#if anything in both it’s her lack of presence that sets the mystery of the episode in motion

[individuating]

my #truth:

ep 1 = ep 7 (beatriceless)

ep 2 = ep 6 (furniture)

ep 3 = ep 5 (tools)

ep 4 = ep 8 (ange focus)

[brunchable]

LAZARUS SERUM || Steve Rogers x F!Reader

Part I

Part Two | Part Three Words: 8.5K Themes: Very Angsty?, Break-up, Violence, Kidnapped, Super Human transformation, Action, Attempted Assault, Lovers to Enemies, Enemies to Lovers. Summary: Set in 1942. Steve allowed being a Super Soldier inflate his ego. After a breaking up with Steve, your world shatters then you're abducted and subjected to a mysterious experiment. A/N: I was washing the dishes when this came to me. I thought Y/N was really BADASS at the end. Baby girl is bad bitch, she on Fire. Paint the town red can be her song. A reblog would be noice <3

The sun was setting over Brooklyn, casting long shadows across the streets. You and Steve walked side by side, your fingers intertwined, the cool breeze of the evening wrapping around you both. Steve’s small hand fit perfectly in yours, a comforting reminder of the years you had spent together, supporting each other through thick and thin. 

It wasn’t easy being with him, especially with how the world treated him—just a scrawny, sickly guy who never knew when to give up. 

Your parents disapproved and your friends laughed at you for choosing Steve over James. You always tell Steve, ‘If they laugh, then fuck'em all.’

He has a good heart and you loved him for it— for his determination, his kindness, and his unwavering sense of right and wrong.

As you walked, a heavy silence hung between you. The reason was clear: James or known as Bucky Barnes, was shipping out to fight in the war. The three of you had been inseparable, a trio bound by shared history and deep affection. But now, Bucky was leaving, and the thought of losing him weighed heavily on your heart.

“Well, I guess this is it. I’m heading out tomorrow.” Bucky finally stopped and turned to you both, forcing a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. 

You nodded, trying to keep the sadness from showing on your face. “It’s not going to be the same without you, Bucky.”

He gave a small chuckle, though it lacked its usual warmth. “You’ll manage. You’ve got this punk to keep you busy.” He playfully nudged Steve, who smiled weakly in return.

“I should be going with you, Bucky,” Steve said, his voice tight with emotion.

“You’re gonna be fine, Steve. You’ve got that heart of yours, and that’s stronger than any muscle.” Bucky’s expression softened, and he reached out, placing a firm hand on Steve’s shoulder. He turned to you, his gaze filled with concern. 

“And you, Y/N… take care of him, will ya? Someone’s gotta keep him out of trouble.”

You forced a smile, swallowing the lump in your throat. “I will, Bucky. I promise.”

Bucky pulled you into a tight hug, holding you for a moment longer than necessary. When he finally let go, he clasped hands with Steve, their handshake lingering as they both tried to hold onto the moment.

“Don’t do anything stupid while I’m gone,” Bucky said, trying to lighten the mood.

Steve gave a small laugh, but it was strained. “No promises.”

With one last look at both of you, Bucky nodded, then turned and walked away, his figure disappearing into the distance. 

As he left, the weight of his absence settled over you like a thick fog. The world suddenly felt colder, emptier without Bucky’s presence.

“He’ll be okay,” Steve said quietly, more to himself than to you, as you both stood there in silence, watching Bucky disappear.You leaned into Steve, seeking comfort in his presence. 

“I hope so. I don’t know what we’ll do if something happens to him.” Steve squeezed your hand, trying to be reassuring. 

“He’s strong. He’ll make it back.” But deep down, both of you knew there were no guarantees in war.

× × × × 

A few weeks later, the day finally came when Steve received his enlistment notice. You were there when he got the news, a mixture of pride and worry swirling in your chest. He had finally done it—he was going to fight in the war, just like Bucky. But that also meant he was leaving you behind, just like Bucky.

“I can’t believe it,” Steve said, staring at the paper in his hands, his voice filled with excitement. “I’m actually going.”

You smiled, though it was bittersweet. “I knew you would. You’re the most determined person I’ve ever met, Steve. They’d be crazy not to let you in.”

 “I couldn’t have done it without you, Y/N. You’ve always believed in me, even when I didn’t believe in myself.” Steve looked up at you, his expression softening.

You reached out and took his hand, squeezing it gently. “I’m so proud of you, Steve. You’re going to do great things. Just… promise me you’ll be careful.”

Steve’s eyes were filled with emotion as he pulled you into a tight embrace. “I promise, Y/N. I’ll come back to you. I swear.”

But as you held him, a deep sadness settled over you. First Bucky, now Steve—everyone you cared about was leaving, going off to fight a war that seemed so far removed from your life in Brooklyn. You couldn’t help but feel a sense of dread, a fear that things would never be the same again.

× × × × 

The day Steve came back from the super-soldier program, everything changed. You had waited anxiously for news, praying that everything would go smoothly, that he would come back to you safe and sound. When you finally saw him again, it was nothing like you imagined.

The first time you laid eyes on the new Steve Rogers was outside a government building, where a crowd had gathered. You pushed your way through, eager to see him after weeks of silence. When you finally spotted him, your breath caught in your throat.There he was—tall, muscular, and impossibly different. The boy you once knew was gone, replaced by a man who exuded power and confidence. It was Steve, and yet it wasn’t.

“Steve!” you called out, your voice lost in the noise of the crowd. You tried to make your way toward him, but the throng of people pushed you back, jostling you aside as they clamored for a closer look at the hero.

Steve seemed oblivious to the crowd around him, focused entirely on the conversation he was having with a woman by his side—Peggy Carter. You had heard about her, of course, but seeing them together was different. There was an ease between them that made your heart sink.

“Steve!” you called out again, louder this time, but he didn’t hear you—or if he did, he didn’t acknowledge it. You watched as Peggy leaned in closer, her hand resting on his arm in a way that felt far too familiar.

Then, as if in slow motion, you saw Steve get into a car with her, leaving you standing alone in the crowd, feeling completely invisible.

It wasn’t supposed to be like this. He was supposed to see you, to run to you, to hold you in his arms like he always did. But instead, he was driving away with someone else, and you were left behind, forgotten.

× × × ×

A few weeks pass by with not one word from Steve, the last time you heard his voice was on the radio, giving a speech that would motivate the soldiers out there or in the newspaper. You were sitting by the window, reading a book while your cat rested peacefully on your lap. Then, there was a knock at the door. You kept your ears attentive, though your eyes were focused somewhere else.

You heard your mother answer it, and you listened as she exchanged a few words with whoever was at the door. A moment later, she called out to you, “Y/N, there’s a soldier here to see you.”

You furrowed your brow in confusion as you walked toward the door. A soldier? Why would—?

As you reached the doorway, your breath caught in your throat. There, standing in the threshold, was Steve Rogers, but not the Steve you remembered. He was taller, broader, wearing an army uniform that fit him perfectly, and his entire presence seemed… different. The frail, sickly boy you had known was gone, replaced by a man you barely recognized.

“Do you know this gentleman, dear?” Your mother, still standing by the door, looked between you and Steve, clearly confused. 

“It’s me, Mrs. L/N, Steve Rogers.” Steve gave her a warm smile, his voice deeper than you remembered. 

Your mother blinked, looking Steve up and down before recognition finally dawned on her face. “Steve? My goodness, look at you! I didn’t even recognize you. You look… Well, you look like a different person altogether!”

“Yes, he… he certainly does.” You forced a smile, still trying to process the fact that he's standing there. 

“Well, I’ll leave you two to catch up. I’ll be in the kitchen if you need anything.” Your mother gave you a strange look as she walked past, heading back into the house. 

The heck was that about?

As she disappeared into the other room, you turned your attention back to Steve, your heart pounding. You looked up at him, which was something you weren't used to. He's so. . .tall.

“Steve… is that really you?”

“It’s me, Y/N,” Steve replied, his voice deeper than you remembered. “I’m sorry I haven’t been in touch. Things have been… crazy in the last couple of days.”

“I’m just glad you’re okay.” You nodded, trying to hide your disappointment.

Steve smiled, a hint of the old Steve you knew shining through. “I’m more than okay. I want to make it up to you. How about I take you out to dinner tonight? Just the two of us.”

Your heart lifted at the thought. Maybe this was your chance to reconnect, to get back to the way things were. 

“I’d like that,” you said softly. “I’d like that a lot.”

“Listen, I need to go back but I'll see you at our favorite spot? Six-thirty?” He reaches for your hands and kissed the back of it. 

“I’ll be there,” you chuckled at his romantic gesture.

“Don’t keep me waiting.” He winks at you, and you couldn’t help but giggle. This new playful side of him, got you hooked like a fish.

× × × ×

“Good evening, Ma'am. Do you have a reservation for tonight?” the hostess asked politely, her hands poised over the guest book.

“Yes. Steve Rogers?”

The hostess scanned the list, her finger trailing down the page. “Table 11. Right this way.” She smiled warmly and gestured for you to follow.

Your heart quickened as you anticipated seeing Steve, but when you reached the table, your smile faltered. The chair opposite you was empty. The hostess pulled it out for you, and with a quiet sigh, you sat down, your eyes flickering anxiously toward the door.

“Can I offer you any refreshments?” 

“Not at the moment.”

“No problem. Let us know if you need anything.” With a nod, she left you alone, leaving the weight of the evening to settle over you.

Minutes turned into an hour, and you found yourself glancing at the door every time it opened, only to be met with disappointment as someone other than Steve entered. As the hours passed, your hope began to wane, replaced by a growing knot of irritation in your chest.

But as the hours ticked by, your hope began to fade. The restaurant was closing, and still, there was no sign of him. The waitstaff was cleaning up around you, giving you sympathetic looks as you sat there alone, trying to hold back the tears.

The restaurant was winding down, the waitstaff quietly cleaning up around you. Their sympathetic looks were hard to ignore as you sat alone, struggling to keep your emotions in check. You felt a lump in your throat, your eyes stinging as you blinked back tears.

“Miss, I don’t mean to be rude, but we’re closing,” a waiter said gently, approaching you with a cautious smile.

You nodded, trying to muster some semblance of dignity, “I’m so sorry. I’ll be on my way.” You snuffled and smiled as you got up from your seat. Getting up alone was hard, the weight of embarrassment was weighing you down. 

Just as you turned to leave, the door swung open. Steve rushed in, his face flushed and hair slightly disheveled. “Y/N, I’m so sorry,” he blurted out, hurrying over to you. “I got caught up in something important. I didn’t mean to be late.”

The staff paused in their work, their eyes shifting between you and Steve. There stood the dashing soldier, looking every bit the hero in his crisp uniform, yet here he was, unmistakably late. As their gazes turned to you in your lavender shirtwaist dress, it was clear they understood why you had waited so long.

“It’s eleven.” Your voice seethed after glancing at your watch, noticing a red smudge on his collar, “They’re closed. Let’s talk outside.”

Without waiting for a response, you cleared your throat and walked out, brushing past him intentionally to make your anger known. Steve followed closely behind, sensing the storm brewing between you two. This was the first time he had been this late, and you were struggling to decide whether to forgive him easily or let him feel the full weight of your emotions.

“Steve, where were you? I waited for hours,” you said, trying to keep your voice whole, this feeling like you were losing him is foreign and hard to keep internally.

“I’m sorry, Y/N. I got caught up with something… important.” Steve barely met your gaze, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. 

“More important than us?” The words slipped out before you could stop them, the pain of being pushed aside finally surfacing.

Steve sighed, his shoulders slumping. “It’s not like that. You know I’m trying to do the right thing. There’s so much going on, and I—”

“Forgot about me?” You didn’t want to be this person, but the loneliness and the fear of losing him had been building up for too long. Without Bucky around, you had no one to turn to, no one to share this burden with. “I understand that you have responsibilities now, but you made a promise.”

He finally looked at you, guilt flashing in his eyes. “Y/N, I’m not leaving you behind. I just. . . things are different.”

“I can see that,” you said, you look at him from head to toe. The man standing in front of you wasn’t the same Steve who used to hold you and make you feel like the most important person in the world. This was someone else, someone who had outgrown you, “You’ve changed, and I’m not talking about your appearance.”

“I’m still me, Y/N. But now, I have responsibilities, people who rely on me.” Steve looked down, guilt flashing in his eyes. 

“And what about me?” you asked, the hurt evident in your voice. “Do I even matter anymore, or was I just someone to keep you company when you had nothing else?”

“Don’t say that,” Steve replied quickly out of spite, “Maybe… maybe you were only with me because you felt sorry for me. For who I was.”

His words cut deep, and you recoiled as if he had struck you. “You think I was with you out of pity? Is that what you believe?”

“I don’t know,” Steve said, his voice strained.

“How could you think that?” you said, your voice rising with a mix of anger and hurt. “I was with you because I love you, Steve. Not because I felt sorry for you. I believed in you, and I loved you for who you were, not because of what you couldn’t do or how you appear.”

“I’m just not sure where I fit in this new world, and I’m not sure where you fit in it either. I'm trying to wo—”

Your chest began feeling tight because of his words. You had always known that things would change after the serum, but you never expected him to question your feelings like this. 

“So, what are you saying? That there’s no place for me in your life anymore? That I don’t belong because you’ve become someone else?” You emphasized his structure with your hand.

Steve shook his head, looking frustrated. “I don’t know what I’m saying. I just… I feel like we’re both hanging on to something that’s already gone.”

“Already gone? Nothing was gone, at least not on my part.” Tears welled up in your eyes, but you fought to keep your voice from cracking, “Is there someone else? Is that why you’re looking for a way out?”

“No! Of course not. It's because for once in myself I feel like I'm worth something,” he said, running a hand through his hair.

The finality of his words hit you like a punch to the gut. You had fought so hard to hold onto him, to keep the love between you alive, but now it felt like you were losing that battle. You had wanted him to stay tonight, to make things right, but now you weren’t sure if there was anything left to salvage.

Finally, you couldn’t take it anymore. You turned away, the tears you had been holding back finally spilling over. 

“You know what? Just… go, Steve. Do whatever it is you have to do. I will not think less of myself just because you do not know how to love me anymore.” you said, your voice heavy with resignation.

“Y/N…” Steve’s voice was soft, filled with regret, but you couldn’t face him. Not now.

“Please, Steve. Just go.”

What you really wanted to say was, “Please stay. Show me that I still matter to you.” But you couldn’t bring yourself to say it. You were too afraid that he wouldn’t fight for you, and the thought of that was too painful to bear.

Steve hesitated, his eyes wandering as if trying to find the right words. He just stood there, saying nothing. 

You took a deep breath, your heart pounding as you walked closer to him, his face softening as you reached up and gently adjusted his collar. Your fingers brushed against the fabric, lingering just a moment longer than necessary. 

Then, in the calmest voice you could muster, you said, “Lemon helps with removing lipstick stains.”

Steve’s eyes widened in panic, his hand instinctively reaching up to touch the spot where your fingers had been.

“Y/N, I seriously don't know how this got here—” he began and it almost sounded genuine, his voice filled with panic as he tried to close the distance between you.

But you took a step back, your eyes now red and brimming with tears. You raised a hand to stop him, your voice breaking as you sobbed deeply, “Don’t. Just… don’t.”

Steve’s heart shattered at the sight of you sobbing, your pain a statement in every tear that fell. His instinct was to reach out, to hold you, but your outstretched hand and the heartbreak in your eyes kept him rooted to the spot.

If Bucky were here… The thought pierced his mind like a knife, and suddenly, jealousy coursed through him, hot and irrational. Bucky. The one person who had always managed to make you smile, even when he couldn’t. The one who could draw out your laughter with just a word, a look. The one who, despite being his best friend, had always been a shadow in the corner of Steve’s mind when it came to you.

Was it easier with Bucky? Did you love Bucky more than him? Had you ever thought of Bucky in ways that Steve couldn’t bear to imagine?

“You should’ve just chosen Bucky.” Steve muttered and with one last, tortured look at you, Steve turned away, his steps. He walked away, leaving you standing there, your tears flowing freely now. He didn’t look back, too afraid of what he might see if he did.

Your breath caught in your throat, the shock of his words slicing through the already unbearable pain. You stared at him, wide-eyed, unable to process the bitterness in his voice, the finality of his statement.

The Steve you had known was gone. You didn’t know if looking for him would be worth it because you knew how it would feel—it would feel like reaching for smoke.

Heartbroken and feeling more isolated than ever, you decided to walk home alone. Your cries echoes the street, water gushing out of your eyes like it’s being released by a dam. The echo of your footsteps on the empty streets was a haunting reminder of just how alone you felt. Steve had left, and with him, it felt like a part of your heart had been ripped away.

Steve’s words replayed in your mind, cutting deeper with every repetition. The idea that he thought you might have been with him out of pity or that you're better off with Bucky was a knife to your heart, twisting with every breath.

The streets of Brooklyn were eerily quiet, the usual bustle replaced by an unsettling stillness. The lamps cast long, distorted shadows across the pavement, and every sound seemed amplified in the silence. You quickened your pace, trying to escape the weight of your thoughts, but it was no use. 

As you turned down a narrow street, the familiar surroundings suddenly felt foreign and oppressive. You hugged your coat tighter around you, your mind racing with a mixture of fear and despair. Ahead, the road forked into two directions—one leading to your home, the other into an even darker, narrower alley. You turned towards home, your heart pounding as you tried to shake the feeling of being watched.

Then, without warning, you heard the screech of tires on the asphalt. Before you could react, a van skidded to a stop in front of you, its headlights blinding in the dark street. The doors flew open, and three men in dark clothing jumped out, their faces obscured by shadows.

Panic surged through you as you spun on your heel, trying to run, but it was too late. They were on you in an instant, their grips like iron as they dragged you towards the van.

“No! Let me go! Help! Please someone!” you screamed, thrashing against their hold, but your voice was swallowed by the night, and the empty streets offered no help. Your heart raced, the fear consuming you as you struggled with the best you can.

A cloth was suddenly pressed against your mouth and nose, and a sickly sweet smell filled your senses. You tried to hold your breath, to fight against the drowsiness that quickly overtook you, but it was no use. The world around you started to blur, your vision darkening as your body went limp.

The last thing you heard before everything went black was the sound of the van doors slamming shut and the dull roar of the engine as it sped away into the night.

× × × ×

DAY ONE

When you woke, the world was a haze of pain and confusion. The first thing you noticed was the cold metal pressing against your back, you were naked. Your wrists and ankles were strapped to a metal table, the restraints biting into your skin. Panic clawed at your chest as you struggled against the bonds, but they held firm, keeping you pinned down.

Your vision was blurry, your head pounding from whatever they had used to knock you out. Slowly, the room around you came into focus—bare, clinical, with walls of stark white. You weren’t in Brooklyn anymore. You weren’t anywhere you recognized.

You heard voices, cold and detached, speaking in hushed tones. You couldn’t make out the words, but the tone sent chills down your spine. Footsteps approached, and a shadow loomed over you.

A man’s face came into view, his expression devoid of any warmth or compassion. “She’s awake. Prepare the serum.”

The word “serum” sent a jolt of fear through you, and you renewed your struggles, trying to break free. But the restraints didn’t budge, and the man paid no attention to your terror or the muffled screams that bounced off the walls.

You felt a sharp prick in your arm as they injected something into your veins. Immediately, a searing pain shot through your body, like liquid fire burning through every nerve. You tried to scream, but your voice was caught in your throat, choked off by the agony that consumed you.

The pain was unbearable and you could feel your body convulsing on the table, your muscles seizing as the serum spread through you. It felt like your entire being was being torn apart, every cell screaming in protest. You began to foam in the mouth, the scene your captors watched was like out of an exorcist movie.

And then… nothing. The world around you went dark, and you slipped into unconsciousness, the pain finally giving way to merciful oblivion.

“Sir, should we stop?” One of them said, “Her vital signs are getting dangerously out of limits, she might go into cardiac arrest.”

“No, keep going until that last vial is finished. I want to see what’ll happen. Then we repeat until there’s signs of success.” 

DAY TWO

You awoke to the sensation of your body being dragged, rough hands gripping your arms as they pulled you across the cold, unforgiving floor. Your vision was clouded, your mind struggling to grasp onto reality as the fog of unconsciousness began to lift. Every inch of you ached, a dull, throbbing pain that seemed to seep into your very bones.

As you were hoisted back onto the metal table, the cold surface pressed against your skin, sending a shiver down your spine. The restraints clamped down on your wrists and ankles once more, their cruel bite familiar by now. The room around you was still the same—sterile, white, and devoid of any humanity.

You tried to speak, but your throat was on dry and on fire, your voice barely a whisper. "Please... stop..."

Your plea fell on deaf ears. The figures in lab coats moved around you with the same clinical detachment as before, their faces obscured by surgical masks. One of them approached, holding a clipboard, his eyes scanning the data as if you were nothing more than a lab rat.

"Her vitals stabilized overnight," he said, his tone matter-of-fact. "But... the readings are inconsistent. I'm not sure if the serum is taking effect."

The man from before—the one who had ordered the serum—stepped into view, his expression as cold and unreadable as ever. He leaned over you, his eyes scrutinizing your face with a mix of curiosity and impatience.

"Let's see if she can handle more," he said, his voice flat, giving nothing away.

Panic surged through you, your heart racing as you remembered the excruciating pain from the day before. You tried to struggle, but your body was too weak, too drained from the torment they had already inflicted on you.

The man nodded to one of his colleagues, who approached with another syringe, the liquid inside glowing with an ominous, sickly hue. You watched in horror as the needle approached your arm, every muscle in your body tensing with dread.

"No... no, please..." you begged, your voice breaking.

But they didn't stop. The needle pierced your skin once again, and the liquid fire coursed through your veins, more intense than before. The pain was immediate, searing through you like a thousand white-hot knives. You thrashed against the restraints, your screams tearing through the air, but there was no escape from the agony.

The world around you blurred as the pain became all-consuming, every nerve in your body ablaze. You could feel your heart pounding erratically, your vision darkening at the edges. It was too much, too overwhelming.

But this time, there was no merciful oblivion waiting for you. The pain persisted, dragging you down into a nightmare from which there was no escape. Your body convulsed violently, your muscles seizing as the serum wreaked havoc within you.

The voices around you became distant, muffled by the roaring in your ears. You couldn't make out what they were saying, but their tone was one of cold observation, detached from the suffering they were causing.

"Her body's reacting... but the patterns aren't consistent. It’s hard to tell if it’s working or if she’s just... rejecting it."

"Increase the dosage," the man ordered, his eyes narrowing slightly as he watched your writhing form. "We need to push her further. If there's any sign of success, we'll see it soon enough."

"But sir," one of the lab technicians hesitated, his voice uncertain. "If we push too hard, she might not survive the next round. The readings are already erratic—she could go into shock or worse."

"That’s a risk I’m willing to take," the man replied coldly. "We won’t know until we push her limits."

Your heart sank at his words. There was no end to this. They were going to keep pushing, keep testing, until either the serum took hold of your body or gave out entirely.

As you lay there, barely conscious, the pain began to ebb slightly, leaving you trembling and drenched in sweat. Your breaths came in ragged gasps, your chest heaving as you tried to cling to consciousness.

"Prepare the next dose," the man ordered, his voice devoid of any empathy.

This time, your heart sank even deeper. The nightmare wasn’t just beginning—it was accelerating, and there was no way out. You were trapped in this hell, at the mercy of those who saw you as nothing more than an experiment, a means to an end. And whether or not the serum was taking effect, you knew that whatever happened next would push you to your breaking point—and beyond.

DAY EIGHTY

When you woke, the familiar chill of the metal table greeted you. The room was as stark and clinical as ever, but something had changed within you. The pain was still there, a constant, gnawing presence, but it no longer controlled you. You had become accustomed to it, numb to its bite. It was just another part of your existence now.

Eighty days.

Eighty days of torment, of relentless experimentation, of feeling your body and mind pushed to their breaking points and beyond. You had lost track of time somewhere around the third week, the days and nights blending into a seamless blur of agony and darkness. But even as the days passed, you remained conscious, aware—alive.

The door to the room opened, and you didn’t bother to turn your head. You knew who it was. The man with the cold eyes approached, his footsteps echoing on the hard floor. He had become a constant in your world, his presence as regular as the pain he inflicted. 

“You’re still with us, I see,” he remarked, his tone as detached as ever. He moved closer, inspecting the restraints that held you down. “Most impressive.”

You didn’t respond. You hadn’t spoken in days—there was nothing left to say. Every word, every plea had fallen on deaf ears. You had learned long ago that silence was your only companion in this hell.

“Her vitals are stronger,” a technician noted, glancing at the monitors that tracked your every heartbeat. “We’ve noticed a significant increase in her strength and resilience. The serum seems to be taking effect.”

The man nodded, though there was no satisfaction in his expression. “Eighty days,” he mused, as if talking to himself. “Eighty days, and you’re still here. Stronger, faster… more than we ever anticipated.”

He turned his gaze to you, his eyes narrowing slightly. “But are you in control, I wonder? Or has the serum taken control of you?”

His words hung in the air, but you didn’t flinch. The battle for control was something you fought every day, every hour. The serum coursing through your veins had changed you in ways you couldn’t fully understand yet, but you were still you—or so you told yourself.

“Let’s see if we can push it further,” he said, signaling to the technician.

The restraints were released, and you felt the cold metal slide away from your wrists and ankles. You didn’t move, not yet. You had learned to conserve your strength, to hold back until the moment was right.

“Sit up,” he commanded.

You obeyed, slowly raising yourself into a seated position. Your movements were deliberate, controlled. You could feel the power coursing through your body, every muscle coiled with potential energy, but you kept it in check.

The man stepped back, giving you space, watching you closely. “Stand.”

You slid off the table, your bare feet touching the cold floor. You stood, swaying slightly as the blood rushed to your head. But you remained upright, your gaze locked on the man who had been your tormentor for nearly three months.

“Walk,” he ordered, his voice carrying a hint of curiosity.

You took a step forward, then another. Your legs were shaky at first, but you quickly found your balance. Each movement felt strange, foreign, as if you were inhabiting a body that wasn’t entirely your own. But you continued, step after step, until you were standing directly in front of him.

“Good,” he said, nodding approvingly. “Very good.”

He reached out, placing a hand on your shoulder. The touch was light, almost gentle, but you could sense the underlying threat in it. “Now, let’s see just how far we can take this.”

You didn’t react as he motioned for the guards to step forward, their weapons at the ready. You knew what was coming next. This was another test, another attempt to push you beyond your limits.

The guards surrounded you, their faces expressionless, their grips tight on their weapons. The man gave a slight nod, and they moved as one, striking out at you with calculated precision.

But this time, you were ready. The serum had done its work. You were faster, stronger, and as their blows came toward you, you reacted with a speed that surprised even you. You deflected the first strike with ease, the second with even greater efficiency. Your movements were fluid, instinctual, a dance of power and precision.

Within moments, the guards were on the ground, groaning in pain, their weapons scattered across the floor. You stood over them, breathing heavily, your heart pounding with adrenaline. The power surging through you was intoxicating, overwhelming, but you were in control. For now.

The man watched you with a hint of something in his eyes—respect, maybe, or perhaps something more sinister.

“Yes,” he murmured, more to himself than to you. “This is what we’ve been waiting for.”

You stood there, the blood rushing in your ears, your body alive with the thrill of what you had just done. But beneath it all, there was a gnawing sense of unease. You had changed, become something different, something more. But at what cost?

As the guards were dragged away, the man turned to you once more. “Eighty days,” he repeated, a slight smile playing on his lips. “And now, the real work begins.”

