I feel like I can’t even reach him anymore. I don’t know what’s going on in his head, and it’s starting to hurt.”

Her concern deepened. “This doesn’t make any sense. He adores you—anyone can see that. Why would he act like this? Do you think it’s wedding stress? Or maybe something at work?”

“I’ve considered that,” you said, folding your arms. “But he’s always been good at balancing work and our relationship. This feels different, like he’s deliberately keeping me at a distance.”

Yeri leaned forward, placing her hand on yours. “Y/N, you need to talk to him—really talk to him. He might be dealing with something he doesn’t know how to share. And knowing Seonghwa, he’s probably overthinking everything and blaming himself for something that isn’t even his fault.”

You bit your lip, nodding slowly. “You’re probably right. I just don’t want to push him if he’s not ready to open up. But at the same time, I can’t keep feeling like this. It’s like we’re drifting apart, and I hate it.”

She squeezed your hand reassuringly. “You’re not drifting apart, Y/N. He loves you, and I’m sure he’s just going through something right now. But if you don’t address it, it’ll only fester. You’re getting married, for crying out loud. Communication is key.”

Her words struck a chord, and you sighed. “Yeah. I guess I just need to find the right time to bring it up.”

“Don’t wait too long,” she advised gently. “You both deserve to be happy and on the same page, especially with the wedding coming up.”

A small smile tugged at your lips. “Thanks, Yeri. I’ll figure it out.”

“Of course,” she said, leaning back with a determined look. “And while you’re sorting that out, please find time for your wedding dresses. You’re not getting out of that.”

You chuckled, grateful for her unwavering support. “Alright.”

After chatting with Yeri for a while, you headed into a meeting, Nari being all cheery by your side.

The conference room hummed with energy as you sat at the head of the table, your leadership team arranged around you. The large screen at the front displayed a series of graphs and charts, all trending upwards—a testament to the hard work of the last few months.

“And with that,” your CFO concluded, clicking to the final slide, “we’re pleased to report a 7.6% increase in stock prices per share this quarter. Revenue is up by 12.4%, with a significant boost in our medical devices division. It’s been a phenomenal quarter, Ms. Kim.”

A wave of pride surged through you as a round of applause erupted in the room. “Thank you, everyone,” you said, your voice steady but warm. “These results wouldn’t have been possible without the collective efforts of every single person in this room and beyond. Your dedication and commitment have been nothing short of extraordinary.”

The room buzzed with excitement as you continued. “The rise in stock prices shows that the market has confidence in us, and I couldn’t agree more. But let’s not get complacent. This is the time to capitalize on our momentum and continue delivering excellence.”

Your COO leaned forward, his expression enthusiastic. “The new product line has been a major hit, and we’ve seen significant traction in international markets. If we keep this up, I wouldn’t be surprised if we surpass our annual projections.”

“Agreed,” you replied, nodding. “Let’s strategize on how we can sustain this growth while innovating further. I want to schedule another meeting next week to dive deeper into expansion plans. For now, celebrate these wins because they’re well-earned.”

As the meeting adjourned and your team dispersed with smiles and congratulatory pats on the back, you lingered behind, taking a moment to let the success sink in. The satisfaction of seeing your company thrive was unparalleled, but it also reminded you of the other side of your life—the part that hadn’t been going as smoothly.

You pulled out your phone and hesitated for a moment before texting Seonghwa:

You: Quarterly results are in, and it’s a win, stock prices up by 7.6%! Hope your day is going well. Miss you.

Hitting send, you sighed softly, hoping he’d respond with more than a polite acknowledgment. For now, though, you allowed yourself to bask in the triumph of your hard work and the knowledge that, at least on the professional front, everything was falling into place.

-

The conference room was silent except for the rhythmic clicking of a presentation remote. Seonghwa’s CFO stood at the front, his voice clear and confident as he walked the executive team through the quarterly results. The tension in the room was palpable—Seonghwa had set ambitious goals, and the team was eager to see if they had delivered.

“And finally,” the CFO said, clicking to the last slide, “I’m pleased to report an 18.4% increase in stock prices this quarter. Revenue is up by 20.3%, driven by the success of our new partnerships and increased efficiency in production.”

The announcement was met with a collective gasp of surprise, followed by a burst of applause.

Seonghwa remained stoic, his hands clasped in front of him, but the corners of his mouth lifted in a subtle smile. “Impressive work,” he said, his voice calm yet commanding. “These results show what this company is capable of when we focus on our goals and execute with precision.”

The COO chimed in, his tone animated. “The market response has been overwhelming. Investors are thrilled, and we’re seeing a surge of interest from potential stakeholders. The new biomaterials product line, in particular, has exceeded expectations.”

Seonghwa nodded, leaning forward slightly. “The success of the biomaterials line was a calculated risk, and I’m glad to see it paying off. Let’s ensure we maintain the quality and exclusivity that defines our company. No compromises.”

The marketing director added, “Media coverage has also played a role. Your engagement to Ms. Kim has elevated our brand’s visibility among younger, affluent audiences. It’s clear that people see our company as more aspirational than ever.”

Seonghwa’s expression flickered, his jaw tightening slightly. He straightened in his chair, addressing the room. “While external factors may play a role in perception, this success is the result of hard work, strategy, and innovation. Let’s not rely on anything else to sustain our growth. I expect everyone to continue delivering results based on merit, not external narratives.”

The room quieted momentarily before the CFO interjected. “Understood, sir. Moving forward, we’ve outlined a strategy to capitalize on the current momentum. I’ll schedule a separate meeting with your team to discuss the details.”

“Good,” Seonghwa said, his tone decisive. “Thank you, everyone. Let’s keep this momentum going.”

As the meeting adjourned and his team began to disperse, Seonghwa stayed behind, staring at the charts still displayed on the screen. The results were undeniable, but the mention of his engagement lingered in his mind.

Back in his office, Seonghwa picked up his phone and stared at the message you had sent earlier about your company’s success. A faint smile graced his lips as he typed a reply: Seonghwa: That’s great, congrats

He hit send, his chest tightening slightly. The company’s success was thrilling, but the pressure to prove himself as more than just “the fiancé of Kim Y/N” loomed larger than ever.

-

After work, you decided to go see Seonghwa’s parents as it’s been a while since you had time to meet them.

“Y/N!” his mother exclaimed warmly, rising from her seat. “Congratulations on your quarterly results! I saw the reports earlier—your stock prices are soaring. Such fantastic news!”

“Thank you,” you said with a grateful smile, bowing slightly. “It’s been a lot of hard work, but I’m glad everything is paying off.”

His father beamed at you. “We were just talking about how proud we are of you, Y/N. Both you and Seonghwa are doing such incredible work.”

You hesitated, a small frown forming. “Speaking of Seonghwa... has he been home at all recently?”

His mother and father exchanged a glance before his father replied, “Actually, he came home a little while ago, after days. He said he needed a break and went up to the bar room. We assumed he wanted some time to himself… he seems very off and very stressed.”

Your brows furrowed. Seonghwa coming home early was unusual, and the fact that he hadn’t reached out to you all day stung more than you wanted to admit. “I’ll go check on him, if that’s okay?” you said softly, excusing yourself and making your way upstairs.

The dim light of the bar room cast long shadows across the polished wood as you stepped inside. Seonghwa was slouched over the counter, a glass of whiskey dangling loosely from his fingers. The tension in the air was palpable, and his disheveled appearance only heightened your unease.

“Seonghwa,” you called out, your voice cautious. “Hwa?”

He glanced at you, his expression unreadable. “Ah… Y/N. Here to gloat?”

You froze, taken aback. “What? Gloat? What are you even talking about?”

He let out a bitter laugh, setting the glass down with a heavy clink. “Your stock prices soared. Your company is thriving. And my company? Everyone’s saying it’s only because of you. ‘Park Seonghwa is riding on his fiancée’s coattails.’ That’s what they’re saying, Y/N. That my success isn’t even mine.”

You frowned, anger bubbling beneath the surface. “Is that what this is about? You’re upset because people are talking and you’ve been so distant because of this?” you stared at him in utter disbelief. “Seonghwa, you knew this would happen. We talked about this before agreeing to the engagement. This was the plan to save your company. And you agreed to it.”

He stood abruptly, his chair screeching against the floor. “Don’t talk to me like I’m some charity case,” he snapped. “I didn’t agree to become a footnote in your life story!”

Your eyes widened, his words cutting deep. “A footnote? Is that what you think this is? That I’m out here trying to overshadow you?”

Seonghwa grabbed the bottle of whiskey, pouring another glass. “Isn’t it? Everywhere I go, it’s ‘Kim Y/N this, Kim Y/N that.’ They don’t see me at all. They see you, my fiancée.”

The anger that had been simmering finally boiled over. “Then maybe you should take a hard look at yourself, Seonghwa! You’re the one letting this get to you. You’re the one doubting your own worth. Don’t you dare put that on me.”

He slammed the glass down, the sound reverberating through the room. “You don’t understand, Y/N! You’ve always been the golden CEO, the one who succeeds without even trying. You don’t know what it’s like to constantly feel like you’re not enough!”

The words hit like a punch to the gut. Your voice trembled as you spoke, the hurt bleeding through. “I’ve stood by you, Seonghwa. I’ve supported you, believed in you, even when you didn’t believe in yourself. And this is how you repay me? By blaming me for your insecurities?”

He scoffed, shaking his head. “You don’t get it. And you never will. Your company is a subsidiary, you’ll never fail.”

You took a step back, your chest tightening. “Maybe you’re right. Maybe I don’t get it. But you know what I do get? I’m not going to stand here and be treated like this. I deserve better than this, Seonghwa.”

The room fell into a heavy silence, his eyes narrowing as he stared at you before a chuckle escaped his lips. “So, what? You’re just going to leave me now?”

You swallowed hard, fighting back the tears threatening to spill. “Maybe I should. I’m not dealing with you when you’re drunk like this.”

Without another word, you turned and walked out, the sound of your heels echoing in the quiet mansion. You didn’t look back, even as your heart broke with every step.

-x-x-x-

The warm light of Wooyoung's living room did little to lift the heavy mood hanging in the air. Seonghwa sat on the couch, his head in his hands, his usually pristine appearance disheveled. Across from him, Wooyoung, Yeosang, and San exchanged uneasy glances, trying to process what they’d just heard.

“Wait, wait, wait,” Wooyoung said, leaning forward, his voice incredulous. “You actually said that to her? To Y/N?”

Seonghwa nodded miserably, his voice barely above a whisper. “I wasn’t thinking. I… I just—” He cut himself off, running a hand through his hair in frustration. “I messed up, okay? I’ve been calling her all day, but she won’t answer. Not even a text.”

San let out a low whistle, shaking his head. “Man, I don’t even know what to say. That doesn’t sound like you at all. You’re usually so… composed.”

Yeosang crossed his arms, his gaze serious. “Seonghwa, what were you even trying to achieve by saying all that? You know Y/N isn’t the type to gloat or rub things in your face. Why would you accuse her of that?”

“I don’t know, I was drinking my ass off!” Seonghwa burst out, his voice cracking. “I was frustrated, insecure. Everything’s been piling up, and I took it out on her. I know it was wrong, but I couldn’t stop myself. And now…” He trailed off, his shoulders shaking as tears began to fall.

Wooyoung, usually the jokester of the group, sat back in stunned silence. “Wow,” he muttered, rubbing the back of his neck. “I’ve never seen you like this. You’re really messed up about this, huh?”

Seonghwa lifted his tear-streaked face, his eyes red and swollen. “She’s everything to me, Woo. And I might’ve just ruined it. What if she doesn’t forgive me? What if I’ve lost her for good? What if she calls off the wedding?”

San reached out, placing a comforting hand on Seonghwa’s shoulder. “Hey, let’s not jump to conclusions. Y/N’s mad, sure, but she’s not the type to give up on someone she loves. You just need to figure out how to fix this.”

Yeosang nodded, though his expression remained stern. “But you have to understand, Seonghwa, this isn’t just about apologizing. You need to address why you felt the way you did and how you let it get this far. If you don’t, this could happen again.”

Seonghwa wiped his face with the sleeve of his shirt, his voice trembling. “I don’t know where to start. How do I even begin to make this right?”

Wooyoung sighed, leaning forward again. “First, stop sitting here crying like a kid who lost his lunch money. You need to pull yourself together and think. What’s the one thing Y/N values the most?”

Seonghwa thought for a moment, his gaze distant. “Honesty. Effort. She… she always says actions speak louder than words.”

“Then start there,” San said firmly. “You need to show her you’re serious about making this right. Not just with some grand gesture but by being real with her. Own up to your mistakes, Seonghwa.”

Wooyoung smirked faintly, trying to lighten the mood. “And maybe, you know, don’t wait until she’s storming out to tell her how much you care next time.”