You didn’t respond. You had nothing left to say. The battle was far from over, and as you looked into the cold, calculating eyes of your captor, you knew that whatever came next would push you even further into the darkness.

But you were ready. Because after eighty days of hell, you had learned one thing—you would survive, no matter what.

DAY 100

The pain had reached a point where it was almost surreal, as if your mind had detached itself from your body to protect what was left of your sanity. You lay strapped to the cold metal table, your skin clammy, your breaths shallow. The serum that had been forced into your veins was taking its final toll. Your vision blurred, the edges of your world darkening as you teetered on the brink of consciousness.

The man with the cold eyes stood over you, his expression hard as he watched the monitors tracking your vitals. He had been relentless, pushing the experiments further each day, determined to force the serum to work. But today, something was different. The lines on the monitor were becoming erratic, your heart rate spiking and dipping unpredictably.

"Her vitals are deteriorating rapidly," a technician warned, his voice tinged with anxiety. "She's not stabilizing. We should stop."

The man clenched his jaw, his eyes narrowing. "We’re too close. Increase the dosage."

"But sir, she won't survive—"

"Do it!" he barked, cutting off the protest.The technician hesitated for a moment before injecting you with another dose of the glowing serum. The liquid fire surged through your veins, and the world around you exploded into pain once again. But this time, it was different—this time, your body couldn’t take it.

You convulsed violently on the table, the restraints digging into your skin as your body fought a losing battle. Your vision darkened further, the room around you fading into an indistinct blur. Your heart pounded wildly in your chest, a desperate rhythm that couldn’t keep pace with the assault on your system.

And then, it stopped. The world around you went silent. your life flashed before your eyes, beginning with the warmth of your childhood—the comforting embrace of your mother as she read you stories at night, the sound of her laughter filling your small apartment in Brooklyn. You remembered the day you met Steve, the shy, awkward boy who had tripped over his own feet trying to impress you, and Bucky’s teasing grin as he nudged Steve forward, encouraging him to finally ask you out. There were memories of long summer days spent in the park, the three of you inseparable, sharing ice cream and dreams of the future.

But then, the memories shifted. The warmth drained away as you saw Steve walking away from you, his back turned, his footsteps echoing in the empty space between you. . .

“Dispose of the body.”

× × × ×

D - 100

When you woke up this time, you weren’t in the cold, sterile room. Instead, you were lying in an alley, discarded like trash. The hard, wet pavement was unforgiving against your body, and the chill in the air bit through your clothes. You don’t know what day or even month it was.

Your once neat and tidy outfit was now torn and filthy, covered in grime and dirt from the alleyway. The lavender shirtwaist dress you had worn so proudly earlier was now barely recognizable, stained with mud and who knows what else.

Your hair, once carefully styled, was now a tangled mess, strands sticking to your face, damp with sweat and the moisture of the night. You could feel the grit and dirt under your nails, the remnants of your struggle to free yourself from whatever hellish place you had been held. Your hands were scraped and raw, the skin broken and bleeding in places.

Your face felt gritty, as if you’d been dragged through the dirt. As you lifted a hand to touch your cheek, you could feel the rough texture of dried blood and dirt clinging to your skin. Your body aches all over, every muscle sore from the strain of whatever had been done to you. The cold dusk air bit into your exposed skin, making you shiver as you struggled to push yourself up from the ground.

The street was dimly lit, the sound of distant traffic the only sign of life around you. The once-familiar streets of Brooklyn now felt alien and hostile, and in your current state, you felt like a ghost haunting the city you once knew.

You stood there, shivering and alone, the reality of your situation sank in. Whoever had taken you had done something to you—something that had changed you. But they had deemed you a failure, or perhaps an afterthought, and simply left you to fend for yourself.

You felt stronger, different, but the overwhelming sense of abandonment weighed heavily on your heart. You looked down at your hands, trembling as you tried to comprehend what had happened to you.

Just as you began to move, your disheveled appearance caught the attention of a group of men lurking in the shadows. They saw an easy target—someone weak, vulnerable, alone. Their eyes locked onto you, and you could feel their gazes crawling over you like a predator sizing up its prey. But they had no idea what they were about to face.

“Hey, look what we got here,” one of them called out, his voice dripping with malice. He stepped forward, a smirk spreading across his face as he took in your bedraggled state. “You look like you’ve had a rough night, sweetheart.”

Another man snickered, his eyes narrowing as he moved to block your path. “Where you headed in such a hurry? We could keep you company.”

The men began to circle you, cutting off any chance of escape. Their leers and mocking laughter echoed off the walls of the alley, making your skin crawl. You backed away, your heart racing, but they kept closing in, their intent all too clear.

One of them reached out to grab your arm, but before his hand could make contact, something snapped inside you. The fear that had gripped you earlier was replaced by a cold, detached resolve. 

With a sudden burst of strength, you lashed out, your fist connecting with the man’s jaw. The impact sent him reeling backward, blood spurting from his mouth. He stumbled, crashing into a pile of trash cans with a loud clatter, his smug expression replaced by shock.

The other men hesitated, their bravado faltering as they realized you were not the helpless victim they had assumed. But their hesitation quickly turned to anger, and they surged forward, determined to make you pay for their friend’s humiliation.

But they didn’t stand a chance.

With a newfound power surging through your veins, you moved like a force of nature. You dodged their clumsy attempts to grab you, your movements fluid and precise. Every strike you landed sent them staggering back, their groans of pain filling the air.

One man lunged at you, his hands reaching for your throat, but you ducked under his grasp, spinning on your heel to deliver a powerful kick to his midsection. The force of the blow knocked the wind out of him, and he crumpled to the ground, gasping for breath.

Another man tried to grab you from behind, but you twisted out of his grip, your elbow slamming into his ribs with a sickening crack. He howled in pain, clutching his side as he fell to his knees.

The last man standing looked at you with wide, fearful eyes, his confidence shattered. “What the hell are you?” he stammered, backing away.

You stared at him, feeling that cold detachment settle over you once more. “Someone you should never have messed with,” you replied, your voice calm and steady.

Without another word, you stepped forward and struck him with a swift, powerful punch. He didn’t have time to react before he was sent crashing to the ground, unconscious.

As you stood there, surrounded by the groaning forms of the men who had tried to attack you, the reality of what you had just done began to sink in. You had taken them down with ease, without even thinking. The fear that had gripped you earlier was gone, replaced by something else—something darker, more dangerous.

You looked down at your hands, trembling slightly as you tried to process what had just happened. They were bruised and dirty, knuckles bloodied from the fight, but they were steady, powerful. You weren’t the same person who had been taken from the streets and subjected to whatever hellish experiment had been done to you.

You were stronger now, and that strength came with a cold, hard edge that scared you as much as it empowered you.

But there was no time to dwell on it. You needed to get out of there, to find somewhere safe where you could figure out what had been done to you. You took a deep breath, steadying yourself before you began to walk away from the alley, leaving the men behind.

As you disappeared into the early morning light, the realization that you were truly alone settled in your heart. You had been discarded, left to fend for yourself. But you would survive this. You would become stronger, faster, more powerful than anyone who had ever underestimated you.

And if Steve had truly discarded you as well, if he had moved on and left you behind, then you would prove that you didn’t need him—or anyone else.

By the time the sun began to rise, you were no longer the same person who had waited at that restaurant, hoping for a fresh start. The flame that once burned brightly for Steve had turned to cold, hardened embers.

You vowed never to let anyone discard you again.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

As the sun climbed higher in the sky, you trudged through the streets, your skin a canvas of bruises and cuts, each one a testament to the brutality you had endured. The world around you seemed surreal, almost detached, as if you were walking through a twisted dream. 

People noticed you—how could they not? Their eyes lingered a fraction too long before they darted away, some filled with pity, others with fear or disgust. Concerned mothers pulled their children closer, shielding them from the sight of you as if you were a monster, something to be feared and avoided. Whispers followed you like a shadow, just out of earshot but thick with judgment, dripping with the cruelty of strangers who saw only the surface.

No one approached you. No one dared. The stares didn’t bother you. In fact, you welcomed them. Let them look, let them fear. You would not be pitied. You would not be scorned. If the world wanted to see you as a monster—then so be it. 

As you walked, a familiar part of town began to come into view. You knew these streets well, every crack in the sidewalk, every faded storefront. It had been a place of comfort, of familiarity—but now it felt foreign, like you were an intruder in a place that no longer belonged to you.

Then, through the blur of people, you saw her. Your mother. She stood on the corner, frantically handing out pieces of paper with your picture on them, her eyes scanning every face that passed by, desperate and searching

When her gaze landed on you, her expression shifted—first to shock, then to fear, relief, and heartbreak that hit you like a punch to the gut. Your heart clenched, a pang of pity slicing through the wall you’d built around yourself. You had steeled yourself against so much, but seeing her there, so fragile, so broken, was almost too much to bear.

“M-Mom?” Your voice cracked, a betrayal of the emotions you fought so hard to suppress. For a split second, you felt like yourself again, but then that cold voice in your head reminded you: no tears, no weakness.

She rushed toward you, disbelief widening her eyes, her hand trembling as she covered her mouth in shock.

“Y/N? Is that you?” she gasped, her voice trembling.

You stood there, rooted to the spot, unable to speak as she reached out to you. Her hands, trembling, cupped your face, her touch so familiar yet so foreign. Tears welled in her eyes as she took in your appearance.

“What… what happened to you?” she whispered, her voice barely holding together.

The tears in her eyes reflected the pain you had tried so hard to bury. But you couldn’t let it out—not now. Not after everything.

“I’m fine,” you managed to say, though the words felt hollow. You pulled away from her touch, the warmth of it almost too painful to bear.

“No, you’re not,” she insisted, her voice shaking as she looked you up and down, trying to understand what had happened to her daughter. “Who did this to you? Where have you been?”

You shook your head, the emotions churning inside you too chaotic to form into coherent thoughts.

“It doesn’t matter,” you replied, your voice colder than you intended. “I just need to go home.”

Your mother’s brow furrowed, as she looked at you with a mother’s instinctive fear. “No, we need to take you to the hospital. You need to be checked out, Y/N. You’re hurt—”

“No!” you snapped, the force of your voice startling both of you, desperation in your tone, “No hospitals, no police report.”

“Y/N, please. You need help. We have to tell someone—”

Help? No one helped. 

“I said no!” you repeated, your voice trembling with an intensity that silenced her. “They won’t help. They’ll just ask questions, questions I can’t answer. They won’t understand, Mom. No one will.”

“But, Y/N—”

“I don’t need a doctor. I don’t need the police. I just need to go home. Please, Mom… just take me home.” Your breath came faster, panic rising in your chest as the thought of being in a hospital, of facing the police and their endless probing, became unbearable. 

Her face crumpled with worry, but she didn’t press further. Instead, she wrapped her arms around you, holding you tightly as if trying to shield you from whatever had hurt you. 

Slowly, she nodded, though her worry was still palpable. “Okay. Okay, we’ll go home. But promise me… promise me that if you need help, you’ll let me know. Just… don’t shut me out.”

You nodded, but the motion felt distant, like it didn’t quite belong to you. “I promise,” you whispered, though even as the words left your mouth, they felt empty, a hollow reassurance to ease her fears.

× × × × 

The rain poured down like icy needles, but you barely felt it through your black raincoat. Across the street, through the glowing window, Steve and Peggy danced together, they danced together like a well-rehearsed melody, a song you had once known by heart but now could only hear as a distant echo. Their connection was a knife, twisting in the hollowed-out space where your heart used to be.

Your hands clenched into fists at your sides, your nails digging into your palms as you stood there, seething. Every drop of rain that pelted against your coat felt like a reminder of the cold, hard truth—you had been replaced. Forgotten. Left to rot in the streets while he found comfort in another’s arms.

Your anger simmered, bubbling up from the depths of your chest. You had been willing to fight for him, to stand by his side no matter what. But what had that loyalty gotten you? Abandonment. Betrayal? And now, as you watched them dance, that anger solidified into something colder, harder.

“Y/L/N.” a deep commanding voice called your name.

Two officials stood in the shadows, their presence barely registering as you finally tore your gaze away from the window. They weren’t there for the party—they were there for you. Without a word, you pushed past them and joined their side.

[yougotthatbilly]

romanée-conti (m)

→ member: jung jaehyun → genre: sugar daddy!jaehyun | slowburn | smut → playlist: alone with you x alina baraz, break the ice x britney spears → word count: 24k → warnings: LEGAL age gap, praise, oral; giving & receiving, unprotected sex (be smart pls), jaehyun likes her head to toe (literally), ‘do/can i call you daddy now?’ jokingly, one real ‘daddy’ (comes with the territory lol), petnames; baby, thumb in butt, probably more ↳summary: Having a sugarless- sugar daddy is proving to be more difficult than planned.

Dark brown eyes resting above prominent eye bags that look like they came from either genetics or lack of sleep—possibly both—are the first thing your eyes zone in on when you approach the table the owner of said eyes is sitting at, waiting for your arrival. As soon as he noticed your presence and looked up from his phone, it was hard to pay attention to anything else. 

Until he smiled. 

The curve of his lips and flash of his teeth are friendly and welcoming, with the slightest hint of shyness, and you truly see that pictures don’t always do people the justice they deserve. Faint crows feet appear due to his smile reaching his eyes, and somehow, they only add onto his appeal.

“Hey,” his gentle, deep voice pushes through your thoughts. He stands and your eyes travel up to follow his face before flashing downward at the sight of his hand being presented to you, and back up to his eyes. “I’m glad you could make it,” he says as he shakes your hand softly, letting go soon after to motion for you to sit across from him with both hands. 

“Me, too,” you softly smile back, setting your purse beside you. 

You finally look away from him to take in your surroundings. When you walked in, you barely paid attention to anything, only having the mind to scan people’s faces until you found one you recognized. Now, after greetings and the initial shock of just how gorgeous this man is, you can take in how this is a pretty nice place; everyone dressed in business casual attire, like this is where businessmen and women come after a long day or week to unwind. Dark, sleek wooden surfaces and furniture paired with deep red decorations that give the place a simple and mature feel.

Taeyong catches your eye from the bar nearby and he quirks a brow in question. You blink once and look away.

“I knew from your photos that you were pretty, but you’re much more beautiful in person,” is said when it’s clear you’re done observing the place. Under the dim, artificial lighting of the overhead lamp above your table, the softest pink flush on his ears is clear as he compliments you, and it leaves you both intrigued and confused.

“And you’re much more handsome,” you compliment right back. There was a fear of him being a catfish or using a picture from when he was younger to reel you and others in, and you’re pleasantly surprised and thankful the man waiting for you is actually the one from the photos. The angles of his face are soft and so are his features; gentle yet mysterious eyes and a pouty bottom lip that’s caught in between his teeth because of your words.

His fingers drum against the wooden tabletop before he pulls his hand into his lap. “Would you like some wine?”

“Sure.”

He raises his hand, pointer finger lazily lifted. In no time a pretty server is at your table, setting wine glasses in front of the both of you. 

“Red or white, sir?” she asks, and you guess he’s a regular here. 

“Whatever she wants.”

Both pairs of eyes land on you and make you blink.

She’s gone and back in the blink of an eye when you choose red, carefully pouring the wine of your choice into the glasses before she disappears again.

“If you don’t like it, let me know and we can get you something else.”

You gently swirl the deep, pretty colored liquid around a few times then sip.

Oh. This is nice.

“How was your day?” he asks.

Long. Extensive. “It was good,” you say instead. “Pretty productive and eventful. How about yours?”

“Productive but not quite eventful,” he laughs softly. He relaxes into the cushion behind him, and you note that his shoulders are broad even when they’re not up to his ears in a tense manner. His black button-up looks nice on him, stretching across his shoulders and chest in a snug fit. “Is it alright if we talk a little before getting into things?”

“Of course,” you nod. There hasn’t been a conversation since he asked you for your number a week ago other than when tonight’s date was planned, so you don’t quite know him. You’re someone who relies heavily on your gut feeling and right now there are no warning bells going off in your head, but chatting for a while will definitely give you a better feel of things. 

“Tell me a little about yourself?”

You tell him what you’re sure he already knows from your bio; your name and age, where you’re from and a few of your hobbies, in addition to your occupation. He listens intently, eyes taking in your features as he nods along to the information he’s receiving, drink never too far from his mouth. And when you can’t think of any other description of yourself that’s appropriate for a first meeting, you drink a little more.

“How about you?”

He hums, visibly racking his mind for something to tell you.

“Well,” he says a moment later. “I’m Jaehyun, I recently turned thirty-eight, and I’m from Seoul.”

And when he stops there, his face showing he doesn’t know what to continue with, you realize he isn’t very social. The pretty much awkward atmosphere, the shyness of his smiles and fidgeting of his fingers make you wonder if this is also his first time doing something like this, if he’s just shy overall, or both. This is nothing like what you thought it would be. You expected to be asked a lot of personal questions from the jump. You expected to get an earful of how great and successful he is, to get an earful of all the things he could do for you in exchange for whatever he wanted. You didn’t expect a socially awkward sugar-daddy-to-be.

Luckily, you’re a great conversationalist.

“So what brings you to New York?” 

“My father owns a few businesses and I chose to run the one here.”

“Do you like it here in the states?”

His eyes squint in thought before answering with, “I’m not sure,” and when your head tilts to silently ask him to elaborate, his explanation is: “I lived in Connecticut for a little when I was younger and I don’t remember much about it, and I’ve been here for a few years but I only go to work, cafes, business events and home if I’m not traveling.”

“You travel a lot?”

He rubs his lips together and tilts his head side to side with a pondering hum. “You could say that.”

“So how often would we meet?”

Jaehyunhyun blinks at your question. 

“Sorry,” you chuckle, looking past his shoulder and meeting your cousin’s gaze once again. “We haven’t even gotten into that territory yet.”

“No, you’re fine. I’m just glad you’re still considering it.”

Well, things are going well in your opinion, and even though he’s socially awkward, as far as you can tell, he’s good company. You’re good with conversation and take pride in brightening situations, so this arrangement could go well. He’s a busy guy so you wouldn’t see him often, which means there won’t be any major changes in your lifestyle, and that’s perfect. You have no complaints so far.

The last of your wine is sipped and you eye the last small drop that sticks to the bottom of the glass, almost tempted to ask for a refill just because it’s the weekend, but you know Taeyong will chew your head off and you’d rather not hear that on the way back to your place.

“Everything is ultimately up to you, Jaehyun,” you shrug. “I’m down if you are.”

His arm is up again and in seconds the server is back with the bottle of wine in tow. She moves to pour more into your glass but you stop her with your hand. “I’m okay, thank you.”

Jaehyun squints as his glass gets filled half-way.

“You didn’t really like it, did you?”

A smile teases at the corner of your mouth. You’re amused and touched that he actually cares about what you like already. 

“I promise I did,” you laugh, resting a gentle hand on the back on his own that found the table again. He doesn’t flinch at the contact but his eyes grow in size for a split second. “I’m a bit of a lightweight and I do have to drive home.”

When he’s convinced, you bring your hand back in front of you.

“Mind me asking how you found yourself looking for a… companion?” you ask him, grinning at the way his dimple makes an appearance at your choice of words.

“It was suggested, actually,” Jaehyun responds. “I said something about always being left alone at business events because all of my partners are either in relationships, married, or like to sleep around. Plus, all I do is work, so a friend told me about the website and here we are now.” You nod along, imagining being left alone to just drink and talk business while his business partners disperse with their romantic partners. It must be boring. “What about you?”

“Also suggested,” you chuckle. “I love my job and I live pretty comfortably, but I have goals I’m working on and I’d like to do so without having to think about a bill or getting another job. My best friend successfully found a perfect match so she was sure I would, as well.”

“Before anything,” he clears his throat, looking down at his glass and watching the deep red slosh in circles due to the movement of his hand. “I want you to know I meant what I said about no special favors. I truly don’t want anything other than your company… maybe a few times a month?” he glances back up at you with flushed cheeks. Cute. “Would that work for you?”

“That’s perfect. Do I call you Daddy now?” 

He chokes on the sip he was in the middle of taking and you have to bite the inside of your lips to stop a giggle from coming out. “I’m kidding.”

He blinks at you a couple of times before shaking his head. “You’re funny.”

“Thanks,” you wink.

“If it’s alright with you, we could discuss all the paperwork the next time we meet. I wanted the both of us to get a feel of one another before we made any legal decisions.”

“That’s fine with me.” 

“I want you to do something for me.” At the rise of your brow–which was only out of curiosity and to prompt him to continue--he backtracks. “That sounded really suggestive, I apolo—”

“Jaehyun,” you call, biting back another laugh. The panic in his eyes goes away at your touch. “we already discussed there would be no sugar given, it’s okay. What do you want me to do?”

“Think of a price if you haven’t already.”

It’s up to you? 

“Really?” You ask. He nods. “You’re not going to decide? I thought that was how this worked?” You’re comfortable showing your naivety in this situation because it’s quite obvious he’s no pro at this either.

Jaehyun frowns at your words and sets his glass down, leaning forward. “Just like in any healthy or ethical relationship, business or personal, this works both ways. So with anything from this point on, if you want something or have concerns about anything you have to let me know immediately, alright?”

You nod, taken aback. “Got it.”

You’re getting the vibe that he’s serious about every move he makes, every word he says, and you can see why he’s probably such a successful businessman. He hasn’t said much but he doesn’t beat around the bush, and the transition in his aura from having small talk to talking about business, the way he just laid down the law, admittedly sparked something in your gut.

“Think about it and we’ll discuss it next time.”

“When will ‘next time’ be?”

“Let me check,” he mumbles, digging for his phone in his pocket. 

At the duck of his head, a waving hand from behind him catches your attention. Taeyong’s brows are raised, his fingers forming the okay sign. You blink a single time once more.

“I fly back in on Wednesday next week,” Jaehyun says. “Does Wednesday afternoon work for you?”

“Sounds good,” you nod.

He glances back down at his phone. “I don’t mean to rush things I’ve got an early meeting tomorrow,” Jaehyun nibbles on his bottom lip. “Was there anything else you wanted to discuss tonight?”

You look up as if you’re thinking, and when Taeyong meets your eye, you subtly tilt your head in the direction of the door and naturally blink three times. “I think we covered everything so far.”

Taeyong finishes his beer and pays for it out of the corner of your eye.

“Okay then,” Jaehyun slides out of the booth and stands to your side, extending his hand for you to grab.

Add gentleman to the list of characteristics.

You grab your clutch in one hand then his own hand with your other and scoot yourself out of the booth with his assistance. He doesn’t let go, his grip loose but warm.

“It was really nice meeting you.”

“Likewise.”

--

“So?”

You cut your eyes at your cousin as you buckle your seatbelt.

“Can we get out of the parking lot before he comes out and before you start questioning me?”

Taeyong grumbles something under his breath but backs out of the parking space nonetheless. And as soon as you’re on the main road he repeats himself.

“He’s nice,” you hum, leaning forward to undo the clasps around your ankles, wiggling your heels off with a sigh. “I like him. He’s cute.”

Taeyong scoffs. “I can’t believe you’re really doing this.”

He wasn’t onboard with it one bit, which is why he immediately agreed to be your backup just in case. The whole ride to the bar consisted of him making sure you had the signals down packed; blink once if things are peachy, blink twice if you feel uncomfortable, and blink three times (he said thrice but that word rubs you the wrong way) when it’s time to go. Oh, and repeating that you didn’t need to do this. You appreciate him and his worries but it’s not like he’s going to help you with your debt.

You’re young, confident in your looks, confident in your personality. Nine times out of ten, you have no trouble getting what you want, so why not get a sugar daddy that doesn’t have sex as a requirement?

When Sooyoung told you about getting a couple grand a date from her guy—more if she threw in a hand- or blowjob—and she has well over enough money to blow after paying bills and saving, you were intrigued. You’re no prude or anything but you knew you wouldn’t want to jump in offering ass to almost sixty-year-old men, so when she told you that you can make it clear that you weren’t down for special flavors and that some relationships are innocent, you thought why the hell not. 

Plus, you’ve been bored and wanted to do something new, something exciting.

“Well believe it because we’re meeting again Wednesday,” you lilt. “He’s a sweetheart, really. You know how I am with catching vibes.”

“Pft. It could be an act,” he grumbles. You sigh and dig your phone out of your clutch, going to your music app. “What if he’s a narc—”

Thank god for bluetooth.

Taeyong glares at you when you turn the volume up and your favorite song blasts from his speakers, but he doesn’t try to carry on the conversation, instead singing along because you’ve played it too many times for him to not know the lyrics and because he finally caught the hint.

--

And when you get a message an hour later asking if you’ve made it home safely, you trust your gut a little more.

Today you woke up late and your outfit and hair definitely showed it when you first arrived at work, but thankfully you keep a travel-sized stash of makeup and hair tools in your desk and you were able to get yourself presentable before your first-period students piled in and took their seats. 

Being behind on grading tests and homework from last week with another pile of tests from yesterday you need to get done in time for your students to be able to see their mistakes and retest before break in a few weeks, potential sugar daddies have definitely not been on your mind.

Not until you get a message around two-thirty while you’re halfway through the homework pile.

[2:15pm] Jaehyun: Good afternoon, I will be landing shortly. Do you still want to meet today?

“Shit.”

“Language.”

You completely forgot Jisung was staying after to retake a test from weeks ago. But from the looks of it, he’s done and just chilling on his phone. A glance at your desk lets you know he’s already gotten up, walked over to your desk and put his test down in the corner. This is exactly why you shouldn’t stay up until three in the morning lesson planning and only getting three hours of sleep. 

“Hey,” you beckon him over to the seat next to yours. “Wanna help me?”

“Do I get extra credit for this?” he asks as he eyes the pile of work and the answer key you give him.

“Maybe.”

You’ll probably give him a donut or something tomorrow.

[2:17pm] you: Hey! I’m finishing up at work right now so just let me know when you’ve arrived.

After Jisung finishes his pile and you’re almost done with the new pile you started, your phone starts buzzing.

“Hello?” you answer, making sure to turn the volume down because Jisung is a nosy little thing.

“Hey,” oh, you forgot how smooth his voice is. “I’m at this cafe a couple of blocks away from the bar we last met. Would you like to meet me here and then maybe find something else?”

You take in the few tests and homework assignments left to grade. “Yeah, that’s perfect. Send me the address and I can be there in about twenty.”

“Alright, I’ll see you then.”

“Did you start dating?”

You ruffle Jisung’s hair. Absolutely not telling him just so he can tell his partner in crime. You wouldn’t hear the end of it tomorrow if you did.

“Thanks for helping, hun. Am I taking you home?”

--

You barely make the twenty minute mark from the time Jaehyun sent you the address and you have to stop yourself from running inside of the cafe like a mad woman. Dropping Jisung off was no issue, his house was on the way. Your eyebags, smeared eyeliner, and dry ass lips were the problem (how some of your students can manage to fancy you when you’ve occasionally gone to school looking like a mess is beyond you). An extra five minutes or so in the parking lot of your destination resulted in you looking far better, but not nearly as good as you did the first night.

Not nearly as good as Jaehyun does sitting there waiting for you with a small mug in his hand while he holds a newspaper with the other. He’s just barely slouched, a white button-down covering his upper body this time. He looks photoshoot ready and you’re grateful you took the time to fix yourself up.

“Hey,” you greet quietly as you sit in the chair across from him, hooking your purse onto the back of it. “Sorry I’m late. I had to give one of my students a ride home.”

Jaehyun puts the newspaper down after folding it in half. “You’re not late, no worries.”

He looks tired. His bags look like how yours did before the second layer of concealer for the day, his eyes low in comparison to the last time you saw them. You wonder how far he traveled. 

“How was your flight?”

“Twelve hours too long,” he sighs. When he makes a move to take another sip of his coffee, he pouts at the realization his cup is empty. “I could barely sleep.”

“We could’ve met another day, you know?”

“I know. I wanted to see you.” He’s not flirty, but upfront. You like it. “Did you think of anything to do?”

“Well, you look like you could fall out any minute now,” you half stall, half voice genuine concern. “Maybe we should wait until your next free day to actually do something?” You’re more than fine with just sitting here for a while longer and having a collection of brief conversations with him and looking at each other until he gets too sleepy or has to leave because of another early meeting in the morning.

“Are you sure?”

You’ve been speaking all day. This is a nice wind-down from repeating yourself and having to raise your voice.

“Yeah. I can’t remember the last time I sat in a cafe and just chilled,” you sigh, taking another glance at your surroundings. 

“I’m getting another cup. Do you want anything?”

--

A thousand a date seems… excessive. Sooyoung is high maintenance so it makes sense for her to want that much as a minimum, especially when she goes on a date once a week. But for you, that amount is a lot when meetups with Jaehyun are going to be really chill. So when he suggests two grand every week since you still couldn’t think of a price for your possible relationship, choking on the sip of tea you just took is a reasonable reaction.

“I mean, anything less wouldn’t make much sense to me. You’re a teacher so you probably don’t make that much when student loans are involved, right?”

You blink stupidly at his bluntness. “Well, yes. But--”

“Do you have someone to help pay your bills?”

“No…”

“And you said you have goals. I want to help invest in those. Are you opposed to that?”

“Not at all.”

“So what’s the problem?” If he partakes in the debating and persuading at work, you’re sure deals end with additional zeros in his bank account. He has you stumped and you’re almost positive he proved his point with little to no thinking process required. “I was actually going to suggest more, but I figured we’d start off small. Do you just feel uncomfortable with that amount?”

It’s interesting yet almost frustrating how he’s kept the straightest face this whole discussion. Just sipping on his coffee and never breaking eye contact. You need to take notes so that your higher ups take you seriously when you address an issue. 

“No, it’s not that.”

“So,” he clears his throat, sliding a piece of paper and pen closer to you, “do we have a deal?”

“I guess we do.” You sign the contract (that you’ve already looked over a couple times) and shake his hand when he presents it in front of you. “You’re intimidating when you talk business, you know.”

His smile is wide as he shakes his head, telling you he’s been told once or twice. 

Big, excited brown eyes stare down at you as you hold Nala up in the air and softly wiggle her. Her tail wags wildly when the click and push of your front door resonates throughout your home.

“Babe?”

“In here!” you call, still giving your baby your undivided attention.

Sooyoung walks in the living room, leather pants and a fur coat adorning her figure. She tsks at the way you’re laid out on your couch, completely neglecting the powerpoints and Kahoots you were making a while ago. “Procrastination at its finest.”

Nala is taken out of your grasp and Sooyoung gives her the same treatment you just were, so you take the time to stand and stretch. “You shouldn’t have asked me out while I was in my zone. Now I’m not touching that until tomorrow,” you wave in the general direction of your Macbook.

She snorts and sits down while you go to your room to get ready for your date.

The two of you walk into a bar with R&B Hip Hop playing at the perfect volume some time later. The lights are dim and set the perfect mood for drinking and catching up. She leads you to sit at the bar and orders the both of you something that won’t exactly get you fucked up, seeing that the both of you have jobs to attend to in the morning. 

“So,” Sooyoung spins towards you, crossing her legs dramatically. 

“So?”

“Jaehyun. Tell me about him. How are things going?”

You learned from the first few times of being with Jaehyun that you’ll be doing most of the talking, but he always responds and asks a question or two, genuinely interested if the tick of his eyebrow means anything. It’s nice to have someone new to share stories with, especially since your schedule clashes with your best friend’s. Also because within the last couple of years, most of your experiences with guys have been the same: mostly physical attraction from both sides and it turning into a relationship where you get the shit end of the stick and get hurt. When it comes to Jaehyun, yes the physical attraction is there, but though you don’t know much about each other, you enjoy the platonic bond that’s building… as well as your growing savings account. You don’t text unless someone sends a simple have a great day at work or good night text (and when it’s sent to you, you usually find yourself smiling before getting out of bed or falling asleep). You never talk about anything deep like your past, dreams for the future (aside from briefly discussing the business you want to start up eventually), or theories about life, but the trivial conversations you have about work and the news and whatever else is always enough. 

“He’s kind of awkward but it’s nothing unbearable,” you begin, eyes wandering as you think of ways to describe him. “He’s tall, fine as hell for him to be almost twice my age, and…” you trail off, head tilting as you think.

She looks at you impatiently. “And what?”

“He’s such a gentleman,” you finally come up with. “I get to do whatever I want with no complaints, he makes sure my fridge and pantry are stocked, and doesn’t require a lot of my time. I can’t complain at all. Especially when he’s investing in me.”

“Show me what he looks like again.”

You pull up a picture you took with him during your museum date and hand her the phone. 

“You look good together,” she compliments after a while of observing the photo. 

You agree. 

“You sure you wanna keep up your abstinence when he’s your sugar daddy?”

You scoff lightheartedly, taking your phone back. “Is that all you think about?”

“I mean, no, but,” She gestures weirdly with her hands. “He looks like that. And he clearly treats you amazing. I would’ve been busted it open for him.”

“We both agreed on sugarless interactions,” you humph proudly. “But if this lasts a while, I would consider it.”

No point in bullshitting her when she’s known you for over a decade. You’ve been abstinent since your last relationship because you don’t like the thought or feeling of sharing such intimate energy with someone who doesn’t give a fuck about you or wouldn’t even come to the rescue if you caught a flat on the side of the road. Your last few situations with men haven’t been the best and you’ve chosen to focus on healing and growing, and most times than not, sex has interrupted that healing and growing. You don’t want to repeat the same lessons after learning them.

“Is someone crushing on their sugar daddy?” she practically sings around her straw, eyes full of mischief.

“I can’t talk well about someone without having a crush on them?”

“‘He’s such a gentleman,’” Sooyoung repeats in an exaggerated dreamy voice, topping off her performance by dramatically fitting her chin in the hand that’s propped up by her elbow on the bartop. “You already knew he wasn’t going to act like guys our age but you’re still gushing over him and considering fucking him.”

“Crush is too strong of a word,” you roll your eyes at the knowing smile she gives you. “He’s kind, attractive, successful, respectful, and helps me out financially in addition to expanding and stocking my wine collection. How else am I supposed to feel?”

“Sure, Jan.”

“Plus, he’s pretty...” you trail off to find the right word. “Guarded. We only talk about me or surface level things. Kinda hard to really like someone you hardly know.”

“Don’t act like you’re not into the mysterious type,” Sooyoung says flatly before sipping. “There was Sehun, Hyungwon, H–”

“How’s Yuta been treating you?” 

And that’s all it takes to direct the conversation to her life and stop coming for yours. She gives too many explicit details but you can’t find it in you to complain because her stories are always interesting as fuck and you aren’t getting any action. She doesn’t exactly have feelings for him, only caring about how great the sex is and the amount of money that goes into her bank account, so she can’t quite relate to the very slow building fondness you feel for Jaehyun. She was right, though. The concoction of his attractiveness, success, and mysteriousness has definitely made you develop a crush. You have other things to worry about, so you don’t exactly think too much of it and just enjoy your time with him a few times a month. 

You call it a night after one more drink, and on your way out your phone vibrates. 

[10:50pm] Jaehyun: Brunch tomorrow? 

[10:51pm] you: Sounds good

[10:56pm] Jaehyun: I’ll pick you up at 11:30. 

You can’t help but smile at the image of Jaehyun in his work attire, sitting in the booth with a grease-stained menu in his hands as he figures out what he wants to order. Brunch didn’t go quite as planned with the work you had to finish, but dinner worked perfectly for the both of you.

“Why are you smiling at me like that?”

Your smile only widens. “Didn’t expect you to be the hole-in -the-wall burger joint type, is all.”

“I’m treating myself,” he explains. “Yesterday was a successful day and what better way to treat myself than a greasy meal and your company?”

Your brows shoot up at his last couple of words. “My company, huh?”

He nods, averting his attention to the menu again. Though you want to press the situation a little more, you drop it, but you’re now smiling for a different reason. 

“So you said yesterday was successful?”

“Mhm. I closed an important deal and it was finalized yesterday.”

 “Congratulations. Our ideas of treating ourselves are certainly different, but I’m glad to be your treat,” You wink, having one more jab at him. And the color of his ears deepen. 

Somewhere in the midst of ordering and having small talk, the topic of stocks and investment comes up. 

“One of the smartest things I’ve ever done for the company was to invest in Bitcoin and that’s basically why I got the opportunity to run the office here,” he tells you.

“I kind of understand the concept, but I don’t understand the benefits and all that.”

This prompts Jaehyun to go on a lengthy explanation of how it works. He explains something called Blockchain then how the rapper 50 Cent accidentally got a lot of money because he invested in it when a fan of his wanted to buy an album and that was their only form of payment. You prop your elbow up and rest your chin in your palm, his words go straight over your head. In the middle of explaining how Blackbear got rich off of it and that’s why he makes terrible music now, he pauses and blinks.

“I didn’t mean to go on a tangent, I’m sorry.”

“No.” You shake your head. “Don’t apologize, I wanna hear more.”

He looks at you skeptically, so you slip your foot in between his calves and look at him expectantly. You don’t understand the details but you appreciate the topic because it’s something he’s interested in and it’s the first time you’ve seen him talk about something with this much passion. His eyes were shiny and everything. 

You raise your eyebrows and blink until he picks the conversation back up. 

The glint in his eyes comes back while the two of you eat. Yeah, definitely crushing. 

You open your front door after a loud, sudden knock resounded throughout your apartment to find no one, but instead a few boxes and a bag waiting for you on your door mat. You tilt your head to the side and think for a moment. You didn’t order anything. 

Looking into the red bag to see if there’s a sign or clue of who these came from, you find a white envelope with your name written in cursive on it. With another glance around you, you decide to open everything inside instead. It’s cold. The packages range in size, so you pick up the smaller packages and kick the biggest one inside of your apartment. 

Seated at your dining table, you open the envelope and pull the card out. 

Saw these and thought of you. I hope you like everything. -Jaehyun 

You fight the smile that wants to take over your face. You figured it was him or Sooyoung. Your best friend likes to send you random things when she comes across something she knows you’d like but wouldn’t buy yourself. 

Actually looking at the bag, Cartier is written across it, and your eyes widen. Inside, there are two different sized boxes. The smaller one is their love ring, and the bigger one is the matching bracelet, both in yellow gold. With a grin, you nibble on your lower lip and read the card that comes with the jewelry. 

Too excited to wait until you look at the other packages, you slip the ring on your middle finger. It doesn’t go past your second knuckle, so you try your ring finger, and it fits perfectly. Next is the bracelet, which is a bit loose, but you’re sure that’s an easy fix. 

Grabbing your phone, you take a picture of the jewelry on you and send it to your sugar daddy.

[1:23pm] you: Thank you so much, Jaehyun. I love them.

His reply comes a lot quicker than you’d expected.

[1:24pm] Jaehyun: Of course. How do they fit?

[1:26pm] you: I could size down on the bracelet but the ring is perfect. 

[1:27pm] Jaehyun: We’ll get that fixed soon. Did you get everything else I sent?

Oh yeah. There is more. You put the jewelry back in the respective boxes and move on to the biggest box, which turns out to be a blender and juicer in one. This actually brings the smile out. The last time the two of you were together, you’d said in passing that you want to start making your own juices and smoothies and stuff instead of buying the processed ones from stores. 

The next box is a few bottles of Domaine de la Romanee-Conti and now your teeth are showing with how much bigger your smile gets. 

[1:35pm] you: Yes I just opened them! I appreciate everything, thank you Jae.

[1:40pm] Jaehyun: Anytime, beautiful. Remember, you can ask me for anything you want and I’ll get it, okay? [1:41pm] Jaehyun: I want you to actually tell me when you want or need something [1:41pm] Jaehyun: And we’re still good for Saturday, right? I want to pamper you a little. 

He’d mentioned it the last couple of dates, that he’d like you to send him pictures and screenshots of things you’d want and need when you come across them, to not worry about spending your own money when you’ve got him. 

[1:45pm] you: Yes sir. And I’m all yours Saturday. 

The moment you step into the nail salon, an older woman at the front greets you with a genuine smile and welcomes Jaehyun back.

“The usual?” she asks Jaehyun, to which he nods and returns her smile. “And what about you, honey?”

“A full set with gel polish, please.”

She grabs a basket of the gel polish swatches and hands it to you. “When you’re ready you can go to seat three.”

You eye the colors, but the same few colors you always gravitate towards catch your eye. 

“Hey,” you call quietly to get Jaehyun’s attention. “Can you pick a color for me?”

Not only would you like a change, you’re also curious about his taste. He wears nothing but neutral colors, as far as you know, so you wonder if it’s just for the job or if he is really just that simple of a man. 

The lady on the other side of desk three smiles brightly at you as you put your purse on the hook next to you. “Did you pick a color yet?”

You point to Jaehyun, “I let him decide for me today.”

Her eyebrows slowly rise. “He’s finally gotten himself a girlfriend?” she asks the woman beside her. They just exchange a look that you don’t quite understand or care enough to try to understand.

Right as she begins prepping your second hand, Jaehyun sits down beside you at desk two and sets his chosen color beside you.

A neutral pink. Fitting for the season, but a color you definitely would’ve chosen yourself. 

“This with the white tips. I like that look,” he explains. Good taste. You haven’t had french tips in a while. 

He watches the nail technician he was assigned to as she works, the two having small talk and you take a wild guess that she’s the woman who usually, if not always, does his manicures, meanwhile you watch the tv above your tech’s head. This compilation of aesthetically pleasing videos is playing and it’s admittedly hard to take your eyes off of it. 

The video plus getting pampered has you relaxed in your seat, the stress from the school week that just ended melting away. Your nail technician is so gentle with you, you could doze off. She eventually asks a few questions like if you’re from around the area, if you know there’s a bruise on the middle finger of your dominant hand (from holding pens/pencils all damn day) and more all in a gentle voice, and before you know it she’s done with the structure of the acrylic and the filing, sending you off to rinse your hands off well.

You come back to the sight of Jaehyun stifling a big yawn behind his free hand, shaking his head as if to gather himself right after. Once again, instead of getting some rest after a long flight, he’s out with you. This is the third time. A big part of you is flattered, really, because you enjoy being with him and the feeling is clearly mutual. But, you’re sure he didn’t get proper rest last night or today.

You stick your right hand out for the tech to start on and place your free hand on his bicep to gain his attention. He blinks at you, confused, and you ignore the sudden warmth that spreads in your chest at the adorable look on his face. 

“Why do you keep postponing sleep to take me out?” you ask.

The blinking continues, taken aback at getting called out. “Because I look forward to being with you after business trips?” he asks more than states, and you just continue to admire his straightforwardness. 

“Do you trust me to drive back?” You caress his blushing cheek with your thumb because you can’t help yourself when the color fades in, and he doesn’t move away. If anything, he leans into the touch, much to your surprise. “You look like you could fall out any second.”

He nods slowly and you return the gesture with a smile, muttering out a soft ‘okay’ before putting your hand back in front of you. 

“I’m glad to see you’ve found someone that can deal with your busy schedule,” his nail tech says, sighing like a relative that’s been waiting for him to get married for the longest. “You two are a lovely couple.”

The two of you thank her, both glancing at one another. 

“Speaking of schedules,” Jaehyun says as if just remembering something. “Are you busy on Saturday?”

“Not if you need me.” Saturday was just going to be spent reviewing lesson plans and doing self-care with Bella.

His dimples appear at your response. “We have a business event to attend to.”

“Ah,” You nod and squint in mock suspicion. “You’re buttering me up to surround me with a whole bunch of men talking about boring business stuff. Got it.”

“It’s not even like that,” he chuckles deeply. “You know I need you by my side.”

And yeah, that is in the contract, but the tone of his voice and look in his eyes make you believe that your agreement isn’t the only reason for his words. Now you’re the one with a warm face.

Back in the front of the salon, after Jaehyun has paid, he gently grabs your hand and lifts it up to look at your nails. He nods, satisfied with how they look, clasping your hands together to lead you out of the salon. Not before thanking and saying goodbye to the staff.

Jaehyun opens the door of the driver’s side with his free hand and gestures for you to get in. When you just stand there, he says: “You said you’d drive, right?”

“You’re one hundred percent sure?” 

“Why wouldn’t I be?” 

Your initial thought is why would you be because even Taeyong doesn’t let you drive his baby, but you don’t question him further. You just slip into the car and he’s fighting a smile at the way all of your teeth are showing due to your excitement. He closes the door and makes his way into the passenger seat. 

You’ve never felt so giddy to adjust mirrors and the seat of a car before. 

“Where to?” you ask, seatbelt on and ready to go.

“The mall we passed on the way here. I saw something I thought you might like.”

You absolutely adore the matching Saint Laurent bag and heels; black with gold accents. 

“Oh wow.”

Jaehyun’s reaction to you opening your front door is enough to let you know he thinks you look as good as you feel, if not better. Admittedly, the heels are the most uncomfortable pair you’ve ever walked in, but when they look this pretty, paired with the sleek, tight emerald dress that you were gifted a couple days ago with a note reminding you of tonight’s events, who really cares about comfort? You’ll likely be sitting down most of the night, anyway. 

You smile slyly at his lack of words. “Hey, handsome. Come in, I’m almost done.”

“You smell good,” is what he says as he walks past you and into your home, and you’ll take it. You did bring out your favorite scent tonight after all. 

“Thank you,” you chuckle. “I’ll be right back.”

Maybe you walk a tad bit slower than usual because you have a great feeling he’s watching you as you disappear into your room. You grab your purse and trench coat, check your lip gloss, then make your way back to where you left Jaehyun. 

“Sorry,” he begins as you walk up to him, prompting you to raise a brow. “Good evening. You look amazing and I was lost for words for a moment.”

“Thank you,” you repeat. You fix the flap of his tuxedo jacket as you return the compliment. “And thanks for the dress. You have a weirdly good eye for what looks good on me.”

“When I saw the dress I just knew,” Jaehyun shrugs, eyes definitely on what the neckline exposes before they move up to your eyes. “Ready?”

On the way to the event, Jaehyun gives you a small rundown of what to expect. 

“Most of the people you’ll meet are cool, they may talk your head off, though.”

“Nothing I’m not used to,” you shrug. Being a teacher calls for lengthy conversations you’d rather not participate in. “‘Most,’ though?”

“There are a few guys I’m personally not fond of and wouldn’t be working with them if it weren’t for my father’s connection.”

You nod. “I’m sure I can make interactions a little more digestible for you. I mean, that is why I’m here.”

“Just let me know if it becomes too much. I’m not opposed to leaving early.”

You’re sure you’ll be fine, but you hum in affirmation.

“Where are we going?” you ask. 

“My restaurant.” Of course he owns a restaurant. “When we have special occasions I shut it down to the public and we have our events there.” 

You lightly hit his shoulder. “You’ve had a restaurant this whole time but let me struggle to pick somewhere to eat for the last couple of months?”

He grins, grabbing the hand that hit him to kiss your knuckles apologetically. 

“It’s cute to watch,” he admits, laughing at the glare you send him. 

It’s almost as if Jaehyun turns into a different person when the two of you step into the restaurant. Instead of the shy smiles you’re used to, you’re met with the sight of his grin and lidded eyes as he returns the greetings he gets while you walk past the bar where most of the men are seated and standing around to wherever he leads you, left hand on the small of your back. Even the smile he gives a few that show all his teeth don’t give you the usual feeling you’ve grown accustomed to. The usual warmth in your chest travels down to your abdomen as you witness him in his element, around his employees, business partners, and others. You smile and follow Jaehyun’s lead perfectly, but in the breaks between speaking to random people you catch yourself looking at him from the corner of your eye.

Yeah, you like this side of him.

You’re led to a table and Jaehyun pulls a seat out for you to settle down in. 

“What do you want to drink?” he asks, hands still on the back of your seat from pushing it in, bent down to your level. And your body decides to become hyper aware of his proximity, of his minty breath fanning against your ear. You turn to catch his gaze, and he licks his lips. 

“What are my options?”

His response is a deep hum, followed by: “I’m sure I’ve got whatever you have a taste for.”

You squint a little, observing him.

“Yeah?” you ask. And the grin you receive in return confirms your suspicions. He’s flirting. 

“Whatever you’re getting is fine.” 

“I’ll be back. No one should bother you,” he promises before he’s off to the bar.

No one is apparently a tall man with long, black hair that’s pushed back and an undercut. And a smile you can’t decipher. 

“It’s nice to finally meet you, beautiful,” is the first thing he says, leaning his weight onto the hands he sets on the table. “I’m John.”

You look him up and down. “Nice to meet you, John.”

You’re stuck on introducing yourself, unsure if he really knows who you are. You remember his face when vague introductions were made, but he’s the only one that has done more than just stare and smile at you. You briefly look in the direction Jaehyun left to and he has a flute in each hand, caught up talking to an older man.

“I’m not trying to get at you,” he reassures you with a laugh. “I take it you’ve never heard of me and I’m hurt, honestly. I’m Jaehyun’s best friend.”

That explains a lot. 

“John.” Champagne is set down in front of you, but before you can thank him, he’s speaking to your new acquaintance. “Let’s not do that thing you like to do.”

“Am I not important to you?” Johnny asks dramatically after they give each other a hug. Jaehyun ignores him as he sits down beside you “You’d think after all these years I’d come up in conversation with your–”

“You’re doing the thing,” Jaehyun interrupts. “I’ll see you later, yeah?”

John’s smile is slick but he leaves without another word. But not without a wink that makes Jaehyun’s face somehow get straighter. 

“He’s your best friend?” you ask before taking a sip of your drink. It’s dry going down, and you make a mental note to get something else once you’ve finished this flute. 

“I question myself on it, too.” The drink goes down smoother for Jaehyun. “I don’t know what I’d do without him, though.”

“You’re a big question mark,” you laugh lightheartedly. 

“What do you mean?” 

“I just don’t know much about you.”

There’s a moment of silence as he slowly nods his head, and you almost regret saying anything. While your best friend was right about mysterious guys being your type, you’d think after being in each other’s company for so long you’d know a little more about him than just the basics and his everyday life. With the tiny crush you’ve acquired, your curiosity has increased, but you’ve never brought the matter up because you almost feel as if it isn’t your place to. 

“What do you want to know about me?” he finally asks. His flute is set on top of the table and he leans into you, giving you his full attention.

“Whatever you’re comfortable sharing. Nothing crazy like your childhood trauma or anything but I’m just interested in you as a person.”

You enjoy the small details you learn about him each time you meet, you just want to go a little deeper than the surface. You’ve gotten the chance to hear about his family and his relationship with them a little, but you’d like more. 

You don’t think you’re doing this sugar baby thing correctly. You probably shouldn’t be so invested in who Jaehyun is as a person outside of his status and money wiring. You definitely shouldn’t be liking him to the extent that you do. 

The man beside you hums, rolling his lips together like everything you’ve said since John left requires extra processing, which leads you to down more of the dry drink anxiously. 

He ends up scooting his chair closer to yours. 

“I’ve been told I’m boring,” he confesses.

“Quiet, maybe,” you correct him. “But I doubt you’re boring.”

“Ask me whatever you’re interested in knowing about and I guess I’ll let you be the judge. Does that sound good to you?”

Nervousness transmutes into excitement that you have to bite down, literally biting your lip to stop yourself from smiling at this little breakthrough. 

“Sounds great.”

“You have to reciprocate, though,” is Jaehyun’s condition. “I definitely want to get to know more about you, too.”

--

More of Jaehyun’s close friends and the employees that aren’t afraid to walk up to him and speak about something other than work come by the pair of you, and you’re perfectly content with mostly just sitting on the sidelines and observing. Dinner won’t actually start for another half hour, apparently, so now is when everyone is mingling. Comments have been made about how the two of you look good together, even some separate compliments about you, but mainly directed at him. 

An older man puts a hand on Jaehyun’s shoulder, making his presence known and stealing his attention away from the conversation Jaehyun is having with an intern that so clearly looks up to him. One glance up tells you all you need to know about this man. Jaehyun’s smile turns fake. 

“Mr. Park,” he greets politely, nodding to the intern to silently tell him they’ll talk later while standing, hovering over the elder. 

“I just wanted to congratulate you on the big deal again,” Mr. Park says, gaze trailing down to you. You throw him a polite smile. “And to say hello to the beautiful woman you’ve been hiding from us.”

And there it is. The compliment is completely different from the one John indirectly gave you, his tone enough to create an uncomfortable atmosphere. You slowly rise to your feet anyway, extending your hand towards him to shake. “Nice to meet you, Mr. Park.”

“And she’s got manners,” he continues. Your hand is grasped, but lifted up to his mouth, and he plants a kiss onto your knuckles. “What’s your name, sweetheart?”

As you pull your hand away, you introduce yourself. You discretely wipe your hand off onto your dress and intertwine your fingers with Jaehyun’s. 

“A gorgeous name for a gorgeous woman.” The line is as outdated as he is but you keep a pleasant expression on, thanking him. “Why is this my first time seeing you?”

“Conflicting schedules,” you say. “But I had to come and celebrate with him this time.”

“You’ve caught a good one,” the elder man winks. “Better keep her close. Never know who’d want to take your place.”

His laugh annoys you. The sound is high pitched and almost taunting. 

“Very unlikely they’d get the chance to, but thank you for the compliment.” You lift your hand to caress the nape of Jaehyun’s neck, getting him to look down at you. “He’s perfect, how could anyone else even compare?”

And there’s the shy smile you’re familiar with. 

“Yeah?” Jaehyun asks, so you continue to milk your performance for Mr. Park. 

“Mhm,” you nod, letting your hand rub down his chest, intensifying your gaze. Nothing but solid muscle is felt beneath the fabric of his shirt. “You know how good you make me feel.”

Jaehyun doesn’t have a comeback, but his smile widens as he lets go of your hand to slide it to the small of your back, pulling you even closer to him—he smells so good. He cranes his neck down until his nose brushes your own. Having him this close, his breath fanning over your mouth, your own breathing gets heavier. At the corner of your eye, the older man continues to watch the interaction, and when you lift your chin just a little to brush your glossy lips against Jaehyun’s, your audience finally takes the hint, telling you it was nice to meet you and congratulating your date before briskly walking off. 

“Was that too much?” you whisper when it’s just the two of you. “Did I make you uncomfortable?” 

Jaehyun laughs, more to himself, caressing your exposed back with his thumb. “Not at all.”

“I don’t like him,” you confess, hand still on his chest. Peeling your body from his own isn’t an appealing thought right now. He doesn’t make a move to do so, either. “He made me uncomfortable so I had to return the feeling. I hope he enjoyed the show.”

“So I’m perfect, huh?” The brunet prompts, a teasing smile playing on his lips. 

“As far as I’m concerned, you’re the perfect package,” you say matter of factly. “You’re kind, respectful, successful, and handsome with a great head on your shoulders…” The sight of his tongue swiping over his lower lip–licking over your peach flavored gloss– momentarily distracts you. 

“Even though you don’t know much about me, you still think so highly of me?” Did his voice get even deeper somehow? 

“I’m sure you’ve got your fair share of skeletons in your closet but who doesn’t? And after seeing you interact with everyone I can see why half of them look up to you.”

You can’t get your eyes off of the lower half of his face, can’t find it within you to care that he’s definitely noticed by now. Especially when he smiles, the skin around his nose creating what looks like whiskers. 