Despite the joke, Seonghwa’s face crumpled again, and he buried his face in his hands. “I don’t deserve her,” he whispered.

Yeosang’s voice softened. “Maybe not. But if you want her back, you have to prove that you’re willing to be the man she deserves.”

The room fell silent, save for the quiet hum of the air conditioner. Seonghwa nodded slowly, determination flickering in his tear-streaked eyes. “I’ll do whatever it takes,” he said, his voice raw. “I just hope it’s not too late.”

-

You were sitting at your desk, trying to focus on your work, but your thoughts kept drifting back to the fight. Your chest tightened every time you replayed Seonghwa’s words in your head, the hurt still fresh.

A soft knock on your office door broke your train of thought.

“Come in,” you said, not looking up from your laptop.

The door opened, and you glanced up to see Nari peeking in. “Ms. Kim, there’s someone here to see you.”

“Who is it?”

Nari hesitated, then stepped aside to reveal Seonghwa standing behind her, holding a bouquet of white peonies. His expression was a mixture of nervousness and determination.

“May I come in?” he asked softly.

You hesitated, your emotions swirling, but finally nodded. “Five minutes,” you said, gesturing for him to enter.

Seonghwa stepped inside, closing the door gently behind him. He placed the bouquet on your desk and instead of him taking a seat in the chair across from you, he kneeled beside your chair, taking your hands in his, his gaze never leaving your face.

“I’m sorry,” he began, his voice thick with emotion. “I know I hurt you, and I hate myself for it. I’ve been carrying so much pressure, so much doubt, and I let it poison the way I treated you. That’s not an excuse—it’s my failure, and I’m very ashamed of it.”

You stayed silent, waiting for him to continue. Your heart ached when you noticed the tears in his eyes.

“I was wrong to say those things,” he admitted, his voice breaking. “Everything that’s happened with my company, the stock prices, the deals—it wouldn’t mean anything without you. I know I’ve been distant, and that’s my fault. I should’ve leaned on you instead of pushing you away.”

He leaned forward, his eyes pleading. “You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me, Y/N. And I know I don’t deserve your forgiveness, but I’m begging you to give me a chance to make this right.”

Your resolve softened at the sight of him, so vulnerable and earnest. But the hurt still lingered. “Seonghwa,” you said, your voice steady but pained, “I love you, but I can’t be in a relationship where I’m left guessing how you feel or why you’re acting the way you are. I need communication. I need trust.”

“You’re right,” he said immediately. “And I promise you, I’ll do better. I’ll work on myself. I’ll show you, not just tell you, that I’m serious about us. Just… please don’t give up on me.”

You studied him for a long moment, the sincerity in his eyes undeniable. Finally, you sighed, some of the tension leaving your shoulders. “This is your last chance, Park Seonghwa. Don’t mess it up.”

Relief flooded his features, and he nodded, standing to leave. “I won’t,” he vowed. “I’ll prove it to you, Y/N. Every single day.”

-x-x-x-

As the days passed, the tension between you and Seonghwa continued to ease, though work and wedding planning kept both of you busy. Yeri and your mother had taken the reins on most of the arrangements, but one evening, Seonghwa insisted on joining you to finalize the wedding venue.

The two of you stood in the grand ballroom of a luxurious hotel, the soft glow of chandeliers reflecting off the white marble floors. The event planner led you through the space, pointing out features and discussing decor options, but your attention kept drifting to Seonghwa.

“What do you think?” you asked him, breaking his focus on the planner.

Seonghwa turned to you, his expression softening. “I think it’s perfect if you think it’s perfect.”

You rolled your eyes, a small smile playing on your lips. “That’s not an answer.”

He stepped closer, lowering his voice so only you could hear. “The only thing that matters to me is standing next to you on that day. The rest is just details.”

The sincerity in his words melted the last remnants of your doubts, and you nodded. “Then this is the one.”

As you signed off on the venue, Seonghwa reached for your hand, intertwining his fingers with yours. “I’ll make sure our wedding day is everything you’ve ever dreamed of,” he promised.

“And what about your dreams?” you teased.

He smiled, leaning in to kiss your temple. “They’ve already come true.”

---

Yunho’s mansion was decorated so beautifully. The high ceilings were adorned with crystal chandeliers that reflected the warm golden glow of the room. Tables were set with white silk tablecloths, elegantly arranged flowers, and gold-accented cutlery. A live string quartet played softly in the background, setting a romantic and celebratory mood.

You arrived with Seonghwa by your side, his hand resting protectively on the small of your back. The two of you paused briefly at the entrance, taking in the sight of your closest friends and family gathered to celebrate Yunho and Nari’s engagement.

“Wow,” you murmured, glancing up at Seonghwa. “They really went all out for this.”

“They deserve it,” he replied, his eyes warm as they met yours. “Yunho’s been waiting for this moment for months.”

As you made your way inside, Yunho spotted you and broke into a wide grin. Dressed in a sharp navy tuxedo, he looked every bit the successful businessman and soon-to-be husband. He approached with open arms, pulling you into a tight hug.

“Y/N! I’m so glad you’re here,” he said, his excitement palpable.

“Of course,” you said, laughing as you stepped back. “There’s no way I’d miss this. Congratulations, Yunho. You and Nari are perfect together.”

Seonghwa shook Yunho’s hand firmly. “Congrats, man. You did good.”

“Thanks, hyung,” Yunho said, a playful smirk forming. “I learned from the best.”

Nari soon joined the group, her radiant smile lighting up the room. She wore a stunning floor-length dress in a soft blush hue, the perfect complement to Yunho’s tuxedo. She hugged you tightly before turning to Seonghwa, who congratulated her warmly.

“Thank you for coming,” Nari said, her voice filled with emotion. “It means so much to have you both here.”

As the evening progressed, the atmosphere grew livelier. Toasts were made, each one filled with humor and heartfelt wishes for the couple. Wooyoung, true to form, had everyone in stitches with his stories about Yunho’s awkward attempts at romance over the years.

“Remember when he accidentally sent Nari flowers meant for a client?” Wooyoung said, laughing so hard he could barely finish his sentence.

“Hey!” Yunho interjected, raising a glass in mock indignation. “It worked out in the end, didn’t it?”

The room erupted in laughter, and even Nari couldn’t help but join in, her cheeks flushed with happiness.

Later, you found yourself on the balcony with Seonghwa, watching the city lights twinkle across the river. The cool night air was a refreshing contrast to the warmth of the ballroom.

“They’re so happy,” you said softly, leaning into Seonghwa’s side.

“They are,” he agreed, wrapping an arm around you. “It’s nice to see, isn’t it? How everything fell into place for them.”

You looked up at him, a small smile playing on your lips. “Kind of reminds me of us.”

Seonghwa’s eyes softened as he turned to you. “I’d say they have a long way to go to match what we have.”

You laughed, swatting his arm playfully. “Always so competitive.”

“Only when it comes to you,” he said, his tone turning serious as he brushed a strand of hair from your face.

The moment was interrupted by Yunho’s voice calling from inside. “Y/N! Seonghwa! Get back in here! They’re bringing out the cake!”

You shared a smile with Seonghwa before heading back inside, ready to celebrate the love and happiness of your dear friends.

End of Part Five.

[mostlysignssomeportents]

Chapter One of “Picks and Shovels” (Part 1)

Picks and Shovels is a new, standalone technothriller starring Marty Hench, my two-fisted, hard-fighting, tech-scam-busting forensic accountant. You can pre-order it on my latest Kickstarter, which features a brilliant audiobook read by Wil Wheaton.

My next novel is Picks and Shovels, out next month. It's tells the origin story of Martin Hench, my hard-charging, scambusting, high-tech forensic accountant, in a 1980s battle over the soul of a PC company:

https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250865908/picksandshovels

I'm currently running a Kickstarter to pre-sell the book in every format: hardcover, DRM-free ebook, and an independently produced, fabulous DRM-free audiobook read by Wil Wheaton, who just nailed the delivery:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/doctorow/picks-and-shovels-marty-hench-at-the-dawn-of-enshittification

Picks and Shovels opens with a long prologue that recounts Marty's misadventures as a failing computer science student at MIT, his love-affair with computers, and his first disastrous startup venture. It ends with him decamping to Silicon Valley with his roommate Art, a brilliant programmer, to seek their fortune.

Chapter one opens with Marty's first job, working for a weird PC company (there were so many weird PC companies back then!). I've posted Wil's audio reading of chapter one as a teaser for the Kickstarter:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IGXz1mkAd2Q

(Here it is as an MP3 at the Internet Archive:)

https://ia600607.us.archive.org/5/items/picks-and-shovels-promo/audio.mp3

The audio is great, but I thought I'd also serialize the text of Chapter One here, in five or six chunks. If you enjoy this and want to pre-order the book, please consider backing the Kickstarter:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/doctorow/picks-and-shovels-marty-hench-at-the-dawn-of-enshittification

Chapter One

Fidelity Computing was the most colorful PC company in Silicon Valley.

A Catholic priest, a Mormon bishop, and an Orthodox rabbi walk into a technology gold rush and start a computer company. The fact that it sounded like the setup for a nerdy joke about the mid-1980s was fantastic for their bottom line. Everyone who heard their story loved it.

As juicy as the story of Fidelity Computing was, they flew under most people’s radar for years, even as they built a wildly profitable technology empire through direct sales through faith groups. The first time most of us heard of them was in 1983, when Byte ran its cover story on Fidelity Computing, unearthing a parallel universe of technology that had grown up while no one was looking.

At first, I thought maybe they were doing something similar to Apple’s new Macintosh: like Apple, they made PCs (the Wise PC), an operating system (Wise DOS), and a whole line of monitors, disk drives, printers, and software.

Like the Mac, none of these things worked with anything else—you needed to buy everything from floppy disks to printer cables specially from them, because nothing anyone else made would work with their system.

And like the Mac, they sold mostly through word of mouth. The big difference was that Mac users were proud to call themselves a cult, while Fidelity Computing’s customers were literally a religion.

Long after Fidelity had been called to the Great Beyond, its most loyal customers gave it an afterlife, nursing their computers along, until the parts and supplies ran out. They’d have kept going even then, if there’d been any way to unlock their machines and use the same stuff the rest of the computing world relied on. But that wasn’t something Fidelity Computing would permit, even from beyond the grave.

I was summoned to Fidelity headquarters—in unfashionable Colma, far from the white-hot start-ups of Palo Alto, Mountain View, and, of course, Cupertino—by a friend of Art’s. Art had a lot more friends than me. I was a skipping stone, working as the part-time bookkeeper/accountant/CFO for half a dozen companies and never spending more than one or two days in the same office.

Art was hardly more stable than me—he switched start-ups all the time, working for as little as two months (and never for more than a year) before moving on. His bosses knew what they were getting: you hired Art Hellman to blaze into your company, take stock of your product plan, root out and correct all of its weak points, build core code libraries, and then move on. He was good enough and sufficiently in demand to command the right to behave this way, and he wouldn’t have it any other way. My view was, it was an extended celebration of his liberation from the legal villainy of Nick Cassidy III: having narrowly escaped a cage, he was determined never to be locked up again.

Art’s “engagements”—as he called them—earned him the respect and camaraderie of half the programmers and hardware engineers in the Valley. This, in spite of the fact that he was a public and ardent member of the Lavender Panthers, wore the badge on his lapel, went to the marches, and brought his boyfriend to all the places where his straight colleagues brought their girlfriends.

He’d come out to me less than a week after I arrived by the simple expedient of introducing the guy he was watching TV with in our living room as Lewis, his boyfriend. Lewis was a Chinese guy about our age, and his wardrobe—plain white tee, tight blue jeans, loafers—matched the new look Art had adopted since leaving Boston. Lewis had a neat, short haircut that matched Art’s new haircut, too.

To call the Art I’d known in Cambridge a slob would be an insult to the natty, fashion-conscious modern slob. He’d favored old band T-shirts with fraying armpit seams, too-big jeans that were either always sliding off his skinny hips or pulled up halfway to his nipples. In the summer, his sneakers had holes in the toes. In the winter, his boots were road-salt-crusted crystalline eruptions. His red curls were too chaotic for a white-boy ’fro and were more of a heap, and he often went days without shaving.

There were members of the Newbury Street Irregulars who were bigger slobs than Art, but they smelled. Art washed, but otherwise, he looked like a homeless person (or a hacker). His transformation to a neatly dressed, clean-shaven fellow with a twenty-five-dollar haircut that he actually used some sort of hairspray on was remarkable. I’d assumed it was about his new life as a grown-up living far from home and doing a real job. It turned out that wasn’t the reason at all.

“Oh,” I said. “That makes a lot of sense.” I shook Lewis’s hand. He laughed. I checked Art. He was playing it cool, but I could tell he was nervous. I remembered Lucille and how she listened, and what it felt like to be heard. I thought about Art, and the things he’d never been able to tell me.