“I guess I know who to go to whenever I doubt myself now, huh?”

Smoothing your hand back up to the nape of his neck, you hum. “I like to think I’m good at making people feel good.”

His tongue peeks out to wet his lips again before he clears his throat, hand slipping to your waist as he takes his time detaching from you. Your own hand drops pathetically. “Do you want another drink?” 

“Just water, please.”

At his lack of presence, you sit back down, blinking in disbelief. Jaehyun’s a smart man. He has to know how him touching you like that—holding you like that—affected you. Every interaction makes you fall for him a little more, makes you desire him a lot more. 

You close your eyes and sigh. “I like to think I’m good at making people feel good,” you mock yourself under your breath. 

When you peek at Jaehyun while he’s at the bar, you notice he takes a moment to himself to take a deep breath, laughs to himself, and shakes his head before proceeding to get two glasses of the water you requested.

Spring break. 

A week without having to wake up at the asscrack of dawn, without three periods of high schoolers getting on your damn nerves, in addition to a few teachers having sticks so far up their asses and other unorganized, difficult staff and faculty. Not as long as winter break but the weather is nicer and you can go to the beach to relax and unwind this year.

Taeyong’s girlfriend has a beach house that she told him to invite you to because she knows with your profession you’d highly appreciate the peace and quiet, and you agreed immediately, your bags packed containing mostly bathing suits and sundresses. A week at the beach where you don’t have to put much effort into doing your hair and makeup unless someone decides they want to go out for dinner? Perfect. 

“Hellooo?”

Taeyong appears a few seconds after his greeting, holding up an untouched smoothie in one hand and a brown bag you’re sure has a muffin in it in the other one. Bless his soul.

He has a big smile on his face and the black rimmed sunglasses with red lenses that you got him for his birthday and a sweatsuit similar to the one you’ve got on. 

“Aw, you wanna be like me.”

He rolls his eyes once he sees what you’re talking about. “Are you ready?”

You scan your bed. Toiletry bag, chargers and hair products and tools inside of your suitcase, check. Shoe bag, check. Accessories, check.

“Ready,” you nod, finishing up by zipping up your suitcase and shoe bag.

When he’s by your side he bumps your hip with his, telling you he’s got your bags and to just take what’s in his hands.

“I know you haven’t eaten yet,” he gives you a parental look and effortlessly picks your heavy ass suitcase up to settle it on the floor and extend the handle. “so I got you something small because Seulgi is cooking for us right now.”

You hum a thanks, slipping your slides on.

“Be good while I’m gone, okay?” you coo to Nala as you pick her up and hold her out in front of you. She lets out a tiny bark. “I’ll miss you too, sweetie.”

A kiss to the top of her furry little head before she’s free to roam around as she pleases.

“Don’t forget the alarm.”

“Yes, mother,” you mock, and when his mouth opens to ask another question you quickly add, “I texted Jisung the code and Nala’s schedule. Now go.”

When your music starts playing in the car, Taeyong side eyes you.

“You listen to the same three songs, Tae,” you deadpan.

He doesn’t even try to deny it, instead, starting up a conversation on what you’re not going to do to embarrass him since it’s your first time meeting his girlfriend.

--

Taeyong gently sets down all of the bags at the front door, then beckons you to follow him quietly. 

Music is blasting and a feminine voice is singing along. When you two round the corner you’re greeted with the sight of hips moving side to side, her back to the two of you as she cooks.

There’s already plates set up at the table on the other side of the kitchen, and in the middle of the wooden tabletop, there’s a variety of sides, a bottle of wine that has recently become your favorite, and another bottle of sparkling water.

You stay put at the entrance of the kitchen while Taeyong sneaks up behind her, hands behind his back as he leans close to say something you can’t hear in her ear. Her voice cracks when she screams, body turning around to immediately fight him, fists positioned until she sees it’s just her boyfriend. She calls him a jerk and pouts, but then her arms are around his neck for a quick hug and kiss, eyes widening at something else he says before her attention snaps to you. A big smile takes over her face and she all but pushes him away to make a beeline for you.

“Will you be uncomfortable if I hug you right now?”

You blink. “No?”

She wastes no time to do just that, rocking you side to side with a sigh. “I’ve been waiting to meet you. Taeyong’s told me so much about you,” she laughs, giving you a big squeeze before letting you go. “Hi, I’m Seulgi. I asked Taeyong what you like to eat but he’s no help and he wouldn’t give me your number,” she rolls her eyes. “He said something about you being embarrassing.”

Not only is her beach house lovely, with a beautiful view of the beach that you haven’t even fully gotten to see yet, she’s gorgeous and kind. You like her already.

“I’m not picky,” you wave dismissively, Taeyong snorting, “nor am I embarrassing,” you direct a glare at your cousin when he passes on his way to get the luggage.

It would’ve been nice to have a chat or two with her before officially meeting.

“Let me show you your room.”

Seulgi grabs your hand softly and leads you up the stairs, makes a right then opens the second door on the left.

Huge bed with black and white sheets and a white comforter, huge tv on a black wooden dresser that matches the nightstand beside the bed.

“Sorry for how dark it is, my sister decorated it.”

Taeyong comes in and sets your bags in front of the bed, then he’s got an arm around his girlfriend’s shoulders.

“Closet is right there,” Seulgi points to a door on the right side of the main door, “bathroom is here,” her finger flies to the other side of the room. “If you need a nice bath you’re free to use the one in our room, just let me know so we can get out of your way. Any questions or concerns?”

“Nope,” you take another glance around the room. “I’m good. Thank you for letting me stay here.”

She gently swats a perfectly manicured hand at you. “Please, if you ever need to get away from the city for a couple of days just let me know, you’re always welcome to stay.”

You might be looking at her the same way Taeyong is right now. Completely enamored.

A timer sounds from downstairs, Seulgi perking up.

“Food’s done. Come down whenever you’re ready,” she says to you and Taeyong, patting him on the back before heading downstairs.

“I love her.”

Taeyong laughs with a nod, taking a seat at the foot of your bed. “Yeah, me too. I knew the two of you would hit it off but I was still nervous.”

“When you fuck up I’m snatching her,” you say with a wide smile as you walk out of the room.

Lunch goes amazingly. There’s endless conversation filled with learning about each other and you only try to embarrass your cousin once just because of the lecture in the car, to which you earned a flick on the forehead for, but Seulgi pinched his arm for you. You get both sides of the story on how they met at the gym, your cheek in your palm as you watch the couple reminisce with banter and heart eyes, appreciating the display of love.

Clothes get changed into bathing suits and then the three of you are walking barefoot in the sand, headed closer to the ocean. The walk is short, and only a couple of minutes later towels and lounge chairs are spread out, the cooler filled with water bottles and wine coolers is set down somewhere in between, and all of you are lying down under the sun.

The star is blazing and you’ll never admit it to him, but you’re thankful Taeyong asked if you applied sunblock before you stepped outside (“I’m a responsible adult, Taeyong. Of course I did.”). The breeze against your skin is pleasant combined with the bright, hot sun. 

Conversation naturally slips into silence, Seulgi on her stomach to tan her back, Taeyong up and becoming one with the ocean because he takes astrology seriously now. You check the texts Jisung sent less than an hour ago, updating you on how the walk with Nala went and that he ate all of your grapes with a smiling emoji. Your eyes roll when you tell him to eat all he wants.

A soft call of your name takes your attention off of your phone and directs it to the woman the voice came from.

“Yeah?”

“Are you in a relationship?”

You snort. “I’m very single.”

An intrusive thought of Jaehyun surfaces, but you push it out just as fast as it arrived.

She frowns.

“I’ll try to keep down the affection with Taeyong in front of you. I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable.”

Even with her invitation, you’re the one that’s kind of interrupting a romantic vacation, whether they view it that way or not. Your plan is to be a ghost, chill on the beach and read as much as you can and let the couple do all of their couple activities without the thought of you being here until it’s time for dinner or any other group event.

“Don’t worry about me,” you smile, adjusting your sunglasses. “I don’t mind PDA.”

“Just let us know if we’re being gross, okay?”

You nod, but you doubt you’ll catch them being gross often with how you’ve planned your visit.

An hour after Taeyong snatched your phone out of your hand and dropped it in the sand beside you to throw you over his shoulder and bring you into the water with him, you’re exhausted and smell like salt. You don’t know if a shower has ever felt this good before. The water’s temperature is just right, the pressure is great, the loofah that was waiting for you is perfect, and it could also be the many wine coolers and shots you downed, but you feel amazing. The more it sinks in that you don’t have to deal with fifteen through eighteen-year-olds nor do you have to plan anything for them for the next six days because you already lost sleep making sure you had papers printed and powerpoints made a week in advance, but your students do have homework and study guides complete before Monday, the lighter your body feels. Oh, you’re going to sleep amazingly tonight.

A long swipe of your hand across the foggy mirror shows you an image of you looking the most content you’ve seen yourself in a while. Your skin is a little darker than when you first arrived and glowing, Eyes heavy from the drinks and sleepiness, the smallest of smiles playing on your lips. 

Tightening your towel around you, you get to work combing your drenched hair out. There’s music playing from the speakers around the house, faint but loud enough to recognize the beat, your hips moving along to it. You squeeze some product into your hand then smooth it throughout the detangled half of your head before doing the same on the other side. 

The calm atmosphere is ruined by your name getting called by a familiar yet unexpected voice and your body jumps because of it. The mirror has cleared up for the most part and when you lift your eyes from the reflection of your fingers in your hair to the reflection on the man in dark clothing you scream, bringing your hand to the secured knot that’s  keeping your towel and turning around. 

What the actual fuck.

“Shit, Jaehyun,” you place your free hand over your heart, exhaling loudly.

A loud call of your name from your cousin sounds from downstairs but you’re too busy staring at the man in front of you dumbly. He’s looking at you the same way. Heavy footsteps up the stairs end when two concerned faces pop up behind him before you can open your mouth and ask how the hell the two of you are in the same place right now.

“Oh,” Seulgi says, wide eyes moving back and forth between the two of you before she pushes Jaehyun into the room that you now know is behind the extra door you peeped before getting into the shower and her voice goes out as she asks, “when did you even get here?”

The look on Taeyong’s face shows he’s waiting for his girlfriend to be far enough away for him to ask, “Isn’t that-”

You nod. “Yep.”

“Come downstairs when you’re done?” Seulgi asks, popping her head back into the bathroom. Once you nod again, she pulls Taeyong away with her and shuts the door. 

You finish up your hair and get dressed quickly. You don’t understand how the hell you ended up in this kind of coincidence, but your buzzed mind doesn’t bother to try to put any pieces together, especially since you’re on the way downstairs to get answers. 

“Why didn’t you tell me you were on the way?” Seulgi asks from the kitchen.

“You knew I was coming…” Jaehyun’s deadpan voice makes you smile, but you straighten your face when you round the corner and get into their line of sight. You make your way beside Taeyong, whose eyebrows are pulled in as he stares at the side of the newcomer’s face. A touch of your hand on his arm relaxes his tense form and breaks his one-sided stare off, eyes soft when they land on you. Soon everyone’s attention is on you. Jaehyun doesn’t seem surprised anymore. More like he’s just taking in your reaction to everything, seeing how he should regard you.

“So I forgot to mention my cousin would be here,,” Seulgi starts with an awkward, apologetic smile. “And I forgot to mention you were coming,” she says, looking and pointing at you. She proceeds to introduce you and Taeyong to Jaehyun and vice versa.

You push yourself off the table and walk up to him, hand presented between you two for him to shake. “Nice to meet you, Jaehyun.”

His lips go thin before he lets out an amused breath through his nose. He grabs your hand and gingerly shakes it. “Likewise.”

--

A knock on the half-closed door grants you access to the view of Jaehyun slowly sitting up on his bed, one hand caressing his chin while the other holds his phone. 

“So,” you hum, leaning against the doorframe. “Looks like we’re together this week after all.”

The other day he told you he’d be on vacation for a week so he couldn’t meet up with you, which was perfect because you were in the same situation, and now look at you. The cousin of the love of Taeyong’s life is the man you meet up with weekly. the man that adds money into your bank account weekly. You’ve sobered up since the bathroom incident and honestly, you’re pretty happy to spend more than a few hours at a time with him. 

“All week, at that.”

“I’m excited,” you admit. “If it storms, your bed is fair game, right?”

Jaehyun shakes his head with a smile, but responds with: “I’ll keep the doors unlocked.”

When you knock on Jaehyun’s door the next day around noon, it takes a moment for him to grant your entrance, and when you open it he’s on his laptop. 

“Is this not a vacation for you?” you tsk after catching a glimpse of the screen.

He lets out a deep chuckle. “It is, but-”

“No buts,” you interrupt him. “If it isn’t detrimental, I’d like your company on the beach.”

“So we’re not pretending we don’t know each other?”

You take a seat next to him on the edge of his bed. 

“Taeyong was there the first night we met,” you admit, to which Jaehyun nods. 

“You came prepared.”

“You could’ve been a creepy seventy-something year old man trying to get his dick wet,” you say, and he chuckles, nodding again. “I don’t think he’d say anything to Seulgi, honestly. But even if he did, we’re grown.” You shrug. 

Jaehyun saves a document and exits out of it, closing his laptop to put it to the side. He finally looks at you for more than a quick second, and his gaze lingers on the bikini and the see-through cover up you have on. 

“That’s a pretty color on you,” he compliments before getting up and walking to his suitcase. 

“Thank you.” You watch him as he squats down to open his luggage, rummaging through his clothes until he pulls out a pair of swim trunks. In your internal excitement that you’ve successfully pulled him away from work to come to the beach with you, you fail to decipher what the expectant yet amused look on his handsome face translates to when he’s back to his full height. 

“Are you comfortable?” Jaehyun asks, the corner of his mouth lifted. You open your mouth to question what he means but when he slowly lifts his shirt off, you understand. You nibble on the inside of your lip.

How bold do you want to be? 

You’re on vacation with your sugar daddy, even if that wasn’t the original plan. In a beach house, alone—the couple went out to get more groceries because Seulgi got carried away yesterday in the kitchen. You know exactly how you feel about the man before you, and even though he’s still hard to read, his glances and touches either give you an idea of how he might feel, or they just make you delusional. You doubt it's delusion, though, if you’re being honest. 

The contract, though. 

“I’ll wait for you downstairs,” you finally say after a long moment of silently staring at one another. “Want me to pack any drinks for you?”

“It’s only noon.”

“You’re on vacation,” you counter, hand lingering on the door under the guise you’re just still having conversation. All of those hours in the gym have done him well. 

“A couple of beers wouldn’t hurt, I guess.” He shrugs. 

“There ya go,” you lilt, smiling widely, finally taking your leave. 

You’re definitely going to make the most of this trip. 

--

With only sunglasses and black swim trunks, Jaehyun makes his way towards you on the beach after a while. You’re in the midst of putting on sunscreen, struggling to reach the middle of your back.

“Do you need help?” he asks, sitting next to you on your lounge chair instead of the one you set up for him a couple of feet away. 

“Please,” you exasperate. You hand him the bottle and turn your back towards him. He rubs the lotion onto your back with the perfect pressure, starting from your shoulders and gradually making his way down to your lower back. Head tilting to the side, you let out a hum of appreciation. “I just know you give good massages.”

“I’ve only given one or two,” Jaehyun admits, hands still going even though he’s covered basically every inch of your back. His fingers slip under the horizontal strap, spreading outward and grazing over the side of your breasts. “Always been on the receiving end.”

“Well,” you sigh, enjoying his lingering touch. “I’ll gladly be your test dummy. I’ve got some knots in the back of my neck and my feet could definitely use some TLC.”

Jaehyun chuckles, adjusting your bathing suit strings before handing you the bottle. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Do you need me to put some on your back?” you ask, happy to return the favor. 

He thinks about it for a moment before he nods and turns. You shake the bottle and pop the cap open before squeezing the sunscreen onto the palm of your hand, throw the bottle to the side and rub your hands together before running them up his back. 

“You talk about me,” Jaehyun laughs breathily when he shivers a bit at your touch. You hum in question, working your fingers into his shoulders, feeling the tense muscles and having the need to release some of the tension while you’re here. You appreciate how his muscles feel under his smooth skin. “Might have to start going to you for my bi-weekly massages instead of the spa.”

You enjoy spending time with him. You enjoy learning new things about him. You really enjoy the intimate moments the two of you share.

“I think that’s something we could arrange.”

Finishing up, you rub the residual sunscreen on your hands down his arms and give a squeeze, signaling the end of his impromptu massage. 

“What’s the plan for the day?” Jaehyun asks once the two of you are laying side by side in the chairs. 

“Sit in the sun for a while, get in the water for a while, drink until I feel like I’m one with the ocean, and leave once I’m burnt out,” you list for him. “You down?”

He nods. “I am.”

And when it’s time to get in the ocean, the waves are stronger than you thought they’d be. Nothing crazy, but with how deep you wanted to go, the water smacks into your face sometimes.

“Come here,” Jaehyun finally says after laughing at your cute struggle. He grabs your waist and tugs you into his body, and after you place your hands on his shoulders, he lifts you up and you wrap your legs around his waist. 

The added height and being pressed against his toned body make the experience even better. 

The rest of the time spent in the water goes by like this, not many words exchanged, but you lightly clinging onto him, his hold on you strong but not restricting, and the two of you just enjoy the surprisingly almost empty beach together. You leave when both of you are raisined, and come back to the beach house to Taeyong finishing preparing lunch. 

–

You can’t remember the last time you were in a jacuzzi. 

Taeyong urged you to get in because he wanted to spend some alone time with Seulgi while they cooked dinner for everyone and you had no qualms. You made sure to grab a bottle of wine and a wine glass before getting kicked out, though. 

You’re in the middle of pouring your second glass when you hear the sliding door open and close, then Jaehyun is walking towards you with a towel slung over his shoulder and blue swim trunks sitting low on his hips.

Is he genuinely this oblivious to how captivating he is?

“I got kicked out,” he tells you, kicking his flip flops off. 

“Join the club.” You raise your glass towards him before taking a sip. 

You watch him as he climbs in, settling down on the opposite side of where you’re sitting, arms spread out to his sides. There’s a still moment where you observe one another, a slight smile on his face while you continue to drink from your glass.

“I’m surprised you’re not sick of that wine by now.”

“It’s been my favorite since the night we met,” you admit, hiding a shy smile behind the rim of your glass. “I’m almost out of the stock you gave me.”

“I’ll send you some more when we get back,” Jaehyun promises. “Have you tried the white?”

You shake your head. “I didn’t want to open a bottle and waste it if I didn’t like it.”

“I want you to try it. It’s my favorite.“ He stands up and climbs back out of the hot tub. 

Jaehyun disappears and he’s in and out quickly with the bottle, bottle opener, and glass in hand, this time sitting closer to you when he’s back in the water. He fills up half of his glass before holding it out to you. Setting your own down, you grab Jaehyun’s and take a sip, swishing it around in your mouth to get rid of the other wine’s taste and swallowing before taking another to really taste it. 

“I like it.” You nod.

“Clearly not as much as the red,” Jaehyun laughs, taking the glass back to drink it himself. 

You don’t, but you might also just like it because he took it upon himself to get out of the jacuzzi when he’d only been sitting in it for a couple of minutes just to go back into where he got kicked out of, just so you can taste his favorite wine. Granted, Jaehyun is drinking it himself, but your mind focuses on how he possibly just got softly chewed out for going back in for you. 

“Why are you still single?” you practically sigh, not quite understanding how a man of his status, with his looks, kindness, and personality hasn’t been swept up and married by now. 

Jaehyun’s brow raises mid-sip.

“I could ask you the same,” he retorts instead of giving a real answer. You’ve known him long enough to know he won’t just give you the information you’re searching for, you’ve got to give him a piece of you before he returns the gesture. And you have no qualms.

“Well,” you start, turning towards him more, kicking your feet up so your heels rest upon his lap. He doesn’t even blink at the change of position. “I’m taking the time to build myself and the life I desire without too many distractions. I’ve had ideas and goals for myself and my future for years, but when I’d get into a relationship I always ended up slacking and pushing those goals aside for later. I’m now at a place in my life where I love myself enough to not let me sweep my goals under the rug for the love of someone else. I’m still young, I have time to find love after I’ve established myself to an extent that I’m more than content with.”

Jaehyun hums, setting his now empty glass aside before your foot is in his hands with his thumbs digging into your sole firmly. 

“Do you not think it’s possible to establish yourself and find love in the process?” he prompts.

“That hasn’t been the case thus far,” you chuckle, the sound trailing into a quiet groan. Whatever pressure point he just pressed into feels like heaven. “You sure you’ve never given a massage?”

The brunet flashes you a satisfied smile, shaking his head softly. “Sounds like your previous partners were distractions rather than supporters.”

“My taste in men was terrible,” you agree instantly. “I was always the one to love more and make more sacrifices for love while I got gaslit and mediocre sex in return.”

You’re saying more than you’d intended to, and you definitely blame your slight intoxication, but it’s actually nice to talk about this with someone who isn’t your cousin or your best friend. You don’t mind opening up to Jaehyun at all. His presence has been warm, inviting since day one, and he doesn’t give the impression to be one to judge. 

Jaehyun lifts your leg to dig into your calf muscle, resting your foot on his chest. “You have pretty feet.”

You laugh at his compliment, raising a teasing brow. “A foot fetish, huh?”

The corners of his mouth fight to not lift. “When was your last relationship?” 

“About a year and a half ago.” You set your glass next to his and fit your cheek into your propped up hand. “I’ve been abstinent since.”

Jaehyun’s eyes grow big. “Really?”

“It’s not that hard.” You shrug. “Definitely gets boring, though. But that discipline has allowed me to get further with my passions than ever before. Well, the discipline plus you.”

Jaehyun’s pretty fingers just so happen to find another spot, this time in your calf, that makes you practically whimper from the pleasurable pain. The moment of eye contact that comes right after lets you know you didn’t bite it down enough to mute the sound, as well as the way his movements falter. 

Clearing his throat, he asks, “From funding?”

“Mostly, yeah. But you’re a really disciplined person who many look up to. You even work on vacation,” you tsk lightheartedly. “The energy has rubbed off on me a little.”

“Being around you has definitely made me cut back on how much time I put into work.”

“Is that a bad thing?”

He shakes his head. “Not at all. I’ve gotten to actually spend uninterrupted time with Seulgi. And bond with Taeyong for the first time in what? Three years?” 

Now that he’s mentioned it, you realize just how much more frequent your meetups are in comparison to when you’d first met. You see him every week, and while every date isn’t full of long conversations and massages, he rarely checks his emails or ends nights sooner than expected because of early mornings ahead. 

“So basically I was a great addition to your life.” You nod, wiggling your leg out of his grasp then presenting your untouched foot for him to start working on. “Okay–your turn to talk.”

He sighs deeply, gaze dropping from your face to the task at hand. 

“I’m similar to you, in regards to being the one that loves more than being loved. I’ve always tried to be cautious because I’m a bit of an easy target.”

“How so?”

“I come from generational wealth and I love giving,” Jaehyun elaborates for you, glancing up at you briefly before watching his fingers knead into your calf. “Even with being cautious, I ended up falling for women who pretended to love me to reap the benefits of being associated with me.”

You hum, frowning a little. You’ve dealt with similar situations, only instead of being used for your money, you were used for your body and loyalty. 

“I was really in love with my ex, even Seulgi befriended her. One day Seulgi overheard her talking to someone on the phone, making plans to get flown out by some professional athlete. I don’t even know the whole story but I broke up with her and blocked her on everything before she could try to explain.”

The situation still hurts him, it’s evident by the sadness that washes over his eyes.

“I’m sorry, Jae.” You pout. “You didn’t deserve that.”

Jaehyun gives you a small smile. “In hindsight, it was obvious she didn’t actually like me. I just liked her too much to leave without a reason, I guess.”

Story of your life. 

“How’d you get into this business then?” you ask, gesturing between the two of you.

“Like I said, I love giving. I love spoiling someone, typically only one person at a time, though.” Not that you ever really questioned or even thought about it before this very moment, a wave of warmth passes through your chest at knowing you’re the only one that gets to have these moments with Jaehyun. “And my friend has had a few babies and recommended it. I get to spoil someone–you, without having to assume you love me for me and not just my money and without getting my heart broken. Plus the benefits of having someone by my side at events.”

“Am I your baby?” you lilt, cheesing at the way the male fights a stupid grin.

“Yes,” he agrees easily. “You are my baby and I think we got lucky for this to be our first time.” 

You pull out of his hold to sit beside him, propping your elbow up to fit your cheek into your palm, and face him with a grin that tells him you’re about to drag this. “So I can actually call you daddy now? Because I really like how you just called me your baby.”

“If that’s what you want to do,” he laughs it off, moving to pour himself another half glass. “I’m not opposed.”

Your brows lift in surprise. 

“So you have a foot fetish and a daddy kink?” you tease.

“How much have you drunk tonight?”

“Don’t act like you don’t enjoy it.”

He scoffs behind his glass and mumbles, “I enjoy it more than I probably should.”

You let your grin reach your eyes as you just watch him take gulps instead of his usual sips. You’re getting somewhere now and there’s no way you’re going to let the moment slip through your fingers.

“There’s a lot more to enjoy,” you tell him, taking the glass out of his hand to finish the little amount of liquid inside. You like the flavor a little more than before.

Brown eyes follow the trail of your tongue as you lick off a droplet of wine from your bottom lip, and you know you’ve got him right where you want him. 

“Is that so?”

“It’s up to you if you want to find out,” you tell him, still giving him time to reject your advances. Being so close to finally getting a taste of what you’d been wanting has your heart beating faster than before, and the only thing on your mind is finally crossing this line you’ve been straddling. 

“Maybe a preview.”

You sit up to lean into him, hooking a hand behind his neck to pull him down to your level. Testing the waters, you press a soft kiss to his lips, but when he presses back with no hesitation, you easily slot your lips with his. They’re soft and careful, just like the hand that comes up to your side to pull you even closer. 

You almost sigh into the kiss after watching his mouth as he spoke for the last couple of months, tilting your head to deepen it. Jaehyun easily follows, letting you lead the pace and intensity. 

After backing away a couple inches and observing him, Jaehyun’s eyes flutter open and show that he’d definitely be okay with continuing, but with your building desire for him, you don’t trust yourself to lean back in and end the exchange with just an innocent kiss. You did sign a contract after all. 

So you get up, carefully stepping out of the hot tub, grabbing the towel you brought out. You wrap the white cotton around your body and head to the back door, slide it open and walk inside. It smells good, and you let the couple know as much when you’re walking past the kitchen to make it upstairs quickly before you get fussed at. 

A cold shower ought to do it. 

Maybe you and Jaehyun should talk about what happened in the jacuzzi last night. 

You didn’t trust yourself to carry on a conversation after the moment you shared, with his eyes all lidded and lips red and just waiting for you to lean back in a repeat the action. At the dinner table there were silent glances, mostly his eyes zooming in on your mouth as you spoke then meeting your eye when he got caught. 

Everyone did their own thing today for the most part. Taeyong woke you up and you all had breakfast as a group, but after that, your cousin and his girlfriend said they’d be back later and walked out of the house. They came back when it was about to be dark.

Jaehyun claimed he had some work that he actually couldn’t wait until getting back into the office to do and disappeared into his room, leaving you to enjoy your second to last full day at the beach house by yourself. You sat out on the beach for hours until the sun exhausted you, finished your book, had a long FaceTime call with Sooyoung as you cooked and ate lunch, then took a nap until Taeyong and Seulgi got back in. 