There’d been a woman in the Irregulars who there were rumors about, and there were a pair of guys one floor down in Art’s building who held hands in the elevator, but as far as I knew up until that moment, I hadn’t really ever been introduced to a homosexual person. I didn’t know how I felt about it, but I did know how I wanted to feel about it.

So Art didn’t just get to know all kinds of geeks from his whistle-stop tour of Silicon Valley’s hottest new tech ventures. He was also plugged into this other network of people from the Lavender Panthers, and their boyfriends and girlfriends, and the people he knew from bars and clubs. He and Lewis lasted for a couple of months, and then there were a string of weekends where there was a new guy at the breakfast table, and then he settled down again for a while with Artemis, and then he hit a long dry spell.

I commiserated. I’d been having a dry spell for nearly the whole two years I’d been in California. The closest I came to romance was exchanging a letter with Lucille every couple of weeks—she was a fine pen pal, but that wasn’t really a substitute for a living, breathing woman in my life.

Art threw himself into his volunteer work, and he was only half joking when he said he did it to meet a better class of boys than you got at a club. Sometimes, there’d be a committee meeting in our living room and I’d hear about the congressional committee hearing on the “gay plague” and the new wave of especially vicious attacks. It was pretty much the only time I heard about that stuff—no one I worked with ever brought it up, unless it was to make a terrible joke.

It was Murf, one of the guys from those meetings, who told me that Fidelity Computing was looking for an accountant for a special project. He had stayed after the meeting and he and Art made a pot of coffee and sat down in front of Art’s Apple clone, a Franklin Ace 1200 that he’d scored six months ahead of its official release. After opening the lid to show Murf the interior, Art fired it up and put it through its paces.

I hovered over his shoulder, watching. I’d had a couple of chances to play with the 1200, and I wanted one more than anything in the world except for a girlfriend.

“Marty,” Art said, “Murf was telling me about a job I thought you might be good for.”

The Ace 1200 would have a list price of $2,200. I pulled up a chair.

Fidelity Computing’s business offices were attached to their warehouse, right next to their factory. It took up half of a business park in Colma, and I had to circle it twice to find a parking spot. I was five minutes late and flustered when I presented myself to the receptionist, a blond woman with a ten – years – out – of – date haircut and a modest cardigan over a sensible white shirt buttoned to the collar, ring on her finger.

“Hello,” I said. “I’m Marty Hench. I—uh—I’ve got a meeting with the Reverend Sirs.” That was what the executive assistant I’d spoken to on the phone had called them. It sounded weird when he said it. It sounded weirder when I said it.

The receptionist gave me a smile that only went as far as her lips. “Please have a seat,” she said. There were only three chairs in the little reception area, vinyl office chairs with worn wooden armrests. There weren’t any magazines, just glossy catalogs featuring the latest Fidelity Computing systems, accessories, consumables, and software. I browsed one, marveling at the parallel universe of computers in the strange, mauve color that denoted all Fidelity equipment, including the boxes, packaging, and, now that I was attuned to it, the accents and carpet in the small lobby. A side door opened and a young, efficient man in a kippah and wire-rim glasses called for me: “Mr. Hench?” I closed the catalog and returned it to the pile and stood. As I went to shake his hand, I realized that something had been nagging me about the catalog—there were no prices.

“I’m Shlomo,” the man said. “We spoke on the phone. Thank you for coming down. The Reverend Sirs are ready to see you now.”

He wore plain black slacks, hard black shiny shoes, and a white shirt with prayer-shawl tassels poking out of its tails. I followed him through a vast room filled with chest-high Steelcase cubicles finished in yellowing, chipped wood veneer, every scratch pitilessly lit by harsh overhead fluorescents. Most of the workers at the cubicles were women with headsets, speaking in hushed tones. The tops of their heads marked the interfaith delineators: a block of Orthodox headscarves, then a block of nuns’ black and white scarves (I learned to call them “veils” later), then the Mormons’ carefully coiffed, mostly blond dos.

“This way,” Shlomo said, passing through another door and into executive row. The mauve carpets were newer, the nap all swept in one direction. The walls were lined with framed certificates of appreciation, letters from religious and public officials (apparently, the church and state were not separate within the walls of Fidelity Computing), photos of groups of progressively larger groups of people ranked before progressively larger offices—the company history.

We walked all the way to the end of the hall, past closed doors with nameplates, to a corner conference room with a glass wall down one side, showing a partial view of a truck-loading dock behind half-closed vertical blinds. Seated at intervals around a large conference table were the Reverend Sirs themselves, each with his own yellow pad, pencil, and coffee cup.

Shlomo announced me: “Reverend Sirs, this is Marty Hench. Mr. Hench, these are Rabbi Yisrael Finkel, Bishop Leonard Clarke, and Father Marek Tarnowski.” He backed out of the door, leaving me standing, unsure if I should circle the table shaking hands, or take a seat, or—

“Please, sit,” Rabbi Finkel said. He was fiftyish, round-faced and bear-shaped with graying sidelocks and beard and a black suit and tie. His eyes were sharp behind horn-rimmed glasses. He gestured to a chair at the foot of the table.

I sat, then rose a little to undo the button of my sport coat. I hadn’t worn it since my second job interview, when I realized it was making the interviewers uncomfortable. It certainly made me uncomfortable. I fished out the little steno pad and stick pen I’d brought with me.

“Thank you for coming, Mr. Hench.” The rabbi had an orator’s voice, that big chest of his serving as a resonating chamber like a double bass.

“Of course,” I said. “Thanks for inviting me. It’s a fascinating company you have here.”

Bishop Clarke smiled at that. He was the best dressed of the three, in a well-cut business suit, his hair short, neat, side-parted. His smile was very white, and very wide. He was the youngest of the three—in his late thirties, I’d guess. “Thank you,” he said. “We know we’re very different from the other computer companies, and we like it that way. We like to think that we see something in computers—a potential—that other people have missed.”

Father Tarnowski scowled. He was cadaverously tall and thin, with the usual dog collar and jacket, and a heavy gold class ring. His half-rim glasses flashed. He was the oldest, maybe sixty, and had a sour look that I took for habitual. “He doesn’t want the press packet, Leonard,” he said. “Let’s get to the point.” He had a broad Chicago accent like a tough-guy gangster in The Untouchables.

Bishop Clarke’s smile blinked off and on for an instant and I was overcome with the sudden knowledge that these two men did not like each other at all, and that there was some kind of long-running argument simmering beneath the surface. “Thank you, Marek, of course. Mr. Hench’s time is valuable.” Father Tarnowski snorted softly at that and the bishop pretended he didn’t hear it, but I saw Rabbi Finkel grimace at his yellow pad.

“What can I help you Reverend Sirs with today?” Reverend Sirs came more easily now, didn’t feel ridiculous at all. The three of them gave the impression of being a quarter inch away from going for each other’s throats, and the formality was a way to keep tensions at a distance.

“We need a certain kind of accountant,” the rabbi said. He’d dated the top of his yellow pad and then circled the date. “A kind of accountant who understands the computer business. Who understands computers, on a technical level. It’s hard to find an accountant like that, believe it or not, even in Silicon Valley.” I didn’t point out that Colma wasn’t in Silicon Valley.

“Well,” I said, carefully. “I think I fit that bill. I’ve only got an associate’s degree in accounting, but I’m a kind of floating CFO for half a dozen companies and I’ve been doing night classes at UCSF Extension to get my bachelor’s. I did a year at MIT and built my own computer a few years back. I program pretty well in BASIC and Pascal and I’ve got a little C, and I’m a pretty darned good debugger, if I do say so myself.”

Bishop Clarke gave a small but audible sigh of relief. “You do indeed sound perfect, and I’m told that Shlomo spoke to your references and they were very enthusiastic about your diligence and . . . discretion.”

I’d given Shlomo a list of four clients I’d done extensive work with, but I hadn’t had “discretion” in mind when I selected them. It’s true that doing a company’s accounts made me privy to some sensitive information—like when two employees with the same job were getting paid very different salaries—but I got the feeling that wasn’t the kind of “discretion” the bishop had in mind.

“I’m pretty good at minding my own business,” I said, and then, “even when I’m being paid to mind someone else’s.” I liked that line, and made a mental note about it. Maybe someday I’d put it on my letterhead. Martin Hench: Confidential CPA.

The bishop favored me with a chuckle. The rabbi nodded thoughtfully. The priest scowled.

“That’s very good,” the bishop said. “What we’d like to discuss today is of a very sensitive nature, and I’m sure you’ll understand if we would like more than your good word to rely on.” He lifted his yellow pad, revealing a single page, grainily photocopied, and slid it over the table to me. “That’s our standard nondisclosure agreement,” he said. He slid a pen along to go with it.

I didn’t say anything. I’d signed a few NDAs, but only after I’d taken a contract. This was something different. I squinted at the page, which was a second- or third-generation copy and blurry in places. I started to read it. The bishop made a disgusted noise. I pretended I didn’t hear him.

I crossed out a few clauses and carefully lettered in an amendment. I initialed the changes and slid the paper back across the table to the bishop, and found the smile was gone from his face. All three of them were now giving me stern looks, wrath-of-God looks, the kind of looks that would make a twenty-one-year-old kid like me very nervous indeed. I felt the nerves rise and firmly pushed them down.

“Mr. Hench,” the bishop said, his tone low and serious, “is there some kind of problem?”

It pissed me off. I’d driven all the way to for-chrissakes Colma and these three weirdo God-botherers had ambushed me with their everything – and – the – kitchen – sink contract. I had plenty of work, and I didn’t need theirs, especially not if this was the way they wanted to deal. This had suddenly become a negotiation, and my old man had always told me the best negotiating position was a willingness to get up from the table. I was going to win this negotiation, one way or another.

“No problem,” I said.

“And yet you appear to have made alterations to our standard agreement.”

“I did,” I said. That’s not a problem for me, I didn’t say.

He gave me more of that stern eyeball-ray stuff. I let my negotiating leverage repel it. “Mr. Hench, our standard agreement can only be altered after review by our general counsel.”

“That sounds like a prudent policy,” I said, and met his stare.

He clucked his tongue. “I can get a fresh one,” he said. “This one is no good.”

I cocked my head. “I think it’d be better to get your general counsel, wouldn’t it?”

The three of them glared at me. I found I was enjoying myself. What’s more, I thought Rabbi Finkel might be suppressing a little smile, though the beard made it hard to tell.

“Let me see it,” he said, holding his hand out.

Bishop Clarke gave a minute shake of his head. The rabbi half rose, reached across the table, and slid it over to himself, holding it at arm’s length and adjusting his glasses. He picked up his pen and initialed next to my changes.

“Those should be fine,” he said, and slid it back to me. “Sign, please.”

“Yisrael,” Bishop Clarke said, an edge in his voice, “changes to the standard agreements need to be reviewed—”

“By our general counsel,” the rabbi finished, waving a dismissive gesture at him. “I know, I know. But these are fine. We should probably make the same changes to all our agreements. Meanwhile, we’ve all now had a demonstration that Mr. Hench is the kind of person who takes his promises seriously. Would you rather have someone who doesn’t read and signs his life away, or someone who makes sure he knows what he’s signing and agrees with it?”

Bishop Clarke’s smile came back, strained at the corners. “That’s an excellent point, Rabbi. Thank you for helping me understand your reasoning.” He collected the now-signed contract from me and tucked it back under his yellow pad.

“Now,” he said, “we can get down to the reason we asked you here today.”

Check out my Kickstarter to pre-order copies of my next novel, Picks and Shovels!

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2025/01/09/the-reverend-sirs/#fidelity-computing/

[cirusthecitrus]

Question 6 from the entrapdak question game? :))

Thank you for the ask! There are two terrible takes that to this day make me believe that some antis watched spop skipping every scene that had Hordak in it

Well, the first one is more of a crazy conspiracy theory, but I still wanna mention it - "Entrapdak is a pedo ship cause Entrapta was meant to be a teenager" and "her age was actually retconned so the writers could ship Entrapta with Hordak". I do wish that Entrapta's age was confirmed in the show itself, cause this aspect of her character did genuiely confused a lot of fans, but thinking that she was actually written as a minor but then was aged up just cause the writers wanted to make entrapdak less problematic?? Insane

The other take is "entrapdak bad because Hordak was manipulating Entrapta to work for him and was abusive towards her". And it used to be such a prevalent opinion in the main fandom too! I honestly think those people just hated Hordak sooo much (mainly for being a threat to Catra) that they were making shit up to make him even more evil and irredeemable so everyone would stop liking him or wishing him a happy ending. Many also loved Entrapta, but hated Hordak so much that they imagined he'd be a terrible partner to her and were insisting that she "deserved better" and was actually unhappy with him (some fake ass Entrapta fans imo) Like, lets dissect this take again. At first, as fellow Hordak fans always say, Hordak couldn't even manipulate himself out of a plastic bag. Plus there wasnt a single scene where Hordak manipulates Entrapta to do smth for him. It was Catra who made Entrapta side with the Horde and convinced her to work for them. Hordak didnt mind, but he also had no say in this. And when they became lab partners it was Entrapta who forced herself into Hordak's lab and in his life, she was the one always insisting on getting information and knowledge out of him, who insisted on working with him, bro just could not make her leave!