You’d caught maybe two glimpses of your sugar daddy throughout the day before dinner, and while he conversed with you all, there was still something off. 

A loud crack of lightning jolts you out of your thoughts as you lay on your back in bed. Followed by thunder a few seconds later. You blink up, practically glaring at the sky like you could see it through the white ceiling. 

Heavy rainfall begins. 

You sigh deeply, but then the dramatic exhale is cut short when you remember the short interaction you had with the man on the other side of the bathroom your first night here. You slip your robe onto your body, slide into your slippers and grab your phone before walking through the bathroom and knocking on the door opposite of yours. 

It’s silent on the other end, even after another round of knocks, but the door gives in when you twist the knob experimentally. The sight of Jaehyun with his back against his headboard and laptop on his lap in dim lighting isn’t a shocking one. He’s got AirPods in, nodding his head to the beat of whatever song is playing, and you guess they’re on noise cancellation mode when you call out his name.

In your best attempt to not startle Jaehyun since his peripheral vision is blocked by his glasses, you pat the bed to get his attention, and that does the trick. His head quickly turns in your direction, and when he catches your gaze, he plucks one of his AirPods out. 

You point to the window to his right. “It’s storming.”

“It is,” he says matter-of-factly with a nod. After a moment of silence, his facial expression morphs into one of understanding. “Oh. It is. ”

“Is your bed still fair game?” you ask, nervous around him for the first time since you two met. “I won’t interrupt,” you gesture at his laptop.

“I was just finishing up, actually.” 

You take that as a yes. 

He saves whatever he was working on before shutting the technology down and tucking in under his bed. His glasses come off and are set on his nightstand. You kick your slippers off as he does so, shrugging off your robe to drape it over the chair at the desk in the corner. 

When you turn back towards the bed, Jaehyun’s giving your short, silky pajama set a onceover, averting his gaze when he realizes you’ve noticed and flipping the corner of the comforter over as an invitation for you to make yourself comfortable. And you do just that. 

“Not judging,” Jaehyun disclaims. “But you’re genuinely afraid of storms?”

Pausing in the midst of snuggling under his covers, you check to see if he is judging or not. His expression is neutral, so you’ll take his word. 

“Yep.” You pop the ‘p’, getting back to getting comfortable. “Just the loud ones like tonight.”

All Jaehyun does is nod in understanding. 

The two of you have had your fair share of silence while together, but up until right now, the silence has never been loud. He’s not acting standoffish or anything, but his lack of eye contact is something you’re not used to. And his body language is similar to when you’d first met.

You know you should say something because you know it’s about last night and you were the one who initiated the kiss, but now that you’re here, in his bed beside him, you kind of just want to pretend like it didn’t happen if he isn’t going to mention it himself. Is that the right thing to do? You doubt it. 

But is that exactly what you’re about to do? Absolutely. 

“When’s the last time you shared a bed with a woman?” you ask, turning towards his still seated up body with perfect posture. 

“Some months,” he confirms your suspicions. 

“Do you snore?”

He shakes his head. “I do not.”

Another bout of silence. 

“Are you uncomfortable with me in your bed?” you finally prompt. And when Jaehyun looks at you in confusion, you gesture at the clear difference in how the two of you are positioned. “Or are you just not ready to go to sleep yet?”

“No you’re fine,” Jaehyun reassures you, standing up in the process. “I just haven’t gotten ready for bed yet.”

You nod towards the bathroom. “I’ll be here.” 

A good ten minutes later Jaehyun’s back in his room, jeans and t-shirt gone and now shirtless with loose shorts on. You put your phone down on the nightstand and turn towards his side of the bed in time with him slipping under the covers. 

“Do you need me to keep the light on?”

You shake your head. “You can turn it off.”

Then it’s pitch black, not even the moonlight peeking through the blinds or curtains. And a loud crash of lightning sounds, making your body convulse. 

You laugh it off, though unable to see the worried expression you’re being given.

“How can I make this less scary for you?” Jaehyun prompts after a moment, voice low and hesitant. 

“How tired are you?”

“Barely.”

“Distractions always work,” you supply. Usually you’d put noise cancellation headphones in when you’re alone because this is kind of an embarrassing fear to have so no one really knows about it. Taeyong was aware when you were kids, but as far as you know, he thinks you’ve outgrown the fear. You used the storm as an excuse to come see Jaehyun and get rid of the air between the two of you but you’d only thought as far as just being in the same room as him. 

“Which kind?”

You shrug. “We can talk. Watch a movie or something. Being held always helps, too.”

“We can touch on what happened last night.”

You’re actually surprised he brought it up himself.

“What about last night, exactly?” 

Jaehyun lets out an unamused exhale through his nose. “Let’s not play dumb.”

The tone you just received is new and it admittedly does something to you. 

Here you are, comfortable in bed with the man of your desires, who’s only clad in shorts. There’s really nothing to talk about, in your opinion. You both wanted what happened last night and you want it again. Right now. 

You scoot closer to his warm body, your knees gently colliding with his thighs. Jaehyun stays still, even when you reach out, using the slight sight of his silhouette as a guide to run a hand down his shoulder to his defined chest, your fingertips brushing against his nipple. 

“I’m not,” you tell him, letting your hand continue down his torso. “A few things took place last night.”

“But you know–”

“I remember you calling me your baby,” you interrupt. Your digits stop when they get to the waistband of his bottoms. “Which I enjoyed. A lot.”

Jaehyun’s resolve starts to crumble. He doesn’t say anything, allowing you to continue your recall of last night’s events along with your light touches, which are now going back up his stomach. 

“And then I gave you something to enjoy. Is that what you want to talk about?” You curl your hand around the side of his neck, playing with the hairs at his nape. Jaehyun relaxes more into your touch, but you receive no answer to your question. “We could pretend it never happened, if you want.”

“I don’t,” he finally says, and you assume he’s responding to the suggestion.

“Or it could happen again.” You finish the thought, moving your thumb to brush it against his pouty bottom lip. “But I don’t think there’s much more to talk about, Jae.”

A strong hand pulls you into his body by your back before lips crash into yours. You smile as you let him control the kiss, satisfied with breaking him enough for him to initiate it. Your fingers go back into Jaehyun’s hair, nails lightly scraping his scalp as you open your mouth for his searching tongue. His mouth nor his hold are rough, just firm, and you practically melt into him.

His kisses are noisy, the sound of his lips smacking against yours practically echoing in the spacious room. The rainfall is still heavy but the crashes of lightning and rumbles of thunder sound further away than before.

He lets out a stuttered breath at the tug of his scalp, nipping your bottom lip in retaliation as his hand leisurely slips down to the back of your knee to hike your leg up around his waist. 

You tilt your head up to catch your breath and Jaehyun uses the opportunity to use his nose to guide him down to your neck before pressing open mouthed kisses over a sensitive pulse point. And when you quietly moan, it only spurs him on to circle his tongue around it.

Whimpering out his name, you pull him flush against you by your leg and the hand in his hair. He continues to focus on that spot on your neck, nipping and sucking lightly but with enough bite to have your silk begin sticking to the apex of your thighs. And it’s almost like he can tell, with how his hand slides across the smooth fabric over your hips to rest on your ass, the tips of his fingers centimeters away from the mess he’s creating. 

Using his hair, you guide his lips back up to yours for a slower, wetter kiss that you lead this time. And Jaehyun just follows, letting you suck on his tongue as he gropes you, unintentionally rubbing over right where you want him and pulling a gasp out your mouth. You push back to feel more and this time it’s intentional on both of your parts, the tip of his finger shallowly dipping into your silk clad entrance. 

Your moan brings him back to reality, it seems, because soon his hand is slowly retracting, finding the side of your face to give you a couple more kisses that clearly signal the end of the moment. You want to pull him back in when his body starts to retract, want to settle on top of him and go further, but you don’t. 

You can’t.

There’s some rummaging and the light of the television screen ahead illuminates the room as you wrap your head around the moment that just passed.

“What movie do you want to watch?” Jaehyun asks in a rough voice that makes your stomach turn. His body turned so that he’s laying on his back, one arm behind his head while the other scrolls through streaming services.

“Uh.” You clear your throat. “Something funny, I guess.”

He chooses a romantic comedy from the early 2000s and pulls you back into him, wrapping an arm around you so you can rest your head on his chest. 

The storm has calmed down by now, but your mind is anything but calm.

Your eyes slowly flutter open and it takes a moment to realize your surroundings are different from what you’ve gotten used to this past week. And then you’re aware of a weight draped over your waist, and you remember the storm, the kiss, and the cuddling.

The digital clock on the nightstand reads 10:40 a.m and from a glance behind you, Jaehyun is still asleep. You’re usually awake and downstairs an hour earlier than this, and he’s always drinking a cup of coffee when you make it to the kitchen. 

You do feel well rested.

It’s easy to slip out of his hold and get your day–your last full day here– started. You take a shower, throw on a matching short set and head downstairs, meeting Taeyong and Seulgi in the kitchen. 

“Sleep well?” Taeyong asks, handing you a mug. 

“I did.” You nod. You pour some coffee into the ceramic, followed by creamer and agave. “The storm put me to sleep.”

Your cousin eyes you for a moment and you sip from your mug, raising a brow. 

“You wanna join me on the beach today?” Seulgi prompts, cutting the silent communication off and turning your attention to her. “Let the guys bond while we have our own day?”

Jaehyun rounds the corner and enters the kitchen at that moment, brow raised at his cousin’s last words. Taeyong also hands him a mug, the mug Jaehyun’s used every morning, to which the brunet thanks him for. 

“Is that okay with you?” you ask, momentarily distracted by your sugar daddy sleepily rubbing his bare chest as he fills his cup with coffee. You figure she’d already run this plan by Taeyong. Jaehyun nods, sending you a gentle smile.

You return the nod and give your attention back to Seulgi. “Sounds perfect. What do you have planned?” 

The pair of you end up walking along the shore, picking up the prettiest seashells you can find. It’s nice to bond with her without anyone else around, though it was quiet at first.

“Has Jaehyun been treating you well?” she asks, catching you off guard. 

You’re not sure if she means during your stay here or in general, if Taeyong eventually let her know, so you just nod and answer as vaguely as possible. “He has. He’s very kind.”

“I was a bit nervous he’d be his usual uninterested self but I had hope he’d be a good host to you,” Seulgi admits with a relieved laugh. “He’s not the most social, though he does seem to talk to you pretty easily.”

“It’s my charm.” You flip your hair playfully. “Working with kids, you’ve got to be likable and easy to talk to. But yeah, he’s been great company.”

You bend down at the sight of a really pretty shell with pink on it, dusting it off to examine if it’s worth taking back with you before putting it in your little bag. 

“I know you mentioned not dating anyone, but are you interested? Like, are you going out on dates and stuff or just not feeling it at all right now?”

“I’m going on dates,” you tell her. You technically go on dates with Jaehyun, “but I’m not looking to be in a relationship just yet. If it happens organically I’m not opposed, but it’s not exactly high on my list at the moment.”

She hums in understanding and nods, then changes the subject to how she doesn’t know where her mental health would be without this beach house because it’s her happy place. 

--

Tonight is your last night of freedom. The only connection you’ve had to your work life for the last week is Jisung with his updates. He’s decided to send you daily pictures of your baby and they make you miss her a little more. 

The men took it upon themselves to make dinner and it was ready by the time you and Seulgi got back in, the sun almost completely set. You appreciate how almost every meal you’ve eaten since being here has been as a group at the table, barely any phone usage (Jaehyun stopped checking his notifications so often, deciding to wait until everyone was done in the kitchen–all it took was a stern look from you when he grabbed it as soon as it pinged one night), just conversation and laughter.

It’s planned for you all to come back during your next break from work, which will be during the summer, and it works out perfectly for everyone else. 

You don’t live close enough to a body of water you could submerge into, so on this last night, you’re taking advantage of the jacuzzi again. 

The couple went upstairs soon after dinner to watch a movie, taking popcorn with them and all. They invited you and Jaehyun, but you told them your plan for the night and Jaehyun just declined. 

He’s probably doing last minute work or just watching something on tv or his phone, but you’d prefer his company right now. So you grab your phone off of the side table and scroll to his message thread. 

[10:01pm] you: Come join me in the jacuzzi?

You wait for a response for a couple of minutes, but when you don’t get one, you just put your phone back with a small sigh. But then you get bored and pick your phone back up to scroll through your explore page. 

A few minutes into scrolling, the back door slides open and closed, and Jaehyun’s making his way towards you with swim trunks and a towel when you take a look behind you. 

“I thought you might not join me tonight,” you admit, putting your phone aside, for good this time. 

He shakes his head, dropping his towel and phone on the table before stepping inside the jacuzzi. 

“When have I ever not given you what you wanted?” 

At your silence, Jaehyun chuckles, settling down at a distance that isn’t far but far enough in your opinion. Especially after how close you two got last night. 

That’s actually your answer to his question that you guess was supposed to be rhetorical. 

“Last night.”

His brows furrow, genuinely confused. 

And it’s not like you asked him for what you wanted. You didn’t tell him you wanted to go further than the kisses you shared. Didn’t ask him to stick his hand in your shorts and relieve you of what you’ve been missing for what didn’t feel like a long time until you were that close to him. 

“You didn’t give me what I wanted last night,” you explain with a shrug. “But it’s nothing, really.”

Giving Jaehyun the time to make sense of your vague explanation, you extend your legs and flutter them in the water. You’re going to miss this place. You love your kids, but it’s so peaceful and lighthearted here. Well, for the most part. 

“I don’t want to assume you’re alluding to what I think you are, but–” His voice is deeper than you’ve heard yet, almost strained.

“I am,” you hum. You’ve been shown that he wants you in similar ways that you want him. Last night was too much yet not nearly enough. “I know what I want and I’m almost positive you want the same thing.”

“You also know we signed a contract.”

“We’re also two consenting adults,” you remind him.

“Who signed a contract that states there won’t be a sexual relationship between us,” Jaehyun retorts. It’s been a while since you’ve seen such a stern, serious facial expression on his face. “A kiss or two is one thing but–”

“Jaehyun–”

“While I don’t think you’d try to blackmail me or send me to court for anything,” he interrupts right back, and you sigh as you listen to the rest of his statement, “a breach in the contract would allow for that and I have too much to lose.”

You take a steadying breath, understanding where he’s coming from and not taking his words personally. Of course you wouldn’t do that to him, you hadn’t even thought of that scenario until he just brought it up. All you know is he is the first man in over a year to make you want to break your abstinence and if there is a way around this you’ll take it. 

“Answer this with a simple yes or no: is the feeling mutual?”

His pretty lips part to say something other than one of the two word options you gave him, getting him a pointed look. 

He scrubs his face and sighs. “Yes.”

You didn’t think it would stress him out this much. You didn’t forget about or ignore the agreement between the two of you. You just wanted to let him know you’re definitely down for a revision. 

“You can record me giving my consent, then we can make a new contract,” you suggest. He looks at you for a moment, like he’s processing. “If you want this to happen, get your phone. If you don’t, this conversation never happened.”

Jaehyun reaches behind him for his phone, taps the screen a few times before aiming the mic towards you. You state your first and last name, the date, and your consent while maintaining eye contact with him so he knows you do care about his career and reputation and your desires are sexual, even a little emotional. But not manipulative. 

He stops the recording then puts the device back where he got it from. His body language is less tense than before, the air lighter between the pair of you. Jaehyun’s worries are gone, and that’s all you wanted.

“Any more qualms, Mr. Jung?”

By the way he licks his lips, you’re going to assume he likes being addressed as such. 

“Just one,” Jaehyun begins, grabbing your calf to bring your foot to his lap, giving it the same treatment from the other night, digging his thumbs into the sole. You lift a brow, not actually expecting another issue. “Your abstinence.”

Bless him for caring about you and not just getting his dick wet. It only makes your desire for him grow.

His thumb presses into the arch of your foot and your back almost arches, a muted airy noise leaving your mouth. And by the glint in his eyes, he knows exactly what he’s doing. 

“I already told you,” you exhale, relaxing your head back even more. “I know what I want. I can break it whenever I’d like.”

“You think I’m worth it?”

You do. You really do. 

“I think you should show me that you are.” 

Smiling that stupidly attractive half smile of his, Jaehyun pushes into that pressure point again, loving the way you visibly hold back a sound of pleasure, before your leg is lifted higher and higher, until his lips make contact with your heel in a sweet kiss. 

“You think so?”

He just continues to kiss upward as you watch him in anticipation and desire. 

“I knew it.” Your voice is a lot more airy than accusatory than you’d intended, Jaehyun’s brow lifting in response since his mouth is occupied with shallowly sucking your big toe into his mouth. “Knew you had a thing for feet.”

Jaehyun laughs, watching you just as closely as you watch him. His tongue swirls around the tip and your teeth worry at your bottom lip. There’s already a dark look in his eyes.

“I don’t.” He sets your foot down gently and his arms fall to his sides after one last peck to your arch, body language open and inviting. “I just have a thing for you.”

“Smooth.”

“Honest,” Jaehyun counters. “Come here.”

You sit up carefully and make your way to his side of the tub. You settle on his lap, stomach twisting. Images of your first meeting with him flash through your mind, and you almost laugh at how much has changed between the two of you since that night.

A strong grip on your hips pulls you out of your thoughts when they pull you in, aligning your hips and settling your core right atop his semi. 

“Do you know how hard it was to pull away from you last night?” His deep voice is like velvet so close to your ears as he guides your hands up to rest on his shoulders. 

“It broke my heart when you did.” 

You wanted nothing more than his fingers knuckle deep in you when he brushed over your core, and now, with the position you’re in, you just want him inside of you. 

Apologetic hands caress your hips and waist, up and down. “I know, baby.” You lick your lips, eyes getting heavy at how easily the term of endearment rolls off his tongue and how nice it sounds to be on the receiving end. “I had to, though.”

“I know,” you sigh.

He nudges your nose with his own before he slants his lips over yours. There’s more passion, more desperation in this kiss now that there are no hindrances. His tongue laps against your bottom lip before it licks your own, pulling a low whine out of you as the wet muscles circle around each other slowly, filthily. His hands aren’t hesitant, simply caressing as they please.

“You want me to make it up to you?”

He’s already forgiven, but you nod anyway. “How will you?”

“I’m going to Bali in two weeks and I could fly you out to meet me,” Jaehyun suggests, peppering open mouthed kisses down your neck. “You can get massages, eat fresh fruit off of platters in the pool, do yoga with baby goats–” he lists and you hum at the plan and the delicate way his lips and tongue caress your skin. “And whatever else you want while I’m in meetings then we’ll go out once I’m done. I’ll show you my favorite spots and we can go anywhere you’re interested in.”

You wouldn’t mind missing a few days of work for that. 

“And what else?”

 An amused smile spreads against your skin before Jaehyun nips at your neck, laving his tongue over the bite. “I’ll add more money for the next few weeks.”

“What else?” you pant, gripping his locks. 

The knot keeping your bikini top together is slowly pulled apart until the man underneath you can peel it off of you and set it to the side, taking a quick moment to appreciate the sight of your breasts before he dips down to run his tongue over your nipple. The tip of his wet muscle circles the nub a few times, then it’s sucked into his mouth and your grip gets even tighter. The hand that isn’t pressing into the middle of your back to keep you close to his mouth comes up to the unoccupied side of your chest to squeeze and pull at.

It’s been so long since you’ve been touched like this, your hips slowly grind down against his hardening dick, trying to relieve the ache that’s only getting more intense the longer your breasts are fondled and sucked. You think you might actually come from this alone. 

Jaehyun switches sides of your chest, repeating the same attention and affection. His tongue, lips, teeth, and fingers bringing increasing pleasure to your body. 

“Jae–” you whimper desperately, grinding harder, the water surrounding your bodies splashing more intensely. 

He hums, sliding his hand down your back and around to your hip, gripping the soft flesh to halt the movement of your lower half. He unlatches from your chest and lightly pushes you off of his lap and you blindly follow his lead as he guides you to turn and bend over the edge of the jacuzzi. 

It’s quiet for a while after you bend over, so you look behind you to catch Jaehyun admiring the shape of your ass and hips and how easily you get into position for him. His hands grasp both cheeks, a low growl rumbling from his chest. Glancing down his body, you see his dick straining against the front of his swim trunks.

“I can make it up to you right here,” Jaehyun offers, breaking the tunnel vision he had on your shape to catch your eye. “Or we can go upstairs.”

A bed would be more comfortable and convenient, so you give it a moment of thought while the man behind you continues to trace the curves of your body. All he has to do is untie your bikini bottoms or push them to the side right now. Walking upstairs seems like too long of a process.

“Here,” you decide. 

And that’s all you needed to say for him to pull the strings on both sides of your hips to unravel the bows you tied earlier. The soaked bottoms get discarder right along with your top. Two fingertips glide up and down your wet slit a couple of times before they draw slow, wide circles over your clit. 

“You wanted me so bad you couldn’t wait long enough to go back inside?” Jaehyun’s guttural voice asks close to your ear, his body towering over your own, his chest against your back. He hardly gives you a chance to respond before the same fingers plunge into your pussy.

“Shit,” you hiss, nodding at his question. “Wanted you so bad.”

Wet kisses trail down your spine as his hand picks up a steady pace. It feels so good to have his thicker, longer fingers deep inside of you when your own digits don’t fill you up as well or hit the same spots.

The coil in your stomach tightens embarrassingly fast and your moans get harder to suppress when his speed and force increase. Your head hangs forward, eyes closed as you focus on the feeling Jaehyun is bringing you with your bottom lip caught between your teeth. It’s unlikely the couple will hear you out here, or anyone since there is a lot of space in between the beach houses. You just don’t want to chance it. 

But when he carefully sinks a third finger into your cunt, it’s not as easy to control your volume.

“Oh, fuck,” you whine, body going tense. 

“Too much?” Jaehyun asks, attentive yet still distracted by the way you suck his digits in. You shake your head. He starts back up slowly, giving you time to adjust and for the discomfort to pass before speeding up again when you moan in pleasure. “Need you to come around my fingers, okay baby?”

Jaehyun hums in content at how your lower half practically chases him when he barely pulls away. He reaches around with his other hand to find your clit, rubbing tight circles with a pressure that’s perfect, and he gets what he wants. 

Your breath stutters when you feel the wave of intense pleasure wash over you, and you reach your first climax in a low groan, the noise swallowed by the jets in the hottub and the squelching of Jaehyun’s digits as they move up and down since the vice grip your walls have on them leave little room for him to thrust them in and out of you at this point. Your legs shake and your fingers fail to grip the slippery edge of the jacuzzi. 

When you begin to come back down, sighs of content leaving your mouth, Jaehyun slowly retracts his hands and gives you a moment. There’s rustling behind you, and you sneak a glance back. 

He’s naked and spreading your essence up and down his shaft, his bottom lip hanging in pleasure. He’s long and thick, but not in an intimidating way. You make a move to turn around, wanting to replace his hand with your own and your mouth, but his free hand stops you. 

“I wanna suck your dick,” you tell him, yet still get back into position with your ass stuck out for him and your upper body supported by your forearms. 

“Think you can wait until I’m about to come?”  Jaehyun asks, rubbing his thumb over your entrance, catching the essence that drips from your fluttering hole. “Really wanna be inside you now.”

You nod again, fine with going with whatever he wants to do and how he wants to do it. You have no complaints about him being inside of you even sooner. 

He pushes in slowly, enjoying the gasp you let out as well as the view of him disappearing into you inch by inch. 

“Fuck fuck fuck.”

“You okay?”

“Perfect,” you say weakly, licking your dry lips. 

Jaehyun grabs your hips, both to keep you in place and give him leverage, then begins slowly pulling out and thrusting back in until your walls have engulfed him fully. 

He lets out a deep exhale, head tipped back, and gives you a moment to adjust to him. The way he fills you up is unlike anything you’ve felt before and you don’t want to wait any longer. 

“Move.” You push back to emphasize that you’re ready. “Please.”

His movements are fluid yet careful, not too lost in his own pleasure with how snug and wet your walls are around him, but Jaehyun watches and listens so he can make sure you feel nothing but pleasure and enjoy every moment. 

Your head hangs low as you get accustomed to the delicious stretch, the friction. 

“Lift your knee up for me, baby,” Jaehyun gently commands, tapping the back of your thigh. 

You settle your knee beside your elbow, and that’s when he hits that spot within you that makes your arch back even more. 

“Oh. Fuck,” you cry, to which Jaehyun hums at. 

“Right there?” he asks, a groan threatening to slip out at how your walls flutter around his cock deliciously. 

You nod your head aggressively, squeezing your fists together since you’ve failed to grip the edge of the tub with your slippery hands. 

“Everything about you is just so pretty,” he compliments, sounding like he’s in awe as he gives you even slower, deeper strokes, keeping the angle that keeps you keening. “Pretty pussy,” A thick droplet of spit lands on your asshole then his thumb traces your rim a few times, catching your reaction before the tip breaches the surface. “Pretty body.”

“Oh—shit,” you moan brokenly. “Yes.”

“And you make such pretty sounds for me.”

His thumb pushes further into you and your face contorts in pleasure. 

“What the fuck, Jaehyun?” you whine, the pleasure almost becoming too much at this point. His thick, long dick hitting all the places you need, his thumb lazily wiggling inside of your ass, his velvety voice. You’re so close it almost hurts.

He just laughs under his breath, using his grip on your waist to pull you back, silently telling you to move. 

Your hips meet his strokes halfway, your eyes closed and practically rolled back as you match his rhythm to get you closer to coming around him then having him in your mouth.

“You feel so good, baby.” His compliments only urge you to fuck back harder, the drop of your hips creating a loud slapping noise that only turns you on even more. Jaehyun lets you take over for the most part, thrusts lacking the power behind them so he can focus on caressing your ass, hip, and waist with his head dropped back and eyes closed. “Just like that.”

You transfer most of your weight to one arm, starting with tight, quick circle against your clit. Your breath quickens and you bite your lip to stop the sounds that want to come out.

“Let me hear you.” Jaehyun says. “Need to hear how pretty you sound when you come.”

Your fingers work faster, to the point of just swiping the bundle of nerves back and forth and cries tumble from your lips, pleas and curses mixed in. 

“I’m gonna–” you begin to confess, but the pleasure heightens ten-fold and you let out a dry sob.

“Go ahead,” Jaehyun encourages, putting more effort into his thrusts again, moving his thumb in and out of you. 

You have to quickly catch yourself and hold your body up with both arms again when the feeling overcomes you. You’re doing your best to stay up when your body starts to vibrate, especially when your walls become more sensitive to his thrusts. Your walls spasm around his cock and there’s a harmony of voiced pleasure. 

Jaehyun pulls out when your hand starts pushing at his lower abdomen, starting to feel over stimulated. His hand slowly strokes his length to maintain his pleasure, watching you sink to your knees and he gives you the time you need to catch your breath and come back to the moment with him. 

“You feeling okay?” he asks in a gentle voice, helping you turn towards him with his free hand. He cups your chin, looking down at you with blown out eyes. You nod, head still fuzzy from your climax, wrapping your hands around the back of his thighs to pull him in closer, mouth cracking open to finally have him in your mouth. Jaehyun groans at the sight and taps the tip on your flattened tongue a couple times before you wrap your lips around him. He tastes like you and an underlying musk that makes you lave your tongue around the underside of his cock, caressing that vein that has him sighing. 

You wrap your hand around the base, moving his own hand out of the way, and start pumping your fist. Your attention is mostly at his tip, sucking and licking and moaning around him because you want him to come, too. 

Looking up at him, his lip is caught in between his teeth and he’s looking down at you with so much desire in his eyes. 