Many used to say Hordak was only using Entrapta for her skills (and also didnt care about her as a person, like hello?? have they seen s4 and 5?) when Hordak never made her do anything she wasnt intersted in - he didnt made Entrapta help him build the portal, she was already curious about portals! he didnt make her take care of him or build him a new set of armor, it was her gift! and he was never forcing Entrapta to stay by his side or be loyal to him or the Horde - she simply enjoyed working on this project and spending time with him. And when Hordak was told that she betrayed him he just... accepted it and never thought about revenge or punishment or anything like that. And he wasnt angry cause he lost a tool that could upgrade his tech or fix his problems, he was devastated because he lost his only friend. But you know who only saw Entrapta as a tool-

Then the abuse part - by that antis usually meant those two moments when he yelled at her/ cut her off while being in pain (and also brushed off Entrapta's hair). Like, yeah, Hordak has anger issues and he does scream a lot, and my boy should work on that, but such behaviour never made Entrapta feel distressed or afraid of him. She was either unbothered by Hordak's attempts at being scary and intimidating, or she was sad FOR him (and slightly dissapointed) - she never took his outbirsts as Hordak being genuinely mad at her, she knew smth was wrong with him, but it had nothing to do with her. He yells when he tries to imitate Prime and make ppl leave him alone, or when he's in so much pain he can't handle it and once again wants to be left alone (all because he himself doesnt feel safe around ppl T-T). Should he still apologize for snapping at Entrapta? Yeah. But is such behaviour abusive? I can be, but in case of Hordak? I dont think so

[kcalsforhim]

𓏲.ೃ࿔❀˙˖ ｡ wednesday 8 jan 2025

༄.°

i weighed myself this morning and i actually weighed 49.2 so i felt kind of proud of myself even tho that’s not even LW yet aha…

i felt sickly and gross, so i ate a breakfast

98g cucumber — 12cal

250ml oreo cola — 0cal

in the fridge were 3 burritos. god i wanted them, i wanted them more than anything, i wanted to eat all 3 even tho the 3rd one had ingredients i didn’t even like and i just. cried for a bit. i would smell the food like a crazed person. took a step back then and eventually threw it away because it was just making everything unnecessarily hard

i actually felt decently good afterwards. i remember not sleeping well the night before you know ? i ate it pretty slow and i was like… wow i feel so much better knowing i didn’t eat those burritos. eventually floods and waves of relief came over me. eli was there for me she also said my meal was mealspo LOL

i did my whole outfit and makeup and. oh. my god. i just felt so huge and fat in that fucking outfit and i was COLD as a motherfucker. i wanted to change but i didn’t and i live to regret it i felt so massive the entire day. i even confided in that insecurity to haku who was even shocked cause by now you guys know i love cool and revealing fashion ?! i told myself its likely the weather cause a lot of my doubts recently have just been the aweful cold sharp wind i can feel in my bones if im not properly dressed…

covered myself up the entire day except for during an exam where i had to take off my jacket and even my apple watch and i felt like EVERYONE had their eyes on my flubbbery ass stomach it was godaweful. i went to the station with haku and there we had such a nice deep conversation and i realised quite a few things about him during that conversation

afterwards we went home and i just took the nearest train. got to the local train station and started walking to my friends house. she owed me money still. we went to return her cans so she could give me the change but she ended up using her can receipts to buy cola and that rlly pissed me off cause she still owed me 2,60 euro :/ didn’t have the energy to be too mad tho i just acted like it was fine

i went home i had gotten some soda too but i could actually afford it LMAO. walked home with my bag being so heavy i felt like the gravity could cut off my arm and i got home. mom made me something good, something safe, so i didn’t mind eating it if i skipped my protein bar.

this diet im on is all about pushing the limits, but preventing binges and staying consistent in the 200-300 cal range is the ultimate goal above all else

100g pumpkin pieces - 15cal

135g of chicken breast - 143cal

124g of cucumber - 17cal

8g of white chocolate - 44cal

1 medjool date - 66cal

oh and the guilt with this, my oh my. you guys have no idea. but, it’s okay, i counted very intently and i ate it room temp cold. i HATE cold chicken so i really thought it was alright, the flavour was of course nice but there’s only so much you can enjoy. the chicken and pumpkin pieces are coated on soy sauce, which is what gives it that color. i promise on my life that’s not potatoes LMAO

the piece of chocolate is cut in half, my mom offered me a whole piece it was from some semiluxury brand. i didn’t know how to handle it so i cut it in half and gave it back to her and i said so she can try it too, aren’t i so thoughtful ? i definitely should’ve binned it…

do you guys like my new pink tray ? i think it’s way cuter than the dinosaur one i had been using before we happened to have in the house. i have 2 sizes and this one is the larger size

i want to retake these photos when im thinner, and after i found these pictures i just started spiralling more and more, i looked at pictures of my old self, then at HW, then i deliberately looked at pictures of myself i can’t even recognise myself in yet i feel the same way he felt. fat and guilty and ugly and every part of him was huge. i still lack willpower just like he did i in actuality didn’t make much progress sadly. i hope i can change by the time summer comes around. i remember crying till i fell asleep LOL

bonus : i had a dream this night about new years, my dream was about me and an old old friend of mine hanging out with my mom and getting her to take courage to see the fireworks. in this dream she was scared of them. but. somehow. my protein bars SNUCK INTO MY DREAM. i was feeding them to her to help her with her restrictive diet in this dream. DUDE

the fact i share a dutch accent / dialect with this genre of music and this kind of guy is going to send me. i found this song on tiktok and it made me laugh so much i gotta

𓏲.ೃ࿔❀˙˖ ｡ stats for today

streak : 3 days !

cals : 297

steps : 19.0k

today was okay but the clothes i picked i am not putting myself thru that again untill spring cause it’s too cold and i am currently fat as a motherfucker.. im actually excited for my protein bar later today guys i want those tiny cals.. about as excited as i can be for… a single bar but ok

༄.°

[thecaptainsdeck]

Captain_CumShot

Chapter 2 - Tier III Summary: You treated yourself to a tier upgrade. Looks like you've got a message!

Admin: Thanks for upgrading your subscription to Tier III! The Captain will want to thank you personally ~ drop your next available hour slot and we’ll set it up. You: 10 PM Admin: Talk to you soon ~

10:00 PM

Captain: Hey doll. I’ve seen your likes and comments around here for a while and I’m chuffed that you finally upgraded. What changed?

You: Truthfully, I challenged myself to save up so I can really treat myself when I felt I needed it. Especially after the last year and four months at work.

Captain:…

Captain: You waited ONE YEAR and FOUR MONTHS before you felt like you needed a break?

Captain: I’m flattered you’ve chosen me as your reward but gat damn girl. You need to treat yourself more often.

Captain: What the hell do you do for a job??

You: I’m an accountant at a small but valued firm, so we’re kind of just always busy! Especially at tax time which is ALMOST over. So I spoiled myself a few days early.

Captain: Congratulations ~ Do you work in a stuffy office with a buncha dorks?

You: Well I wouldn’t say dorks and it’s not a closet! I work in an office building with maybe less than 50 other people. I have a corner office so yay for small wins!

Captain: Aye that’s the least they can do fer’ya!

Captain: Do they make you dress business professional like you’re gonna meet the president every day or is it a normal place that lets you dress like a human being?

You: Haha, nothing so refined. Business casual for the most part, Fridays we can wear jeans, and sometimes during the seasons they’ll do a morale boosting themed clothes week thing.

Captain: 🤔

Captain: Does anyone enjoy that?

You: Some do, some don’t. The bosses buy a big lunch spread though so it’s not all bad.

Captain: Tell me, are the morale boosting bits mandatory?

You: You’re not required to dress up. They don’t technically say you have to be at the luncheon but they do have someone sweep the desks to make sure no one is still working. I think they legitimately think they’re providing a “break” for us but like, a paid lunch hour would be a thousand times better.

Captain: Bet.

Captain: You ever skipped it all together? Just said fuck it and hid on the roof to scroll on your phone and eat lunch?

You: Sometimes my car! We have a secure parking garage and its air conditioned so it’s quiet and not boiling hot.

Captain: Hooray for small victories.

Captain: Have you ever gotten uncomfortably turned on enough that you’ve escaped to your car to get relief?

You: 😳

You: Maybe once or twice. I’m always afraid of getting caught.

Captain: I’d make sure we wouldn’t.

Captain: See I personally fucking hate it when instead of just paying people more, employers make their people do a whole dog and pony show. Leave people alone!

Captain: This is literally a crime.

Captain: If you’d let me, I’d come and save you from those stupid lunches.

You: 🤔

You: I wouldn’t hate that!

You: Not sure you could pull it off though, you would garner a lot of attention just from standing, you’re just that attractive 👉👈🥺

Captain: Relax, I’m nothing if not professional. Want to hear my grand scheme that I cooked up, just now?

You: Oh go right ahead!

Captain: I’d start by doing research into your company and get the lunch reservation details of these luncheons. I would then pose as an employee dropping off the food order/doing set up and while everyone is gathering, I would linger a little, totally incognito, and slip out to find your office if you haven’t already entered the room.

Captain: Should I continue? I’m really proud of this scheme actually.                           

You: Please, I wonder how you plan to get away scot-free and not get me fired!

Captain: You’d not only get fired – you’d get off, repeatedly and it would be a seasonal thing cause I’d never get caught. I think it would be a professional bonus because then you’ll be so satisfied at work, you might even get a promotion or pay raise or some shit😏

You: This I gotta hear

Captain: Where was I?

Captain: Just kidding

Captain: I would then smuggle you to the parking garage under the guise that you’re my ‘job equipment’ or whatever, and then, I’d take you to your car. Ideally, I can convince you to get in the van I rented as part of my infiltration disguise so I can actually sit and stand without breaking my neck. The windows are blacked out, I keep anchors and blocks on the wheels to keep it stable, and then I rock your fucking world.

Captain: Still with me?

You: I am

Captain: You’re probably thinking, ‘but if you’re as beastly as I think you are, won’t I be screaming my brains out?’

You: I was!

Captain: As a professional content creator – amongst other trades – I know a thing or two about sound proofing. There’s always a gag if you’re into that.

You: I could be persuaded…

Captain: I have a lot of things I’d like to persuade you to do in there.

Captain: Do you normally participate in the themed clothes or do you keep it professional?

You: I don’t usually, not really my thing.

Captain: I see.

Captain: Back to my scheme ~

Captain: After I’ve successfully fooled everyone and have you in my clutches, I’d take you to my van where you can have a lunch break actually worth attending.

Captain: I would first take off my disguise and reveal that it was me all along! After you get over your initial surprise, I’d ask you what you’re hungry for.

You: Oh I get options?

Captain: Hell yeah doll. Your choices can range anywhere from a quick snack to a mega meal.

You: Do the options change too?

Captain: I don’t believe in constraints. Unless they’re kink-related.

Captain: I think since you’re the kind of doll that doesn’t splurge too much on ‘erself, I’d start you off with a ‘left no crumbs.’

Captain: What that entails is me, sitting you all pretty like on a seat cushion, starting ngwith something soft and sweet. Kisses up the arm, on the neck, slow, building up anticipation. I’d tease you over your clothes, petting your kitten until I feel your wetness through the fabric.

Captain: Pepper your body with kisses and bites to keep you on edge. When I have you down to just your undergarments, I’d sit you in my lap. Spread your thighs open. Start rubbing your pussy until you’re leaking all over my hand. I’ll let you have a quick orgasm, a small and sweet one. But don’t think we’re done.

Captain: I might take my pants off to feel you a bit better. Push you down on my hard-on as I wrap an arm around your waist to keep you still. I’ll use my free hand to play with your pussy again. Rubbing you, flicking you, lightly smacking you, rubbing your clit, finger fucking you. Rub my big dick against your trembling body to make you even more sensitive.

Captain: Since you only have an hour, I’ll make sure you look presentable before you go back to the office. Where you can spend the rest of the day sitting in the mess I’m going to leave. How does that make you feel?

You: I’m…speechless, in a good way…Shit that’s really hot. It makes me feel devious, a bit dirty, like I really want to do it.

Captain: Damn and I haven’t even finished telling you what’s included in your lunch?

You: 🤐

You: Please forgive me

Captain: I could never stay mad at you doll.

Captain: As I was saying ~

Captain: I can’t let you leave your break without feeling fully satisfied.

Captain: Before you go, I’d spend some time with you against the van wall. If you’re into it, I can use rope to help keep you standing. I encourage it, you’re gonna need it.

You: I’m into it, I’m into it 🤤

Captain: Heh. Freak.

Captain: I’d keep you still and propped up, putting your blouse on, keeping my lipstick stains and bites hidden underneath. I’d pull your panties and bottoms over your ankles, slide your soaked underwear up your thighs…

Captain: And give you dessert.

You: What am I having??!

Captain: Me.

Captain: I’d pull your panties up your thighs but not put them on entirely. Leaving them maybe a few inches from your twitching pussy. Then I’d finally let you see my cock.

Captain: Do you want to touch it?

You: Yesss🥺please let me touch.

Captain: Don’t worry you’ll be feeling it.

Captain: I’ll prod my cock against your clit, slide it up and down your puffy lips, maybe push in a little bit.

Captain: After I get it nice and wet with you, I’d stand in front of you and fuck your body. I won’t go in in, I’ll slide in between your desperate lips, make you clench over my cock with your needy pussy, I’ll hit your delicious ass cheeks, pull back out and rub against your clit until you’re crying.

You: Oh my fucking god.

Captain: I’m not done.

Captain: While I do this, I’ll rub my thumb down on your clit, and I won’t stop until you’ve cum over my cock, frustrated yet relieved.

Captain: But don’t be disappointed just yet because the next part is my favorite part.

Captain: As you’re coming down from your orgasm, I’ll finish myself off. Jerking myself in front of you and finishing right on your cunt.

You: 🥵

Captain: Yeah.

Captain: I’d milk my length to cover you, watching it drip from your vulva and trembling lips down to your underwear and thighs. Whatever falls further down I’d wipe with my thumb and make you lick it off.

Captain: Then I’ll pull your panties up nice and high, make sure they sit on your hips just right, don’t want any of me to spill out. For good measure, I might even rub your underwear against you some just to smear it in you some more.

Captain: I love cum play.

Captain: I’ll pull up your bottoms, wipe your tears, and send you away with a kiss on the cheek and a slap on the ass.

Captain: How does that sound doll?

You: I would fucking die!!! I want this so bad fuck why would you DO THAT TO ME?!?🥵🤤 FUCK! You’re so hot, all I want is to touch you and be touched by you😩

Captain: Are you touching yourself?

You: If I said yes?🥺

Captain: I’d say me too. Check out the photo gallery later, you’ll see the load I blew for ya😘

Captain: Glad to add you to my harem of Cabin Hoes. I’m not supposed to have favorites, but I think I’m gonna grow fond of you.

Captain: G’night doll. Thanks for subscribing😘

<end chat>

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Read on Wattpad | Read on AO3 Originally posted

[darkfires]

you guys just don't know how to write angst anymore. putting people who say they like "toxic yaoi" in my dni cause they have no idea how to actually write toxicity

[waywardsalt]

so um. very glad that throughout all this time i never had the end poem spoiled to me

[ur-stepdad]

for whatever reason i don't really like action-focused stuff in shows like it just doesn't hold my attention so i end up being wicked into a dnd show for the improv between characters and then when it gets to the epic battle at the end im straight up twiddling my thumbs waiting for them to get back to the dialogue

[sugoroo]

SHARING IS CARING!

ʚɞ summary: satoru agrees to share his girlfriend with kento for one night to help ease some of the stress he’s been under lately! but that doesn’t mean he’s going to make it easy for his co-worker.

warnings: fem!reader, voyeurism, cuck!satoru, oral (m receiving), breast play, penetration (p in v), fingering, pussydrunk nanami, squirting, praise kink, 18+ minors dni.

wc: 7.1k

despite how much satoru enjoys teasing his co-worker kento nanami, he can see how much stress the other man has been under lately. it’s clear from the heavy bags underneath his eyes, the way his back is almost permanently hunched in exhaustion.

the white-haired sorcerer spent an embarrassingly long amount of time in his office brainstorming different ideas to attempt to cheer nanami up. his usual go-to for anyone else would be to buy them some sweets, but he has a feeling that wouldn’t be too appreciated in this situation.

and then, after his phone buzzed with a newly received text from you: his pretty little girlfriend who was currently waiting for him at home — a lightbulb lit up in his head.

he could give you to nanami to cheer him up.

well, when he says ‘give’, of course he really means lending you to nanami. a one-time only gift (that must be returned after use) as it were.

and satoru will unarguably be present to observe the entire interaction too — he has to make sure nanami treats his sweet girl the way she deserves, after all. if the other man was to leave you unsatisfied, he would very possibly have to hollow purple him.

(and he also wouldn’t be completely opposed to watching his much-too-uptight co worker unravel before his eyes, either. but he’ll keep that part to himself.)

pleased with his newest idea, satoru practically skips along the halls on the way to nanami's office, a wide grin stretched across his lips and anticipation buzzing throughout his body.

"hellooo, nanamin!" he coos obnoxiously once he arrives outside his co-worker's office, craning his neck to peek his head around the doorway. "you in here?"

nanami audibly sighs at the sound of the white-haired man's voice, glancing up briefly from his desk with an unimpressed look pulling at his visibly exhausted features. "yes, gojo, i'm clearly in here. what is it you want this time?"

satoru holds up his hands in mock surrender, his grin never faltering as he steps fully inside the office. it's clear he's up to no good (even more so than usual), given the way he's practically vibrating on the spot with excitement.

"well?" the blonde man prompts impatiently, his eyes already cast back down to the various piles of paperwork splayed across his desk. he's evidently in no mood to deal with satoru's mischief.

"now now, don't rush me!" he huffs in response, his lower lip jutting out in an overdramatic pout despite knowing nanami isn't even looking in his direction right now. "this is a very... sensitive topic. so i'm gonna need you to pay suuuper close attention. got it?"

at this, nanami looks up from his papers, his annoyance slowly morphing into cautiousness. "sensitive how? this better not be about you wanting to know how many people i've bedded in the past, because i already told you that i will never dignify such a shameless question with an answer."

"what? no! it's not about that," satoru chuckles amusedly, before tapping the bottom of his chin with a slender finger in a theatrical display of thought. "....although, i really should find out the answer to that eventually."

nanami rolls his eyes all the way to the back of his head behind his goggles, bringing two fingers up to rub his temple. "i don't have time for this, gojo. whatever it is you came here to ask, will you just spit it out already?"

"alright, alriiight!" the white-haired sorcerer whines petulantly, sauntering further into the office and leaning his elbows against his co-worker's desk like he owns the place. "so, i've noticed you've been under a lot of stress lately—"

"which is none of your business, might i add." the other man deadpans bluntly, his lips set into their usual tight line as he regards satoru.

"sure. but, as your co-worker and friend, i've decided to make it my business," he retorts without missing a beat, waving a pale hand dismissively in nanami's direction as he continues speaking. "and i've come up with the perfect solution to cheer you up!"

nanami raises a blonde eyebrow at this, visibly still cautious but (hopefully) a little curious now. "oh, have you now?" he mutters tightly, attempting to hide the subtle interest hiding under his tone. but satoru notices, because of course he does.

"mhmm," satoru croons mischievously, his grin morphing into a little smirk as he leans further across the desk. "would you like to hear it, nanamin?"

the interest in his colleague's expression is gone as quickly as it appeared, replaced by irritation yet again as he releases a deep sigh. "i'm not in the mood for your games, gojo. are you going to tell me or not?"

"ugh, fine," the white-haired man groans dramatically, rolling his eyes behind his blindfold. "can't blame a guy for trying to build up a little suspense."

satoru rifles around in his pocket for a few moments before pulling out his phone, instantly thrusting the device directly into nanami's face with absolutely no context.

"what—" nanami begins, his words quickly trailing off into an unintelligible sound of some description once he catches sight of the picture being displayed on his colleague's lock screen. "oh."

"like what you seee?" he coos obnoxiously from behind the phone, tilting his head to the side in an attempt to get a better view of the other man's reaction. "just kidding - i know you do."

"this... is that your girlfriend?" the blonde man croaks out, suddenly feeling uncharacteristically flustered. "and why is that your lockscreen, for the love of god?"

satoru just shrugs nonchalantly, jerking the phone back towards himself and taking a moment to admire the photo of you. it's your pretty body, completely bare on his bed, perky breasts on full display and smooth legs spread wide to reveal your abused pussy which was just oozing with ropes of his goopy cum.

"yes, it's my girlfriend," he hums proudly, shoving the device back into his pocket before fixing nanami with another wide grin. "and why not? it's not like anyone else sees it except me. until now, obviously."

"right," the other man breathes out, his adam's apple bobbing as he swallows thickly in a poor attempt to try and compose himself. "and, pray tell, why did you feel the need to show me that?"

satoru huffs dramatically, as if having to actually explain the proposition he's come up with is taking a serious toll on him. "come onn, nanamin. use that brilliant brain of yours! i say i have a way to relieve some of your stress, and then i show you that picture..."

nanami visibly tenses as the realization of what his colleague is suggesting washes over him, his eyes narrowing into cautious slits. but he doesn't want to get ahead of himself, just in case he misinterpreted his words, so he settles for saying — "is this another one of those highly unamusing pranks of yours, gojo?"

the white-haired man rolls his eyes yet again, leaning even closer over the desk and tilting his head to the side in a playful manner. "you really think i'd show you a naked picture of my girl if this was just a prank?"

as much as it irks nanami to admit, even to himself, his co-worker does has a point there.

"touché." he grumbles under his breath, trying his best to keep up his uninterested façade despite how obviously affected he is by seeing that picture of you; needless to say, he thinks satoru is a very lucky man.

"that's all you're gonna say? touché?" satoru repeats incredulously, throwing his hands up in the air theatrically. "no 'yes please, gojo, i'd love to get me some of that'?"

"first of all, i would never say it so crudely," the blonde man retorts with his nose wrinkled in not-so-subtle disgust, shaking his had faintly. "and second of all, i'm not the sort of man who takes what doesn't belong to him."

satoru snorts out a loud laugh at this. "ugh, drop the serious act for a minute, nanamin! it's not like you're stealing her away from me or anything. i'm just offering some... one-time only stress relief, that's all."

"whatever you say, gojo," he mutters dismissively, waving a hand in his direction before rubbing his temple yet again. "even if i was to consider such a proposition, have you asked your girlfriend if she would be willing to participate?"

"yeah, sooo, about that..." satoru responds in an elongated hum, bringing a hand up to scratch the back of his neck somewhat sheepishly.

"satoru—"

"wait, wait! just let me explain," the white-haired man squeaks hurriedly, waving around his hands theatrically. the rare use of his first name from his colleague clearly shows just how annoyed he is at this point. "i was so excited when i came up with the idea that i kinda-maybe-definitely forgot to ask her."

"why am i not surprised?" nanami huffs bluntly, clearly losing whatever interest he may have begrudgingly gained when he saw the photo.

but just before he can return to his work, satoru quickly speaks up again. "hey, wait just a minute! she's my girl, and i know my girl. she'll say yes."

nanami pauses for a few moments, silently cursing the way he's actually considering this insane proposition. but there's two facts he can't deny — one: he has been under a lot of stress lately, and he wouldn't exactly mind releasing it. and two: satoru's girlfriend is incredibly attractive.

much to his chagrin, he doesn't have a good reason to say no.

"...alright."

and that's how kento nanami finds himself standing outside your and satoru's apartment a week later, his fist hovering just above the door as he attempts to process what's awaiting him on the other side.

he can't quite believe he's actually going to 'release his stress' by using satoru's pretty little girlfriend who he's never even met before today. but he knows that not going through with it isn't an option — especially when he'll have to endure his colleague's relentless teasing afterwards.

so he knocks.

and it's you who opens the door, dressed in nothing but one of satoru's old shirts that is definitely much too long for you, the baggy fabric practically swallowing you whole as you stand before nanami.

"oh!" you gasp in realization as you look up at him, a small smile spreading across your lips as you kindly extend a hand to the man in front of you. "you must be kento! toru's told me a lot about you."

nanami, much to his own embarrassment, takes a few long moments to recover from the sight of you. somehow, you're even more beautiful in person than you were in that photo on his co-worker's lockscreen (despite being much more... clothed now.)

"ahem. yes, that's me," he murmurs after swallowing roughly, taking your hand in his own to give it a quick shake. he tries not to let his eyes linger too long on the size difference between them; how your hand practically disappears beneath his. "all good things, i hope?"

"oh, of course." you chuckle softly, stepping to the side and opening the door a little wider in a silent initiation for him to come inside. this is it — his last chance to just blow this whole thing off and drive home.

but he doesn't take that chance.

instead, he shuffles inside with a polite smile in your direction, pulling his other hand from behind his back to reveal a bouquet of flowers he'd bought on the way over here; he wasn't exactly sure what was an appropriate gift for someone else's girlfriend who was going to let him have sex with her, so he settled for some simple roses.

you close the door behind the two of you, your eyes widening when they fall on the flowers. how very... gentlemanly. you hadn't expected him to bring any type of present tonight — from what you'd gathered from satoru, this was going to be a very transactional exchange.