“Shit,” Jaehyun says to himself, breathlessly. You bob your head back and forth, sinking further and further down his shaft until his tip causes the back of your throat to flutter. “Just like that, baby. Fuck.”

His hips shallowly thrust forward, enjoying the feeling of your throat spasming around his cock too much to not chase it, and before you know it, both of his hands are gently holding your head in place and his grunts are turning into moans. He doesn’t fuck your face, though you absolutely wouldn’t have minded, but he picks up his pace. You massage the bottom of his shaft with your tongue and pull him in even closer by his thighs. 

“You want me to pull out?” he asks while he can still think straight. You shake your head no the best you can with him in your mouth, and that’s all he needs. His hips still, then ropes of cum land on the back of your tongue. 

Your hand comes back to milk the rest of his cum out, your mouth sucks until his shaft gets too sensitive and Jaehyun has to pull out. As he catches his breath, grip loosening to the point of his hands dropping, you swallow your mouthful and wipe the excess fluids off your mouth and chin. 

Jaehyun helps you back up to your feet and guides you to sit on the ledge, observing your fucked-out expression that mirrors his own. You look up at him with a content smile that lets him know he was definitely worth it. He gets your towel to wipe what your hands couldn’t get off of your face, smiling at the way you close your eyes and lift your chin up with a sigh. 

“Worth it?” he asks softly, now caressing your lips with his thumb. 

You hum, nodding. 

“Do you want to stay here a little longer or are you ready to go upstairs?” 

“I’m ready.” 

He passes you your towel and you thank him. You wrap the cotton around your body and he wraps his around his waist before you both grab your belongings and make your way back inside. 

“You can take your shower first,” Jaehyun says when you make it upstairs, about to pass your door. You nod, still not all the way in the present, twisting the doorknob. “And we can watch a movie in my room when we’re both clean.”

You smile up at him, nodding a little harder. He hesitates for a split second before he dips down to give you a lingering kiss, then he’s on his way to his room. 

After your long, hot shower, hygiene and skincare routine, you lightly knock on Jaehyun’s door before entering. He’s seated at his desk, scrolling on his phone until he looks up at you and stands, grabbing another towel. 

“Pick out a movie for us?” 

“Okay.”

The door shuts behind him and you make yourself at home and get comfortable on the same side of the bed you were on last night. You scroll through Netflix and Hulu only to end up having to choose between a psychological thriller you heard a lot of good reviews on and another romantic comedy. You’ll let him choose when he comes back because you don’t know which one is more his taste. 

He ends up choosing the psychological thriller because apparently he’s actually been meaning to watch it but just hadn’t found the time yet.

The rest of the night is spent watching the movie, trying to understand it and bounce ideas off of each other on the meaning of certain scenes, then when you can’t control your yawns and how heavy your lids are, you call it a night. Lights and the tv are turned off before Jaehyun pulls you in for chaste kiss that lingers, and you fall asleep with your head on his chest. 

For the second morning in a row, you wake up in the loose hold of Jaehyun. You know you slept in again, you don’t even have to look at the time. But you do anyway, because you and Taeyong are meant to be on the road no later than one this afternoon. 

It’s only a little past ten, and anything you don’t need to use today is already packed. You have a little more time to enjoy the moment. 

Jaehyun stirs awake behind you, asking you what time it is. He’s set to leave a little later than you, so when you tell him, he hums and pulls you into his chest more.

“They’re gonna wonder where we are,” you tell him, even though you really don’t care. The warmth of his chest on your back and being so close to the man you’ve desired for the last month is enough to keep you here a little longer.

“Seulgi’s been trying to set us up,” Jaehyun informs you huskily. “She’s fine.”

You blink. “She’s been what?” 

“Why do you think we’ve been left alone as much as we have?”

Now certain conversations make more sense. Her ploy may not have worked in the exact way she thought it would, but it definitely worked. And now that you think about it, Taeyong’s been giving you looks the last couple of days too, so you wouldn’t be surprised if he was in on it after a while. 

“Oh, she’s good.”

“Not really,” he laughs. “I saw right through her. I don’t know how you didn’t.”

“My attention was elsewhere.”

“You’re right.” He tightens his arm around you even more, now so close that you can feel a hardness poke the back of your thigh. “It was on seducing me.”

You suck your teeth and roll your eyes, though he’s technically correct.

“And it worked.” You wiggle back into his arousal, enjoying his hum of appreciation.

“Baby it worked before you even started trying.” He takes hold of your hip to pull your ass back again. “This trip just made it obvious you wanted me and gave me peace of mind to go through with it.”

You love how much more comfortable he is with his words and affection towards you. The pet names, the cuddling. The directness of his desires. 

“When’s our next date?” you ask, wondering how long it’ll be before you could possibly be in this position again. 

“Probably Saturday. I have a busy week ahead since someone wouldn’t let me work.”

You scoff. He had plenty of time the other day to get his work done. “Are you complaining?” 

Laughing, he presses a less than innocent kiss to the junction between your neck and shoulder. “Not at all.” 

“Taeyong’s gonna kill me if I’m late,” you sigh after a while of enjoying the feeling of his lips on your skin, but your words don’t match your actions, your hand coming up to the back of his head to feel more of his opened mouth kisses. “I should probably start getting ready.”

“Probably,” Jaehyun agrees. But he continues his ministrations on your neck, slipping a hand under your shirt and up to your breast, groping the mound. “Is that what you want to do, though?”

“Not really,” you sigh, failing to stop yourself from arching into his touch. “But I’d hate to be inconsiderate.”

It pains you to slowly pull yourself out of his hold, but Taeyong is the last person you want to get chewed out and lectured by. With a small stretch, you get out of his bed and sneak a glance behind you to see him looking at you with desire and a cute pout. 

“Are you staying in bed or are you gonna get ready with me?” 

You still want to spend more time with him regardless of what the two of you are doing. 

He follows you into the bathroom and the two of you stand side by side, brushing your teeth in a comfortable silence. Jaehyun finishes his morning routine quicker than you, and takes the opportunity to stand behind you and fit his chin in the crook of your neck, arms sliding forward to encircle your waist. He simply watches you pat your face dry with a paper towel, sending you a closed-lip smile when you lift a curious brow at him. This extent of affection from him is new, and you’re not too sure how you expected your dynamic to change after crossing the line last night, but this wasn’t quite it. 

Not that you’re complaining. 

But when he straightens up some, his hard chest pressing against your back, you’re reminded of his morning wood, and everything makes a little more sense. 

“Did all of your self control die last night?” you joke, twisting the top of your serum off. 

He chuckles, and surprisingly nods. Burying his face into your neck now, he’s back to pressing tempting kisses on your skin, paying closer attention to the spot that made your breath audibly hitch. 

“Would you like me to stop?”

“No.” You shake your head. You sit the bottle in your hand back down on the countertop and lean back into his touch. You suddenly don’t have the mind to continue your skincare routine. “I like it.”

“I don’t know,” Jaehyun lilts, though one of his hands creeps under your shirt. He pinches your nipple, eliciting a tiny moan from you. “Maybe I should stop. Wouldn’t want to be inconsiderate.”

You hum in discontent. “Please don’t.” Gently grabbing his hair, you pull him out of your neck so you can kiss him. Arousal stirs in your abdomen all over again and you want nothing more than for him to continue kissing you, touching you. “I want you.”

“Yeah?” He voices his surprise. It really didn’t take much. “Are you sure you want to keep him waiting?”

Even though you’ll most likely be seeing him again in less than a week, it’s just so tempting to stay in this bubble with Jaehyun a little longer. To get your fix of what you’d finally indulged in last night. And honestly, being a little late won’t hurt anyone. 

“We can make it quick?” you ask more than state, turning around in his hold to look up at him with inquisitive eyes. Taking steps forward, he follows your lead and walks backwards back into his room. 

“I can try,” he finally says after you’ve stripped your clothes off, eyeing your body. You move to his shorts next and he allows you to pull them down before taking over to kick them off his ankles. “Lay down for me.”

He crawls over you, knees in between your legs as he hovers over you, putting his weight on one forearm beside your head. The kiss you share is languid yet sloppy, your tongues colliding and twirling around one another’s as his free hand immediately finds its way in between your legs, his middle finger running down your slit before sliding inside of you. 

You break away from the kiss to catch your breath, chest already heaving up and down and it draws his attention, his mouth attaching to your nipple. Jaehyun sucks and nibbles on your nubs, inserting his ring finger in your pussy and pulling out a whine from your throat. His mouth continues to travel south until he reaches the apex of your thighs, taking a moment to watch the way your walls stretch around his fingers before sucking your clit into his mouth, giving it kitten licks. 

You know you asked him to make it quick, but when he starts to pull away too soon, you push his head back in between your thighs and start rolling your hips, mouth agape with the smallest of moans and praise spewing out as you try to keep your volume down. You’re already so close, and by the way your walls flutter around his digits, Jaehyun understands as much and licks and sucks at your clit with more intent, stretching you out even more with his pointer finger. 

Your orgasm is quiet, your fist blocking the sounds that threaten to come out of your mouth, lower body shaking. He lets you ride the feeling, lazily lapping at the wetness that gushes out past his fingers, circling the tip of his tongue against your clit before carefully pulling his digits out. 

Wiping your essence on the comforter, Jaehyun comes back up to eye level with you, grinning down at your dazed expression, pecking your lips. He lines his tip up with your hole and studies you as he breaches your entrance, drinking up the furrow in your brows and lewd grimace that washes over your face. The pace he sets once he’s bottomed out is so different from last night, his thrusts quicker, more shallow, but still reaching all the right places. 

You whine, wrapping your arms around his neck. “Oh, my God.” Breasts bouncing from the force of his hips clashing into yours, you just take the onslaught of pleasure. “Fuck, Jaehyun.”

“Love how you say my name, baby,” Jaehyun hums, dipping down to scatter kisses and nibbles on your jaw. His voice is too stable and he’s so composed you compared to you and you already feel your second orgasm approaching. You need him to come with you. 

Your leg is lifted to drape over his shoulder and your breath stops for a second.

“Daddy,” you moan wantonly, eyes rolling back before you can see the way his eyes get darker and his control weakens. But you definitely feel how much harder he fucks you, how his movements lose a little finesse. “So good. Feels so fucking good. I’m gonna come,” you ramble in his ear, hips bucking up to meet his thrusts. 

“Yeah?” he grunts, out of breath now. Fingertips find your clit and rub quick, tight circles. “Gonna come all over my dick?”

You nod violently. “Yes. Yes yes yes,” you cry as quietly as possible, grabbing his hair to center you, trying not to pull too hard. “I’m coming, I’m coming,” you chant as your walls flutter around his dick, body tensing before shuddering. 

“Fuck,” Jaehyun groans. He grips your hip tight enough to bruise, but the pain hardly registers when he kissing you hungrily and your walls start becoming progressively more sensitive to the way his thick cock drags against them. It only takes a few more intense thrusts for him to bottom out harshly and release inside of you with the deepest moan that you swallow, that makes you clench around him. 

Heavy breathing is all that’s heard for a while. He gradually softens inside of you as you catch your breath. Jaehyun’s head falls into your neck, his hand gently bringing your leg back down to the bed. 

“Quick enough?”

—

Seulgi has a wide smile taking up half of her face when she walks into the kitchen. 

“What?” Taeyong asks, suspicious. 

She points up and remains silent so he can hear the tell tale sound of skin slapping and muffled pleasure. “They’re definitely fucking.”

He immediately regrets asking.

:) v self indulgent. but look at me posting a little more consistently. i hope you all enjoy, feedback is always accepted and appreciated (you could always buy me kofi too uwu ily) <3

[thescarletnargacuga]

Art: @iamespecter

CHAPTER ONE

The Amazing Digital Raceway is a Mario Kart-style racing AU filled with mystery, drama and romance! Featured ships being Showtime (Pomni x Caine) and Gangle x Zooble! (Other ships are possible but indeterminate)

WARNING: none

"Welcome, to the Amazing Digital Raceway!" A crowd of thousands were on their feet clapping and cheering in the stands around the starting line. Five racers stood next to their karts as the booming voice from above announced his welcome. "My name is Caine! I'm your trackside host and it's a beautiful day for a race! Isn't that right, Bubble?"

Caine removed his hat with a flourish and a bubble with a shark's smile emerged. "That's right, Caine! I can't wait to see what kind of race you have set up for today!"

"Then let's not waste any time and get right to announcing today's racers!" Holding his cane like a microphone, Caine flew over the crowd to the track. "Up front, is Gangle! Our winner of yesterday's race! Let's hope she can hold that title!" Gangle waved shyly to the adoring crowd, her happy mask giving the crowd her best 'happy to be there' smile.

"Next, Zooble! Master utilizer of shortcuts! I haven't been able to hide one from them to date!" Caine laughed as he flew past Zooble, who just leaned nonchalantly against their kart while waiting for Caine to finish his spiel.

"Then there's Kinger! A veteran racer who knows his way around every corner, tunnel and cliff! It's hard to trick this guy!" Kinger was face down in his kart looking at the mechanics before being startled by Caine's presence and slamming the hood shut. He spun around as if he suddenly realized where he was.

"Next is the darling doll crowd favorite, Ragatha!" Caine tipped his hat to her and he floated by. She enthusiastically waved to the crowd. "She's struggled this season, but let's hope the track is on her side this time!"

"Not if I have anything to do with it." Chuckled the last racer. Ragatha kept waving but glared at him.

"And we have Jax, another crowd favorite, whose drifting skills go unmatched! Despite the fact that he hasn't won a race all season." Caine said the last sentence under his breath. Jax chuckled and sat sideways in his kart's seat, amused by Caine's huffiness about his lack of proper participation.

"And last, but not least, we have Kaufmo! ....Kaufmo?"

Kaufmo was not next to his bright yellow clown themed kart. In fact, he was nowhere to be seen, but the crowd cheered on as if he were there. Caine covered the top of his cane-mircophone and leaned in to Bubble. "Where's Kaufmo?"

"I dunno, boss. Want me to look for him?"

"Yes, and be quick about it. The race is starting! We need our full roster!" Caine nearly hissed between his teeth in desperation. Bubble drifted away.

The other racers all looked to the lone kart at the end of the line. Ragatha frowned and looked at Kinger and Zooble, silently asking them if they'd seen Kaufmo. Both shrugged and shook their heads. None of them had seen Kaufmo that morning, which was strange. Usually he was the first one out of bed and trying to amp everyone up for the race, trying his best to make their lives there bearable.

"BOSS! I FOUND A CLOWN!" Bubble's shout got all of their attention.

"Wha- what? Who are you- where am I??" A short humanoid woman in a blue, red and yellow tracksuit and jester hat suddenly stood not far from where Kaufmo would've been.

"EXCELLENT!" Caine exclaimed. He swooped down to her and got a good look. "Hmm, you're not Kaufmo, but you'll do. We need a sixth racer."

"A what? What is this??" The newcomer looked around in panic. She was surrounded in saturated colors and lights and sounds, it was overwhelming. She manically stared down the line of racers in front of her, their expressions ranged from apathy to pity. They knew what she was going through, however, she was the first to show up right at the start of a race. "Who are you people!?"

Ragatha approached with her hands out reassuringly. "Easy, new stuff. It'll be al-"

"Get this headset off of me!" The newbie tried taking off her hat but it may as well have been her hair, it wouldn't budge.

Ragatha winced as she watched the new girl pull at every part of her own face. "Please, don't do that. You'll hurt yourself."

"Nah, let her tear herself apart. It'll be funny." Jax watched from his lounged position in his cart.

"What the [&@#$] is going on!? ..huh?" A loud BOING sound drowned out the newbie's swear.

"Now, now, my dear. We can't have any of that foul language on the track. The Amazing Digital Raceway is to be enjoyed by all ages, no matter how much road rage you experience." Caine chuckled to himself.

The newbie then proceeded to go through every swear she knew. Even ones she didn't personally think could be swears. Weird sound effects covering up each and every one of them. "...oh my god." She whispered to herself in disbelief.

Caine tugged at his collar awkwardly and addressed the crowd. "It seems we have a NEW racer, folks! Everybody put your hands together to welcome-..." He looked at her expectantly.

"Uh...uh- UHHH! MY NAME! WHY DON'T I REMEMBER MY NAME?!?" She grabbed her head in even more panic.

Caine patted her on the back. "It's alright, nobody can remember their name when they enter the Digital Raceway. Your name can be whatever you want! Care to spin the roulette?" Caine didn't get a reply so he snapped his fingers and gestured to the giant screen over the crowd. He'd been eager to try this out anyway, he'd been working hard at improving the name randomizer since last time took nearly fifty tries just to get a legible, human-approved name.

Letters spun like a slot machine, stopping one after the other. P-O-M-N-I, that doesn't seem too bad. Caine looked at the shaken and confused newbie. "What do you think of Pomni?"

"What? Uh, yeah, sure, whatever..." Pomni held herself in an attempt to ground her mind. This couldn't actually be happening. It was a dream. Had to be. It was too weird not to be.

Strange beeping and whirring sounds came from a device on Caine's wrist. "Gadzooks! We're running behind! We need to get this race underway! Racers! To your karts!" Everyone except Pomni got in their karts. Caine snapped his fingers and Kaufmo's banana yellow clown kart turned into a sleek, red and white kart with a top hat symbol on the front. "Since it's your first race, you can use my kart. Now, get in! The race is about to begin!"

Pomni reluctantly got behind the wheel. "But I don't know how to- I don't know what I'm doing!"

"Not to worry! I'll pilot you through your first lap! You'll get it in no time at all!" Caine flew high up and away as she shouted more questions that he didn't have time to answer. It was time to race. "Ladies and Gentlemen, NPCs of all ages! Today's race is through the Lair of the Gloink Queen!" He gestured to the screen and a preview of the upcoming track played. It was dark and rocky, covered in glowing underground crystals. The track curved and weaved through the caverns, silvery translucent boxes with question marks dotted the landscape. The crowd 'ooed' and 'awwed'. "Today's objective is to defeat the Queen by making the high jump over her nest and hitting the mid air target. But watch out! Her minions lurk in every corner! If they hit your kart, they'll steal your items! Remember, the only thing more important than coming in first is completing the objective! Racers, you have three laps to achieve your goal! Now! START! YOUR! ENGINES!!"

Caine's kart roared to life without Pomni touching anything. The others revved theirs in response. Bubble hovered over the front of the line with a traffic light hanging from their mouth. Pomni's heart hammered as the final countdown began.

The first light lit yellow.

The second light lit yellow.

The third light lit yellow.

Then all three light turned green.

The screeching of tires drowned out Pomni's screams as all six karts took off. After the first turn from the starting line, the track dove down underground, plunging them into darkness.

"Pomni, my dear, good to hear you're already having a good time! Haha! Now, If you can spare your screams of excitement for a moment, I'll tell you how things work around here." Caine's voice came over the kart's radio. She wasn't sure how she could hear him over the engine and the rushing of wind, but that didn't matter at the moment. She had a death grip on the steering wheel that moved on its own as it drifted through the sharp curves effortlessly. "On the track, you'll see some floating surprise boxes. Go ahead and drive through one." The kart maneuvered itself to a box and Pomni shut her eyes out of reflex. The box exploded into confetti and a small indicator light lit up on the dash. "Congratulations! You successfully collected an item! The items from the boxes are completely random! Even I don't know what you'll get each time you hit one! Anyway, these items can range from boosters to weapons to traps that can assist you in the race if used strategically. Click the flashing button to see what you got!"

Pomni opened her eyes and could barely get her hand to let go of the wheel. She hit the light and a party popper appeared in her hand.

"Lucky you! You got a popper! Those can be dropped on the track as explosive surprises for those behind you! Unfortunately, it's not too much use being in dead last. Let's change that! There's a speed booster up ahead! Flashing orange and red, can't miss it!"

"Woah! Wait, what!? Faster!? But-AAAAAAAA!" The kart accelerated into a flashing lane of red and orange. What already felt like top speed was suddenly mach speed. She quickly caught up with and flew past Zooble, who just watched her go by.

"WOOHOO! There's nothing like the rush of a good boost!" Caine's overly excited voice came through the radio again. "Now that you're in front of someone, drop the popper on the track."

Pomni's shaking hand refused to let go of the popper.

"....any time now..." Caine said, a little worried.

Pomni struggled to get it together.

"Uh... I wouldn't hang on to that popper too long, if I were you. Please, drop it on the track."

Pomni was nearly hyperventilating. This was all too much. So much was happening at once.

"Pomni! Drop the popper before it-" BANG!

The popper exploded, causing the kart to spin out of control. She hit the side wall and the kart came to a dead stop. Amazingly, she and the kart were unharmed. She felt dizzy and saw literal stars spinning over her head.

"Pomni! Are you alright? I didn't think you would hold on to it that long or I would have told you sooner that some items work against you if you don't use them quick enough! And don't worry about the crash, it happens to the best of us. No need to be embarrassed. Let's get you rolling again!"

"No! Please, wait-!"

The kart quickly gained speed and rejoined the race just in time for Zooble to catch up. Zooble looked at Pomni, sighed and shook their head. This was no way to introduce a new comer. Only Caine would be so focused on the race that he wouldn't realize just how scared Pomni was. She seemed so panicked she may abstract same day. Now that would be sad.

"Hey! New-blood!" Zooble called out, their kart even with Pomni's.

Pomni looked over. Tears welled in her eyes.

"Nothing out here can actually hurt you. Just finish the race. You'll be fine."

"Help me! Please!" Pomni begged.

"I am. Just relax. Don't worry about winning or the stupid objective." Zooble's monotone delivery was actually convincing in the moment. Like all of this really wasn't something to worry about. Pomni slowed her breathing a little and wiped her face. She gave Zooble a thank you nod which they returned.

"STUPID!?" Caine's shouting over the radio almost gave Pomni a heart attack. "This may not be my best work but it was work nonetheless, Zooble! Don't you have any respect for the creative process!?"

"Not yours." Zooble retorted.

"Well, I never! Come on, Pomni, let's get away from this party pooper." Caine's kart angrily accelerated away, leaving Zooble in the digital dust.

Each curve and swerve of the track took them deeper down until the tunnel opened into a vast cavern. The cavern wall was lined with glowing crystals all the way to the top Where they could see the track winding up the nest around the Queen to the jump over her head where a slowly rotating target hovered.

"There it is! It doesn't look like any of the others have got it yet! You could win your very first race! Go get it!" Caine encouraged enthusiastically. "Ooo! Another box!"

This one gave her a cupcake.

"Go ahead! Eat it! This item will also give you a boost, and don't worry, it doesn't explode."

"Interloper!" The long, slug-like body of the Gloink Queen emerged from the shadows. She raised her tail and spat Gloink minions on the track in front of Pomni. There were too many in the way to avoid, even with Caine's assistance. The kart smacked into no fewer than three Gloinks, one which absconded with Pomni's cupcake. Without it, Pomni just held on for dear life as the kart lunched into the air. Because of the Gloinks, the kart barely had enough momentum to make it to the other side, let alone go high enough to be anywhere near the target. The kart came down on the sloped track on the other side and started winding out of the cavern.

"That dastardly Queen! Don't worry, Pomni! We'll get her on the next lap! I know I said I would just help you with the first, but I must admit, I'm having a little too much fun! It's been awhile since I've been involved in a race myself, and, if I may say so, you're a fantastic addition to the Raceway! You've only crashed once! Many can't get past the first turn their first time!" His laughter echoed out the tunnel as they surfaced to cross the finish line and complete the first lap.

Pomni finally realized she really had no choice in the matter. Panicking and screaming wasn't helping, so she focused her energy on to what was right in front of her. She was gaining on another racer. A tall figure in a purple and white kart. Pomni took a breath, adjusted her grip on the steering wheel and floored the accelerator. The kart lurched forward with power one only thinks a kart can achieve. Gold flames flew out the tail pipes and she passed Kinger like he was standing still.

Kinger gave her a friendly wave as she flew by.

"WOAH, MAMA!! That's more like it!" Caine exclaimed.

Pomni crossed the line with the leaderboard saying she was in fourth place. She rocketed back down into the caves and started making ground on the next racer.

Gangle only saw Pomni after she dropped a bar of soap. "I'm sorry!" She gasped. "Look out!"

Pomni swerved just in time to avoid the soap, only barely missing the wall because of Caine. "What was that!?"

"Other item!" Caine answered. "Get the next box! Let's see if we can return the favor!"

Pomni pressed the glowing button and opened her hand unsure of what would happen. A fountain pen appeared. She looked at it with confusion.

"Perfect!" Exclaimed Caine. "Throw it!"

Without hesitation, having learned her lesson from the popper, Pomni threw the pen and it flew like a javelin at Gangle. The pen swerved around Gangles' head and she only had time to make the smallest squeaks of surprise before the pen inked all over her face.

"My eyes! I can't see!" She moved too far the right and hit the divider in a fork in the track. Her kart crashed and Pomni kept left, going back down to the main chamber of the Gloink Queen.

"Excellent work, Pomni!" Praised Caine. "You're a natural!"

Pomni half smiled, half grimaced. She still wasn't sure what to make of any of this. She was just doing her best to tread water after being thrown into the deep end. An explosion ahead kept Pomni's head in the race. She heard shouting and cackling and a mixture of strange sound effects that we're certainly the censors of a few choice words.

"Be careful. That was a purple seashell." Caine voice sounding strangely serious.

"A what?"

"A purple seashell. It's one of the most powerful items in the game. It flies directly to the person in first place and blows them up, heavily delaying them and often drastically changing the game. There are three different types of seashells; white, orange and purple. Only the purple ones fly. The white ones just sort of frisbee around and hit anything in around them, including you, so use them wisely. And the orange ones target the person immediately in front of you."

Pomni wasn't taking any of this in. Seashells, pens, soap, party poppers, cupcakes?? What??

"LOOK OUT!" Caine's warning got Pomni to swerve away from a Gloink. "Focus, Pomni! We're almost at the jump!"

Ragatha would have tried for the target first but Jax beat her to it thanks to his shell. "You'll have to try harder than that, Rag-head!" He accelerated into the jump and passed just right of the target. He didn't touch it but puts his hand out like he could just to taunt Ragatha.

Ragatha was going too slow and had to bypass the jump entirely. She roared with frustration and slammed her accelerator to try and catch up with him.

"This is your chance! GO GO GO!" Caine was full on cheering for her to win at this point.

Pomni got around the Gloinks much easier this time and accelerated into the jump like a pro. She reached....but she was too short. She flew just under the target and away from the Gloinks.

"You'll have to use a boost to get the target, Pomni! And don't worry, I am making a note right now to lower the target next time I use this track. That won't happen again just because someone's arms are too short. You're still doing great!"

One the way back up, Pomni caught up close with Ragatha who was still fuming. Ragatha went through a box and a red pepper appeared in her hand. Pomni watched her down it in one bite. Her sky blue tracksuit turned red and her hair caught fire. Pomni could swear flames were shooting from Ragatha's eyes as well, but that could have been a hallucination.

"Oh, this outa be good." Caine subtly moved his kart further away from Ragatha.

"Wh-what's happening to her?"

"Chili pepper! Does exactly what you think it'll do."

Not a beat later, Ragatha took a deep breath and sent a stream of red hot flames from her mouth to the kart ahead. The flames hit Jax hard and make him spin out. Pomni and Ragatha pass him and Ragatha's fire fades. She turns her head to look at Pomni and gives a wave and a smile. Pomni nervously waved back. They cross the finish line tying for first. Bubble had a sign that read "3/3 laps."

"This is it, Pomni! It's do or die! The final lap! It all comes down to this!!" Caine's voice increased in pitch with each sentence. He was nearly indistinguishable from a squeaky toy by the end.