"sorry... is this too forward?" nanami mutters a little awkwardly, toying with the petal of one of the roses. "if you don't want them, i can go put them back in my—"

"no, no! they're beautiful," you say quickly, grasping the bouquet from him with a warm smile stretching across your lips. "it's really sweet of you. i just wasn't expecting it, that's all."

the blonde man seems to relax slightly at this, his tensed shoulders slowly deflating and a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. it's clear he's never done anything like this before; but then again, neither have you.

but when satoru had come to you with the idea of helping out his thoroughly overworked colleague and friend, who also happened to be quite handsome (in your boyfriend's words), you couldn't help but agree.

and satoru definitely underestimated kento's appearance with that measly description. he's more than quite handsome — he's gorgeous, with those well-kempt blonde locks and that ridiculously sharp jawline that could probably cut glass.

...let's just say you're not having any last minute regrets about agreeing to this.

"so, how about you go and make yourself comfortable in the living room while i put these in some water?" you suggest kindly, gesturing to doorway on the left as you head in the direction of the kitchen with the bouquet in your hands.

nanami nods in agreement, ducking his head to fit underneath the doorframe as he saunters into the living room of your apartment. it's cozy and small, with little trinkets that just scream satoru gojo scattered around the area.

of course that man has to make even his living room as chaotic as he is.

he plops down onto the couch, his still somewhat tense body sinking into the comfortable material. he feels more relaxed already than he has in months — it must be something to do with the warm atmosphere in your home (or the promise of what's to come.)

his respite doesn't last for long, however, because satoru comes bounding down the stairs, his blindfold askew and his grin wide when he notices nanami sitting there in his living room. "heyyy, nanamin! you're actually here! i figured you'd chicken out last minute, honestly."

the blonde man rolls his eyes behind his goggles, shooting his colleague a thoroughly unimpressed look in response to his statement; as if he hadn't just been considering 'chickening out', as gojo put it, moments ago outside the front door.

but he doesn't have to know that.

"well, i didn't." he settles for sighing bluntly, raising a neatly trimmed eyebrow when satoru drapes himself across the couch next to him like an oversized cat, practically taking up every inch of spare space.

"what's that look for?" satoru snickers obnoxiously, slinging his lanky legs over nanami's lap as if it was the most normal thing in the world. "this is my house you're in right now, remember? i can do what i want."

before nanami can even think of replying, you start padding into the room, shooting your boyfriend what can only be described as a disapproving look. "toru, stop harassing our guest."

the white-haired man lets out a petulant whine in response, grasping your hips as soon as you draw close enough and pulling you down onto his lap. he buries his face in your neck, grumbling. "i'm not harassing him, baby! it's just our usual banter. riiight, nanamin?"

"right." he chuckles lightly, exchanging an amused glance with you over satoru's head at the other man's antics. he's more like a young, whiny child than a full grown adult; especially when he acts like this.

"hey, stop smiling at him!" satoru huffs overdramatically in protest, looking up at you from your neck with one of his bright blue eyes peeking out from under his blindfold. "you're supposed to be on my side, pretty girl."

"i am on your side, silly," you say with fond exasperation, bringing a hand up to ruffle his messy white locks affectionately. "are you seriously mad at me for getting along with your friend?"

"no, i guess not." he grumbles in response, nuzzling his face back into your skin like a beloved pet would do to its owner.

nanami can't help but find it fascinating how the strongest sorcerer and most popular teacher at jujutsu tech seems to completely melt in your presence — there must be something really special about you, and he feels honoured to be allowed to have you for himself; even if only for one night.

"so— uh, how does this... work?" the blonde man asks curiously after clearing his throat, looking between you and the manchild snuggling you in his lap with a carefully questioning gaze.

satoru giggles at this, turning his head to give nanami an obnoxiously teasing wink. "how does me letting you hit this..." he drawls playfully, his hand traveling down from your hip to lightly squeeze your ass. "...work, nanamin?"

nanami almost chokes on his own salvia in response to his colleague's blunt wording, but somehow he manages to compose himself (just). "...yes, i suppose. if you insist on being so lewd about it."

you let out a small chuckle at this, swatting your boyfriend's hand away from your ass and giving him a chiding look, to which he just shrugs innocently.

"i think it should be up to you, kento," you hum thoughtfully, resting your chin on satoru's head and peering over at the blonde man with an encouraging smile. "how would you like this to work?"

"ah, well..." nanami begins, finding his brain seems to have short-circuited at your suggestion. he gets to choose how he has you? jesus, how is even supposed to form a single coherent sentence with you smiling at him like that?

"oh, come onn, nanamin!" satoru whines, raising one of his legs from the other man's lap to kick at his chest with one of his socked feet. "want me to give you some ideas? hmm... how about you start with her perfect little mouth? it works wonders, y'know!"

nanami lets a choked sound escape from somewhere in the back of his throat at this, his wide eyes shooting to you for any signs of hesitance. but he finds none, no — you're still smiling at him in such a friendly way, as if your boyfriend isn't signing you up to suck another man off right in front of him.

"is that— can i... are you sure?" he stammers awkwardly, suddenly feeling like an inexperienced teenager rather than a fully grown man.

"it's fine with me," you say sweetly, each word so thick and honeyed, making nanami's head start to go a little hazy. he can already feel his trousers starting to grow uncomfortably tight just from the direction this conversation is going in. "would you like that, kento?"

"would i—" nanami swallows thickly, stopping his words before they can come out sounding too eager. "yes... yes, i believe i would."

satoru grins widely at his co-worker's admission, effortlessly lifting you up from his lap and placing you on the floor in front of the couch. you crawl the rest of the way across the carpet, coming to perch between nanami's manspread legs.

the blonde man audibly gulps when you bring your hands up to his thighs, shifting just a little on the chair to try and hide how much his body is reacting to your proximity.

"phewww... look at him, baby," satoru whistles amusedly with a mischievous smirk as he watches the interaction, obnoxiously pointing to the growing tent in nanami's slacks. "so worked up already."

you tut lightly, shooting another disapproving look in your boyfriend's direction. "stop teasing him, toru. he's probably just touch-starved."

"something you wouldn't understand, gojo," nanami pushes out through gritted teeth, trying his best to keep up his usual collected demeanour even when he feels your fingers graze over his bulge. "not when you have such a sweet little thing waiting for you at home everyday."

"hm. now that is true," the white-haired man hums in agreement, reaching over nanami's lap to give your hair a gentle, loving stroke. "my girl always knows how to keep me satisfied."

you smile warmly up at satoru, leaning your head into his touch slightly while your hand squeezes around his colleague's clothed erection — and, shit. you can tell just how big he is even through these tight trousers.

you've really got your work cut out for you here.

satoru is quick to help you out, grasping a cushion from the couch and leaning down to slide it underneath your knees to make the position more comfortable for you. ugh, your boyfriend is just so considerate— but tonight isn't about him. focus!

with better support on the floor, you reach up to pop open the button on the front of nanami's slacks, looking up at him through your lashes; and, god, he looks absolutely wrecked already. his cheeks are flushed a light shade of pink, and his goggle-clad eyes are staring anywhere but you.

despite how stoic he always was in satoru's descriptions of him, right now... kento nanami looks utterly adorable.

unzipping his fly, the only barrier between you and his monster of an aching cock is his expensive-looking boxers. and while at this point with satoru you'd usually do a little teasing, you figure with nanami, it's better to cut straight to the chase.

he clearly needs it.

so you dip your nails under the waistband of his underwear, carefully tugging it down to reveal your boyfriend's colleague in all of his touch-starved glory; cock just giant as it slaps against his clothed abdomen, all veiny and curved as the reddened tip leaks onto the couch.

"woww, nanamin!" satoru croons obnoxiously, fanning himself with his hand as if he's a prim and proper lady about to collapse from shock. "how big you are."

"do you really have to be here for this?" the blonde man retorts, shooting a glare so deadly in his friend's direction that if looks could kill... your boyfriend definitely would be six feet under.

"oh, absolutely," he drawls back without missing a beat, smirking smugly as he crosses his legs against nanami's lap, as if watching his girlfriend prepare to give his co-worker a blowjob is the most normal situation possible. "i'll be here the whooole time. better get used to it."

rolling your eyes at satoru's relentless teasing, you opt to distract nanami from the white-haired sorcerer's interjections by wrapping a hand around his bare length (let it be noted that you definitely cannot fit his entire girthy base in your grip.)

nanami lets out a raspy, broken groan at the contact, squeezing his eyes tightly shut as he tries to keep himself together. but the way his cock visibly jumps under your touch doesn't go unnoticed by you or satoru.

"relax for me, kento," you coo sweetly, giving him a light squeeze to make sure he's paying attention to your words. "gonna make you feel good, yeah?"

he can only release a few incoherent mumbles in response, his head falling back against the couch when you start to languidly stroke him, moving your hand from tip to base with well-practised movements.

"fuck, that's so hot," satoru groans as he shifts a little closer to get a better view of you working his uptight colleague with your fist, his own sweatpants starting to visibly tent too. "keep going, pretty girl."

you smile again at the praise, your thighs rubbing together subtly underneath satoru's baggy shirt. but he notices it, because of course he does, he knows your body's reactions like the back of his hand. "see that, nanamin? she loves it when you praise her. i hope you're taking mental notes right now."

nanami can only watch in awe as you lean down to press your soft lips to the leaking tip of his cock, his brain completely scrambled already from only a few touches. jesus, he can't believe he almost didn't agree to take part in this; he’s silently thanking his past self for having the confidence to go through with it right now.

"that's... you're doing good— so good." he pushes out, the words more of a garbled mess than anything as his toned hips involuntarily buck lightly into your hand, in search of more and more friction.

a small, satisfied hum spills from your lips at the praise, your tongue instinctively flicking out to lap at the pearlescent rivulets of pre-cum just streaming from his pudgy tip.

it’s not as sweet as satoru’s — it has a bit more of a salty tang. but it’s not exactly unpleasant either, and you find yourself digging the tip of your tongue into his slit to gather more of the interesting new flavour.

"ah!" nanami gasps loudly, the sound escaping from him without permission. his eyes fly open to fall squarely on you as you start suckling on his tip, finding himself being rendered completely speechless at the way you’re making him feel already — and you’ve only just started.

he’s in for a long night.

“yeahh, she’s good, isn’t she?” satoru croons proudly from beside him, reminding nanami of his presence yet again. but he can’t bring himself to be too mad at his colleague when he’s giving him access to his perfect girlfriend with such a sweet mouth.

“mhm,” the blonde man grunts out, his head rolling to the side slightly. he quickly shuts his eyes, not wanting to catch sight of satoru while he’s receiving such intense pleasure; the last thing he wants is to ruin his upcoming orgasm. “you’re a lu— ah, a lucky man.”

“oh, i know i am,” satoru hums smugly, his hand still resting on your hair giving you a gentle push in a silent encouragement to move your head forward. “come on, baby. i know you can take more of him than that.”

with the help of your boyfriend’s guiding hand, you find yourself sinking more of nanami’s thick cock into your mouth, inch by girthy inch until your nose bumps against the small patch of trimmed blonde hair at the bottom of his abdomen.

“oh, fuuuck…” nanami groans roughly, gripping the fabric of the couch so hard his knuckles are whitening as he tries to hold himself back from just fucking into your mouth like a feral animal.

“it’s okay if you want be rough, nanamin,” the white-haired sorcerer murmurs against the shell of his ear, as if directly reading his thoughts. “she doesn’t mind. she’s your stress relief, remember?”

like the gentleman he is, nanami makes sure to make eye contact with you to check for any signs of hesitance first. but when he doesn’t find any; he just can’t hold himself back from thrusting his hips up into the wet cavern of your mouth.

you try your absolute best to kneel there and take it, but you simply can’t help the way you choke around his sheer length when his tip hits the back of your throat with a lewd thwack!, causing both he and satoru to moan in response.

“yeahhh, you look so pretty choking on nanamin’s cock, babygirl.” satoru groans proudly, trailing his spare hand down to leisurely palm the bulge in his own pants as he observes the scene before him.

your boyfriend’s praise makes you audibly mewl around the blonde man’s cock, the vibrations around his shaft making nanami slap satoru’s hand out of your hair to grab it himself, keeping you in place as he continues rutting into your mouth with reckless abandon.

“just like that, just like that.” nanami chants over and over like a mantra, starting to completely forget about any and all stress he has as he loses himself to the overwhelming pleasure you’re giving him.