Ragatha smiled reassuringly at Pomni. "Don't listen to him. It's not that serious. Just enjoy the ride and go around one more time. Win or lose, we're all having fun."

Pomni gave a small smile back. Then something flew between her and Ragatha. A white shell.

"[§%&#]" Ragatha swore under her breath. She looked back and saw the glare of absolute malice in Jax's eyes. "I'll handle him. See you at the winner's circle!" She brake checked Jax, causing him to swerve away from Pomni.

Pomni accelerated away, more shouts and explosions fading. It was oddly quiet in the tunnel to the Lair. Just her and kart. The engine pushed to it's limit, the tires screaming on each tight turn, the chime of the item button after going through a box. All the chaos. All the madness that was suddenly her life. It all felt so simple now.

Race.

The pistons were her heart beat. The wind was her breath. The world around her blurred as she burst into the nest cavern. She held out her hand. A cupcake.

She ate it. Candle and all.

She hit the ramp at maximum speed. She flew so high and fast, she didn't even register she hit the target. She couldn't hear Caine over the adrenaline. The kart raced so far ahead of everyone else, she was waiting a whole twenty seconds at the finish line for anyone else to show up.

Caine congratulated her in person. Shaking her hand so vigorously, her whole body shook with it. Confetti rained down from the sky. The crowd of faceless and nameless NPCs was on its feet. The other racers stood with her and waved at the crowd.

Pomni couldn't remember her name. She couldn't remember how she got here. But one feeling was familiar to her. Victory. Turns out it tastes just as sweet in the digital world....and it was addicting.

~~~

Behind the finish line was the garage. Inside the garage were private quarters for the racers. Inside one of these rooms was Kaufmo, or rather, what was left of him. A black disjointed mass of eyes and limbs splayed out on the floor. The cheering outside sent it into a flying rage, crashing against the wall, trying to force its way out.

The voices. The noise. The ceaseless, endless noise. Make it stop!

MAKE IT STOP!

M̷̤̙̦̼͇̩̖͍͔̒̈́͗̍͊͂̔A̴̦͗Ḳ̵̰͙̮̻̂͂̓̐̉̓́̈͒̈́̚͠Ȩ̵̈́͛̏̿͑ ̵̢̣͎̲̭̲͔̖̱̔̔̈́̀̐̃̚͘͠Ĩ̴̧̨͉͇̟͙̌Ţ̴͈̞͉͕̭͓̰͔̏̋̈́̈͐̈́͆̔ͅ ̶̻̰̪̠͙͓͗̌̓̏̈́̈́̀S̴̛̠̻͙̼̫̼̱͚͛̈́̔̊́̊͑̿̊̀Ţ̵̖̳̻͙̲̮̺̹͈͈̯́͝ͅO̷̠̖̤͈̚̚ͅP̶̧̨̼̣̤͇̮̣͔̻̹̩͒̏̌̔͗̇̄̒̓́̚

~~~

Ch2

[sovereignjojoz]

Matrimony

Pairing: Illumi Zoldyck x reader

Summary: you miss your husband and find out he’s been thinking of a solution to remedy that.

Warnings: suggestive, minor angst?

Notes - sugar plum pookie bookie babe illumi😘

To live together in matrimony.

That is what was promised.

Matrimony itself was a subjective matter depending on the individual. The typical concept involved two spouses living with one another, engaging in domestic affairs, all normal commodities.

Yet the Zoldyck’s were never a family who valued normality.

Even now, you could hear the hollow creak of the renovated floorboards as the breeze beneath the cracks yearned to break free of the atmosphere of listlessness.

A gentle knock sounded at the door, ever so slight, you wouldn’t had noticed it had you not been brooding. Your feet ran across the cold floor as your night dress skimmed across your legs.

Immediately your hand dashed out towards the silver door handle, a sense of hope ignited in your chest.

You opened the door a centimetre as a dimly lit candle light illuminated the surrounding darkness. “Hello?”

“Good evening missus Zoldyck,” disappointment welled in your chest, of course you had been foolish in believing it might have actually been him. “I have brought the water you requested.”

“Thank you.” You drank a copious amount of the cool liquid, setting the glass back on the polished tray.

She placed the tray down just outside of the room, briefly stepping out of the room to retrieve something. “From Master Zoldyck.” A bouquet of white orchids was placed delicately into your hands. You brought it to your face and inhaled deeply, a soft smile plastering itself on your face. He never sent a card or anything of the sort, however you didn’t mind, you thought it was very illumi.

She pivoted on her heels, pausing at the door, “would you like anything else?”

“No thank you.”

She nodded and lightly closed the door. A sigh slipped past your soft lips as you crawled back onto the king sized bed, letting the splendid silky covers caress your body.

It almost felt like a hug although it lacked any of the warmth of being embraced, just a lingering sense of frigidity. For a moment, you thought of your husband and his embrace too. It was slightly frigid and he was usually cold too, however it was a sensation you could never truly forget. His return the manor was a mystery to you, you often wondered when he’d come back to you. The manor way by no means empty, far from it with all of the household staff and residents; in fact you frequently found yourself playing with his younger siblings of conversing with his father and grandfather.

But there was no company quite like your husband’s. Although his presence was quiet (and somewhat menacing) he treated you well and indulged your every need. You couldn’t deny that you missed h dearly, you were told prior to marrying Illumi of what being married to a Zoldyck entailed but that didn’t mean you couldn’t detest the lack of communication or the time that you barely had together.

But matrimony is subjective and this is how the Zoldyck’s perceive it.

You shifted in bed, turning to face the door as the handle rattled, thinking nothing of it.

Till you saw a slender silhouette silently step into the room. Reflexively, you sprung up and crossed the room, pouncing like a cat on the lithe silhouette sending you toppling downwards.

Your fall was softened by illumi who steadied the both of you by placing his hands on your hips.

“You’re back.” You cupped his face in disbelief, feeling his defined features just to make sure you weren’t dreaming.

“Mhm.”

“I-“ you could hardly formulate nor properly covey how you felt, all this pent up longing which flowed within your veins burst out as you hugged him tighter. Then you kissed him abundantly: once on his forehead, twice on his cheek and thrice on his lips (or perhaps a little more than thrice).’

“I gather that-” you pecked his lips interrupting him, “you missed me.”

“Dearly.” You admitted. “It’s not the same without you.”

He hummed, letting unspoken words transpire between you.

His nimble fingers played with the sheer fluffy ends of your night gown, “I don’t like it when you leave.”

The slightest curve of his lips could be seen as you puffed out your cheeks, a pout present on your face.

“You know I cannot do anything about that, this is what marrying a Zoldyck entails.”

You caressed just silky smooth hair between your fingers, “I know. That doesn’t mean I have to like it…” you grumbled, “I haven’t seen you for two months.”

“Yes. It seems like it’s been a while.”

You squished his cheeks together and mockingly glared at him, hoping your falsified anger would bring out some kind of a reaction; knowing he was teasing you. ��That’s an understatement., Lumi”

He surprises you by abruptly standing up, lifting you into his arms and holding you close.

“Illu-?”

“-then we shall have to find a solution for that.” He told you, throwing you onto the bed as he shed his garments then moved till he was hovering above you.

You give him your full attention as curiosity overcomes you. “What are you suggesting.”

Obsidian eyes roam over every crevice of your face as he stared at you with unprecedented earnestness.

He picked your hand up gingerly.

“Perhaps it is time we have an offspring.” He went silent, partially to see your reaction however he was also thinking upon what a baby comprised of both your features would look like. He had found himself thinking about this topic quite often these days, about a baby girl with your beautiful eyes and his luscious hair. That would be nice wouldn’t it?

“Mmm.”

He pressed a soft kiss to the palm of your hand.

“Shall I make you a mother then? That way you won’t always be by your lonesome, what do you say?”

[shakesthewizard]

The Bad Kids as Knights Radiant

A while ago, I wrote this post assigning the main characters from Deltarune orders of Knights Radiant from Brandon Sanderson's Stormlight Archive books. Now I'm gonna do the same with Fantasy High's Bad Kids!

Adaine O'Shaughnessey - "I will Seek Truth." The Order of Truthwatchers.

Do I need to elaborate on this one? The strongly opinionated youngest child of a rich and powerful family who has oracular visions thrust upon them without their asking and has to use their newfound power to save the world despite their pronounced lack of physical ability and the presence of neurological, emotional, and physical disabilities? Is anybody gonna fight me on this?

In all seriousness though - Adaine is defined by her desire to uncover lies and use the truth to set things right, no matter the cost. She so strongly values telling people what they need to hear, instead of what will make them feel better, and alongside Riz she's half of the team's mystery-solving power.

As a Truthwatcher, Adaine commands the surges of Progression and Illumination, and while powers-wise those feel a bit more geared towards Fig's spell list, Adaine is a master of handling the battlefield without drawing attention to herself, and as a Diviner she fills a much stronger support role than other Wizard subclasses.

Boggy the Froggy is Adaine's Lightspren.

Fabian Seacaster - "I will Reach my Potential." The Order of Elsecallers.

The Elsecallers are the consumate badasses of the Knights Radiant, and probably the most concerned with appearances, aside from the Lightweavers (who we'll get to, don't you worry). Fabian himself has huge potential for strength, grace, social aptitude, and academic success, that we see him fulfill over the course of the show. He's an excellent fighter who isn't afraid to utilize a nontraditional ability or tool in unique ways to give himself an upper hand. It reminds me a lot of Jasnah soulcasting on the battelfield.

As an Elsecaller, Fabian commands the surges of Transformation and Transportation. I think Transformation is the most apt thematically, as we see during his season 2 arc, learning to live as himself without abandoning his father's legacy. Although Transportation is also appropriate, given both that he's a very mobile combatant, and that he was the first among his party to gain access to a vehicle - one which he uses on the battlefield constantly.

I would say that the Hangman is his Inkspren, but I really think if he's anything he's a Dustspren.

Gorgug Thistlespring - "I will Seek Self-Mastery." The Order of Dustbringers.

While his personality doesn't match what we know of the Dustbringers in the series so far, Gorgug is otherwise an extremely good fit for this order. In season one, his arc centers on accepting his anger as a natural part of himself, and learning how to point it in useful and helpful directions, as well as reconnecting with his orcish heritage.

In seasons two and three, Gorgug dives into artificing; learning how to take things apart and put them back together, and pioneering ways to combine his skill with technology and his prodigious destructive power.

As a Dustbringer, Gorgug commands the surges of Division and Abrasion. These feel very appropriate for our curious barbarian, and I honestly don't feel like there's a lot I could say that wouldn't be plainly obvious. The kid rips stuff apart, what can I say?

Fig Faeth - "I will Speak My Truth." The Order of Lightweavers.

Performance. Art. Identity. Lies. Fig feels almost like an embodiment of this order. If you know anything about Lightweavers, I don't even know what to say that isn't already apparent. Fig disguises herself, invents new identities, lies constantly, and is the party's designated spy. She expresses these illusory powers by way of her artistic expression, and has a bad habit of running from her problems using those same powers. But of course, when the time comes, she shows an unmatched prowess for using those powers to completely dismantle the lies and schemes of ne'er do wells.

As a Lightweaver, Fig commands the surges of Illumination and Transportation. She uh. Makes illusions and turns into other people. Look, I don't know what else to say. She's a perfect fit.

Kristen Applebees - "I will Unite Instead of Divide." The Order of Bondsmiths.

Holy shit. This is why I wanted to make this post. Kristen, who with force of will and clarity of purpose brings a god back from the dead and forges a bond with her. Kristen, the most powerful Cleric of any god for the last century, who even at her most ignorant is the one to start treating the bad kids as a team before anyone else. Kristen, whose source of power is immense and strange, and who she conflicts with regularly, even as they share a purpose.

As a Bondsmith, Kristen commands the surges of Tension and Adhesion. Again, these are perfect for her. Kristen as a character feels at times to be made of tension; pulling at a deep and very serious love of ritual and spirituality that is at odds with her seeming inability to take things seriously the more dire they get. The girl who can create a new god, who can bring one back from nothingness, and who flunks out of her Cleric class the moment her teacher isn't 100% in her corner. Kristen's arcs also tend to be pretty central to the larger plots, what with the Harvestmen, The Nightmare King, and now Cassandra's spouse seeming to have a pretty pivotal role in whatever the Rat Grinders are up to. In short; Kristen Adheres the bad kids together.

Kristen's Bondsmith-spren is, obviously, Cassandra.

Riz Gukgak - "I will Protect." The Order of Windrunners.

I'm gonna be real with you, folks, I have never encountered a more Windrunner-ass motherfucker in my life. "I gotta do the right thing no matter what and be emo about it the whole time. What do you mean I have friends who love and support me?" Look me in the eyes and tell me if Riz got assigned to Bridge Four he wouldn't immediately dedicate himself to saving his whole crew and freeing them from slavery. You know I'm right.

As a Windrunner, Riz commands the surges of Adhesion and Gravitation. These aren't great fits for his real, very stealthy skillset - but if we're being honest Gravitation is the least thematically interesting surges anyway, and Adhesion is just the "cool nice guy" surge, which Riz already is.

lmk if this is the kind of content you're frothing at the mouth for and I can do more characters (I'm on my hands and knees give me characters to do this with it's so fun for me)

[steveharringtonat3am]

Librarian!Reader x Eddie Munson

wc: 594

There was a cute boy in the library. That was a rare occurrence in Hawkins. Well, just the presence of a cute boy was rare. But a cute boy in the library? Reading a book? That wasn’t for school? You almost wanted to check and make sure you weren’t in an alternate dimension.

He look familiar, but you can’t quite place him. He’s facing mostly away from you, but through a curtain of long, curly black hair you’re able to make out a very attractive side profile. As fun as it is to stare, it would be humiliating to get caught so with a sigh you turn away and begin to fill the cart with books to put away.

“Did you see that boy on the couch?” Your coworker, Carole, sneaks up on you. She’s a really sweet old woman, perfectly happy to let you work here the summers in between your time at university.

“Yes I did.” She was always trying to set you up, but she was also aware of the lack of options in this small town.

“Well then go talk to him!”

“I can’t just go talk to him! I don’t even know him! Besides, he probably has a girlfriend.”

“You don’t know that. Sweetie I met my husband in this very library. And you know how I got him? I went up to him and talked to him. In fact, I recommended a book. So go over there and talk to him before I-”

“Excuse me?” Carole and you both turn to see the boy standing behind us, sporting a slightly awkward smile.

“Yes?” Carole finds her voice first as you pretend to busy yourself with shelves that are perfectly organized.

“I was just wondering if I could set up a library card to borrow this?” He holds up a fantasy-looking book and Carole nods quickly.

“Of course, sugar! I’m a little busy at the moment so my coworker will help you with that!” Both pairs of eyes turn to you and you smile in a way that hopefully doesn’t look dumb.

“Follow me!” You practically speed walk to the desk, sitting down and setting up everything for a card.

“You look familiar…did you go to Hawkins high?” When you lock eyes, the name finally hits you.

“Yeah! You’re Eddie right?” Vague memories of a club with matching shirts come to mind, as well as that rumours that one time some jock got punched by a boy in a leather jacket.

“Yep! I-I heard you went off to university.” Why he knows anything about you is a mystery but you nod.

“I did! I work here during my summer breaks.” You hand him the little information sheet and he fills it out.

“That’s cool…I’m in a band.” He blurts, fiddling with his rings as he slides the sheet back over.

“I remember! You guys had a cool name.” You hand over the card but he doesn’t walk away like you expect. His fingers drum against the table, like his body can’t contain his energy.

“We’re playing at the Hideout this Tuesday. You should come by. It’ll be cool.” Internally, my heart soars.

“Okay. I’ll see you there, Eddie.”

“Cool! It’s-it’s a date!” He grabs his book, waving as he walks away. The second the door shuts behind him, my jaw drops. Did that really just happen?

“I expect an invite to the wedding.”

[mumpsetc]

Here’s some object show criticism if you please:

I don’t give two shits if HFJONE was supposed to be a commentary on object shows and the object show structure a la never finishing, failing to develop characters, whatever. I didn’t come to ONE for the commentary, even if it was a super interesting facet of the show; I came for the mystery, and the mystery ended up disappointing me HARD.

When you set up plot points and emotional beats with absolutely zero payoff, you inevitably create a sense of disappointment and a near betrayal of the audience’s trust in you. Hfjone could have been a magnum opus of the OSC, and by god it still might be, but it fell into the same trap of mediocrity every other object show does when they lose sight of the storytelling.

There’s not even really any real tragedy (even though that’s what the show sacrificed its narrative cohesion for), because applying logic for a second mitigates any questions we might have of where the characters will go next. When there’s only one or two answers available to any questions asked by the open-ended ending (will they get out? Probably, if they wait long enough! Is Liam gonna turn into Airy? Sure would be a poor writing decision if he did, cuz “facing similar traumas automatically turns you into your abuser!” Is bit of a bad take imo!) it’s not really so open-ended, is it? I physically couldn’t be too sad about how the characters ended up, because giving it a even little thought already routed out how the rest of their arcs and lives might go.

I don’t know. There’s so much that HFJONE could have done and been that it just genuinely ended up not becoming, and I was really saddened by it, because I know it’s not for lack of trying. It was purposeful storytelling that it ended up how it did, and I feel like it was the wrong decision.

Also, the complete under-utilization of Amelia as a character was probably The largest detractor of the show. Dangle her presence and significance to the story in front of us then grant her like, a minute and a half of screen time. For someone so critical to the themes of the show she really ended up hardly existing, which inadvertently says something about the themes of the show (that being that they hardly exist :shrug:)

I've Been Rewatching One With Friends Lately and I've Run Into a Lot of Similar Qualms You Mentioned. I Will Admit to Being a Lot Softer on One, Both for Emotional Attachments Because I Am a Sap, and Just Out of Respect for Doing a Lot of Osc Firsts, But Yeah I Do Think It Held a Lot of Punches, Esp in Regards to Amelia.

I Don't Think Cheesy Was Misogynistic on Purpose But Her Writing, and a Lot of S2's Writing in General is Unintentionally Pretty Misogynistic. I Think There Were Ways to Keep Amelia's Role as the One Who Knows Nothing and Gets Beaten Down While Still Giving Her Anything to Do, a Friend Pitched the Idea of After Credit Scenes Done in the Black and White Style With No Dialogue Just Kind of Showing Her Subcumbing to the Monotony of the Plane and I Love That Idea.

However I Will Say I Do Still Love the Ending and the Themes are Enough for Me Personally. I'm a Huge Sucker for Very Theme Centric Work and One Scratched That Itch for Me, Though I Can Definitely See How a More Mystery Focused Viewer Would Be Disappointed. You're Right the Ending Isn't as Open Ended as People Like to Pretend But IMO It Doesn't Need to Be. I'm Just Happpy That the Final Time We'll Ever See the Characters is At Their Absolute Lowest, I Think That That's a Very Interesting Final Note and At the Very Least I Respect the Hell Outta Cheesy for Sticking to That in a Community Who's Barely Interacted With Bittersweetness at All.

[snezfics-n-shit]

Sicktember Day 14:  "I shouldn't be worried about you, but for some reason I am"

Fandom: Ace Attorney Characters: Damon Gant, Manfred von Karma Notes: It is Old Man Hours™. I am Not Sorry™. It may or may not Happen Again™. Manfred does not need friends; they disappoint him. Do not concern yourself with the mere possibility he may have looked on in envy when overhearing a discussion between two friendly attorneys in the office lobby. Do not even think about the potential feeling he may have that something is off when entering his office doesn’t immediately spawn a visit from Damon Gant, who is not his friend. Set in 1999 for the very important reason of Franziska being born and also The Phantom Menace is in theaters. Yes, both are very important to this entry.  The elder von Karma sister is finally named because I couldn’t keep it a secret any longer: Adelaide. I was holding off until I finished a PWKM with her that’s been long on hiatus, but I grew impatient with myself.

@vonpharma, please enjoy the sillies.

     Damon Gant, Deputy Chief of the Los Angeles district police department, was a nuisance. This was obvious. Anyone who had shared a room’s oxygen with the man would most likely agree. At least, Manfred von Karma thought so.

If anything, a morning without being loudly greeted by the man ought to be considered a most welcome change. At least, Manfred von Karma used to think so. 

It wasn’t that Manfred was lonely. No, not at all. Even if his attempts at calling to check on the status of his wife and newborn second daughter were frequently shot down by the servants who answered the phone, he was not at all lonely! In fact, this morning, he listened to the conversation between a younger prosecutor and his bothersome defense attorney friend. It was beyond Manfred’s comprehension why such intermingling would even be desired in the first place, but he listened. 

He even bothered to remember the topic of the conversation, however dull it was, being the release of some ridiculous science fiction movie. The defense attorney had seen it already with his son and was inviting this prosecutor to see it with his family a second time. It was quite comical! Two grown men being so openly fond of their childish interests! Not to mention a father exposing his child to lowbrow, newfangled computer animation-aided drivel passed off as cinema these days, and twice at that! That was not at all anything Manfred would ever want to waste his valuable time doing.

Yes, his time was incredibly valuable. He already spent so much of it reviewing case files he had read and reread several times this morning, which was highly important; as was the time he set aside to enjoy a cup of tea served by his secretary, imagining the framed picture of his firstborn daughter on his desk was the girl’s actual presence savoring the moment with him. The lack of interruptions made the ongoing day perfect and not at all concerning once he considered the notable absence of a certain deputy police chief. 

He was especially not concerned once that absence was minimized into a mere tardiness, with a hacking cough from Gant replacing a typical, obnoxious greeting at Manfred’s office doorway.

“Manny!” Gant finally called out to him.

Somehow, this version of Gant calling out to him with a significant lack of familiar energy managed to bother Manfred even more than usual. 

“Damon Gant.” Manfred addressed him as he typically did, a subtle attempt at correcting Gant’s informality that never truly succeeded. Whether Gant continued using nicknames out of spite or simply because he could not get the hint was a mystery. “You’re late.” 

“Late?” Gant shook his head. “I’d say it’s more that you’re early!”

“It is nearly 2 o’clock in the afternoon.”  

“Early for a man I expected to have at the very least planned a trip back home!” Gant amended with a shrug.

“Why would I do that when there is still so much to be done here?” 

Gant perused through the collection of family pictures on the prosecutor’s desk, provoking a scowl from Manfred each time he left one out of its original place. 

“Because a little birdy told me you’ll be adding to this collection, soon enough!” 

Manfred furiously and meticulously placed each framed photo back into their original positions. Inconsiderate didn’t even begin to describe Gant’s carelessness, especially as he soon started coughing over Manfred’s head with what can hardly even be called an attempt to cover. 

“Yes, I am awaiting Adelaide’s school award ceremony pictures to be developed. She’s set a new record for her age group in how many accolades she’s won this year alone.”

“No, Manny! Your new family member!” Gant shot a disappointed look at Manfred. “For shame, not being present to see your own baby.” 

“Tell our family’s midwife who won’t let anyone besides a select few servants enter the entire east wing of the home.” Manfred responded glumly. “She’s far more overbearing than the one we had when Adelaide was born.”

“I see now!” Gant clapped his hands together. “You’re drowning those sorrows in your work, then! Typical Manny!” He let out his trademark jovial laughter, at least until that cough overtook him yet again.

“Would you please stop drowning me in whatever illness has you in its grasp? In fact, why not take leave for the day to avoid the risk of infecting everyone else?” 

“You worry too much, Manny! I’ve…” Gant stared into space mid-sentence. “I’ve taken a reasonable amount of medicine to lessen all those infectious symptoms.” Either he was lying, or neglected to realize that coughing all over another man’s desk was infectious in its own right. 

“Define ‘reasonable.’” 

“Of course!” The deputy police chief rummaged through his conveniently large suit pockets and pulled out a bottle of what Manfred recalled to be absolutely sickeningly syrupy blue-green liquid. Gant then went on rambling about how effective it was, before suddenly trailing off-topic into a tangent Manfred couldn’t bother to try understanding.

Manfred couldn’t help but notice the large letters advising how the medicine should be used: “TAKE BEFORE BED,” “DO NOT DRIVE OR OPERATE HEAVY MACHINERY,” and of course “FOR NIGHTTIME.”

Not only was Damon Gant a nuisance, but now Manfred was suspicious that Gant was unable to read. It was almost 2 o'clock in the afternoon and Gant had proudly announced what was either impatience or incompetence when it came to taking cold medicine.

Manfred was now presented with the choice of either taking matters into his own hand to prevent the disastrous results of allowing Gant to stay at the office and eventually drive himself home or allow said disastrous results to occur. 

“That’s it.” Manfred stood up and inhaled deeply. He may have just taken in thousands of germs in doing so, but his exasperation was too much to go without expressing. “I am escorting you home.” 

“Aw, you’re worried about me, Manny?” The way Gant cooed was all the confirmation Manfred needed that he was far too overmedicated to be either out and about or driving home.

“I shouldn’t be worried about you.” After all, Gant was merely another cog in the Los Angeles legal district machine. “But,” Manfred added quietly, “for some reason, I am.” 

Gant let himself fall over to be propped up by Manfred, who couldn’t tell if this was intentional or merely an effect of the nighttime medication. 

“You’re a good friend, Manny.” 

No, no. Manfred von Karma did not need friends. 

He did, however hard it was to admit, need Gant.

[bensonmybeloved1]

My Dearest Pammy,

You can’t read yet, but I don’t know if we’ll ever get to have this conversation when you’re old enough to understand it. The future is uncertain. I’ve always known that, but I know it far better now than I did yesterday. No matter who you are, you are never guaranteed tomorrow. It is for this reason that I tell you this now. When I was young, I fell in love. He was mysterious and attractive and he promised me such sweet things. I believed him. I believed him because he was always so full of hope. That’s what Gatsby always was, I think. Even to the end he was full of dreams and wishes and hope. He was a fool. That’s what I loved most about him. I wish I were a fool.

He left. It was the war. It dragged him away. The whole time he was away, I longed for his presence. The longer he was away, the more I realized that perhaps it had been pipe dreams, instead of reality, that I was longing for. He, after a long while, told me that he was back in the States. I urged him home, my feelings of doubt increasing as he told me that he was unable to return. I wanted his presence. I wanted to know that I was doing the right thing, waiting for him rather than finding myself a husband out of one of my many suitors. I found I could no longer rely on the foolish hopes and dreams of Gatsby. I had to make a choice. The fanciful life I’d been promised by someone just as fanciful, set for a time no one knew, or the steady, reliable life that I could have now, promised to me by someone I could see, touch, and feel? Tom won me over in the end, and I did my best to forget about Gatsby.

You may wonder, child, why I praise the foolishness of Gatsby, and wish for it, but also have denied it. Well, at the time, I’d lost the appeal of being a fool. I thought I was so clever, and I was. I was so clever. I thought that this was the way one ought to be. I thought that the best things to be are pretty and clever. I was both. It was my beauty that got me my suitors, and by her suitors lay a lady’s worth. Her husband is the only way a woman may have anything in this world. It was by my cleverness that I had one. I let go of foolish dreams and married a nice man who could provide for me. For a while, I was content with that. It didn’t last.

Tom was sweet at first. He was tender and kind. We got on well enough to start. There were moments when I was sure that I really did love him. There were moments when I was sure he loved me. And perhaps he does. Perhaps he did. Perhaps I did. I do not know anymore. At any rate, it didn’t matter. It didn’t matter because of Her. I don’t know if he intended I never find out. If he did, he did a right awful job at that; sneaking off to who knows where, sometimes more than twice a week, and taking secret phone calls. He wasn’t exactly subtle. Neither of us brought it up, but after a certain point, I think he knew I knew. He suspected it at least. It wouldn't have been as bad if it had been a temporary thing, but as the years stretched on, so did the affair, and I knew I would never truly have my husband’s heart. That was all right though. My husband would never truly have mine. Though, while the object of his affections was just a drive away, I had no idea where my Gatsby was or if he even remembered what he’d promised me those years ago.