“you’re close, aren’t you?” satoru chimes in with a satisfied smirk stretching across his lips as he leans in unnecessarily close to nanami’s ear to whisper. “don’t worry about pulling out, she’ll swallow it all.”

his colleague’s lewd words practically send nanami hurtling over the edge, his grip on your hair tightening to a borderline painful degree as he spills rope after rope of hot, thick cum straight down your throat.

it takes a few deep gulps for you to swallow everything nanami gave you, but there’s just so much of it that a few stray drops spill from the edges of your lips and onto the carpet. shit — you’ll have to clean that up later.

“thaat’s it. such a good girl,” satoru purrs warmly, his eyes alight with affection as he reaches down to stroke your cheek with his thumb, enjoying the dazed expression across your pretty features. “i think you broke nanamin, though.”

looking up at nanami, you can instantly see the visual evidence of what your boyfriend means by you breaking nanami.

the blonde man looks completely debauched — chest rapidly rising and falling as he pants harshly in an attempt to come down from the intensity of his orgasm and eyes squeezed shut so tightly it would appear that he's in some sort of pain if you didn't know better.

"you alright there, kento?" you ask half-teasingly, tapping his thigh gently to try and gain his attention. (it doesn't work; he's clearly out of it.)

satoru is grinning like a madman beside him on the couch, clearly more than pleased with how well his girlfriend is doing unravelling his uptight co-worker so far. "aww, what a shame! he's chickening out before he can even get a feel of your tight little pussy."

you huff, lean up to swat at the white-haired sorcerer's arm in an attempt to get him to shut up, which only causes him to scoop you up in his arms again and place a big wet kiss on your lips in retaliation, seemingly uncaring of the lingering tase of nanami on them.

giggling, you attempt to wriggle out of his grip, which accidentally causes your ass to brush against nanami's still half-hard cock as a result; and that seems to snap him right out of his reverie.

nanami's entire body jolts to attention, a low groan leaving his lips as he glances down at where you're unintentionally pressed against him. and, god, if your mouth made him cum that hard that he forgot where he was for a few moments, just how much better must your pussy be?

"finally back with us, hmm?" satoru drawls playfully, reaching around you to punch his colleague's shoulder a little harder than necessary, causing the blonde man to scowl in response.

"quiet, gojo." he mutters under his breath, unable to tear his eyes away from the slip of your panties he can just about see from underneath the hem of your baggy shirt.

oh, what he'd give for just one little taste right now...

"don't even think about it," satoru cuts in, snapping him from his thoughts. oh dear, did he say that out loud? he really does need to get control of himself. "if you taste her you'll get addicted, and we can't have that."

nanami can't help but feel slightly disappointed at this — he's always been the type to return the favour, and not being able to do the same for you makes a subtle frown tug at his lips.

but he knows that he has no right to ask for anything more than what he's being offered, seeing as you're not his. (and it's not like he can complain if he gets to be inside that pretty pussy that's been on his mind since satoru showed him his lockscreen last week.)

"are you just gonna sit there, nanamin?" satoru chuckles in teasing disapproval, shaking his head and lifting up the hem of your (his) baggy shirt to reveal the considerable wet spot painting the crotch of your panties. "or are you gonna hurry up and take care of my girl? you knoow, it's bad manners to leave a lady waiting while she's this needy."

"ahem. my apologies, darling," nanami mutters hoarsely, using every ounce of self-control he has left to forcefully tear his eyes away from your underwear and meet your eyes. he gestures to his lap, giving you the strongest smile he can muster right now. "would you like to take a seat?"

"still so well-mannered." you giggle lightly, although you oblige without question, crawling away from satoru to perch yourself upon nanami's wide thighs. he instinctively reaches out to grasp your hips with two large hands, keeping you steady.

"so... can i—?" nanami mutters quietly to satoru, as if sharing a well-kept secret, and not as if he's asking for permission to touch another man's girlfriend's cunt. jesus, is he out of his comfort zone right now.

"can you touch her? yes, yes, of course," the white-haired sorcerer replies quickly with a dismissive wave of his hand, as if eager to get this underway already so he can sit back and enjoy the show. "oh, and you have to make her cum on your fingers atleast once before you can fuck her. house rules."

nanami isn't complaining about this rule.

he owes you an orgasm anyway, but when he slides your soiled panties to the side and gets an eyeful of your pretty pussy, he feels as if it would be a crime not to put his fingers inside of you.

ever the gentleman, nanami looks up at you from behind his lopsided goggles one more time to check for any signs of hesitation, and when he still doesn't find any, he slowly dips two thick fingers between your folds, caressing your slick flesh.

you release a small sigh at the touch, your eyelids fluttering as a wave of pleasure washes over you. he's careful and gentle with his ministrations; since he obviously isn't familiar with what you like.

but you can tell he's the type to be a quick learner.

it isn't long before nanami has you squirming and whining on his lap, the two fingers he eased inside of your dripping entrance scissoring and exploring your sloppy hole, spreading you open bit by bit.

"mmm, you like that, pretty girl?" satoru asks raspily from behind you, lazily palming his clothed erection again as he observes your reactions to his colleague's touch. "is he making you feel good?"

"y-yeahhh." is all you can get out in your daze, your back arching forwards in an unconscious action when nanami's thumb finds your swollen clit, lightly pressing the rough pad of it down on the puffy bud.

satoru leans back in so his chin is almost resting on nanami's shoulder, his warm, laboured breaths caressing the lobe of the other man's ear. "her favourite thing is when you rub lil' circles on her clit." he whispers, voice low and teasing.

against his will, a shiver ripples down nanami's spine in response to satoru's words, and he finds himself following them like they were a command, his thumb sloppily circling your pretty clit and emitting a soft gasp from your parted lips.

"c-close, kento." you mutter breathlessly, your hips beginning to grind down onto his fingers in search of more friction. satoru is quick to assist, abandoning palming himself and wrapping his an arm around your waist to help you bounce on the other man's digits more smoothly.

"thank you, thank you!" you cry out to your boyfriend, turning your head to meet his lips in an uncoordinated, messy kiss inches from nanami's face. the blonde man finds his fingers unconsciously speeding up as he observes the interaction, fucking you on them hard and fast.

within moments, you're coming undone.

a soundless cry falls from your lips as your body falls limp between the two men, your cunt clenching and unclenching around nanami's fingers in search of something to milk.

"god. she looks even more beautiful when she cums... i-i need to feel her. can i feel her, satoru?" comes nanami's broken voice from somewhere nearby, your blissed out state making your vision swim and your hearing fuzzy.

"woow. called me by my first name and everything!" that's satoru, obviously. he sounds overwhelmingly smug. "if i knew my girlfriend would get you this pussydrunk, i'd have let you have a turn with her ages ago."

their bickering becomes background noise as you bathe in the afterglow of your orgasm, but you vaguely register your baggy shirt being removed and your body being repositioned so you're splayed across the couch on your back.

"darling? do you need a moment or can i..." it's nanami's voice again. you manage to blink one eye open to find him hunched over you, burly arms either side of your head and his blonde tresses sticking to his forehead with sweat. casting your vision down, you can see his cock, flushed and angry with precum dripping from the tip once again, hovering just above your entrance.

"please." you mewl, the word slurred from lingering pleasure as you weakly grind your hips up into his erection, causing him to release a groan from deep in his throat.

"go ahead. give my girl what she wants," satoru grunts from somewhere behind nanami, the slick sounds filling the air indicating that he's finally released his cock from the confines of his sweatpants and started jerking himself off. "and you better give it to her good."

"i will," nanami mutters as he slowly but surely, pushes his monster of a cock past that first tight ring of muscle that is your entrance. "f-fuck— i will."

"i think that's the — ah — first time i've ever head you curse, nanamin." the white-haired man remarks playfully, his hips bucking up into his closed fist as he watches his colleague prepare to fuck his girlfriend. damn, this is even hotter than he expected.

"don't get used to it." he grunts in response, his arms visibly shaking above you as he tries to hold himself back from just slamming all the way into you. but no, he's still a gentleman; even now. he'll start slowly, atleast.

it takes a few long moments for nanami to push all of his ridiculously thick inches into you, and when he finally bottoms out, his heavy balls flush against your ass, both of you moan. he's stretching you out so good, just as much (if not more so) than satoru does.

the blonde man, to his credit, does manage to give you a while to adjust to the new intrusion filling you up, but it isn't long before he snaps, the animalistic side of him coming out as he begins rutting his hips into you like it's his last day on earth.

"a-ah! fuck, kento!" you cry breathlessly, your legs quickly locking around his waist for some type of support as he continues to use you like his own person cocksleeve, the couch rocking back and forth with the suddenly ruthless movements.

"uh huhh," satoru croons as he works his own cock faster, his blindfold discarded somewhere nearby so he can get the clearest view of nanami pounding his girlfriend into the couch. "use her to get rid of all that pesky stress."

"sorry, sweetheart — shit, sorry," nanami pants above you, his body seemingly having a mind of its own as he continues to drive his cock in and out of you, barely giving you a moment to breathe in between the rough thrusts. "can't stop."

you'd tell him it was okay, that it feels good, but right now you can't form a single coherent thought. you're completely and utterly cockdrunk, and there isn't even a doubt about it.

"hey — mmm — she really likes it when you play with her tits while you're fuckin' her." satoru adds helpfully, causing nanami to growl out something akin to thanks in response.

suddenly, a large hand is palming one of your bouncing breasts, squeezing and kneading the supple flesh and making you clench tightly around the cock inside of you.

nanami curses yet again under his breath, his eyes visibly rolling back in his head behind the fogged up lenses of his goggles. "so tight, darling. practically squeezing around me like a v-vice."

at his words, a broken moan gets ripped from your throat, your ankles digging into the muscles of his lower back in an attempt to pull him in even deeper. all you seem to be able to say is "more, more, more."

"that— ngh, that means she's close," satoru gasps out, his cock twitching beneath his fist as he continues to jerk himself off like there's no tomorrow. "rub... rub her clit like y'did earlier again."

instantly complying to the other man's command, two of nanami's thick fingers find your puffy little bud again, rubbing uncoordinated circles as he continues to pound into you like an animal in heat. jesus, he can't even remember what he was stressed about anymore.

"o-oh, shit!" you almost scream, the stimulation on your sensitive bud and the repeated slams of nanami's pudgy cockhead against your g spot driving you half-insane with pleasure. you can feel an all-too-familiar coil start to spool in the depths of your stomach, threatening to unravel at any given moment.

"yeah, that's it, baby," satoru praises breathlessly, his own orgasm approaching as he continues grinding into his fist like a desperate virgin. "cum all over nanamin's cock for me."

the dual sensations of your boyfriend's words and the thrusting of nanami's sinful hips has you spiralling uncontrollably over the edge, your second high of the night somehow even more intense than the first. you barely even have time to register the liquid just spraying from your cunt and soaking nanami's heavy balls where they're slapping against your ass with a lewd thwack! each time.

"god, so perfect, can't last—" nanami rambles in a very pussydrunk manner, his movements suddenly growing considerably more uncoordinated and sloppy as he struggles to find the strength to hold himself up. "gojo, where can i...?"

"not inside," satoru responds firmly, his voice the most coherent it's been since he started jerking himself off. it's clear there's no room for argument on this one. "that's for me only."

nodding shakily, nanami manages to pull his throbbing cock out just in a nick of time, rope after rope of his goopy cum splattering across the supple skin of your stomach, the stream going on for so long it seems like it'll never stop.

somewhere behind the blonde man, a low, raspy groan is the tell-tale sign that satoru has just finished too, probably coating his own hand with his sticky release.

it's silent for a few blissful moments, all three of you just basking in the afterglow of your respective orgasms. but of course, satoru gojo is a man who can never stay quite for long, so he says—

"hey, maybe we should do a threesome next time."

"next time?" nanami chokes out weakly, barely managing to lift his head up to glance over at this colleague with two raised eyebrows.

"yeah, next time," satoru shrugs nonchalantly, as if the proposal was nothing short of normal. "i know i said i'd only let you do this once, but... sharing is caring, right?"

© 2024 SUGOROO. please don't copy or translate any of my works without my explicit permission. all rights are reserved to me.

LIKES AND REBLOGS APPRECIATED!

[nosyp]

Care For Another Game?

Warning = smut🔞, gambling(?), destroying food, small spoilers, dubious consent

Pairing = Salesman (squid game) x fem! reader

Summary = A simple game of ddakji turns into something much more when he shows up at your door with a proposition. The stakes are higher, and this time, it’s not just about winning. Now it’s about control and desire.

Word count = 2.8k

Part 2

A/N = I'm genuinely so horny for this man please forgive me

“Excuse me, ma’am, would you like to play ddakji?” 

You turned to face the voice, unsure if it was meant for you or someone else. A man stood just a few feet away, a small, polite smile on his face. You were sitting on the bench in the subway, waiting to catch the next one. 

“M-me?” you muttered out.

“Yes.” he replied, very quickly. Damn, he’s so certain. How could I possibly reject it?

“Ehh? Sure I guess…” you mumbled, your words almost inaudible.