Eventually, we had you. We were excited for a while, happy. I thought that, perhaps, this was the moment where we would both forget our dreams and come back to reality. I had married Tom, you might remember, for his lack of being a fool. Turns out he was an even bigger fool than I was. It couldn’t last. Tom went back to Her, seemingly more often now than before. I once again found myself longing for the presence of Gatsby. I wanted to know that I had done the right thing, giving up my chance with him and marrying one of my many suitors. I didn’t think I had. I wished so badly that I had been a fool. I wanted to be ignorant of the cruel realities of this world, and I wanted to be embraced by the lovely dreams of Gatsby. Your father so wanted a boy. He had convinced me that I did too. Deep down, though, I think I knew you. I knew what I wanted you to be.

Your father might have been there for your birth. Truthfully, I don’t remember. It doesn’t make any difference anyway. You were less than an hour old, and he was gone. Probably with Her. I suddenly needed to know. I asked the nurse right away if you were a boy or a girl. She told me you were a girl. I turned my head and wept. I still don’t know if they were tears of sadness or joy. Either way, like so many things in this story, it didn’t really matter. You were here, and I was glad. I knew exactly what I wanted you to be. ‘All right’, I’d said. ‘I’m glad it’s a girl. And I hope she’ll be a fool- that’s the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool.’ For it was my beauty that had gotten me all of my suitors, Gatsby included, but it was foolishness that I truly wished for you. I wished that you would not be me. I am far too clever to be happy. That is what I truly want for you. I want you to be happy.

I write this for you now so that you may know why your mother is always so unhappy and distant. I truly do care for you. It is because I care for you that I am distant. I would not be a good mother. I am not. But I needed to impart this wisdom upon you. If you do end up clever, like your mother, darling, I urge you: act foolish. Have as many foolish dreams as your heart desires. If you are foolish enough, they might even come true. My Gatsby lived every day of his life a fool, and I have to believe he was happier for it, at least for a while. If he wasn’t, then both sides of this story are more of a tragedy than they have already become. I am told, though, that Gatsby died with a smile on his face, and that must account for something.

I am hiding this letter away. I might, one day, give it to you in person. Or you might read it after I am gone. You might never read it at all. But, Pammy, never stop dreaming, and always know that I love you. And, for this brief moment, allow me to be a fool.

With All a Mother’s Love,

Daisy Gatsby

[luxraydyne]

I am very invested in the idea of an eitoku high era prequel (<- biggest manaka fan I know) and am interested to know your ideas for it? Putting a question mark at the end of that sounds weird but. This is an ask I guess

me 'n anon right now

tbh i have less than ideas and more like a big globule of vaguely channeled feelings knocking around in my brain lmao. from what little we see of her manaka seems like such a charming, bright, optimistic young woman, and with the trio having such different backgrounds and approaches to their lives i so want to see the three of them in action and what experiences caused them to form such a powerful bond such that we see even just in the awful horrible (albeit wonderfully done) snippet we get in aitsf. like hitomi and renju's conversation about baby iris and 'a war is about to begin between you and the baby' is hilarious and sweet in a way that is so indicative of their dynamic i want to see all three putting their heads together over something. i guess something somewhere between aitsf's real-world investigation sequences, a very pared back persona 4, maybe a dash of ace attorney or even older point-and-click mystery-adventure type games, a serious, but very local (like, within the school sort of local), contained sort of plot they bring into their personal life out of a combined sense of curiosity, naivete, and frustration at a lack of agency in their own lives, that steadily spirals out of their control in some way without becoming, yknow, a literal apocalypse level disaster. branching end pathways could be tricky, for one, knowing from the jump there is one precise complicated scenario we have to end up with in at least one "canon", and for two, also having to weave in throughout some pretty major side-happenings with renju's entrapment by the kumakuras, hitomi as an only child dealing with the sudden death of her parents, manaka meeting so sejima and becoming his "mistress", however that happened (this is reminding me more and more of a more mature but equally nutty persona plot actually, minus the demon fighting, although that could also be a fun romp, and that draws me back to my psyncer!hitomi/renju revenge au. anyway.) like for a writer i am in fact shit at plotting out anything lol.

i suppose as a footnote to all this i should add that a dedicated prequel letting us see more of them would probably remove much of the vague, ghost-like presence that manaka and renju both have in aitsf, retroactively (retroactively?? would that be right??? for something made after but set before?? idk) making aitsf less interesting. but part of what makes characters like those two fun is the almost-not-quite-futile effort trying to reconstruct a sense of a whole complex living person out of the bitty unstable artifacts they left, allowing them to persist beyond death and intrude on the present in this fragile, timeless state (and that's real haunting the narrative baybeeee), which is kind of what we're doing with this exercise, dressed up as "imagining the fake eitoku gang prequel which would be way too grounded and non-meta, non-sci-fi to ever actually exist anyway"

[arcanepactguile]

[ @baphomet-slumber-queen ] A pink imp with a black candle on her head appears in Alastor's radio tower with a gift box. "Good day, Sinner! Lady Belphegor sends her season greetings and would like to offer you a gift. Merry Sinmas!"

She sets the box down before disappearing in a puff of pink and white smoke.

Attached to the top of the wrapped box, there was a small card addressed to him.

'Dear Alastor,

I hope this gift finds you well during this lovely holiday season. Your broadcasts are always a joy to listen to here in the Sloth Ring. To show my gratitude to your wonderful shows that often keep me company, I had a special gift made for you. I hope it serves you well.

Sweet dreams, and Merry Sinmas,

~Belphegor. Inside the box he would find a blanket made from wool and plush material that had small designs of deer on both sides.

𝐌𝐄𝐑𝐑𝐘 𝐒𝐈𝐍𝐌𝐀𝐒

It was by sheer luck that the Radio Demon had ended the day's radio program, when a voice behind had startled the demon. Pivoting in place to see whom it was, not strictly finding the presence of an intruder immediately an act of hostility, the appearance of a simple imp hadn't stirred anything but curiosity.

The little scamp had already begun explaining itself before Alastor could get a word in edgewise, and so he was content to pay attention, eyebrows raised at the mention of a superior title. ‘Lady’, and an entity by the name of Belphegor…

The puff of smoke the only proof that this wasn't something his mind had invented, either from lack of sleep or another symptom of balled up stress, Alastor didn't show any apprehension when he bent down to pick up the mysterious box for a closer look. It had a solid weight, and the size didn't really offer a single clue as to what it hid. Untying the ribbon and the gift wrapping with one hand, brows knitted, upon pulling out the gift not only did the Overlord's expression flip over to surprise, a smile had accompanied it.

Like a true gentleman, Alastor had chosen to read the greeting card AFTER opening the gift. He just had to know what it was.

Hanging the blanket over one arm whilst he re-reread the card, the Radio Demon's smile grew bigger, but his merry mood dipped a bit when he had reached the casual sign off promising sweet dreams.

You couldn't win them all. The gesture was a lovely thought, in the end. He couldn't fault the Lady of Sin for being ignorant.

Tucking the card into a chest pocket carefully before he returned his attention to the plush blanket, noting the deer designs worked into it, Alastor's impassive face lit up again as he couldn't recall the last time when a Sin had sent him a token of gratitude. To be sure, he hadn't even been aware he had made contact with ANY of them. The Sloth Ring was outside Pentagram City, but therein lay the thrill of leaving this province of Hell for greener pastures. Joke intended because he understood that the Lady Belphegor was a sheep.

Solemnly, taking the opportunity because he was alone, the quiet Radio Demon took the chance to press his face into the plush blanket, enjoying how pleasing it felt on his skin. Breathing it in deeply, his ears listing to droop, Alastor had made up his mind to thank her in person.

[treatian]

The Chronicles of the Dark One: Domestic Battles

Chapter 40: Between a Rock and a Hard Place

It had to be something related to the hat. It had to be. He knew that it had been almost too easy when she'd offered the Apprentice up to him on a silver platter. At least, that's what he would have thought if he hadn't, at that point, had the hat in his possession. What did she think that she had, then? Was it simply her own lack of knowledge that she thought the Apprentice was keeping it somewhere safe or that she didn't realize that he'd already used her own niece's tear to grant him access to it? Was there something more he was missing to the deal that they'd made? His silence for the hat…she'd expected that it would keep him busy and out of her way, motivated not to interfere, all because she hadn't realized that she had it yet. She'd already given away her highest card…but with a potential deal still on the table, what exactly did she have, or think that she had, that would be a suitable trade for that? And how could he get her to tell him? Even if he didn't need the information she thought she had, he didn't like knowing that there might be something she wasn't telling him. And he didn't like being unprepared for a deal.

He knew Belle was at the shop; he could feel her presence there even before he reappeared on the street outside. As soon as she left, he was going home. He was going to comb through the chronicles, not just Zoso's notes on the hat, every last bit of evidence that he had in order to figure out what exactly-

He expected Belle to be in the shop. He'd known she was there ever since she set foot on the property, his magic always let him know. But he'd expected she'd gone to the back room to find a book or maybe just needed a break away from the visitor in the library she clearly hadn't wanted. He hadn't anticipated walking in the front door and finding her in the front room with a rope and pick axe in her hand and determination in her eyes.

"Belle? Where are you headed?"

Not back over to the library, surely. But that only gave him another thing to worry about. If she had it in her head that she was going to go out there and face Ingrid alone-

"To the North Woods," she spat out. "Where the Snow Queen's hiding."

Fuck.

"And what business do you have with her?"

He didn't need to ask why she was doing this; Belle longed to be a hero and do brave things. But where this had suddenly come from, why she'd emerged from her place in the library to suddenly go hunting the Ice Queen herself when he could still feel Elsa's snow magic over in the library, that was a mystery to him. What the fuck had come over her?

"I have to fix a mistake I made a long time ago."

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm afraid I can't tell you. You wouldn't understand."

Those words slapped him in the face. He hadn't been prepared for words like that from her. "I can't tell you" and "you wouldn't understand"…those were his lines. Not Belle's. Not good, sweet Belle, who always told him he could tell her anything and promised she'd always understand. What mistake had she made that would make her think he couldn't return the favor? And how was going to look for Ingrid herself going to fix whatever this mysterious mistake was? And, for that matter, why was she telling him all this to begin with? She had to know that he wasn't going to let her go anywhere near that witch on her own. Was she saying all this with the hope that he would stop her?

"Whether or not that's true, the fact remains that she defeated both Emma and Regina. She is far more dangerous than you realize!"

"I know. That's why I was…I was hoping you'd come with me."

On a mission that he didn't understand and she wouldn't tell him about. How in the hell had she gotten so far out of her mind in such a short period of time?!

"I'm sorry, Belle, that's out of the question!" he shook his head, moving away from her. "I won't let you anywhere near her!"

"I was worried you were going to say that…"

A quiver in Belle's voice made him stop and turn to glance at her once more, only to find her digging around in her purse, as if looking for something.

"Because uh…I really, really didn't want to do this."

She was practically crying as she held the dagger in her fist, out in front of him as she had when Elsa and David had been by only now…

Now, it shook in her hand. It was a thin scrap of metal by comparison, but he couldn't help but feel like she was using it as a shield. And him?

He was stuck. A thousand thoughts erupted in his mind. His own and those of the Dark Ones.

Belle was using the dagger against him. Of course, that dagger had absolutely no power over him, the real one was safely hidden away and frankly, given their situation, he was certain he'd never place the real one in her fingers again after this. But the fact that she didn't hold the real dagger right this second was not a fact that was known to her. She was using it! Using it in an attempt to overpower his own wishes and fulfill her own.

Shameful! Nimue spat. It was smart not to trust her. Maybe you'll see now that we can't trust anyone!

Maybe. But…now?! The fact that Belle wasn't holding the real dagger was suddenly at the forefront of his mind. He didn't have to do what she was asking, but not to do it would arouse suspicion. Was he ready to have her realize that the dagger she held wasn't real? He'd already used the thing as an alibi far more often than he had wanted to. Was he prepared to have those alibis come crashing down?

The cost of that ran deeper than he wanted to acknowledge. He'd be under suspicion of working with the Ice Queen. The timid deal he had with Hook would unravel. They'd know about the Apprentice. Security would be tightened. It would make his chances of true freedom from the dagger harder. And Belle…she'd be devastated.

The Dark Ones scoffed in his head at that thought with the image of her standing before him using his one weakness against him, but…

No, this…this wasn't his Belle. She'd been acting odd all week, ever since they'd returned from their honeymoon. Something had been off with her, and this was just part of it. There was a reason she was doing this. And yes, it held the potential for devastation, and it left him feeling hurt and betrayed and angry, so very angry.

But he knew his Belle, his anger was going to be nothing compared to her own when she came to her senses and realized what she'd done.

When she came to her senses…he was between a rock and a hard place. He wasn't going to take Belle to meet Ingrid, but if she didn't lower that dagger and make that decision on her own, he might not have a choice. Fuck!

"Belle…I gave you that dagger because I trusted you. Because I thought you'd never want to control me."

"I know!" she shrieked, her voice breaking in a way that tightened his nerves. Oh, she was never going to forgive herself for this. And what was he to do about her insistence? If he couldn't get her to drop it? "I know, and I'm so, so sorry, Rumple, but if you won't come with me willingly…what choice do I have?"

He swallowed hard. He'd come back too late. While he'd been with the Snow Queen, somehow, in the time between the pair of them leaving the police station and now something had happened to work her up to this. She'd already thought everything through, already justified it, and given him the option of helping her. Desperation was driving her. He just wished he understood what she was desperate for.

But as she curled her fingers tighter against the blade between them, he let those musings go. He didn't have time to think about that right now, he only had time to think about how he was going to fix this, how he could get out of this without revealing all his darkest secrets and lose the one person in the world that he still had in his corner.

"Take me to the Snow Queen," she commanded. "To the place in the North Woods where she's hiding."

He didn't know if he should feel relief or anguish. It was a command. And unless he intended to confess to her here and now, there was no fighting it. But the correction she'd made, the addendum to the command that he take her to the hiding place. There was potentially something he could work with in that.

So, he let his magic stretch out, encompass the pair of them, and led her on a wild goose chase.

[frustrationinexcelsis]

I was thinking about Tears of the Kingdom some time ago, and it struck me that the reasons I dislike it as a sequel specifically is very similar to my issues with the Star Wars sequel trilogy.

One of the main issues with the sequel trilogy is essentially a lack of narrative continuity. The Force Awakens does what you'd expect the first part of a trilogy to do -- it sets up a basic story, drops some foreshadowing and themes, and sets up a series of mystery boxes to get people curious about what's happening and what's going to happen in the future. If the whole series was planned from the beginning, this means that you can use the first one as an introduction to a story that you will conclude in later installments, which will also give the viewers a nice narrative payoff for having noticed the earlier clues. If the series was not planned from the start, you can still use the first installment's material as plot hooks to get the next story going and build on what's already present.

In Star Wars' case, the last two movies did not do their part of the work. Instead, each swept away whatever the previous movie had done so that it could set up its own mystery boxes and all-new shocking plot twists, which ended up creating a narratively incoherent trilogy and frustrating viewers who had watched earlier movies and expected the material in them to actually go somewhere eventually.

Tears of the Kingdom has a very similar problem. Breath of the Wild has great story and worldbuilding, both through its narrated backstory and through its excellent environmental storytelling. It creates a cohesive picture of Hyrule's history and world while also leaving a lot of mysteries and incomplete stories to get the player to wonder and speculate. There are a ton of potential hooks to expand on in a sequel or DLC -- the history of the ancient Sheikah, the Zonai ruins in the jungles, the nature of the ancient Calamity, and so on and so forth.

However, TotK doesn't build off of anything in BotW. Instead, it, again, sweeps everything off the table to set up its own mystery boxes. Take the Sheikah, for example -- the ruins of Sheikah tech and guardians are everywhere in the first game, and the ancient builders are a huge presence in its backstory. In the sequel, every scrap of tech is gone without acknowledgement (we can hypothesize as much as we like, but the game itself very clearly would just rather pretend it never existed) and no mention whatsoever is made of the ancient Sheikah culture because it would take away from the new set of even more ancient advanced precursors. However, the new Zonai are also that in name only -- their architecture has no resemblance to that shown in the first game's map, and they have no link to Faron; the use of the name was certainly useful to make people excited, but they have no actual link to the original bygone culture. The original Calamity is a non-entity in favor of a new, previously unmentioned attack by Ganondorf. Zelda's original characterization and personal conflicts are gone -- her scientific inclinations and her struggle with having to be a princess while she'd much rather be a scholar aren't useful for the new story that instead revolves primarily around her connection to the original king and queen of Hyrule, so those just don't get mentioned.

The result is one that both hurts the impact of the prequel's original storytelling while making it difficult to get as invested in the sequel's.

Zelda's always been pulled between its dev team's two tendencies -- wanting to have at least the impression of a centuries-spanning fantasy saga with an interesting and impressive world and also their very limited creative impulse control -- but most games are disconnected enough that it isn't really an issue. With BotW and TotK being as connected as they are, however, this is a much more noticeable problem.

seeing a speedrun of botw all dungeons and even like that .... its so strange how soulless totk feels to me when botw didnt, allthough it feels much flatter to me now since i know there wasnt any thought put into the things i thought were meaningful and that it will go nowhere in the end

and yet still it feels like its got soul that totk just hasnt; botw is far from perfect, like everything really, but totk to me really feels like a clunky grind game with no trust in the player at all, be it puzzles or 'story', and a fundamental missunderstanding of why botws world design and structure worked well as a whole in the end

i honestly still cant quite understand how on earth botw got totk as its 'sequel', all the things that needed work in botw where neglected or made worse totk while it also failed to follow up on literally anything in a meaningful way- when i still think the changes it needed where so OBVIOUS and the directions to follow up and expand on things to enhance not just the sequel but also botw in retrospect where so plenty and ready for the taking, it hurts me still even to think about it not being done and everything really being actively thrown away for NOTHING or things that make it AND botw WORSE in retrospect instead

i wont ever be able to forgive that, and some part of me hopes that this is the worst that they will ever do so at least we will get better games again in the future

[paperpeacock]

Hi! Just imagine Keith with an s/o whi bas a genshin vision. Like cyro, or electro or something and they can actually use it with their paladin weapon. Like finding out they can use it, asking how it works all that.

Hello! thank you so much for requesting, this is my first request and it made me so happy! Moreover, I love your idea! I really wanted to write about Voltron. I hope you like it <3 (Sorry, its quite long)

Keith x S/O with electro vision

A step. Rippling magnitude onto the metal beneath your feet, you sent pulsating waves into the bodies surrounding. The aura of it all changed, casted into a numbing silence under your presence. The crowd searched upwards, their eyes landing on your figure, standing well above them. For a silent moment, Keith saw a foreign glow ignite into the eyes he so adores. What was it? He asked himself.  

 In a single beat, you drew your sword, in a single hit all opposing forces were rejected as if they were mere stones thrown from your hands. You stood front and center, violet radiating off your body. Your once plainly lit blade now set aflame in a vibrant purple. You had electricity seeping from your hands into your hilt. Your eyes looked back at your lover. Surrounding by your fallen enemies. The ones who came so close to harming him. 

The mission had been successful. All innocents safely cared for and protected, now back in their homes after a long day of aiding and sorting. The paladins were looking forward to dinner. Looking forward to food. Looking for answers. 

“Amazing Paladins! Another job well done” Coran beamed. 

The six gathered at the table. Silently gazing at their food. Keith furrowed his brows, unpleased at your lack of company at dinner but even more so, he was concerned about what happened. 

“I'm gonna go check on Y/N” he announced pushing off the table.  

The gentle lover he pursued, wiping out an entire floor with a single hit. What he witnessed was undeniably unique, a power he never dreamed of, and its only comparison to that of the power in books and games. He recalled your electric gaze. Once again, those same eyes filled with mystery, bewitched him once more, when will you cease to surprise him dear Y/N? 

The Ravenette quietly entered your room, eyes scanning your genlte figure. The bed dipped under his weight.  

“Y/N?” he whispered, rubbing your arm. His thumb rubbing circles against your sleeve as you awoke. Eyes flickering to meet his. They were wide, shimmering like the stars just outside. 

“Keith” You replied. You touched his arm. You both then gazed at your blackened hand. Scorched with stygian and lilac. “We need to talk”. 

“So, let's recap” Lance said. “You have always had these powers but lost them a long time ago, you suddenly have these electricity powers and still know how use them and all of that is stored in that little rock” He wiggled a finger at the amulet hung at your chest. “Am I missing anything?” the room remained silent. Pidge gazed upon the vision.  

“May I?” She asked. Her hazel eyes danced upon the stone; she rubbed the glass with her thumb. “It's like its alive” She breathed as the purple streaks flurried about. Coran leaned over her shoulder. 

“Hmmm, its definitely not Altean” He murmured. 

“Is it magic?” Hunk queried. You nodded at him. 

“Sort of... it's really quite hard to explain”  

After a few days, your abilities were somewhat understood. You explained that it's been with you since birth, just never activated. Like an evening primrose, only blooming under the milk light of moon, your power only unleashed from pressure.  

At dawn, you padded past the training deck but walked in upon spotting Keith. He battled simulations, cloaked in the inky suit from the Blade of Marmora. You waited for him to see you. Once he did, he pulled off his helmet and smiled at you warmly. “Train with me?” he tilted his head slightly. 

You trained with him often, however, Keith now wanted to see your power, one he knew to hold much magnitude. 

Your blades clinked as he pushed against yours, his eyes challenging your own.  

“What does it feel like? Your vision I mean” he asked, mid in the heat of battle. 

“It's familiar, l-like part of me” You panted; arms slightly trembling. Keith thought back to his mother, his blade. Feeling just right in his hands, his path slightly less clouded. 

“B-but...” you went on, snapping Keith from his ruminating. 

“When I used it, it felt like storms in my veins, lightning in my soul, it felt familiar” Your eyes flickered into a burst as your boyfriend was pushed away, knocked to the ground.  

Keith gazed at you in bewilderment, you noticed, thus cutting off the power. 

“I-I'm sorry!” You piped, extending your hands to him. Not expecting him to pull them down. You tumbled into him, leading crimson to paint your cheeks. 

“Then let's reach for it, t-together" he gazed down, face also filled with heat. 

[mint-yooxgi]

Hey Bae!!!!! Can you Plz do the 2nd part of yan!web hacker jaehyun. It's okay if you don't want to do it, it's just that I got too excited after reading the first part and want to know what happens next!!

Part One

***

Scrolling through your laptop was the one thing you could always count on to unwind. Hours could pass as you mindlessly scrolled through site after site, sometimes allowing yourself to browse retail sites just for the hell of it to see if there was anything of interest for you. Only, that was before. Before this whole nightmare started. 

Now, even so much as glancing at your laptop causes a sense of paranoia to wash over you. It has been weeks since you last touched it, opting to keep it powered off lest you want this mysterious Jae person stalking your online presence even more. Hell, you’re not even sure if it’s your laptop that’s bugged, but ever since you stopped using it, no more surprise packages have been arriving at your doorstep.

To say you’ve been living on the down low lately would be an understatement. Even your closest friends have noticed your media absence, or really, your lack of presence on your usually frequented social sites. A few have even gone so far as to message you about it, to which you’ve opted to reply that you’re simply taking a bit of a social media break at the moment. They haven’t pushed you further than that.

One evening, you find yourself sharing a bottle of wine with your closest friend, Neysha, at your place. Currently, the two of you are laughing at something she’s just said, grins tugging at both your faces. A candle sits on the coffee table before you, the flame flickering as the night wears on.

“No, I'm serious,” she chuckles, “dating apps fucking suck and sometimes the people you match with are complete weirdos.”

“Oh, come on,” you roll your eyes playfully, “they can’t all be that bad.”

“Wth the story I just told you?” She shoots you a pointed look, “I'd say they can.”

“Fair,” you nod. After a moment, “you know, I haven’t downloaded a dating app in such a long time.”

Immediately, her eyes light up, “you should! You’d probably have better luck than I do, anyways.”

“Eh,” you grimace, shrugging your one shoulder, “most of the time the people I match with aren’t looking for anything serious and I'm not into quick meet and greets like that.”

“Fair,” she mirrors your word from earlier, as you take a sip of your wine, “all you really need is a good vibrator, anyways.”

You nearly spit out your wine, choking on a cough as she looks at you with wide eyes.

“Oh my god, are you okay?” Neysha leans forward, patting your back gently as you attempt to catch your breath.

“Yeah,” you clear your throat, an image of those two toys you received a few weeks ago flashing in your mind. To distract yourself, you say, “maybe I should give dating apps another go.”

“Hell yeah!” She cheers, already grabbing your phone off the coffee table in front of you to hand it to you. “Put yourself out there; you’re a catch!”

Grinning at her words, you unlock your phone. Going to the App Store, you immediately download the same dating app she’s using, the two of you taking the time to set up your profile together. Not even two minutes later, your phone dings with a match.

“Wow, that was quick.” You comment, checking who could have already matched with you.

“Oh, he’s cute!” Neysha peers over your shoulder to look at the profile with you. “His name’s Yoonoh?”

“Looks like it,” you hum, scrolling through his profile just as a notification pops up that you’ve received a message. “Oh shit, I think he just sent me a message.”

“Well, see what he said!” Neysha encourages, smile on her face.

Only, just as you finish replying to him, you notice your candle flicker out on the table before you.

Immediately, your expression falls. “Aw man, that was my favourite candle.”

Neysha turns her attention to where tendrils of smoke rise from the now extinguished wick. “I can tell.” She chuckles. “Just order a new one.”

You shoot her a tight smile in response.

“What scent is it anyways?” She asks, shifting closer to see the somewhat faded label on the side. “It smells wonderful.”

At the look she sends you, her lip quirked as she gazes at you knowingly, you huff out a laugh.

“Teakwood.” You reply. “Only my favourite type of musk, like, ever. Listen, if a man ever wears that scent around me, I would probably fall to my knees. And you know I don’t often fall to my knees for a man.”

“Amen to that,” she nods her approval, taking a sip of her wine.

The two of you continue chatting into the night, flitting from topic to topic at the drop of a hat. By the time morning comes, you’ve forgotten all about your now dead candle still sitting on your coffee table. That is, until you hear a knock at your door.

Frowning, you go to answer it only to see a small package left at your doorstep.

Immediately, your heart starts pounding in your chest, palms going sweaty as you carefully bring the package inside. Placing the box on your counter, you shoot a quick text to Neysha, asking if you or her ordered anything last night. Her answering ‘no’ sends ice right through your veins.

Carefully, you open the box, hands shaking as your eyes flick over to your still sleeping laptop sitting exactly where you last placed it all those days ago. Untouched.

A large, three wick candle of your favourite scent- teakwood- greets you in the box, almost staring mockingly back at you as you lift it out to reveal a carefully folded note placed beneath.

Your hands continue to tremble as your eyes scan the letter, the overwhelming scent of teakwood filling your nostrils. Walking a few paces away, you frown, the scent following you wherever you go. Bringing the paper to your nose, you realize in horror why.

My Darling,

every time I learn something new about you, it never fails to surprise me. I think I'm going to enjoy the thought of you on your knees for me almost as much as the thought of you using my last gifts while you think of me.

I long for the day when I can finally meet you in person, but for now I'll be content to remain like this for a while longer.

Do think of me when you light the candle.

Forever Faithfully Yours,

Jae