“Excellent,” he said, his smile widening just a fraction. He stepped closer, lowering himself to your level. Up close, you noticed how sharp his features were, it was like he was carved out so carefully. His suit didn’t even have a single wrinkle, and his posture was impossibly composed, as if he was used to winning in life.

He then knelt on the dusty subway floor and placed two folded paper squares in front of you. “The rules are simple,” he explained. “You use your tile to flip mine. If you succeed, you win.” You started to roll your eyes as he was explaining the preface of the game… well that was until he held up the stack of cash. Oh you’re not losing now.

“And if I lose?” you asked cautiously.

“Then…” His eyes flickered with something you couldn’t quite name. “You owe me.”

You blinked, your unease growing. “Owe you what?”

“Let’s not worry about that just yet.” His voice was calm, almost reassuring, but it only made you more aware of the trap you might be stepping into.

Your fingers fidgeted with the hem of your coat. You were unsure whether to back out now or follow through.

“Well?” he prompted, tilting his head slightly. “Which colour do you want?”

“Red please.” you responded, evoking a small smile from him.

You hesitated, then picked up one of the paper tiles. Its edges were surprisingly crisp, as though it had been folded just moments ago. Taking a deep breath, you crouched down to face him.

“Okay,” you said, steadying your hand. “Let’s do this.”

You both immediately got up and started playing. He seemed like an innocent guy from the outside but in the game, he seemed like a completely different person. The force he put into flipping the stupid tiles was so strong you swore you heard the ground shake beneath you.

Somehow, miraculously, you won most of the rounds and earned 500k won. You’d expect him to be a bit better if he was spending a bunch of time running around asking to play. You saw him a few days prior doing the same thing he did with you with other people. Though, they didn’t win much, mostly slaps to the face.

“Thank you,” you say, holding the stack of cash in both of your hands. 

He still had that stupid smile plastered on his face. It never disappeared. How annoying.

“Mm. You’re welcome.” he responds, his face quickly darkening. And he walked away, without saying anything else. He also left the red paper tile with you.

With a satisfied hum, you skipped your way into the arriving subway. 

—

Somehow, that didn’t end up being your last meeting with him.

A week later, you were strolling through the park, enjoying the rare peaceful silence. The chirping of birds and the rustling of leaves accompanied the sounds, but something disrupted the serene atmosphere. A sharp, rhythmic sound.

It was… stomping? And yelling? What the fuck?

Curious, you followed the noise, rounding a corner near the fountain. There, in the middle of an open patch of grass, stood the man from the subway—the Ddakji guy. He was dressed just as sharply as before, though his once-pristine shoes were now caked with crumbs.

You froze, watching in disbelief as he stomped repeatedly on a pile of bread scattered on the ground. It was like a massacre of carbs. He was literally stomping on it while screaming “this is your guys' fault” or some shit like that, in the middle of the park. Holy shit.

“What the hell?” you muttered under your breath while walking closer to him. 

He looked up, pausing mid-stomp as if he’d heard you. His eyes locked onto yours, and that familiar polite smile spread across his face.

“Ah,” he said, straightening his posture as if he hadn’t just been waging war on baked goods. “We meet again.”

You blinked, pointing at the corpses of the bread. “What… are you doing?”

He glanced down, brushing a speck of flour off his pants. “An experiment,” he said simply.

“An experiment?” you echoed, incredulous. “In what? Angering pigeons?”

He chuckled softly, stepping away from the pile. “You wouldn’t understand. But it’s good to see you again, ma’am.”

“Okay, no.” You held up a hand, as if to stop whatever strange explanation he was about to give. “First, why are you stepping on bread? Second, why are you here, in this park, at the exact same time as me?”

His smile didn’t falter, but something in his gaze shifted. It became more calculated, as though he was about to beat you up– okay maybe not literally. 

“Coincidence, perhaps,” he said, though the tone of his voice suggested otherwise. “Or maybe it’s fate.”

You took a step back, your instincts telling you that fate wasn’t the right answer. “You’re not stalking me, are you?”

“Stalking is such an ugly word.” He tilted his head, his expression almost amused. “Let’s just say… I find you interesting.”

Your stomach flipped, and not in a romantic way at all. “Right. Well, maybe don’t ‘find me’ again, okay?” you say, giving emphasis to the ���find me’ with your two index and middle fingers on both hands.

He took a step closer, and you immediately regretted not leaving sooner. “I have a proposition,” he said smoothly, ignoring your obvious discomfort.

“Another game?” you guessed.

“Not quite.” He reached into his pocket, pulling out something that made your heart race—a single piece of folded paper. Ddakji.

“Nope, no way,” you said, backing away. “I’m not doing this again.”

“Are you sure?” he asked, his smile widening. “This time, the stakes are higher.”

Then you stopped. Halted in your position. “You really wanna try again after losing? You’ve got guts. Or maybe you’re just dumb. Who knows?”

He rolled his eyes at you and pulled out the same two tiles. 

“Oh! You’ve got another one,” you mentioned, reminding him of the night.

“Yea yea… let’s start,” he demanded.

To your surprise, you won again. Well, won most of the rounds. He seemed a bit frustrated at the outcome. 

“What? You upset?” you tease.

“...” 

He didn’t respond. 

You flipped the tile in your hands again, a smug grin plastered on your face. “You know, for someone who’s so insistent on playing, you’re really not that good at this.”

His jaw tightened, but the polite smile stayed in place. “Luck doesn’t last forever, ma’am.”

“Maybe not, but it sure seems to be holding up today,” you say while stuffing your winnings into your pocket. “Thanks for the cash, by the way. It’s not everyday someone bankrolls my coffee addiction.”

He didn’t respond right away, instead adjusting his cuffs with an almost mechanical precision. You could tell he was trying not to let your teasing get to him.

“So,” you continued, leaning against a nearby tree, “is this what you do for fun? Wander around challenging strangers to games you’re bad at?”

He glanced at you, his expression unreadable. “I wouldn’t say I’m bad.”

“Oh? The scoreboard says otherwise,” you shot back, gesturing to the imaginary tally in the air. “I’m up by, what, a hundred rounds?”

His smile faltered for the shortest moment, and you felt a spark of triumph. “You’re quite the character,” he said finally, his tone more measured.

“I’ll take that as a compliment,” you said, shrugging. “Anyway, thanks for the game. I’ll be sure to tell my friends about the weird guy in the park who hands out money for getting owned at ddakji.”

His eyes narrowed slightly. “You won’t have to. They’ll find out for themselves.”

You raised an eyebrow. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

He didn’t answer, instead stepping closer and plucking the tile from your hand with surprising speed. You blinked at the empty space where it had been.

“Hey! That’s mine!” you protested.

“Consider it a rematch token,” he said, tucking the tile neatly into his pocket. “When you’re ready to lose, find me.”

“Lose? You’re delusional,” you scoffed.

He gave you a slight bow, his polished demeanor back in full force. “Until next time, ma’am.”

And just like that, he turned and walked away, leaving you with a mix of irritation and amusement.

“Next time, I’m taking your shoes too!” you called after him.

He raised a hand in a lazy wave but didn’t look back.

You shook your head, letting out a breathy laugh. “What a weirdo.”

Still, as you walked back to your bench, you found yourself wondering if there really would be a next time. And if there was, you weren’t planning to lose.

—

Knock. Knock. Knock.

Three consecutive knocks at your door. You wondered who it was. You hesitated for a moment, eyeing the door warily. It was late, and you hadn’t been expecting anyone. You didn’t have many visitors… well, actually, you had no visitors, except for the occasional delivery or perhaps a neighbor. The knocks repeated again, a bit harsher this time.

"Who the hell is it?" you muttered under your breath before rising from the couch and moving cautiously towards the door. Then you peeked through the peephole, but the hallway was empty.

A chill ran down your spine, and for a moment, you considered not answering. Maybe it was just some mistake, or a knock meant for someone else. But then the thoughts of being too paranoid crept in, and you didn’t want to seem like an idiot ignoring a visitor.

You pulled the door open a bit, just enough to see who was there.

And behold, there he was—the ddakji guy. Of course. How the heck did he dodge the peephole? He’s quite tall.

His smile was as unnerving as always, that same polite grin he always wore that never failed to send a shiver through you. He was standing there, holding a small black briefcase in his right hand. His suit, crisp as always, was illuminated by the light, but you couldn’t shake the feeling that something about his presence wasn’t exactly… safe. 

“Ah, I knew you were home,” he said, as if he’d known the entire time you were debating whether or not to open the door.

“Are you… stalking me?” you asked, raising an eyebrow, trying to maintain your composure despite the strange situation.

“Stalking is such a harsh word,” he said smoothly, giving his usual tilt of the head. “I still much prefer… coincidence… or fate,”

You crossed your arms, still not entirely convinced. “Fate? That sounds like a line you use on people before you scam them into some ridiculous deal.”

He chuckled lightly. “I assure you, no deals. Just a proposition.” He took a step closer, his presence suddenly more intimidating than before. “I’ve come to finish what we started.”

You frowned, the memory of your last meeting flashing through your mind. From the look on his face after you won the game, and the way he seemed so nonchalant about everything.

“I’m pretty sure I already finished it,” you shot back, trying to sound unaffected. “I won. You lost. End of story.”

He didn’t seem fazed by your resistance. “Maybe. But I don’t think it’s over just yet. You see, I have another game in mind. One you might find… more interesting.”

You were about to shut the door, but then he grabbed hold of the side to stop you.

“Just wait a second,” he said, his strength much overpowering yours.

What the hell was this guy’s deal?

You frowned, the memory of your last meeting flashing through your mind. From the look on his face after you won the game, and the way he seemed so nonchalant about everything. But now... there was something in his eyes. Something darker. And it made your breath catch in your throat.

"How many times do I have to say it?I’m pretty sure I already finished it," you shot back, trying to sound as mean as possible to shoo him away, but you couldn’t silence the sound of your heart pounding loudly in your chest. "I won. You lost. End of story."

He didn’t seem fazed by your resistance. In fact, his smile only widened, an almost predatory glint in his eyes.

"Maybe. But I don’t think it’s over just yet. You see, I have another game in mind. One you might find… much more interesting."

Your breath hitched as he stepped closer. Too close. The air around you suddenly felt thick and heavy. Before you could react, he reached up, his fingers lightly brushing against your arm as he held the door open just a little wider, his grip surprisingly strong.

“Just wait a second,” he said in that low, smooth voice, his lips brushing against the shell of your ear. "This time, there’s no escape."

You swallowed hard, a mix of confusion and arousal swirling inside you. Why was he doing this? Why were you still standing there? Why was your body betraying you, craving something you couldn’t quite put into words?

You tried to back away, but he was already pressing himself into the doorway, the scent of his cologne filling your senses. He leaned in closer, so close you could feel the heat radiating off his body. His hand reached up, brushing a stray strand of hair from your face, his fingers lingering a little too long.

“I told you,” he whispered, his voice low and rough now. “I don’t lose.”

Before you could say anything, he closed the distance completely and pressed his lips into yours. It was fierce, demanding, his hands on your waist pulling you closer, the pressure of his body sending shockwaves through you. You gasped into the kiss, feeling the heat intensify as he deepened it, his tongue sweeping into your mouth.

Your hands, on instinct, found their way to his chest, but he was already guiding you back into your apartment, the door falling closed behind him with a soft thud. You barely noticed it as your body reacted to him. Instinctively, your hands were pulling him closer, your legs weak with need.

He paused only for a moment, pulling back just enough to look at you. The lust in his eyes made your pulse race. “You wanted a challenge, right?” he said, his voice husky. “Let’s see how far you’re willing to go now.”

And then, with a swift motion, he pushed you back against the wall, and his hands started to explore your body, touching every part of you. You let out a breathless laugh, caught between the strange tension and the undeniable pull between you two. You felt the weight of him press against you, the tent unmistakable in his pants.

“I think you’ve already won,” you said, breathless, your voice barely above a whisper.

“Is that so?” he asked, his voice laced with amusement. He pulled back slightly, giving you a look that sent a jolt of desire straight to your core. “Then let’s see if you’re ready to finish this game.”

His lips gradually moved to your neck, kissing and biting softly as his hands slid beneath your clothes, feeling the smoothness of your skin. Every touch made you shiver, every kiss igniting a fire within you. You gasped as his hands worked their way down, finding the heat between your legs, making you ache for him even more.

Without another word, he slowly undid your clothing, his movements deliberate and controlled, yet full of hunger. His lips trailed down your body, each touch, each caress, sending you into a spiral. By the time his hands found their way to your most sensitive spots, you were already a mess, your body aching for more.

“Do you want this?” he asked, his voice dark and velvety, as he hovered above you, his fingers teasing just at the edge of what you needed. You nodded, too far gone to hold back any longer.

"Then let's finish what we started," he says. 

The game is much simpler now. The only rule being… the first to cum loses.